By the Will of the Council

by Captain Neckbeard

Intermission: The Culling

Southern Middle-Continent, 800 years before the Equestrian Unification

Magikhan Arcana and the rest of the alicorn tribe has been pounding the changelings' dome-shield for the better half of the day at that point. But despite their best efforts, their magic proved to be ineffective. Their beams got stopped by the particularly strong shield the changelings cast around their hive. It seemed they learned from the last time they faced off against the alicorns. Instead of risking an open battle, they decided to wait it out.

The Magikhan realized they were just wasting their efforts, and stopped casting. With a wide gesture, she made the others stop too. Everyone was on standby, still ready to battle, but unsure how to proceed. Arcana floated in place, fixing her blue eyes upon the hive, size of a small mountain.

"Disgusting parasites. They must have consumed a whole civilization to erect a shield this strong."

Arcana didn't say that very loud, only the councilors around her could hear it. Master Guardian Novum answered:

"They can't keep it up forever. Let's wait. Until we're here, they can't go anywhere."

"Waiting doesn't yield victory, Novum." responded Master Guardian Aura.

"Why be so hasty? I agree with Novum." reacted Master Guardian Selena "We can just wait. Ponykind isn't in danger momentarily, and when the hive will spread out to feed, we can strike."

"I wish to destroy the parasites today, noble councilors." Arcana said "Waiting is not an option. Their existence proved to be disastrous for the world even so far."

"This brashness is so unlike you, Arcana..." said Selena, then added "But of course not waiting is fine too. Does anyone have a plan to tear down that shield though?"

So far in history, changelings never gave them such trouble during any of the tribal interventions. The Council, the twelve most ancient alicorns looked at each other. Every one of them, but one Master Guardian Mundus. He was staring at a mountain in the not-so-far distance.

"The very landscape that was left in place during creation will help us. Fellow councilors, will you help me?"

Although the few raised eyebrows indicated no one knew what Mundus thought up, Arcana signaled to the whole tribe they should follow his lead.

✶

Near the top of the mountain, Mundus marked the last spot of interest, led by his advanced earth pony instincts. They were ready now. Now they only needed to do what the tribe did best.

"And we'll also need a blast here." he said "Then this whole mountaintop can be lifted off, and we can use it as a projectile against the hive."

"Not even the tribe's combined telekinesis is strong enough to punch this through that shield." objected Master Guardian Solus.

"We won't need spells beyond us." answered Mundus "Gravity will do what our magic couldn't."

"I understand your plan now." Arcana smiled, "Very good, Guardian Mundus."

The whole tribe, all hundred members fired pulverizing bolts at the marked locations, and the explosive effect cracked the rock in such a pattern that it ran around near the tip of the mountain. Then the tribe formed a circle, floating at equal distances from each other, and started to lift off the mountaintop in unison. The millions of tons of rock, slowly, but surely, started to levitate, in a hue of rainbow as every alicorn's magic affected it. Then, they flew upwards, along with their unorthodox projectile of destruction.

✶

The tribe reached the upper limits of the stratosphere. There, they kept their payload in place, then turned it upside down, so the tip was facing the earth. The clouds were cleared by a few alicorns beforehand, so there would be a clear line of sight to the target.

From that high up, the landscape was just a map, and the mighty changeling hive seemed comically small.

Master Guardian Stella was responsible for aiming the gigantic piece of rock. Who would be better suited for that, than the alicorn who made comets fall from time to time? She nudged the mountaintop into place, while it was still levitated by everyone else. When she made sure it was right above the hive, Stella gave the all clear signal. Arcana nodded, and disengaged her magic.

Then everyone else too, all at once.

The piece of mountain that would spell doom for an entire race very soon, began its descent.

✶

A part of the tribe went into free fall along with the mountaintop, just in case. They made slight course corrections as it was approaching the earth, guided by Stella. During the final descent, when she was sure the projectile would hit, the alicorns dispersed, and let mass and velocity do their job.

The changeling dome shield was popped like a bubble by the mountaintop, and a split-second later, the hive itself demolished from the impact, the black material spraying around in a several-kilometer radius. The destruction seemed total, but soon, the whole tribe landed amongst the rubble to check for any survivors. Of course, they didn't expect to find any, and sure enough, they didn't.

After a few magical scans that returned negative results, Magikhan Arcana rallied the tribe, and deemed the intervention a success. So far during history, nothing could seriously harm ponykind. If it was hostile, alicorns would kill it. Because that was their purpose. Their destiny. And the tribe was content with that.

Magikhan Arcana too. Mostly.