Magic Gear Solid: Broken Balance

by Barrobroadcaster

Happy Thoughts

Canterlot outskirts, the night of Princess Celestia's birthday

Luna flew away from Canterlot Castle as fast as she could. She'd arrived in time to see her sister defeated before a giant monster and an army of metal-armored dogs. There was nothing she could do. Truthfully, she was scared and alone. Lost without her older sister's guidance, she didn't know what to do next but she knew if she stayed she would only wind up like her. So she fled.

She reached a cave in the moutain outside of town and looked back to see an orange shield envelope Canterlot. Lights in the city went out as the shield closed completely. What was going on? Why were these creatures invading and what did they want with the princess? Luna didn't know what to do. She focused on her own safety first as she entered the back of the cave.

A few hours passed. Neither the monster nor the creatures emerged from the shielded city and no one approached the cave where Luna hid. She allowed herself to calm down and weigh her options. It was likely that whatever invaders were in the town were asleep. She decided it was time to see what was going on. Using her powers as gaurdian of the night, she astrally projected herself into the world of dreams. Focusing, she sought out the dreams of those who were asleep inside Canterlot. She found the dogs, there dreams were simplistic but more complicated than that of the average dog. She stretched out further, searching for whoever was responsible for these attacks. She projected herself into the castle itself.

Luna couldn't find her sister's mind amongst those in the Canterlot. Either she wasn't asleep or... she could be unconcious or worse but Luna didn't allow herself to think of the alternative. She focused in, searching the castle. Finally she found a dream she could enter and dove in.

The dream world materialzed around Luna as she projected herself into the mind of this individual. The dream took the form of Ponyville, an old Ponyville she didn't recognize. The buildings were of an older design, ancient by today's standards but they looked brand new in this dream. The ponies that inhabitated this dream Ponyville had older cutie marks, those she'd only seen in books. Luna couldn't interact with dreams but she could interact with their owners. She walked down the roads of the dream town and searched for the owner of this particular dream when the owner found her.

"Just like you arcanists. Can't help sticking your noses in places they don't belong." a voice said. A brown stallion with a gray mane had appeared at her side and was watching the road with her as he talked. Luna turned to face him and noticed something odd: he stood on his two hind legs and had some sort of metallic limbs with digits at the end, like the upright beings, dragons, dogs and the like.

"Who are you?" Luna asked in a formal but firm tone.

"Who am I? I am Equestria's future. I am Lord Vice, King of Equestria." the stallion turned to face her and his voice took on a threatening tone. The dream shifted around Luna quickly, vibrating and melting into colorful distortions. The dream rematerialized with Luna and Vice standing in midair high above a city in the moutains, the sky an angry orange sunset. The city below them was a strange menagerie of boxy grey buildings, paved roads and not a single tree or blade of grass in sight. Machines flew above the buildings but not pegasi. Luna looked at the streets and saw ponies, all of them earth ponies walking upright in an orderly fasion. A fortress of matte-black and gray with strange protrusions coming from all sides dominated the side of a mountain. The metal monster Luna had seen attack her sister, there were dozens of them patrolling the streets and the castle. Other machines like them, hundreds were everywhere.

"How do you like the new Canterlot? Of course I was thinking of renaming it Vice City but I want to save that name for something with more beach access." Vice said with a chuckle.

"The new Canterlot? This is what you dream for our kingdom?!" Luna asked in shock and disgust.

"Correct, this is the future for your precious kingdom. A world driven by the power of science and technology free of arcanist oppression."

"Oppression? But Equestria has only experienced harmony and peace at the-"

"-at the expense of every other nation on this planet! You callously treat the other countries, other kingdoms, other races with disdain as you prance about your little cities in blissful ignorance! You force your own citizens to rely on your arcane sorcery while you keep the other nations under an iron hoof! And you have the arrogance to claim you are at peace?!!" Vice shouted in pure rage.

"We have done nothing of the sort! We've extended diplomatic ties to-" Vice reached through Luna's projection field and grasped her throat with a metallic hand. He lifted her into the air until she was dangling above the city.

"I've trained myself against dream projection techniques princess. I have no nightmares for you to explore, only happy thoughts. Although I can't hurt you here, if you dare invade the sanctity of my mind again I promise you I will make your sister suffer before she dies." Vice explained in voice that conveyed a calmness yet with a tone that sounded like bile.

Luna couldn't speak as she scraped her hooves along the prosthetic. How was he doing this? The dream world around her distorted into silvery waves as Vice stared at her, his eyes burning with hatred.

"And then I will use my Metal Gear RAM's rail gun to destroy the moon you love so dearly. I will make you the princess of nothing if you interfere again." Vice said, now his voice angry and full of irrational fury. He released her and the dream world vanished in an instant. She was back in the cave outside of Canterlot. Somehow, she could still feel the cold fingers of Vice's hand around her neck. She massaged her throat until the feeling abated. She then curled into a comfortable position in the back of the cave though she knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

Comments

[Battlefield3vet]

"Of course I was thinking of renaming it Vice City but I want to save that name for something with more beach access."

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