It has been a year since the portal connecting Earth and Equestria formed. Embassies have been set up and formal relations have been opened. But can the two sides keep the peace when everybody has their own agenda?
It has been a year since the portal connecting Earth and Equestria formed. Embassies have been set up and formal relations have been opened. But can the two sides keep the peace when everybody has their own agenda? Does everyone want the peace kept?
Sequel to Encounters. Part 2 of the Titans series. While reading it is not required, it is encouraged. Parts 3-5 will also be uploaded here.
And because I don't want to field this question again. This is NOT a TCB story, that kind of thing is reminiscent of some of the worst criminals in Earth's history, and is not to be taken lightly.
Please don't forget to comment, like or fav. And most importantly, to enjoy. This will update every Friday so long as I have some to upload.
Lyra, Equestria’s first anthropologist, her cyan-gray and white striped mane blended in with her mint-green coat, was sitting in the Corner of Applejack’s barn. Her lyre cutie mark seemed funny because she wasn’t able to specialize in music; she loved it of course, but certain situations had prevented her from being able to achieve it. That was when the musician had decided to go into xenobiology and study things that weren’t ponies; which eventually led to her being hunted by changelings and being the emissary to humans when the portal appeared on the outskirts of Ponyville over a year ago.
Lyra’s best friend was sitting next to her. Bon Bon was a confectioner by trade, making some of the best candies in Ponyville. Her cream colored coat along with her pink and gray-blue mane always reminded Lyra of cotton candy; something she wished Bon Bon would make more of. The candy maker turned her head to Lyra. “Why are you just sitting there?” She asked. “This party is for you too.”
The party was to celebrate the completion of both the Equestrian Embassy on Earth and the Human Embassy in Equestria. Formal relations had been set up and the next week was to be a public announcement on Earth about the first alien life to be discovered. This party was more of a goodbye than a celebration. Lyra, Rarity and Twilight would be leaving to work at the embassy on Earth the next day. The mint-green mare, as the foremost expert on humans was to be the cultural attaché; her job was to continue her studies and assist their diplomat in her dealings with the humans.
“Why don’t you go and spend some time with the other ponies?” Bon Bon asked, not wanting to monopolize the rest of Lyra’s time in Equestria.
Lyra just laughed, she wasn’t exactly friends with most of the other ponies here, and her work had always had her in the field. The only other ponies here were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, six ponies that controlled some of the most potent magic in Equestria, saving it numerous times. And while Lyra didn’t hate the Element bearers; she still didn’t get along the greatest with Twilight, their leader. “They need to say goodbye to each other; let them have their private time.” Lyra conceded. She then looked up and grinned; noticing one particular pony missing from the group of mares. “Besides, this is about to get very entertaining.”
Bon Bon looked back at the group and noticed the missing pony; her jaw dropped. The pink party pony that had wanted to throw a party for the past month was missing. This can’t end well. She thought and started scanning the room looking for potential trouble while Lyra just kept grinning and watching the two human bodyguards at the opposite corner of the building.
Avery Anwar, the leader and had yellow hair and gray eyes, was the taller of the two; whereas his partner Victor Sizemore had reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. They both had bronzed skin that had begun to pale because they had spent so much time in the portal research facility while Lyra and her human counterpart exchanged information. Both bodyguards wore suits and as Lyra had learned; both also carried very powerful weapons. And both were about to be scared senseless.
“Look up.” Lyra hinted when her friend couldn’t figure out what was so funny.
Bon Bon looked up into the rafters of the barn and spotted the missing pony hanging from a beam with a rope wrapped around her midsection. Before Bon Bon could even get out a peep of warning, the bright pink pony dropped right between the two humans. They both jumped back as the falling pink mass passed within inches of their faces. Avery calmed down when he realized it was a pink blur, but Victor looked like he was about to have a heart attack and was reaching for a gun he didn’t bring. ‘There shouldn’t be any threats’ they said ‘The Garrison is just across town they said’ Victor stated to himself, trying to calm down, there were just some things life couldn’t prepare you for. Not even that botched job in Nicaragua.
As Pinkie Pie fell she quickly stated, “Why don’t you join the party?” And, then she bounced back up on the taught rope, and then fell back between them. “This party is for you too.” The yo-yoing pony said as she went back up. Avery rolled his eyes; he had been the one responsible for keeping this one from throwing a party greeting each and every worker into Equestria. Victor’s job had been to keep an eye on the workers to make sure they stayed out of trouble.
Avery grabbed the rope as Pinkie sped back towards the ground. The bodyguard then held her up to eyelevel while she grinned. “If you want we can play pin the tail on the pony and then have cake, ooohhh I brought some rrreeaaalllyyy good cupcakes today. Mrs. Cake let me bring all of the kumquat cupcakes today-.”
“Pinkie. Please calm down.” Victor tried to persuade her; never having dealt with the party pony before.
“-I mean they sell really well, but that could just be because they sound really funny.”
“How is she still breathing?” Victor asked, not seeing the pony stop for a breath yet.
Avery had something pink in his hand and the next time Pinkie opened her mouth really wide, he shoved it in. Her face went from shocked to really calm in an instant. “Ok Pinkie. We will enjoy the party. You can go back to your friends.” With that the keeper of the cupcakes disappeared in a flash.
Victor stared at his partner. “Did you just assault one of their national heroes?” The shock was apparent in his voice.
“Relax,” Avery told the man he helped train for one of the toughest jobs on Earth. “That, was on a recommendation from Twilight Sparkle, and is the easiest way of getting her to be quiet.”
Across the room Lyra was rolling on the hay covered floor, laughing her flank off. Bon Bon tried to give her a stern look, but Lyra’s laughing was contagious and she started to giggle. “Did you have something to do with this?”
“I wish.” Lyra then became serious and stuck her muzzle up into the air. “But as an official representative of Her Majesty Princess Celestia. I would never impung her reputation.”
Bon Bon raised an eyebrow at her friend; who could no longer hold her expression and started laughing again.
“You know. I’m really going to miss you.” Lyra stated to her best friend and then went back to viewing the party going on around them.
“I’m going to miss you, too.” Bon Bon practically whispered and then gave her friend a quick kiss on the cheek. “Make sure to visit.”
Twilight was hanging out with her small group of friends in Applejack’s barn; enjoying her time with them before she had to leave in the morning. At least I will be going with Rarity. Twilight reminded herself. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were reminiscing about the dragon that had covered Equestria in a layer of smoke because of his snoring, and how the quiet Fluttershy had finally been able to persuade him to leave.
Just then a loud crash was heard from outside. “Now what in th’ darn hill-“ Applejack started to ask before being cut off by her white coated friend.
“It’s just the girls playing one last time. Let them have their fun before I have to take Sweetie with me to Earth.” Rarity stated as she heard another crash.
“Tree sap again?” Scootaloo’s voice pierced the walls.
Rarity sighed. So much for having visited the spa yesterday.
“So what’s it like being an ambassador?” Fluttershy asked being more open and forward around her friends.
“I don’t really know yet. Their language is strange and I have only met with a few of the ones here. But they seem nice.” Rarity responded, curious herself what Earth would be like. Celestia had selected her as the diplomat to Earth due to her business experience and as a sign of respect. Her friend Twilight would also be going to help her with the technicalities and with human history.
“Umm, has anybody seen Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, remembering the chaos she had caused at the construction site with the humans, and the delays she had caused.
“Yeah, there” Rainbow Dash pointed to the two humans just in time for the other mares to turn around and see Avery shove a cupcake into Pinkie’s mouth. The five mares started to giggle at each other as Pinkie quickly hurried over.
“Who wants to play pin the tail on the pony?”
Lyra didn’t know what to think. She had never been kissed before; never even had the time to think about it.
“Just give me a response when you return.” Bon Bon smiled. “Besides, it looks like you have another friend coming to wish you well.
As Lyra looked towards the door, two humans were walking in. One a male and the other a female. The male was about six foot tall with creamish-alive skin and brown hair. He was familiar to Lyra and was the human she had been dealing with for most of the time. He was sent initially to learn Equestrian and to facilitate diplomacy between the two sides and just like the other two was never seen outside of his suit. The woman was someone completely new to her though. She was about six inches shorter than the male and had pale-cream colored skin and jet black hair, but she was wearing a t-shirt and some sort of cotton pants. If only Rarity could see this.
As the pair came over Lyra reflected on what she had done to him. I wish I could have warned him, but if he knew the plan to designate him as ambassador, he never would have shown up. But, his face on hearing the news was priceless. The mare grinned, seeing his shock. And, then the disagreement over it between the Princess’ and the President. “Who’s the friend” she asked.
“Lyra, this is Aiko.” Anthony informs his pony friend. “She’s an Army MP.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lyra bowed her head slightly. “What is it you do around here?”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lyra.” Aiko stated. “I will be in charge of security.”
“Security?” Lyra asked. “But aren’t Victor and Avery in charge of security?”
“They are in charge of the Embassy’s security. Basically making sure all the other guards do what they are supposed to do.” Aiko informed the green pony. “I will be in charge of the Ambassador’s personal security. Making sure that he doesn’t come under attack and will oversee the security at his domicile.”
“Yeah, I saw that place. Looks like a small mansion. It definitely looks nicer than the Embassy.” Lyra scoffed, talking about the large grey square next to the research facility. “Why’s it so big anyway?”
“The bottom floor is for clerical and support staff, the top two floors are for specialty services and housing for the workers since they have to live in the Embassy.” Anthony informed her.
“And the basement?” Lyra had been watching how that ugly building was constructed and knew that there were in fact two basements, but not their purpose.
Anthony was stunned and had no response. Thankfully for Lyra’s curiosity, Aiko supplied the answer. “That is a gun range so the marines in charge of security can get their practice in. I’m sure you remember the last time you had someone discharge their weapon for show. This is to prevent the complaints that incident caused.”
Lyra grinned, remembering perfectly well wanting to see what a gun could do once she figured out what it was. And the irate personal student of Celestia’s that then yelled at her for it. “Point taken.” After thinking for a second, the anthropologist had another question. “What’s your last name? According to my research humans have at least two names.”
“My last name is Marcus.” The MP replied, neither knowing nor caring about the question.
“Oh! Are you his sister then?” Lyra inquired. Too which Bon Bon facehoofed, not believing how dense her friend was.
“Do we look like brother and sister?” Aiko asked icily.
“Well…” Lyra had to think for a moment. “You two are very similarly colored, more so than a lot of ponies I know of that are related. Have you seen Twilight and her brother or Applejack and her brother?”
Anthony didn’t know whether to grin or grimace at their conversation. “She’s my wife. We’ve been married for eleven years. We met in high school and again in college.” He informed the oblivious mare. “I think we are going to go mingle some.” The diplomat informed Lyra; wanting to defuse the situation.
“Ok. And Aiko. If you are looking for a sparring partner talk to either the blue one or the orange one.” Lyra stated, pointing to the six mares all talking to each other, as the humans walked off.
Bon Bon looked at her friend incredulously. “Did you have to antagonize them so much?”
Lyra turned back to her friend, expression serious. “Because you can tell a lot about a human by how they react when mad.”
President Tow was sitting at her wooden desk back in the oval office, finally able to relax for a few minutes. Both embassies are finished and ready to be manned. Operation ‘Icarus’ was completed just before handing the Groom Lake facility for dual ownership and shutting down parts of Area 51.And that damned Texan is finally cooperating.
12/21/13 3:00pm EST Meeting Between President Margarette Tow and the Senate Oversight Committee, Earth
“Good day Madam President.” Senator Stephen Brent greeting. “I’m afraid we have a few concerns about this project ‘Equus’ that you have been keeping close watch over. It appears to have gone over budget without producing any results.”
President Tow hid her grin and kept her glee from her green eyes. She was wearing her trademark black suit with red accents that helped to accentuate her red hair. She had been planning this meeting for months. The President knew that Brent had his sources and had been told about several aspects she had tried to keep hidden. The builders and engineers working on the Embassy were sequestered in Equestria until they finished their project, which had the effect of keeping the news of aliens out of the press. But, there had still been scuttlebutt that was passing around the Armed Forces lately; no amount of caution could keep it hidden forever though.
“Yes, I’m afraid that several new buildings were required for the project to move forward.”
“Yes, we have seen the images of the new buildings; some of them look rather ‘unique’ for strategic purposes.” The Texas Senator accused, talking about the houses that the ponies had been building on the salt flat in Nevada. “And, there have been reports of a treaty signing without Congressional notification to ratify it. Or, the fact that this project went through two years of funding in eight months. Or, that it looks like you are unilaterally trying to shut down Area 51.”
There was no way for Tow to know exactly how much Brent knew. It was obvious that he had a source, but there was no way to figure out who it was or why. The financing could have been from checking the accounts that were open to review. “Crews were needed to work around the clock to finish the new Embassy in seven months; which was a result of the new treaty.” President Tow enticed. “As for notifying congress to ratify the new treaty; that wasn’t required. The President of the United States is allowed to make treaties on her own.” She had a hard time controlling her grin. Trap is set.
“A new Embassy?” Senator Brent was starting to turn red. “And you failed to even announce opening relations with a country that has since been hostile to us? And then kept all of this a secret from Congress?”
That shade of red goes really well with his close cut blonde hair and portly stature. Tow admired. “To be fair, we have never had relations with them before; they are a rather new society. And Area 51 is useless without the salt flat which was also handed over in the treaty.” She was going to let him stew a little bit more, but decided against that plan. The point is to get him to over-react and lose some face, but not enough where he can’t be used.
President Tow turned to one of her Secret Service Agents, a rather intimidating example of height and muscles. “Agent Reed, can you hand them the files please?” As she spoke, the agent stepped forward and placed a manila envelope in front of each of the five senators. She watched as their faces slowly went from mocking, to shock and to disbelief before she decided to speak. “As you can see, the explosion that resulted from the Alcubierre Drive created an anomaly that connected our world with one known as Equestria. Their society is based off of magic and the most advanced life form is similar to Earth ponies. Now if you would have preferred making all of this public eight months ago; just say so. But this allowed the United States to set up relations before any other country.”
Brent seemed to consider it a moment; he was weighing his options and trying to predict how his supporters would move with any decision he made. “But, to sell the Groom Lake Facility and to decommission most of Area 51 seems rather brash. What did you sell it for?”
“We also have some territory there, it was a fair trade. If we were to deny them free entry through the void, it could seem like an act of aggression. Area 51 was already being slowly decommissioned because of the high profile it has received, this simply sped it up. Besides, would you have a fully staffed military base right next to a foreign embassy? Think what that would cause to happen in places like Iran or Russia.” President Tow informed her adversary. “As for the gems, it was eighteen of these.” She pulled out one small green gem the size of a pebble.
“You traded all of that for eighteen small gems?” He bellowed. “When the public finds out, you will be impeached.”
Checkmate! She thought. Your supporters just saw you yell and threaten the President of the United States, as long as this goes like it’s supposed to…
“Did I say these were just gems?” The president intoned, lifting the hand with the gem in it, before sending the gem hurling into the ground. As the gem hit the ground, a small fracture formed along its side. An instant later the magic stored and structured in the gem was released in a bright flash that blinded the unsuspecting Senators; allowing the President to truly smile for a moment at her triumph. “Yes. Eighteen of those. Different ones.”
3/12/14 6:00pm Oval Office, Washington D.C.
President Tow’s face turned serious. Thank God the gems I got from Celestia contained instructions and none were weapons. This should keep his wheels spinning for some time. Not to mention trying to regroup his support. She couldn’t afford to tell anyone about the three CIA Special Activities Operation’s officers under cover at the Embassy in Equestria. But, she had to tell them her plans; most of them anyway. Now to prepare for the press release next week.
3/12/14 10:00am Ponyville Rarity was just closing up Carousel Boutique for the day so she could get a last spa visit with Fluttershy before leaving for Earth. The fashionista turned Ambassador had combed her Indigo mane and white coat in order to look her best. She had decided to leave her purple chapeau in the shop because it was such a beautiful day out and headed along the dirt path through Ponyville to Fluttershy’s cottage.
As Rarity crossed the small bridge to her friend’s cottage which was inside a tree, she noticed the cages spread throughout the yard. When the white mare knocked on the front door, she was greeted by a bedraggled looking Fluttershy. Her butter yellow coat was spotted with dirt and her rose pink mane was unkempt. “Fluttershy darling, it looks like I came just in time for our weekly spa visit.”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, but I can’t make it.” Fluttershy responded before flying off after a small white rabbit.
“What’s wrong dear?” Rarity asked worried for her friend.
“Oh, Angel bunny is not feeling too good, but I can’t get him to lie down and rest.” The pegasus stated as she tried to keep her hooves wrapped around the fighting Angel. “And Elizabeak got out again.”
“I’m so sorry. Would you like some help?” The unicorn asked, but not really wanting to get dirty.
“Go to the spa. You’ll be leaving soon; I’ll just see you at the party.” Angel used this opportunity to get out of his caretaker’s grasp and ran out the door. “Angel bunny.” Fluttershy stated as she flew out the door.
Rarity left to try and find somepony else to take to the spa with her.
Rarity found herself in the southern end of Ponyville looking at a newly constructed house. Not knowing who else to ask she decided to see if her counterpart would like to go, her treat. The building was a two story affair, not too unusual for Ponyville, but the style was unusual. The walls were all completely straight with only a few outcroppings, the ceiling was made out of small pieces of ceramic they called ‘shingles’ instead of thatched. The bottom half looked like brick, but the top half looked like a traditional Ponyville house with cream walls and strips of wood providing a pattern. The humans said it was a ‘Tudor’ style.
Rarity went up and knocked on the front door, she was surprised when the door was answered by the exact human she was looking for, and he wasn’t wearing a suit. Anthony looked down at the unicorn mare, surprised to see her. “Um, did you need something Rarity?”
He’s wearing THAT? Rarity asked herself at seeing the human Ambassador in a t-shirt and shorts. She shook her head to break her stupor. “Yes, I was wondering if you would like to visit the spa with me today. My usual spa buddy is currently indisposed. I would be more than willing to treat you.” She offered. I don’t want to spend my last day here by myself. At least Anthony is in a similar position and could help prepare me some, or just talk. She hoped.
“I’m sorry; the spa isn’t really my thing.” Anthony stated.
Rarity felt dejected, everybody was too busy, and then the human spoke up again. “However, I’m sure my wife would love to go with you.” He offered.
Rarity could hardly keep her joy contained. OOOHHHHH an actual girls’ day out. “That sounds delightful.”
“If you can just wait right here. And if she asks, you announced yourself first.” He winked as he headed up the stairs.
That must be unusual, being married to your chief bodyguard. I just hope I won’t be that constrained. I would love to walk around the city of Paris and look at the stores I choose. Rarity just waited, and a few minutes later he came back down the stairs alone. “Is there a problem?” She queried.
Anthony gives her a small smile. “No, she said she would be happy to meet you there, she just has to change first.” He informed her. “How about I walk you there?” The human ambassador asked.
“That would be delightful.” The Equestrian ambassador responded.
Rarity was enjoying her walk with the human Ambassador; they just talked about little things like where they grew up and how they ended up as counterparts. The kinds of things people would talk about to better know their friends or people they would be working with as equals. The fashionista failed to notice how other ponies tried to avoid them, when she did see one, she thought it was out of deference for their high positions. She also failed to notice the things these other ponies were saying.
“That’s one of the creatures responsible for those poor foals’ deaths.” A cerulean earth pony said to her friend.
“Can you believe how uncivilized they are, never hearing of magic before.” A different pony scoffed.
“And once they appeared, their ugly building went up. They didn’t even care about it being subtle and fitting in with the rest of the town.”
“I can still smell meat on it!” A mauve pegasus said.
“Did you know that some of them even eat their food while it’s still alive? Or they just drop the squirming animal into a boiling pot of water.” The mauve pegasus’ friend responded.
The mauve one had hurriedly left, trying to find the nearest bathroom.
Rarity and Anthony were waiting outside the twin-spired, tent-like spa. They had only been there for a few minutes when a female human in a black tank top and pants came running up from down the road. Even though Rarity had been warned by Lyra about the state of female human mammaries, she was still surprised to see them so obvious.
“Thank you for your delightful invitation Rarity.” Aiko Marcus greeted in Equestrian, not even remotely out of breath after jogging the entire way to the spa.
“Oh, it’s my pleasure Mrs. Marcus. I do hope you will enjoy yourself.” Rarity replied, and used her magic to open up the door.
“You two ladies have fun.” Anthony said as he made to leave. She needs to enjoy herself a little. He thought.
Aiko grinned. “Not so fast. You are not allowed to go anywhere unescorted and since you volunteered me for this, you get to come along too.”
“How delightful!” Rarity enthused. “We can even make sure you have a special couples massage. Oh you will absolutely love Aloe and Lotus, they are simply fabulous.”
3/13/14 9:00am Bridle Lake, Earth
Oh, I wish I could be back at the spa right now. Even though it wasn’t as relaxing as I’d hoped, they don’t even have a spa here. Rarity pouted. Remembering Aiko’s constant vigilance and silence and Anthony’s surprise at how soft hooves could be. It was still more relaxing than this.
When Rarity had arrived at her desk that morning, there was a letter waiting in front of her chair.
Dear Lady Rarity, Seeing as you are a new political appointee, I am willing to offer you my significant talents in learning how to deal with politicians and to consolidate your power base. All I ask is a small position on your staff from which to help you. Feel free to send your acceptance to the address at the end of this letter Sincerely, Prince Blueblood
All Rarity could do was stare at the letter in utter disbelief. After how he treated me at the Grand Galloping Gala; he thinks I will accept anything from a…a…charlatan that is only royal in that he is a royal pain! The ambassador quickly grabbed the letter and threw it in her office’s fireplace. I will have to make sure that my secretary disposes of anything else from him in a similar manner. She humphed and went back.
Rarity’s office was on the third floor of the Equestrian Embassy located in Nevada. The desk was designed to give her significance and had a lush ‘executive chair on rollers to go with it. Rollers are ingenious; you can just push yourself away and hop down to the floor. There were two large glass windows to let in light. Upon the recommendation of the United States though, the glass was dense and contained a barrier in case some nut came after her with a gun. They can be so violent. The ambassador thought. So fractured. The office also contained a couch facing two chairs with official looking books covering the wall that doubled as a dedicated bookcase. Which is nothing like the one for Twilight or Lyra.
The embassy itself was just designed for work; it might as well have been a castle. The first floor was clerical and was in charge of visas; keeping track of who went where (both pony and human) and all of the paperwork needed to keep it running and part of the guard contingent. The second floor contained the offices of minor officials and room to expand for when Equestria opened up relations with other countries on Earth. The third floor was reserved for the Ambassador’s office, a sitting room, and a few others officials that needed the quiet; Lyra and Twilight were among them. The entire top floor was a suite for Princess Celestia when she decided to visit and was done in marble with red and violet fabrics. There were houses about a mile away that were constructed to house all of the workers and Equestrian officials.
Rarity could not get back to thinking after reading such a disturbing letter. I think I’ll take a break and work on a new design based off of human haute couture. Her office was designed to be used for only her political jobs; she had a whole separate room dedicated to her fashion, including a stack of Earth fashion journals, and her standard ponyquins for sizing her designs. It’s not like there will be much work until the press conference later this week.
Rarity decided she would first visit Twilight’s new study room. Twilight had just received a new device when they had arrived through the portal, some sort of a gift to better understand humanity; a television. As a result the purple mare had been spending hours each day in front of the device and watching some sort of philosophical show.
As Rarity entered she saw Twilight staring at the large screen which had an elderly balding man in a red outfit talking to a very dark skinned lady that was much younger than him and dressed all in purple. “Twilight, darling.”
“Shhh.” Twilight said, asking her friend to be quiet.
“Maybe he did the right thing for the wrong reason.” The white haired male said. “How so?” Asked the female.” “Well…perhaps what we needed was a kick to our complacency – to prepare us for what lies ahead.”
Twilight was quiet for a moment as the credits rolled and whispered, “wow.”
“Was it good?” Rarity asked, worried about how absorbed her friend was getting into this new technology.
“Yes.” Twilight said, still entranced. The scholar turned around to her friend. “It had this villain who wasn’t a true villain. He tried to prove how much there was still unknown in the universe. But there was still something about him that I don’t like.” Twilight turned contemplative, pondering a line from earlier in her show.
“Perhaps it’s because he is the villain.” Rarity had seen that character before and couldn’t stand him. “Anyway, I came to ask if you would like to head back into town to get some lunch together.”
Twilight looked at her friend, and then at the clock. Need to start setting alarms for studying. “Sure.” Twilight said excitedly as her stomach rumbled.
3/15/148:00am
Avery was making his daily rounds, making sure that all of his personnel were in there designated locations. His picked up his walkie talkie to double check the roster. “PFC Martinez, state your location.”
A voice responds over the radio. “At the main gate, sir.”
“Roger that. Sergeant Wade, state you location.”
“Walking the perimeter, sir.”
He continued to check in with the other 14 guards on duty, they all checked in until he got to the last name on the list. “PFC Chang. State your location.” After several seconds Avery still hadn’t gotten a response. “PFC Chang. State your location now!” The officer in charge of Embassy security double checked the security log and noticed that PFC Chang never checked in that morning. “PFC Martinez, do you know the location of your bunkmate?”
“He went for a run this morning in his camos. He said something about a run towards the woods.” The voice responded.
“Sergeant Wade.” Avery called through the walkie talkie.
“Yes sir?” The young sergeant replied.
“Gather up some marines and get them ready to head out in five. I don’t care if you have to shake them out of their bunks. Get them to the front gate now!” The CO ordered.
“Yes sir!” the sergeant replied again.
Shit. Avery ran up the stairs to the Ambassador’s office, clearing two steps at a time. As he reached the second floor he headed for the back of the building and stopped at the receptionist’s desk in front of the hardened door to the Ambassador’s office. “Mrs Randall, I need to speak to him immediately. It’s a priority.”
“Head on in.” The blonde behind the desk allowed.
Avery ran into the room, not even bothering to knock. “Sir, we have a marine that we believe headed into the Everfree Forest on his own. I need to take a group of marines to look for him. We need permission to take guns through the city.”
The Ambassador quickly grabbed a phone off of his desk and hit one button. “Mayor Mare please. It’s urgent!” He then set the phone down and set it to speaker.
“This is Mayor Mare.” A matronly female voice said over the phone.
“This is Ambassador Marcus. We have a human that seems to have wandered into the Everfree Forest. I need permission to let some soldiers go through town with their weapons to fi-.” The Ambassador wasn’t allowed to finish.
“I’m terribly sorry, but any humans moving through Ponyville with weapons will be considered an attack. If you like I can send some guard ponies to assist you.” She offered.
Avery shook his head and mouthed the words ‘NO TIME’ before running back down the stairs and out the building. As he reached the gates, five marines were waiting for him in full combat gear. They were all wearing tactical vests, combat boots and were carrying M4’s. One of the marines handed Avery a gun which he happily took. “We have to go around the town. Keep a lookout for anything! If you see something in the forest, call out a warning and what it looks like, some things in here you don’t want to stare down.”
As they ran for the forest, Avery had some time to think. Dammit. Why the hell would ANY marine head into that forest, and alone? How stupid do you have to be? Didn’t he read his intelligence on this mission? He had read every facet of Equestrian life that could pose a risk to humans, and the Everfree was one of those places that scared the crap out of him.
As they reached the forest path, a pair of tracks stood out in the dark. The tracks ended approximately a mile into the woods, at a cliff with a human body in marine fatigues at the bottom. Avery looked around the ground for any signs of what happened. There were several pairs of what looked like wolf tracks and one that belonged to a pony. Avery looked around the woods to identify any remaining threats, only to see a black and white striped creature with a hood fade into the darkness.
“Alright marines, stop standing around. We have a body to retrieve.” And an investigation to work out. Thankfully PFC Chang didn’t have any family that we have to contact. Most of the people here won’t be missed if something happens. Avery mussed and stood guard with Sergeant Wade, while the other four marines worked at getting Chang’s body back from the bottom of a cliff.
3/15/14 8:00am Ponyville
Aiko was taking her morning jog around Ponyville after escorting the Ambassador to his job, enjoying the crisp morning air. Off in the distance she noticed six forms running around the perimeter of Ponyville towards the Everfree Forest in full combat gear. Must be some sort of training exercise, I wouldn’t want to train in the woods but it is a good spot. The bodyguard thought as she continued her run.
About halfway through her run she found Sweet Apple Acres and slowed to admire the pegasi moving clouds around the farm. One grey mare in particular was jumping on a cloud to create rain for a small clump of trees.
“Can I help ya, sugercube?” A southern-accented voice asked.
Aiko looked down at an orange earth pony. “Just admiring their work.”
“Huh?” Applejack looked up confused. “Guess ya’ll don’t have a weather patrol were you come from. They were supposed ta be makin’ snow. But they had to warm up the weather a little.”
“We just let it happen.” Aiko responded, still looking at the cloud movers.
Applejack shivered at the thought. Unnatural weather patterns just like the Everfree. How does anypony stand it? Sure hope Twi and Rares are doin’ ok. “Well, I’m gonna get back ta work.”
“Huh? Wait a minute.” Aiko stopped the departing pony. “I heard you and Rainbow Dash were skilled fighters.”
“Yeah.” Applejack said, unsure of where this conversation was going.
“I was hoping for a sparring match.” Aiko replied. “I wanted some exercise and figured it would help us to get to know each other.” And it could teach me how to defend against ponies if the need arose. Aiko didn’t voice those thoughts.
“Well, sure. Just need ta finish mah chores.” Applejack conceded “If you can come by tomorrow afternoon. I’ll make sure RD is here.”
“You sure she’ll be fine with it?” Aiko asked.
“Sure as sugar. That pony loves competition, just be warned, she has a black belt.”
3/15/14 11:00am Ponyville
Avery had finished bringing back his marines, and the body. It was hard coming back through the forest; several times there were eyes staring at them from the woods. He was now waiting for a meeting with the Ambassador.
“He can see you know.” The secretary advised him.
Avery got up from his chair near the receptionists desk and opened the door. The guard stood at the front of the Ambassador’s desk and stood at attention.
“I’m sorry to hear about the man you lost.” Anthony apologized. “Is there anything you need?”
“Just answers sir. What about the figure I saw in the forest?’ Avery asked.
“Yes. The figure you saw was most likely the local zebra. I got ahold of the Mayor and she’s setting up a meeting for as soon as possible. She sends her condolences.” Anthony consoled.
“Then she should have done something to help. Sir.” Avery had lost men before, sometimes all of his men. It never got better and he wouldn’t forgive anyone who cost his men their lives.
The conference room in the Human Embassy was occupied with four creatures, two bipedal and two quadrupedal, they were sitting around a circular table. Anthony was sitting across from Mayor Mare with Avery to his left and the zebra Zecora sitting at the last spot.
Mayor Mare was an amber-gray earth pony with graying hair, who had been Ponyville’s mayor for almost a decade. She was the first to speak. “I was able to bring Zecora like you requested, and you have my deepest apologies about the loss of your guard.” Her tone a mix of annoyance and regret.
“Thank you, Mayor Mare.” The Ambassador replied. “And thank you for saving us the trouble of traveling.”
“It was no trouble.” The Mayor of Ponyville responded “I believe you have some questions to discuss.”
“Zecora, were you traveling in the forest yesterday morning?” Anthony asked, keeping his voice neutral.
The Mohawk maned zebra looked towards the Ambassador before answering his question. “In the woods I did wander, the lack of wildlife I did not ponder.” Zecora started in Equestrian, the rhyming pattern slightly difficult for the humans to follow. “This time of year the forest does fear, wolves in their packs and looking for snacks.”
“Did you happen to see a lone human while you were wandering?” Anthony asked, hoping to not have to ask questions after every one of her utterances.
“I assumed that was why you called me here, of the wolves he could not stay clear. Run through the wood he did, traipsing and tramping when he should have hid.”
Avery wasn’t as patient. “What happened?” He quickly asked.
“Timberwolves attacked him from the back; he turned around when he heard a snap. Off he ran not daring to fight, at three to one he was right. To a cliff he travelled trying to avoid, while the wolves followed and simply toyed. As they got closer he took a step back, ground under his feet he did lack.” Zecora finished.
The humans were quiet for a moment while they figured out what the rhymes meant.
“I assume that was all you needed to know?” Mayor Mare asked, ready to get back to actual work.
“You were there then? Why couldn’t you help him? They were just wolves.” Avery emphasized, forgetting the differences of the few animals who’s names translated as the same thing in English.
“They are not Earth wolves you little fool; they seek out flesh and can be quite cruel. The human had attracted their attention; of this fact I thought I mentioned. Timberwolves are of wood and magic; trying to find one will end quite tragic. With neither a spell nor a weapon I could not afford to simply step in.” Zecora emphasized.
Avery just sat and fumed. Surely you could have done something! Even though he knew there was nothing that could have been done.
“Thank you for coming in and answering some these questions Zecora, it was a lot of help.” The Diplomat assured the zebra.
“Was not a problem I assure; just make sure your people are secure. If a taste for humans they do acquire; to start hunting you they will conspire.” The zebra warned, having lived in the Everfree forest for quite a few years. “If you need any help just inquire, to help all creatures I do aspire.”
With that the two ponies walked out of the office and headed back towards Ponyville.
Avery turned towards the only other human in the room. “Is that all you are going to do? She sat back and watched as one of my men died!” He spat, slamming a hand down on the table.
“Was she just supposed to throw her life away? All of the personnel here were warned about that forest and to stay out of it. If he couldn’t follow that simple of an order maybe he shouldn’t have been here.” Anthony replied, narrowing his eyes and looking at his chief of security. “I believe you have a job to get back to.”
Avery got up from his seat and left through the same door as the ponies had just a minute before. As he closed the door he uttered something under his breath, just loud enough to be heard. “I think someone is starting to go native.”
3/16/14 2:25pm Ponyville
Aiko was walking up a dirt path to a picturesque red two-story barn, apple trees as far as the eye could see. The barn wasn’t that large at about fifty feet square by thirty feet high, just large enough for apple harvests. The large front double doors were open and she could see two ponies on the hay covered floor, the rest of the room was completely empty. The blue pegasus was stretching out with her flank sticking in the air just like a cat would, with wings fully extended, and her polychromatic mane almost touching the ground. While the orange one seemed to be asleep up against the wall of the barn.
Aiko knocked on the open barn door and entered, the dried straw crunching under her dirtied running shoes.
Applejack got up from her resting position in the corner. “Howdy, were just waitin’ fer ya.”
The cyan pegasus jumped up into the air and started shadow boxing. “Yeah, hope you’re ready to get your flank kicked.” Rainbow Dash stopped to think for a moment. “Or whatever it is you humans have.”
“Just give me a second; I need to get changed first.” Aiko replied and pulled off her slightly baggy white t-shirt to reveal the form fitting blue one without sleeves that was underneath. She hadn’t brought her trust FiveseveN with her today, knowing she would have to change and the regulations against human weapons in Ponyville proper. The blue pants stayed where they were; they were designed for running and would suit this situation perfectly.
The clothing wasn’t the top of the line stuff she wanted, or was used to, but regulations were regulations and no advanced materials were to be used in Equestria. But whose idea was that? Theirs or ours? She wondered, remembering the stories about Pandora’s box. The clothing was still advanced; it pulled moisture away from the skin, it breathed, and it was light enough to barely feel it, but it was still available to anyone on Earth with enough money. Even her shoes, while light and designed for her feet, could only do so much. Also the shoes weren’t even steel toed due to the risk of permanent injury they could cause in this sparing match; especially when combined with Aiko’s fighting style.
As Aiko started to stretch, a groan could be heard coming from the cyan pegasus. “We’ve been waiting here forever, aren’t you ready yet?” She groaned.
Aiko walked toward the middle of the barn and turned to her right to look at the impatient mare. “Ready whenever you are.” The human taunted as she bent her knees and pulled her hands up to her chest.
Rainbow looked to her orange friend. “Uhh, who goes first?” She asked, not having thought that far ahead.
Before Applejack could respond Aiko spoke up, “I’m fine with both at once.” The lilt in her voice, giving away her anticipation.
And without warning a blue streak came straight at the human’s chest. Aiko barely saw the streak fly at her and had no chance to move out of the way. The speeding projectile of a pony hit Aiko on the left side of her chest, sending her to the floor while the pegasus slowed and started hovering some distance away from the downed human.
What the hell was that? Aiko asked as she picked herself up off the ground. Can they all move with that kind of speed? She felt her shoulder and the bruise starting to form, making sure to keep an eye on the speed demon. The SAD Operative hadn’t forgotten about the earth pony that was now behind her, but the lack of any noise meant there was only the one attacker for the moment.
Without notice, Rainbow Dash went flying at the human again.
Aiko saw the rainbow-maned flier come at her again; this time early enough to take a step back and to the side in order to dodge, except for the outstretched hoof that clotheslined the human, hitting her in the chest for a second time. As the human fell backwards, she put her chin to her chest and put her elbows behind herself. As she hit the ground, the forearms snapped out to absorb part of the blow as she rolled back practically onto her shoulders and feet rising above her head. Aiko the uses the momentum to push her feet towards the ground again and jumped back up to her feet, turning around to face her assailant.
She’s fast, but she always attacks from the front, and always at the same speed. An idea was starting to form in Aiko’s head. As it formed, she could feel the corners of her mouth lift up into a grin.
Rainbow Dash came straight at Aiko again as the human lowered her stance and raised her arms. A split second before the human thought she would get hit, both of her hands shot forward, wide open, towards the pair of flapping cyan wings. If I can drag you to the ground, you lose your advantage.Even if I miss the wings, I can get her in a bear hug and force her down.
But the polychromatic blur did something ‘impossible’ as Aiko’s hands began to close, she made an immediate 90 degree turn to her left to try and avoid the humans reach. And a second later made another 90 degree turn, this time to her right, all in the space of five feet and at full speed.
Aiko managed to grab a rear hoof and hang on for a moment, but lost her grip when the flier made the second turn. She’s too fast. The human thought as she heard a few hoofsteps behind her; the orange pony was getting ready in case her friend needed help. Let’s see if I can’t use this to my advantage.
Aiko backed up until she was about eight feet from the wall of the barn, facing the two ponies and put her weight over her left foot. Her grin returned. “What’s wrong?” The human chided, “Human got your hoof?”
At the insult and the insinuation that she could ever lose, Rainbow flew headlong at Aiko again, who was more than ready. As the pegasus came closer, Aiko quickly moved her left foot backwards and to the side to move her body out of the way to avoid getting hit by the speeding pagasus. Aiko then quickly brought her right knee up to her side just as the pegasus started to pass her. She quickly whipped her leg around, performing an inside crescent kick. The hit landed on Rainbow’s rear hooves, giving the pegasus a little extra momentum and slamming her, muzzle first into the wall of the sturdy barn.
Rainbow Dash was a little disappointed in the abilities of this ‘great’ fighter. Pfft, I’m not even trying yet. She thought as she clotheslined the human who quickly got back up and entered a different fighting stance. At least it looks like it can learn. The pegasus thought as she zipped straight at the human again. She barely saw the arms which were looking like they were trying to grab something, and just far enough apart for it to be her wings.
Rainbow quickly banked to her left to avoid the human’s grasp. When the pegasus felt pressure on her rear hoof, she banked back to the right, as the pressure let up, she returned back to the cowpony’s side. What the hay kind of sparring is that? Going for a pegasi’s wings?
Rainbow noticed the human backing up towards the wall of the barn. She grinned at the thought of the human finally seeing her as the great martial artist that she was.
Until the human decided to insult the proud pegasus. “What’s wrong? Human got your hoof?”
And with that, Rainbow Dash flew at the human, pumping her wings to gain what little speed she could in such an enclosed space. As the speeding pegasus neared, the human just seemed to melt to the side. Rainbow then felt a pressure against her rear legs pushing her forward. Oh no! Rainbow screamed to herself as the barn wall approached, unable to account for the increase to her speed.
Rainbow felt her muzzle impact with the wall and then the floor. The sounds of the scuffle still reaching her, even though she was too dazed to make any of it out.
Aiko quickly pivoted and turned around at the other threat, assuming the first one to be down for a few moments. The orange pony is now galloping straight at her. In response, Aiko sprints towards Applejack, running off of pure instinct.
When only a few feet apart; Aiko bent her legs and pushed straight upward, bending at her waist with hands out. The human brought her hands down on Applejack’s back and straightened out her back, using the pony as a pommel horse. Aiko was trying to get behind her opponent, where she had always trained to attack from because it gave the greatest advantage. She then pushed off the earth ponies back and twisted in the air so she would face her opponent the moment she touched the ground. Hit the ground, sprint forward, and yank the tail to force her to disrupt her movement and force her to the ground.
Aiko never got the chance as she saw an orange-fur covered hoof come straight out and slam into her, just beneath the ribcage. Aiko went pale, the kick pushed her back several feet and skidded to a stop, gasping for breath.
Applejack quickly galloped over and extended her hoof to poke the human in the shoulder. “You okay there Sugarcube?”
Aiko gasped as her bruised shoulder was touched by the errant hoof. “Yeah.” She managed to wheeze out. “Just need a moment to rest.” She’d been hit just below the diaphragm, and just inches short of her floating ribs. Shit, human tactics don’t work on ponies in close range, the conditioning is all wrong. Any effective combat strategy will require the use of weapons or attacking from the side. The CIA Officer decided as she sat there to catch her breath and formulate a more effective strategy.
3/16/14 3:00pm Earth Embassy, Equestria
Avery was walking through the plain white halls of the Embassy, looking for a certain person since they were both off-duty now. If I were Victor, where would I be? He wondered and headed off for the main entrance; shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor.
As Avery neared the main entrance he could hear a conversation going on.
“This is a rather nice assignment. Heaters, no having to fight rats for food, no one trying to shoot you.” A male voice was saying.
A small gasp informed Avery of who his buddy was talking to. As he entered, Avery started to taunt his partner. “Yeah, I remember his first mission.” As he walked towards the U-shaped receptionist’s desk, Avery saw the increasing interest of the receptionist. “It was in Palestine in 2004. A bomb went off not thirty feet from us.” The Chief of Security went on when he heard the gasp from the receptionist. “He damn near pissed his pants and went running out of there and I had to chase him down.” He said as his grin got bigger.
“That’s not what happened Rebe-“ Victor started only to be interrupted by his friend.
“He ran straight into a Presidential Guard and started blathering. It almost ruined the mission then and there.”
“I have to get going.” The receptionist stated. “I have an appointment at five.” She quickly gathered her stuff and headed deeper into the Embassy to where the workers quarters were located.
Victor looked at his Commander, mouth agape. “That wasn’t the way it went down. There was a runner. Why’d you do that? It was working so well.”
“Because of the look on your face.” And, then the elder soldier’s face set into something more serious. “Besides, you don’t need the distraction while working here.”
“Meeting go bad boss?” Victor asked.
“Yeah, they basically told me to piss off.” Avery griped, turning and heading deeper into the embassy. Setting a brisk pace.
“It was kinda his fault though.” Victor stated, having read the same information as all the other personnel. “And, there was a huge warning about that place.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier.” Avery conceded. “I still lost a man yesterday.” That hasn’t happened since Nicaragua. His face turned grim, brows furrowing down. And if I ever find that bastard!
“How about we get some steaks and beer while we watch the game?” Victor offered, interrupting Avery’s train of vengeance.
“Wasn’t that game on a few weeks ago?”
“Yeah, but they only recently got it all set-up. They felt the troops here deserved a replay of the Super Bowl; they’re broadcasting it through the portal.” Victor had found out a few things from the receptionist before being interrupted.
“Sounds good.” Avery conceded, “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”
“Yeah, cause orders have nothing to do with it.” Victor taunted, having worked with the same person almost exclusively for the last 6 years.
“And, afterwards we can get some practice in at the shooting range.” Avery took a breath, starting to feel better.
“And, we can use those crappy backwards books you like for shooting practice.” Victor teased.
3/16/14 5:30pm Ponyville
Anthony exited the Embassy at the end of his day, surprised Aiko wasn’t back yet. She’s generally very punctual. As he exited out the Embassy, aware that the guards by the door would give him an alibi for his bodyguard. The sun was starting to set behind Canterlot Castle which blinded him for a moment.
When his vision cleared, he saw his wife standing against the inside of the wall that surrounded the embassy. She looked a little bedraggled, her blue pants were scuffed and the white t-shirt was covered in enough sweat to show the scuffed shirt underneath it. As he neared, the other injuries became more apparent. Aiko’s left eye was bruised, she was supporting her left arm with her right, and leaning on her right leg like the other one was bothering her.
The corners of Anthony’s lips quirked up and he startled to chuckle. “How’s the other guy look?” he asked. “Haven’t seen you this beat up since college and you gave that open challenge to the different sports clubs.” He chuckled again, images of an even more bedraggled Aiko filling his mind, and then saddened at the image of the ambulance that had to come for one of the other combatants.
All Aiko did was to glare at her charge. “It was a pony if you already know.” She groaned. “And they look better, except for a few bruises and maybe a broken nose.” She turned to go, knowing that Anthony would follow her. “Besides, you know I don’t fight like that anymore; much.” As she walked back towards their home, still well enough to defend her husband, and with the needed knowledge now to do it.
3/18/19 6:00pm Portal Room, Earth
President Margarette Tow was standing in front of the shining white portal on the Earth side in her trademark suit. Most of the workers had left for the day, except for the few guards required for her ‘safety’, as if they could do anything. How would the people react if they knew the power that lay behind this field?
The portal began to ripple near the top, and a horn emerged about seven feet from the ground. Slowly, Princess Celestia came through the portal and stepped onto Earth for the first time. Her white fur still shining despite the lack of natural light in the room.
Celestia looked around the room, the first truly human space she had seen, and gave a slight bow to the President.
Margarette Tow bowed back. “Welcome to Earth, Princess Celestia.” She greeted. “Ready to make history tomorrow?”
Gavin was busy manning his camera. Originally from Greece, he was excited to have been hired by CNN as a videographer. “Any idea what this is about Kioni?” He asked the reporter standing next to him. He kept the camera pointed on the podium that held the seal of the White House, waiting for the President of the United States to come out and give her speech.
“Just as much as you do.” Kioni replied. Her chocolate skin standing out against her white and grey outfit. “The White House has kept a tight lid on it.” She thought for a moment. “Although…there have been rumors that they sent a few messages last week to their allies.”
“Great!” Gavin exclaimed. “So then you do know what it’s about. Those people couldn’t keep a secret to save their lives.” He turned to her and grinned. “Soooo?”
“Not a peep.” Kioni replied, exasperated. “Somehow, whatever this is for, no one is saying a word.” Even though this press release has been scheduled for the past month; what the hell does ‘world changing’ even mean? “Quick! Here she comes!”
Gavin quickly manned his camera, zooming in on the President’s aged face.
“Now we can find out who this ‘Special Guest’ is.” Kioni was ready to get this mystery unraveled. Maybe it has to do with the renewed negotiations with Russia.
President Tow emerged onto the stage, heels lightly stepping on the blue carpet, she lightly smiled as the cameras all turned onto her and she was temporarily blinded by all the lights. She scanned the crowd of cameras and reporters, seeing all of the major networks and several of the smaller ones, and one or two she wished hadn’t shown up. I wonder, how much has been leaked already? Tow contemplated as she stepped up to the podium. Not even the tabloids would believe this one.
“Citizens of the United States and of the World. Many new types of life have been discovered recently, from the first evidence of life on Mars to an ‘alien’ life discovered in Antarctica. These new bacterium give us an insightful look into how the universe works. I come here today to present you with amazing news. A new form of life has been discovered, sentient life.”
The president was drowned out by the sudden roar from the crowd of reporters asking questions. “Does this have anything to do with the movements of troops to Area 51?” “What are these new life forms?” “Are they friendly?” “What kind of threat do they pose?” “How long has the government known?” “Where did they come from?”
“Please save your questions until the end. There is still a lot of information to cover. Thank You.” President Tow informed them through the myriad of microphones on her podium.
As the room slowly quieted down, President Tow resumed her speech. “On December 21st of the year before last, an accident occurred while trying to figure out the mysteries of certain subatomic particles. And while their lives may have been lost, they created something no one could have expected. An anomaly was formed that has connected Earth to another planet called Equestria.” The President had to be quiet through another storm of questions. “If you will please simply wait. An expert will be out shortly that can answer more of your questions about this new life form.”
As the noise quieted for a second time, Tow smiled inwardly. So far, so good. Their questions and reactions are mostly curious and positive. “As of April of last year, we have sent delegates to this planet to open up peaceful relations. Official diplomatic relations have been ongoing since July of last year. Twin embassies have been set up and they officially open today. The Equestrian Embassy is located on Groom Lake Nevada, with ours just on the other side of the portal.” The whole time murmurs were going through the room of reporters.
The President of the United States took a careful look around the room. “This is a wonderful time for us to grow and expand among the stars; opening peaceful relations with the other civilizations that we meet. And without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Princess Celestia ruler and leader of Equestria.” She said, using her right arm to indicate offstage where the princess would be coming from.
The reporters all looked to the left of the stage at the President’s indication. Kioni dropped her microphone upon seeing the creature that slowly stepped out on stage. The first thing she noticed was the height of the creature, with the horn it was about seven feet tall and despite the dead air in the meeting hall her tricolor pastel hair was still blowing as if she had a fan with her. The ‘unicorn’ wasn’t naked either, it wore a crown and a golden necklace, with each hoof in a golden ‘boot’. The four hooves making soft clopping sounds on the carpet. The fur was a shade of white that practically glowed in the harsh stage lighting. A stylized image of the sun stood out on its rump. The creature seemed to walk regally across the stage, as if this act were well performed.
It’s a…horse… Kioni just couldn’t wrap her mind around this. This must be a joke, some sort of leverage to gain on China or North Korea. Some sort of genetics experiment. It had to be. ”Keep the camera focused on that thing; if it so much as farts I want to know about it.”
“Yes ma’am.” Gavin replied, too focused on his job to really listen to her; already knowing his job.
As the alien walked towards the stage, every person in the crown just got quieter. When it was a few feet from the podium, Kioni noticed something else. “Gavin, focus on the sides, it has wings.”
Gavin quickly zoomed in; the white glow of the creature’s coat obscured the fact that it had folded wings at the sides.
“What the hell is that?” Kioni ran through a list of possibilities of what it could be and kept running into human mythology.
If it was quiet before; when the creature started talking the entire place went deathly still.
Celestia walked quietly across the stage, placing each step carefully. She almost tripped as an errant thought ran through her mind. The last time I did something like this was for the introduction of the Griffon kingdoms. Just before that happened. A memory passed through her mind unbidden:
Blood soaked the battlefield; the bodies of downed guards mingled with those of the griffons. That was the first ‘battle’ and the start of the conscription of the guard. She slowly walked through the canyon. ‘How did this happen?’ she asked one of the remaining guards, irate. But before the guard could answer, a loud crack could be heard from above and large rocks began to fall towards the ponies.
Celestia banished the memory, it wouldn’t help now, and these were a different species. The hall was completely silent; Celestia could feel the eyes and the cameras all focused on her, waiting. What are they thinking of me? She wondered, but before Celestia knew it, she had reached the podium. The President’s idea does make some sense. Celestia reminded herself. She couldn’t count on them always being allies, but on this their goal were aligned.
Celestia settled herself behind the podium, ready to use the unfamiliar technology. “Good Morning Citizens of this fine country and this fine world.” She was not surprised as the room became even quieter. Unlike Equestria, this planet only had one intelligent species. “I am Princess Celestia of Equestria and I am pleased to officially open diplomatic relations. May the friendship between our two species grow and last 1000 years.” Her voice would have carried through the entire room even without the microphones, her serene and regal voice passing easily through the still crowd. “We have already made great gains towards such a goal, with twin embassies and the trade of ideas is already in motion.”
Celestia looked over to the side of the stage, where the President was waiting for her cue to come back on stage. “I believe your President has a presentation for you, a brief glimpse of Equestrian culture and history. And afterwards there will be a small packet of information to take back with you to help with the formulation of questions to ask.” The Princess of Equestria bowed her head slightly and walked off stage as a small white screen slowly descended in front of the podium.
Across the world, televisions were on their owner’s favorite news outlet. With social media, reports of humanities first encounter with nonterrestrial life had spread like wildfire; the different news agencies were doing all they could to get their own share of the market by one upping each other. More than one reporter could be heard to utter “Thank God for that presentation or there would be nothing to go off of.”
It came down to a race as to who could read through the information the fastest, and in the long run as to who had the most accurate analysis. The information only went back a thousand years to something called Discord followed by The NightMare; which was just one point of conjecture.
“I’m telling you that one had to happen right after the other.”
“Why? Because they both happened 1,000 years ago? Time gets lost in the history.”
“Their ruler is over 1,000 years old, surely she would remember.”
“Show me proof that she’s really that old. One scrap of evidence. The title of Princess is most likely just passed down from teacher to student along with whatever magic changes their bodies to look like that.”
Most of the broadcasters tried to remain impartial and stuck with information from their briefings. Many of the networks were already sending in countless requests for information and chances to interview any of the ponies in charge and were kissing ass to be the first network to get a reporter on the other side of the portal. One network had gone so far as to say how Equestria was a utopian society with no class structure and hardly ever any conflict.
The requests for information were sent to: the office of the White House to be answered by any of a number of flunkies that had knowledge on the matter, or they were sent to Rarity or Celestia at the Equestrian Embassy, or they were sent to both. A few networks started digging into what personnel were sent over and delegated countless staff into interviewing them on ‘what it was like on the other side’ and more than one sent requests to the American Embassy in Equestria which were first screened out and put into the piles for the White House.
“Good Evening America. This is Edward Lee and we have a special report for you tonight. Equestria, why they are a threat.” A genteel looking man stared into the camera as he spoke. The grey hair on either side of his head contrasted with the black of the rest of his hair and gave him a look of authority. The slight roundness of his face making him look trustworthy. “I will report the facts that the Tow Administration doesn’t want known and the secrets that Princess Celestia is trying to hide.”
“This information comes from an informant on the inside. And later I will interview Senator Steven Brent on his involvement in the first alien negotiations.” Mr. Lee looked into the camera like wise counsel, to convince people of his convictions.
“Magical colorful ponies. No this is not the premise for some little girls; this is real life. But don’t let this lull you into a sense of safety. They have already cost us the life of three Americans, one of whom was in the Marines. But they don’t want to tell you about that. They won’t tell you that what caused the portal to form in the first place was the equivalent of two children trying to cast magic; maybe even a demon. And, this Administration is fine just letting their leader who can supposedly control the sun onto Earth. We don’t even know how their magic works yet.”
“’But that’s only two deaths you are saying’, but two should be more than enough. Instead, when a marine gets lost in the woods on their planet, they won’t help form a rescue and refuse to let our marines use weapons to try and rescue him. So instead he dies to a bunch of wolves. What kind of death is that for someone who bravely served our country? That doesn’t sound very helpful or nice to me.”
“If that isn’t enough,” Lee slammed his fist on the desk to emphasize his point. “They sold Area 51 to a bunch of aliens. They sold US territory in a restricted area to creatures we barely know!”
“But let’s get beyond that and into their political system. A system that is rare in any civilized country. They don’t have a democracy; what they have is reminiscent of Lenin. What these ‘great’ ponies have is a dictatorship. They may call themselves “princesses’ but that is just a way to disguise and deceive others. They make all of the decisions based upon their whim. Their ‘loyal subjects’ don’t even get a say in the matter. Their word is law on all matters. You will notice that I said they; that is because there is a second ‘princess’ and it’s, guess what, Celestia’s sister. We are told that one serves at night and the other during the day. That must be so they can keep a constant watch, because let’s face it, you only do that if you don’t trust your own people.”
“And, in case you were wondering, nobody voted them into power, they elected themselves into power. They took it from the previous ruler, a creature called ‘Discord’ and then villainized him to make their own power grab seem benevolent. And yes, according to my sources, they have been doing this for over a thousand years. Whether these two are naturally that long lived or if it’s just a passing of power, we don’t know yet. But they make sure to keep up the appearance of immortality either way.”
“’But, they don’t have racism, look at all the species’ you might then say. But that too is a lie. The three species are in fact social roles and dictate what the ponies are ‘destined’ for, with the unicorns becoming the elite of their society and the regular ones becoming farmers and manual laborers. And, if you look at a book of intelligent species native to their country, the only ones given any rights are the ponies. Any other creature they see they treat with fear and hatred or steal their land.”
“But enough of what will be common knowledge soon enough. Let’s bring out our esteemed guest, Senator Steven Brent.” At the utterance of the Senator’s name, loud applause filled the empty studio through speakers in the ceiling. One camera turned left to follow Brent as he joined Lee.
“Thank you for having me on the show tonight.” Senator Stevens greeted his host.
“And thank you for making the time to see us on such short notice.” Lee responded. “So, what kind of information do you have for the American people?”
“The first thing they should know is that this administration has known since April of last year that extraterrestrial life existed through that portal. They even thought it could have been a threat when it was created four months earlier. But, they never once felt the need to tell the American people that a threat to national security could be lurking in their own backyard.”
“But doesn’t the government traditionally keep secrets?” Edward asked concerned, bringing his right hand up to his chin. “Is that really that much different?”
Brent shifted forward in his seat. “Normally it wouldn’t be that much different, but what about this situation is normal?” The Senator asked reasonably. “In a normal situation, we wouldn’t have given up US territory freely or have kept such information as treaties from the people. And, I can’t even guess at what game she is currently playing with the press, not even giving them a briefing so they can be prepared.” But, anyone who was familiar with body language could see how his eyes started lighting up.
Edward Lee leaned back into his chair. “That is a good point! And, is it true that she didn’t even consult congress on the treaty, the sale, or the selection of the Ambassador? What can you tell the American people about that?
The Senator hesitated for a moment. “I probably shouldn’t be talking about this, but the people do have a right to know.” He cleared his throat before speaking again. “You are correct in that, but there is a bigger problem. The treaty and the sale, she is trying to curry favor. Her secret keeping could have been some convoluted effort to attain more power since she didn’t consult congress before making those arrangements or it could be that she doesn’t want them becoming allies with our enemies.”
“That is a good point, Senator Brent.” Lee steepled his fingers. “And, that does seem like a bad reason to deceive the people. But, what of this…” Lee moved forward to go through the papers on his desk. After pulling the right one up, he began to speak again. “What of this Ambassador, Anthony Marcus?”
“That is a problem. He was a translator picked to do the initial research on their language, and he somehow got picked to be the Ambassador. The problem is that his main goal is to study; he has no experience with any sort of politics. And so far he has yet to do anything that would benefit the United States or her people.”
“Unfortunately, we are out of time for today. Thank you for joining me today Senator Steven Brent.” Lee looked past his desk directly into the camera. “Next time we will continue the discussion on why Equestria should be considered a threat.”
As the cameras all turned off, the senator smiled to himself.
3/19/14 7:00pm Presidential Quarters, Earth
President Tow wasn’t an idiot; she could see the game Senator Brent was playing. “A regular man of the people,” she practically spat, settling down into her easy chair for the evening and ready to pull some last minute paperwork off the small table next to it. The only people around at this time of night was her Secret Service agents so she felt safe talking to herself, mostly. Cheeky bastard had that worked out in advance or else Lee would have compared Equestria to World War 2 Germany like his norm. Hell, he probably would have held up the Equestrian flag in one hand and the Nazi flag in the other.
Other than the one ‘newscaster’ the reports were positive. They were more curious than anything else, which was her plan in not releasing any information before the press release. If they want more information, they have to be polite and they have to be impartial, that should keep their normal ‘the sky is falling’ rhetoric to a minimum.
President Tow decided to lean back and close her eyes. And, if this all works out properly, Brent can’t compete with the political party that created peaceful relations with the first alien species.
3/19/14 7:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Celestia laughed at the small screen in her bedroom. She was laying down on a purple bed that matched the one in her bedchambers in the Royal Palace in Equestria. The Embassy on Earth was a little lackluster. Celestia’s bedchamber was still done in marble with columns and gold accents, but it still felt barren without the constant magic that flowed through everything in Equestria. The small television was there to keep an eye on things happening in this strange world, but so far it was the best way to see what they truly felt.
The reason the small screen amused her so much was that she had just finished watching an interview between some government representative and a reporter. She had seen a few of his broadcasts and couldn’t believe people would listen to him. Comparing anything he doesn’t like to one of the biggest monsters in Earth’s history. These people are so fractured though. It is almost like each little country is a separate species by the way they act. And even inside one country all they want to do is fight each other. But, most of the reports seemed more unbiased than normal. None of this was enough for her to trust humans, they were still too young of a species; with their short lives they had nothing to guide them but their own desires.
Corporal James Walker was standing guard in the portal room on Earth. People and ponies had been moving through all day with either construction supplies or tools. The two sides had to work together to move the supplies through the portal. Human vehicles were used to move the heavy wooden beams and bags of cement to the portal but the vehicles were too large to fit through the portal. Unicorns were on the other side to grab bits and pieces as they came through and lift the heavy objects, but if their magic even brushed the portal, whatever spell they were using would be instantly disrupted.
Corporal Walker thought it was an interesting display of teamwork and cooperation by the separate species. Only occasionally would a living creature step through the portal, they always felt it unnerving. The portal did make one start to feel paranoid after several hours in close proximity. As a result it was required for all armed guards to switch off every two hours with a guard from a different part of the base, usually with one in charge of guarding the ponies while they worked on their own Embassy.
Their buildings were ‘unique’ by human standards and seemed to defy the laws of physics. Their second story’s would be larger than the first and overhang by several feet, but they seemed stable. Their Embassy was the only one that seemed normal, and it still used massive amounts of marble.
Today had been a unique day; several new ponies had come through so far. His favorite pony so far had been the rose pink mare that would stop and talk to him whenever she passed with more supplies. She came through every other week for the last two months.
A light cough came from behind him. Corporal Walker turned to see his favorite pony of the day. Her off-white and pink mane belied her strength. He had seen this earth pony moving 100 pounds of cement on her back like it was nothing. Her two by four cutie mark should have been a dead giveaway that her profession was construction. “Hay. I have to go back. But I’ll be back for my tour. Can’t wait to see more of humanity.”
“Thought you didn’t have to go back today?” He said, mildly surprised. The ponies tended to stay a week at a time minimum, so they could get acquainted with human habits and vice versa.
“One of my workers called in sick today and there’s another small load that needs to be brought over.” She humphed. “Somepony forgot to grab the connectors to allow for proper weight allowances.”
“Ouch. Good luck.” He offered.
Heavy Mover walked to the steps leading to the portal. There were only two steps that she easily climbed, reaching the large white pool of light. The portal itself was a vertical pool ten feet across and still as water until it was touched. As she moved her hoof to the surface, ripples spread to the edge of portal and disappeared. She nodded back to her human friend and stepped through towards Equestria.
When Heavy was halfway through the portal, Corporal Walker saw her body start to spasm. After a few seconds her body collapsed half in and half out of the portal. Walker ran up to her body and pulled her out by the back hooves. He quickly checked her neck for a pulse, upon not finding one he quickly wrapped her in his arms and ran for the nearest exit.
Corporal Walker blew through the door out of the portal room, smashing it open using his shoulder. He then ran outside as fast as he could. He understood the point of the clinic being in the middle of the village, but at this point he wished it were closer. The clinic was almost a mile away and her limp body was worrying him. The guard had always been a stickler for staying in the peak of fitness but it was harder when gripped by panic.
Corporal Walker was gasping for breath as he neared the small white building with a red cross emblazoned on the front. He burst through the double doors and up to the front desk. “Emergency!” He called. “She just collapsed.” He was having trouble keeping breath in his lungs from the run and his voice clear from the terror. Please be ok. He pleaded.
The white earth pony yelled, “Code Blue in Admin!” And within seconds a group of unicorns ran in with a gurney. They quickly lifted her onto it and then ran into the back.
“Stay calm. Just breathe.” The nurse at the front desk offered. “We need to know what happened.”
“She was …going back through the portal when …she started spasming and collapsed.” He rasped. “Ran here.”
“Thank you sir. We have some of the best doctor from Equestria here. If you want we can send you notification when we have more information.” The nurse offered.
“That’s ok. I’ll just stay here.” Corporal Walker found a nice spot on the floor and leaned against the wall. If Command doesn’t like it, I will go with staying here will help international relations.
9/17/13 Quarantine room, Portal Research Facility, Equestria
Mystic Dawn settled over the body. The pink mare lay on a metal slab her eyes closed. Mystic’s teal fur was bright against the white walls of the emergency room. After she had been confirmed dead, the room had been sealed until his arrival. The doctors had never seen anything like it before, nothing they did had any effect. Her entire nervous system had died.
Mystic’s cyan eyes looked at the body. He had studied several ponies coming through the portal when ponies first started going through it had been deemed harmless. It turned out that a second charge within a 24 hour period caused the nervous system to be overloaded. The second she started spasming she was dead; there had been no hope of saving her. It appeared that the amount of damage would change depending on how much of the charge had dissipated.
Mystic shook his head. He’d heard about the human that brought the pink mare in, how he ran to the nearest place he could for treatment. He also heard that the human had to be dragged out crying when he’d been told about her death. It’s a shame several of the more paranoid ponies were saying it was some type of human experiment; that the human wanted to see the results. While Mystic didn’t doubt that some humans were capable of such feats, he knew the vast majority of them could never view that as an acceptable option. Ponies, just like people, needed to blame something and it was hard to blame inanimate objects.
But until he could prove to Celestia that the portal was not only safe, but that Heavy Mover had not died because of the results of standard travel, nothing was allowed to move between worlds.
11/12/13 2:03pm Portal Room, Earth
Private Johann Daniels had been on guard duty in the portal room for the past four hours. “Why hasn’t my relief come in yet?” He complained.
“Because of military cuts.” The private standing guard next to him explained. “They can only bring in so many troops for around the clock guard duty. At least if they want to continue keeping this a secret.” Private Mendelev stated. She hated how Daniels had to bitch about everything. Never thought I would miss Walker. The private thought. Even if he did fancy that pink mare, at least he could keep his mind on his duty. At the time, Corporal Walker and Heavy Mover had actually been dating. Even though they tried to keep it quiet, everybody and probably every pony knew what was going on. But after that incident he had a minor breakdown and asked to be reassigned.
“You know this place freaks me out though.” Daniels stated.
“Yeah.” She groused. “Only hear it every damned day I’m on duty with you. Just remember to be on your best when the VIP’s arrive.”
“When are they supposed to be here again?” Daniels asked.
“Two-Thirty. Can’t you even keep your duties straight?” Mendelev had no patience for his shit. They’ll just let anyone join.
2:30pm Portal Room, Equestria
Swift Runner looked over the group of politicians he was supposed to be looking after. The first was a brown earth pony stallion; he was quirky but mostly harmless and would shut up when asked. The other two were more of a pain in the guard pony’s flank. The first one was a blue unicorn mare and the second was a yellow pegasus stallion. They wouldn’t quit bickering about the most inane of things like which architectural style would be the most appropriate for the new village; Neo Canterlotian or Classic Prance.
Swift couldn’t stand escorting dignitaries. It was meant to be easy, quiet work. Captain Shining Armor liked to switch out guards so they became well rounded, he also didn’t trust humans yet. Scanning all users of the portal had been decreased, now they only checked for concealed weapons and signs of changelings. Eventually even that would be stopped when travel became frequent enough.
Swift adjusted the spear over his right shoulder. May only be an Honor Guard, but that still entitles me to a weapon. He then looked about the room, the only ponies there were him and the three ponies in collars. The room was still completely white despite months of use. “If everypony is ready. It’s time.”
Swift Runner stepped through the portal. He felt a slight electric current run through his body as he passed from one world to the next. The feeling of dread he had been told about could barely be felt. Some guards were able to ignore all sense of fear.
Swift stepped down onto the floor. The human side of the portal room or the ‘embarkation’ room as the humans called it, was large with machines against the walls. There was a bank of manned computer consoles to his left and two human guards fifteen feet in front of him. A male one and a female one based upon what information he had been briefed upon. The male seemed a little unstable by pony standards.
“Good afternoon.” The female on the right greeted. “As soon as the rest of your party arrives we are to escort you around ‘Bridle Lake.’
“Thank you.” Swift replied as he waited for the three ponies he was to escort. He soon heard the clopping of hooves behind him.
“Does everypony who goes through that thing get that same creepy feeling?” A female voice asked.
“That was quite interesting.” The brown stallion said. “It really makes one want to gallop doesn’t it?” His voice broke off at the end as the male human started speaking.
“What is that thing?” The human stuttered. “It’s not right! Not right!” He said taking a step back and pulling out his side arm.
Swift Runner pulled down his spear with a hoof. “What are you doing?” He demanded, pointing his weapon at the human.
The female guard pulled out her gun but seemed unsure about whom to point it at, as the gun kept shifting from Swift to her partner.
The male human’s eyes got bigger. “It’s not right!” He screamed one last time as his finger tightened on the trigger.
Swift heard two shots ring out from the gun. When he looked back at the ponies he was supposed to protect, the unicorn had two holes in the middle of her forehead. The guard turned back around and started to gallop at the human. He had already failed one of the ponies he was supposed to protect. He had to protect the others.
Before Swift managed to get five feet towards the human, a shrieking mass collided with his flank. It turned out to be the brown stallion. After shoving the raving pony off himself he looked back towards the human. The female had the male pinned on the ground, a large welt forming on the side of his head. But both humans were staring past Swift at something on the ground.
Swift turned to see what they were staring at. Where the blue unicorn had stood moments before was a black chitinous corpse. The legs had holes and there were small pale insect wings and a black horn. A changeling had made it through security despite being scanned, they were learning. The magic in the portal must have disrupted its disguise spell. It didn’t help knowing that changelings couldn’t get through the portal; yet.
Changelings were one of the biggest threats Equestria had ever faced. The Royal Guard had orders to make sure no changeling ever passed through the portal to Earth. Celestia had informed President Tow of their existence in the sake of honesty, it would’ve been incredibly hard to keep a secret forever. Unfortunately, the human military would now know of changelings and the threat they possessed, might even suspect any pony of being a disguised changeling.
Rarity was sitting at her desk in the Equestrian Embassy, working on more paper work. It had only been a week since the Embassy officially opened and she had never been so busy. There were requests for information from news agencies, letters from humans all searching for different thing or a statement of their opinions of Equestrians; keeping an eye on ponies visiting Earth and the constant stream of businesses trying to gain an advantage. While Rarity did have others ponies to help and run things, it was still her responsibility to oversee everything.
Her newest stack of papers were in fact letters from humans that she had requested to keep abreast of public opinion on their embassy. While most of the letters were from little kids writing with crayons the first letter of the day was rather shocking:
You are all demons. Every last pony is an abomination against God. You are your imposter of a god should go back through your little portal and back to the hell from whence you came. You are just more proof that America has fallen from the path of the righteous and needs to be cleansed. You are a lot of unnatural herd animals that shouldn’t exist as anything other than a food source.
At that point Rarity had quit reading it and looked at the postmark; it was from place in Kansas that she had been warned about. This was a group that would picket at the tombs of fallen guards. What kind of barbaric people would want to kill the ones trying to protect them? I know just what to do with this letter. The Ambassador got up out of her swivel chair, carrying the letter in a white telekinetic field with her magic and sending it to the same place she sent that boorish letter from Prince Blueblood, into the fireplace that was lit for just such letters.
Lady Rarity went back to her desk and quickly penned a letter to Princess Celestia.
Dear Princess Celestia, The Embassy on Earth has received threats from some dissidents and I am requesting some additional protection. I do appreciate having the captain of the Wonderbolts in charge of security, but I would prefer a little added security. I am requesting the services of Rainbow Dash. As the fastest flyer in Equestria she would make a great advanced warning system. Ambassador to Earth Lady Rarity
Rarity then sealed up the letter and put it in her outbox on the desk. Normally there would be some sort of dragonfire magic to send the letter instantly but the portal would destroy the magic it was wrapped in along with the letter. The portal also had some other odd traits that were only discovered when a pony or a person made a costly mistake regarding it. The two instances that came to her mind were both from over three months prior.
The first instance was when a pony had tried going back to Equestria in less than a 24 hour span. As her body passed through the surface of it, she started to spasm and collapsed. One of the humans workers had run over and pulled the poor pony from out of it and ran, carrying her limp form to the medical center. After a few days of testing the doctors had found that the magic of the portal had overloaded her nervous system, causing instant death. A professor from The School for Gifted Unicorns had studied her body and found out that the portal charged the body and allowed it to pass through between the worlds, but it required 24 hours for the charge to dissipate. If anyone, human or pony, traveled through it a second time before the energy had sufficiently dissipated they could face paralyzing shocks all the way to death. That incident had created a delay on all travel through the portal and almost brought the construction of the Embassies to a standstill.
The second incident about a month later had almost started a fight between the two nations in the embarkation room as the humans called it. A group of nobles had come through to get a view of the new Equestrian village on a new planet when one of the human guards had pulled a gun on a dignitary at the back of the group. All he could be heard to say was “It’s not right!” before he pulled the trigger and sent a round through the dignitaries head. The human had been quickly detained by his own people and the Equestrian guards were still ready to attack when a shriek made all eyes turn towards the body; where there had been a unicorn stallion a moment ago was now the body of a changeling. It turned out that when the changeling had passed through the portal; the disguise spell was momentarily disrupted allowing the human to see one of the known threats that the guards were to stop at all costs.
Rarity quickly finished up the rest of the letters and put them in a separate pile for the diplomatic ponies to write responses to them, which Rarity had no time to do herself and quickly checked her schedule. There had been at least one if not two meetings every day with different companies that wanted to either export their products or set up shops in Equestria, and Rarity had to approve them if they met certain standards.
3/24/14 2:00pm
“Mr. Cook is here to see you.” A disembodied voice informed Rarity before the door to her office opened and a human in a suit walked in. She couldn’t see what made this human different than any of the others she had seen. They had had off-white skin, brown hair, and wore the same black suit to meet her.
“Good morning Madam Rarity, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Mr. Cook spoke as he sat in the chair opposite her desk.
“Yes it is Mr. Cook. You were coming in today to talk about selling these ‘computers’ in Equestria?” Rarity asked, unsure what exactly they were used for.
“Yes. And I brought some examples for you to look at.” He reached down next to his chair and pulled up a black steel briefcase. He then pulled out a small flat object with a seam along the small edges. “This is a MacBook, a small lightweight computer.”
“What is a computer?” The Ambassador questioned, having some idea but also wanting to know his view of what it was.
“They are used to write notes and programs to make the average person’s life easier and can even play music.” Mr. Cook then opened up the laptop. “Let me show you what they can do; that would probably be easier.” He smiled and turned the small silver object so they could both see the screen.
“Rarity stopped the human by mildly clearing her throat. “The first problem would be that nopony outside of unicorns could use something like this, the keyboard is too small. Also the name of your company and the product itself is a bit of an issue.”
Mr. Cook was stopped short by the knowledgeable mare. “Well, we can work on the keyboard some, make it bigger for hooves or work on a different input method altogether.” He recovered quickly. “But, if you don’t mind me asking, what is wrong with the name Apple?”
“Apple is one of the biggest crops in all of Equestria; it is a staple in the average ponies’ diet. You would be using that name, which is also the name of one of the biggest suppliers of apples, to try and steal market share. And, the name of Macintosh also happens to be one of the heads of the apple family. Basically, you just need to pick a different name so it will not compete with other companies.”
Mr. Cook was stunned, he never expected for them to attack the name as a way to keep computers out of Equestria.
3/26/14 10:00am
“There is a John Sargent here to see you.” Rarity’s secretary stated as the door opened for another anonymous human in a black suit.
Rarity’s stomach churned at the thought of what this human had wanted to sell in Equestria.
“Good Morning Madam Ambassador. I would like you to allow us to sell books in Equestria. We can print them here and ship them through the portal. You would have the choice of mass market paperbacks or the traditional hardback versions of most of our books. That should make it easier since most Equestrian books appear to be in the hardback format.” Mr. Sargent then pulled out a small chart of the costs when converted to bits and the different options they were willing to work with.
“While that is quite a generous offer and very thought out for use in Equestria.” Rarity paused to form her next words, and the ones she had been dreading. “Do you even know how your books are made?”
Mr. Sargent’s brow knitted a little. “Yes, I do. The pages are printed on preselected sizes of paper and then bound together typically with glue.” His eyes widened as he realized what the problem was.
“And do you know what your adhesives are made out of? That is a barbaric practice and would turn the stomach of any pony that found out!”
Mr. Sargent tried to interrupt her. “But we don’t use that method anymore, it’s all synthetic now.” He tried to plead but the white mare wasn’t listening.
“Hooves, it is made out of horse hooves. Get out!” Rarity started to shriek, unable to maintain her calm as the human quickly got up and left, ready to type up a letter to try and get another, calmer meeting.
3/27/14 4:30pm
“There is a Mrs. Schwartz here to see you”
A strange looking woman in a purple dress came in. Rarity couldn’t point it out, but this woman seemed oily. “I represent Acme Manufacturing and I would like to thank you for allowing me this opportunity to come talk with you.”
“I am afraid I don’t know what this meeting is about darling” Rarity said in her sweetest most diplomatic voice.
“We are a company out of Texas that makes clothing and other products. What we would like is to open up a factory in Equestria so that we could supply you with the greatest of products.”
“Please stop right there.” Rarity finally placed that name and why it sounded so familiar. She had heard it from both Twilight and Lyra and how their plants in China were some of the worst human rights offenders. “I am afraid there is no place in Equestria for a sweat shop. That is why you didn’t leave a company name for this meeting. You knew it would be looked up. I am afraid that there is no place in Equestria for such a company.”
Mrs. Schwartz didn’t take the hint. “I will admit that it sounds bad, but just think of it this way. We will help you build the infrastructure needed to help progress your society into the modern age. All countries have to go through some tough times when they advance.”
“I can assure you that Equestria is quite happy where it is at.” Rarity was losing her patience after the long day. “I will give you thirty seconds to leave this Embassy or I will call the guards to escort you out.”
“But just think of the opportunity. We would even be willing to pay you a handsome fee for approving us.”
Rarity lost it, she hadn’t met anyone so…soooo… whatever since Blueblood himself. She quickly stared at the female human and gave one swift yell “OUT!!!”
3/28/14 5:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Rarity hadn’t said no to every company that she’d had a meeting with. A delightful company called Star Buck’s, a very popular coffee distributer among humans, had come to her seeking to expand its clientele to include ponies. They had even created a specially crafted logo of the Saptarishi constellation of Earth to better fit the new name. They had even agreed to start out using Equestrian ingredients and a mix of human and pony workers.
Thankfully today had no meetings so she could finally get caught up on the reports from humans and ponies dealing with each other. An underground group of ponies and humans had been caught trying to smuggle magical gems through the portal, which had cause a nightmare of jurisdictional issues between the Equestrian guards and the human Military Police.
Then there were the incidents where ponies that came to visit Earth also got in trouble, and the few that had even been imprisoned overnight. Just as Rarity started going over those reports, a small white object pushed open the door and came running up to the Ambassador.
“Sweetie Bell,” Rarity whined. “What are you doing in here?”
“But I’m bored.” The small unicorn foal whined back. Her white coat and gray-fuchsia mane reminiscent of her older sister’s. “There’s nopony around here to play with. I can’t even do anything to try and get my cutie mark.” Sweetie Bell continued to whine.
“Sweetie, darling. I am simply too busy to play with you right now.” Rarity lowered her head and sighed. “Why don’t you go play in the break room? Maybe Mrs. Note would be willing to play with you.” Mrs. Copy Note was Rarity’s secretary and had nothing else to do at the moment.
“But that’s what I’ve done all week. I want somepony else to play with.” Sweetie whined again.
I can’t just keep the poor dear locked up all day. Rarity lamented, sorry that she had to bring Sweetie with her. “Why don’t you find somepony back in town to play with? And when I get off work I promise to play a game of your choice.”
“Really?” Sweetie squeaked and darted back out the door, on a search for a playmate.
Rarity smiled, her emotions bolstered after seeing her sister so excited and lowered her head again to view the list of police reports. The one on top was a public intoxication arrest. Why was Berry Punch approved for travel? She thought, looking over the rest of the report. ‘Subject found asleep on the lawn. Escorted to headquarters so she could drink it off. Subject was grateful and commented on the strength of vodka.’ Rarity quickly scanned the others: 2 public indecency charges for a pony being naked in public, a group of rogue pegasi trying to cause a blizzard on the I-15, the same group of ponies trying to do illegal races for money, and several counts of jaywalking that she was just being notified about with no charges being filed.
Next was the list of missing ponies. Colgate had finally shown up after three days lost in some place called Yosemite. But that still left Apple Cobbler, Arpeggio, Crescent Moon and one or two others missing, only some of whom had travelled outside of the Embassy territory.
Rarity looked at the grandfather clock that rested beside the door out of her office,it stated 5:30 and Rarity groaned.
She was just getting up to leave for the day so she could spend some time with her sister when a voice spoke up. “Don’t forget you still have to pick a musician for the gala next month.”
Rarity had in fact forgotten about that particular request. A high society dinner party in Los Angeles had requested an Equestrian musician for their party. They had said something about Equestria being all the rage and it was a good opportunity for good will, but she had to select who would go so that the artist could develop their set and plan what music would be the most appropriate. And don’t forget to have them listen to some human music first. It would be just dreadful if the music was very different.
Sweetie Bell was wandering around Bridle Lake, the new name for the village that had sprung up due to the embassy on Earth. Everypony lived in one of these houses and the housing style was very similar to Ponyville, which only made it harder for Sweetie Bell. There were a few other foals in Bridle Lake, but no blank flanks except for Sweetie.
The small foal pawed at the ground, moving some of the dry dirt around. While this area had originally been a salt flat, the first thing the ponies had done upon acquiring this land was to remove it. Salt worked as an intoxicant in large quantities and was considered an impedance to the staff, the smell was so strong originally that several worker ponies couldn’t resist having some while they worked.
Sweetie continued to walk through the small town of about 300 ponies, looking for one she could spend time with. She passed Rose Luck who was out watering her garden. “How’s the garden coming along?”
The cream colored pony looked up from watering a group of lilies and smiled at the foal, her light rose mane being her namesake. “Pretty well. This area is a bit dry but I’ve been working with the small weather team here to try and find a decent balance.”
“But why are you spending so much time on it?” Sweetie asked. Although they do look really good.
“Because if this project can work, my job will be to spread plants throughout this area. Just think how wonderful it will be to no longer live in a desert, it will be an oasis. And then we could also have freshly grown flowers for lunch.” Roseluck beamed and moved on to watering a small rosebush.
“They look really tasty. Would it be ok if I had one?” Sweetie Bell asked, starting to feel a little hungry.
“I’m sorry, normally it would be fine, but this is a very important experiment.” Roseluck apologized.
“Okay. Have a nice evening.” The saddened foal moved on with the elder mare focusing back on her work.
Sweetie looked around Bridle Lake for a few more minutes but still couldn’t find anypony to play with. That’s when she saw a building off in the distance, a human building. It was the old Area 51 base and it was still manned by a small group of humans, mostly scientists that were studying the portal. “Maybe they would like to play. I’ve never played with a human before.” That wasn’t exactly true, she had been able to play with the human ambassador but he was too much like Twilight to be that much fun. She happily trotted off towards the human base; it was only about a mile to get there.
As Sweetie neared the base, she could see a human form standing outside what looked like the front door. Oooh another human. Upon seeing the green clad human she started to gallop. When she was about fifty feet away she yelled in Equestrian, not having studied the humans’ language. “Would you like to play?!”
The guard had seen the small pony approach. He shifted his stance upon hearing her yell though with his right foot going back, right hand going to his hip and left hand outstretch with the palm out. “Freeze!” He yelled in English.
OOOH! I know that word Sweetie Bell thought to herself. It means please, he does want to play! The small foal started to gallop faster towards the human; she had no idea why he was standing so funny though.
The guard pulled something off of his hip with his left hand, pointing it at the approaching pony, yelling at her in a language she couldn’t understand.
Sweetie’s eyes widened, everypony had been warned about guns. They were a small compact weapon and worked like a bow, only too fast for the normal pony to block it with magic. She tried to slow down but she was going too fast and the dry earth provided no traction. All trying to stop was doing for Sweetie Bell was to kick up dust.
Tears start to form in the young ponies eyes as she neared the guard out of control, utterly afraid of the device pointed at her.
The guard’s finger on the trigger stiffened and pulled back at the approaching threat.
Private Harris Mitchel was standing guard, he was almost off duty and completely exhausted. It wasn’t the long day guarding a building where nothing ever happened; he had expected that and what he’d been doing for the last few weeks. It was his neighbor, his new neighbor. The area Harris lived in, and he had specifically selected that area because it was quiet. He never had to worry about any commotion but the old neighbor moved out all of a sudden, without even a word. A new neighbor moved in almost instantly, and everything seemed fine, until last night. The previous night, every time Harris was about to fall asleep the banging of working on machines would start up or a small explosion would occur.
The explosion at 2am had been the last straw; Harris got out of bed and stormed over to his neighbor’s door. Banging on the door only elicited a response after the fifth hit.
“Huh?” A voice replied on the other side of the door.
“What the hell are you doing in there?!” Harris yelled, irate. “Why are there explosions?”
“Oh.” The voice replied cheerfully. “Sorry ‘bout that. But do you know how hard it is to build and calibrate a torque regression variable resonance modulation and promulgation array with gravinometric isolation and trochilic dampening without hands?” The male voice asked.
“What is that in English?” Harris asked, unsure about this insane person that had moved in.
“Hehe.” The voice laughed. “Sorry, spoilers.”
Harris’s eyes enlarged. Who the hell moved in? Some sort of ‘mad scientist’? He wondered. “Is it harmless?” The military personal asked the strange occupant.
“Oh, yes.” The stranger replied, still not opening the door. “Harmless is just the word: that’s why I like it. Doesn’t kill, doesn’t wound, doesn’t maim.”
“Whatever.” Harris finally said, exacerbated by the nonsensical chatter. “Just, please keep it down.”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, right.” The voice replied one last time as Harris went back to his apartment to get back to sleep. But by that time it was already too late for the soldier to fall back asleep.
So Private Harris Mitchel stood guard, waiting to get off at six. He ran back through his basic Equestrian warnings for the odd occasion a pony did show up, but he was too tired to remember even the basic ones, then again, he never did study them and doubted his ability to recall them. Stupid language anyway. He grumbled, language had never been his strongpoint, he never thought he’d need it as a guard staying in the US.
Harris’s eyes were tired and his mind was clouded and kept wandering to the incident at the portal, the one that almost started a war. When a changeling had come through and been shot by a keen observer, the guard had almost stabbed the marine, but had been stopped somehow. Since then, the story had been circulating; causing hesitancy towards ponies, any of them could be a changeling in disguise. The only good thing seemed to be that when shot, a changeling’s disguise would drop and its blood was a greenish color instead of the red that both humans and ponies shared.
Harris looked down at his watch. “5:31.” He mumbled, waiting for his relief to replace him and he could get the sleep he was sorely lacking. He spotted a white shape approaching him against the expanse of dirt brown desert at about 50 feet it spoke something he didn’t understand. The shape was that of a small pony and was quickly approaching. At least it looked like a pony; there was no way to tell for sure.
Harris shifted his stance, putting his right leg back to line up his hips and give him a better stance in case this was an attack. He stretched out his left hand in what he thought was a universal sign for stop as his right hand went to the gun at his hip. Although Harris was very skilled with the M9 Beretta on his hip and could hit a target perfectly at 50 yards; that was when he was well rested, and he never liked the thought of using it. “Freeze!” He yelled at the approaching creature. I may not like shooting, but I will defend myself and this country from any threat. The soldier promised himself, taking his oath very seriously.
At his words, Harris saw the shape speed up, the only time he had seen something similar was when he was hunting as a child with his dad and they were attacked by a wolf. Harris, out of instinct had lifted up the hunting rifle and fired, the wolf had died instantly. Again, Harris was forced to lift his gun and pointed it at the onrushing shape. The creature’s trail put up a trail of dust that helped to obscure its form, but it didn’t deter the marine as his finger tightened on the trigger.
Two shots rang out loudly in the silence of the empty desert. Harris knew his shots hit, but not the mark he was aiming for as the body tumbled onto its right side. As he approached the tiny body he saw tears had streaked her face those last few moments, the red blood covering the left side of the young foal’s face and the right foreleg in much the same condition. He missed, he never missed. But is that a bad thing? He wondered as the foal’s chest rose and fell, still alive only so long as she got help soon.
I could just leave her here while I get help, say she attacked. Or I could just dispose of the body and say animals got her. But he had a duty; the green he wore was his pride. And he would NEVER damage the corps for his own selfish needs. He would defend himself, no pony should ever have been out this far and ran at an armed human, but that shouldn’t keep them from getting help. It obviously wasn’t a changeling, the blood loss proved that.
Harris activated the radio on his chest and quickly gave his CO an update. “Sir. I have an injured pony here. She rushed me and she’s bleeding pretty bad. Get my replacement out here now, I can’t guarantee this wasn’t meant as a distraction.” He informed his superior, always tactically minded; he would have said the same in almost any country.
Without regard to what he might hear over the radio, he picked up the foal and held her against his chest, ignoring the sopping blood and entered the base. The infirmary in Bridle Lake may have been the preferred placed to get the pony treated but it wasn’t the closest. And with her size and amount of blood loss, time was of the essence. But a hiss over his radio informed him his commander had agreed.
He ran through the base holding the small creature. Every base had an infirmary, they typically only saw mild cases, but were prepared for almost any accident. As he ran through the doors into the infirmary, he saw a nurse and headed straight for her. The nurse was wearing the traditional blue scrubs of a nurse, contrasting with her short red hair and alabaster skin.
The nurse saw the red and white lump Harris was holding and rushed over. These personnel had been trained in how to take care of a pony and he happily handed the small shape to the nurse who set her on a gurney. After a moments inspection of the foal she rolled the gurney into a nearby room as she yelled for the doctors. “We have a foal of about seven years, blood loss and two gunshot wounds. One to the left ear and the other to the right hoof. Both are through and through, taking her to room one.”
Not even three seconds passed and two more people appeared out of side rooms wearing white lab coats and entered the same room. Harris could hear rushed sounds coming from the room and a few shouted lines every few minutes, asking for items or giving orders.
“Clean that wound! We don’t want the dirt to cause an infection. If we act quickly we can save the hoof.”
“Get me a saline drip and plasma, we need to keep her organs supplied. And get some O2 over that muzzle.”
Rarity lay on the overly large hospital like bed atop the sheets, while wires and tubes connected to a small lump under them. Rarity was a mess, her indigo mane unbrushed for days and her eyes unlined. The Ambassador wasn’t asleep, it rarely came, and when it did all she could see was the effects of her actions. Most of the times she would see her beloved sister, Sweetie Belle; in a pool of blood, dead.
But her sister was safe and sound under the blankets, asleep. The young foal was still recovering from two gunshot wounds. It had been traumatic on the young pony, and Rarity had fought hard to get her sister out of the hospital. There is no way that dreary place can be better than her own house to recover in. So, Sweetie Belle’s room had been outfitted to double as her hospital room, with a doctor on duty in the guest bedroom. Rarity was willing to fight even Celestia on this, but her leader agreed whole-heartedly and felt it should continue when Sweetie went back to Equestria. Sweetie Belle would be staying at a friend’s home out on Sweet Apple Acres.
Rarity wrapped a leg around her sister, unsure what she would have done had the human’s aim been a little different.
At this moment a gentle knock on the door and Sweetie’s doctor entered. He was a white pony with a red plus sign for a cutie mark and red mane. His name was Rojas Cruz and he seemed like a good doctor. “How’s she doing today?” He asked in hushed tones as he went to check the medical readouts. The humans had insisted they use the machines to help, and some of them were more advanced than their Equestrian counterparts.
“Yes. The poor dear still hides under her covers.” Rarity responded languidly, bags under her azure eyes.
“You should get some sleep too.” Rojas stated as he lifted the covers to check on his patient. “The IV line seems to be working great. I don’t know if I could’ve treated a wound this well.” The doctor stated earnestly. “But those weapons should be banned.” He muttered under his breath. “Anything designed to impart that much pain is uncivilized.”
“Thank you darling.” She said with sincerity as the doctor left. A whimper from under the cover caused Rarity to lean in closer to hug her sister. “Hush now, Sweetie. It’s okay, sisters here.”
Rarity had to hold back another rack of sobs as she thought about what she almost lost. But it didn’t deter her, she would take her two months off, they would be needed. But after that, after that she would work to bring the two races together. This medical equipment proved how much good could be done if they simply cooperated with each other.
She knew the problem existed on both sides, she’d heard the stories about the poor mare that died in the portal and her romance, about the ponies who thought it was wrong or that the human had killed her. She had heard about the changeling as proof of treachery and how humans were bloodthirsty. But Rarity refused to believe it; none of the humans she had met were like that. No society could be completely evil, just like there was always some evil.
It takes a while to actualize ideals. The fashionista remembered from somewhere.
“But as Celestia as my witness,” Rarity said with more passion that her currently frail body belayed. “This will not happen to future generations. There will be peace.” With that final thought in her head and Sweetie in her arms, Rarity fell asleep and didn’t dream, but rested.
It was a slightly cold day in Ponyville with the sky mimicking concrete as a solid wall of grey. A few holes had formed in the solid sheet of clouds as pegasi worked to remove it to let the blue sky show through. Green was finally starting to show on the ground with the removal of the snow from the last storm before spring. Ponies of all three types were out cleaning up the snow throughout town. Pegasi were jumping on trees or using snow shovels on the tops of houses, making the snow fall into the waiting carts so that earth ponies could carry it away. Several earth ponies were using carts that looked like bulldozers to gather up the snow and move it out of town. Most of the ponies were wearing either a blue or a green vest, with every once in a while a pony in a beige vest would pass through town.
Anthony was surprised at how cold it still was while walking through town with his lone bodyguard following closely in his wake. The Ambassador had to wear a brown overcoat to protect him from the cold. The roads were cleaned of snow and had been for most of the winter to make travel easier. But he wasn’t expecting all of the dirty looks ponies around town were casting him, especially any that saw the embassy with its snow laden roof which had started the day before when the locals began their strange ritual. When asked, all any pony would say was “Its winter wrap-up” as they need to get back to whatever they were doing but no pony would actually tell him what that meant.
As the ambassador finally got to his intended destination, the local bar, he opened the door and let Aiko through first to look for any potential threats.
“It’s clear.” She flatly stated.
Anthony said his thanks and entered the crowded business, heading straight to the pony behind the bar.
Double Tap, a plain brown earth pony, his greying-azure mane making him look older than he really was; having just hit the legal age to take over his father’s bar. The bar was kept slightly darkened with the mahogany stained wood adding to the atmosphere. Double Tap served almost every type of alcohol served in Equestria and a few from farther away, including one or two from Saddle Arabia and the Griffon Kingdoms. He was currently trying to set up trade to get some basic liquor from Earth.
“Just received those recipes,” The bartender thanked. “But, I will have to get a supplier from earth until I can get one of the local farms to start growing soy to make those weird foods.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, with the number of human customers you should get being the only store that sells anything resembling human food, and that will include shipments of different drinks from Earth.” Avery had been ‘encouraging’ the ambassador to get some businesses to start catering to the needs of the embassy staff. Morale had stated to slip with the only places any human could find to get familiar non-fruit foods was in the Embassy kitchens. The Watering Hole, as the bar was called, was the only place willing to serve imitation meat products on principle alone. Eventually, a deal had been struck where Double Tap would serve the foods, producing his own, and he would be the first creature in Equestria to serve refreshments from another world.
The bar was becoming more and more crowded as multi-hued ponies were coming in and taking the different seats scattered about the room. Double was running around getting drinks and preparing light entrees for the customers that came to order, yelling out when they were finished. After a minute of running around, the bartender came back to finish his discussion. “Sorry, it’s the winter wrap-up lunch rush.” He stated as more ponies kept coming in.
“What exactly is winter wrap-up?” He queried, hoping to finally get an answer that nopony had been able to offer him yet.
Double Tap started to look harried as practically every seat in his establishment had been filled up. “Sorry, if you care to come back tonight.” Double offered, running between his bottles and the little grill in the back.
“If you seek answers on this tradition; then sitting over here is my only condition.” A familiar female voice said from the back of the bar. A hooded pony was sitting in a stall that was practically black, only the outline appearing solid.
Anthony walked over to the stall, shadowed by his security that scanned the small booth for dangers before they were halfway there. Her attention then shifted to any noises she could hear around them. Aiko had gone through the dossier the Embassy and the United States as a whole kept on each pony of importance. She had even gone so far as to personally interview the zebra before ever letting her near the Ambassador for their meeting.
“Good afternoon Zecora.” Anthony stated as he sat across from the zebra, hands folded on the table; his guard taking a seat between her charge and the rest of the patrons and ready to flip the table if any trouble started. “I never pegged you as a drinker before.” He joked.
“I recently acquired from a friend most inspired; a set of human recipes of their natural remedies. While my thirst this drink doesn’t sate; as a cure it works very great.” Zecora rhymed.
It took the Ambassador a moment to figure out what had been said, on Earth alcohol was used often to treat problems and to disinfect wounds. “What were you saying about winter wrap-up?” He wanted to get some answers before the ponies felt any more malice for his ignoring what was some sort of cultural norm.
“They clean up winter every year; out of respect for the nature they revere.” Zecora started. “The weather here won’t clean itself; so removing it is vital to their health. In order for their new fields to grow; of this privilege they were bestowed. On this planet as you should know; it’s a symbiosis they can’t forego.”
“Uh, thank you.” Anthony started to feel he understood the problem. So by the Embassy not cleaning up the snow, they view it as a threat to their ecosystem. And they can’t clean it up because it’s United States territory. “If you will excuse me Zecora, I need to get back to the Embassy to assign someone to the task of cleaning up the snow. As thanks, let me get you some alcohol.” He offered, standing up to get back to his office.
“I would suggest both isopropyl and vodka since they can serve different purposes.” Aiko proffered, going off of basic first aid, basic for a field operative at least.
“Of your kindness I will not soon forget; if you ever need any aid I will try to abet.”
“It is my pleasure.” The Ambassador said, but was interrupted before he could exit the establishment.
The Brown Earth pony quickly came out from behind the bar, carrying a small purple book in his mouth which was quickly passed to the ambassador. “Tell Avery thank you for me. And can you see if he has any more of those backwards books?” The bartender uttered before hurrying back to serve more customers.
Anthony followed his guard out of the bar and towards the Embassy. As soon as they cleared the building, Aiko moved behind him to better guard.
4/1/14 1:30pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Books were flying around the room with an unheard of speed; some were wrapped in a lavender glow. They would be quickly brought into the mare’s field of view, and if they didn’t have the answers would be quickly thrown in a random direction. Each book was a new addition to the lavender unicorn’s library on Earth. The previous day she had spent going through college and retail bookstores in Las Vegas; spending two months’ worth of bits for supplies on any book that looked useful for her next project. She had bought so many that they had to be teleported back to the Embassy.
The trip to the book store had been an interesting affair. Twilight had to call the TSA and get special clearance for a chariot to fly out to Las Vegas for her supplies. After filing the flight plan she quickly put a small Equestrian flag on either side of her conveyance to conform with United States laws on diplomatic vehicles. She quickly set off to search for reference materials.
“Colloquialisms! How could we have forgotten colloquialisms?” Twilight muttered as another book went sailing through the air, court room terminology not being what she needed at the moment. How could the humans not have known how similar please and freeze were to each other? Did they just not care? She fretted as another book went flying; hitting one of the shelves that covered the room so hard that its brethren joined it on the floor in the growing mess.
“Got it!” Twilight cheered as the book in front of her finally had some of the information she was after. “An idiot’s guide to idioms.” The purple mare stated, reading the title. “They have such strange names for their books. She remembered the nice worker at the book store. The one that spent the better part of five hours helping her to find the requisite books. Lily, the saleswoman, seemed a little odd with a piece of metal in her nose and short hair that reminded Twilight Luna’s mane, all dark blues. And the only one there that didn’t stare, even when asked how her hair was such an odd color for a human.
Twilight was going to come up with a complete translation of every idiom and colloquialism in both English and Equestrian so this would never happen again. “But how did it happen in the first place.” She muttered as a quill was quickly levitated in the mare’s telekinetic grip.
Twilight talked to herself as the quill moved along a fresh piece of parchment. “Winning by the skin of your teeth. But teeth don’t…”
4/1/14 3:00pm Human Embassy, Equestria
The outside of the Human Embassy in Ponyville was a beehive of activity. Marines in fatigues were moving about with snow shovels and wheelbarrows borrowed from the locals. Approximately a dozen guards were out shoveling and moving snow into pre-designated areas for the ponies to remove, generally left in a wheelbarrow so it could be more easily transported. PFC Martinez and PFC Smith were tasked with getting the snow off the Embassy’s roof and dropping it into waiting containers.
Avery and Victor were standing guard by the entrance to the Embassy. Both were wearing marine dress blues with a p229 at their hips. The Ambassador had returned a few hours ago and ordered the marines to start with the cleanup process. Avery had argued at first ‘it’s a waste of time’ until he realized the ponies were cleaning it up from the area around the Embassy and that it was probably cultural. The head guard immediately ordered several of the off duty staff to get snow shovels and get to work, without any of their weapons. There was already enough tension with humans and didn’t need them looking like more of a threat. Just in case, Avery ordered the on-duty guards to stand ready inside the Embassy.
“Why the long face?” Victor snarked to his CO, who looked deep in thought. “Expecting them to start singing?”
“A little,” Avery confessed, missing his partner’s growing grin. “I don’t think it would be surprising if they started dancing either.”
“Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!” Victor started to sing, making sure it was off key, grinning from ear to ear.
“No. You don’t need to make up for their lack of festivity.” Avery started while his partner kept singing.
“Let’s finish our holiday cheer. Winter wrap-up, winter wrap-up. Because tomorrow spring is here, cause tomorrow spring is hereeeee.” Victor finished with the octaves going higher and higher, getting him weird looks from any creature within earshot.
“Nevermind. I’m glad they aren’t singing.” Avery looked pained, eyes flinching from the off-key assault. “Although,” he continued, “they could probably carry a tune in something other than a bucket. Now keep watching for trouble.” The head of security reminded.
“But nothing ever happens here. We might as well be guarding Mayberry.” Victor groaned. “Can’t we do something to pass the time?”
“Sure, in six hours, when we are off-duty. Until then, you have your orders.” His jaw locked, face turning serious.
“Lame.”
4/1/14 5:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Celestia sat in the second floor office in the Equestrian Embassy, taking over for Rarity who needed some time off to take care of her sister. At least it wasn’t as severe as what happened to Luna, the alicorn reminded herself, but it should never have happened in the first place.
Celestia had brought in the palace physician, Roja Cruz to take care of the foal. Roja was an expert that hailed from Cannondoba. As soon as Sweetie Belle was well enough to be moved, she would be transported to a hospital in Equestria where she would be able to get the psychological help that would be badly needed. Attacks are never easy, especially on the young. It was one of the reasons the she had worked so hard to bring Roja to Equestria. Technically it wasn’t an attack, but it was still unheard of for anyone on the other side of the portal to go straight for lethal force.
Celestia had gone earlier to check on her student and to ask Twilight to make sure it never happened again, but she was already muzzle deep in books working on the situation. Next, Equestria’s ruler checked on Lyra and asked her to temporarily shift her focus to human confrontational actions, which the xenobiologist was already working on, and had started talking about humans using dominance versus prestige in social situations, and the impact that had on aggression and the use of force, along with their increased aggression towards any out-group members.
Celestia then picked up the small phone off of the small desk, the receiver specially made to hang off a pony’s ear to decrease the magical strain of holding it up. The ancient entity then dialed a special number that would put her through to the human President.
The phone rang twice before a familiar female voice answered. “Rebecca Paige, how may I assist you?” It said in mock cheerfulness.
“This is Princess Celestia, may I please speak to the President?” She intoned, having met the polite secretary a few times.
The line was silent for a moment. While an incident report had been filed, this was the first chance Celestia had had to contact President Tow in any formal capacity. “One moment please,” the voice on the other end quickly stated, “She is in a meeting with the Director of the CIA, it will be just one moment.”
“Thank you.” Celestia could hear the trepidation in the secretary’s voice. Word travels just as fast with both species.
After a moment the Princess heard the click of the other end of the line picking up. “This is President Tow. And allow me to just say you have my sincerest apologies. We never expected an incident like that to occur and we have taken measures to make sure it will never happen again.”
“Thank you Madam President. But how was such an incident allowed to happen in the first place?” Celestia politely inquired; holding out on judgment.
“Private Gallindez was new to the post and had not yet had the opportunity to review the information packet.” President Tow informed. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but both him and his commanding officer have been reprimanded and transferred to different posts.”
“So neither is facing formal punishment?” Celestia kept her tone jovial, hiding the anger at such callousness.
“Their careers are both dead, neither will be promoted again and they will be forced to retire within a few years. That is the most that can be done. Equestrians were never expected to rove so far as to reach what is left of Area 51. If any more punishment than that were delivered, it would have created resentment towards your subjects. This is a dangerous world and they are taught to act first.” The President implored. “We will gladly pay for any damages caused to the young Sweetie Belle.”
“Thank you. Your efforts are most appreciated.” Celestia stated as she put her phone back on its receiver. Then she quickly looked over the threat reports from both her visible guards and the ones under cover as normal ponies to keep an eye out for trouble. The reports from the mail room were the most disturbing. It’s only a matter of time before a human attempts something. She then looked over the order for more guards that Rarity had filed, happy the Ambassador was taking such serious efforts. And young Rainbow Dash should be an effective lookout. But she was still concerned by the level of violence that the humans considered normal.
Celestia then went over the paperwork that had built up over the three days of this office being absent. The most pressing concern was supplying musical talent for some sort of soirée that Rarity had agreed to. There were a few notes scribbled on the files indicated that the major attendants were supporters of President Tow, giving Celestia some comfort. Attached was a list of musicians that the ex-fashionista had been looking at as possible representatives. The choices were: Octivia Philharmonica, Vinyl Scratch aka DJ PON3, and Lyra Heartstrings.
Celestia ran through the possibilities. Vinyl did a spectacular performance at the Royal Wedding, but would she be too modern for a human high society party? Lyra was an option, but her excitability could pose an issue, but a pony like Vinyl has been known to keep an eye on her. Octavia would be the best option, but there is no way she would go without her filly friend since they are married. Could Vinyl be kept out of trouble while Octavia performs? Celestia then had to take into account how long the party would be lasting, approximately four hours, too long for any pony to comfortably perform.
Celestia grinned as an idea formed. There is nothing like variety after all. As she filled out the agreement to send the three musical talents to the dinner party in Los Angeles.
Lyra was busy getting ready for her trip from Nevada to Los Angeles. Typically she would have traveled by carriage, but with three ponies and their musical equipment, including a DJ’s set, a private plane had been charted along with a limousine to escort them to the Gala.
The mint-green mare was using her magic to put on the fancy new gown that Rarity had designed upon first arriving on Earth in anticipation of such an event. ‘You will still be representing Equestria darling, and you must look presentable.’ Lyra couldn’t help but think of the pony that she was quickly building respect for, and whose current position she would never envy. ‘Nonsense. This dress was made specifically for you based off a blend of Earth and Equestrian fashion and will be the first in a new line of haute couture.’ Making dresses was the only thing still keeping the white unicorn sane while her younger sister went through therapy. It had been decided that Sweetie would be going home to Equestria on Saturday. Rarity would be staying on Earth, ever dedicated to her job. ‘There’s nothing I could do there.’ She had practically broken down sobbing. ‘Applajack will keep an eye on her. My…duty…is to stay here and make sure it doesn’t happen to some other pony.’ Celestia would be going back with Sweetie Belle; she still had a job to do in Canterlot and Rarity was still the Ambassador.
Lyra finally finished pulling the dress up and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The xenobiologist had never been one to wear clothing; her job required a full field of motion. The feel of cloth against her skin was alien, uncomfortable. How do humans do this? She pondered, clearing another bunch from her stifle, the area that would be a pelvis on a human. The dress was a wonderful mint-green to compliment her coat that ruffled towards her hind legs with gold lacing around the edges to match her golden horse shoes and her amber eyes. She then pulled out one accoutrement, a pink gem she’d had for almost two years and recently had fabric added to make it look like a flower. It was one of the listening devices she’d bought for studying changelings. Without the time to visit a mage to get the spell matrix renewed, it had deteriorated to the point that all it could do was record sound. But that should be enough for tonight. As she had to keep from bouncing up and down with excitement at the prospect of her first true field study of humans. Finally a chance to study human social structures with first hoof experience! The excited unicorn mare quickly grabbed her last pink listening device and went off in search of the pony she hoped would help her this evening.
Lyra quickly found her target; a white coated unicorn mare with an electric blue-mane sticking up into the air having already been styled for the evening, heliotrope shades already covering her eyes. The black two bridged eighth note she had as a cutie mark denoted her as a skilled musician.
“Hay! Lyra! Long time.” The DJ called out, seeing her friend in the mirror. “Nice dress.”
“Hey.” The xenobiologist responded. “Thank you, but, uh, where’s yours?”
“Heh, this is how I’m going. DJ PON3 has an image to maintain.” Her gravelly voice laughed at Lyra’s open mouthed astonishment. “Besides, I need to move in order to spin discs.”
“Please tell me Octavia at least won’t be naked.” Lyra begged.
“What’s with you?” Vinyl asked, concerned for her friend. “And no, she will be wearing clothing.”
Phew. Lyra lets out a small breath. “Thank Celestia.”
“She’ll be wearing her pink bowtie.” Vinyl stated matter of factly. “She felt it was more dignified.” And, proceeded to stick her nose up in the air. “Besides, she felt going as such would support my decision.”
“Do either of you know how big of a deal clothing is to humans?!” Lyra started pacing. “They use it to separate themselves from ‘animals’, to show how civilized they are, to-“
“Chill, we know.” The DJ interrupted her friend. “That’s why Octy is the best mare ever. But this is who we are. Now is the only reason you came by to see me is to make sure I would conform? ‘Cuz you know that won’t happen.”
Lyra took a deep breath. Don’t let things get out of hoof; she is a dear friend, one of the few who will always help. “Actually,” She started, not knowing how to approach her question. “I need some help with tonight.”
“Just name it. You know I’ll help ya out.” The DJ replied nonchalantly.
“I need you to hide this listening gem in your equipment.” Lyra stated as the second pink gem floated out of her dress towards the other mare.
“No.” She stated flatly. “Nopony but me touches my set.” Her eyes set and voice stern.
“You can put it in.” Lyra tried to coerce. “All I need is for it to record voices while you take a break.” Her eyes growing wider with ears pulled bag, silently pleading with her friend.
“No.”
“Please. It will progress my studies. Just think of what can be learned about their social structure; it’s done all the time. You have to study them in their natural environment without them knowing.” She continued to plead.
“No.” Vinyl replied just as flat.
“Didn’t we always help get each other out of trouble as foals?”
“And into trouble. Octy is taking a big risk here.” Vinyl said, looking to her friend for support. “I can’t let anything happen that could damage her image.”
“No one will find out. It will just look like the rest of the equipment.” Lyra stopped. Let’s try another tactic. “I will owe you one then; or Octavia if you prefer. I can probably even get her a new cello made by human artists.”
“Well…” Vinyl said, considering the offer. “Octy actually really likes her current cello; it’s made by the best in Equestria. However, I was talking to another pony that could sure use a favor.”
Lyra’s grin broke out into a full smile as her ears darted erect. “Anything! Just name it!”
Vinyl grinned, knowing her friend would act before thinking it through. “Ok. You have to go on a date with Bon Bon.” Vinyl had to hold back a raucous laugh as Lyra stopped bouncing, stopped doing anything as she stood there staring. “Oh come one. We both know you like her. Why else would you stay at her place every time you’re in Ponyville?”
“We’re just friends.” Lyra stammered.
“Is that why you blushed when she kissed you at the farewell party?” The white mare couldn’t hold back her snickering any longer.
Lyra had to weigh her options and choices carefully. I don’t want anything to change my friendship with Bon Bon, but I really need this research, and there may not be another chance to get this kind of quality. She’s been my best friend since… She couldn’t think of when they had first become friends, just that Bon Bon was there when she was almost expelled from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns when Twilight had accidentally teleported the poor lyrist to the bottom of Canterlot Mountain right before giving her thesis on the connection between magic and music. This was the day she decided to pick a career where she wouldn’t have to deal with other ponies.
Lyra then remembered the kiss she had received from the confectioner, the emotions laden within it. She knew that Bon Bon had no part in this manipulation and while not happy, would be fine with just staying friends. No, this reeked of Vinyl trying to ‘help’ out an old friend. Lyra took a deep breath before giving her response. “Fine.”
This time it was Vinyl’s jaw that dropped. “Really?” She asked incredulously
“Yes.” Lyra stated seriously. “I will go on a date with Bon Bon the next time I go to Equestria.” Whenever that may be. I want this to be a surprise, and she’s too busy to get time off to visit here.
“Damn, I owe Octy two bits.”
Lyra looked at her friend in utter amazement.
“What. I thought you’d never do it. We’ve had this wager going since she met the two of you together.” Vinyl stated innocently.
2:30pm
The three ponies walked up the steps to a little aircraft that looked like the one Lyra and Twilight first took to visit the President of the United States. The only difference on the outside being the Equestrian flag on either side of the small jet. This particular Jetstream had been purchased and refitted in order to better transport ponies, part of Celestia’s plan reach out to the other nations of this planet and it set on a small dirt runway only large enough for this single aircraft.
As Vinyl stepped into the aircraft though, it looked much different than anything she had been led to believe. There were no chairs, just sitting pillows on the floor, several having sides for in case of something the humans called ‘turbulence.’ The DJ saw a blue pillow the shade of her hair, just big enough for two ponies to lie on comfortably. Upon sitting, she started patting the cushion with her left hoof. “Come on Tavi,” she whined. “I already found the best seat in the house.” As she called out to her marefriend that had just entered the aircraft.
Octavia was a charcoal grey earth pony, her jet black mane groomed to shining settled on her back. The only color she sported was the pink bowtie worn around her neck by a white cloth and her purple treble clef cutie mark. She took a look at the neon blue fabric and gave Vinyl a quizzical look. “You would have to pick the most garish cushion.” She scoffed, regally lowering herself next to her partner.
Vinyl grinned. “You know you love it.”
“That is quite beside the point.” Octavia stated as she affected the air of her high society birth.
“Whatever you say.” Her partner whispered, right into her ear.
“There will be none of that. There are other ponies present.” Octavia warned.
“And a human.” Lyra interrupted. Both of the other musicians look over at her shocked. “No pony has yet to be checked out on an aircraft. It has to be hired out.”
“Way to kill the mood.” Vinyl lamented.
Lyra felt that a change of topic was in order before Vinyl mentioned a certain bet. “Just remember, this is a human machine an-“
“’And don’t touch anything.’” Vinyl mocked. “I’m not a foal you know.” She stated until Octavia gave her a disbelieving stare. “I promise not to touch anything on this plane that is not mine.” She stated, raising her right hoof. “Relax, this isn’t my first time flying.”
Lyra just grinned and waited until a voice came over the speakers. “This is your captain speaking. Flight 273 to LAX is now departing. Make sure your tray table is in the upright and locked position.” A male voice spoke in Equestrian, the floor giving a quick jerk as they started building momentum.
“Um.” Vinyl stated as a worried look crossed her face. “This doesn’t feel like flying.”
“Tray tables?” Octavia queried
Lyra just smiled. “Human humor. You get used to it.”
Octavia gave the lyrist for the evening a skeptical look as the nose of the plane started to rise.
“Are you sure this guy knows what he’s doing?” Vinyl asked, grabbing on to whatever she could as the ground under her hooves continued to angle upwards. Her eyes darted about the aircraft.
“This isn’t like a flying chariot, or even how a pegasi flies. There is no magic to assist them.” The green mare stated matter of factly.
“SO?” Vinyl said, still not understanding it, as the acceleration, steady upward angle and nearly invisible ground got to her.
“It’s like throwing a stick, just with a lot of force.” Lyra grinned, unable to believe her friend was scared by something so simple, while Octavia just seemed to provide something for Vinyl to grip onto.
“But those things fall unless gripped by magic.”
“They have engines that push the airplane. Those big tanks on either side of the craft you saw? Those were engines. They provide the needed force.” Lyra stated to a still incredulous Vinyl as the plane started to level off. “Just trust me and relax.”
Octavia leisurely stood up onto her hoofs and went over to the nearest window, closing the small blinds over it with the passing clouds. “Now just close your eyes.” She calmly stated to the pony whose own fear was feeding off itself now. As Vinyl did as she was told Octavia spoke again. “Now what does it feel like?”
“Except for the lack of rushing air, it feels just like a chariot.” Vinyl said, her voice calming to a more normal tone.
“Remember, they just don’t have magic. But they aren’t insane.”
“Thanks Tavi.”
Lyra had to keep quiet. She had read up on humans and why they tended to take more risks than ponies, especially the males. And, not always for the better.
4:25pm
David, a short skinny male with black hair and a suit, sat in the driver’s seat, waiting for the little plane to finish taxiing to a stop. He closed The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as the little door opened on the Jetstream opened and a colorful equine walked down the little steps, a small mint-green unicorn that stood about three foot tall with a fancy matching dress. He had been told his clients would be Equestrians so it wasn’t a surprise. Just like everyone else who had seen Tow introduce Celestia to the world; this was the first time he had seen one in person though. The driver remembered the discussions that started after; the surprise at seeing aliens, at seeing supposedly peaceful aliens. And, it certainly spiced up the movie scene. A movie was in the works titled Eternal Night that was supposed to be the heart wrenching story of Celestia trying to save her people from her beloved sister’s madness.
David quickly got out of his driver’s seat as the last pony, white with neon blue hair and shades, disembarked their aircraft and unloaded their gear from the back of the plane. He hurried over to the approaching ponies. “Would you like some help with that ladies?” He asked, unsure exactly what to call them, or if he could carry the three large boxes and mess of cables that the white one had floating above her head in a pale aqua glow.
“Nah, that’s cool. Just tell me where to put it.” She replied. The other two looked perfectly fine, the grey one had the case for a string instrument of some kind on her back, while the green one had a small case hanging from her neck.
David rushed back to his limousine and opened the rearmost doors, finally understanding why he had been given this particular vehicle where the extended portion was designed for storage and not occupants.
As the ponies finished stowing their gear, David opened up the door to the passenger compartment. They had no trouble getting into the vehicle, hopping in like it was a common practice. He quietly closed the door after them and went around the vehicle to get back in the driver’s seat. After starting the car and finding his way onto the freeway from LAX, he rolled down the window that separated the passenger from the driver’s section and asked, “Is this your first time in Los Angeles?”
“Yes.” The green one replied laughing lightly. “This is actually our first time on Earth.”
“I hope you enjoy your stay then.” He said, returning his attention to the road. I’ll take them the slightly more scenic route; show them some of the taller buildings, that always impress the visitors. I’ll have to talk to them about a trip to LACMA, I’m sure they could have the clout to get a special viewing while in town. As it sunk in, another realization hit. Man. They’re gonna be so jealous when I get back to class.
5pm
Octavia sat on the black plush vinyl seats, staring out the darkened limo windows at the city beyond. The buildings were as tall as mountains; the sky was no longer visible out the sides and could only be seen out the window in the roof. The streets outside the vehicle were bustling with so many humans that the sidewalk could not be seen; there were so many cars that special signals were set up to only allow so many to pass at any given moment. While all technically impressive, it still felt overwhelmingly oppressive to the grey mare. How can they live like this? She asked as they passed a block where the only greenery was the occasional tree designed to break off the monotony of cement and brick, glass and steel. There’s no life here other than them. Where do they grow their food? How can they live so closely together? Her breathing quickened as her eyes wandered further, until they landed on her partner.
Vinyl was excited to see such a throng of people. “Can you believe it? You don’t even see this many ponies at the Summer Sun Celebration. Where do they all come from?” The DJ asked, continuing to stare at the giant buildings in their grandeur.
“They live in those buildings. They are incredibly social creatures, sometimes with several million in a single village.” Lyra stated, joining Vinyl in appreciating the mass of flesh.
As Octavia continued to stare at her friends staring at the city around her. She began to look more closely, to try and understand their fascination; but the more she saw, the less she liked. The buildings while impressive, some that would compete with Canterlot castle itself for sheer height, were covered in a thin layer of dirt not the clean stone of Canterlot or the subtle yellow plaster of Ponyville taken care of with love. In the hustle, people pushed and shoved each other, nobody looked happy, faces dour and eyes set. As they passed another street, she saw two people yelling at each other, shaking fists. While unable to hear what they talked about, they looked violent.
“And at night, all these windows will be lit. It’s magnificent.” Lyra said trying to further impress the two musicians.
But that will block out Luna’s stars! Octavia dreaded; only to remind herself that these weren’t Luna’s stars. There would be no Princess to watch over her. And for the first time in her life, she felt scared at the thought of being out at night.
7pm
Vinyl brought the last of her equipment in, a speaker as big as herself. While the humans had offered to help, nopony touched her gear except her.
“Vinyl dear, what do these cords go to? You forgot them in the limo.” Octavia asked her from behind, holding a set of cables that connected her deck to the speakers.
Well almost nopony. Vinyl admitted. “Just set it by the deck for now.” She said as she struggled to bring the speaker in. It wasn’t that the speaker weighed any more than usual or that it required more magic than normal to interact with like anything found on Earth. It just didn’t want to move; like the air was thicker which in turn made it harder to put up onto the raised platform that was their stage.
The room itself was large and open with several round tables scattered about but it was clear that the main purpose was to let a small group of people walk around and mingle. To make sure they were seen by the right people. The room was clean with red tablecloths and open curtains showing a manicured garden outside. The green appearing vibrant bracketed by the curtains and the antiseptic white of the walls.
As Vinyl started connecting her deck with the giant speakers, she checked the small pink gem that Lyra had given her. It was set into the top of the deck to look like another status light. Octavia was to her right, counterbalancing her weight against that of the cello bow held in her left fetlock as she tuned the hoof-made instrument. Lyra’s small Lyre was back in its case while its owner explored the grand hall.
“Now remember Vinyl, best behavior.” Octavia reminded. “We don’t need a repeat of last year’s Summer Sun Celebration.”
“Tavi, don’t worry. What’s the worst that could happen?” She asked, returning a lewd smile.
“Only if you behave.” Octavia smirked as she set her cello back in case until it was time for her to perform. The grey mare then proceeded to walk over to Vinyl and gave her a quick nuzzle.
9:15pm
The party had been going on for a while. Lyra was still up on stage using her magic to pluck the strings of her lyre. She didn’t feel underdressed; every person there was wearing something just as fancy. Just that she was wearing the wrong type of dress. Every person there was wearing something darker, making the whole situation seem dour, and her more out of place in the subtle green dress. I should have known. She thought. Ponies are multicolored and humans are not; why would they be any different in a fancy situation?
As Lyra played, she watched her two friends move through the different groups, stopping to talk every once in a while. But, they seemed perfectly happy to just be alone. Lyra couldn’t help but admire how they managed to turn a job into a date. If only I could hear what’s being said. As she finished her next to last song, a classic from before the founding of Equestria about the struggles of the three races to finally work together after centuries of fighting; the verses were in one of the oldest known dialects of Equestrian.
Her last song was meant to be a surprise, something from a place called Greece where the humans had a different type of lyre used for music. The vocals were a little hard to sing even using the fancy phonetic alphabet the that humans introduced. The notes however, were written in a matter that any Equestrian musician could read. Lyra found it peculiar that the two societies had so many similarities, but she was certain that with enough study some sort of reason would come to light.
As Lyra’s last song began to wrap up, Octavia and Vinyl came up to the stage so they could switch off. Lyra quickly levitated her lyre back into its case and stepped offstage to greet her counterparts. “How’s the party?” She asked.
To which the DJ scoffed, “You’ll see.” She then stepped on stage, taking her position behind her deck and massive speakers.
“Did you remember to drop the volume on those things?” Lyra asked out the side of her mouth.
“Do you really think Vinyl would be crazy enough to do something that stupid?” Octavia asked a wide-eyed Lyra. “There is no need. Vinyl assured me that she will behave.”
“This is a song I played at the Royal Wedding of Princess Cadance.” Vinyl said into her small speaker as she donned a pair of headphones. Both Lyra and Octavia looked up at the stage just in time to see Vinyl turn a little dial up to max and mouthed to the now spectators, “Let’s drop this base!” in Equestrian and grinned from ear to ear.
Quickly the sound issuing from the speakers built as Lyra and Octavia’s hearts almost stopped. The music however stayed calm and gentle, a quieter affair than was even thought of for the Royal Wedding.
As the music continued, all of it from Vinyl’s standard repertoire of music but calmer, Lyra and Octavia mingled with the crowd. They were stopped rather quickly by a larger woman, which neither could differentiate from any other person there. Even with Lyra’s expertise in dealing with the species, they all looked so repetitive with their fancy gowns and makeup. But, that didn’t defuse her excitement at being able to study a new branch of human society. “Excuse me.” The woman stated with a posh accent. “But what is it like living under an authoritarian government?” She asked.
Octavia started replying before Lyra could think of anything to say. “What’s it like living under a President?” She asked.
“What I meant was, “The woman started, completely unfazed at having insulted their leaders. “What is it like not getting a say in the laws that are passed?”
We have a say. Celestia brings in advisors and takes the time to listen to complaints. Lyra wanted to inform the lady but was again beaten to it by Octavia.
“I don’t know. We have never had a corrupt leader that would want to take away our rights.” Octavia clarified as the woman huffed, only to be interrupted by her husband.
“What do you think of our food so far?” He asked.
“Apart from a few hors d’oeuvres I haven’t had any yet. But the apple slices taste just as wonderful as the ones picked fresh off the tree.” Octavia complemented.
“Only the best.” He gave a slight chuckle as Lyra tuned him out.
I never expected it to be this boring. She thought. It’s the same as parties in Canterlot.
They wandered while Vinyl did her set, stopped by the occasional question. Oddly enough all political banter outside of the first encounter had been non-existent. Out of curiosity, Lyra decided to see what would happen if she brought it up. “What do you think of the initial treaty between our two peoples?”
“I think that only time will be able to tell us if it works.” The man stated.
It wasn’t just him; she tried asking another about the rise of tensions in Asia, only to have the question outright ignored in favor of talking about why she had picked classical Grecian music.
Octavia and Lyra slowly made their way back to Vinyl as her set started to wind down.
“Told ya I would behave.” Vinyl said smugly, nose slightly in the air.
“Yes, and I am very proud of you.” Octavia admitted and leaned forward to give her partner a hug. “But, you will still pay for that little prank later.” She whispered into the white mare’s ear.
Vinyl just grinned back. “I’m counting on it.” She said as Octavia walked up onto the stage and pulled her cello out of its case.
She began with a classic piece by Beethoofen that blended into something by Bach. She had wanted to craft something original that combined two of the most well-known artists from either country.
When Octavia was approximately halfway through her performance, changing from one piece to the next, the sound of clapping issued from the far side of the room. As the different creatures turned the head at the sudden noise, a male human started walking towards the stage. He was shorter and rounder than the average human with short cut blonde hair. “Very beautiful,” He said. “I’m sure the great masters would be quite pride. That is a wonderful talent.”
“Thank you.” Octavia replied, taken aback at the sudden interruption.
“If only you had come here to just play music.” The newcomer continued. “I have to admit, I was originally against the treaty with Equestria, it seemed brash and uniformed. However, no catastrophes have occurred so I assumed myself mistaken and set up this party as a way to mend fences. I even invited some of my greatest supporters.”
Lyra’s eyes widened as her ears fell to the ground as she recognized the human, Senator Stephen Brent who seemed determined to show Equestria as the next big threat.
“When I extended the invitation I never expected the guests to attempt espionage.” He stepped onto the stage and walked over to Vinyl’s rig. “But what do they do the first chance they get?” He stated as he reached towards the status lights. “They bring in listening devices to spy on the guests.”
The Senator ripped a pink gem; the one Lyra had given to Vinyl, off the deck and held it out for all to see. “This is one of their magical gems; we were given a few to study from Princess Celestia.” He stated as moving the gem around in his hand. “It works off of a matrixes and can do many of the same things as our technology can do.”
“How do you know it’s magical?” A person from the crowd questioned.
He then proceeded to pull out a small rectangle the size of his hand and began to wave it over the gem. As the device traversed the gem, it emitted a clicking sound the closer it got to the gem. “That sound is saying that it’s detected thaumaturgical radiation, or magic. So no, it’s not just another gem. The color denotes its capabilities. What other reason could they have to bring a recording device?”
But we never gave them any kind of gem like that to study. Lyra panicked. We only gave them ones to heat up rooms, provide light, or absorb heat. Things to make life easier, never something like that!Besides, color doesn’t signify capability; it depends on the magus. But, Lyra couldn’t remember if the gems handed over were, or if the colors matched a certain time to make it easier on them. Seeing that things may be getting out of hand, she moved back and placed a hoof along the hem of her dress until she found the slight bump. Lyra didn’t want to activate the small stone Rarity had told her was in case of emergencies with force and destroy it, but any aura of magic could alert others to her intent or make things worse by thinking she was up to something.
As these thoughts passed through her mind Vinyl stepped forward to confront the human. “Because we’re musicians.” Vinyl stated flatly, annoyed. “We listen to music. This is so I can listen to and improve my craft, along with that of my friend’s. That’s why it was there before you ripped it off.”
Upon seeing the human not backing down, Lyra placed more pressure on the stone hidden in her hem until it cracked. A small wave of energy, like a pebble being tossed into a lake, spread out from the mint-green unicorn, too faint for any but the most attuned to feel even in the same room. A dud? Lyra panicked. We’re on our own.
The senator appears to think that over for a moment. “That would explain this gem. But, what would happen if we found a similar device on your little friend in the dress? I noticed she has a similar gem in her hair.” He said to the crowd as he stepped off the stage and towards the anthropologist.
Lyra began to back up, fearing that help wouldn’t arrive in time.
“Is there anything you would like to admit before this gets any further out of hand?” The Senator asked politely. “Maybe a reason or an apology?”
Lyra was staying out of his reach. She knew that if he got his hands on her little flower, he would have all the proof he needed, that his façade of kindness would break in that moment. She couldn’t destroy it without people wondering and she couldn’t have destroyed it earlier without the whole room noticing. Some gems reacted violently to being broken. She kept going until she felt the wall at her back.
Brent, with nobody else able to see his face but Lyra, smiled. The green pony had nowhere else to go. It was at that moment, with Brent giving her a wide toothy grin, that she remembered something. Humans had two types of teeth, one for eating plants, and the other for eating meat. They were predators.
Celestia was lying in the plush purple covers of her bed on Earth, half asleep from making sure that everything was prepared for her return to Equestria. She was resting peacefully until she felt the unmistakable energy spike of an emergency beacon. The signature of the magic indicated it was the one given to Lyra Heartstrings in case of an emergency at the Gala. She strode across the marble floor, passing giant pillars of marble with flecks of gold, and opened the plain reinforced doors leading out to her guards and the stairwell to the lower levels of the Embassy.
“Captain Swift, there’s been an emergency that I must deal with.” Celestia informed the gold armored earth pony before she vanished in a white flash. Leaving two nervous guards to wonder what was so important that it required the Princess to leave in such a hurry.
In a meeting hall some 270 miles away where a human was approaching a trembling pony, a bright flash suddenly lit the room and forced the occupants to blink for a moment.
Celestia appeared between Senator Brent and Lyra, using the aftereffects of her teleportation to take stock of the situation. With how far these two were from the rest of the party; it was clear there was some kind of pursuit, albeit a very slow one by most standards. As she scanned the room, the other two ponies were spotted by some musical equipment with a few wires hanging out; looking terrified. The other humans looked curious as to what was going on.
The Royal Pony then took stock of the human. His posture confirmed he was trying to get a hold of Lyra; a look at his right hand confirmed that he was holding a gem of some sort that she could feel magic bleeding off of. The spell was a very simple recording magic that was near the end of its lifespan, but Celestia felt a counterpart near the ear of the unicorn behind her. It was clear that Lyra had tried bringing in a listening device to record conversations for later research, but she had expected the researcher to show better judgment. But she will be punished for that later. Celestia concluded and decided to make sure this would never happen again.
As Brent’s eyes began to clear, he looked back towards his prey only to stare face to face with the ruler of Equestria. “You have no right to assault my little ponies, Brent.”
He sneered and held up the gem. “Like hell, they were spying on us.”
“Vinyl was recording music for later use. Did you invite them only to throw baseless accusations about?”
“I never invited them to spy, their job was only to provide atmosphere.” He refuted.
So it was you who invited them. Celestia confirmed. But how did he know what to look for in a recording gem or even that there would be one. And how could he get so close to knowing how the portal was formed. Celestia was reminded of Brent’s interview shortly after her press release and his ‘speculation’ only the President was informed of. “If you expect relations to continue then you will treat my ponies with the rights and respect you would give any person. I have read your constitution and how your country was formed. That precludes them from search and seizure, and assault from baseless accusations. Unless you have proof.” She countered, knowing there wasn’t any.
“Those laws only work for humans.” Brent countered, going off the letter of the law. “And, you aren’t human. So don’t tell me what to do, Princess. You have very few rights here and those could easily be removed. We will not condone state sponsored espionage.”
Celestia kept from scoffing. “We will have the same rights as any other country.” She threatened, willing to turn it into an international, or the first interspecies, incident.
“On who’s land? Certainly not ours. We could easily bar you entry.” The disdain was clear in his voice.
“Don’t forget that we paid for that land.” Brent tried to interrupt but was stopped by the Princess. “And, it was approved by you.” Celestia takes one last look around the room, making sure to remember the different faces scattered about, sure that several of them were Brent’s supporters. “I will be filing formal charges with The Hague for attempted assault on diplomatic personnel with immunity.” And in a flash, Celestia, the three ponies, their musical equipment and the pink stone in Brent’s hand all vanished.
4/26/14 Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Celestia was back in the Embassy office setting up meetings and paperwork for the coming weeks. She decided to stay on Earth and make sure relations with other countries were firmly established. Her top priority was gaining entry into the United Nations so Equestrians would be guaranteed some protection when traveling. The process was made easier by the fact that the United States had sold Equestria the three mile plot of land in the Nevada desert and had officially recognized them as a nation in front of the world. Her next priority was to cement relations with Europe, which was also made easier by her treaty with the US. Celestia had also sent requests to Russia, India, and several other countries to open up relations, many of who were eager to start the process. China had sent over a request the previous week and seemed rather amicable.
Next, Celestia started filling out work orders to expand the runway and update their little runway, so that Equestria could receive and visit foreign diplomats with limited interference by the United States. The construction ponies estimated it would take about a month to construct the two mile long airstrip and a hanger for private planes; there likely wouldn’t be a need for anything bigger.
Rarity wasn’t too disappointed at being relegated to more minor jobs until Celestia made sure things were properly set up. It was mostly filing and double checking of paperwork; along with the added bonus of occasionally getting to work on dresses. The Ambassador was busy saying goodbye to her sister. Sweetie Belle was being escorted by Lyra back to Equestria to spend some time with friends and to finish healing mentally. And it was a way to keep Lyra out of further trouble after showing an incredible lack of decorum. Besides, if anything urgent came up communication could be achieved through the portal.
Lyra was standing with Sweetie Belle in a big grey room filled with computers and some large technical machines in the back. The few humans that normally manned the Earth side of the portal took the day off, which made it easier for the little foal to travel back home without having to see the creatures that now caused her nightmares. The hole in Sweetie’s left ear being a souvenir from her last run-in with a human three weeks prior. Lyra was to escort her to Sweet Apple Acres where she could spend time with her friends and get some counseling in a safe environment.
After dropping off Sweetie Belle, Lyra was to stay in Equestria until further notice. Lyra was saddened at having to leave, but understood why it was necessary. She, in one fell swoop had almost given the biggest detractor of Equestrian society all he needed to ruin what peace did exist. In all her years the xenobiologist had never made such a dangerous and stupid mistake. At some point in time she had forgotten that not all humans were friends; that some were more of a threat than changelings. They had become an everyday occurrence, something to vent her curiosity on, a creature that when asked a question would respond instead of trying to kill her.
The only thing that kept her hope up was that the few humans she knew in Equestria, she knew very well. They would help finish her study of humans, which had been assigned by Celestia; who still expected Lyra to finish her research. Lyra had to beg to keep the recordings which Celestia had wanted to destroy immediately, but had relented, they still needed more unbiased information on humans and it may have some information on Brent’s source of information or his plans; if his people were there, they may have let something slip. The other thing Lyra had to look forward to was a date, somehow Vinyl had taken it upon herself to notify Bon Bon about their date and Lyra’s homecoming.
“Are you ready Sweetie?” Lyra asked the small white filly.
Sweetie Belle nodded and shook as she headed up the steps to the vertical pool of light. She stopped scant inches away from the portal, which gave off an energy that made any who came near it want to run. But, she took one look at Lyra and proceeded through. As her head and then body passed through, ripples spread out from every point of contact, spreading out to the edges where they just disappeared. The steps were still the movable kind that the humans had used on their first encounter with the seam being where it intersected the portal.
As Sweetie Belle’s rear hoofs entered the field, one proceeded to get stuck in the seam. She started to freak out when she couldn’t dislodge it, stories of the pony that went through twice and died adding to her panic. No sound came back through the portal; the only sound Lyra had of trouble was the thrashing hoof.
Lyra quickly ran up to dislodge it, but it was stuck fast. This close to the portal magic was unreliable, if any part of her magic touched it, the spell would unravel or change into a random spell that ignored all laws of thaumaturgy. With one final yank that moved the steps back the hoof came free and they both tumbled into the white room that was the Equestrian side of the portal.
Lyra looked down at the scared little foal. “How about we go to Sugar Cube Corner before we go to the farm, my treat.” Lyra stated, needing the sugar herself and some time to calm down.
10:30pm Salt Lick Bar, Ponyville
Dew drop, a sky-blue pegasus with matching mane and a circle of water as a cutie mark, sat down on her favorite barstool to enjoy a relaxing drink after a long day. Nothing had gone right, from oversleeping and missing the morning sprinkle of dew, her sector had moved the west bound cloud cover south and left some farms with too much sun for their produce. To top it all off, her favorite joint had become a place for humans to visit. She didn’t have anything against humans; she didn’t understand them and on this night the only creature she even wanted to associate with was the bartender.
“Besides that horrid smell they put off.” Dew grumbled as she wrinkled his nose. Somepony had tried explaining to her once why humans smelled like spoiled milk and why they produced such exorbitant amounts of the odor, but she forgot that quickly after the conversation. She sighed, and looked down the bar for a server. “Double Tap.” Dew requested and raised her hoof to get the barpony’s attention.
Double Tap hurried over to Dew Drop. “What’ll it be?”
Dew Drop had to stop and think. Normally she’d just order whatever concoction was on tap or just a salt lick, but none of that felt right. “Do you have anything new?” She asked, hoping for a new liquor from Hoofington.
“Yeah,” Double said as he pulled out a from under the counter filled with a dark caramel liquid. “It’s called dark rum, a special from Earth.”
Dew looked at the brownish liquid with a skeptical eye. Should I trust it? The weather pony asked herself. But Double’s never led me wrong before. She nodded and Double Tap poured her a shot glass of it. It poured just like any other liquor; the smell wasn’t even that dissimilar to her usual fare.
Dew Drop picked up the small glass with her hoof and took a small sip. It was good if not a bit stronger than she was used to. The pegasus looked back towards the barpony. “What else have you got?”
11:00pm Salt Lick Bar, Ponyville
Avery and Victor were sitting down at a small table in something that could only reasonably be called a bar. The bar pony, Double Tap, had recently brought them their beers and had even given Avery his first beer on the house as thanks for letting him borrow some books. Once word had spread that The Salt Lick had human foods and alcohol, it became a hangout for some of the off-duty marines. Even if they only had beer, whiskey and a few other drinks that were natively from Earth, even if they could eat the local fare.
The food wasn’t too bad either; it was all Earth vegetarian recipes. Meat wasn’t served outside of the embassy, the ponies weren’t big fans of the smell and the Ambassador felt it was better to keep reminders of what humans could eat out of the daily lives of ponies. Avery thought it was a decent facsimile, every once in a while.
The bar was packed with two other tables of humans, all off-duty marines, and 18 ponies scattered about the room. The marines were having a good time drinking, laughing and making a general ruckus. The ponies on the other hand were just enjoying a drink and ignoring the new locals.
Victor took a sip of his beer; the bottle chilled by magic, and started conversing. “Hey,” He began. “I finished the Winter Wrap-Up song for ya.” He grinned, as Avery started to sputter as he took a sip of his own beer.
Avery set the beer down next the two-way radio he had to keep on him in case of emergencies and looked at Victor seriously. “You’ve had too much to drink if you think anybody or anypony is going to want to hear that.” He joked and raised an eyebrow.
“If you prefer we can just talk about whatever bad book you’re reading now.” Victor countered.
“I could just put my boot up your backside.” Avery threatened, nonchalantly taking another sip of beer.
“Point taken.” Victor conceded. “Were you like this at Harvard?”
“Yes.” Avery stated. “Bad books and all.” Neither really talked about their past, but they would bring it up from time to time to taunt each other or cut the tension. “Is there something else you’d like to talk about?”
“Yeah.” Victor smirked and indicated a table behind his friend using his chin. “How about you keep an eye on the marines behind you then.”
“Why?” Avery asked quizzically.
“Take a look.” Victor pointed with his beer.
Avery turned and looked at the table of rowdy marines that were clearly drunk; just in time to see one do something stupid. A somewhat short marine at five foot eight with prematurely grey hair and a cigar in his hand.
“Hey, barkeep!” The marine closest to Avery yelled. “Can we get a steak over here? And not one of those crappy tofu ones either.”
There’s the first shoe. Avery cringed, and tried to get out of his seat before the situation could escalate. It would have to be Rizzo.
An inebriated sky-blue pegasus tried to get off his stool at the bar only to fall off of it. He spread his wings to make the landing a little more graceful, but he still had to get up off his flank. The pegasus looked to the marine and somehow kept from slurring. “What didja say?” And there’s the other shoe. Avery cursed, quickly grabbing his radio. The situation was already out of hand with humans and ponies both getting off their seats. “This is Avery calling in a code 9. We have a large altercation between humans and ponies at The Salt Lick.”
“Confirmed. Code 9 at The Salt Lick. Back-up is on its way.” A female voice replied on the radio. After a moment of silence the voice came back on. “The Ponyville Guard has been informed and is sending troops as well.”
“Roger.” Avery said. “Call Aiko as well, we could use all the backup we can get.”
“Yes sir.” The voice said one final time before the radio clicked off.
Now all we have to do is keep the damage to a minimum. Calling in the guard was standard procedure, to keep reports of abuse down and so all sides felt included. It was partially the fall-out from the death of Private Chang and to make both sides feel more secure if any kind of altercation did happen. They knew their own people would be there shortly. He called in Aiko because she was the only one that had actual experience yet with hand to hoof combat.
Avery got out of his chair and turned to see Avery still in his.
Victor just sat. “Hey, I didn’t start no fight with no ponies. Best of luck to ya though.” He said and reached for his beer.
The two sides had already started converging. Avery needed to keep the damage between the two sides to a minimum until help could arrive, which meant making himself a target to both. He’d need all the help he could get until back-up arrived. “Victor, get your ass over here.”
4/26/14 Twilight's Study, Earth
Twilight’s study was the cleanest it had been in a long time, with all the books on their proper shelves. There were also a few new shelves with the books Twilight kept procuring, she still couldn’t believe how much information a new species would have access to. Then again, it’s more like dozens of species. They spread farther than ponies and much quicker. She had started reading books on literature and mythology, trying to answer how closely they related to old pony’s tales and Equestrian history.
She sighed as she set a piece of parchment down on a stack of approximately 300 others. “Done.” The exhausted unicorn said. Human/Equestrian Colloquialism and Idioms Volume 1 had finally been finished. She blinked a few time and looked at the small clock by the door. “1am already? I need to get this to the printers quickly.” Talking to herself had become common lately, three weeks working on a single project with few breaks tended to do that to anyone.
She stretched her back and neck, then her legs as she stood. The stacks of papers were levitated in a purple aura. A similar aura surrounded the doorknob, opening the door as Twilight approached. She then went to the hall to a little radio room they used to communicate with Equestria. Human radios were the quickest way to communicate back and forth since any message spell that hit the portal disintegrated and destroyed the letter. Radio waves were the only thing that seem to pass through unfazed and Twilight needed to make sure a pony was on the other side to collect her research for printing or it would just sit there until somepony noticed it.
As the purple unicorn approached the radio though, she could hear a hiss of static being emitted. The only place that used the same frequency was the matching unit in Equestria, there shouldn’t be any problems. She hit the small transmit button and started talking. “This is Twilight Sparkle, is anypony there?”
The only response was a hiss of static so she tried again. “This is Twilight Sparkle, please respond.”
There was still no reply except for static. It’s probably just late. She thought. Or something broke. It should be fine in the morning.
Even though Twilight was sure nothing was wrong, she quickly wrote a letter to her mentor that would delivered in the morning.
Dear Celestia,
Communication with Equestria seems to have been disrupted. It should be nothing but please have some ponies check on it as soon as possible.
Your Faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
She then sealed the letter and used a special spell Celestia had been teaching her, the use of dragon fire, and the scroll disappeared as a purple flame consumed it. The ash then caught on an invisible breeze and traveled to its recipient.
With that finished, Twilight decided to go to bed. A lack of sleep wouldn’t help her to figure out what the problem was. Besides, the guards would keep anything from happening.
Avery jumped into the fight while Victor lazily moved to help. He knew Victor would help out, he always did. What the hell happened in Afghanistan to make him so hesitant to get involved, he used to be the first one to break up a fight.
Avery looked at the mess as ponies and humans collided, with punches, kicks, and grapples between two dozen combatants. He knew from experience that nobody would listen to reason and he didn’t have the necessary restraints. Avery quickly grabbed the nearest marine around the neck using his forearm. The unfortunate marine passed out from lack of oxygen to the brain and was lowered to the floor. A fellow marine a few feet away saw this and charged whatever human decided to take the side of the ponies.
Avery saw her charge, a chaotic thing of speed and no thought. She’s going to get what she deserves then. He conceded and lowered his body. When there were only a few feet left separating them, the SAD officer took a step forward, put his shoulder against her chest, grabbed and lifted her off the ground. Avery couldn’t hear any specific noises with the cacophony of a fight going on as he turned and threw the marine onto the floor using her own momentum. Her trajectory only a scant few inches from a familiar male pegasus. Her back hit first, forcing air out of her lungs and struggling for breath.
Avery was just focused on control and delay, keeping as many combatants down without getting injured as he could. As he turned to the right to find another target a fist came out of his blind spot, landing in the right cheek and momentarily surprising him. Avery turned to see a shocked marine, Private Gallindez, but never got the chance to return the favor as a pair of hands grabbed Avery’s arms from behind. There were too many combatants to keep track of, but he needed someone to watch his back. Where the hell is Victor? He asked, unable to see the rest of the bar.
“Quick. I got him.” The voice behind Avery yelled.
“No way.” Gallindez stated as he backed away, some semblance of sanity breaking through the haze of alcohol and adrenaline.
Avery wasn’t able to see where the private went as a shooting pain spread through his ribs. Whatever marine is responsible for that one will regret it. He seethed and turned to see his newest assailant. It was a sky-blue pegasus that had bucked him in the chest while an oblivious marine held him. Dew Drop bent his back legs and prepared for another round. Avery pivoted to his right so that the force of the kick would go into the marine holding him.
The force never landed as a red-headed blur tackled the pegasus, landing in a heap of arms, legs, and feathers. Victor quickly wrapped his arms under the pegasus’ forelegs and around the back of its head to keep him from moving. “What the hell do I do now?” The human asked.
Avery didn’t have a great answer for his friend. That was a grey area. Technically he had a right but the pony was now subdued and any violence against a pony, even if deserved, would be a black mark on his record, which was the reason Avery started on his own men first.
It was a question Avery didn’t have to answer as the door to the bar was opening from the outside and four unicorns and two pegasi in gold armor entered and headed into the fray. They were followed closely by four humans in military fatigues and black armbands that signaled they were Military Police; and a pissed off looking Aiko in what amounted to very casual wear, shorts and a thin grey shirt.
Private Gallindez saw Aiko rushing at him and out of reflex threw a punch towards her. She blocked his arm with both hands and used the force to pull him towards her and lifted her knee. Gallindex doubled over as the knee connected with his abdomen, but it was quickly followed up by an elbow to the base of his skull that sent him the rest of the way to the floor.
The guards were just as vicious with the ponies. A unicorn guard would blast one of the equine combatants into a wall using telekinesis. Whenever one combatant was taken down they were quickly restrained so they couldn’t reenter the fray.
Avery felt his captors grip weak, and slammed his head backwards into the unsuspecting marine’s nose. Avery quickly rolled the marine over and planted a knee in his back until an MP could make his way over with some restraints. He looked up to see Dew Drop floated in a white aura of magic towards a waiting guard, with Victor standing nonchalantly next to his CO.
Victor just shook his head. “Couldn’t even take on one little pony.” He tisked.
An MP finally came over and handed Avery a set of plastic cuffs. “Guess you missed the others I took down while you sat and watched.” He said, firmly securing one of the troublemakers.
“Yeah. Your form was a little off tonight.” Victor taunted. “One too many beers is my guess. Getting soft in your old age?”
Avery stood up only to stagger as the trauma started to set in.
Victor quickly wrapped an arm around his friend for support. “Maybe you should see the doctor before doing anything else.”
“It’s nothing major.” Avery stated as he moved towards the Royal Guard that seemed to be in charge. “Besides, there are some that need to be worked out now.” As they reached the guard, Avery cleared his throat to get his attention. Its attention. Avery corrected himself. There’s no proof this one’s a male just because he looks like it. The armor had some sort of magic on it that made its wearer look like a stallion.
The guard looked over at the humans with a questioning eye. “Is there something I can help you with?” Clearly annoyed at his calm night being disturbed.
“I was the first one on the scene and called it in.” Avery declared. “And wanted to clear up any jurisdictional disputes.”
The guard reevaluated this human. “Ok, what happened?”
Avery quickly related the events from the two drunks starting the fight to getting involved to break it up.
“Do you want to press charges against the pony that hit you?” The guard asked. “You are within your rights since you were trying to break it up.”
Is this some kind of trick question? This should go through the Ambassador. Avery conceded, wanting to keep the conflict to a minimum. “I won’t press charges, and I suggest no charges be pressed on either side.”
The guard quirked his eyebrow surprised that charges weren’t going to be pressed and that the human wanted to no charges to be pressed at all.
“We will pay for the damages to the bar. And I suggest that you punish yours and we punish ours. Let’s not turn a bunch of drunks into something bigger than it really was.” Avery suggested. And the last thing needed would be for a human in the jail of a different species on the prime time news.
The guard continued his quizzical stare. “What charges do you plan on laying?”
“The max I can get away with.” Avery leveled.
“If you hadn’t stepped in and took out three of your own people and getting injured in the process, I don’t think I’d believe you.” The guard stopped and thought for a moment. “Agreed.” He said, walking off to relay the news and grumbling in a barely audible manner. “Besides saves me the hassle of more paperwork and dealing with the politics.”
4/26/14 1:45am Human Embassy Exam Room, Equestria
Avery was sitting on an exam table with his shirt off with his chest wrapped in bandages and a growing black eye. The room was bland with the standard white walls and cabinets, a small metal cart filled with medical supplies, the exam table, a single chair and a stool. The Embassy had four such rooms on the first floor for standard medical tests and treatment. There was an emergency medical facility close by, but nonemergency operations were performed back on Earth.
It had taken less than half an hour to get the fight broken up, it had taken several hours for each side to take care of their wounded. The marines were taken to the brig on the B2 level of the basement, having already been treated for cuts abrasions, fractures and a broken bone. And as they were under Avery’s control, he was going to make them pay for it. I’ll report it on Monday, after they have some time for the repercussions to set in. Avery contemplated, a stabbing pain shot through his chest with every breath.
“Saved you again.” Victor snickered, the tape across his broken nose making him look even less serious.
Avery was reminded of the last time Victor saved his life. It was in Columbia when they were attacking a drug supplier. Their small group was stacked up on the door, ready to enter when Victor heard a shotgun being loaded and pulled him out of the way. Victor had saved Avery’s life but got his left arm peppered with shot and almost lost the use of his arm.
“Couldn’t you have done it in time to save my ribs?” Avery asked, moving his hand to his lower chest.
“Seems fair to me.” Victor rebutted, “This time you get the bandages.”
“You were the one that left it in the doorway.” Avery jested.
“Saving your sorry ass.” Victor retorted. “If only I’d gotten shot there. Great conversation starter.”
“Especially for the ladies?” Avery queried.
“Exactly!” Victor replied ecstatically. “And here I thought you’d forgotten all about women.”
4/27/14 10:00am Ponyville Equestria
Two humans were walking through the Ponyville market. Anthony was in the front and followed closely by Aiko. Anthony thought it was good for people to be seen in a peaceful manner, especially after the brawl from the previous night. There were a couple dozen ponies out in the large street milling about. Aiko saw something entirely different in the mass of multicolored ponies, trepidation. The shoppers were keeping a few extra inches between themselves and the Ambassador, being more watchful of his actions. It wasn’t just that humans and ponies got into a bar fight, it was the story going around that a human started it. Things would have been a lot worse if they hadn’t seen the Military Police and the Royal Guard prepare and enter the bar together, showing it was a problem for both races.
Whose bright idea was it to let airheaded marines that can’t even hold their liquor out of the Embassy? Aiko kept the scowl off her face; it would do nothing to ease the current tensions. They should make an example of the dipshit; make sure nobody would be stupid enough to try it again. No, they just want to give him a discharge and be done with it. She was in a suit and looked like any other bodyguard would have, except for the gun. She switched out her usual FiveseveN for a p229 which was easier to conceal, and the added punch wouldn’t be needed. If I have to use it here, that’s the end of it anyway. An attack will be from a few individuals, the Ambassador is still respected. Firing a gun would only work to scare them off and rush back to safety. The SAD Officer was confident in her ability to fight off one or two hostiles, and her reluctance to kill. ‘Completing a mission without killing is a sign of skill. Anyone can pull a trigger.’
They stopped by a yellow food stall and Anthony started talking to the proprietor, an orange and yellow earth pony. Aiko kept watch, listening for any change to their banter. This pony wasn’t deemed a threat. This was just the Ambassador trying to get to know the locals, to seem like less of a threat and to build a lasting friendship. Aiko had her own favorites at the market, a certain cream colored earth pony had a killer selection of local sweets, but that was on her own time.
Aiko had never had a choice but to join the army, had never seen a reason not to. Her grandparents were issei, first generation immigrants from Japan, and had moved to the country as children in the late 1930’s. Even while racial tensions were high and Japanese were relegated to certain areas, they had supported their new home and her grandfather was part of the Military Intelligence Service and worked translating captured enemy documents. Every member of her family had enlisted in the military, her mother in the Navy and her father in the Army. Her brother even served as a Marine Corps scout sniper. It was only natural to join the Army out of college. Up until now Aiko’s education which focused purely on kinesiology, how people move, and how to fight. Several key aspects didn’t carry over to ponies, which had led to the painful kick she’d received to the stomach.
Anthony left the little yellow kiosk, having ordered some fresh produce for the people he was responsible for and heading off to his next destination; a wooden apple half way down the street. Aiko followed, looking for even the minutest details, a pony appearing antsy, staring eyes, anypony running towards them. Anything.
When the crowd started to shuffle in front of them, Aiko put a hand on the Ambassador’s shoulder and moved him back slightly. Her posture shifted from a relaxed position to a more balanced stance, expecting an attack. The ponies, noticing a change in her demeanor back away and gave the guard a good fifteen foot area in front of her that was completely vacated. The ponies that were just buying their groceries or out enjoying the beautiful spring air began to stare. But when a small pony, not yet fully grown, rushed out of the crowd and holding a knife, Aiko was ready.
The pony looked like he was just old enough to have gotten his cutie mark. He was light-caramel in color with a close cropped sienna mane. A knife was sticking out of the left side of his mouth. The pony was charging straight at Aiko and Anthony, head slightly lowered as it charged. “You monsters!” the foal screamed around the knife. “My sister is in the hospital because of you!”
Aiko didn’t think, she didn’t need to. This pony was a clear threat and her body reacted to years of conditioning. She took a step to the attacker’s left as he neared and turned slightly to her right. The foal didn’t notice the slight shift, until he was halfway past the human and she lunged forward and a forearm slammed into his neck. He fell onto his side, the shock making him lose his grip on the knife. The caramel earth pony looked to his left to see the female human on top of him.
Aiko landing on top of the attacker, straddling him and preventing any escape. She listened for any signs of other attackers, there were none. The bodyguard leaned forward, picked up the dropped knife in her right hand and leaned forward towards his ear.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but that fight was the fault of both parties.” Aiko whispered coldly into his ear. “I take it from your cutie mark that you’re smart. It takes brains to play chess.” She indicated the image of a rook on his flank, another similarity between the two worlds.
The pony turned his head to look at the creature sitting on top of him. Aiko gave a slight grin, just enough to expose her canines. “Mine is fighting. It’s the one thing I am truly great at.” Aiko whispered. “And the only reason that you aren’t going to be in the hospital next to your sister, or worse,” She let the implications hang for a moment before continuing. “Is because I have been instructed not to, all of us have.”
The pony lets out a small breath, which caught in his throat when Aiko started speaking again. “Unless we perceive a genuine threat.” She stared at the pony kept in place by her weight. “But if I see you brandishing another weapon at any human for a reason other than self-defense, I will take the necessary precautions.” She practically snarled, making sure the point got across, but quiet enough for no other pony to hear.
A shuffling noise to her right, and a flash of movement alerted her to another presence. Her right arm shot out, knife flying out of her hand. The knife imbedded itself into the ground at the hooves a filly. The eyes of both ponies go wide. The newest pony dropped backwards in shock, landing on her rump. The new arrival was another earth pony, but female this time. She was a darkish blue-gray with a light grey mane and a fancy spoon for a cutie mark. The glasses and string of pearls around her neck the only accoutrements and more than most other ponies ever wore.
Aiko gives the newcomer an even stare. “What do you want?” She can feel the foal beneath her start to shake a little.
The newcomers whimpered. “Please don’t hurt him.” She pleaded.
“I’m not. This is just a warning.” Aiko replied, and leaned back down to the grounded pony. “Is that your fillyfriend?” She asked.
The colt nodded slightly, afraid to answer.
“You could have gotten her hurt to. Your actions have consequences.” Aiko held the colt’s gaze for a moment longer. “Do you understand?” She questioned.
The colt can only nod, small tears coming from his eyes.
Aiko stood up, removing her weight from the pony. The colt stayed there until the human’s back was turned then quickly ran over to his friend and they both ran off in tears.
Aiko observed the surroundings; there were several ponies staring; several in shock. She walked over to where the filly had been and picked up the knife. It was a solid affair, finely made and razor sharp. The guard put the knife into a special section of her boot for later use and walked back to the Ambassador. “Sir,” She stated, despite the fact they were married, decorum had to be followed. “I think we should get you back to your residence. Just in case there are any more problems today.”
The ambassador looked about. “If that’s what you think is best.” He replied and headed back to his residence, the only residence not in the Embassy. He was quickly stopped by an orange earth pony running up to him.
Aiko knew this pony quite well. Applejack was no threat, and would only be under the most extreme of circumstances.
The mare looked stunned. “What the hay just happen’d here? Check Mate ‘n Silver Spoon came from this direction in tears.”
“My job.” Aiko iterated coldly. “He came at the Ambassador with a knife.”
“Mite excessive if ya ask me.” Applejack replied. “Cryin’ like that.”
“It was just a warning.” Aiko stated flatly, still moving the Ambassador forward towards their house. “If it were anything else he wouldn’t have gotten away with just a bruise.”
Applejack stopped, stunned at how cold the human was. After a moment the orange pony trotted back up to the Ambassador, one question tugging at the back of her mind. “If ya’ll don’t mind me askin’. How didja two meet.”
Aiko almost broke her stride. She was barely able to hide her shock at that question, one she rarely answered to those she didn’t have to work with.
“Tell you what. Bring Lyra to the Embassy on Monday and I will tell you. We can make it a lunch meeting.” The Ambassador smiled as he kept walking.
“Why Lyra?” The farmer inquired.
The ambassador gave a light chuckle. “So I don’t have to tell the story twice.” Everyone that had ever dealt with the mint-green unicorn knew how she would chase down new information like a parasprite after an apple.
The humans walked away from the market, earth pony following closely behind, a question still on her lips. “Do you love him?” The pony finally asked of the bodyguard.
Aiko kept her face straight. “What do you mean?”
“You two seem so different.” Applejack said, another question hidden within.
Aiko’s cover had relied for years upon her husband’s status as a translator. It had allowed her easy access into and out of Japan where most of her work was done. Mostly just observing and acquiring intelligence assets. But her cover still relied on, in fact was a major reason for her position overseas in the CIA. She only had one response for the pony. “I’m sorry, I have a job to do and need to keep an eye out for trouble.” Aiko stated as she sped up, making it clear that was not a topic she would talk about. The element of honesty could probably see through any lie I try to pass off, especially if she’s getting Anthony’s version tomorrow. And with the way gossip flows through this town… She let the though trail off. That was one piece of information she could never let get back to the Embassy.
4/27/14 3:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
The Equestrian Embassy’s radio room was a mess of wires. There were two sets of radio and visual transmitting equipment. The first set had been a ‘gift’ from the United States government for use communicating through the portal. The second had been purchased by Celestia for primary use in case the other one had bugs or ‘shorted out’ if diplomacy went south, especially since her ponies still couldn’t figure out how electronics truly worked. Neither set could get through to Equestria though, all Twilight or Gear Grinder, the earth pony responsible for running the machines, could get was static.
Twilight had brought the schematics for her and Grinder to follow. Even without understanding the mechanics behind the radios they could still follow the wire schematics and make sure nothing was loose. Every wire was solidly in place, connecting circuits and allowing the flow of energy. Nothing seemed wrong with the equipment; they could receive and send messages between each other.
“I think the problems in either with the portal or on Equestria’s end.” The grey earth pony suggested, still going over the plans. “This stuffs good ta go. Just need to seal her back up.”
“Thank you, Gear Grinder.” Twilight informed and exited the room to leave Grinder to his job. As she trotted through the halls, her mind started to mull the problem. What can be wrong with it? Have they have noticed yet on Equestria? Is the problem on their end? She started to ponder the thought of sending somepony through to investigate but instantly knew Celestia would never condone it. If the problem isn’t with the equipment…Could it be a problem with the portal? That thought made the purple pony stop. The massive amounts of energy coursing through the doorway between worlds had already caused one death, a second couldn’t be risked.
The sun stung her eyes as Twilight exited the Embassy and stepped hoof into the desert. She saw a few watchclouds in the sky, hanging only a few hundred feet into the air. She knew exactly which cloud her friend was on and planned to pay her a visit after checking out the portal. It shouldn’t take too long, Twilight figured; just see if the oddities of the portal have changed. If not, I’ll send an immediate letter to the Princess and we can contact the humans, they do know the tech better.
Twilight entered the portal room, a two story building that was rarely locked anymore. The humans in this area were either allowed access or would be apprehended and it was the same with the ponies. It was guarded by both factions, and used by both factions even if technically still held by the United States. Inside the room was completely deserted with no work to do and every study of the portal revealing nothing. The purple pony trotted up to the ten foot tall portal, its surface still as could be.
Twilight prepared her magic, careful not to let it actually touch the portal. Her horn glowed with a faint light. As she probed the emissions, Twilight kept coming up with the same thing. Nothing. It was like it didn’t exist, it gave off no energy, just a faint light and a feeling that still made her want to run. She looked at the portal from every angle and the only thing amiss were the steps leading up to it no longer being perfectly even.
Twilight stared at the step for a moment, not wanting to move it, but pulled by a compulsion to make it even. Twilight surrounded the step with her magic and slowly scooted it back towards its proper place. When it was only a few centimeters from the portal, the purple pony let her magic fade. It wasn’t as taxing to move earthen objects as it used to be, having a large supply of magic at hoof. Nobody will even notice. She smiled and pranced out, happy to have everything in its place. But what the hay caused the problem?
“When is he going to arrive? I’m not a fan of having to spend time with these ‘primitives’.” A female voice stated.
A hiss of static was followed by another voice. “This is quite interesting music don’t you think? With the right advertising, this could be the next big thing.” A male voice stated.
Another hiss and different voice took over. “We will have the same rights as any other country.” The female speaker’s ire was clear. A small hiss followed by the last of her threat. “I will be filing formal charges with The Hague for attempted assault on diplomatic personnel with immunity.”
Lyra sat in Bon Bon’s living room going over her recordings from the gala. It was a plain room with buttercream paint and a small purple couch on a hardwood floor. But, the xenobiologist sat on a yellow and purple area rug, going over all of her materials. It was hard to focus on her work though, a date the previous night kept distracting her.
Vinyl had taken it upon herself to send advanced warning through the portal of Lyra’s return. Bon Bon ambushed her that night by saying they were going out to eat to celebrate her return. She had failed to mention it was at Maison de Fantaisie, the nicest restaurant in Ponyville. They had stayed at the table for several hours and just talked. It was the most fun she’d had in a long time, she hated that it had to end and that Bon Bon was currently at work.
It was nice. Lyra conceded. But that was two days ago. She had to move, to clear her head, to think. Now, what was I supposed to do today? Lyra opened up the door to see a familiar orange pony with a raised hoof on the other side. “Um, can I help you Applejack? I was just on my way out.”
“Yeah, we have an appointment with Anthony.” Applejack reminded the mare.
Lyra gave the farmer a quizzical look. “Why do we have this meeting?” She still couldn’t remember this appointment.
“Cuz I don’t trust that Aiko lady.” Applejack confessed. “She’s doesn’t act like anypony in love.”
Lyra’s mind started to muddle through her knowledge, all energy being redirected. “Well, they do marry for more reasons than love.” She began to run through any information she had acquired on human power struggles. “They can be arranged by family to solidify holdings and a power base that was a part of a large number of their Empires. Because one side had something the other wanted, that can be over one thinking that the other is beautiful and that person wanting the paper or advantages that come with marriage.” The mint-green mare started to grin, mind focused completely on the problem at hoof and the implications.
Applejack didn’t seem convinced.
“If things stop working out they have ways of separating.” Lyra tried to soothe. “Unless they’re religious or are strongly tied to cultural norms.” She conceded. “Then they stay together until they die, even if they hate each other.”
“Maybe I’ll just ask him.” Applejack stated, not liking this new information about humans. She then turned around and walked towards the embassy.
“If you want I can put more time into studying marriage rituals and reasons, “Lyra said, the excitement more evident on her face. “I can work on that after I finish this current research. Their class system is interesting.” Lyra started, following the earth pony. “Did you know some societies have a class called untouchables?”
12:00pm Human Embassy, Equestria
Anthony was sitting at his desk, having to deal with the fallout of a bar fight and an attack. Rizzo, one of the instigators of the bar fight, would be sent back to Earth for punishment and to make sure his arm was healing properly. The rest of the marines would only serve a few days in the Brig that was part of the second floor Embassy basement and docked a few weeks’ pay. He was thankful to Avery for his quick thinking, it wouldn’t play well on Earth with the politicians, but it went a long way to showing good will towards Equestria.
The Ambassador had even sent a letter of thanks to the Ponyville Guard. The pony responsible though had wound up in the hospital with a broken wing. It was her little brother that had attacked them the prior day out of anger. The Guard had come by earlier in the day asking if Anthony wanted to press charges against the young colt. He declined; the colt had enough problems without getting in more trouble. After running into Aiko, he’d learned his lesson. There’s no need for further torture. The Guard wasn’t too happy with the ‘show’ in the marketplace, but her action had fallen within the law; she had acted only in defense and hadn’t brought any weapons into Ponyville proper.
The intercom on Anthony’s desk came to life. “Sir, there’s somepony here to see you.” His receptionist stated.
Before he could respond, the door flew open and a mint-green unicorn ran in. “How does the human class system work?” Lyra blurted.
The two guards standing by the door had their pistols pointed at the floor, unsure if this new ‘guest’ posed a threat. They had orders from Avery, which probably originated with their protectee, to not shoot unless there was a proven threat or orders were given.
Anthony raised an open palm into the air. “Relax.” He said. “It’s ok, she’s a colleague.” As the two guards put their guns back into their holsters. “That needs to learn how to knock.” He said towards the excitable pony, who had the good manners to at least look embarrassed.
Anthony looked out his office towards the receptionist’s desk. As expected there was an orange pony waiting quietly. “Applejack, can you come in here please?”
The farmer walked calmly into the office, giving the other pony an admonishing look.
“I believe you had some questions for me Applejack? Once we settle those we can go get something to eat.” Anthony said
Lyra tilted her head. “What questions?” She inquired. “Hay, what about my question?”
“Applejack had an appointment.” Anthony informed her.
“Why couldn’t ya stop her from traumatizin’ that poor foal?” Applejack asked after a moment’s pause, not wanting to be rude, but having sensed some sort of problem.
Anthony had to stop for a moment to think. “Her job is to protect me. I don’t have any experience in protecting someone. I don’t know how far is too far or too little. But if I were to start questioning her, it might reduce her ability to act. Just like I can’t tell you how to buck apples” He informed the cowpony. And I would hear about it when we got home. “But he wasn’t exactly innocent. That foal came at us with a knife. It’s not like we are pressing charges.”
“Ahlright then, how’d you two meet? Y’all seem different. She’s so cold.”
Anthony laughed. “We met in high school.” He reminisced. “It was my senior year; she was a year younger and very cute. I decided to learn some Japanese thinking it would help.” He laughed again as he leaned back in his chair. “One day I asked her out on a date, in Japanese. She turned me down chuckling, she never did say why.”
Lyra had been waiting patiently while listening, piling up questions to ask. Upon hearing this she quirked her head though. Something wasn’t adding up.
“At the end of the year, I graduated and transferred to University, never expecting to see her again.” The Ambassador stated, still minorly laughing. “Two years later she bumped into me while I was headed to class. We talked about the weather for a minute and when I was heading off she asked me something I never expected to hear. She used the same cheesy pickup line on me that I had used in high school, saying how it had to be fate.”
He closed his eyes as memories of their time together in college ran through his mind. “We couldn’t spend as much time together as either of us wanted with my internship and tutoring and her ROTC training. We started dating on a regular basis and I fell in love with her. We got married before I graduated. I transferred to another University to work on my Masters and she finished her Bachelors. We lived in a small apartment halfway between our two schools. Somehow, I got a dream job translating in Japan after graduation and Aiko managed to get a transfer to a military base close to Tokyo.”
Lyra raised her hoof, trying to be more polite than when she entered. “She became a bachelor while married? That doesn’t make much sense. Aren’t bachelors unattached human males?” The anthropologist asked.
“A Bachelors and Masters are different types of degree. Advanced education. After high school you go to college for four years to get a Bachelors degree and an additional two years to get a Masters.” He informed her.
Anthony looked back at Applejack, her expression still unsure. “And she isn’t cold, just very focused. She’s known her whole life’s plan since she was little. She refined certain skills and ignored others. She’s actually very nice once you get to know her.” The Ambassador tried to reassure.
“This should help out a lot when I start studying human courting rituals. But that seems like a lot of time in school.” Lyra said shocked and trying to change the subject.. “That means you don’t finish school until you are 24 years old. Ponies finish by 17. And this was all just studying language?”
“No. Half of that is general stuff on science and history.” Anthony replied. “But I don’t think that’s how ‘courting’ typically works on Earth.”
“How does courting typically work with humans?” Lyra asked, speech speeding up. “How long does courtship last? Does each sex have specific roles it has to act out? How common are same-sex courtships? Do they differ? What about education? Does every human have to go through that much? Don’t you have apprenticeships? Isn’t there-“
“Whoa Nelly.” Applejack cut off the excited pony. “How ‘bout we can discuss this over food. This is in’trestin an all. But this here is one hungry pony. Can we finish this conversation over lunch?”
Anthony looked at the clock on his desk. 12:30 “Perhaps that would be best.” He chuckled and stood. “Where did you want to go Applejack?”
5/5/14 4pm Equestrian Territory, Earth
Rainbow Dash, a cyan blue pegasus with a mane that implied her namesake, sat on a lone cloud above the Equestrian Embassy. She was having to work at keeping the cloud together, the water particles wanted to separate from each other and it was only through effort could Rainbow keep her little perch together. Technically weather manipulation wasn’t to be performed on Earth, but nobody seemed to care so long as it was kept over this three mile area and was kept below the path of aircraft; something about not knowing the full effects of magic on technology and Earth weather occurring higher in the atmosphere than back in Equestria. It was also the only way Roseluck could work on her plants.
As she thought about the weather differences, Rainbow doubted that even she had the kind of control needed to keep clouds stable at Earth height and over such a small area, even without needing to move water into the atmosphere using pegasi tornados. Earth weather made no sense to the pegasus. Jet streams, warm fronts, cold fronts, freak storms, all without a hoof being lifted. They can’t work with their world. It tries to kill them and they try to kill it. Their aircraft made more sense than their weather, both of which she been reading about. If only Twi could make that speed conversion chart. How else can I know what the fastest thing on Earth is?
Rainbow Dash was on guard duty, watching for either humans or ponies where they weren’t supposed to be. She didn’t hesitate; nopony could ever say Rainbow Dash didn’t do her best. But it’s still sooooo boring. She incessantly complained to herself, after spending four hours watching dirt and ponies move about on their daily business, no other signs of life anywhere. She went back to playing with her cloud, the only thing she could do and still keep an eye out. Rainbow moved her wings and made the cloud move on a small circuit, seeing how minute it could be moved. It moved slowly and had to be pushed down, with its internal temperature being particularly finicky.
Her partner on a cloud a dozen feet away was looking in the opposite direction. Another pegasus, but an opal blue with amber mane. She had joined the Royal Guard shortly after information on humans was released to the public and putting her dream to join the Wonderbolts, the best fliers Equestria had to offer, on hold. Her recklessness had almost gotten her drummed out before even leaving basic.
“Anything on your side, Lightning Dust.” Rainbow asked, the monotony of doing the same thing every day was trying her patience.
“Still nothing.” Lightning said, exasperated. “After this you wanna get some training in?”
“Don’t we always?” Rainbow replied. “I’m gonna do a little flight recon and stretch my wings.”
“Roger. You have five minutes, make them count.” Lightning offered, they were supposed to check on the other watchclouds.
Rainbow gratefully lifted her wings and took off, careful to stay in their little area. Her speed was slower than back in Ponyville, her wings designed to work with ambient magic to provide lift. It felt good to move her wings, have the wind blow through her mane, to feel gravity lose its grip on her. She closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the feel. When Rainbow opened them again, a small dot of movement became obvious. It being too large for a desert animal, she still had yet to see one, Rainbow swooped down to investigate.
The speck was heading towards Bridle Lake at a slow pace. Its brown coat blending in with the ground. The movement felt off to Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have a ton of experience watching them but humans moved faster than this and the movements weren’t hobbled indicating an injury. She looked around and saw no means of transportation for how the human could have gotten this far out into the desert.
Rainbow slowly swooped in to get a better view. Upon closer inspection, the coat was designed to look like dirt. This felt very wrong to Rainbow, this was camouflage. “What are you doing out here?” She calls, ready to bank away at a moment’s notice.
The face turns towards Rainbow, clearly male with a long beard. His right arm comes up holding a metal L and points it at her. “Get off our planet!” He spat, “You don’t belong here.” The man then proceeded to fire wildly at the pegasus.
Rainbow turned as quickly as she could, throwing in a corkscrew and some of her other tricks to throw off his aim. The shots were loud, and that clearly wasn’t a pistol. All ponies were warned about guns and the various types, that was a rifle, an automatic rifle. A machine designed to kill quickly and without precision. Rainbow saw a light blue heading towards her.
“What’s going on?” Lightning yelled.
“It’s an attack.” Rainbow yelled back, the air making it harder for the two pegasi to hear each other, but pegasi were adapted to high speeds. “He has a gun. I’ll stall him, you get help.” Rainbow replied and banked back towards the human who was going at a dead run.
The human wasn’t looking towards the sky; obviously not used to threats from above. The human was almost directly below her. Rainbow dove straight down, letting him gain a little ground. She pulled up a few feet above the ground, forehooves stretched out before her and smacked the human square into his back.
The human went into a roll and came back up onto his feet. He tried to turn and fire at his attacker but she was already back in the sky. The human’s coat had gotten moved in his tumble to reveal a thick shirt covering his body and a small metal tube in his left hand. The tube had a small red button on one end and a cable going from the other and into his shirt.
Rainbow had no idea what the little tube could be, and didn’t care. Nobody tries to hurt my friends! She screamed inside her head, flying back at the human as fast as her wings could push. A siren began to sound from the Embassy, alerting all the guards of trouble. Only a minute had passed, but it still took too long. There was only a hundred feet separating the human from the village; too close for Rainbow to let up now. The human pointed his gun at the approaching pegasus and opened fire. Only a handful of rounds came out before the magazine clicked empty. He dropped the rifle, having no way to reload it quickly. The human looked around, a saddened expression caught his face; they were completely alone.
With Rainbow closing in faster than he had expected, the human pushed the little red button in his left hand.
Rainbow Dash saw the motion, but she had no idea what it could be. She wouldn’t let up though. A split second later she saw the bright flash of an explosion. The human had tried getting close enough to the village to get as many ponies as possible in the blast. His shirt was filled with homemade explosives and nails for maximum damage. The polychromatic pony closed her eyes out of reflex at the blinding light and hit a solid wall of energy.
5/4/14 4:00pm Portal Research Room, Earth
Twilight had returned to the portal room, now that the humans liked to take the weekends off. It gave her the perfect opportunity to look at the step. She had written a small letter explaining the odd communications blackout but there was no proof yet as to how it could have happened.
She walked up to the step that made travel between the two worlds easier and began to probe it with her magic. A maze of wires and machines that snaked through the step became visible. She traced the large amounts of energy that coursed through the step. It had an incredible amount of power that felt like a small sun. The energy was used to power something in the step as she began tracing its routes. Is it going…IT IS! Twilight stepped backwards, eyes wide and ears raised. The wires are going into the portal! But is it connected to something or is it powering the portal in some way? As her magic traveled the length of the wires it eventually hit the portal and fizzled out.
A loud noise caused Twilight to stop dead as she exited the portal building; the attack siren. It was based off of old warning sounds, designed to inform everypony, the sound escalated into a deafening high-pitched roar. Rainbow!!!
Without a moment’s thought and a flash of light, Twilight vanished. She reappeared several hundred feet away, right under Rainbow Dash’s cloud. Before she could start looking for her friend the sound of gunshots reached her ears. Twilight saw her friend flying towards a piece of dirt topped with black, a human. And both of them were too far away for Twilight’s normal spells; especially without knowing what the human had on it.
Twilight teleported closer to the fray; ready to assist. Just as she appeared, the purple pony saw the human push a button on a small metal tube. She had no time to think and no time to act before the chain reaction started. She couldn’t have teleported, one of the few spells she could have pulled off without thinking, but with the speed Rainbow was moving it would have taken too much effort. Twilight’s magic acted on its own, casting a shield spell. Twilight could only cast one shield and the human was too close to enclose both her and Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash was letting the wind whip through her mane and feathers. Anything to get her mind off the previous afternoon when she had slammed snout first into Twilight’s purple shield spell. Rainbow still couldn’t get over the fact that she had almost died. How could I have known that humans can explode? She kept questioning, and then a second thought came to the forefront of her thinking. Can they explode twice? Does their technology allow them to do that too?
Rainbow never saw her friend standing there trying to figure out how to save them both. But Twilight’s shield had held, placed around the human it had contained the explosion. Afterwards Twilight practically collapsed from the exertion, never having expended that much magic at once before. “How did you know what it was?” Rainbow had asked as she carried Twilight to her own little house. All the half asleep unicorn would say was, “On TV” Before completely losing consciousness.
So Rainbow Dash flew, had been flying circles for the past hour. She’d been given a few days off and the blue skies just asked for her to test a few tricks. The ground below looked different than she was used to, a few houses scattered about. The pegasus had just flown forgetting about air-space rules and regulations, even forgetting the regulation earbud to receive orders from the Captain of the Royal Air Defense forces for the Embassy.
5/5/14 10:48am Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
Lieutenant Robert was sitting at his radar station at Peterson Air Force Base outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He worked at NORAD, keeping an eye on all aircraft in American and Canadian air space. A small area about 40 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada had been added to his observations. This was in case any pegasi left the area they could be tracked and kept out of air lanes; a pegasi ‘bird strike’ was the worst fear. There were several blips in the general area not associated with planes and read as organic, but since they remained outside of any flight paths they didn’t concern him.
Normally, Robert would be joking or talking with his coworkers to pass the time and the tedium of sitting at his desk staring at computer screens all day. But that morning his son was playing with a toy airplane, a Lockheed L-188 Electra. There was nothing especially unique about the toy; he just never remembered buying it. A love of planes ran in the family, but that one would have stuck out since it was the victim of the worst bird strike incident in history. Robert was just shaken, that old propeller driven aircraft had run into a flock of starlings at takeoff and destroyed all four of its engines, causing it to crash into the Boston Harbor. It boded ill for the rest of his day.
A small blip diverged from the rest and headed towards Las Vegas. The blip originated from the location of Area 51, and the US Government made sure to do their test flights at night so any evidence would be attributed to UFO’s. This was still early morning, and there hadn’t been a warning posted about abnormal flights. The little knot in his stomach from seeing his son playing with the airplane instantly turned into a boulder.
Robert pulled out the keyboard beneath his display and turned to the screen at his left. The basic information for the NOTAM, Notice to Airmen, was automatically filled when he pulled up the form. The radar operator set the location to Area 51 to Las Vegas and began typing in the warning which would be shortened by the program and then sent to all civilian control towers in the affected area and to any Air Field in the area. Civilian aircraft would be told to avoid the area with flights being diverted to nearby airports. A pair of interceptors would also be launched from the nearest base to ‘escort’ the ‘blip’ to its destination. A call would also be made to the Equestrian Embassy, since that was the apparent originating location to see if they had information on a stray flier.
10:58
The wind felt blissful going through her mane, and her wings felt truly used for the first time in weeks. Rainbow Dash pulled up into a gentle loop and watched as her vision shifted from clouds to the ground under her and then back to level with the horizon. She was surprised to see a small settlement of houses below her. Where am I? She asked herself, finally broken out of her reverie. The wind and the speed temporarily removing all her worries. The cyan blue pegasus banked to her right to return home. After an hour of flying, she still had a friend to check on. “No reason to take a direct path though.”
11:00
Jumper and Mosely took off from Nellis AFB on an intercept course. They would be at the objective in less than five minutes. They were both part of the 64th Aggressor Squadron, one of the harshest training squadrons in existence and a standard for playing the enemy in war games. The two birds were painted in the blue camouflage of Russian Migs and were kept in top running order. They were both equipped with the standard 20mm Vulcan gatling cannon and two Sidewinders that could lock on to body heat.
“Any word from their Embassy yet?” Mosely asked.
“They said there is one missing pegasus.” Jumper replied. “But, we are still to escort the target as planned. Preventing a bird strike and keeping it from causing any damage. They expect her to cooperate but be ready.”
The two fighter pilots continued their northwestward flight, radar constantly updated with the rogue pegasi’s location; they were just a few moments out.
“I have a visual.” Jumper said.
11:15am
Rainbow Dash heard a loud mechanical sound come from behind her. She looked back and spotted two aircraft. Bubble canopy, single engine with an under the nose intake, single vertical stabilizer, fixed wings. She counted off the characteristics of the blue painted craft that had appeared behind her. F16’s? What do they want? She asked as the two jets came up on either side of her. The one to her left was making some sort of downward motion with his index finger.
Rainbow increased her speed a little to see what the aircraft would do. They kept pace with her, if she turned they followed. The same human made the downward motion again. I’m not going down. “You wanna race? Let’s race.” The pegasus stated knowing that she was the only one that could hear it and looking forward to a chance to see how human aircraft stood up to her skills in the sky. Rainbow put on a burst of speed, a cone of mist enveloped her flank. It couldn’t be a sonic rainboom, it didn’t have the same feel, and there was no magical pressure. The air resisted her efforts to push past its barrier, and Rainbow complied with its wishes. The two F-16’s were still following her, similar cones in front of their vertical stabilizer. She could force her way past, pour on the speed; but she didn’t know how much energy that would expend on Earth. Now she regretted not getting enough flying time in. Time to change tactics.
Rainbow Dash cut her speed from something approaching Mach1 to nothing almost instantly, the two F16 flew past as they overshot her. Then each banked a different direction, bubble canopies facing each other to watch out for hidden targets. They aren’t as inept in the air as I thought. Rainbow confided in herself. Nothing she could do would shake them, even if they lost a visual on her, it would only take a moment for them to lock back on.
How can their radar spot such a small living target? Rainbow Dash wondered, everything she’d read that radar could only spot metal objects or large flocks of birds. It was hard to prove in open desert with no cover, but they would bank and come straight at her too quickly for anything else. They didn’t fire, but they kept herding her towards an unknown direction, she had lost all sense of direction in her flying. Earth didn’t have the same magical magnetic directions of Equestria. And unless she wanted to attempt a sonic rainboom with this little energy left, nothing would shake them.
Mosely sat in his cockpit, so far he and Jumper had been successful in herding the rogue pegasus out of civilian airspace but he was close to bingo fuel. If they couldn’t get it through the pegasi’s head to go back to the Embassy they would either have to switch with another pair of fighters or treat her as a threat. Thankfully all the cyan flyer had done was to dodge and try to escape. If it had even looked like she would attack they had permission to go weapons free, regardless of the political damage. But that wasn’t what Mosely wanted, this wasn’t a war, there was no terrorist threat or enemy combatant. Just a threat to civilian aircrafts.
“Backup is on the way.” Jumper’s voice issued from the speakers. “The Embassy is sending one of its experts to talk her down.”
Rainbow Dash grinned; her latest plan would shake them no matter what. She was headed straight towards the approaching planes, but this time she wouldn’t veer. There was no way she could get sucked into the small engine.
Rainbow was headed right above the rightmost aircrafts canopy. The goal was to get him to turn so she could shoot past at her current top speed. As her velocity increased, a small cone of moisture formed around her flank. When Rainbow was only a hundred feet away from her pursuers, something hit her in the side and threw her off course. The cyan pegasus struggled to free herself from the entangling mass, a mess of legs and fur.
Rainbow finally disentangled herself from the pegasus that had given her a flying tackle only to hear a familiar female voice.
“Thank you for keeping her safe. I’ve got it from here.” The newcomer stated to no one.
The two fighter craft left, waggled slightly and then Rainbow staring at the last pony she expected to see. “Spitfire?” Rainbow stuttered from awe and shock. “What are you doing out here?”
The brilliant yellow pegasus glared at the wayward pegasus. Her brilliant orange and amber mane being the only way Rainbow had recognized the leader of the Wonderbolts without her telltale blue uniform. “Keeping a foalish pegasus from getting herself killed.”
Rainbow just stared at her idol, unsure what to say.
“What? Because you almost got killed you thought you would just go out for a small flight and ignore all the regulations?” Spitfire continued her rant.
“What regulations?” Rainbow Dash tried to interrupt, it was the worst thing she could have said.
“And you want to be a Wonderbolt?” Spitfire scoffed. “You didn’t even check the flight regs before leaving Embassy airspace. You failed to file a flight path or check what lanes were cleared and when. Do you realize how many planes are in the skies here and what would happen if you hit one? Or did you just not care?”
“B-b-but…” Rainbow started only to get cut off again.
“And you didn’t even grab a radio in case of an emergency. I had to be sent out here to grab you because nopony could reach you!” Spitfire’s ire started to abate. “It’s a good thing you aren’t a Wonderbolt.” She spat. “Or you would be kicked out so fast your eyes would be spinning.” The leader of the Wonderbolts took a deep breath to calm down. “We have a town to get back to.” She offered. “You don’t want to miss your friend waking up.”
Rainbow fell in line behind her idol, vowing to never again ignore regulations, and to make sure she knew what the regulations were.
5/5/14 12:00pm Ambassador’s Residence, Earth
“Ughh.” Twilight woke with a groan. Her head pounded and her magic had yet to fully return. How big was that blast? Moving an Ursa Major didn’t require that energy even accounting for the increase in magical entropy of Earth.
The purple mare rolled out of her bed back in Bridle Lake. “Wait, this isn’t my bed.” Twilight looked around at the familiar four poster bed and the small ponyquins on the other side of the room. “Rarity’s?” She questioned. What am I doing here? She wondered.
“Twi darling, are you finally awake?”
Twilight turned to the white mare, her indigo mane slightly disheveled. A small tray was levitating in her light blue magical aura, two cups of tea sitting on it. Rarity had obviously stayed up during the night to watch her friend.
“You look absolutely dreadful.” Rarity gasped. “Here have some tea and then get a shower.” Rarity offered as she levitated one of the cups to her friend.
Twilight took the teacup with a hoof, taking a small sip. The warm liquid felt good going down her throat, calming her nerves.
Rarity set her own tray down. “Now off to the shower with you.” She motioned with her hooves getting her friend to move towards the bathroom.
“But I have work an-“ Twilight started
“I will have none of it.” Rarity warned. “Get cleaned up and then you can work.
Twilight started to disagree but her head starting to pang again and she quietly trodded to the adjacent bathroom. The shower was separated from the toilet by a separate door. The shower was done all in earth-tones with a majority of it made out of sandstone colored granite and large enough for a pony to lie down in if they wanted.
Twilight turned on the water and let steam fill the room before she stepped into it. The warm water felt wonderful just coursing down her body and mane. The mare just stood there and let her mind wander. It inevitably settled on the previous day’s events. Thoughts of what would have happened had she been slower, had her magic not reacted by itself.
Then her mind hit the thing that worried her most. Why was the explosion so large? Her mind was so entranced so the flow of water became background noise as she started going through the force calculations. Her calculations kept coming up with an explosive velocity well over 10,000 meters per second. Twilight may not have been an expert but she had taken a look at the blueprints for the Embassy which had been designed to withstand a large explosion by ground personnel which topped out at approximately 8,200 meters per second. How could anybody get ahold of something powerful?
Was this an intentional attack by some government? What about those wires in the portal? Were the humans trying to control it somehow? Twilight knew the history of this world, of the Trojan Horse and traps laid on the dead, mines strapped to children so they could jump under tank treads. And, only governments could get their hands on something that powerful. The only other option was that magic increased the energy of an explosion, but that theory had been tested and debunked early on. Magic didn’t work well with anything from Earth and there was no thaumaturgical energy to indicate magic.
Twilight darted out of the bathroom and back into Rarity’s bedroom.
Rarity was sipping tea and working on a new dress design when the purple blur came out of the bathroom sopping wet on the carpet. “Twilight dear. What seems to be the problem?”
“Letter. Princess. Immediate.” Twilight stuttered, grabbing at the nearest parchment and quill to send an immediate letter to Celestia.
2:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Celestia was sitting at a small desk in her private Embassy quarters. She had planned on resting today, but fate and bad timing dictated otherwise. There had not only been a bar fight in Equestria between humans and ponies but an attempted attack on the human Ambassador in retaliation. There had also been a suicide bomber attacking her ponies and the hero of the incident flying into a prohibited zone. This ignored the other incidents: Sweetie getting shot weeks prior and the trap the musicians had walked into. It also ignored one key aspect that still didn’t sit well with her.
Celestia had an idea, especially after Twilight’s quickly scribbled notes that arrived by dragonfire spell, but no proof.
Twilights letter had read:
Princess Celestia,
There was a communications outage between Earth and Equestria yesterday. The only problem found was a misaligned step at the time of the attack. I don’t know if anypony has found a solution to this or not. There is also a large power source in the steps with wires leading into the portal. Is this part of their ‘science’ to study it?
Also the bomber from yesterday had advanced explosives, something bigger than we knew they had.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia knew about the communications failing and how they were mysteriously up when Celestia called more backup through the portal. The more time she spent around humans, the more they seemed like the griffons of old. Could Lulu really be correct in her assumptions? She did predict some of their actions accurately. They had the cold thought and tactics and worked better together. The explosives hadn’t surprised Celestia. Not when it forced her prized student to use up her entire energy reserve just to contain it. But just how similar are they to griffons? That was the question she had to answer.
The Great Griffon war had been started on the pretense of peace. Then when an ambassador was sent, they attacked him to steal information on Canterlot’s defenses and made it look like a group of bandits. When Celestia herself had gone to investigate, they attempted an assassination that only succeeding in killing Royal Guards and drawing her royal ire. Griffons had used the known fact of their fragmented political system to wage a strategic united attack against her ponies. And they had paid.
Celestia, with her increased study of human history, knew she would have to stay vigilant. It was their first President after all that had stated in his farewell speech: “It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world…in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them…Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies.” About how Brent and Tow were trying to use her ponies for their own gain, but for the moment their needs matched up.
She knew about the genocides of millions, the cradle of civilization that killed 150,000,000 million of its own people throughout history, a war that ravaged the whole world and the atrocities that followed. They had to be defensive, but they also grabbed for power. Celestia would have to fight lest they try to grab her power; after all, in their eyes a pony wasn’t human. Just like a pony wasn’t a griffon 1500 years ago.
My Most Faithful Student,
I am aware of the troubles concerning both the loss of communications and the explosion. You are to tell nopony about either incident, especially no human. I will put the best ponies on it.
Princess Celestia
P.S. There is a surprise for you in your study
Celestia sent the note away in a burst of magic. A small smile graced her features. While both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, Twilight’s brother and sister-in-law, had wanted to wait at Twilight’s bedside for her to regain consciousness, but they agreed this would be a much better surprise.
Shining Armor was the best shield caster Celestia had ever seen and had been responsible for covering the entirety of Canterlot Castle during the changeling invasion. The changelings had only gotten through by trickery and weakening the stallion. Cadance could also increase Shining’s power output. If events were leading where Celestia feared, that would be invaluable to have on hoof.
On the fourth of May a terrorists attempted to attack Bridle Lake. He managed to get within 200 feet of the village. He wore high grade camouflage and had only been spotted by a vigilant guard. As a result, Princess Celestia feels the United States cannot aid Equestria in this matter. We are informing you of our intent to raise a shield to protect our territory. Military and research personnel will be allowed through based upon the terms of the Equestrian Treaty.
From the desk of Princess Celestia.
President Tow sat at her desk, staring at the message from the Equestrian Embassy. The shield was a needed, both sides had failed to detect the threat, including the high-gain satellites positioned over the region. But tensions had been rising; it was only by pure luck that these fiascos hadn’t led to a complete breakdown of diplomatic relations. Though the way things were going; meant a separation could be right around the corner.
The letter was colder than previous messages between the two leaders; combining that with the recent news that Celestia had reached out to China and Russia for similar treaties. This has the potential to completely change the layout of power on Earth. Not to mention the potential fallout here. As the President thought, she realized they were short on one thing, information.
President Tow Picked up the phone, pressing just the 0 it went directly to her assistant. “Jennifer, can you get me the Director of the CIA please?” She asked.
“Right away, Ma’am.” The perky receptionist answered.
President Margarette Tow put the phone back down on the receiver. She had known Jethro Sheppard for many years, had even been the one to get him his current job. They had met during her earlier years while at Stanford. Jethro came in to give a speech on the constitutionality of private trash cans being part of the public domain. At the time, public domain only included the inside of a garbage truck or a community dumpster. She had made a case for intent, the fact that they threw it out meant they no longer had a claim to it. She had impressed Jethro so much that he was responsible for helping her land her first internship at a law firm.
The phone gave a sharp ring. The red-haired politician picked the phone back up.
“Did you need something Margarette?” The aged voice asked. Jethro was still in his 60’s and very active, still going out to school and recruiting when he had the time.
“I am assuming you have heard about the current political difficulties we are having with Equestria.” She opened, already knowing the answer.
“Yes.” He replied, but it hardly seemed like a standard question.
“Things have escalated.” The President warned. “If anything else goes wrong, it may lead to a severing of diplomatic relations.”
“What do you need? This obviously isn’t a social call”
“More intelligence is needed. Some way to know what their plans are and what needs to be done to keep them from leaving. You have my permission to use any personnel under your command and to use Project Icarus if the need arises.” President Margarette Tow advised.
“That may be needed.” Director Sheppard commented. “We have yet to set up an effective intelligence network in Equestria. Any pony we recruit will gladly give us information as long as there is no way they can see it harming another pony or their Princesses. Is there anything else?”
President Tow took a steady breath “Yes, but it can’t be an order.” After a moment’s silence she continued with her problems. “Check to see if any of the main guards of our Embassy have information that was too sensitive to send even with our encryption software.”
“That did not have to be stated. What is the real issue?” Director Sheppard had known Margarette too long for her to keep something that she wanted a secret.
“Senator Brent is becoming a problem. He has a source somewhere, there’s no other way he could know about half the stuff he released in the interview. We also have no proof that he wasn’t responsible for the other incidents regarding Equestria. He may have had some connection to the terrorist attack from last week.”
“I can see your point. That is definitely something that could never be ordered.” If the CIA was caught spying on a United States citizen, let alone a major Senator. It would typically mean jail time, typically. Although the Director would usually take the full blame and then the President who ‘ordered’ it would bestow a full pardon; saving both from the worst repercussions. “Everything should be completed within three weeks.”
“Whatever you think is best.” The President replied as she set the phone back on its cradle. Brent won’t be stupid enough, but one of his lackeys or whoever his contact is might be. But, nothing will move if Celestia doesn’t trust the US.
President Tow reached into the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a small piece of paper. She took the time to write up a letter personally to Celestia.
Dear Princess Celestia,
The attacks that have been occurring are deplorable and the United States will render whatever assistance we are capable of. Our friendship has only just started; we cannot let a few who want to break up our alliance to succeed. I will set up a meeting to be held in exactly one month for us to discuss how to remedy this situation and to prove that we can be trusted.
President Margarette Tow of the United States.
For Margarette, it didn’t matter what was true or what was a lie. It was just politics.
5/9/14 10:00am Equestrian Embassy, Earth
An azure blue unicorn walked slowly up to the wall of fuchsia light. The Great and Powerful Trixie could just make out the reflection of her star covered, purple cape and pointed magic hat. How dare they ruin Trixie’s chance at Vegas! The unicorn fumed. One attack and they put a barrier around the entire area. Not even Trixie would be so cold as to prevent anypony from leaving an entire town. She groused to herself, not wanting to seem strange to her audience.
On the other side of the shield around Bridle Lake, two humans in green clothing stood at attention. They seemed to stare at her.
“Since Trixie cannot go to Vegas to learn human magic from the greats, Trixie will show you why she is the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria.” She cheered as fireworks went off behind her from the dirt, a little more forceful than expected for the mare. Trixie smiled as she saw the guards’ eyes widen slightly. To think, The Great and Powerful Trixie had to ‘apologize’ to Twilight Sparkle to get permission to visit Earth. She scoffed, Celestia had required the apology before allow Trixie anywhere fun.
Trixie stood up on her rear hooves, waving her front hooves through the air. A blue sphere started to take shape in front of the mare. With her horn covered, to Trixie at least, it gave the impression of a greater mastery of her art. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is powerful enough to cast magic with her bare hooves!” The magician lied. “Let us see Twilight Sparkle do that! With this power,” Trixie stated as she formed a storm cloud over her head.
Sweat started to bead on the unicorn’s forehead, hidden by her hat, as she struggled to keep the spell focused, magic draining away faster than she had predicted. The blue sphere turned into the image of a bear. “As the Ursa Major attacked Ponyville, only the Great and Powerful Trixie had enough magic to beat the monstrosity and send it back to the Everfree Forest!” Trixie said haughtily as the Ursa moved towards her.
With a final push of magic, Trixie forced the energy down from the storm cloud in the shape of a lightning bolt to strike the image at the same time she sent ‘lightning’ from the ends of her hooves at the Ursa. When both bolts hit the image, the ground beneath it burst into flames for an instant before running out of fuel.
Trixie put her front hooves back on the ground to look at her admiring audience. If anybody were to look closely enough they would have seen her ragged breaths and she struggled to maintain her image. “Trixie is the highest level unicorn!” She boasted quickly, barely able to contain a coughing fit as her lungs reluctantly relinquished their oxygen.
Trixie stared at the humans, unable to read their expressions. Their eyes are too small and they don’t move their ears. How is Trixie supposed to know if they enjoyed her show? They were standing there, mirror images of each other. But their eyes are a little larger, and were they that far back originally? Trixie questioned.
A small cough from behind broke the unicorn out of her self-concerned reverie. “Please don’t taunt the human guards.” The voice stated politely. It sounded smooth and regal.
Probably some guard, Trixie humphed. Sticking her muzzle into the air and closing her eyes to give the proper air of authority, Trixie turned around. “Who are you to tell The Great and Powerful Trixie, who is here by the request of Princess Celestia, what to do?” Her words oozing contempt as she spoke.
“We are trying to rebuild peaceful relations with these people.” The voice stated, losing some of its regal edge, and coming from higher up than it should have.
Trixie gulped as she slowly started to open her eyes. Princess Celestia stood before the unicorn, eyes drilling straight to the depths of Trixie’s soul. “And I am your Princess!”
Trixie’s eyes became large enough to cover her whole face, finally realizing she had just insulted her own Princess of the Sun. The azure mare ran forward and bowed prostrate on the dirt so deeply that her horn touched the dirt. “Trixie is very sorry to have talked to you in such a way!” She quickly apologized. “Trixie was merely trying to perfect Trixie’s art and thought the humans might enjoy a show.” The mare tried to explain, afraid of the punishment her princess might impose.
“Go back to the Embassy.” The alicorn ordered features still and calm. But, there was something in her voice that put Trixie on edge. “We will talk about your intentions and methods later.”
“Y-y-yes your highness.” Trixie stuttered as she stood up on shaky limbs. Taking one last look at Celestia’s features, the unicorn galloped for the Embassy.
Trixie could hear the beginning of Celestia talking to the two guards, Trixie’s unwilling audience.
“You must forgive her,” Celestia chuckled. “She gets very excited at the thought of performing for a new audience.”
As Trixie sped away, barely listening to what Celestia was saying as her hooves put up small puffs of dust when they hit the ground and thoughts streamed through her head. Please don’t banish me! Trixie doesn’t want to go back to that rock farm!
5/17/14 11:34am District of Columbia, Earth
Senator Stephen Brent sat at his L-shaped redwood desk, light streaming in from the floor to ceiling window behind him. The television to his left remained on CNN without sound, waiting for any new developments. Finally they are showing their true colors. Brent sneered at the television. I will not allow a repeat of World War 2. The politicians refused to see Hirohito or Hitler as a threat and Margarette isn’t only making the same mistakes but worse ones too. They have a beach head now, a protected area from which to pull as many troops as they have. Didn’t anybody learn from history? He fumed, fist slamming down on the table. You never acquiesce to the enemy, just giving over territory for a few trinkets! The last time the US thought war was impossible was just before WWII. No one in power could even imagine another war breaking out; their heads were so buried in the sand.
Senator Brent fumed. He jumped out of his chair sending it to smack into the window. Why can no one else but me see what needs to be done? The senator started to pace the room, winding up at the wall opposite his TV. The wall was covered with books, many quite old and ragged, most focusing on some point in history. He pulled an old volume off the shelf; the red cover was frayed with the pages yellowed with age. The title was faded through time but that no longer mattered, he knew what it was, a history of Andrew Jackson’s rule as president. He set up letting American settlers into Mexican territory so that when they came under attack he could send in the army to ‘defend’ the settlers and take the land by force. It also included his use of the military to forcibly move Indians off their own land to expand US settled territory, but it made the country stronger, helped it to expand and grow; buying territory from Napoleon despite his oppositions protests.
Senator Brent put the red volume back onto its shelf and removed one from a different shelf, a brown covered issue this time. The use of Christianity to spread colonialism and increase imperial territory. This particular volume chronicled the various ways in which Christian countries; England, Spain, France, Portugal, would use religion to instill a loyalty to Europe or would take the territory by force. England sent troops into China to keep the flow of opium flowing to their territories. The Jesuits in Japan offering to bring in Filipino troops to aid Nobunaga in conquering Japan in exchange for favor. All the ways in which territory can be taken with or without force. And Margarette is just giving in so her name can just go down in history.
War isn’t even a guarantee of trust with your allies. Brent remembered. England and France gave countries the promised to protect over to Germany without a fight just to appease a madman. Even the war couldn’t get allies to cooperate. Despite the United States helping England in their war against Germany and having to fight on two fronts, England kept their aircraft based radar to themselves except for all but the most basic version. Russia couldn’t even trust its ‘ally’ in Germany to leave them alone. A country had to be strong in order to defend itself.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Brent put the book back into its proper space on the shelf as the door opened.
A petite brunette in a black miniskirt stepped into the Senator’s office. “Sir, you have a ‘special’ call. Line one.” Her voice was sweet and melodic, a sign of youth to the Senator.
“Thank you very much Mary.” Brent moved back to his desk as his assistant left. Lowering himself back into his chair, he pulled it forward back to its proper position. He took a deep calming breath before picking up the phone. Took him long enough. “Senator Stephen Brent.” He announced into the receiver.
“I heard that you put the information I so humbly gave you on Lyra to good use.” The familiar male voice said. Despite his apparent sincerity, it couldn’t disguise the arrogance dripping off of every word.
Brent reluctantly agreed. “Yes. It was very effective. Although Celestia wasn’t supposed to show up and ruin things.” He accused. “Did you know about that?”
“It’s not might fault you wanted to play theatrics.” The voice on the phone said. “Nopony can predict what an eternal goddess will think of, or what magic she has access to. Was the information on how to find the listening devices and how they worked proof enough of my intent?” The voice finally asked.
Brent stayed quiet for a moment. This could be an elaborate trap. He mused. But with these conversations being recorded… He trailed off, wondering which would be worse for his informant. Being charged with treason or destroying the united image Celestia had so skillfully crafted. “Ok, I’ll bite.” The senator finally decided as he leaned back in his chair. “What do you want?”
“The same thing that you want. To remove Rarity from her position as Ambassador, allowing a more ‘cooperative’ pony to take her place.” The voice admitted.
“Celestia is currently acting as Ambassador. How do you plan on getting her back to Equestria?” The Senator asked, curious what his informant had planned.
“She wants to return to Canterlot. And will return as soon as an acceptable replacement appears or Rarity can no longer perform her duties.” The voice stated.
“And what do you get out of this?” Brent asked. Never trust a deal that looks too good.
“What I want is to be that Ambassador.” The voice passionately replied. “To take my rightful position.”
“What exactly do you want me from me?” Senator Brent finally asked, now that the basic agreement had been made.
“You will receive a package tomorrow. The contents need to be planted in either Rarity’s home or her office in Bridle Lake.”
“Before I get near said package, I have to know what it contains or there is no deal.” Brent threatened.
“Just a few doctored documents ‘proving’ that Rarity has accepted bribes from Star Buck’s to allow them entry into Equestria while denying others companies based upon personal feelings.” The voice admitted. “All I need is for someone to plant it.”
“I can easily handle that, I know just the person.” Brent slowly grinned. This idiot will be easier to manipulate than that prissy little unicorn with her ‘morals’. “They should be heading out within two weeks. And don’t worry, they know how to be subtle.”
“Thank you Senator Brent. I hope we can work together in the future.” The voice happily replied.
“The honor was all mine Prince Blueblood.” Brent replied as he hung up the phone. What juvenile mind came up with that kind of codename? Not even pony names are that contemptuous. He quickly picked the phone back up, he had a contact in the Human Embassy to reach and only a limited amount of time to do it.
Brent looked to a lonely picture near his bookcase, angled so only someone sitting at the desk could see it. On it stood a girl with little blond curls, green eyes, and the biggest grin you could imagine. The senator couldn’t let any weakness show to those who entered but couldn’t stand to be away from the picture of his daughter. This was for her; he needed to keep the country strong for her, for her memory. He struggled to keep images of the plane crash from his mind, the burning building, the screaming and terror of that day.
5/20/14 9:33pm Las Vegas
David groaned as he opened the door to his small darkened studio apartment. It was on the outskirts of town so he didn’t get the noise but had a longer drive to get anywhere. He dropped his backpack by the door, walked over to a lime green couch and fell face first. This feels wonderful. The student thought as he groped for the remote to his small TV. I really need to tell them no more twelve hour shifts on a school day. 5am is too early.AHA! David found the remote and hit the power button.
The screen turned white and an image slowly appeared on the screen. David only saw this out of the corner of his eye and by the increased light in the room. After a moment voices could be heard issuing from the TV.
“Wait, wait. This guy’s dying and all he cares about is his dog?” A young male voice stated.
“Did you guys go the dog rout in your improve sessions? It’s a basic fact of the human condition. That everybody lies.” An older male voice took over, he sounded contemplative as he took a breath. “The only variable is about what. The funny thing about telling someone their dying is that it tends to focus their priorities, what matters to them, what their willing to die for, what they’re willing to die-.”
The sound was cut off and replaced by a new voice and the light shifted to a reddish color. “We have breaking news out of Iran today.” A female voice said. “At 6:53am local time, the Presidential Palace in Tehran was destroyed.”
At this David turned his head to the left and stared at the screen. The image showed a giant crater, in the middle of a field of trees and greenery. Another building was still visible at the edge of the screen that reminded the student of any number of official buildings.
“Iran has already accused Israel of trying to assassinate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Israel denies all accusation. There were no people identified running from the building within five minutes of its detonation, indication that the perpetrators may have been killed in the blast.”
As if anyone would ever admit to that. David laughed to himself.
“Testing of the blast site has shown no indication of the standard radiation signature. However, a test for magical residue has proven positive. The current theory is that the attackers were using magical gems from Equestria. The only country to receive, at least officially, any significant amount of magical gems is the United Stated.”
The image of the decimation moved to cover the right side of the screen while the left side showed the inside of a news room with another reporter sitting at a desk. This one was male with short black hair and smooth dark chocolate skin. “Thank you Qi. Is there any possibility the gems were smuggled out of Equestria?”
“Well, Thomas. Both Equestria and the United States have guards that inspect everything that passes through the portal. But it isn’t unheard of, there was a smuggling ring broken up just last month. We are still waiting to hear from The White House on this matter.” Qi said, the camera finally shifted to show the reporter in front of the still intact building nearby.
“Has there been any word yet on the status of President Ahmadinejad?” Thomas asked.
“We have yet to receive word on his condition. He did become much more reclusive after being elected for a third time last year.”
“Thank you Qi.” The screen shifted to cover only the male reporter. “We will keep you updated as the story devel-“ The screen darkened as the power was shut off.
“Can’t the news ever be something happy?” David groused as he slowly drifted off to sleep, too tired to make himself dinner.
5/23/14 2:49pm Top Floor Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Princess Celestia sat on the lush lavender covers of her plush bed and stared at the television in disbelief. It had only been a month since having to intervene at the party and things kept getting worse. No matter what I or anybody else tries to do, things keep getting worse between our two nations. Maybe Luna was right in her appraisal of the humans, they truly aren’t ready. Celestia mused, dreading the results. Too many attacks, too much mayhem, too many unexplained incidents. Celestia ran through the different incidents in her head.
Diamond Tiara got ahold of a book on black magic that shouldn’t still exist. Every copy had been destroyed with only a single copy under heavy guard in case one was missed and a counterspell was needed. But that book should never have been able to make its way to Ponyville, and to a pony that would actually use it. But why did it fail? Was there a problem with the gem or was the portal the intended outcome.?
Then there was that changeling sneaking through to Earth. My guards were ordered to let no changelings anywhere near that portal. The unicorns were given spells specifically to detect any form of magic and to disrupt disguise spells. But one still snuck through. But what would have been worse? If the portal hadn’t disrupted its disguise, the parasite could have traveled through Earth with unknown plans. If that stallion hadn’t disrupted the guard he would have speared the human and distrust would have intensified things immeasurably.
How did those humans know Equestrian? Can they really be clever enough to decipher a completely alien language without any context? Did they have context by listening to Twilight and Mystic Dawn talking? The other issue that had been greatly troublesome was about human communication and the portal. With the steps out of alignment they could no longer send messages through the portal using a radio. But the MALP communicated through the portal. Celestia had a few ideas about what really happened but still needed proof. And she had no information on why the CIA had been involved with the portal from the beginning when they were not allowed to work on troubles that started on US territory.
And that barfight, my little ponies are not that violent. To start a fight over a simple talk on meat? And then for a foal to attack using a knife? Granted, an attack on a pegasi’s wings is the worst thing you could do to a pegasus because their wings were their lives, it would be like removing a unicorn’s horn. But to attack with intent to harm or even kill?
Neither bombing makes sense either. The human that attacked, how had he slipped through and with such strong explosives? No source has been able to find an explosive as strong as Twilight claims, could her calculations actually be off? No, Celestia corrected herself; there is also that incident in Iran. There is no gem the humans had that could cause that kind of damage. Could a gem have been used just to leave a signature? Is there some connection between magic and explosives? Not even Mystic Dawn could figure out how magic and technology were connected or how they each worked. He had come up with some theories but nothing positive.
There were too many questions left unanswered including the still missing ponies. Celestia had sent a letter to the human president telling her that trade would cease until further notice and that only researchers would be allowed through the shield to study the portal. Neither Princess could trust the humans that far anymore. She still had the appointment with President Tow in the hopes of something good happening, but she was no longer hopeful. Celestia had decided to go back to Equestria with Rarity to discuss with her sister the best course of action. Several other countries were trying to court Celestia with promises of peace. But can they be any more trustworthy than the United States claimed to be?
This wasn’t the first time she had had such worries, but they never ended well. She always hoped things would work themselves out on their own and she only stepped in to act once she had no other option. She believed in peace and harmony, but they failed how many times?
The most painful was with her own sister. After Luna had become NightMare Moon, she tried to negotiate, to reason. But nothing worked and Luna wouldn’t let the sun rise for a week, her ponies were panicking. If she had acted sooner, Celestia knew she could have stopped the food shortage that year; the cold snap in the dead of summer had destroyed so many crops. The resulting fight had destroyed the Royal Palace and turned the Everfree region into a zone of wild magic. The old capital had been destroyed because Celestia had refused to see what her sister had become. She had even failed to notice her sister’s envy.
The Griffon War was no different. Celestia had been unable to see that several of the griffon lords wanted more land and used a perceived cultural slight as an excuse to get it. That too had far reaching consequences. She had only stepped in with her sister and their army once an attempt had been made on her life and several of her ponies and guards had already been killed. But by that time her enemies had already set up defenses and made plans.
Celestia had let Sombra rule his kingdom as he saw fit. This is another pony, surely he must believe in harmony Celestia had thought. He was of royal lineage and had ruled kindly for centuries. Then he slowly started removing the rights of his ponies until they were essentially slaves mining for magical gems. He had been the originator of dark magic and had been amassing the magical gems in order to ‘defend’ himself from the Royal Pony Sisters. They were never able to figure out what had turned his heart so black or if Discord had somehow been involved.
Discord was another mistake Celestia had made. She’s wanted to just sit back and let her ponies rule themselves, to find their own path in the world. Then Discord came turning each village he came across into pure chaos, controlling and manipulating her own ponies, turning their strengths into a weakness. Only then did she step up and bring the full might of an alicorn and the Elements of Friendship to bare against the draconequus and his ability to manipulate the fabric of space itself. At least after that ‘incident’ Celestia and Luna realized they had to defend their ponies, to protect them. Until Luna turned against her, using dark magic. Which had finally led to an era of peace.
Celestia was watching the television because a special session of Congress had been called by Senator Brent on the ‘issue and threat of Equestria’. Just because I will not allow the trade of items that are meant for the betterment of all to be used for death.The next two weeks will decide the future of our friendship.
A giant half circle room filled the screen with several rows of seats with solid desks connecting them and two walking aisles splitting the seating area evenly in three sections. At the front of the room was a speaking dais with a heavy set man ready to speak.
“I have said since the beginning that Equestria is a threat,” Senator Brent started, looking seriously at his audience of almost 100 senators. “And they have finally proven it.” The audience was quiet, paying rapt attention, their futures careers could be decided based upon how they voted on whatever Brent was presenting to Congress. He had spent so much time getting this ready and everything had finally started falling into place.
“They started out untrustworthy. They tried bribing our own Ambassador with a trip to the spa and the promise of more. Did Celestia not ‘treat’ him to a play under the guise of expressing their culture? Knowing all the while that she wanted him as the Ambassador and knew how to make the President cave; because all President Tow wants is to go down in history.” He continued, getting more passionate the longer he spoke. “What other reason is there for the slow progress made in exchanging ideas?”
“What about their Ambassador that refuses to let our companies enter their land in the sake of free trade? Only letting a handful of companies through and under severe restrictions.” Brent spoke passionately. And, once that information Blueblood wanted planted gets discovered, they will have no choice but to renegotiate everything. He grinned as his speech continued and his arms moved about. “There are no clear standards for which companies get approval.”
“They let our servicemen die because ‘we don’t look like them’ and can’t be trusted to not injure civilians. They attack our Ambassador and yet don’t face punishment.”
“They trade us magic for technology while keeping the means of production hidden. So while they learn how to manufacture our tech, they intentionally keep us in the dark. How is that fair? How is that just?” Brent spat, exaggerating any differences between the two species. “They then want to dictate how we can use the items we bought and paid for. But this is just more of their self-concerned lifestyles. They violate our air space; decide to play chicken with fighter aircraft. All the while posing an extreme threat to civilian aircraft.”
“They regard our lives as worthless compared to theirs. We need to regulate how they move, they obviously cannot be trusted to move about freely. That is why I implore you to approve PIP, or the Pony Immigration Policy. They have erected a curtain, we cannot even see them now. If they can’t trust us enough to even see their homes how can we trust them to roam freely?” Brent asked.
“But this is only the first step.” He continued, this was the first step to truly putting ponies in their place, to removing the threat once and for all. “But this isn’t all their fault, they live under a religious idol, a dictator that controls their lives. Celestia goes so far as to regulate how many hours of light or how much rain they get. They have no choice in their own lives. Can we really trust a species that can’t even truly manage their own lives?”
“I will do everything in my power to bring down that tyrant and her iron curtain.” Brent promised. Looking out at the crowd he noticed approval in a majority of the faces. Ponies were still foreign, humans barely got along with foreign human nations. He realized he just threw down the gauntlet to Celestia, but she would never act, would never have proof and never have the guts.
Anything else I should add?
YES, but I have a feeling it is in the next chapter, of course. I almost wish his speech to the Congress was a bit longer. Wasn’t there more stuff that happened that Brent can bring up?
Avery Anwar sat at the head of the large table. The walls were a solid dark grey as were the tables and chairs with incandescent lights; it was an older meeting room that had never been updated. The table was circular and could easily seat twelve people. Aiko Nakamura Marcus sat across from Avery with Victor Sizemore to his left. Avery had reservations about this mission, but he had his orders.
“Well.” Victor started, leaning back in his chair, posture relaxed. “Looks like the gangs all here.” The Special Activities Division Operative looked to his left, at the female operative and the humor left his face. “Again.”
Will have to keep these two separated during the mission. Avery dreaded. If we had more experts they wouldn’t both be necessary. Avery ruminated. There’s never enough resources for any mission. “Actually,” Their leader grinned, happy to have a surprise. “We have one more member for this mission.”
Aiko sat up straighter, looking straight at her leader for this operation. “We don’t even know what the mission is yet?” She was stunned. “How have you been read in on this mission already?”
“The Director briefed me personally.” Avery informed his comrades, not liking the change in the room’s atmosphere. “We will need everyone we can get on this operation.” He informed.
“Great!” Aiko said sardonically. “Who the hell did they stick us with?”
“What’s wrong?” Victor asked, his tone rising a little. “Someone not play well with others?” He taunted, lips quirking slightly.
“I work fine with others.” Aiko offered. “Just not the ones that blow ops.” She smiled back, leaning to her left. “But you’d know all about that wouldn’t you?”
“That was your damned fault.” Victor replied, hand smacking the table as he leaned forward. “If you had killed that stupid guard instead of just disabling him, that alarm never would have been sounded.”
“Or maybe if you had taken in your surroundings like a proper operative, instead of just running in and blindly firing at anything that moved, they wouldn’t have known we were there” Aiko rebutted, voice turning acerbic. “Or were you just wanting another scar for the ladies?”
Shit! Avery cursed. That happened quicker than expected.
All sense of jovialness left Victor’s face. “We can’t all have great cover ID’s like you do?” Victor spat. “Where’d you find that sucker anyway?”
Aiko was still smiling but there was a tenseness to her eyes. “You know damned well where I found him.” She informed. “Besides, he got what he wanted.”
Avery was familiar with this story, it was one of the features that secured her a spot in the CIA and her successful deployment to Japan. Creating such a thought out cover in freshman year of college was brilliant. Not even all senior field agents can do such a thorough job. To manipulate a man into marrying you, one that is bound for foreign shores no less. And then to keep that marriage going for over a decade. Avery was impressed.
“Yeah,” Victor said, sickened. “Luck.” He scooted his chair back.
Aiko laughed audible without shifting her position. “It’s called basic skill and manipulation.” She taunted, her eyes still tense.
Anyone could read the situation but Avery hoped the tension would ease on its own. That one of these two would think like field operatives.
“You should learn it sometime. “Aiko continued, smile shrinking. “It might leave you with fewer holes.”
Victor stood up from his chair and moved for his female counterpart, body tensed for a fight. Aiko’s didn’t change how she was seated, just moved her right hand behind her back. As Victor moved closer, Aiko’s hand came out from behind her back holding a pistol.
Avery recognized the pistol; it was a powerhouse and with the proper ammunition could actually punch a hole through police grade Kevlar. The FN FiveseveN was designed as the companion sidearm to the P90 and used the same 5.7x28mm ammo. Both were regularly used by the Secret Service and were not to be trifled with.
“Just try it.” Aiko threatened, features set.
“How did you get a weapon through security?” Victor asked in disbelief, unwilling to take a step back and still looking angry.
“It’s amazing what you can sneak through security.” Aiko said as her grin returned, lightly leaning back into her chair. “Especially if you use non-lethal rounds.”
The situation has just gotten out of hand. Victor was leaning forward, debating if he could get to the gun before Aiko could pull the trigger. The plastic baton rounds that were designed as non-lethal rounds, could still be lethal. They could crack bone unless the load, the amount of gunpowder the round used, was lessened to lower the speed the bullet traveled.
“ENOUGH!” Avery bellowed. Damned school children. “You will both sit down, shut up, and disarm.” When he saw neither party move he reiterated. “That’s an order.”
Victor reluctantly walked back to his seat, glaring daggers at Aiko when he finally sat.
Aiko for her part ejected the magazine and set it on the table then pulled back the slide to eject the tabled round and set all three parts on the table in front of her. She turned to her commander. “It’s not like I would have killed him.” The field operative offered.
This is not going to happen again. Avery cursed. “Do you want to know about our fourth member or not?” He asked to short circuit another argument by the two people who should never work together.
“Why the hell not.”Victor offered. “Can’t get any worse.”
“Fine by me.” Aiko answered.
Can’t put this off any longer I guess. Avery had no clue how this introduction would go, which was always a bad thing when having to go behind even friendly lines. “He is currently a distinguished Marine Corps Scout Sniper.” He noticed Victor’s rapt attention, having never worked with a sniper or any long range unit before. And Aiko’s expression started to fall.
“He is currently an instructor with Camp Pendleton and has been assigned to us by JSOC.” Avery informed his squad of their new companion. “He has gone through every course the Marine Corps offers its snipers including urban and mountain warfare.” He noticed as Aiko’s face continued to darken and Victor continued looking curious. “His name is Isao Nakamura.”
Victor started spasming, trying to hold back his laughter.
“Isao,” Avery called. “Can you come in here please?”
A somewhat short man came in from the door across from Victor. He stood at five foot eleven with medium length, professional looking black hair. His skin was a tanned manila color from spending too many days out in the sun. The sniper then looked around the room, his eyes falling on the only woman in the room. Isao grinned. “Hey Aiko.” He called. “Long time no see.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Aiko jumped out of her chair, livid.
“What. You don’t like seeing your big bro?” Isao asked, raising a hand to his chest and feigning hurt.
Aiko’s brows met between her eyes as she glared at Avery. “What happened to the requirements of nobody on this mission having a family?” She asked. “He has two kids. What are they going to do if this mission goes sideways? No way they pull in four operatives for something low risk.”
“I’m just that good.” Isao replied cockily. “So, what is this mission and why did I have to study such an odd language?” He asked.
This was the part Avery was dreading. It was going to happen eventually. “He is here because he is the best and with you two being related it gives him a reason to come along, a reason no one else could have had.” He told his small squad. He had to take a deep breath. “If this mission goes sideways,” Avery looked down trying to figure out how to break this to them. They had all accepted the mission before ever hearing what it was about. “If this mission goes sideways we will be labeled as extremists by our own government and will be charged with espionage at the minimum. We aren’t entirely sure, but as of this moment we no longer officially represent the United States, at least until we return safe and sound.”
All three pairs of eyes turned to their commander, a mixture of feelings flashing through their eyes. Isao, the newest member, looked worried; he had the most to lose with a family and the threat of his children losing out on his benefits. He was also a wild card, no one on this mission had worked with him before. Aiko’s expression was different though, she seemed just as stoic as ever; and if Avery hadn’t spent so much time with her over the past year he would have missed the small lines of worry at the corners of her eyes. Victor looked conflicted, a mixture of excitement and worry warring for his attention.
Avery stood up from his chair. “I can explain this better out at the shooting range.” He offered. “We have special weapons that were designed especially for this mission and new targets to practice with. We are short of time on this one, with less than three weeks before we have to move out.” Three weeks to train for a mission that should require three months of planning and preparation. Avery dreaded this assignment, and wondered how to explain Project Icarus.
5/31/14 11:59pm Area 51, Earth
Senator Stephen Brent’s informant had just received the package and taken a look at the documents that were supposed to be planted in the unicorn’s office. “Hell no. Not this time.” The informant cursed, tired at being blackmailed into helping out the Senator. But this last recording the informant had been able to record thanks to some clever planning.
The informant stood in front of a weapons locker in Area 51. The final stages of the mission had been planned and the materials were locked up, but a few things needed to be changed. The lock was meant to be difficult to open but the informant had a lot of experience picking locks and it gave within two minutes. After this, there’s no way the Senator will walk out of this one unscathed. The bastard will pay. And these babies were easier to smuggle in than I had anticipated. The informant thought as they went to work on ‘modifying’ some of the equipment.
The only thing the ex-informant regretted was that in order to get their revenge, that the rest of the strike team would have to face punishment. But how much pain and suffering has he already caused. Four lives is a small price to pay to stop such evil.
6/1/14 1:30am Ponyville, Equestria
Pinkie Pie slept soundly on her fluffy pink bed in the attic of Sugar Cube Corner, the premier patisserie in Ponyville. She was exhausted after half of Ponyville and several humans that were still willing to leave their embassy came wanting something sweet. She was so exhausted that she never felt the slight movement of her hot pink tail twitching, nor the more severe twitching that spread to her whole body. The twitching increased and bounced her around her bedroom, only waking up long enough to climb back into bed.
6/1/14 1:26am Area 51, Earth Staging Point of Operation Vikare
Avery stood in the front of a grey wall inside of Area 51. It was time to implement Operation Vikare, he didn’t care much for the name but he also wasn’t the one that designated operational titles. His squad was ready and present, all decked out for their mission.
Avery was wearing full desert camouflage and had a pack that contained listening devices and a vest with extra ammunition in it. He also had a set of newer night vision goggles that overlay thaumaturgical energy so he could see magic and its casters. It would have to be tuned to a minimum because ever since the ponies had set up shop, thaumaturgical radiation had been absorbed by everything in the area making it harder to distinguish. He also carried two weapons; one was a standard P90 in case they were captured to sell their cover as independent extremists and a weapon that looked like a modified paintball gun and was to be his primary weapon.
“So, how exactly do we get in?” Victor inquired, wearing exactly the same things as his commander. “You explained how Project Icarus created a tunnel between Area 51 and the research facility that houses the portal but not how to access it.”
“That’s because no risks can be taken on this mission. We still don’t even know if the shield around the Equestrian Embassy goes underground or if it can detect disturbances near it. No risks.” Avery reminded everybody. One mistake can end not only this operation, but our lives and any hope of rebuilding relations between the United States and Equestria. “That’s why we’ve been sequestered for everything but the move here.” He looked at his troops. “Does everybody remember their jobs?” He asked.
Avery was greeted by understanding nods all around. “Let’s run through them one more time just in case.”
“Victor?” Avery asked. It was his job to make sure everyone knew their roles before proceeding.
Victor rolled his eyes. “You and I will go into Bridle Lake village and plant listening devices around the village. Make sure to bug the Ambassador’s residence, reports say the Ambassador will be in Equestria this weekend making our mission easier. We just need to place the listening devices at the houses of the major players and a few randomly to keep track of the ponies’ public opinion.” The operative told his commander for who knew how many times.
“We shouldn’t have any difficulty with Celestia as she will be in the top floor of the Embassy.” Avery turned to consult Aiko.
She was wearing a black skintight uniform of reactive silicone, better able to spread the impact of a hit to a larger area and decrease the resulting damage. She also had the FiveseveN strapped to her lower back with a pack of supplies above it and a modified paintball gun hanging from a strap at her shoulder. “Infiltrate the Embassy, plant the bugs and get out. Stay off the top floor and Celestia. We don’t have floor plans so take it slowly.”Aiko nodded in understanding.
Avery turned to the last member of his squad, Isao. He had on a set of urban camouflage, more useful for his position on top of the research facility and a medium size pack across his back where his gear was stowed. The only weapon he would carry was a night black Dragunov SWD-M Sniper Rifle with a bipod so it could be fired while standing and a 6x42 telescopic sight which was currently in his pack. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll place the optical bug on the roof of the research facility and aim it at top floor of the Embassy. We’ll hear anything they plan. I get the easy job.”
Optical listening devices were one of Avery’s favorite tools; they were easy to spot if you understood technology but didn’t have to be placed in the same room. It would shoot an infrared laser, something that was not visible to the naked eye and capture vibrations in glass, translating the conversations back at the device. “Your second job will be to set up your rifle and watch everyone’s backs. Report instantly if you see anything wrong.” Avery finished.
“Always. Semper fidelis.” Isao replied.
“Remember everyone.” Avery warned again. “This is a stealth mission. In and out, don’t get seen.” He then raised his modified paintball gun. “If you have to shoot, use your tranq gun.” He pointed to the ‘hopper’ at the top of the weapon. “This holds your darts, and the compressed air is in the handle. A magazine can only hold six darts at a time, so don’t waste them.” Avery put the dart gun back at his side. “Two shots for earth ponies and one for both unicorns and pegasi.”
“What if we run into the big one?” Victor asked.
Avery could see Victor’s body it was too still, his face was set, blinking faster. The two had been on enough missions to tell when the other was scared. The only people who wouldn’t feel such a thing had ice running through their veins.
Avery thought that over for a moment. Tranq guns shouldn’t work to begin with. It never would in humans, their weights were too varied. Command said they tested this anesthetic out in hospitals and it worked the same way every time, down to a science. “If you run into the big one…I have no clue.” He finally admitted.
“How do we actually get in?” Isao asked, looking ansty.
“This is how.” Avery stated as he reached up and hit a small button in the ceiling. A small section of wall, about four by six feet opened up to reveal a tunnel lit by the occasional light. “This tunnel leads to the Director’s office on the second floor of the research facility. From there we can use the pipe just outside the window to get to the ground and the roof. It being night and the shield in place, the number of guards should be at a minimum.”
Avery took one last look at his squad. “Let’s go people.”
Avery took up the front position followed by Isao then Aiko and Victor took the rear. Thankfully the tunnel entrance was on the ground floor as was the first twenty feet of the tunnel, but they still had to descend several flights of stairs in order to get under the ground. The tunnel was only wide enough for the team to use single file.
At the back of the lineup, Victor and Aiko started talking, too tense to start a proper argument.
“So,” Victor started a minor quaver in his voice. “Missing meat yet?” He asked.
“Of course.” She responded, hiding her emotions. “But humans are hunters and the ponies can smell it. We put out extreme amounts of odor to communicate with each other because we have a bad sense of smell. But the ponies have the standard herbivores acute sense of smell which can be dangerous in the tight confines of the Embassy.” She stated, the recitation helping to focus her mind. “Even this suit has things to limit my odor. Every little bit helps. I even shaved any source of body hair that are used to amplify odor.”
“So,” Victor started to speak, a little calmer. “After this is done, would you like to get a steak?” He offered. “Maybe bury the hatchet?”
“If we make it through this thing, then yes.” Aiko responded. “That actually sounds wonderful.”
“Good luck.” Victor wished his teammate.
“You too.” Aiko replied.
Now they start to work together, why couldn’t they have done that last week? Avery hissed, remembering the physical fight they had during close quarters training.
5/31/14 10:00pm Bridle Lake, Equestrian Zone, Earth
Twilight stood outside the door with her friend Rainbow Dash. The building was indistinguishable from the surrounding ones except everypony knew it belonged to their Ambassador, Rarity.
“Are you sure this isn’t going to be all girly?” Rainbow Dash asked for the fifth time in just as many minutes. “I’ve never been to a slumber party before and this is Rarity we’re talking about.”
“We are here to support our friend. I thought you were the Element of Loyalty.” Twilight jibbed.
“I am here aren’t I.” Rainbow responded. “But if my mane gets styled while I’m asleep.” Rainbow mocked threatened.
“This is a celebration, Rarity has been reinstated as Ambassador, she officially starts working with Celestia on Monday.” Twilight tried to ease the fears of her friend. “This is a celebration.”
Rainbow half-lidded eyes stared back at the unicorn, clearly unamused.
“Fine.” Twilight huffed, lowering her head. “I promise you won’t get your mane styled.” And everypony thinks Applejack is the stubborn one.
“If this is a party then why couldn’t anypony else make it? Maybe invite Pinkie to throw it.” Rainbow Dash hoped. Pinkie always threw the best parties.
“This is meant to be low key.” Twilight reminded her pegasus friend. “Rarity is stressed, the past few months have been trying for her. This is just to get her mind off of things and to relax. Besides, our other friends are watching Sweetie Belle making sure she’s okay with this news.”
The door in front of the two ponies popped open and a white unicorn came out to greet the pair. “I hope you two were not planning on spending the whole night out here talking.” Rarity greeted excitedly, mane perfectly coiffed. “There are so many fun things planned for tonight.” The seamstress squealed. “Truth or Dare, pillow fights,” Rarity stated as Rainbow Dash finally looked excited about something that night. “And MAKEOVERS!” Rarity called.
Twilight entered happily, no books in tow, this was meant to be low key and didn’t require any resources on how to throw a slumber party.
Rainbow Dash grudgingly followed behind her two friends, grumbling at her misfortune.
Avery stared up the ladder that led from the underground tunnel to the second floor of the Groom Lake Research Facility. The ladder was mounted to the wall to take up the least amount of space and its red coloring was to make it visible in the reduced lighting conditions of the clandestine tunnels. The lights up near the exit used a red light instead of the traditional yellow to reduce the risk of visible light leaking out when the door was open and to prepare the eyes to get ready in case it was night on the other side of the door. Avery began his 25 foot ascent.
Avery had a very bad feeling about this mission, the energy was off. But those were sentiments he could never voice, that kind of thought became a self-fulfilling prophesy making every one make small mistakes they normally weren’t capable of. He also knew the mission could still be called off, but the stakes were too high. If they didn’t go through with this and negotiations between the two powers ceased completely, he could never live with himself again. Spying on allies isn’t even that strange. He reassured himself. Expecting any two countries to want the same thing in the world is deluded. Which means you must know how far they are willing to bend and what they really want. It’s just how politics works, give and take, they spy on us and we spy on them.
Avery reached to his left and hit a small switch, the lights turned off and a small sliver of moonlight appeared to his right. The crack became larger as the hidden door slid back into the wall. The new door was just big enough for Avery to step off the ladder and on to the carpet of the Director’s office. The room was lit with just the light streaming in through the single large window to his left. The room itself contained a large desk with a plush black chair in front of him and a few pictures on the walls that he couldn’t make out.
Over the next few minutes the rest of his team entered the office and took positions around the room. Avery pushed a small button underneath the Director’s desk and the hole sealed back up. When the door slid back into position there was no line and no way to tell it wasn’t just a plain white wall.
“If you have to make a quick getaway, hit that button to open the door.” Avery told his squad, being reluctant to tell anyone before this point. I’m becoming paranoid in my old age. He joked to himself. “It takes a few seconds to open and close. But if you think you are about to get caught, lead them away from this office. Under no situation is anypony allowed to know this exists.” He stared at the door, whoever designed it was an artist, not even the space it took up could be discerned, obviously part of the original design.
After the three operatives nodded, Avery moved over and opened the four foot tall window towards himself. The retrofitters really thought of everything in designing Icarus. Avery conceded, the window design allowed for easy access back into the room from the outside and a small ‘pipe’ disguised as a gutter ran down the length of the wall. The pipe was solid enough to support even the heaviest marine and a 60 pound pack, more than enough for any person to slide down and was attached to the wall every few feet to work as handholds to get back up.
“Remember. We have less than two hours to get everything done and be out of here.” Avery told his people one last time. “Isao,” He ordered. “You’re first. Get up to the roof and tell us if there are any lookouts. Once you give the all clear the rest of us will move into position.”
The sniper moved over to the window and gingerly leaned out until he could grasp the pipe. He then climbed out the window and ascended to the roof. The three remaining operatives tensely waited for several minutes until their mics started with a hiss of static. “All clear.” Isao stated calmly through he hiss of interference. “What’s with the feedback?” A sudden hiss punctuated his words.
Victor winced at the sound. “Faraday cage.” He said through gritted teeth. “The energy of the shield around this area is interfering with radio waves.” His two companions stared at the young man. “What?” Victor calmly replied. “We all have specialties.”
Avery rolled his eyes. This is taking way too long. He thought to himself, never one to banter while on a mission, he understood the need and that was an important piece of information to get back to the Director. “Then you’re up next radio man.” Avery ordered.
Victor reached outside the window glumly and climbed down the pipe as quickly as he could. A quick double beep over the radio informed the rest of the team that he was safely at the bottom and standing guard.
Avery then looked over at the only female on the squad and tilted his head, indicating for her to go next. As she reaches out the window and makes her way to the ground outside; Avery questioned having her on the team. He was never able to completely trust someone that was so cold and manipulative. In his experience they always had another game or other plans in the back of their mind. He could work with her, but he could never fully trust her, especially with the only person she considered an ‘enemy’ on the same field. At least she wouldn’t dare jeopardize the mission. He silently hoped, consoling himself as another set of double beeps informed Avery that it was finally his turn.
He reached outside and grabbed the cold metal pipe in his hands and gingerly climbed out the window, placing his feet on the joints connecting it to the side of the research building. Getting to the cold dirt of the Nevada desert was easy with how the pipe was set up, almost as if it was a ladder. Avery looks at his two dark clad allies and gave three clicks on his mic, telling Isao that everybody was down and ready. The leader waiting patiently for the all clear, that the path to their targets was clear, that they wouldn’t get caught halfway there. No reason to start increasing the risks now that they were actually here.
Victor Sizemore heard the two beeps in reply from Isao as the sniper gave the all-clear. Time to head out. He thought to himself, his gut churning. Every instinct told him to run, that this mission would go south quickly, just like it had in Afghanistan. That won’t happen here. He reassured himself. These aren’t extremists and we aren’t even harming them, the P90’s are just to sell our cover if caught as rogue Secret Service agents. Avery would never let this mission fail. Victor’s calm bearings slowly returned to him. His first mission in lead, he had lost all of his men in what could only be described as an ambush.
“See you when this is over.” Avery stated to Aiko as she headed off towards the Embassy at a dead run.
After Aiko was a good 100 yards away, a second series of beeps informed Victor it was his turn.
“Let’s move.” Avery ordered and they both ran towards the houses that made up Bridle Lake.
Let’s just get this done and head home. He thought as he ran as fast as he could. There was no way to tell when a guard might appear, and they needed to be in cover well before then.
Avery was taking the northern half of the village while Victor took the southern half. The experienced commander usually wasn’t a fan of splitting up, but in this instance it was the only option. One human was much harder to spot then two, and it allowed them to finish the job twice as fast.
Avery was currently planting one of the listening devices in the overhang of the door to the Ambassador’s house, he was surprised to hear noises coming from the inside. Shit, this place is supposed to be empty.
Just then his earpiece activated with the voice of his junior. “This is boring” he complained, unaware of where his senior was. The voice came in covered in static but still understandable, meaning they weren’t too far apart. Avery had already confirmed that clicks could transmit this far from the base, but words would become garbled if the distance was more than half a mile.
Avery didn’t move from his position by the door. He knew that nobody could hear the sound issuing from the device in his ear, but training was something he didn’t fight. “You are to be quiet unless it’s an emergency!” Avery hissed into his microphone, hoping he wasn’t too loud in the surprisingly quiet environment.
“Fine.” Victor groused. “But this is still boring.” He complained as the mic clicked off.
Objection noted. Avery commented to himself. Any other time and he would have wrung Victor’s neck for such a move, but all he cared about right now was making sure his quick response hadn’t alerted the ponies at home to his presence.
He quieted his breathing even more and put an ear to the door. He could easily hear the voice from the other side.
“I thought you said there wasn’t going to be anything girly.” A somewhat gravelly voice complained.
“I think Rainbow.” Another voice snickered. “That it suits you quite well.” This one was clearly female and clearly Twilight, one of the first ponies he had ever met.
“Quite right. A pony should always dress in style.” The high society tones of the Equestrian Ambassador spoke. “Now come here so I can do your hair.” The pony offered.
“Buck no. I’m gonna start the pillow fight right now if you take one step closer.” The unknown voice replied.
“That is no way for a lady to act…” The voices slowly faded away as Avery pulled his ear from the door, confirming he hadn’t been overheard.
Avery moved even more carefully, he still had two more devices to plant and now had to make sure to avoid windows as he did so. He carefully controlled his breathing, trying to slow his racing heart.
Aiko ducked into a doorway as the tip of a horn appeared around the corner in front of her. Hooves have no reason to move that silently. She hissed as her job became that much harder. She had climbed up to the second floor and entered through a window, already placing several bugs throughout the offices. Why do they have guards roaming the halls? She wondered as the guard passed, letting the CIA operative continued on her route. It’s not like anyone can get in. She smirked as she levered down a handle and entered into another unlocked office.
It was a standard pony office, just like the rest. A short desk with no chair sat on the floor with paperwork and books about the room. The lights were off but it made no difference to Aiko. She made her way over to the desk and hid a listening device under desk as far back as it could go. The device was larger than normal, but it required a self-contained power supply and a burst transmitter.
This mission had to succeed; if this mission went south she could never rebuild her cover story, either of them. But a mission was no time for emotions. She buried her fear as she got off the floor and opened the door back into the hallway; just inches away from a dark coated pegasus guard. Out of reflex, Aiko lifted the gun hung at her side and fired point blank into the guard. The short hiss the only sound to be heard as a projectile left the barrel. The needle had lodged into the guard’s neck and in moments the pony was unconscious on the ground.
“Shit!” Aiko spat, irate at not seeing the guard on the other side. Have to be more careful! She berated herself as she dragged the downed guard into the office and removed the dart, leaving no evidence. He should wake up in a few hours no worse for wear, hopefully thinking he just fell asleep on duty. She hoped, continuing her work.
The informant walked over to the area between Bridle Lake, the Embassy, and the Research Center. The special bugs had been placed. It was hard getting the low-grade plastic explosives into the listening devices while sequestered, but money really did make it easier, just order it from an old ‘friend’ who now works for a weapons dealer, give him enough to bride an officer or two. I never used it after all. In a few minutes all hell would break loose. And with any luck, at least some of them can make it out, but not me, this plan requires s sacrifice of everything for the better good .At least the small amount of explosive will only scare, maybe maim a few, one unlucky pony may face worse.Wrong place, wrong time. The story of my life. The informant thought as their gun lowered to the ground.
BANG! BANG! The two shots rang out, their report spreading through the entire area. Now the fun begins. The informant thought despondently. This was nothing to be proud of, but what was necessary never was.
Celestia sat on her plush bed, another sleepless night. The lights were on; the Princess was thinking. Things were quickly reaching a head, a time when things would be irreversible. There was an ominous feel in the air, events were in motion even an alicorn could not control. Something bad was coming. The meeting this Saturday should answer some questions though.
But a voice in the back of her head, one that had started speaking to her of late disagreed. Luna was right. They are evil and not to be trusted. Even now they may be planning a way to take your precious ponies from you. It cooed.
Before she could fight the voice, a noise erupted from outside. A gunshot! It was quickly followed by a second. The sound was unmistakable. “NO!” Celestia darted off of her plush purple bedding and moved swiftly to the solid wooden doors. The alicorn extended her magic to the other side of the door, but nothing was there.
There were supposed to be two Celestia Guards on the other side of that door regardless of time or situation. Their job was to guard their Princess, to protect her and they were missing.
Celestia threw open the doors and in an instant regretted her decision. On either side of the door were the traditional guards, white furred and clad in golden armor. She could feel no sign of life coming from either pony, but also no sign of blood or wounds. And between them was a golden wrapped present with a red bow.
Mere seconds after she had thrown the doors open, a bright flash blinded Celestia followed by another loud burst of noise and a wave of pressure.
Isao reached outside the window and scurried up the few feet of pipe and carefully pulled himself onto the uneven gravel roof. The six inch lip at the edge of the roof would provide cover and a place to set his sniper rifle. He scurried over to the edge closest to the Embassy and pulled out a thin metal tube, the optical bug. The sniper quickly adjusted the bug to point at the main window in what was supposedly the Princess’ bedroom. Nice and easy. He thought tensely as the final adjustments were made.
Isao then set his bag against the roof pulled out the special camouflage for this mission out of the pack on his back. It was an advanced ghillie suit, covered with gravel to imitate the roof and even used a thin layer of tar to convey the smell. It was designed to perfectly fit with the gravel roof of the research facility and with his small frame would just look like another bump in the ‘hastily constructed’ building. The sniper pulled out his scope and rifle, settling his gear under the blanket and scouted the area.
As Isao searched, he could see no sign of any ponies. This early in the morning it looked like a ghost town. “Creepy.” He muttered and activated his mic. “All clear.” He said through a hiss of static. That’s never happened before, he thought, tempted to check his gear for defects. “What’s with the feedback?”
“Faraday cage.” Was the only replied Isao heard before tuning out the technobabble. As a scout sniper he was used to working alone or in small groups, and hated idle chatter in missions. As a result he tuned out their rabble until he heard the three clicks that would signal his turn and just kept watch. He took the spare time to make some minor adjustment to sight in his rifle. Isao also made sure to check the sky, the pink glow of the shield providing ample illumination, but there were no eyes to watch out for.
This is new. Never had to watch out for quiet flyers before. They should make noise, stealthing it ain’t fair. Isao mused. Already missing helicopters and technology he understood. A set of three chirps from his radio signaled that the others were ready.
Isao made one last check of the area and sent his reply. A moment later a thin lithe form darted for the Embassy. “Good luck sis.” He whispered, wishing that his knowledge of his sister hadn’t alienated her from himself. Back to the job, he lamented. We’ll discuss it after the mission.
After his sister could safely make it to cover he issued a second set of beeps, signaling the other two to head out. He followed their running forms until they safely made it into Bridle Lake, then shifted his attention to any movement throughout the area.
6/1/14 3:48pm Research Center Roof, Earth
Isao still kept watch, an hour was nothing for him, a day waiting was nothing. The mission should be near its completion, enough time had passed if everyone was on their game. But the radio interference made it hard to know for sure.
Movement outside of the scope caught his attention, he lowered his scope to get a better view. He could see the shape of a human, but not who it might be. If he adjusted his scope there was the chance for a better view, but his target might move, so he kept watching.
The hairs on the back of Isao’s neck stood on end. He felt bad mojo coming and pulled his emergency mic up to his mouth, the one that would go straight to command. “Command we may have an issue here.” He said hesitantly. There was no reply.
The human pointed something at the ground and the bottom fell out of Isao’s stomach. Two shots rang out through the calm night air. There’s no way anybody missed that. He surmised and quickly began speaking as movement in the Embassy made him lose the human. “We have two gunshots from an unknown assailant. It seems designed to alert Equestria to our presence.” He reported as the tall lean princess ran to her bedroom doors. Command should know what to do.
“Sir, I repeat. We have a prob-“ Isao stopped short as the top floor erupted in a blast of fire and pressure, every window of the Princess’s room shattering, flying out into the distance as the echoes rang and bounced off the shield walls. “Make that a clusterfuck sir. Need immediate assistance.”
Aiko stood at the third floor stairway, ready to go leave. All of her bugs had been placed throughout the second and third floor; all she had to do now was evac. The first floor wasn’t deemed worth the risk, Intel said it was just paperwork stations, nothing of value so it wasn’t bugged.
Aiko looked between the window in front of her and the stairwell. The stairwell had no doors and it would be easy for a guard to get the drop on her, but a three story drop to the ground might cause damage and affect her escape. A broken leg tends to make running hard. The stairwell was a straight shot with no doors, no way to hide or take cover once she was in there. The outside surface on this side of the Embassy was too smooth with no easy way down; it had been hard enough getting in. Take the stairwell to the second floor then take a window exit to the ground. She planned. A two story drop is nothing.
Before the female operative could move into the stairwell though, two gunshots rang out. “Shit!” She spat vehemently. “Who the hell switched to their sidearm?!” This had just become a timed mission; she only had so much time to get out before guards came out of the woodwork. Aiko ran to the window just as the whole building shook, followed instantly by the sound of a large explosions above her. Dust rained onto her back and head from the ceiling. Fuck! Was the only word that came to mind as the familiar feeling of a bomb blast almost knocked her off her feet.
Aiko ran to the nearest window, the drop was now her best option, any moment now guards would be running up the stairs. The only thing on the top floor was Celestia, and a human running around would be the prime suspect. She would be captured if not outright killed, worst fates had befallen her colleagues and each was now only remembered by a star on a wall. The window was the same as the second story one, but it wouldn’t budge. As Aiko tried pushing it out or up, it stayed solidly in place. That’s some security. The windows had locked, so she tried using the butt of her dart gun to shatter the glass, but it rebounded with a small thwack, a sound glass rarely made. The only thing that could break it would be actual bullets, which would have its own problems. It would alert the guards to her presence upstairs and make escape almost impossible. At least for the moment she could hide in offices.
Aiko went back to the stairwell, happy she took all her precautions in preparation for this mission. Halfway down the stairwell a unicorn guard appeared at the bottom. Without thought, the gun came up as Aiko pulled the trigger.
Quick Wit was roaming the second floor looking for her partner, Autumn Breeze. Quick wasn’t the biggest fan of Autumn, he always had a way of sneaking up on ponies, even knowing where they were hiding, it just creeped her out. But he had never hidden like this, for the past twenty minutes she had hunted, even calling out his name. “Gah!” She groaned. “Where has that troublemaker gone to now? If this is some kind of prank Autumn, you had better sleep with one eye open from now on.” The guard called out, she knew ways to get her payback. Still, he never appeared.
Quick Wit fell to her flank as the building shook and a sound like air ripping could be heard. She had never experienced anything so fierce before, magic didn’t do that. “The Princess!” The idea had just struck her, but the violence could only be an attack and the only thing worth attacking in this building was Celestia. Autumn will have to wait. If he’s hiding then this will bring him out. A knot formed in her stomach as a different thought took form. What if he was attacked? What if he died trying to defend her?
With a speed only panic could induce, Quick ran for the stairwell. She reached it in mere moments but as she turned the corner and looked up at it, a dark shape appeared. The bipedal form of a human dressed in black. Before Quick could even scream out, the human had a gun raised and pointed at her. Quick had hoped to never see such a device, not while alone and the Embassy was under attack. The gun emitted a hissing noise and Quick knew it had fired.
The guard’s eyes enlarged while the pupils shrunk to mere pinpricks. The attack had been unexpected and quicker than anything she had ever expected, it might as well have been a cobra strike. Most attacks had some sort of warning. The dart stung as it ripped through her flesh and embedded into her leg. It hurt, but immediately began to numb, she never felt the second one imbed itself a half an inch higher. Within moments her vision swam as her thoughts began to slow, but she wasn’t dead. Aren’t these things supposed to kill? Where’s the blood?” The leg looked just like a leg but with two furry things attached. Stories of what happened to the last pony that was shot swam through her head.
Quick leaned against the wall to try and steady herself. The human ran past, it was small but didn’t have a smell, they were supposed to smell. She tried calling out for it to stop, but her mouth refused to work, her mouth now felt like cotton. Her vision slowly began to recede as the darkness closed in. Maybe this is how they kill now. Quick let out a subtle whimper as she collapsed to the floor.
Aiko had no time to retrieve the dart or even check on the condition of the pony. It shouldn’t kill, but chemical weapons are highly unreliable. The impromptu soldier thought as she ran past the woozy guard. Every time! She hissed. Every time I work with that stupid pair, it always involves having to shoot my way out!
A chill ran down her back, something she felt only occasionally and Aiko ducked into the nearest doorway not a moment before a half dozen guards ran past, one of them talking about why Shining Armor hadn’t joined, pressing business elsewhere. This was good information; the guards had to have come from somewhere. They didn’t seem to be stationed in the Embassy and if they were, it wouldn’t be on the first floor. With any luck the front door would be unlocked and she could simply sneak out.
The rest of her hurried escape was completely silent and uneventful, moving as quickly as she could while moving from one doorway to another, no ponies appeared. Aiko moved down to the first floor and turned left toward the main doors only to see one last pony standing in her way.
The pony was larger than the standard guard and his armor was unique as well. The standard gold of the guard’s armor was relegated to a border color, the main color being a vibrant shade of purple. This guard was something different, probably a higher ranking officer and clearly tasked with guarding the only entrance left into the Embassy, which also happened to be Aiko’s only way out. Beyond the doors could be seen the distant light of fires and the occasional flash of light from something more explosive coming from the village.
Aiko raised her dart gun again, one last obstacle. She had a suspicion this was the captain of the guard, Shining Armor. If so he was also the one responsible for the shield. Three shots left. The operative counted, wishing there were some way to sneak past. If the attack dropped the shield than whatever happened after would be her fault and could make it look like a serious assault rather than a botched mission. Without further thought and needing an escape, she fired two shots, the hiss of compressed air the only indication.
The guard’s horn lit the second the dart gun emitted it’s hiss as he was encompassed by a sphere of pink light, the twin needles just bounced off. The stallion turned around and stared at his attacker. His expression seemed calm, but the glare he cast said something different. His horn lit up with a spell waiting to be unleashed as he made the human an offer. “Surrender. You can’t get out of here. Tell us what you planned on doing, how you got in and who you work for and you will be offered leniency.” Shining Armor didn’t move as his voice turned cold. “But if you cause any more trouble I will stop you.”
Aiko knew she couldn’t surrender; her association with the Human Ambassador was well known and would cause unknown problems. Besides, when had surrendering ever helped an operative, that would be followed by torture and death, they all worked the same. Her face was covered so all she had to do was get out. Her small dart gun had no hope against the shield; there was no force behind it. Normally if asked to surrender she would, and simply use a knife when they tried to arrest her, but she had no knife this time, and any true professional would see it coming. The weight of the pistol against the small of her back became more obvious as she let the dart gun fall to her chest, hands falling to her sides.
Shining Armor let his spell dissipate as he stepped closer, keeping the shield up just in case. That was what the operative had been waiting for.
Aiko reached around her back, pulling out her pistol. The plastic baton rounds didn’t pack as much force as the armor piercing option, but still packed quite a punch, it should be enough. She aimed at the stallion’s nose and released a three round burst, the sound reverberated through the room. The operative’s ears rang and the shots bounced off the same spot on the shield, but not without leaving a spider web across its surface. Two more shots, follow your training. When it breaks through the impact to his nose and face should stun him long enough. Aiko predicted, trying to guess how much force it would take to break the bubble like an egg as the stallion lowered his head. Aiko realized how quickly she would have to act.
As her finger tightened on the trigger however, she felt something similar to a freight train slam into her chest. A beam of blue light went from the stallion’s horn and into her chest. Aiko slammed back into the wall, feeling something in her chest snap as her head impacted and she crumpled to the floor. And I thought Applejack hit hard. She mused through a fog.
Aiko knew she is losing consciousness, it’s a unique feeling that one never forgets. She looked back up toward the stallion but saw two guards. All she could make out was a white shape wearing gold talking to a smaller white shape wearing gold. The female agent tried to hear what they were saying but it was drowned out by the ringing in her head and the sound of her own labored breathing.
Avery ran for all he was worth. He was on the outskirts of Bridle Lake when the two gunshots had gone off. He suspected it was Aiko; no one else was that close to the Embassy. But when the top floor of the Embassy went up in a fireball that was his cue to vacate. He sent the retreat signal to Victor and started running. A moment later he heard another explosion, but this one had come from just behind him, in the village.
“Just like Honduras.” Victor stated from just behind his commander, as pegasi guards started to appear in the sky.
“You do remember that we had backup on that one, yes?” Avery replied, remembering that specific mission quite clearly. They had gone in to rescue British citizens held hostage only to get discovered as they tried to leave the country, it hadn’t ended well.
“Technicalities.” The younger laughed back as they continued to run. He lifted his gun and fired at an approaching pegasus. The creature fell out of the sky and landed with a thump, no research had been done on what happened to a pegasi dropped from the sky. But they were only halfway to the research facility and easy targets on the ground.
A unicorn guard teleported in front of the pair, Victor loosed three shots with the first one missing its mark and the pony went down. Even with running, the occasional guard was slowing them down, allowing more to catch up to them. Two more pegasi and Victor was in trouble. “Reloading!” He called as he popped the top off his gun and loaded a new magazine, leaving the old one behind.
Avery covered his friend but he hated leaving behind any trace of their activity. He raised his own gun and took down another pegasi, but these weapons were not made for heavy combat, they were stealth weapons and if things continued the way they were then neither human had any chance of escape. The noose was tightening as more guards kept appearing, within moments they were both out of ammo, again.
Avery made a tough decision, the mission came above all else. “Switch to your backup.” He ordered.
Victor stared at him in shock. “What?! But-“
“It’s either that or capture. We have one way out of this mess.” Avery reasoned. “Aim for non-critical areas if you can, but we have to get out of here now!” He reluctantly dropped his own dart gun in favor of the P90 and immediately fired it above the head of an approaching pegasus, forcing it to dive and bank out of the way and making room for his escape. But there were still too many, there was no way to make it through without at least a few casualties.
A bright flash behind the pair caused them to turn and stare in disbelief. Standing with wings fully erect, horn and eyes glowing with an ethereal power stood the intimidating presence of Princess Celestia. Physical waves of heat rolled off the alicorn as she stared fiercely at the intruders. There was no compassion in her eyes, no loving kindness. This was the sun.
“You have attempted to assassinate me and have killed who knows how many of my little ponies.” The Princess said tumultuously, the anger on her features clear to all, behind it all a look of deep loss. “You will put down your weapons and surrender or I will burn you where you stand!”
Isao lay motionless on the roof, everything had gone to hell. First the top floor of the Embassy went up, rendering his optical bug completely useless. But then houses in Bridle Lake began to explode, it wasn’t from small explosives either, someone had to have planted military grade CL-20 or stronger to get that kind of effect. There was no way casualties could be avoided at this rate.
Guards had entered the Embassy and his sister had yet to come back out, Celestia had just confronted Victor and Avery. The mission was over; there was no way to save it. Isao’s orders were now to find a way out, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Semper Fi.” He whispered. “Marines don’t leave people behind.” He settled in and disassembled his rifle, it wouldn’t do any good now, but he kept out the scope.
The sniper settled in for a long wait, there was too much activity to guarantee he could escape at the moment anyway, and with so many of the devices destroyed, he was the only one that could report what was actually happening back to the Director and the President. The situation had escalated in a way no one could have predicted and no one would have wanted. But someone wanted it.
Isao had no allusions though, his comrades were captured and with the sheer numbers of guard alone, there was no way to get them out, and he wouldn’t degenerate the situation by using lethal force, yet.
"It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart." - The Diary of Anne Frank
"As in the rankest soil the most beautiful flowers are grown, so in the dark soil of poverty the choicest flowers of humanity have developed and bloomed." - James Allen
Luna, the dark navy blue alicorn stood next to her pearlescent white sister, her star field mane blowing in a nonexistent wind. The alicorn of the night, responsible for raising and lowering the moon was saying farewell to the most precious pony in the world to her, the one she had tried to overthrow in a fit of rage a millennia ago. “Please, ‘Tia. Listen to thee.” She implored. “They are not to be trusted. At least take a contingent with you.” Her worry as evident in her eyes as in her features.
The two alicorns stood side-by-side, alone in the white room housing the portal between worlds. Celestia looked at her little sister. “I will be on my guard.” She reassured, giving a slight chuckle to ease her sister’s tension.
“But we still don’t know exactly what their weapons can do?”
“They will not attack. These are not the griffons of old.” Celestia tried to reassure, but Luna just became more worried.
“No, they are worse. Griffons at least feigned concern. These humans can’t even speak honestly to their own subjects.” Luna accused. “In order to achieve anything they must lie, cheat, and steal. They are changelings, with guises that are just as deceptive.” She implored, fearing for her sister.
“I know. As you have seen, politics has changed since you first went away. There was a similar time in Equestria’s past where other countries tried to use the same tactics.”
“You trust them too much. You always see the best in ponies, and now these human creatures.” Luna lamented as her head and ears lowered. “You never fell to a point where these tactics were acceptable. You never felt the need to employ them, to tear apart another society.” She raised her head back up, the memories of being NightMare Moon brought up each and every one of her shortcomings.
“It will not be that bad. I can protect myself. This plan should work.”
“You have never been inside the mind of true evil. Gone through hours of planning on getting revenge against another race, to destroy them as a species, to make them bow to your power.”
Maybe it is a good thing Luna is staying here. “I’m so sorry Lulu.” Celestia raised a hoof to her sister’s chin. “But we must do this, we are neighbors now. What would you have me do?”
“Block the portal! Don’t let anything through in either direction. Wait until they are less savage.” Luna continued trying to convince her sister. “Thou must seeith that they will kill anyone if it suits their desires.”
She can’t see it. Celestia realized, saddened that NightMare Moon and a 1000 year absence had atrophied her sister’s compassion. “We can help them. But even if they won’t accept our friendship, you can’t hide because you are afraid.” Celestia started walking to the portal, she had a meeting to attend to, a brave new world to meet.
“At least tell me why magic doesn’t affect them. Tell me that if they decide to attack we can be guaranteed that our ponies will be protected.” Luna pleaded.
Celestia let her regal façade drop as she turned to her sister. “I’m sorry.” The elder sister confided, as her heart ached seeing Luna in such pain. “I can’t. There is no way to trult know why they are resistant. But you know I will protect my little ponies ta all costs.”
3/22/14
Sister, we must encourage thee to take more care. Already one faction hath tried to paint you as evil. They are simply looking for a reason to start a fight. They twist the facts and manipulate words. Please exercise more care in how thou deal with them.
Luna
3/24/14
Dearest Luna,
They may be vocal, but they are also a small faction. Most are decent and will think, will learn. It is worrisome that they are so violent and can be extreme in their actions. I have the best guards and clever ponies to assist. These are just the pains of getting to know each other.
‘Tia
3/25/14
Stop relying on your subjects. You may want them to learn and grow as a species, but this is too important. Look at the information with your own eyes, your own experience. Don’t waste millennia’s worth of experience just so they can ‘learn’. Our job is to protect our subjects.
3/27/14
Dearest Luna,
I am protecting them. If we hope for any sort of lasting peace, our two societies must learn to trust and tolerate each other. If were to do everything, when I come back how will they be able to trust each other?
4/3/14
‘Tia,
We have received news that you have ordered a doctor to go through the portal in an emergency. We have seen the reports of the ‘accident’. Thou are lucky the human was tired or he may have killed Sweetie Belle. Thou cannot rely on luck dear sister. Eventually they will attack if just to see what we are capable of.
Your Dearest Sister,
Luna
4/23/14
Luna,
I am regretful it has taken so long to reply, but the politics of this world are more time consuming than I had predicted. Once Rarity returns to her position I can come back and visit. Have some faith in your dear sister.
Love ‘Tia
4/27/14
‘Tia
I have talked to Lyra, and I again implore you to reconsider you strategy. Put up a shield around the portal, they will not be able to get through; we can simply wait them out. They are probing for weaknesses, for plans of attack. Yesterday a human started a fight. Supposedly it was drunk, but we cannot ignore the possibility that it was designed to see how well the average pony can fight. The guard was called instantly, but it could still have been enough time. If I am correct, there will be another attack, but this one will be to test out the defensive capabilities of our Embassy and the village.
4/29/14
Lulu,
It takes two parties to truly start a fight. Can you tell me for certain who threw the first punch? I promise to call in more guards and if the second attack you predicted come true; We will together think through a new strategy.
5/8/14
Thank you ‘Tia for calling in Shining Armor to protect the village. I am saddened to know they truly are as mad as we had predicted. Hopefully if you threaten to cease all trade they will realize ponies will not bow down to their wishes. But their other option may be to attack if they believe guns are more powerful than magic. Please remain vigilant.
Epilogue 6/1/14 3:45am Ambassador’s House, Bridle Lake, Earth
Rainbow Dash settled into her little bed in the living room, blue covers pulled up over her head. The party had been fun, but the pegasus was exhausted. Rarity was doing a last few things with her hair, Rainbow never did understand it, and so her head was buried until the lights were off. The mattress wasn’t as comfortable as her cloud bed back in Ponyville, but she had been getting used to the harder type since coming to Earth; cloud beds were too hard to control. Twilight was in the kitchen getting herself a late night snack. The sound of popcorn came from the kitchen.
Through the walls, Rainbow hears a set of very familiar pops, sounds she could never forget. The gunshots forced the cyan mare to throw off the covers and rush to the door, only to be greeted by another familiar sound, an explosion. Thoughts of the suicide bomber she faced ran through her head. The sheer terror at almost dying, the realization that she almost cost Twi her life, and the dressing down by Spitfire. “I gotta go.” She hollered at her friend as she soared out the door, trying ignoring her own fears. And even though the mare was acting, each step was a force of will. The guards would need every pony they could get.
As the mare darted from the house, she saw the top floor of the Embassy engulfed in flames. Eyes widening in shock and fear, Rainbow was broken out of her trance as a massive explosion from behind that knocked her out of the air, sending her end over end. She turned around once she landed to see the house she had been in mere moments before consumed in flames, the front part of the house missing. A moment later another house went up, the front door blasted off its hinges.
Her mind stalled and she fell out of the air. “W-w-what’s going on? How can this happen?” She mumbled, numb.
Rainbow saw another door open only for it to be engulfed in flames. Explosions, when doors open. Her mind slowly congealed, but not before a door almost directly in front of her opened and a familiar cream colored pony with a light rose mane exited her own home to see what the commotion was. Rainbow was too slow; she was barely off the ground before Roseluck’s house was consumed by another explosion.
It’s all my fault. Rainbow teared up, looking back at the Rairty’s home, the roof starting to sag from the heat and lack of support. I failed again. If I hadn’t left…If I hadn’t opened the door…
Rainbow didn’t know what to do, she feels powerless. Somepony needs to warn them, but the guards were all busy trying to find the culprits. Does anypony else even know what’s happening?
Something solidified in Rainbow at that instant, her sense of loyalty. She was the element of loyalty, she was there whenever her friends needed her, but now the entire town needed her and she would step up. An ethereal energy embraced the pegasus as she took to the air, yelling at anypony that would listen. She felt stronger, her wings using less energy to beat. Her voice when it came out was strong and confident. “Everypony! Stay inside. We are under attack, but the Royal guard is on their way.”
Rainbow just hoped they were on their way, and that doors opening was the true cause and it wasn’t caused by something using a remote.
3:45am Royal Vaults, Canterlot, Equestria
The vaults of Canterlot, where the most precious items in Equestria were stored for protection. This was the holding place of the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful weapons known to Ponykind, the only means of defeating creatures like Discord or NightMare Moon. But there were other creatures that feared them, Chrysalis had amassed her army to prevent the Element Bearers from reaching the Elements during her attempted coup.
CRACK!!!
The noise resounded through the entire room, a noise that never left the magically sealed room.
Moments later, the blue lightning bolt that was the Element of Loyalty lit up as its bearer made a decision, decided where her loyalties lay and disregarded her own safety. The radiance filled the vault with a suffused light, revealing the five other elements. What was now four, as the one next to it lay smoldering and shattered.
This was cut from the beginning of politics because it just didn’t seem to fit with the eventual war and the issue of magic on Earth
8/17/13
Dear Princess Celestia of Equestria,
You are cordially invited to a weekend at Camp David to meet with President Margarette Tow and discuss the delicate political climate between Earth and Equestria and to work on building the peace.
Margarette Tow was walking through the woods of Camp David and wearing her traditional black business suit. The red accents from the suit complimented her red hair and contrasted with her green eyes. She put her right hand into the pocket of her business suit and fingered the small gem resting there. The gem had a tracking spell in it that worked like a gps locator. The gem had been in a letter from Celestia in response to the formal invitation that was sent the week before.
Dear President Margarette Tow, I will gladly meet you this weekend at your chosen location. Inside you will find a small gem. This gem will work as a locator device, as it has already been activated please send it to wherever you would like us to meet. Knowing how you would prefer secrecy, this is a more appropriate method than travel by any other means. Sincerely, Princess Celestia of Equestria
President Tow figured it would be some sort of teleportation that Celestia would be using. Her assets in Equestria had returned reports about the purple one, Twilight Sparkle, teleporting if she was in a hurry. It only made sense that it was her teacher that had passed it on. As the time approached, President Tow pulled the small purple gem out of her pocket and set it on the ground. She then stepped back just in case it was an elaborate trap.
The President of the United Sates was nervous because their last meeting hadn’t been the smoothest of affairs and practically ended in a fight between two of the dignitaries. But that was needed to assess their personalities and to better judge how they would react. Tow reminded herself. And it kept the more emotional one out of Earth politics. The elder sister at least knows how to play the game properly.
After another minute of waiting a small white glow began to develop above the purple gem. With a bright flash that was muted by the noonday sun, the Goddess of Equestria’s sun appeared in front of the President of the United States, the sun reflected off of her golden regalia of office and white coat and wings. “Good morning President Tow.” Celestia greeted and looked around at the bright green trees, and the cement path that led through them. They have their own ways. Their cities aren’t that much different than ours, and this place is more like a sanctuary to rest in. And Celestia did enjoy the gentle breeze that was in the air.
Celestia’s deep purple eyes scanned the area, spotting several guards carrying rifles. The Diarch of the Day would have liked to scan the area for any other life, but the magical aura of her horn would announce it to everybody and might frighten the men with guns. Celestia had seen both Lyra’s and Aquatica’s reports of what even small guns were capable of. If only Luna would have informed of her plans beforehoof. But is this how they generally operate? She had to ask herself, knowing full well what kind of a threat she could appear as. That was the main reason she hadn’t invited any of the humans to the Summer Sun Celebration earlier in the year.
President Tow observed the alicorn watching the trees and doubtlessly spotting the marines scattered about. This is technically a naval base though. As long as she doesn’t see the snipers it should be fine. Tow did not like having to deal with beings that were supposedly immortal and very powerful, neither did the people whose job was to protect her. “Would you care to take a walk while we talk?” The President enquired, “It will be a perfect opportunity to get some fresh air.”
Celestia nodded her head once, letting her counterpart lead the way. As they walked, several of the armed humans followed behind the pair, observant but not showing any sign of hostility or aggression. “You humans sure do start building rather quickly, don’t you?” She stated, referring to the human workers that were already transporting materials through the portal to construct both the embassy and the ambassadors living quarters.
President Tow gave a slight nod. “Yes, the portal is not big enough to transport machinery across into Equestria so they need longer to build the facilities.” That and time constraints, Brent can’t be kept in the dark forever and eventually this will have to go to the Senate Oversight Committee and to go over the budget required.Not to mention having to create a subcommittee in the committee for foreign affairs.
“If you like,” Celestia offered, “I can have some unicorns assist you in the construction, just in lifting heavy objects.” President Tow looked thoughtful.
“No. You must know of Earth’s history. Congress will have a fit if they found out.” The President explained. And would let you see one or two secrets. “However,” a smile crossed her lips. “There is a movie director you may want to meet. He specializes in the emotional pieces. It would help humans to feel they understand you.”
Alicorns can be killed. It’s a fact of nature that anything that lives can also die. An alicorn itself is only sturdier against the flow of time than a normal pony. They can sense things others don’t even know exist, through years they amass power and knowledge. But for every defense there is a countermeasure. Surprise is the best way through an alicorn’s defenses if you can’t match them in power.
Celestia knew this; she knew it better than most. When she fought NightMare Moon, what felt like ages ago, she was afraid to act for fear of killing her sister, she nearly died herself at NightMare’s hooves.
Celestia’s parents, creatures whose visage and names time took long ago, died at the birth of pony kind along with many other legends. They left to fight a great evil while Celestia was still a foal; they left to fight a great evil. They never returned, but neither did what the fought. The world had been made safe for new life and left the foal with a baby sister to care for. They had been safe. And ponies had learned to care for themselves, Unicornia even learned how to raise the sun.
Falling rocks or a fast enough projectile could kill. Celestia knew this as the Griffon Kingdoms had tried to bury her in Ghastly Gorge 1,500 years before. Her student at the time, Filly Buster, on the way to be a great diplomat, left to settle a dispute only to be ambushed in the pass. After not hearing from her student for several hours, Celestia investigated which was exactly what the Griffons had waited for. In the assault more ponies died and the war officially started.
It was with this in mind and how similar humans and griffons were, that Celestia opened the doors of her bedroom.
6/1/14 3:40 am, Celestia’s Royal Chambers, Bridal Lake, Earth
Celestia sat on her plush bed of pillows, unable to sleep. Things were going badly, she had hopes and misplaced faith that history would not repeat itself, that humans would be better. But things were coming to a head with Senator Brent controlling one section of this country, with traps and machinations her ponies were not prepared for. If the meeting with Tow did not go well, she would have to break off all relations with the United States and either work on fortifying the portal or finding relations with another country, neither seemed likely. And the only reason she had the plot of land on this world they currently did was because their leader extended the courtesy and it had so far backfired. She took comfort that they were safe for now at least.
She kept the television off, not daring to see what diatribe was going on now. Instead the princess focused on what she could do next, if she could convince people…
A shot rang outside her window, then another. The sound was unmistakable, it was a human firearm and none of her ponies would dare use such a device. Celestia’s heart dropped out of her chest and for a split second she just stared at the door before jumping to her hooves and running straight at it. If shots were ringing out then someone had to be shooting at her ponies, and if so much as one became hurt, whoever was responsible would pay dearly.
Celestia got to the doors; she waited for a moment before opening them. Her guards should have come through by now to check on her, but both doors were still closed. She extended her magic beyond the door to sense her ponies, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing there except the vague stirrings of magic that had been creeping in from the portal.
She cast an old spell, something Starswirl the Bearded thought he had discovered. Time slowed around the alicorn, as well as her own body. But her mind retained its speed. It was a delicate spell, a binding between the world and the caster. But, such subtle magic would evaporate if the caster used any kind of high level spell. It had been buried and removed from records because the Princess had deemed it ‘too dangerous’ for standard use, it could cause irreversible neurological damage in the untrained.
Celestia blasted the doors open with a hoof, if anything was on the other side, she would have the upper hoof. On the floor, ten feet apart, were her royal guards still clad in all their revelry of golden armor. Between them at half a pony’s height was a large yellow wrapped box tied with bright red ribbon. Inside though, inside it Celestia felt magic dark and malignant. Magic was imbued with the intentions of who cast it just like how it was woven could tell you its purpose. This was a bomb.
Celestia checked her guards, thankful such a thing wasn’t powerful enough to dispel her other working as the device was charging up energy at an alarming rate. Neither guard had a pulse, neither were breathing, and neither had a tangible sense of living magic; they were dead.
The Princess of the Sun knew she only had two ways this could turn out. She could shield the bomb and protect the bodies of her guards, the ones who undoubtedly gave their lives trying to stop whatever plot this was, or she could shield herself. The latter gave her an edge, whoever placed the device would think their plan had worked, that she had died. It tore her heart, the families of these two guard ponies deserved more than empty caskets.
Celestia wove the pattern for a shield in her mind; multilayered, the first designed to give and absorb as much energy as possible, the second designed to fail and redirect the energy around her, the third a rock hard portion of air designed as a brute force method should the other two fail. Finally she poured energy into the spell and time returned to normal for her mind, but with adrenaline coursing through her body, time still seemed slow.
The device was a slow thing, finally releasing a wave of white hot gas at the Princess, the air seemed to ignite around her; it tore through the outer shield like paper, too much pent up energy released in a single instant, but it failed to even scorch the second layer, large pieces of shrapnel spread around the Celestia. If I were them, she thought, having survived multiple attempts on her life and Discord, I would have a second trap set up, to go off once my prey’s defenses were down. Celestia looked about the room as a second blast hit.
The ‘shrapnel’ Celestia thought she saw, were actually smaller bombs, more potent bombs. The initial blast had disbursed the smaller packages around her, not even a second having occurred since the shield was cast, several were still in the air surrounding her. Each explosion was shaped, designed to impart all its energy in a singular direction. Celestia saw the total energy, completely encircling her, overwhelming her second layer and she poured more energy into the final layer.
The blast hit her final layer, the rigid shell. Celestia felt the force of it, the heat and fire, the sense of pressure as air moved faster than the speed of sound. The energy bounced off her shield made much stronger than the previous two. The redirected energy blasted out the now empty windows, her entire room burnt like it stood too close to the sun. In a way it had.
Celestia stared at the damage, her pillows, bed, desk, even her guards had been turned into little more than ash. This was too well planned, that bomb too well designed, made to kill a single powerful creature. She felt energy burning through her, released through her eyes. Whoever did this and threatened my ponies will pay! She promised, descending to the third floor of the Embassy complex.
The guards should be awake in the basement and heading up her now. The first step will be to secure the Embassy, use it as the command center.
Celestia stumbled on another unconscious pony on the second floor, she recognized it as Quick Wit, a Princess remembered her guards by name. A sad smile graced her lips, there had been a pool going around the barracks about who would ask who out first, she had her assistant discreetly place two bits on Autumn. But, that would never happen now as she stared at the body of the mare, the stallion nowhere to be found, and he would never abandon her. She fought down memories of them during training, such memories would only hinder any response she could give.
“Princess! You’re ok.” The voice came from down the hall, an earth pony led a small contingent of guards.
“Yes. But we are under attack, secure the Embassy then send everything we have to Bridal Lake.” She had seen more explosions taking place, whoever it was was attacking civilians now. Unless they know which houses hold guards. Celestia moved her look from ‘Buck’ to Quick Wit. “And place our dead someplace safe.”
“Dead ma’am?” He turned his sight to the fallen unicorn. “We found one earlier. He had a puncture mark where his armor didn’t cover, our medic Cross Stitch took a look at him and the pony was only unconscious. We think it was Autumn, he was hidden in an office.” He pulled a small needle out of her leg.
NO! Does that mean my two guards were…
“Dismissed!” The Princess ordered.
“YES MA’AM” ‘Buck’ yelled, then turned on his squad as Celestia continued down to the first floor, the wards preventing teleportation working against her at the moment, but who knew what it kept out. “All right, you heard the Princess, split into teams of three and search every office and nook. Anything that looks out of place you report immediately!”
Celestia fumed. Her guards, her ponies, and yet something slipped past her defenses. She kept her senses open, anticipating another trap at any turn. So many ways to set off traps, even still Luna likes to set up traps. Height, weight, magic patterns; it is a constant struggle. But these will do more than dousing her in ice water or flinging a pie at her.
Three more shots rang out from the first floor. Are they not working together or did they not expect the windows to lock? Celestia charged up a defensive spell just in case and descended the last set of stairs just in time to see a black hominid blasted into the wall by a beam of purple energy cast by her Captain of the Guard.
Celestia took a minute look at the small black shape, the familiar black shape.
“What happened?” Celestia ordered, she did command the Royal Guard, sometimes she had to act like it.
“She descended the stairs, the weapon attached to her chest drawn. When she saw me she fired little needles that bounced off my shield. I ordered her to surrender. She pretended to, I think to trick me into lowering my guard. And then she pulled this second weapon from her back and fired. I don’t know why she only fired three shots, one more and it would have gotten through.” There was something in his eyes, every guard had read the initial threat estimate on human weapons, but they had never seen them in action.
“Where is the rest of the guard?”
“I sent up two squads after we heard that explosion while I stayed down here, there is another squad waiting outside and the rest were sent off in pursuit of two fleeing humans. The explosions went off before we knew what was happening.”
“Ok.” Celestia took a moment to plan, too many variables including who could profit by this. “I will take the ones outside with me. You will secure this prisoner while the Embassy is secured. If she does anything threatening…” Is this the path I want to walk down?
“If she does anything threaten, you are free to use your own judgment. But we should question them first.”
Shining saluted and moved to a corner where he could watch both the door and the prisoner.
“You know who that was. You know there are only so many people who could have ordered this.” The voice in her head spoke. “Luna was right.”
That last part stung, but it had the ring of truth. This was her fault for trusting, her fault for ignoring her sister who had seemed paranoid, and her fault for not destroying every copy of the book that started this.
“Everypony with me!” She ordered, voice of steel as she exited. In an instant they all fell behind her. In the next they all disappeared in a flash of light.
Teleportation was exact and precise so long as you had the needed magic and concentration to transport you far enough and knew where you were going. It was easy for Celestia to determine her destination, where guardponies were headed, and where guardponies were falling. There was no loud report of guns, there was no discernable sounds at all in the chaos.
To her happiness, she appeared behind the two humans. Celestia knew the flash of cast magic would draw their attention in this darkness. She spread her wings to their full ten feet each something most would find intimidating.
The two humans turned, guns ready to fire, ones she knew were designed to kill. But the faces, she recognized the faces, they were the ones in charge of security at the Human Embassy in Equestria, Avery and Victor.
These humans worked with ponies. Worked directly with their Ambassador! In that moment, she was furious, feeling waves of heat roll off her body, she knew her guards would either be backing up from her or sweating in their armor.
Celestia realized, she would be happy to destroy them here and now all for her ponies. MY ponies!
“You have attempted to assassinate me and have killed who knows how many of my subjects!” As the Princess spoke, her rage increased until she could barely contain it. She felt the effects, her magic tried acting on its own, the need to make the opponent feel impotent. “You will surrender or I will burn you where you stand!” The desire to burn.
For a moment, they stared at her, covered eyes preventing her from seeing their expressions, but fingers were tightening on triggers.
Fingers of fire touched the corners of her eyes. It would be just, they burned her ponies, and fire doesn’t have to kill. Celestia moves power into her horn, giving them only a few more seconds.
Some sort of communication passed between the two. Avery was first; the gun fell to his chest as he raised his hands in surrender. Victor followed a moment later.
“Take them to the Embassy, we have another one there. If they make any attempt to escape or to reach for weapons, kill them. See if you can’t find some place to securely hold them” Celestia began to calm. Her guards wouldn’t kill them, ponies hadn’t had to kill in a long time, they weren’t made for it. But things are changing.
Celestia looked out to Bridal Lake, the explosions had stopped but the fires still raged and a multihued pegasus flying over the houses. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. I would expect nothing less of you. Twilight should be in the thick of it too, telling ponies where to go with Rarity finding blankets and water. Forget the rage, she told herself, you have an obligation to these ponies, work for them.
“Get every pegasus we have forming clouds to put out those fires.” Celestia ordered. “Silver Shot, bring me parchment and a quill along with Rainbow Dash. Round Housekick, bring Cherry Blossom and her equipment. Silent Watch, the humans we have captured came from their Embassy, send a covert guard to watch over the portal. Deimhall, keep a lookout for any more humans, they may have sent more.”
***
Dearest Sister,
You were right.
The humans attacked. A powerful explosive was set to kill me and Bridal Lake has been attacked, it was guards from their Embassy; Avery, Victor, and Aiko. They may be planning a two pronged attack to take the portal. Exercise caution.
Pegasi are making rainclouds now to put out the fires. We have confirmed dead and what has to be many wounded. We are in desperate need of doctors and nurses. We could also use more guards, some specialized for the night, there may be more intruders here.
This was a planned attack. We need to discuss how to move forward. I promise I will listen this time little sister.
‘Tia
p.s. Keep the letter carrier there. You will know why.
***
“Rainbow Dash, Ma’am.”
“Thank you Silver Shot.” Celestia turned her attention to the prancing pony. “Rainbow Dash, thank you for coming. I need you to deliver this letter to Princess Luna as fast as possible.”
“What?! But I need to get those fires under control, there aren’t enough weather ponies here.” Her gravelly voice pleaded, looking back to Bridal Lake. “And I need to check on Twi and Rares. I left them in a bad state.”
She doesn’t know. Celestia didn’t either, but from her vantage point Rarity’s house was nothing more than a jumble of fallen beams and rubble. There was too much chaos with the fires still trying to consume the town. The ferocity of the explosives had heated the air, the shield funneled it back and created its own winds to fan the flames. Pegasi worked as fast as ponily possible. Unicorns and Earth ponies waited to clear the rubble. But I can’t let her stay, if the worst happened…
“This letter has to get to my sister as fast as possible. There may be a second attack planned.” Celestia saw the smaller pony’s will bending. “You are the fastest flier here, and time is of the utmost importance.”
Celestia saw the praise light up the pegasus’ eyes, but the devotion to her friends was strong. There was more to it; at the right angle Rainbow looked haunted. She’s seen something bad. “We need doctors and more personnel. We don’t have enough to care for the wounded. You can come right back to help.”
Rainbow took one last glance towards the remains. “Fine.” She yanked the letter with a hood from Celestia’s magical grasp. “Ten. Seconds.” And she was off, leaving a rainbow trail as she moved.
***
The fires were contained; the last outcroppings were attacked as she wandered through the wreckage. Occupants were helped out through windows at the back of the unhurt domiciles. Energy had buffeted the area, both physical and magical. She stared at a guard removing a little black box from a door. It truly was brilliant. Rig the explosives to go off when a pony opened the door. When the Embassy was attacked everypony would hear it, and to make sure I would respond they fired a weapon near the Embassy.
Out of the 150 or so houses, 30 had received serious damage. Groups of ponies worked at removing rubble and searching for survivors. One pony was pulled out; missing a leg and an ear, guards went to work to stabilize her using field medicine. Another was pulled out, blackened to a crisp, halting breaths could be heard but no doctor could make it in time to save him.
Celestia moved about the camp, to show her ponies that she was still there. She wanted to help, to move rubble and heal ponies. There is only so much even my magic can do. It cannot regrow limbs, not without an 80% risk of rapid uncontrollable growth. If this goes on, these guards will have to learn to deal with this. I can’t do everything for them.
“Princess, we’ve cleared the area around the Ambassador’s house.” His face spoke volumes.
“Thank you ‘Buck’.” Celestia could delay no longer, no longer hide from the effects of her actions.
Celestia took ragged breaths, a familiar purple shape on the ground. Fur and mane singed with pieces of glass still sticking out of open wounds.
Next to Twilight, practically held in her arms, laid the formerly white unicorn, only a few patches of white remained on her back with the rest burnt off.
The alicorn took hesitant steps for the two bodies, happy her guards were kind enough to give her some time. Rage took her again, slamming a hoof on the ground until cracks appeared in the Earth.
Celestia heard sobbing, racking of breath from the purple mass. “I failed. Princess Celestia.” Twilight’s grip tightened. “I couldn’t save her. We were having a p-p-arty…i-ii-I went to make popcorn. Explosion. Rainbow left. The energy changed. Blown out the window. Found in rubble.” Everything after that was drowned out by crying.
Celestia stood there, unable to move. Twilight blames herself. The realization cut deeper than she expected, than she remembered. It might as well be Luna laying there crying her eyes out. She was at a loss for words. “The best doctors in Equestria are coming.”
Twilight turned back to her precious teacher. “Why did this happen? We were just having a party!”
“I don’t know.” Yet! But we WILL found out if I have to rip it out of them.
"Whatever misanthropists may say, ingrates and the perverse are exceptions in the human species." -Napoleon Bonaparte
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd; And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!" — George Gordon Byron, The Destruction of Sennacherib
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." — John Stuart Mill
6/1/14 4:01am, Canterlot Castle, Equestria
Luna sat in the throne with its gold filigree, her spot at night and her sister’s during the day. The throne room was different by night, lit with an ethereal light from behind the stained glass windows to remind ponies it was actively night. Everything was cast in a shade of gray that never diminished what it was cast on, from the red carpet that connected the gold and purple throne to the large wooden double doors, nor the marble floor or pillars. It was all to remind ponies that the world was large, but to Luna it wasn’t enough as egos kept being drug in.
“Now listen here you cud chewing-“
“Cud chewing? This coming from a pony that-“
“ENOUGH!!!” Luna yelled, relying on the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Mr. Hagglesworth and Mr. Penny Pincher. Twas it necessary to bring this before the court? Could the lower courts not solve this dispute?”
“NO! They sided with him!” Both stallions yelled. “I demand a change in our contract! I want an additional ten percent!”
I should have gone to Earth, it would have been less hassle, let Celestia deal with her court. Setting it at night made it no better. Luna glowered at the two ponies petitioning for their distribution contracts. Greed was unbecoming. “For wasting our time, thee shall pay the court 100 bits each, and 200 for rampant greed.” Tia does have more experience with composure and dealing with foals. “Guards, Remove these fools.” She stood, pointing a hoof at the offenders.
When two Lunar Guards stepped forward with their slit eyes and bat wings, the two businessponies couldn’t get out fast enough.
“That’s all of them Your Highness.” Her ‘assistant’, another Lunar Guard said from next to the throne.
“Finally.” The Princess of the Night yawned, doing her sister’s work as well as her own was too much effort, and politics was not her thing.
BANG! BANG! The sound something crashing on wood echoed through the Throne Room from the Antechamber. Spears materialized in the hooves of her guards except for a select few that drew hoofclaws as the lights dimmed. Her guards worked best in the dark, their cat-like yellow slit pupils allowed their eyes to take in more light while their tufted ears worked better at picking up subtle sounds than a normal pony’s. A charcoal grey pelt helped them blend into the darkness while their dark violet armor gave protection.
“I already told you once. You can’t go in there.” Lunar Acerola scolded from behind the doors.
“I told you! I have to get in there. I have a letter for Princess Luna from Princess Celestia!” A familiar rough and squeaky voice sounded from behind the door.
The Lunar guards narrowed in on the door and as much as Luna wanted to see how her guards performed, if there was a letter from Tia at this time of night it must be serious. She could always find some other way to test their ability.
There was only one non-bat pony in the Throne Room, and that was a unicorn. Even with the different species they all looked similar enough with their amber cat-slit eyes, onyx black fur with tufted ears, lavender manes all cut to the same length. Even their armor was the same with their wisteria and plum colored armor; the only difference was the inclusion of bat wings versus a horn or nothing, even the few pegasi in her employ had bat-like wings. It was a simple spell just like the one used for the Royal Guards, and just like them, every Lunar Guard appeared male.
“Let her in!” Luna ordered her guards.
Before the alicorn finished speaking, with a speak only possible through military precision and drills, the doors were opening and a polychromatic blur shot in to crash at Luna’s hooves.
Rainbow Dash looked exhausted with her fur matted in sweat and wings laying askew. There was also a paleness to her features, but she retained enough strength to raise onto her hooves and passed over the letter.
Luna took the parchment in her pale blue magic, the scent of ash wafted from the parchment and the pony that brought it. The letter held the sigil of her sister emblazoned in the wax used to seal it.
Rainbow Dash stood on her shaky hooves and turned to leave. “I have to get back.” She mumbled.
“Hold thy horses.” What clever phrases humans come up with. Luna read the correspondence, guards growing tenser the further she read. “Lunar Acerola, front and center.” She ordered devoid of her usual emotions.
The guard ran to her and saluted. “Get ALL the castle guards up and mobilized. You have five minutes to have the Lunar and Royal Guards assembled as well as every medical pony you can find, I don’t care if you have to drag them out of bed kicking and screaming.”
Lunar gave Her Highness a befuddled look but was never a pony to question her orders.
“Does that mean I can go back now?” The tired pegasus asked.
“No. You know what happens if anyone goes through the portal twice in less than a day, we cannot risk an Element Bearer.” Before the headstrong mare could object again. “Poppy and Xander, you are to keep this pony under guard, she is not allowed to leave the castle for any reason, throw her in a cell if you have too.”
Rainbow took flight and dashed for the open doors only to be tackled by an armored bat-pony. Mare stood over mare. “Do not resist.”
Luna left her more than capable guards as she went to the front gate. The doors closed and locked behind her, undoubtedly Xander not taking any chances. They aren’t Griffons.Changelings, that’s what these creatures remind me of.
And she had other things to do while the guards gathered.
***
Luna stood in front of the assembled guard ponies, her dark blue mane a mirror to the night sky, stars of pure magic twinkled as her mane and tail blew in an ethereal wind. What caught the guards’ attention though was not only what she was wearing but what she wasn’t. Gone were her simple silver horseshoes. Gone were the crown and necklace of darkest black emblazoned with her symbol; the moon.
Instead, the Princess of the Night wore more metal than she had in a long time, since she had been NightMare Moon. It was a newer design from the last 500 years that her sister had commissioned in case the need ever arose. The jackboots rose to her knees in a burnished silver. The helmet covered the sides and top of her head without obstructing her vision and without, what Luna had regarded as tacky, the hornblade. A device that would let any horned pony slice through an enemy, but most often a spell was more effective. Its main purpose was psychological against the Griffons, a reminder that air control did not insure victory. Her barrel, chest, and hips were covered by the same polished metal and emblazoned with images of the sun and moon, with enough space to not interfere with her wings.
Every squad was lined up with military precision by the front gate without the two factions mixing, it only equated to a couple hundred. The doctors were huddled at the back, barely ten doctors were there with fifteen nurses along with boxes of gear somepony had been smart enough to bring.
The last time Luna had seen this many guard ponies amassed it was through the eyes of NightMare Moon by the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Before that was the Great Griffon War, and before that was Discord. Every time the army got smaller but the fighting more intense. The battle with the Griffons had cost over 2,000 soldiers their lives.
Luna stood erect. How would Tia do this?
But you aren’t your sister. She never would have given into jealousy and risk her ponies.
Fine. How do we do this?
“Equestria has been attacked by humanity and we may be at war.” As Luna looked among the huddled mass, that may have been the wrong choice. The medical ponies took several steps away from the guards, one step because they knew horrors enough about surgery and their imagination run wild about ponies missing pieces, and the other because what moments before had been tired guards now were something else. Eyes narrowed along with eyes, every one was now fully awake and those holding weapons gripped them tighter, their expressions reflected in her armor.
“Squads B and C of the Royal Guard and squads C and F of the Lunar guards will stay at the castle. You will have to perform double duty to make up for the missing guards. The rest of us are going to Ponyville.” Four squads of ponies departed back into the castle, their job wouldn’t be easy; Equestria rarely had a surplus of guards. “Lunar squads A, D and E will go through with the doctors to Bridal Lake; Celestia will have orders for you there.”
When was the last time we had a war? Chrysalis was an incursion. Luna had to run through the history of her absence, and though Equestria had some skirmishes, border disputes, and monster attacks, the last war she could think of was the Griffon Kingdoms.
“The rest will stay in Ponyville. Whatever Royal Guards are left will guard the portal, no nonpony gets through. Twelve of you come with me, the rest take the Embassy. They tried to kill Celestia. They may be planning a second attack here.”
“Any special orders? How are we to apprehend them?”
Luna understood the question; humans had guns, effective and deadly weapons and would have alarmed access points. It was also no secret there was at least one basement level, but they also had no magic protection, just a wall. “Subdue. Remember there are civilians, but your safety comes first.” Civilians meant nothing to the humans. What would my guards do if they knew ponies had died?
***
Tony heard small footsteps outside his bedroom door as it opened. He was a light sleeper, often rolling over to check on his wife, the woman who would disappear in the night. The Ambassador reached across the evergreen sheets; when his hand met only cloth, he remembered Aiko was out on training.
Maybe she got back early. “Aiko?” Still partially asleep.
“Did thou know?” The voice was high, soft but stern.
The voice sounded wrong, it wasn’t his wife, it sounded accusational; something Aiko rarely was. Tony’s still groggy mind focused on the dark outline against the pale wall, effervescent hair blowing despite the windows being closed and little air circulation, the spot itself emitted a chill breeze. The center of the mass reflected what little light filtered into the room through closed curtains.
This has to be a dream. What would a Princess be doing here? And where are my guards? The human Ambassador absently wondered.
But the shape spoke again “Did thou know, human?” There was judgment this time, the feel of a judge ready to lay a sentence on the perpetrator of some heinous act.
Tony’s mind jump-started as he shot up in his bed. Looking towards his bedroom door stood two guards. These weren’t his guards which were slumped on the floor, these were two Lunar Guards standing on either side of the simple door. He shifted his gaze back to Princess Luna. His heart racing, wishing he had listened to Aiko about more guards to replace her.
“Do not worry thyself.” The creature spoke rooted where it sat. “They shall live if not wholly intact.”
Anthony looked back at his two prone protectors and hoped Luna wasn’t lying to him.
“Now, answer thy question.” With each iteration the breeze flowing off the alicorn drop in temp along with her voice. “Did thou know?!”
“You can’t be here.” He had to regain his composure, something that had all but evaporated after he saw the new ‘guard’s’ slitted eyes and glints of sharp metal off their hooves. The translator had to remember other cases, the power of words. “This is United States property as agreed upon. Unless you have an order rescinding that and prior notice, this will be viewed as a Declaration of War. You have already attacked United States citizens!”
Tony saw his breath as the temperature plummeted, the alicorn rising to her hooves to tower over the sitting human at her seven feet.
“Our two societies are already at war! Thy colleagues bombed our embassy!” Her eyes began to bleed a white smoke that slowly filled in her eyes as she spoke. “They have killed civilians and tried to kill our sister!”
“T-there has to be some mistake.” The human faltered as the deity stepped closer, eyes ablaze. “If this happened, it doesn’t mean that we did it. You know not all humans follow the same leader.”
“We know that very well. But these three were part of security here. They attacked with a plan.”
Tony saw that Luna was regaining control of her emotions, he had been known for the occasional outburst. “I’m sure we can sit down in the morning and discuss this. Get both parties to-“
“There will be no discussion. Our guards have already taken your Embassy and thou are now a prisoner, same as your staff and guards. We will ‘talk’ in the morning.” Her outline became softer, blurred with the walls behind her. “Celestia should already be interrogating thy mate for her crimes.” Her body dissipated into mist that wove itself out his bedroom door.
Anthony stared at the door, at his new guards and his new prison. The guard’s ears were in constant motion for noise; if they were anything like his wife then sneaking out would be impossible and painful.
He remembered a failed Halloween prank, the only one he’d ever attempted. It can’t be. Aiko wouldn’t do this. She’s a military instructor. Anthony stayed up, trying to reconcile what he had been told with what he knew and figuring how who the other two humans were.
She laid in her bed, rose colored tail hanging off the bed and touched the cold wooden floor. Hearing a noise coming from outside, the pony pulled her covers up higher. Opening her eyes, it was still dark out and this was a day to sleep in, everything had been covered for the day. I should check it out, something might be bothering Elizabeak.
Another noise showed Fluttershy that was a bad idea and the blue-knit covers flew over her head, body shivering. A mass landed on her elbow, her wings closed as she clenched into a fetal position. The mass moved to her head and a portion of the mass jackhammered her nose.
Fluttershy removed the cover from her head. “What is it Angel Bunny?”
The rabbit hammered his foot again and pointed to house’s main door, inset was a small one for her critter friends to come through. As she looked the door rattled and a boom shook its hinges. A deep voice called from the other side.
The buttercream pegasus flew under her covers at the knock, only sticking her head out at the voice, it knew her name. Oh no! Is somepony hurt? Maybe it’s some poor animal that wandered into the Everfree.
She jumped out of bed, moving across the floor so fast she might as well have been flying. Getting to the door just as another rap shook it. “W-w-who is it?”
“Tis your Princess. We seek your assistance.”
Fluttershy opened the door, expecting Luna but not the others or the armor. Two royal guards flanked the silver armored Princess. All three looking very serious; the same expression as a parent who lost a pet.
“Good morrow Fluttershy. There is an emergency in Bridal Lake that needs your…expertise.”
“A-anything I can do to help.” The startled pony stated, ignoring Angel tugging on her tail to get the pegasus away from the door.
“Get as many of your rat friends together as possible and meet at the portal, thy have one hour.” And in a flash like Twilight’s teleportation but emitting violet light, the Princess and her guards had vanished.
“Oh dear. What do you think that was all about?” She asked the white furry creature trying to close and bar the door.
5:40am
Solar Plexis stood by the portal, making sure no humans passed through it in either direction, or even unauthorized ponies. On the opposite side of the shimmering white puddle stood his brother, Coeliac Plexus, both tense from the shock of the attack. The edges of the room were still covered in incomprehensible white machines, looking more insidious with recent events. Plexis just wanted them out; unsure what kind of threat they posed.
The white standing water of the portal rippled, a sign something was coming through, it was only a moment’s notice but both guards raised their spears just in case. Plexis on the right was left-hoofed; the brothers appeared as mirror images of each other in that instant with their white fur and gold armor.
A lock of carnation pink hair emerged from the portal, touching steps down to the floor; moments later the butter yellow mare followed, the end of her tail still in the portal.
They guards recognized the mare as the Element of Kindness, the last pony they expected to show up at such a site. And as much as they wanted to comfort her, they first had to watch and make sure it really was her.
“Um, excuse me?” It came out soft and thready. “Celestia sent for me.”
The guards knew their jobs and occasionally hated it. They couldn’t comfort the mare or even show compassion, they were the wall meant to defend Equestria and for that you needed to be tough.
“I-I have a letter.” She pulled out a roll of parchment, handing it to Plexus.
His brother nodded. Solar could see the seal from his position, the sigil of Equestria and its mix of the sun and the moon.
“You will need to go out this door, there should be a guard at the end to direct you to Princess Celestia.” The guards raised their spears into a standing position.
As the mare walked past and her tail slid out of the portal, something else came with her, a swarm of mice scurried behind her and flowed like water down the steps. Solar saw his brother fight to remain rooted to the ground. “Rats. Why did it have to be rats?”
“Princess Celestia must have her reasons.” Solar replied, not hiding his grin.
“Just like that Lunar Guard you convinced that Royal Guards were actually Geldings?”
“Not at all,” He said delighted. “It was Foal’s Day, and he was a fool.”
***
Celestia stood outside the research facility, waiting. Her ponies had held up remarkably well. The fires had been mostly put out as well as well ponies evacuated through the upper windows on houses, all the bombs had been located by the front doors. A forensics pony was now going over Rarity’s house, to see why that building had suffered such serious damage, much more than any other building. Several of the bombs had been safely removed for further study, two hadn’t been though. Along with Cherry Blossom getting what she needed.
The sun was just showing itself over the horizon, deep reds and oranges bled through the sky and illuminated the early morning’s damage.
The alicorn made sure it didn’t show on her face, she had to keep the calm visage; it would be too easy to give into hate and then her ponies would follow, destroying everything she’d spent the last few millennia working for.
“Are you really going to risk the kind of turmoil it will bring the pegasus?”
If this is a war, then everypony needs to be ready.
“Like they were last time?” It was smug.
“Princess Celestia?” The low voice of the Element of Kindness was unmistakable.
“Thank you for coming Fluttershy.”
“Is everypony ok?”
Celestia wondered if she had let something slip, some quirk or expression. She had made sure to meet Fluttershy and position where the pegasus couldn’t see the damage. But with the extra guards who didn’t have the same experience hiding things and the pervasive acrid smell of soot, ash, and burnt flesh. No, there could never have been a way to hide this. You know that. She could see the pegasus’ nose wrinkling at the amalgam of smells.
“No.” Celestia had to be honest. “We were attacked. We caught three of them but there may be more. Can you please have your friends search for the rest? There should not be any risk to them. Then I can take you to Twilight,”
There was a look, the pegasus knew and it broke Celestia’s heart. It wasn’t easy to spot on anypony for it didn’t affect their expression, but some of the light went out of the little pony’s eyes, a little more hurt onto a large heart.
“Are you sure none of my friends will be injured?” Her head went from Celestia to her rats.
“We have yet to see the invaders use any lethal weapons and they will be watched by Lunar Guards. They will prevent anything from happening.”
“But you can’t guarantee that. You know what weapons they were holding when apprehended. You know what happens when you corner a desperate animal.”
“I promise you that nothing bad will happen to them.”
“O-okay.” The cream-colored pony turned to her small army. “All right everyone. The rodents who were moments before squeaking to themselves stopped everything and focused solely on the mare. “If you can please find anypony who is not a pony.” The assembled hoard looked at each other, squeaking responses very few could understand. “and please be safe” The pegasus spoke loudly at the mass of white and grey streaming past on the ground and the dark grey in the air. Fluttershy moved forward a step, to try and follow, but nothing more.
“Come along Fluttershy.” Celestia patted the pegasi between her wings. “There is somepony that needs you more.” She moves to gather the energy but lets it dissipate before the spell’s architecture could be formed. “I need to ask one more favor though.”
“Um-m-m, I can try.” Fluttershy said, pawing the ground
“I need you to use the stare on the culprits.”
“Oh, no no no no no, I couldn’t possibly do that. Those are intelligent creatures. It doesn’t matter what they have done, I could never use the stare on a human.”
“Even if it could prevent a war?”
That stopped the pegasi. She started to speak several times before any words came, but when the words came, despite being recalcitrant there was steel in that one word. “No.”
The Princess was not sad and her expression never changed even while the pegasus flinched back. I told you. They are strong. But her inner voice failed to respond to the challenge.
“I can respect that.”
Celestia pulled the magic together to teleport. It wasn’t a simple spell but it was a handy tool for any pony that could use it. Considered a taboo by Zebrica on the belief the body disintegrated itself and rebuilt back up by magic, it was a kind of death. But that was never the case. The body was broken down, would travel within a bubble of energy that moved faster than an eye could see and whose speed was dependent upon the user. Clover the Clever had discovered that playing a game of hide and seek with her mentor in a similar style to how NightMare Moon preferred to travel.
Twilight should be in her room, a special one set up in the Embassy. Celestia constricted the magic around her and Fluttershy, reducing both to their essences and rocketed off to the embassy. The royal alicorn felt for exactly where her favorite student was to no avail. She turned their bubble around while expanding her senses.
“You had to know she would be there, you never placed a guard on her. And you know what will happen next.”
Twilight was at the ‘aid station’ halfway between Bridal Lake and the Embassy where the injured and dead had been taken, where she would have to take the meek pegasus.
They appear in a flash as Celestia takes it all in. Nurses and doctors running around in white stained red jackets, guards reduced to carrying litters with patients. White canvas walls and ceiling constructed in a hurry. Makeshift cots of spears and sheets. The moans and cries of ponies, several bodies hidden under sheets. A velvet mare stood off in the corner, staring vacantly at the organized chaos as tears fell on a ruby necklace clutched to her chest.
Fluttershy ran forward, dodging nurses and corpsmen. Gently grasping Twilight in a hug, hoof running down the unicorn back. “It will be ok.”
The sobs from the purple mare got deeper. “No it won’t.” Twilight whispered, followed by a hacking cough. “She’s dead because of me. Because I failed.” Another coughing fit.
“Just let it out.” Celestia heard a catch in the yellow mare’s throat.
“I was in the kitchen when it went off. I had time to cast a shield. I could have teleported to Rarity, there was a new spell to teleport a pony to me…”
Fluttershy slumped against the unicorn.
Nopony told her. But how could they? They called Rarity’s death not that long ago; there had been signs of life, a faint pulse, eye movement, and then nothing.
Celestia gathered energy around herself again. Fluttershy will convince Twilight to see a doctor. She stared at the deep cuts along the lavender mare’s legs and abdomen; the shield had barely kept her alive, with some of the cuts inches deep.
In a flash she was gone with more preparations to attend to.
4:05am Bridal Lake Embassy, Earth
Avery watched as the guards forced him and Victor to walk at spear point to the Embassy. This was the first chance either human had to see the damage as fires raged and ponies in the distance moved like fairies from spot to spot. Another detonation went off as another house was engulfed by flame. They both kept their expressions neutral, sorrow would look like manipulation. But he still had the knife hidden in his boot and would use it if given the chance.
Stay alive long enough to escape. They have Aiko, and Isao will have escaped back through the portal. No help will come. Avery assessed.
The upper level of the Embassy looked as bad as the village with its busted windows and scorched look from the ground. But, the front doors were intact and upon entering the saw a black form on the ground surrounded by guards, only one or two watching Aiko as she lay on her stomach. A tall unicorn in gold and purple armor watched over everything. With the new guards they totaled a dozen excluding their captain.
Victor moved towards their downed colleague, spears rising as he moved. Avery kept his hands raised to show he was no threat as Victor checked Aiko’s pulse and vitals. Even from his vantage point of a few feet away, Avery could hear her labored breathing.
“Boss, she don’t look so good.” Victor told him, switching to Central American Spanish.
Avery moved forward to Aiko’s other side and helped Victor to flip her onto her back. Watching as the guards tensed, a few more spears pointed their way. Victor always had a knack as a medic.
Victor placed his head on Aiko’s chest, moving his head to get a better listen. “No breath sounds from the left side. She has a punctured lung at least. Think they’ll help?” He moved his head to indicate the guards.
“Doubtful.” Avery turned to the one in shinier armor in Equestrian. “We need to move her. She has a punctured lung and needs help.”
“Why should I help a terrorist? Do you know how many you killed?”
“Then can you get us the stuff to do it ourselves?”
“Why? So you can try to escape?” A guard behind them scoffed, but their leader held up a hoof and watched.
“Looks like we do it ourselves.”
“You still have that knife on you?” Victor asked.
“Of course, but you know what it means if they find out we still have weapons.” Avery looked around, seeing if any pony picked up the word. “And they might kill us. Why do you want to help her?”
“Isn’t escape one thing she is good at?” Victor said. “We need all the help we can get.”
“The kids grow up so fast.” Avery bent down and removed a small knife hidden in the side of his boot, leaving one hand in the air with its palm out. In Equestrian, “Just trying to save our friend’s life.”
Victor took the knife, with its narrow two inch blade.
“What is he doing?” Shining asked in English,on guard but also trying not to appear threatening.
This one has experience. “Something caused her lung to collapse and her chest cavity is filling up with air. If the pressure isn’t released her lungs won’t be able to take in more oxygen and she will suffocate. An incision is made into the chest to relieve the pressure. It would be a lot more successful if you have some medical supplies like a needle and gloves. She is no use to you dead.” At least this will tell us where we stand and if our lives have any value…
While Avery was talking to Shining Armor, Victor took the knife and cut the black silicone above Aiko’s left breast and to her shoulder. He then palpated the area to find space between the second and third rib. “I need something to create a valve here.” A box with a red cross settled down next to him from a pale yellow aura. Inside were needle, gloves, antiseptic, it was a dream of a field kit and all human.
Victor set to work setting up what he needed. Cleaning the area, cutting off the finger of a glove and putting it at the end of the needle. He then inserted the needle until he heard a rush of air and pulled out the needle while leaving in the glove finger as a catheter and taped it in place.
Aiko’s breathing sounded better but still raspy.
“She needs proper medical attention and may have a concussion. Just so you know.”
6:29am Bridal Lake, Earth
“What is the final tally?” Celestia looked down at the guard. She had returned to her burnt and ruined bedchamber. The strong smelled remained with torched wood and melted gold filigree. Several frame still stood on the walls without a canvas. The injured and the ashes of two guards had been removed.
Shining Armor sat at attention, trying to keep his eyes on his Commander. “There are 23 dead, only two of those being guards, with 12 in critical condition. The main cause of death was,” The guard swallowed hard.
“I can read that part later. What about the rest of my ponies?” She listened to her own distant voice.
“36 suffered minor injuries, a few broken and sprained limbs from ponies that jumped out of upper story windows. And 162 suffered no injuries.” Shining Armor looked down at the parchment held in his magical grasp. “Quick Wit has regained consciousness but has no memories of the past day, the rest are still in recovery.”
“You should consider it lucky. Only 71 injuries. They could have killed everypony here with those numbers.”
“Anything else?” Celestia asked.
“Cherry Blossom is requesting access to the infirmary and the morgue but the doctors have denied her access. They are worried she will get in the way with all of her equipment. The prisoners have been contained but the female one seems to be dying.”
“Allow Blossom access to whatever she requires; give her an escort if necessary. And tell her that she will be responsible for any damage.” That will not be necessary; she is the most able with human technology though and the only one skilled with videography. “As for the human,” The Princess had to stop her emotions which said to let the murderer die, but there were better uses. “Send Doctor Horse to her wounds. Tell him to make sure she is in no pain and to give her regular doses of Amicus.”
“Princess? That is magic based. And against your own rules.”
Celestia noticed the hesitation and conflict in his voice. “Because it is magic based her body will break it down, if it works at all. What if it had been your sister instead of Rarity that had died? Which almost did happen. You saw the remains of the kitchen; it was only her quick thinking that saved her. But what if this was part of a larger attack?”
“Understood.” Shining Armor said before turning about face and walking out of her ruined room.
I can’t let it happen again. Not again. Discord. Griffons. NightMare. Sombra and the Old Queen.
Celestia snapped her head up, some sort of magic was emanating from the other side of the door, but this time it was a familiar kind of magic. “Let her in.”
The doors opened and Twilight walked in. Her eyes were still sullen but she had let the doctors apply bandages to her wounds.
“My most faithful student.” Celestia got up to meet her student halfway and they shared a nuzzle. “You look much better.”
“I’m so sorry! I shoul-“
“You did fine. If anyone failed it was me. But what’s done is done. Did you need something?”
Twilight looked down.
“It has been a long day. Why don’t you get some sleep, you do not need to be involved in what is to come.”
“But I want to help. Fluttershy is helping patients. There must be something I can do.” There was a catch in her voice.
Celestia looked at her student, the one she was closest to outside of Luna. She knew when her student was holding something back, so the alicorn waited.
“And I’m scared. What happens if they attack again? What if…” Twilight trailed off.
“If they attack first we may well die. This nation alone has half a million soldiers, a total of one million employed by the military. Our guards number in the thousands only, ponydom is only three million.”
“Can’t we just go back home and block the portal?”
“No. There would be no way to tell what was happening on this world, what new weapons they could deploy. Our retreat would be seen as a sign of weakness. You cannot show that to a predator.”
“You know what they are hiding. This world may be weak magically but it still exists. Except for that spot in Colorado that formed last month.”
“Is there anything I can do? Fluttershy is helping with patients and I feel useless.” Twilight admitted.
“Do you know of any way to disable human technology?” Celestia saw the shock spread across her student’s face. “If this was the first step of an attack, they cannot be allowed to pull of a second one. Tow may not have the power to stop this or may have caused it, if so her next step will be to mobilize her military.”
“But, how can you know that?! There could still be hope.”
“Because it has happened before, with the Griffon Kingdoms.”
“That was never in any history book! They have always been peaceful!”
“I will have the books sent to your room. It was hidden to help maintain the peace.” Celestia admitted. Ponies will need to learn about it now. “How can human technology be disabled? All we will need is a few hours to strike back. You can have a few days.”
“I don’t need it,” Twilight replied despondently. “I already know. But I want to know, why did they have to kill everypony???” Tears streamed down the magenta mare’s muzzle.
“I promise I will find out before doing anything.”
Twilight stared into her Princess’ eyes. “Ok. Their technology is weak to the magnetic field of this planet. If the sun releases some of its plasma, it will hit and compress the magnetic field against the planet causing the field to increase on the surface and can overload power lines just like an overcharged gem and can damage components. But there are safety devices in place they cannot stop something powerful enough although I’m still having trouble with their measurement units which seems haphazard at best.”
“How can you know all this?” Celestia asked her pupil.
“Television. And some books on the subject. There was one talking about a geomagnetic storm that hit Quebec in 1989 that caused a cascade failure and left six million people without power for most of the day.” A twinkling of the old Twilight showing through.
A weakness to their own sun? They show their weakness that easily? Or is it because they all share the same technology. Celestia wondered. “I will have some special training for you and the other elements back at Canterlot Castle. And ask Luna for Aspis, it is an ancient type of shield. You may need to get Mystic’s help on that one.”
6:01am White House Master Bedroom, Earth
President Margarette Tow was awoken by a rap at the door followed by Mr. Sheppard entering the room. There were dark circles under his eyes meaning he had yet to get any sleep which was odd for a man who prided himself on always being fully rested. But that wasn’t the only indicator his white hair was mussed and no guard would let him enter unless there was an emergency.
President Tow blinked a few times to clear her eyes. “What happened?” She threw the covers off and edged off the bed, sliding into a pair of white slippers. She had a day to get ready for.
“There has been a slight, complication with Operation Vikaire.” He was hesitant to answer, another bad sign.
“How bad?” She turned away from the mahogany closet. He handed her a file folder.
The pictures showed the massive pink shield around Groom Lake. It was hard to see past the massive pink blob, but flashes could be seen.
“There were explosions.”
“I thought no ordinance of that scale had been approved!”
“It wasn’t! Someone must have snuck it in and tried to sabotage the mission.”
“If you are not telling me everything.” She let the threat trail off. “We have been friends too long for you to hold out on me now.”
“Yes. Mr. Nakamura refused to leave after the explosions went off. Thankfully though as he is now our only eyes and ears in there. Mr. Sizemore and Mr. Anwar were captured by Celestia herself and nothing has been seen of Mrs. Marcus since she entered the Embassy building.”
“Shit! Now what aren’t you telling me?”
“There was an explosion on the top floor, Celestia’s bedchamber and there has been an increase in guards.”
Miss Tow sat heavily into a padded chair. This could not have gone worse. “Ok, we will have to deny what happened. And sorry old friend, but I can’t save you from this one.”
“I know. It will take a day or so for Celestia to contact you if she hasn’t tried already.”
Aiko opened her eyes, she was in some sort of hospital room with clean white walls, and one lone window looked out onto a field. She tried to sit but her head began pounding at the slightest movement. She heard the beeping of medical machines and could feel something against her chest, and a tube against her arm. “Uggg.” She closed her eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Aiko woke up again, she was in the same place, sunset starting outside her window.
“Are you feeling any better young one? You had everyone worried.” The voice was melodic and regal, the smile with the voice could be heard clearly.
“What happened?” The last thing Aiko remembered was… fuzzy. “Where am I?”
“Equestria. You got hit pretty badly and had to rush you to the hospital.” The voice was familiar, something royal, something associated with light. “How are you feeling?”
Aiko closed her eyes, swallowing against a dry throat and letting out her breath. A cup floated in front of her with a yellow aura. Aiko gingerly sipped from a straw in the glass, watching as it floated away when done. She let her head fall to the side where a tall winged unicorn sat. Hee, this is some weird dream. She laughed, an unfamiliar feeling followed by tightness in her chest.
No, not a dream, this pain is real and I remember intelligent ponies.
“Take your time. You have been out for a few days; your husband just went home to clean up, he was worried about you. We all have.
Luna? Was that the pony’s name?
No, Celestia.
“We can talk about something else if you prefer.” Celestia offered. “Do you like the army?”
She spoke without thinking, she felt she could trust Celestia, like this was a long lost friend. “It wasn’t bad. A lot of training but was always skilled.” Aiko was tired, she wanted more sleep, there was no pain for now, but she could feel where it would spring up later.
“Wasn’t? Do you not work for them anymore?” Aiko heard genial curiosity.
“No. Work for the CIA.” Something nagged at the back of her mind.
“Are you proud of your job?”
“Yes. I do good work, work not many can do. I have the lowest kill count. Recon. I can get in and out without being seen.” Why am I saying this?
“But that isn’t what happened last time is it? What went wrong?” Aiko didn’t want to disappoint such a friend, not one who was worried about her. There weren’t many people she trusted.
“I don’t know. Something loud went off and I ran. I think it was a gunshot.” She took another sip of water; it had a sweet taste like honey that calmed her mind.
“What was your mission? Why were you in the Embassy?” The voice was so kind and gentle. It was like her mother’s. “What happened?”
“It was a simple mission. Sneak in and…” This is wrong, but why? Aiko looked at the loving face. “A bomb went off; it just shook the building, amazing engineering. Glad all places aren’t like that, would make my job so much harder.” Aiko giggled. Why is this funny? “What did you do to me?”
“We saved your life; you had an accident and suffered a punctured lung. Do you need more painkillers?”
That would be nice. Aiko mused, then stopped. “No, something is wrong. What is it?”
“Nothing is wrong, you were just telling about your mission.” Celestia offered. “How did your accident happen?”
“I was running and there was this unicorn. I needed more firepower but he was faster. I got hit before I could take him down.” Aiko remembered the blast, the guard, the destruction outside the window, the guards she knocked out, the mission. “What did you do to me?” She moved a hand up to her head. Her fingers brushing against a bandage wrapped around her head.
“We just gave you some painkillers and medicine. Just trying to help you. Can you not return the favor?”
Aiko didn’t believe the innocent expression, this was an ancient creature, who knew what it had learned. You can’t stay in power that long by being nice. “No I won’t.” She could feel the chemicals, nothing like sodium pentothal, but she still had training.
“We can still work this out.”
“Ok. We were looking for proof Equestria was not to be trusted. We disagreed with the official policy and decided to take things into our own hands.” Like hell this mission will blow back. ‘If captured it’s your own ass. That’s the way it has to be.’
Celestia lowered her head and sighed. “You are already accused of espionage, murder, the assassination of an Equestrian politician and the attempted murder of its Princess. Do not make it worse by lying to me.”
What!?!? No. “Impossible.”
Celestia’s features grew colder. “Bombs were scattered about Bridal Lake and one was placed to kill me as I left my chambers. You gun was missing five bullets but you only fired three at Shining Armor. Do not make this worse than it needs to be.”
Aiko looked straight at her feet and closed her eyes.
“We have your husband in custody. He will be charged as an accomplice unless you help.”
Aiko gave a feral grin as she laughed, showing her canines. “That’s funny. He was never more than a cover. Just ask my comrades. He provided an easy way into foreign countries.”
Celestia walked out of the specialized room in the basement. Each prisoner was isolated from each other; keep them from talking or supporting each other. She has chosen the weakest one, next was the leader, or who had been the leader of the Human Embassy security. All three rooms were side by side with gaps so they could never communicate outside their cells.
Celestia stepped up to the door, a spot on the side designed for horns and would only open with an impulse of magic or a special gem. The door gave an audible click as it opened and swung inwards, designed to make escape harder. Sitting in the middle of his ten by ten room sat Avery who looked to be doing some kind of meditation. Her hooves clacking on the stone floor. All four walls were white, lit with a single hidden gem for light. The ‘window’ at the back was turned off, a simple illusion spell that could be turned on to give the impression of space or access to the outside world.
“Can I get some books in here?” The human asked without moving, dressed only in underpants and a shirt, even checked by a doctor that they weren’t hiding anymore weapons.
“I don’t see the harm in that,” Celestia offered, “if you can answer a few questions.”
He opened a single eye only to close it again.
“Why did you kill my ponies?” Celestia bluntly, hoping to catch the human off-guard. But he didn’t even twitch. “What did you hope to gain?”
Avery sat stock still.
“Aiko talked, she told us how the President ordered you to plant those devices. She was caught in the act.”
“Do you really care so little about life? Not only your own but that of the innocent or your own countrymen?”
“You know how cold they are, you have seen their news. P.I.P., what they did with your precious stones and all their wars. Not a single one is showing the slightest bit of remorse.”
“There are only so many ways this can end now.” Celestia pleaded, her emotions warring.
“They don’t fear you. We are just prey to them.” The voice laughed, flashing images through her head of ponies wrapped in cocoons to be fed on by changelings.
Avery took a deep breath and let it out slowly; outside of that there was no movement and no sound from him.
Never even asked about his so called friends or the conditions of anypony. Celestia realized as she left the room, pulling the door closed with her magic. Walking over to the last room she opened the door, so far this had been fruitless. Several guards had offered to do this for her, some specializing in questioning others. But this was something she needed to do herself.
Victor laid on the plain white bed, limbs splayed in every direction. He tilted his head back to look at the Princess before staring off at the ceiling. The human gave a halfhearted wave.
“How did you get past the shield?” Celestia asked, not expecting an answer.
“The door was open.”
“Thou dare mocketh me!” She let her outrage show.
“Not at all.” Victor waved his hand up and down. “There was another door in the research building. Built along with the structure that connects to Area 51.” He looked bored.
“We already found it.” Celestia lied, having a good idea where it might be, on the second floor. “I am glad you feel like cooperating. What was your mission here?”
“Plant some listening devices, or what we thought were listening devices.” He answered, sitting up to look at Celestia. “In the Embassy, at special houses around town to get a better idea what ponies were thinking.” He let out a yawn. “There was even one pointed at your room, it was designed to read vibrations off of glass.”
Princess Celestia found the rage building again. They wanted to listen to every conversation? Treat nothing as private? Then why was the bomb for me large enough to blow out the windows? “Why are you cooperating?”
“I assume you mean because the others refuse to talk. I know how this will end, I ain’t going home ever. This was a NOC, my country will disavow all knowledge of my mission and say we went rogue. Probably label us as terrorists. So why shouldn’t I? Its not like any of us have something to return to, that kind doesn't volunteer for this line of work.”
An opportunist, we can use this. “What were those guns, the ones you used on my guards?” Let us see how honest he is though.
“Some sort of anesthetic. The higher ups designed it, different dosages for different types of ponies. Two for Earth and one for pegasi or unicorns.”
“How did they know what dosages to use?” Even in Equestria something like that is incredibly delicate. “What about alicorns?”
“No clue.” Victor shook his head. “That is way above my pay grade. Maybe on those physicals they helped with.”
“How many of you were there?” Can judge his truthfulness by this.
“Four. Me, Avery, Aiko and her brother. He should have escape in the general confusion. That was his orders.”
“Who gave you your orders?”
“Technically the Director of the CIA, but anyone can tell you it was on the orders of Madam President. No one would risk their ass without being covered. This way if he screws the pooch she can pardon him and the Director gets to go free. The only casualties being those of us stuck here.”
Clever. This was thought out and planned for years. Even a family connection right down to the ambassador.
“And not sure how, but I heard Senator Brent made some sort of change last minute. The only one I know of was some things to plant in Rarity’s office. He hated her. Brent figured that with Rarity out of the picture he could get someone more ‘cooperative.’”
“Who is his source?” Celestia ordered.
“The same guy who gave him info on those listening devices for that fancy shindig.” Victor shrugged. “Some guy code named Blueblood. Never heard such a tacky name before.”
“You are sure on that name?” Celestia’s temper had returned to a simmer, she had to be positive of his accusation.
“Positive. I may have bugged and recorded a few of his phone calls.” He replied nonchalantly. “The logs are nice and safe at home.”
“Who planted the bomb outside my room?” And killed my guards.
“Aiko? I don’t know. I was busy in Bridal Lake with Avery setting up what was supposed to be listening devices. But she was the only one in the area and no one else could have known about it.”
“Thank you. I will check out this information.” Celestia gave a polite nod. “If you need anything ask one of the guards.” And pray you don’t ask for anything dangerous. They will never trust you. She mused, closing this door behind her too.
Celestia had gotten some information, most of which would be proven or disproven in the next few days. But the Amicus was less effective than the alicorn had hoped for. It was based off an ancient love poison designed to make the drinker think of the first one they saw as their greatest and oldest friend. Human bodies just broke it down or were resistant to it. Maybe with Luna or access to Kotodama she could get into their minds; however, Luna would have the same issues of human’s nonmagic and Kotodama had gone extinct during NightMare Moon’s attack.
9:02am Celestia’s Bedchamber, Earth
Celestia sat on a new pillow that had been brought in for her, quill and paper at hoof.
Dearest Sister,
Attached is a list of the information gained from the attackers, it is not to be fully trusted. Blueblood is to be arrested immediately on suspicion of sedition and treason. Use whatever methods you deem necessary to prove or exonerate him. He has quite a reputation among the nobility.
How is the situation there?
Love,
Celestia
The Solar Alicorn handed this letter off to one of her guards to deliver and started another.
President Margarette Tow,
I regret to inform you that Bridal Lake was attacked yesterday morning by part of the Embassy staff. They killed several of my citizens as well as Ambassador Rarity before being captured. A meeting as soon as possible to try and save this situation would be advantageous to both parties.
Respectfully Yours,
Princess Celestia of Equestria
This next letter the alicorn placed in a special holder and handed off to a mare with a light blue-grey coat and blonde mane. The wall-eyed mare put the letter gingerly into her saddlebag and disappeared in a flash of yellow magic as Celestia teleported her closer to Washington D.C.
6/2/14 10:59pm Research Building Roof, Earth
Isao swatted away another rat, watching it fall to the ground two floors below and scamper off. He had been waiting for midnight and proper dark to move to inside the building. Pegasi and some strange bat creatures had been flying on patrol all day, sometimes within several dozen feet of his location. This camo really is somethin’. I see why sis likes these guys so much. But no way anything is getting into that place short of an army. The numbers of guards had almost doubled through the portal. Everything the sniper saw he relayed.
The hairs on the back of Isao’s neck raised, that feeling of being watched crept on him again. Every time a rate or guard came close to him this happened; but now it sent a shiver up his spine. Looking around he spotted no annoying rodents.
As carefully as slowly as he could, Isao moves the night vision scope to his eyes and almost instantly regretted it. Turning his head just to make sure, there were at least half a dozen bat things floating around him and blending into the night.
“Command. I have been spotted.” He whispered into the mic, his voice activating the transmitter. “And surrounded.” Isao moved his empty hand and watched as eyes tracked it.
"Diplomats are just as essential in starting a war as soldiers are for finishing it." — Will Rogers "All warfare is based on deception." — Sun Tzu
6/3/14 12:00 Steps of Congress, United States
Brent stood under the noonday sun, a throng of reporters from every major news network stood by his podium. He checked his hair and the notes sitting in front of him deciding that if this worked his speech writers would get a raise, this could guarantee him the House and Senate in five months, if played right the election in two years. And then things will change. Show who you are without mentioning campaigns. Appear honest.
“As many of you may know, the Equestrian settlement has been attacked and it is an unimaginable tragedy and those responsible should be forced to pay. And I want to assure the people of this fine country that any terrorist will be punished. My opponents will try to use this as a chance to attack me, just watch. They will come out and say I planned this, but watch, they will have absolutely no evidence. None.” He lowered an open hand onto the podium.
“Yes, I am an active proponent that they cannot yet be trusted, and they have yet to prove me wrong. Celestia claims they want to help, to forge friendships but at every step they want to dictate our policy. And let me ask you this: when have they helped? They can control weather but when have they stopped a flood or tornado? What about the massive drought just one state over from their embassy?” Lean forward for emphasis. Keep the hands moving. “But not once.”
“Instead they threaten to go to China because we don’t meet their qualifications of decency. Tow does not want you to know this but this is from her own sources. Troops have been streaming through. Way more than are needed, and while I applaud her for making sure troops in the area are prepared; she has failed to keep the people informed.” Lower closed fist to the podium. ”Over three HUNDRED Royal Guards have come through the portal. Why could they possibly need that many armed troops?”
“Yet with all this they still think they deserve that land they leased. Land that belongs to the citizens of this country! Again, I applaud Tow for all she has tried to do in her naiveté, but we must work together. We must protect ourselves.”
Watch her get out of this one.
6/3/14 1:45pm White House
Celestia made a show of teleporting directly into the Diplomatic Reception room, making sure there were plenty of sparks and flash for the awaiting guards. She wanted to show them her power, show the strength of ponies; there had already been the mobilization of troops in Nevada and California.
Celestia appreciated the room, to an extent. The wallpaper of ‘traditional’ American scenes with its blue skies and ships in port designed to show this country’s history as well as give an airy feeling; dark wooden cabinets filled with china and chandeliers made to show wealth and class with the yellow upholstered chairs with their wooden frames matched the wallpaper, cabinets and the blue and yellow carpet that covered the circular room. The guards were just another piece of furniture in their white and black suits, the edge of a gun stuck out of one human’s jacket. Further in the building was a bubble that seemed to resist magic, any human that entered just disappeared from her senses.
President Margarette Tow sat in her finest suit, standing to shake Celestia’s hoof. “We as a nation, myself in particular offer our most sincere condolences for what has happened.” Offering the Princess a yellow pillow while sitting in another chair across a table set with a tea. “The United States will render any assistance you request.” She poured out two cups of tea and placed one close to Celestia.
“That would be most appreciated.” The Princess picked up the cup in her magic, taking a whiff of the concoction before taking a measured sip of the delicate white tea. “You have fine taste in tea. Madam President.” Celestia set the cup back down onto its saucer.
“Thank you.” Tow returned. “How can we help?”
“We caught the culprits.” Celestia offered. “However, they appear to have been Embassy security. I was wondering if you had any idea how this happened.”
“I wish I did. You are welcome to prosecute them but I know Equestria does not have the death penalty. If they are returned they would be charged with treason.”
“That is quite alright, we have other ways to punish murderers on foals. Besides, our laws only apply to those native to Equus as a certain Senator would put it, and we don’t have any troublesome trial by jury.” Celestia waited but Tow did not react. “But, one by the name of Victor did confess to being ordered to go on this mission.”
“He must be mistaken. We had him and two of his colleagues were ordered back to Earth, yes. But that was just an assessment, a briefing of the difficulties of the job.”
Celestia took another sip of tea. “And, if I said there was a source at your Embassy that could confirm his story?”
“Then they would have been in collusion. No missions were authorized. We wouldn’t even have a means to get through the shield.” The President confirmed, placing her hands flat against her knees.
Tis a shame. Celestia pulled a manila folder from underneath her wing and gently tossed it onto the table, missing both tea cups. “I believe that is a signed order from one CIA Director Shepherd ordering Avery Anwar, Aiko Nakamura Marcus, and Victor Sizemore for three weeks of training, occurring right over the incident.”
There was a subtle lifting of an eyebrow, a loosening around the mouth, a second longer to take in air. “Obviously this is a forgery. The Ambassador must have used his connections for some reason. Or maybe you have a traitor on your side, it would not be the first time if I am not mistaken.” President Tow set the folder back down. “How else could they get through your shield? Perhaps you should look at your own people before accusing someone else of such a heinous act or finish collecting evidence.”
“You knew this was an empty act, look at that speech this morning, the troop movements, they are playing you for a foal. Look at their history. Could you ever expect a portal created by an elder god to bring peace?”
“You know they could not have learned Equestrian from listening. You know radio waves cannot pass through the portal, that those steps are how they communicate. You know why there was no ash from those two foals, that they are not dead. How else could they have learned it? They need a stone to learn their own past languages, they had no Rosetta Stone from Equus. You can see how they will take your magic, learn to manufacture it and then war, war across the stars.”
“What has happened to the peaceful? Death. This country sent 915 Jews back to Germany to face execution on the S.S. St. Louis. Sinking the German U-boat U-516 who was transporting survivors from a troop ship they sunk to shore to make sure these people didn’t drown, broadcasting they were transporting survivors, they never even tried to defend themselves as they were bombed. They don’t value life.”
“How will they treat your ponies? Like the Cherokee when they tried to be a part of society and were run out despite following every rule set to them, being marched across the country to die. Or when they shove their own citizens into internment camps like animals. Or worse, being forced to dig their own graves and slaughtered by the millions because of religion, every religion. These ‘creatures’ only want peace and power for themselves.”
These were her fears, things she had realized long ago, had hoped would not prove true, not again.
“A hundred thousand killed or taken into slavery by the griffons. Tens of thousands from Sombra’s birth. Unknown numbers from Discord and only your swift action could stop your sister from destroying all life by denying your citizens the precious sun.”
Celestia felt her ire rise, this thing she had been trying to keep in check since the attack. All they are is empty words and manipulators. She could feel her magic rising and fought down the visible signs lest it cause the humans to speed up their attack, an ember catching light in her flowing mane. She knew what had to happen, to protect her ponies.
“Then there is nothing further to talk through. I have a funeral to attend.” Celestia coldly informed as she gathered up her magic.
“One last question if you do not mind.” President Tow offered as she leaned forward. “What about our people in Equestria?”
The Princess heard much in that question, and her words weren’t as cold as they contained an absence of all heat. “My sister is watching over them. Your Embassy staff will be treated much better than mine were.”
6/4/12 4:35pm Ambassador’s Residence, Equestria
Lyra stood outside the door of Anthony’s house, two Lunar Guards checking her for contraband and then checking her name against a very short list. It was no accident her name was on there as one of the few ponies truly familiar with humans, and one of the few, Luna was hoping, that the Anthony would actually talk to.
“You can enter.” The gruff voice responded and used his magic to open the door.
Lyra wanted to smile or laugh, be her usually cheery self. But I never made it easier and my excitement didn’t help. Even Bon Bon can tell. Lyra chuckled as she entered, it was Bon Bon that convinced her to come. ‘Everypony needs a friend.’
The mint green unicorn went from room to room looking for any sign of the human, his home felt rather empty, even though nothing had changed from the last time she saw it. Chairs, books, a kitchen, the weird human bathroom, some papers had been moved but looked the same. Soon Lyra moved up to the second floor with its two bedrooms.
The linguist decided to check the first one she came to. In a chair off to the side was the ex-Ambassador, collapsed over the arms of a chair. She had never seen him in this state of undress before in just a white shirt and pajama bottoms. “He-“
“Have they finished going through my papers yet?” Anthony said morosely, not even bothering to look at the pony.
“Not yet.” Lyra looked about the room, never having been in this room before, but she spotted the TV and shelves lined with books. “Paper Cut has been going through the papers at the Embassy. She complained about how much there was and complaining about humans being walking disasters after she saw one office.” Lyra’s joke yet got no response.
“At least you aren’t in a cell someplace. I hear they have really uncomfortable beds, like sleeping on concrete. Kinda like fieldwork. Ever sleep in a bush?” Lyra asked, nudging a bare foot. “They even gave you a TV! Why don’t we watch something? Twilight was telling about this space show she loved.” The mare picked a remote off the bed and pressed the power button. With a click the screen brightened. Lyra heard human feet hit the floor behind her and a catch in his throat.
“…It is believed the Embassy leak was actually caused by the Ambassador? Is that correct?” A blonde lady talked to a bland male, the same types you saw on any news program.
“That is correct. One of the papers President Tow received was expressly signed by him, others were confidential and stored in a burn safe. Although they are still speculating why he sent his personal staff to attack his counterpart and the Princess.”
Lyra heard a whumph as Anthony collapsed back into his chair.
“They have been playing that all day. I’m a traitor.” He coughed to hide the catch in his throat. “I can never go home, my wife is a war criminal. They even have evidence.”
Lyra pushes the power button and left the remote on the floor. “But you aren’t a traitor. You wouldn’t do anything like that.” What is going on?
“It doesn’t matter, not now. I’m already painted as such.” Anthony rested his face in his hands. “And I am.”
Lyra stepped forward, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “How?”
“I never put those papers in the safe, never saw a need to.” He took a shuddering breath. “And I did. I willingly answered every question Luna asked and then some.”
The mare stood there in shock. What can I say to that? At least you have friends here and will be found innocent? Big help that will be. “Why did you answer?”
“I wanted to prove our innocence. Prove there was some misunderstanding. That it could never happen.”
Lyra knew the answer but had to ask. “What do you mean by ‘and then some’?”
6/1/14 6:20am
Anthony was still awake in bed when someone knocked and opened the door. He wasn’t surprised to see the Lunar Princess walk in in her armor.
“We hope thee are better.” They were just words, her expression was as cold as the night. “What do thou know?”
“I already told you. I don’t know anything.”
“Why did humans attack my sister?”
“I don’t know.” He repeated.
“Why did your mate kill Rarity?”
“I…NO! She could never do that!” He almost jumped out of the bed to protest. But that would seem like another attack.
“Do thy have proof?” Luna asked, sitting next to the bed, eyes cold.
“I will take a lie detector! Anything!” He pleaded.
“We have something better, but it may be painful and is an invasion of privacy. Are thou sure?”
“What is it and what is required?” Tony inquired. There is no choice.
“There is an alchemist waiting and it will require going through your memories.” Luna informed.
“You could just force this couldn’t you?”
“No. Pony’s dreams the princess can see, but human minds are tricky. Kotodama, an ancient root, what it says we cannot refute. Commune the soul with the mind, some subtle; magic will let it bind.” A zebra stepped into the room, casting an unsure glance at both occupants. “If you are sure this is the path to take, of my help you can partake. Kotodama is ancient; it gives magic to those who are patient.”
This must be the favor for those recipes and alcohol. If I can just show them what kind of person she really is…
“Do not worry, we shall respect thy choice.” Luna offered.
Anthony saw the glass vial of white fluorescent liquid held by Zecora. “Just take that?” When both ponies nodded he took the vial and downed the potion. He was surprised it had no flavor. Everything softened, an aura appeared around Luna of a dark blue that glowed pure, while Zecora looked no different. His own hand seemed to be outlined with some sort of colored light, but his mind no longer accepted words, but he knew who he was and he was scared.
“The innocent have nothing to fear.” Luna whispered through the fog. “We shall avoid any ‘personal’ incidents. You can guide us.”
6/4/12 5:15pm
“Did you want to talk about it?” Lyra asked, hopping onto the bed, forcing him to sit up if he wanted eye contact.
“I think. I think I did more harm than good.” Anthony admitted. “I tried to prove her innocent. But everything Luna saw just cemented her opinion even more. When we met in high school, met again in college. Even a movie night after the engagement.”
“Movie night sounds peaceful.”
“No. We were watching a show called ‘Ariel’ and one of the crew tried to sell out a passenger for cash. This sellout and the captain were talking through the airlock, a thing that kept air in and the guy alive. When she wanted to space him, let him die that way there would never be a knife in the captain’s back.”
“I argued that the promise of no mercy was enough. It showed the skill of the captain.” Then in a whisper, “it was better for the soul.”
Lyra rubbed one foreleg with the other. “That is pretty cold.”
“But she changed after that. I know she did. She was less vicious.” Anthony let out a half-hearted laugh. “And all that did was convince Luna more.” Followed by a more genuine laugh. “And she is too proud to ever let someone into her mind. But I know.”
Lyra sat there, unsure what to say. She had seen the reports, a transcript of Celestia’s interview, to look for clues. She couldn’t say that, not now, it would break him.
“I know what you need.” Lyra jumped off the bed. “Some new books and maybe some new company. I don’t think Bon Bon would be able to say hi but maybe she can make you some candy.” Lyra trotted for the door.
“Oh! I could get Spike! He should be allowed to visit you and has a huge library! Be back in a few days.” Lyra heard some sort of squeak but was already lost in thought of what books.
6/4/14 6:48pm
Celestia had gotten back to her beachhead a few hours before, planning out her next move. The sun was starting to set, and she was still working on the calculations, this was not her sun. This celestial object was bigger and much more violent, it fit the species. She wanted to give her ponies as much time to prepare as possible but this also needed to start if she was going to go through with it.
Dearest Luna,
We are now at war. Send the Elements back tomorrow and figure out how to transport the prisoners to Equestria and a proper prison. I am sorry dear sister that you have to do my job for longer.
Tia
Celestia finished the letter and handed it off to the nearest guard, she had been doing it for a while; it was the easiest way to communicate through the portal.
Attacking under the guise of a funeral. Which should be happening in Ponyville right now. But it is necessary.
Celestia walked out to the middle of the bubble, guards watching her take each step. She carefully spread her wings and rose into the air, body perpendicular to the ground just like at the Summer Sun Celebration. As the same time she reached out for the magnetic field on the sun, the force that held a sun together, her horn alighting with a layer of golden yellow magic. Feeling the oppositely directed fields and wrenched them together, feeling as massive amounts of energy surged outward into the path of Earth. The alicorn was sweating as she descended, it wasn’t just the planet that was resistant to magic, but everything on this side of the portal and the sun was many magnitudes different than her ball of heat and light.
While manipulating the alien sun, a few thoughts crossed her mind and that of her inner voice.
There is no turning back. But, there never could have been. Luna did what was right in taking the Embassy, if there was another attack…
“There is one way to guarantee that never happens again.” It purred. “Keep that spigot open; let them cook under their own sun. You can protect your ponies here and they will never have to fear another reprisal by humans again. No terrorists, no shootings, no nuclear weapons as a threat. And no lies about the fate of your ponies.”
NO! She commanded. You shall be silent! I will not commit xenocide on a whim. Every creature has a right to life, that is what is being defended. Letting the magnetic fields correct themselves to stop the flow of energy.
Celestia let that sink in as the plasma careened towards Earth.
In approximately 48 hours that Coronal Mass Ejection would hit the Earth and her little ponies would be off to war. She only hoped they were truly ready for such an event.
6/6/14 8:00pm Equestrian Embassy, Earth
Isao awoke to two unicorn guards. They left the door open on his room and motioned for him to exit. He slid off the bed and exited the room. The guards seemed to talk freely around him, after all he ‘didn’t know the language’. It was an old tactic, one he had never used outside of training.
“So…” Isao looked about the hallway he was led down. “Where we goin?” When neither guard answered he continued talking. “Hope the food is better. Maybe some natural light, not that these white walls aren’t absolutely wonderful and all.” He’s had very little sleep with interrogations every few hours and the bright white room he was kept in. “Maybe something decent to wear. These clothes are all right but maybe something in a nice cornflower blue, white only gets you so far.”
The recon sniper was led to a door, exactly like the one they had pulled him out of, this one was at the end of a hall and no way to tell its size. The lock was also different in that it appeared to use a standard key. Inside were his ‘allies’, one of whom screwed the pooch. With a gruff push on the small of his back, Isao was propelled into the room and the door closed quickly behind him. Aiko sat off on her own, brooding, always the weird one. While Victor and Avery sat and talked in hushed tones. The room was at least twenty feet on a side.
Isao picked a nice piece of wall on the opposite side of the room and close to the other two. “So, who talked?”
Aiko hung her head as the other two stared at her. “It was nothing big, but they used some kind of drug.” Her head was bandaged as was her chest, a massive bruise along her right arm.
“No, when they asked me questions they knew things. They knew the exact point of the mission and who ordered it.” Isao made his argument to Victor.
“She’s lying to protect her ‘precious name’.” Victor sneered.
“Do you also expect me to believe she killed the op?” Sis would never.
“Just look at the evidence. They even found two of her rounds outside in the ground. They even showed me the rounds.” Victor rebutted. “So yes, I think she finally lost it.”
“Does the name Blueblood mean anything to you?” Isao asked, knowing the answer.
All heads turned to Victor, his slight pause saying more than the words that followed. “Yeah, he was some kind of royalty or politician or something.”
Aiko stood and took elongated strides towards her colleague, reaching him just as he managed to stand. One balled of fist hit him across the brow and threw his head against the wall while she drove her other arm against his neck in the instant he was disoriented and used the first hand to force her arm deeper into his neck. “You will pay for this.” She hissed. “I spent too much time for you to piss it away because you can’t control yourself.”
“Let him go.” Avery soothed. “Please, we can work this out.”
Isao stayed put and watched. You’d have a better chance prying a rabid dog off your leg. Let her kill the bastard. He saw two guards burst through the door. “Uh, sis? You might want to listen to im.”
Victor was turning red and gripping at the woman, unable to get the leverage needed to get her off.
A spear end lashed out, hitting Aiko in the side of her chest, a gasp of pain and escaped air could be heard as she crumpled to the floor into a fetal position. While Victor fell against the wall and gasped while rubbing his neck, using his legs to push himself away.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Avery yelled at both the guard and Aiko before checking her chest, more gasps and tears when touching her chest as she tried to curl up tighter.
“I, I want to amend my confession to Princess Celestia.” Victor rasped. “Just put me somewhere safe.”
Avery looked at his friend. “What did you do?” His voiced authoritatively, like a mad parent, it brooked no argument.
“I wanted revenge. Brent killed my men and made it look like my fault.” His eyes sped from person to person. “Cambodia, we were going after a drug dealer that, Brent knew of the mission and tipped off the target. My men were slaughtered and he fabricated evidence that I did it intentionally. That I was working for this scum.”
“It could have blown back on the families, they would lose their benefits.” Victor looked into his friend’s eyes, practically yelling. “They EARNED those for their families! Christina, Jack’s daughter, just got into Harvard. A dozen families. So yeah,” he fought back tears. “Yeah, I sacrificed our lives. Four lives for a dozen families. The political fallout will finally crash back on him. I have evidence back home, recorded phone calls, everything he has ever said to me.”
“How did you get the rounds out of my gun?” Aiko croaked, trying to raise herself onto one arm.
“When you unloaded it, I palmed two rounds and placed them in mine.”
“And those bombs?” Avery asked, eyes laser focused.
“They were just supposed to be some black powder and an ignition source. Had an old ‘friend’ smuggle them in. They were just meant to be big enough to scare, maybe a few burns.” Victor pleaded. “Nothing like that!”
The two golden clad ponies walked out of the room saying nothing. Isao couldn’t tell if these were the same guards or not.
Isao watched as the two guards left without saying a word. He looked about the room. How did they see what was happening? There aren’t any holes for them to see through and no visible cameras.
Aiko moved to the opposite corner from Victor and glared.
Isao sat back and watched. Knowing that if anything happened again the guards would not be so nice.
President Tow looked outside the window of the Oval Office, at the darkened grass, wet from the sprinklers.
The door at the far side of her office opened and a man in a black suit walked in. He had black hair and brown eyes and looked perfectly unexceptional; it was the kind of face that you forgot moments after seeing it. He held a manila envelope and walked towards her desk. Her secret service agents around the room didn’t move to stop him. He had already been searched for a gun and had the necessary clearance to see her this late at night. “We had a problem at Groom Lake this evening. There was an explosion at one of the testing sites and there may be an issue.” He handed her the manila envelope and stood waiting for any questions the president might have.
The President just looked up at him and asked “Exactly which program had the difficulties?” The answer would determine her approach to the situation, some were more sensitive than others, some highly classified.
“It was the FTL project. All we know is that they had a malfunction and now everything there is gone. I believe the pictures will explain it.”
She sighed. Just once it would be nice if someone, heck, anyone would just give me a straight answer and tell me what needed to be done. President Tow opened up the envelope and looked at the pictures.
The first picture showed the salt flat that was Groom Lake with a prefab building standing in the middle of it. She knew this as the site that would be used if a project was deemed too hazardous to be performed at one of the regular test sites. The second picture showed a giant ball of white enveloping the entirety of the salt flat. That explosion had to have been huge to create a ball of fire over three square miles. The last picture was a close-up of a sliver of white and two blackened crumpled forms about five feet in front of it. The blackened forms in front of the anomaly were too burnt to be called anything near human.
President Tow looked up at the man that brought her the pictures. “What kind of explosion was that in the second picture? I have never heard of an explosion that was completely white.” She asked eyeing the man critically.
“We don’t know.” Was the only response she received from him.
“Ok then, what is that last picture of?”
“We don’t know that either Ma’am. All we know is that whatever that is is right in the middle of Groom Lake. Right where the Alcubierre drive tests were being run.”
She rested the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger while she thought. She needed to keep it concealed without letting anyone know what was going on and she needed answers. “Ok. Go back to Langley and tell them that they are to get started on it right away. We need answers. Make sure they cover the site. The last thing we need is a Chinese satellite moving over that site and taking pictures of it.” He turned to leave, but she stopped him. “And tell Langley to bring in whoever they need.”
He looked back at her and nodded. The man then quickly rushed out the door. Well, she thought, this should be an interesting term.
She looked down at the last picture again. That isn’t human. She realized after turning the picture around. Whatever that is has four legs and a horn.
12/22/12 10:10am
Tow sat across from the Director of the CIA in a special meeting room in Area 51. “They are completely alien.” His voice a mix of awe, fear, and excitement. “We can’t even begin to understand their language. Jarry Field, one of our best should arrive in a few hours. We have given them an option of food; they seem to prefer plants and fruits.” He averted his gaze. “They had an adverse reaction when even offered meat, especially raw. Outside of breads and cakes they are completely herbivorous.”
“Cake?” Tow asked, leaning forward. Who in their right mind would offer them cake?
“A private had some from his birthday, I guess. He would have been reprimanded but the grey one took a liking to him.” Jethro cleared his throat. “We are still taking precautions though, as they may yet prove dangerous.”
“How do you know they are aliens and not some kind of experiment?”
“Nothing like this was being worked on, and there is at least one bacterium has been found on their fur we have never seen before.”
“Are they hazardous?” Her tone lost any sense of joviality or curiosity.
“We don’t know yet, ma’am. Everyone who has come in contact with the subjects is being kept in isolation. And the…portal, for lack of a better term, has been placed under guard.”
“Good. Is there a reason I had to come out to Arizona on such short notice? I was supposed to meet with congress today.” And Brent to try and work out something new on immigration. That is always fun. Even Tow felt the vitriol in her thoughts.
President Tow was led down grey hallways with red pipes across the ceiling. Doors on the wall and paint showed this as a military installation. No personnel roamed the halls, which was odd, places like this were normally a hive of activity. Near the end of the hallway, after a few turns, sat a door with guards in front and a keypad. The Director flashed a badge, entered a number and led her inside.
The room was split in two, the closer had a table and a bank of computers and a few people in white coats writing while the machines twittered and buzzed. On the other side, separated by a floor length two way mirror, were two quadrupedal animals and a man in army fatigues and blue hair.
“Why does he not have regulation hair?” Tow asked, stepping up to the mirror, seeing ‘toys’ spread about the room. A grayish violet foal, for lack of a better word, sat in the humans lap while he rested a hand against its blonde mane, some sort of circle pattern stood on its hip. In a far corner sat another one, slightly bigger, with a pale magenta body and two tone purple and white hair, the image of a tiara on her hip, her eyes darted around the room and a white scar bisected her underbelly.
“The grey one did that the first day and nothing we do can change the color of it.”
“Is this what you meant by a weird power?” Tow stared at the hair. It must have some kind of application.
“No, that one also has some sort of levitation. Its horn lights up black before something happens. We are working on a kind of anesthesia in case it turns violent.”
Tow switched her attention to the cowering one. “And the other one?”
“It’s been like that the whole time. It struggled at first when someone tried to pick it up but went slack after seeing more people. We have trouble getting it to eat after showing it that meat, it refuses to do anything.”
“So they are passive.” That would be quite useful.
“On the contrary.” Shepherd shook his head. “It ripped the rifle right out of a soldier’s grip. Thankfully the safety was on and they had orders to bring them back alive. But its head was bruised in the process.”
“Are there more of these things through that portal?” This could be a great resource.
“We have to assume there are, and they may pose a threat. If it is a doorway, which these creatures would suggest, destroying our end would leave the possibility of it being reopened from their side; however, we can design a missile to launch through it once we know the effect it has on electronics.”
“Keep me updated on every development on this project, personally.” I don’t need this information released before I want it to be. This, this is world changing and can put us way ahead of anyone else.
“Always.”
Events permanently redacted due to the War Information Act of 2020
Specialist Greene stared at the mass of greenish powder.
“Another failure?” Violet asked, looking from her own project.
“Almost have it.” He spoke through gritted teeth, setting another clear gem in a device. “The real diamonds can’t hold up and contain the proper charge for more than an hour.”
“And the synthetic ones? Rubies?”
“Rubies tend to collapse under their own weight. It almost killed me last time.” Greene looked through the lens on a microscope, checking for imperfections. “I still can’t figure out if the ‘magic’ requires a perfect gem or what kind of imperfections.”
“Shouldn’t you be doing that somewhere else then?”
“If there was someplace else to do it. But, that last accident has the higher ups a bit nervous.” He turned around after hooking lines up to the gem. “They want it someplace secret and highly reinforced.”
“I’m the opposite of you I guess, just with less resources. I get a few gems to play with since they are in such short supply. To figure out how to use them and what kind of power they really use. These readings are still so strange.”
Greene turned around in his chair. The room was rather spacious, filled with machines and its clean walls. “You still don’t know what causes it?”
“Yes.”
Greene heard her snicker, unable to see her face. “What are we going to do with all this powder though; it still reads as having some magic in it.”
“Maybe see if there are some other applications.”
Events permanently redacted due to the War Information Act of 2020
Tow sat at her desk, wondering what new discovery the Director had for her today. Some of the past ones were incredible. A new explosive using overloaded synthetic gems, which while not as powerful as a true gem, still made a large crater. There was talk of being able to create a field that made all magic impossible, it was needed with a current unicorn.
“We finished the anesthetic.”
“How sure are you that it works?” Tow asked. It had great potential but a fatality from such a device would turn public opinion instantly. As well as leaving behind proof.
“We have tested it on a dozen different ponies. It works by-“
“Don’t tell me. I need the deniability.” Tow stared at the older man. “Can I assume those dozen tests were in a medical center on volunteers?” Tow knew the answer already. Rarity has been sending requests to help look for ‘lost’ ponies. This has become a very delicate game.
“Uh, yes.” The Director nodded. “They came in for medical tests and let them leave afterwards.”
Tow lowered her head. I should have returned those two foals when I had the chance. Holding them has led to other complications. But we have formal relations with Equestria that are tenuous enough already, if she found out those two foals didn’t die, that they were tested on, that holding them made some CIA agents more brazen in their activity. Nothing can be done about that now. The President thought further. They can’t even be released, they have seen too much, even without Brent’s actions, it would end all relations.
“And you are positive it works as specified. If used in the field we can’t take any chances.”
“I have been assured it is one hundred percent effective, with dosages changing depending on a pony’s reliance on magic. The one’s we tested it on never knew what happened.”
“Thank you. That will be all for now.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Tow steepled her fingers, resting them against her chin. There are no good options left…
Events permanently redacted due to the War Information Act of 2020
Sgt. Hayes ducked as a ball of black liquid hit the wall behind him, hissing came from the concrete. In front of him stood dinky, the small grey foal, and the current terror.
The foal’s eyes had gone from amber to a sickly solid neon green color. Her horn crackled with black lightning as pale amethyst smoke boiled off her horn and oozed out of her eyes.
“Get the anesthetic darts!” He yelled, waving his arms above his head to keep the foal’s attention focused on him. Two ponies were huddled in the back of the large concrete bunker; these ones that hadn’t been evacuated after this one went insane. And the anti-magic bubble isn’t working yet. He dodged another mass of black, which turned mid-air to follow him. Hayes rolled as it smacked into the ground. “Where is Ole Blue?” He yelled as darkness emanated from the foal.
“He got transferred last week!” Specialist Greene yelled from the door, arm blackened from being hit escorting out the other captives. “What set this off?” The foal turned on him and Greene ducked back behind the wall.
“Hell if I know. It just went off.” He stared at the rifle in his hands, when he saw another soldier with the distinctive shape of a dart gun in her hands. Hayes gripped his rifle and fired three shots near the pony, aimed to pass by the pony they hit a wall of something solid and rebounded, one went through his leg and another his arm. Hayes fell to the ground in pain as a massive blob of black came towards him at a leisurely pace. He tried to move using his good leg and arm but the thing followed his movements. Five feet from him the undulating black blob fell to the floor before dissipating into the air.
“You are one lucky bastard.” A female voice called.
“No shit, Viv.” Hayes moved repositioned onto his ass. “Now if you could help me to the infirmary.”
“One will be coming here. It took three darts to knock that thing out, we can’t risk it waking back up and knowing what these do.”
“Then Greene?” He winced around the pain, without danger his hormones returned to normal and the pain worsened.
“He’s making sure we have no escapees. You are stuck there. The price of being a distraction.”
“Love you too.” He grimaced. If only there was a crutch I would take myself.
Events permanently redacted due to the War Information Act of 2020
Hayes stared at the screen; the anti-magic field in full effect preventing any of the unicorns from using magic. The small foal was drawing shapes on the floor with chalk. He had been moved from the doors while he recovered, and expected to make a full recovery within a few months.
“Talk about a boring job.” Hayes muttered to himself, alone with screens where nothing ever happened. “What is she drawing?” He leaned closer to the screens. It was an odd pattern with straight offset symbols formed a circle. The Sergeant wracked his brain for why it looked familiar outside of weird occult movies. Then he saw the foal’s flank, it had a similar circle. His stomach felt like it was filled with squirming snakes.
Hayes pressed a small red button near a microphone. “Dinky is up to something. Send someone to investigate it.”
Hayes never let his eyes stray from the monitor; a hiss of static filled the screen as the lines of the circle met. When the screen cleared the circle emitted an aberrant light, making everything on the screen hazy. He saw the small foal walk up to the door to her cell, press a hoof against it and watched the pony melt through the door.
“We have an escape! The foal has figured out how to use magic and escaped her cell!” He slammed his hand down on the alarm. “Be on the lookout for drawn symbols. She did not use her horn. She did not use traditional magic. Use extreme caution.” Hayes’ gaze moved from monitor to monitor looking for the small foal. Damn, we’ll have to keep her sedated. How did she even do that? “Extend the field AM field to cover the whole mountain. And find me a solution if you have to put a round through its head.” He couldn’t let them escape at any cost, not with the current rising tensions, there was already scuttlebutt that Celestia may be breaking off formal relations.
"Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter." — Winston Churchill
6/5/14 12:00pm White House, Earth
President Tow stared at the newest photos placed on her desk; Brent had been right even if he had been just making it up at the time for public opinion. Over the last few days, ever since the bombing, what could be seen as more ponies were filling the shielded area. It took a day just to enhance the image enough for the needed image quality.
The top image showed an alicorn near at the top of their dome, wings and limbs spread, a bar along the side showed the ‘visible’ magic levels which were off the chart, but nothing could be found as to what the Princess was trying to effect. It must be some sort of funeral right. Tow tossed the pile of photos back onto her desk with enough force that several went over the edge and onto the floor. There is no way of knowing because our expert is on the other side and no one else had his contacts! Even if he were here he could never be trusted, not when he gave out those documents. The ones she stared at on another corner of her desk, the copies sent directly to the Embassy, complete with hidden watermark.
There was nothing to do. She lamented, standing to pick up the disturbed photos and files. The U.S. can’t risk information like that getting out; Russia would kill for that opportunity. Who knows what it would do to the fragile economy.
“We must work together to pro-“ She stabbed the power button on her TV with a finger, thankful to finally have it off.
What can be done now? Any kind of favors will make me look weak and anything I do to help Brent will just fuel him and damage any chance of cooperation with Equestria.
She held back a sigh, remembering her mother’s words: ‘Every time you sigh, a little bit of happiness escapes.’
We could reveal “Orpheus” but that could backfire just as easily as help. Let us just wait and see. So long as they don’t know that radio waves cannot penetrate the portal, that the stairs hide a radio transmitter or that the cord for the M.A.L.P. was for communications, they should be able to get set back up. If this new anti-magic field can be modulated properly…
6/5/14 4:00pm Research Facility, Earth
Celestia waited, the Element Bearers would be coming through the portal at any moment, its blue white light reflected off the Solar Princess. The room had finally been cleared of its extraneous human devices, leaving a space large enough for a contingent of guards, even a small dragon if they could fit through the portal. This should end in one hit if hard enough.
She sat, and waited for her tardy student to pass through the portal for another ten minutes before any ripples appeared in its smooth water surface. The first pony through was her faithful student, clad in gold. Horn covered in a vicious looking blade whose main purpose was to protect the horn from damage, a layered plate armor that left only her forearms and gaskins uncovered by metal. A golden sun was etched onto the chest with a center of yellow spinel that radiated a soft magic and mirrored on either flank, a defensive spell developed by Luna. Her helmet and shoulders flowed out like wings, giving an angry visage.
Next through was Rainbow Dash in an onyx armor suit reminiscent of the pegasi of old, before the three races came together. It showed the military tendency with an onyx crest atop a helmet of the same color trimmed in darkened gold. Dark gray caparison covered her body with burnished gold inlayed into the armor and a gem in the shape of a lightning bolt adorned her chest. The leading edges of her wings were covered by a similar metal offering protection without hindering flight.
Applejack was the next one through the portal wearing a different sort of armor. Chainmail could be seen under red plant leather, rear legs covered by a draping piece of cloth, cast metal horseshoes finishing it off. Armor did not work as well for earth ponies, at full speed they could hit something and dent their own armor, power required flexibility. An apple pendant hovered over her chest and reflected the light.
Pinkie Pie came next, as naked as the day she was born except for a white saddlebag emblazoned with her cutie mark. Fluttershy had a similar attire except that her bag had a red cross on it.
“I hope every one of you is ready.” I wish you had more time to train.
“Of course! No one hurts my friends and gets away with it.”
“A’m as ready as anypony I guess.”
“I don’t want to throw a party for this one.”
“Everypony please stay safe.”
Twilight bowed. “We are ready to help.”
Celestia looked at the gathered elements, at the mixed emotions. The cyan mare was ready to let loose while all the yellow could do was paw the ground. “Get some rest and relax. Tomorrow will be a long night. See the guards and get to know them, ask them questions and teach them what you know.” Four of the ponies left her, Twilight staying behind.
Celestia moved closer to her pupil, nuzzling as they met. “What is wrong Twilight?”
Twilight rubbed the back of her neck with a forehoof and looked at her mentor with downcast eyes.
“Did the training go well?” Celestia stepped away, walking to a piece of floor away from the portal and sat.
Twilight followed her mentor. “It did. I’m amazed at how long it felt. There is so much history that isn’t thought. So much magic that is hidden.” She stared with questioning eyes.
“What do you think would happen if foals read half of what you did? How could we maintain peace if past hatred was constantly brought up?”
“I know,” the purple mare started and looked away. “But I don’t want this.”
“Nopony does, but it still happens.”
“But we have never had to kill before. Even Chrysalis was left to live somewhere else.” There was a pleading note in her voice.
“With any luck you still won’t have to kill.” It was Celestia’s turn to look away. “But was what happened to the changelings really a kindness? What if they return or attack some other civilization because of us?”
The student opened her mouth to reply and closed it, trying again to no avail.
“How does the armor work?”
“Steel Mill is amazing!” Twilight fought through her emotions, her face shifting expressions. “These things are so light and yet can block so much.” Sadness eventually won out. “And all I can think of is how Rarity would have tried to make them more fashionable.”
“How are your friends holding up?” Celestia placed a hoof across Twi’s shoulders.
Twilight leaned against the alicorn as Celestia settled a wing over her. “Not as well. Aquatica and Fluttershy got into a fight about the job of a medic and which injured should get the help. Neither of them won. Rainbow Dash spent her off hours reading about the Air Force. AJ has been looking after Sweetie Belle, but hasn’t been around as much. And I have no clue what Pinkie Pie has been doing.”
Celestia looked down at her most faithful student, at the crossed brows as she found a puzzle.
“What was Pinkie doing?” She looked up at Celestia. “And why did she need her party cannon?”
“Tis a surprised.” Celestia winked. “But it sounds like your friends have all grown since you first met them.”
They sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company in a way they hadn’t been able to and wouldn’t again for a while.
6/5/14 7:32pm
Applejack strode through the embassy doors, letting the cape flow behind her with the metal clack of her shoes. It still felt weird to her to be wearing such clothing. The guards all let her pass without incident, all busy with their own preparations. The foyer, a word she learned from Rarity, was filled with weapons, some clearly not Equestrian.
The earth pony made her way down to the basement staring at the pure white of the whole place. There were rooms lining one wall, only one had guards posted outside of it.
The two golden clad white unicorns saluted as she approached.
“Ah think ya got the wrong pony.” Applejack looked at the guards.
“No ma’am. You are the element of honesty.”
“Can ya’ll stop doin’ that?”
“Were you wanting to see the prisoners?” The quiet guard moved a blue gem near the door until gears could be heard in the door.
Ya sure its o-kay ta go in?
“We are constantly observing them from out here and they haven’t tried anything yet. Just be warned the female one is injured and may be a bit feral.”
AJ tried to keep the disgust off her face, it wasn’t mean spirited to her.
She saw two groups of humans, the males and females were on different sides of the room. The male ones shifted their gaze and signaled each other while the female one sat off in a corner and glared. As the pony got closer she heard slight rasping as the human breathed, wincing every few breaths.
Applejack had questions she needed answered and every stop brought her closer to the human she hoped could answer them. Aiko kept up her gaze as the pony stepped closer.
Before the mare could get to the question she wanted, something else escaped her lips. “Whadja wanna spar for anyhow?” It left her voice with anger she didn’t know was there but it was displayed in her body. Tense muscles, clenched teeth.
“Because the second rule of combat is to know thy enemy.” AJ was shocked at the smooth voice, liquid cool as it sent a chill down the pony’s back. “If one day I had to fight a pony it wouldn’t be flat footed. But you were an excellent teacher.”
The mare felt her blood rise, she just wanted to take her sodden hoof and slap the human. The mare raised her hoof only to set it back down. Cain’t do it. She realized. “Why did you kill my friend?” That prissy, detailed-obsessed, fraid to get dirty friend.
The two continued to stare.
Aiko was the first to break the silence. “I have nothing else to say.”
“Now she wants to shut up.” Came a snide comment from one of the other humans followed by the sound of something fleshy getting hit.
Applejack wished she knew what else to ask, but she hadn’t ever expected those answers and doubted anymore would be coming.
6/5/14 4:48pm Bridal Lake, Earth
Celestia looked out at her assembled ponies, the five remaining Elements of Harmony at the front followed by rows and rows of Royal and Lunar Guards. Every pony was alert with crisp lines and clean armor, even the Element Bearers. Her platform stood in the rubble of the Ambassador’s house, beams and blackened wood covered the brown earth with the smell of death hanging over everything.
“Clever. Using the rubble to remind everypony of what is at stake.”
You use what you can to survive.
“In a few hours Equestria will launch its counter offensive to the attack perpetrated against us by the United States government under the guise of friendship.” The Princess used a variation of the Royal Canterlot voice to boom her message to her solders. “You have seen off of their own news sources that they are moving troops into battle, the tanks. Even the speeches have turned against us. We will not let them. Their numbers mean nothing if they cannot use their weapons. A kick from a regular pony could disable one, let alone from the best Equestria has to offer.”
Celestia reached out to feel for the wave of energy hurtling towards the planet, estimating how much longer she had. “In about an hour I will teleport you to your designated attack coordinates. The Elements are going with you to show these humans that we are not weak, that every pony will stand up to them. That we will not let them rule us!”
“For any of you guards worried about the Elements entering into battle; these are the same ponies who stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Queen Chrysalis. They have also spent the past week training with the same mare that trained all of you and focused on the advanced courses. They have direct knowledge of humans and have just as much at stake as you do. Listen to them.” And we need symbols and morale. Celestia reminded herself.
“All medical personnel will stay here to help the injured on their return. Fluttershy has brought more information on triage so follow her lead.”
“What impact will putting human lives on the same level of importance as ponies do to your precious morale?” It was a question Celestia had, but Fluttershy refused to help unless they were all treated equally and her presence was just as important for morale.
It gives us the moral high ground while degrading the human’s.
“Pinkie Pie will be on a special mission. She has already given Buck Shot schematics and ideas to help with defense.”
“A lone pony behind enemy lines. You are more like your sister than you thought.”
Silence! I don’t know why my inner voice has become so vocal but it shall end!
“So be it. I am just saying what needs to be said.”
“Twilight with her new training with combat magic and the help of the Royal Guards shall attack Fort Lewis, a major training and mobilization base. While Rainbow Dash, along with some of the most skilled Lunar Guards does the same for Nellis, Applejack will hit Camp Pendleton with her own group. The rest of you already know your targets and have trained for weeks to be a good group.” Aquatica should not have done this on her own accord, but it was wise.
“Make sure you are ready. As soon as the wave hits, your jobs begin.”
6/6/14 7:58pmPacific Time
President Tow gathered a few loose papers on her desk, several were reports from experts; others were marked as URGENT. There was one warning about increased solar activity, Russia moving troops to its western border, increased activity in the bubble and Brent.
Everything has to happen at once. She fumed as the last few folders were added to the pile. How dare he! ‘I know they took the Embassy. How is that not an official attack? How will the people respond when I release this information in twenty four hours?’ If I EVER get ahold of him, trying to force my hand. Tow knew she was cornered for now, she had hoped for at least a week to figure things out, instead she was having an emergency cabinet meeting.
The best option is a blockade, if they had more trade an embargo might work, show that something was being done… No, so much as one trigger happy marine could end this real quick. Midterm elections are coming up and no way is his party getting those seats. There is nothing we can trade for hostages and no way to get them to give up Bridal Lake. Damn them! Both of them.
The President looked up as the lights gave a brief flicker. She ignored it and walked across her office. If we can take Bridal Lake though, or just give a sufficient show of force. She let her thoughts continue as the lights flickered and died. More good news. The red-headed woman pulled the small plastic slab of her phone out only to find it dead.
Her eyes went to the URGENT file on top, of Russian tank movements. They wouldn’t dare use an EMP just to take a little bit of territory. She made her way back to the desk, everything pitch black, but knowing the office intimately, set her files down and picked up the landline. It too was dead. This line was supposed to be shielded! How big was it? There should have been some indication, we have people who would have heard something, even from China.
The doors to her office burst open. Tow dropped to the floor and moved behind her desk.
“Madam President!” The deep, gravelly voice called. “This is the Secret Service, we need to move now.”
“How bad is it?” Tow stood, recognizing the familiar shapes of these two officers.
“No idea, but we have to get you out of here.” The guard handed her something as she approached, a long cylinder with a strap.
Margarette Tow looked at the object in the pale light, night vision goggles. The world washed away into shades of green putting them on. Outside her office she could see another six guards.
“There is a car in the basement.” He said, leading the group down the hall. “Herbert Walker had us implement it. An old thing in a faraday cage. It should be immune.”
The group moved through the empty halls, very few worked this late at night. The cabinet members will be moved shortly. Air Force One will be dead, She couldn’t remember what was supposed to happen in this situation. Trust your staff.
President Tow looked out the darkened windows of the silver van as they drove past the dark roads, using grass, the median, or whatever part did not have stalled cars. The shapes could be seen in the green light. She took the goggles off and stared at them. “How do these work?”
The Agent in the front passenger seat looked back at her. “New technology ma’am. Something about using rhodopsin and magic is all I know. Expensive as hell though, fifty grand a pop easy.”
“Synthetic?” The President asked, putting the goggles back on. People are out there. I can see them. Scrambling in their cars, running. She looked behind and in front of their van, at the small convoy making its way.
“From what I hear.” His eyes stayed focused on the road ahead. “The real ones are too precious.”
And in use for more important research. How many billions in defense spending went into all this? She had seen the numbers, had made sure of it, and just could not remember.
The sun crested off to her left as the new morning rose. At no point had the President been able to sleep during the night. Even after traveling over 500 miles south, there is still no power. That blast must have been massive.
“Are you sure those reports are accurate?”
“Yes ma’am. The old telegraphs work. We checked one just an hour ago while you slept.”
Did I sleep? She didn’t feel tired but that could have been the adrenaline. The trip did feel like a blur though.
“It extends up to the Canadian border. And we have yet to hear from any place south or west yet. Nothing works and no sign of attack.”
“But, there has been no sign from California or western states has there.” It would be stupid to attack either coast. If any place wanted to attack this coast it would be either with a missile or they would have to go past Europe. To attack the west coast is much shorter, but much better defended and unless they used multiple EMPs they couldn’t have hit both sides of the country. Something felt off, some key fact.
“Get me back to D.C.” Tow ordered.
“We can’t do that ma’am, we have been attacked. There is no other explanation.” He explained from the front of the van.
“Once communications are back up things will need to be coordinated.” She stared down at the pile of files next to her, some lying on the floorboard, one without red sticking out.
“Those defenses are NOT secure enough, we can find a satellite phone to repair further south and coordinate that way.”
Tow picked up the file. Weird solar activity…
“No, that won’t work, satellites will be out too. This is an order! Take me back so our allies can find us.”
“Ma’am?” He asked as he looked back to her then gave a curt nod at seeing her expression. “We will take the next off-ramp.”
“We have two priorities; reestablish contact with Cheyenne, Fort Huachuca, the Pentagon and Nellis. And get us in contact with our overseas allies ASAP. Any unit that can be reached is put immediately onto full alert status.”
6/6/14 8:02pm
Celestia felt the wave of energy, solar winds striking far above, an increase in the flow of energy around her, an increase in the available magic as a quasi leyline appeared before her.
“It is time my ponies.” The Solar Princess looked out at the fidgety ponies. “They should have lost most of their advanced weapons, but their guns will still work. Move into your groups and be careful.”
As her ponies split into groups, Celestia flapped into the air and reached out for the available magic.
“You could just teleport yourself to their capital and take it.” The voice purred. “End it with one punch. What could they possibly do without their leader?”
No. They have redundancies, they have allies and they could counter attack still.
Magic poured through the princess as she prepared multiple translocation spells at once. Not only did she have to send large groups of ponies to each spot but also gear and leave enough magic to teleport everyone back. She saw the auras of all her ponies as her eyes opened, pure magic spilling forth. With a flash of light the groups disappeared one by one. Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Trixie, Buck, and the other five groups followed by the lone pink pony.
When she had finished, sweat trickled down her forehead from the exertion.
“I could have helped them.” Shining Armor protested again.
“No, we can’t leave our foothold defenseless. They will strike back once they figure out what happened.” We must be ready by then, without adequate knowledge of what they may have in hiding.
The warrior looked over the broken landscape. Purple crags broke everywhere; a stench of sulfur filled his nose. Low growls came from every direction. The sky was a mass of white as if snow had covered the sky like it would the ground. The air felt like nothing, no heat, no chill, no motion. Solitary black wisps floated through the air like leaves on mysterious wind. He took a breath yet nothing happened. There was no air to take in. He spoke but no words left his mouth. He moved his legs; tough boots soundlessly met the ground. His arms rested on a black metal object attached to his vest.
In the distance he saw creatures made of fire prowling the landscape. Slowly making their way to him, hiding behind jutting purple rocks instead of going over them. At each footfall there was a hiss. Their paws turned bright red and the ground beneath them softened. Crawling around like cats, fire like human hair sat atop their feline heads, flames licking the ground. Distance seemed to mean nothing. They came closer. A slow pace that covered ground quickly. Or was space not the only thing twisting for the lone human.
The warrior popped the P90 to his shoulder. Not a minute before he had been facing something, no, several somethings with black carapaces and wings. He remembered a purple shield protecting his unit. Princess Twilight holding out as changelings pounded against the dome. Or was that another dream. The creatures got closer, moving out to surround him.
He fired, not expected the gun to work. It barked, louder than normal. The bullets failed to travel in a straight line, but meeting where he aimed and passed straight through the fire-leopards. The world flashed out as if it stopped existing. Stumbling. He gasped and his lungs burned. The warrior collapsed to the ground, fire passing through his body. The warrior looked up, fighting with his own body to see the three creatures circling someone.
The person was familiar, someone he had shared so much with, and who had died. But this was just a kid of seventeen. He was covered in grime and tattered clothes despite looking well kept, he was tattered. The soldier’s Ka-Bar flashed at the fire-leopards. A line opened in one and magma poured onto the ground. One pounced on the man from behind, clothing and flesh charring by the touch.
The warrior yelled on the ground. He heard his own voice, week and brittle. Burning fleshed mixed with the sulfur in his nose. Ragged breathes brought in the hot dry air. Raising the gun, he pointed it at the mysterious creatures as the bit into his friend. He fired. The creature it back popped like a zit, spewing melted rock over the other two. His friend’s screams intensified before dying out completely. The two shapes looked at him. Faces a mix of human and pony. He couldn’t hear their ramblings over the sound of blood in his ears.
They charged, he turned. Running. Feet scrambling over cracked and broken purple rock. He heard them nip at his heels. The man looked behind him, the fire-leopards leapt into the air, lunging for his neck. He turned to fire. The first one hit him full in the chest with its paws, the second in his stomach. Both shattered into ash. Their bent and broken bodies crumbling up into the sky.
This is not your grave.
Why are you here?
The voice came from everywhere. From nowhere. From his own mind.
He tried to speak. The world was back to an airless nowhere. Avery spun. He was alone; the mountains in the distance had vanished. The ground beneath his feet slowly healing.
It is fine so long as you can answer it to yourself.
Do you know your own name?
“Avery Anwar.”
‘I mean you no harm.’ You have heard that often.
“Yes.” The voice had a direction. Always behind and above.
Are you haunted by your crimes?
“No.”
What about your sins?
Do they weigh you down?
Follow your every move?
“No.” Avery kept turning.
You cannot lie to me. The voice started to have emotion. Deep and dark yet comforting.
“What are you?” He yelled. It was odd not needing to breathe as all other sounds but their voices faded away.
I am. The better question is what are you? Murderer? Traitor? Hero? Savior? But these are not for you to answer are they?
The shaking of his limbs rattled the gun silently; he could feel their vibrations against his own. “You don’t scare me.”
You can lie to yourself but not me. A form descended from the snow white sky. It landed gently on wings of iridescent dark blue indigo. It had the form of a pegasus, settling gently on the ground with its three fingered and webbed claws. Wispy blue mane covered its face; something could be seen through the hair on its forehead. There was no way to tell if it was male or female. A cutie mark of Apollo along the flank, stars shinning with their own light. The wings raised to create a whirlpool between them. It took on the appearance of the Earth-Equestrian portal but with space filling its center. Lightning crackled on the edges of the vortex.
“What are you?!” He roared, taking aim.
Its eyes closed as a wind formed from his right. There was a vertical slit down the middle of its head. It shot open to form another eye and walked closer to him. The gun disappeared.
An Enemy? A Friend? What are the point of these labels? You are smarter than this Avery Alexander Anwar.
It knew his name. His full name. The name he picked for himself to fit in.
But it is time for you to wake up.
Avery could hear the signs of battle. The hiss of magic and the whir of bullets. The smell of blood, and bitter fear. His breathe returned as someone banged on his chest. The warrior’s eyes refused to open.
“You don’t get to die here. You still owe me for that bullet you lodged in my back.”
I know that voice. Something that begins with an A.
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on." — Ulysses S. Grant
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, you should first dig two graves." — Confucius
Twilight knew what teleportation felt like, how if she wasn’t careful she could get singed. This was utterly different though, as she moved she didn’t just appear on the military base, Twilight found herself moving down a warm tube that radiated light. Upon exiting she felt better than she ever had, like magic was flowing through her. But there are no leylines on Earth! What else could cause this sensation though?
The unicorn looked at the surrounding woods, happy it was nothing like Everfree, buildings could be seen through the foliage. She looked right and left, disoriented after somepony else teleported her.
“Right would be the base. Left would be the urban housing space for officers.” Quick Shot, her second in command, said under his breath.
Twilight gave a thankful nod. “Ok. Quick Shot, you take Squad B and go for the munitions and weapons. I can take Squad A and head for their barracks.” She moved off, making sure some of the guards were following her.
“Are you sure it is wise to split our forces? There are over 25,000 people on this base and only 50 of us.” There was no reproach in his voice; Twilight could hear he was to clarify.
“The explosions will cause the base to wake up, if we don’t get to the barracks to restrain the soldiers they would have a chance to grab weapons.” But he would know better. Aquatica didn’t have time for this kind of tactics and it was only vaguely covered in the Griffon Wars history.
“Understood.” Twilight was taken aback by the quick reply and sly smile. “B Squad! Make sure to leave some of those explosives for A Squad and move out! We have a ways to hoof it before all Tartarus breaks out.”
With a chorus of agreements, half of the guards left at a brisk trot.
Twilight stared at the 24 remaining guards, staring at her for orders. H-h-how many did he say? What happens if I mess this up? What if-
“What are your orders?”
Twilight looked up at the guards, shocked out of her thoughts. Focus. These ponies are relying on you, just as your friends are.
“Split into five groups. One will be just pegasi.” Twilight turned to one of them. “Your job is to watch out for trouble and give warnings, you get to coordinate yes.”
“Ma’am.” The pegasus saluted.
“The rest of the groups will work in tandem to quietly tie up or knock out soldiers. They should be in the barracks to the left.” Twilight saw the long building with its canted roof, four of them.
The groups stayed vigilant as they crept up to the first building. Twilight and another squad stopped at the first building while the other moved to the next one. Outside the building was a large red machine with the words ‘Coke’ next to a cheap looking wooden door. The first guard turned the handle and gently pulled it out as the rest of the ponies entered. The place was concrete floors with bare wood, metal beds and lots of green. The ponies moved in groups of two to each bed with gags and bound their limbs.
“DA-DUNK”
Twilight shot her head toward the sound; one of the soldiers being bound got a hand free and was banging it on the wall. Oh no!
Faster than Twilight would have expected, the place became a hive of activity as soldiers jumped out of their beds. A guard next to the unicorn kicked a bed over; it landed on two soldiers as another spilled onto the floor who was still asleep. One soldier near the back made a run for the door at the other end of the barracks, the pony knew it would lead to another building full of soldiers. At the same time a rather large human made a run at her through the aisle.
As the human ran up the aisle, Twilight targeted the one running away and sent a beam of purple energy hurtling, slamming into his back then into a bunk with a solid clang. The other human was only a few feet away now, towering over the mare. Trust them like your friends.
White hooves intersected with the man’s stomach and sent him back five feet to collapse on the floor. It looked like most of the humans in this building had been subdued so the group of ponies moved to the next building in line.
Quick Shot came running up, huffing. “The pegasi sent word you were having trouble. Their munitions are rigged to blow in five minutes.”
“Thank yo-“
A crack rang out and something red sprung from Quick’s neck as he crumpled to the ground. Twilight ducked back into the building as another shot rang out. Not before she saw another pony in armor fall.
“Move up!” A human called from outside.
Twilight stared at the unmoving guard missing half his neck, the pool of crimson spreading out. I couldn’t save her. I wasn’t good enough. Thoughts and emotions ran through her head, images of Rarity flashed through her head, holding the crumpled body. The lavender mare, up until now had just been moving as expected, she hadn’t really come to terms with it, only moving because other ponies needed her. Now though, her blood boiled as her mind solidified.
Pool the magic in your eyes, keep them closed while focusing the magic there. Open them, see the lines of magic, the force of life. Twilight opened her eyes and condensed magic flowed out and up into the air. She could feel the ponies around her, white blobs with specks of black fear buried deep. Through the wall were small white specks, somehow she knew they were just on the other side of the wall.
Twilight released the first spell and charged up a second, letting something else in her take over. I will not lose. You won’t take any more of my friends! I don’t have to be nice while capturing you!
A blast of purple energy tore through the wall; pieces of wood flew through the air, more than one connecting with a human. Third spell. She disappeared from the battle while the humans moved back to find cover, moving to the roof. Fourth and fifth spells.
A roar tore through the air, loud enough to rock the building she stood on, drowning out explosions at the other side of the base. A massive figure appeared in the clouds, a giant purple serpent with wings a mile wide, green belly visible from its massive height, writhing down to meet the humans. The humans opened fire on the massive creature. The mouth opened as a stream of blue flames licked forth. Humans ducking and trying to move out of the way and guards ran into the flame.
Twilight panted from the exertion. Spike would have loved that spell. She grinned and wavered. Falling sideways into the waiting body of a pegasus. “Illusions really are hard.”
“Just let me catch my breath.” Twilight rasped, the combat moving farther away.
Rainbow looked at the marvelous machines below her. Works of art. She thought, letting another gem fall. They even have the J-35? She gushed as the high tech fighter went up in flames. Aw man, these things are so awesome.
Rainbow had had her group of pegasi plant gems in the engines of various aircraft, synched to go up when the first engine started. The pegasus couldn’t care less about prisoners, this was them getting payback.
“Sir!” One of the Lunar Guards flapped next to her. “The humans have left their domiciles and are advancing in this direction.”
“Good, attack the barracks as they leave. Then have your guards attacks them from the dark. If you show them your teeth and eyes you may be able to spook them into running.”
“Yessir!” And he flew off.
RD sighed; destroying another aircraft, not even caring what this one was.
***
Applejack ducked back behind the overturned bunk. “Where the hey did those dern guns come from? Road Runner, you were supposed to take care of tha armory.”
“I did.” Beige earth pony squeaked. “These ones were on patrol.”
Somepony must have a wicked sense of humor. Putting an earth pony against mahrines. ‘A good comparison’ mah flank.
Applejack raised her head up to get a view of the human’s locations only to see a muzzle staring at her and flash. The farmpony lurched backwards as something impacted her muzzle with a significant amount of force.
Picking herself up off the floor she put a hoof against the sore spot of her jaw. “What in tarnation?” Another pony lay behind the bed with her and Runner, having massive damage to his leg from the same weapon. She felt heat against her chest from the apple pin. “Well all be a donkey’s daughter.”
Guess I should thank that Aiko for teaching me how ta fight a human.
“When ah say, grab dazzle and move to the next bed.” Before getting confirmation she turned around and gave a massive buck to the bed “Now!”
Runner moved as his name implied while AJ followed the bed, jumping over and lowering her head into the chest of the first human, following him to the floor, hooves in his stomach. Rolling off to buck another human into a bed.
Standing in front of her, point blank was a rifle. Applejack charged, ducked and went between his legs, lifting a leg up as she passed and the human crumpled.
***
Celestia sat next to the Captain, feeling his eyes on her, on the upturned corners of her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, senses focused on her ‘expeditionary’ forces. Along with her ponies she could feel the humans. She had sent them out too early, not enough groups were asleep, surprise their only ally.
Two have finished. Celestia felt the call as a special gem was destroyed and signaled their job was accomplished. She charged up her spell, still feeding off the leyline and teleported her ponies and what humans were near them to a small section of desert under the shield, someplace which had more guards ready to deal with the captives. But three have gone missing. Those magic bubbles have formed over two. The princess tried not to think of the third, that battle had turned faster than she could have responded while tracking so many, the only clue was a spike of terror. A few deaths were to be expected, maybe more than a few. But two of the largest ones have been taken out with minimal losses. That will prove a point. More deaths they have caused.
***
Trixie stood just inside the doors of a small squat building, the place her ‘squad’ had been teleported. The hallway was completely black without light, lit by her horn. She sat in a long beige corridor, flanked by three ponies. Where did The Great and Powerful Trixie land? “This does not look like the floor Trixie was told about. Where is the outside door?”
“Um, this is the second floor. It was on the orders.” A pure white stallion said from behind her, hair a dusting of light grey.
“Of course.” She looked from side to side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows such things. But was the plan not to start further up?”
“Maybe Princess Celestia changed the plan.”
“Thank you Cloud Mover.” She said without looking at the pegasus. Next to him were the light grey Night Sight and the evergreen Tulip Bloomer.
The maregician was still unsure what to think of her ‘colleagues’ who had been training together for more than a month. Luna had sent out asking for pony reserves, a small section of the guard. Trixie had signed up for the free meals, but the training had been worse than fighting an Ursa. Twelve hours a day they had Trixie practice with these foals. Who admittedly did help Trixie a few times. This was also why her group was the smallest, and why they got the smaller target, a single building.
“What is so dangerous about an aap anyway?” She ignored the stallions sigh that followed.
“UAV. An unmanned plane.” Kicker said flatly, again. “They also have research here.”
Trixie smiled as she led the group further, this was the longest she had known any single group of ponies, and they were not so bad.
“You are trespassing on government property.” A tinny voice said from nowhere. “You have three seconds to surrender.”
“Ummm, Trixie?” The green mare asked. “Was there a plan for this?”
It must be a trick! Trixie thought rapidly. The power was taken out.
The lights turned themselves on, then off, the cycle sped up as a screeching came from the walls. In moments the hallway was nothing but bright lights flashing fast enough to make vision nearly impossible as the din became deafening. Trixie staggered, seeing the other three faring no better. She took a step forward as the room felt like it shifted under her hooves, left with no sense of balance. Her stomach revolted, half-digested chrysanthemum formed a puddle at her hooves. The azure unicorn could no longer see or hear, she could not even focus enough to cast a spell.
“A good magician doesn’t need spells if they plan ahead.” She gagged, it barely leaving as a whisper. Trixie closed her eyes to focus, reaching into a small pouch inside her mauve cape, pulling out three small black pellets and tossed them into what she hoped was the air. Strobe lights still disoriented through her closed eyes. The small capsule ruptured on hitting the ground and an inky black smoke spread through the corridor, blocking out the lights.
Trixie stayed where she lay, fur wet, until she could manage to move, noise still blocking out any hope of speaking, even if she had the energy. Her stomach purged more of its contents.
The unicorn felt a tapping on her flank, a guiding arm helping her up. The pony didn’t speak but it was obvious who it was as he guided her left foreleg, pointing it in a direction she didn’t know where, but knew enough to trust. A mechanical attachment was hidden along the inside of her forelegs. Trixie triggered the small gears that shot a firework down the hall. He maneuvered her leg and she let off three more explosives before the smoke began to clear. How does Night Sight see? She groggily questioned.
Heart under Blade stood guard outside Celestia’s bedroom door on Earth. She hated how the armor of a Royal Guard made her look. The lovely blood red mane she had been so proud of was a tacky uninspired blue; her fur was the same color which did help mitigate her ire. The armor made the mare’s appearance into a stallion, something else she didn’t like about her assignment.
Her mind kept shifted to her foalhood, there wasn’t much to do when standing guard.
Heart under Blade compared the design on the floor to the one in the book. The ancient letters scrawled onto the wooden floor, the geometric shapes inside a circle, a stuffed toy bird sitting above it all. Her father watched, making sure the lines were good enough to not destroy the house. He was a large stallion with a sprig of what he called parsley as a cutie mark.
“What are you making?” Hem Lock wiped away an errant line that would have given all the thaumaturgical energy an escape.
“Flutter.” She positioned the birdie better. “I want her to fly.”
“Where’d you get that idea sweetie?” He fluffed the unicorn’s mane. Both her parents were earth ponies, but they had a family history of dealing with magic.
“A voice told me to.” Heart under Blade moved a lock of blood red hair from her eyes. She placed her hooves on either side of the seal and suffused energy into it, the black lightning worked its way over the toy. The bird flapped and lifted off the ground before exploding in a ball of stuffing and feathers once she moved her hooves.
Hem Lock’s flank hit the ground. “You have a bright future ahead of you sweetie. It was years before your mom even attempted something like that.”
“She did stuff like this?”
“Of course. When she gets home from her assignment you can see what her special talent is.”
Heart under Blade stared ahead, eyes moving down the hallway, waiting for the first signs. She had been designated as the Speaker for her people as a filly; she was the first in generations that could hear His glorious voice. The one to help orchestrate his plans, even if she was never privileged enough to know her impact.
The Changelings were attacking, one crashed in front of her only to receive a spear to the abdomen, green goop leaked from the wound as it collapsed. The spear came back out with a shlurp. Her fellow guards were running around scared.
“Stupid foals!” She roared. “This is what we trained for!” Heart under Blade tossed off her armor, black lines crossed her flanks, an ancient sigil and sign of her duty. These creatures looked familiar He had said her job was to stop them.
Another guard was cornered by three changelings, he was holding his own but more were coming, Quick Strike kept two at bay while the third moved around to flank.
Heart threw the spear and charged. One stuck to the wall by a spear while Quick took out the other two.
She hated the guards, but one day this job would be over and she could move on to the next one.
Her most important job so far had been to sneak into Celestia’s personal library and steal an old tome to place it on a certain doorstep and give it a slight enchantment to make sure it was read. Somehow she had failed, the rift it created was supposed to engulf the whole town and take out enough of the Elements that they would never pose a threat again. It failed, yet her lord was wise, he always had another plan. She was allowed to take a peace offering to the Changeling Horde, a perfected disguise spell, but that too had failed. Again, her lord didn’t blame or punish Heart under Blade, instead he gave her more tasks, ones that required the help of her family.
“What’s in the box?” Quick Strike asked, poking the package between them. She would never dare challenge an earth pony, let alone that quick of a one, not when her magic was the archaic type that required preparation.
“I wanted to surprise Celestia with a special gift later. It will do wonders for her tension.”
“Can I take a peek?” He tried to lift the yellow box lid, but the red ribbon kept it sealed.
“No. That will ruin the surprise.” Her heart raced, waiting for the clock to click down. Her mother had designed the specialty box, it would arm itself after her death and ignite at the first sign of magic and target its caster. A truly beautiful creation, a literal work of art with its three stage attack.
Heart under Blade levitated up a bag of cookies from under her armor, a parting gift from her father the herbalogist. “Would you like one? They are made with Sika Sake.”
Quick Strike grabbed the treat. He stared and salivated at the creation before looking back to the mare. “How can you afford that stuff??? The import fees alone…”
It was true, a most expensive drink costing at least five hundred bits a bottle. “It was a gift from father after his latest trip.”
“Wow!” He took a small bite and savored it.
“No need to be delicate.” She giggled. “I have plenty more.” She had nothing against the stallion, it was just her duty.
He took the rest of the cookie in a single bite, a small grin spread across his lips as his hooves wavered. “Theesh are goo.” He Quick Shot mumbled. The stallion shook his head.
Now should come the twinging headache. She moved up next to the earth pony, rested his weight against her as he fell to the floor. His breathing slowed, he convulsed once then stopped moving. Heart under Blade put her ear up to his chest, there was no heartbeat, everything was going as planned.
The unicorn moved back to her own guard position, pulled out a single cookie for herself and put the bag back under her armor. The sweet smell tickled her nose, the best of ingredients for her last meal. She rested the cookie on the marble floor and lowered her head.
“We pray for the eternal darkness. Come and rule your world.” She prayed. “We who have follow since time immemorial. Who hid when the Sun and Moon took power.”
‘You shall be remembered and revered as the greatest acolyte young one.’ His deep voice resounded through her body, she twisted under the pleasure. ‘You will return at the appointed time, to fight beside me.’
“Thank you my lord.” Heart under Blade worked to contain her glee. She ate the cookie in one bite.
It truly was a masterful creation, cyanide worked into its batter, she welcomed the flow as her body shut down and death welcomed her. She knew what her lord said, but she could never be so lucky as to join him, or even see his glorious plan come to fruition.
***
It didn't matter if the alicorn lived or died, either way would further his plans. The Solar Princess was just a means to an end. Either she would start the war, her sister would start the war with her death, or a human would do just fine. Added to that he had taken one element out, the most troublesome one for his plans. The first thing too die in war was generosity. But that was merely the first he needed out of the way.
It didn't even matter who started it so long as it followed a certain path. If this didn't work there were always other plans in play, other things that could be revealed. Let it leak to reporters that the United Kingdom's prime minister had a private zoo that housed at least one unicorn. Or the growing market in certain 'rural' countries for unicorn horns on the belief they could make one smarter. There were always more ways. Always.
He would get revenge on the progeny of those who took his body and imprisoned him as a cloud of black smoke eons before.
Hawkeye: War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. Father Mulcahy: How do you figure, Hawkeye? Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell? Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe. Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chalk full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander - From the show MASH
"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war."
— Napoleon Bonaparte
Berry Bridge Hospital, Los Angeles
Annabel Scott stared at the readouts. Short red hair a necessity of her job when cops brought in a prisoner or a druggie, her white garments spotless, the only color on them her blue nametag and some pens in a pocket. She rested her head in her hands, enjoying a few minutes of quiet.
“Another double shift?”
“Yeah. Third one this week.” Annabel looked up at the blonde muscular man, her fellow nurse.
“Why don’t they get someone else? You’re gonna kill yourself at this pace.”
“I volunteered. We’re short staffed and I can use the distraction.” She groaned. Where’s that coffee?
“Things still that bad, eh?” He drank out of his own mug, a horrid ‘This too shall pass, like a kidney stone.’ Written in yellow letters over a blue background.
“Yes. How’s the patient in 403?”
“Still can’t breathe on his own.” Mr. White collapsed in a chair next to her. “Is it always this hard?”
“Just wait for the full moon. Or a few hours.” Annabel taunted. “Then it gets real interesting.” She felt the stirrings of a headache. “We get backed up like none other. If you need it, go take a nap for whatever you can get.”
“I might just take you up on that offer.” He rose, taking his time as it turned into a stretch. “Twelve hour shifts are hell.”
The lights sputtered and failed, the readout to her left sparked and she heard some machines in patient rooms do worse.
“Was that a power surge?” His face was barely visible in the hazard lighting, small chemically fluorescing pieces of plastic letting out green light.
“Maybe? But if so the backups should be up by now.” The head nurse had had to read those files for her position, in case of emergency. “This can be easily solved.” She pulled a smoking slab from her pocket. Tossing the phone onto her ‘desk’ and picked up a dead landline. Annabel saw the various nurses and staff looking frantic. OK. Someone has to take charge.
“Mr. White, Get to 403 and get a bag on him. If we have no power then he can’t breathe.” She turned to one of the orderlies. “You, go outside and see if this is localized. If anyone here has knowledge of electronics or know who is, get your ass to the backup generators and find out why they have yet to kick in.” More people scurried off. “Everyone else, check on the patients and do what you can to keep them stabilized until the power comes back up.” She yelled down the hall, soon enough the nurses, orderlies and patients would be freaking out unless they kept busy.
While orderlies and nurses ran around she made for the lounge to rouse the on duty doctor. So far it had been a quiet night so he wanted to grab the couch before a “lazy” nurse could.
She threw open the door, making sure it crashed against the wall; acrid smoke from the television filled her nose, puffs of smoke still wafted from it. I don’t care how good of a doctor he is! He wants to insult my nurses he doesn’t get the nice wakeup. But the bald man didn’t stir; he was normally a light sleeper. She moved to the old doctor, shaking his arm. It flopped off his chest to the ground. The nurse picked up his hand, placing her fingers at his wrist where no pulse could be found. How? Except for that pacemaker he was…”
She hurried out the door, doing her best to not seem like she was rushing. “Has anyone seen Jaqueline Bryant?” She called, moving down the hall of rooms, antiseptic odors burned her nose. Nurse Scott moved from room to room trying to find the nurse who should have been back by now. Moving outside, was a figure sitting on the curb staring up at the bright stars.
“Have you ever seen the stars so bright?”
“You were supposed to come back in!” This is going to be a long enough night without nurses losing it already. Her nerves were frayed from the lack of sleep.
“But you can see the stars. There are no lights anywhere. It’s amazing.” The nurse sat breathless.
Annabel Scott looked at the surrounding buildings, many in the distance taller than her hospital. Everything was dark, everything. Her heart sped up as epinephrine pumped through her veins. The calm night belied its utter danger. More people will die this night. What do we need to keep the others alive? She ran lists and possibilities through her head.
“Jaqueline, I need your help with something.” Annabel waited for the junior nurse to acknowledge her. “You drive one of those old Toyota pickups if I am not mistaken.”
“Yeah. From the 90’s. You couldn’t kill that Hilux with a nuke.” The nurse was just coming out of her daze, actually blinking.
That may be a bad choice of words but hope it is accurate. “Great. Get two other nurses or orderlies with older vehicles and see if they work. I have a list of doctors and nurses with their home addresses on my desk. I need you to visit every one of them and get their asses here STAT.” She moved with measured steps while her insides trembled, stomach clenching.
The nurse followed stumbling for words, finally getting some sort of cogent thought out. “Do you know how dangerous it will get out there?? I could get hurt!” She complained.
Annabel turned, livid and lips pursed. “And do you have ANY idea how many will die HERE if you don’t?” She poked a finger into the junior nurse’s chest as the younger backed into a wall. “You have a commitment to save lives and I expect every damn person here to work their asses off for it.” Throwing her finger toward the patients and staff. The head nurse took heavy steps to her desk, ripping the papers off it and shoving them at Nurse Bryant. “Make sure to pick up Braum immediately and bring him here. He has the most experience in situations like this.” I sure as hell don’t.
Annabel’s attention shifted back to the other nurses, having heard the commotion knowing more was wrong. “We can talk about it later. The lights won’t be coming on anytime soon. We are changing to a triage ward; focus on the ones we can save unless we have the extra manpower. If you don’t know how to MacGyver something together, ask a colleague. This place will become very busy soon.”
Annabel slumped in her chair, trying to blink the sunlight out of her eyes. The night had been worse than anything she could have imagined. Braum never made it in. Jeffrey, one of the orderlies found his small car sandwich by an SUV. Somehow patients found their way to the hospital. They ran out of beds well before midnight.
The head nurse opened her eyes the rest of the way, shielding her eyes with a hand. Whoever set those mirrors up is a genius. But they shouldn’t have let me sleep. She stepped over people lying on the floor, some with wrapped and bloody bandages. No ambulances had made it in, but that didn’t stop people. She went out to the waiting room.
The cheap blue seats installed into the floor were covered in people. Off, huddled in one corner sat a family covered in blood, crying over the limp form of their son. A car crash had severed his arm. Annabel looked away, any other night his life could have been saved, but the sheer volume of people and lack of refrigeration was destroying their supply of blood. And even with threats only half of the doctors came in. She looked past the mechanical doors that had been forced open and her nurses in the parking lot attending to more patients wherever they could find space. Without shipping, we won’t be getting any new meds. How much do we have in back?
Annabel made her way back inside. I should be numb by now. Between the years working here and last night. She wiped a tear from her eye, fighting to not let any more out. Doctor Burke, an older man with an ebony complexion came up to her.
“Are you ok?”
Why have the doctors been asking me? I have enough to schedule with shifts and food procurement since we aren’t leaving anytime soon. “I’mm fine. Ask Joy if she needs any help. She should be outside.”
She watched the doctor leave, turning to watch, she tripped on the outstretched leg of someone in the hallway. Annabel turned back around after catching herself, ready to yell and stopped. He had a set of tools in front of him and was playing with the insides of a radio.
“What are you doing out here?”
“The room was needed for a broken bone. I came out here to fix this.”
“Why don’t you go home to your family, kid?” She huffed, leaving him to his work.
“I am not a kid. I am a college student. And unless you know of someone else who can fix this. You need me.” His chest puffed out, he actually seemed proud.
“Fix?” The only news she had been able to receive was what patients were saying and she doubted North Korea was seriously invading.
“Yeah. It overloaded, capacitors and transistors blew. Just need to replace them with scavenged parts.”
Annabel saw the boy; facial hair barely coming in. She couldn’t see anyone twenty years younger than her as anything but a child, his eyes had to be straining in the dim light. She lowered herself next to him, balancing on the balls of her feet. “Tell you what. You can use the lounge, at least there are candles in there and maybe a working flashlight if someone found one. There is even food. But there is a catch…”
“What’s the catch?” He stared up at her, eyes half closed in suspicion.
“You have to work just as hard as everyone else here to repair whatever you can. Tell the orderlies if you need something specific and send them to bring any friends who can help.” She offered.
“Ok. I accept. But, I am perfectly happy right here for the moment.” He went back to his work. The radio squealed as he adjusted more parts. The sound aggravated her already pounding headache.
Annabel moved on. One problem hopefully better. Now we need to set up some way to test blood for type. If we can give transfusions that should help. We will also run out of sterile supplies eventually.
Head Nurse Scott, who might as well be head administrator for the ER sat back in her chair grabbing up a pencil to write out the next steps and to figure out schedules.
One Week After Lights Out
Annabel felt a hand on her shoulder. Didn’t I just lie down? She wondered, sitting up on the couch, one of several that had been brought in. Through bleary eyes she saw the form of Mr. White. The ER had become a separate entity from the main hospital; it wasn’t her concern at the moment.
“We have an issue out front.” He said before going out the lounge door.
Annabel got shakily up to her feet and gave a solid stretch before grabbing her lab coat. Mr. White guided her to the main doors to the ER. She had expected a fight, or thieves, or some huge emergency, not this.
Outside the door stood a horse drawn carriage covered in a tarp. It was guarded by two large Equestrian guards, unicorns. And a single white pony wearing what looked like a standard medical cap.
“Is there something we can help you with?” Annabel asked, these were the first non-injured anything she had seen. In fact they were so clean as to make her realize how long it had been since she had a shower, or even had running water. Outside was a plant for distilling clean water.
“I am nurse Redheart.” The white pony took a deep bow. “We heard about the emergency in this area and brought what supplies we could.
Annabel gave the pony a curious eye, always one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she moved to the carriage which was bigger than her own dead Prius. She removed the covering and let it drop. She turned around to see Mr. White still standing by the door. “Get everyone out here NOW! We have supplies!” The man ran off and she looked through the supplies. There were antibiotics, pain medications, bandages, alcohol for sterilizing, in the bottom were even what looked like MRE’s.
“Do you have any news? What happened?”
“Just that some terrorist group attacked several places across the country at once, said it was against Earth-Equestrian alliances.
Annabel looked back to the three, specifically the two guards with sharpened spears. Nurses, orderlies and families of patients came out to help; more than a few had stayed to do whatever they could. If true then these three, or just the non-unicorn risked a lot to bring us supplies.
“Surely you could use a helping hoof. I do have some other medicines which could help.”
The head nurse, the operator of this ward finally saw the rucksack hiding the pony’s cutiemark. Even if her meds don’t work, if patients think they do it could stretch our supplies a bit further.
“Fine, but your guards can’t.”
Redheart looked to protest.
“This is a peaceful hospital. We can only help others by being such. No weapons or you can leave.”
“And if they are part of the deal to protect those supplies?”
“Then you can take them back, we can figure something else out.” Annabel saw the workers unloading the cart stop. We have started having people bring in food, to offer help. That cannot be risked.
With a flash the two guards disappeared. “Where do you need me?” The pony nurse asked.
“Find a tall muscular blonde man. Tell him to show you around and give him a list of what you can do.”
The pony gave a nod and rushed into the hospital. The cart was being unloaded again and Annabel let herself have a minute. We can use the help. God, I hope she knows what she’s doing.
Two Weeks Later
“Are you sure this will work?” Annabel moved to the back of the device, and old cathode ray tube television with its back off and wires sticking out. The huge box-like object sat on the table in the break room.
“It should. The fused or overloaded parts have been replaced and electricity returned yesterday.” Edward made a few more adjustments to the back of the television, small screwdriver sticking out the side of his mouth. “Just be prepared to pull the plug if anything starts to smoke.” A pile of books lay in a corner, marks on the side showing they came from a library.
He really came through. The radio worked, but so many stations are down. Just messages to stay indoors.
“Doesn’t there need to be a satellite to get a picture?” One of the other people in the room asked. One of only a dozen.
“We can switch between that and the antenna. Any luck some were protected by Earth’s mass and repositioned.” Edward stood up, put his hands on his lower back and stretched.
“You still think it was a solar flare?”
“That’s what the rumor says and it fits.” Edward looked about the room. “I think we are all set.”
Annabel pressed the power button and it came to life with a hiss of static. She shifted with the channels, looking for any working station. After what seemed like forever a wavy image came up, sound hissing out the speakers. The elongated face of a horse, or in this case an alicorn could be seen, its mouth moved but no sound came out.
3:26pm 6/20/2014 Oval Office, Washington
“Are you sure?” She spoke into the receiver, the responding voice contained a hiss of static.
“Positive. Ma’am. Satellites over the Northern Hemisphere are out of commission, we have been repositioning what remains to cover the holes.” The voice a General at NORAD. “How is power for the rest of the country?”
“Some spots will be without power for a few months at least. There are billions of dollars in damage. The shielding protected a few bases but most are having their comm systems repaired.”
“Thank God we got those new generators, those are miracle workers. How did the one in the White House fare?”
“It was off at the time. And I don’t want to hear about it. I was nervous enough having it on while Celestia was here. Have you heard from anymore of the bases along the West Coast yet?”
The general gave a sigh. “No. And that is the most worrisome thing yet. We’ve heard from our sources overseas and both China and Russia are just as surprised at what happened as we are. They have begun fortifying their borders. They are mirroring the same fears you have and have started burying some of their tech but they were able to confirm that it was a massive solar flare. Our scientists can’t figure out how it was severe without any warnings and the blast was very select in its target.” The man sighed again.
“Have you told them the other option yet?” The room was empty except for a few guards Tow trusted with her life. The anti-magic generator had been moved to under her office and activated.
“That it was Equestria? They wouldn’t, believe me. I don’t even believe it. A bunch of pacifistic brightly colored horses taking out, even temporarily the largest military in the world.” To the untrained ear his voice would have sounded hopeful, but there was something else there, a knowledge that he was lying to himself.
“Make sure to keep me informed and keep everything at DEFCON 1 until further notice.” And get back to me with how badly our forces are fucked. Reliance on technology. It will be years to fully recover from this, if we can. How much was lost in burnt out computer storage?
Tow had the television on but muted. There was no hope of picture returning but it was just something she did, an old habit. The image of snow cut out to be replaced by the regal face of Princess Celestia. A face President Tow wished was smiling, this was a side of the pony she had only glimpsed. The alicorn’s face stared soullessly into the camera, like she was staring at the President from the same room.
President Tow grabbed the remote off the corner of her desk and hitting the mute button to return sound. “Are you seeing this?” She asked stunned into the air.
“Unfortunately.” The voice responded.
“People of Earth.” Celestia started.
Tow felt her stomach sink as the Equestrian continued.
“Three weeks ago the United States declared war on Equestria.”
3:15pm 6/20/14 Bridal Lake, Earth
The Alicorn of the Sun stood on the soundstage, a green wall rested behind her. In front she saw various ponies moving around and being directed by a light pink earth pony. Two more ponies sat behind a desk full of levers pointing things out to each other. Celestia was not sure if she wanted to have her student here or her friends. This is only the opening salvo. They kept several bases and that one still had power.
“Almost ready your highness.” Cherry Blossom moved the camera that stared at the alicorn, moving it into what the young mare thought was the perfect position. “Thank Celestia they were on the other side of the gate.” She looked up at her leader. “Um, sorry.” Looking away.
“It is quite alright Mrs. Blossom.” Celestia gave her a small smile and nod of the head. “You truly are an expert in this.”
Blossom’s cheeks reddened even further as she moved to hide her expression. “It’s nothing Your Highness. I was in talks with that director and he was more than happy to teach me this stuff while helping with his, well, your story. And there are quite a few books on the matter.”
Celestia turned her eyes from the mare, giving her some space with her emotions. She saw on the earth pony an expression of regret as her motions slowed and became more recalcitrant, the difficulty swallowing and the brief catch in her throat. He was a friend to her, but so were many of those lost.
“Everything should work.” Blossom looked like she had minutes ago with her emotions hidden again. “The signal will go to a news company and they will feed it to their satellite you protected. They are certainly happy to get the video first.”
“They are predators first.” Celestia replied. “They would turn on each other if we offered them enough gold.”
“Then couldn’t we just pay them off?” Cherry Blossom twisted some dials on the large camera.
“There aren’t enough riches in Equestria to keep them at bay. What happens if you feed a hydra for even a day?”
Blossom looked down at her hooves. “Nothing good.”
“And some may be good but they will still follow evil orders or they will just be used as shields.”
“I understand.” The pink mare made one last adjustment to the placement of the camera. “and we are ready.”
“Thank you.” Celestia lowered her haunches to the grounds, stretching her front legs to make herself taller and feeling the muscles stretch, nodding to her cameramare to start the recording. The Princess saw an image of herself on a screen in front of her, the green behind her had been replaced by the Royal Flag of Equestria; Luna and Celestia flying around a sun overlaid by a crescent moon.
“People of Earth. Three weeks ago, the United States declared war on Equestria.” The alicorn let that sink in to the viewers before she continued. “The security staff for the human Embassy came through the portal, the humans we trusted most and talked to regularly, and they attacked our territory and citizens.” She kept her ire under control, letting out just enough to show her anger and shock.
“These four humans,” Celestia saw the image onscreen change to show two humans in black being escorted to the Equestrian Embassy by a phalanx of golden clad guards. That picture then shifted to one showing the confiscated human weapons along with devices recovered off of the houses. “and bombed Bridal Lake, a civilian population center along with the Embassy. They failed to assassinate me but succeeded in killing our Ambassador and a national hero by the name of Rarity.” The screen kept shifting, flowing, the footage Blossom had taken that night.
It started with Celestia’s room, blackened, gold running down the walls like rivers of blood. The view then shifted out of a blown out window to zoom in on the chaos of Bridal Lake that night. Houses on fire, a foal crying against the leg of a guard calling out, another pony covered in soot crying over a limp body. All of a sudden another building went up in fire, the door exploding inward with the entire building engulfed in seconds. A scene of chaos as ponies on stretchers were moved around and others looked at them, a familiar yellow pegasus helping to wrap the stump of a leg. A lavender mare glassy eyed in a corner, the scorched remains of a white unicorn. More than one foal could be seen dead.
“We came here in peace. With magic and a wish to help all mankind and this was how we were treated. At every corner we have been treated like animals. We will tolerate it no longer! The human Embassy in Equestria has been captured along with the people responsible for such an act and they will be tried by Equestrian law. However, evidence was obtained from Ambassador Marcus showing that President Tow knew about and planned this mission along with Senator Brent. Any human found innocent shall be returned immediately or given the option of amnesty if they fear a reprisal on return. Evidence we have so far gathered will be disseminated to the people and news outlets, including the confessions of several of the perpetrators.”
“On the sixth of this month the nation of Equestria declared war on the United States in fear of a second attack and more troops moving closer on a daily basis. We are responsible for the power outage and had no idea how sensitive human technology was to solar radiation and you have our sincerest apologies for any damage this caused you. I am glad that the solar radiation could be pinpointed so finely as to mainly hit the Western Hemisphere. Our goal was just to disable the military forces along the West Coast.” She shifted her position, lowering her face slightly along with the insides of her brows. “As of this moment, we have captured many of the bases west of the Rocky Mountains and destroyed what weapons of war were there. Any nation that tries to interfere will be met with the same fate and attacked with a solar flare of sufficient magnitude to render them harmless to us and the nations around them. If you persist we will attack.”
“What we want is simple, that Senator Stephen Brent and President Margarette Tow face trial for their actions and face punishment for their crimes against Equestria and take responsibility for their actions. For this, you will have your bases back along with your soldiers found innocent. We are not conquerors, we do not want land; but we are not prey for you to feed off of either. We are done playing nice, now we play by your rules.”
Celestia felt her mane ripple as she talked, magic being released and mimicking a blowing breeze.
Berry Bridge Hospital
“You lay one hand on her head and you will be out of here!” Annabel’s voice resonated through the small room.
Redheart shot her head up, to see the large human who had helped her around the hospital glaring above her. She felt incredibly small. From her vantage point she could see the television and part of Celestia on the screen. Buck. The room felt colder, every eye seemed focused on her, she felt smaller and smaller. Breathe coming faster and shallower.
“You!” Annabel called to the mare. “Come with me. Everyone else stay here and don’t talk to anyone until I get back.”
Nurse Redheart stood on her shaky hooves and followed who she had come to see as her boss. To the right she saw the practically deserted hallways, she could run, that could guarantee her safety. The guards would still be nearby, if there weren’t mobs out to get her yet they could take her back. Her hooves clopping over the linoleum floors hurt her ears as the blood pumping through them the only other sound.
The mare realized Annabel was leading her further into the hospital. To a small storage closet. The head nurse opening the door and motioned for the pony to enter.
“Fine.” Annabel sighed and entered first.
Redheart followed closely.
“Talk.” Annabel ordered.
Redheart stared at the human, feeling her hooves shake.
Annabel lowered to the balls of her feet, Redheart felt like she was more on even ground. “Why are you here?” Her voice was cool, it felt more concerned than anything else.
“I was ordered to.” Redheart backed up and felt her rear touched the closed door, she looked at the bolt only to realize it was locked.
“Were those supplies from the military bases?”
How… “Yes. Celestia ordered us to some of what she assumed were the harder hit areas. To bring goodwill.”
“For propaganda?”
“Probably, the guards were supposed to stay for when her message came out.” She hated that the human’s face was still calm.
“And yet you stayed.”
Redheart looked to her hooves. “I lost track of time. I was supposed to leave yesterday.” She had actually fallen asleep after a long day and had no way to wake herself up.
“Instead you were helping out in surgery.” Annabel seemed to lose herself in thought. “You have two choices. You can stay here and help these people, or you can go home. Which will it be?”
Redheart had to think. How many of her fellow medical ponies had been asked for something similar? Had any of them forgotten to leave? Were they given the same chance or just killed? She knew how evil these creatures could be, or thought she did. These ones so far had been nice, better than nice. She had seen how hard they worked, what they were giving up just to TRY and save another life. It does beat treating ponies for baked bads though.
“Will the other accept me?” She hesitantly asked.
“I will take that as a yes. If no then just leave before we get back to the lounge.” Annabel stood back up. “But there are a few ground rules. The patient comes first. You have any problems you bring them to me. And you do nothing to sabotage us.” She opened up the door and started walking back the way they had come.
On the walk back the pony wondered why she warned about sabotage. Look at what Celestia did. What would I do if fighting came here? Who would I side with? Redheart realized she didn’t know the answers. She would protect her patients; this was becoming her home too and she had always taken pride in her job. There were still things she was unsure about.
Annabel Scott knew the risks. The pony could inform on what they did to Celestia. Harboring a pony could lead to others attacking this place. Or worse, her own people could leave over this. She opened the door to the lounge, opening for the pony to enter. She watched the eleven people in the room, gauging their reactions.
She took a deep breathe, putting the headache which seemed to be a constant companion in the back of her mind. “I would like to introduce you to Nurse Redheart, newest member of the Berry Bridge permanent staff. She has officially been hired. Anyone with a problem can take it up with human resources, which would be me.” She had to lead. “She has been working just as hard as any of us and could have left at any time. Instead she stayed and has been just as deep into a patient as any of us.”
Annabel looked about the room, she could tell most of the staff would follow her and her technical expert already had his nose in another device. But several, including Mr. White were still unconvinced. “She may also be one of our best bets for more supplies.” That did it. She realized, letting gears turn in other people’s heads. The head nurse doubted any more supplies would be coming, and that was a piss poor reason to hire someone.
“These same rules extend to our patients. Our job is to heal, if you can’t deal with that. Well, you know where the door is.”
Tow stared in shock at the television set, dropping the remote onto her desk. This couldn’t be happening, all her hard work, all that time. She needed to stop this now before it could escalate and involve the whole world. Enough of the communication lines had been fixed for her to contact several defense stations. The one she wanted specifically was in Kansas.
She was supposed to seek military advice before doing this. It would also lose her much support, a lot more if it went wrong. How much is a human life worth in this regard?
She stepped out the door to talk to her secretary personally. It was a different person today, some people needed time off. “Get me the emergency satchel and the Secretary of Defense in here immediately.” Tow did not want to do the next part, but speed and secrecy were of the essence. “Then inform the UN that we are initiating a SIOP against Equestria.”
The man behind the desk stared, he had obviously understood. “Yes ma’am.” He replied before picking up the phone.
President Tow had other things to set up as well. Bring in her cabinet, set up generals, and seek help from NATO. Just in case this didn’t work. There was no consensus on how strong that shield was. All this went onto a paper with options as she waited for the Secretary of Defense.
It didn’t feel like very long before a man in a fancy suit and grey haired dyed brown walked through her door unannounced. He looked bland, the type you could see anywhere.
“You got here quickly. I assume you know why.” The President watched as a man in dress blues walked through the door with a briefcase shackled to his arm.
“The Football gave it away. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.” There was nothing more to say. The United States was at war on its own soil. They had just lost a large portion of their fighting ability. This was no time to hold back. A few thousand deaths was better than what was coming. “We will launch a single missile, a Minuteman III. The United Nations should be informed soon.” Those facilities had more than enough redundancy for at least a few to survive. And if the satellites to convey the message didn’t work there were a hundred other ways to launch the nuclear device. President Margarette Tow felt dead inside, and as time passed she felt worse. Somehow the vibrant green grass outside was no different than that of a noir. “Let’s get this over with.”
***
Celestia stared at the sky. Surely there would be an attack of some kind. Either bombs, jets, tanks, something. She even had a special plan in case they used that. The alicorn had no doubts that some military survived her attack or had been fixed, the question was how much and how aggressive these humans would be.
The Princess of the Sun saw a single flame in the sky and felt no other humans around. She would have expected more of a carpet bombing or long range artillery strategy, something that wouldn’t lead to so many human casualties. But this worked out better, at least for her. A second later she realized it could be a feint to learn her defense strategy. If it is a feint, they will learn why this is a safe place for my little ponies.
Celestia connected the two ends of her spell, the first had been placed about two hundred and seventy miles away to the south-west. The spell worked just like her regular teleportation spell, she just made sure it reacted faster. There was no telling how the arming and detonating sequence would be affected. She had to concentrate more than usual. This world hated magic and long range teleportation could drain a pony. It wouldn’t hurt her, she had done this herself to set up the other end. The bomb would either detonate inside her spell which would mean in would burst through her spell or it would appear two thousand feet above Los Angeles.
Celestia pondered over the few seconds the bomb took to travel. The inanimate object should feel nothing, there were ponies who couldn’t and they were attuned to magic. But machines have no true senses to cut off. She let that train fade as it would do what it did. Instead she focused on how this would impact the war. It would show she could defend herself, show the world how quickly this country would use such measures. With luck it would break their will to fight as they lost millions.
As the bomb came out the other side she sent an aide for Shining Armor. There were modifications to make to the shield. There was fallout to protect against.
***
Annabel Scott stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. It had been a long double shift but it was almost over. Then she would be able to go home and sleep, the persistent headache could be ignored until then.
She could see from the buildings across from her there was some sort of flash behind her, and by reference behind the hospital. Annabel turned and was nearly blinded by the flash. It lasted for at least fifteen seconds; the nurse had gotten very good at telling time without a watch.
The head nurse stared in shock once her vision cleared. “Oh my god.” The words coming out my sheer reaction to the unreal sight before her. The large explosion, she couldn’t tell how far away it was, was slowly rising into the air into a familiar shape. It was something everyone knew the shape of.
Annabel ran back into the Emergency Room. Practically yelling at the security guard to let her back in. “Mr. White” she yelled once the guard buzzed her in and she was off running again. “Get out all the iodine!” She roared. She had no clue who would have launched such an attack or even if she would live through the next hour.
She had seen the recent news along with everyone else. But neither the US nor Celestia could possibly gain anything by use of nuclear devices. Was some other country worried about this spreading? It wasn’t her concern, only the patients in her care were.
***
Tow sat dumbfounded in her chair. Alonso Paz remained by her side. They were both responsible for this. At least 1.3 million were dead now. The radiation from such a low explosion was expected to reach Las Vegas. It wouldn’t be enough to kill at that range, but the panic would. There would be riots all along the path and maybe further as people assumed the worst. That included the parts of Southern and Central California that weren’t affected. Food and products coming out of those areas would be suspect. And she had caused it.
‘No. You were merely defending your people. SHE caused it. It was the Equestrian that let it detonate so close to the ground. You planned for an air burst. You can’t sit and wallow, you must act before Brent does.’
Yes. Brent will drag it out. Use it to prove he was right and I can’t protect this country. Tow thought.
‘You can mobilize what is left of the military; just imagine how much magic she has used up.’ The voice continued. ‘You know they can’t gain it here, strike while she is weak. If you have to you can use machines. Once you take Bridal Lake you could deliver whatever you want to their side. All you would have to do is send one lone person with a bomb through that portal. You can win this war she started in hours. You will show everyone that you can lead, that you deserve your position.’
The voice sounded odd in her head, it sounded like one of her old law professors. She had never liked that man, but he had been smart. Maybe this was her mind’s way of showing her a new path.
“We need to follow this up. She deliberately placed that bomb in one of our cities. This was her doing and we cannot let it stand.”
Lyra sat atop a chartreuse cushion next to Princess Luna in Canterlot, in a small off white conference room. Save for the table in front of them and the pillows it was empty, not even Lunar Guards were allowed in the room.
Lyra looked at the list Luna was making as well as some blueprints and a single doodle of an opossum. “The biggest problem will be holding them on this side. They can’t just be thrown into a cell. The need socialization with other humans, an ability to shower every day, some sor-“
“Every day? Preposterous. They should wash away their own scent markers?” The Princess tilted her head to the smaller unicorn.
Lyra thought of her own experiences with cleaning. It was done very rarely for a pony and only if dirt became embedded or they got covered in something. Or if you want to remove all scent from your body because you are tracking down changelings. “Certain groups of humans yes. It is required for cultural acceptance to smell and look a certain way. Some even shower three times a day.”
“We should like to see more on this. What other things do humans need?” Luna scratched out more letters on her parchment.
“Food is the most important. They eat many things ponies do except for hay and grasses, instead they eat meats which have to be cooked. It can be substituted with plant proteins.”
“Unless we bring in griffons to cook and hunt the meat it will have to be.”
Lyra looked at the Princess of the Night, so much different than her sister. Where Celestia was calm and serene with a gentle smile, Luna looked more severe with a scowl and upturned nose, more aloof and proper.
“They can’t be alone. Humans have tried that on each other and it makes them go feral. They also need mental stimulation like games or books.” Lyra was reading off of her own list based off her own observations of the past two years and what humans had of themselves.
“What risks can they pose of escape?” The diagrams on her paper grew.
“That may be an issue.” Lyra paused rubbing her leg. “They do not like being confined and will actively seek escape. They can even use clothing to fashion weapons or may try to kill themselves if things seem bad enough.”
“Is that why you visit Anthony so often?” There was a glimmer in the alicorn’s eye. Luna’s face was pointing at her paper, but the eye was focused on the unicorn.
How much of this is my fault? The anthropologist asked herself. “They should be transported in groups to the prison, preferably bound and under heavy guard. They will try to escape.” Lyra felt her spirits falling.
“How would thy deter escapes?”
“They are determined and military ones stick together so informants won’t work. If you treat them kindly you could gain some help, but it could be a ruse to lower your guard.” They are sneaky and can change appearances faster than a changeling. “And you have to be careful with threats as that can give them a sense of purpose, yet without purpose they can lose their spirit.”
Luna nodded thoughtfully. “Very much like certain creatures here.”
Lyra felt a nudge against her side; she had to fight to stay upright.
“Thou should go to thine marefriend. We have an idea what to do and can discuss it with our Lunar Guards.”
Lyra gave a thankful nod and looked down at her papers and left them there as she could see no more use for those ones. Lyra had been in a daze all day, planning for this meeting. It’s not wrong. But it feels it. War is preferable to some kinds of peace, if that peace is the constant threat of violence it would be no different than being used as cattle for changelings.
Lyra had the chariot take her home, to 314 Stirrup Street, the flight happening in what seemed like a blink of the eye to the mint unicorn. The heavenly aroma of home cooking greeted her as she strode through the door. The unicorn quickly found a cream colored earth pony mare in the kitchen with a fresh tray of sweets on the counter, her cobalt blue and fuchsia mane tied back.
Lyra nuzzled the earth pony. “Don’t you have work today?” She asked, stepping out of the way as the mare set to melting chocolate in a double stacked pan.
“Sweetie Drops has the shop today.” Lyra tried to object, but was cut off. “My sister will be fine. Besides, I wanted to be here for that claw delivered letter.” Bon Bon gave the unicorn a wink.
“It Came?!” Lyra jumped up. “Is it good news?” She enthused, bouncing in place. This may finally make some progress!
“Maybe.” Bon Bon said around a spatula, shaking her tail to a beat only she could hear.
Lyra quickly found the letter on the table, the wax seal still in place. She picked it up in her magic, ripping the letter in her excitement. Reading it twice just to make sure.
“SQUEEE!!!” Lyra ran up to her marefriend, bouncing the whole way. “He said yes! We will be going tomorrow!!!”
“Lyra.” Bon Bon giggled, placing her hooves on the unicorn’s shoulders. “Just don’t get your hopes up too high. Even if this works it will take time.”
6/22/14 Ponyville, Ambassador’s Home
Anthony milled about the living room, reshelving books and trying to find something to do, his things were being returned after some pony had decided they didn’t prove a threat. The television didn’t work even if he cared to watch it and outside of the unicorn visiting every other day, he had been left alone so long as he didn’t try to leave. If he needed something he was to tell his guards and they would bring it to him.
He looked at the boxes of stuff, most from Earth, most of it now useless. What use is Arabic in this world? Or Russian? Those books and tales he shoved onto the far side of the shelves. At the bottom of the box sat a leather bound album, a picture of himself in a tuxedo and Aiko in a white dress. The album was his idea, she never liked it and now it was just more junk. He flipped through the book, feeling his emotions roar. The thing that had always made him smile now angered him.
Anthony closed the photo album and with one hand on the spine chucked it at the nearest wall where it fell open. Off he went, pacing through the house. Another thing I will never see again! The ex-diplomat sat in a green chair and breathed, back straight. Focus on the now. He told himself.
The front door rattled as a hoof knocked against it. The linguist’s first reaction was to yell, to tell whoever it was to go away, to leave him alone. It won’t work, you know who it is. The same pony it always is. All she wants is to help. He tried to remind himself. This is no one’s fault, this is the way of the world.
Another set of knocks rattled the door, these ones more urgent.
Anthony knew the door wasn’t locked and so did Lyra. What can I defend against with a door lock? The Lunar Princess? Pissed guards? “What? You actually want to knock this time?” He called out from the chair, not moving, his voice cracked trying to add a laugh in there.
“That was one time.” Lyra called back as she opened the door, something purple on the ground behind her.
“Twice.” Anthony corrected, holding up two figures. “Lest you forget last week.” He saw her take the room in, it was pointless to try and hide things, she had already seen him at what he hoped was his worst. He also saw her eyes linger on the leather object.
“Are you really going to count that one? You weren’t responding-“
“I was in the shower!”
“I know that now.”
“And you wanted to interview me more!”
“It was productive.” Lyra’s grin went from ear to ear.
Clever. He realized her ploy. He sat there a little easier as the mint mare and the small dragon moved closer.
“I came like I promised.” The small reptile grumbled. “What did you want?”
Anthony knew who the dragon was, he wish he didn’t having trouble looking at the dragon. Change gears. Why would she bring Spike? What do I know? Ersatz child of Twilight Sparkle, works at the town library, and had a thing for Rarity. That last hurt.
“I was hoping to borrow some books from the library, but I can’t leave this house yet.” Anthony saw the dragon’s stolid expression and crossed arms. Lyra who stood behind the dragon gave a subtle nod. “Learn something about my new home.” The place I am stuck in. He corrected himself, but couldn’t say. “Maybe something on obscure unicorn history, you are welcome to borrow any books I have here.”
Spike’s eyes lit up, calculations running behind his eyes. His voice came out squeaky, “Only if you write up a summary of it.” The dragon’s hands were now folded in front of him.
“I can do you one better.” Anthony offered, mimicking how Isao talked to his kids, lowering down to better look into the young one’s eyes. “I can write you up a summary with analysis of every chapter.
The dragon popped up like a spring and ran forward to take Anthony’s hand.
How much is this really helping? ”On one condition.” He heard his own voice, sterner than he intended. There were plenty of things he could no longer stand, and at least one pony he could help. “Any books down here you can add to the library’s shelves and you take that,” he pointed to a stuffed black dog on a shelf, “To…” He had to take a moment to remember the foal’s name, it was hard with everything going on. “Sweetie Belle.”
“I don’t know.” Spike replied, taking a hesitant step back.
“It has already been checked by the guards. You can have whatever tests you run on it.” Anthony reassured, getting up and grabbing the toy. “It was a gift from when I was a child and broke my leg.” Taking it over to Spike and lowering himself down. “I was told it was there to protect me, and it should do the same for her. I know she could use it right now.” He couldn’t meet the dragon’s eyes but felt a gentle grip remove it from his hands.
“It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”
Anthony heard claws clicking on the floor. “Why don’t you take that to get checked and bring back that book?” Lyra asked.
“Right away.” Spike called as he ran for the door.
Anthony looked back up as the door closed, he saw Lyra back at the book. “How did your plan work?”
“Mhhhm.” Lyra said back, not really listening.
“Did you ask her yet?” Anthony sat on the ground. This should get a reaction.
Pictures fell to the floor as the mare jerked her head back, voice a few octaves higher than normal. “What?!”
“Did you ask Bon Bon yet?” Anthony watched her jaw go slack, her body stiffen.
“Umm.” Lyra stared into the distance. She looked about the room, trying to keep her back to him. “Do you mind if I take some of these pictures with me? Taking them to the prison since they are being moved soon.”
“They are being moved?!” His hands hit the floor.
“Luna didn’t tell you?”
Anthony saw Lyra eyeing the distance to the door. And relaxed his posture which did nothing for the pony.
“I think I left the stove on.” Lyra galloped for the door with his pictures. “See you tomorrow!” And she was gone.
“What is going on?” Anthony asked out loud, leaning back to rest against the chair. Lyra is always flighty but never like that and Luna hasn’t stopped by in a while.
6/24/14 10:00am Bridal Lake
Avery jingled the chains against his wrists and ankles, the cold metal pressing against his skin. Victor, Isao, and Aiko similarly chained and all kept separate. Easier to separate us and keep us from attacking in a group. Each was surrounded by five armed guards, their armor something unique that looked like a golden medieval knight on a pony. He doubted being able to take them out with anything less than a fully automatic machine gun.
It wasn’t just the guards leading them, expecting him to stay between the guards but they didn’t force it, there were additional guards along their route catching a glimpse of another human being led away with fewer guards. The village had started being rebuilt, half the damage had already been removed. That is some fast building, less than two weeks.
Avery had already been told where they were going, Equestria. They must not have figured out how we got in and are worried about a rescue. Or they are preparing a trial already. There was a lone ‘warehouse’ he could barely see, a set of tracks leading to the warehouse did not bode well, the pattern looked familiar. No one they came across was speaking, everything had a somber tone with a hint of animosity.
Avery looked back at the other three. Isao was watching everything, cataloguing what he saw, working to keep the other two separate. Victor moved along like he had no care in the world which Avery knew to be untrue. While Aiko had such a glower, the commander was surprised she had the same number of guards as he did. Just need to keep them safe, gather intel about the other side, figure out a means of escape. We need to figure out what happened to the Embassy staff.
His heart-rate increased as they entered the research facility, the place was empty of computers, machines, additional ponies except their guards and a looming alicorn. He felt the haft of a spear softly nudge him in his back. They are being too gentle. Are they just wanting cooperation? The guards led him to the portal, standing to the side, not moving with him.
Avery stepped up to the pool of standing water. Taking a breathe before stepping through; his skin tingled as it passed through the event horizon, stronger than he remembered it feeling. He stumbled on the steps at the other side, a series of silver clad guards and the other alicorn. They are not taking any chances.
Avery stepped down, noticing the stairs were a wooden model, realizing the steps on the other side were wooden as well. That makes communication harder. As he stepped away, four guards surrounded him and had him wait for the others to move through the portal. A flash of white blinded him.
As he opened his eyes he found himself, he didn’t know where. Further out stood two buildings, one low and squat and the other a large partially hidden by trees. “Is it safe so close to the forest?” Avery asked the guards.
“Safe enough.” A guard grunted. “There are ponies living just as close.”
They were led to the small building, the size of a small house and looking like concrete. “Enter.”
A small electrical field charged his body as he entered. Inside were four cells and a single open area. “You will be allowed two guests a day for an hour a piece, one human and one pony, all communications will be proctored. The living room will be for official meetings and questions by officials if they deem it appropriate. Lyra will come in once a week to interview you and you will answer all her questions. Once you pick out your rooms the chains shall be removed.”
Avery moved down the hall, stepping into the first cell, the bars were solid metal but there was some sort of couch and a bed. “Could I get some books to pass the time?”
“A pony will be by later to check on your individual needs. Ask her.” The lead guard who had been speaking, used his magic to release the cuffs from afar and levitated them through the bars after the door was secured.
“Some awfully nice guards I say.” Isao called.
“Orders for your sanity.” The guard replied, removing the last pair of chains.
“Orders from who?” Aiko called sternly, having been placed in the cell across from Avery.
The guard didn’t reply and simply walked out.
At least we have more information. They want to keep us alive which means they don’t plan to kill us. He looked about the room, a simple chair, a bookcase and a bed, not even a light. Plenty of stuff to use as a weapon, unless they are watching which they have already proven capable of. Test them slowly and don’t arouse suspicion.
6/25/14 Undisclosed Facility, Equestria
Yay! Lyra bounced, saddlebag on her hips. This can work; I can show that it’s all a misunderstanding! That humans and ponies can get along. That we are the same in so many ways. Prevent this war from escalating. Prevent…
Lyra finally got to her destination. Two guards standing outside, a clear magical charge on the door. The guards looked at her and physically opened the door.
She felt the magic as she went through the doorframe, felt the teleportation magic move her and damped her magic. It was a subtle thing, this magic and Lyra almost missed what it did to her. She had no idea where she was, not even able to gather enough magic to do anything more advanced than basic telekinesis. She understood why and was kicking herself for not expecting it. This is the human’s location, it would be secret, it would be neigh impossible for them to escape even with help, and any visitors could still perform basic tasks. The teleportation is fine enough, I could also remove items from bags.
Lyra passed the anteroom and moved back toward the cells. None of the humans paid her any attention; she did notice one looked directly at her then turned his attention away. “Are you all doing okay?” Lyra asked, looking at the humans.
“It beats the Hanoi Hilton.” Avery replied laconically.
“And Leavenworth.” Victor had clear relief in his voice.
Lyra decided not to voice her confusion about the places. “I wanted to see if you needed anything.” It was more disconcerting than she was expecting, at least one was always out of her view. The mare set the bag down with her magic and opened up the flaps, pulling small articles out, happy everything was still there.
“I couldn’t bring you much,” Lyra admitted. “But I did try. I had to get this out of the Embassy for you Avery, it’s one of your books.” She levitated the small black and white comic over to him. Maybe some Marevelous Comic’s Power Ponies.
Avery grabbed the book. “Thanks.” And set it in his lap, watching her work.
Next Lyra pulled out a photo and levitated it to Aiko, she floundered for words while moving it through the bars. Why am I doing this? Who am I trying to help? Is this meant to be a test? To keep her strong? She looked at the two books in her bag for the two she never really understood, wondering if she should have given those ones first.
Aiko took the picture out of the air, stared at it blankly for a few seconds. “Is this supposed to mean something to me? A photo?” Her forehead furrowed, head moving side to side. “You can keep it.” She crumpled up the photo and tossed it at the pony like so much trash.
The photo landed at Lyra’s hooves.
6/26/14 Earth
The speaker on his radio hissed, followed by a series of beeps everyone knew.
“This is the Emergency Alert System with an important message from the President of the United States.”
“On June 6th the Earth was hit by a Coronal Mass Emission that Equestria has since taken credit for. Power systems across the nation and neighboring countries were blown out or overloaded. They used this to attack major military bases like Nellis which have yet to be heard from, claiming this was retaliation for an attack by the United States government on their soil which was perpetrated by a terrorist group that had been working within the Embassy.”
“Power is being returned as quickly as possible with supplies being shipped in from around the world with every country sending what they can while we get a better understanding of the current situation. It will be months before every system can be repaired.”
“Hospitals were hit the worst with vital lifesaving equipment being destroyed while most major cities had major traffic fatalities from shorted out cars and traffic signals and lights. The death toll is estimated at over two hundred thousand lives lost and the number may increase to millions as reports come in from not just this country, but the world.”
“This is now a war on US soil and citizens west of the Rocky Mountains are advised to stay indoors. Military recruiters will be open twenty four hours a day in major cities.”
“This message will be broadcast nonstop with updates. Please inform your neighbors.”
“Are you sure about letting aid through?” One of her aides asked. “Weapons will slip through and it will only encourage rebels. We have nowhere near enough ponies to watch even one city.”
“That is precisely why they must be let through, Green Leaf.” Celestia shifted her gaze from the aide to the myriad of reports on her table. Her bedroom had been cleaned, but not yet fixed, the better to remind herself and her ponies what they fought for. “What will happen to the citizens if food and medicine are cut off?”
“They will go hungry and get sick?” The aide was obviously unsure of her own answer.
“They will die and their loved ones will blame us. They already do.” She moved the casualty estimates to another part of the table, the figures were only vaguely useful as they were the numbers the Unites States were using and could be blown up for sympathy. “But if we feed the poor, or even just safeguard certain parts of certain cities at least some will look up to us and a few may fight for us. At the same time, the United States government will have to devote resources to the same or risk losing more people. It will be a matter of morale and economics.” Eventually some may even request our aid.
“Does that mean products will not leave those states?”
“Correct. These areas manufacture food for the rest of the country.” And it will be only a matter of time before they try something. “People may wish to petition for peace.”
Green Leaf pawed the ground. Celestia tried to remember when that had become such a common mannerism among her ponies. “Do…do you really expect them to turn over their leaders?”
“Neigh. They have no reason to trust us. Some may but not many. This first round is to show we are on equal footing. To make their allies doubt. In time an International Court may try them or their own country in the pursuit of peace.” The Princess of the Sun felt a few last vestiges of hope. They were quickly dying though. Did she want a peaceful solution? She banished the thought; it could only weaken her resolve.
The question lies in how long they wait to attack and when. That must happen soon.
"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
— Winston Churchill
6/20/14 3:20pm Undisclosed Location in U.S. airspace.
This isn’t how things work. There is supposed to be a buildup of forces, cessation of all diplomatic communications, small skirmishes. Not even a warning shot, the equivalent of running across the border to burn down the White House. It was a miracle that blast hit at night, when air traffic was slower and fewer vehicles were on the road. The casualty numbers were inflated; it was a good propaganda move.
But what if it wasn’t a miracle? She shook the thought from her head.
Tow sat across from two marines holding rifles while a secret service agent sat next to her as Marine One, a variant of the Black Hawk. The reports told her it was just a matter of replacing certain parts and that other military weapons were being fixed as fast as possible, the F-35 easier with it modular parts but there wasn’t enough supply, it was taking a day per plane to fix. But the Secret Service had whisked her out of the White House as soon as the alicorn appeared on television.
“We think they bribed a network for use of their satellite to broadcast their transmission, probably one used to cover China.” The agent next to her said.
How can they all be so calm? Tow wondered, staring at the expressionless faces of two marines. Do they not understand what just happened? No, they know, they are just expecting me to tell them where to go and what to do. To tell them what to shoot; to protect me and their countrymen.
How could Brent ever have been so stupid though? Assassinate a foreign leader? Even the CIA is reluctant to try that anymore. And how did he know? It felt like her heart stopped. I caused this by denying I sent people to plant bugs, she already knew, someone talked and with Brent; Celestia must have thought a war was coming. President Tow rummaged through a stack of papers, pulling out a writing pad and a pen. Someone had to give her the information, made it look like a war. Brent wouldn’t have, he would have planned for the strike to fall on someone else. The only safe bet is to assume the Ambassador and the entire team was compromised in some way. Celestia got through the Embassy’s burn safe too quickly.
When was the last time there was a war on American soil? World War Two. And none for a long time before that. We need information and a battle plan. Talking won’t work and we…I. Tow corrected herself; have given them a huge advantage.
“Lisa, I need the military leaders at 9x immediately, I don’t care what you have to do, just make it happen, make sure there is an AM generator there, we don’t want any surprises from a teleporter. Find out what the CIA and NSA know. Get ahold of Jethro and tell him I want the files on our ‘guests’.”
“Yes ma’am.” The aide was sitting further away, no longer looking as nervous now that she had a job.
Tow entertained the idea of stringing up the Senator for his crimes, she knew he had to have been involved, it reeked of underhandedness and manipulation. The only trouble was she had absolutely zero proof and he was an American citizen being handed over to a foreign power.
“And call an emergency session of congress to vote for authorizing military action.”
In flight to Bunker X9
“Madam President, we have a call coming in from Texas, it’s Senator Brent.” The copilot of Marine One informed her, waiting to know if he should pass the call back to her or just disconnect.
“Put him through.” President Tow picked up a phone next to her chair, the plush leather feeling much harder than it had a moment before. “And set it to record.”
“Yes ma’am.” The marine clicked several buttons, a red light blinked on the phone, signaling Brent on hold for her.
Margarette was conflicted, but politics had to reign, working within the system, the failings being what drove her to politics. “Senator Brent.” She replied, more ice in her voice than intended.
The Senator seemed to ignore the tone. “Madam President. I would like to offer you my complete support. I assume you are headed to a secure location.”
What game is he playing now? “Is there something you needed Senator? I am in the middle of contacting who to lead the army.”
“I would suggest Keyes; he always had a good head on his shoulder.”
Tow didn’t know of any Keyes, but she was not as familiar with the military as she should have been. “I will take that under advisement with the Secretary of Defense.”
“That is all I could ask.” Brent spoke like silk, a small tremble in his voice. “However;” he stopped for a moment, “I want you to know that whoever you pick, I will make sure my supporters back him completely.”
“You will be held to that. This call is being recorded.” His response stopped her for a moment.
Brent laughed, something from deep in his chest, no malice just humor, something happy. “I would expect nothing less.”
“Why are you doing this?” What does he have to gain?
“As a wise man once said, ‘a country divided against itself cannot stand.’ Especially when at war. We must provide a united front, keep up morale. Do what Americans do best, unite in tumultuous times, and prove that we are one people.”
“I thank you and will take that under advisement.”
“That is all I could ask. Stay safe. And, I am sorry about my role in this. I never would have piggybacked off of your operation if I knew it would blow up like this.”
The red-headed president hung up the phone. So that is his game, still playing for the election I see. ‘A Senator willing to step across the aisles for the betterment of the country’ is how he will slant it to the press. And if one of the military leaders I pick does poorly, it will all hang on me. She thought about that last line of his, the line where he admitted it was his fault, a line she could never release to the press because it would implicate her as well. Now if I want to take you down I will have to go down myself, or find other evidence.
6/20/2014 Bunker X9
President Tow sat in the darkened room, a complex buried under the ground to help protect it, she steepled her fingers and closed her eyes to assess the situation. She thought of those CIA reports, of their special studies. She had hated letting them proceed but was glad she did, a neighboring room was filled with machines required to make a bubble of energy that absorbed magic, preventing its use; it had already been thoroughly tested and shown to work against any magic. It wasn’t morally right, it still isn’t. But isn’t that why I told Jethro to keep those files to himself? Deniability? Now we have weapons and a better idea how to defend ourselves. She heard one of the scientists gave it the nickname the Manehatten Project. The things people do to keep their sanity.
She opened her eyes to look at the packed table, filled with generals and advisors. From the recently promoted five-star military leaders, a rank reserved for times of war; her Vice President, an ex-athlete that made sure to keep the physique; several members of her cabinet, the CIA director and several others.
Executive Committee of the National Security Council. Last time was Kennedy for dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world is never at peace, but to lead during a war.
“What ideas does everyone have about how to respond to this threat?” She ordered, eyes moving between the members of her council.
“Isn’t there some risk of just appointing people to a military rank? Congress has not even declared a war yet.” Shaw was always a bit of a coward for Tow’s taste, never wanting to offend anyone and now worried about his own political career.
“I have sixty days and there is no way congress will not declare war.” President Tow stared the man down, not wanting more complications.
“Senator Brent may use it as another reason to impeach you. Say you are trying to make yourself an emperor.” He continued.
“Like the one we are fighting now? She is just Hirohito from the last war.” General of the Army Sidney Adams responded. A man who had seen actual war and had a will of steel, always with a hint of fire though. “That stuff comes after. You can only fight one battle at a time. What are the exact forces we have at our disposal?”
“We have enough satellites back up or repositioned to get a good look at the damage.” Director Shepherd pulled some images onto the screens set into the table for each member.
Tow had already seen the images. Hangers and tanks destroyed, the fires had burned themselves out leaving only wreckage. Small scouting parties had gone in and found nothing but a few patches of blood with some testing pony and others human, all ordinance and weapons had been destroyed.
The room stilled as the military men saw the damage. “And that blast took out the rest of our forces.” She saw Sid mutter, saw the gears turning.
“Not quite. So far we have gotten at least sixty f-35’s back up and running as well and some older f-18s and some 14s. The modular design of the new craft made it easier to repair. There are also quite a few tanks that are back up and running. And they only focused on the bigger bases so the smaller ones escaped unscathed.” Director Shepherd informed, having been gathering as much intelligence as he could since the initial attack. “The attacks took place around the same time as the solar flare which was clearly the intent, and is backed up by the age of the damage. They have not expanded yet and are most likely waiting for a response from us.”
“And all they want is Brent? I could live with that.” A hearty chuckle bellowed from the Fleet Admiral, a man who had his own run-ins with the senator.
“There is no way in hell we are handing over a United States citizen, let along one of its leaders to be judged by some two bit despot. We have enough kangaroo courts to deal with on this planet.” A heavy, meaty fist landed on the table.
You didn’t pick this man for his diplomatic skills, merely his ability to fight. Patton. Tow reminded herself, letting the quarreling parties’ get a little bit of stress out of their systems. Maybe they can spark some kind of idea.
“Our first priority should be to move what troops we have to positions away from bases, make them harder to hit, but still able to be mobilized. Aircraft may be a bit hard to move though from places like LNAS. Should we recall overseas troops is something else we should look at.” All heads turned to the Secretary of Defense and his carefully metered voice, a cool breeze of rationality whose words pierced the fighting. “What about getting supplies to people that have now been cut off?”
“Do you think this is my first day? The troops have already been moved with whatever ordinance they could truck out.” Adams countered.
“We have eleven carriers out at sea that should be able to return. Or had, we have yet to hear back from two and one has been reported as sunk. Just be warned though. Those ships are the only thing preventing wars throughout the world. The first fleet in the Sea of China would cost China thirty percent of its forces if they got aggressive. That’s the point of surrender for any army.”
“And how many have we lost?”
“We aren’t the aggressors.”
“It doesn’t change the question of exactly how many did we lose?”
“Not that many. Most of our troops are overseas.”
“What kind of food can we afford to send in?” Another asked.
“We have to let all shipments in or we could lose support. Act like business as usual, send in the national guard to get more information.” Tow couldn’t lose support, as there would still be money; all that happened was military territory. And she knew some of those supplies would be feeding the enemy, but Equestria should be able to feed their own troops. It was intriguing to her. Celestia could in fact just take over means of production and take what they needed, but was playing with sympathies.
“What about the economy? Could they flood the market with gems and gold?” She looked up, her economic advisor Blair Keening sat off on his own.
The man was bald, skinny as a rail and wore thick glasses; he cultivated that stereotypical look though as she knew he kept in shape and shaved his head. “I don’t think Celestia will do that. Historically if gold prices fall the dollar rises. There was an exemption in the 80s though. It will also impact the economies of other countries like Europe that she wants to keep out of the war.”
“Which should also mean they will not want to support our enemies as that would cause other countries to align against her. And a world war is the last thing either side should want.” The Secretary of Defense spoke, getting nods from the military men around the room, although that occurrence would still be planned for.
“Then we should plan a counter-attack immediately. We should have a standard two pronged attack, send everything we have.”
“No. We don’t know what kind of defenses they have.”\
The General was ready to argue again. “They are feudal. They can’t stand up to our full military might.”
A hushed laugh echoed through the room. Adams returned the mystery snicker with a glare.
“And they did more damage in one day then Pearl Harbor with that CME. We will do this properly, then you can attack. Or we can find a more moderate General.” Tow had to set the rules that she would be listened to; this was no time for infighting. “How many troops can we bring back?”
“Not even half.” The Admiral of the Navy looked over some papers. “What do you think is keeping the peace in the Middle East and Korea? China may stop North Korea from doing something stupid but we are stopping the South. And there are many more places like that.”
“Fine. Move back what you can covertly. Sneak some teams onto the coast. We may have to switch tactics quickly.”
6/22/14 6:00am, 50 miles East of Bridal Lake
Staff Sergeant Gallindez was still fifteen miles out from his target, helping to clear the way for the artillery. The M1A1 rattles as it shot along the rocky ground at thirty miles per hour. She looked at the various screens. She may only have commanded this tank but it was still hers. The gunner, an E3, sat at her feet in the rotating turret, the only one she could see. Most of the newer A2s were still under repair except for those used specifically for the commanders.
Gallindez had seen a concrete sky before heading out, the weather unseasonably cool. A voice in her ear kept them apace the other tanks in the small battalion of hodgepodge units. Light filtered down in streams that darkened the area and created long shadows. Besides that the scenery was more than a little creepy with discarded and scorched tanks littering the area. There were no bodies, but more than a few tanks looked like they were ripped in half. Was the cordon really this close to the dome? She wondered as they kept moving.
The gunner nearly jumped out of his seat with her when all hell broke loose, as did she. They were warned about possible attacks so they were watching the wreckage and the skies for possible threats. A tank at the head of the formation went up in a flare of purple just as an explosion rocked her tank from behind.
She started issuing commands to the driver in the main body of the tank, explosions were popping up sporadically. A spot one tank had gone over erupted beneath a long range artillery unit. She could see the formation breaking up. Her commander wasn’t responding. A bright light filled the cabin as the tank flipped.
***
Second Lieutenant Roberts looked out the window of his F-18, one of several dozen fighters on this mission. It was a ragtag group with A10s, an A6, F-35s which he had never seen in flight before. There were even a handful of reaper drones. He knew this was at least a two pronged attack with more forces coming in from the Pacific.
“Hit the pink shield first with everything, fire the second you get a lock. Fire at any kind of defensive structures you see. Clear the way for the ground support.” Crackled over his radio. They were flying out of the sun to make themselves harder to see, it would also help to spot the bright pink shield.
“Prepare to fire.” Roberts knew they were well within range for Hellfire missiles which worked off of radar but he didn’t know what everyone else had, and this needed to be a fast strike before the bubble could be reinforced. “We have bombers ready for a second pass.”
The sky above was dark; everyone was keeping a lookout for surprise attackers.
Roberts focused his breathing. Just like training.
“Fire.”
He moved the selectors and depressed the button and objects launched from his wings as a puff of smoke erupted feet from his cockpit and released dozens of colored streaks he saw in an instant.
“Is that …confetti??” He heard from his wingman, followed seconds later by a reply from a fellow pilot.
“Negative. Negative. That is flak. Repeat, that is flak.”
A burst went off in front of a fellow pilot, the engine flared and ignited before the craft lost lift. The craft turned down and dove before the pilot punched out, a small white chute could be seen opening as Roberts flashed by. “Shit!”
“Launch your weapons and fall back immediately.” Someone called out from the radio. “Remember, we are near enemy lines. Fire and fall back. If you start to go down, aim for the flak launchers.”
“Watch out, we have incoming pegasi!” Someone called out through the radio. “They have bombs!” The mysterious pilot called out before and explosion ripped through another aircraft. Flak still peppered the air around Roberts. The aircraft juked and jinked through the air. He saw techno colored things flying through the sky.
A bright orange thing was right in Robert’s path. It looked to be flying at him but at a much slower speed than he was towards it. The pegasi released something from its hooves and he pulled hard right, a blast reverberated through his craft.
“What the hell.” The blast felt like massive turbulence and he had to fight for control of his aircraft. He fired at a grey and blonde pegasi as he turned, unsure if he hit it or not. It was time to leave; he fired what he could and had orders. His commanders would know what to do. “This is Eagle three, Weapons expended and pulling out.” He didn’t see his wingman anywhere as blasts continued to pepper the sky.
6/22/14 6:13am, 10 miles East of Bridal Lake
Twilight stared at the battle above her, but focused on the enemy in front. Her chest clenched. It wasn’t that long ago that her biggest fear had been escaping a hydra or battling changelings. Now tanks and troops were moving up as she watched from behind a mobile shield, the occasional shot peppering it. The attack made no sense to her, what could a frontal assault possibly provide? Any good chess expert would use this as a distraction, but there were more units here than Princess Celestia had predicted.
They must believe they can just force their way through. An aircraft crashed into one of the party cannons and they both went up, several white shapes floated down from the sky. Pegasus guards would collect them if it was safe. They must have underestimated our defenses. Even Celestia had predicted this would happen. They should be doing the same attack from the West. The place had been ringed by cannons, mines and other surprises.
The tanks started firing once they hit the two mile mark. One shell hit her shield and it vaporized. It took her a split second to teleport away; hot metal still hit her leg, leaving scorch marks along her fur. Then an explosion tore the treads off the tank. Some of the guards had taken mines from the various bases before destroying the ammo bunkers. Twilight was now proud of their foresight as more mines started to go off, along with some of her own based upon the human’s designs. The unicorn also knew of other weapons being worked on, there was talk of making gun easily usable for ponies.
Twilight stared at the carnage dispassionately, regretting the need for such measures yet realized the battlefield was no place for emotion. Emotion got you killed or made you stupid and expend yourself.
The enemy turned back much sooner than she expected. This must not be their full assault. Twilight realized. There was very little long range artillery which was the first thing their Air Defense destroyed. The image of the guard with his throat ripped out ran through her head alongside the burnt body of Rarity. Princess Celestia knows that’s what will happen if we can’t win.
Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight. “Did you see how amazing those guns were? Those planes didn’t stand a chance!”
6/22/14 6pm, Bunker x9
President Tow looked at the figures, at the estimated damage to both sides.
“I was wrong.” General Adams admitted through gritted teeth. “Can we discuss the minuteman now?”
“No, the fallout will kill how many citizens? Did their shield show any signs of weakness?” Tow asked.
“The color shifted and cracks started to appear on the areas with massive hits to them.” Shepherd looked at his papers. “We believe a large enough hit should shatter it.”
“So, a minuteman and just have it impact the ground.” Adams continued. “Any luck the radiation will leak back through the portal and make it too hot for entry.”
“And too hot for us to hold. If Celestia really has control over her sun there is no telling what she can do with radiation.” Shepherd shot back.
“What if we launched one through the portal?” Alonzo Paz finally spoke up, the completely nondescript man spoke up. His brown hair was the result of dye, average height and weight and believed to only speak when he had something to contribute. “If we destroy the shield and move a small nuclear device up to the portal or through it, which should be considered a decent deterrent.”
“And how do you suggest we destroy that shield? You have some secret weapon up your sleeve?”
Tow sighed, it seemed Adams couldn’t get along with anyone, but that seemed common for Generals.
“Project Thor is operational.” Paz said, a smug grin plastered on his face.
“That is operational?!” Adams glanced around the room.
“It has been for quite some time. It was just deemed too risky for international relations as it skirt the line of WMDs in orbit and would be too easy to shoot down.” Paz continued. “It hits like a small yield nuke, but without explosives or fallout. It drops a nine ton rod of tungsten onto a stationary target. But, with the X-37 project proving successful we have a means to deliver it anywhere within moments. We launch the X-37 which goes into orbit, a small craft with two pilots. And when it is over the target it will open the bay doors and launch however many rods we need before returning to base. It can’t hit moving targets due to the heat of re-entry blinding its sensors but it can hit a stationary target within inches.”
“What do we do about their Princess then?” Shepherd asked. “We don’t know exactly what she can do.”
Tow steepled her fingers, there was a way to do it though. “Bring Senator Brent here and call in Celestia for a Peace Talk. And make sure for her arrival that the AMF is turned off for her arrival, but leave someone at the switch, and see what kind of force we can sneak into the area.” Now all the President had to do was figure out how long it would take for the X-37 to be operational and when to make her trip to New York to seek aid.
"Aim towards the Enemy." — Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher
6/24/14 4pm, Geosynchronous Orbit above Bridal Lake
Thor sat in orbit, having left the space craft minutes before. It now received minor adjustments from ground control. Focusing its optics on a large pink circle, it centered on the large marble Embassy building and performed last minute physics calculations for the controllers back at base. ‘Using current force estimates and predictions, a single kinetic launch will be sufficient to force to remove the obstacle and level the surrounding areas.’
‘Launch 1’ Came his orders. ‘And put 2 on standby.’
‘Orders confirmed. Launching 1.’
Thor primed the first round and moved it into position, rotating the drum of six. Round 1 clicked into place, the small chemical rocket on the end hooked into Thor’s firing system. The chemical engine was to give the rod enough momentum to clear its housing; the gravitational pull of Earth would provide the rest of the force.
The latches on rod one disengaged and the chemical rocket pushed enough to get the rod on its proper course for entry as the ten feet of metal moved to its target.
Round 1 hit the atmosphere, its tip glowing red and spreading down the length of itself. The solid metal not giving into the heat, its sensors blinded by the plasma coating its body. It broke through the atmosphere at its sensors cleared. The fins along its back deployed as it homed in on the shield.
Knight Shade looked up, the shield obscured his vision of the blue sky making it easier on his eyes though still harsh as they were designed for use at night and reflected the light back to his retina. A bright spot stood out in his vision, the Lunar Guard blinked to clear the spot, but all it did was get brighter.
Knight pulled out his spyglass and tried to focus in on the bright spot, it was massive and growing larger. It was headed right for Bridal Lake.
“Emergency!” He yelled from atop the Embassy building. “There is a missile coming from the sky, straight up. Wake Shinning and Cadence. Reinforce the shield!” Shade flew down using his bat wing and to the ground floor; he had to warn the rest of the guards.
Golden Pond heard the alarm and ran around looking for her father, one of Celestia’s Royal Guard, they were supposed to meet for dinner and games. She saw the massive fireball in the sky which disappeared but the siren continued. She broke down and cried on the street, there was no way she could make it home and the streets were deserted.
“Come along, Pond.” A comforting hoof picked her up.
Golden couldn’t care who it was as she clung tightly to the stallion. She opened her eyes into the brown coat, it smelled of charcoal.
CRACK!!!!
The sound tore through the air, deafening the foal and making her cling tighter. The stallion patted her on the back, comforting her. She still couldn’t hear as the stallion set her down and said something before running off.
She looked around, this was her home, at the front door. How did we get so far? Then she looked up at the crumbling shield, the large rod dropped through the hole, landing where Golden knew she had waited for her father.
6/26/14 11:58am Bridal Lake
Celestia watched her guards train in the empty space available. Morale had improved since their first victory with such small numbers of casualties. Three cannons had been destroyed and half a dozen ponies were injured and two killed. Shining Armor was doing most of the training and pushing both the Lunar and Royal Guards.
The next attack will be in the cities. They will sneak in and target lone ponies. She guessed, not that it would work, she didn’t have the forces for that or the interest. Human civilians were of little consequence outside of confiscating weapons and stopping insurrections. She had some people passing out propaganda and food to the poor, which they refused to take. The humans helping her would be the ones targeted and will have to protected if this war is protracted.
A pegasus settled down next to her, a familiar grey and blonde mare. “Message from President Tow. It was delivered a few minutes ago. We already checked it for safety.”
“Delivered?”
“A human stood outside the shield and used a flare to get our attention.”
“He made it through the minefield? What did the aerial observers see?” Celestia asked.
“They had a machine that detected them.”
That was to be expected, we have nowhere near enough for an effective defense. “Did you let the human leave peacefully.”
“Of course.” Derpy answered, still holding the letter. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Good.” Celestia nodded. We can’t expect that to hold.
“I will take the letter.” Celestia said and the pegasus hoofed it over.
She was taken aback.
‘See, they only react to force.’ The voice said.
Dear Princess Celestia of Equestria,
I would like to personally invite you to Camp David tomorrow at 4 pm to discuss a cease fire before this destroys both our peoples and economies. Both Senator Brent and I along with several advisors will be in attendance to discuss the current avenues to peace.
President of the United States Margarette Tow
‘They are not to be trusted.’ The masculine voice had become a constant companion. It loved talking to her at times like this.
I know. They still think they will have an advantage.
‘And you have to show them they don’t if you are ever to get a fair deal. And this may be your chance to grab the Senator.’
6/24/14 3:55pm, Camp David
Celestia materialized in a meadow. She looked around at the vibrant green trees surrounded by lush grass. The beautiful serene environment, birds and squirrels ran about. In a way it reminded her of the Royal Gardens, even more amazing with how humans valued construction. There were no humans around despite them calling her to Camp David. The Princess had left her guards at Bridal Lake, she could take on anything the humans tried and would NOT let her guard down.
The alicorn felt around for guards or possible snipers. There were plenty of humans about but no weapons, not in the meadow at least. There was a solitary human in front of small building that led underground. Celestia took her time getting there and enjoyed the fresh air, a deer jumped into her path and they watched each other for a minute before the deer leapt away again. How much of the planet used to look like this? How much had she herself destroyed by causing aircraft to crash into forests? I did what I had to do for my ponies.
Celestia made Tow wait at the entrance to her small building. She is unguarded? There were two dozen humans underground but she couldn’t tell who they were or if they had weapons.
“Good Afternoon Princess Celestia.” Tow gave a small bow, following Equestrian protocol. “I hope you are well.”
“Yes. Thank you President Tow.” Celestia gave her own bow in return. “Are we to have out meeting in the meadow or underground?” There were advantages to revealing what she could sense.
Tow showed a second of surprise. “Yes. Senator Brent feels safer there. Is that fine with you?”
I could just take him. The Princess realized. Teleport him out. But that won’t solve the situation.
“Of course. The location means nothing compared to what is discussed.” Celestia nodded. “Shall we head down?”
President Tow held open the door to the small cottage. Celestia entered the spartan interior. There were small pieces of wooden furniture scattered about, the walls held plenty of windows but no pictures. Back where the bedroom was sat a closet hiding an elevator. No, there was space between the elevator and the wall; it had to have come from the ground. The size was large enough to hold both of them with spare room.
Celestia and Tow rode the elevator down several dozen feet. The Princess noticed a lack of odor, no perspiration or metal tinge, not even perfume wafted through the air. A hint could be smelled from the person next to her but only just. They are clever. Using ventilation to keep what I can tell to a minimum. The hallway they entered from the elevator was slate grey and led directly to a sealed room.
Inside the room was just as bland as the hallway, a table filled the center and while it could seat twenty five there was only half that number currently. Maybe were in suits but quite a few also wore clear uniforms covered in medals. On either side of the door stood marines holding rifles, four more had spaced themselves about the room. Celestia wouldn’t be surprised if there were other defenses set up, this looked risky for the humans allowing an alicorn near their leaders in a time of war.
Maybe there is some hope.
“Please take a seat.” Tow offered a spot near the door where a chair had already been removed before taking a seat at the other end.
Celestia took the proffered spot and looked at the other people seated, most of them looked unsure of having here there, at least one looked excited at the prospect and the rest were guarded with one seat empty. Why is the military man excited and who are all these people? So many of them men.
“These are some of my advisors. They are here to offer me advice.”
“Understandable. Where is Brent?”
“He is in another room. We need a guarantee you will not try to hurt him before he will see you.”
“Of course he is safe. These are peace talks.” Celestia felt around, but all the humans in this dwelling were in this room. No, there was a small bubble of nothing, her third time feeling such a thing.
“Let us get some formalities out of the way first. What are you wanting, exactly?”
“For a fair trial for those responsible for attempting to kill me and killing Rarity among other ponies. And a guarantee of safety for my ponies.”
6/24/14 4:05pm, Bridal Lake
The weather was clear, a soft breeze bringing puffy white clouds through the blue sky.
Private Jenkins walked in step with his fellow soldiers around the military transport, rifle slung over his shoulder loaded with AP rounds. Meyers walked out in front with the ground penetrating radar to spot mines, so far so good. There were a couple dozen men and three tanks along with the transport. He knew there was artillery further back if they needed assistance, one shot had already been fired into the desert to show their intent.
The Sergeant had spoken over the loudspeaker attached to the transport after the round: “You are not to impede our progress or we will open fire. There is artillery position around the entire and they will target every building at the slightest hint.”
They started from the north this time and began moving after the missile hit. Jenkins had been part of the failed mission two days before, nothing more than a test of defenses. Once air superiority had been lost they pulled back, firing a few rounds at clear targets. They passed through the village to make a statement. He saw a large metal building further away; they wanted to stay away from any building they didn’t know the purpose of. The group carefully made their way to the middle building where the portal lay.
"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!" — General John J. Pershing
"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush." — Infantry Journal
6/24/14 4:12pm, Bunker X9
To Celestia it felt as if the temperature in the room just dropped several degrees as any latent magic in the room vanished. She felt around for the edges and the feelers themselves disappeared before finding the edges. She checked her internal magic which didn’t decrease unless she tried using magic. She used a larger burst and watched as the energy dissipated, literally absorbed by the air to be drawn elsewhere. That explained how the fields worked, there would also be no way to take in any energy she used while here either.
To the normal pony who had a small reserve and was used to drawing from the world around them, it would make magic impossible, to the Princess it was just an inconvenience. It would also be much harder to get another creature out of this room as they would have to be enveloped by her magic. She could do it by using more of her reserves than was preferable.
“Blocking magic?” Celestia asked Tow innocently, like a confused foreigner. “I never even knew that was possible.” She lied.
“Purely a safety precaution, we can’t have anyone mysteriously disappearing from this room.” An elderly man in a suit near Tow said.
That must be the man in charge of their CIA, one responsible for the attack. “Are you trying to make me powerless with your guards around?” The Princess made a point of looking at one of the marines with his rifle.
“Not at all.” Tow attempted to ease her suspicions, placing her hands on the table. “As far as we know it doesn’t affect enchantments like you probably have.”
They really are clever. She did have a few special things ready just in case. Time to test out a theory. “How did you develop such technology?” Celestia put on an air of curiosity, tilting her head.
“It is rather new. Something developed from readings on the portal.”
Celestia saw an eye twitch in the President. Lies, and if it doesn’t work on enchantments then it can’t be from the gems.
“Back to the matter at hoof though.” Celestia picked hoof intentionally, she didn’t like that most of the people weren’t talking and hoped to get a reaction. The only thing that happened was a big man looked angrier as the talks dragged on while Tow seemed relax yet nervous. “We cannot proceed further without at least hearing what that man,” She spat the word out, “has to say about himself. “Bring him out so we can speak.”
“After we get the basics out of the way.”
“He is not here is he?” Celestia asked, there was something else going on. Her eyes narrowed at the humans. “Is this all a ploy to try and capture me?”
“If it works.” The fat man started but couldn’t get out more than three words before the President cut him off. “You’ve already shown how hard you are to kill.”
“NO!” Tow slammed a hand on the table. “That is not what this is about.” She held a placating hand up to the alicorn. “We just have trouble trusting you and you surely have about us. Brent refused to meet here but we can still hammer out some basics.”
“We need to also discuss the thousands of people you killed in your attack.” Tow kept the conversation going.
“Most of your soldiers are unharmed and in custody, they will be returned in time.”
“I was referring to the thousands of human lives you took because hospitals were unmanned, the people that died in the riots that followed. Or the ones who died in traffic accidents and couldn’t be rescued or the one who plummeting out of the sky as their plane lost power.”
Celestia could see the same anger in the other leader’s eyes. At the time Celestia could not have predicted the fallout from that attack, but there was no other way to guarantee her ponies’ safety. That thought alone made her ire rise. “I am more than willing to cover that but only if the culprits face justice.”
“And if they don’t?” The fat man asked again. “You lack evidence they were anything other than rogue elements.”
“Then we will continue this war until we find them ourselves. We will weaken you, what will your fellow nations do then? How many would use your weakness to elevate themselves. How many fronts can you fight on?”
“That won’t happen.” Spittle flew from the man’s mouth. “We have a military stronger than the next ten countries combined.”
Celestia returned her attention to President Tow. “Your attack dog needs to learn to control his temper or be muzzled.”
“You continue to threaten us when all you have is one tiny base.”
“A base you cannot touch even with your mighty weapons of war.” Celestia shot back.
The person Celestia figured was a General, who else would dare talk so freely. His looked of consternation turned smug as he checked a device under the table. “We just got word Madam President. The shield is down and our troops are moving in.” He then turned towards the Princess. “We will take our land back if we have to force you off, we have done it before. I don’t care if we have to follow you to Equestria and use nukes. We will win if we have to blast Canterlot. We can safely detonate it through the portal. If you even twitch wrong we can blow it.”
“Do not underestimate my little ponies.” Celestia turned her cold stare to the President. You already did that once.
6/24/14 4:12pm, Bridal Lake
PFC Jenkins had a bad feeling about this as his group walked through Bridal Lake. He didn’t dare voice it; the Sergeant had gotten tired of his superstitions. But he would have felt much safer if they had bombed the whole place with artillery while the shield was down, leave nothing standing that could stop them. One thought did nag at his head, how they got so far. The previous assault had an air component but they also had forces on the ground defending the settlement. The camouflage on the transports might have helped; it was a variation on optical camo.
The ponies they moved past were cowering in fear, more than one had there hooves over their heads. The marines spread themselves with the tanks to make cover easier.
A guard with slit eyes neared their group, Jenkins popped the sights onto its slit eyes while the Sergeant spoke.
“If you impede our progress we will put you down.” The Sergeant pointed his own gun at the potential threat while the rest moved to check for anything using this as a distraction.
The bat thing hung there for a minute before flying off.
Dark clouds in the sky blotted out the sun, bringing night early and began to swirl as the wind kicked up.
“Stay on your toes marines! Expect some kind of defense.”
The sky continued to darken until it was black as sacloth, intermittent lights were spread throughout the area, casting everything in a sickly glow. It put the private even more on edge, he realized it wasn’t them the ponies were afraid of, the air was charged with some kind of electricity. Salt and dry earth cracked and crumbled under boots and heavy tires, the only sound among the wind.
A pegasus rose from research facility, headed straight for the swirling clouds. It was a barely recognizable shape, dark colors clad in silver.
Jenkins knew a little about weather and that was an unnatural formation. The sky had been clear until the shield was brought down, maybe it had to do with controlled weather of Equestria mixing with the wild weather of Earth, the ponies were known for manipulating their own weather. Or maybe this was a magic saturated place, he had no idea what magic would do, did it even come through the portal?
Another idea occurred to the private, maybe this was their line of defense. The swirling clouds were awfully similar to the vortex of the tornadoes back home and that scared him. Tornadoes were unstoppable forces of nature; they would destroy everything in their path and could launch wooden beams through brick walls. So was the pegasus going to help stop the weather or make it worse?
“Jenkins, O’Toole, Aim at the pegasus. Everyone else, move up. We still have a package to deliver.”
Two guns pointed at a single pegasus, that shouldn’t be needed. But he was not going against the Sergeant, not again. Chuck Finnley was a six foot man that made sure to do yoga in front of his squad, hoping some stupid private would comment and give him an excuse for a fight. Jenkins had out massed the red headed Sergeant and was still tossed around like it was nothing.
So Jenkin grabbed the foregrip and raised the his M27 up, letting the sights bring the pegasus into view and aimed center mass. Both his eyes were opened, that was the purpose of the collimator sight. One looking through the sight for the aiming dot and the other used to aim and keep his surroundings in view, the two images would superimpose themselves.
The pegasus looked wrong through his sights. The hooves were shod in silver that traveled halfway up its legs, there was more silver around the neck but he couldn’t see any more of its head than the muzzle. The mane blew against the wind, there were no strands, it was just a mass of midnight blue gas filled with stars. He took a better look at the head, he could see the tip of a horn. His breath stopped. “Luna.”
“What?” The Sergeant yelled. “Men, arm the bomb. NOW! There is no way it can survive that.”
Jenkins heard the activity behind him the running of men, the tanks moving forward, activity over the radio. The only thing that has his attention was the alicorn.
“We all knew this mission could be one way. Just think that we can deliver a blow the other side can’t recover from. Jenkins, O’Toole, so long as it doesn’t move you hold your fire. After that you buy us time.”
“Yessir!” O’Toole yelled.
Jenkins mouth refused to work, he wanted to back away, to run but his feet wouldn’t work either.
The creature lowered its head, and anyone even slightly familiar with Equestrian mythology would have noticed two things about the Princess of the Night. One, she was the one, the ponies were trembling in abject terror from their own leader, they wouldn’t even look at her and more than one was whimpering. The second was the eyes which glowed like slivers of moonlight, black slits like a dragon’s that lay over the aqua eyes. The black body made more sense as it opened its mouth to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“You insolent foals dare attack her majesty of the night?!” NightMare Moon roared. “You attack and threaten and deceive. But I understand you and you shall pay for such duplicity.”
Stephen Brent walked up the pearl white steps of the Capitol Building. His heart pounded and hands shook, trepidation mixed with anticipation. It may only be an internship and a low paying one at that, but it was his first actual job out of college and for the esteemable Senator Eric Lyth who had been serving for the past twenty years. The steps themselves though inanimate carried a vast history leading to its storied halls.
“Breathe.” The lanky man told himself. “They are just people… with power. That can help or hinder those under them.” Political theory had taught Brent that not all these people were there to help, but he would not let a few bad apples spoil his opinion. Afterall, the world kept moving forward to a better place. These pure steps still filled him with awe, which didn’t abate as he got inside the building and headed off to the west wing.
The entrance was a giant dome making him feel incredibly small gold and red everywhere, massive windows, a milieu of people. Another room was just as large but filled with paintings larger than he was. It felt like forever and repeated looking at his map to find the proper location and even longer to get verified and pass through security. Eventually though, he found the proper part of the building with its aged wooden desk and a petite blonde woman sitting behind the desk.
“You must be the new intern.” The plaque said her name was Monique, who never looked away from the computer screen she was clacking away on with long pink fingernails. “The Senator has been informed you are here and will meet with you presently to discuss what you will be doing. Please take a seat.”
The reception area was three times the size of his old dorm room with a desk bigger than his old bed. Then again, the red velvet seat he now sat on to wait probably cost more than his old beat up car. Everything about this place is grand. Then again you have to work hard to get here and that clout really helps in negotiation. Brent fumbled with the handle of his new briefcase while he sat there waiting while his suit itched.
“Mr. Brent. Senator Lyth will see you now.” Monique still never looked up from her computer screen.
The young man stood breathlessly and walked to the solid wood door. The knob turn while the door slid open like butter, impressive for what had to be such a heavy object.
Inside, was the most expensive place he had ever seen, rich wood that was a striated mix of black and white. There were several men his age and older positioned around the desk with paper, and behind the desk sat a man almost exactly Brent’s opposite. Lyth had balding head which sat atop a corpulent frame.
“Good. New intern.” Lyth shuffled around some papers. “Here it is,” the others stepped back for a moment. “I need you to find some statistics to block these new education reforms. Anything will do so long as it sounds nice.”
“But sir, is that wise?” Brent held the paper in his hands, it was a proposal to reduce the funds for school lunches.
“Listen you nob. Your place is to do your job or be fired.” Cold grey eyes stared into Brent. “My ‘colleague’ will get a new contract in this deal, one with a better outcome. It’s politics, get used to it.”
“. . .” Brent stared down at the stack and flipped through a few pages. “What about the ‘Life Act’ from a decade ago? The job training and housing for the homeless.”
“That was an election year, this isn’t.” The matter of fact tone froze something in Brent’s stomach. “We couldn’t just truck them all off to California, as if they’d notice a few extra people. It cleaned up some of the streets along the business district and got those bleeding heart liberals off my back.” Lyth turned his head back to the desk, looking at more papers. “Now are you going to get started or do I need to find a new ‘research assistant’?”
Brent lowered his gaze to the lush carpet. “Right away sir.”
***
Brent rested his head on the cool desk. It was small and cheap but it qualified as an office with a door. Piles of paperwork sat around the five foot square room illuminated by a fluorescent ceiling light. The red lights of the clock clicked to 5:20. It had been a long day that was nowhere near over. Between the computer and different articles he had been able to find in assembled binders, there wasn’t anything he felt comfortable with submitting. “These numbers are so weak. Unless I lie this will never float.” His head lifted only for the young intern to slam it back down on the table. Again. Again. Maybe I’m not cut out for this. By the time I have the clout to affect change… Stephen slammed his head again, knowing eventually what he would become.
“What if you had a way to not only depose Senator Lyth but to make a name for yourself?”
Stephen jumped to his feet, or most of the way there as the wall caught the chair short. He looked around the room, still the only person there.
The voice came again, thick and oily but from inside his head. “If you can expose him as corrupt, you can make a name with the people. What’s more, if you can prove he was manipulating others Senators and make THEM look good at the same time…”
“I would get their approval.” Stephen thought about it for a few moments. “You know where to find this proof?”
“Of course.” It purred.
“What would you get out of this?” The hair was raising up on his neck. Is this some kind of a joke or test?
“Relax. I am part of you. I am only here to help you and your young wife. How far along is she?”
Brent’s blood ran cold. Who is this? Really? You aren’t me.
“Hmmm.” The voice went quiet for a minute, long enough for Stephen to think it was time to quit for the day if he was already hallucinating voices. “Someone who wants to change the power structure of this country.”
Fine. Stephen thought, realizing it could communicate with his thoughts. But I reserve the right to terminate this deal at any time.
“Of course. Of course.”
Now tell me your name!
“Call me Tirek.”
***
Senator Brent watched the television as the second tower fell, he felt hollow inside. “She’s dead.” There was no emotion, no one around to hear him. He had ‘requested’ to be left alone.
“You could have saved her.” The familiar voice of Tirek beckoned.
“No I couldn’t have.” He watched as the tower fell.
“I told you it would happen.”
“But not the how or the who. There was no actionable evidence.”
I HATE YOU!!! The voice of a little girl echoed in his years. They had a fight about all the time he spent at work. She wanted a tea party.
“You could have stopped her from going.”
Brent felt his shoulders sagging. He and Diane would be divorced by now if it weren’t for his needed image, this just guaranteed it. The Senator stood from his chair, grabbed the remote in a clenched fist and threw it through the television.
No one came in the office, Stephen Brent expected nothing else of his staff. Unless he called for help they would leave him be for the day and probably the rest of the week.
“No.” Brent set his jaw and cleared a space of his desk, a wonderful blackwood creation that an old ‘compatriot’ has rather prized. “We must look forward.” He pulled out a pad and some paper. “The question is, how can we use this?”
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. FriedrichNietzsche
Tow sat, pissed though she would never let it show. My own God-damned pride did this. If I had listen to Brent this aggressive war monger wouldn’t be trying to aggravate the situation. He all but admitted our involvement. Or was that his plan? Trick me into hiring a bad candidate. What would that bastard gain? No, I can’t afford a game of mirrors. I have to ignore what others what. What do I have to do?
***
Celestia narrowed her eyes at the human, she could burn him where he stood and teleport out before any guns were even raised at her. She wondered if she could burn the whole room before anyone noticed, and she was tempted but she couldn’t let them know how she felt. That would leave only conquest and would explode quickly. The rest of the world would only know this was a peace talk. They would attack at first chance and they wouldn’t hold back.
A young human; manly, tall and lanky burst into the room but virtually wilted under Celestia’s gaze. “Uhhh.” He looked from the Princess to the President and stopped dead.
“What is it?” Tow asked of the youth.
“Um.” His gazed focused on the alicorn. “It’s classified ma’am. It has to do with the current operation.”
“It’s fine. The good general has already revealed the plan.” Celestia could see Tow’s mouth shrink into a narrow slit, her own gaze as heated as the Princess’. “Spill it. If this is an emergency we don’t have time to worry. She is staying here for the time being.”
“R-r-right.” He struggled to pull a slip of paper from a pocket in his cheap suit. “Oscar Charlie reported in. They say Nightmare Moon has shown up.” The male shook.
“You can leave now.” The President said and the youth couldn’t get out of the room quick enough, it took him three tries to open the door to exit.
“Did you truly expect me to trust you? I am not a little foal.” Celestia said at the President’s questioning glance.
“That’s preposterous.” The fat general spoke up again. “Your own history says she was defeated years ago.”
Celestia couldn’t help but laugh. It was harsh, not her normal sweet chuckle. “How little you humans understand. Assuming that a creature of magic once destroyed cannot return. My sister, Luna, became NightMare Moon over jealousy and tried to kill me so she would get recognition. But any strong emotion would have done. NightMare Moon was just a personification of her sorrow. The Elements cleared her of such petty emotion, but they can always return.” This had been unexpected but she could use this to her advantage.
“Then she is just as much a threat to you. How do we stop her?”
Celestia laughed at the man again, such a pitiable little creature. “You assume her motivations are the same. It isn’t me she wants to kill, but you.” She replied with her own cold smile. Let them believe death is imminent. “And the only thing that can stop her are the Elements of Harmony, which you made sure could never be used again by killing the Element of Generosity.”
“Why has she returned?” The old grey man asked.
“For a thousand years she sat alone with her thoughts before being freed from her prison and then you go and kill one of her saviors, try to kill her sister and threaten to destroy her home. How did you expect her to react?” Never back your prey into a corner or they can become the predator. A snake can kill a mouse, a monkey can kill a tiger, and a pony can kill a monkey.
“Ma’am. Thor still has five more rounds. What should we do?”
All these humans look the same but that should be her Secretary of Defense. “Thor, god of thunder. Does that mean you really have access to your own gods or is this just another machine inspired by them? Another Icarus, firing lightning down from the heavens?”
“Do it.” Tow ordered
***
“Do it.” Tow ordered her General of the Air Force. There are five rounds left and the marines should already have armed the nuke. Any luck we can take out one or both of these alicorns. Why didn’t we plan for both being at this side?
Because one of them was supposed to be running their own country, their society had less redundancy in leadership.
“This meeting is over then.” Celestia stood from her spot.
General Adams raised one had and the six guards around the room raised their rifles. “Don’t even try anything. These marines are carrying special rounds using our own gems and based off the technology of the field you are currently standing in. You won’t be able to stop or deflect them. So why don’t you just wait.”
This time Tow would not even try to stop him; General Adams was at least a smart bastard when he tried. She knew they couldn’t let Celestia leave yet. The alicorn knew what the current plan was and had an idea what would happen next. And if the plan had a higher likelihood of success if they only had to deal with one alicorn at a time. Although she knew there was no such bullet, yet. Shepherd would be putting someone on it immediately.
The star off continued for several seconds. The General himself pulls a small pistol from under the table. “Why don’t you sit. If you truly trust this NightMare creature than what will a few minutes cost you?”
Celestia’s ire turned towards the General, fire poured from her eyes and as she spread her wings the room heated up. “You asked me hear under the flag of peace while the only intention you had was using it as a distraction to attack my loyal subjects. When that didn’t work out you tried to hold me hostage and strip my powers.” There was an echo to her voice that caused it to bounce around the room. “You still do not understand who you are dealing with. I control the sun and the moon, have lived longer than you can imagine and yet you continue to threaten me.”
Adams laughed. “Outside of a few cheap shots you haven’t done shit. Clever information releases and a sun spot. You didn’t even take out our bases, that was your subjects,” He mocked.
The light in the Princess’ eyes extended further. “I realize you are a young species and that the very young do not always like to listen or think.” The air grew thick. “But know this, I will not stop until I punish the ones responsible if I have to burn this world until it becomes a molten piece of glass.”
There was a blinding flash of light and the alicorn was gone, leaving behind a smoking crater. Tow sat in shock, the Celestia who left was not the one that entered. Her mane had brightened, it was as if there were novae going off in there, and her eyes had shifted, going from circular to slits like a cat’s.
She feels drained, the air was at least ten degrees hotter and the aircon fought to keep it from going higher. But Tow had more to do and turned to the General. “Did you have to antagonize her?”
General Adams was visibly sweating; he set the pistol flat on the table. “Yes. You told me to delay her and that was as long as I could manage.” The marines around the room were recalcitrant to lower their weapons. “And an angry enemy is a stupid enemy. We need them to make stupid mistakes. I’m sorry.”
President Tow stopped dead. “What?” She could not have heard that properly.
“I should have listened. These creatures are a threat and should be treated as such. I have some ideas on how to do that though.”
***
Celestia fumed, she had to get to her sister before whatever Thor was hit. Though she may have just figured out a special spell and she had tests subjects to spare, if that didn’t work things would get much bloodier.
***
Jenkins stared at the alicorn hovering in the sky. She stared down and spoke with a silky voice. “But I must thank you for killing one of the Elements for me. Now nothing can stop me!” Lightning crashed as she tossed her head back in laughter.
“Fire!” Sergeant Finnley yelled as one nearly struck him. The staccato of rifle fire and brass hitting the ground filled the air moments before the tanks swiveled their cannons around to get a bead on the target.
Jenkins couldn’t fire. The reticle was centered on her chest, the sound of controlled bursts and his Sergeant yelling through the gale that started up.
NightMare Moon didn’t flinch or move, merely cackled and spoke. “You will not survive the night.” A shell exploded and blocked her from sight.
An ominous laugh filled the air as a bolt of lightning flash from the sky, straight down into the nearest tank, the tank sputtered as an acrid smoke poured out. “Celestia warned me about your weakness to electricity.” Lightning struck the two other tanks as the oprators tried pouring out of them. “Kneel before your new Princess and you may yet see the sun again.”
O’Toole continued firing, trying to switch out magazines as a bolt hit him. The marine spasmed and collapsed to the ground.
Jenkins could smell the burnt skin and cloth mingling with the smoke from the tanks and the crisp air of night. He unslung his rifle and let if clatter to the brown earth. I never agreed to fight gods. He stepped back, distancing himself from the fighters. Images from school about battles in mythology between gods. How in the news, a special showing the damage to the Castle of the two Sisters, the damage they did to their own castle, even a short fight made the area uninhabitable for centuries. The massive spell used to expel a storm of invaders. They had disabled the country, he had to run.
“Everyone, stay in formation! All forces open fire! Is the bomb ready yet?” Finnely yelled into his radio. “That includes you Jenkins. Pick up your rifle and fire!” There was no answer from the troop transport.
“But…” Jenkins stammered.
“NOW!!” He roared.
“But she’s an alicorn.” He didn’t care what happened, he wanted to live.
“Coward!” The Sergeant yelled into the wind as he pulled out something heavier.
***
Luna sat atop the human research facility and turned to the bright blue sky. She had seen the meteorite a moment before but it had vanished and despite feeling around for it she couldn’t find it. Feeling further she notices human moving up from the North and South and her ponies ran for cover.
A massive crash crumbled the shield and the troops started marching through. Luna pulled the ambient moisture in the air, it wasn’t enough so she began pulling from the earth and formed light wispy clouds in the air above her. If she could get them large enough they wouldn’t need upkeep from her and she could move onto the next stage of her plan. We shall teach them a fine lesson indeed. Luna prepared the next spell, grabbing the pair of false teeth at her side.
She had to take care with her magic, Luna had nowhere the experience of her sister using magic on Earth and only as NightMare Moon had they ever had equivalent power. Luna wove the disguise; she grew a foot taller as her fur and mane darkened. The sky above mirrored the night despite tis early time. The alicorn flew into the night as wind whipped back and forth.
She waited until someone whispered her name before looking down at her prey, making sure to smile and show off the pearly white fangs. Two humans moved to a large vehicle in the middle of their small group, she made sure one bolt seared it as the other bolt of lightning fell around the humans.
“You insolent foals dare attack her majesty of the night?” NightMare Moon roared. “You attack and threaten and deceive. But I understand you and you shall pay for such duplicity.”
Upon hearing the leader yell fire she turned to smoke yet retained her shape, it took focus and she felt each round pass through herself, and large ones started to come, filled with some sort of mixture that exploded upon hitting the ground behind her. The forces coming up from the South were almost there and if they missed then it could easily hit Bridal Lake. The alicorn became solid again only to have a round sear through her leg and a shell approached her face. A blast of force from her horn detonated it, heat and shrapnel blasted past.
Luna had to take out those tanks, she felt larger ones further back, the tension and fear as they loaded rounds. “Celestia warned me about your weakness to electricity.” She cackled, the last time she had done something like this was merely to scare foals; but then added to it by forcing lightning down into the tanks without regard to their passengers. A dark smoke poured out of the machine as Luna picked another. A strong wind protected the Princess from most of the rounds fired at her; pinpoint hits of force stopped the rest.
“Kneel before your new Princess and you may yet see the sun again!” Luna felt sweat trickle down her brow as most of the heavy vehicles were destroyed. She zapped another human, modulating the milliamps to not prove fatal and laughed as the one next to him ran. She felt her sister in the clouds above, attention rapt on the sky. Thy sister must be fighting off another attack from space. Luna sent a tremble of magic out through the area.
Guards came pouring out of the Embassy after receiving the signal, taking down the ones brave enough to stay and fight. Several humans ran, some in random directions. One ran straight into a mine while Luna followed another into Bridal Lake, ponies still cowered in the streets afraid.
Luna saw the human spy her and grab up a small yellow colt off the ground. His breath was ragged and a trickle of blood ran down his arm as his pointed a pistol at the young foal’s head. “Let me go or I will kill him.” The foal struggled but with an arm under his forelegs, the tiny pony couldn’t get the needed leverage.
Luna settled onto the ground and took one step forward. Some humans could be dealt with.
“If you so much as flinch I swear to God I will put a bullet through this thing’s head!” His eyes darted about, trying to look for anything coming up behind him while keeping an eye on the Princess, his hands shook.
“THOU SHALT DO NO SUCH THING!” Luna boomed, Royal Conterlot Voice shook the human. The Princess had just reacted as the human tightened his finger on the gun. She ripped it from his grasp, hearing the snap of several fingers breaking as she twisted it.
The human fell to the ground in shock, holding his fingers and the whimpering foal to his chest as Luna pointed the gun between his eyes. “Pray tell. Dost thou like this?”
He dropped the foal and backed up until he found a wall, shivering the whole time.
Luna felt the rage burn, she let it pour from her, mane whipping as if it were in a hurricane. She followed. “You think it is such an easy thing to kill.” The gun followed his every motioned. “With narry a thought to what if the horseshoe was on the other hoof.” The temperature around Luna dropped ten degrees and she could see both their breath.
Tears streamed from the human’s eyes, he tried crawling away.
Luna flipped him back over and placed a hoof on his chest until he had to grasp for breath. He tried kicking and she just stared with the gun pointed at his ugly muzzle. She leaned in close so he could her whisper. “Do not worry.” She purred. “We shant kill you. Yet.” And rapped the gun across his brow. He slumped to the ground.
“Guards!” Luna called. Two pegasi came up and saluted. Looking at each other and trembling. “Take this one to a special cell.”
Luna felt the burst of magic behind her. “Hello Sister.” She spoke slowly as she turned around. “Tis been a while.”
“Hello Nightmare Moon.” Celestia looked to the human being dragged away, guards easing visibly now that the two alicorn weren’t turning the area into even more rubble. “Is he dead?”
“No, merely unconscious.” Twas tempted though.
Celestia smiled at her little sister. “You do love the theatrics little sister.”
Luna still felt the poor foal trembling and bent down. “Tis ok young one. The threat has passed.” She soothed, spitting out the false teeth and letting the disguise spell fall as she hugged the foal to her chest, the foal grabbed on as if the world would disappear if his grip lessened.
“What happened dear sister?” The Two alicorns walked back to the wreckage to inspect the damage.
“They do possess the ability to remove all magic from an atmosphere but it doesn’t appear to work on enchantments or latent magic in the body. They claim to have another device we can discuss later. They tried launching more missiles when they revealed their true plan.”
“How many?” Luna looked at the dark sky, unable to see through the clouds. One had been disastrous, if it hadn’t been for the shield.
“I do not know.” Celestia lowered her head, she looked exhausted with her mane having lost most of its sheen and her hooves moving slowly. “Their machine only managed to launch one before something forced it to collide with the atmosphere.” She was having visible trouble breathing.
“What happened sister?” Luna asked, nudging the elder alicorn with a hoof.
“It wasn’t easy.” Celestia moved up to the covered vehicle Luna had electrocuted near the start of her tussle. “But the humans have now given us a great prize.”
Luna stared at the large silver tube. It had some sort of yellow and black symbol on its side with two humans slumped on the ground next to it.
***
Ileana sat in the trunk of a car parked near the artillery cannons. A large rifle stuck out the end, her sights focused on the advancing troops. Her job was simply to watch and report, unless the alicorn should show up. The weather sent shivers down her spine, this did not bode well. Her family had come from a soviet bloc country and had always been superstitious; the appearances of actual magic just reinforced that. She grabbed the small brass necklass, the remains of a sniper round that had once come within inches of her skull and let out a relaxing breath. Mind on the job El.
When the weather turned worse she got on her mic. “J.” The radio hissed with static as she talked to her spotter in the front of the car. “See anything?”
“Yeah. There’s some shape rising over the research facility, should be twenty degrees to your left.”
Ileana moved her rifle, centering it on the familiar shape of an alicorn. “Shit. We have a Princess here.” She called over the radio and waited. Several dozen yards away from her were artillery canons roared and spat. The sniper lined up a shot and held the trigger as everything passed right through her target. She hated waiting while the small force was taken down, feeling static as lightning lanced down from the sky never daring to take her reticle off the blue shape, hating as it flew into the village. There were so many more targets now, but it provided plenty of time to watch their movements, the guards remained within the shield’s area of effect despite it not being up. They must be waiting for its return.
The sniper sat, it was nothing new; for a scout sniper this was an easy job. She didn’t have to get close to her target, didn’t have to wait for days without moving, even had a ride out and active comms. She couldn’t see anything happening in the village. “Forward everything we have to base.” There was a white shape now descending toward the village.
She watched as the two targets moved back to the destroyed force, guards leading new prisoners away. The two alicorns settled near the bomb. Ileana wished she could see inside the truck, then maybe she would have a chance of detonating the nuke and killing both major threats. The only way that would work would be if she could hit the pencil thin detonator, if it even worked still, at a distance of a mile without being able to see her target. The other option was to aim for the gas tank and hope to start a fire that might set off the detonator. The explosive core was too stable for anything else to set it off.
Ileana noticed sweat trickling down both their faces. “Jay, make note of their faces, look at the sweat, whatever they’ve had to do, they’re tired. I’m gonna take the shot.”
“Roger.” Was his only response.
She looked between her targets and debated which one to aim for, which leader would she take out. There was no way in a tired state and unaware of her presence could they stop a .50 caliber bullet going almost 2,800 feet per second, closing the distance in less than two seconds and more than capable. Ileana like the new bullpup design being smaller and lighter to improve accuracy with an added suppressor.
She decided to aim for Luna, after that display of force with the weather she was the larger threat on the battlefield. Celestia could cause havoc but now there would be invented ways around that. Luna also had the penchant for angery outbursts, it was known she almost killed her own people while Celestia was the calmer and more logical of the two, the one more willing to work things out. The Princess might finally get the warning not to mess with humanity. The sniper hoped as she said a small prayer for both herself and her target. Guide my bullet and absolve me my sins. Take our souls into heaven to be cleansed. Let no grudge be held as we do as we believe will meet the best ends.
She waited and counted her heartbeat, slowly tightening on the trigger. Ileana know this was her last mission, after she took the shot she would either be found when they tried to escape or be stuck as guards moved out to find her. Slowing her breathing as much as possible, the sniper aimed for the silver pendant along her target’s chest. Counting heartbeats, waiting for the right time, always between heartbeats. She depressed the trigger, causing the bullet to soar. Before she could complete another breathe, the bullet struck home.
The entire area lit up, Ileana turned her head away in reaction until the light faded, and she blinked the remaining flashes from her eyes. The sniper repositioned her scope, looking for the target. Did I kill it? Is that what happens when you kill a god? The blonde haired human had no doubt these were gods from another world, they had the power to create and destroy, what more did a god need. The only thing in that spot that had contained two alicorns the moment before now only contained the white one. The armor that had adorned the chest of the blue one sat on the ground, the crescent shape from the middle completely gone.
“I’m getting us out of here!” Jay roared into the mike, the sniper winced as the sound pierced her ears.
She wanted to rip the earmuffs off her head; training took over as that was the only thing protecting her hearing in the tight confines of the trunk. Even with the muzzle break and suppressor it could still lead to hearing loss. The mic was set into the earmuffs so she could hear her spotter even while firing.
The white one turned its head, focusing right on their black armored Mercedes.
Ileana lined her scope back up as the tires squealed, letting off another three shot at the remaining alicorn. They ricocheted off a ball of purple. As the car turned she noticed the moving blue shape on the ground behind Celestia, she could see a seeping wound on the chest as well as blackened flesh, but the wings were still moving. She emptied the mag, six more shots in Luna’s direction. The sniper knew they probably didn’t hit as the car was bouncing and the growing distance threw off her sights. But, it would keep the white one stationary to protect her sister just in case, and a lucky shot may have just finished her off.
Her heart raced, she could barely catch her breath. Ileana sidled backwards, into the main body of the vehicle, setting the rifle on the seat next to her. The blonde hair bun provided a cushion as her head rested against the seat back and waited for her breath to return to normal. “I think I need a drink.” She looked at her hand, still shaking uncontrollably. “I think I need one, or two.”
Date: Unknown, Time: Unknown
Pinkie watched the poor soldier through the vent grating. He looked so sad. Nopony had even cared that it was his birthday. She sooo wanted to throw him a party, but she couldn’t. Her mane lay straight on her head, she knew her coat had taken on a tint of grey. She had no party supplies. “oooh,” The pink party pony whined. “Twilight would be so mad at me if I tried to throw a party while being sneaky.
She hated this job, all it was was hiding in vents and watching people work at desks. Building the giant party cannons had been fun. Why did they get to throw a party and send her out to some giant white building in someplace called Verginia.
“But Walter looks so sad.” Pinkie pouted pitifully. She smiled at one thought, “Maybe he would like to help me make cupcakes.”
“No, bad Pinkie. Remember what Twilight said. No parties and no cupcakes.”
“But I just can’t help it!” The pink party pony was ready to pop, it felt like years since she had even seen her friends and she didn’t have the time to throw a ‘I’m going on a super-secret mission to Verginia’ party.
Pinkie couldn’t hold it in any longer, there was a table near the desk Walter was working at all alone, some kind of computer on running. She waited til Walter turned around and zipped out of the air vent and pulled an emergency cupcake out of her mane and set it on the desk before scurrying back to her hiding spot.
She watched as Walter turned back around. He looked about the room after seeing the cupcake that had materialized, even looking outside his door for anyone there. The small man went back to his desk and picked up the mass of pink icing. He eyed it suspiciously, turned it around and inspected every angle of the thing before taking a bite. But when he took that bite his mood brightened and a smile erupted on his face.
Both moods were brightened at least for a time.
“But how much longer do I have to hide?” Pinkie had regained some of her color. Her orders just said to stay hidden in the pent-something until she got word.
***
Heart Under Blade slowly opened her eyes, the king of all headaches raging her beak. She let out a soft whimper, felt it reverberate up her throat as it rattled out with not her voice. She forced her primary eyelids open past the pain. It wasn't just her head that hurt, but every unfamiliar muscle burned.
Wherever she was at was pitch black, yet she could see, or thought she could. There were no walls, or ceiling, the floor stopped after forty hooflengths in any direction. Is this Tartarus? If so it was worth it. Now get up and take stock. Barreling through the pain she used her hand to push off the ground and stood on two legs. What am I? What had once been a pony now sported a black leathery skin and stood upon two taloned feet, her new arms were long, ending in three sharp knives each that seemed to ooze.
"You are being rewarded for your faithful service." The voice she had heard all her life spoke
Heart Under Blade instinctively took a knee. She was in front of her Lord.
“You insolent sow!” Tirek roared into the alicorn’s ear. “This was too early!” He looked through her eyes to another alicorn, a pearlescent white one with tears in her eyes. At the bottom of what he could see was a black snout, wisps of night blue sky sailed past.
SILENCE!!! Nightmare Moon roared, it reverberated through her own mind and to her tormentor. You granted me the power and knowledge. I would never kill my sister irregardless with how she treated me. Just like all the other ponies she will learn to appreciate my nights.
***
Tirek sat alone, or more floated in a nether space. His first century expected as some point to finally die and leave this purgatory. When that refused to come he tested what powers it had. The centaur no longer had a body or anything physical, yet his magic remained. After another few centuries he learned to use it to spy on the world, not just in its present state but the past and potential futures.
***
Tirek stood on his throne, finally ready to bring about night eternal. He’d found the precious hidden world, the one with the needed resources. It had everything, ponies, griffons, humans. His war had been long and hard. Corrupting the other beings strong enough to shape universes. Norra, leader of the griffons had been the latest to fall but failed to be corrupted, her wings adorned the walls behind his throne. It wasn’t a subtle symbol of his might, it was to show his eventual victory.
***
The powerful being floated and sputtered, which turned into a yell. “VOICES! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! Why must you always show these scenes?!” No sound actually emanated from his inky gaseous form. “Nebulae was on her last legs and couldn’t intervene! Yet they had to have found that stupid power. He had underestimated the power of those ponies and their ilk, but soon enough they would pay!”
The window, not a true window but a thing in his own mind, showed the young of Nebulae and her precious world. There was a crack between the two Celestial Sisters, envy and pride that could be exploited. Tirek had spent another century figuring out how to communicate with the younger, and her jealousy gave him power.
***
“Luna. Why do you tolerate being kept in the shadows? Why do you accept her rule? Let her have all that praise?”
“Tis my sister. We are equals and care for one another…”
“When was the last time even SHE looked in awe at your gorgeous moon and stars? Nopony would ever do what their mighty Queen refused to do.”
It had taken effort and many decades to get the seed to grow, the tears streaking down the midnight blue alicorn’s muzzle showed it was all worth it now.
“’Tia is the one with the strength. Too bust helping ponies to even see her precious sister anymore.”
“You don’t seem precious to her. But I can give you more power than she ever dreamed of. Enough to force her to respect you.”
***
“It almost worked but that same magic has defeated me twice.” Tirek been so close to his goal again. It wasn’t the elements that stopped him, that fool mare had her own plans for that power. “And before I could take hold her sister used those damned Elements.” He wanted hands back, so slam down on tables, to throw things as his plans failed again. “Next time it will be different. Next time those artifacts will not intervene. And I will go for a younger alicorn to corrupt, one who will follow my every word and allow me to come back.
***
Tirek looked out at the new world; it had been split long ago from another. The inhabitants without access to magic had done marvelous things. Most of all they craved power, something he could use. He reached out to both worlds, talked to inhabitants. Bipedal and quadrupedal. Slowly placing the items needed to bring them back together after his last act in life had been to severe their connection. Humans and ponies working together was the last thing he needed.
***
As Tirek watched his newest plan unfolding, in Celestia finally listening to his counsel and even accepting small portions of his magic and advice. He eyed her student, saw the raw power she held. “You shall be mine.” His mind purred, there was no one to stop him this time.
***
Tirek watched one of his most loyal followers kill herself, her companion and rig the bomb against Celestia in her own home. “You kept your word Heart Under Blade.” The ephemeral being reached out and grabbed her essence, the spark of light that separated one being from another. There would be a new body waiting for her, once it was in place the limbs would grow, musculature form over the blackened skeleton, long black claws dripped a viscous ocher.
