//------------------------------// // Fraying Tether // Story: The Wardens of Order // by ScottTrek //------------------------------// With a sharp crackle and a whiff of ozone the four princesses rematerialized, stepping forth from the portal. As they got their bearing they looked cautiously around at their new location not knowing what to expect. The portal they had exited from lay at one end of a wide octagonal corridor, clearly meant to accommodate creatures far bigger than they. The surfaces were metallic but even in the low light emitted from the portal they were visibly strangely composed. The metal was grey with flecks of silver and bronze running through it, and felt grainy and coarse like sandstone. It reminded twilight of a transfiguration spell gone badly wrong. Luna moved to a wall and banged her hoof against it a few times, listening carefully to the reverberations. “We’re inside the Tether.” She stated moving forwards along the corridor. “It’s the ancient satellite orbiting at the far edge of our solar system, up until a week ago it was as dead as a doornail…or so I thought.” Twilight caught up to Luna, her curious mind already in overdrive. The technological implications of a millennia old self-sustaining mega-structure were extraordinary! And that wasn’t even taking account the whole host of unanswered questions about their mysterious hosts. She was about to launch into full ramble mode when something loudly clanked from behind the door sealing the end of the corridor. Twilight raced forward to investigate. The bulkhead sealing the portal room let out another clunk and began to slowly creak open, its great metal doors retracting into the walls and floors sending echoing groans through the structure. Twilight, standing on the tips of her hooves, peered through the widening opening into the gloom beyond. She was sure she could see something shifting in the gloom beyond… Suddenly blinding light and a wave of heat blasted though sending Twilight reeling. The clanking of the door overwhelmed by a thunderous howling of winds as if a hurricane was raging in the room beyond. Then as quickly as it had struck it receded. The doors finished sliding open and the Princesses stood together ready, waiting for something to show itself. From the darkness beyond something globular and glowing brightly coalesced from the shadows before racing towards them. Before any of the ponies had a chance react the blob barged through them and had engulfed Luna sending the other three sprawling. Time seemed to slow as the princesses scrabbled back up. Celestia shrieked and tried to dive at her sister. Cadence lit up her horn ready to blast anything that came at her. Twilight quietly wondered if this whole chain of events was some kind of elaborate trap as her own horn lit up. Then something cut across the chaos that stopped then all in their tracks. Laughter. Luna was laughing hysterically. All around her blob as resolved into hundreds of tiny points of light each shinning with their own multi-coloured corona. They danced and swirled around Luna and now that their eyes had adjusted the others could see that up and over the giggling princess they merged perfectly in and out of her astral mane. “Luna’s here! Luna’s here!” “YAY!” “Happy Lulu!” “Weeeeeeeee!” Dozens of tiny voices giggled and squealed as the other princesses relaxed. And soon enough they were laughing too as Luna greeted the tiny stars swirling around her. “Ah hahahah, hello little ones.” Luna smiled, eyes lighting up and momentarily forgetting the crushing stress she was under. “Ok that’s enough. That’s enough! Put me down……Celestia help!” The swarm had buddle up beneath Luna and with surge of momentum scooped her into the air. Left flailing and without traction Luna could not stop herself being bundled away as the stars tried to carry her back to the portal. Celestias flicked out a stream of golden magic that latched onto her sister but with a surprised whinny she found herself being dragged alone with them, Cadence and Twilight also tried to grab on with similar success. “What is going on?” Twilight thought to herself feeling dejection slide into her gut. Twilight was not having a good day. She hadn’t known what to expect from this. But it certainly wasn’t this. She had been having such a good morning as well! “ENOUGH!” A voice bellowed down the corridor, with carried a wave of hot arid air. The swarm of stars dropped Luna and squeaked out apologies. “Sorry.” “Sorry Luna.” “Aaahhhhhh.” As the little stars dispersed the now thoroughly baffled Princesses turned to see three figures standing in the open doorway. They had the form of ponies but each glowed and like hot embers, the surface of their bodies flowing, pulsing and fluctuating with darker patches and luminescent streaks. Each of them glowed with different colour, a white-blue, a golden yellow and a deep red. Their eyes were solid block colours and none of them seemed to have mouths. Luna quickly strode forward to greet them, not looking as happy as she’d been a few moments ago but better than before. Luna and the Yellow Being hugged as they met and Twilight noticed something odd. As her eyes once again adjusted the changing light level she was struck by the fact that the Yellow Being appeared almost identical in form to Celestia. Colouration and texture aside the build, posture, size and even the magically flowing mane were identical. And now that she looked the larger red one standing further back didn’t look a million miles away from Big Mac, not to the same degree but similar enough. The willowy, slender blue being she didn’t recognise. Celestia seemed to be glaring at her doppelganger, Twilight faintly hearing the grinding of teeth. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot.” Luna told the beings, having finished hugging them. “And while one could wish for better circumstances I am glad you can finally meet my family.” Luna turned back to the others gesturing to the glowing beings. “Everypony, may I introduce Sirius, Vega and Polaris. Spirits of the namesake stars.” “We are so glad to finally meet you.” Sirius said, voice radiant and she moved to shake hooves. “Luna has told us everything about you.” Celestia carefully regarded the hoof of the star spirit bearing her image but took the hoof and asked, “Everything?” Sirius merely chuckled in response. “We do apologise for the little ones,” Polaris said, the swarm of mini stars brushing past her making her shimmering blue body spark and undulate. “The dears got terribly over exited. They’re only a few million years old after all.” Polarises voice was as delicate as her countenance but carried the same instant presence. “Quite. Children are a handful.” Cadence said knowingly before bowing in respect. “We are honoured to meet you.” Twilight quickly joined in the bow. It seemed appropriate, after all there were no books on the protocol for this kind of situation. “Our spirits assumed appropriate forms from your collective memories.” Vega rumbled. “Since you were all wondering it.” “As you can imagine trying to fit out physical form in here would have been…difficult to say the least. Unless any of you have a strong desire to swim in plasma!” Sirius added as she turned and began walking into the structure. “Please follow us.” As they set off deeper into the structure the swarm of little stars fluttered about their heads before roosting in Luna’s mane. Twilight watched one wiggle out and float down right in front of her face. “I like your butt mark!” It told her. “Oh!” Twilight blushed, “And, erm, you are very twinkly.” The star sparked in happiness and dived back into Luna’s mane. ******************************* Further into the alien structure space and time began to twist and warp. Anyone watching would have seen the darkness of the chamber flow together as if it were a tangible liquid. The shadows turned and folded in upon themselves growing tighter and tighter until they pushed through the fabric of reality itself. Transcending laws of physics that the tongues of mortals couldn’t even begin to describe something passed through the opening. Fully actualising into the real world the being stood over Equestria like midnight incarnate. “So…here we are again.”