EDM Death Machine

by GenerousGhibli

Chapter Two: Just like that

“Thanks again for letting me stay the cycle,” Twilight said as a small overnight bag appeared beside her. “I don’t really feel like traveling all the way across town just to come back in a few hours.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” Octavia said cheerfully as she trotted into the kitchen. “We’re happy to help.”

“Seriously, Sparky, our apartment is huge,” Vinyl pointed out. “It’s not like you’ll be in the way or anything. But what about Lobos?”

Twilight gave a soft sigh as she sat down beside Vinyl on the couch. “Moondancer is taking care of him for the week. And I know that you have the space, but you and I aren’t exactly friends.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Vinyl countered, using her ESPM to levitate the remote from the coffee table. “Even if Tavi and I still lived apart, I’d still offer you my spare room. Well, then it would be my couch, but whatever.” She turned the TV on, only to see that it was on the wrong input.

“Right, right,” Twilight muttered with a soft smile. “What was it you used to say back in college; ‘from the milk of equine kindness’?”

Vinyl responded with a soft chuckle. “Yeah…” she said softly. “I picked that up from my mom…”

An awkward silence hung in the air as Vinyl flipped through input settings, then channels. “So, um, Octavia’s been in there a while…”

“She’s cooking. It’s kind of her thing,” Vinyl said simply, her scowl deepening. “Really? Five hundred channels and not a single thing on.”

“Vinyl…” Twilight started hesitantly, her shoulders slumping. “I wan–”

“If you’re about to apologize for earlier, don’t,” Vinyl said sharply, turning the TV off. “I know you don’t have any reason to believe that I’m responsible enough to handle this.” She sat up in the couch and turned to Twilight. “Look, I know I wasn’t exactly mature when we hung out, but I’ve changed, mellowed out.”

“We never really hung out, though.”

“Really?” Vinyl asked, putting a hoof to her chin. A moment later, a wicked grin spread over her muzzle. “Cuz I’m pretty sure I remember a lavender unicorn sleeping in my dorm a few times.”

Twilight’s face immediately lost every bit of its color. “I-I-I stayed the cycle because I was tutoring you and we always finished late! You were flunking Advanced Mechanical Theory! I would never s-s-s–”

“Chill, Sparky. It was a joke.” Vinyl put a hoof to Twilight’s shoulder and leaned around to look at her face. “I know what happened.”

“UGH!” Twilight knocked Vinyl’s hoof off and looked away from her tormenter. “That’s not funny! This is what worries me about you! You never take anything seriously…”

“That is definitely not true,” Vinyl said calmly as she hopped off the couch. “If I didn’t take anything seriously, you wouldn’t be here, you never would have tutored me, and I’d have never made it as a DJ.”

“If you hadn’t slacked off, you wouldn’t have needed tutoring.”

“I needed tutoring because I was having trouble keeping up, Twilight, not because I was slacking off. Remember, I aced almost all of my other classes.”

Twilight and Vinyl stared each other down as what was said sunk in. “Oh,” Twilight whispered somberly. “Sorry.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Octavia sang as she poked her head into the living room.

“Awesome! I am starving!” Vinyl trotted over to follow her into the kitchen. She turned briefly to look at Twilight with a polite smile. “Coming, Sparky?”

“Um, yeah… Yeah, I’m starving too!” She said with a smile, hopping off of the couch and following Vinyl.

“That was amazing!” Scootaloo shouted as the tour group stepped out of the carriage assembly plant. “They not only have carriages that move themselves, they have machines that build them!”

“Looks like somepony’s having more fun than she thought,” Vinyl teased over her shoulder, causing several of the students to laugh quietly to themselves. “And that’s not even the biggest factory we have in the division! I would have shown you the hovercarriage factory, but they wouldn’t authorize a tour.”

“Oh, I can explain that,” Twilight said politely. “Skyway Aeronautic Industries is cu–” She was silenced as Vinyl dashed over and clamped a hoof over her mouth.

“Hey, hey, heeeey…” she hissed, turning the two of them away from the crowd. “I know why they wouldn’t authorize a tour. I know it’s a military contract, but they don’t need to, you dig?”

Twilight nodded as Vinyl let her go and turned back to the crowd. “As I was saying,” Twilight started, earning a glare from Vinyl. It was repaid with a smirk. “SAI is currently undergoing a few classified projects within their facility.”

“…Right…” Vinyl said slowly, but quickly regained her stride and trotted back to the front of the group. “Our next stop is for lunch, and then we’re headed over to the Night Light Observatory to… Well, you’ll see.”

“In the beginning, the sky was not so constant, as it is now. It was changing, ever darkening and lightening as the day would pass into night. This change was the royal duty of the sisters eternal, Celestia and Luna…”

Vinyl smiled as she watched the laser show overhead. She heard excited whispers as the neon-colored outlines of the two princesses danced onto screen, prancing around each other, and eventually coming into a tender embrace.

“You know, Sparky, I never get tired of these things,” Vinyl whispered. “They may be a little old school, but there’s nothing quite like them.”

“I guess you’re right…” Twilight answered sourly, yet she still smiled up at the projection. “They seem to be enjoying it, too.”

A thought occurred to Vinyl as she looked over at her fellow chaperone. “Hey, didn’t your old man create these? And doesn’t he own this place?”

Twilight’s smile faltered a bit. “No on both accounts, actually. The technology to create these shows existed prior to the concept, but my father adapted it, made it into something foals could enjoy. And the building is only dedicated to him.”

“So science runs in the family?”

“My mother was a scientist, just like me… so yes, I suppose it does,” Twilight explained, a small smirk crossing her face. “Though, Momma was never quite as accomplished as I am.”

Vinyl’s smile widened a bit as she leaned back in her chair. “I can dig that. My folks were both big back in the day. Mom was a violinist, Dad was a pop star. Played synth in one of those old bands. I think it was ‘Colts with no Bonnets’ or something like that.”

“It seems we both followed in the previous generation’s hoofsteps, then.”

“Yeah,” Vinyl said quietly as the laser show’s narrative took a darker turn, telling how Luna suffered in silence for centuries. “You know, it’s a shame…”

“What is?”

Vinyl sighed and pointed up to the screen. “Our society. It’s a wonderful place, full of love and peace and everypony is connected through technology, but for us to have this… utopia, I guess… both of the princesses had to suffer so much. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Twilight was quiet for several minutes before she replied. “No… no it doesn’t.”

“Aaaw, does it have to end so soon?” one of the fillies asked as Cheerilee herded them into the hotel room.

“Yes, it does,” she said sternly, pushing the foal though the door. “Miss Scratch and Miss Sparkle are probably very busy ponies.”

“Besides,” Vinyl said from the hallway, “the sooner you kids get to sleep, the sooner you get to start tomorrow’s tour.” That seemed to do the trick, and the filly trotted into the room of her own accord.

Once she was inside, Miss Cheerilee turned and smiled at Vinyl. “Thank you for the wonderful time you showed them today. It’s rare to find someone who puts as much value in their interests as their education.”

Vinyl’s cheeks turned a bit pink from the compliment. “It was, uh, no problem! It’s like I always say: the future is like the sky, filled with brilliant starts… a-and those stars are foals…”

Miss Cheerilee’s smile faded for a moment as her eyes widened, before it returned in full force, albeit in a softer form. “How… poetic,” she said sweetly. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“Woooow, you’ve got a new fan and she hasn’t even heard your music yet. Impressive.”

“Shut up…”

“That was a joke,” Twilight said sourly as she trotted away. She stopped for a moment to turn back to Vinyl. “Come on, we need to talk.”

Vinyl trotted up to her and frowned at her grim expression. “What’s up?”

“Vinyl, why did you set them up here?” she asked quietly. “This place is only really used by ponies like you, Coloratura, or Lady Rarity. Not just average tourists, but celebrities.”

Vinyl’s scowl deepened as she took a step forward. “You know why,” she said in a low voice. “Look, I’ve got connections. I know about the Brotherhood, Sparky. This place has the best security in Elara, second only to the palace itself.”

Twilight paled at the mention of the Brotherhood, before stepping up and looking around frantically. “You need to be careful talking about them! If somepony else heard you…”

“Which is why I said it quietly,” Vinyl hissed, stepping back. “Look, they can’t get in this building without drawing attention, and that kind of attention is the last thing they want.”

Twilight considered her words for a moment, before nodding. “Alright, I’ll trust you on this. Even so, you have me worried now. Next cycle, I’m brining Lobos with me.”

“Fair enough. I think the kids will like him, too.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll see you in a cycle,” Twilight said as she trotted away.

“Uh, you know I’m headed that way too, right?” Vinyl said as she galloped to catch up to Twilight, smiling as she came up next to her.

“…Shut up…”

The next cycle found Vinyl, Twilight and the tour group waiting patiently outside the hotel for a third Division chaperone. Cheerilee in particular was getting a little antsy. Why did they need another chaperone?

No sooner did the thought cross her mind that she got her answer.

Trotting calmly and casually towards them was a mare that carried herself much with the same air as Miss Sparkle. She even looked a bit like her in the face. She wore the same kind of suit as Twilight, but with slightly more flared sleeves, and with trousers instead of a skirt, all in a fetching scarlet with a peach blouse. In addition, her mane was more styled, falling around her face in thick, luscious locks. She also seemed to walk with a very slight limp in her left foreleg.

And she had timberwolves flanking her.

Two timberwolves, a bit smaller than what was seen in the Everfree forest, padded alongside the new mare, producing a hollow thump as their paws hit the ground. Cheerilee knew that there was no danger (Miss Sparkle had explained that they were somehow domesticated), but even so, she felt her heart seize up as one of the beasts yawned, stretching it massive maw to reveal a mouth full of neatly carved, pointed teeth.

That was another thing. Instead of the mess of sticks and brush that comprised the bodies of Everfree timberwolves, these proudly bore bodies meticulously carved from what appeared to be mahogany. In reality, they were less terrifying and more majestic than anything.

“Now that there… that really don’t sit right with me,” Applejack whispered beside her. Cheerilee nodded, even as some of the students behind her started whispering nervously. Rainbow dash didn’t seem bothered by it at all. She’d probably seen them before on her trips to the Division.

As the timberwolf on the mare’s right caught sight of Twilight, its face lit up and it started to pad a little quicker than its compatriot. The mare sighed and waved a hoof, prompting the wolf to huff happily and sprint towards Twilight.

Twilight smiled and trotted forward slightly and held out a foreleg to welcome it. The timberwolf all but tackled her and started licking her face with its leafy tongue. “Hello Lobos!” she said loudly, wrapping her forelegs around the wolf. “Momma missed you!” Lobos whined in response, pressing his cheek into hers. Apparently, he’d missed her too.

“You must be Cheerilee.” Cheerilee snapped her eyes away from Twilight and Lobos to see that the mare in red was standing a few hooves away, holding out her right foreleg. She had a slight smile on her face that sent a bit of a chill down Cheerilee’s spine.

She shook the mare’s hoof, smiling nervously back at her. “Yes,” she said hoarsely, trying to avoid making eye contact with her lupine companion. “And you are?”

“I’m Moondancer,” she replied, reaching a hoof up and scratching her timberwolf’s chin, “and this is Lupe. We work with Twilight and Lobos.”

“I… see… It’s a pleasure!” Cheerilee exclaimed, and then gestured towards the other chaperones. “These are the other chaperones, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

Moondancer smiled at them and gave a quick nod. “A delight,” she said politely as Vinyl stepped up beside her and whispered in her ear. She then turned towards the foals, her smile becoming a smirk. “Are these the students?” she asked mischievously as Lupe walked around her and lowered his head to sniff at the closest foal. The colt whimpered and backed away, only to bump into the other students, who had all huddled up in fear.

Vinyl moved up beside the wolf and rubbed the back of his head, as though he was a common house pet. “It's okay little dude; they don't bite unless they're told to,” she explained as Lupe started wagging his tail excitedly. “See, these timberwolves are domesticated.”

“Even though they are much more than just pets,” Twilight chimed in, trotting up to the student with Lobos close on her hooves. “In truth, they're more like a best friend, or a big brother. We were paired with them when we were about your age, and they've been with us since then.”

Scootaloo stepped forward and gave the wolves an odd look, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes, all while tilting her head sideways. After a moment, a huge grin spread across her face and she held up a hoof for them to sniff. “So they're basically big wooden dogs, right?” she said happily as Lobos gave her a hoof a gentle nudge with his nose.

Moondancer and Twilight looked at each other and smiled, before turning back to the filly. “Well,” Moondancer said with and amused tone, “yes, actually! They are kind of like wooden dogs, only a lot more intelligent.”

Cheerilee chose this moment to cut in. “Miss Vinyl, why don’t we get the tour started?” she said politely. “You did say we had a full schedule, after all.”

“I was just about to suggest that,” the DJ answered nearly instantly. She turned and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. Twilight nodded and gestured to Moondancer, giving a small flick of her forehoof. As if by some unheard command, Lobos and Lupe stiffened and padded around to the back of the group, silently observing the students. “Alright, everypony, our first stop is a friend of mine’s store. I commissioned her to make a special souvenir for each and every one of you.”

“Do we get to ride in that cool flying carriage again?” one of the fillies asked, grinning excitedly.

“No, not this time,” she replied with a chuckle. “This time, it's within trotting distance!”

As the group made their way through the bustling metropolis, a variety of strange things caught Applejack’s eye. Everypony wore such strange clothes; none of them even looked remotely suitable for a hard day’s labor. Even ponies that she presumed were police officers wore odd clothes; some kind of strange, form-fitting jumpsuit coupled with a vest that looked like soft padding. This place was so strange…

Not everypony greeted them with smiles, as Vinyl and her two friends did, which was completely fine. But a very small number of them even sent disgusted scowls at them, like they’d wronged them somehow. She’d figured there might be a few ponies that would dislike the Empire, but not to this degree.

And then she saw it. It’s slick, black hide shining in the glow of the street’s shadow lamps and its pale blue eyes narrowed in malice as it thundered down the sidewalk after two pegasus fillies and cackled like a mad pony. To think that one of those… monsters would show itself in public…

Her lips curled back in a snarl and her pace quickened as she trotted towards the changeling.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Vinyl asked, a worried tone creeping into her voice. That’s okay, she wouldn’t be worried for long… “Don’t ju–”

“Applejack, STOP.” AJ whipped around to glare at Rainbow Dash, who was trotting up to her.

“Why should I?!” she demanded, her voice shaking. “I know you see it too!”

“Yeah, I do. But see, here’s the thing, AJ: if you attack that hatchling, you’ll be the one committing a crime.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed as she maintained her glare. “What are you talking about?” she asked, barely hiding the tremble in her voice.

“Oh!” Vinyl shouted, smacking a hoof against her head. “I totally forgot about the whole… thing… with the changelings…” She raised her hoof up and hung her head. “Okay, calling it now, that was my bad!”

“Miss Applejack,” Moondancer started as she stepped forward, “changelings are legal citizens of the Lunar Division. I understand that you must have had it hard during the war, but… if you attack a changeling in the Division, it will result in you being charged with assault and subsequently extradited to the Solar Empire.”

“Why would you shelter those things like that?” Applejack hissed, backing away from the group.

Rainbow stepped forward, holding out a hoof as if Applejack was some kind of animal. “Where else would they have gone, AJ? Where could they go?”

“Princess Nightmare is a kind and accepting ruler,” Twilight stated bluntly. “She does not turn away those that are in need, nor is she short on second chances to give.”

Applejack’s gaze switched quickly between the ponies advancing towards her, each one bearing a different expression. Dash glared at her with a sternness that could withstand a hurricane. Moondancer had a false look of sympathy on her face, but was clearly still ready to fight, and Twilight just looked at her in slight disdain. They were all prepared to take her down if they thought they had to… Her mind raced, trying to find a solution, but only one seemed feasible to her at the moment.

She bolted, heading straight down a nearby alleyway.

“After her!” Twilight shouted from behind her. She immediately heard the sound of the timberwolves’ paws beating against the hard concrete. Applejack picked up her pace, ducking around a corner and heading into another alleyway.

After several more twists and turns, the sound of wood on asphalt had completely disappeared.

But she was lost. Frantically, Applejack looked around in an attempt to locate herself. She was ultimately unsuccessful.

“Well,” she muttered, “I guess I’d better start marching…”

With that, she walked slowly out into the open and started down a sidewalk.

“You’re sure Moondancer can reason with her?” Vinyl asked as the group came to the front of a somewhat large boutique. The sign above the door read ‘Lady Rarity’s Starlit Styles’ in big, red neon letters.

Twilight sighed as she lightly flicked her hoof at the door, prompting Lobos and Lupe to take up a position on either side. “Yes, Vinyl, I’m positive. She has more in common with Miss Applejack than you could even begin to realize.”

“If you say so…” she said in defeat, before turning to the students. “Alright everypony, today we’re going to meet somepony even more famous than me. Now, she’s taken special time away form her extremely busy schedule to greet you all and give you a very special gift that she’s made herself.” Vinyl turned and pushed open the door to the shop, then marched in, gesturing for everypony to follow her.

Once inside, she looked around, attempting to find the owner. “Rarity?! Aw, don’t tell me she for–”

“Vinyl, Darling!” Everypony looked up at the top of a nearby staircase to see a mare with pale gray fur and a long, curled, violet mane. She was dressed in a long, red silk robe that trailed behind her, and had a glass of wine levitating beside her. “I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t show,” she said with a playful wink.

“Yeah, yeah,” Vinyl said as she advanced towards the stairs. “You sure that’s really appropriate to wear in front of foals?”

“I will have you know, Baroness, that I’m no common exhi…” She trailed off and her face reddened slightly as she recalled the company she was in. “Ahem… I am wearing a gown beneath,” she said quietly as she began her descent towards Vinyl. Once she reached the bottom, she leaned forward and kissed both of Vinyl’s cheeks, a gesture that the DJ quickly returned. “Regardless, it is wonderful to see you again. You and I really should spend more time together!”

“We totally should. Also, Rarity, please stop calling me Baroness. You know I don’t like it.”

Rarity gave a playful pout, raising her foreleg up to her chest. “Oh, but how often does a mare become a noble by merit of their talent alone? Besides, I do so enjoy teasing you,” she said in mock disappointment as she waltzed passed Vinyl. Her expression shifted into a friendly smile as she approached the students, completely ignoring Twilight, who offered a scowl in response. “These must be the school ponies!” she exclaimed cheerfully, lowering her head to greet them. “I’m so happy to meet you all! My name is Lady Rarity, and today, I’ll be showing you how my boutique operates.”

Cheerilee stepped up and extended a hoof to Lady Rarity, who stood up to greet the mare. “Hello, Miss–”

“Lady Rarity, if you please. I’ve worked very hard for that title.”

“…Oh, um, Lady Rarity. My apologies. My name is Cheerilee. I’m the teacher. This is Rainbow Dash, one of the chaperones.”

Lady Rarity smiled and gave a short curtsey, before turning and heading back to the stairs. She stopped to look over her shoulder, smiling at the group. “One moment, please?” She received a nod from Cheerilee and Vinyl, and then turned back to the stairs. “Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon! Could you come down here for a moment?” she called, prompting two fillies to appear at the top of the stairs. Both of them were wearing the same outfit: a simple grey jacket and a pleated skirt with black shorts underneath. One of them was pale white with long pink and lavender hair that flowed around her face, while the other had plain grey hair in a Prench braid and fur of a slightly darker grey. The latter was wearing a pair of wire-frame glasses.

“What’s up, sis?” the white filly asked, cocking her head sideways.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but should you two not be leaving for Tura’s place for your lessons?” Lady Rarity asked narrowing her eyes at the two.

“Madame Coloratura VMed us and told us to take the day off,” the grey one replied, pointing at the small Datapad on her foreleg. “She said she had some stuff to take care of.”

Lady Rarity’s eyes narrowed to the point that they were practically shut, which caused the fillies to shrink back a little. “Show me.”

The grey filly, Silver Spoon, judging by the spoon shaped patch on her uniform sleeve, tapped a few places on her Datapad and held it up to Rarity. A holographic screen appeared, showing a mare with grayish-blue fur and a dark gray mane with teal accents. After buffering the video for a moment, as JrDatapads were notorious for doing, the hologram played, and a beautiful voice drifted throughout the boutique.

“Hi girls,” the mare on-screen said sweetly. “Sorry, but I’m cancelling today’s lesson. I’ve got some stuff to take care of at the palace, and it really can’t wait. Besides, I’m sure those cute little voices of yours could use a break, what with the school choir thing the other day. Byyyye!”

Madame Coloratura winked at the camera and the screen disappeared, prompting the two fillies to smile down at Lady Rarity. “No need to be smug,” she scolded. “It looks like you’ll have to come with me.”

Sweetie Belle and Silver spoon looked at each other, then back to their caretaker. “Where to?” they asked in unison.

With a sigh, the Lady turned away from the duo. “Regrettably, into the backroom. I don’t trust either of you not to wreck the storefront while I’m back there.”

“What?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, a broad grin crossing her face. “You never let us go in the backroom!”

Lady Rarity whipped around and gave them a hard stare. “It’s a special occasion, and we have guests touring the store. You will behave yourselves.”

The fillies seemed to shirk two sizes under the mare’s gaze. “Yes ma’am…” they muttered together.

“Good, now get in line with me.” Once Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon had lined up behind her, Lady Rarity strutted up in front of the group and smiled proudly. “Alright, everypony, follow me!”

It turned out that the backroom was more like a small factory. There were at least two dozen workstations, each operated by a pony, changeling, or a griffon. Each of these workers was busy sewing together clothes, adding embellishments or otherwise doing something related to clothes production. They all operated with a drone-like sense of purpose, never looking up from their tasks, even as they finished a piece. When one did so, another worker came up and took it before running back the direction they came from. It was a like a hive, to put it simply.

“I prefer to have the clothes manufactured manually, without using machines. Each garment that is produced by this boutique is crafted with dedication and love, by each of my lovely, trusted employees.” A griffon at a nearby station raised his claw, drawing the attention of a mare that was scurrying about, collecting finished pieces. Lady Rarity waved a hoof at the mare and approached the griffon. The mare quickly nodded and dashed into a door to the side. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Ah, Milady… I wasn’t expecting you,” he answered softly, never looking up from his station. “The pattern is… problematic. The border cannot be claw-stitched, not in the way specified…”

“What kind of tools do you need?

“Merely a double-ended sewing machine, Milady. Will that be permissible?”

“Of course!” the Lady replied, putting a hoof over the griffon’s back. “As long as you are the one making it, not some robot in a dirty factory.”

“Thank you, Lady Rarity.”

“Of course.” She promptly turned back towards the student, smiling. “As you may have guessed, I have one of the most successful stores in all of Elara, if not the Division in her entirety,” Lady Rarity said, waving a hoof in front of her to gesture at the workers. “I always dreamed of being a top designer, but even I would have never imagined ending up where I am now! Not only did I accomplish my dreams, but I did so much more.” She turned back to the group and smiled. “I became so well known in the Division, that Her Majesty recognized my skill, and I was gifted the rank of Grand Couturier!”

“Wait a second,” Diamond Tiara said abruptly. “Let me get this straight: we’re being guided by a famous musician who’s famous enough to be friends with Princess Nightmare’s personal designer?!”

“Um… Yes?” Lady Rarity replied hesitantly. “I suppose that would come as a bit of surprise, wouldn’t it?”

“I never really think about us being famous…” Vinyl said calmly. “It’s just kind of what we are.”

“Indeed. Neither do I… Well, not often.” Lady Rarity shook her head softly and smiled at the students. “Why don’t you all head out into the storefront with Miss Rainbow and Miss Cheerilee? Miss Vinyl and I have to retrieve something from back here.”

Once the foals were past the doors, Rarity led Vinyl back into another room, one that was lined with dozen upon dozens of shelves, each loaded with marked boxes. “So, the pendants I commissioned are back here in the store room? That’s not really like you.”

“It is like me, however, to know how to get a pony alone,” Rarity replied softly, turning towards her friend. “Vinyl, what’s going on? You’ve always stood behind youth development programs, but something like this? Introducing young Imperials to the Division and our way of life? That’s not like you, not at all.”

Vinyl immediately offered a grimace in response, which was quickly replaced with a soft frown. “I just… I wanna make a difference… in somepony’s life. I know it’s not much, but… It’s something, right?”

“I understand, Vinyl, I really do. But surely you realize that you have changed lives.” Rarity stepped forwards and placed a hoof on Vinyl’s chest. “After everything you’ve done for the city? You deserve to be on the royal advisory council.”

Vinyl offered a slight ‘tsk’ in response. “That’s different, Rarity,” she explained bitterly. “Donating youth centers and giving to charity? I’m expected to do those. Anypony with money can do those. I want to do something special for these kids. I want to be a direct influence on them.”

“I… I think I understand,” Rarity conceded softly. She immediately perked up and levitated a box off of a nearby shelf. “Well, let’s put the gloom behind us, shall we?”

She was answered with a soft smile. “Yeah, let’s.”

Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon sat at a table off to the side of the storefront, each with screens open on their JrDatapads. “So, what did you get for number four?” Silver asked, holding her hoof a bit away from the screen. She had officially come to the conclusion that Algebra III sucked. Like, it really sucked. It especially sucked when it was homework.

“X is equal to five, and Y is equal to six,” Sweetie replied almost instantly. “I’m not showing you my work, though. You’ve got to learn this stuff, Sil.”

“It’s boring though!”

“Well, why did you take it?” Sweetie Belle asked, never once stopping the rapid swiping of her hoof through the hologram screen as she worked out another formula. “You only had to finish Algebra II, and you’d have been set for an all-elective schedule this year.”

“I wanted to be in the same class as you,” Silver answered weakly, adjusting her glasses. “We only have two other classes together, you know.”

“I know, Sil. It stinks, but we–”

“Hi there!” Both fillies froze and looked down at the pony that had addressed them. She was one of the Imperial students, and she clearly had Imperial tastes if her fur coat was any indication.

“Uh, Hi…” Sweetie replied hesitantly. “Did you… need something?”

“No, just thought I’d introduce myself,” the filly said, smiling at them. “I’m Diamond Tiara!”

“Sweetie Belle.”

“Silver Spoon. Is that all you needed?”

Diamond Tiara shrugged. “I guess? I was just thinking I could make some new friends.”

“New friends?” Sweetie Belle practically scoffed. “What would be the point? We’d never see each other again.”

“Yeah, But back home, we’re taught that we should make friends before enemies,” Diamond explained. “Even if we never meet again, it’s nice to know I’ve got friends in another country. And hey, I can still send you a letter now and then.”

Silver tilted her head, causing her glasses to shift. “Why just one letter? That’d take a while to finish a message…”

“Different letter, Sil. It’s an antiquated form of communication involving the delivery of messages written down on paper.” Sweetie Belle turned back to Diamond. “We don’t have letters in the Division. We have Email. Electronic mail. It’s sent through machines.”

“I… see. Well, can we still be friends anyway?”

Sweetie Belle sighed and closed out of her homework. “Sure, I guess.”

Silver Spoon simply shook her head at Sweetie’s response with a smile. “I’d like that,” she said softly as she turned back to Diamond Tiara.

“Cool!” Diamond shouted. “Come meet my other friends!”

“Wait, I never agreed…” She never finished as Diamond Tiara turned and trotted back to the tour group.

“Come on, Sweets,” Silver said as she hopped down from her chair. “Who knows, you might actually like them.”

“…Fine.”

Once Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon had caught up to their new Imperial friend, she was already chatting excitedly with three of her classmates. One of them didn’t even look old enough to be in their class. As they approached, Diamond turned back to them with a warm smile.

“Okay, so, this is Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon,” she said, pointing at each of them in turn. “They said they’d be our friends!”

“Nice to meet you,” one of the other Imperials said with a smirk. “Name’s Scootaloo.”

“I’m Apple Bloom!”

“I’m Pipsqueak, but everypony calls me Pip. Pleased to meet you!”

Silver smiled politely, pushing her glasses back up her nose a bit. “It’s nice to meet you all.” When Sweetie Belle didn’t follow suit, a sharp elbow to the barrel prompted her to scowl and nod to the group.

“So, what’s the deal with the matching outfits?” Scootaloo asked. “You two sisters or something?”

This prompted Sweetie Belle look at the filly in confusion. “It’s… a school uniform. You don’t have uniforms at your schools?”

“We don’t wear clothes in the Empire,” Apple bloom pointed out with a glance down at her red flannel shirt and overalls. “This is literally the most I’ve ever worn. Ever.”

“B-but…” Sweetie Belle’s face twisted in disgust. “Everypony can see–”

“We’re baaack!” Lady Rarity sang as she and Vinyl strolled back into the room. “And we brought Preeeseeents!”

That seemed to draw the attention of every foal in the room, including Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon. With a speed rivaling that of Rainbow Dash, all of the students gathered around the two mares. At the same time, Vinyl and Rarity started levitating a number of crescent moon pendants out of the box.

“These pendants are special,” Lady Rarity started, putting one of the silver necklaces around Pipsqueak’s neck. The little colt’s face immediately turned three shades pinker as she leaned down close to him. “They say that, so long as you wear this pendant, you will never have another bad dream,” she whispered placing the pendant around his neck.

Applejack looked around desperately, trying to locate the hotel they were staying at. She was utterly unsuccessful. With a sigh, she trotted up to the edge of the large bridge she was on, staring at the equally large waterway below. She’d made a fool of herself in front of the kids… again. This was third time in recent history. She really needed to get her temper under control.

“So, this is where you disappeared to,” a voice said from behind. “You are a very difficult mare to track down.”

“Stardancer, was it? Ya come to arrest me?”

The mare chuckled and sat down beside her. “Moondancer, actually. And no, I’ve got no reason to take you into custody. I’m just… here to talk.”

“You wanna know why I went crazy back there, don’t ya?” Applejack asked sourly.

“No, I think I can piece it together. It was your father, wasn’t it?”

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she turned to look over at the soft face of the Division mare beside her. She was kind of tall, and had a thicker build than most unicorns she’d met. “Brother, actually. Pa weren’t fit for service; had himself a bum leg.”

“It must be hard, then, being surrounded by them.”

“You ain’t kidding,” Applejack said with a sardonic chuckle. “Worse, I can’t even tell who’s a changeling and who’s not. They all look like you and me.”

“Once you’ve been here long enough, you start to get a feel for it,” Moondancer explained calmly. “They walk a certain way, say things a bit differently. A slight lisp… It’s the little things that give it away, really.”

“You seem to know your stuff.”

“I’ve been around them a while. They don’t even seem like a different species to me anymore. They’re just ponies with an exoskeleton.”

It was a long while before either of them said anything. They simply stared at the waters below as a few motorized gondolas passed by. “I’m sorry for losing it back there,” Applejack said softly.

“I’m not mad. Twilight and Rainbow Dash might be, but I’m not,” Moondancer replied just as softly. “In fact, I understand. It’s the same whenever I see a griffon.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow as she turned her gaze to Moondancer. “Not following. I though the griffons were a peaceful bunch?”

“Maybe in the empire… But they weren’t too happy about the Division coming in and offering aid.”

“That… makes absolutely no sense.”

“Griffonstone is a proud country. Even in the derelict state they were in, they refused Princess Nightmare’s numerous offers of aid,” she explained, frowning heavily at the water. “They ambushed the relief teams that were sent there. Killed almost all of them.”

“Your Pa was there, wasn’t he?”

“No. My dad died in a carriage accident when I was a child.” Moondancer paused, lifting her left foreleg and glaring at it in what seemed like disgust. “But I was there. I lost my whole squad and…”

“And?”

With a sigh, Moondancer backed away from the rail a bit. “Command code zero-five-three-two, disengage prosthetic.” Applejack watched in horror as, with a barely audible click and a hiss, the mare’s left foreleg detached, then fell away and hit the ground with a hard thump. “I was forced to resign from the service after the battle.”

“I… I see. I’m so sorry.”

Moondancer smiled at her as she used her magic to undo her coat and shirt. “Don’t be,” she said calmly, pulling the stub of her foreleg out of her sleeves. “I’m still a head researcher in the Science Corps; I’m just not combat personnel anymore.” As she held her stump down next to the prosthetic, it practically jumped into the socket, reconnecting with a hiss and a click. “It’s not that bad, really. I just limp a little now. I can’t run really fast, or jump too high, but it’s nothing I can’t live with.”

“It’s neat, but how’s it work? I mean, it moves the way a regular leg would…”

“It reads muscle movement and determines how it’s supposed to move based on data collected. It’s got a little information processing unit in it somewhere.”

“So… it’s got a brain its own?”

Moondancer laughed, buttoning her clothes back up. “Yes and no,” she said, using her hooves to pull her hair out of her collar. “It’s more like it has a piece of a brain in it. It’s just reads how I want to move, and follows through with the action.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“Oh, it is. Everything here is.”

Applejack gave a soft chuckle. “It’s like that in the Empire, too you know,” she said with a smirk.

“I’d bet. It’s always been said that our nations are the same, but still–”

“–opposite, and that they developed the same things through different means. Yeah, I’ve heard the whole spiel a hundred times. A little tired of it, honestly.”

Moondancer smiled, genuinely happy to have met someone she understood, and who understood her in turn. She despised that old saying.

“So…” the unicorn started. “What was with the looks you gave Lo–” She never finished her question, as a sharp, earsplitting beep filled the air.

“Gah, what the hay is that?” Applejack shouted, covering her ears. When the beeping stopped, Moondancer was staring at the Datapad on her real leg, a look of horror on her face. “Moo–”

“Miss Applejack, can you find your way back to the hotel?” the unicorn asked in a hushed voice.

“A-absolutely not. I’ll just get lost again.”

“Then you’re coming with me!” Moondancer shouted, grabbing hold of Applejack’s shirt with her magic.

“Where to?! And what was that noise?!”

“That noise was an emergency call, and we’re going to the palace. Something’s going down, and I can’t tell you what. All you need to know is that it’s something big.”

Vinyl led the tour group towards a massive glass dome the size of ten city blocks, which was located in the center of Elara. Once they were in front of the door, she turned and cleared her throat. “So, you’ve seen out factories, where cutting edge technology makes even more cutting edge technology, and you’ve seen Lady Rarity’s shop, where her garments are all made by hoof or by claw, but you haven’t seen the city’s most special place yet. It’s a place that’s been left nearly completely untouched by the progress of technology and science, where animals roam free and plants grow naturally, uninhibited by the controlling touch of ponykind. I also happen to know the caretakers personally.”

Behind her, the door to the sanctuary opened, and a yellow pegasus mare with pink hair slowly strode out. Her mane was held in a slightly messy up-do, with one thick lock hanging down over her left eye. She was dressed in a blue kimono-like robe with a pink collar and cherry blossoms printed on the dress’s main body. She was the picture of grace and beauty, baring a soft smile on her lips and a serene look in her only visible eye. She immediately stepped up to Vinyl and bowed low, practically prostrating herself before the DJ. “Hello, Miss Scratch.”

Vinyl quickly returned the bow, though she didn’t go quite as low. “High Priestess Fluttershy… It’s good to see you again.” As soon as she finished, the two of them rose, and exchanged a quick hug. “Sorry it’s been so long. Things have been a little hectic lately.”

“Oh, there’s no reason to apologize, Vinyl,” the priestess said softly, her silky voice drifting over the group. “I understand perfectly.” She then turned to the students. “Hello, children. My name is Fluttershy, and I’m the High Priestess here at the Elara Nature Preserve and Animal Sanctuary. Why don’t you all come inside?” Suddenly, Fluttershy caught sight of Lobos and Lupe, and her gentle smile turned into a fierce scowl as she glared at the wolves. “I’m very sorry, but your timberwolves will have to stay outside,” she said sharply, eliciting a grimace from Twilight.

“That–” she started but was immediately cut off by a sharp, ear-splitting beep. As she tapped her Datapad and read whatever was on the screen, her expression changed drastically, from disdain, to shock, to horror, and then to a chilling calm. “That’s fine,” she said bluntly. “I need to be going anyways. Vinyl, Fluttershy… a word before I go, please?”

They trotted over to Twilight with confused looks, even more so when Twilight grabbed them by their collars and pulled them in close. “What’s wrong, Twilight?” Vinyl whispered, knowing full well what that alarm was.

“You listen, and listen well, mares. I’m going to trust you two with a very important task. That dome behind us isn’t just glass; hasn’t been for a few decades. It’s a high-density kinetic energy field over the original glass. I know that you both what that means.”

“Indestructible from the outside, right?” Vinyl asked, receiving a nod from Twilight.

“And since the sanctuary is only accessible with the priestesses’ permission, it’s unlikely to be destroyed at all,” Fluttershy clarified.

“Right,” Twilight affirmed. “High Priestess, You’re on both the city and royal councils, so you know about the Brotherhood. And Vinyl, you know through your connections in the underground.”

“I… really don’t like where this is going…” Fluttershy whispered.

“They’re making a move, aren’t they?” Vinyl asked softly, at barely even a whisper.

“They already have,” Twilight quickly, her tone and the speed of her speech rapidly changing. “An explosive device was found in the sewers during a patrol. It was big. I need you to keep the Imperials in the dome. At any cost, understand?”

Both mares nodded, stern scowls crossing their faces. “We’ll wait for your all-clear, Miss Twilight,” Fluttershy said sharply, pulling away. “You should be on your way.”

With an exchanged nod between the three of them, Twilight whistled sharply, prompting Lobos and Lupe to flank her. “I’ll see you both when this is over,” she called as she galloped away, the wolves hot on her hooves.

“So,” Vinyl whispered, “same as always. We smile for the Imperials and pretend nothing’s wrong.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Before the tour group could enter into the huge dome of the sanctuary, they were first sent into an airlock and given masks with small oxygen cartridges on the side. After all of the masks had been donned, a vent on the right wall sucked the contaminated air out, and a vent in the ceiling pumped clean air in. This was so as few pollutants as possible were brought into the sanctuary. Their hooves received a thorough scrubbing, and then they were ready to go in.

“Here at the Elara Sanctuary,” Fluttershy said softly through her microphone, “it is the task me and my sisters, the Nature Priestesses, undertake to ensure that these ancient plants and animals still prosper and thrive.” The door behind her opened, and she turned and made her way though it. As they made their way in, the stark contrast of the new environment made every one of the Imperials pause. The scenery in front of them could only be described as a miniature forest, similar in appearance to the Everfree, aside from the soft blue light that enveloped everything. All around them, beautiful mares from all three tribes dressed in simple clothing somewhat similar to Fluttershy’s were tending to various tasks around the sanctuary. A few of them were gently gliding between the trees, careful not to hit any of them as they checked for any irregularities, while some were harvesting fruit from trees or bushes, and others were tending to a wide variety of animals. All of them had their hair fixed in a loose up-do, which was obviously meant to keep their mane out of their eyes. Those who were not hard at work were lounging about on the ground, heedless of the dirt sullying their clothes. Many of these mares lounged in pairs or groups, huddled together as though they were lovers.

“What is with this place?” Pipsqueak asked as he took off his respirator. “Why are there only mares? And why are they all so pretty?”

Diamond Tiara groaned and smacked him in the back of the head. “Geez, subtle, much?”

Apple Bloom chuckled as she stared at a nearby group of mares that seemed to be napping together. “He’s got a point, though. What I wanna know is why a bunch of mares are gettin’ all mushy n’ cuddly with each other. It’s weirdin’ me out…”

“I’d heard rumors, but they say it’s cool here for mares to get with other mares,” Scootaloo muttered, cringing as one of the mares winked at her. “It’s still super weird though.”

“Actually, Little Pegasus, you’re very right,” one of the priestesses said in a soothing tone, landing softly in front of the group. “My name is Star Drift. I understand you’re all from the Empire?” She turned her gaze to Pipsqueak, and something in that look she was giving him made him very, very uncomfortable.

“Y-yes ma’am…” Pipsqueak stuttered, backing away.

“Oh, you don’t need to be afr–”

“Star Drift.”

The mare froze and slowly turned her head towards Fluttershy. “Um… Yes, High Priestess?”

“I see that gleam in your eyes. You should go meditate for a while,” she suggested, smiling at her fellow priestess. “It’ll help to clear your mind and heart.”

Star Drift looked, back at Pipsqueak, than back at the High Priestess, then back and forth between them several times. “B-but…” She trailed off, a look of heavy disappointment on her face. “Yes, Sister,” she muttered, hanging her head.

Once the other priestess had flown off, Fluttershy turned back to the tour group, specifically the chaperones. “I’m very sorry, but my priestesses are very… um… affectionate,” she explained, a small blush coming over her cheeks. “They are not allowed to leave the sanctuary, and they become very attached to each other as a result. When they meet a new pony, the affection they show each other bleeds into the way they approach the newcomer. They would not do any harm, I promise; they merely seek to give and receive attention.”

“Regardless, Star Drift does bring up an interesting point,” Vinyl cut in, trotting up beside Fluttershy. “And I’d actually planned on bringing it up here. In the Empire, it’s not exactly common or acceptable to have same-sex couples, but it’s actually really common here in the Division. It’s almost the standard.”

“But… what about foals?” one of the fillies asked, raising her hoof. “Don’t mares want to have foals when they get married?”

Vinyl and Fluttershy’s faces immediately turned bright red. “Most of them adopt,” Fluttershy said quickly.

“There are special facilities if they want to have their own, but there are still foals that need good homes. Before a mare can visit one of these facilities, they’re required to present a document showing that they’ve visited an orphanage and considered her available options.”

Another colt raised his hoof, prompting Vinyl to nod at him. “What do they do at these facilities? How can a mare have a foal without a stallion?”

“I’m not certain I’m comfortable discussing that kind of stuff with foals…” Vinyl said, scratching the back of her head.

“Oh, I assure you, it’s fine,” Cheerilee chimed in. “Education of that sort is covered very early in our school.”

“Well, it’s not like that here…” Vinyl muttered with an increasingly red face.

“Why don’t I introduce you all to my wife?” Fluttershy blurted, drawing the attention to her. “She’s in the back, taking care of some of the plants.” The students all looked confused.

“That sounds… delightful!” Cheerilee said happily, though it was clear to anypony watching that it was a more than a little forced.

“Then it’s settled!” Fluttershy said sweetly, turning away. “I’ll be back in a bit; it’ll take a while for her to get here.”

“So, should I like… set up an ESPM barrier or something?” Vinyl asked, catching Fluttershy with a hoof on the shoulder before she could take off.

The High Priestess merely smiled back. “Whatever for? Star Drift is the only one that would… um, harm them, and she’s been dealt with. The others will only want to spend time with them. Maybe hug them a lot. Nothing to really worry about.” She paused, putting a hoof to her chin. “In fact… Sisters! If you are not doing labor, gather around!” she called, causing Vinyl to flinch. All of the priestesses that weren’t working immediately sprang up and ran over, almost as if they were waiting for the command. “I want each of you to partner with one of these Imperial students and show them around the forest. Understood?”

All of them nodded, then immediately started chattering excitedly among themselves. In the middle of it, Vinyl managed to catch snippets of things like ‘they’re so cute’ and ‘I just wanna hug ‘em to death!’ And that bothered her a little. More than a little. A lot.

“Yo, Shy… are you sure this is such a good idea…?”

Fluttershy sighed and turned to Vinyl with a bit of hurt in her eyes. “Vinyl, I know what they say about us… about the way we live… But I thought you, at least, knew better.”

“I… You’re right. That was a horrible thing to think; even worse to say. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, Vinyl. We all doubt our friends at some point or another. It’s only natural.”

“…Right,” Vinyl said softly, moving back towards the crowd. “You go get Tree Hugger, and I’ll chill here.”

“Alright, but you know you’re more than welcome to come with me.”

Vinyl Chuckled, shaking her head. “Nah. I am their chaperone, after all.”

“Touché,” Fluttershy replied with a soft smirk. “You know, it does speak volumes about how much you’ve grown… to be concerned for them like that? Most Division ponies would just as soon look away before they help an Imperial.”

“And that’s why I’m awesome.”

“You could be more modest, though,” she teased, before finally taking off and gliding deep into the trees.

Some time later, Vinyl and Cheerilee sat at the base of a tree and watched as a group of students and their assigned priestesses played hide and seek among the trees. Whenever one of the sisters would find their student, they would tackle them and nuzzle them maybe a bit too much. Aside from that, everything was grand.

Rainbow Dash was busy napping in one of the trees, but Vinyl knew she was a light sleeper. All it would take was a shout to rouse her.

“So, you’re saying that her in The Division, you have the means to manipulate a pony’s very genes?” Cheerilee asked curiously. She and Vinyl had been discussing the details of the cloning facilities mentioned before.

“Yep. It’s not exactly new, either. Been doing it for about sixty years, if I remember right.”

“And it’s as simple as walking up to this facility, providing a genetic sample?”

Vinyl sighed, taking a sip from the drink one of the sisters had brought her. Cheerilee and Rainbow also had one, but the teacher hadn’t even touched hers, and Rainbow had downed it in one go. “Well, it’s got to be a sample from a specific organ, and that takes a bit of work, but yeah. Both mares provide a sample, and one is picked to be the ‘father’ of the child. Artificial… uh, stuff is created with the modified sample, and then boom! Pregnant lesbians.”

“You make it sound so simple…”

“Maybe, but it’s actually pretty complex stuff,” Vinyl replied simply. “Twilight could probably tell you way more about it. Her mom’s pretty big in that field.”

“You seem to know a good bit about it, yourself,” Cheerilee said suspiciously, finally taking a sip of her drink. “Oh, my. This is quite good.”

“Well, I should. I was seriously considering it at one point.”

“I see… what changed?”

“The mare I was seeing broke it off after she was transferred back to the Empire. Part of that whole soldier exchange program that was going on a while back.”

“What was her name? I might know her.”

“Well, I’d say that was unlikely, but you do actually know her.” There was a rustle over head as Rainbow slid off of her branch a glided away. “And there she goes.”

Cheerilee spit out a mouthful of her drink. “It was… Miss Dash?!” she asked incredulously.

“Yup. She still feels bad about it. I tell her it’s fine, though. We were young, impulsive, made hasty decisions,” Vinyl said softly, a smile spreading across her lips. “But it was nice, and I do miss it, sometimes.”

“That’s why you looked familiar!” Cheerilee shouted, stomping her forehoof down. “When I met you, you looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place it. She carries a picture of you in her wallet!”

“Makes sense, I guess. I keep a photo from our first date on my dresser. Oh, look. Shy’s back.”

Sure enough, High Priestess Fluttershy was making her way back toward them with a green-furred mare beside her. She had her wing over her wife, who in turn leaned against her for support. Despite the obvious struggle of a pregnant mare walking a mile across the forest, Tree Hugger still wore that dopey smile she was known for.

Vinyl and Cheerilee stood and started to trot towards the couple, but Vinyl’s Datapad started ringing. Looking down, she saw Twilight’s name on the display, and two thoughts entered her mind. She pulled up the holographic display on her headset and tapped the ‘answer’ icon on the pad. The lavender mare’s face promptly appeared in front of hers. “Sup Sparky? We good?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Twilight screamed as her head bobbed up and down. Or rather, everything behind her face was bobbing up and down. She was galloping hard. “GET EVERYPONY OUT OF THE SANCTUARY, NOW! IS THE PRIESTESS WITH YOU?!”

“I am now,” Fluttershy said softly as she stepped up beside Vinyl. “What’s wrong, Twilight?”

“There’s a bomb at the top of the dome!” Twilight shouted. “Start evacuating! I’ll be there in a moment to disarm the device!”

Within minutes, all of the Imperial students and the priestess were gathered at the sanctuary’s exit. Well, most of them.

“I can’t find the student I was with!” one of the sisters screamed as she grabbed Vinyl’s shoulders.

“What?!” Vinyl scanned around her, looking for the colt she was with. He was small, so he might have… “When did you lose him?”

“I don’t kn–”

“Vinyl, I can’t find Star Drift!” Fluttershy shouted over the chattering throng of foals and mares.

“She didn’t…” Vinyl hissed. She felt her blood boil as the two things connected in her mind. “Rainbow!” she screamed, drawing the attention of her ex-marefriend. “Find Pipsqueak! I’ll tail you!”

That proved unnecessary, as the tiny colt burst through a bush some ways away, with Star Drift following closely behind in the air. It was clear from her expression that she was chasing him. He was shouting, crying for help. As Star Drift dove towards him, Rainbow circled right and tackled her from the side, sending both of them crashing to the ground.

“Get off me!” Star shouted, using her hind legs to push her assailant off. Once she got to her hooves, she was tackled again, but she caught this one head on and managed to stand her ground. She forgot there was a unicorn nearby.

A magenta ESPM field wrapped around Star Drift’s right hind leg and snatched it out from under her. She was promptly lifted off the ground and slammed back down onto her back, producing a sharp crack as her wings bent entirely the wrong way. Vinyl turned towards the group with a harsh scowl, her horn still glowing. “Get them out of here!” she barked at Cheerilee and Fluttershy, both of whom nodded and turned to start ushering everypony out of the gate.

It was too late.

Twilight wasn’t going to make it.

Five explosions went of in rapid succession, and the dome started to crumble above them. The group stopped and looked, before turning back to the entrance and rushing out. It was chaos. Ponies were pushing and shoving and they had completely jammed the gate, which definitely wasn’t built to allow seventy or so ponies through at once.

With a growl, Vinyl released Star Drift and started threading her ESPM field through the crowd, pulling a few ponies out and sorting the mess so they could all get out easily. It worked, and the flow commenced. In just a few seconds, everypony, including Vinyl and Rainbow, were outside.

As Vinyl exited the preserve, Twilight and Lobos, as well as Applejack, sprinted up to group. Applejack immediately darted over to her little sister. “I was too–”

“Yeah,” Vinyl spat, glaring at the ground. She didn’t look back as the national treasure behind her crumbled in on itself. Even as the priestesses screamed in horror and anguish, and as foals cried, she didn’t look back. “But that doesn’t matter now. We need to find somew–”

Another explosion cut her off, this coming from the base of a nearby business tower. It started falling, and subsequently crashed into a similarly sized building next to it. Both buildings were falling now. Another explosion sounded to her right, several city blocks away. That was followed by another blast, coming from a hotel slightly further down the street.

“We have to get them to the palace!” Twilight shouted. She signaled Lobos to start herding the students and priestesses together. As he followed the command, more and more explosions sounded, rocking the very ground they stood on.

“There’s no time to get organized!” Vinyl hollered at Twilight. She turned to the group with a scowl. “Listen up!” she called, earning a bunch of worried glances. She pointed behind her, towards the massive, starch-white towers of the royal palace. “We’re going there! Stay with the group and you will be fine! Now get moving!”

The group immediately started off slowly in the direction of the palace, with many of them flinching when another blast shook the city, some freezing when a piece of rubble landed nearby. All around them, ponies ran and screamed, and there were already a number of casualties in the streets. Everything was happening so fast, nopony had really any time to react.

They only managed to make it a few city blocks before they had to stop. The building ahead of them exploded at the ground floor, sending flames and debris across the sidewalk. Then, the building beside them detonated close to the middle. Rubble started raining down on top of them, prompting Vinyl and Twilight both to put up a barrier overhead. The fields fused together to make something stronger than either of them could produce alone. As more and more debris started falling on them, it began piling up around them. Bigger pieces started falling. Entire slabs of concrete slammed into the compound barrier, causing both mares to flinch.

Prompted by an unseen, unheard command from Twilight, Lobos started nudging ponies out from under the barrier and into the street. It was safer there. The rubble might not reach them as easily so far away from the buildings. Many of them looked back at Twilight and Vinyl with worry or fear. After only a minute, the entire group had been cleared.

“Go, Vinyl! Get out of here! I can take this!”

“I call bullshit!”

“Don’t be stupid, Vinyl! Get OUT! If you stay we’ll both die! Think of Octavia!”

The magenta portion of the barrier vanished, eliciting a sigh of relief from Twilight. Her eyes widened when she felt the familiar tug of an ESPM field around her barrel. She turned her horrified gaze to Vinyl, who had a soft smile on her lips. “She’ll understand.”

Twilight’s entire body jerked sideways, making her lose her focus and allow her barrier to dissipate. She was hurled out from under the falling pile of rubble that had gathered on the shields. Rainbow Dash caught her out of the air and sat her down. She turned back just in time to see Vinyl’s smile vanish under the debris.

“VINYL!!!”

The massive maw of a giant mechanical wolf bit down on a chunk of rubble a few times bigger than a pony and spat it off to the side. Several more wolves joined in and were doing the same. It didn’t take very long to find what they were after. This was indicated as one of the wolves pulled out a chunk of rubble with a starch white foreleg, adorned with a cobalt and azure Datapad, hanging from it.