Palaisville-de-L'empereur - PrancePalaisville-de-L'empereur - Prance
13th of Chillfrost 16 EoH
“She and I fought each other to a standstill. The Emperor and the Queen, locked in one on one combat for the sake of sparing our armies that day,” the Emperor said to the empty room, not realizing that the janitor he had been speaking at had finished his duties and then left mid story. “I’m afraid the story gets a little, childish from here. My ponies didn’t want to see me forfeit the duel and began to yell encouragement, and I am told her hive did the same telepathically.
“But it just didn’t matter. She was out of mana and almost out of love. I was out of stamina overall. I’d never expected any changeling to be able to drain me like that. Even exhausted as we both were, we couldn’t stop fighting. The problem was simple, we had been at war for a full eight years. You don’t put aside that sort of rivalry because of a single nine hour duel.
“I demanded she step down as Queen and give the lands which became northern Prance to me. She countered with a ‘Why don’t you go buck yourself?’ to which I retorted ‘Why don’t you buck me instead, lust bug!’ She decided to snap back, ‘Of course you’d confuse love and lust. You wouldn’t know love if it bit you in the ass!’ So I retorted, ‘That’s because you lick an ass, stupid.’
“You can see where this went from here. Two great world leaders of the age, squared off in a foalish insult match which degraded into ‘Buck you!’, ‘No, buck you!’ ad infinum. Well, not truly forever. One can only yell buck you at a hungry changeling for so long before the obvious in hindsight reply she gave, me is spoken.
“I still remember how she frowned, held one hoof to her belly like a starving pony and then when ‘Ugh, fine! But I’m top, and only so we can get back to a proper fight!’ Before I could finish my shocked ‘What, what?!’ she’d jumped my bones, as it were. While this was quite literally a rape as I had no intention of copulating with my sworn enemy, I must admit, she was VERY good. It’s also good she didn’t choose to attack me, as I was unable to fight her off at this point.
“Of course, that simply meant I would have to hunt her down later and display her head on my wall for a time. Which I did manage to do in time. But what I did not expect from that defeat arrived on my throne in a bucket several months later.
“Queen Elytra had no intention of caring for our foals. In hindsight, I’m glad she gave them to me instead of killing them. At the time, I was greatly angered by the unwanted responsibility fostered upon me, and ashamed that my heirs had been created without my consent. Ah, but within days that mattered little to me.
“My sons prospered thanks to the Changeling blood in their veins. They looked like any unicorns to the untrained eye, and did well. It was my daughter who had a hard time. She did share a relation to me, my mages were able to prove that, but she was a pureblood changeling. In that age, she was greatly hated, and allowed to live only by my will.
“She loved me as any child loves their parent, and in time she became a Queen herself, the need to stick to the shadows and remain unseen influencing her and her hive’s culture. She gave me my most valuable asset as a ruler. But that, is a story for another day.
“I- oh… You’ve gone.”
The Emperor took a few moments to silently wish he could fire palace staff, before sighing and attributing the Janitor’s rudeness to one of the Steward’s ever growing pointless work quotas.
He had just enough time to consider waiting for the next cleaning detail to ask them about bringing the last one back so he could finish the story, whether that pony like it or not, when a faint arcane current caught his attention.
His eyes fixated on the space before his throne where the faint energies sparked and twitched, dancing in broken patterns which became ever more whole with each iteration. The Emperor had never been schooled formally in magic, he had no need to pursue the arts formerly, nevertheless his experienced eyes identified the patterns as a teleportation attempt.
A teleportation attempt which was close to breaching the ancient and powerful wards placed upon his palace. A feat which had never before been achieved.
The pattern suddenly stabilized, immediately bursting into a flash of violet light with a violent shower of sparks and smoke, overloading the local wards an instant before two ponies materialized in front of the Emperor's cloth covered form.
“Good job, how did you do that?” The Emperor asked before the light faded enough for him to see who had teleported into his throneroom against all odds.
“It wasn’t easy, but old wards have flaws,” a mare said, coughing lightly on the smoke as it cleared.
The Emperor mentally squinted, seeking to pierce the smokescreen and-
“Ah! Cadence,” he greeted happily. “Is everything alright? I presume my guard would not let you visit at three in the morning?”
“Actually, they wouldn’t let Twilight come in,” Cadence replied, nodding her head towards the other mare. “So we… Made a door.”
“I see,” the Emperor said sadly. “I’ll do what I can to ensure you may bring guests, Cadence. Now if you don’t mind, Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is an honor to meet Equestria’s Archmage. What brings you to my lonely chambers?”
Twilight looked up towards the Emperor’s voice, her face barely managing to hide her awestruck feelings as she took in the sheer size of the Emperor’s diminished form. While Twilight had seen, fought, and beaten far large creatures in the past, this was still the largest pony she had ever seen. Or even the largest horse.
“I want to know what Princess Cadence sees in you, Emperor… Um… What is your name?” Twilight asked frowning in concern.
While she was not here for a friendly visit, she still did not want to be rude.
“It’s not important, you my address me by my title,” the Emperor answered.
“I insist,” Twilight pressed firmly.
Cadence sighed. “Twilight has… Some problems. This is serious, please, for your own sake, let's keep everything friendly,” she pink alicorn urged.
The Emperor paused for a moment. “Problems? What problems? Ah! Yes, we included you in our trade agreement, I assume you object to-”
“I do,” Twilight said closing her eyes for a moment. “I have had a very bad year, your highness. Despite my husband getting ill, an assassination attempt that led to me miscarrying, losing my library in a fire, and a lot of other disasters, I haven’t had a single great monster or evil overlord attack Equestria. It’s been peaceful.
“I don’t want to break this record and become the cause of anypony’s suffering. You want my help, and I read up on your history. Please, tell me your name so we can sit down and talk things out. I’m not the sort of pony who won't give others a second chance.”
The Emperor paused for a few moments. “I don’t understand,” he said at last.
“I want to talk with you pony to pony, not Princess to Emperor,” Twilight explained. “Please, what is your name?”
The Emperor whimpered slightly, making Cadence wince in empathy. “Twi,” she began, ”he’s really embarrassed about-”
“I know, this is about trust. Why should I trust a long ‘dead’ monarch who won't tell me his name and has a list of assassinated nobles that fills an entire book with nothing but names?” Twilight demanded accusingly.
The Emperor sighed forlornly. “I can explain those, and my name is Swift Prance,” he mumbled.
“What’s so bad about that!?” Cadence and Twilight asked in unison.
“It’s just so… Dumb!” The Emperor exclaimed miserably. “I keep it only to honor my parents memory. And because I’m terrible with names. Hence why my Empire is named ‘Prance’s Empire’ if translated into your tongue. Ponyfeathers, I allowed my people to vote on my children’s names so I didn’t name them ‘Colt one’, ‘Colt two’, and ‘Adorable Buggy Filly’ or something even more stupid!
“The word Prance on can be taken to mean ‘walk with grace’ in the context of a nation’s name, but when you know my full name- Who would follow a stallion named ‘springs about like a hyperactive filly’?!”
Cadence’s wings twitched as she did her best to ignore the Emperor’s distress. Not out of malice, but to resist giving him an apologetic hug during state business. Twilight likewise, won her mental battle and managed to contain the giggle which had been building since the Emperor had insisted his name was silly.
“If I’m not mistaken, Twilight,” the Emperor continued, “your name means ‘the last glimmer of sunlight before nightfall’. Cadence, your name is ‘the composition of love’ which is at least an accurate name for you as well as poetic. Both are fine names befitting of a pony who commands power and respect.
“But ‘springs about like a hyperactive filly’? No! There’s no dignity there. Please, call me Emperor, Prance, Empy, Uncle Prance, or even ‘The Old Bonepile’. Anything but ‘springs about like a hyperactive filly’. And never tell a single sole my name so long as you live. Please.”
Twilight nodded, blushing lightly as she realized how much mental anguish the stallion’s name caused him definitely had been at the level Cadence had warned her of.
“I’m sorry for prying, Mister Prance,” Twilight apologised. “But I noticed you didn’t object to me claiming you had your own nobles assassinated. Which goes a long way to confirm my suspicions about you.”
The Emperor wished he could nod as he replied to the lavender mage. “Of course I didn’t object. I absolutely did have several thousand nobles executed over the course of Prance’s eight millennia of history. I am not sorry for my actions related to their deaths, nor will I ever be.”
“Then you are another Sombra,” Twilight said bitterly, ears laying back. “I won’t help you.”
“Do you trust Cadence?” The Emperor asked.
Twilight nodded.
“Cadence, would you please do your Alicorn thing and tell Twilight what my greatest passion is?” The Emperor asked politely, seemingly unconcerned by Twilight’s refusal to help.
“Twilight, above all else, Uncle Prance wants everypony to be safe, happy, and fulfilled. We’re friends because we share the same overall goal,” Cadence explained.
Twilight frowned slightly. She believed her old friend, but at the same time. “But you feel no guilt over killing others?”
“No, I do. I regret killing many people. But not the nobles you found mentioned in whatever old tome you dug up. I take it the book did not explain the workings of my Empire. Many smaller kingdoms used to create propaganda pieces to demonize me. I can’t blame them, they needed to rally support before I crushed them and liberated their people. Would you like to know why they died by my hoof or order?” The Emperor asked.
“You have made me curious. Please,” Twilight said after a moment’s deliberation.
“You are young, Twilight,” the Emperor began, “I presume you have an understanding of your nation’s laws and the behavior of your nobles and other leaders. But I doubt you truly understand politics yet. Celestia, she understands. As do Luna and Cadence.
“For all of your power, victories, and responsibilities, this is only your thirteenth year of holding power. Please, listen closely. I am going to summarize the work of the great philosopher, C. P. Graymane.
“Most look at the world’s leaders and see fools, incompetent, and greedy people. Why would this be the case? Why are they not the smartest people in the nation? A trick question, they are quite intelligent. The impression of most leaders as evil, or inept is simply the result of how social interactions work and the true nature of politics.
“There is one foundational truth to being a leader. You can not do anything without power. You may wish to build shelters, hospitals, and schools for ponies to use, but if you don’t have the power to do so, your wishes are meaningless. How do you get power? You get people to agree to support you as the ruler.
“No one can rule alone. Everyone on a throne or behind a podium needs people to carry out their designs. The power of a ruler is not to do things, but to get others to do things for them. How do you get people to follow your commands? You please the people who can do what you need.
“There are not many ways to do this. The biggest exception is Princess Celestia. She spent millennia forming a pacifist culture which wishes to be good children for their great mother. An impressive and delightful means of ensuring that small favors here and there keep your houses loyal to you. The second biggest exception is my friend Cadence. She can directly sense the desires of those around her and use their passions to shape hearts and minds. Her supporters are not mere political allies-”
“They are my family,” Cadence interrupted, “It's why Celestia trusted me to reestablish the Crystal Empire as a protectorate. Anyone I put into power is a pony who is wholly a part of my family. What he’s trying to say, Twilight, is that all politics boils down to keeping the people who keep you in power happy. For kingdoms without a culture based on harmony and respect for others, or without well, me, what they have to keep their supporters happy is wealth and favors.”
Twilight nodded, frowning slightly. “I get that. But how do you justify murder?” She asked.
“I need wealth to stay in power,” the Emperor replied. “All rulers do. Infact this is your true work as a ruler, figuring out how to raise and spend resources. No land has unlimited wealth, which means every coin spent on the people is a coin not spent on loyalty. Every program to feed the hungry is wealth spent on something which might allow a rival to take away one of your supports.
“Doing the right thing, spending the wealth of the nation on the people, is to give power to your rivals and enemies.”
Twilight frowned, believing she understood what the Emperor meant. “So you just killed everypony who could possibly take your power?”
“NO!” The Emperor snapped angrily. “Do not accuse me of evil before you understand my actions! Yes, I killed many nobles within my Empire. But I did so to ensure the source of Prance’s wealth remained the people themselves! I spent three thousand years creating this nation’s system. The wealth comes directly from the people, who benefit the most from the wealth in ways which increase how much wealth they produce.
“I did all of this without creating a republic, my Empire can act as immediately and decisively as a dictatorship. A thing which a democracy simply can not due thanks to the hundreds of hooves grabbing for power within those sorts of nations. Yet she also is accountable to the people, like a democracy, requiring those with power listen to and work for them if they want to keep the wealth flowing.
“Every rod, cog, and spring in that great machine is a law I fought for, bled for, and propped up until it was accepted as ‘the way the world works’ by the generation to come after its passing. But this machine has flaws. Not every pony wishes to better the lives of the people, most who seek power are truly greedy. So I set spies in every noble house, and the minute any form of corruption entered my system I made sure it was snuffed out, and the broken part of this great machine replaced with a new one.
“Everyone I ever had executed died for intentionally acting in a way which hurt the public. In the Prance I ruled, the nobles were servants, not masters. Beneath the people they worked for socially, but with authority over them ONLY in order for them bring the people greater prosperity.
“As the actions of a Corrupt leader could harm hundreds, or even thousands. All nobles took their offices knowing that to act against our masters was to die. The People would never suffer under a corrupt leader so long as I drew breath. The Law has this clause for all nobles, including myself. If I ever to act in a way to intentionally harm my subjects, I fully expect my knights to immediately fall upon me.
“Do you understand now? Yes, my method of ensuring the prosperity of the people is violent and brutal, but only towards those who intentionally seek to rig the system for their own gain. The brutality is also necessary, it’s a warning, a reminder of the fate awaiting the greedy, the power hungry, and the wicked.
“Those who were simply incompetent were fired and replaced. Which… Well… That mercy is what allowed my Steward to gather enough support to put me here. But I would not change how I did things if I could. I accept the consequences of my actions, as all rulers must. I only wish that I had not fallen in battle, because killing for crimes other than Corruption is simply wrong.”
Twilight nodded slowly, her fear of potentially reviving a dark lord leaving as understanding filled her mind. But there was still one pressing question she needed answered before she could feel safe proceeding forwards.
“But why kill anypony? You could imprison them, and try to reform them into a useful member of society. Many of them had to have good leadership skills, because it sounds like you appointed them on merit,” Twilight asked quizzically, unable to understand why anypony would do otherwise.
“For starters, I’m really, really, really old,” the Emperor laughed. “How old? While I never saw it myself, my Alchemy instructor watched the First Kingdom fall with her own two eyes. The world was very different back then. More violent by necessity. Holding a prisoner just meant their allies would break them out as soon as possible. The laws of my Empire reflect these times as they are also nearly that old.
“Second, our cultures are quite different. Equestrians at a base instinctive level love your country and its Princesses. They can act against you, or your nations naturally. But you still have the seeds of loyalty planted in their young minds to shame them into returning to good. What I’m saying is, your culture creates people who can be reformed.
“The Prench people are different. Our traditions and culture are very old. We are focused more on honor than harmony and community, and we are quite militaristic. It’s harder to reform a Prenchpony once they go astray than an Equestrian. If not impossible.
“Lastly, because I have no room for error… I didn’t start this Empire because I wanted to rule. I started this Empire because I made a grave mistake and allowed a great evil to walk the world. Its name is Dawn, and it thrives on pain, misery, and suffering. He tricked me into helping him back in my youth. It is my fault that he gained more influence over ponies lives. I must atone for that sin, and to do so I need to bring about world peace and prosperity, I need to diminish his power as much as possible. Then, I can destroy him.”
Twilight took a step back in surprise. “Wait, what? Are you talking about Discord?”
“No, a similar creature to be certain, but not Discord,” the Emperor sighed. “Discord is playful even when being malicious. He’s not… The foal who smiles as they pull all but two legs from an ant then toss it into a rival colony simply to watch the butchery and laugh. That is who my archenemy is.
“My methods may be ruthless and brutal in certain areas, but… I’m not saying I am right for using them or even if it’s the best approach. Merely one that worked well. I am fallible, but I have only ever acted to ensure as little misery as possible occurs within the lands I control. That is the punishment for my crime.
“If I had not had to become a monarch, I would have been an alchemist with a little shop in some quaint village. I… I… I’d rather not think about my former dreams. It’s rather distressing to do when you are paralyzed.”
“And that, Twilight, is why I’m helping him,” Cadence finished, giving Twilight the most serious look her face could provide.
“I understand,” Twilight said with a small nod. Her reservations having been more than dealt with. “Mister Prance, if I were to help you, and I was able to restore you to proper life, would you be open to some reforms to your government?”
“I would be willing to discuss reforms, my system was never perfect, though it did work better than Equestria’s when I was in charge, if I might say so. Of course, there is the gaping flaw which put me here… But there is only room to gain from cooperating with another prosperous and honorable nation.
“If I sit upon my throne again Equestria will be as a sister to Prance herself. I will not relinquish any sovereignty, but, I will take the Equestrian Crown as my official advisers, so long as you swear to advise, but not interfere without my request.”
“You’ll stop murdering nobles?” Twilight asked hopefully.
“Yes, if we can find an equally effective and more practical solution which will ensure they can never do what they tried to do again, nor ever come into any ounce of power again,” the Emperor agreed.
Cadence decided against telling Twilight that the Emperor’s reply was effectively a ‘no’.
Twilight nodded to herself. “Alright Mister Prance. You have my help. I’ll start thinking of a way to cure you in my free time… It’s a busy year, I’m learning a dead language, and helping a friend with her own political goals. But I’ll help you. Can I scan your body? Get a copy of your aura?”
“Of course,” the Emperor agreed. “And thank you. As for how you can help, due to some backstabbing, a mage who was working on an artifact to heal me was recently exiled. A friend of Cadence has been escorting him to the Crystal Empire. When he arrives, working with him will be your best bet. Cadence can fill you in on the details.”
Cadence nodded, giving Twilight a happy smile, glad that her sister-in-law was now a part of the team. “I could also set up a lab in the Spire for-”
“No!” Twilight yelped. “I am NOT going into your castle for any extended period of time again!”
Cadence giggled, the Emperor hummed in confusion. Looking up at the Emperor, Cadence gave her friend a smile. “What can I say? I’m the Alicorn Princess of Love. My house is a place of passion, love, and fun!” She said with a grin.
“In that case, why wouldn’t she want to go there?” The Emperor asked.
“I’m married to her brother,” Cadence explained. “And while my staff, husband, and I use illusion spells to give outsiders a normal and clean looking place to do their business or visit-”
Twilight eeped and quickly covered both her ears with her hooves. The cultivated image of a dignified ruler vanishing instantly, replaced by a somewhat dorky but kind, and currently alarmed mare.
“Not listening! We’re not talking about this! It didn’t happen!” The young Alicorn shouted.
“-Twilight was there when the illusions failed thanks to a freak accident and-” Cadence continued.
“For the love of Celestia! Don’t remind me! Please!” Twilight begged.
“-Twily is very vanilla in her preferences, and a bit sheltered,” Cadence continued, enjoying teasing her sister-inlaw a bit too much. “Whereas Shining, myself, and my staff, are the exact opposite. So when she ran to our room to report my staff’s ‘inappropriate’ behaviors-”
Twilight gave Cadence a pleading look. The pink Alicorn giggled and shook her head. “Well… I’m sure that no sibling likes walking in on their sibling’s passions,” she summarized.
The Emperor was silent for several moments. Then in a sympathetic voice he asked, “Twilight, I understand your feelings. If she ever teases you like that again and you need a place to forget about it, please come here. I can’t do much, but I can tell stories.”
“I’d like that… I’d like that a lot,” Twilight replied with a shaky smile. “And as for you Cadence, you promised not to tell anypony that I walked in on you to doing... Doing... THAT!”
“Sorry, you just get so cute when you’re flustered! And I needed to show Empy here that you’re not some uptight noble. He’s seen how you are without your crown on now. We can all act as friends,” Cadence apologise with an honest ear droop.
“I’m still upset…” Twilight mumbled kicking one hoof against the floor.
“Go back home, I’ll be there soon, okay? I’ll get a pizza and help you work on that language homework Jade gave you, just like old times,” Cadence promised.
“Okay,” Twilight reluctantly agreed. “Goodbye, Mister Prance.”
“Farewell, Miss Sparkle,” the Emperor replied as Twilight vanished in a flash of light, easily able to come and go now that she had found the chink in the palace wards.
“Alright, well, that problem’s solved,” Cadence said happily. “Good news, I got Celestia to agree to hear their case and give all three refugee status… Assuming she doesn't find any reason not to accept them.”
“Good, how soon should they reach your lands?” The Emperor asked.
“You don’t know?” Cadence asked in surprise.
“No, my agent lost them in a storm over the Trade Sea several hours ago,” the Emperor admitted.
Cadence frowned, her face flashing with extreme concern, as if she learned a lover was in danger. “I-I’m certain Blade will have been able to keep them safe despite that. I’ll see if she’s checked in and get back to you as soon as I can,” she promised.
The Emperor’s words carried with them a trace of suspicion. “You and Bladestorm are more than just friends, aren’t you?” He asked.
Cadence bit her lip. “... Not unless Shining allows it, or after he has passed on in the far future. I promised him monogamy, and he will have it. He’s earned my love a million times over,” she answered. “Till then, we are friends. I have to go.”
“Goodbye, Cadence,” the Emperor said dolefully, never happy to see company leave.
“Goodbye,” Cadence said, turning and walking out the throne room doors.
Alone once more, the Emperor pondered just what Bladestorm was, if Cadence expected her to be around a lifetime from now.
Gentle Repose - 13th of Chillfrost 16 EoH
The Pyramid - Sapphire Hive
I’ve never been in a place which felt so alien before. Angled hallways stretched forwards from the cave, turning the organic rounded shapes into a half squashed pentagonal pipe. The harsh white lights inside the structure were few and far between, casting thick black shadows on every wall and floor due to the light catching on countless protruding pipes, cables, and odd lumps of glass too industrial in appearance to be decor.
As if that were not an alien enough vistage, hard greenish clay-like patches stuck to the walls, floor, and ceiling. Some seeming to patch holes, others forming shelves, or boxes. Each patch looked like some sort of Tartarian growth, bringing to mind the legend of the HIMS Tigress.
Had this place been sucked into that nether realm and spat out again? I’d believe it if somepony said it.
“Let’s get inside,” Fell said apprehensively as he took a step inside the steel tunnel. “We can stay in the entrance till the storm dies.”
“I don’t know… The cave isn’t too bad,” Light said apprehensively. “I mean, what if the door gets stuck?”
“That’s a good question,” Bladestorm agreed with a worried frown.
“If it gets stuck, there’s a button that opens every door inside the Queen’s Chambers,” Fell replied. “It’s in the middle of the Hive, but not too hard to get to. Worst comes to worst, we go out the side door at the top by the airship dock. There’s lots of exists… Um, Light, you'll only fit through this one or that one though.”
An impossible thunderclap exploded, the sound rushing through the cave pushing ahead a visible wall of raindrops. Everypony jumped, pure panic rushing through their veins like ice water. The storm still had worse to give. The cave might not be safe…
We had to go inside.
I turned to look up at Light, the mare’s face had pulled into an uncertain frown. Knowing I had to do something, I took a deep breath and focused on my surroundings. Trying to memorise every last detail of the cave entrance as completely as I could. It wouldn’t be much… But it might be enough.
“Light, if there is no other option, I’ll try and teleport you out,” I promised.
“Oh so you can teleport multiple ponies but she can't?!” Light muttered angrily, giving Blade a mildly upset glare.
“He can? Cadence’s Love! How the hay do you keep your mind separate from their own? Can you do more than two?” She asked, honestly impressed.
“I’ve done three, but that almost killed us all and I won't do it again,” I admitted. “To answer the question, Light, teleporting multiple individuals is hard because teleporting yourself is already hard. The greatest danger is messing up and merging your mind with the other minds, causing one body to die, and the other to gain multiple personality disorder.”
“Ooohhh… Um, let’s NOT teleport me then,” Light said with a sharp frown.
“It’s safe for me to do two,” I reassured.
“He did teleport the two of us safely,” Fell said, walking into the alien structure. “The door will close itself in a minute.”
The four of us quickly scrambled inside, the moment we had moved away from the door the glass orbs set into the walls flashed yellow, and the massive steel block of a door creaked, slowly lowering into place.
Ah! So those were caution lights. Sensible.
“Right, we just sit here and don’t question how the lights are still on,” Fell said, sitting down on the eerily pristine sheet metal floor next to a panel with glowing runes similar to the one on the outside of the door. “The storm can’t last for more than a few hours. There’s ventilation in here. We can cook a meal, sharpen blades, or just sit tight and wait.”
Light nodded before laying down on her belly, resting her head on the floor to put herself on eye level with everypony else. Amazingly her body only filled a third of the hallway. What was this place built for? Dragons?
“That’s a good plan. I’ll need to eat more like this,” Light admitted, looking down at the floor in foalish embarrassment.
Feeling a pang of empathy for a fellow outcast, I trotted over to her side and gave her the best hug I could manage. “I’ll make you a better charm as soon as I can. Enchanting has always been my greatest passion,” I promised.
“I thought that was Alchemy,” Fell said, ears drooping sadly.
Ah. Yes… If my limited knowledge of relationships was correct, he felt like that meant he didn’t truly know me due to what could conceivably be called a breakup.
“Admittedly, I have been focusing on alchemy for the last few decades, and due to taking a job as a necromancer I haven’t been able to do as many enchanting projects as I like, but I’m really more of an enchanter. I needed to be one to make my phylactery,” I explained. “Overall, I would call myself an Enchanter and a healer. Most of my Necromancy being focused on tissue repair rather than say, corpsecrafting, or-”
“The hay is…” Blade muttered to herself.
Worried she may have seen something evil lurking in the blanket like shadows, I snapped my head around to look in the same direction as the yellowish mare.
Nothing. Only the empty tunnel leading to another large metal door. Empty spa-
Then I sensed it. A faint few shreds of thaumaturgic current, drifting lightly in the air down the tunnel. Nothing visible, without a unicorn’s arcane sense it would be undetectable. A stealth field! It had to be!
I was surrounded by my own shield spell before I even knew I had cast it.
“Fire at will!” I barked, pointing one hoof down the tunnel.
Blade and I filled the tunnel with a hail of green and red spellbolts. Firing at random angles to try and prevent any possible shelter. The bolts tore into the walls, floor, ceiling, the doors. Scorch Marks, pitted metal, the stench of vaporized rubber. No cries of pain. Not one spark of a shield.
Blade stopped firing, her frown deepening. “Right, we didn’t hit a damn thing,” she said prompting me to stop as well. “And it’s still there.”
“What’s still there?” Fell and Light demand together.
“A few scraps of magic,” I answered. “Too orderly to be random background energy, but not a spell.”
“You thought it was also a cloak?” Blade asked.
I nodded.
Fell sighed in relief, sitting back down. “Oh, don’t worry. That’s just left over from the lights and stuff. Everything here was working except the big ass mage gems that power this place. We adapted the mana system to accept magic directly from a changeling or pony, our Royals found those things all over the place. They don’t do anything,” he explained.
“Oh,” I said, dispelling my shield spell.
Then I saw the floor flowing back together into a smooth sheet of metal. Scorch Marks simply fading, pits and holes oozing closed like watching organic tissue heal.
“THE WALLS ARE ALIVE!” Light screamed, noticing the same eldritch manipulations.
Blade, Light, and I lept to our hooves, turning as quickly as we could towards the door. Hooves scrambling on the floor to-
“It’s enchanted! The hive fixes itself!” Fell shouted in amusement over our panicked scrambling.
The three of us stopped scrambling and shared a look.
“I still want out,” Light insisted a worried look on her face.
“What else does this building do?” Blade asked in a curiously calm manner.
“I’m with Light,” I added. “The magics on display here are- Well, no, a building wide propagation grid and- No, no, not even that complicated.”
I puzzled out the mechanics of such a spell to myself for a few moments. It wasn’t impossible to engineer a spell to automatically fix things within its area of effect. Something this size would be tricky, but doable. And quite advantageous in a fortress, which this building had to be.
“Light, it’s fine. I’m fairly certain I understand how such magic could work. We’re all just on edge from the storm,” I said soothingly. “And… Also from this place… Is the architecture disturbing to anypony else?”
“I’m fine with the architecture,” Light said between nervous breaths, her chest heaving from the effects of an adrenaline rush. “It’s these shadows! The place is so bright, but those shadows… They’re too dark!”
Blade nodded in agreement. “The shadows are weird. I can see the shapes bothering a pony, you can feel this place isn’t built for us.”
Fell frowned sadly, eyes looking down slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t think this place would be uncomfortable for you. I grew up here. It’s comforting to me. It’s nicer inside, more like a pony made building. The wall shapes here are so you can get the vehicles out.”
“Vehicles?” I asked raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, about fifty meters to the left and right are large garages. They mostly just had a lot of scrap in them when my grandparents found the Pyramid, but the one on the right has a few large armored vehicles. Not quite tanks… Um, imagine a tank, but with a cargo ship's container on the bottom, and a boat-like bottom.”
“Boat like?” Blade mused. “Do they float?”
“Probably, noling ever got one to run,” Fell replied casually, frowning as he finished. “Well… At least, not that I know of.”
“I still want to get out! Can we just make sure the door still works?” Light pleaded every last bit of unease in her eyes magnified by her increased size.
I also couldn’t help but notice her teeth were pointed. I mean, she had only eaten meat for the entire time I’d known her, I already knew she was carnivorous. But it’s still a little uneasy to see a mouth that large filled with teeth that sharp. Even if it is frowning sadly.
Fell bit his lip uncertainly, mulling the idea over for a few brief moments. “I can, but I don’t know how much power is left, or why we have power. If we use it all up somepony will need to restart the collectors and give up a lot of mana. I’d rather not.”
“What kind of system is used to provide the energy?” I asked curiously, needing to know why Fell was worried about the lights being on. “Chrysalis had been dead for a few months now, right? You said that this fortress uses mana crystals. A large industrial power bank should provide energy for a few years to a large facility like this, assuming it’s only used for lighting and climate control.”
“Um, well, no,” Fell replied with an embarrassed twitch of his ears. “I’m not exactly good with magic. I can’t tell you the details. But I do know that mana gems didn’t work with this place. The royals who first found this place worked out how to literally pump mana through the pipes or whatever is used to move mana around.
“A changeling or unicorn has to just dump their manna into a collection… Thing. Without a few hundred changelings charging the systems every day-”
“Okay, that’s really bucking creepy!” Light objected, wincing at the realization. “That basically guarantees somepony is here. And I can’t use my bow right now.”
Light lifted a wing, showing her bow to be hanging by its carry strap from the base of her right wing, tucked safely beneath her rusty colored feathers.
“Yeah, these shouldn’t be on,” Fell agreed. “Maybe there’s enough to run the lights left, but I don't want to press our luck with the door… And I’m REALLY hoping nopony has moved in. Upside, if they have you could just step on them.”
Light snorted and rolled her eyes dismissively. “Yeah, no. Not in a space this tight. Too easy for them to dodge, to hard for me to move freely.”
I frowned, at last understanding exactly why Fell was worried. Any system which required daily recharging from a few hundred changelings would be drawing around six hundred and thirty therma per day. Given the apparent size of the mountain, if that energy were powering mage lights like these ones all throughout the fortress…
“There should have only been enough energy for two weeks of light as most,” I mused out loud, rubbing a hoof to my chin. “Perhaps the generators self repaired?”
I figured I could try and be optimistic.
“I don’t think they can. They would have been working when my grandparents clutch found the Pyramid. Besides, our old Queen said the crystals they used were unique,” Fell countered. “I talked with her about them once. I thought maybe we could mine for some. But they are too heavy, or something.”
Fell frowned, brow furrowing in concentration. “I’m trying to remember exactly. It could be important we know everything about- Oh! Um, apparently they weigh a hundred and fifteen… something. Bucking hay, I never thought that might be important!”
Fell groaned, sitting down and covering his eyes amid an ashamed sigh.
“Huh… Are you putting raw magic into the generator, or the wiring?” Blade asked curiously.
“Er, the wires?” Fell asked uncertainly.
“Either way, you shouldn’t be getting those wavy patterns,” she said decisively, still staring at the odd arcane current. “It’s like a decaying spell just froze.”
“Something might be broken along the line,” I proposed optimistically.
“This place fixes itself,” Blade countered, voice laden with worried intrigue.
“Good point…” I admitted reluctantly, turning to stare at the odd mote of energy with her.
It had to be something. With today’s luck, it would likely turn out to be a budding portal into the depths of Tartarus.
“How about we just take our chances in the cave?” Light proposed, looking at the two of us with an uncertain.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea,” Blade said with a slight nod.
“Poor enchantment design causing some light wild magic effects?” I proposed, still wanting to solve this mystery.
“Can’t be. Wild magic always has a positive charge and is always in the lowest energy density the matrix can allow. We both know this is negative and high energy, with no intact matrix. This shouldn’t be able to exist without something keeping it here,” Blade said with a dismissive hoof wave.
Son of a- I sighed and closed my eyes tightly and let out a heated breath. I had to get something off my chest.
“I thought you didn’t know advanced thaumaturgy!” I accused, eyes narrowing. “I know you’re a bandit and want to keep your real identity a secret. It’s one thing to hide your real voice, presumably name, and appearance-”
Blade’s ears stood up in alarm. “How-”
“Your eyes are a slight different shade of green every morning,” I countered. “It’s ether illusion for vanity, or disguise. I’m okay with that, based on who you are. You have enemies.”
Blade paused for a moment, during which Light and Fell studying her intently, seeking out anything unusual in her scarred and pierced body.
“If she were using illusions, couldn’t you sense them like whatever that is at the back of the hallway?” Light asked me suspiciously. “Shouldn’t you just know?”
“No. An illusion spell blends into their normal aura. All magic will, unless it’s very shoddily done,” Blade sighed, dropping her accent. “Alright, I admit that this is a disguise. I knew it would be hard to keep the deception running if I stayed around anypony long term… I have warlords after my head, you know. It’s not a good idea to just be my real self when out and about.”
I nodded. I understood her point, I really did. I honestly didn’t care about that deception. She was here to help us. However…
“Like I said, I don’t blame you for hiding your real identity,” I reminded. “That’s fine. But it’s not okay for you to hide your capabilities from us. If we have to all work together for any reason, how can we help you if you lie about your abilities?”
Blade cleared her throat. “Uh, well, to be honest, knowing what I can do could lead back to someone learning who I am behind this mask. Sorry.”
I hummed. “It’s safe to say you’re a decent mage?”
She nodded, letting out a slow breath. “Yes,” she answered hesitantly.
“What schools? That’s all I need to know,” I promised.
Blade bit her lip nervously then slowly answered, “I’ve mastered Illusion and Evocation. I’ve also got a solid grasp of Alteration, and I’m currently learning Psionics as well.”
Four schools? I raised an eyebrow, thoroughly impressed. Most mages never mastered more than two.
“Thank you for sharing,” I said. “I won't bother you for more.”
“Sooo, we’re just staying here then?” Light asked, her voice sounding normal once more. “Because I’m fine now. It’s all good.”
I had just enough time to turn my head and ‘look’ at the odd patch of energy before Blade decided, “We’re camping out here.”
The patch of energy pulsed slightly.
“Wait, what?” I asked with a frown.
“It pulsed, right?” Blade asked.
“Yes,” I said uncertainly, trotting forwards towards the anomaly. “What is this thing?”
“I don’t know, but I both want to poke it with a stick, and not poke it with a stick,” Blade mused aloud. “It seemed to be reacting to words… Meaning this might be mental magic, or some explicit spell trigger.”
The door rang like an anvil as something massive smashed into it.
Every last light in the hallway blazed to life, shining with dull red hazy light. Whatever lurked on the other side, smashed into the door again, even harder than before. A siren set into the ceiling began to scream in warning.
Light lept to her hooves, smacking her head and wings on the ceiling with a loud crash. The noise prompted a flurry of scratches and smashing impacts from the thing outside. Blade and I whirled around towards the door. Fell turned towards it as well, fear oozing from his very being, caught in the primal terror that comes from knowing a predator has you on its mind.
The door rang again, this time the steel shrieked and groaned, as if something had clawed a good chunk from the metal. The alarm changed pitch, becoming more urgent.
A garbled voice from above shouted a warning an an alien language. “ Warnung! Xeno weorcnes tôgêanes ôr port! Dor forwordenes toward... Fîftig brecnes!”
“WHAT!?” Blade yelped, looking up towards the ceiling where the voice had come in shock.
“That’s the gods,” Fell explained. “Maybe they’ll hold the doors!”
A patch of light shimmered into existence beside the doorway, resolving into a monochrome green tinted image of the monstrosity which was burrowing into the door with it’s scything talons.
The Mohrg. It’s massive centipede’s body filled the cave entrance, thrashing furiously as it clawed at the door in a frenzied rage. It knew we were in here, it had to. Nothing else would explain the hatred and malice in its every motion.
And riding on it’s shoulders, a single unicorn. Stitched together from at least a dozen different undead grafts. But the face… I knew that face. Sunlit Star.
My ears fell in horror. He had gone this far to kill me? He’d created and given proper life to a Mohrg?
“RUN!” I yelled, turning to sprint down the hallway. “We won’t fight it off again!”
“Is that-” Blade began.
“Yes, that’s it, and I don’t think we can stop it!” Light shouted in terror, turning herself around and joining me in my run for the doors at the far end of the hall.
The main door shrieked and groaned under the undead monstrosity’s assault. The volume even louder as the shredded outer layers no longer blocked as much sound.
“The voice said we have fifty seconds until the door’s breached,” Blade called, running to catch up to us as we shot down the steel corridor, hoof steps echoing maddeningly.
“How do you know?” Fell demanded in awe. “No ling speaks-”
“Emeralds do! How do we open the inner doors?” She demanded.
Fell raced ahead of us and almost tackled a small panel next to the door, another shrieking crunch echoing down the hall as the monster dug deeper into the metal.
“I’ll take point!” He exclaimed, touching the flat of his hoof to the small square.
The square flashed green, and the doors slid away from each other into the walls with a low hiss. The corridor beyond was twice as wide as the hall we had been in, and stretched out to the left and right. Small alcoves along the walls suggested doorways, but in the harsh red lighting it was impossible to see more than the odd angled walls and ink-like shadows.
“You said there was a button in the Queen’s chamber to open all the doors and also a back entrance, right?” Light asked urgently.
“Yes! We go out the back, get the boat in the water and get the hell away from here,” Fell exclaimed decisively.
It was a good plan. If I had any sort of area denial spells I would feel we had a chance at fighting that monster off, but as far as I know- Wait!
“Blade, do you have area of effect spells?” I asked as we rushed into the new hall, following Fell as he turned right. “Whips won't break bone.”
“Will fire work? I focus on Telekinesis and fire,” she replied.
“Maybe, to kill one, you need to break all the skulls inside it,” I explained, trying to form a plan, “They could be protected against fire-”
“Everything burns at a high enough temperature,” Blade countered. “That said, I don't want to incinerate us along with it!”
“I’m with Fell on the running plan!” Light said firmly. “Lightning or no lightning, I can fit you all on my back and we fly out of here. Screw the boat!”
I liked that plan, that was a good plan.
“Do you have any pegasi magic to deal with the-”
“That boat is two hundred meters from that bucking thing!” Light exclaimed urgently.
“Right, folow me!” Fell called. “Lefthoof turn!”
We turned left, pushing into a more narrow corridor. Light grunted, pulling her wings tightly against herself. Her tail lashed in irritation behind her as we squeezed through the thinner passage, her hunched body barely slipping through the narrow section into a once again wide and tall corridor.
“Right, then up the stairs,” Fell called.
“Bucking... Will I fit!?” Light demanded angrily.
“Yes?” Fell replied uncertainly.
A horrendous shriek and crash echoed through the empty corridors, followed by the enraged hissing roar of Mohrg. The unholy stench of rotting meat drifted through the air, brushing against my nose like a distant mound of garbage.
The monster screamed in rage even in its triumph as the door crashed open. What they buck did Sunlit do to it!?
Light forced herself into the stairwell with a grunt, jamming herself up the staircase. The oversized steps fitting her hooves almost perfectly as she scrambled through the stairwell, sequencing upwards like a terrified mouse through a crack in a baseboard.
The stench of rotting meat grew more powerful, reaching the point where my nose wrinkled in disgust, instinctually.
The rest of us followed Light upwards as fast as we could run, only to be blocked by Light’s massive plot as she struggled to pull herself around the double corner to continue up the stairwell.
The clatter of hundreds of bone legs filled the air as the monster entered the hive.
“Smmmmellll you…” It’s abominable voice hissed.
“Hurry the buck up!” Fell yelped, pushing hard as he could against Light’s left flank.
“I’m trying!” She whimpered fearfully.
Blade pushed past me, her horn blazing green a she grabbed Light with her magic, forcing her up through the stairwell with a mighty telekinetic heave. Something snapped, Light yelped. I winced, figuring it had been Light, then a metal pipe clattered down the stairs.
“AH! That was caught on my wing!” She hissed in pain.
“Broken?” I asked urgently, eyes widening in panic as our aerial escape-
“No,” she panted. “No, I’m fine.”
“Get off on this floor, right, then left two doors down!” Fell ordered, pushing past Light into the hall at the top of the stairs. “Reep, Blade, try any magic to make a barrier.”
Light pulled herself up, running down the hallway after Fell. Revealing another of the odd shredded and mangled patches of mana, drifting in the air.
“I’m going to try and overload this and collapse part of the hallway,” Blade decided.
Well, it couldn’t hurt to have an unstable arcane maelstrom at the top of the stairs.
“I’ll pull you away from it,” I decided as I sprinted up the last few stairs and into the hallway, continuing to run, while looking over my shoulder so I could grab Blade magicly and drag her to me the second she-
Blade’s horn burned green as she pushed energy into the anomaly. The spark of magic flared brightly, shimmering and twisting until it burst. The flash of light stopped moving as it radiated outwards, forming a ghostly green threedimentional image which faded from existence slowly, loosing detail every instant as it ghosted away.
For the split second we could see the image, Blade and I saw a group of soldiers, each clad in armor matching Fell’s equipment. The squad was frozen in time, posed behind a barricade atop the stairs. Two changelings stood beside the doors, horns blazing as they maintained shields around five tall bipeds, their features completely hidden by their armor.
The frontmost soldiers were firing some sort of rifles into a mass of muscle and fangs which ripped and tore away at the barricade, one massive dragon-like taloned arm reaching outwards towards them. The other three were firing weapons down either side of the hallway, with one crouching over an injured changeling, stuffing something into a large hole in the changeling’s armor.
Armor identical in heraldry to the other soldiers. A unified force between the changelings and the other species.
Before I could absorb anymore of the ghostly scene in front of me, the image faded away into nothingness, the anomaly vanishing completely.
Blade and I stood stunned, staring at the spot where the apparition hadn been.
“The buck was that?” Fell called his voice wavering.
“They’re psionic echos! A picture held in the background thaumaturgic fields,” Blade exclaimed, accent forgotten in her awe. “When did that happen? How long ago?!”
“Never!” Fell answered, shaken to the core. “The hay were those creatures?!”
The Mohrg interrupted with a chillingly eager laugh. “Close! So close!” It moaned, voice echoing through the steel corridors.
Blade and I looked at each other, knowing we had to do something, anything to distract the Mohrg rushing towards us. I had nothing, none of my spells would reshape steel, and it showed on my face as dread.
Blade frowned, closing her eyes in intense concentration, building a fire-like aura of crackling green energy around her horn. The spell leapt from her, forming four pony sized balls of flickering energy which scattered down the hallway, transforming into ghostly outlines roughly mimicking each of our shapes.
Her spell cast, Blade nodded in satisfaction. The Mohrg hissed, the sound coming from incredibly close by, just down the stairs!
I acted on instinct, I grabbed Blade with my magic and swiftly pulled her to my side. The instant she passed the door, I let go, accidentally throwing her across the floor. We quickly ran down the hall, barely managing to spy Fell and Light lurking around a corner, waiting for us in the shadows between the dim red lights.
We ran around the corner. The monster surged into the hallway with a clatter like hail on a tin roof, then stopped. It groaned, and a sickening scraping of bone on steel sent a shiver down my spine as its putrid stench filled the corridor almost like a thick fog.
“Move!” Sunlit demanded.
“There are… More…” The monster said in confusion, the scraping sound sliding down the corridor like blood across ice.
“I don't care about anyone else, find the litch!” Sunlit ordered.
“There are… More…” the Mohrg repeated.
A crackle and pop accompanied an unearthly howl of pain and rage, bone thrashing and crashing against steel as the Mohrg writhed in agony.
“FIND THE LICH!” Sunlit ordered.
The monster growled, bone claw tips clattered against steel, moving away from us.
Everypony breathed a sigh of relief. Fell stepping slowly into the hallway, taking point once more.
“Okay… Be quiet, so it can’t hear us, and we’ll just slowly walk to the Queen’s chamber,” he said decisively.
Blade shook her head. “It’s chasing an illusion spell. I gave it something close to our scents, but that false trail won't last long. We have five minutes.”
“Can you do that again?” Light asked.
“It knows what the fake trail smells like. Won't fool it twice,” she admitted. “So, go, double time.”
We quickly but quietly proceeded down the hallway, and up two more flights of stairs. The Mohrg’s rotting stench faded and strengthened, the scratching and clicking of its legs echoing down the endless maze-like hallways. After a few minutes, it's frustrated screech boomed down the corridor ahead of us.
Fell’s ears drooped in terror as the monster's claw clicks began to move towards us.
“This way!” He hissed, ducking into a side alcove.
“Maybe I can wrestle it,” Light mused worriedly.
“Bad idea! Back route, through the nursery,” Fell urged.
The door flashed green, sliding open amid creaking steel. Immediately, the abomination bellowed triumphantly, the sound of it’s steps increasing to a maddening pace. Fell bolted through the still opening doors, Blade following along pausing only to help pull light through the opening doors with a pulse of telekinesis.
I saw the beast as a silhouette, piercing the dim red light at an ever increasing speed. There was no way to hide from it. We had to stop it, or slow it… But how?
I ran after the others, stumbling over a thick cable stretched across the floor. Pushing myself up, I noticed the room was huge filled with large cylindrical racks which in turn held two meter tall glass jars. Some jars were filled with a yellow liquid, others with small green-white spheres, others empty. All joined by cables, most with flickering panels of light displaying all sorts of information next to them.
The others were already halfway across the massive room. The Mohrg’s thundering steps and stench seemed ready to reach out and grab me. I sprinted towards my friends, chest heaving as my body gasped for breath.
That wouldn’t do. I couldn’t afford to run myself to the ground! Not here! Not now!
Gripping my head with my magic, I wrenched it around as hard as I could, snapping my neck with a loud crack. Undeath welcomed me back, and the burning in my lungs became meaningless.
“What was?” Fell demanded urgently, reaching the door on the other side and slamming his hoof against the panel.
“Couldn’t run more! Broke neck. Undead don’t tire. It’s fine,” I insisted, taking the delay to pin my neck in place with a quick spell.
Wait a moment… My body is meaningless!
The doors hissed open, the mohrg surged through the doors behind us, screeching happily as it spotted prey.
“Run! I have a plan,” I shouted.
Fell winced. “But-”
“Just do it!” I yelled, turning around and training my eyes on the Mohrg as it surged through the other set of doors, Sunlit sneering at us from it’s back.
I heard the floor creak as Light shifted her weight. Fell yelped, the giant mare simply picking him up.
“He said run!” Light exclaimed urgently, rushing down the hallway on three legs.
I heard Blade get up and sprint after them. Realizing my opportunity was slipping away I stepped into the hallway, yanked my cloak off, carefull to keep my watch pinned to it, and shoved it into her face.
“Take this! It breaks, I die!” I yelled loudly.
I felt Blade’s magic take the cloak and watch from me, the enhanced magic reserves it gave me vanishing as it left my person. Did I have enough mana to do this on my own?
“Understood!” Blade called, vanishing down the corridor.
I closed my eyes, centering myself as best I could. I had never been a warrior. I could have filled that roll, but one on one battle was not something I ever felt affinity for. But here, now, I was the only hope we had.
I wasn’t sure if I could do it, it would take a lot of energy. So much that I knew I couldn’t have done it last time. I was too exhausted then, but now, if I timed it just right-
The monster’s legs clattered against the floor, its overpowering stench almost obscuring it from view as my eyes immediately began to water. Its gaping split-open ribcage maw seemingly materialized from nothing as it burst out of the nursery.
Time slowed as it lunged towards me, maw opening to reveal a blender-like arrangement of barbed tendrils at the back of it’s throat.
Now!
I lanced out at the Mohrg with my magic, the red ray striking the monster in the back of the throat. I felt the energy drain from my body as the spell connected, immediately staggering as the monster’s complexity drained the majority of my reserves in one greedy gulp.
The Mohrg jerked to an immediate dead stop, red energy crackling across its body in a fractal wave as my magic sunk into the monster’s body. It’s head and shoulders thrashed violently as if it were having a seizure, throwing the patchwork pony violently back into the nursery.
Sunlit shouted angrily in surprise, spitting a garbled curse at me which was cut off by the thunderous shattering of glass and a loud splash. His creation shuddered, and dropped limply to the floor with a loud crash, unable to move.
I’d done it!
“Ha! Your work was always half assed!” I yelled mockingly into the room.
By the Emperor that felt good! But I had a few minutes. It wouldn’t take Sunlit long to unscramble the monster’s motor functions. And there was no way on Equis I could do that again today.
I turned, limping my way down the corridor, legs shaky due to the magical drain. I’d completely forgot that as an undead creature, I needed magic to move too. I still had some mana left but the rate that spell drained me at would definitely bring on some mana burn later. And I was going to be useless in a fight now.
Buck.
I could see everypony fifty meters down the hall, stopped in front of a doorway. Fell rapidly hammering on the panel beside it. I limped towards the group, hearing Sunlit’s wrathful curses echoing from behind me.
“I will rip off your head and buck the stump!” Sunlit roared in blind rage.
Guh! Right, so, he’s completely insane. How powerful a mage is he?
Maybe Blade could get those whips into range before he could get a shield up. Or Fell shoot him. I was spent.
Ponyfeathers! My watch only amplified what I had… Which would give me barely enough to-
Blade turned, hearing Sunlit’s depraved scream, her face twisting in concern as she saw me limping up the hallway. Her green aura enveloped me, pulling me rapidly to her side just as I had pulled her to safety moments ago.
“How bad?” She asked as she suspended me in the air before her, her tone suggesting she thought I was injured.
“Fine, just out of mana… I scrambled its motor functions, we have a few minutes,” I explained.
Blade set me down, immediately filling the hallway completely with an emerald green shield.
“That mage, how good is he?” She asked urgently.
“I don’t know, but I’m useless against him. He can cast rebuke undead spells,” I admitted, ears drooping in defeat.
A flash of green and a sharp chirp caught my attention.
“Got it!” Fell exclaimed in relief. “This is the Queen’s chambers. I think there’s a safe ro-”
The door hissing open to reveal a short corridor leading to a… Barricade?
The doorway at the corridor's end had a large metal desk overturned to block it off, but otherwise remained open. The room inside was massive, round, and clearly once some kind of meeting room as the round table in the center, above which floated a magical projection of a globe formed from bright blue lines, dotted with red triangles, and other red colored runes, some of which blinked, some of which were hidden by the static distortions in the over all projection.
Hanging from the ceiling in the center of the globe was a large changeling pod, like a cocoon. The translucent material provided a partial view of what looked to be a large changeling, suspended within the pod’s center, unmoving as if asleep.
Huddled on the opposite side of the room in a terrified bundle were at least six dozen pale colored androgynous ponies. The sea of soft pastel colors filled an eighth of the room so tightly that you honestly couldn’t tell which horn or wings belonged to whom.
The details of what lay in the room became extremely unimportant the second I noticed the two fully armored ponies with weapons trained on us from behind the barricade. One an earth pony dressed in solid olive green bulky armor, face concealed behind a reflective gold visor. The other a unicorn, her armor more streamlined, save for extra large pauldrons, her own armor colored mostly orange, with a distinctive red breastplate and green visored helmet.
And both of them had arcanely enhanced tech based weapons pointed directly at me.
Ready to fire.
“F-Fell!? Wait! Don’t shoot!” A trembling voice called in surprise from the back of the room.
The green armored warrior tilted his head to one side, glancing at his partner. The orange armored warrior nodded. He looked back at me.
“Civvies,” he ordered in a gruff stallion’s voice. “Get out of our shooting gallery.”
“Pack in with the others, we’ve got you,” his partner said in a soothing female changeling’s voice.