The Red Sun Rises: Voyages

by The Atlantean


Buckingham Palace

Reagan’s ship horn blasted into the night as the carrier group sailed into Amyfalone Harbor, escorted by the Domination Navy Second Fleet. The sound carried all the way to the docks, though the carrier hadn’t even entered port yet. Her running lights were on, as were those of all ships in the force. This helped the captains to see each other, especially the Dominion’s wooden frigates. Without them, the frigates would have easily hit the darkness of steel hulls, causing chaos.

On land, the dock hands and other ponies hurried to find out what in hell made that blaring noise. As they reached the docks, Robinson had fireworks shot off from the Flight Deck, illuminating Reagan for the city to see. The other American ships followed suit, and a dozen red flares shot into the sky and exploded, their burning fragments falling to the ocean.

The ponies saw their own vessels near the massive ships and relaxed a little. After all, Admiral Jackpot had notified the harbormaster of his impending arrival, accompanied by technological beasts. And if this was him, the port had better be ready for their coming in. they hurried to ready the piers.


The next morning, the American fleet could be easily seen. With the largest Dominion naval vessel approaching eighty meters, the sight of steel monsters that were many times that frightened the local residents. Batteries aimed away from land, but the ships still unnerved the Dominion ponies.

DAS Eagle pulled up next to its home pier and cast the lines. When the gangplank was placed and steadied, her crew came ashore. Admiral Jackpot walked down to land and saluted his superior. “Sir, we have brought the unknown fleet with us. I can assure you that they have no hostile intentions.”

“I will see that for myself,” he replied.

An hour later, a helicopter flew in, carrying Robinson and Celestia in her alicorn form. It landed in the main plaza, the only place with enough room for touchdown to be safe. Celestia walked out, followed by the admiral. She introduced herself, and the harbormaster bowed. Anypony of royal blood was to be seen as such, at least to some degree. “Princess, we are honored to host you on this day. If you would follow me.” He stopped bowing and turned to the town.

The two followed him to the outskirts of Amyfalone, surrounded by an escort fit for an absolute monarch. On the west side of town sat a massive structure: Buckingham. The official palace of the Dominion of Apollo’s monarchy, it was made to impress both inside and out. Guards stood watch in every other tower and patrolled the gates. A solid gold statue in the main courtyard was a monument to Dominion domination, stopped only by Atlantis. Mixed into the stone walls was a silver roof resembling the color of moonlight. It meshed well with the gray walls.

Robinson thought the place behind the massive, thirty-foot-thick stone walls looked quite a bit like the Palace of Versaille in France. Much money was spent annually on keeping this splendor from falling into disrepair. Now to think of it, he thought, the outer wall seems to be made of obsidian. Very expensive to build an entire fortress with. He was certainly impressed with the palace.

The harbormaster lead them into the main throne hall. Its ceiling reached probably thirty meters into the air, with gold columns supporting the silvery top. The ceiling itself reflected the sunlight around, giving the impression of a starry midday indoors.

The Earth pony sitting on the throne stood up when he saw the group. Instantly recognizing Celestia, he bowed deeply in humble respect. She replied with the proper response, and nudged Robinson to do the same. He bowed, but didn’t go to the extent of kneeling. He was Christian, after all, and would only bow before his God. But showing respect for a monarch was probably fine.

“Princess Celestia,” the king said. His accent was a rich British one with a hint of Irish. “I heard you were coming, so I prepared for your expected arrival. Though I believed you were going alone.”

“King Flawless Ice, I thank you for your hospitality. A two-month adventure in alternate-world naval war was not what I expected. And before I forget, allow me to introduce Admiral James Robinson of the United States of America. He is in command of the Reagan Task Force, the last carrier group in the United States Pacific Fleet.”

“I prefer Robinson, sir.”

King Flawless Ice raised an eyebrow. He was about to ask who was running this America, but Celestia interjected that Robinson lived in a democracy. He simply wasn’t used to absolute rule. The king nodded in understanding. For a stallion from a bloodline villainized by Atlantis, he was actually quite the kind ruler.

He led them to the dinner hall. It was just as beautiful as the throne hall, but three-fourths the size. They sat down in the three spots at the head of the table and began talks.

“King Ice, I come for the assistance of your Dominion. After my sister was killed, a rift between our world and that of America has widened. Unless this rift is sealed, all of space-time will be destroyed.”

“Princess Celestia, it sorrows me to learn of your sister’s untimely death. Allow me to introduce my lead magic researcher and technological head, Lost Legacy. Sir Lost, if you could come to the dining hall?”

A few minutes later, a gray Unicorn that reminded Celestia of Starswirl the Bearded came through the solid oak doors leading to the research institute. He bowed to the monarchs, then took a seat at his king’s right. “What may I do for you today, my lord and lady?”

“We require a report on your latest magical findings. And you can cut the ‘Lord and Lady’ thing. I hate formality.”

“Yes, sir. We have detected yet another massive discharge of Equestrian magic opening the fifty-ninth interdimensional portal this month. While it was open, we were able to locate the source, and it was no doubt an alicorn princess. No other being has the power to do that.

"We are still analyzing the enormous discharge last month. It only happened for a few minutes, causing most of our available research to be undiscovered. We have yet to find the source, the point of contact, and its effects on the universe. I will provide you with more information as it comes, my king, but I’m afraid that’s as far as we can go.”

Celestia raised her hoof to ask Lost Legacy a question. “What was the exact date of this disturbance?”

“Precisely three and a half weeks, ma’am.”

Her face fell. The Dominion didn’t know the biggest problem to hit the world since Discord. “If I may, Flawless?”

He nodded, and she started. “Last month’s disturbance was King Sombra using his Gem. He blasted the Everfree Castle, destroying half the Everfree Forest and incinerating the Tree of Harmony, the Elements along with it. It is most likely that my former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle, has been killed in the hit.”

Lost Legacy lit up like a flashlight. “That’s it! Why didn’t I think of that?! If you all would follow me, there is a mystery to solve.” He stood quickly and raced to the research institute. For an old guy, he was surprisingly fast. Flawless Ice, Celestia, and Robinson hurried to keep up with the excited scientist.

They ran into the Magic Research Gallery, home to the most advanced magic detectors in the known universe. Thousands of tons of steel, aluminum, and gold wiring ran every which-way, telescopes glared directly at the sun, and screens resembling early computers did calculations to determine causes and solutions. It looked like a maddening cross between an evil scientist’s lab and a NASA facility.

Lost Legacy hurried to the magic supercalculator DX-99 and ordered the ponies to run a test with the Tree of Harmony and Elements destroyed, a large magic gem in the Crystal Empire, and the deaths of two alicorn princesses. They thought he was insane at first, but saw their king and ran the simulation. Legacy then ran to the control room, with its big screen running the simulation. The three following him finally caught up.

“Lost Legacy, will you slow down! I’m not as fast as you are.” King Flawless Ice wheezed.

“Sorry, sir, but this is the discovery of the millennium!” He was staring excitedly at the screen as DX-99 ran the calculations.

On the screen, anomalies appeared and disappeared at the same time and place as the Dominion had detected them. Celestia had given them the last piece of the puzzle, and now they could work to find a way to reverse the problem. As the four watched, the simulation ran on to six months in the future, when an anomaly was to hit Buckingham and rip the computer apart. Then it stopped and a recommended course of action appeared in the center of the screen: revive the alicorns and destroy the magical gem.

To Celestia, it was a confirmation of her worst fear. Twilight was dead.