After taking care of things on the flight deck, you bound up the stairwell to take your place at the ship’s alternative controls with Celestia not far behind. All of the other ponies are gathered around nearby, most of them gazing out through the glass windows. There’s so little visibility that the outside is only a pitch-black void. However, when one of the constant flashes of lightning cuts through the darkness, you can discern the form and shape of the surrounding clouds for an instant, as if they were painted upon a watercolor canvas only to be washed away a moment later.
If there’s any positive to being within the storm, it would be that Twilight has little hope of finding you now. You’re not merely ascending anymore; now that you’re safely above the Canterlot skyline, it’s safe to move about horizontally, so you’ve angled the ship just a bit and are now flying forward at a cautious speed in addition to maintaining your upward course.
A pall of silence hangs over the assembled ponies as you move through the darkness. Eventually, Applejack steps away from the window, growling and stomping a hoof in frustration.
“Consarn it! Ah... ah don’t get it! What in the world was that thing?! What was Twi talkin’ about back there?! Can anypony explain what’s goin’ on?!”
Rarity shakes her head, her sapphire eyes cast to the floor. “She... she mentioned something about a special project related to herself and Anonymous from time to time, but she never went into any details. Who could’ve imagined it would be something like this...?”
You nervously tap the controls as another bolt of lightning dances across your view. “She mentioned it to me several months ago... but something about all this doesn’t make sense. She just said she built it to replace the Dawn Star, but that dome was under construction way before she knew this ship had even been built...”
“I imagine the decision to turn the structure into a ship came later,” Celestia sighs. “I doubt we’ll ever know her true reasoning or intentions unless she chooses to tell us, but the reality remains that Twilight has built an unimaginably dangerous magical weapon through the use of forbidden knowledge, and it must be stopped.”
Fluttershy trembles. “B-But why would Twilight do something like that? I know she really wants Anon to love her, but...”
A light bulb suddenly goes off in your head. “…Maybe there’s a way for us to find out without having to ask.”
You reach into your jacket and pull out the book still held securely there— Twilight’s diary. You’d almost completely forgotten about it after all that’s happened since Cel’s arrival at the wedding...
The alicorn’s eyes light up and she trots over to get a closer look. “Is that really...?”
“Yeah. I found it lying around in the Forbidden Archives yesterday. Maybe it’ll shed some light on what’s going on.”
The rest of the ponies gather around as you crack the book open. Due to the time constraints you were working under when putting your escape plan together, and also due to the fact that you really didn’t want to read it anyway, you never took the opportunity to delve into the diary beyond glimpsing some passages that would be useful as part of your intended diversion for the guards. You flip open to a random page and begin reading:
May 22nd, 2132
Spike caught me practicing my winking in front of my bedroom mirror today. It was so embarrassing I almost teleported away, but I think I managed to give him a decent enough excuse as to what I was doing! Hopefully he’ll believe I was checking for tangles in my tail. I need to be more careful about this type of thing in the future as I continue to practice. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, but Rarity says if I really want to attract my stallion I need to—
You slam the book shut. Now you distinctly remember why you didn’t want to read it. A quick glance around reveals a mixture of barely-contained laughter and disgust in the ponies’ expressions, save for Rarity who’s starting to turn crimson again and the fillies who’re giving each other confused glances.
“That’s...” Celestia chokes back a giggle. “That’s... not exactly what we were looking for, Anon. Try going forward in time a bit.”
She’s right. That entry was written before her ascension, back when she was still living in Ponyville. In fact, you left for Latigo on your initial journey only three days later.
You open the book again and flip forward through the entries. June, July, August, September...
Ah, here we go:
October 12th, 2132
I’m still trying to wrap my hooves around the mechanics of the Geas. All my research into the basics of the spell indicate that it should be within my power to break using normal methods, but the version Celestia’s cast on Anon is beyond anything any of the books happen to mention. Its power is incredible, and I’m not sure if I can match it, much less devise an effective counter. Still, I won’t be daunted! Celestia is obviously testing me, and I intend to pass with flying colors! Several of my experiments should be producing results soon, and I’ll finally have some additional data to work with.
October 13th, 2132
My time spent perusing the Forbidden Archives has proven fruitless so far. There’s a lot of material there to sort through, but most of it is irrelevant to the task at hoof. Still, I have some new plans in store for testing the limits of the Geas. I’ve invited the girls over for a meeting later tonight to discuss the details. I’ll need their help in order to proceed, and it’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to catch up with one another, so I think it’ll be fun.
The meeting went about as well as I could hope for. Applejack refused to help when she discovered the intention behind my royal decree to prevent Celestia from working in Ponyville. I expected as much, but it still hurt to lose her help. Still, the others seem to be on board, so my plans shouldn’t be impacted all that much...
You look away from the diary over to Cel.
“That’s the day we went job hunting together, remember?”
She smiles. “I do. And it’s also the day I began to fall for you, when you comforted me on the porch that evening.”
There’s a d’awww from Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, along with a bit of retching from Scootaloo.
“It’s a little amusing to consider that it was Twilight’s actions, as misguided as they were, that began to bring us together,” Celestia hums. “But regardless, this is still not quite what we’re looking for.”
You flip forward several more pages and continue:
October 16th, 2132
I knew I was missing something! By chance, I came across the faint signature of a strange warding spell within the Forbidden Archives while I was searching for more research materials. After a quick thaumotological reverse-engineering I was able to unlock the ward, which revealed a column with a stairwell leading to yet another chamber!
What I found inside was absolutely amazing! Magical artifacts of all kinds, some seemingly erased from history, but vague mentions of which can still be found in several texts! As you can imagine, I was nearly beside myself! There wasn’t enough time to investigate everything, though I definitely will in the near future, but the thing that most caught my attention was a strange object ensconced in yet another protective ward. It appears to be a fragment of a much larger crystalline structure, but it’s unlike any crystal I’ve ever seen or read about before, both in appearance and with regards to its magical resonance. To put it bluntly, the magic it radiates is both vast and of a type I can’t identify! It’s not the magic of ponies, of the other races, of Discord, or even of the same type of dark magic I’ve encountered several times in the past. It’s completely new, completely unknown, and completely captivating.
This will undoubtedly be the first object I study. Revelations discovered from a new type of magic could lead to a way to overcome traditional magical barriers such as Celestia’s Geas.
Celestia turns her gaze to the nearby window as another flash of lightning tears through the clouds.
“It’s just as I feared. She found the shard of the Dark Star that Luna and I recovered and sealed away over a millennia ago after we defeated the sorcerer Balios, the unicorn who initially claimed it.”
Rainbow glances around, looking completely lost. “Uh... the who to the what now?” The other ponies don’t appear to be faring much better.
The alicorn bites her lip with worry. “...It’s an ancient magical artifact linked to an object of great power sealed beneath the earth. Not even I know much about its nature, but it’s likely the journal will go into further detail.”
She nods at you to continue reading.
October 18th, 2132
The Shard is amazing! It’s like an entire library contained in an object the size of my hoof, and the knowledge contained within has the potential to change the very world as we know it!
By applying a light magical charge, I’ve been able to see visions of information in my mind, almost as if I were reading an encyclopedia. After I determined that it was perfectly safe to continue by using Dascart’s traditional testing methods for mind manipulation spells, I spent most of the day poking around the Shard to see what it contains.
The things I’ve managed to glimpse so far... the magic, the technology... it’s beyond anything I could ever dream of. The only problem so far is that I can’t seem to freely access the information as I please. The Shard appears to be showing me random things of its own accord, though I know that’s ridiculous as an inanimate object obviously doesn’t have a will of its own. I’ll need to experiment in order to learn how to find the information I want. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle, but I’m sure I’ll succeed! This is so exciting!
October 21st, 2132
The Shard can show me the future.
No, that’s not entirely accurate. It’s more like it can show me potential futures... what would happen should certain events come to pass.
The more I learn about how to control my queries, the more I’m able to see. I’ve walked through over 24 potential futures now; futures where Anon becomes mine. They’re so varied in how they play out, and I can’t see every detail... but what I do know is that in each one I overcome the Geas in some way and win his heart.
Despite how disparate the visions are, they all have a common thread near the end: In order to ultimately consummate our relationship, I build an Arcane Resonance Chamber on a scale never before seen by ponykind. This appears to be a critical step in order to have Anon overcome the last of his inhibitions and fall for me completely after we’re married. At first, I was concerned because constructing and then enchanting something similar to what was presented in the visions shouldn’t be possible, but the Shard has provided a solution there, too. I’ve seen schematics... plans for how to fabricate and synthesize materials lost to the ages, and incantations to weave a form of magic heretofore unseen in Equestria. I now have everything I need, and work will begin immediately.
There’s no longer any doubt. Regardless of what Celestia does, regardless of how much he tries to deny it... he’ll come to love me, and we’ll be together, me and my very special somehuman. Maybe then this odd emptiness I’ve felt ever since he arrived will finally be filled...
Applejack raises her hoof. “Hold on there. Just let me get this straight... does this mean that freaky rock she found told her ta build that crazy thing in order ta go after Anon?!”
Celestia nods. “Yes, that appears to be the case, and it falls in line with certain oddities Luna and I noticed about Balios when we fought. Twilight is very clever, and very driven, but I don’t believe even she would pursue a plan like this unprompted... a plan which nearly mirrors exactly what the old sorcerer was attempting all those ages ago.”
Fluttershy taps a hoof to her chin in contemplation. “He... he had a human fetish that consumed his every waking thought too?”
All the tension in the air is removed in an instant as Celestia fights the urge to burst out laughing.
“N-No... no, my little pony, I don’t think that was his motivation. But, I have a theory now as to what’s really going on involving—”
A loud bang and a series of strong vibrations cuts her off before she can finish. The ship shakes all around you, and some of the ponies even get knocked off their hooves. You manage to remain standing and fight your way over to the controls, only to find something that causes your blood to nearly freeze.
“Shit!”
“What? What’s the matter?” Mac stumbles over to your side, and you point him toward the indicator measuring your engine output. The wheat sprig promptly falls out of his mouth. “Horseapples! This is what ah was afraid of!”
You were so focused on reading Twilight’s diary that none of you paid any attention to the ship’s instruments. If you had, you would’ve noticed that the magical storm has been slowly reducing the maximum output power of all the ship’s engines. The output has dropped by over 40% already and you still haven’t emerged from the clouds!
“What the hell do we do?!” you shout.
Mac shakes his head. “We’re committed now. We either make it outta the clouds before the engines fail, or we’re dead in the sky. Ah’m gonna go head down ta try and get everything we can out of ‘em, you just keep ‘er on course. AJ, Bloom, ah need ya with me.”
The three Apple siblings make their way down to the engine room, leaving a bunch of nervous ponies and one very nervous human behind.
Sweetie clutches one of her big sister’s legs. “Wh-what’s gonna happen, Sis?”
The older unicorn bites her lip. “I... I don’t know, Sweetie. But I’m certain we’ll find a way through this...”
You place your hands on the controls, your eyes scanning the instruments like a hawk. You have to be close to exiting the storm now... you’ve been on a constant ascent the entire time and the altimeter confirms it. Even though airships can’t climb or dive very fast, you should still be seeing a clear sky any minute now, unless the storm clouds are somehow rising faster than you are.
The ship shudders again and you grip the controls tighter.
“C’mon...”
The engine’s output drops to 56%, the altimeter continues to rise, and all eyes turn to the bridge’s windows.
“C’mon...”
A flash of lightning rips through the sky, temporarily blinding you, and when it fades...
...you see the bright stars of the pre-dawn sky come into view!
The Dawn Star breaches the uppermost layer of the storm, thin tendrils of black cloud still clinging to the frame as if they were trying to pull it back under. The ship continues to rise until even those are stripped away, freeing you completely. A collective cheer rings out from all present and you slump back in relief.
“We made it...” you sigh.
Celestia lightly nuzzles you. “Yes, we did, but now’s not the time to celebrate. We need to make our way back to the castle to inform Luna, as fast as the ship will take us.”
You glance down at the engine’s output: 50% of max with the throttle at full. It’s still fast by most standards, but...
“Let’s head back to the deck so we can get a good look at where we are,” you say.
Rarity and Fluttershy choose to stay behind in the safety of the bridge with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, despite the fillies’ protests and complaints that they never get to do anything exciting, leaving you, Celestia, Rainbow, and Pinkie to make your way down the stairwell and out to the deck.
The sight that greets you when you get there takes your breath away. You were sort of expecting it based on the final altimeter reading on the bridge, but to see it in the open like this is something else entirely...
The stars above feel close enough to touch. Below you, the black clouds swirl for a good several miles, but after that lies only the open horizon, one side of which boasts the blazing orange and yellows of a not-yet-risen sun, with the other revealing Canterlot Castle and the mountain upon which it rests far, far below.
However, while you’re entranced by the amazing view, Celestia completely ignores it as she trots from one side of the ship to the other, carefully considering everything beneath you.
“It appears the storm’s moving over more and more of the city. Anon, we need to hurry!”
“Right.”
You’ve already started the process of making a turn toward the castle. Just as the mountain comes into view across the bow, the nearby multichromatic pegasus coughs and flares her wings.
“Uh... guys? Isn’t there somepony you’re forgetting here? If you wanna get a message out fast, I’m sure the future captain of the Wonderbolts’d be able to handle it!”
Pinkie perks up. “Oh! Oh! Did we have somepony like that on board?! I haven’t said hi to her yet!”
Rainbow sighs and facehoofs. “I mean me, you doofus!”
“Oh, right!” the earth pony giggle-snorts in response.
You look over to Celestia who’s returned to your side after making her circuit around deck. “That might not be a bad idea. With our top speed limited to half of what it was, Skittles can probably reach the castle faster.”
“You know it!” Rainbow boasts, puffing her chest.
The alicorn nods. “Very well. Listen carefully, Rainbow Dash. You must tell Luna that Twilight is in possession of both the Dark Star Shard and a weapon built using its secrets. She’ll know how to assemble an appropriate response. Do you understand?”
Rainbow salutes. “Got it!”
“Very good. Now go, there’s no time to waste!”
The pegasus spins around and prepares to launch herself from the deck. Her wings beat once before snapping back to her sides as her jaw nearly hits the floor in disbelief.
There’s a deep booming from beneath you. Much like how waves crashing on the beach at night can sometimes be mistaken for an impending storm, this sound straddles the thin line between the ocean’s roar and thunder. Unfamiliar yet distinct, you know you’ll remember it for the rest of your life as the prelude of what’s to come.
The clouds nearby undulate and then rise, as if a geyser were erupting in the air. From the resulting wispy black mist emerges a vessel that defies imagining. It’s easily ten times the size of the Dawn Star, constructed entirely from stone and awash in ancient magic. What was once the ‘dome’ of the structure on the ground is now revealed to be a perfect sphere located at the very center, slowly rotating and shining with arcane runes. The odd, angular buildings married to each side have unfolded as if they were webbed wings, with dark tendrils of storm cloud still clinging to their evenly spread digits. What was once thought to be a long entry hallway or promenade is now a combination bow / bridge, its slanted windows arrayed like menacing fangs. When taken together, the overall profile of the ship resembles that of a great tail-less dragon, and you can’t help but stand in awe at the sight.
There’s no way this thing should be able to fly. Just no way. It’s completely built of stone, and without any kind of helium frame supporting it, or turbines, or even fucking jet engines! Yet it’s here, now, right before your eyes...
“Do you like it, Anon?”
Twilight Sparkle stands atop the bow of her grand vessel, less than twenty feet away from that of your own. She flashes you a calm smile before breaking into a series of giggles.
“It... it kind of makes Celestia’s ship seem like a toy, doesn’t it? But don’t worry; this great work is all yours. It’s a gift from me... from a wife to her husband, from a mare to her special somehuman...”
She flutters her wings and beams with pride.
“I call it the Harbinger, because wherever it travels, everypony who sees it will know that their Princess and Prince are near...” Her tongue darts out of her mouth to lick her lips.“And also because it’s just the beginning of the amazing things we’ll both create and discover together~”
Everyone on deck is in shock. You imagine everyone in the bridge who can see this is probably in shock too. What the hell do you do here? There’s no way you can fight this thing. The two small cannons Pinkie brought on board probably won’t make a dent in it. You briefly consider running, but your engines are only at half power now, and something tells you this stone monstrosity is a lot faster than it looks. And to top it off, it’s piloted by Twilight Spergle, and while she still appears to be weakened from the events at the wedding, the fact remains that she’s a goddamn alicorn.
Like you, Rainbow and Pinkie are left absolutely speechless. Cel, on the other hand, steps forward as the cold high-altitude winds whip her mane and tail in all directions.
“Twilight... I know you have little reason to listen to me anymore, but I implore you... if you hear nothing else that I have to say, please hear this. You are being used by the Shard! It’s shown you the false future you wanted most to see in order to further its own ends!”
The purple alicorn’s laughter ceases and she turns to regard her former teacher with a look of amused curiosity.
“Please, Twilight, open your eyes!” Celestia cries. “Consider the facts with that brilliant analytical mind I know you to possess! This... this thing that you have built is not for Anon’s sake. How could it be? What purpose could such a thing existing in this world serve? Consider it carefully, Twilight! Why do you think Luna and I would seal the Shard away in the first place?”
“BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID!!” the little alicorn shouts back, her Canterlot Voice rising above the volume of the swirling wind. “You were afraid of it! You were afraid of the secrets it held! But I’m not! With science, we can understand anything! If we’re willing to learn, and study, and experiment, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish! There’s no mystery that will remain unsolved! THAT’S WHAT YOU TAUGHT ME!”
Fresh tears pool in her eyes as she stares down at the four of you from the grand ship.
“I... I looked up to you, Teacher. You were everything to me. You were perfect... you were the pony I wanted to be! When you made me a Princess, it was the happiest day of my life, because that meant I was one step closer to my dream of becoming just like you! But after all that’s happened, I... I’ve come to realize that image I held of you was just the idealized view of a little filly. Look at you now. You’re so small, so weak, and so afraid. This ridiculous lie you’re telling me now is just another example of that.”
She shakes the tears away.
“I thought you were perfect, but you’re just another pony like the rest of us. Sometimes you don’t know what to do. Sometimes you make mistakes. And now that I’m able to see your limitations for what they are, I can surpass you and become an even better pony. I... I can even become the best pony! Nothing is beyond my reach!”
Her laughter returns, the wind carrying it all around you. Eventually she brings a hoof to her mouth to try to stifle it somewhat.
“And really, now. Implying that the Shard has some sort of hidden ulterior motive... even if it were true, despite being completely preposterous, how could you possibly know that?”
“Because you are not the first to fall into this trap, Twilight!” Celestia shouts back, her eyes never leaving those of her former student. “I have seen it once before with another. He too was shown a false future and compelled to build something terrible to realize it! I know I taught you to always be inquisitive, and to always seek truth through knowledge, but there are some things in this world which are best left alone! That I didn’t impart that lesson to you is my failing, but please, hear me now and stop this! It’s not too late!”
Twilight shakes her head before turning away from her mentor. “I won’t. Not when I’m this close to having him. Not when I’m standing upon the dawn of a new age. Because unlike you, I’m not afraid...”
She looks over to you, a soft smile on her face.
“Come, Anon my love... come and see this wonderful thing I’ve made for us. The sun hasn’t risen yet, but I can feel it surging in the distance. It wants us to be together. Won’t you join me?”
“Why bother asking?” you chuckle. “Does my answer even matter to you? You’ve never listened to me before.”
Your fingers creep their way to the ship’s controls.
“That’s ridiculous, Anon! I... I always listen to what you say! But in a lot of cases, your answers are given without proper consideration of all the pertinent factors, so...”
“Right. I’m just dumb, so you ignore me. Well, Twilight, here’s my dumb opinion. I think your ship is way too dark and edgy. Seriously, gothic themed gray and black with magic glowy shit all over it? No thanks.”
You glance over to your special somepony, her white coat and strawberry mane and tail standing out in the darkness. Your eyes meet and you give her a wink.
“I’m a fan of brighter color schemes when it comes to most stuff. No offense.”
With a flick of your finger, the engines begin to rev up to maximum while still remaining in neutral.
“And don’t get me started on the size. It’d be impossible to park that thing anywhere. And it probably gets shit magic mileage too. With the economy the way it is, I don’t think I can afford it.”
Twilight’s eye twitches. “Anon... what the buck are you talking about?”
You hold your hands up. “Yeah, sorry, no deal. You’re a good salesmare, but I think I’ll keep the one I’ve got. Besides, it kind of has sentimental value to me, you know? And that’s something you just can’t compete with, even if your model has like a billion more cup holders than mine.”
Pinkie and Dash snap out of their respective trances to stifle a giggle, and Twilight looks to each of them for a moment with curiosity.
“Oh, you’re making a joke!” The purple alicorn rears up and clops her hooves together. “Ha ha, funny! But seriously, Anon, that’s enough. I’m done playing games.”
“Yeah, me too.”
You shift into reverse gear at max RPM.
And nothing happens.
Immediately, you check the engine output gauge and it still reads 50%. What the fuck?!
Twilight notices your distress and puffs up her chest with pride. “Problems moving? Don’t be so surprised, Anon! The PS-01 ‘Harbinger’ Next Generation Air Fortress has a variety of features and armaments, such as central and lateral stasis arrays capable of holding nearby smaller vessels in place!”
You look up and notice two of the windows near the front of the great ship are faintly glowing. Great, she has a fucking tractor beam...
“Any time now, Dash!”
In desperation, you call out to the pegasus in hopes of getting her to fly off and contact Luna like you had originally planned before Autismo showed up with her stupid doomsday ship thing. You can see the light bulb go off over her head before she turns and zooms from the deck, only to immediately smack against an invisible wall like a bird flying headfirst into a sliding glass door. She slides down and flops to the deck with a thump, completely dazed, and Pinkie hops over to tend to her.
Twilight looks upon the scene with a slightly incredulous expression. “Uh... what part of ‘Stasis Array’ did you guys not understand?”
You facepalm and massage your temples for a bit before turning toward Celestia.
“If you have any suggestions, now’d be the time to throw ‘em on the table. I’m willing to consider anything.”
She tears her gaze away from a random point in the distance and replies, “...I’d suggest that you all hold on to something.”
Before you can get a clarification of what she’s talking about, a massive blue beam of energy rips through the air and impacts the side of the Harbinger, pushing the gigantic vessel away while simultaneously breaking its hold on the Dawn Star. The ship immediately sails backwards at top speed once you’re freed from the stasis field, and you struggle to return the controls to neutral in order to regain your bearings.
Celestia trots over as you bring the ship to a stop several thousand feet away from the recovering Harbinger. With a smile, she closes her eyes and hums, “Your timing is impeccable as always, Lulu.”
You look to the west, where several new shadows are now visible in the pre-dawn sky. Their somewhat familiar shapes become more and more defined as they approach, and you can’t help but laugh as the realization hits you.
“You know... I never thought I’d be as happy to see a bunch of military airships in the sky as I am right now!”
Celestia places her head on your shoulder and sighs. “Yes, in the past they’ve been quite a pain, but they’re certainly a welcome sight today.”
You recognize most of the silhouettes as the standard airships of the Equestrian Armada. Though each individual ship is slightly larger and far slower than the Dawn Star, the difference in firepower is absurd. While you only have two small cannons so kindly donated by Pinkie, these military cruisers sport twelve, with two air torpedo bays for direct anti-airship combat. Needless to say, they’re way better equipped to deal with Twilight’s little pet project than you are.
However, what really draws your attention to their approach is the massive shadow floating in the center of the group. This can be none other than the Concordia, the flagship of the Equestrian Royalty. At nearly 1000 feet in length when including its helium frame, the great superliner absolutely dwarfs the surrounding military ships, though it’s still a fair bit smaller than the stone monstrosity slowly reorienting itself near the storm’s eastern edge.
Speaking of which, you pull a pair of binoculars from the pilot’s console and point them toward the now distant Harbinger. Twilight’s former perch atop the bow is now empty, with the purple pony princess nowhere to be found. This makes you slightly nervous, as you prefer your psychotically obsessive alicorns where you can see them...
“Ugh! It’s just one interruption after another!”
You nearly jump backwards in utter fear at the sight of Twilight standing on the deck mere feet away from you. Thankfully, Cel’s position directly behind you prevents you from falling on your ass long enough for you to notice the strange distortions running across Twilight’s body. Your panic fades and your pulse slows down once you recognize that it’s only a projection of her instead of the real deal.
A similarly-distorted image of Luna appears nearby, her angry, completely serious gaze directed at her sister and you by proxy.
“You must tell us what you know of this at once, Celosia! We— TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” The Princess of the Night’s eyes widen with shock when she catches a glimpse of Twilight’s projection.
Twilight smiles in return. “Oh, hello ‘sister’! You’re just in time for the unveiling of my latest creation! Though that random magic burst was a bit mu—”
”SILENCE!”
Everyone cringes at Luna’s outburst. Damn, even when she’s not physically here, her voice can be loud enough to melt your brain...
“You shall explain, in precise detail, what it is you have done with the Dark Star Shard. You shall return the Shard to us so that it might be sealed away once again. You shall stand aside while we erase this abhorrent thing now before us...” Her eyes narrow even further. “And for the final time, that we are now considered peers does NOT make us sisters!”
“Oh. I... I thought if anypony would appreciate my work with a new form of magic, it might be you.” The little alicorn’s ears fold back and she looks away. “But in the end, you’re just as afraid of progress as Celestia. I suppose it’s not all that surprising that you would be considering your long absence...”
The dark alicorn scowls. “The only progress to be made from the Shard will lead to ruin. But perhaps it is too much to expect a mere infant such as thee to understand such a thing.”
Celestia trots out from behind you to address her sister. “She has been blinded by the Shard just as Balios was, Luna. I’m afraid we have little choice in how to address the matter.”
Luna’s cyan eyes dart over to Celestia, but her scowl doesn’t fade.
“‘We’, Celosia? No, we don’t believe you have any place to speak here, as was your desire, so you shall be silent.” She turns back to Twilight. “This will be your final warning. Relinquish the Shard and abandon this monstrosity so that it may be destroyed. We will not tell thee again.”
Twilight giggles. “You won’t need to, because I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. You said it yourself: we’re peers now. You don’t have the authority to order me to do anything.” She taps her chin with a hoof, head tilted up in thought. “In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for a field trial! I’ll be able to demonstrate to Anon how amazing what I’ve created for us is, and I can show you why it makes our current military technology obsolete, Luna! It’s win-win!”
Once again, the purple alicorn rears up and clops her hooves together with joy. Luna merely turns away.
“Very well, Twilight Sparkle. Thou hast made thy choice and must now bear the consequences.” She takes a few steps toward the ship’s rail, then surprisingly turns to address Celestia. “Remember well what she has chosen. We trust there will be no objections in the aftermath.”
With another step, the image of the Night Princess fades away.
“Be sure to watch closely, Anon~!” Twilight beams at you one last time before her image fades as well, leaving you and Celestia alone on deck with Pinkie and the still-dazed Rainbow.
“Well, now what do we do?” you ask, placing a hand on Sun Horse’s withers as you watch the Equestrian Armada approach.
“Luna is right. We have no place in this, so we should keep to a safe distance and leave the matter in her hooves.”
“Do you really think she can handle it? This is Twilight we’re talking about. I mean, sure most of her plans are a little autistic, but there’s no denying she’s really damn smart and cunning when she wants to be.”
“Yes, that she is. Were it anypony other than Luna, I’d be deeply concerned. Twilight’s creation seems powerful, true, but do not underestimate the Concordia. Though it was created as a vessel of peace, with an alicorn at the helm it’s capable of assuming a much different role.”
The other ponies join the four of you on deck as you pull further away from where the impending battle will take place. Pinkie digs up all of the spare sets of binoculars on the ship and passes them out along with bags of freshly popped popcorn. You decide not to question when she had time to make it.
Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity all take a seat near the ship’s bow, with the three fillies held close by their respective sisters. You notice Fluttershy standing in the doorway leading to the bridge, slowly but surely building up the confidence to go join her friends at the rail.
Even though you want to be up there with them to get the best possible view, you opt to stay at the controls so you can react as fast as possible just in case something goes wrong. Celestia stays at your side, as does Mac who probably has the same thought. He hoofs over your binoculars after peering into the distance for quite some time, a scowl on his face.
“So, what’s your professional opinion?” you ask him.
“It ain’t a ship. Ah dunno what ta call it, but it ain’t a ship. No engines, no frame, no stabilizers or fins for navigation... it’s like somepony tossed a castle inta the air without any consideration for the details.”
You laugh. “That’s probably closer to the truth than Twilight would be willing to admit. I still don’t understand how the damn thing can even fly in the first place.”
Celestia shuffles her hooves. “It’s likely through the same method the Progenitors used to indefinitely suspend their lost research outposts in the sky...”
Memories of the Fifth Trial of Equus start flooding back into your thoughts. That’s right... the idea of those huge chunks of obsidian floating amidst the eternal storm made you extremely nervous because you just couldn’t wrap your head around how their creators were able to do it. Twilight’s Harbinger is actually kind of small compared to those mountain-sized pieces of stone, so maybe the fact that it’s floating before you isn’t so much of a stretch after all.
Celestia addresses the both of you while observing the ship with her own pair of binoculars.
“You’re absolutely right. I wouldn’t call Twilight’s creation a ship. It’s more like a Progenitor spellbook in the form of a building. The runes which cover it are proof enough... it has no need for engines or stabilizers; they’d simply be redundant. The series of spells inscribed across its surface are more than enough...”
You peer with her into the distance as Luna’s fleet closes in on the imposing but stationary vessel.
“Just a big spellbook, huh...?”
Yeah, that’s typical Twilight Sparkle. Want to impress your crush? Build a giant fuckin’ book. Really, who could resist?
You want to laugh, but the underlying surge of fear settling in the pit of your stomach makes it difficult. Maybe it’s because, yet again, there’s a conflict about to play out that’s going to decide your future, and you know you’re powerless to do anything about it. All you can do is watch and hope that Luna knows what the hell she’s doing.
You raise your binoculars again and train them on the Concordia; the great ship’s many lights acting like a shining beacon in the dark...