I saw something… strange today… well not saw, sensed.
Aquestria has areas that are more dangerous. We may rule the seas, but even deep ponies such as I do not dare descend into the trenches that scar the ocean floor or go into the shelfs that just drop into nothingness.
Despite this, there are quite a few seaponies and deep ponies who continue to try to hunt or mine these areas. Others are even crazy enough to settle on the edge of these continental shelfs.
After the Myrmidons and I defeated the rebels, the Empress dispatched me with a century of Aquestrian legionaries to order one of these illegal settlements, which had settled rather near to a trench, to move. The negotiations themselves weren’t too difficult. The settlement's leader had been aware of the ban on anypony settling near the Abyss. They just had been misinformed about how far away they should be. Furthermore, the settlement was very new and the legionaries that accompanied me had came for the sole purpose of assisting in the move.
Still, I needed a brief break from the planning and negotiations, and so swum to the edge of the cliff.
I… I heard something then. It was very faint, but as if I could hear thoughts in my head that were of my voice, but not of my own. I’m not sure how to describe it, but the moment I heard them I backed away from the cliff as fast as I could. The Empress has always been very adamant about being aware of one’s thoughts. So I swam away… and the thoughts faded.
Needless to say, I was more frantic about the negotiations and those that settled agreed to move away. Upon my return, I then immediately approached the Empress.
She seemed surprised and looked at me with eyes that were hard, and searching. She was definitely using her magic on me, her horn was glowing. I didn’t know why but I froze, and… I was afraid. What was she seeing?
She then stopped, and apologized, told me that I was fine and that she will explain in time.
Explain what though? I didn’t get it. I said that whatever that thing was, we needed to go and investigate, destroy if it possible.
Panthalussa shook her head then, and pointed out the flaws in my logic. Sending ponies to investigate would only expose them to whatever this influence is. There was also the matter that there was nothing I could actually see to destroy.
It was rather embarrassing, but she was right of course.
The thing was, after that she dismissed me and told me not to tell anyone of this, I realized something.
She hadn’t disagreed with me that whatever it was needed to be destroyed. So, she had an idea what it was, but wouldn’t tell me. But why?