Chapter III
Unfortunate Circumstances
“WHAT?! Are you sure, Spike?!” Twilight asked, now looking up from a book she had stuffed her face in. “Why would it call so many?”
“I’m not sure, it just shows all of them, and I don’t think it’s over any towns.” Spike replied, confused as to why the map was acting the way it was.
“Well, the map hasn’t been wrong before, so, take a note.” Spike just sighed as he grabbed a quill, ink and parchment from a nearby table. “Dear Princess Celestia, the cutie map has called more ponies that ever, and I fear the worst. It has called: myself, the Elements of Harmony, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, and Sunset Shimmer. If you could contact Sunset, it would relieve some of the stress of the preparations.”
Spike blew fire on the letter, sending it to the princess. Just moments later, however, a letter was received; a letter from princess Luna.
“Spike, this may be more serious than I expected.”
“Are you sure they’re connected? I mean, it could be a coincidence.”
“I hope it is, Spike.” With that being said, several mares burst through the doors of the library.
“Is everything alright, Twi? Ah was a little worried about what happened when ah found out all of us were called.” AppleJack said, trotting in place.
It took a few hours before Luna arrived in his dreamscape again. “I have sent for somepony to arrive a mile south of you, though it appears they were going to come here regardless.” Vox sighed heavily, taking in what was happening.
“I… will keep that in mind, whenever it is that they leave, I will prepare and wait for them there.” He sighed heavily, tapping his hoof on the blank space encompassing them. “How many should I expect?”
“Nine, eight ponies and a baby dragon.” She replied, slightly taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm.
“Right,” He grunted. “I’ll prepare for say, a squad. I must warn you though, I am starting to get quite… um… hungry, at the moment, so don’t expect the best of behavior around them.”
“Why shouldn’t I expect your best behavior?”
“Long story short, my species is primarily carnivorous, even if it’s technically omnivorous. So, when we get hungry… I think that’s all that needs to be said. I will think about going into more detail in the letter.”
“That sounds… appropriate. Though I must say, controlling such urges must be frustrating.”
“Well, there are certain plants that can satiate the hunger, but I doubt to the utmost degree that your… planet, at least, produces such plants. As the necessary climate and astronomically unique circumstances required to produce similar life here seems… impossible, quite frankly.”
“What ‘circumstances’ do you speak of?”
“Large amounts of sulfur in a given area, extreme heat; atmospheric makeup with large amounts of nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, radon, Bromine, and a few others; and finally, extreme atmospheric pressure. Sulfur is easily the most probable on the list, as it can be found on this planet; however, atmospheric makeup poses a major problem, as oxygen is entirely too common in this planet’s atmosphere, and bromine is probably toxic to life on this planet; and finally, atmospheric pressure is about point nine five terran atmospheres here, and the atmosphere the aforementioned plants grow in would be about three hundred, maybe more, not entirely sure; but that’s neither here nor there. How long of an… excursion shall I prepare for?”
“Yes, of course. A day, and they should arrive in a week.”
“Understood, I will have to go fishing then. Anything else I should be aware of?”
“No, I believe that is all.” With that, she faded from Vox’s sight.
“Well, could be worse, I guess.”
The changeling was intrigued by the preparations Vox was making. “Are you leaving?”
Vox sighed, he had forgotten about is roommate. “Yes and no, I’m leaving for a few days. Try not to mess with anything in the lab while I’m gone.”
She simply giggled at that comment. “I’ll… try not to.”
“That’s all I expect.” He sighed once more, frustrated she didn’t promise. He approached his sword, running a single hoof down the flat of the blade. ‘Not this time.’ He whispered to no one in particular. Making the final adjustments to his saddlebags, he walked out the door, basking in the sunlight for a couple seconds before closing the door, and leaving.
“A week from now, a mile south of here. Should’ve been more specific, ‘princess’.” He said, mocking Luna’s place in the hierarchy. “Could’ve at least told me what one of them looked like. Whatever, it’ll work itself out.” He walked around the general area he was told to wait at, and finally found a squad worth of ponies looking around.
“Twilight, are you sure this is the place?” Spike was beginning to question Twilight’s navigation skills.
“She said a mile south of the volcano, so this is the place.”
“Well, not exactly, but close enough.” A new, deeper voice Spoke through the trees, startling everyone.
“What do you mean?” Twilight snorted at the pony who was being so condescending.
“One mile is five thousand, two hundred, eighty feet, you are exactly five thousand, one hundred, thirty-nine point two three feet south of the volcano.” He chuckled, and Twilight rolled her eyes at the stranger who was coming from the bushes. “I know I’m being picky, but I couldn’t help myself.” He emerged from behind the foliage, and looked at the group of ponies. He was easily a foot taller than princess Celestia, and had much more muscle mass. He had a grey coat, deep black mane and tail, six legs, unusually large membrane wings, a crown of horns, and red sclera. Everyone except Vox were wide eyed at the sight of him. Sunset being the first to recover, and pinkie’s expression twisting into one of joy.
“Um, I take it you’re the pony princess Luna asked us to meet?”
“Yes, I am. Which means you’re the group she sent?”
Twilight stopped gawking after that question. “Um, yes, I’m sorry, we just weren’t expecting… um…”
“Me? I get it. I would be rather put off in your shoes as well. Honestly, I’m just surprised none of you were aggressive, or terrified; most impressive.”
“Um… thanks?” Twilight was taken aback by what he said. “but I can’t think of a reason to attack or cower from you just from taking a look at you." He simply raised an eyebrow at her response.
“Shall we continue to introductions?” He asked, trying to hurry things along.
“Yes, of course. I am Twilight Sparkle, and this is Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer.”
“General of the western front, AKA Demon Vox, at your service.” Vox finished, with pride in his voice; holding a hoof to his brow.
“General? I thought I met all the generals in Equestria." Twilight responded inquisitively.
“Yeah, and what ‘western front’?” Rainbow Dash added, finally recovered.
“One, I’m not from ‘Equestria’, and two, where I am from, the ‘western front’ is the western border of the... kingdom, if you will. Hence the name ‘Demon Vox’, loosely translated as General West." Vox explained.
“Why is your title your name?” Sunset asked.
“Where I’m from, we take so much pride, and honor, in having a title that those with particularly esteemed titles will often exchange their birth name for it. As one of the only six generals to hold the title of, ahem, triple-six general, having a seat of eight in the council, and in command of the entire western military, ‘highly distinguished’ would be putting it lightly. Besides that, your rather… descriptive names are an oddity to my kind.”
“What’s a seat of eight in the council?” Twilight asks, her eyes filled with wonder.
“We should get moving, I’ll tell you on the way." Twilight blushes at Vox’s response.
“You’re right. Girls, I’ll be back as soon as I can, I need to show Vox here to town.” They all nod, beginning to set up camp in the clearing.
“The council decides what and when the people vote on, it is split into different ‘seats’ of… ‘power’, if you will. A seat of fifty, for example is the lowest seat, and the seat of one is the highest; needless to say, the current monarch holds the seat of one. However, the rest of the council is distributed among the populous, those chosen are held in high regard for decision-making skills, and should take pride in that. I will think about giving the royalty of your land a copy of my people’s constitution to explain in detail the council’s obligations and workings."
“Constitution?”
“A document stating the overruling laws even the council cannot evade, and obligations of the government posts. Should the council break any of the laws in the constitution, all who supported the decision will be punished with the death sentence."
“DEATH SENTENCE!?”
“Yes, death sentence. To make an example of the few who dare to defy the constitution.” He deadpanned.
“Isn’t that extreme?!”
“In my opinion, and mine alone, absolutely not. That being said, I grew up in an environment totally different than yours.”
“I guess, but that still-” she was cut off by Vox holding out a hoof. “Hey! I was-”
“GET DOWN!” He jumped into a nearby bush, managing to totally conceal himself. Twilight ducked as a beam of energy passed above her, seemingly darkening the sky, and singeing the hairs on her back.
“You dare threaten a princess?!” A voice rang out, from further down the road.
"I have done no such thing!" Vox yelled in return.
"LIAR!" Another beam roared past, setting the bush Vox was hiding in ablaze. Vox sighed, simply standing, and approached the aggressor.
"Are you really going to endanger a life that has nothing to do with this!?" Vox yelled, everything in his immediate vicinity began trembling, as if the plants themselves were terrified. It seemed the aggressor began bowing as Vox came closer.
"I didn't!" They said, grunting. Vox only continued walking forward, slowly.
"You almost killed a person trying to attack me!"
"Person?"
"Pony, whatever. You almost killed them trying to attack me!"
"That's the princess YOU threatened!"
"Even IF I threatened her, I was well out of the way when you attacked! Therefore, YOU ATTACKED HER! Even if you missed! I have not attacked her!"
"But you DID threaten her!"
"Like I said before, I did NOT! I was explaining something to her, and YOU attacked her!" Vox started calming after that. "Now, you are going to apologize to her, and leave. If you do not do BOTH, then I will be forced to take drastic actions. If she does not except your apology, she will choose your punishment. UNDERSTOOD?!"
"Yes, sir!" The plants stopped trembling, and the now confirmed to be stallion, got up, slowly walking toward twilight. "I'm sorry princess, I wasn't paying attention."
“You are forgiven." Twilight said, walking up to Vox. The stallion ran, passing Vox once more, toward the direction he came. "What kind of magic was that? I've never seen it before."
"Gravitational, a kind, as far as I know, that is unique to my species; as it requires a different kind of energy than the magic I've seen in use here."
Twilight hummed as she thought about what he had said. “So does that mean there’s a different catalyst involved, or a different energy altogether?”
“Honestly, it’s hard to say; while it is a unique energy, the catalyst is also unique. It also requires far more energy, in turn requiring a weaker catalyst.”
“Is that why your… Biology is so different from anything else I’ve seen?”
“That is most likely the case, however I’m curious, where do you store your magical energy? It has been bothering me for a while, and I’m struggling to find an answer.”
“That’s a good question, as far as I know, it just resides within us.”
“Well I have to collect energy from whatever is near me, hence the trembling plants. From what I understand, that implies that my biology is not reliant on this energy; while yours is. Regardless, we should get moving again, I can’t tell what time it is with the sun just sitting in the sky.” He turned and started walking away, following the path towards what appeared to be a large village.