The stars twinkled in the void as Emerald continued her work.
Emerald Gleaner was currently up in orbit over the world of Equus. She was placing the network of satellites that would carry various signals attuned to them. Initially it would be basic radio signals, but who knows; maybe she could upgrade them to be spy satellites capable of giving a real time updated world map and maybe even tracking entities on said map. And speaking of the world...
'Never was really high enough to get a proper view of the whole thing, or even traveled around it,' Emerald thought as she stared down at the green and blue jewel that was Equus. 'But placing a proper communication network required me to teleport all around its circumference and I've got to say... I didn't think this world was a pangaea.'
The virus had needed to place three lines of satellites orbiting the planet and over the general Equatorial area of the planet. Two to ensure there would always be a satellite in orbit and a third for redundancy. Placing this network brought Emerald around the planet three times and gave her a very good idea of the world's land masses. Equestria itself was a large island or small continent, within a great bay of the great pangaea. Lakes and rivers large enough to be seen from orbit dotted the landscape of the great continent with an inland sea or two. Along the edges of the pangaea the shore line grew jagged and uneven with hundreds if not thousands of many islands fanning out to the east and west.
'I wonder why it's that way?' Emerald thought absently as she teleported briefly back to the Enclave to grab a new satellite before porting back into orbit to place it. 'Is the planet just younger than Earth? Hmm... well it's a thought for another day, I suppose.'
“That's eighty percent of the satellites placed,” Emerald heard Moon Dancer say over the radio. “Half an hour more of work and we should be done putting the network up. This was pretty quick and easy.”
“Well you had me to make it easy,” Emerald replied as she placed yet another satellite while creating an air filled bubble to speak in. “Typically, back on Earth you needed to launch each satellite with intervals of at least several weeks between each one, then plan in agonizing detail what you need to do to get the satellite in place and keep it in place. And then you need to do this over and over again if you want reliable coverage. Then there is the fact that sometimes a satellite will just break down and you'll have to replace it, as trying to repair it would normally be completely impractical.”
“But your satellites are technically flesh and blood and can h-h-heal d-damage,” Moon Dancer commented when her voice started suddenly shaking and she huffed in irritation. “Damn it... what is with all the shaking?! There hasn't been quakes here before, but suddenly it's small earthquakes at all hours of the day!”
“Yeah, that's somewhat my fault,” Emerald replied as she placed another sat.
“Will the meeting you scheduled for the Enclave Command Council explain this?” Moon Dancer asked, her curiosity peaked.
“Yes. In fact, it's to introduce a new member of said council,” Emerald remarked with a smirk.
“Right... we are currently eighty four percent to the completion of the network,” Moon Dancer stated, doing everything she could to restrain her curiosity and wait for the meeting.
The network was eventually finished five minutes ahead of schedule and the two spent the extra time running the network through some quick tests before heading down to the meeting. As soon as the last minute ran down to the scheduled meeting, Emerald grabbed Dancer and teleported the both of them. They arrived into a large meeting room with a long table. Every Alpha with authority over events in the Enclave was there, with Belvedere, Tavish, Fenrir and Bluno taking seats closer to the seat at the head of the table. Moon Dancer took an empty seat reserved for her but Emerald remained standing, merely moving the large chair at the head of the table aside.
“Hello everyone. Good to see you all here,” Emerald said conversationally as she looked down the table at the gathered faces. “I'm sure you're all curious and concerned about all the shaking recently. I've got the explanation for it, or rather know the person responsible.”
Emerald then waved towards the large television screen placed on the wall behind them.
“Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new resident AI, Wheatley.”
With a flash of light the screen turned on, revealing a glowing blue eye with an eyelid like that of a camera iris. The iris snapped open to its furthest extent and a cheerful voice filled the air.
“Hullo, mates!” Wheatley greeted eagerly. “Sorry 'bout the shaking and whatnot, just got a lot of fantastic things on my plate I was working on.”
“Greetings,” Belvedere deadpanned before looking at Emerald with a raised brow. “What is an AI and, more importantly, what is his purpose?”
“An AI is an artificial intelligence, though by that definition I've already created a ton of those in the form of the Raptors, Titans and Gargoyles,” Emerald explained. “What makes Wheatley different is that he lives inside the computer systems of the Enclave and has no singular body like you. Wheatley here has a number of abilities that are much like mine, in that he is capable of generating and controlling the formation of biomatter.”
“You're lookin at the brand new super assistant for the whole country!” Wheatley said proudly. “My job is helping everyone out when it comes to new constructions and projects involving the use of biomatter, though that's not all I'm good at. I'm plenty smart and can give pointers on pretty much anything and everything. And if I don't actually know enough to help? Well I'm a fast learner too! I know most things Emerald knows! You know... except for the horribly traumatizing, mind warping- ah hah, sorry, off topic.”
“So you are the one responsible for the shaking,” Moon Dancer stated with an adjustment of her glasses. “What in the world have you been doing?”
“Building, luv!” Wheatley answered eagerly,before his eye on the screen was suddenly replaced with the image of several objects. “My main concern was making the automatic defense network Emerald has been planning. So far it's mostly fixed defensive turrets. They are all hidden in the ground and pop out when needed and there are four types. The first is a general, all-purpose turret, armed with high caliber machines guns and rockets of various yields and quantity. The rest are simply total focuses into one area; super heavy machine guns for anti-infantry, anti light vehicle and light aircraft, a high caliber canon for countering heavies and super heavies and a missile system for anti air that can act as artillery if required.”
Several depictions of the turrets appeared on the screen briefly. First was a turret with a circular top that curved down. The turret had a set of miniguns along with sidelong missile launchers. Another view showed panels on the top that flipped open to reveal more missile racks. After that, another turret appeared. This one was an oversized gatling cannon that seemed to edge the line between an anti-personnel weapon and and an anti-everything. The next was a large cannon turret that wouldn't have looked out of place as a battleship's main armament. The final turret was basically a box in the ground that would open up and launch missiles at a moment's notice. One trait shared by all these weapons was that they were clearly meant to be hidden from sight underground until they popped up in an instant to unleash their firepower.
“Just about done with these fine beauties!” Wheatley stated as his eye returned to the screen. “I'm going to be doing a bunch of other stuff behind the scenes but do NOT hesitate to ask me for anything! I can multitask like you wouldn't believe.”
“So you've created someone to do the things only you could do before,” Belvedere commented and leaned back in his seat. “I suppose that means you are expendable now?”
“Ha,” Emerald waved her hand absently in response. “Wheatley here is definitely going to allow me to restructure my daily schedule a bit. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to delegate so much of my current responsibilities I'll basically have nothing to do in the future.”
“Pfft, as if!” Tavish barked out. “Only reason ya ain't as much of a workaholic as Belvedere is because ya got a family and he don't.”
“Got a point there.” Emerald sighed, clasping her hands behind her back and looking towards the ceiling. “I'm always going to be busy, but I want to be busy doing the things I like to do and not all this political shit.”
“Was the introduction to Wheatley all there was to this meeting?” Belvedere asked as he straightened out some papers he had with him.
“Yeah. Everyone go get your stuff done,” Emerald said to everyone and turned back to face the screen. “Moon Dancer, you can stick around to question Wheatley if you want.”
The various Alphas got out of their seats as Moon Dancer quickly darted out of her own seat to stand beside Emerald, a floating notepad and pen following after.
ALPHA
'What does it mean to live?'
A gargoyle was gliding above the Enclave, the thick green canopy of the forest stretching out beneath him. He was a gray scaled gargoyle wearing a pair of adjusted trousers held up with a belt along with the front half of an old steel cuirass. He had a thick mane of spines along with four horns coming out from his “hairline” on his forehead; they stretched up and back, almost like a kind of crown.
The reason why he was wearing clothes was to play homage to the human race who had created Emerald. Currently there wasn't much any one of them could wear without it being difficult to get on due to their wings and tails, but Flandre had called in some spider tailors and they could all expect proper clothing before long. Another thing they were doing to pay homage to humanity was their names. They would all have human styled names in honor of those who came first. This gargoyle's name was Simmons Howl.
'Does it lessen the value of life if one was born for a specific reason?' Howl thought as he glided far above several surface buildings of the Enclave. 'If it does, then does that mean a manufactured life is less worthwhile than a natural but wasted life? How does one quantify and value a life? If one was born and made for one specific reason and one reason above all else, does that mean they are lesser than one who was born aimless and ended without leaving their mark?'
Howl hummed in thought and pumped his wings. He closed his eyes and recalled the knowledge Emerald had implanted into the genes of every gargoyle. With a level of skill that would have taken well over a decade of solid practice, he channeled wind and started soaring through the air at incredible speeds. Within a minute he stopped channeling and start gliding once again over the border of the Everfree, over the growing town of Ponyville.
'Ponies are born into this world purely because their parents wished for children,' Howl thought as he took in the sight of ponies going about their day far below. 'The children had no control over this. They were born because others wanted them to be born. Is that not the same for me? Parents have dreams and wishes for their children, often impressing upon them a certain path to take in their life and thus influencing the children in turn. Is it not the same for me? And in a way, ponies too have a predetermined path to take.'
Howl stared down at the town and once again took in the sight of the many ponies walking around, specifically their flanks where their cutie marks were.
'Ponies have talents they are good at, but unlike me they are born not knowing what this is and have to discover their talent themselves, something they sometimes never manage,' Howl considered with a thoughtful frown. 'But I know exactly what I am good at. My level of skill is such that a natural born would take decades to match me. Does the fact they needed to spend most of their life to do so mean it has more significance compared to me being born with the capability? Or is the significance an illusion? Perhaps one applies weight and value to effort because one only has so long to live? Therefore the more of your own limited time you invest into something, the more significant it is? By that logic, then natural skill and inclination towards something should simply go unrecognized.'
The gargoyle soared through the air, doing lazy barrel rolls through the air for the simple pleasure of feeling the wind blowing past. It was mere moments later, with barely a flap of his wings, that he now found himself over Canterlot. Like before, he glanced down and took in the peoples of the city going about their daily routines.
'It is clear no one being is born equal, but... a craftsman could create many objects of equal quality,' Howl thought with a spiraling dive towards the city before suddenly pulling up and shooting towards the very peak of the mountain. 'No one wants substandard goods, so demands for skilled craftsmen who can dependably create quality en masse is always high. But does this mean that when one creates life of all equal quality, all born equally capable, that, that life is suddenly valued less when an object in its place would be valued more? But on the opposite end, should the spontaneity of birth and life really be cast aside for the promise of all being built equal? You are you, the result of a billion random variables coming together over countless eons to form a complex being, an entire self-propagating species that, with hope, will slowly survive long enough to improve upon themselves. Should such august heritage be cast aside blueprint and intelligent design? And yet... one has to realize that today's life is the result of randomly getting it right after millions of years of trial and error.'
Soon Simmons Howl alighted upon the very peak of Mount Canterlot. He wrapped his wings about himself like a cloak and gazed out into the wide open blue sky with a fascinated stare. Howl thought about these things not because he was having some crisis of identity or existence, but simply because he found it fascinating. Howl knew in the depths of his soul what he was; a protector and guardian of all his creator valued and loved. For him there was something deeply freeing about knowing exactly where you belonged and what grand purpose one could fill their days with. It also helped that his purpose for existing didn't dominate his every moment. He and his fellow gargoyles had their own free time to idle away the days with whatever they fancied.
'What does it mean to live?' Howl asked himself, eager to ponder the endless answers.
BETA
It was a pitch black night in the Everfree with the moon occluded by a thick layer of clouds. This suited the activity tonight perfectly.
In the deep tunnels of the Enclave, one seemingly led to a dead end. However, if one possessed the ability to manipulate the very earth as well as the required security clearances, they would find a vast chamber on the other side. Inside this chamber, sitting in the grip of a dozen gantry arms was the stealth air ship Emerald had shown the designs for. It was already fully built and ready to be deployed. In fact, its crew and contingent of neochangelings were on board and awaiting final checks to set forth.
“Captain Ace of the ENV Silhouette making final flight checks,” spoke a dour looking great dane Diamond Dog with black fur. He wore a sharp yet simple uniform of dark grays and pressed clothes without a single wrinkle. His wiry frame belied the fact he was a Direwolf with intensely condensed muscles and likely go toe to toe with far larger and more obviously threatening creatures. Sitting atop his head was a peaked cap bearing the emblem of the Enclave.
“Might be a tad too cautious there, mate,” Wheatley stated.
“We will continue with the final check,” Ace returned blandly. “Primary stealth systems?”
“Course, what do I know, I'm just the all knowing AI who helped build the bloody thing...” Wheatley muttered audibly for all to hear. “Ahem! Primary stealth functioning at full.”
“Secondary stealth systems?”
“One oh oh percentage!”
Over in the crew quarters, Vata tuned out the voices over the intercom as he and his fellow neochangelings looked over their equipment. He and his brothers and sisters were currently fully equipped in their custom armor and gear. They all were still rather enamored with the new fancy gadgets they had at their disposal.
Vata turned his attention over the rest of the crew quarters and saw his fellows pretty much playing with their new and improved camo cloaks. One was melding with their bed top and would be invisible if they weren't an obvious lump atop it. The rest were melding with various surfaces or taking great glee in how the cloaks could ignore gravity to allow them to hide on the ceiling as well.
They had undergone the environmental training for the mission, though honestly the training was more about them getting oriented with their gear and the landscape they'd be working in. The timeframe until the scheduled launch was fairly short, however, so the neochangelings had taken advantage of the fact they didn't need to sleep to constantly be training and preparing themselves. They pushed themselves greatly, doing their best to learn how to hide and use the various environments to their advantage. Their new gear may have made so they could lay on the ground in the open and still hide but it was no reason to be careless.
Now that it was time to make way for Zebrica and the mission, the group decided to unwind while they could. After all, there was no telling just how long they would be out in the field.
In another section, three Warhounds were going through the armory. They were loaded up with a wide variety of weapons, including everything from shotguns, handguns, rifles and even a few heavy weapons. Despite the fact this was supposed to be a purely stealth operation where Zebrica would hopefully never realize they were ever there, Emerald had arranged for the operation team to have every weapon at their disposal. There was quite honestly few ways a rocket launcher could be used stealthily, but one never knew what could happen.
In the engine compartment, a single dog sat at a control console overlooking the whole section and displaying the current condition of the engines and magical reactor. This was honestly a good thing, because despite the fact he was one of the growing number of engineering dogs who really knew the science behind his work, this was clearly beyond him. Even discounting the mostly organic machinery, the rest of the engines were highly magical runic constructs.
'I honestly hope this isn't a sign of the future,' the engineer dog thought with a concerned frown as he literally did the only thing he fully understood, which was watching condition readouts. 'All that time spent learning engineering after learning how to create machine from rote learning... and it now appears to be all worthless because we're starting to use pure organics and magic.'
It was a concern that became more and more common as Emerald introduced things that could only be made by her organic, fully automated factories. She had taught them so much and brought them out of ignorance, but now thanks to her actions they were quickly feeling more and more superfluous as time went on. They fully understood the reasons behind it; the more automation the better. A society whose industry could run without cost was the dream of Post-Scarcity. However this didn't change the fact they were quickly becoming only useful as supervisors of this industry instead of the key component helping to drive it all.
'Surely there HAS to be a way for us to remain relevant,' the engineer thought unhappily, absently giving the all green to Ace when called for confirmation on the ship's engines. 'I refuse to believe this is the end of the line for us. That the Boss has to leave us all behind for the sake of progress and we spend our time making amusements and curiosities.'
This was a sentiment also echoed by a vast majority of the engineering dogs. They sincerely didn't wish to be left behind, but also didn't want to burden Emerald by requesting she slow down for their sakes or go out of her way to help them. But they also realized that by the speed Emerald was growing and developing her own line of technology, they couldn't really hope to keep up with their own lines and remain relevant. But how were they going to keep up otherwise? It wasn't like there was someone else like her who knew all that she...
“OF COURSE!” the engineer cheered in sudden realization, thumping both his fists on the console and then giving a yelp when he accidentally activated several functions.
Back in the control room of the ENV Silhouette, the ship suddenly began to dip upwards when it righted itself.
“What was that?” Ace asked sharply with narrowed eyes.
“Ah, just noticed there probably should be a bit more warnings in place in case a “mash all da buttonz!” situation were to occur,” Wheatley replied in good cheer. “Updating the OS now. Absolutely no reason to worry, mate.”
“Right...” Ace raised a brow before returning to his checklist.
A deck “technician” sat at one of twelve other consoles in the room. He wasn't much of a technician to be honest, or really much for technical work at all. What he really wanted was to be on an airship, to be in the sky. And even though his lack of experience in most areas would promise him becoming a rating at best, he was fine with that. Even if he was swabbing the deck, he would be doing it in the sky. Imagine his surprise when, instead, he got picked up to be a C&C room technician of all things.
'But it's so easy!' the tech thought gleefully as he easily maneuvered the computer he was manning. 'Here I was thinking it would be so impossibly hard, that I would have to pick up months of training in days. I made myself ill with anxiety all for nothing!'
The deck technician was one among a number of dogs who really couldn't keep up with the growing changes to life in the Enclave. Oh sure, he could learn to accept things like getting water at the turn of a lever, making it hot or colder with a clearly marked dial and getting light with a switch. It was just attempting to understand how all these things worked and were set up in the first place that was just so far beyond him. So much so that he didn't like the idea of even trying.
However, if the computer he was currently manning was a sign of the direction technology was to take, so simple even a technologically hopeless dog like him could work it? Well, he was one hundred percent all for it.
'More technology like this, please!' he thought happily.
“... and all crew and Operation members accounted for,” Ace said with a nod.
“Good grief, finally!” Wheatley said impatiently. “Flight checklist done, again, let's go! Burning moonlight here!”
“All crew prepare for lift off,” Ace announced over the intercom before waving to a bridge tech. “Activate stealth systems, activate the gantry arm release and then open the hangar doors.”
“Aye, captain!”
The ENV Silhouette started rapidly changing the color of its armor plating before it finally started mimicking its surroundings. Then, a moment later, all the gantry arms popped off the hull of the Silhouette with loud bangs. Overhead, a massive pair of reinforced doors opened up to reveal a layer of water, kept out via a magical barrier that could not be seen. The Silhouette began to ease upwards and slowly enter the water above it.
In the pure darkness of midnight, no one was around a somewhat recently formed lake in the Everfree save for some wildlife. In the center of the lake, some water movement and a fair amount of splashing was the only sign of the near invisible Silhouette smoothly breaking the surface and then beginning to rise into the air. After it had risen barely a few dozen feet, it then employed its secondary stealth system and started releasing clouds of thick fog. Within moments it was now near impossible to see someone ten feet in front of you within the cloud, let alone the perfectly camouflaged ship hiding within.
“Breech the cloud layer, then set cruising speed along it,” Ace ordered the bridge crew before turning the intercom on once again. “This is Captain Ace to all crew. We are beginning to set course to mission area. It will take the better part of a day and a half to reach Zebrica. Until then, rest and relax. There will be no promises of such when we arrive and are underway. Ace, out.”
“We have breached the cloud layer, captain,” a tech announced. “We will be at cruising speed within ten seconds.”
“Good.” Ace nodded and then sat back in his chair and took off his cap. “Set course for Zebrica, set the autopilot and settle in. R and R applies to us, too.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
GAMMA
In the League of Nations Headquarters, atop the sleepy ancient Kraken and in one of the many conference rooms, a group of dignitaries were gathered. Sitting around a long, oval table was the political bloc that Taleena had formed. Some old faces were absent but a noticeable number of new people were present as well. Once more this group had gathered to discuss world events and more importantly, Emerald Gleaner.
“It has now been an hour,” spoke Cassim, the portly Saddle Arabian dignitary. “Dear Taleena is plain late, not fashionably in the least.”
“She had not said she would be present for this meeting,” replied a pony noble. “But she has also said nothing at all to us since the last message.”
“Do you think she is being forced to stop attending?” asked a richly adorned parrot-like being that would have easily stood at twice the height of a pony. He seemed to be quite thirsty as he constantly was drinking from a goblet and wore a very impressive looking hat with many colorful feathers sticking out the top.
The reason why the group was meeting on the Kraken instead of a room in the Palace of the Royal Sisters was because Taleena warned them not to. The Warlock had said the Palace was no longer safe to speak of sensitive matters. Granted, holding meetings in a place that was essentially in the heart of the enemy's influence wasn't wise but it was admittedly very satisfying. Thus it was decided in the absence of the group's founder that they would hold their meetings in secure holdings in their own influence. The League Headquarters was a shared space but currently it was rather convenient for all current attendees of this meeting.
“If I recall correctly, Warlock Taleena will be having her meeting with Emerald Gleaner tomorrow,” a shaggy coated pony from the Heron Republic announced, clad in the robes of a diplomatic bureaucrat. “It could be she is simply distancing herself from us in preparation of the meeting.”
“I do not know...” Cassim sighed. “Now that Iago has mentioned it, Taleena did say it was no longer safe to hold meetings in the Palace. It could be the reason she knows this was because she was confronted on those very meetings.”
“Princess Celestia wouldn't have done anything to outright forbid Warlock Taleena from meeting with us,” the pony noble pointed out and then scowled. “It had to have been eavesdropping spies, and I believe we all know who they would have belonged to.”
“So the almighty Big Boss of the Diamond Dogs has spies in Equestria,” Cassim muttered aloud, his compatriots voicing their disgust at the notion. “Not entirely the behavior of a supposed close ally and trading partner.”
“Treacherous even to her friends!” exclaimed a reindeer. “This is the great leader the carnivores are so besotted with? She'll play them as fools and then set them against each other for her amusement, forcing them to compete for her attentions.”
Scowls and grimaces flashed across the faces of everyone. It was quite honestly an unpleasant scene to imagine. Emerald Gleaner, unquestioned Empress in all but name of every carnivore kingdom in the known world, holding court in the symbol of international cooperation that was the League Headquarters. And in this court she sits in a chair that becomes a throne via her mere presence in it alone. Carnivores, ruler and mere diplomat alike vie and plea for her attentions like it was the greatest treasure in the world. And she gives them all a welcoming, enticing smile before slipping them their poison. A whisper here, a suggestion there. Suddenly factions splinter and form in moments and rulers and diplomats have a frightful row with one another. Accusations of attempting to drive up the price of meat fruit for others while they get cheaper, of muscling them out of Emerald's circle of influence. And throughout this she, sitting in a chair that is a throne, looks for all the world like decadent royalty taking in an amusing play.
“Perhaps we are getting a tad ahead of ourselves?” Iago spoke, holding out an arm and nearly touching the tips of a finger and thumb for emphasis. “What other news of our most daunting opposition?”
“Well... I heard the Atamen of the Wolverines had actually tried to barter off another large chunk of his forces for even more meat fruit,” the Republic steppe pony stated. “Emerald, however, actually declined and simply increased the shipments he was already getting.”
“Hmph, this would be almost a good thing,” the reindeer replied with a shake of his head. “Demonstrating she has some restraint and generosity, but honestly she doesn't need more soldiers when gluttonous fools are tripping over themselves to essentially offer her lands and power. All this demonstrates she is no common thug and can weaponise good things as easily as the bad. No doubt this little stunt has further ensorcelled the carnivores to her fair and good practices.”
“Speaking of stunts,” Cassim said as he waved over a servant carrying a platter of snacks. “The wedding between Emerald Gleaner and Twilight Sparkle will be quite the big one.”
That brought a round of head shaking and scoffs. Equestria prided itself on being a very modern kingdom and ahead of the times regarding the rest of the world. Such that it supposedly abandoned marriage alliances long ago. However the upcoming wedding showed that it was simply the fact the Princesses had saw no point in such alliance building before with other nations, and now that they had within its reach a terrible rising power they were quick to put such outmoded practices back into use. Sure the two to be married consistently said it was a marriage born out of love and nothing more but it was clear to all who bothered to see that this was purely a political move. Why else would the leader of one nation be marrying the newly ascended alicorn of another?
“With this wedding, Equestria and the Enclave shall practically be one entity,” spoke the steppe pony. “But who is it that shall be holding the reigns? Emerald Gleaner? The Royal Sisters?”
“I would dearly love for the Princesses to be the ones in control, but...” the pony noble began with an uncomfortable frown. “I daresay it shall be safer to assume it will be Emerald to maintain control.”
“Indeed.” Cassim nodded as he swallowed down a treat whole.
“Oh, did you all hear?!” spoke up a mare noble for the first time. “Of Emerald Gleaner's hidden child?”
“Hidden child?” Cassim arched a brow. “I've heard of a child that Emerald has been saying is hers...”
“Yes. As it turns out it's a young filly by the name of Navi,” the noblemare continued with excitement at the prospect of gossiping in such high brow social circles. “Emerald had gone for a month on some important business. When she returned, she did so with Princess Celestia's newest student and a child in tow. I do believe young Navi is the result of incredibly youthful indiscretion.”
“A love child?” Cassim said, now raising both brows to his hairline. This time, most of the people at the meeting looked disbelieving.
“I'm just a newly joined into this group and know only a little about the so called Supreme Commander of the Enclave,” Iago started lightly. “I've come to believe Emerald Gleaner is capable of many things, but I don't think hiding a love child out of shame is one of those. My impression of her is of great pride. If anything, she would parade such a child in the face of propriety and dare any to speak out.”
“I'll admit it seems much more likely Emerald Gleaner had simply taken pity upon an orphan and taken her in as her child,” the noblemare admitted with a nod. “The alternative is just so scandalous, though!”
“Rightful insults and outright slander. There is quite a clear line between the two,” Cassim commented with a large gulp of some very rich hot chocolate. “I do believe we have been speaking about Emerald for a bit too long. Any more news of our Llama compatriot?”
“More of the same, I'm afraid,” the reindeer answered with a worried frown. “We've yet to hear back from him. It's becoming increasingly possible that the catastrophe that befell the capital caught him as well.”
There was a sympathetic expressions on everyone's face at that news. There was a lot of garbled news coming out of tropical lands the Llamas called home. Everything from an incredibly freak inland hurricane striking the capital along with an earthquake to a freezing, equine-shaped blizzard and giant bear; no one really knew what the truth was. What they did know, however, was that the royal palace was nothing more than a giant pile of rubble with practically the entire royal family caught inside. So far it was becoming increasingly clear that a small, somewhat distantly related child of barely five years would have to rule the Llama peoples; likely with a regent to guide and direct him for the first decade or so of his young reign. The Llama representative had gone home to report to his liege before the catastrophe had taken place and everyone was hoping he hadn't been caught in it. That hope was rapidly diminishing, but there was still the chance the llama in question was just busy keeping the decapitated ruling body of his homeland stable.
“I've heard the chaos in the capital is rapidly spreading to the rest of the kingdom,” the steppe pony commented. “Businesses and essential services are slowing to a crawl as everyone tries to figure out who is in charge of what. There was a lot of important people in the palace at the time of the disaster...”
“If I was the King of the newly formed Yacuruna,” the reindeer began seriously. “I'd be taking this time to further cement my people's influence upon the jungle waterways.”
“Well more power to the almighty Big Boss then!” Cassim said with faux cheer before sighing in aggravation. It was a feeling all other members of this nascent bloc felt. They had formed in response to Emerald with the intention of countering her meteoric rise in power. But they were having trouble just getting their foot in the door, let alone meaningfully stalling Emerald's ascent. They knew they were actually making progress since their group was still growing but it felt like they were only just picking speed, whilst Emerald's breakneck momentum was only going faster.
'Perhaps... perhaps we just need more members,' Cassim thought with forced certainty. 'Surely the combined force of our influence can stall her?'
Suddenly one of the attendants brought by the bloc members entered the room and approached Cassim.
“Sir, there is a messenger from the Griffin Principalities here to meet with you,” the attendant announced.
“Hmm... very well, let them in,” Cassim nodded.
The attendant bowed and quickly returned to the main entrance of the room, where he opened one of the grand doors and gestured. In strolled the messenger, who was clearly more than a simple messenger as he wore the cloak of a Storm Wing.
“Greetings Cassim, Merchant Lord of Saddle Arabia!” the Storm Wing said as he approached and gave a deep bow.
“Hail, Griffin of the mighty Principalities,” Cassim greeted back respectfully. “What does the Grand Prince wish of me?”
“I come representing only my clan, Cassim,” the Storm Wing answered and rose from his bow.
“Really?” Cassim said with honest surprise and shared a significant look with everyone else in the room.
“My clan, Clan Storm Claw, wishes to add its influence to your own.”
DELTA
Taleena stared out the window as the scenery steadily rushed past.
The Eldeer Warlock was currently sitting on a shuttle whose interior even she admitted was close to meeting her standards of comfort. Said shuttle was currently on a recently built highway suspended over the Everfree forest. The highway led to the Embassy of the Enclave meant to house dignitaries wishing to meet with the Enclave itself rather than set up a meeting in Canterlot. The embassy itself was said to be the ruins of the old Equestrian Royal Palace remodeled and recently updated with all modern comforts.
'We'll see just how good these comforts are supposed to be, shall we?' Taleena thought with an inward huff. 'Somehow I feel what comforts a bunch of cavern dwelling boors is a far cry, even from barely half decent pony amenities.'
“We wouldn't know,” commented one of the elders in her head.
“It's been a fair few millenia since we've felt much of anything, dear,” added another sardonically.
'Oh! Uhhh...' Taleena stiffened in embarrassment at unintentionally lording her ability to feel over her honored elders. 'My deepest apologies, Honored Elders! I didn't mean-'
“Near on a year since we've been together and still no sense of humor?” asked one elder bemusedly while the other two chortled. “I'm beginning to feel like making you lighten up a tad is a hopeless task.”
Taleena sighed as she realized she was just being the butt of a joke again and refocused on the passing scenery. Though respect for her elders was very much ingrained into her very soul, after a near year of putting up with them she had to admit they could be very irritating and childish at times. Though it also had to be said, after a near year she somehow found herself growing accustomed to their quips designed to push her buttons and put her off balance. She even did find some amusement in a few of the jokes they had made, though almost all of them were the ones that weren't made at her expense. The fact the three elders hadn't pointed this fact out spoke volumes of their desire to encourage such growth.
It wasn't long before the shuttle began to slow and they were arriving at the Everfree Embassy.
Taleena stared through the window at the towering structure. It was rather elegant in a way. The white stonework reminded her of Canterlot but that was where the similarities ended. The Embassy lacked the graceful, artistic elegance of the Palace of Canterlot. In its place were stout walls and towers with firm, steep, slanting walls. There were still allowances for beauty, however. Gardens and fountains stretched out around the Embassy, the walls were partially covered with thick green vines sprouting colorful flowers and foliage and the brickwork of the footpaths were arranged artistically.
'Hmph. All this serves to only distract those that allow themselves to be distracted from the simple, obvious truth,' Taleena thought apathetically. 'That this “Embassy” can easily serve as a fortress if needed.'
Indeed, if one examined the walls carefully they would see the vines had razor sharp, blade-like spines and certain parts of the walls looked like they could be pulled away, likely to reveal gun ports. Furthermore, covering the top of the walls were large ships somewhat conspicuously covered in black tarps. All these signs easily pointing towards the ease in which the so called Embassy could answer the call to arms, as long as one wasn't distracted by the pretty sights.
'Even in the heart of her power she feels the need to arm herself to the teeth,' Taleena thought with a frown as the shuttle began to enter the Embassy proper. 'Her paranoia is clear to all who bother to look.'
“And yet Equestria suffers one catastrophe after another, year after year,” an elder pointed out. “Is it truly paranoia when there are things clearly out to get you?”
'I... I must yield to the truth in your words, Honored Elder,' Taleena thought, honestly agreeing with the words after a moment.
Soon Taleena found herself exiting the shuttle alongside a number of other dignitaries. They gathered together briefly in the parking lot before an earth pony mare trotted over to them wearing a red dress suit and bow tie.
“Good afternoon everyone and welcoming to the Everfree Embassy!” the mare said with a sugar sweet, friendly tone. “If you would all please follow me, I shall lead you to the lobby.”
The pony led the varied group of visiting dignitaries to the front entrance of the embassy where wolverines stood guard, suited in gleaming black dragon scale and wielding rifles long and massive enough to act as a short pike. The entrance appeared to be nothing more than fashionable glass doors with red carpeting, but Taleena noticed with her keen eyes that up in the ceiling were a long pair of seams running along the width of the entrance.
'Hmmm. Judging by previous sights I would say that would be a solid steel door,' The Warlock thought with inconspicuous glances above her. 'Likely they would slam shut in event of an attack... or possibly in need of ensuring no one leaves.'
When Taleena found herself in the lobby proper she only grew more convinced than ever that this “Embassy” was a fortress first and a place of diplomacy second. Oh sure, there was plenty of pretty sights here, polished marble made up the floors and fine stained wood with a beautiful grain made up the walls. There was a fountain and a small indoor garden surrounding a seating area and grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling. But those were simple distractions. For every friendly pony in a nice suit there was a grim faced wolverine standing at attention off to the side and out of the way but never truly out of sight. For every wide open path there were the seams of a great steel shutter ready to slam down. For every wide open space there was an overlooking area with far more austere furnishing that seemed to only house those that worked here.
“Everyone!” the pony that had been leading them called out and waved a hoof. “If I could please have your attention! Thank you. For those of you intending to remain at the Embassy for a long period of time we have suites set aside for you. My colleague to the left shall lead you to them. Those of you here only for the day please continue following me. I shall give you a brief tour of the facilities we have for your comforts before and after you conduct business.”
Besides Taleena, only two other dignitaries continued to follow the pony, the rest heading off to be given their quarters. The Eldeer cared not for whom her two companions were and feigned interest as the mare they were following showed them various distractions. A canteen masquerading as a classy restaurant with a classical band playing music in the background. A large courtyard utterly filled with beautiful statues and gardens doing its best to distract from the fact those on the roof and in the windows had very clear shots of it. A rec room containing all the latest and greatest electronic toys from EI; it was almost enough to hide the fact this room had only one entrance and a steel shutter ready to close it off. And that was just a few examples.
Taleena's two ignored companions had disappeared off to amuse themselves while Taleena herself had simply found a cafe and gotten herself some tea.
'Green Tea distilled from Aum leaves,' Taleena thought as she sipped her cup. 'Very expensive... perfect for fools with more money than sense of what is good tea.'
The Warlock shook her head and simply swallowed down the tea. Green tea was green tea and would help enforce a calm upon her mind and body. She would honestly be needing it for her upcoming meeting with Emerald Gleaner. After the confrontation they had the first time they had personally met, Taleena was taking every opportunity she could to mentally prepare herself.
'Now what to do,' Taleena thought with a hum. 'No foe is too wily for an Eldeer but this one in particular needs a more skillful approach than the norm,'
The Eldeer spirits in her head remained silent, and for that she was grateful. Not because they would have been cracking jokes at her expense again for they had a sense for appropriate timing. No, it was because she wanted to do this herself, to test her centuries honed intellect and rise above. Of course, if she was unknowingly falling short or failing in some way she also fully expected her True Betters to make their opinions known.
It wasn't long before the time arrived at last and Taleena stood before a kind of reception desk that only had a large tv screen behind it. Suddenly the screen lit up to reveal a brightly glowing blue light that somehow seemed friendly.
“Hullo!” came a voice from the screen.
“Yes, hello,” Taleena said evenly. “I am Taleena, Warlock of the Eldeer. I am here for my appointed meeting with Emerald Gleaner of the Enclave.”
“Right'o, she's just behind that door.” The light motioned towards a pair of double doors. “Go on through.”
Without another word the screen simply turned off. Taleena raised a brow at the rudeness but shook it off and walked towards the doors. The Warlock entered the room to find Emerald sitting at a large desk in a fairly austere office, wearing her formal, caped uniform. It was a room with fine wooden walls and marble flooring but it was quite honestly barren of all luxury with only banners baring the Enclave symbol as any kind of decoration. Emerald sat in a wheeled leather chair, her full attention upon some papers on her desk, apparently so busy with other matters that even now she was doing paperwork instead of giving someone she was meeting formally her full attention. The only sign Emerald knew she was even there was a small wave for her to take a seat.
'Some annoyance is to be expected, I suppose,' Taleena thought absently as she made for the proffered seat. 'Now, how should I approach this? Shall I attempt to dance around her with word games and verbal circles? Lead her astray with misinterpretation? No, this is no fool like countless others I've strung along. But perhaps... ah yes, the truth...'
“So...” Emerald began as she straightened out her papers and placed them aside before staring the doe down. “What is it that you wanted to talk about so badly you tried to skip the line?”
“Quite simply, we are afraid for what you may do,” Taleena stated bluntly and Emerald blinked in surprise.
“Excuse me?” Emerald said somewhat incredulously.
“It is the bare truth,” Taleena said simply, inwardly pleased she had Emerald briefly on the backfoot. “We see you forging these ironclad bonds with the carnivore nations, these bonds sealed with the promise of a release from their eternal fasting. With the food surplus available and the relaxing of various population controls, it won't be long before these same nations can no longer support themselves naturally. Within a mere decade you could command them as you see fit and they would have no choice but to obey lest their people starve en masse and make the choice for them. You could forge an Empire in all but name with you as the unquestionable authority. Combine this influence with your personal might and the Enclave's military might and you could even bully a great many herbivore nations into compliance. Within a century you could declare the formation of an Empire and all would shrug their shoulders and simply see it as the formalization of a long present reality.
“... Perhaps you find our fear misguided, that of old bucks and does grumbling for a lost golden era?” Taleena continued in the face of Emerald's silent staring. “You see, my people have had experience with all encompassing Empires much like the one you could form. In ages long forgotten by nearly all, before my people learned the secrets we know today, before we could place the spirits of the respected dead into amber, before we even abandoned our nomadic nature and formed cities, there was a great and mighty domain that stretched across this whole world ruled by immortals. The First Masters of all the light touched. Their authority was unquestionable, their power undeniable. And in their confidence of their mastery, in their arrogance they brought ruin to the world. They disrupted the vital energies of this world and wrought a terrible cataclysm. Our people survived it, as did most, but we solely were able to preserve some semblance of civilization.”
“What is the point of this?” Emerald said quietly, but Taleena was able to see that her words were having an effect, perhaps even cutting deeply.
“Our people learned the dangers of a singular entity ruling all, of immortals eternally ruling mortals,” Taleena replied. “And with it came this wise lesson: cooperation is better than domination. And so it was that we waited patiently for the world to recover, slowly, steadily over the ages. And when the time came we acted. Despite the frustrations inherent in long distance messaging, and the fact a great many journeys to other lands could take months, we, the Eldeer, collectively worked to ensure the formation of a coalition of sorts.”
“Wait... the Eldeer are the reason why the League of Nations exists?” Emerald said with open surprise.
“No one group can rule the world. We must be apart yet willingly standing together despite our differences,” Taleena explained. “It wasn't easy. There were many times where basic flaws threatened to sunder the League - to render it toothless - but with careful management it eventually became something we did not need to prop up. And so for a time we were free to observe. Of course, we didn't completely distance ourselves. Sometimes a nation needed a guiding hoof or a nudge off the ruinous path they were beginning to walk.”
Taleena paused in her talking and studied Emerald with a carefully blank expression. Emerald was quite a few steps above so many of the politicians Taleena had dealt with before in regards to her “poker face” but it appeared her words were enough to shake that. Emerald looked troubled, her gaze was directed downwards towards her desk deep in thought... or perhaps reliving a few memories?
“...I,” Emerald began after several long moments before pausing and sighing briefly. “I do not want to form an Empire, Taleena. I don't want to become some kind of Empress sitting on some gaudy throne and spending all hours simply overlooking all I command. All I want is my friends and family's safety, to ensure their happy futures. That is all I want.”
“Hmm...” Taleena gave Emerald a studying stare before nodding slightly, there was an earnest honesty there that few could fake. “Perhaps we have misjudged you.”
“So... was that it?” Emerald asked after a moment with a frown. “Was this all you wanted to talk about?”
“I suppose so,” Taleena stated and stood up from her seat. “Perhaps it had been a bit much for me to be badgering you so much after such a little talk. For that, I apologize. Perhaps next time we shall simply set aside but a few minutes for short chats, hmm? In any case, I should excuse myself. It would be rude to take up any more of your time, as I am fully aware of how busy you are.”
With that, Taleena turned away from Emerald and walked to the door. It was only after she had closed the door behind her and was certain no one else was in the room that she gave a deeply pleased smile to herself.
'Ahhhh, not so far above us mere mortals after all,' Taleena thought as she walked down the hall.
EPSILON
Vata and his fellow neochangelings stood at attention in the hold of the Silhouette, the bay doors wide open before them letting in whistling winds.
“We are nearing the first drop zone,” Ace's voice sounded over the intercom. “Remember, your mission is to gather intel on the enemy and it is priority ONE that you are not seen and you leave as little evidence as possible of your presence. This may be obvious but this means if you see a local in trouble you can't go help them without express permission. Neither can you form local contacts without the go ahead from command either.”
The neochangelings didn't react to that explanation. They fully understood the need for secrecy here.
“Approaching drop zone...” Ace continued and Vata stepped forward to the very edge of open space. “Deploy in 3... 2... 1... GO.”
With that Vata dove out into the open air.
Despite the fact it was mid morning, the stars were shining brightly. The Silhouette had ascended incredibly high into the sky, so high in fact that the sky faded away to reveal the stars and space. This was done to make absolutely sure their insertion into Zebrica would go unnoticed in any way. Looking down to the land before him, Vata took in the sight of Zebrica.
From this high up it was a land of yellows, light browns, oranges and patches of green. Much of Zebrica was Savannah, but the more heavily populated areas tended to be near or in the rainforests. The area Vata was dropping down into wasn't near any kind of jungle; some parts of it were undergoing some minor desertification even. And from some scans of the region it was populated by villages, hamlets and the odd large town.
Vata had streamlined his form, facing straight down and dropping like a bullet. After only a few minutes he had dropped past the clouds and the ground neared rapidly. Instantly he spread out his limbs and his wings and his drop rapidly slowed. A few moments later he landed at trotting speed before slowing to a halt.
“This is Vata, we've landed successfully,” Vata reported as his armor shifted colors and matched his surroundings.
“Roger that, good hunting,” came Ace's reply.
Looking around, the neochangeling saw his surroundings to be rather rocky with some sparse, hardy vegetation spiking out from between boulders and rocks. Carefully ascending to the top of one boulder, Vata began to scan the horizon. For the most part it was patches of odd looking trees and animals, but in the distance Vata could make out rising columns of smoke.
Vata made his way through the wide open Savannah, his cloak and armor practically making him invisible in plain sight. A ten minute jog brought him to a position overlooking the village. Save for a few wooden shacks on the very edges of the village, the vast majority of the buildings here were adobes. The zebras here looked healthy enough but it was clear in their casual interactions with one another they were not happy either. Emotions of worn down despair and broiling resentment filled the air. One of the neochangelings was constantly learning the Zebrican language from Zecora and then feeding the knowledge to everyone else, so Vata wasn't completely out of the loop concerning local conversation. In fact, he knew enough Zebrican so far to guess the meaning of new words he heard with a fair amount of accuracy.
'Let's see...' Vata thought as he slipped into the village and scaled atop a roof to lay flat atop it. He began fiddling with his helmet's settings to enhance his ability to eavesdrop on the zebras living in this town. 'There we go, and now to wait for something interesting...'
Vata settled in, expecting little to nothing to be learned today. After all, this was a long term mission that was to be done over weeks and months. While taking their time wasn't something any of them wanted to do, there was no rushing in information gathering either. They either heard something useful or they didn't. And so Vata lay near invisible upon the roof of a home for several hours; so long the early morning sun had fully risen and the light began shining down.
'Taxes are up, patrols are up, laws are harsher, nothing I can use yet,' Vata thought and then reached out to his brothers and sisters. “Anyone got anything interesting on their end?”
“I'm currently shadowing a company of Zebrican soldiers, but nothing yet.”
“Doing the same as you, Vata, save I'm in a city over here. I've been hearing a lot but not sure what's useful just yet.”
“I landed near a fort. Casing it right now and planning a way to go about sneaking in.”
“Still in the wild over here. Looking for something interesting to spy on.”
“Same.”
“I'm in the jungle over here, casing a quarry. Would have moved on by now, but it has an oddly high number of guards.”
“A work camp for dissidents maybe?”
“Partially. It seems like most of the workers here are contractors, though.”
“I'll head over. I'm in the jungle and got nothing but hamlets over here.”
“Waiting on you.”
Seeing as only two of his comrades had two potentially interesting situations going on right now, Vata settled back in to continue his surveillance. It was about high noon when something interesting finally did happen.
The Neochangling suddenly felt waves of fear erupt from nearby. Moving towards a ledge facing the point of these feelings, Vata peered over the edge of the roof to watch a procession enter the village and begin marching through its heart. It was a large patrol of Zebrican soldiers wearing dark green, hardy clothes under chainmail shirts. Atop their heads were metal caps topped with a spear like point and the faces fully covered in shamanistic masks, the narrow slits of the mask glowing a dark, poisonous green.
The patrol practically stomped through the village, barking demands to make way and even pushing over the cart of a farmer who couldn't move his produce in time. Following this procession was clearly an important official. He wore plating compared to the simple chain mail of the soldiers, though they definitely had a more ornamental feel. The clothes he was wearing were of fine linens dyed an expensive royal purple. He wore a helmet as well that was much like the ones the soldiers wore down to the mask, though his also had a turban-like white linen wrapping around it.
Comparing the soldiers and the officer to the people of the village, Vata also noticed something else. The visible bare coat of the Zebrican soldiers was different from the common folk. Their stripes were thicker and the white that could be seen was of a darker, almost gray hue. Finally, the emotions. They were muted, barely there. The only things he felt coming from the soldiers were purely negative emotions, bursts of anger and even those felt false.
“Hmmm... got something here,” Vata announced.
“What is it?”
“Some kind of official, maybe a representative of the Prime Minister. Armor looks too much for show to be an actual army officer,” Vata reported. “I'm going to follow him.”
“Stay safe!”
Vata stealthily made his away unseen across rooftops as he began to shadow the procession. Soon he was slinking off a roof and into the tall grass of the Savannah as he followed them out of the village. The procession continued down the road and Vata judged that, by the fact he couldn't really make out an obvious destination on the horizon, he would be following them for a while. This prediction proved to be true as it was nearly eight hours later that a clear destination came within sight.
'Hmm, perhaps you aren't as important as you looked,' Vata thought as he took in a fairly fortified outpost, but clearly an outpost all the same 'Are you just checking in on this place before moving on to the next? Still though, even with small fry like you it would be better than nothing.'
With that Vata began scouting the outpost as the procession fully entered it. From what he was able to see, the Outpost had one major building that likely also acted as the barracks, armory and office. There was a perimeter wall for the outpost but it only covered three directions, leaving the back of the main building to serve as the cover for the final approach. The courtyard was mostly barren but did appear to be heavily used for training and drills. Taking a closer look at the main building, Vata saw a kind of landing at the top leading into the topmost floor, very likely the officer's quarters.
'Clearly he'll be staying up there,' Vata thought with a hum. 'Kidnapping him from there will be fairly easy but the biggest thing is the fact people will notice he disappeared without a trace. Hmmm... I need to give them something to look into, to distract them and think they found the answer.'
Vata continued to watch the outpost and rack his mind for an answer when he spotted a small herd of gazelles in the distance. The neochangeling watched as the herd slowly made their way through the sparse grasses, headed for literal greener pastures. The neochangeling suddenly stiffened as an idea occurred to him. He released a somewhat shaky breath before hardening his resolve.
“Command, this is Vata,” Vata said into his radio. “I've got a plan to kidnap an officer that needs authorization.”
“Let's hear it, then,” Ace replied. “I'll forward it to HQ for the go ahead.”
Barely three minutes later, Vata slinked into the tall grass and headed for the gazelle herd. Within a minute one the lagging members of the herd was suddenly wrenched to the ground and out of sight. So sudden and quiet was this that no one in the herd noticed someone was missing until it was long too late.
As the sun began to slip beneath the horizon and the sky faded to a starry night, a lion and his pride began to settle in for the night. They had just began to lay on their beds of stomped flat grasses when something landed amongst them. After jumping to their feet they quickly noticed it was the body of a gazelle that was practically untouched, the rolled up eyes, still chest and lolled tongue being the only signs of it being dead. They looked up to see a spectral shape perched upon a looming boulder, terrible orange eyes glowing in the growing night.
“We have a proposition for you,” it hissed, an aura of ominous despair hanging about it like a cloak.
ZETA
In the dead of night, the outpost mostly settled in with a handful of guards designated for the night watch. Two stood at each gate to the compound and one stood on watch atop the roof of the main building. There were several braziers and torches lighting up the outpost, though with such a small, unimportant compound the coverage wasn't all that good. Case in point was the fact there weren't enough torches to light up the perimeter around the walls, leaving most of the areas near the walls in darkness. The moon could have helped with the lighting but it was an overcast night, making it pitch black out. The guards remained alert and sharp eyed as best as they could in the darkness, but honestly it was no surprise that when trouble came they only heard it after it happened.
A startled shout rent the air, the guard atop the roof quickly darting over to the back of the building. Looking over, he saw the landing with the doors leading into the officer's quarters wide open and a dark shape carrying a zebra disappearing into the darkness of the night.
Instantly the alarm was sounded. Zebrican soldiers lying like still dolls in their beds. still wearing their helms. immediately leapt to their feet and charged out of the barracks. Whether it was their minds being forced into a razor sharp focus or simply good training. the Zebrican soldiers had a search party weilding torches charging out into the darkness within a minute.
As the party charged forth, the combined strength of their torches pushing back the dark, streaks of blood started appearing before them in the direction the shape had disappeared too. The sight of this drove on the soldiers and they started sprinting over the landscape. They paused when their torches revealed three beings standing in the dark.
It was five lionesses, each one with a blood smeared muzzle with the central, noticeably larger one holding a bloody, stripped leg. The lionesses paused only for a split second at the intrusion of the soldiers before darting off into the dark. The soldiers were only a second slower and quickly fell into pursuit of the running lions. Within moments they were gone and the light of their torches fading into the dark.
Nearby the spot the lions had occupied, a boulder suddenly shifted and part of it lifted up. The moving part acted like a head taking in its surroundings before the whole thing moved. Suddenly Vata was revealed and beneath him on the ground was the captured official, unharmed and unconscious.
'I wonder if any of them will recall that the “shout” didn't sound anything like the official they were guarding,' Vata thought as he carefully hoisted his captive over his back and carefully trotted away from the direction the lions had ran. 'Hopefully it will be considered nothing more than a quirk of something misremembered.'
Twenty minutes later found Vata walking into small area surrounded and obscured by crags. Within was the Lion and his pride of sixteen members. Without the slightest hesitation, Vata walked among them as the lionesses who served as decoys slinked into sight out of the darkness. The largest lioness still carrying the bloody leg tossed it to the side before joining the Alpha male's side. If one managed to get a close look at the leg before it was swiftly pounced on, they would have seen it was far too thin to belong to a zebra.
Vata came to a stop before the lion, looking more like some angry shade from beyond than any living being. Dragging his comatose captive by the back hoof wasn't helping the image. The Alpha Lion stared evenly for a moment before waving for him to get on with it. Vata pointed up and suddenly a square shape dropped down amongst them.
The lions collectively started before realizing it was a metal crate held aloft by a cable stretching off into the pitch black sky. Vata dragged his captive over to the crate before knocking on the side loudly, causing the front to drop open and release its contents.
The Pride instantly started salivating as slabs upon slabs of freshly cut meat poured onto the ground. Vata quickly lifted the crate up to fully empty it before chucking his captive inside, unconcerned about the bloody interior. He then closed the front before knocking on it again and it rapidly ascended up and disappeared into a fog bank the pride only just realized was above them.
“A pleasure doing business,” Vata hissed softly, lenses of his helmet glowing orange in the black hood of his cloak. “If another opportunity fitting your skills comes by, we shall contact you again...”
With that, Vata turned and seemed to glide across the floor, a biting cold seemed to fill the air near him and the lions quickly parted before him. He seemed to barely leave their circle before he faded from view in plain sight of the pride.
The lion released a breath he didn't know he was holding. This whole thing felt like he was making a deal with some dark and vile evil along the same lines of the one currently dominating Zebrica. But at the very least this one was willing to feed his associates.
Keeping that thought in mind, he nodded his assent to the pride and they quickly fell on the feast they were paid.
ETA
Far, far away in a land unknown to most members of the League of Nations lied a vast and very infamous desert. Many deserts were dangerous with harsh condition and thus had certain amounts of infamy, but what made this desert special was the fact that no one who ever ventured towards its center ever returned.
Despite the lack of elevation even in the form of dunes, somehow this desert was deeply draining upon one trying to cross it. Even simply skirting the edges seemed to suck the will to move one's limbs to simply walk. The deeper one went, the harsher this effect became. People who had trekked through the harshest environments often had to drag themselves back the way they came. Some couldn't manage even that.
However, if someone was somehow able to withstand the desert, to posses the legendary amounts of sheer physical conditioning and mental fortitude to do this, they would find the desert would become ever more powdery the deeper they went. And as they neared the heart, several things started to happen. The air itself would lose what little life it had and seemed to hang down on you like dead weight, a quiet so complete and total that one could hear the sound of their own blood flowing and organs moving, and finally that the day sky would fade to black without a single cloud, or if it was night the stars and nebulae would fade to leave a complete black carpet. And if, somehow, after experiencing these things this incredible individual went deeper in still they would finally reach the heart of the desert and the definite end of their life.
At the heart of the desert lied a completely flat plain of white powder that, just looking at, one knew had lied undisturbed for eons. And sticking out of this powder were hundreds of pristine, bleached skeletons that at first glance looked to belong to ponies, until one noticed how big the skeletons were and the fact they all had wings and a horn. And at the very center of this field of the dead was a single being.
It was very tall and very slender. Despite the fact it was slouching over, it would have easily loomed over the tallest wolverine. It had a small body, most of its mass was thanks to its unnervingly long legs and arms. It had gray, mottled skin that only just barely kept it from looking like a skeleton . The only piece of clothing it had was a ragged black cloth bag over its head. This bag also had several large chains attached to it which in turn were attached to massive stone blocks nearly rounded into balls by age. But on a closer look one would see several chains lay unattached to the blocks or that some had seemed to have rusted through. Only three chains were actually attached to a block. Finally, there was something about it alongside all these features; something that seemed whisper into your very mind and soul the few words that completely encapsulated all this being represented. Just two short words.
The End.
For that was what this being was, The End. A Great Old Spirit nearly beyond reckoning. A spirit that existed for far longer than recorded history, that existed almost as long as life did. It was a spirit of a far more brutal and simpler time. A Primordial Spirit. And for countless ages this almighty Spirit had deigned to spend the vast majority of its time in one spot. This lifeless place was formed in result of its constant presence.
Suddenly, something that hadn't happened in ages, happened. The End moved.
The End lifted its lowered head up to the sky, staring beyond the confines of its bag. It stared at the sun and continued to stare. One got the feeling that if it wished, The End could simply stare at the sky for eons more but something was driving it to move. Something that urged it along beyond its absolute nature as a great Primordial Spirit.
With a put upon sigh, The End lifted a leg and started to walk forward.
Suddenly the few chains attached to blocks leapt to life, their length seemed to shorten and they quickly lost all slack. A glow surrounded the chains and the blocks they were attached to were lit up with runes made in an unknown, ancient script. Magic filled the air, their raw energies crackled and snapping dangerously. The End stood with a leg stretched out to take a step, leaning against the chains holding him in place; chains that throbbed with enough magical might to effortlessly constrain the likes of Celestia. Chains that could weigh down a hurricane and hold still an earthquake. After a few minutes of this, The End brought its leg down and slowly turned its head toward the chains. Instantly, many links in the chains exploded in clouds of rust and the blocks they were attached too crumbled into powder.
That done, The End lifted his leg again and started walking.
-TBC-