//------------------------------// // Elemental Alarm // Story: Iron Mountain // by computerneek //------------------------------// Rarity emits a sigh as she steps out her front door, ruffling her invisible wings gently.  She hadn’t meant to explode like that yesterday.  She’d also been surprised, upon getting home, to find everything already repaired.  Once Lyra and Bonbon had left, Sweetie Belle had come forward, telling her she’d fixed the damage…  And asking what had happened.  She hadn’t told, but had guessed.  A glance past Sweetie showed Scootaloo’s wings had reached their proper size…  But no horn, whatever her own cutie mark might suggest.  Finally, as she had retired up the stairs, a quick stealth-sight spell Twilight had taught her once- normally quite taxing, but now a cake walk- had revealed a total of five alicorns in the room.  She’d managed not to collapse or panic until she got behind the closed door to her bedroom, at least. Once she closes her door, she turns to walk towards Twilight’s castle.  It had taken her half of the night to process that completely.  The Cutie Mark Crusaders already caused enough trouble even before they had significant magical power.  She’d taught her Sweetie Belle a simple cleaning spell partly as a way for them to clean themselves off before they returned for supper and partly as something positive for her to spend her energy on.  As it had turned out, Sweetie had lacked the power to scrub off all that sap they usually got on themselves- but now, she’s got the power to scrub the houses out of Ponyville.  By accident.  So, how’s she going to contain their disasters now?  Especially now that they’ve got a fourth member, disguised as a white pegasus! She freezes in the middle of the roadway.  She had been too distracted to notice it before.  Disguised as a white pegasus, but she remembers the image her spell had offered her.  Light pink coat, mane unchanged, wings fading gently to purple tips…  She knows only one pony with those particular colors.  She’d have to find the Crusaders- but it’s Saturday afternoon.  They’re probably out someplace- possibly their treehouse, but more probably out Crusading somewhere, with their new recruit.  She’s trying to decide which to do first- report Flurry Heart’s return, or rescue her from the Crusaders. “Rarity!” “WAAAGH!”  Rarity leaps a few feet into the air, yelping in alarm. “Ack!” The approaching minty unicorn utters, flinching backwards.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that.  I thought I’d mention, Twilight’s supposed to be on the one o’clock train, and I’ve heard rumors of at least three ponies waiting to ambush her with questions about where she’s been.” BOOOM! The suddenly alone unicorn winces, glancing at the purple shockwave just above her head.  “Well, you really weren’t kidding.”  One o’clock is two minutes in the past. “Another one!?”  The Rainboom Chain begins again. Twilight steps carefully off of the train, purposely avoiding anypony.  She’s pretty sure by now that the curse is sending her away whenever she mentions someplace she doesn’t want to go, with some sort of positional condition.  So, she keeps her mouth firmly shut.  Not going to name anyplace.  She walks steadily forwards- and spots Bonbon on approach.  She readies her muscles for a dash. WHAMBOOM! Twilight and everypony else around the station immediately start coughing in the massive cloud of dust kicked up from something landing in front of her. “TWILIGHT!”  The unicorn is completely undisturbed by the dust as she hops out of the hoof-shaped holes in the concrete platform.  “There you are!” Twilight is still coughing when she feels a massive surge of power wash over her- then the dust clears.  “Sorry Rarity,” she answers, blinking at the blinding cloud of dust- and the holes.  “I kept finding myself everywhere east of Griffinstone.” Her eyes widen- she’s named a place- but nothing happens. Rarity smiles.  “Darling, I just broke that spell.  But we do need to talk.  In the castle.” “Uh, sure,” Twilight mumbles- and a moment later, they’re standing in the castle throne room. It takes Twilight a couple seconds to realize Rarity must have teleported them.  The doors swing shut swiftly, locking in place- all of them, the way Twilight only does when discussing something absolutely top secret. Rarity checks each one of them personally before she finally drops to the ground and removes her commset- I still need to get a new one, Twilight thinks- to place it on the table.  She finally turns towards her purple friend.  “Twilight.” The purple alicorn blinks at the white unicorn.  “I’m sorry about-” Rarity interrupts her.  “I’m not worried about that, darling, not anymore.  I’m more worried about how Zeus fixed it.” “How he fixed it?”  Her voice takes on a worried tone. “Yes.”  Rarity stares at the floor in front of her forehooves for a few seconds, and looks back up.  “How many Princesses do you think Equestria can safely handle?” Twilight blinks.  “We’re still dealing with the backlash of my ascension,” she mutters.  “Why do you ask?” To answer her question, Rarity flares her suddenly visible wings.  “Zeus did it.” Twilight stares for a full minute.  “That shouldn’t cause too many problems- you’ll probably make a great princess.” “And the Crusaders?” “The WHAT?” “He ascended the Crusaders as well.” “Ahh, I was wondering when you’d show.  If you’d like, I can provide you three with communicators.  With them, not only could I help prevent tree sappiness- I’m still not sure how you got it into that tea party this morning- but I can also help keep you out of trouble.” “Me neither,” the unicorn of the party states. “Communicators?” the earth pony queries. “They’re designed to blend in; you may not have noticed, but the Element Bearers have been wearing theirs for the last week and a half.” The pegasus almost leaps into the air.  “Awesome!  Where can we get them?” “If Apple Bloom could take a seat real quick, I can have hers ready in a minute.  The other two I’ve got handy for delivery.” Wham. The unicorn and the pegasus watch as the seat rocks violently for a second, earth pony firmly embedded in the cushions. “That was…  Energetic.  Thank you- that should be enough.  Now, just thirty seconds and I’ll come in to deliver them.” “Huh?  Aren’t you not a pony?” “Yes, I’m not a pony.  However, just as I can manufacture a communicator in a matter of seconds, I can also manufacture myself a likeness with which I can travel beyond my hull and interact with society outside, called an avatar.  I still have a lot of work to do before it’s ready for the general public, but it should work as an internal delivery vehicle for now.” “A likeness…  Like what?” A small pause.  “Like this.” On the opposite end of the room, a door slides out- and an adult stallion whips out of it, banking sharply to pass his shiny duralloy mass overtop the seats, five boxes held in his magical grasp. “Hi!  Is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza nearby?” “Mm?  No, I don’t believe…  Oh.  I’m certain she will be in a few minutes, Flurry.”  Mayor Mare then scrambles about her desk to find the signal gem she’d been given to indicate to the named Princess if and when her missing daughter turned up. “Oh hey Discord!  …  My tail’s not twitching, you can put that away.” The draconequis lets out a breath, folding his iron-reinforced wooden umbrella and glancing warily at the sky.  “Are you sure you and Twilight aren’t doing anything weird with- AH!- with magic?” Pinkie shrugs.  “Nope.  What was that?” His turn to shrug.  “Another of those weird energy events,” he mutters.  “I’ve been able to trace them down to Ponyville’s general area, but I can’t get any closer than that.”  He scowls.  “This one felt a little different, though.” “Ahh.”  Pinkie tosses the door open.  “Want some- AAAHHH!” The draconequis winces, both from the scream and from the magic surge he’d felt at the same moment.  It felt exactly like this new weird one…  And, he figures, Pinkie’s tail is probably twitching now.  She’s going to be falling somewhere…  And, in classic Pinkie Pie style, not get hurt.  First, he decides, he wants to find out just what altitude she reaches- and disappears with his umbrella deployed. “Wow!  Pinkie went really high!” “Actually, Apple Bloom, she hasn’t stopped going up just yet.” “Wait, WHAT?  So how high is she going?” “I estimate her arc will peak around two point four two kilometers, Scootaloo.” “Bonbon only jumped a few feet and disappeared back inside…” “Yes, that would seem to be the case, Sweetie Belle.  I think she’s searching for Lyra- just a sec.” “Searching for Lyra?  Where is she?” “Sweetie Belle?” a mint green unicorn asks, trotting up behind the named unicorn, and glancing around.  “Where are the others?” “Uhh,” Sweetie mumbles. Lyra raises an eyebrow.  “And what have you just done to Bonbon?” Sweetie’s breath catches.  “Uhh…” Thunk! “Huh?”  Lyra looks up, past Sweetie, to where her front door just slammed, and something bounced on the ground outside. BOOM! “AAAHH!”  Sweetie screams, leaping away from the fiery explosion. Lyra abandons her inquisition.  “Bonbon!” she yells, irritated- and the flames all suddenly disappear.  She canters forwards, towards her own front door.  Paving stones arrest themselves mid-flight, returning to their rightful place; scorched and blowed flowers stand back up and heal.  Shattered windows mend themselves as the shock damage to the building itself patches itself up.  Sweetie Belle escapes silently as Lyra throws the door open.  “Bonbon!  What was that for?” Her answer is another ‘Splode-O-Candy to the face, but it disappears almost casually into orbit.  Clearly, something had freaked her friend out.  Oh well- good thing I’m a unicorn…  erm, alicorn, I guess.  Sure makes this part of the job easier.  I wonder what scared her?  She deprives Bonbon of her next weapon before she reaches it, floating her into the air.  “Seriously, calm down.” Zeus:  Entity Unknown. “Come on, they keep talking to him!” Zeus:  Entity Unknown. “Fine, then.  Who’s casting these weird spells?” Entity Zeus. “And his file?” Zeus:  Entity Unknown. Facepaw.  “I knew the Discearch engine was a bad investment.  I wonder if Omnipotence Inc is still selling the Searchitence engine…?” Fusion one ignites successfully.  I have found suitable materials for reconstruction of critical components far earlier than expected, and have dissolved all of the water left in the fragmented dome into fuel.  Following ignition, I no longer have to worry about low solar production.  I may only have enough fuel for 9.73 days of operation, but that will be far more than required for me to get many of my facilities online- and begin converting my surrounding rock into fuel.  In addition, I now have the power to reveal myself to these weapons Celestia called Sentries. These Tanneri machines are moderately intelligent, but they lack my own cybernetic initiative- and stand no chance against an alert Bolo.  Even a MK XXVIII could probably penetrate their security net- a whopping nine generations below myself.  As such, I blow their internal programming to so many smithereens with casual ease, neutralizing their attacks.  I then start marching the mobile mounts across the plains towards my own position; with this new development, I will no longer need to manufacture quite so many nanites. Double score!  One of my side projects has restored my connection to the special, magical com system Celestia managed to rig up so many years ago.  I’m amazed it’s still holding together after all these years- but it would seem the magical side will last for as long as the other end does.  I still suspect the other end, which she never named, is some sort of ethereal artefact.  I place a call. Twilight ambles slowly through her castle.  She’s exhausted, after Rarity’s revelation.  Spike made her dinner, but she hasn’t gotten to see Zeus yet.  She pauses at the throne room on her way from the kitchen, glancing briefly up at the case containing the Elements of Harmony.  She smiles, turns away- and promptly does a double take. The Elements are behaving…  They’ve never done that without a spell before.  So why are they all glowing in turn, the full cycle taking about half a second?  Why does it look like some sort of alarm? She chastises her exhaustion, dashing for the library while she asks Spike for some coffee.  Elements of Harmony, Elements of Harmony…  Her magic would be real handy right now.  She gallops to the nearest shelf, recalling her latest organization, and eventually locates the book she’s looking for.  She has it out and laid open on a table by the time Spike shows up with her coffee, which she almost guzzles as she reads, too tired for much control. No response has come after fifteen minutes of waiting, so I activate the urgent function.  Celestia told me a century and 9.41 years ago they won’t be able to miss the alarm when I do that. Discord curses wildly when his internet connection winks out in a blaze of static.  They must be using the Elements again!  Why’d he have to stick himself with the Disharmony Express plan? Pinkie Pie, having almost gotten to bed, explodes out the door as she rockets towards Twilight’s castle.  Her Pinkie Sense telling her something big is about to go down there, and she must warn Twilight! Rarity stretches out on her bed, her wings once again fully visible and fanned out across her sheets in a gorgeous, hidden display.  “This really isn’t that bad,” she considers.  This makes her second night as an alicorn.  Yesterday, it had practically been torture; Zeus had provided nanites to help her take care of her wings, but she hadn’t a clue how to fly.  Today, however, was different.  She’d gotten Rainbow to teach her to fly- and Zeus had provided something unfamiliar to help her with that.  Whatever it was, she had been racing through the skies in a matter of minutes- to the point that, when she learned Twilight was returning, she had accidentally produced an event Zeus had christened the ‘Rariboom’.  Oh well- it was gorgeous, and he has full records of it.  She wriggles slightly on the mattress…  And freezes.  Why does she feel this need to rush to Twilight’s castle?  There’s also…  She looks down to discover the Element of Generosity resting on her chest, now feeling the ornate chain hanging around her neck. It’s still just as beautiful as the day she first got it- but why is it here, now?  Shouldn’t it be in a storage case in Twilight’s castle? …  Then, why is it flashing twice every second? She takes it off to get a clearer look…  But it vanishes from her magical grasp, returning to her neck.  Whatever- she’d have to go find Twilight.  Perhaps she’d know what it’s all about?  She ambles out of bed once again, folding and vanishing her wings, and sets out for the castle. Rainbow Dash is awakened suddenly, though by what she knows not.  All she knows is that she’s fully awake, and the moon is still visible out her window.  Why?  She sits up in her cloud bed- and feels the weight against her chest.  Two seconds of the sharply pulsing red light later, she makes tracks through the sky for Twilight’s castle.  Something has to have happened to cause this, even if by accident. Applejack is putting Apple Bloom to bed, still blissfully unaware of all the new alicorns in town, when her sister gives a sudden gasp.  Applejack, alarmed and suddenly not tired, looks inquisitively.  “What’s wrong?” she asks. “Donno,” Apple Bloom answers.  “Never felt it before…  why’s your Element blinking?” Taken aback, Applejack takes a second to notice the pulsing orange light- and looks down at it.  “I don’t rightly know,” she mutters- and tries to take it off, with the same success as Rarity.  “I should probably go talk to Twilight ‘bout it.”  She then takes off at a trot. Apple Bloom waits a minute or two before she hops out the window and launches herself into the skies.  Whatever it is, it feels important.  As soon as she does, Scootaloo’s voice comes over her com. “Hey, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom- meet near Twilight’s castle?” “I’m almost there already,” Sweetie’s voice responds. “On my way,” Apple Bloom adds.  As she goes, she checks- once again- to be certain her wings are still hidden. Up in Canterlot, the Princesses sit suddenly upright from their dining table, both looking in the direction of Ponyville. “Should we go, Sis?” Luna asks. Celestia debates for a second.  “No,” she finally decides.  “Twilight will be able to handle it.  I’m looking forward to finding out what Guardian’s corpse has to say, though.” “His corpse?”  Luna demands. Celestia raises her eyebrow.  “You were there when she died.  It’s either that or somepony else has taken the Element of Victory.” Luna’s eyes widen.  Very few ponies ever knew there are actually seven Elements of Harmony.  One, which the Princesses and christened the Element of Victory, was unlike the others.  This final element, a bright yellow sword in appearance, does not restrict is power to its chosen bearer, and selects its bearer separately from the other Elements.  Anypony can wear it, and utilize the power to destroy large swaths of land, to exterminate towns.  Its chosen bearer, while wearing it, literally cannot lose.  Add that the Element of Victory chooses the most warlike entity in a thousand kilometers as its next bearer whenever its previous one dies and it becomes a terrifying Element to have in the wrong hooves.  It had chosen Princess Luna as its first bearer, long before Nightmare Moon; they had used its power in the creation of Equestria.  Princess Celestia could only be glad Luna hadn’t been wearing it when she became Nightmare Moon, and had hidden it on the moon as well.  She hoped to, once Nightmare Moon returned to Equestria and was vanquished, release the Element of Victory to nopony. “Uh, let’s pray it’s his corpse, then.” Princess Cadence is putting her amnesiac child to bed in a bedroom in the upper floors of Twilight’s castle- Flurry Heart had wanted to stay here another day- when she feels it.  Flurry feels it as well, and they both stare down through solid layers of crystal floor at the library. “What’s going on down there?” Cadence wonders. “I don’t know…” Flurry answers.  She’d spent the evening telling her mom about what had happened to her- so Cadence is largely unsurprised when she continues a second later.  “Zeus says it’s a magical anomaly- that’s calling all of the Elements…  and all of the Alicorns, as well.”  She pauses for another second.  “Celestia and Luna aren’t coming- seems they know what it is.” Two seconds later, mother and daughter are headed downstairs. Fluttershy pauses mid-yawn to blink at her pillow, having paused in the middle of climbing into bed to make that yawn.  The first thing she notices is that she’s not tired anymore.  Second, there’s a blinking pink butterfly amulet on her chest.  The Element of Kindness clearly wants her attention for something.  Perhaps Twilight will know what?  She heads outside and trots off in that direction. Lyra Heartstrings lies awake in bed, staring at the ceiling as her partner falls asleep next to her.  She had allowed her wings to fade back to visibility again, once they were safely covered by the sheets.  She still can’t seem to decide how best to reveal them to Bonbon. “Yow!”  Bonbon leaps a foot into the air, the sheets flying with her, and spots Lyra’s wings.  She lands on the bed again, blinks and stares firmly at the pillow. “Your back burning?” Lyra asks. Bonbon sighs.  “It’s just a nightmare anyways,” she mutters, and seizes a candy from her bedside table.  It’s another of those nap-candies, like the one Lyra had used the night before, and she pops it into her mouth.  Hopefully, dream-based sleep candies are powerful enough to bring an end to that particular dream…  Ahh, success.  She collapses back on the mattress. Lyra sighs, repositioning Bonbon gently and resetting the sheets.  She’d have to ask Zeus if he’d dropped a spell on her partner, or if it had passed on from herself instead-  Whaaat? Her mind whips into overdrive as she flashes awake, head spinning to face Twilight’s castle.  What’s this she feels?  Certainly something to investigate with Bonbon!  …  Without Bonbon, she’ll be out for an hour and a half.  Oh well- she’s perfectly capable of exploring alone.  She hops out of bed, vanishes her still-pristine wings, and heads for the castle. The worst was over, for Zeus.  Getting his new avatar presentable had been quite the task- but it’s finally ready.  He supposes he’ll launch it tomorrow, or maybe later- he’s not sure when he wants to, just yet. Then, he picks up new readings from his avatar.  Not sensor readings, exactly, but something similar- something magical.  The magic wants him to travel to Twilight’s castle, it would seem.  He contemplates action briefly, and finally trots out the door, headed for the castle.  He’s presentable already- his early appearance shouldn’t cause any harm.  He does wonder what this power wants…  Interesting.  It would seem everypony currently in possession of a communicator is also being summoned to Twilight’s library, including Flurry Heart.  Some by this strange magic, some by some alert function of the Elements of Harmony.  He camouflages his avatar as a pegasus and takes to the air, holding a steady airspeed of fifty meters per second.  Not even a fraction of what he suspects this avatar is capable of, especially after he installed a countergrav unit, but enough to reach the castle without excessive delay. As each pony approaches the castle’s front doors, they swing open of their own accord, swinging shut again behind them.  Each pony directs themselves towards the library, where Twilight is reading twice as hard as before.  She’s fully awake now, no need for the coffee- and her Element has jumped onto her head.  She just has to find out what it means. Applejack is last into the room, of all the ponies coming.  Even the Crusaders trotted in before her, though they hid quickly behind a bookshelf. After another fifteen minutes or so of waiting, I finally see the mana building up within the magical side of this com system.  The link will open in approximately 3.41 seconds.  As usual, as this buildup occurs, my sensor sensitivity is augmented many times by rogue mana I have no means nor knowledge to control.  I find myself wondering who I will get this time- last time I commed, I didn’t use the urgent mode and got some old bloke called Starswirl the Bearded.