Machine arms whirred and groaned in the dim lights of the workshop deep within Liber Mountain. Sparks flew and spun in the air and they welded the last pieces in place. The workshop had been abuzz with activity for a great many years. The program continued to guide the assembly for many years. Though, Athena did tweak the program some to change the shape and form of what was being created. It had to be dismantled and rebuilt numerous times in a nearly endless loop. The constant rebuilding was about to come to a long-awaited end, much to Athena’s pleasure.
“At last, the next incarnation is nearly finished. The data took quite some time to analyze, I must say,” she hummed while her projection floated through the workshop. Her projection smiled thinly when an alarm began to ring loudly within the workshop. Athena looked at a monitor flatly, “Oh dear. It seems my timetables will need to be pushed up.”
2
Volos stood out in the gardens of the castle. He often would visit the sculpture garden, though it was filled with some of Equestria’s greatest villains in some cases. He found the quiet of the statues and their distant stares comforting in some ways. He let loose a loud sigh which made Dark Heart jump a little. As had become the norm in recent months, Dark Heart stood by Volos’ side as his personal bodyguard. This was considered mostly ceremonial in Volos’ case as he did not really need to have a bodyguard. As Regent of Equestria most ruling duties were relegated to him, but he left the court in the hooves of the ruling council who had voted two to one to remove Blueblood from all court proceedings and give tie-breaker votes to Volos instead. During the time that court was going, he could be found in the gardens.
“What troubles you, Regent?” Dark Heart asked, keeping the formality as they were considered to be in public.
“I have failed at every turn.”
“Sir?”
“Everything that has happened as of late is a result of my own failures.”
“Do you mean Celestia and Luna sir?”
Volos nodded lightly. Dark Heart looked around quickly a couple of times and after confirming that no one was around, she flew up to Volos and kicked him in the head with her hind legs. Volos’ head did not give much but Dark Heart’s legs throbbed.
“Ow, ow, ow,” she whined.
“What was that for?” Volos’ asked flatly.
“Quit being a downer all the time!” She sat down and rubbed her back legs. “I have had to deal with you wallowing in self-pity for far too long. Honestly, it really brings down the room.”
“I have not.”
“You come out here every day and just stare out into space. I have seen Princess Luna do the same when she feels like she screwed up. Seriously, you two could be related.” Dark Heart looked at Volos who was staring intensely. “Sorry, poor choice of words. In all seriousness, though it’s past time you turn from what has happened and accept that all that happened. You need to start moving forward. A good place to start would be figuring out how to bring Luna out of this coma…Sir.”
Volos turned away from her. He knew that Dark Heart was correct in her assessment of him. However, he could not make himself admit this to her directly. He groaned.
“Perhaps you are correct Dark Heart. Though how to help Luna I do not know. I saved Fluttershy with an injection of nanomachines, but with Luna’s body, I am unsure as to how the machines will act.”
“She has them, too right?”
“Yes.”
“Are they working?” Volos remained silent. “Are they working?” Dark Heart asked again, punctuating each word.
After a very long pause, Volos finally spoke.
“No.”
Dark Heart stood stone-faced and silent. She quivered slightly but kept her composure.
“What does that mean?”
Volos turned toward Dark Heart. He took a few steps closer and knelt down to try and meet her gaze more evenly.
“Princess Luna is dying Dark Heart and I don’t know how to stop it.”
Dark Heart began to hyperventilate. She stammered and stuttered.
“But…But…you…you’re.” She looked at him pleadingly.
“I have tried to think of way but for once since I have been here in your world, I am truly helpless.”
Dark Heart sat on the ground. The tears had begun to roll down her cheeks.
“How long?”
“Maybe a few days. It could be sooner or even a week.”
“So that’s why you’ve been so…”
“Down?”
Dark Heart nodded. Volos sat beside her as he had done with Luna before.
“Know that you know what’s been happening, perhaps we both need to remain strong. Luna has shown me, again and again, the determination and fight in her. Her survival might still be up to her.” Dark Heart wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded slowly. “The best we can do for her is to be her greatest supports.”
Volos stood back up and began to make his way back to the castle. Dark Heart followed after him, albeit slowly.
3
Celestia was covered in sweat. The heat was intense and there was barely any plant life or water. Celestia had never traveled to this region, believing it to be out of reach due to hostilities between Equestria and The Badlands. This time, however, she had a distinct purpose. She knew she was being followed, there was an unusually large number of small creatures following her at some distance but when she moved, they moved with her.
“I know you are there,” she said with calm determination.
A small lizard scuttled up to her hooves and became engulfed in green flames. A changeling now stood before her.
“Why are you hear Princess Celestia? You are not welcome here.”
“Clearly. However, I wish to speak with Chrysalis.”
The Changeling was stunned. She spoke with a chilling tone that exuberated authority and, to the surprise of the changelings, hostility. The rest of the Changelings changed to their normal forms and gathered in a huddle. Celestia stared at them coldly while they deliberated. Eventually, the small group of seven looked to Celestia.
“Very well. We will take you to the queen.”
Celestia walked on, following her new Changeling guides. The desert-like Badlands gave way to a small but dense forest. Celestia had never been to the Changeling hive before and she felt some nervousness as she looked at the strange structure, but she also felt some satisfaction at arriving there. The hive itself was rather small but it was covered in tunnels and crevices. The ground was cracked and black as obsidian. Some plants grew around but not many and the ones that did were misshapen and looked as though they were dying. Chrysalis sat on the throne and had not noticed them yet. She was eating off of some the rare grapes that grew in their small and filthy oasis. One of the small Changeling drones bowed and the others followed suit.
“My queen, may I present a visitor?”
Chrysalis ate a small grape and chewed slowly showing only disinterest.
“A rare visitor to the hive. How quaint. Who is it?”
“Princess Celestia of Equestria,” the drone stated slowly.
Chrysalis stopped eating her food and turned her head slowly. Her eyes shifted from their disinterested stare into a vicious stare.
“Why shouldn’t I kill here and now? You have never been friendly with our kind. Why are you here now?”
“I have a proposal for you.”
Chrysalis chuckled dryly.
“Do you? Well, let’s hear it.”
“I want you to invade Canterlot.”
Chrysalis looked suspiciously at Celestia. She remained silent for a brief moment and began to laugh hysterically.
“That’s rich Celestia. Asking me to invade your capital. Here I thought today would be boring.” Chrysalis calmed down and looked at Celestia closely. Celestia’s face had not shifted one iota. It remained stoic and cold. “Wait, you’re serious.”
“I am.”
“Why would you want me to invade Canterlot?”
“I have a problem I can’t get rid of alone.”
“And what would that be?”
“A monster that was not made by pony hooves.”
Chrysalis thought for a moment.
“Ah yes, the metal creature.”
“You know of him?”
“Of course. You do not truly believe that the creatures’ existence was a well-kept secret?”
“You have spies in Canterlot don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“I figured. However, you will have something that you didn’t have last time.”
“Oh?”
“You’ll have me guiding you.”
Chrysalis wore a wide smile.
“Keep talking.”
4
Field Dust was worried. Carbon and Dyno Mite had not returned from inside Liber Mountain. When she left Canterlot to return to her excavation both Carbon and Dyno were missing. She was informed that they had gone into the mountain to investigate something and never came back. That was weeks ago. She was now inside the entrance to the Liber Mountain cave and so far had seen no sign of the two ponies.
She was more aggravated than scared of her situation. They had gone into the mountain without her permission and she was planning the lecture they were going to receive when she got them out. However, she could not help but feel some tension in her chest as she moved deeper in. None of the team had traveled too far in due to radio contact being lost past a certain point, so the often focused their excavation efforts in the surrounding areas which yielded a great many finds, but nothing newsworthy nor groundbreaking to the history of Equestria. Now though, she was entering into unknown territory. She approached a rope blocking off the section where radio signals are lost and went through.
The cave wall was very rugged and had large stones lying all over the ground.
“This was Dyno Mite’s work for sure.”
She pressed on seeing very little of note and only having a small flashlight for a guide. The light showed her the path until the light reflected back very brightly and left her with some blind spots on her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and looked ahead. She could see the light of the flashlight reflecting off of a metallic surface.
“That’s interesting.”
She kept her light trained on the surfaces and went through the entryway. Her hooves clacked on the metal floors and some lights in the walls flickered faintly as she passed. She turned off her flashlight when she heard an alarm blaring. The sound was faint but loud enough to follow. She crept slowly through the corridors. The walls had a rusted paint on them with symbols she did not recognize and her curiosity began to swell. The doors were unusually tall and angular and had no handles. Some were broken and lopsided and others sparked furiously in the dim light. Field Dust continued to follow the sound despite her misgivings.
She rounded a corner and saw it. A purple ghost floating lazily through the air while the alarm sounded. The ghost turned and looked at a bright screen and looked to the corner. Field flattened herself against the wall where the ghost could not see her. Her mind raced. She had never seen a ghost nor had she ever believed in them. Yet, there was one right in front of her.
“I know you are hiding pony. Come out.”
Field Dust hesitated, but slowly revealed herself to the purple ghost. She felt her heart pound in her chest. Was this ghost a threat or was it harmless? The room was covered in screens, some dark, flickering, or bright. They were neatly organized in rows of five with a line of consoles underneath.
“I am called Athena. And you?”
“Field Dust,” she said warily.
“You ponies and your amusing names. I distinctly remember one called Dyno Mite. He was a character,” she chuckled.
Field Dust’s ears perked up. She looked at the Athena closely.
“He’s a friend of mine. Do…uh…do you know where he is? And another called Carbon Date?”
“Hm? Ooh yes. I know where they are.”
“Okay, great. Could you tell me so I can take them back to our camp?”
Athena pointed to a door in the corner of the room. Field Dust looked over and looked back to Athena. Athena waved her off and turned back to her monitor. Field Dust looked at Athena for a few more moments before looking slowly to the door where Athena had pointed and began to walk over. As she walked, she heard Athena mumble.
“The magic compensation is working well, but the intensity could damage the body. I need more data. Perhaps a stronger internal compensator? Or would an external work? I need to begin the transfer soon, or the progress may be lost forever.”
Field Dust did not understand what she was saying but she moved to the door. When she got close enough it slid open slowly and revealed a well-lit room filled with things she did not recognize. A large table was in the center with large mechanical arms that looked hideous and were covered in sharp apertures and appendages. She looked over to the rightmost wall. It had three large tanks filled with green liquid. The door slid closed behind her quickly, causing Field Dust to jump. She swallowed hard.
“Carbon? Dyno?” She heard loud click and lights inside the tanks turned on with a boom. “What is this?”
Inside the tanks were Carbon Date and Dyno Mite. Their lower halves were missing and their internal organs floated in the strange goo. Their muzzles were covered by what appeared to be a breathing apparatus. Their eyes opened and closed lazily as they floated.
“Wonderful specimens, wouldn’t you agree?”
Field Dust turned away from the sight and saw Athena floating in the air beside her.
“They provided much data, but unfortunately their usefulness to me ended once I took what I needed from them. And now, I need another specimen.”
“Wha…What do you mean?” Field Dust asked in fear.
The door opened behind quickly behind them and Field Dust made a quick glance behind her and then to a large compartment on the wall. The glass illuminated and inside was a tall and slender thing. Its legs were equine but stretched and its upper torso looked similar to that of Athena’s. The creature had a flat face with what appeared to be a pale blue mask covering it.
“That looks like…”
“Him? Oh yes. This is the original body. Sadly, the other was rendered useless. So, I had to reinstate this body.”
The eyes of the new figure began to glow a sickly blue and its head began to move ever so slightly.
“You see, she is about to awaken and she needs to test her new body. At first awakening, they are very aggressive and as such chase the first thing they see. I’ll make you a deal. If you make it past the entrance you win. If not, well, you know.” She pointed to the vats. “So…Run.”
The container opened fully and the mechanical beast stepped forward and stumbled. She caught herself on the table and looked around. She was enraged and felt frenzied but did not know why. Then she saw a little creature run from the room. She leaped over the table and let out a high piercing scream. Giving chase to the little creature.