//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: The Preparations // Story: Dissonance: A Hidden World // by Braininthejar //------------------------------// "Show me what you can do," said Obsidian, his staff twirling around him before resting across his withers. The girls looked at each other. Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably in her armor. Applejack tapped the side of her helmet, making sure it was securely attached. Pinkie Pie grinned.  Then they all rose into the air together, their Elements lighting up as Twilight conjured a sphere of protective field around them. Obsidian jumped forward, his staff turning ablaze with magic before striking the ground.  A pointed pillar of crystal erupted from the ground of the stadium, breaking through the bubble and scattering the girls before they could finish their spell. The stallion was already dashing forward, the runes on his legs blurring into glowy after-images as he used his magic to rapidly accelerate. “Pinkie!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Obsidian was running straight at Twilight. Pinkie landed right in front of him. The wings on her helmet clapped together, catching the staff as it descended at her head. She pushed forward, rising to her hind legs, as her front hooves attacked in a blur of kung fu strikes. Obsidian sent an impulse of magic through his staff, pulling it out of her grip just in time to spin it around, smacking the underside of Rainbow Dash’s wing as she tried to charge at him from the side. The next swing went horizontally at Pinkie’s head, but the pony bent backwards, at an impossible angle, the tip of the staff passing in front of her muzzle with comical slowness. Obsidian stomped the ground, knocking Pinkie off-balance before turning around and bucking her at Twilight. The unicorn hesitated a split second too long, the two ponies colliding and rolling together, landing in a heap. Obsidian completed the turn, striking his staff into the ground, a wall of crystal erupting in the way of charging Applejack, the stone shining blue with Obsidian’s power. There was a mighty crash and the wall exploded, Applejack plowing right through it, a bright orange aura around her body. Obsidian stabbed with his staff, and the mare met it with the faceplate of her helmet. Obsidian allowed the resulting shock wave to push him away, sliding backwards while he looked past his opponent, finally finding what he was looking for; Rarity standing by the wall of the arena, translucent strings of power flowing from her Element to Applejack. Smirking, Obsidian disappeared in a puff of blue smoke, appearing right next to Rarity. His staff descended upon her ornate helmet. “Stop!” Obsidian hesitated, the blow losing momentum until it just tapped Rarity on the helmet, though it still made a ringing noise and made her yelp. The stallion turned slowly. Fluttershy was looking at him, breathing deeply, soft waves of pink spreading from Kindness on her neck. Obsidian’s smirk disappeared. His magic flashed again and he teleported away, a large fridge hitting the ground where he had stood a moment before. “Enough,” he said, approaching the girls again, the staff floating at his side. “Laughter, good thinking with attacking from outside Kindness’ aura, though I could have redirected it if I tried. Be more careful in the future. Besides that, you’re doing well. Your casual disregard of reality makes you almost invulnerable, so right on top of the enemy is where you should be.” He looked around the others. “Generosity, practice dividing your attention. You work best by giving your power to others, but don’t neglect your own defense spells.” “Honesty, good job. You lack versatility right now, but I wouldn’t expect more from an earth pony after two days of training. Focusing on what you’re good at is the way to go right now.” “Kindness, you need more power. This wouldn’t have stopped me if I were really angry. The Shattered have very focused minds.” He turned to Twilight, who turned red before he even opened his mouth. “Magic, too much thinking. Planning is good, but it will be wasted if you can’t keep up with the situation. Hopefully it will improve with practice. Or you could awaken to your Element. Then that shield you started with would be immensely stronger.” “Loyalty,” he said, suddenly very serious. Rainbow Dash had just picked herself from the ground, and was checking her wing for injuries. “You’re still reckless. You have bad habits. You’re used to fighting clumsy enemies. But I’m not some forest monster and neither will be your foes. This kind of flying will get you killed. And believe it or not, I don’t want that.” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. “This isn’t fair…” Obsidian bonked her helmet with his staff. “It never is. That’s why you have to do your best. I might have a solution to your problem, but it will have to wait until you have a better control of your magic. Twilight can help you with that-” He paused and turned around towards an approaching unicorn. “Do you need anything?” Bling walked up to the group, surveying the stadium. “Just checking if the place still stands. There have been some debris flying off the grounds. Should we erect a barrier around the field?” Obsidian shook his head. “There shouldn’t be much more infrastructure damage, at least for now. The girls have already learned the basics and we’re working on that before moving to advanced techniques. And how are things moving on your end?” “Fairly well, all things considered,” replied Bling. “There have been no new attacks and our preparations are well underway. We’ll be ready with our soldiers for when princess Cadence decides that it’s time for them to hear the whole story,” he said, nodding towards Applejack, who shifted uncomfortably. “What about Equestrian army?” asked Obsidian. “A small unit approached from the south, demanding entry,” said Bling. “Shining Armor met them to tell them that the Empire is in danger from an unknown force and we’ve decided to keep the barrier up. They pretended to buy it, but they will be back, sooner or later.” “They can’t get in, can they?” asked Fluttershy. The rest of the mares didn’t speak, but their faces expressed various kinds of worry. “As long as the citizens provide the magic for the princess to use, the shield can be sustained indefinitely,” said Bling. “It would take extremely powerful magic to bring it down… and for what I know, the most powerful source of magic in Equestria is already inside here with us, isn’t it?” “Let’s not rely on that alone,” said Obsidian. “This place has existed for thousands of years. The Shattered would have to be idiots not to prepare some plan for getting in.” He turned back towards the girls. “Let’s have another go.” *** Doctor Stone walked through the underground corridors at a brisk pace. She headed towards the source of noise in the tunnels ahead. Passing an animated suit of armor, she entered a large lab room filled with a seemingly chaotic mess of machinery. Two pony heads rose at her approach. “I see you’re progressing well?” she said, looking around the room. Bluebonnet nodded. “We’re already done with most of the assignments. We’re now doing a special task her majesty demanded.” Dr.Stone raised an eyebrow. “We?” Bluebonnet turned slightly red. “I mean, I,” she said, casting a quick glance at Tourmaline, who had already turned away and was tinkering with something on her table. “My daughter kept helping me through the day, she’s been a great help. But this is something I need to work on myself.” Dr.Stone approached the table where Tourmaline was working, the filly’s tongue twisting as she tried to keep a hold of a tiny screwdriver. Dr Stone smiled; the mess on the girl’s desk seemed like a miniature of the organized chaos filling the whole lab. “What is it you’re working on?” she said, leaning over Tourmaline’s shoulder. The girl shrunk. “It’s just a harness,” she said. “I made it for a friend, but I thought it could be made more versatile, so I can wear it with other devices.” Dr.Stone nodded, her smile disappearing. “I remember that. You built a pattern device outside the labs.” Tourmaline’s eyes widened in panic. “It was just a small thing! I said, I was sorry! It will never happen again, I promise. It’s just-” “Please cut it out,” said Dr.Stone impatiently. “I’m sure you know how much trouble this has resulted in. Now… Is that a heart’s desire?” She pointed at the corner of the cluttered desk, where a pot with a fuchsia-colored, conical flower stood under a strong lamp. The filly nodded. “I got it from miss Zecora. I took it from Ponyville when we evacuated.” “It is quite a rare thing,” said the doctor pensively. “Well, at any rate, I think you’ve learned your lesson. Just keep working and don’t be a distraction. We have important things to do,” she said, quickly stepping away from the desk and turning towards Bluebonnet. The tan mare opened her mouth to apologise, but dr Stone silenced her with a gesture. “We have no time for that. Let her tinker with whatever keeps her busy. Now, how is the project going?” Dr.Bluebonnet nodded, and regained focus. “The heavy pattern emitter can be ready within hours. Her majesty has actually taken some of the older, unfocused models. What is she up to?” Dr.Stone looked at the ceiling. “She clearly has some idea she doesn’t want to share. But when you put the pieces together, it’s quite obvious.” She leveled her gaze, now looking back at Dr.Bluebonnet. “And what about the pony-portable version?” she said, pointing at one of the tables. Bluebonnet shook her head. “It still doesn’t work as it should. The problem is still focusing the pattern. Since it is meant for direct combat, it can’t be too heavy-” “And it won’t do any good if it can’t overpower the target,” finished Dr.Stone. “Have you had any luck with lighter conductors?” Bluebonnet sighed. “None so far. I’m thinking of eliminating the generation process altogether and just using pre-charged pattern batteries. This would make the device much safer to operate.” “Of course, it would severely limit the number of shots,” said Dr.Stone. “For an already unwieldy weapon, that would-” There was a noise echoing through the corridors outside, like a sound of multiple hooves walking. Both mares looked in that direction. “Oh, what is it now?” said Dr.Stone. *** “Try again, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, a bubble of force ready to shield her from any debris. The pegasus inhaled deeply and then closed her eyes, the red gem on her chest glowing brightly. The pieces of crystal rubble surrounding her started shaking and then, one by one, rising into the air. Slowly, Rainbow Dash opened one eye. Immediately, the furthest stone slipped out of her grasp, shooting away and embedding itself in the stadium wall. The glow of Loyalty disappeared, and the rest of the debris cluttered to the ground. “This is useless,” grumbled Rainbow Dash. “I keep doing like you told me, but it just keeps slipping away. That’s not how pegasi do magic.” Twilight scribbled a couple of lines in her notebook. “But you’ve already used your Element to do magic.” Dash nodded. “I did. But we were using the Elements together. That was different. You know that feeling that we were… one for a moment? I think I could use it because you could.” Twilight walked in a circle, pondering the problem. “Perhaps we should change our approach then. Your Element seems to work fine when you use it to fly faster.” “Yea, like it works for Applejack,” replied Dash. “She’s just doing what she usually does, and her Element is giving her the power to do it better. It’s not like unicorn magic.”  Twilight nodded, and updated her notes. “Perhaps we should treat this like your usual magic then. Can you do it like when you move clouds?” Rainbow Dash furrowed her wings in annoyance. “That’s how I’m already trying to do it.” Twilight scratched her chin. “This isn’t good. What we need is a change of perspective. Perhaps I could change you into a unicorn?” Dash, who was just about to start another try, dropped the stones and stared at Twilight. “Wait, you can do that?” Twilight nodded, a small smile on her face. “I think so. I’ve heard of a template-based transformation spell, but never had the time to try it out. Now Applejack told me that Obsidian used it on her, so I have somepony who can show me how it works.” “Hey, girls!” shouted Pinkie Pie, peering over the wall. “Come here quick! Shiny has something important to tell to us all!” The two mares dropped their exercise and ran towards the exit, Dash taking flight after a few steps. “I wonder what this is about.” *** “Are you sure of it?” asked Twilight.  The Elements, Obsidian, Spike, Cadence, and the two officers were all gathered around the table in the council room, with Shining Armor on the opposite side. The stallion looked Twilight in the eyes across the table. “There’s no doubt about it. My contact in the palace has just informed me that a small group of prisoners taken in the Ponyville incident were moved into the dungeons under the Canterlot castle.” “I’ve been there,” said Twilight. “the dungeon is small, but there is much more underneath it.” “That’s what I was about to get to,” said Shining Armor. He focused his magic and a translucent image of Canterlot mountain sprung into existence on the table in front of him. Purple lines formed a maze underneath the palace and into the rock behind it. “Of course, I knew about the underground labs,” continued Shining, “I had to as the captain of the guard. But I didn’t know what exactly was inside. Nor how far they extended.” The picture changed, the lines inside the mountain stretching into a simplified picture of gem mines underneath the labs. “While my contact was overseeing the moving of the prisoners, he came across a map inside the labs. It seems they weren’t moved deeper, but up.” The lines extended again, the mines stretching up in what looked like a giant staircase, before expanding into a new level, just below the top of the mountain. “Whoa,” said Rainbow Dash. “All of this is inside the mountain? How come nopony has seen it before?” “Rockslide hazard,” replied Shining. “It takes a lot of paperwork to be allowed to dig in the mountain side from Canterlot’s side. There are some airship platforms here and there, but nopony ever goes deeper, not since the mines were closed.” Dash fluttered above the table, pointing a hoof at the edge of the upper level. “It looks like there’s a platform up there.” “But.. I’ve never seen anything up there,” said Twilight. “And I’m sure there are a lot of pegasi moving above the mountain. Somepony must have seen something.” “Not if the right spells were used to hide it,” said Bling, leaning forward for a closer look. “If the Princess was confident enough not to tell you about this even as you prepared for the invasion… but now, that we know what to look for, it shouldn’t be too hard.” “So, this is where they’re all held?” asked Applejack, pointing at the picture. “If we had an airship or something, we could try to get them out.” “What about the Shattered?” asked Rarity. “All of them could be there in moments.” “Not quite,” said Shining Armor. “I’ve been informed that Princess Luna is mobilising the Equestrian army and is busy overseeing their preparations. Also, the two ponies that attacked us here have been seen in Canterlot palace before, but the… Hate one hasn’t been seen since.” “Perhaps he hasn’t...’returned’ yet,” said Twilight. “So, that leaves Princess Celestia, Guilt and Deception, assuming Vengeance isn’t there.” “Is that all you’ve managed to learn?” asked Obsidian. “Sadly,” said Shining Armor. “Even the map is just a sketch.” “In that case,” said Obsidian, “there is little left for us to do, but to perform a funeral ceremony for your agent.” Bling nodded silently. The rest of the ponies stared at Obsidian in shock. “It’s happened to me before,” said Obsidian, “I buried a lot of companions.” Cadence was the first to speak. “Explain yourself, Obsidian.” Obsidian looked at her through squinted eyes. Then he started talking, with deliberate slowness. “You have been told of a back entrance to the enemy fortress, where the ponies you so want to rescue are supposedly being kept. While half the enemy forces are away, giving you that one window of opportunity, provided you take it right now.” He looked at Shining Armor with utter contempt. “This is an obvious trap, meaning your agent has been compromised, and either enslaved or replaced.” He shook his head, briefly indicating the Elements. “I can understand them getting fooled, but you? You’re supposed to be a military commander. How does war look like here?” “I must agree with Obsidian here,” said Bling. “This is obviously a trap, and that must mean that North Star has been compromised.” Shining Armor stared at his officer. “How did you-” “You told us,” said Bling. “Barely anypony knows about the labs. The only one who could get all of that intelligence would be the current captain of the guard.” “So, what do we do?” said Rainbow Dash, fluttering above the table. “We can’t just leave them there.” Obsidian clenched his jaw in annoyance. “Weren’t you listening? It’s a trap. They’re hoping you will rush in and get yourself killed.” Rainbow Dash turned red. “I know! But that doesn’t mean we can just sit here. Rarity’s family is there. And Applejack’s.” “We don’t know that,” said Bling. Glitterdust reluctantly nodded. “It is common wisdom never to bait a trap with a genuine bait,” said Obsidian. “Then we must make sure,” said Rarity. “If there is a chance they’re really there, we cannot let this chance slip by,” she finished, tensing up as she met Obsidian’s gaze. It was the stallion’s turn to turn red, though his fur made it a deep burgundy. “A chance to do what? Die for nothing?” He walked around the table until he was face to face with Rarity. “Even if they were really there, do you think your family is more important than anypony else’s? And you call yourself Generosity!?” Rarity stepped back, her ears flat, the shock on her face fading away into anguish and guilt. Applejack pushed through the other ponies, and put a hoof on Obsidian’s chest, forcing him to move away. She then stood by Rarity’s side, and glared at the stallion. “Ya have no right to say that! We fight for Equestria! But Equestria is also where our loved ones live. We fight for them.”  Spike stood at Rarity’s other side. Then Rainbow Dash flew over her. The group started shifting, the ruling pair and their officers watching as everypony else faced Obsidian. Applejack took another step forward, her Element beginning to glow. “We know why we fight, Obsidian. But why do you fight? What do you want out of this war?” For a moment the air in the room seemed to get more dense. Obsidian visibly shook, his canines clearly visible as he bared his teeth at Applejack. “What I want? You want to know what I want? Take a look at me. What could a pony like me want? You fight for your family… your friends… your loved ones. But where is my family? Where is my life? Where is the mare I…” He kept shaking, gritting his teeth, the staff at his side rising higher, as if about to lash out in anger. Finally, Obsidian exhaled. “Gone. everything I ever cared about was taken away from me by this war. By this… madness. This folly. And it won’t be over until I see this conflict finished, and all the monsters gone. Only then will things be as they should be. Only then will the death, the suffering stop. I have waited for thousands of years, whole generations living and dying while I could do nothing. If the lives of a couple ponies are more important to you than the fate of the world, go ahead and die. I will recover the Elements from your corpses, and start anew with new bearers.”   Silence fell, and for a moment, everyone just stared. Then Pinkie Pie tilted her head.  “You know, for an ex-Element of Harmony, you kinda suck at the whole friendship thing.” Obsidian’s staff fell to the ground with a clatter. A moment later, the stallion himself fell, slumping heavily on his rump. He averted his eyes, staring at the floor in front of him. “I… I know I do. What gives me the right to deny you what I have already lost? It’s just… it ‘s been too long, far too long. Please, don’t throw your lives away pointlessly.” “It’s not pointless,” said Fluttershy softly. “And we’re not going to die,” added Rainbow Dash, flapping her wings for emphasis. “Actually,” said Twilight, “I think there might be a way to solve this. We could use your flower to see inside the mountain.” Obsidian’s head perked up. “The Amaranthine? This could work. I could contact Verba to… no. He’s not pony enough anymore. It takes more focus. But I could have him move it to the Void Passage. Then you could use it. This tower stands on a powerful leyline. It should be more than enough to send your minds there.” He picked himself from the ground, the staff rising alongside him. He still avoided looking anypony in the eye. “There is no helping it, is it? If they are there, there is no stopping you. You will rush in to fight the Shattered, even though you aren't nearly ready yet.” He turned towards Shining Armor. “I need a guarded room, large enough for all of us, as close to the center of the tower as possible.” Shining Armor turned to Bling, who saluted. “I will lead the way.” he then walked out of the room, Obsidian following his hoofsteps. As he was about to cross the door, Obsidian turned towards Shining Armor again. “They shouldn’t have been told at all. You should’ve been smarter. If they all die tomorrow, it will be your fault.” Glitterdust leaned towards Pinkie Pie. “Is this guy really your leader?” Pinkie pondered the question. “No. We mostly listen to Twilight.” “I must say,” said princess Cadence. “He’s not the most pleasant pony to be around.” Twilight sighed. “I know. He’s crazy, and not in a good way. But he knows things that we don’t. We wouldn’t have got here without him.” “I still don’t trust him,” said Rainbow Dash.