//------------------------------// // Point of Origin II // Story: The Hidden History: Nightmare Moon // by Shortbread //------------------------------// --- COLLECTION ONE: POINT OF ORIGIN (Part II) Doc- Newspaper Article, Michael Shanks, Canterlot Tribune, "Victory!", 11-24-01 "What has perhaps been the most anticipated battle of the last four war-torn years lasted less than sixty minutes. Discord, the monstrosity whose name struck fear into the millions of innocent Equestrians, was brought to his knees in less than ten. "For the first time in eight years, we, as a people and as a nation, are finally free. We may all rest easy knowing that our children are safe, and our homes are no longer under duress. "There is no doubt that our country is one in celebration, and contacts suggest that this celebration might go all the way to the top. "Word has reached us from the royal court that rumours of a celebratory ball may be more fact than fiction. "While we have gotten no offic- ial confirmation of this soiree, there is little doubt among staff and our informers in Canterlot's inner circles that, if a ball is not already planned, it is in the works." Doc- Diary, Luna, 11-24-01 "I know that Discord is gone, but the unsettling feeling he left me with is not. The words he spoke to me when he held me down still ring through my head in absolute clarity. I can see his face as he pinned me, his unmoving maw whispering silent words into my ear, words that have kept me up all night. " 'The only appreciated light shall be Celestia's sun, and in its shadow you and your stars shall remain eclipsed.' "I questioned all soldiers who were nearby during this incident, and none of them recalled Discord speaking anything of stars or eclipses. While this could easily be because of the many distractions and the haste of the situation, I am still uneasy. "At a glance, the words in themselves seem meaningless, but I fear there is something much darker behind them. Tomorrow I shall make a point of seeing my doctor. I shan't tell her of my experience; I don't need it getting recorded just so Landa can make an ordeal of the thing." Doc- Log, CO Han Landa, 25th November 2001 est. 0:24 "I have read the reports and asked for soldier's accounts, yet one thing continues to bug me. Discord, god of chaos and disorder, a fierce warrior and cunning general, was defeated in eight minutes. "Eight minutes was all it took to subdue a god. Let the record state I am no stallion to underestimate the powers of our goddesses, but all accounts of Discord's other fights with Celestia and Luna occur over periods of 20 minutes or more, and all of them never yielded a victor. "As of yet, I have no proof, but I am strong in the belief that Discord is up to something more." Doc- Patient Profile, Dr. M. Theresa " Royal Hospital of Canterlot Triage Center Littleton District Patient: Luna Case Number: 0527-99 Date of Birth: Refused to Divulge Date: 11/25/2001 Chief Complaint: Eternal Being Case History: This is a female of unknown age with a history of various minor issues. Past Medical History: Intussusception, appendectomy, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy. Last Surgery: Intussusception reduction Last hospitalization: 2/1908 for Intussusception reduction Physical Examination: Vital Signs: Temp: 100.6, Pulse: 64, Blood Pressure: 130/72 Clinical Impression: Unremarkable Exams: Physical Examination, Mana Probing Findings: Appendix not identifiable. Kidneys, liver, bladder, bowel pathology, aorta, inferior vena cava, mesenteric lymph nodes, and abdominal mass all unremarkable. Pancreas is suboptimally depicted due to interfering bowel gas. Mana nodes abnormally dense, unable to be depicted. Standard after massive bouts of mana exertion. Impression: Unremarkable." Doc- Diary, Starswirl the Bearded, 11-26-01 "I received news of the battle today, and though I am pleased by our victory, something seems amiss. Discord's defeat might seem permanent, but I fear he has become far more powerful. He would not give up so easily. "The battle ended too quickly. He was defeated too quickly. He fell for Luna's underground explosives trap when all signs suggested his intel had informed him. His Griffons stayed engaged with our pegasi when they could have easily just wrought havoc in the city. He had nearly four times as many troops as we did. His Diamond Dogs even had a fortified position in front of the city, and he still lost. "This all seems too good to be true. This battle should have been at least a close call, yet it is, by the numbers alone, decisive. Whilst I appreciate our victory and sacrifice, this remains too good to be true." Doc- Diary, Luna, 11-26-01 "Despite my own thoughts, the doctor has assured me everything is alright. I suppose I'll just write this off to one of Discord's mind games. He always was a sore loser. "Now, I'll try to get some sleep. Words are only words." Doc- Correspondence, Starswirl the Bearded, sent: 11-26-01 via post; received: 11-27-01 "Celestia, "I have gone over reports of the battle, and I am fully convinced that we have not seen the last of Discord. As a trusted friend and confidant, I advise you to keep a close eye on the events of these next few weeks. "As I understand it, there is a ball to celebrate the fall of Discord coming up this December. I could think of no more a tempting target than this. I don't know if you'd want to tell Landa of this, his flare for the dramatic and love of the press rivals Discord's, and I don't know if he could keep his maw shut if we told him. "Regardless, measures should be taken, at least for awhile. "-Starswirl" Doc- Correspondence, Celestia, sent: 11-27-01 via dragon; received: 11-27-01 "Starswirl, "Your fears are warranted, for both Discord and Landa; however, knowing Landa's paranoia, he has probably arrived at the same conclusion and merely chosen to keep it to himself. I wouldn't doubt it if he's already drafting a plan to increase security around Canterlot. "-Celestia" Doc- Correspondence, Starswirl the Bearded, sent: 11-27-01 via post; received: 11-28-01 "Celestia, "Considering my talents and skills, it might be a better option to have me conduct a smaller, less invasive investigation rather than let Landa run roughshot over Canterlot. "-Starswirl" Doc- Correspondence, Celestia, sent: 11-28-01 via dragon; received: 11-28-01 "Starswirl, "No. If Discord really isn't gone, the last thing we need is all our leadership in one place. That is unless, of course, you prefer that Landa should assume control if anything did happen. "-Celestia" Doc- Correspondence, Starswirl the Bearded, sent: 11-26-01 via post; received: 11-27-01 "Luna My Love, "News of your fight with Discord reached my ears just this morning. I am dreadfully sorry I couldn't have been there with you. As soon as Celestia permits for my return, I shall make it my priority to return to you and make up for this war's worth of missed dates and romantic rendezvous. "Do tell, did my imprisonment spell work as it was intended? I wish I could have been there to see such a sight for myself; I am told it was quite the drama, and that you were quite the actress. "-Yours Eternally, Starswirl" Doc- Correspondence, Luna, sent: 11-27-01 via dragon; received: 11-27-01 "My Dear Starswirl, "You must be more careful of your letter's contents. Landa has a terrible habit of reading the public post, and you know as well as I what he would do if he found one of our more private missives. As a fix, I've enclosed some of your magic instant message paper. You really should stop forgetting such things; you know how it aggravates me to have to send you everything you forget. "As for your return, I'll see what strings I can pull to expedite your trip. A few of my pegasi owe me a favor, and given a few more days and some arguing with my sister, you may be on a carriage back to Canterlot. "And yes dear, your spell worked flawlessly. Discord's statue shall make an excellent center piece for our garden grounds. "-Your Lady of the Night" Doc- Correspondence, Starswirl, sent: 11-28-01 via IM Paper; received: 11-28-01 "My Lady, "Forgive my absentmindedness. When I was sent off at the beginning of a war, there were quite a few more pressing matters needing attention. Aside from that, I thought I would be home by now. Celestia seems quite intent on keeping me in the shadows for awhile longer. "-Starswirl" Doc- Correspondence, Luna, sent: 11-28-01 via dragon; received: 11-28-01 "Love, "There's no need to be sarcastic, dear. I'll attempt to work around my sister. "-Luna" Doc- Diary, Luna, 11-27-01 "I see Discord's face when I sleep. I see his face and I hear those words, over and over. Him and his sick jokes. I'm tempted to ask my love to help me, but I'd rather try and seek a solution for myself first. I don't want to risk sending anything by dragon or over the post. If Landa thinks I'm compromised, I'll never hear the end of him. Besides, I have a whole royal library to look for spells in. It seems kind of pointless to have a library you never use." Doc- Internal Memo, Luna -> Pegasi Air Transportation " ORDER: ASSET RETRIEVAL Package: Starswirl the Bearded, alias: Nightsbane Willingstone Locale: Arctic Research Base, Map #1421, Grid C8 Authority: Princess Luna, Commander of Allied Forces Secrecy: Highest Authority, Only At Request ID Code: 0413-0612-1025 Date of Order: 11/28/2001 Date of Execution: 11/29/2001 Description: You are to retrieve the allied asset known as Starswirl the Bearded, currently under cover in an arctic research base. --- ADDENDUM 11/28/01: Order redacted on authority of Celestia." Doc- Form, Starswirl " FORM 1065: REQUEST FOR RETURN Name: Starswirl ID Code: 0625-4434-0296 DOB: 02/23/69 Date of Request: 11/28/01 Reason for Request: Original reason for deployment was to preserve leadership in case Celestia and or Luna should perish in a key battle. Said reason has become invalid, and in light of this situation, I would be much more of an asset in Canterlot. --- Decision: Denied (11-29-01) Reason for Denial: (Celestia, 11-29-01) Despite Discord's defeat, he remains a viable threat to both the diarchy and Equestria. You shall remain incognito until 12-01-01, unless otherwise ordered or approved by myself and myself alone. " Doc- Diary, Starswirl, 11-28-01 "My formal request for return has been denied. While I did expect about as much, it does nothing to allay my growing impatience. The minutes that once separated me and Luna have grown to weeks and months. This damned war just seems to go on and on. "By all rights, it should be me down there investigating any leads on Discord's continuing presence, not that half-wit Landa. All he seeks is fame, and I fear he does this without regard to cost. That stallion would sell his mother to be on the cover of the Canterlot Tribune. "The fact of the matter is I'm tired of sitting here, so far from the action, so far from Luna. It's like being kept in a stable. I know it serves a purpose, and I understand the reasoning, but it doesn't make things any easier." Doc- Form, C-Sec CO Han Landa "FORM 1040: REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY Name: Han C. Landa ID Code: 2142-6534-0202 Position/Pay-grade: C-Sec Commanding Officer, SES Grade Date of Request: 11-28-01 Request Details: Inc. Castle Patrol # (from 15 to 25), Inc. City Patrol # (from 21 to 42), Inc. Patrol Size (from 2 to 3 officers), Inc. Standard Security Detail Size (from 4 to 6 officers), Inc. Suggested On Site Security for Upcoming Events (from 36 to 64 officers.) Reason for Request: Reasonable suspicion for persisting presence of F4-ALT scale threat. --- Decision: (Celestia, 11-28-01) Approved" Doc- Internal Memo, Celestia -> All, 11-28-01 " To: All Staff From: Celestia Subject: Security Changes "A number of changes in security will be taking place in the next few weeks as we approach the upcoming ball. The first of these shall be that all orders from any authority figure are to be relayed to myself and Luna for review and investigation. "Secondly, the number of patrols, patrolling officers, and officers on security details are going to increase. "Finally, any attempts to circumvent these policies, or authority in general, are going to be taken seriously, and shall not be without reprimand. "Thank you all for your time." Doc- Diary, Celestia, 11-28-01 "Poor Starswirl. He's kicking at the stall door and trying to get out. Here I was thinking he's a thirty year old stallion, but I guess they're all boys when it comes to their love. What's even cuter is he thinks I don't know. I'm surprised he hasn't noticed my sister talks in her sleep. "My sister's actions concern me, though. I know that it has been quite awhile since her and Starswirl have seen each other, but she's never before tried to directly undercut my authority. She's been quite distant since the battle. I should make it a point to talk to her sometime. The planning for the ball can wait." Doc- Personal Log, Han Landa, 11-28-01 "After seeing Celestia's memo, I have become concerned that someone may have been compromised. She would not address the undermining of authority unless someone has already attempted to do so. I doubt Celestia will be sharing any information, considering her opinion of me, but I will proceed nonetheless. "This has prompted the starting of my 'Personal Log'. By classifying it as a personal log, the information is considered both protected and private property. This should make it harder for anyone on the inside to gain possession of these logs as I attempt to find our mole. "Maybe unearthing this spy will finally get me the respect to leave this joke of a job. I'd like a real job, one that doesn't pay a dog's salary. A high-profile case like this is just what I need." Doc- Diary, Luna, 11-28-01 "It's getting worse. I see his face when I shut my eyes. I hear those words whenever there is silence. I have searched the library and tried a number of mind cleansing spells, all to no avail. "I won't bother Celestia. I don't need her help. If Discord wishes to challenge me, then I shall accept his challenge. I have bested his generals, I have defeated his armies, and now I shall finish the deed." ---