//------------------------------// // Decisions // Story: The Infestation of Equiss Prime // by Jest //------------------------------// (This update thanks to your donations. More info on that here.) Twilight sighed and tapped her desk idly as she stared out the window for what felt like the thousandth time. Another letter from Cadance sat on her desk, and another half-written response sat next to it. The alicorn was urging them to meet once more, and spoke about the possibility of Twilight coming out to the frontier, in order to assist the elder mare in her charity work. Though Twilight was intrigued by the idea, and had grown interested in seeing what was going on out there, it was also undeniably dangerous. The zerg had never been spotted near Cadance’s position, yet the sheer fact that they were in the area made Twilight reconsider her former foalsitter’s idea. The possibility of having her body controlled by some other entity was only slightly less unpleasant than being forced to turn against Celestia. A possibility which was unfortunately very real, considering how the conversation she had with those strange half-ponies and mother had gone. Shaking her head, Twilight dismissed all such thoughts, and tried to focus back on her letter, only for her attention to dwindle quickly. Would Cadance even recognize me anymore? Twilight wondered, painfully aware of how pronounced her changes had become since she had last seen her. Would she still accept me if she knew what I was? Twilight thought, the mare staring down at her hoof, only to shake her head and force the thought away. Cadance is kind, smart, empathetic, and understanding. She would know that this wasn't my choice, and that I am not one of those monsters. Right? Twilight sighed and planted her face into the center of her desk, her mind at war with itself over what to do, and what to say. Placing her quill aside, Twilight determined that she would deal with the letter later, maybe after she talked to Celestia about it and had gained some perspective. The unicorn doubted that such perspective would change anything though, as she wanted to spend time studying and perfecting her magic as well as her psionic abilities. Though even still, she couldn't help but admit that seeing Cadance would be nice right about now. Especially after all this time had passed, and what had happened between the alicorn and Shining Armor. Twilight’s hoof reached out to the book of riddles and for a moment she considered opening it, only to push her chair back, grinning as she did so. She just remembered that her horn had fully healed and her magic had likely completely returned by now, meaning she could finally check out some of the spells Celestia had placed on her private domicile. Lighting her horn, Twilight looked around the room, taking in the lavish space while looking for a good spot to start. Her gaze stopped over the window, which looked normal at first, but considerably less so after Twilight reached out and touched it with her magic. Strands of fine gold sprung into existence, repelling Twilight’s magic, though not forcefully, the strands only visible for a second or two before vanishing. Her smile grew, and Twilight repeated the motion a few times, before getting a handle on how the strands on her window connected with the spells placed on the rest of the apartment. Rubbing her hooves together, Twilight grinned and looked around, wondering where to start. “Oh this is going to be fun,” she declared. A few minutes later and Twilight was lying on her back in the middle of the kitchen floor, her legs flopped out in all directions, an awestruck expression on her face. “How is that even possible? How does she even layer magic that efficiently?” she muttered. Truly the alicorn was a master of the school, having layered her home in so many wards and enchantments that the castle around it would fall before it would. Was it paranoia that made her do it, or perhaps to the alicorn this was all merely a practice in order to hone her skills and challenge herself? Either way, Twilight was fairly certain that if she spent the rest of her life studying only enchantment spells, she still wouldn't be half as good as Celestia was currently. The sound of hooves outside the apartment made Twilight lurch back up into a standing position, her gaze settling on the door as her body tensed slightly. Logically, she knew that such precautions were wasted as no one could enter the apartment without Celestia’s permission, but that didn't stop her from worrying anyway. She would not be caught unaware again… The large wooden portal opened to reveal a haggard-looking Spike, who stumbled into the entrance before draping himself over the backside of a nearby chair. Behind him strode a tall, confident Silver Bulwark who wore the armor Celestia had given her, a wolfish grin on her helmeted face. Twilight mentally reprimanded herself for not simply using her new psionic abilities to figure out who was behind the door before trotting over to Spike and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you alright? What happened?” she asked hastily. “This little munchkin thought he had come far enough to challenge me,” Silver Bulwark declared with a smirk. “Needless to say he wasn't up for the task.” “How... can you... run... in armor?” Spike asked between deep, heaving breaths. A quick mental probe revealed that the dragon had indeed challenged his trainer to a race and had summarily been beaten by a fully armed and armored Silver Bulwark. “I told you she was tough, Spike,” Twilight pointed out. “Augh, I know, but still. She was in full armor!” Spike exclaimed, while gesturing to the mare in question. Who chuckled as she wiped off her hooves and kicked the door shut behind her. “Oh, and before I forget, there was a package for ya, Twi,” Silver Bulwark announced, before reaching into her saddle bag and producing a large brown package. “Did it say who it was from?” Twilight asked as she tentatively reached for the package. Silver Bulwark smirked. “Just look at it and you tell me.” Curious by Bull’s choice of words, Twilight ignored her son who was now sprawled out on the floor, and focused on the mysterious arrival. Only for all such mystery to vanish the second she saw the note taped to the top of the package. To Bombgirl, from your better, was written across the top. Only one being had ever called her Bombgirl before, just as there had only ever been one person whom would even know the context for such a reference in the first place. Already knowing what was inside the package, Twilight tore through its exterior with glee, her magic shredding the paper packaging in a millisecond. Sure enough, her assumption was correct, and in her hooves was a carefully folded pile of black leather with the occasional piece of bronze sticking out here or there. “Wuzzat?” Silver Bulwark asked, glancing at the pile curiously. “Someone send you some new digs?” “New digs? Really? You are as bad as Celestia,” muttered Twilight, who shook her head. “No, this is from an old friend, who made me a replacement for the coat I lost to that assassin.” “Really now? Seems mighty heavy to just be a coat.” Silver Bulwark pointed out before trotting over to Spike and roughly hefting him to his feet. “Come on, big guy, let's get you to the shower so you don't stain the floor with your greasy sweat.” “H-hey, I can get there myself,” whined Spike. “Alright then,” Silver Bulwark replied, releasing the dragon and letting him fall right back to the floor. “On second thought,” he muttered, “why don't you toss me in the bathroom first?” Silver Bulwark chuckled and offered him another jab at his expense, but Twilight had stopped paying attention to the pair, as she had realized just how truly heavy her new coat was. It felt like she had a suit of half plate in her hooves, rather than a leather coat, and she was intrigued to find out why it was so heavy and felt so bulky. Tucking the bundle under one leg, Twilight trotted hastily into her room, and locked the door. Pulling out a floor length mirror, the unicorn quickly got to work donning her new coat, becoming more and more excited as time went on. The first thing she realized was that the coat was thick, very thick, with plates sewn into the leather at crucial points. The thickness was obviously intended to hide the fact that it was armored, but there was also a good amount of insulation in there as well. As she put the coat on, it didn't clink, or make a sound either, on top of fitting the infested mare like a glove despite the fact that one foreleg was larger than the other. It was obvious that her griffon friend had put a lot of effort into the piece of clothing, and she marveled that it had taken him such a short time to make it. Sewing plates into leather armor was also seen as wasteful or stupid by conventional wisdom, and yet he had done it anyway. Was this one of the griffonian secret techniques that the old bird had mentioned before? Twilight didn't know, but she was certain that it would be effective, otherwise he wouldn't have included it. “Wow, I look good,” Twilight muttered as she shifted this way and that in front of the mirror. The thick black leather outfit made her appear even larger and more imposing than she already did, and Twilight was certain she was even more intimidating than ever. Thick lapels, a large collar, and a row of bronze buttons down the front completed the look quite well, mixing perfectly with the overall militaristic appearance of the piece of clothing. Combined with her heavy boots and broad shoulders, Twilight was fairly certain that if she cut her mane, no one would even know that she was a mare. The pony’s gaze fixated for a moment on her cheek and neck, her gaze drawn to the lines of glowing yellow that emerged from beneath her flesh. It had been a while since they had appeared, but Twilight still found herself unnerved by the sight. Her eyes made her look even more alien and unnerving, her figure and unique features sure to scare more than a few ponies. If she ever let anypony see them anyway. Forcing down those negative feelings, Twilight put away the mirror and trotted back out into the main area. Having sensed that Spike had already finished his shower and was now lying face down on a couch. Following his presence, Twilight trotted into the sitting room and plopped down next to the dragon. “So, how'd it go?” she asked. The dragon lay there with his face pressed against the couch for a few seconds before sighing and turning to the side. “Fantastic,” he muttered bitterly. Twilight shook her head and ran a hoof gently down the dragon’s spines. “I’m sure you will do better next time.” “Augh, remind me never to bug you after your done training with Celestia,” Spike murmured. The unicorn chuckled, silently glad that the dragon had received a less than subtle kick to the ego, as his teasing had been getting annoying. “Did you learn something at least?” Spike nodded and rolled onto his side fully, allowing him to look at Twilight. “I did, and nice coat by the way. I’m assuming the old bird came through?” “He did indeed. It's even got plates inside of it, as well as a thick layer of insulation.” Twilight explained with a grin, extending a leg. “Here, feel it.” Spike tapped the coat in a few places and nodded. “That is so cool. When can I get something like that?” “You are a dragon, Spike, you don't need armor,” Twilight replied, while tapping his scales. “I do,” replied Spike, who smirked. “Think of the cool factor, mom. We would be all matching and stuff.” Twilight tapped her chin as she thought about it, her mind conjuring an image of a similarly coated Spike standing by her side. “I think ponies would start thinking we were in the navy then,” she remarked after a brief pause. “Ha, true. So, did you come up with any way to help Silver Bulwark out? She's tough, but she's still just a pony, you know,” Spike asked before sitting up next to the unicorn. “First, where is she anyway?” Twilight asked, her psionic powers telling her the unicorn had disappeared from the immediate vicinity. “She went to go grab some grub, mentioned something about forgetting to eat this morning,” answered Spike. Twilight nodded, and reached into her pocket dimension and produced the parasite she had created not long ago. “This is the pitiful fruit of my labor.” Spike shuddered at the sight of the creature, and pushed her hoof away. “Is that a parasite or something? Why would you make that?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I didn't intentionally make it. I was trying to create something which could serve as a guard dog. Something that would help us, or at least guard our base while we were gone.” “And that's what came out?” Spike replied, slightly dumbfounded. “And that's what came out,” Twilight answered grimly. “Gross,” Spike muttered, the dragon shifting away slightly. “What use would that be?” “It would make whomever it infects into one of us, I’m fairly certain,” Twilight began, the pony rolling the hibernating parasite around in her hoof. “Meaning we could communicate across great distances, and I could heal them like we tested the other day.” Spike relaxed slightly. “I mean, I guess. But who would sign up for something like that? Unless you are thinking of-” “No,” Twilight interrupted. “I know what you are thinking and I will not infect someone without their consent. And to answer your next question, I was considering asking Silver Bulwark about it, but I decided I’ll wait until something comes up.” The dragon relaxed even more, breathing a sigh of relief as Twilight put the parasite back into her pocket dimension. “That's probably for the best. I think she would be kinda freaked out if she knew about that thing.” “Yeah…” Twilight muttered, while looking down. “Still, it could be useful.” Spike snorted. “So have you decided-” Twilight held up a hoof, silencing the dragon. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered. Spike leaned over the side of the couch and glanced over at the door, waiting patiently for whomever was coming to arrive. When the door opened, it revealed a frowning Silver Bulwark who slammed it shut behind her before snorting irritably. “Stupid stick-headed morons,” she muttered. Twilight snickered, as did Spike. “That wasn't long,” Spike pointed out. Silver Bulwark nodded. “They were being total asses about getting food from the cafeteria, so I grabbed a muffin and some coffee from Joe’s instead.” “Well, we got plenty here. I’m fairly certain Celestia wouldn't mind sharing,” Twilight offered, gesturing to the fridge door. The elder mare looked the fridge up and down before snorting and shaking her head. “I don't want none of whatever feed you two eat to get so big. I rather enjoy fitting into all my clothes, thank you very much.” Twilight glared briefly at her bodyguard before falling back into her chair and hiding a snicker. Spike laughed as well, the dragon watching as Silver Bulwark trotted across the room and into the chair across from them. Spike slapped his knees. “Did you see Celestia while you were out and about? She said she was going to take it easy today.” “Ha! Good luck with that,” Silver Bulwark declared with a laugh. “That girl can do anything other than slow down, but yeah I saw her. She said she should be back in a little bit.” “Well, that's good,” Twilight muttered, the unicorn relaxing visibly. “She has been run ragged recently, and I worry she’s not getting as much sleep as she should.” “That reminds me when I was younger, there was a rumour that alicorns didn't need to sleep,” Silver Bulwark remarked offhandedly, the still-armored pony wiggling into a more comfortable spot on her chair. “I read about that,” Twilight replied, while tapping her chin. “I heard there was a whole cult that thought that alicorns were truly immortal and required no sustenance at all.” “Like food and water right?” Spike added. “Or air, or anything,” Twilight responded. “Weird,” muttered the dragon. “Yeah, that was a weird time,” remarked Silver Bulwark, only to laugh suddenly. “Though it's got nothing on the times we live in nowadays, eh?” “You are telling me,” muttered Twilight. “So,” Silver Bulwark declared, the armored pony plunking her helmet down on a nearby end table as she did so. “What are we doing for winter break?” “We?” Twilight asked, the mare’s right eyebrow raising slightly. “Well yeah. I’m going to be sticking with you through the whole thing, remember?” Silver Bulwark reminded. Spike nodded. “Well, I’m hoping to get more training in. Regardless of what we do, or where we go.” “To answer your question, Bull, I’m not totally sure what we are going to do, to be honest.” Twilight began, leaning back in her seat. “It should be no problem for you to train Spike more, no matter where we go.” “Where we go?” Silver Bulwark asked, perking up slightly. “You are thinking of getting out of the city then?” Twilight hummed thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. I would like to stay and do more studying and training, but it would be nice to see Cadance again. Especially considering all that's happened, and all that will happen soon enough.” “It might be the last peaceful time we get for a while,” Spike added sadly. “Yeah…” Twilight muttered, while hanging her head. “It would be nice to see her, but with all of that coming, it would be irresponsible to spend it being unproductive.” Silver Bulwark scoffed. “You are a kid! You are supposed to be irresponsible.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m the princess’ personal student. I do not do irresponsible.” The elder unicorn raised an eyebrow at that. “You mean like pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion over a test Celestia said would not impact your grade?” The infested mare grumbled and crossed her forehooves over her chest. “That’s different.” “How so?” asked Spike with a smirk. “It was with the goal of being responsible,” Twilight declared, only to deflate slightly, her shoulders sagging. “Alright, so that was a little irresponsible of me, so what?” “Well, I’m not trying to nag ya ‘bout it, I’m just sayin’ that maybe you should consider going to see her is all,” Silver Bulwark offered. “You are allowed to be irresponsible sometimes, you know. We all are. Heck, even Princess Celestia does something irresponsible on occasion.” Twilight opened her mouth to retort, only for a solitary raised eyebrow to silence her response before it could even leave the unicorn’s lips. “Fine. You got me there,” Twilight admitted. “So we’re going to go see Cadance then?” Spike asked hopefully. “If we can get permission and figure out accommodations and whatnot,” Twilight reluctantly admitted. “But I don't like it. The only safe place left is by the princess’ side.” Silver Bulwark scoffed. “But you got me now! Wherever you go is officially a safe place. Provided you don't take off without me or something.” “She is pretty awesome,” added Spike with a smile. “See? Even Scales over here knows it,” Silver Bulwark remarked while exchanging a hoof-fist bump with Spike. Twilight groaned. “Well, I still don't like it. There are too many moving pieces around here and I don't want to leave Celestia by herself.” Silver Bulwark nodded, and pushed her way out of her seat, coming to rest next to Twilight, her weight making the couch sag slightly. “Twilight, I’m going to be honest with ya. Celestia can handle herself, and whatever she's planning is going to go down next spring or so. Which means you got like half a year left to just be a kid.” Twilight sighed and stared down at the floor, unbothered by the other mare’s hoof being draped over her shoulder. “I suppose. Cadance always did feel like a sister to me,” Twilight admitted. “And when you are out there, you can teach Cadance to help defend herself,” Spike chimed in. “You can also tell her all about the dangers she might not know about.” He grinned and spread his arms. “See? It wouldn't be a waste of time after all.” “Plus if I remember correctly, she's helping out the frontier right now, so I bet you could learn a lot from them confederate folk while you are out there,” Silver Bulwark added with a smile. Twilight shook her head. “Fine. But I’m going to go on the record and say this sounds like a bad idea and that I liked you better when you kept your accent in check.” Silver Bulwark blinked and seemed confused for a second before laughing loudly. “Well I’ll be. I guess it has been coming out a bit more recently. Must be the more relaxed atmosphere gettin’ to me.” Spike seemed confused as well, the dragon cocking his head slightly. “Is that why you say ‘eh’ all the time?” “You go it,” replied Silver Bulwark. “Everypony back home in Vanhoover talked like I do. Some ponies worse than others. Why, there was this one old guy who worked at the bakery who even I couldn't understand. He said ‘eh’ so much he didn't make a lick of sense.” Spike snickered. “That would be pretty funny to hear, eh Twilight?” Twilight wasn't paying attention though, as she had turned towards the entrance, her ears standing up straight. Spike was the first to react to this sudden change, the dragon leaning to the side and glancing towards the entrance as well, while Silver Bulwark laid a hoof on her helmet. What little tension that had built disappeared the second the door opened, and Princess Celestia trotted into the apartment, a tired frown on her face. Upon seeing the three faces peering at her from around the bend, that frown became a smile, and Celestia strode into the sitting room. “I hope you all had a better day than I,” announced the alicorn and sat down on her favorite oversized chair. The old wood squeaked under the weight of the ancient pony, and Twilight swore she saw a small puff of dust come from the aged and cracked cushion, though Celestia didn't seem to notice or mind. “It wasn't too bad,” Twilight replied, before turning to Spike. “Isn't that right?” The dragon nodded. “I learned a bunch, got my scales kicked and had a shower. So, all and all, not bad.” Silver Bulwark smirked. “I didn't learn nuthin’, got to kick some dragon butt, and get denied some grub down at the mess. Can't complain though.” Celestia frowned and tapped the arm of her chair idly. “It’s that irritating blight, Bright Star, isn't it?” Silver Bulwark shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “It might have been, but I wouldn't worry about it. I’ll just make sure to bring something from home going forward.” The alicorn sighed, and sunk into her chair. “If it's not one thing, it's another around here. I can't wait until I have the time and resources to cleanse this castle down to its core.” She straightened her back and breathed in before clopping her forehooves together suddenly. “No matter. Now then, who wants pizza?” “Again?” Twilight asked. Spike raised a hand. “I do!” “A pizza does sound good right about now,” admitted Silver Bulwark. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I want extra anchovies on mine.” “Good, because I already assumed as much,” Celestia announced with a knowing smile. “It should be here in about twenty minutes.” “Heck yeah,” shouted Spike, pumping a fist in the air. Twilight sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. “So, Celestia. We were talking about what we were going to do for winter break and Bull here has talked me into seeing Cadance again. Could that be arranged?” The alicorn’s eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. “You bet. In fact, I have a supply caravan going out there the day your break starts. You can hitch a ride with them.” “That's… convenient,” Twilight muttered, only to turn and glare at the alicorn. “You planned this, didn't you?” Celestia put on her best innocent expression. “I don't know what you are talking about. I guess you're just lucky like that.” The young unicorn sighed. “I should have known. I bet you were the one who put that idea in Cadance’s head in the first place, weren’t you?” “I may have mentioned how nice it would be to see you again,” admitted Celestia. “Though I wonder what your parents would think about you missing Hearth's Warming.” “I wouldn't miss it completely. I could probably get back on at least Hearth's Warming Eve. Right?” Twilight asked hesitantly. “That could be arranged,” remarked Celestia slyly. Spike blinked, and looked back and forth from the alicorn to the unicorn. “So, that's it? Were going then?” The alicorn nodded slowly. “You will be joining a military transport and will be going to a military outpost. You won’t need to worry about security, especially with your own guard watching your back.” Silver Bulwark grinned and banged a hoof against her plated chestpiece. “You can bet on it, Princess!” “I expect I’ll still need some form of permission slip then?” Twilight asked. “Unfortunately yes. Your parents must be notified of your location, though I’m fairly certain they will let you go,” answered Celestia. “Well, alright then. Sounds like a plan,” Spike announced with a smile. “That's great news, Princess,” added Silver Bulwark. Celestia nodded slowly. “Now if you two wouldn't mind, I was hoping to speak to my student in private for a minute.” Spike and Silver Bulwark exchanged a glance before shrugging in unison. “Sounds good to me,” remarked Spike. “Ditto. You want us to wait in the kitchen, Princess?” Silver Bulwark asked. “If you wouldn't mind,” replied Celestia. “What is this about, Princess?” inquired Twilight. “I will tell you in a moment, but suffice it to say it's not something serious. Yet, anyway,” replied Celestia with the usual level of crypticness. Spike and Silver Bulwark hastily stood up and left the room, with the dragon giving his mother an inquisitive look before departing. Twilight shook her head, dismissing Spike’s curious thoughts. “So, what was it you wanted to say?” Celestia summoned her magic to shut the door, as well as turn both of the locks and cause the room to briefly glow a soft gold color. “It has to do with what is coming,” she began, the alicorn choosing her words carefully and slowly. “Things are… advancing, and though I cannot tell you anything right now, I promise that upon your return from break, I will tell you everything.” Twilight grinned. “Really? That's amazing. I’ve always wondered what you were keeping from me.” Celestia sighed, the alicorn suddenly seeming much older than she had been a second ago. “Yes, and for that you have my deepest apologies. I always meant to tell you but only when the time was right and not for a couple of years.” Twilight’s enthusiasm faded and she quickly settled back into her chair once she realized the full weight behind Celestia’s words. “What changed?” Twilight asked, shuffling a little closer to the alicorn. “So much has changed.” Celestia replied while looking off into the distance. “I struggle to imagine how we are going to get out of this.” “Is it really that bad?” Twilight inquired. Celestia shook her head. “You will discover that fact for yourself soon enough. For now, be warned that the knowledge I will give you will weigh heavily on your heart and I fear that what little peace you have known will be lost.” The younger mare stood up suddenly and wrapped her forehooves around Celestia’s shoulders. “I know you wouldn't do this unless it was necessary. I trust you,” whispered Twilight. The alicorn smiled faintly as she hugged the younger mare back. “I fear that you won’t after I tell you all which I have kept secret.” Twilight squeezed a little harder, nuzzling the alicorn’s cheek slightly. “And I know you wouldn't keep such a secret from me unless it was in my best interest. Whatever comes, we will be ready, and we will face it together.” Celestia chuckled bitterly as she gently pushed the younger mare back slightly. “You truly are wise beyond your years, Twilight Sparkle.” “That's only because I have a great teacher,” Twilight replied. The alicorn laughed, a sad grim laugh. “If only that were true, then perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess to start with.” Twilight shook her head and reached forward, wiping away the tears Celestia hadn't noticed she was shedding. “We are strong, resourceful, and above all adaptable. We will get through this,” declared the mare. Celestia smiled faintly and sniffed. “If only I had your courage, my pupil.” “You do. You are just too exhausted to find it,” replied the younger mare. Again, the alicorn laughed, this time with genuine humour. “Alright alright. Let's cut this pity party short. I think the pizza is just about here.” “You got breadsticks too, right?”