//------------------------------// // Meanwhile at home // Story: Night Patrol 2: Awakening // by Foxgear //------------------------------// Night Patrol 2-chapter 62 By Foxgear (2 days after Trifecta’s failed infiltration) “This is the place. Let’s bunk up here for now.” Topaz slicer ordered his and Shamrock’s teams to land on top of the butte below. The butte was about nine hundred feet tall, it’s four naturally formed sides, and flat top made it resemble a huge block. Locally called Bärenhütte in Germanian. Bear lodge in Equestrian. It was the rally point for the Northeastern recon teams apart of operation: Sneaky bastards. The top of the butte was completely barren naturally, but it’s not like they were planning to stay here long. That didn’t mean they were just going to stand out here in the open. Armed with their thick talons, the rinin dug into the stone as if it were dirt. First, making a hole about five to six feet deep and then drilling forty-five degrees down. From there, several chambers were made to act as tents. The unearthed stone was reused to hide the entrance, using a tarp, dirt, and skill. “Alright, everypony settle down for some rest until Trifecta’s team shows up!” Topaz ordered his wiry soldiers. He and Shamrock settled down in their own chamber. The orange commander looked over the copies of the stolen documents from Austopona, Prussia, and Don. Across from him, Shamrock attentively sipped a flask. Holding little interest in the fruits of their labor. “Don’t drink too much.” He warned the green rinin. “Ah, I’m fine. Can barely get buzzed with this amount. It’s just something to help me relax, is all. This sneaky sneak stuff is too stressful. Makes me tense up something fierce.” Shamrock adjusted his position in the cramped space. They didn’t even have room to lay out their bedrolls. So the green rinin decided to use his as a pillow. The hastily made cave fell into near silence, save for the soft noise of shuffling paper, soft snores, and the occasional yawn from the lookout. Hours passed uneventfully, yet the tension did not ease. “They should be here by now, right?” Shamrock asked nearly five hours later. Building their little fort might have been overkill, but that was because they expected Trifecta’s team to arrive three hours or so ago. The butte was closest to their location, a measly forty miles from the Capital of Germane. A two-hour gallop and only an hour’s flight. “Actually, shouldn’t they have beat us here?” Shamrock added, voicing the worries Topaz thought upon their arrival but kept silent. While the orange commander browsed the documents, he kept an ear on his com, listening for any messages from the triplet. Checking the time, Topaz double-checked the mission plan. “They have one more day. We’ll wait until their time frame expires before worrying.” Grumbling Shamrock settled down once more. He understood why they couldn’t rush in. Without proper communication, they could blow Trifecta’s cover and bungle the whole mission. “So, the other nations building anything interesting?” He asked Topaz, not really interested but wanting something to pass the time. Shamrock imagined he and the orange rinin didn’t have much in common. Ironic, since they had been in the Factory together. Those memories were better left where they lie, though. Flipping another page, Topaz clicked his tongue. “It’s all about the same. Different specks, but everypony seems to have tanks and iron airships now. The tanks are still in the early stages, but that’s no reason to disregard them. I’d say 3 to 1 they could win against an AT-44. Choppers aren’t as wildly used. Mostly civilian models with some weapons duck taped to them. Airships is where they sunk their budgets, though.” Topaz turned the blueprints over to give Shamrock a visual. The letters were in a different language, but the numbers were easy enough to understand. “That’s a big fucker,” Shamrock whistled. “Hard to believe they figured out how to make the thing fly.” “Yes, I think it’s more likely Germane is supplying their allies’ technology, but that’s not for certain until I see the Germane blueprints. Hopefully, Trifecta won’t be much longer.” Topaz stuffed the paper back into his pack and settled down against the rough stone. “Might as well try to sleep.” Things remained quiet. No chatter came over the gemcoms, no pony discovered their hiding spot, but that didn’t bring the two teams any ease. In fact, they were growing restless, being crammed into such small spaces. The stench of relieving themselves was increasing. Further adding to this discomfort. “Come on, come on,” Topaz mumbled, watching the time. There were only two hours left until the deadline. Plans for what to do next should a rescue be issued were already forming in his head. He’d send Shamrock back with the blueprints and have them return to home base. With his team, he’d scope out the situation. Having briefed every team on their mission, he had the infiltration route for every team memorized. The clock ticked away. One hour until the deadline, Topaz called the teams together to begin laying out the mission plan. When… “St aan-a d-all-temms-standby!” Every ponies’ gemcom crackled—the message filled with noise and static. Quickly, Topaz removed the cover of the entrance. After a brief look around to ensure there were no onlookers. He emerged from the hole for the first time in a day. Belly pressed against the butte's rocky surface while holding his gemcom antenna as high as he could. Another slightly less static filled message came through. “All teams operating on Europona, standby! Change rally coordinates to…” Pulling his notepad out, Topaz scribbled down the new coordinates. Upon seeing they were off the northern coast, he had suspicions about what was going on, and he didn’t like it. “Shamrock, hold the fort. I’m flying up for a better signal.” Without waiting for a reply, Topaz flew into the early morning sky. The sun barely peeking out over the horizon in the east. With little time, he landed on a small cloud, daftly attaching his signal booster. “That sounded like Fury. I’ll try a private channel.” Clicking his way through his hub, Topaz selected Fury’s channel, raising the red rinin. Going by the signal strength, Fury was on a ship right now. The ship's commination antenna caught his signal and transferred it directly to Fury. “Topaz?” Came Fury’s garbled voice. There was a bit of static, but that was a given considering the distance. They were lucky to be talking at all. “Yeah, it’s me.” He confirmed. “I just received your transmission. I need to know what the hell is going on right now and make it snappy!” Fury explained Trifecta’s team's situation, Rotter’s message, Trifecta’s doomed plan, and now Fury’s Hail Mary gamble. The whole thing made Topaz dig into his temple. It was a shit show. There was no way around it. Worse. He had no way to make it any better. “What’s your current position, Fury?” There was some background chatter. Most likely, he was consulting the navigator. “Three or four hours until you reach the rally point?” From what he could gather, the Clover would dock in international waters while Fury and his team moved to extract Jazz, tracking her through her gem com. The problem. Trifecta and VeeVee’s coms were still registered inside the capital. “Oh, sweet fucking Luna, he can’t even follow his own stupid fucking plan!” Topaz retorted with venom. He rarely got this angry, but here he was, utterly defeated by the bullheadedness of his own comrades. Taking a breath, the proclaimed sharpest mind of Night Patrol fell back on his cloud and used every fiber of brainpower to beat the odds. “Alright, you handle Jazz’s extraction. I’ll send our captured documents ahead and have a team on standby to keep watch for Trifecta. Yes. Yes, I know it’s risky. I’ll use the command override to find him. This is the best I can do in this situation; don’t ask me to polish a turd here!” The signal cut out completely. More than likely, the Clover entered a storm or fog the Northern Europona channel was famous for. Topaz put his equipment away with little choice and regrouped with his teams, bringing them up to speed. “Alright, Commander Shamrock and I will collect Commander Topaz and VeeVee. The rest of you will go to these coordinates with the intel. Don’t worry about rushing there. Keep on the down-low. Fly through the forest during the day or in the clouds if available. Let’s move out!” “You sure about it just being the two of us?” Shamrock asked as the others erased their presence. “A larger team will only hinder us. You and I are the fastest here. Plus, once we regroup with Trifecta and VeeVee, we’ll be at four. Having more at that point will slow us down. We might miss the ship and have to fly to Clydesdale.” Topaz took out his master control module. With this tool, he could force Trifecta’s Gemcom to turn on and send out a location beacon. “We’ll have to be a little closer to the capital for it to work.” The orange and green rinin took flight, their six team members flying north, while they went east, flying low above the treetops. When the city came into view, the two commanders settled down in a tree canopy. Their Moon Phase armor instantly blended with the leaves and branches. Producing a pair of binoculars, the two observed the city, finding it peaceful. And then the roof of the Kaiser’s palace exploded. “What the hell!” Topaz covered Shamrock’s mouth, clamping it shut, while he bit back his own reaction. Frantically he watched two streaks of light flying through the sky. One a pinkish purple, and the other golden orange, they were moving too fast for him to make out any details. Keeping still, Topaz watched as the two mysterious beings battled, blowing up several parts of the city before finally moving north. The bright streaks dimmed to two dots and then disappeared from view. He didn’t know if they were just too far away or if they dropped to the ground, but he wasn’t about to go chasing after them. “Get ready to move,” Topaz tapped his gemcom, sending out the master commander signal. After a brief pause, Trifecta’s gemcom pinged on his HUD. VeeVee’s didn’t appear, though. That was worrying. He swallowed his worries, hoping VeeVee’s com was simply damaged, and she was with Trifecta. Jazz was already well out of his range. “Trifecta’s… not that far, strangely.” The triplet was well outside the city, at the edge of his HUD’s mapping range. Only five, ten miles northeast of their current position. With Trifecta’s dot gradually moving further west. “He’s going awfully slow.” Shamrock pointed out. “He’s not flying, that’s for sure.” “Yeah, let’s go link up. The sooner we leave, the better. More importantly, I want to know what the hell is going on.” The two Commanders took flight once more. Moving swiftly, weaving over the treetops, and keeping low. The chaos would buy them time, but once the authorities got their heads on straight, the country would be locked down tighter than Tartarus. Which brought Topaz’s thoughts back to wondering why Trifecta was moving so slow. Yeah, keeping a low profile was important, but this was a little much. Speed and distance are what you wanted in this situation. Maybe he was leaving tracks to throw off pursuers, but that didn’t feel right. “There he is!” Shamrock alerted him. Diving below the trees. Topaz hastily followed after him. When he touched the earth, Topaz was at a loss. There were two ponies. One of them was Trifecta, and the other was one he’s never seen before. A peach blonde earth mare. VeeVee nowhere in sight. Vaguely, Topaz recalled something about Trifecta playing lover with a Germane noble from Fury’s rundown. It didn’t take him long to put the pieces together. “Son of a bitch…” Topaz fiercely tapped his gemcom. “VeeVee, come in… VEEVEE!” His burning gaze fell on Trifecta, hot plasma building in his mouth. “You… fucking idiot. Where’s VeeVee?” Most others would have gone meek at the usually reserved Topaz lashing out, but Trifecta did not back down through either audacity or solid steel backbone. “She promised she would be fine. I trust her to make it out.” Topaz Slicer bit back a symphony of curses. He wasn’t usually so easy to rile up, but everything just kept piling on top of each other. Only three things stopped him from smacking Trifecta to the ground for his idiocy. The first thing was the most logical, what little remained in him, their situation would not allow for such petty things. Two, blue lightning was arching around Trifecta, meaning he was prepared to turn into Triple Thunder over the mare. That was a fight Topaz knew he could not win at this time. And third and final, Shamrock was talking them both down. Topaz knew he was not in the right state of mind when Shamrock was the calm, rational one. “Oi, Oi, Oi! Lads! We gottis no time for this shite! So, here’s what we’re doin’. Tri and I will carry the mare, Topaz ye gonna be the rearguard. Noi let’s get goin’ ya?” Shamrock ordered with a heavy accent, keeping an eye over his shoulder. “Now I don’t know about ya two, but I gotta wife waiting for me, so I am not dying here, got it?” With a plan in motion, Trifecta and Shamrock carried Wiess with the harness in Shamrock’s saddlebag. Topaz keeping an eye on the rear as they made their way northwest towards the coast. While events were unfolding across the world, Luna, Duchess of Evernight, visited her niece and soon to be crowned Queen of Equestria, Cadence. As a show of solidary for their two nations once one, Evernight was displaying the Selene. The newest airship produced on the Equestrian continent. A joint venture of Equestrian and Evernight engineering, with some Nippon inspiration. Luna, pleased by the symbol of her nation's might, strolled its upper deck, greeting various ponies of influence. Briefly, she chatted with Fancy Pants, a long-term financer of Equestrian military projects, and an early sponsor of Night Patrol after their return. He also held dual citizenship between the two sister nations. Having permanent estates in both nations’ capitals. “I hope the Selene is to your liking Duchess Luna,” Fancy said proudly, his company Night and Dawn Heavy Engineering, laid the hull of the ship. For security and expediency, other companies supplied and built the armaments and engine components. But Fancy still held stock in a few of them. He was well versed in letting others take the reign of his ventures before moving to the next thing. “Well, I’m sure Sixes is happy. This was more of his project, really.” She laughed awkwardly. New technology was impressive, but when it came to engineering specifications, hull distribution, and everything else that came with commissioning a battleship. She let more knowledgeable ponies take the lead. All those numbers gave her a headache. “Or I should say it’s Platinum’s project. She was the chief designer.” Fancy nodded, “Yes, yes, a brilliant young lass that one. Shame, she couldn’t be here for the presentation. Now, this is a bit embarrassing for me to admit, but what is the classification of this ship again?” Luna let out a low “Ahh,” Stalling as she racked her brain for the ship's technical classification. It wasn’t a pure battleship, but it was like the Nightmare, but improved. “It’s a CVU-B,” Cadence interjected with a pleasant smile. “According to my husband, means Uber Battle Carrier or something of the like. Like the name suggests, it’s a ship that takes the Nightmare's versatility and times by ten. The four Gem Engines have been upgraded with two Duel Mega Gem propulsion systems, heavier armaments, and even more cargo space for troops and vehicles.” As Cadence continued on about the ship's specs, Luna stepped away from the conversation with a little smirk. Hidden behind Cadence’s back was a sizeable notebook that no doubt contained every bit of knowledge she was spouting right now. (Well, who said you need to know everything?) Luna mused, moving to a more secluded part of the ship. Even if this was a presentation of the vessel. It was still a military secret. So, a lot of the facilities were sealed off to guests. Any posted information, such as how fast it could go or how thick the armor was, was blemished. Naturally, the Selene was built under all current treaty restrictions. Now alone, Luna took a moment to catch her breath, feeling tired. It’s been a long day and night. Upon her arrival, Luna took advantage of her position to have a nice long private meeting with her niece. They discussed little of actual importance regarding state matters. Speaking much more casually as family. Their talk primarily revolved around potential baby names. Since Cadence was expecting. The mother to be was subdued in her excitement. The baby was still wasn’t due for some time. Cadence barely showing any visual signs of pregnancy yet. For as excited as Cadence was in private, her worry far exceeded her joy. Suddenly her Aunts’ decision to stave off kids made much more sense to her now. There had been an awkward exchange as Luna cradled her crying niece. Assuring her everything was going to be okay. That was last night, and the morning hadn’t been much better. Luna could see through Cadence’s brave face, the fake public smile, and her casual replies to the gossip ponies that wanted fluff articles on the incoming Queen’s new baby, then discuss the literal war raging across the sea. Looking out over the railing of the Selene, Luna mindlessly played with one of her stars in the sky. Moving Nico Vega like a laser pen. Apparently, a lot of her stars had names now. One of Night Patrols' funding efforts was giving out deeds for constellations for a price. Allowing ponies to own a piece of the sky. The star Nico Vega was purchased by Gadget/Starwind. The inventor buying it to honor the rinin that tried to save his daughter and disappeared with her. There was also a star called Dusk as well. She’d have to make sure to put it back later. Luna couldn’t really describe her mood right now. But bummed might be close. Her husband was off on an adventure while she was here. It didn’t really feel fair. Not that she didn’t enjoy spending time with Cadence. That was certainly not the case. But their girl chat hadn’t been as light-hearted as she had hoped. In fact, it was heavy in a lot of ways. The young expecting mother was in the middle of a power exchange while a war was ragging, with other nations demanding action. Of course, Cadence would be stressed. It gave Luna some insight as to why Celestia was taking her time from officially retiring. Perhaps Celestia’s true intentions for the peace talks was to ease Cadence’s burdens. Though it was a long shot gambit at this point. Luna found it ironic that while Shining Armor was to be King. Everypony went to the Queen, perhaps out of habit from having a matriarchal figure for over a thousand years. “I wonder how ponies view Shining Armor. I would hope more favorably than Prince Blueblood.” Yes, Blueblood, the ‘nephew’ she forgot about. From her own perspective, Luna couldn’t really name a single thing she liked or hated about the Prince. She wasn’t even sure what he actually did, and probably the majority feel the same. “I guess I can give him more credit than that. He does go to charities, balls, and social functions. He’s just there, I guess, is the best way to put it.” Putting Blueblood back in the furthest reaches of her mind. Luna wondered what sort of adventure Sixes and Essex were having. “I’m awfully hung up on this.” She sourly admitted to the stars. “I wouldn’t have minded spending time with my sister in law. It’s been a while since I had one of those.” Even though Sixes and Essex were slowly becoming siblings once more, the same could not be said about her and Essex. Her sister-in-law remained professionally distant, even after five years. “There’s time.” She told herself. It was strange having friends that could live long lives again. If Kira was the apex of what a Rinin could achieve lifespan wise. A thousand years was not out of the question. That is if no pony got themselves killed. “I’m always bringing down the mood with that kind of talk… and I’m talking to myself again. Gods, I get lonely so easily.” Luna leaned against the railing in a very undignified manner. “I suppose I should head back to the party.” “Lady Luna!” A distressed voice called out. Earning her full attention. It was one of the ship hoofs of the Selene. The sailor gave a quick salute, then sallied up close to her, whispering in her ear like a lover. “There is a matter that needs your attention, my Lady. Please come to the communications room.” She followed the young sailor with a silent nod to what she hoped wasn’t a pass at her. It was weird that things like that happened from time to time. Not that such a thing has happened since her return or after her marriage to Sixes. Before because ponies were still scared of her, and no pony was going to take a pass at Celestia’s sister in this modern age, and after her marriage, she couldn’t imagine any pony wanting to face Sixes. They declassified a lot of his missions from his more… brutal days. Really, who wanted to chance being hung by their nuts via hook? Thankfully this was a serious matter. As the communications room was packed with ponies doing their jobs. On the other side of the coin, it meant something happened, and it probably wasn’t news the peace talks were a success. “What is the situation,” Luna demanded, stepping into the role of commander. She found this much more comfortable than the party. A pony brought her attention to a large transparent green world map, with dozens of yellow triangles positioned worldwide. This map showed every Equestrian, Evernight, and Nippon ship through the power of magic and science. Another fantastic feature was every ship had this map, and should any ship find an enemy ship, it would be marked with a red triangle for as long as it was on the radar. Luna, for her part, could not pick out any problems, but that was her ignorance. There were no red marks, signaling a battle had not broken out, but something had to be wrong. She wished somepony would come out and say it, but none were. As her eyes scanned the map, something caught her eye. A single lone triangle on the northern edge of Europona. Dangerously close to international airspace and waters. “What is that ship?” She asked, pointing right at it. “CL-44: Clover the Clever. It suddenly broke off from its taskforce, resupplied at Base Prime, and began a course toward the Northern Europona Sea. It has maintained radio silence this entire time. We’ve tried contacting Headquarters but lack proper clearance.” That was essentially coded for; a higher rank pony was blocking them. Nothing too unusual. Any Commander could conduct a mission at their behest without interjection from her. Besides, Sixes, McGather, and herself, no pony outranked a Commander. (That might be a bit of an oversight.) Luna kept that to herself, but she could see the problem. One of their own ships was sitting off a hotspot while a peace conference was underway. This wasn’t something she could overlook without a second glance. That said, “When did the Clover being moving to its current position?” “Roughly, a day or maybe a day and a half ago?” A pony answered meekly. “We inquired what was happening, when it was halfway across the sea, but were denied. We assumed some operation was underway but monitored the situation. A storm blocked the signal, and when it reappeared, the ship was traveling along the coast already.” “Put me through to Headquarters,” Luna ordered evenly. Not very happy at the moment. “A private line if you would.” No matter the situation. You don’t yell at your officers in front of the soldiers. She was allowed access to an officer’s room to the side, with a gemcom line to Headquarters. By some method, she didn’t know, whoever was in charge at the castle would know she was calling. What she didn’t expect was for Gloves to pick up. “Lady Luna, good evening.” “Am I talking to the pony in command right now, Vice Commander Gloves?” She asked flatly. “Yes, I am acting Commander, right now.” “Really? And where is Fury? He should have returned by now.” “He’s on another mission. Something came up that needed his attention...” Gloves trailed off, clearly searching for the word to say. He considered just spouting the cover story, but this was Luna he was talking to. The bit stopped here, so to speak. “How can I be of service, ma’am?” “I want the details, from beginning to end. What is going on? I’m on a secure line, in a locked room, and nothing is classified from my eyes and ears. This is an order, Vice Commander Gloves. “This is the situation as I understand it.” Gloves began what has been by now, third hoof information. It was like watching a snowball roll down a mountain for Luna, growing more and more, until it was ridiculous in size to the point of being unbelievable. “Okay… Let me get this straight. Trifecta flubbed his mission and has hooked up with a Germane mare, and somehow, his team became Germane military personal and is now attempting to slip away during the ceasefire. Fury realizing a critical flaw in Trifecta’s plan, went with a team and Zecora’s sister to retrieve them. Zecora’s sister, Shaka, and Zecora herself are ghost Zebras descended from Shadow Specter. And all of this is happening, right now, while I’m here, and Sixes is in Clydesdale, and Celestia is in Freiberger, do I have this straight, Gloves?” “That is the sum of what is happening to my knowledge, yes.” Luna took a very, very, very deep breath, and oh so slowly let it out through her nose. She was so angry and confused she wasn’t even sure what she should be mad about. Everything, everything about this entire situation was the right answer. “Gloves… no pony… and I mean no pony. Does anything! Without running it by me first from now on! I’ll call you back.” Luna turned off the transmission, walked over to the bunk in the office, grabbed the pillow, and proceeded to scream into it for all she was worth! “AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Once her lungs and throat were burning, the ruler of the night gathered herself and started using her frayed brain cells for something more productive. Like Trifecta, Fury, and Topaz, Luna tried and tried to think of some way, some miracle that brings the situation to a perfect conclusion. One that didn’t restart the war or drag her country into the conflict and got everypony home alive. Being a pony over two thousand years old, with centuries of life, military, and political experience. She immediately concluded achieving all those goals was impossible. So, she looked inside herself and thought of what was most important and most achievable. She couldn’t make the peace talks go any smoother. There was neither time nor were they going smoothly anyway if the news was to be believed. So, stopping the war wasn’t in the cards. Being dragged into the war wasn’t for sure going to happen, but it was very much a possibility, and she needed to accept it. So, what was left? What was the one goal she could achieve? That she cared most about? Saving her ponies, of course. With fire in her eyes, Luna returned to the commination room, her gaze directed at the global map. The positions of her fleets and their composition. “Radio Operator!” “Yes, ma’am!” “Send orders to CA: Rockhoof and Whinnyapolis, have them join DD group 4 comprised of Cobbler, Cider, and Honey and form a Taskforce under BB Canterlot and CV Symphony. Taskforce 444: Operation Homecoming. All ships standby at stated coordinates and ensure the safe return of our comrades boarding the Clover. Engage any enemies labeled hostile by the Clover and escort our friends’ home!” A loud collective, “Yes, ma’am!” Came over the speakers from each ship's Captains—the seven vessels making a beeline for Prance's northwest corner. “Lady Luna, what shall we do?” Admiral McGather’s inquired, saddling up beside her. The two officers left the bustling room to speak privately. “A good question. Is the Selene ready for operations?” The Admiral gave a wish wash reply, “Eh, in a pinch. We’ve yet to undergo our six-month sea or air trial voyage. You know, test out the kinks, drill the crew for operations. Everypony here is trained and ready, but they haven’t had the time to mesh as a unit.” “I see. A ship is only as good as the crew. We’ll cut the demonstration short. Tomorrow once the supplies are loaded, The Selene will embark on its training mission. I can’t promise you a full six months, but get the crew whipped into shape as soon as you can.” “Aye, ma’am, it will be done! I’ll go make the arrangements. We might even be able to restock by morning.” The Admiral saluted and hurried off to fulfill her request. Leaving Luna to stoop and contemplate her next course of action. She’s done all she could do without flying to Europona herself, and she was tempted too, but it wouldn’t do any good. There was little her presence would achieve other than antagonize the other nations. Not that her task force wouldn’t do that, but world leaders tended to overact when she or Celestia got involved in matters. So, all Luna could do was wish for the success of her ponies’ mission and safety. That said, it was ideal to prepare for the worst. The first thing she needed to do was get back home and assume proper command. Warning Cadence of the coming danger was also on the list and… “What…” Luna stumbled against the railing, reeling from a sudden bout of dizziness. While trying to regain her balance, Luna felt something rise in her throat. Feeling the vile urge that would wound her public dignity, she glided down to the lower railing, promptly disposing of her last meal down the misty abyss of Canterlot Mountain. “Ugh… by the gods… what did I eat to deserve this?” Righting herself, Luna produced a handkerchief to clean up. “I’m not usually one for littering…” With no trash can in sight and unwilling to carry the defiled cloth, Luna reluctantly let it float off the side of the ship, towards the base of the mountain. “Dear Great Earth Mother Gaia… please don’t be cross with me, sorry.” Clapping her hoofs in prayer for the long-gone ancient Alicorn, Luna proceeded back towards the party to find Cadence. Along the way, the sky rumbled. She paused and looked across the clear night sky. Spotting a rapidly forming storm system in the distance. “I don’t remember any storms being scheduled for tonight. Not that I’ve kept up with the Canterlot weather plan. I suppose that is fairly far away.” The system was forming an entire region over. Well outside of Canterlot’s province borders. “Still, that’s a very unusual system.” Luna was no weather expert, but lightning wasn’t usually colored red. She did recall there was something called a Sprite. Some weather phenomena involving high astrosphere electrical discharge. She paid the strange weather little mind, resuming her quest, but her own curiosity got the better of her, and Luna found herself gazing at the lightning once more. “Why are they making it so big?” The black cloud was rising upwards as if trying to reach the sky. Red lightning flashed, and thunder shook the air. The storm growing in power. Much more than the pegasus of this era could produce. This made her frown. “Where is that?” Flashing her horn, Luna projected a map of Equestria. Even if she didn’t consciously remember every town, this spell laid everything visually. Calculating the perceived distance from her to the storm, she made a line straight to it on the map. “That’s… what’s happening?” Now Luna couldn’t be a hundred percent confident with her rough and dirty math and the abundance of other matters that needed her attention, combined with stress. There was bound to be a mistake in her calculations. Yet, if she was right, the storm was brewing right over the gates of Tartarus. That was a bad omen. Hurrying to the upper decks. Luna spotted one of the crewmates and called him over. The unease in her stomach continued to build as cold sweat dripped down her body. Suddenly she fell against the railing, the crewmate froze, taken by surprise, before running to her. “Lady Luna! Are you all right?” The pony’s shout carried, and soon more ponies were gathering. The combined chatter made Luna flinch, as her vision blurred and darkened. The last coherent thing she heard was the cries of “MEDIC! MEDIC!” And then she blacked out. “What’s wrong with her?” Cadence, still in her ball gown, asked the Doctor of the Selene. Laying on the bed before Cadence was her beloved Aunt, who was found passed out on one of the ship's lower decks. Only the chance passing of a maintenance pony allowed the alicorn to be swiftly brought to Selene’s infirmary. The Doctor of the Selene, Cyan Cross, stood puzzled on the other side of the bed. Watching the monitoring equipment with a hawk’s eye gaze. “I’m sorry, Queen Cadenza, I haven’t the slightest idea. There is nothing wrong physically with the Duchess. At least nothing that should have made her collapse like she did. I can’t even make assumptions without knowing what she was experiencing before hoof.” Cadence placed her hoof on Luna’s forehead; it was dreadfully hot. “She’s warm. Are you sure she doesn’t have a fever?” “That’s not her body heat,” The Doctor asserted. “It’s her magic. That’s why I said nothing is physically wrong with her, but for some reason, her magic is warming her body.” “Okay… but why?” “Tests will have to be run. Unfortunately, I will not be able to do them here. I would prefer to transfer her back to Evernight, so Doctor Blue Cross can examine her, but I fear transporting her in her present condition. Placing her in the palace’s royal wing maybe a better alternative. As you are her only available relative, assuming Lord Sixes cannot be contacted.” Both Cadence and the Doctor looked to the pony standing guard, who shook his head. They couldn’t get a hold of Sixes. “And with her sister also unavailable, you are her closest next of kin, with legal authority.” Cadence blinked, never expecting to be in this situation. “What do you recommend, Doctor Cyan? Can she not stay here?” “She can, but I worry, the ship’s medical bay will not be equipped to deal with any unforeseen complications. We are set up to deal with first aid and minor surgeries, such as leg amputation and reconnecting blood vessels.” “Okay… we’ll move Aunt Luna to the royal wing of the castle. I’ll contact Aunt Celestia’s personal physician to see if anything like this happened before to Celestia. Send for Blue Cross as well. She’s Luna’s primary physician. If any pony can help her, it’s her.” “It will be done.” The Doctor bowed. “Also,” Added Cadence, looking longingly at her Aunt. “Don’t let the citizens see her like this. Not a word to any pony that doesn’t need to know.” “Of course, my Queen.” To not be in the way, Cadence excused herself from the room. She should return to the party, it was rude to leave the guests out there without a proper host, but that seemed insignificant right now. Actually, it was. There were much more pressing matters. Fancy Pants would probably step up if asked. “He will step up.” Calling over a sailor, Cadence gave him instructions to tell Fancy Pants that a matter has come up, so he must play host. “Don’t leave anything to chance, not anymore,” Cadence mumbled as she wandered off alone. If there was one thing she didn’t want to be known for, it was not taking every precaution possible. That is what both her aunts taught her. As well as her own experience. The fact she knew, the future was like a Goblin’s and goelette’s campaign, where a bad dice roll could end everything. The Queen of Love would not let a single detail be her undoing. Which is why she stood where Luna had collapsed. It was almost like a murder scene, with forensics ponies combing the place. Magically scanning the area for toxins and that like. “Queen Cadence, it’s not safe here.” A pony in full hazmat gear warned her. “I have a barrier,” She informed the pony. Off to the side, she spotted a pony huddled against the wall, clearly shaken up, “Is that him?” “Yes,” The Hazmat Pony informed her. “Thank you,” She walked over to the huddled pony, a young sailor, clearly shaken by the experience of seeing an all-powerful Alicorn collapsing. “Can we talk?” Cadence asserted gently. The pony looked at her with hollow eyes of guilt. “Oh… my Queen… I’m… sorry…” He attempted to rise, bow and salute all at the same time, nearly falling over himself. “That’s alright,” Cadence assured him, softly sitting him again. He put up little resistance. If any. “What’s your name?” “Wind Breaker,” Wind Breaker was a pegasus, very stout, blue in color with a purple mane in a crew cut. If not for his fragile mental state, she would have thought a pony bigger then her husband sitting fetal on the floor humorous. (Maybe he’s one of those gentle giants, which makes me wonder why he joined the military.) “Wind Breaker, what happened when Luna collapsed?” “The Princess… Duchess was calling me over. It was dark, so I couldn’t tell if she was in pain or not, but I saw her falter, and then she fell. I… there was nothing I could do, so I called for help. I was so… useless, maybe if I’d run, instead of walked, perhaps I could have…” Cadence gently massaged the young recruit’s shoulder, “Now, now, she’s not dead. Sometimes the best thing to do is get help and then get out of the way. Now was there anything else, any lights, smells, noises that came off as strange?” “Nothing comes to mind. I passed by earlier. The Duchess was looking out over the deck, far off into the distance.” “Which way?” Wind Breaker pointed southeast. At first, Cadence assumed it was Evernight Castle, but it was a few degrees off. With all the light pollution, it was hard to make out anything past a few miles. “Turn off all the lights. I want this place exactly as it was before.” The lower deck darkened once more. Steadily Cadence’s vision adapted to the darkness, allowing her to make out the sky much better. The sky was mostly clear, safe for one black spot far away in the distance. It looked like a storm. “Leave nothing to chance…” Cadence mumbled, raising her head high, she barked, “I want a team to investigate that location, immediately!” Maybe she was paranoid, perhaps it was nothing, perhaps she was wasting her time. She didn’t care. They can call her crazy, but she wasn’t going to let fate or whatever rule her life. “I want a full report when you get back, even if you think it’s nothing! I want every detail!” Cadence barked like a general. Grimsville, ten miles from Tartarus “What’s going on?” The Captain of the unit asked while running out of his quarters. Everypony, his soldiers, and the townsfolk stood in the streets. Staring at the sky. Not receiving an answer, he to looked up and gasped at the raging storm above. Red lightning began to rain down, yet ponies didn’t run. They couldn’t. A fear so great had taken them that the lightning seemed of little consequence. From the sky came creatures that had not defiled Equestrian skies since before the founding of the nation. “Gargoyles.” As soon as the word left the Captain’s lips, five ponies were snatched into the sky, their screams trailing off into the night, followed by raining blood. “Everypony! To cover!” He ordered, but a thunderous stomp shook the earth, and all the houses collapsed. From the forest, in the direction of the Gates of Tartarus, came a creature of immense size. A towering creature surpassed the trees, with two oxen like horns, teeth as thick as logs, and hide ghoulish gray like decaying skin. It’s tail, long as a basilisk, flung trees further than a cannon shot. He knew the creature. Not from any personal knowledge, but because of the jail roster that every Captain of Grimsville had. The list of jailed monsters. The creature lumbering towards him was sentenced before the time of Celestia and Luna. The Behemoth. It had no other name, no specific species. It was believed to be the first earth titan ever created. Walking devastation was how the book summed up this creature. “Cerberus… where’s Cerberus?” He called. A swarm of creatures he’s only ever seen in books engulfed the town, leaving nothing but red stains and gore. By some strange fate, he was spared for now. Perhaps he was supposed to witness the end of the world? A triple growl brought some light to the Captain’s heart, but it was a dim one once he laid eyes on the three-headed dog. Cerberus was in bad shape. The left head was blind, its eyes gouged out, the center was missing its tongue, his mouth a bloody mess, and the right was missing its ears. The snake tail hissed, warning of more enemies. Hell’s guard dog spun, revealing further injuries, slash marks, stab wounds, and gashes. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, the poor hound was fighting on two legs. Somehow maintaining his balance. Cerberus claws bit and killed like a savage beast, and had clearly killed dozens, if not hundreds of creatures that were escaping. But for all the beast’s power, for all its valor and loyalty, it was only one against countless enemies. “Cerberus…” The Captain watched helplessly as monsters dogpiled the dog, going for the kill. “It’s not your time yet!” With no thought of his own life, the Unicorn Captain, whose name would never be etched into the wall of heroes for his deeds. As there were none to see them. Charged with everything he could muster, and teleported the guard dog as far as he could manage, not even wasting magic to save himself. Magic exhaustion instantly set in, and the Captain lay helpless on the ground, surrounded by starving monsters who now had to settle for a much smaller prize. “For Equestria… you bastards.” Were his last words before he was set upon.