//------------------------------// // CHAPTER 11: The S.M.A.R.R.T. Contingency // Story: One Pony Death Punch // by Sol Nemesis //------------------------------// "Damn Celly, you killed him." "I did not kill him. Lord Macadamia is fine." *sip* Rocky groaned from his muzzle buried in the amphitheater dirt. The voices around him grew clearer and clearer as his mind awoke from being knocked unconscious. Is that what happened? Suddenly it all came back to him in a rapid flash of memory. "Hey fat flank. I didn't hear you say uncle" Rocky groaned again as he recalled how Celestia bucked him into oblivion. It hadn't occurred to him that Celestia was doing him a mercy by engaging him solely with magic. Alicorns also have the strength of ten earth ponies. NOTED. "Quite the display though. He'll fit in nicely. I personally have to commend his bravado. Few have the Moxy to insult thine royal hindquarters." Rocky heard Celestia *Humph* before sipping something, again. Bracing his forehooves on the dirt Rocky mustered enough strength to pull himself from the dirt, with a small *pop.* Shaking his head to clear his vision he glanced around. Celestia was not too far away using a slab of stone as a makeshift table. On it was a rather old looking kettle which she used to pour something hot and steamy into a ceramic cup. He noted how she was determined to avoid his gaze. Sitting across from her was a light grey unicorn with neatly styled cyan blue mane. He looked to be wearing some sort of formal attire. The other voice belonged to... A biped. A tall biped. Standing directly over him. "Need a hand?" It said outstretching his appendage. Rocky did not accept, not at first. "You...You're a... Terran?" The Terran shrugged. "Human. But close enough." Rocky accepted the strange appendage of a creature he thought to have been extinct, and wobbled onto all four hooves. "Sit down my lord we have much to discuss." The light grey unicorn motioned to a stool next to Celestia. Rocky approached wearily, now aware that Celestia was giving him the cold shoulder. Was it something I said. He thought to himself. He took his seat and was a little surprised when Celestia poured him a fresh cup of tea. The Terran, or Human as he introduced himself sat opposite of them next to the unicorn. His large frame sitting comically on a small stool that barely supported his weight. They sat in silence for a moment before the light grey unicorn cleared his throat. *Ahem* "I believe introductions are in order Princess." Celestia did not respond, having become very interested in her tea. The light grey unicorn rolled his eyes. The Human sighed. "Me thinks you have hurt the princess' feelings." He said rubbing his temple with his hands and giving him a look. Celestia lifted her cup and took a good long sip. Rocky looked from the Human, to the unicorn and then at the princess before he finally recognized what he had done. "Oh. Princess. My apologies. I do believe my competitiveness got the better of me." He bowed to the princess. "Please forgive me for my taunt. It was unbecoming of me." Princess Celestia set her teacup down with her magic. "Acceptance of your apology is pending." She said coolly, but smiled regardless. "Lord Macadamia, may I introduce my friends Soul Warden..." She gestured a hoof to the unicorn who gave a slight nod of his head. "...and the enigmatic Human known only as the Commander." Celestia said with dramatic flair for emphasis. The human rolled his eyes but raised his hand in a gesture of greeting. "They are the two lead members of S.M.A.R.R.T. Which stands for Special Magical Artifact Research and Recovery Team. They are my go to persons for locating, investigating, securing and researching dangerous magical artifacts which have become plentiful in the lands of Equestria (and beyond) since the founding. They also serve another purpose...which we will discuss later." Rocky frowned. So the duel was a test. "Princess Celestia." Rocky said careful to keep his voice steady and respectful. "The skills that I wield are not to be used for personal gain, or for the gains of a nation. It is to protect ponies from those who seek to do them harm." "Of course." Spoke the unicorn his voice professional and reassuring. "Make no mistake we are an organization DEDICATED to the preservation of pony life as well as the lives of our neighbors." His horn glowed and something warped into existence on top of the table. Princess Celestia launched herself back in horror and revulsion, shattering her teacup in the process. The Commander reacted similarly, leaping up and grabbing for something on his waist, what it was Rocky could not see, he was too focused on the look of fear on the Human's face. "WARD what the FUCK!? Put that thing away!" He bellowed with a voice that echoed through the amphitheater. Soul Warden shook his head. "We could waste time trying to convince Lord Macadamia of our plight or we can show him one of our most dire charges." "Sully....this is too much..." Princess Celestia's voice quaked with equal amounts wrath and sorrow. Soul Warden ignored her and turned towards Rocky. "Lord Macadamia. Rocky. What do you see here?" Rocky's attention turned to the...the thing that was sitting on the stone slab. It didn't have a shape per say as it kept morphing into an amalgamation of different unnatural shapes. From it he could hear whispers, and silent screaming. A sudden tightness gripped the heart of Rocky Road and he doubled over in pain. "What in Tartarus' is this?" Rocky asked horrified as he witnessed a thousand ponies hearts screaming in terror, sorrow and pain all at once. They were all wailing against his resonance gate, begging to let them in. Rocky held his ground. Somehow he knew that If he opened the gate now he would surely lose his mind. Soul Warden waved his horn over the abomination. It disappeared. "Some years after the banishment of Nightmare Moon. Some two-straws short of a haystack spell caster decided it would be a good idea to try and replicate the power of an Alicorn. So he did what seemed logical at the time. Experiment." Soul Warden put his hooves together. "He realized he couldn't do it by himself...so he started hiring...assistants." "He consumed their hearts and souls." The Commander added relaxing a bit now that the abomination was gone. "He used...whatever that thing is... as a conduit." Princess Celestia finally found her voice. "The Commander and Soul came across this artifact only a few years ago. From what I understand, it was a hard-fought battle to release some of the hearts...but the rest..." Rocky was finally recovering propping himself up on the table with his fore hooves. After a moment of waiting for Celestia to continue he asked: "...Why weren't the rest freed." Soul Warden and Celestia were silent. The Commander was the one who spoke. "Because the hearts are bound by so much dark magic, that if we were to unravel even one more. It would be the magical equivalent of a hydrogen bomb." He paused before elaborating. "It would blow away half of Equestria in a giant Thaumic Fireball." Rocky collapsed onto his stool as the reality of what he was told began to weigh on him. "You have to be pulling my leg..." Soul raised an eyebrow. "Would you like a closer look? I'm sure that with your abilities you could easily verify..." "NO!" The Commander, Princess Celestia and Rocky Road all yelled in unison. Soul Warden adjusted his necktie and picked up the cup of tea in-front of him, confident that his point had been made. He took a nice long sip before continuing. "Then as you can see. Our work, our mission is in the best interest of pony lives, if even ONE of these artifacts, or something of similar danger fell into the wrong hands. The results could be, apocalyptic." Rocky placed both hooves over his eyes, trying his hardest to find a justifiable reason NOT to fulfill his oath to protect and serve pony kind. "Speaking of Apocalyptic events..." "WAIT! There's more?!" Cried a distraught Rocky. Soul Ignored him. "S.M.A.R.R.T. also has one other purpose. To be frank, this is what we wish to use your skills for if, heaven forbid, such a situation demanded it." Soul Warden turned towards Celestia and nodded as if telling the princess to finish the explanation. Princess Celestia shifted uncomfortably on her hooves but sighed in resignation. Rocky felt something strong in the old ruler, sadness, shame and fear. "Princess what's wrong?" Rocky asked looking at Celestia then at the other two. Princess Celestia opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a few false starts looked pleadingly at her two friends for help. The Commander sighed, reached into a pocket in his strange vest and pulled out something long and brown. Rocky would later be able to identify it as a cigar, but now it just looked like a thick roll of brown leaves. He reached into another pocket and pulled out a strange silver contraption that had a lid which opened with a click. He ignited the cigar and took a few long drags, letting the smoke and scent of Tabaco linger around the stone slab. "Rocky. Our other purpose is to serve as an executioner. To put it bluntly, if it ever came down to it, our job..." The Commander pointed his cigar at Celestia who visibly flinched. "...is to kill her." There was a moment of stunned silence. "No." "My lord. Please." Celestia pleaded. "Absolutely NOT." Rocky stumbled backwards. Soul Warden and The Commander did not react, instead they simply stared at Rocky awaiting a final decision. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The great Master Sun Dew said so himself." Celestia stepped forward with eyes pleading for his acceptance. "DONT QUOTE SUN DEW TO ME MADAM! I KNEW HIS GRANDSON. I LIVED IT!" Rocky roared unable to contain his rage any longer. But backed up all the same. "Lord Macadamia. Please understand. When I lost my sister. When I banished her to the moon. I went mad with grief." Princess Celestia cornered Rocky against a wall as she approached tears in her eyes. "I went MAD! I lost myself! I did whatever I could to try and get my sister back! ALL I COULD!" Celestia realized that she was close to Rocky. Too Close for comfort but she did not care. She held Rocky's gaze and Rocky looked once more into those deep ancient eyes. He saw the spark of a ruler: Noble Motherly Nurturing Loving Tiredness Loneliness Hopelessness Despair Madness Evil Such great evil Celestia moved close to Rocky's ear. "You could say I was, two straws short of a haystack."