Chapter 2: Clouderis
In the snowy mountain ranges of Clouderis, a Space Marine Scout in blue and yellow scout armor slowly trotted through the snow. This Scout had orange fur and purple mane, tail, and eyes. She was also a pegasus, but her wings were smaller than they were supposed to be. On one of her shoulder pads sat a winged lightning bolt, the symbol of the Wonderbolts Chapter.
When Roboute Guillihorse had penned The Codex Eques Astartes, Commander Hurricane had split the Thunderbolts Legion into numerous Chapters. Hurricane’s First Captain, Firefly, had taken 1000 of the best flyers from the Legion and had formed the Wonderbolts Chapter. For nearly ten millennia, the Wonderbolts have remained loyal to both the Equestrian Imperium and the Empress.
The Wonderbolts valued the flight. Unfortunately, the Wonderbolt Scout, or Cadet, was incapable of that. When she had been recruited as a neophyte, Scootaloo had hoped that if she could become a Space Marine, her wings would grow. And yet, after the decade-long transformation, Scootaloo had been disappointed. Even now, at the age of twenty-three, Scootaloo’s wings were still smaller than those of other Pegasi.
Scootaloo held her boltgun up and checked her surroundings. She was shivering from the cold wind. It was hard to see anything in the thick snow, but Scootaloo had to keep her eyes open. Flyer or not, she was still a Space Marine for the Empress’s sake!
Suddenly, Scootaloo heard the crunching of snow from behind her. She turned around and saw a dark brown-skinned swine in make-shift armor. It had curved tusks and red eyes. It was a War Pig. As War Pig squealed its battle cry, Scootaloo pulled the trigger and fired a barrage of bolts into the War Pig. By the time Scootaloo was done with the War Pig, it had several large holes in its body and was drenched in its own blood.
Then two more War Pigs came from behind and started shooting at Scootaloo. Scootaloo leaped behind a mound of snow for cover. After waiting for the War Pigs to run out of bullets, Scootaloo came up from cover and started shooting at the two War Pigs. She made sure to aim for the heads. One single bolt round could decapitate a normal creature or remove a leg from its socket thanks to the explosive charges inside the bolt.
Scootaloo managed to hit both War Pigs, leaving behind two headless corpses. But more War Pigs kept coming. In the next wave there were three, then four, and then five. Scootaloo did her best to shoot down wave after wave of the monstrous pig skins. But they just kept coming. Her twin hearts beat faster and faster, and she started sweating profusely.
After shooting down one more War Pig, her boltgun ran out of ammo. Scootaloo frantically reached into her saddle bag to pull out a new ammo clip. Unfortunately, the clip fumbled right out of her hooves. She looked up to see the War Pigs right above her. Scootaloo’s ears drooped and her pupils became pinpricks. Then, she covered her head with her forelegs and awaited her impending doom.
As one War Pig was about to pull the trigger, a prismatic blur knocked it off of its feet and into the snow. The War Pig looked up to see a Space Marine clad in blue power armor. The Space Marine was equipped with a jump pack on its back, and it held a chainsword. In a split second, the Space Marine plunged its chainsword into the War Pig’s flesh and started shredding it to pieces. Then, the Space Marine turned around and pulled out a Plasma Pistol and fired prismatic plasma at two more War Pigs, disintegrating them.
Scootaloo quickly retrieved her ammo clip and reloaded her boltgun. Then, she fired at the last two remaining War Pigs. Then, she walked out from behind cover and looked at the Space Marine that had just saved her life. The Space Marine had a pair of cyan wings and a rainbow tail. Scootaloo knew this Astartes all too well.
The Space Marine removed her helmet to reveal cyan fur, magenta eyes, and a rainbow mane. The Pegasus mare looked at the orange mare and smiled.
“You okay, squirt?” the Space Marine asked.
“Yeah… thanks, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said with relief.
“Like I said, Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk, “I’ve got your back.”
Then the sound of six War Pigs came charging up the snowy hill. Rainbow Dash put her helmet back on and revved up her chainsword. Scootaloo aimed her boltgun at the incoming pig skins.
“You ready, Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash asked from inside her helmet.
Scootaloo smiled and nodded.
As the War Pigs charged toward the Space Marine and the Cadet, they… slid to a stop and froze? They then just, surprisingly, fell down.
Then, a loud disembodied voice called out, “Simulation terminated! Simulation terminated! Simulation terminated!”
The environment around Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo glitched before revealing that they were in a training facility. The “War Pigs” that Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had fought were revealed to be state-of-the-art ponidroid, which the Wonderbolts used for practice.
“Uh oh…” Rainbow Dash said as she realized that she and Scootaloo were now in a new kind of trouble.
Another Space Marine walked toward the pair, this one having light blue fur and a white mane. Rainbow Dash could tell that she was extremely unhappy.
“Sergeant Rainbow Dash!” Lieutenant Fleetfoot hollared. “You were supposed to stay back! This was your wingpony’s trial!”
Rainbow Dash removed her helmet and looked apologetically at her superior. “My apologies, Lieutenant. I--”
Rainbow Dash was cut off by Fleetfoot shoving her aside. The Lieutenant of the Fourth Company then glared at Scootaloo.
Rainbow Dash was a Sergeant in the Reserves Company. She normally didn’t get to see much action outside of training exercises. While she admittedly enjoyed battling the ponidroids every now and then, she wanted to fight real enemies of the Empress.
Like all fully-fledged Battle Ponies in the Chapter, Rainbow Dash was allowed to take a cadet under her wing. It was a tradition that the Wonderbolts admittedly picked up from the Black Destriers Chapter, where Battle Ponies had neophytes to fight alongside them. Out of all the cadets Rainbow Dash could have taken under her wing, she had chosen Scootaloo. Over the past couple of years, the two Pegasi had formed a sisterly bond in battle; Rainbow Dash had become like an elder sister to Scootaloo. While Rainbow Dash had been there for Scootaloo, others in the Chapter had not.
The Wonderbolts took pride in flight. Many in the Chapter, especially the other Cadets, considered Scootaloo a chink in the armor that was the Chapter. The Cadets were jealous that a “chicken” got chosen by Rainbow Dash of all ponies. While still a reservist, Rainbow Dash was recognized for her speed and her skills with a chainsword. The other Cadets also believed that Scootaloo just didn’t belong in the Chapter.
Fleetfoot stormed over to Scootaloo with fury in her eyes. “Cadet Scootaloo!” the Lieutenant all but shouted. “Your assignment was to defend your post on your own! You dropped your ammunition! And worst of all, you cowered down like a scared little filly! What do you have to say for yourself, Cadet?”
There was a brief moment of silence in the training facility. Scootaloo was still sweating and her ears were still drooping. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, who shook her head frantically as if to say, “For the love the Empress and Firefly do not say it, Squirt!” But Fleetfoot followed the Cadets' eyes to Rainbow Dash, who held her head still, darted her eyes from left to right, and smiled sheepishly to look innocent. The Lieutenant of the Fourth Company looked back at Scootaloo, who gulped before answering:
“I’m… I’m sorry, Lieutenant… I just… I just got scared.”
Rainbow Dash facehoofed at this. By the Throne, Scootaloo!
“You. Got. Scared?!!!” Fleetfoot shouted, causing Scootaloo to recoil. “You showed signs of fear?!”
Scootaloo could do nothing but stare into Fleetfoot’s furious eyes. It was like looking into the eyes of one of the War Pigs she had fought. What made Fleetfoot different was that one, she was not a hologram, and two, Scootaloo could not fight back. Fleetfoot backed Scootaloo up against the wall and was nearly muzzle to muzzle with her.
“We are the Empress’s Angels of Death, Cadet! We know no fear, for we are fear incarnate! At least that’s what we’re supposed to be! And do you think that the pigskins are going to feel sorry for you when you cower like that on the real battlefield?! No! You are going to die!”
Rainbow Dash felt sorry for Scootaloo. She wanted to intervene and stand up for her. But Rainbow Dash knew that Fleetfoot was a Lieutenant; she outranked her. Thankfully, somepony who outranked Fleetfoot came in and shouted:
“Lieutenant Fleetfoot!”
Everypony else in the facility looked to see a Space Marine captain. He was clad in the blue power armor of the Wonderbolts. In addition, his armor was decorated in purity seals, golden engravings of the Empress and the Chapter sigil, and his jump pack was equipped with an Iron Halo. The captain was a white pegasus stallion with green eyes and a navy blue mane. The captain glared daggers at his Lieutenant.
“That’s enough,” Captain Soarin scolded. “You’ve made your point.”
“Yes, Captain Soarin,” Fleetfoot said respectfully as she saluted to her superior.
Soarin softened his glare. “Have the servitors clean this mess up,” he said as he gestured to the broken ponidroids scattered on the floor. “Then prepare the next few cadets for their simulation.
“Yes sir,” Fleetfoot said as she exited the facility.
Soarin watched Fleetfoot exit before turning to Scootaloo. “Cadet, come here right now.”
Scootaloo nodded dutifully as she walked over to the Captain of the Fourth Company.
“Yes, Captain?”
“Lietenant Fleetfoot is right, Cadet. You can’t give into fear like you did,” Soarin spoke to Scootaloo in a firm tone, but not in a harsh one. “Yes, war is dangerous. But we must stand for the Empress and Her Equestrian Imperium. When you give into fear, you deny your full potential as an Astartes. Do you understand me, Cadet?”
“Yes, Captain,” Scootaloo nodded.
“Good. Return to your quarters and get some rest. You’ll retake the trial again tomorrow. Understood?”
Scootaloo saluted to the Captain. “Yes, Captain Soarin.”
Then, Scootaloo exited the facility, walking by Rainbow Dash as she did.
Rainbow Dash began to follow Scootaloo, but was stopped by Soarin calling out from behind. “As for you, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash froze mid-step. She smiled sheepishly as she turned around to face her superior. “Uh… am I in trouble?”
“That depends,” Soarin said as he walked closer to Rainbow Dash. “Were you the one who interfered with your wingpony’s trial?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘interfering’ per say, but--”
“Scootaloo needs to learn to fight her own battles, Rainbow Dash,” Soarin said sternly. “One day, she is going to be on the battlefield without you. She can’t rely on you to save her all the time.”
“Oh, really?” Rainbow Dash retorted, anger slowly rising in her voice. “Do you really believe that the Chapter is gonna give Scoots the chance to taste real battle?!”
Soarin glared daggers at Rainbow Dash, about ready to reach for his boltgun. “Mind your attitude, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash sighed upon realizing her outburst. “Sorry… I just… It’s not fair to Scootaloo, Captain Soarin,” Rainbow Dash apologized beforing sighing. Then, she tried a more respectful approach to her argument. “She… she shouldn’t have to be denied the glory of being a Wonderbolt.”
Soarin shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but all of our battle ponies must be able to fly. It has been that way since the Chapter was founded.”
“Not all Astartes can fly,” Rainbow Dash rebutted.
“Not all Astartes are Pegasi, let alone Wonderbolts,” Soarin said back.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t argue with that. Every Successor Chapter of the Thunderbolts Legion knew that Commander Hurricane had taken pride in flight during the days of the Great Crusade and Lunar Heresy. Before Empress Celestia had made him an alicorn, Commander Hurricane had been one of the fastest Pegasi in the galaxy. And he had never lost pride in that; Hurricane and his Thunderbolts had always been proud to fly. It was a tradition that had been carried down for ten millennia.
Rainbow Dash was proud to be a Wonderbolt as well as a talented flyer. She was aware that Scootaloo was practically the only Astartes in the Chapter that couldn’t fly. But she still considered Scootaloo a Battle Sister; Rainbow Dash did not want to give up on her.
“We… we can’t just…” Rainbow Dash struggled to find the right words. “Is there anything we can do?!”
Soarin sighed heavily. “I think we both know the only two options available, Rainbow Dash. Either we lobotimize her and make her a servitor--”
“No way!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “No way in Tartarus will I let you turn her into a mindless machine!”
“--Or!” Soarin continued impatient before regaining his composure. “Or we make her a Dreadnought.”
“Like you did with Bulk Biceps?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Space Marine Dreadnoughts were walking tanks, deadly war machines equipped with an impressive arsenal. They could crush and shatter the spine of an enemy by merely stepping on it. However, Dreadnoughts were not just war machines, but they were also living tombs. When a Space Marine is mortally wounded, and if they have achieved numerous feats in battle, they would be placed permanently into the body of a Dreadnought. Forever bound to become pony and machine.
Rainbow Dash shivered at the thought of Scootaloo being forever entombed inside a Dreadnought. She wanted Scootaloo to be more than just a weapon. For somepony so young, Rainbow Dash wanted Scootaloo to be alive.
“It would be a rare opportunity, Rainbow Dash,” Soarin said. “You know that such an honor only goes to those who have fought for far longer than she has.”
“With all due respect, Captain, no!” Rainbow Dash all but snapped at Soarin. “Scootaloo may not be able to fly, but she can still fight! That's why I chose her! She never lets her inability to fly slow her down! And aren’t the Wonderbolts also about loyalty? She may be a cadet, but she’s just as much a Battle Sister as we are Battle Brothers and Sisters! How are we being loyal to her now?!”
Before Rainbow Dash could rant anymore, Soarin took out his boltgun and aimed it directly at her. That shut her up instantly. One shot and she would be dead. And given how close the barrel of the gun was to her muzzle, she would not be able to evade the bolt in time.
“Are you going to calm down, Rainbow Dash? Or are we going to have a problem?”
Rainbow Dash was certain that Soarin was bluffing. Soarin valued the lives of all his Battle Siblings. But was a bolt to the head really worth it?
Rainbow Dash decided to not call Soarin’s bluff; she sighed heavily before saluting. “I will calm down, Captain.”
Soarin was glad that Rainbow hadn’t called his bluff. He wasn’t actually going to shoot Rainbow Dash; he had just gotten tired of her attitude.
“Rainbow Dash, listen,” Soarin said firmly as he reattached the Boltgun to his saddle belt. “Your tenacity to Scootaloo is admirable. But you must understand the Chapter has a tradition we have to maintain. Yes, Scootaloo is a very skilled fighter, but if she can’t fly, she can’t be considered a Wonderbolt.”
Soarin felt guilty for saying such things. He had taken a liking to Scootaloo, and he had to admit that she was a skilled fighter. But what good was a Wonderbolt if they couldn’t fly? Then again, Rainbow Dash was right. Scootaloo was just as much a Wonderbolt as they were. How would turning her into a machine or putting her in a tomb be considered loyalty? Would Firefly, Hurricane, or even the Empress Herself consider it such?
Soarin sighed heavily once more. “I will speak to Chapter Command about this. I’ll try to find some other way to keep Scootaloo in the chapter.”
Rainbow Dash smiled faintly at that. “Thank you, Captain.”
Soarin smiled back, before returning to his stoic, authoritative tone. “Now, return to the barracks, Sergeant. You are dismissed.”
“Yes, Captain,” Rainbow Dash said as she saluted. Then she turned and exited the training facility.
---
Clouderis was a planet filled with snow-covered mountains. The planet’s population was dominantly Pegasi, but there were often earth ponies and unicorns, as well as the occasional griffon every now and then. Most hive cities were built in the mountains, but there were a few hive cities that floated in the clouds. The arcane technology that had made this possible had been taken from a city back in ancient Eques Terran times. The city had been called Cloudsdale.
The Chariot sat above Clouderis’s orbit. From the hanger emerged a golden Thunderhawk, flying down to the surface below. It flew through the coldness of the atmosphere and the icy winds. Eventually, the Thunderhawk landed upon one of the landing platforms of the Wonderbolt’s Fortress-Monastery, which was built into a tall, large mountain.
Waiting on the landing platform were two full squads of Wonderbolt Space Marines. Unlike most of their battle siblings, however, these Wonderbolts wore white helmets. These Eques Astartes in particular were those of the First Company, the Veteran Company. They had fought for decades longer than the rest of their Battle Siblings in the Chapter.
The Veterans stood at attention, while their Chapter Master stood in front of them. She wore a Laurel crown and was decorated in purity seals and golden engravings. She was also equipped with a Jump Pack, which included an Iron Halo. The Chapter Master had golden-yellow fur and dark orange eyes. Her orange mane was swept back in the form of a mohawk. Chapter Master Spitfire watched as the Thunderhawk landed in front of her.
“Should we salute or should we kneel, Chapter Master?” one of the Veterans asked.
“Just stand at attention and keep quite, Fire Streak,” Spitfire replied without turning her head to look.
The exit ramp of the Thunderhawk opened, and out walked Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Captain Flash Sentry. Twilight walked towards Spitfire, with Flash Sentry walking and Spike hovering on her left and right side respectively.
Spitfire looked stoic, but she couldn’t believe that she was in the presence of an alicorn. Neither could the rest of the Wonderbolts present.
“Are you… Chapter Master Spitfire?” Twilight asked once she got within speaking distance.
“I am,” Spitfire answered simply.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, Codicier of the Celestial Guard Chapter. With me is my assistant, Spike, and Captain Flash Sentry of the Third Company.” Both Spike and Flash bowed in greetings.
“I see,” Spitfire said before examining Twilight’s armor. “I’ve never seen armor like yours before. I thought all Librarians wore dark blue armor.” Spitfire’s eyes went up to Twilight’s Element. “And what’s the Iron Halo for? In fact, what is that gem in it?”
“It’s the Element of Magic, Chapter Master. One of the Elements of Harmony.”
Spitfire gave a humorless chuckle. The Elements of Harmony were Relics of legend. Only the Empress Herself had used such trinkets long ago. They couldn’t be here now… could they?
The Chapte Master then sensed the seriousness coming from Librarian.
“Is… is this a joke?” Spitfire asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“Far from it,” Flash Sentry answered. “Librarian Twilight Sparkle has been chosen by Her Majesty--”
Twilight raised a hoof to silence the Captain. “I can speak for myself, Captain.” Then, Twilight looked back to Spitfire. “Perhaps we should talk inside.”
“Agreed,” Spitfire nodded. “Walk with me.”
Spitfire then turned and led Twilight, Flash Sentry, and Spike into the Fortress-Monastery.
---
Rainbow Dash walked through the halls of the barracks. She passed by numerous Cadets and Reservists, but she paid no attention to them. What she did pay attention to were the numbers on the walls. Each Space Marine had their own room in the barracks, in which they could meditate, store weapons and personal trophies, or pray alone to the Empress.
Rainbow Dash kept walking until she spotted a particular number: 3-06. This was Scootaloo’s room. The Wonderbolt reservist stood in front of the metal door and knocked on it without hesitation.
“Hey, Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash called. “It’s me, Rainbow Dash!”
“Come in,” Scootaloo said from inside. The metal door slid open to the left, revealing a dark bluish-gray room. Inside was a single bed, an armor rack, and a desk. The bed’s frame was carved out of concrete; after all, when a pony is a genetically-modified supersoldier, they can be pretty heavy! Thankfully the mattress and pillow were made out of clouds.
Rainbow Dash saw Scootaloo rolling a miniature scooter back and forth on her desk. Every now and then, Scootaloo would bring the toy up off the desk like it was jumping in mid-air.
Scootaloo had told Rainbow Dash about her fillyhood. On the planet Applon, Scootaloo had loved riding through the streets and the apple orchards on her scooter. She had made friends with an earth pony filly and a unicorn filly. The three fillies had been the best of friends to the point where they had even gotten their cutie marks together, a red, pink and purple shield. Each filly had received additional features on their cutie mark depending on the filly. Scootaloo had received a lightning bolt within a wing. Their cutie marks had shown that they had formed a friendship that not even the Empress could break. Or so they had thought.
One year later, Scootaloo had been recruited by the Chaplains of the Wonderbolts. It had been then that her life as a filly was over. She hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to her closest friends. When Rainbow Dash had heard this, she had been able to relate, for she too had been denied the chance to say goodbye to her loved ones. Namely, her parents.
Rainbow Dash watched Scootaloo glumly play with her toy.
“Shouldn’t you be resting, squirt?” Rainbow Dash asked with concern.
“I’m not tired,” Scootaloo murmured. “But thanks.”
“Okay then,” Rainbow Dash said.
The only noise in the room was the squeaking of the wheels from Scootaloo’s toy. Aside from that, there was awkward silence. But Rainbow Dash decided to break the silence by taking a deep breath and then speak.
“Hey, I’m sorry for interfering with your simulation.” Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head with an armored hoof. “I… I know that I was supposed to let you fight, but… I just couldn’t let you--”
“You did know that the ponidroids weren’t using live rounds, right?” Scootaloo asked as she looked up at Rainbow Dash, who widened her eyes and blushed.
“Oh…” Rainbow Dash awkwardly said. “They… they weren’t… Right.”
Scootaloo couldn’t help but smirk as she rolled her eyes. But then her frown soon returned. “It wasn’t your fault either way… It was mine.”
“Scootaloo, it’s okay to be scared. That whole “they shall know no fear” thing… that’s just propaganda!”
“I’m not talking about that, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo snapped as she slammed the toy down the desk, accidentally crushing it beneath her hoof. “Well, okay… maybe it is part of the reason… but… Ugh!” Scootaloo groaned as she slumped in her seat.
“Why couldn’t my wings have grown when I was a filly?!” the Cadet said as she threw her forelegs up into the air.
“Easy there, Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash said reassuringly. “Just calm down and--”
“Calm down? Calm down?!” Scootaloo snapped at Rainbow Dash as she got out of her seat and stomped right up to Rainbow Dash’s muzzle. “I waited over a decade for my wings to grow, Rainbow Dash! I had hoped that when I was cut open and had that gene-seed shoved into my body, that it would make my wings grow! But I don’t need to tell you how that went now, do I?!” Scootaloo took a moment to present one of her small wings to Rainbow Dash before continuing her rant.
“The rest of the Chapter is right, Rainbow Dash! What good am I as a Wonderbolt if I can’t fly?! You wanna know why they didn’t use live rounds on me?! Because they don’t care about me! They don’t want to push me to do the best I can like they do for you! I… I hoped that when I became an Astartes I could fly!”
Scootaloo panted, her twin hearts beating fast as if she had just run a marathon. Then, she slumped back into her seat. “But I guess hope is the first step on the road to disappointment…”
Rainbow Dash held a sad sympathetic look on her muzzle. “Hey, don’t talk like that, Scootaloo.” The Wonderbolt Reservist draped a wing over the Cadet. “Listen… I can only imagine what you’re going through right now. But like I told Captain Soarin, you are a dang good fighter. What you lack in wingpower, you make up for with perseverance. You don’t ever give up. When I saw that fighting spirit in you, I knew I had found my wing pony.”
“That’s why you chose me?” Scootaloo said as she looked at Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah… plus all the support you give me helps,” Rainbow Dash smirked. Scootaloo smirked as she rolled her eyes. “But seriously,” Rainbow Dash said, reverting back to a serious, supportive, and sisterly tone, “I’ll always have your back, Scootaloo. You may not be able to fly, but you’re still a Wonderbolt in my eyes.”
Scootaloo smiled warmly at Rainbow Dash. “Thanks, Rainbow.”
---
“So, let me get this straight: Nightmare Moon is coming back, and the Empress is calling only six ponies to stop her.”
Spitfire looked at Twilight Sparkle skeptically.
Twilight sighed. “I know it’s hard to believe, but the Empress said so Herself.”
Chapter Master Spitfire sat in her throne in the war room. She sighed heavily before answering the Librarian:
“And how do we know that what you are saying is true? How do we know that the Empress really spoke to you?”
Twilight Sparkle determinedly levitated out the box of the Elements. She then opened it up to reveal the five remaining elements, the red one shining brightly.
Spitfire turned to her right, looking to another Space Marine in armor as black as the night. Her helmet was that in the shape of a skull, and she had one pauldron that matched that of all the other Wonderbolts in the Chapter. To them, this Space Marine was their spiritual leader. She was a Space Marine Chaplain.
The Chaplain walked over to the Twilight and examined the box she held with her magic. The spiritual guide of the Wonderbolts Chapter examined the Elements as well as Twilight’s Iron Halo. After a brief moment, the Chaplain looked back up to her Chapter Master.
“It is as the Librarian says,” the Chaplain spoke. “These relics are the real Elements of Harmony, gifted by the Goddess-Empress of Ponykind.”
Spitfire nodded in understanding. “Thank you, Chaplain.”
The Chaplain turned to Twilight and bowed respectfully. Twilight, in turn, simply blushed. The Chaplain did know that she wasn’t a Prime Pony, right? Right?!
The Chaplain then returned to his Chapter Master’s side and allowed her to speak.
“Very well then, Twilight Sparkle. Our Chaplain has just confirmed that what you say is the truth. So that brings me to my important question: why have you come here?”
Twilight Sparkle lifted the red Element out of the box and showed it to Spitfire. “This Element in particular is the Element of Loyalty. I… I can’t explain how, but this Element directed me to this planet and your Chapter. I think that this Element has chosen it’s wielder, and he or she is here.”
“So it is one of us that you seek,” Spitfire summarized. “Well… I think I know who to call upon.” Spitfire got up from her throne and walked past Twilight. “Come with me.”
Twilight Sparkle followed Spitfire out of the war room.
The two walked through the fortress monastery for about ten minutes before coming to the Chapel. There, Spitfire and Twilight met a Veteran Space Marine in the training facility. He was currently in a simulation, slashing at fake War Pigs with his Power Sword. The Veteran sliced a War Pig’s head off with ease before turning around doing the same to another War Pig. The Veteran then hovered into the air and shot down five War Pigs with his bolt gun. Then, he spun his sword around and impaled one final War Pig without even looking behind.
Spitfire smiled proudly at the performance of the Veteran.
“He is one of the best Battle Ponies in the Chapter,” Spitfire said. “He has served the chapter for over 200 years.”
After killing the last War Pig, the Veteran sheathed his power sword. He then walked over to Spitfire and Twilight. He knelt before his Chapter Master.
“Chapter Master,” the Veteran said proudly before removing his white helmet. He revealed pale, light blue fur and a dark gray mane. He also had dark yellow eyes. “How may I serve?”
“Rise, Wind Rider,” Spitfire said in a rather casual tone as opposed to a commanding tone. Wind Rider smiled proudly as he rose. “Veteran Wind Rider, this is Librarian Twilight Sparkle of the Celestial Guard. She… apparently is on a mission for the Empress Herself.”
“Is that so?” Wind Rider said before giving a light chuckle. “What does the Empress need?”
Twilight spent the next few moments explaining the situation to Wind Rider. The Veteran Space Marine smiled proudly.
"I would be honored, Librarian, to do something great for the Empress! I am more than willing to join you in the name of the Empress, Hurricane, and Firefly! It... it would be glorious to destroy that accursed traitor!" Wind Rider bowed before Twilight. "I am at your service, Librarian."
“Like I said, and as you have just seen,” Spitfire said proudly, “Wind Rider would make an excellent recruit for your mission, Librarian.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes in skepticism. “I will admit that you are a skilled fighter, Wind Rider…” she said politely before taking out the red Element. She noticed that the Element was darker than before. “But I’m afraid it’s not you.”
“What?” Wind Rider said in surprise.
“It’s not my decision on who gets to face Nightmare Moon. The Elements choose them.”
Wind Rider gave a humorless chuckle. “Is… is this some kind of joke?” Then he looked at his Chapter Master. “Is this some kind of prank?”
Chapter Spitfire glared at Wind Rider. “I assure you that this is no joke, Wind Rider.” Then Spitfire moved her glare at Twilight Sparkle. “How you can not choose him?!”
“Like I said, it’s not me,” Twilight repeated. “The Elements are the ones who choose the wielder. Wind Rider, I’m sorry, but the Element of Loyalty does not find you worthy to wield it.”
“‘Worthy’?” Wind Rider said in an offended tone. “I’m not worthy to wield it?! I’m not worthy to face Nightmare Moon?!”
“That’s enough!” Spitfire said, feeling the growing tension in the air. “Wind Rider… I’m sorry. If it were me, I would have chosen you. But…” Spitfire sighed as she placed a hoof on Wind Rider’s shoulder. Then, she said the next seven words with great reluctance. “...It is the Will of the Empress.”
Wind Rider snorted. “Fine.” Then he flew out of the training facility.
Twilight Sparkle then received a glare from Spitfire. If looks could kill, Twilight would be dead ten times over.
“Is this some kind of a joke, cousin?!” Spitfire growled at Twilight.
“No,” Twilight answered bluntly. “This is not a joke, Chapter Master. Like you said, this is the Will of the Empress.”
Spitfire gritted her teeth. “If I have to hear or say that excuse one more time…!”
Twilight was taken aback by that. Then, she summoned magic to her horn, readying an attack spell. “I would choose my next words very carefully, Chapter Master. Yes, you may command a thousand Astartes, but the Empress rules the entire Equestrian Imperium. Her authority is higher than yours! And the Elements are part of Her Will! Therefore, the Elements decide who I recruit! Do I make myself clear, Chapter Master?”
Twilight’s hearts beat fast. She had never been that assertive with anypony before in her life! She felt like she had just talked down Shining Armor. And she couldn’t help but feel… proud. Then again, she was a faithful servant of the Empress, so why wouldn’t Twilight feel proud?
As for Spitfire, she gritted her teeth and glared daggers at the Librarian. She wanted to pull out her chainsword and slay the alicorn right then and there. But she knew she couldn’t do that. For one, she could easily teleport out of the way and shoot magic back at Spitfire. And second, she was under orders of the Empress. Why did Empress hate Spitfire so much? How much more of Her Will was going to be too much for Spitfire and the Wonderbolts to accept?! First the Wonderbolts had to put up with a Cadet who couldn’t fly, and now this?! What in all of Tarturus was next?!
Spitfire walked closer to Twilight, until she mere inches from the her muzzle. “Find your recruit… and then get the hay off my planet!” Spitfire said with venom in her tone.
---
That night, Twilight Sparkle levitated the red Element in front of herself as she continued to walk through the Fortress-Monastery. She still couldn’t believe that Spitfire had the gull to tell her what to do. Twilight snorted angrily as dismissed the thought and continued.
As she continued to walk down the hallways, the red Element began to glow brighter. Twilight smiled as she knew she was getting closer. Eventually, Twilight came to another training facility.
How many of these training facilities does this monastery have? Twilight thought to herself. She shrugged the question off before entering, noticing that the Element enveloped in her magic was glowing brighter.
When she entered the facility, she beheld Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo training.
“Okay, Squirt, let’s go over this maneuver again,” Rainbow Dash instructed. She was holding a boltgun in one forehoof and a combat knife in the other. “First, you need to use your boltgun to disarm your opponent. Get right up to the opponent and swipe its weapon away with your gun. Then, you slit your opponent’s throat with your knife! But you have to do that quickly before enemy can react.”
Rainbow Dash slowly demonstrated her directions so that Scootaloo could see. And Scootaloo nodded in understanding. Twilight Sparkle watched from the side. This pony’s maneuver felt a little unorthodox.
Twilight shook her head as she continued to watch the training.
Rainbow Dash demonstrated her maneuver on a ponidroid that was now disguised as a War Pig. The War Pig aimed its gun at Rainbow Dash, who knocked it away with her boltgun, and in a split second, slashed the War Pig’s throat with her combat knife.
Twilight was surprised. She had not expected that maneuver to actually work.
“That was awesome, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said.
Rainbow Dash smirked and gave a light chuckle. “Hehe… thanks, Scoots.”
“I’ll admit that was pretty impressive…” Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo looked to see Twilight walking towards them. “But that’s not written in the Codex Eques Astartes,” Twilight pointed out.
“Okay, two things,” Rainbow Dash said. “First of all, who the hay are you? And second, you actually read that book?”
Twilight felt deeply offended. “The Codex is no mere book to simply read! It’s the tome for all Eques Astartes to adhere to. It states how an entire chapter is to operate! It was written by Guillihorse himself!”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow every rule it says,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned. “And I still haven’t gotten your name yet. And since when did the Wonderbolts start getting Librarians?”
Twilight’s eye twitched at the latter question. Were there… were there seriously no Librarians in the Chapter? At all?!
Twilight took a deep breath before answering the Pegasus’s questions. “First, I’m not a Librarian for this Chapter. And my name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“The name’s Rainbow Dash,” the Reservist said proudly. “And this is my wingpony, Scootaloo.”
“W-Wingpony…?” Twilight asked. How many of Guillihorse’s rules does this Chapter violate?!
“Yeah, wingpony,” Scootaloo clarified. “So, what is a Librarian doing here?”
Twilight was about to explain, but then she thought for a moment. Should she tell them? Well, maybe. But first, she needed to be sure.
Twilight pulled out the red Element once more and levitated it in front of herself. It was shining brightly already. She had to be close.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo looked confused. What was this strange space marine doing?
Twilight levitated the Element in front of Scootaloo, and nothing happened. Then, Twilight levitated the Element in front of Rainbow Dash. Once Twilight did so, the Element glowed brighter than the sun, causing Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo to briefly look away. Then, as Twilight looked back at the Element and then at Rainbow Dash, she realized that she had found her first recruit.
Twilight spent the next ten minutes explaining to Rainbow Dash the situation about Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony, and Twilight’s mission. Once she had finished her explanation, Rainbow Dash remained silent.
“Pfffft, HAHAHAHAHAHAA! That’s a good one! Oh, that’s a very good one!” Rainbow Dash laughed to the point of tears. But then she stopped laughing as she beheld Twilight’s deadpanned expression. “Oh… you’re being serious…”
“Yes, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight confirmed with a nod. “You’re the first Battle Pony I am to recruit on this mission. You will come with me and help me search for the others.”
Rainbow Dash looked surprised. The she looked over at Scootaloo.
“I… I can’t.”
“What?”
“I said I can’t,” Rainbow Dash said as her expression darkened.
Scootaloo looked surprised. Was Rainbow Dash seriously doing what she feared she was doing right now?”
“You can’t say no to this, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight Sparkle said in an assertive tone. “It is a command from the Empress Herself! To defy such an order--”
“Is heresy, I know!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Listen… Twilight… Sprinkle, was it?”
“Sparkle!”
“Okay… Twilight Sparkle, I’m sorry, but I can’t leave!”
“And why not?!” Twilight snapped back. “What is so much more important than obeying the Empress?!”
“She doesn’t want to leave because of me…” Scootaloo said, stepping between the other two Battle Mares. “Rainbow Dash promised to train me.”
“And I’m not breaking that promise, Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash said in a calmer tone.
“But I don’t want you to commit heresy in the process, Rainbow!” Scootaloo pleaded. “Rainbow Dash, I will understand. You don’t have to defy the Empress for my sake.”
“But if I leave, who’s going to train you, Scootaloo?! None of the other Wonderbolts are willing to take you under their wing!”
Scootaloo sadly looked to the floor. “I’m well aware of that, Rainbow Dash… but I care about you just as you care about me. I don’t want you to betray the Empress just because I can’t fly…”
“You… can’t?” Twilight asked before looking at Scootaloo’s wings. Sure enough, they were too small to fly with.
Either of the three ponies could speak, a rumbling noise could be heard, and the facility shook like there was an earthquake. Then, the lights in the facility went out before coming back on in a red hue. Then, Spitfire’s voice sounded over the intercoms.
“Attention all battle ponies! We are under attack! This is not a drill! I repeat this is not a drill!”
Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. “You two get somewhere safe.”
“Excuse me?!” Rainbow Dash protested. “You can’t give me orders!”
“Listen to me! I don’t know what’s going on out there, but you’re safety is a priority!”
Before Rainbow Dash could retort, Twilight Sparkle teleported out of the training facility.
---
On the outside of the Fortress Monastery, Twilight reappeared before running into Spike and Flash Sentry.
“Twilight! Are you okay?” Spike asked with great concern.
“Don’t worry, I’m alright, Spike,” Twilight assured her number one assistant. Then, the Librarian turned to Flash Sentry. “Flash, what is going on?”
“The Fortress Monastery is under attack, Twilight,” Flash Sentry said with regret.
“Who’s attacking?” Twilight asked with concern.
“The worst enemy of ponykind, Twilight,” Flash said as looked out past the defensive walls. Flash Sentry and Twilight walked over to the edge to see waves upon waves of ponies clad in black and purple power armor. The yellow lenses of their helmets glowed in the night sky. They all looked vicious as they flew onwards toward the fortress. They looked like Astartes, and once they had been a long time ago. Before they had followed Nightmare Moon.
“Traitors.”