Luster Dawn…
A simple description, all things considered. Straightforward in trying to convey an idea, but still somewhat vague enough to be interpreted in a different light. For the likes of the nobility and royalty, it was something of apprehension, rumors of something unexpected, something unforeseen. For the inner circle of Twilight, her friends, family, and mentors of the like, it was a subject to be greatly abhorred.
And since the first whispers were heard, and since the first rumors cemented themselves into the inner conscience of these creatures of power, they too would soon face the same dilemma and apprehension that every one of humanity’s creations had since faced. What do you do at the dawn of meeting your apparent creator?
Would it be in denial, or something else?
All of the nobles were apprehensive today, but like everyone else in attendance on this monumental day, a one-of-a-kind day, the day when the first shift of royal powers in over a millennium, was not about to be placed in a sour and foul mood over a simple rumor. From far and wide did the greater world of Equus come in attendance to Canterlot for this very day, be it out of simple respect or even curiosity, giving their respect to the pony who would soon become Equestria’s new ruler, Twilight Sparkle. It was a great day… all things considered.
The Trains from the Dragon lands, Saddle Arabia, and plenty more were arriving on time, the common pony and nobility did not care about their stature today, for Twilight had brought them all for a simple, yet equally as important reason. Her coronation was met with little opposition, especially coming from other nations like the Minotaur or Griffons, who were hardly affected by Equestria’s far-reaching influence but still benefitted in some capacity. Even some far of Reindeers showed up to the coronation. Not only that, but even some other far-dimensional friends like Sunset Shimmer had sent a letter to Twilight to congratulate her.
All was well…. that is, except for four ponies in attendance. Formosa Box, Fine Print, Turncoat, and Hard Flick. These four ponies were about to wait in tense apprehension, not at all relieved by the great occasion about to behold. They were going to wait for a specific person, or for their context now, a specific griffon. Their boss had come to take part in this… monumental moment.
...
“So, this is where we part ways?” Write hesitantly asked Formosa as she get off the express.
“It seems so,” Formosa replied, “but we’ll meet back here eventually, I’m sure you can handle yourself. Plus, Winger will take good care of you, so hop at it while I still got some things to deal with right now.”
“Oh… ok, well thanks for the ride again!” she thanked him until she suddenly realized that Winger had already left, she tried to catch up, but it was unclear if she managed to reach him.
That aside, the trains were busy today, a good day for businesses, their trip from Ponyville was relatively short, with plenty more trains inbound from Las Pegasus and Manehatten arriving soon after. Hatt, who was in charge of the railway while the coronation took place, was already hard at work organizing timetables and schedules for coming trains and some outbound.
Formosa greeted the guest that arrived using his services. He did spot Turncoat in the crowd but knew their discussion would have to be saved for later, while Turncoat made a dash to where he assumed the safe house to be.
But despite that, Formosa never found their special guest of a griffon, so we waited and greeted more and more that came by. Flick and Print were both still in Canterlot, so it was likely that they were still in the safe house. He and Turncoat might just have to go the extra lengths to find Hector, something he wasn’t too keen on even doing, let alone forging a plan for.
The coronation proper was about to begin, and it was blatantly obvious despite the large commotion that made it hard to draw anything specific. With all the guests waiting in anticipation for the ceremony and all the formalities to finally begin. The event itself was grand in all regards, and the plans for after the ceremony were nothing short of phenomenal!
An iconic scene was about to take hold but neither Write nor Winger were able to take in the scene as they were, although suddenly in Write’s opinion, pulled aside by one of the Night Guards of Luna, who silently escorted them into the inside of the castle, after all, with Winger being the inspector and Write just so happening to be with him as a journalist, some ponies just have to keep up a good act to fit in. And these two would prove to have one of the best spots as the whole ordeal was about to unfold.
From their perspective, everything would seem to be going smoothly, but they knew better, varying in the knowledge of what is about to happen, with Winger being fully informed whilst Write could only murmur about the rumor. After that, they simply had to wait for the ceremony to finish up and then proceed to work on the next half of this whole thing. With Write doing the traditional journalistic bullshit of interviewing Celestia, Twilight, and maybe even Luna. As for Winger, he got the short end of the stick and would have to try and deal with some obsolete guard formations and tactics, with Shining Armor maybe trying to sweet-mouth him about his records.
…
Meanwhile, At the Safehouse…
“Alright, are you guys sure that we’re ready to pounce?” Flick asked his fellow companions, who didn’t share his optimism for what was about to come. “What? Don’t you think you should be pumped up before the big show? You know, kind of a big reveal for us!”
“Yes, we get the point, Flick. We’re just not in the mood to wait for things to happen, after all, even Formosa’s mastery in particle manipulation can’t do jack shit in making the commissioner walk any faster. So yeah, we’re stuck here waiting for Hector to bring himself into the complicated mess he had made.” Turncoat said, his sour tone doing no justice to the debilitating experience he had to go through from Las Pegasus to Canterlot. To say the least, he was simply relieved at finally having arrived for the final deliberation for the big four. “Besides, I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually… speaking of which, I was told that we’d sneak through a back channel, then we’ll wait for the signal to start the breach, yeah?”
“Scientific bullshit aside. Yeah, we’re going to use the old tunnels over there, which lead directly to the underpass of the castle.” Print said.
Looking at where he was directed, Turncoat thought it was an abandoned mineshaft, which it could very well be. “So we’re going in through there… so how exactly are we going to know when the signal is up?”
“You’ll know when the signal’s up when you feel it.” Print said, his reassurance although vague, was enough to put at ease most of the trio’s worries. “Listen, ask that to Flick, he was the one that provided Doc Cab with the schematics and flares for their part, and I’m sure you know that his crew would play along. So in the end, I’m sure they’ll figure out something, either way, their bait and nothing more.”
“If you say so…” Turncoat hesitantly said, leaving it at that. There was a moment of thinking, tense as they waited for Hector and Formosa to arrive.
And at their most crucial of moments, just as the three were about to make a gamble to leave and try to search for Hector. There came a knock on the door, whoever was on the other side was clearly patient enough to wait for their knock to be answered if the trio’s hesitation was anything to go by.
A call that Print decided to take the initiative in, and open the door for, to reveal that the new face that turned out to be…
Canterlot Castle, the main balcony overlooking the Royal Assembly…
“So, are you ready, Twily?” Shining Armor asked, patting his little sister’s head in brotherly affection.
Never would he think that he’d see the day that his little sister, Twilight Sparkle, the book nerd of the family, would become the successor of Celestia and Luna in leading Equestria. It was a sight to behold, but one he didn’t exactly come unprepared for, after all, a sibling rivalry could make a bond that lasts for decades on end.
“What do you mean?” Twilight playfully asked, “I’ve always been ready for this, and even then if I wasn’t… I’ve always got my friends to turn to.”
A heartfelt moment, all things considered, with the massive crowd just outside to see the ceremony that Celestia and Luna were about to perform to solidify Twilight’s ascension, to even the few that came to personally accompany her at this moment, her friends and everyone else were in high spirits. But, that didn’t mean Shining Armor was having any peace of mind, after all, he didn’t just return to his position as captain of the Royal Guards for the third time for no good reason.
In fact, as much as some news headlines might present him as a lower pony when compared to his sister’s achievements, he was actually fairly competent when push comes to shove, even having a complex web of informants all over Equestria, not as far-reaching as those of Luna’s, but far enough that he could hear most of the major news before they even hit the front papers. It was a neat little system, but one that required full secrecy and a sizable amount of bits to maintain and operate on a near-constant basis.
This event, Twilights coronation, would be no different, as he had received an anonymous tip as early as two weeks ago concerning the event. Brotherly protection and whatnot, he had vowed to protect those he considered family at all cost. Twilight was no exception, and he had, dare he say, an excellent show and competence amongst peers to boot. Whether that high spirit was to be upheld, he was unsure, as he had also heard that The Flickers had sent a representative to do an inspection, in line of course for a higher standard for such an event, for national security and then some, and he did not fail to impress, much less in front of an infamous yet rightfully successful company of mercenaries and military instructors.
“Why the long face?” Twilight asked her brother, seeing that he always seemed worked up tended to also worry her, seeing as how if Shining had to worry, that meant something was lurking.
“I-it’s nothing,” he said, trying to downplay his predicament, but he wasn’t as good as an actor as he was a commander.
“Aw come on now, I know that face when I see it, what’s wrong?” She insisted, her guts insisting on knowing.
Shining shook his head as he tried to alleviate that clear hesitation he had, one he knew might spiral into indecisiveness. That was, however, short-lived as Twilight did one of the oldest tricks in the book, those puppy eyes. Of course, how could the older brother resist such eyes!? And reluctantly, he shared a little of something with Twilight, making sure to reassure her that everything would be A-ok, despite him having no peace of mind.
“Twilight… ” he hesitantly started, “I- I’m going to be straight with you on this one, ok? Cuz I feel like there might be a problem later on…”
“How so?” she asked.
“Weeeelllll…” his hesitation persisted, but there was only so much that his sister could do to convince him for long. “I’m just… I’m worried, it’s your big day and all, and not every creature could be a friend, sometimes they’re a foe in disguise as one.”
That was… very heartfelt coming from Shining, who knew a thing or two about disguised foes if his wedding was anything to go by, and Twilight knew her brother only did what he thought to be for her own good. Drawing closer to give him a hug, she tried to reassure him and subside his worries. “Whatever could happen, whatever may happen, you should be worried about nothing. We’ve got the princess’s blessing and friends to come when in need.”
A small smile adorned Shining Armor, her sister had changed so much from the little filly he once knew and called a sister, but before he could say his peace, if he even had one, there came a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it, just get yourself ready Twily, it’s your big day after all,” Shining said, making some quick distance as he reached to answer the door.
“Who is it?” Shining asked aloud, he was hesitant to let anyone enter, but there was one particular pony who he had been expecting since the early morning.
“It’s Loose Winger, I’m here for the guard inspections.” The voice replied.
…
Meanwhile, somewhere below the lower floors…
“Are the charges ready?” Caballeron asked his crew, still as hesitant, or even regretful as ever about what he had managed to get him and his crew entangled with.
Setting up these explosive charges with these… these things. They worked as fast as they could, as quietly as they could, the finer details didn’t matter to them, just finishing this and making it out alive was all that mattered.
And he could still remember the tremendous shock he had when Flick dropped off these crates by the spot they had agreed on, back then, he only knew he was in deep trouble, but didn’t expect it to be anything big. If anything, this was anything but simple, it was complex as Tartarus!
This could go down as one of the most devastating attacks in the history of Equus! Maybe even rivaling the usurpation that Sombra had instigated. Simply being in possession of a few kilos of explosive, much less purpose-built dynamite could land him and his crew the death penalty in most nations and life imprisonment in solitary confinement for Equestria, something that he didn't expect before getting entangled with this shtick but was very much now turning into a likely prospect in the advent of such an explosion.
And even if Turncoat and Flick could convince the best defense attorney that bits, fame, power, and conviction could buy, there was no way that they could get the famed Fine Print to take the case and risk a loss to his winning streak. The only real way the once criminal doctor saw him and his crew getting out alive was if someone else actually takes the fall, which he believed to be unlikely. The mere fact he owned dynamite could land him a life sentence in Tartarus and the rest of his crew either a decade of solitary confinement or three decades of incarceration without probation. If he was caught breaking it down to basics, i.e. Black powder, he could maybe get an even worst sentence for its implications alone.
No one, not even in the history of any other nation, let alone Equestria, had a crate full of dynamite, let alone gathering the materials needed to create a crate full of it, with the ingredients and recipe for Black Powder practically being lost and forgotten in the sands of time, it was a terrifying prospect that Hard Flick, the de facto leader of a prominent PMC stationed in Equus, was able to even deliver such a volatile thing.
Ever since Sombra’s resignation from the Crystal Empire, the resulting court case that happened after had practically outlawed the production and distribution of dynamite and practically having unicorns magic in explosives standardized and licensed for, with extra measures being taken to nullify and mitigate the production of dynamite and the like in the first place, even going as far as to erasing everything, every single record and even news that alluded to it, with the only thing remaining of such thing being the memory of what Black Powder could do and make, one of which was dynamite.
As the story went, after Sombra had instigated some small rebellions and promptly crushed those very same ones he instigated with his military leadership, he had a claim to legitimize his right of conquest and as a competent ruler, so with enough support to back him up, he instigated a military coup against Princess Amora and promptly succeeded in his usurpation.
What followed was, as much as the other nations of Equus would like to deny it, the fastest economic growth seen to date, under his rule, the Crystal Empire was brought to its highest point in terms of military strength and trade, even going as far as to enforce a foreign policy that had practically every major nation sign an agreement on a plan that allowed the Crystal Empire to monopolize the production of ‘civilian-grade’ Black Powder for ‘civilian’ use in mines and build railways in the form of dynamite and flare posts.
For the most part, he stuck to those agreements, of course, that is until he instigated a global war that had resulted in the near complete breakup of the Crystal Empire, were it not for Princess Cadance’s intervention. The war itself took its toll, and with the use of such things, brought out the worst of the worst for everyone involved. And with that, history took its course, and the defeat at the Foot of Canterlot and Everfree during the midsummer heat had directly resulted in defeat after defeat for him, and with the Battle for the Northern Valley ending in an Equestrian victory, he was forced to resign as the ruler of the empire, what happened after is a mystery shrouded in fear, as rumors sprouted far and wide.
And yet despite that livid history for one specific powder, one that’s had a prolific effect in the entire course of honesty and destruction, Caballeron found that his crew was nearly finishing up with the odd job they had found themselves in. As he personally did the final touches for what Flick called ‘the receiver’, they all said their silent prayers, hoping in Celestia’s name that the ancient spells that once protected these near ancient walls still had the strengths and resistance that they once had when the Crystal War broke out and the threat of such things was still present.
A small *ding* was heard, signaling that everything was prepped, rigged, and ready to blow. All of them looked back at the work they had unknowingly got themselves into, the work that they had played a part in.
Each dared naught to break the silence they shared at the moment. Each member of Caballeron’s crew looked in some way of shame, avoiding eye contact or even distancing themselves from the entire scene entirely, but what’s done is done. Now, there was no way they could simply deny it, not with just how big of a deal this is.
They came and did what they set out to do, and as quickly as they had gone in, they left as fast as they could with no intention of being anywhere near the blast when those rigged explosives would eventually go off. Silent prayers trailed them as their good conscience shadowed them, haunting and reminding them of the cost of clearing a long-lasting debt in the name of achieving a new life, a life that would be shadowed with memories of the past.
…
Meanwhile, Canterlot Underground Tunnels…
The squad of five had finally emerged from their long and quick haul across these underground tunnels. Not the most comfortable ride if one had to describe it, but it served well enough for their purposes today. And though these tunnels may seem like a complex maze, it was unlikely they would get lost even if they took a wrong turn, after all, they had already mapped the entire tunnel system beforehand.
That… and there were clearly other things that bothered Moses as he looked down at his watch strapped to his left. It was his job to know, so while they walked the rest of the way up, he asked his boss a question. “So are the masks really going to work?”
Receiving a side glance of relative indifference in return from his boss, he persisted still. “I mean, how do we know these illusions are going to fool them, let alone hold up if things go sour?”
An involuntary sigh escaped him as his boss replied. “They wouldn’t be if we got them from anyone except Maria and Yosef,” Erwin said, “Besides, what’s with the long faces? Aren’t you happy to see someone who has a position as a boss?”
His question was ill-received, to say the least.
“Are we really going to argue about this?” Erwin asked again, receiving a unanimous shaking of the head from his subordinates. “Good, because I’d love it if you mumble about your problems on your own, I’m just here to watch the display about to unfold.”
“We know…” the group unenthusiastically responded.
A sigh of exasperation and Erwin knew he had to at least comfort the men that served under him. “If it makes you feel any better, these illusionary displays might be enough to fool even some of the members of the Committee of National-Expeditionary Security, and should worst come to worse, the plate carriers that we have should be able to dissipate most of all the Group-B particles.”
“And yet here we are testing it against something new and untested before.” Connor responded, “Tell me, have you ever witnessed, let alone heard, any one human even harness what we have grown to call ‘Magus Residue’?”
A quick side glance and a stare were all the confirmation needed to know that the answer to his question was a ‘no’.
“As I thought…”
“We wouldn’t be here if prospects back at the capital ship are dire, now would we!?” Erwin retorted, his tone growing in hostility as it was clear that he wasn’t t only one who had it rough.
The remark itself was a fair one in most regards, if the recent reports were anything to go by that is. And should worst come to worst, human intervention might really just be the tip of a long effort to become godlike.
A thought that didn’t exactly settle well in their stomachs, as its implications likely entailed more work for an Intergalactic Empire in all but name that was overstretched and undersupplied in some sectors, oh what have they become?
Yet it was no cause for these five to slow down, let alone step down from the position of virtue that they had got themselves involved in. Deep down, they were men with a job to fulfill, men who are partaking in one of humanity’s greatest endeavors of not only becoming gods of their own region but potentially rivaling something beyond the farthest star or farthest darkness.
There is the light of a new era in the horizons, and just as they emerge from the tunnel passage from where they came from, their masks are ready to cast their illusions. They moved forwards with a stride of knowing the purpose, careful to avoid any stray eye.
The dawn of a new horizon could be felt, the following shine of luster further cementing the feeling of warmth, of something new.
…
LUSTER DAWN, Canterlot Castle balcony…
The crowd was restless as they cheered on to witness this monumental moment in Equus’s history. With hundreds of thousands from far and wide in order to witness this historic event in their history, with plenty more eagerly waiting for the news to be written about it.
5…
Twilight had her friends and loved ones by her side, in the very room where it was all about to happen. From the view of other VIPs or the likes nearby, they were about to witness Celestia and Luna cement the new ruler of Equestria’s ascension to the throne, being able to bear witness to this monumental power shift in ages, one that had yet to occur since the end of the Age of Empires. With some of them personally giving their good wishes and such, Shining Armor felt a part of his back's fur rise in anticipation for something…
4…
The Equestrian Diarchy, one that had more than a fair share of millenniums worth of history, was about to conclude to give rise to the ascension of Twilight Sparkle. Her hesitation to go out onto that balcony to take her rightful place in the coming age subsided as she looked back and saw friends and family alike encourage her to push through and accept her new place, her grand role in a new life.
Things may change, everything will change, but that won’t mean the memories of old would be gone. Twilight had her friends and family by her side. And when she walked out onto that balcony to cement her greater fate, the crowd bellowed, with the voice of thousands expressing joyous approval, which also gave Twilight a euphoric sense of relief, knowing that her subjects would accept her place in this new era.
3…
Luna and Celestia each began to give their speech, it was quick and short for the most part, and everyone knew it was a precursor to the main event, a sort of little solemnity, and was there for formality’s sake. As now everyone eyed in anticipation for the new monarch of Equestria to show face.
2…
In an instant, an uproar of cheers greeted Twilight. A simple wave from Celestia was all that was needed to calm and hush them, as the ceremony was taking hold. As with any sovereign sworn into service, so too must they make their vows, the vow of service, commitment, and willingness to the position, the nation, and the world they are about to enter. A vow that Celestia and Luna asked Twilight, and who in turn gave her simple answer to all of them.
“Yes, I accept it as so, that even in the face of death, I will do what is right and just in my power and judgment.”
But before she could receive her new crown to cement her place in this new era, she first, in turn, had given a speech, the first of many more to come, she poured her heart out in genuine thanks for the opportunity that life had given her, she was grateful, eternally so.
For the near entirety of her entire life, she thought she’d just grow up to be another Royal Mage of Canterlot, even when she became Celestia’s pupil, yet never would she expect to be at the very same balcony that Celestia had shown her the whole of Canterlot all those years ago, would she again also overlook the very same city, the very same nation she grew up in, not as a young pony still growing up, but as the sovereign about to lead it into a new era, a golden age.
But not everyone shared that enthusiasm, as Winger for his part braced himself for something big, being a bit reserved of the whole ordeal as that gut feeling was shared with Write, with both of them closing their eyes in anticipation of the thunderous roar about to come. Being heeded no mind by everyone else in the room, as everyone except them was caught up in the moment.
1…
And as the highlight of it all, as the crowd’s enthusiasm reached its peak and the anticipated thunderous roar of praise and enthusiasm showered Canterlot, some swore it could even be heard from the far ends of Equestria as if it dared reach as many as possible.
Like nothing else was important except to celebrate this sacred and monumental moment. And when the moment was just right, when Twilight had concluded her speech, with much rejoicing from the many, the crowns of Celestia and Luna fused into one. It was slowly lowered atop Twilight’s head to cement her ordained ascension.
And as the crown finally came to rest atop her head, the crowd’s uproar again being reinvigorated as a show of fireworks (courtesy of the Griffon Federation) flew up to fill the skies with wonder as the Wonderbolts performed hoof-in-hoof with the display overhead show. So too did the ticking bombs slowly reach their end. With what following suit being a loud, earth-shattering…
BOOM…
And as the explosion rocked the entire city, like a massive earthquake at play, panic quickly followed suit, as the shockwave it sent went far and wide and with just how loud and likely devastating it was, shattering windows and throwing many off balance with just how violent and sudden it was, in the commotion Twilight lost her new crown in the ensuing chaos.
But the crown was the least of her worries as Celestia and Luna reflexively shielded Twilight with their wings as Shining Armor pulled them all back into the room from the outside of the balcony with his magic, encapsulating them with his magic’s iconic magenta hue.
“WHAT WAS THAT!?” Twilight asked in a frantic voice, having been pushed off balance as the earth-shaking seemed to be the result of an explosion spell taking hold.
Initially baffled, she had wanted to take to the sky to guide those down below to a safer route, but it seemed like Cadance was quicker. So instead, she wanted to check if those that were with her in the room were ok, and for the most part, they were. But there was an instinctive feeling of hearts sinking as everyone’s mind wandered to what could have caused the explosion.
“GET EVERY PONY ON DAMAGE REPORT! GET EVERY PONY EVACUATED, NOW!” Winger commanded, not intending to have Shining Armor delay the necessary commands.
And with his voice of authority, the few guards that stayed by their side did as they were told, believing amidst the panic that it was one of their officer’s commands.
Shining Armor faired a bit better as he finished counting heads. There was a brief moment of contention as it was realized that Shining and Winger were likely at odds with who was to lead this group.
And knowing that Cadance could fend for herself, Shining decided that the best course of action was to lead them to a panic room, Winger, on the other hoof, wanted to evacuate the entire building in fear of structural instability from what could be an explosion. But before any one of them could discuss that, it was Shining who jumped the gun and believed his guts
“We’re leaving, now!” He said, urging every pony to follow him out, of course, Winger was at odds with that decision.
“But-” Winger’s protest was met with a near-instant denial from the white stallion.
“We’re leaving, now. So either get your ass up and moving or I might just get Celestia to court-martial your ass.” The remark visibly made the inspector flinch, and Shining quickly apologized. “I- I mean, I’m sorry, but It’s for our own safety and protection.”
Although Equestria had no authority over a private company, that wasn’t a venture that Winger was willing to risk. And with a reassuring nod from Write, both quickly made up their mind as they were off with the rest of them.
“Follow me!” Shining Armor shouted as he continued to lead the way with a gallop. Every pony followed suit, with the last two leaving the room being Winger and Write, the former keeping a mental head count of who was there and to make sure no one was left behind.
But as the group followed Shining Armor, who was giving commands to the many guards that passed them, there came a creeping sensation that was shared between Celestia and Luna, who in turn prepared for the worst.
A quick whiff of the air, and it was obvious there was a distinct smell of… something?
“Oh, goodness me! What was that horrid smell??” Rarity asked amidst the chaotic scene.
Overhearing the mare’s question, Shining answered in kind. “Well, then you’ll probably have to get a bit of hooves-on lessons to catch on because that was the smell of Black Powder. Cover your snouts if you don’t want to feel sick, we’re almost at the vault.” Shining Armor said, leading the pack of VIPs into the safe vault of the castle, from where he could easily defend
And just as quick as their gallop had started, it had ended in a halt as they stopped at a dead end, in front of them was the vault. A nod from Shining to Celestia and Luna confirmed what needed to be done, this was after all where the Elements of Harmony were originally kept for safekeeping. Channeling their magic to open the vault, every pony quickly entered in, and once everyone was inside, Luna and Celestia followed suit and closed the vault door behind them, ensuring that no one was left behind.
The vault itself wasn’t quite the same vault that once held the Elements of Harmony all those years ago, for one thing, it actually has a ventilation system! Courtesy of course by the Crystal Empire. That said, the major changes for this vault, apart from the aforementioned ventilation system, were some furniture and a good… dozen or so crates worth of supply, for how long it would last only Celestia might know.
“Make yourself at home,” Celestia said, “I’ll just have to discuss something important with your brother, Twilight.” As she waved Shining Armor, the Inspector, and Luna to one corner of the room to discuss something, making sure to leave Twilight to the comfort of her well-trusted friends. Of course, no one realized a particular missing draconiquus and purple dragon, but that wasn’t one of the many worries that they had for the moment.
Of course, once the four ponies managed to get away for private discussion, not everything was well and smooth sailing, as Winger, who had been reluctant to even follow the group in the first place, decided now was a good time to voice out his mind’s objections to the situation they are in now.
“I’m sure that you probably have a good reason as to why you would choose to build a panic room,” Winger remarked, slowly approaching Shining Armor as he inspected the vault itself, which was decent… at least for the likes of Royalty, if his time before Formosa with Flick was anything to go by. “But if you don’t mind me asking, why?”
His question’s answer wasn’t quite what he expected from the captain, as Shining Armor gave a heartfelt chuckle. “Well, if you must know, this was once the vault in which the Elements of Harmony were kept in,”
“I know that much,” Winger replied.
“Then you’d also know that it’s the safest place in this entire city, maybe even Equestria!” A claim that Winger wasn’t quite sold on, yet. “Then again, I’m due to thank a bunny for the tip they made. Courtesy for Fluttershy for telling me ahead of time of course.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then are you sure it would hold up against whatever that is?” As if on cue, there was a knock on the vault and a hard one at that.
The response to the knocking was at first calm, but once the knocking became louder and louder, it was clear that whatever was on the outside probably didn’t have any good intentions in store, and a slow rise in apprehension befell everyone in the vault.
Celestia, Luna, Shining, and Winger had moved from their corner in front of Twilight and her friends, planning on taking the brunt of what was about to come in. Twilight and her friends were trying to comfort each other whilst Write… just wrote the entire events that transpired as of now.
The vault door was clearly receiving a good beating, and even Shining could tell he might just have a run for his money if the growing dents were anything to go by. But the bashed soon slowed, then ceased to a crawl.
Silence as the tension grew, with each pony remaining silent as with careful ears, listened in on what might happen next.
“Oh shit,” Winger slipped, realizing what was about to happen if old plans from Flick were anything to go by, “EVERYONE GET DOWN!”
And in an instant, Shining quickly cast the age-old shield spell he knew to keep everyone behind him safe, creating a half dome that took the brunt of what happened next as the vault door swung open inwards with a violent ferocity, with the hinges miraculously holding up but unable to save the vault door itself from being bent and twisted brutally. As a direct result of the explosion, the smoke of its aftermath entered the vault room, creating a mist-like scene for the ponies inside.
Everyone was visibly shaken up, but Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor would sooner rather die than let anything that would dare harm their precious ones get even a hoof’s reach in.
And they didn’t have to wait long to get their answers, as something emerged amidst the smoke, a tall and very lean creature. It wore what seemed to be a thick layer of black fabric clothes mixed with a great leather finish, and despite its shine, it hid most of its skin and a mask that hid any and near all facial features from their sight. Its posture was calm, albeit Celestia thought it was too calm of a posture, to the point that she thought that it was leaning itself into being an elaborate ruse.
And its voice didn’t come off as malicious, let alone one that striking and commanding of fear, quite the contrary, as it spoke in a patient tone, with a voice that Celestia and Shining Armor could faintly recognize, but was still vague enough to ensure that it was a bewildering voice for the likes of Twilight, and an apprehension inducing experience for Luna's part.
To describe whatever the creature was before them was kind of hard, between its features being mostly covered up by its thick clothes and the mask that hid any real identity to go by, their voice and height were the closes things they got to defining features.
“Well, well, well… look at what we got here, Erwin!” It bellowed a response, “Seems like Yosef got right with Sunburst, and you better believe me when I say that Connor would be waiting for that thanks, between the extra C4 from the basement and the thermal drill. God would have I fucking loved it IF ONLY we stayed on plan and caught them in the corridors, we could have made the whole abduction sequence plausible. Then again, I’m sure you know a thing or two about bureaucracy Erwin, so I guess we don’t get our works cut out cheap, right boys?”
“We?” Shining asked, the question having slipped by itself as a bad habit of being on the receiving end of conflicts he didn’t initiate. Celestia and Luna on the other hoof waited patiently for things to unravel. Celestia quietly gave Twilight and the rest behind them side glances to tell them everything was going to be A-ok.
Of course, Shining’s question was ignored as over the creature’s shoulders, they saw four more similar beings reveal themselves as a group. And although all of them seem to have worn the same black fabric and leather finish, each of the five had at least something to differentiate themselves from the rest of their contemporaries.
There was a clear height difference between all five. One seemed to bring a briefcase, another seemed to be bringing a long rod that reminded her of the Staff of Fulmination, there was the tallest one that looks so mundane that they simply had a cigar on where Twilight assumed their mouth would be if they had one, one even had a cane to help for what seemed to be a limp, with the first one now seeming to be the accumulation of all previous in some aspects.
A soft chuckling was made by the one whom Twilight assumed to be the leader of the bunch. “Well, it seems like the whole gang is here.”
“Aw…” one cooed, “did the Big Three try to slip one right under us?”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to ask, “Big Three?”
All that the creatures needed to do was simply point in the direction of Luna and Celestia to tell the first part of the story. “Nothing to be ashamed of, now is there? The first was Grogar before his eventual passing, after which the subsequent job opening was given to Discord, which was followed by the both of you being ‘blessed’. We even gave you lot a little nickname to boot, the ‘Little Three’, those who were entrusted with power by the EN.T.T. Kind of a shame the N.E.S. never caught on with what angle we were playing from.”
Celestia only stared with an uncaring ferocity, whilst her sister looked away in some semblance of shame. A story they had yet to tell anyone else in the world of Equus. Which gave Celestia and Luna a hint in their mind to the missing Discord, where ever that draconequus was, maybe, just maybe, he was clearly hiding away if what these creatures who they knew to be some of the implied higher beings from their old stories.
“Entrusted…?” Twilight finally asked aloud.
Truly, Twilight (along with her brother) was left in the dark, what was this mystical shtick all about? Even then, she knew that they, with the help of her friends, could channel the virtues of harmony one last time, maybe? She wasn’t so sure, especially with the Young Six being another matter to worry about. Maybe the Spirit of Harmony or even Discord could cut in for them for Celestia’s sake!
So instead, Twilight’s little push to the center stage was another way for her to play her bluff, make herself known, and become a big player in this.
Of course, the display of bravery wasn’t anything new for the humans, but Moses was perplexed, dare he say, curious by the display.
“And who might you be?” he asked, deciding to humor the new monarch.
“I’ve heard about you, from a friend of a friend, and even if we don’t have the Elements of Harmony now, you are still going to need us, because you have nothing, not without my help.” Her direct response ignored his question, and the words she said crawled under his skin, sparking something he hasn’t felt in a good while.
Despite the height difference between the two species, and clearly up against a group, there was rising tension between Twilight, an upstart in all regards of being a sovereign, and Moses, who had a fairly obscure but brutal record to his name, at least to those who knew.
A quick breath in and out as he gave his response. “Don’t take our hospitality as kindness, Ms. Sparkle. You are flesh just is the case for Celestia and Discord. You may be a sovereign of your nation-”
“And to be a sovereign of my subjects, I will stand for them all!” Twilight retorted, spreading her wings up high as she took a semi-defensive stance in front of her brother. “And if gods aren’t merciful, then we’ll just have to make them bleed.”
And that was it, the proclamation he had been waiting to hear as a small smile crept up Moses’ face that was hidden behind his mask. “Is that so? Well then, riddle me this, what do you know?”
And as she was about to give her remark, to truly cement the fact that she knew more about the inner workings of magic, to cement the facts of what she knew about alternate realities and the many universes she had theorized. To cement the fact that she was above these creatures in both achievement and rite, her entire world had been paused in an instant...