//------------------------------//
// File 12: Month 4-Part 1: Morning News 
// Story: SWWC: Something Wrong With Canterlot 
// by Lighttone GryphonStar 
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Four months after the destruction of Canterlot, a small airship arrived in the ruins and the massive crater. Hay V stuck her head out to see the giant crystal floating above it all. The massive black shape was a stark reminder of the hell that had happened not but four months ago.

Ponies had been freed not but a month ago. Yet despite news rushing far and wide, the finer details were still unknown. She had been sent here to clear away the mystery and find out what really happened to the kingdom once known as Canterlot.

She gave an inner cheer as they landed. She had planned to do the most insane, find out the real truth, and see everything firsthand. Hearing the bell on the door, she rushed over and made sure she was the first to step off. However, as the door lowered her tension reached a boiling point. Her hands shook wildly and her eyes darted over the door faster than it could move.

Jumping out, she crashed into a brown stallion with a gray mane and a five o'clock shave. Falling to the ground, he caught her hand and greeted her. "You must be Hay V. Fever."

"Yes, I want to be Equestria's greatest reporter!!" She pulled her hand back and blushed at her bold proclamation. "Sorry, I'm just so happy to be here... Calla, Calla--"

"Dr. Callaberon," He corrected his name with a bow. "And I am the head of this dig."

"Right, right?!" Hay V laughed and held out her hand to better greet him. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"But of course. After all, it's your father that's funding this dig." He shook her hand in return.

"Yeah, Papa Fever is the best." She laughed at her embarrassment.

"Well, he certainly raised quite the mare..." Dr Callaberon couldn't help lingering his eyes over her bleach blonde body, tightly grasped in a white business suit and brown pants that barely covered her large chest and ass. The only break from her perfection and clearly artificial assets was a big pair of goofy glasses. Frankly, he was secretly annoyed to be showing off his site to such a spoiled brat. At least, he had something to stare at as she ran over and bent over the crater.

Hay V knew all too well about the looks her body would get. It's why she asked her father for such perfect implants. Best to keep all eyes on her to make everypony listen. While she would be glad to have their ears, either way, she knew this world worked on three principles; honor, pride, and dignity.

"Okay, so shall we enter the dig site now, or do I need more protection." She spun around her attire.

"No, just make sure not to get too much mud on that white shirt." He laughed as he presented her to the roped elevator.

"Okay then. First report while we drop." She waved over her camera mare. Checking her red hair as they stepped onto the platform. "Start with a good shot of the crater before flipping over to me and then him." The reporter pointed out every detail, not letting her assistant get a single word in.

The camera mare simply gave her gesture and the light came on.

"As you can see we are arriving in the one place where all dread to do." She paused as the camera panned over the images of the site while imagining the soft and sad music that she would put on the post. Glad to not go live, she was ready for a long session of editing and refining to get the best emotion ever. Seeing the camera move to her, she reacted like a pro. "Hello, I'm Hay V. Fever!" Giving a wink and a small shake of her chest to the audience, making sure to not look intentional, lest she attract some stupid cancel vultures. 'This is the remains of Canterlot."

Holding out her hand up to the giant black crystal in the sky above them, the camera mare followed. The mare turned on a slow zooming feature and refined the detail the best she could. She licked her teeth and loved her work as much as her boss. With a few clicks, she prepared a slide show to splice with other shots that had gotten from the airship's multiple flybys. During the post, her boss already planned to compare them with months one, two, and three, as before and after photos.

"As you can see from these images, nothing much has changed since it replaced Canterlot in the sky..." Hay V paused for dramatic effect before dropping her hand down. "And vaporized the mountain that once held such a great and beautiful city." Waiting avidly for the camera to come back up to her, she shook her hips, wanting her audience's full attention. "But the city that once united us all, the home of princesses, Celestia and Luna, is far from gone." She presented Dr. Callaberon.

"Yes, it's true. Why just a month ago, several ponies managed to escape." He paused, assuming there would be some clips before continuing. "However, despite all efforts, most are either too scared or too damaged to remember." The stallion dropped his head in shame before smiling boldly for the camera. "Just as scans showed two months ago. Noise, vibrations, and magic can still be felt even after those that escaped." He held up a monitor to the crystal. "Even at this distance. Which means there still could be other ponies inside."

"This is Dr. Callaberon. And after many disagreements with the allies like Daring Do and the disgraced Quibble Pants, has decided to give our channel a full special episode interview. That's right, you'll be getting two full hours, no commercials, special event." She gestured the camera back to herself. "We will be here for six days to bring you the most accurate summaries possible so you know everything first--" A loud booming sound stopped her mid-sentence.

The recording light flicked off without warning and the elevator shook violently before stopping. The camera mare was tossed forward and nearly fell off the elevator. Luckily, Dr. Callaberon caught her and placed her against the wall. Hay V screamed, bringing them both to her attention and she attempted to fix her mane and readjusted her shirt and pants.

"What the fuck was that?!" Her pretty mare attitude faded and she got right in the camera mare's face. "Why did the recording stop at the best shot of me?!"

"It wasn't her." Dr. Callaberon stepped between the two and showed her the scanner. The reading was so much wilder. "I've never seen it go this high." Despite the booming fading just as quickly as it appeared, the scanner was picking up large forms of magic.

"Incredible." Hay V pointed the camera at the scanner and flicked some pictures, hoping that part of the system was still working. "These images happening on the day of my arrival is a godsend! And will boost my TV ratings even higher."

"But is that booming what cuased--" The camera mare was stopped as the elevator turned back on with even less warning. The light of the recording also flickered on just as fast. "Maam." She tried to take the camera back.

"Oh, right!" Hay V laughed and gave her the camera back. Fixing her makeup and mane, she winked back at her. "We better fix all that in post."

"Sure." The camera mare tried to smile. She held the feed over her shoulder and gestured a countdown and action sign.

"Sorry for the abrupt cut-off." Hay V fixed her glasses to look amateurish and more shaken than she really was. Aiming for sympathy points, she even adjusted her legs and leaned on the bar to make it look like she was the one that fell. "We just got an incredible surprise, just mere moments after arriving." She winked at the camera. "Perfect timing as we are here to bring you all of these moments and more."

As she covered the details, Dr. Callaberon took a step back as cold sweat poured over his face. It wasn't just the scanner that was troubling him. He needed the views and the money but living through that shaking brought out a memory he buried. Just before taking this job from Daring Do and being ready to show all of Equestria how much better he was than her, Quibble stopped him with a warning.

"Do not go there... Do not let him escape?!"

The stallion had no idea who the disgraced archaeologist and soldier were referring to. He could only guess as all his associates thought Quibble Pants had become mad since the dam incident. All, except for Daring Do, who was more afraid of Dr. Callaberon taking this job than her being denied it.

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