//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - Equestrian Elite // Story: Tartarus Infernum // by Sunderbraze //------------------------------// ********** “Oh!” exclaimed an excited Pinkie Pie. “How about… The Epic Eighteen!” “Ah’m not sure,” Applejack sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed in front of her. “Eighteen jus’ doesn’t sound like it fits in a name, y’know?” Having trained themselves into exhaustion, the Elements of Harmony were finally getting ready to call it a night. Luna had granted them three rooms in the castle, and Applejack had drawn the short straw, winning the honor of bunking with Pinkie Pie. The room was very upper-class, reminding Applejack of her days in Manehattan. Starlight poured into the large window, which bore a fantastic view of Canterlot’s waterfalls. “Hmm…” Pinkie said, putting a hoof to her chin. “Oh! How about... The Order of the Phoenix!” “Come again?” asked a clueless Applejack. “How’d ya come up with that?” “Celestia has a pet phoenix!” Pinkie replied, seizing one of the candles from the wall and blowing on it, causing a sizable burst of flame to jump outwards. “Phoenixes are really cool! Fluttershy was telling me about them, they burst into flame when they get old! Then they’re born again from the ashes!” “Burstin’ into flame inn’t somethin’ Ah’d like to do anytime soon,” Applejack shuddered, thinking about Luna’s training to resist fire magic. She unhooked the Element of Honesty from her neck and placed it on the nightstand next to her. “Maybe we could be the Equestrian Avengers!” Pinkie suggested excitedly. “Or maybe The Fellowship of the Gates!” “Ah think ya should sleep on it, sugar cube,” Applejack told her, standing up and pulling the covers back with one of her hooves. “Oh, sleep, that reminds me!” Pinkie jumped onto the bed, causing her friend to bounce off as she tried to sit down. “I had the craziest dream last night that we went to war!” “War?” Applejack asked, her annoyance floating away in lieu of curiosity. “Like what’s goin’ on now, ya mean?” “Oh, no-no-no, much more delicious!” she replied, flopping backwards and landing in a relaxed sleeping position. “It was the Cupcake Wars! I was General Pinkie, and my troops were Captain Icing, Sergeant Sprinkles, and Private Crumb. I think you’d make a good Captain Icing, Applejack!” “Ah think Ah’d make a good cap’n snooze,” yawned Applejack. She untied her mane and tail, fluffing them a bit as she got ready to sleep. “D’ya think the princess’s doin’ alright? Haven’t seen’er since…” ********** Applejack blinked twice, surprised to see that Pinkie Pie was fast asleep. “I sure hope you’re alright, princess,” she thought, unclipping the Element of Laughter from Pinkie’s neck and placing it on the nightstand. She blew out the candles on the walls, lying down and pulling the covers over herself and the narcoleptic comedian next to her. Just as Applejack was about to go to sleep, she heard a dull thud on the walls just behind her. “C’mon Rainbow, get some shuteye!” Applejack called out, clopping her hoof against the bed board behind her. She worriedly looked at her bunkmate, but Pinkie hadn't stirred in the least. She was out cold. “How can I possibly sleep?” Dash asked, slowly hovering towards the ground. “I’m bouncing off the walls in here! I’m way too…” “Nervous?” Fluttershy suggested, as Dash paused to find the right word. “Heh, me? Nervous? …No way!” “You’d think she’d know by now, everypony can see through the act,” Fluttershy thought to herself, trying to figure out what to say. It was an age-old balancing act—trying to boost Rainbow Dash’s confidence without inflating her ego. “I know I’m nervous,” Fluttershy offered. “Even if I was tough like you, I’d still be.” "Aw, don't be so hard on yourself!" Dash said, swooping over to the bed and jabbing her playfully in the ribs. She winced. "Besides, you were the first to reach your potential! None of the rest of us made it there yet!" "I guess I was," Fluttershy replied, pausing to think for a moment as Dash took flight again. Fluttershy’s face suddenly brightened. "Do you think the princess would maybe let me borrow the Element of Kindness? It'd be so helpful when my little friends get sick!" "Maybe..." Dash contemplated; she seemed to be growing increasingly concerned. "Hey, so... What do you think we're gonna to have to fight? The princess said she'd explain everything tomorrow morning... But I hate waiting like this! It’s driving me nuts!" Fluttershy gulped. "I don't know... Princess Luna said there'd be some flying monsters, and some really big monsters, and then she told us about... D-Darkstar..." She curled up into a ball, shivering in fright. "Yeah..." Dash replied, landing next to the bed and removing the Element of Loyalty from her neck. "He sounds like one rotten pony… raising ponies from the dead, that’s pretty sick, huh?" Noticing that her friend was now almost catatonic, Dash tossed her necklace aside and hopped onto the bed. "Heh, sorry about that," she reassured, remembering how easily frightened Fluttershy was. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be a piece of cake!" "I... d-don't..." Fluttershy stammered, closing her eyes. "I don't want to fight anypony... especially not him..." "Hey now, leave the fighting to me!" Dash said forcefully, lying down next to her. She slid her hooves around her quivering friend, holding her tightly. "I'll protect you, Flutters. I promise!" "…Dashie never uses that word lightly," Fluttershy thought to herself. She clutched the cyan hoof around her chest; warmth began to spread through her, slowing her shivering. "Just keep an eye on my back while I'm kicking his teeth in, alright?" "If... if you s-say so..." "Of course I do," reassured Dash, unclipping Fluttershy’s Element with her teeth. With a jerk of her head, she tossed it towards the nightstand, where it landed next to hers with a clatter. "Hey, I wonder who else the princess is gonna bring to help us? She said there’d be eighteen of us!" "I'm not sure..." Fluttershy replied, taking a deep breath. "I hope… I hope they're stronger than me..." "None of them’ll heal better than you," Dash told her supportively, squeezing her tighter. “That’s why you gotta watch my back! The best flier on the team needs the best healer on the team! If anything happens, you’ll have me back up in no time!” Spreading her left wing and flapping it powerfully, Dash created a small gust of wind that snuffed the candles out. “…Thanks, Dashie,” Fluttershy sighed, a smile starting to spread across her face. “Look at me, darn it, you got me all sappy!” she replied, digging her hind leg into the covers. “Don’t get used to it!” “I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized quietly, but she truthfully wasn’t. “It’s whatever,” Dash laughed, pulling the covers over them. “Y’know, this reminds me of our sleepovers at flight school.” She playfully mimicked Fluttershy’s voice. “I can’t sleep, Dashie, the lightning is too scary!” “I never understood why your room was right next to the lightning factory,” Fluttershy reminisced, giggling quietly. “It was always very… startling…” “I dunno, ya just get used to it after a while,” Dash laughed, ignoring the loss of feeling in her right leg. “Well, most of us do.” Fluttershy giggled for a moment, pausing to yawn. “I don’t feel nervous anymore,” she said, adjusting the pillow behind her head. “Do you think we should sleep?” “Ugh, I guess so,” Dash replied, rolling her eyes in the dark. She bit the corner of Fluttershy’s pillow, pulling it out far enough for her to share it. She nuzzled Fluttershy’s mane out of the way and made herself comfortable. They snuggled quietly for a few moments. “Hey Flutters?” “Hm?” “You were right, I kinda was nervous. Just a little, though!” “That’s okay,” Fluttershy told her, squeezing her hoof. “Do you feel better now?” “Yeah,” Dash replied, closing her eyes and starting to drift off. “Nailed it,” Fluttershy thought, smiling into the darkness as she closed her eyes. In the room next to the pegasi, Rarity was already in bed—two cucumber slices rested on her eyes as she slept soundly. Her bunkmate, Twilight, was still wide awake, and was reading a book suspended in midair by a dim purple haze. The title read Obscure Unicorn History. ********** …after the founding of Equestria, which historians have concurred to roughly be 1351PC. According to the scrolls of Clover the Clever, it is believed that Starswirl’s travels with the expeditions of the Unicorn King concluded in 1362PC, at the record-breaking age of one-hundred and twenty six. Days later, he liquidated his Detrot estate and subsequently disappeared. Clover’s scrolls specifically mentioned this event, and they are translated below: "My mentor of fifty years has vanished without a trace. [Starswirl] left a note declaring the thousands of scrolls in his personal library to be public domain. He often spoke of embarking on a final voyage, and I only assume he has done so at long last. Alas, why he waited until such old age is beyond me...” Twilight stopped reading for a moment, doing some quick mental math to calculate Starswirl's actual age. “He’s… five thousand… nine hundred and forty years old,” she gasped under her breath. “How in Equestria is that possible? Everything says he was just a regular unicorn!” Her eyes darted back to the book in front of her. Several of the following pages went on to talk about his contributions to modern magic, but a section entitled The Conspiracy Theories caught Twilight’s attention. The Conspiracy Theories Despite overwhelming evidence pointing towards his eventual demise, a small pocket of academics believe that Starswirl the Bearded unlocked the key to immortality, and continues to travel the world to this day. Unconfirmed sightings have been reported many times throughout Equestria. “Immortality…” Twilight thought excitedly, her mind racing. She continued to read. The vast majority of these sightings have had little to no merit, but there have been several instances that skeptics are having a difficult time explaining. In 590PC, a carbon-dated scroll found in northern Tramplevania has an interesting section that some historians believe describes Starswirl attacking Discord when he first appeared. It reads: The draconequus inverted our homes, transfigured our livestock, set fire to our silverware, and made our food into sand. The being was of utter chaos, and he- [The scroll is damaged from that point, and continues later on] -hundreds of unicorns, pegasi, and [earth ponies] came to test their might against the draconequus, and all were made into mockeries of themselves. There did come one unicorn, wearing a suit of the night sky, that seemed as though he would prevail; he transfigured [Discord] into a lifeless rock. The town celebrated him as a hero, until the rock grew a pair of- The scroll is burned beyond recovery past that point. The suit of the night sky is believed to refer to Starswirl the Bearded’s signature outfit. “He fought Discord?” Twilight wondered, flipping the page quickly. It wasn’t until thousands of years later that another significant appearance made its way into the history books. When the Zentnor Collective attacked Detrot in 2120AC, two dozen eyewitness reports described a masked, bearded unicorn appearing to defend the city, hurling building-sized projectiles at the invaders in spite of their magical resistance. Perhaps most convincing of all were the transcribed statements of the Zentnor Collective after they stood trial for their crimes. Their leader, a pegasus named Nagamina, cursed his name verbatim for being instrumental to their defeat. Further documentation of the trial has since been redacted. “...Redacted?” Twilight re-read the word a couple of times in confusion. “Why would they do that?” She curiously continued reading on the next page. Over a thousand years later, another set of official documents were found containing the name Starswirl the Bearded. On March 25th 3451AC, following the banishment of Nightmare Moon, the former Captain of the Lunar Guard filed his official report of the incident. The report included dialogue between Princess Celestia, Nightmare Moon, and a unicorn that was referred to by Nightmare Moon as Swirly. The captain’s description of the unicorn’s outfit perfectly matched those of the Tramplevanian Scrolls and Nagamina’s statement. Supporters of Starswirl’s supposed immortality believe that Princess Celestia is in communication with the wizard to this day, calling upon him to return in times of danger. Skeptics believe that he has simply inspired other powerful unicorns to dress and groom in his likeness. Her highness declined to comment when asked about this theory. Twilight flipped the page excitedly, almost tearing it in anticipation. Moments into reading the section, her eyes widened and she gasped at the next name that was mentioned. Though the textual evidence is convincing, the theorists would argue that the most indisputable evidence of Starswirl’s persistence lies in a supposed photograph of him at the Battle of Stalliongrad on September 14th 4220AC. It was in this battle that Darkstar the Crazed tried to attack the city of Stalliongrad with a supposed army of the dead. Princess Celestia and a team of eleven defenders met him in battle as they were approaching the bronze gates of Stalliongrad. Emerging victorious, our fearless leader and the two surviving members of her team struck down the banner of Darkstar, replacing it with a banner of Equestria. A photographer, watching this event from afar, took a picture of this historic moment. The picture was a portrait of Princess Celestia at the top of a hill, planting an Equestrian banner upon a battlefield. There were two silhouettes on either side; one of them had a tall hat and a cape, perfectly matching Starswirl's appearance. The other one appeared to be a brown unicorn, though the colors were greatly faded. Twilight continued reading, though she found little else that was helpful, only that Princess Celesta would decline to comment when asked about the silhouettes in the image. Concluding the entire section on Starswirl the Bearded, Twilight bookmarked the page, placing the book on the desk to her left. Realizing that that was one of the few books she knew of that mentioned Starswirl, Twilight sighed in frustration. The masked wizard had teleported away after Luna concluded their training session, leaving before Twilight had the opportunity to talk to him. “The skeptics said that he could have just inspired other unicorns to dress and act as he would,” she thought, gazing at the book she had just finished. “…But if he’s not Starswirl, why would Celestia bring him to join us?” “There’s got to be more info in the library,” Twilight declared quietly. She hopped away from the desk and walked across the room quietly, trying not to wake Rarity while she snuck out. ********** Cantering down the spiraling staircase and exiting the castle, Twilight noticed a large amount of guards patrolling the Castle Courtyard. It was so full that it would have been impossible for her to slip by unnoticed, so she did her best to appear inauspicious. “Celestia wasn’t kidding when she said ‘maximum security’,” Twilight thought, nodding cordially to a couple of the statue-like guards. “Hopefully it’s keeping everypony from panicking…” The Canterlot Archives were mostly dark, illuminated only by the occasional patrolling guard. As Twilight went down the hallway approaching the reference section, she passed a familiar gated wing of the archives. “…Hmm…” Twilight thought. “I know this wing mostly has advanced spells, but I wonder if it has more info on Starswirl himself…?” The gate to the Starswirl the Bearded wing was usually locked with a spell, but Twilight noticed that it wasn’t, and it was open by a small crack. “Hello?” Twilight asked, poking her head through the gate and looking around. “Is anypony there?” A faint blue glow was emanating from the far back section of the wing, and Twilight walked towards it cautiously. “…Hello?” she asked again, receiving no response. Against the back wall, between an aisle and a window, Starswirl the Bearded lay on a round pillow, his legs folded neatly and his head tilted down. His yellow eyes did not cast their customary glow from behind his mask; he appeared to be resting in some sort of trance. “I don’t think I should disturb him, but I have so many questions!” Twilight thought. Before she could make a decision, the blue glow faded away into darkness. Slowly, Starswirl's yellow eyes glowed again, and he lifted his head to look at the unicorn in the aisle across from him. “Twilight!” Starswirl exclaimed enthusiastically, casting a quick spell that lit the braziers in the room. “Come in, come in! I was wondering when you’d show up!” “You were… expecting me?” Twilight asked, ambling into the archives and standing across from him. “Certainly,” Starswirl chuckled. “You looked as though you wanted to ask me hundreds of questions while we trained! The more naive side of me hoped you would get some sleep afterwards, but alas…” “My sleep schedule’s been kind of off lately,” Twilight admitted. “I was doing some late-night research, and, well… I read some things about you…” “Oh, about me?” Starswirl asked curiously. “What do the conspiracy theorists have to say, hmm?” “Well, according to what I’ve read, you’re…” Twilight gulped. “Almost six thousand years old…” “Ah, that,” he laughed. “Yes, yes, I’m old, you need not remind me.” “It said you disappeared in 1362 Priori Celestae, and that was over a thousand years before Celestia’s rule! But if you’ve really been alive this whole time, why did you leave?” “Did it mention I had stayed in Equestria for over a hundred years? Hah! I don’t know how Celestia does it! She is far more patient than I; I simply couldn’t stand the drudgery!” “You left… because you were bored?” Twilight looked at him hopelessly. “Indubitably! I was merely seventy-six when I’d learned all that the fledgling nation had to teach me,” Starswirl replied, his hat beginning to glow. He materialized a circular cushion in front of Twilight. “If we’re going to have story time, you might as well make yourself comfortable. Have a seat!” “It said you traveled with the Unicorn King’s expedition, exploring all of Equestria…” Twilight said, lying down on the cushion. “How could that have become boring?” “Well, they were ordinary unicorns that traveled on hoof. My body had grown old, and I didn’t want to keep traveling the old fashioned way!” The wizard laughed for a moment as his hat began to glow again. A small ceramic platter materialized between them, holding a pot of tea and two teacups. “Perhaps I get tired of one place after a few hundred years, but I’ll never get tired of a good cup of tea! Fancy some?” “Sure,” Twilight replied, watching him telekinetically pour a cup. He levitaed it towards her; she used her own magic to take it from him. “Thanks.” “Of course,” said Starswirl, pouring his own cup. “It’s a blend of spiced airnut and traditional tea leaves.” “Airnut?” Twilight asked, cautiously sniffing the cup of tea in front of her. It smelled like hot chocolate, but had an odd thyme-like twinge. “I’ve never heard of that before...” “Ah, it takes a very specific climate to grow. The zebrasi clans of Silverline have perfected it though! They call this tea xian’su.” Starswirl paused to take a sip; the teacup passed through his mask as though it weren’t there. “Such a relaxing mix, perfect for the eve of battle.” The confused Twilight blinked twice, unsure of which to ask about first. Zebrasi? Silverline? The strange pronunciation of xian’su? The upcoming battle? Braving a sip of the tea, she tasted a number of different things. It tasted mostly like it smelled; a spiced hot chocolate, but the taste soon became irrelevant as she swallowed it. When the warm liquid reached her stomach, it seemed to calm the flock of excited butterflies that fluttered within. “Good stuff, isn’t it?” Starswirl asked, watching Twilight took a more welcoming sip. “Mmmhmm,” she replied, the teacup still covering her mouth. “I remember when I was your age, still learning about the world,” Starswirl reminisced. “The thrill of discovery never leaves you… but the number of things to discover certainly does.” Realizing that she had already drained half of the cup, Twilight decided to put the tea down for a moment and ask him something important. “I have a lot of questions, but there’s one that I’ve just got to know,” she said, as Starswirl sipped his own tea. “…How have you stayed alive for so long?” “In all of your readings, have you ever come across the study of quantum magic?” the wizard asked curiously. Twilight racked her brain, but couldn’t find anything. “No? Others would call it arcane magic.” “Arcane theory,” Twilight recited, recalling an interesting article she had read. “It states that telekinetic magic could hypothetically be used to manipulate matter on its smallest level, particle by particle.” “Down to the quantum realm, to be exact,” Starswirl told her. “And it’s much more than a theory--it certainly exists! Quite a lot of fun, if you ask me!” “You’ve mastered the arcane?!” Twilight gasped, her jaw dropping open. “Oh no, no, no,” Starswirl retracted, “I’ve not even come close to mastering it. But I’ve managed to slap together a few spells!” “The implications of that are… crazy,” Twilight breathed, as possibilities began popping into her head. “All kinds of weird things can happen if somepony can manipulate matter like that...” “Aye, very true. How extensive is your knowledge of pony biology?” “Pony biology… I know the basics and a lot of tidbits, but I’m no professor,” Twilight replied. She thought for a moment, her face lighting up. “Are you saying you used arcane magic to make yourself immortal?!” “Hah!” Starswirl scoffed. “Immortal is hardly a fitting term, but that’s a crude summary of the result.” “How did you do it?” Twilight asked excitedly, as the wizard took another sip of tea. “I used arcane magic to manipulate my own DNA,” the wizard sighed, no longer laughing. “...In my rush to halt my aging, I didn’t research all possible side effects, and I ended up with some pretty nasty ones. Surely you’ve noticed I don’t even walk anymore...” “I was wondering why you float everywhere… Is that why you wear the mask, too?” Starswirl nodded. “My skin and bones began to weaken rapidly. Although I eventually succeeded in making my essential organs biologically immortal, the rest of me became quite frail.” He sighed for a moment, but quickly recovered his cheery attitude. “But it’s been worth it! When I needed to take a break from my studies of the arcane, I traveled the world. The things I’ve seen…” “Wow…” Twilight breathed, finishing her cup of tea. The strange blend had melted away many of the questions burning in her mind, and she felt a lot more relaxed. “...Can you teach me arcane magic?” Starswirl laughed again, refilling their tea cups. “You’re far more intelligent than I was at your age. I’m sure that with a little guidance, you’ll be teaching yourself how to do it!” Twilight gazed blankly over his shoulder and through the window, her mind becoming unfocused. “However, there’s something much more useful I could teach you right now,” Starswirl continued. “You see, I don’t often sleep like normal ponies—that wastes too much time. Instead, I fall into a deep state of meditation. It rejuvenates you much faster!” “You just… meditate all night?” she asked lazily. “Aye, that’s all I do anymore. The tea we’ve just consumed helps tremendously—it naturally relaxes most of the muscles in your body, even your brain. All you’ve got to do now is close your eyes, and clear your mind...” “Clear my mind…” Twilight sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing her body. Thoughts, questions, and worries fluttered about her brain, but she was finding it substantially easier to ignore them. “Just focus on your breathing. In, and back out…” Twilight's mind had already been starting to wander; now that she was no longer resisting it, she could feel her grasp on reality begin to slip away. Her breathing became very slow and relaxed, and she rested her chin on her forearms. In less than a minute, Twilight completely faded from consciousness. Starswirl snuffed out the braziers in the archive, and his eyes began to darken again. “Rest well, Twilight,” he thought, as she began to emanate a faint purple glow. “You’re going to need it.” ********** Princess Celestia awoke at 5AM sharp. This was it—today was the day. She had assembled the most qualified defenders in the nation, and it would soon be time to convince them to work together. In 20 minutes, she would raise the sun, starting the final countdown to their assembly. Her otherwise nocturnal sleep schedule having been thrown off, Princess Luna rose from her slumber as well, hastily donning her royal attire as she willed the dark moon to sink into the horizon. After she spent a few minutes fixing her mane, the majestic princess dematerialized in a flash of indigo magic. In a townhouse not far from the castle, Shining Armor was up and about his morning routine. Noticing the concerned expression of his wife, he trotted over to Princess Cadance and kissed her softly on the cheek as she brushed her mane. She smiled at him thankfully; her thoughts dwelled heavily on her mother, who she still knew so little about. Two blocks away, in a spiraling apartment tower, the armor-clad Sergeant Ironmane was already packing his saddlebags with weapons and provisions. From a stand in the middle of his room, he lifted a revered weapon off of its pedestal. It was a custom-built collapsible crossbow, which fit neatly into his right saddlebag. The left was already loaded with nearly a hundred bronze crossbow bolts. At the bottom floor of the same apartment spiral, Ragehoof was already exiting his residence, making a beeline for Donut Joe’s across the street. He sighed angrily, his thoughts dwelling on the heavy armor he once owned. It had not been returned to him after being confiscated during his arrest. Several towers away from the apartment spiral, at the top floor of the castle’s guest suites, Terra awoke from a restless slumber. Having grown accustomed to sleeping on the ground, a bed felt quite foreign to her, as did the massive flowing mane upon her head. She glared at herself in the mirror, wondering what she was doing here. One floor down, the Elements of Harmony were beginning to rouse. Rarity was among the first, having set her alarm early so she could have plenty of time to complete her morning routines. Twilight’s absence did not surprise her—Rarity suspected she had vanished into the library once again. In the adjacent room, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had shifted much in their sleep, awakening in an odd position. They yawned and stared at each other for a few moments, then started laughing uncontrollably at the dishevelment of each other’s manes. Applejack, who had long given up in the battle over the blankets, shivered awake at the sound of their laughter. Worrying that her friend might oversleep, she donned her hat, and initiated the painstakingly long process of waking up Pinkie Pie. Unknowingly, Ashton Calhoof’s suite was in the room just below theirs. Having gotten to sleep early, he was already up and about; a toothbrush stuck out of his mouth as he carefully scanned his vest, hat, and saddlebags for any stains. Despite his cowboy status, he prided himself on being well-dressed. Seventy miles west of Canterlot, the sky-city of Cloudsdale was beginning to brighten. Hues of pink, orange, and red spread throughout the city’s cloudy structures, melting away the purple of the night. In a high-rise apartment complex, the roommates Spitfire and Soarin’ were lazily preparing themselves for their upcoming flight to Canterlot, donning their Wonderbolt flight suits. On the other side of the city, at the top floor of Nimbus Tower, Professor Aeon awoke suddenly to his ringing alarm clock. He had fallen asleep at his desk, which held an organized chaos of papers strewn across it—tactics, maneuvers, plans of action—all of which he had come up with the previous night. Smiling confidently, Aeon expediently rolled each of them up, stuffing them into his saddlebags as he readied himself for the flight. Just as the first rays of sunlight poked their way into the Canterlot Archives, the warm glow caused Twilight Sparkle to start regaining control of her conscience. As she opened her eyes, she saw that Starswirl was nowhere to be found. With a sudden burst of energy, she hopped to her hooves and galloped out of the archives, feeling more rejuvenated than had in weeks. ********** Locking eyes with the rising sun, Celestia took a deep breath and dematerialized, reappearing in the Royal Hall with a flash of golden light. Starswirl and Luna were already present, nodding their heads at the princess as she stood in front of her throne. Sergeant Ironmane was the first to canter into the cathedral-sized doorway of the hall, followed shortly by Ashton Calhoof. “Ah can’t thank ya enough fer goin’ outta yer way for me, mister,” the grateful pony told the sergeant, who nodded at him in acknowledgement. As Ironmane stood at attention and Ashton introduced himself to Luna and Starswirl, Professor Aeon came hurriedly flying into the hall. Waving his hoof cheerfully at Celestia, he landed and began reorganizing the hoof-full of notes he had hurriedly stuffed into his saddlebags. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were next to enter; the latter having a rather nervous look on his face. Previously, he had been honored and excited to join the team—but then Cadance mentioned that her mother was going to be there. The jittery unicorn found himself wishing he was already on the battlefield as he followed her. “This is the spot, right?” Spitfire asked, looking around the Royal Hall. Spotting the princess, she sighed in relief. “Whew, it is… this whole place can look the same sometimes.” “You’re tellin’ me,” Soarin’ laughed, as they hovered into the royal hall. “Spitfire! Soarin’!” Professor Aeon shouted, waving at them. “Over here!” “Professor Aeon?” Spitfire asked, as they flew to him. They had previously met—Spitfire and Soarin’ had taken several classes taught by the professor at Cloudsdale University. “Did the princess summon you, too?” Soarin’ added curiously. “Sure did!” replied the professor, pulling a few scrolls from his saddlebags and handing them to the two pegasi. “She brought me on to coordinate aerial tactics and such; I have a feeling you’re going to like these…” While he began sharing his ideas with the Wonderbolts in front of him, Ragehoof silently trotted into the Royal Hall, making a beeline for the far right wall. He casually leaned on one of the columns, fixing his intense gaze on Celestia as she stood in front of her throne. “The… WONDERBOLTS?!” an excited Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she soared into the hall. “Oh my gosh, omigosh-omigosh-omigosh-“ “Ashton Calhoof?!” Applejack exclaimed, pushing past Dash and spotting him. “Hoo-eee! When the princess said we’d have the best, she really meant it!” Pinkie Pie came bouncing in after her, followed shortly by Rarity, who almost swooned in the presence of so much royalty; being in the presence of three princess and being in the throne room was quite overwhelming. Fluttershy was overwhelmed as well, for different reasons. Instinctively following her nearest friend, she grew anxious as Rarity led her to the largest social circle in the hall, where Applejack had gone to introduce herself to Ashton. “’Course Ah remember ya from the competition,” Ashton said cheerfully, losing the contest of who could shake hooves harder. “Ah was hopin’ to meet ya afterwards, but ya disappeared all quick-like right after the awards!” “Aw, well,” Applejack replied, her cheeks reddening as she remembered how ashamed she had been for not claiming first prize. “Ah wasn’t feelin’ too good, s’all. Glad Ah got to meet ya now, though!” “Likewise,” replied Ashton, as Pinkie Pie seized his hoof and introduced herself. “Hey, Rainbow Dash! Over here!” Spitfire called out. Dash’s head nearly exploded with excitement as she soared across the hall, landing in front of her two idols. “H-hey guys, what’s up?!” she asked, trying to mask her excitement with toughness. “Hey, it’s our hero!” Soarin’ said, cheerfully pushing a hoof into Dash’s shoulder. “Somethin’ tells me she’s gonna save us a third time before all this is over.” “Us?” Spitfire laughed. “That wasn’t my apple pie, you didn’t share a crumb with me!” “Whatever, boss,” replied Soarin’, as Dash tried to form words. The fact that the Wonderbolts were saying her name and the word ‘hero’ in the same sentence was sending her brain into overload. “Ah, Rainbow Dash!” Aeon exclaimed, lifting his head from his papers. “I’m Professor Aeon Silverwing, and the princess brought me here to organize the aerial combat section of this team.” “Hey there,” Dash replied, paying only a little bit of attention to the professor. “I’m going to fight… with the WONDERBOLTS!” she screamed inside her head. “Doc here was our Advanced Flight teacher back at Cloudsdale University,” Spitfire told her, seizing her attention. “He’s got some pretty awesome ideas for us, dude.” “Uh, um,” said Dash, managing to collect herself. “Right! W-what’s the plan, doc?” “Well!” Aeon said, not having heard that nickname for a long time. “I’ve drawn up several supersonic flight maneuvers that you’d be uniquely qualified to perform…” As Aeon excitedly lectured the pegasi in front of him, Pinkie Pie hopped away from the group, scanning for other ponies she had yet to meet. Before reaching Aeon and the Wonderbolts, her bright blue eyes locked themselves on Ragehoof. “Hi!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing over to him and seizing his left front hoof. “I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?” “Go away,” Ragehoof replied coldly, jerking his hoof away from the excited pony. “Oohh, that’s an awesome name! I’ve met a few ponies with the same name before! I wonder if you’re related?” Pinkie looked at him questioningly. He gave no response. She slowly moved to the left and tilted her head sideways, effectively intercepting his gaze towards Celestia. “You look really serious, Go,” Pinkie told him. “You’d make a pretty good royal guard, you know? They’re always so serious too!” Ragehoof blinked a couple of times, taken back by the absurdity of her statement. “They’re a bunch of weaklings,” he seethed. “Just like you. What are you even doing here?” “I have no idea!” she gushed, again taking him off guard. “Why are you here, Go?” “My name’s Ragehoof,” he corrected her. “And I guess I’m here to watch you die in battle...” He rolled his eyes and gazed upwards at the ceiling. Standing high on her hind legs, Pinkie again invaded his field of view with a wide smile. “That wouldn’t be very smart, would it?” said the slightly confused Pinkie. “I’m the healer for the ground team, remember? Besides, I thought your name was ‘Go Away’? Which one should I call ya?” “What are you talking about?” the clueless Ragehoof muttered, shifting his eyes and looking at the floor. Sliding on her back underneath him, the pink pony’s grinning face was inescapable. “Ragehoof it is, then,” Pinkie replied happily. “That way I can tell you apart from the other Go Aways! Wanna play a game?” Ragehoof buried his face in his hoof, groaning miserably. “Celestia, what are you DOING?!” At the other end of the hall, Twilight Sparkle materialized with a CRACK of purple energy, cantering over to join her friends. With the sun inches from fully cresting the horizon, a silhouetted alicorn came walking into the hall. Everyone in the hall fell silent. Nearly all of Equestria had only ever seen Celestia, Luna, and Cadance—the sight of another alicorn was shocking. “Is that her?” Shining Armor whispered to his wife. “That’s her,” Cadance replied quietly, nudging him. “Princess Terra, it’s an honor to meet you,” said Armor, cantering over and bowing to the brown alicorn. “I’m no princess, boy,” Terra replied sharply. “Call me Terra. And for pony’s sake, lift your head...” “S-sorry, Terra,” he replied nervously. “I’m Shining Armor.” “My son-in-law,” she scoffed, looking him up and down. “I see...” “Mother, I’m glad you could make it,” Cadance interjected, breaking the awkward silence. She didn't have to carry conversation for long--Celestia called them to order moments later. ********** “Gather ‘round, everypony,” Celestia called out, her royal voice echoing throughout the hall. The groups dispersed and began to form a semicircle around her; it included everyone except Ragehoof, who had not budged from his spot. Celestia paced across the center of the semicircle, addressing them loud and clear. You have been summoned here today because Equestria is in dire need, If you are here, it is because you are the best at what you do, Some of you are here because of your outstanding physical prowess, Some of you are here because your healing or magical powers stand unrivaled, Suffice it to say, you are the greatest Equestria has to offer, and your country needs you to defend it… “While we will all stand together,” Celestia continued slowly. “There will be three teams.” “The airborne team will consist of Rainbow Dash, Professor Aeon Silverwing, Spitfire and Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts, and Fluttershy.” Dash patted the nervous Fluttershy on the back as she gulped. “The ground team includes Applejack, Sergeant Ironmane, Ashton Calhoof, Pinkie Pie, and Ragehoof. “The rest of us are of the magic team. Myself, my sister Terra and Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Captain Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Starswirl the Bearded.” Celestia paused for a moment, allowing the teams to size each other up. “Before I share more of the tactics, I must be honest about what we are facing,” she told them. “As I mentioned in my public statement, it is the single greatest threat Equestria has ever encountered. We face forces so evil that even Discord saw fit to imprison them… In all truthfulness, I know next to nothing about what they may be. I do, however, know some of what to expect… First and foremost, there is the Nighthawk. “The Nighthawk is a deeply corrupted bird matriarch that has spawned an entire swarm of similar creatures,” Celestia explained. “Being swift birds of prey, it is my guess that they will make a move upon the city of Fillydelphia by nightfall. They appear to only be able to fly during the nighttime, which gives us the advantage… “What makes the Nighthawk and her minions so dangerous is that they are made of shadow energy, and they grow in strength by harvesting the life force of ponies,” Celestia explained nervously. “...They periodically attack cities, kidnapping thousands of innocents to feed their insatiable thirst…" ********** “And you’re just going to feed them with this lot!” Ragehoof suddenly interrupted, matching Celestia's volume angrily. The entire group turned to face him, most of them shocked that he would cut Celestia off in mid-sentence. “Ragehoof, do you have something to add?” Celestia asked. Some of the ponies in the group shifted their surprised glances back to her, wondering why in Equestria she was taking him seriously. “The birds are hardly the biggest threat, are they?” Ragehoof seethed, slowly walking towards the princess. “You control the sun. Wave the stick on your head and keep it in the sky—problem solved. The Zentnor and the crazy necromancer should be dealt with first! Do you think they’ve learned nothing in the thousands of years they’ve been imprisoned?!” “If you have insight, please share it,” the princess told him curtly. “How about I start by informing this fine group of ponies just what Darkstar the Crazed actually did,” Ragehoof said, entering the semicircle and facing the group. “He waltzed into a peaceful little town and killed EVERYPONY in it! But that wasn’t enough, no—he turned around and raised their skeletons into a little army.” “I was getting to him,” Celestia said. “He is under surveillance, and is traveling on hoof through the Dream Valley. It will take him well over another day to reach Fillydelphia.” “Oh, under surveillance,” Ragehoof retorted mockingly. “That makes everything better, then. At least you can actually use magic on him. The Zentnor Collective, on the other hoof, isn’t so vulnerable. Most of you are gonna get torn to shreds by them!” “Silence!” Luna suddenly boomed, interrupting him and startling the others. “Hold your judgmental tongue until you have seen what the others of this team are capable of. Do not underestimate them.” “My sister speaks the truth,” Celestia said, authoritatively stepping between Luna and Ragehoof, who had assumed a defensive stance. “Darkstar travels slowly, and the Zentnor have yet to exit Tartarus. The Nighthawk, however, will attack swiftly when she is ready--that could be as soon as this evening.” Ragehoof narrowed his eyes at Celestia as he backed away and stood at the edge of the semicircle. “Professor Aeon Silverwing of Cloudsdale University is with us as an advisor, as well a tactical coordinator for the airborne team,” Celestia continued, nodding her head towards Aeon. “He has extensive documentation of the Nighthawk. Grant him your undivided attention, if you would.” “Thank you, your highness,” Aeon said, stepping forward. “I’ve studied all of the scientific data gathered from the Nighthawk’s previous attack, circa five-hundred and eighty Anno Celestae. Though these records are almost four thousand years old, they are still accurate.” “She is comprised of ninety-two percent shadow energy,” the professor continued, looking around at the group in front of him. “The shadow energy holds the organic material of her body together, giving her the illusion of mass. This ratio also applies to her minions. “Because shadow energy increases in entropy when exposed to excess heat, she and her minions are vulnerable to magical attacks and well-placed physical attacks as well. Exothermic spells—fire, lightning, and anything of the type—will destabilize them.” His purple eyes rested on Twilight, who was raising her hoof. “Yes, miss…?” “Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced herself. “Why does the Nighthawk attack cities? Is there any indication of intelligence, and can she be reasoned with?” “She attacks cities to harvest life forms, Miss Sparkle,” Aeon explained to her. “Especially unicorns. Any sentient being capable of using magic can act as a sort of shadow energy battery, channeling great power into her. As for her intelligence, well… She is telepathically linked to her minions, but judging from their actions, I can only assume that she is feral…” “Feral is accurate indeed,” Luna added, as Aeon paused. “Celestia and I were unable to reason with the creature. In order to defeat her, my sister brought forth daylight during the night.” “Ah, yes, princess,” the professor continued as she nodded at him. “Continuing on her weakness... Because exothermic reactions disturb the aptly-named shadow energy so much, it can degrade just through exposure to sunlight. Also, their eyes seem to be extremely sensitive to light in general, hence their favoring of-“ ********** Suddenly, the entire room went dark around them. Shouts of confusion echoed throughout the hall as everyone began questioning what was going on at once. “…Nighttime…” Aeon shuddered amidst the chaos, his eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. “Silence!” Princess Luna’s booming voice ordered, as Celestia’s horn glowed with golden light. It illuminated the now-silent Royal Hall around them. “Who turned out the sun?” Pinkie asked in confusion, looking out the window. Stars were poking through the sky, and a great wind was kicking up due to the sudden disappearance of warm sunlight. “I… don’t know!” Celestia replied angrily, her horn glowing even brighter. “It’s been lowered by a powerful force of magic, and I can’t raise it back!” “Calm yourself, sister,” Luna requested. Her horn glowed as well as she focused intently, beginning to raise the moon. Once it was in a suitable position, she rotated it, bringing it from a new moon to a full moon, partially illuminating the panicking nation of Equestria. “Well, the Nighthawk just loves night, doesn’t she?” Ragehoof asked sarcastically. “…Celestia, I’ve just received word from Trajo,” Starswirl interjected, ignoring Ragehoof’s comment. “The Nighthawk and her minions are upon Fillydelphia as we speak!” “How is that possible?!” Celestia gasped, her wide eyes staring at the wizard. "She was in Tartarus all morning, was she not?" “They… teleported,” Starswirl explained, as though even he didn’t believe the words he was speaking. “Trajo says they were still flocking at the crater when the planet’s orbit was shifted into nightfall… By the time he recalibrated the satellite, they were already upon the city! Fascinating!” “Not the word I’d use to describe it…” Celestia replied quickly. She amplified her voice again, addressing the worried group. “Listen, everypony... I did not intend to thrust us into combat so quickly, but if we do not act now, the citizens of Fillydelphia will be dragged into a fate worse than death! Starswirl, please prepare the teleportation!” The wizard nodded, materializing a glyph and placing it on the floor in front of him. “You know what must be done, and the time is now,” Celestia continued. She was met with mixed reactions from the team. “We are the Equestrian Elite, and we WILL defend this country!” Celestia said supportively. “However, I will not force this upon any of you... Should anypony wish to step away, please do so now.” Fourteen of the Equestrian Elite their shook their heads, immediately stepping forward. Ragehoof reluctantly stepped forth as well, but Terra started to back away. “Mother?” Cadance gulped fearfully. “I… I don’t… This is not my kingdom…” “Do it for me,” her daughter told her, hurriedly cantering to her side. “Please! We need you! If you won’t do it for Equestria, do it for me!” Terra stopped backing away and looked down at Cadance, taking a deep breath. “…For you, Mi Amore,” she replied quietly. “Sorry to interrupt!” Starswirl called out, producing a wide aura of blue magic from his hat. “...Train’s leaving! All aboard!” “Everypony that’s coming, into the field, now!” Celestia ordered, galloping to the wizard’s side. Cadance joined her, followed swiftly by Terra. “Not teleporting again,” Dash moaned, hovering into the blue field. “Ever teleported before, Spitfire? It’s a total drag…” “Hah, nope,” the Wonderbolt laughed nervously as the rest of the Elite crowded into Starswirl’s sphere of magic. Celestia’s horn stopped glowing, leaving the hall illuminated only by the deep blue glow. “In three!” Starswirl shouted--the hall began to vibrate with powerful magical energies. “Two!” “…Here goes nothing,” Ragehoof muttered quietly, closing his eyes. “Liftoff!” Starswirl laughed excitedly, skipping one and incinerating the glyph in front of him. An explosion of blue magic rippled through the Equestrian Elite, and they disappeared with a powerful CRACK, which echoed through the empty throne room. “…D’ya think they’ll make it, corporal?” asked one of the Royal Hall’s guards, gazing over his shoulder. “…I hope so, private,” replied the corporal, pulling the doors to the Royal Hall shut. “…I sure hope so…” “PC” stands for Priori Celestae, which is ancient Equinn for Before Celestia. Likewise “AC” means Anno Celestae, translating to Year of Celestia. The calender eras are separated by Celestia and Luna's overthrowing of Discord; the current year is 4452AC. Ancient Equinn is loosely based on Latin, and the current language, Equish, is based on English.