Welcome, to the future.
Those words may seem bold, but the future is what we offer, it is what we strive for, it is our most solemn promise and vow to you, the ponies of Equestria, the Gryphons of the Dominion, the Minotaurs of the Hegemony, in short, the citizens of Equis. One we shall uphold until the end of time.
No matter who you are, your race or creed, Magi-TekTM is here for you, combining the arcane with the scientific, the oldest traditions with the height of technological breakthroughs, the Equestrian with that of a galaxy not our own.
I say again. Welcome to the future. Welcome, to the World’s Fair.
Twilight’s voice boomed from a near perfect holographic replica of the mare's own head, perfect save for the fact it dwarfed even the largest of minotaurs a dozen times over, filling the auditorium stage. As the final words faded, so too did the hologram, dissolving into aetheric-mist that curled and danced, seemingly with a life of its own, beckoning the views onwards, drawing them in before it too faded, the shutters that had dimmed the auditorium sliding up.
Twilight blinked as the light streamed in, clopping her hooves together as the one other occupant of the room walked on stage, taking a small bow in recognition of the alicorn’s approval.
“So, I take it you approve?” the stallion asked.
“As always, you’ve knocked this out of the park, Star Whistle,” Twilight rose as she spoke, coming to land beside the old stallion. “Magi-TekTM is lucky to have you, this will make for quite the entrance. It’s set to loop, yes?”
“Precisely,” Star Whistle nodded enthusiastically. “All the guests will pass by it on their way in, the projection will be powered by seven Alfar-grade aetheric matrices...”
Star Whistle trailed off as he remembered who he was talking to, Twilight stifling a soft chuckle behind her wing.
“Sorry, I do not believe you need the technical specifications of your own invention,” he laughed sheepishly.
“Star Whistle, if anypony deserves the right to launch into technical specifications of magical technology, it would be you,” Twilight assured him. “And I trust your judgement implicitly, this fair, and this company, are as much your triumph as they are mine.”
“You’re too kind, princess. I will ensure the final itinerary is on your desk by the morning at the latest.”
With that, Star Whistle turned, muttering to himself as he began to work through what was still required for the upcoming fair, a stylus and dataslate materialising to take down his words in a flash of white magic. Twilight watched him for a moment before likewise turning and trotting from the room, leaving Star Whistle to his work.
When Star Whistle had first approved her two years ago with the idea of merging his small company with Magi-TekTM, Twilight had initially been sceptical, his company in truth little more than a one-pony band, while Magi-TekTM had only just become more than a dream, yet already she had ponies clamouring to stand beside the Princess. Of them, Star Whistle had been by far the oldest, many even laughing as the wizened stallion had made his case, and yet each had swiftly stopped laughing as he proved the old adage of old dogs and new tricks entirely false, his understanding of arcane-technology impressive, but it was his skill as an orator and a show-pony who never stopped so low as to be a snake-oil salespony that had truly won Twilight over. It had not taken much thought for Twilight to appoint him as the CMO of the entire company, and it was not mere flattery that Magi-TekTM’s success was as much his as it was Twilight’s.
As she walked through the campus, Twilight still couldn’t help but marvelling at the changes wrought upon Equestria in such a short amount of time, a mere three years having passed since the portal to that other universe had opened once again, and for the second time in recent memory, Equestria, and indeed all of Equis, had experienced a second cultural and technological renaissance, combining the arcane, Aeldari and T’au into a wave that left nothing untouched.
Hyper-velocity trains, initially developed from Aeldari jetbike technology and requiring a Unicorn pilot and thus all but impossible to maintain beyond Equestria, were now common in every nation of the world as new energy capacitors stored the power of a hundred unicorns for months on end, enabled travel across the continent at speeds and distances undreampt of, while sleek airships powered by the repulsor technology of the ship that had brought the travellers home now criss-crossed the skies, bringing the light of friendship and harmony to all corners of the planet.
At the heart of all of this change sat Magi-TekTM, Twilight serving as both CEO and its greatest inventor, the Princess of Friendship, the Princess of Technology as many now joked, had churned out innovation after innovation, backed by the Equestrian treasury to ensure that the inventions were made available and accessible for all, the company founded on a solemn promise to never deprive or discriminate, and to never stop the ceaseless march of progress through this latest and greatest of technological ages. It was a promise that Twilight was intensely proud to say she had never once faltered from, which now led them to where they were now.
“Keep it together,” Twilight softly chided herself, taking a deep breath to calm her ever growing nerves that rested just beneath the surface, speeding up to a brisk trot as she did so. She could have flown or caught a taxi, but she enjoyed the walk, it gave her time to get her head on straight.
The World's Fair was going to be the most important event in Magi-TekTM’s short history, creatures coming from all over Equis to marvel at the new innovations being made in Equestria and beyond. Not just observers however, investors. Magi-TekTM may have had the support of the Equestrian Treasury, but the burden of subsidising the company’s vast expenditures could not be sustained indefinitely. By the standards of large scale companies, Magi-TekTM haemorrhaged money at a frankly alarming rate, selling its inventions at close to cost, R&D thus a drain without large margins to offset it. The Worlds Fair was a chance, the last chance as Twilight reminded herself before cursing herself for adding yet more fuel to the fires of her nerves, to attract not just onlookers, but investors, ponies and other denizens of Equis who shared in her vision and would not make a push towards profits above people.
Twilights heart was hammering as she finally reached her personal workspace, virtually galloping as she slammed the doors behind her, taking a deep breath in the sanctity of her private area.
“Princess Twilight.”
The voice caused Twilight to jump, whirling round and locking gazes with the orange eyes of none other than Spitfire.
“General Spitfire,” Twilight forced herself to adopt some modicum of dignity as she spoke, her wings subconsciously straightening themselves as her eyes were invariably drawn to the nub that still graced the older mares back. “May I ask how you got in here? This is a private space off limits to the public, that does include the Everwatchful Eye, even their commander.”
Her words were stilted, it not taking a genius to sense the gulf that existed between the two ponies.
“Your assistant let me in,” Spitfire’s words were dismissive, Twilight making a mental note to have words with Spike about what “Private” and “Do not let anyone in” meant.
“Well then, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Twilight asked. “I see the latest shipment of armour reached you.”
True to Twilight's words, Spitfire was indeed clad in a suit of black combat armour that still bore the tell-tale sheen of a factory finish. New armaments had been amongst the first and easiest inventions after Applejack and the others returned, Twilight’s own efforts having revolved primarily around the Royal Guard, replacing the cumbersome metal armour with suits of a nano-crystalline polyethene weave, maintaining the golden look of their old armour but eclipsing its protective qualities a thousand-fold, all at a fraction of the weight, while their spears now boasted potent stun generators, ensuring the peace-keepers were well equipped for their duties.
Spitfire was not a Royal Guard however, and the armour she wore was of an entirely different pedigree, speaking to the mindset of their commander. The mare who had disappeared into the portal so long ago had not returned with Applejack, instead the Spitfire that came back was venomous and driven in equal measures, determined to “protect Equis from any threats that would assail it”, whatever that truly meant. At first she had proclaimed herself the new leader of the Swooping Pegasi, Rainbow’s unexplained absence leaving no one to challenge her, but in time, a mere team had given way to a far larger organisation; the Everwatchful Eye.
Not bound to any one nation or species, the Everwatchful Eye was formed from ponies, Gryphons, Minotaurs, Horses, Yaks and countless others, a private military that rivalled even the Gryphon Hosts or the Changeling Swarms, and each bore weapons and armour forged in Magi-TekTM approved facilities across the world, designed not for ceremony or peace, but war, Twilights inventions equipping a standing army, something she found distasteful at best.
“Right on time, as always,” Spitfire nodded. “As for why I am here...”
Spitfire pointed at the cloth covered object in the middle of the room, Twilight’s eyes darting to the magical seals before she assured herself Spitfire hadn’t been able to look beneath.
“As you can see from the cover, and as you may have surmised from it being locked away in a private facility, it is not ready yet, and I do not appreciate you spying on what Magi-TekTM is working on. I am sure if you wait for a few days, the World's Fair may enlighten you prop...”
“Cut the horsehit,” Spitfire’s voice was icy as she cut in, Twilight wincing at the mares language and the ease with which she fell into its use. “My contacts, my ‘spies’, have been telling me about this project for almost as long as this company has been around, and they also tell me that it was meant to be finished months ago, but mysteriously slowed down since Applejack withdrew from the public eye...her Battlesuit included.”
Once again, Twilight winced as the thought of Applejack’s sudden disappearance returned to her. It hadn’t been quite as sudden as Rainbow’s had been, having remained in Ponyville and returned to tending the farm, although the trunks of broken trees had marked her first few apple bucking attempts. Six months after her return however, she had vanished with only the quickest of goodbye’s, disappearing deep into the Everfree Forest, beyond where even the ruined Castle of the Two Sisters lay. None of the Apple’s would say why she’d gone, if she’d even told them the specifics, and all of Twilight's endeavours to search for her had turned up nothing. Whether she was with Rainbow Dash and the others or had gone off on her own, Twilight couldn’t say, but it hurt nonetheless, her heart aching for the days before any of this had happened, when things simply made sense.
What I may or not be working on...” Twilight began, but was cut off yet again as Spitfire took a step towards the Princess, her muzzle mere inches from Twilights.
“I don’t want the corporate speech,” Spitfire hissed. “Tau Battlesuits are amongst the greatest personal fighting machines in the galaxy, Applejack’s was a marvel amongst such marvels, and if you’re working on something of even a fraction of the potency then I want it for the Everwatcheful Eye.”
Twilight held Spitfire's gaze for a second, before teleporting away in a flash, a second flash across the room heralding her return, forcing Spitfire to whirl to face her.
“If I am working on Battlesuit technology, and if such a thing were ever to be unveiled, then you can observe it alongside the general public and place your bids accordingly if it falls under our military applications arm, or can purchase it at cost if it enters the civilian market. Magi-TekTM begrudgingly supplies the weapons market as our sole source of profit but I am not about to become the sort of pony who performs illicit backdoor arms deals, especially not with ponies who arrive unannounced inside my personal laboratory seeking to stronghoof me.”
“Don’t make me your enemy, Sparkle,” Spitfire growled.
“Don’t make yourself an enemy then,” Twilight retorted just as bluntly, having fully regained her surety as she swept a hoof towards the door. “If there is nothing else, General, I trust you can see yourself out? I am a very busy pony afterall, the World’s...”
“There’s been a murder,” Spitfire broke the horrific news without fanfare or even a cursory attempt to soften the blow, the last word hanging in the air.
“A...murder?” Twilight all but whispered, her ears folding down close to her head. Crime had risen slightly with the industrialisation of much of Equis, but by and large these were still small crimes, petty thefts or drunken brawls.
“Do I have your attention now?” Spitfire asked, arching an eyebrow.
“You’re sure? The amount of reported yearly murders in Equestria can be counted on the hooves of a single pony.”
“I can show you documentation if you would like, the pictures are conclusive that this wasn’t an accident.”
“No, please no,” Twilight looked sick, her fur pale. “W-why are you telling me this? A murder would be...”
“The purview of the local city guard,” Spitfire finished, as if it was obvious. “Normally that would be the case, but in this instance they’ll be out of their league if I’m right. The nature of the event is...singular and brutal in its execution. My thoughts are just that, thoughts, and I require evidence to back them up, and for that, I can think of no pony with a better grasp of magic who would be willing to help.”
“Me? Help with this?” Twilight all but shouted, her eyes wide. “Why would I be able to help? Pinkie’s the detective!”
“Don’t play coy, Twilight,” Spitfire shook her head. “You have an eye for detail greater than anypony or anyone else I know, you have access to the greatest experimental and prototype equipment known to Equis and if you agree to help, you’ll be able to bring that equipment to assist us rather than making us jump through hoops to requisition it.”
“This was your plan all along?” Twilight asked. “You never wanted,” she gestured at the cloth covering in the centre of the room, “this?”
“No, I do, and I stand by wanting it, especially if I am proven right,” Spitfire said darkly. “But, I will drop any attempts to get at it early on two conditions. Firstly, you agree to assist this investigation.”
“And the second condition?”
“If that is finished by the time we find the culprit and if it is deemed necessary by me, you will use it, grand unveiling at the World’s Fair be damned.”
Twilight paused for a long moment, before nodding.
“One condition of my own. If I do this, the Everwatchful Eye will wait and bid for military contracts as everyone else does. No special treatment, no previews of our new products, and no attempting to pervert our civilian creations to your own ends. Do we have a deal?”
Twilight expected Spitfire to refuse this, getting ready to engage in a fierce back and forth, but to her surprise, Spitfire simply extended a hoof.
“Done.”
Twilight gently tapped her hoof against Spitfire’s, taken aback with the ease of negotiations as Spitfire turned to leave.
“The first body has been moved to our Canterlot base, I have a shuttle waiting to take us there. Get what you need and meet me in the flight bay.”
“Why did you say ‘first’?” Twilight called out as Spitfire trotted towards the exit.
“Because I don’t believe this is over,” Spitfire shot back darkly, not turning around. “Not by a long shot.”
***
Twilight barely made it a few steps outside the room before she threw up, the contents of her lunch splattered across the floor as she made a retching sound, mixing with the sobs that were escaping from her. She had known that looking at a dead pony would be one of the most harrowing experiences of her life, she had prepared herself mentally on the way here, remembering everything that Rainbow Dash had said about coping with violence when she had returned for the first time. If the pony she had seen had simply been dead, maybe she would have managed to keep her lunch down, though her tears would have been present regardless. Just ‘dead’ however, didn’t describe what she had just seen however. Eviscerated maybe. Disembowelled. Shredded. Torn Apart.
Twilight retched again, cursing her own mind for knowing so many words that could be used to describe what she had just seen.
A hoof suddenly snaked around her neck, Twilight looking p to see Lightning Dust beside her, the teal pony holding Twilight close.
“We’re here for you, princess,” she cooed softly, her voice more comforting than Twilight remembered based on the last time they spoke.
“What...could...do...that?” Twilight’s voice was little more than a high pitched squeak, her breather laboured and her pupils pinprick small.
“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out,” Lighting sighed. “I know it’s hard Twilight, but we need your help here. These injuries don’t match any known animal wounds, so either it's a new creature, a pack of something, or something else...”
She trailed off, her own expression darkening much in the same manner as Spitfires had earlier. They both knew something, or at least they both had a hunch, but whatever it was, both were loath to give voice to the idea, almost as if they feared what speaking the idea aloud would do.
“That was no animal,” Twilight shook her head, forcing her mind to work analytically, trying to push out the fact she was talking about a deceased pony. “The striations are a uniform depth and direction, looking like they came from two distinct angles at first, then over a hundred in the next. The first two dis...disabled, the next wounded, but cause of d-death...cause was...”
Twilight couldn’t do it, bursting into tears once more.
“Exsanguination,” Spitfire murmured as she exited the morgue, joining the pair and putting a hoof of her own around Twilight's neck. “We didn’t think it was an animal either, there’s no tell-tale signs of a feral attack, the corpse is whole save the wounds done to it, no creature we know of just kills and leaves its victim for us to find.”
“And no creature could kill in the middle of Manehattan like that,” Lightning added. “Anything that brutal wouldn’t be stealthy if it didn’t also possess pony level intellect.
“Exactly,” Spitfire nodded. “Now you see we need your help, princess. We need an impartial witness of these events, someone with expertise. This is a threat to all of Equestria.”
“I’ll...call the girls,” Twilight sniffed, before forcing herself to stand straight, speaking with some of the gravitas that her role as princess demanded. “The Elements of harmony will assist you, Spitfire. We’ll find whatever...whoever did this, and ensure they face Celestia’s justice, and that of the Elements.”