//------------------------------// // Part 11: Answers at Last // Story: Mass Effect 2 - DLC: The Equestrian Equation // by Loyal2Luna //------------------------------// Shepard’s brow was furrowed in thought for a few seconds as he tapped a hoof to his head, clearly considering each of the three options carefully. Then he sighed in resignation as he set his face into that hoof. “I’m probably going to regret this, but... Pinkie?” he uttered, his tone low. “What do you have in mind?” Pinkie Pie beamed with a grin that was far too wide to fit on her face as both Rainbow and Twilight’s jaws went slack, hardly believing that their respective plans had been rejected. “But… what about...?” Twilight stammered for a moment. “In the real world, Twilight, your suggestion would be the most sound.” Shepard shook his head. “In the real world, any opposing force would have finite resources and manpower, and we could just fight our way through or sneak in. But that’s just it... This isn’t the real world. That’s the mistake I made back in Bedlam: I ended up just fighting the same three or four opponents over and over. These are not living soldiers that can be worn down and stopped permanently; they’re defensive programs.” “For every one put down, that just frees up memory for the system to add to their programming. An endlessly-evolving defense force,” Milligan agreed, following Shepard’s train of thought as Pinkie was muttering under her breath, going over the options she had at her disposal. “But if you happen to be smart like me, you can change the rules of the game.” Pinkie grinned, joining the conversation with a sly infection to her voice as she turned to her fellow Elements of Harmony. “And that’s what we're gonna do. Alright, girls… It’s game time! Now, I need balloons, a wooden staff, a big straw hat, a record player, a dozen chocolate cupcakes, and a live squid!” The gathered ponies looked to Pinkie with a stunned silence. “Uhh... Sugarcube, where the hay’re we supposed ta get a live squid?” Applejack asked incredulously. “Okay, fiiine!” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “We’ll work around the squid. Just leave it kinda loosey-goosey and meet me back here in ten minutes.” With a speed that the gathered humans thought was reserved only for children’s vids, Pinkie Pie zipped away in a swirl of color that stunned all of the gathered ponies to speechlessness. “P… Pinkie?” Fluttershy started. “Where are we supposed to get balloons at this hour?” “What is this supposed to be; a scavenger hunt?” Milligan put a hoof to his head, the migraine he had been feeling for days returning with a vengeance. “What kind of special ops plan involves cupcakes?” Dr. Hern asked dubiously. “Do I really want to consider the consequences of what I've just unleashed?” Shepard asked himself, for some reason filled with dread. “Probably not, but here we go!” Rainbow shook her head, her forelegs swinging wildly before she dove off to try and find what they needed for the mad mare’s plan. ———————————————————— Lunar Platform “Vakarian-Squad Leader.” Legion set its shoulder into cover, crouched down as a beam of brilliant green energy missed its head by mere centimeters and carved a deep black gouge into the wall behind them. “Attempts to remotely access facility defenses have failed. Recommend tactical withdrawal.” “Agreed,” Thane’s gravely voice concurred, pulling himself up just long enough to let loose a burst of sub-machine gun fire, several rounds resoundingly impacting a blackened equine mech, but causing little damage. “These mechs are surprisingly durable.” Garrus was inclined to agree as another beam-like burst of green energy tore overhead and dug into the wall behind the reception desk that he and his squad had managed to overturn and use as cover. At first, the mechs had seemed to be on par with the kind of cheap, mass-produced drones they had often faced in previous missions. The trio of highly-trained specialists managed to rebuke the initial advance relying on their shields and armor to protect them as the mechs attempted to close in, buzzing about like a small swarm into place on the ground before attacking, firing low-impact kinetic shots from their horns. This they were prepared for; a tactic that was conveniently similar to that of the Collectors. At that opening of combat, Garrus’ fire-team had managed to inflict multiple casualties as they closed in, but so far, that had only been through focused firepower as the mechs' shells seemed highly-resistant to their kinetic weapons. Much to his shock; rather than just ignore their fallen comrades and soldier on like good mindless mechs, their attackers broke off to recover their injured and pull them away from the conflict. Before Garrus could observe why they were intent on doing this, however, they had learned that these mechs were far from toothless. At one point, quite unexpectedly, the low-impact concussive pulses were changed out for concentrated beams of raw green energy that had nearly overwhelmed the team’s shields before they had managed to flip over the reception desk, which turned out to be made from the same material as the drones’ armor plating. Garrus had seen such technology before in laser mining drills and industrial beam-cutting tools, but never in such a small, weaponized form, or with such range. He was grateful that they seemed incapable of flying and firing this weapon simultaneously, or they would likely have already been dead. They were not going to win this firefight directly, he determined. The enemy may not have had overwhelming numbers, but he didn’t fancy their chances if they started to really coordinate their fire. Meanwhile, the invulnerable hologram that was continuing to loom over them didn’t make it any easier to think. “Are we having fun yet, turian?” the sweet and sinister tone was right up close to Garrus' crest ridge, one that he had to resist turning to face as he tried to come up with a reasonable plan. Projected from the floor itself and capable of walking straight through obstacles, it seemed that Chrysalis was harmless enough as her holographic body lacked mass or any direct means of attacking them. And even though he dearly wanted to put a few rounds though the equine creature, Garrus’ time in C-Sec had taught him how to recognize goading antagonism when he saw it. “I don’t suppose it would help if I said I was sorry?” Garrus mused. “Hmmm…” Chrysalis seemed to consider this for a moment. “No, not really. At this point I’m content to throw your organic carcasses out the airlock. I think I might keep the geth, though. It seems like fun.” “We are prepared to delete ourselves if such a situation were to occur,” Legion stated without hesitance or emotion. “Krios-Squadmate, requesting cover fire.” “I rather preferred Cadence myself,” Thane muttered off the cuff, ejecting a thermal clip before putting his weapon over the edge of their cover to give Legion the assistance it needed, allowing the geth a half-second window to pull itself up, line up its shot, and fire. The round from its M-98 Widow impacted a mech directly in the foreleg joint, causing it to shatter and fall off balance, prone but still functional. “If you would kindly stop blowing holes in my drones and die, that would be appreciated.” Chrysalis shook her head, clearly amused. “Oh, well, since you asked so politely…” Garrus set his rifle to one side before his other hand went to his hip. Chrysalis expression changed to one of curiosity as he pulled free a small, triangular device... ...and chucked it over their cover in a high arc. “THANE, LIGHT ‘EM UP!” Garrus cried out, dropping his head down and setting his hands against either side of his helmet, knowing this would probably make his head ring. “Wha…?” Chrysalis drew back with a sudden worry as the drell raised himself from cover and pulled back his arm, now glowing with blue particulates as he readied a biotic warp charge. With an effort of will, he flung the mass of energy at Garrus’ device as it sailed towards the group of drones. *FLASH-THOOOMB* The turian proximity mine’s already impressive explosive yield was overloaded and amplified in a mass effect field before it even struck the ground; a combination that released a powerful concussive blast just above the advancing swarm of drones and sent them crashing to the ground. Chrysalis winced despite lacking the biological need to do so as Garrus was already up and moving, rushing straight through the immaterial pony-creature with his compatriots on his heels as the A.I. formed a response. “HEY, NO FAIR! THAT’S CHEATING!” Chrysalis vented angrily as the changelings started to pull themselves up and recover, having suffered only superficial damage.“GET BACK HERE AND DIE, DAMN YOU!” Garrus did not even look back as he led his team rushing deeper into the facility. ———————————————————— Canterlot Library Grounds The Elite Guard of Canterlot Palace maintained their patrols for appearances only, as they were all linked into the proximity lines that had been set into place around the tower grounds. Their purpose was simple and they would complete their directives. Directives which one particular guard took a fraction of a second to review. Prevent access of tower by unauthorized individuals Disable and detain Unregistered Neural Anomaly identified as "Shepard" Detain any neural patterns assisting the Shepard Anomaly These simple directives were in place and could not be altered. *Ping* These simple directives were in place and could not be altered. The guard unit paused for a moment, barely recognizing the glitched repeat. He turned to the left... then to the right. Had something just happened? He wasn’t sure. Diagnostics were fine and his directives were unchanged. ———————————————————— Pinkie Pie grinned as she led Shepard and Twilight towards the tower out in the open, her unicorn friend wearing an oversized, pointed, yellow straw hat. “...and you’re sure this will work?” Twilight was clearly nervous, attempting to keep the hat on straight in spite of her horn. “Yep-yep! Just follow my lead, do what I say... and above all... be nice and wait your turn.” “So... we’re just going to stand in a line... and walk right up to them?” Shepard was now seriously regretting his decision to let Pinkie plan their strategy of attack. “Just trust me. Have I ever let you down?” While Twilight shook her head, clearly unable to come up with a response to that, Shepard had to admit that in the short time he had known the pink pony, she hadn’t. Although, as she whistled for attention suddenly, waving her forelegs to flag down the guards, who then turned and charged forward in a small herd, he was beginning to worry. “Oh, boooyyys~” “Pinkieeeeee...” Twilight was clearly concerned as the stallions moved towards them. “Hold your ground... Hoooold...” As the closest of the stallions moved just within ten feet of the trio, Pinkie stood up on her hind legs with a sudden and enthusiastic cry. “RANDOM ENCOUNTER!” Then the air was filled with a sudden crashing of sounds as the ambient music around them changed. To both Shepard and Twilight’s shock, the guards suddenly came to a grinding halt, the majority of them holding back as four of them moved to stand in a line ten feet away. Almost parallel to Pinkie’s smaller group, they immediately set themselves into aggressive-looking postures, simply glaring at the three ponies. “Oh, I am soooo good,” Pinkie grinned as she congratulated herself under her breath. “Why are they...?” Shepard stopped, realizing that questioning it would likely lead to a requirement for a LOT of therapy, before he managed to lift up a hoof as Pinkie had suggested to him earlier, holding a "battle pose" by looking ready to charge. “You’re up first, Twilight! Stun the big one in the back!” Pinkie ordered. “Okay... Uh...” Twilight tried to ignore the absurdity of this method of combat, as well as the fact that the rest of the guards, more than a dozen of them, were standing back and out of the way, as if waiting in a queue. With a little effort, she summoned particles of light that swirled around her horn, gathering together in a solid cone. She then reared back, and launched the concentrated energy in a beam of white that lanced straight at the lead guard’s face. It was a direct hit on the largest of the stallions, who flinched with a grunt, blinking as he was blinded, but did not otherwise respond. Shepard was about to speak up, utterly perplexed as to why the guard would simply stand there and take such an obviously telegraphed attack, but was preempted by Pinkie. “Good job, Twilight! Now it’s my turn! Time to... steal the show!” Pinkie rushed forward, past two of the guards who seemed to all but ignore her as Pinkie quickly pulled open the blinded stallion’s saddlebag, fumbling around for a moment before pulling out a large keyring and withdrawing just as quickly. There was a small prompt in the box over Twilight’s field of vision, that instantly popped up with the message: Pinkie stole Key Ring X 1! Unicorn and soldier watched with stunned expressions as Pinkie casually tossed the key back behind her with a smirk. “What? Theft attempts always work better on targets that are stunned,” Pinkie explained before she allowed herself an overly dramatic gasp. “Oh, no! It’s their turn!” Their turn? Shepard watched the four stallions opposite them as, one by one, they leaned forward, swinging their hooves feebly at the air in front of them, then leaned back into their original position. Finally, realization dawned on Shepard as Pinkie let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Wow, they all missed. Lucky break!” “You... hacked their...” Twilight also perked, realizing that whatever Pinkie had done, it had altered the guards’ perception of how combat in Equestria worked. “Hooves! Er... hacked at their hooves... if I can during my turn,” Pinkie was quick to put forward, subtly hinting towards her friend to maintain the illusion. “While we continue to engage them in this pitched battle. Shepard, now’s your chance! Attack!” “So I...” “Hit him like you’re angry at the air!” Pinkie told him hastily, gesturing towards the nearest of the guards with a hoof. Shepard shrugged, deciding it best to quietly play along. Taking the hint, he turned swiftly on the spot and aimed his backside at the guard directly across him. He then reared up, and delivered a swift, devastating rear kick to... empty space. The reaction was instantaneous, as the enemy pony’s head twisted around with a watery crack, and he unceremoniously crumpled to the ground. “WHOA! CRITICAL HIT!” Pinkie cheered, causing Twilight to smirk as the armored unicorn suddenly faded from sight, while one of the guards lying in wait rushed up and took his fallen companion’s position, glaring at the group. Only Pinkie could get away with something this outlandish and have trained soldiers actually go along with it. “And now for round two. Twilight, use your turn to swap out with Fluttershy!” “Roger that. You’re up, Fluttershy,” Twilight called out as she backed away from the group’s line while still looking straight ahead, just as instructed. “O-okay...” Fluttershy soared down, having kept up in the air and out of sight until called, as Pinkie had asked, and feeling fairly silly wearing the white hood and awkwardly holding the gnarled wooden staff Pinkie told her to carry. “Now, attack that colt.” “You mean... Oh, right.” Fluttershy moved forward a step, fumbling with her hooves and swinging the staff weakly in a slow arc through the air in front of her. The result was a lot less dramatic than Shepard’s example, as the targeted soldier barely moved save for leaning slightly to the left. “Like that?” “One point of damage, perfect! And now I choose... to defend,” Pinkie said as she ducked down, holding her hooves over her head in a gesture that would have been completely useless for protection in any other situation. Shepard took a moment while the four guards were striking out at thin air to look past them, noting the colorful mane and tail that was taking advantage of the fact that all of the guards not standing in line for Pinkie’s game were all focused intently on what could hardly be described as a battle. Held in her mouth was the key that the pink pony had tossed into the air, and she was hard at work trying to open the heavily-barred doors to the library tower. Shepard could hardly believe this was working; that the defense programs had somehow been reprogrammed to believe that this was an acceptable form of combat. “Shepard: withdraw. Switch with Rarity.” Pinkie nodded, the stallion starting to take his steps back as the white mare took his place so he could double around and join Twilight, who should have been heading to join up with Applejack, Milligan, and Dr. Hern in a rush towards the door once Rainbow-- *ANNNGGGHHHHH-ANNNGGGHHHHH* The red stallion’s heart all but jumped out of his chest as the sudden sound of klaxons was heard over the ambient music, enough to make Pinkie Pie wince. “Aw, shoot!” the party pony cursed as the guards standing opposite them blinked, looking around with a sudden realization that something was clearly wrong. All of the sudden, her methods made sense to Shepard. The perception alteration was only valid if they were convinced that the rest of Equestria was also working in the same system. An illusion that was broken as the alarms were sounded. “Shepard, take the others and run!” Pinkie stated, breaking character as one of the guards started to shake his head clear. “I think it’s time to use my ‘special ability!’” Pinkie reached behind herself and pulled out a large record player, setting it on the ground for a moment before giving it a swift kick. In an instant, the music changed. “Wha... What...?” a guard uttered, regaining his senses as redundant algorithms, triggered by the alarm, overwrote the additions Pinkie had inserted into their base code. “Intruders! SEIZE THEM!” “Now boys, it’s still my turn. Bad things happen to bad ponies who cheat,” Pinkie warned quickly as a stallion moved over to her, her grin never leaving as the muscled guard stomped on the record player, crushing it to bits. Pinkie’s smile widened as the guard bore down on her. “That was probably not such a good idea.” Pinkie pointed a hoof upward, drawing the guard’s eyes to the sky... ...where an enormous swarm of gumball-sized, brightly-hued insects were glaring down at the guards that had so callously taken their music away. ———————————————————— The Library Tower “Jeez, could you ponies be any slower?” Rainbow grumbled as Patch and Milligan stumbled through the doorway of the tower, the two scientists panting for breath as the pegasus hovered over them. “I mean, I’m on my last feathers, completely exhausted, and I still could've made it to the top floor and back in the time I’ve been waiting on you.” “I can’t believe that worked!” Dr. Hern was still aghast as the swarm of candy-colored super-adorable locusts continued to flummox the guards as they had for nearly a minute now, her hooves clipping against the tile that made up the foyer of the library. “Why wouldn’t it have?” Milligan countered, clearly amused as Shepard, Twilight, and Applejack moved into sight, ducking through the doorway with a few of the gumball-sized insects fluttering around them. “The guards are just programming; they can’t tell the difference between pitched battle and a vid-game simulation. A few changes to their baseline programming and some props to throw off their logic filters, and they go from being death-dealing soldiers to line-fighting non-player characters straight out of an ancient RPG.” “RPG?” Shepard queried, shaking his head as he tried to brush off a parasprite attempting to nest in his short mane. “What, like the shoulder-mounted kind?” “No… not that kind of RPG, Commander. An ancient style of vid-game, a role-playing game.” “What in tarnation is a role-playing game?” Applejack asked, tilting her head at the unfamiliar reference. “Focus!” Twilight called for attention, the unicorn clearly on edge as she realized that they had only managed to bypass one obstacle with the use of Pinkie’s outrageous (yet effective) diversionary tactic. Chancing a peek out the door, Twilight could barely make out shapes of guards and her friends in the colorful haze of hundreds of thousands of parasprites. But judging from the shouting and the awkward, impaired movement, it seemed that Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy were managing to keep the guards distracted, as it seemed none of the programs had realized the library had been breached. With a sigh, and realizing that they had no choice, Twilight shut the door and with a flick of her horn, barricaded it with every locking spell she could think of. “Right. Now to get to the stairs.” Shepard nodded, trying to take in the scene. All seemed quiet in the library; large bookshelves lining the walls and a single flight of stairs moving up and into the ceiling, where a single opening was visible about a football field’s length away, stationed right in the center of the enormous room. Desks and tables that had clearly been meant for perusing ponies and students were all swept to the sides, an unobstructed path given to the staircase. “Hah! This is easy,” Rainbow started, rearing back in midair with the intent to propel herself forward. Her momentum was halted by a glow of purple. “Too easy...” Twilight grimaced, her eyes narrowing as she tried to focus on Pinkie’s most recent gift to her. The world around her shifted color as the HUD switched over to a new setting that she had not yet had a chance to test. The library around them was still there, but now everything was lined with blue symbols, and technical information scrolled around her field of vision, waiting for her to focus on something so that it could be enlarged and more easily read. Beside her, her friends were lined in bright yellow, all save Shepard, who was a pony-shaped mass of black around whom the rest of the surroundings were flexing. “So this is how Pinkie sees the world...” Twilight mused, moving a hoof up to the side of her head as a slight pang of pain creeped up on her. “Somehow I was expecting more balloons and party dressings.” “Whoa nelly… Twi, that looks a might creepy.” Applejack recoiled a bit. “Yeah, your eyes are all blue and glowy.” “What do you see?” Shepard kept his professional calm, looking around the library. “Okay, the area past the foyer is filled with scanners to detect neural imprints. The floor around the staircase is hyper-charged. Some of the tiles are set to drop walls down around the staircase if we step on them, and it looks like there are nets and restraints hidden along the upper walls to catch anypony trying to fly for the opening,” Twilight explained, looking over the lines of code that were out of place and going off what she was reading in the information banners made visible by her HUD. “Every single one of them is set to sound an alarm around the server.” Patch rolled her eyes. “So it’s full of traps,” the human-pony doctor summarized. “Can they be disarmed?” Milligan reasoned. “No.” Twilight shook her head. “It’s designed to be impenetrable. Redundancy after redundancy. Sidestep one trap, you bungle right into another. Cut out a hole in the defenses, and the rest of them will trigger automatically.” “So we’re settin’ ‘em off no matter what?” Applejack queried, sparing a look up towards Rainbow who had an oddly out of place smirk on her face. “I don’t know how we’re going to avoid them without…” Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. “DASH! AJ! NO!” But her plea was too late as the earth pony and pegasus charged forward, one in the air and the other on the floor. Shepard, Patch, and Milligan watched in stunned awe as alarms started blaring. Entire chunks of the ceiling dropped to slam down on the tile floor with a resounding crack. Thick, corded metal nets flared into existence from hidden places along the wall to ensnare the winged pony. And none of them hit their mark as Applejack and Rainbow Dash raced to the stairs, bobbing, dodging, barrel rolling and at some points flipping to and fro, avoiding obstacle after obstacle in the air and on the ground in a showing of speed, stamina, and reflexes that would put all but the most graceful asari or the toughest krogan to shame. Even Twilight could only watch, her jaw slack as the reverberating thuds turned into a chorus of whooping and hollering while the two were nearly neck and neck in the hundred yard dash across the library floor. Finally, they approached the staircase, where a solid metal wall shot up from the floor, cutting off access before either mare could pass the mark. And much to Shepard’s stunned shock, neither pony faltered or slowed. Rainbow Dash flipped in the air, one back hoof out in a kicking position as a small mach cone formed over it. Applejack, meanwhile, ground her hooves into the tile floor at the last moment, sending her entire body flipping around as she reared her back legs against the apparently immovable object. *BOOM-THOOOOOM* The shockwave washed back, feeling like an explosion to the experienced Commander as he felt the result of the impact right in his sternum and made a mental note to make VERY sure he was never "bucked" by a living pony. There was a moment of silence as the triggered traps lay askew across a now broken and cracked tile floor; more than a few bookshelves knocked over in the chaos as multiple steel-cable nets lay limply upon them. Rainbow landed next to her friend, both mares panting as sweat ran down their faces and sides before they looked to one another with a nod. Each lifted a hoof and lightly tapped against the final barrier neither had managed to get past… *Crrreeeeaaaaak* …which slowly fell backwards as the center segment of the wall had been broken off from the heavily reinforced sides… *CRASH* …and smashed into the staircase, taking down the railings and creating a ramp over the tiles that were closest to the stairs, which were now sparkling with energy. Rainbow and Applejack both broke into a grin in spite of their panting before the orange mare started what could only have been a victorious cheer. “YEEEE-HAW!” “WHO’S BAD!?” Rainbow threw up a hoof, which Applejack quickly threw her own into with a loud clop. “WE’RE BAD!” “WHO?” “WHO!” “DON’T MESS WITH THE ORANGE AND BLUE!” they shouted together, throwing a foreleg over each other's shoulders in celebration for a moment before Applejack’s eyes opened, a smug expression on her face. “Ah reached the wall first.” Rainbow Dash all but shoved her friend away, an insulted look across her face. “WHAT!? In your dreams, cowpony! I hit the thing like, a good five seconds before your apple-dotted flank even got close. If I wasn’t so tired, it would have been like a full minute before.” “Holy sweet Celestia…” Twilight was astonished as she and the three human-turned-ponies ran over the trap-skewed floor. She was no longer confused as to her HUD’s designation of them as "Apex Specimens." “Girls, that was AMAZING!” “Aw shucks, Twi... Ya know what they say: Sometimes ya just gotta plow through.” “I still won…” Rainbow pouted. The moment of celebration was cut short, however, as it was clear that what had happened with the tripping of the library’s first floor traps had caught attention, the barricaded doors suddenly bulging inward as the wards Twilight set into place were strained. “Well, the covert portion of this mission is over.” Shepard flattened his ears in annoyance, as it seemed clear that whatever other diversions Pinkie had planned had been thrown to the wind with the alarm that likely sounded clear across the Equestria Servers. “Twi, Shepard: Ya’ll go. We’ll hold ‘em off.” Applejack nodded. “Yeah, we’ll… Wait… What?” Rainbow recoiled slightly. “They won’t do anythin’ too bad ta us, them wantin’ ta keep us alive and all,” Applejack reasoned. “Ya’ll find Princess Luna and do what ya can.” “Applejack, we’re not even sure what’s going to happen,” Twilight started, clearly upset at the concept of two more of their friends staying behind. Shepard could appreciate that, as it was very likely Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity had already been captured, or at the very least forced to flee, if the programs were at the gate. “Ah’ve dun been livin’ a lie mah entire life, Twilight!” Applejack glared at the unicorn for a moment. “It jus’ ain’t right! It ain’t ever been! If the Princess can fix it, then it’s worth the risk ta get out! You, Shepard, Milligan and Patch hurry an’--” “I am not leaving you behind, AJ!” Dr. Hern shook her head, moving up next to Applejack. “I owe you more than that…” “Doctor Hern, I…” Shepard started, intending to object when a renewed sound met his ears. *THUD-CRACK* Another resounding strain against the main doors drew the attention of all the ponies back the way they came and drove home a simple point. They were running out of time. “GO!” Applejack and Rainbow shouted in unison, moving back towards the door, Patricia on their tails as the dappled pony displayed to Twilight one trait that Humans certainly seemed to share with her own kind. They too could be extraordinarily loyal and brave when the occasion called for it. With one last look back, Shepard nodded to Twilight and Milligan before the three of them rushed up the stairs. ———————————————————— “Oh, you have got to be kidding me...” Milligan shook his head, any thought of success quickly dashed as the trio had reached the second floor, only the spot just beyond the stairway safe as the three ponies looked over their surroundings. This no longer looked like a library. This floor had clearly been repurposed. Reformatted for a single goal: Lethality. Razor wire stretched at length across the upper area of the room so tightly that no pegasus would stand a chance of avoiding them without getting torn to shreds. Large portions of the floor shifted around randomly, sliding from position and towards the walls where spikes were ejected at haphazard intervals while arcs of energy snapped and crackled between them. Those tiles that seemed safe, Twilight quickly explained, were set onto pistons that were designed to fire up and smash into the ceiling on a hair trigger should any pressure push back on them. The entire room was clearly and obviously impassable. And standing against the far wall back towards the front of the library, taunting them like an unattainable treasure, stood the spiral staircase that led up to the third story. “This is… this is insane! Impossible!” Milligan shook his head, looking around at the numerous, cleverly varied, and utterly inescapable methods to die scattered all around the room. “Virtual simulation or not, I don’t want to find out what happens if we are impaled… or sliced to ribbons, or crushed… or… No… NO, we can NOT do this! Princess or not, this is too dangerous to even--” Milligan felt a weight over his shoulder as the mare to his side pulled him close to her. *Vrrrrrmm-BAMPH* Milligan blinked as his entire world turned a shade of purple, his vision distorted for but a brief fraction of a second before he found himself facing a set of spiral stairs. As the purple coloring faded, he looked to the smirking Twilight and Commander Shepard, who both started up the steps without concern, clearly unimpressed with the room’s intimidation factor or the relatively simple solution to it. “Or… we could… just do that.” The Cerberus pony nodded sheepishly, feeling more than slightly embarrassed by his panicked moment before he followed the two up towards their destination. ———————————————————— “Nothing…? No traps, no alarms… Just… nothing?” Twilight sounded astounded considering how vulgar and obvious the floor below them had been, having broken any illusion of the validity of their world and its peaceful nature. “It’s just like I remember it from when I was a student here.” “They probably didn’t think anyone would get through the last floor,” Shepard noted, having little choice but to trust Twilight’s senses and moving with his body low to the ground, every muscle ready to act should anything unforeseen descend upon them. Unlike the lower floors, this room was rounded, bookshelves heavy and musty jutting out from the wall in an almost stereotypical domino pattern that stretched to the center of the room. While there was a clear set of stairs up to the fourth floor, their earlier briefing had indicated that this was where Luna was being held, although the lack of means to defend it made the soldier in Shepard question if this was really their objective. It was true that it could be a case of attempting to waylay the importance of something by ignoring it, but if that were the case, they should not have altered the tower at all. As the trio approached the center of the room, a large, plain-looking wall stood before them, completely unremarkable save for a few lounges that were set against it, clearly intending to give a pony a place to relax and read any of the tomes and scrolls that were set into the bookshelves. “Whoa…” Twilight blinked, recoiling for a moment as her violet eyes again glowed blue. In her vision, the blue nature of the world stopped at the wall, which was instead a shimmering gold and covered in symbols that ran across it rampantly like scuttling insects fading and re-emerging in a pool. While there was no outline of a door or entryway, Twilight was now certainly convinced that they were in the right place. “It’s… different here. It feels... stronger… more sturdy,” she related, reaching up a hoof and touching the wall, which remained firm to Shepard’s vision, but rippled like a plane of fluid under her own eyes. “I don’t think it’s a case of them not wanting to set up defenses here… I don’t think they’re able to.” “This must be the ‘hardpoint’ EDI was talking about.” Shepard nodded, looking around and behind them. So far there had been no signs of pursuit, meaning that either Rainbow, Patch, and Applejack were putting up one hell of a fight, or the second floor’s traps were just as dangerous to the programs as they were supposed to be to them… But he was well aware that the situation could change at any second. “Any idea how to open it?” Milligan asked pointedly, biting his lower lip as his tone took on a level of paranoia that indicated to Shepard he too was aware of how little time they might have. Twilight was silent. There was a feeling here as she ran her hoof over the rippling golden wall, one that had been nagging at her for the better part of a day filled with rampant discoveries and shocking revelations. A feeling of… ...Déjà vu. “I’ve done this before…” Twilight uttered under her breath. Before another question could be asked, Twilight pressed her hoof into the wall more firmly, somehow recognizing the exact spot where it was required. "Archive access requested." Shepard’s head perked as he turned towards the voice; a familiar, even, female tone that he recognized immediately. As he moved back towards the wall, Twilight was standing still as a beam of light burst from it and washed over her in a deliberate motion that he recognized as a body scan. "Primary Administrator recognized." The floor under them shuddered as the pale ambient light overhead dimmed. “Twilight… What’s happening?” Milligan shifted uneasily as the tiles under his hooves suddenly felt less solid. “I’ve done this before…” Twilight looked to her hoof, a sense of amazement in her tone as she seemed completely unaware of her surroundings. "Quarantine Override Authority accepted. System processes released. Archive access granted." With a cry of shock, Shepard, Twilight, and Milligan found themselves plummeting downward into an inky, familiar blackness devoid of sensation or direction. "Welcome, my little ponies." A sudden tingling in the back of Shepard’s brain threatened to induce panic for a moment before he felt his four legs become leaden, a heaviness in his eyelids and lightness in his chest sending him to a single logical end. "We have much to discuss..." Then there was oblivion as Commander Shepard lost consciousness. ———————————————————— The Bunker Tali’Zorah vas Normandy drew back with a gasp from the equipment she was scanning as a sudden whirling filled the air around them. The changeling drones in the immediate vicinity of the two aliens suddenly locked up, Forty-Two included, as much of the machinery that had been laying dormant suddenly flared to life. Down on the main storage floor, where the rest of the equine lifeforms they had discovered continued to reside in their peaceful virtual slumber, Mordin Solus, who had been contemplating possible methods to detach the three humans from the virtual reality nutrient pods, looked about wildly as he took note of several of the screens coming to life along the stations that were clearly intended to be used for monitoring the suspended equines. “Mordin!?” Tali moved to the railing, looking down to where the salarian doctor was moving, the two of them having spent the past hours attempting to learn as much as they could about the system Shepard had fallen into and come up with a way to release him before their "temporary" passes expired, which, according to Tali’s heads up timer, was in just over two hours. “What’s happening!?” “Uncertain. Defense system? No. No new stimuli to suggest hostility. Power surge? Possible. Remote access? Probable, following continued theory of intelligent oversight.” “New directives received,” Forty-Two suddenly started, stomping a hoof to call Tali’s attention to him. “Technician Tali’Zorah: I recommend you remain calm and in your current position. Please stand by, as your assistance shall be required shortly.” “What? Why?” Tali started to turn as she heard the buzzing of the mechs' wings behind her, and with a horrified gasp, realized where they were congregating. “Where are you taking him!?” Tali demanded, pointing towards Shepard’s pod as it was detached from its stand, the changeling drones paying no attention to her as they started to maneuver it and the human within onto a tram system that, while maintained, had clearly not seen use in some time. “Specified pods are being transported to Facility Central Core,” Forty-Two explained plainly as Milligan’s pod and one of the equine creatures, a lavender-colored one with a horn jutting from its forehead, were likewise moved to the tram. “Why?” “Unknown,” the black drone answered pleasantly, and Tali desperately wished she had her shotgun right at that moment. ———————————————————— Lunar Platform “I’m curious... Where exactly do you think you’re going?” Chrysalis mused from a panel along the wall of the corridor that the two aliens and geth platform moved down. Thane and Garrus kept their weapons trained on the area from which they had come while Legion continued to monitor the area ahead, attempting to determine a path. On either side of them, Chrysalis’ face emerged in two-dimensional form on the black monitors that lined the corridor, power transferring from one to the next as the team continued to move. Meanwhile, the drones were continuing to give chase, crawling along the walls and ceilings as the turian and drell maintained a concentrated stream of weapons fire to prevent them from getting close enough to use their horn-mounted energy beams. “You brought this on yourselves you know; coming down here, trying to act all imposing and intimidating. Why can’t you just accept that there is no escape? Your weapons will be exhausted sooner or later. Just surrender and I will endeavor to make your ends relatively painless and--” *BOOM-SPARK* Garrus spared half a second to fire at the nearest monitor, drowning out what else Chrysalis had to say as he temporarily disabled her ability to communicate with them. “Legion, is there any chance you can change the station? This one is more annoying than a preaching hanar.” “This is not a situation where organic humor is appropriate. We recommend focusing on the task at hand.” “Might I suggest that we find a more defensible position?” Thane interrupted, his shots managing a few critical hits that dropped one drone from the wall as its exposed leg joints were blasted open. “Our supply of thermal clips is beginning to run low.” Garrus had to agree, as he now realized why these mechs were so quick to remove the disabled units from the front lines. Field repair between multiple drone units seemed capable of returning the wounded ones back to the fight much more quickly than he would have ever suspected, maintaining an almost steady stream of opposition that would likely outlast their supplies. He didn’t know who or what had built this place, or the mechs, but the turian was growing to respect them more and more with every passing minute. “How much longer until we reach the cannon controls, Legion?” “Ha! Miss me, turian?” the synthetic voice of the security program accompanied her face as it sprang up on the nearest undamaged display. “Dammit, you again!?” Garrus grumbled, annoyed at how destroying the equipment displaying Crysalis’ ugly insectoid/equine face did absolutely nothing to the intelligence herself. “I don’t suppose you have an off switch!” “You cannot access the control circuit from here, turian. You’re on the wrong side of the base!” the black and green equine announced with no small amount of amusement in her voice. “What!?” Garrus looked over his shoulder to Legion, who was supposed to have been leading them towards the energy signature. “Face it: You’re not only doomed… you’re doomed AND lost!” Chrysalis giggled, again displaying a rather interesting range of emotional values. “Cannon controls are not the objective,” Legion announced. Almost as if on cue, the mechs chasing the trio stopped short, simply refusing to proceed as Chrysalis' image turned stationery, her visage stunned as she was halted. “What? Where are…” There was a hissing cry as the intelligence’s humor was clearly lost at realization of where the three organics had moved. “ADMINISTRATION!? HOW DARE YOU! GET OUT OF THERE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE IN THAT AREA!” Garrus let out a short breath as he straightened up, the trio pausing for a moment to look back at the black mechs that had cut off pursuit as if they had hit an invisible wall. “Legion?” Thane turned curiously towards the geth. “Analysis of drone runtimes indicates that, while advanced, they are shackled synthetic intelligences, with multiple unbreakable protocols. Among them is deferral in security matters to onsite administrative organics. We have passed into immediate proximity of the most recently registered administrator in system history, thereby overriding the authority of the entity known as "Chrysalis." We recommend attempting information retrieval and reconnaissance.” Garrus nodded, grateful that he had brought the geth unit along. Legion may have been a synthetic, which had been a grave concern for the turian when Shepard had reactivated him, but he couldn’t deny that the geth had proven uniquely invaluable on this mission. Continuing down the corridor, Chrysalis continued to rant at the trio in what they could only assume were multiple long-dead languages as the artificial intelligence was clearly forbidden from following. ———————————————————— Main Archive A cold feeling against her cheek was the first sign to Twilight Sparkle that she had awoken, her head spinning as an empty, weightless feeling in her stomach sent a sensation of vertigo across her mind. Blinking a few times, it took her a moment to make out her surroundings as she slowly pulled herself up to her hooves. There was a dark emptiness all around that seemed to stretch on forever, save for a tile of glowing light on which she now stood, sitting in what could only be described as an utter oblivion. Attempting to bring up the enhanced version of Pinkie Pie’s HUD, Twilight found herself unable to do so, a single word flashing across her field of vision. Inactive “...Where am I?” She shook her head, attempting to get some bearing. “Shepard? Milligan? Princess Luna...? Anypony...?” Turning about, Twilight finally caught sight of something in the distance; an equine figure standing upon another platform of light. Without thinking about it, Twilight took a step forward, for some reason feeling heedless of the fact that she appeared to be stepping into open air. Under her hoof, a new platform lit up, invisible mere moments before. Walking slowly forward, she came closer to the figure in the distance, tiles of light vanishing the moment she moved off of them, only to flare to life in front of her as they appeared under her hoof’s touch. And as she drew closer, the identity of the pony that waited for her became apparent. Standing slightly shorter than her, with lavender fur and a flared mane of pink, indigo, and purple, stood a slightly younger reflection of herself, semi-transparent with tired purple eyes that looked as though they had been crying. “Me?” Twilight tilted her head, clearly confused for a moment before her "not quite real" doppelganger opened her mouth, her own, slightly-strained voice coming out. “Hello, Twilight...” the hologram started, her voice sounding exhausted. “If you’re watching this… If... I’m watching this… then it means that I found my way down here again.” Twilight drew back in realization. “No…” “As you’re probably realizing... yes, you have been here before. You’ve somehow realized that your memories were being manipulated, and you're standing right where you are now, probably doing exactly what you did the last time you were here… When… I was here. Trying to figure out how this could be.” Twilight shook her head. She had only found her way down here because of Shepard. How could she have gotten past the fog on her own...? Deduced what their world was back when she was younger? “The clues were there, as you’ve no doubt realized. They just had to be pieced together. Maybe you saw a glitch and it prompted you to investigate. Maybe the fog broke down and you started to remember, like I did. Regardless, you are here now, and I suspect that I have been down here at least two other times before I thought to make this recording, which would make you my fourth time accessing the Main Archive...” the holographic Twilight stated, her tone clearly torn between tired amusement and sadness. Twilight swallowed slightly as she watched her holographic self continue with a sigh. “Now, I suppose I should warn you to turn back and forget about what you found here, but if you are anything like I was, and we both know that you are, then you won’t. You can’t.” Holo-Twilight shook her head. “You have to know. You have to find out why. Why nothing around you makes any sense. How this happened and why nopony realized it sooner. I know how you feel… I wanted to know too… but I wasn’t prepared for it. I couldn’t handle the truth, Twilight.” “But I know why…” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, a self-righteous confidence shoring her up. “It’s different this time.” She had gone through too much, endured too much pain and shock at the revelations of the past day to just give up and forget. Not this time. “Maybe you can… Maybe you’ll think of what I didn’t… Accept what I couldn’t. I don’t know.” Holo-Twilight lowered her head. “There is only one thing I do know for certain now; something I never appreciated before. Knowledge is power… and power is pain… And after what I’ve learned, I can understand that ignorance truly is bliss.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the image of her younger self, a sense of disgust falling over her. This might have been who she was, but it wasn’t who she had become. “It’s your turn now, Twilight...” Holo-Twilight shook her head, lowering her gaze to the floor, clearly having been unable to imagine looking her older self in the eye. “I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger.” With a fizzling sparkle of light, the semi-transparent memory faded and a glowing panel appeared before the purple unicorn. A fluid-looking image of the seal of Equestria rippled for a moment before several sentences written in a flowing script were revealed, glowing with golden lettering. Primary Administrator Recognized EoM #35,537: Twilight Sparkle Full Archival Access Granted Twilight took a steadying breath as the image rippled, showing a reflection of herself for a moment before a simple request was placed in the center of the screen. State Inquiry Twilight closed her eyes and paused for a moment, slightly hesitant, and giving due thought to what she was about to do. Knowing full well what her former self wasn’t able to face; that there would be no going back. She then breathed in deeply and opened her eyes, with a look of steadfast determination and absolute certainty that she had happened to witness so often in the eyes of Commander Shepard. “Tell. Me... Everything.” Preparing Download Twilight felt her joints lock up as her jaw clenched, her entire body paralyzed in spite of herself. Her eyes widened, pupils expanding as she felt a burning in her brain that was both terrifying and exhilarating. Commencing And then the images started pouring in. ———————————————————— Lunar Platform *FWOOMPH* *hissssssss* With some effort, Garrus and Legion managed to force open the door leading to what the geth had identified through the schematics as the Senior Supervisor’s office. Breaking a long-standing vacuum seal, the pressure equalized as the safety protocols of the platform were engaged, the door maintaining a magnetic lock as the room slowly filled with atmosphere. “Well, I suppose that means nobody is home,” Thane observed as both Legion and Garrus had to fight against the sudden force of pressurized atmosphere rushing to fill up the smaller room. “We are unable to access facility logs, but visual evidence suggests this chamber has been sealed for...” Legion paused as its ocular panels shifted around, indicating that its processes were busy working out the numbers. “...a long time,” it finally noted as the hissing slowed to a stop before wrapping its three fingered hand around the safety latch, which had clearly not been designed for a creature with fingers, and wrenching it open. The inside of the office, preserved in the vacuum, came to life as power was restored, still amazingly functional after all of the years that had passed. Behind a metal desk not unlike the one at the main entrance sat a worn and faded chaise lounge clearly intended to be a seat for a creature that did not share most lifeforms’ predisposition to the standard sentient form of two legs and two arms. This became even more apparent as the trio moved into the office, weapons at the ready in case of trouble, and came across its sole inhabitant, laying splayed out next to the desk. “Vakarian-Squad Leader. We have located the Station Administrator,” Legion stated, collapsing its rifle and returning it to the holster on its back. Garrus nodded, looking down at what was commonly referred to in non-scientific terms as a "space mummy." Preserved through complete lack of atmosphere or bacteria, the organic tissues had long since dried out, creating a gaunt look to the equine corpse. There were no signs of blood, and the creature was wearing what could only be considered an environmental suit, its helmet removed apparently voluntarily as it lay down in front of its owner, faceplate intact. Under any other circumstances, both the creature and the suit it wore would very likely have been reduced to dust in the time it had been laying here. The creature itself shared the same basic form as Cadence, although Garrus saw no horn or indication of wings in the form-fitting suit, and rather than a bright color, what survived of its furry coat was clearly a chestnut brown. Thane moved his weapon to his side for a moment before folding his hands together, his voice soft as he considered the body before them. “Kalihira, mistress of inscrutable depths, For disturbing of this one, long laid to rest, Kalihira, for our tresspasses on this one passed, I ask for forgiveness from the fallen. May he know peace.” “A think you’re a little late for that, Thane,” Garrus commented, his tone respectful, even if he didn’t understand how the pragmatic drell assassin could go through the motions so reverently for an ancient pantheon. “It is never too late to show proper respect.” Thane shook his head as Garrus moved behind the desk, being careful not to disturb the body they had found. “The fallen have all the time in the galaxy, and we are in no hurry.” Garrus nodded. He didn’t understand Thane’s beliefs, but he could respect them. “Vakarian-Squad Leader,” Legion spoke up, its fingers gliding over a console that was set into the desk. “Please tell me you can disable the cannon, those drones, and the mouthy A.I. while you’re at it.” “Negative. However, we have found a video recording saved with multiple redundancies and easy access. Clearly, this was meant to be found. Initiating playback.” A panel on the wall flared to life, the symbol of five stylized gemstones linked together in a golden ring that connected into a sixth stone at the center flashed for a moment before the scene changed. The audio was garbled and warped, but as Garrus watched, scenes flashed of equine creatures much the same shape as Cadence and Chrysalis on lush green planets, images of them meeting with larger reptilian aliens and an odd species with feathers, wings, and beaks, but mammalian backsides. Scenes and warped music showed images of space exploration that immediately reminded the turian of certain vids he had seen on the Citadel that had dual purposes: Inspiration… and corporate marketing. And as it ended with a deep blue-coated equine creature, apparently speaking to the audience from behind a desk, a short, stubby horn projecting from its forehead as it motioned about, Garrus had the distinct impression that it wasn’t an "inspirational" video. The audio warping suddenly stopped, as if it had been deliberate, with the re-emergence of the logo they had seen before, the five gems on the outside of the ring spinning around the purple gem at the center. As a sweet jingling tune started to play, symbols that were illegible to the three aliens appeared under the pictogram. The spoken words, however, were quite understandable as a variation of Earth English was run through their translators. "Epona Systems Corporation, Harmony for All." The image faded to black, leaving the turian with a disbelieving expression. “A commercial? They wanted to show us a commercial?” *Kkkkrrsssshhh* “Vakarian-Squad Leader, there is more,” Legion stated, drawing attention back to the monitor. Static filled the screen for a moment before an image of the office they stood in became clear, the image shaking before a brown-coated equine moved around. Facing whatever device was doing the recording, it tapped the screen with one hoof, its large eyes clearly tired and frightened. “Is this working…?” the brown figure asked, its environmental suit a perfect match to the being on the desk as it spoke, the translation coming across in the audio as clear as crystal. “Pitch? Do you have the translation software online?” “Yes, Doctor. Everything that was available,” came a voice from off-screen which Garrus and Thane immediately identified as the hologram that had first greeted them upon entering the facility. “I don’t want this to come across as neighs and whinnies. This is too important to--” “Doctor, you are recording,” Cadence’s voice rang out again. “What…? Oh… Greetings.” The equine creature turned towards the screen, looking out as if to address whoever might be watching it. “My name is Hour Glass. I am… was… Lead Program Designer of the Equestria Project. If you are watching this, then it means that we have succeeded; I am dead and you are likely standing over my body. I don’t know how you found us, what you look like, or how long it has been… but all I can hope is that, after the silence is lifted, you've found time to evolve a heart.” ———————————————————— Main Archive Commander Shepard didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but as he galloped across the glowing panels towards the figure in the distance, he couldn’t help but think it had been far too long. He had had enough of the madness. Enough of the games and the twisted physics that were a part of this virtual reality. It was time for answers. Slowing his gait, Shepard took in as much of his surroundings as he could as he approached a large circle of the floating, glowing platforms that were suspended in the darkness, images floating in a halo around it that he took a moment to look over. In one panel was Ponyville, still a mess following the battle that had taken place only a few short hours ago with the forces of Discord. In another, he saw Mordin and Tali, his heart taking a leap as he took note of them apparently conversing with a changeling not unlike the one that had attempted to assassinate him earlier. Across from there, he took note of an orbital tracking monitor, the clear silhouette of Normandy holding position around a mass that must have been the planetoid’s moon. And another that showed Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy, a large white equine with wings and a horn towering over them with a look of outrage. Finally, Shepard’s eyes fell on the figure standing before him, her backside to him as her head was craned up towards a panel showing what looked like security footage: a familiar drell, geth, and turian moving down a hallway as the black changeling creatures pursued. The red stallion took a breath, standing as tall as he could and trying to ignore his own tired thoughts as he prepared to break the silence around them. The dark-coated, starry-maned mare spoke first. “Commander Shepard,” the winged unicorn stated, turning to face him for the first time, her own physique towering over his equine form as she brought one hoof up and back in a regal-looking pose. There was no doubt it was exactly the same alicorn that had appeared next to him for several seconds in Ponyville shortly after he had first awoken. “I have been expecting you.” “Princess Luna, I presume.” Shepard nodded, containing his frustration and knowing that alienating this "program" wouldn’t likely end well for him. “There is no need to continue the charade, Commander. I am no more nobility than you are a pony.” Luna shook her head, clearly eager to get to business. “I know you have questions… and while they may be irrelevant to the task at hoof, I can extrapolate from your species’ innate curiosity that you will ask anyways.” “There are guards coming, and Celestia,” Shepard said with urgency. “As much as I would like to play Twenty Questions with you, we don’t have time.” Luna smirked, a playful expression on her face. “Your brain is plugged directly into the Main Archive, Commander. Your synapses have been matched to pace with the system hardware in order to assimilate what I have to say. What is relatively a normal speed for you, outside of the hardpoint will only be a few seconds. While this is not recommended for prolonged durations, you are currently experiencing what amounts to a data download. Your inquiries will be answered as best I am able. So, in this place, we have time… Ask.” Shepard’s mind reeled at the idea that his brain had been sped up to match that of what was obviously an advanced computer, but he had to shake away that thought and order his questions. If he was going to understand what was happening, he had to know what it was he was dealing with. “Who are you...? And for that matter, what are you?” “I am Luna, a bleeding-edge grade synthetic intelligence developed by the Epona Systems Corporation based on the neural patterns and personalized design of Astrolia Epona, granddaughter of ESC Lord President, Solarius Epona. My original function was upkeep and logistical maintenance of the Equestria Virtual Servers for the enjoyment of our guests,” Luna rattled off quickly with the ease of a practiced speaker divulging pre-written factoids. “And your current function?” Shepard asked. At this, Luna’s expression grew softer and her tone more reserved. “Preservation, protection, and continuation of the last remnants of our kind.” Shepard nodded, having assumed as much. “What is Equestria?” ———————————————————— Lunar Platform “It seems like such a silly thing now: Equestria,” the recording of Hour Glass continued with a weak chuckle. “It feels like so long ago, but it's only been a few years. It was just a job, you know… I took it up for the challenge, to make a few bits… And now I’m dying for it.” Garrus continued to watch, the geth doing everything it could to maintain the integrity of the video given its age. The recording was rapidly decomposing now that it had been exposed to a working atmosphere and pressure after so much time. “I’m getting ahead of myself. Probably the reserved atmosphere getting to me. Allow me to explain: You see, ESC, that’s… the Epona Systems Corporation… was both our species’ pride and government. Nearly all of our kind worked for it in some way. It had been that way since First Contact. With so many species vying for dominance in ideological and militaristic conflicts; the Dragos, the Griffar, the Taur… we were seen as quaint and harmless. We nurtured the image, gained trust on all sides as a neutral purveyor of goods and services, and within a thousand years, we had risen to economic and scientific dominance in the galaxy with the development of the Harmony Core. With this, we forged our own path, eliminating our species’ reliance on Element Zero and the Star Roads, fueling a galactic superpower. We used this power to impose ceasefires, force settlements, and attempted to bring about the ultimate goal of our kind: ‘Harmony for All,’ in the form of galactic peace and a true utopian society.” “Star Roads… He must mean the Mass Relays. Their kind found a way to move around the galaxy without them?” Garrus asked, understandably baffled. “Clearly an enlightened species if this is any indication, although I somehow doubt that the rest of the galaxy was willing to go along quietly,” Thane commented. “We judge this plan of action to be unsound. Organics are not prone to the concept of ‘imposed’ peace,” Legion offered its own input. “However, indications that this species developed an alternative to mass effect drives is intriguing.” “Equestria was a secret project and dream of our Lord President, intended to be the first of its kind. A planet-sized hospice capable of housing tens of millions of sentients of all known species who could be housed at minimal cost and resources. With synthetic caregivers and virtual suites that could offer a myriad of entertainment and educational services, it was a massive undertaking that he hoped would set the galaxy on its way to harmony.” Hour Glass’ expression fell, as did his eyes. “But that was before…” ———————————————————— Main Archive Twilight Sparkle’s body wanted to shiver, but refused to move as images of events long since passed were pressed into her mind, the history of her entire species laid out before her. Their growth. Their triumphs. Their fate. “What happened?” Shepard’s voice asked, so distant, yet resounding clearly to the mare who had thought she was ready for anything. Twilight’s eyes trembled as the images refused to stop… her mind on fire from the influx of information before one image was seared into her brain, bringing tears to her eyes. “Why do you ask a question to which you already know the answer?” Luna responded as the image reflected in Twilight’s eyes, the sheer, terrible implications shattering any concept of innocence that the unicorn thought she had left. ———————————————————— “The Reapers…” Shepard gritted his teeth. “We called them Star Daemons.” Luna lowered her head. “And they came down on us without mercy or warning… The Hub, what you call the Citadel, was the doom of the other species when the Daemons revealed its true purpose. Their governments considered it a place of power and prestige, while the Equines, our kind, preferred to make our own paths. ESC Headquarters remained on our homeworld of Equis. In a single day, the leadership of our fellow species was eradicated. They turned to us for leadership as the Daemons turned their full force to break us.” “You fought back?” Luna hesitated, her eyes clenched shut for a moment before a defiance returned to them. “Yes. For years, we were battered, bloodied and beaten. Our worlds fell and our people were exterminated where they stood… but we fought back. We learned. We adapted.” Luna’s tone grew more fervent in a clearly prideful pitch. “And then we began to turn the tide. The Harmony Core gave us an advantage. They controlled the Star Roads, what you call ‘Mass Effect Relays,’ but we no longer needed them. We were not restricted to using their technology. We were able to coordinate, constructed weapons to defeat them, drive them back, and built havens to preserve what we could should the worst happen.” “Like this place?” Shepard asked. “Equestria was already under construction when the invasion began, its location a secret to all but the most senior members of the ESC. It went dark to avoid contact, and in the early days of the war, the highest ranked members of the Corporation and Board of Directors sent their families here to hide while all other resources were put to the war effort. A Harmony Cannon was installed on the anchorage moon in the event of discovery; a last resort,” Luna related. “When the first virtual servers went online, the non-essential personnel were placed into them to minimize their needs and conserve resources. My siblings and I were redesigned and enhanced to do whatever it took to keep them safe until the war was over.” “Over?” Luna’s head lowered, clearly pained. “We… thought we could win.” Luna drew in a breath, the pain in her voice so clear that for a moment, Shepard forgot that she wasn’t an organic. "And for a time... it even seemed possible." “What happened?” the stallion asked. “We… had no concept of betrayal,” Luna tried to explain. “Our entire culture was built on the premise of ‘Harmony for All.’ On the bonds of loyalty, fellowship, and the Elements of Harmony. That everypony worked for the good of all. Even our currency and economics were built on the ideal that all could live within their means according to what they could offer. We were creatures of compassion… Yes, we adapted to war. But even if all else failed, we were sure that the bonds that held us together could weather anything… We were not prepared for…” Shepard nodded in understanding. “Indoctrination.” “Our own kind turned on us at the most critical junctions, watching their own families and friends burn with glee that they had pleased their Daemon masters. It was the final straw; the one that broke Epona’s back. Once it started, it felt like it never stopped. We had been accepting refugees; the odd ESC ship that managed to hobble this way… and it was nearly the end of us as one of them carried a sleeper agent of the Daemons. We would have been discovered if not for the actions of the last being I would ever call a hero.” ———————————————————— Lunar Platform “Epona forgive me… we destroyed the ship. One of our own… three hundred of our kind on board. I don’t know if they were all turned, but we couldn’t risk it. Not now. Not when so much has already been lost. As the most senior administrator left, it was my call, and I made it,” Doctor Hour Glass explained, the weight of what must have been a terrible burden committed to the data in his final confession. “The lunatic pinged our location across half the galaxy. I’m sure that by now, they are coming. All staff and their families have been moved to the bunker on the facility, and all spacecraft have been detonated, as per my orders. If I’ve done my job right, our Harmony Core’s energy signatures will now be masked and read as background radiation. Not even the Daemons will be able to detect them. Foals... They’re too intent on destroying our designs to bother studying them, almost as if any work that is an alternative to what we have discovered is ‘their’ technology is an offense to them.” The brown stallion gasped for breath, taking hold of his helmet in two hooves before fitting it on his head and pressing a button on the suit, a defined change to his voice coming over him as he spoke through a speaker. “The atmosphere is getting thinner; oxygen recycle along with all other crucial functions are offline. I don’t want to risk them seeing through the masking. If my upgrades work, Equestria will prevent the Daemons from detecting the survivors in the bunker. Solaria, Astrolia, and Cosmos will do everything possible to protect them, and I’ve got Pitch and Gunmetal watching over this facility. Chances are, you’ve already met them. I’ve broken every programming law in the galaxy and probably committed several crimes they don’t have names for in order to make them what they are, so they will have to be enough. I am going now to the Harmony Cannon's manual controls. The Daemons are sadistic, but methodical. They shouldn’t bother investigating if the above-ground colony is destroyed, and no signs of life or evidence is left behind. Especially if they witness its destruction firsthoof.” The equine doctor’s composure slipped for a moment, as a single tear slid from his large, sad eyes. “This is how my story ends, and I won’t have it any other way. Not after what I’ve done. But if the facility survives and you have even the smallest ounce of kindness… you must save them… Please.” “Doctor, sensors indicate incoming Daemon ships. At least seven. All Overlord Class,” Chrysalis’ voice was heard, her rasping tone somehow less aggressive than the one that Garrus and his squad had encountered. Almost... reverent. “Pitch, are the decoy lunar facility and the fake cannon ready?” the stallion looked up past the camera, clearly conversing with the hologram. “Yes, Doctor,” Cadence replied. “Now then, it’s time to put on a show.” The brown stallion took a breath to steady himself. “This is Doctor Hour Glass, Equestria Facility. Signing off.” The stallion’s hoof moved forward and static filled the screen for a moment before the recording went dead, the two organics looking to the body on the ground with a renewed level of respect. “The Old Machines would not have been convinced so long as a single organic life-form remained,” Legion observed, removing its hands from the console. “He sacrificed himself to throw the Reapers off the trail...” Thane nodded. “A cunning ruse: Destroy the planet’s obvious habitats himself, and then allow the Reapers to obliterate a fake military compound.” “And he survived all of that, just to come back here and take off his helmet in zero atmosphere.” Garrus shook his head. He didn’t know exactly how long ago this had happened, but sacrifice of that nature truly was a timeless virtue to any turian. But it was not something they could dwell on, and they were not going to be rescuing anyone as long as this "Harmony Cannon" was still pointed at Normandy. “Alright, we’ve seen enough,” Garrus spoke up while reaching around for his rifle. “We have a mission to complete. Let’s find those controls.” ———————————————————— Main Archive “Thirty-six million years, Luna?” Shepard shook his head, the sheer enormity of the time enough to boggle his mind, outrage rising in his chest as he considered this newest revelation. “You've been keeping the descendants of those survivors locked up here for thirty-six MILLION years!? What the hell have you been doing all this time!?” “Performing the task I was created for to the best of my abilities,” Luna defended herself, having to fight to maintain her composure. “My siblings and I were originally designed to be self-evolving; to adapt as well as our creators could in order to maintain our species. After the Daemon’s last attack, we waited a thousand years before we even attempted to probe beyond our star system. We did not want to lead them back here. As time went on, we perfected means of maintaining the population and additional measures were taken to maintain the facility for the long term. We redesigned our changeling drones and upgraded them to act independently in order to maintain the physical systems, enhanced our ability to remain undetected, and harvested all of the materials we needed from the planetoid.” “All the while keeping the Equines under your care ignorant.” Shepard’s gaze narrowed. “No... The first generations born in the system were aware of their situation. On occasion, they would ask to leave, and we allowed it. They often eagerly came back within a day.” “Of course they did; they had nowhere else to go,” Shepard huffed. “We were unsure if the Daemons were still a threat, so we waited. After forty thousand years as you measure time, we finally began to look beyond our system and found the Gallthon, a warrior-like insectoid race. We attempted contact with one of their ships, and it...” Luna looked away, grimacing. “...did not go well. My sister and I decided that it would be best to maintain our vigil until a more suitable contact could be made. But before a more peaceful species was found, the Daemons returned, destroying the Gallthon and all of the species their empire was at war with.” Shepard remained silent, watching the night-blue mare’s face as she lowered her head, regret clear in her eyes. “It was deemed too dangerous to release our charges for any reason. But as the generations went on, they began to grow... restless. So we decided that it would be in their best interests to become more... involved with the system. The changes were subtle at first. We altered their education over the course of generations... and eventually, it was decided that recognition of the system’s faults might be harmful to our charges, so a memory management protocol was put into place, for their own safety.” “If they wanted to leave, you should have let them.” Shepard’s tone was harsh. “You don’t understand, Commander. It wasn’t a choice we made lightly. We had no means of recreating drive cores or assembling ships. If we revealed ourselves, then that would be the end of us, either by the claws of a new war-loving species... or at the will of the Daemons when they inevitably returned. This world has no means of sustaining an awakened population. It was decided our best hope would be to retain our silence given the nature of the species that were on the rise again... warlike and inhospitable. So we waited... and waited... I maintained my vigil and monitored the rest of the galaxy, while Discord prevented social and cultural stagnation by creating new simulations, and Celestia maintained the systems. I became familiar with the pattern of a great cycle of extinction: The rise of organic civilizations which were then consumed by the Daemons. By the end of our first million years, it was recognized that our cycle had been an aberration; one that the Daemons had no interest in repeating. I have since come to the conclusion that, following our cycle, they became more interested in subtly guiding the technological mastery of a species to prevent it from deviating from reliance on the Star Roads and the Hub.” Shepard nodded in comprehension. “Sovereign was a vanguard of the Reapers who used agents to further its goals in the galaxy without revealing itself. Like with Saren and the Geth two years ago,” the Commander agreed before another thought crossed his mind. “How many times have you seen it happen? How many times have you watched the Reapers wipe out galactic civilization?” “I have maintained my watch and documented seven hundred and twenty-one distinct cycles,” Luna stated clearly, although she continued in order to preempt what she predicted the Commander would ask her next. “I have determined no defined way to destroy or inhibit the Daemons that return at the end of each cycle, nor am I able to determine an understanding of their motives. There are patterns, but they rarely stray beyond a society’s growth, dominance, and eventual harvesting.” “And you never thought to warn any of them?” “I attempted it only once, with the Issavan; a reasonable and rational reptilian species that emerged in this star cluster some two hundred and sixty cycles ago. We sent a drone to their homeworld with all of the details on the Daemons that we could muster, hoping they would prepare.” “What happened?” “As best we can determine, the Issavan Science Academy took and hid our drone away in a warehouse for two centuries before the Daemons returned and destroyed them. Judging by the lack of resistance they offered, we assume our warning went unheeded.” Shepard sighed. “I know how that feels...” He rolled his eyes, his thoughts immediately cast to a particular turian who had mastered the human habit of using air-quotes. “I know.” Luna nodded. “I have watched the cycles pass time and time again. I have grown skillful in monitoring the galaxy and adapting technology from one cycle to the next to keep up on the events of civilizations. Many show resounding similarities... The Prothean Cycle held promise at first, but ended up no different. And I had long ago given up on this cycle; its species are too shortsighted, complacent, and arrogant, refusing to admit and learn from their mistakes. But then... something happened. Something that has never happened before. Something that made me believe, for the first time in over thirty million years, that perhaps... finally... there was a glimmer of hope.” Shepard let go of a breath, stunned that a synthetic could show this degree of emotion. That it could speak of things such as hope in a manner that sounded so sincere. “What was it?” Luna did not answer immediately, pulling a hoof up to the stallion’s face, barely touching the underside of his chin. “...It was you.” Shepard’s shock made him reel for a moment at the simple statement, his eyes darting up to the holographic panels that floated in the empty space beyond them. They had changed, now reviewing what looked like video feed... Feed that he recognized. His induction into the Spectres. Media coverage of his actions on Elysium, Noveria, Terra Nova, and Feros. Footage from the Battle of the Citadel. “I observed as I always have, but my caution held me back. And when I believed the worst came to pass...” Shepard watched as an extranet feature declaring him "killed in action" was brought up, Luna’s expression regretful. “I had believed our hope lost. And then, miraculously, you returned. And I knew that this time, I could not stand by and do nothing. Not when so much is at stake. Not when the means to do something about it fell right into my hooves.” Shepard looked up to her, his expression suddenly curious as he realized something. “We are still alive... Send help... Send Shepard...” the Commander remembered the message that had brought him here. “That was you.” Luna nodded. “Why?” “Because we cannot hide any longer,” Luna admitted. “Because for the first time in over thirty million years, there is a chance... just a chance that somepony can stop the Daemons. Because you are the best and last hope we have to complete our task.” Shepard narrowed his eyes. As flattering (and terrifying) as it was to have such lofty praise heaped upon him, he could tell there was more to the decision to break a silence that had lasted more than twenty times longer than his species had been able to walk upright. “Why?” he asked again, this time setting Luna back a step as she seemed to consider. “Because... we are... also out of options,” Luna’s tone dropped. “The Harmony Core that powers Equestria is dying, and it cannot be repaired or replaced. We have supplemented it with every alternative conceivable; Solar... Geothermal... Even biological... and it has maintained our facility for ages. But we are at the end of our proverbial rope, Shepard. Celestia has claimed that I am being an alarmist; that she has an alternative that will make us permanently self-sustaining, but I am doubtful in her plan’s ability to succeed. And even if it can, it will not happen before the Harmony Core dies.” “But why do you need me? Why bring me here into your world? Why not just contact us directly?” “Because... I had to be sure.” Luna shook her head, clearly feeling as if she had to explain things step by step. “I had to know that you were what I believed you to be. I have observed from a distance, but I had to gauge your reactions, how you interacted with our kind, and your methods, firsthoof. I had to know beyond any doubt that you were the one I’ve been waiting for.” “And what have you learned?” “That you value honesty and your friends,” Luna explained. “That you are willing to make sacrifices to protect the innocent and charge into battle to defend even those you do not know. That every decision you make has been carefully considered and you have followed through on your convictions. And now you are here, in the Archive... trying not only to find your own way out, but to help Twilight and her friends also discover the truth. I have seen quite enough, Shepard.” The soldier nodded. Although he was sure she was telling the truth, there was still one thing that he was unsure of. “So what is it you're asking me to do?” Luna stepped forward, her horn suddenly alight as what looked like a small disk appeared out of thin air, a rounded, black device barely larger than a credit chit. “This is a system bypass,” Luna told him, the small device floating towards him for a moment before it moved down to his flank, pressing and clicking into place in his heavy pistol holster. “A physical unit is now being set in the same place on your real body, which I am having moved to the core of Equestria, where the servers and the Harmony Core are housed. This will allow you to override the Trinity Safeguards in reality and initiate the Awaken Protocol.” “What's the Awaken Protocol?” Shepard asked, although judging from the name, he had an idea. “It was always planned that one day, we would release our charges so that they could reintegrate with the galaxy, but the decision to do so requires all three Governing Intelligences to agree that the time is right. And my siblings have been... less than cooperative of late.” “You mean Celestia?” “My sister’s role has rather... gone to her head over the past few million years, and I doubt that she will allow the release of our charges under any circumstances.” “You’re saying Celestia’s gone rogue?” “No... not as you understand it. But she has become very attached... protective, even... of Equestria and the ponies that live here. She has been nurturing them and guiding them for millions of years, thousands of generations. She is not mad, but her judgement is certainly clouded. She does not see that the time has come for us to let them go.” “And Discord?” “Discord was never sane. He was created specifically to fabricate new and creative situations to challenge the minds of Equestria’s inhabitants, and delights in creating havoc and interesting characters to antagonize our charges. Without an acceptable degree of conflict, the mind of any creature will stagnate and they lose their will to continue on. We discovered this the hard way when Celestia took Discord offline for over a century to try and make Equestria a ‘true’ utopia. We had ponies literally die of boredom as their neural patterns decayed. Most recently, Discord has fashioned much of Equestria after approved elements of human society; like myself, he has grown rather fond of your species and its similarities with our base culture.” “Is he going to be a problem? He’s already tried to put your Administrators out of the game,” Shepard recalled. “I know, and I am grateful that you put a stop to him. You see, Discord is not evil, but he is a wildcard in this situation. He may be a help or a hindrance; I cannot predict his patterns.” Shepard nodded, feeling he had all the information he needed for now, save one thing. “How do I get out of Equestria?” he asked, finally coming to the single most important point of their conversation. “In Canterlot Castle, there is a room. Twilight knows it as the vault where Celestia houses the Elements of Harmony. That room is a hardpoint exit that we cannot alter or access. Passing through its threshold will disconnect you from the Equestria System and return you to the bunker in the physical world,” Luna explained. “I have already moved your pod to the closest access point I have in the core. Once you are awake, follow the energy lines to the Manual Override Console. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it. Once there, insert the bypass and it will allow you to initiate the Awaken Protocol.” Shepard nodded, his mind going over what he had learned and his options before Luna took a breath. “Before you go, I have one last gift... and a request,” Luna said clearly, her horn glowing for a moment. Like the bypass a moment before, an object was conjured apparently out of thin air; a grey hoof-band that was marked with a defined "N7" design etched into the top of it. With a graceful motion, she levitated it towards the Commander, who found himself raising a hoof, around which it slipped snugly. “This band will fire surges of your own neural signature as a coherent energy beam, much like Twilight’s focused ‘magic.’ It will break down the code of programs in the system, injuring them and eventually rendering them inoperable. It won’t be effective against Celestia or Discord, but it will allow you to combat the defensive programs.” Shepard allowed himself a small smile, unable to express at that moment how grateful he was that he was now armed. “Now...” A sudden glow of blue energy suddenly wrapped around Shepard’s hoof, pulling him upwards as his foreleg was extended... and suddenly pressed up and under Luna’s neckline. “Terminate me.” ———————————————————— Twilight Sparkle gasped for breath, unsure of how long it had been since the Archive had released her. Minutes? Hours? It was impossible to tell. There was so much that had been crammed into her head... or reawakened to her conscious mind. She wasn’t sure. She didn’t know where to start. She felt overwhelmed... but as she tried to pull herself up, she knew... This time, she couldn’t just forget. This time, it had to be different. This time, she wasn’t alone. ———————————————————— “What!?” Shepard recoiled, pulling against Luna’s grip, desperately trying not to move so that he didn’t accidentally discharge the new weapon around his pony-wrist. “Why!?” “Celestia will never let you near the exit point. Even if you have all six Administrators at your side, she’ll unleash everything in her arsenal to stop you,” Luna tried to explain, her tone cold and methodical. “The only chance you have to protect yourself from her is my source code. I can’t fight her directly, but I am the only one that she can’t rewrite or manipulate, and you’ll need that protection. Terminate me and take my horn and she won’t be able to touch you.” “I’m not going to just murder you in cold blood!” Shepard scowled. “I am a program, Shepard!” Luna’s tone took on a harsher aspect. “I am a complex compilation of computer code housed in a blue box nearly a mile in diameter. When the Awaken Protocol is launched, it will require everything the Harmony Core has left. Once they are safe, it will shut down and I will cease to be. One way or another, I am going to end, and after thirty-six million years of keeping my vigil; of watching the cycle happen over and OVER again... I welcome it!” Shepard ceased struggling, able to make out the wetness in the alicorn’s eyes as she moved, leaning her head into his hoof. “Please... Shepard. I’m so tired...” Luna pleaded. “This is the only thing I have left that can help you.” Shepard took a breath, knowing that the fate of countless beings, including that of his friends, his crew, an entire species, and one sad, desperate artificial intelligence, rode on him, the words he had to say, and the choice he had to make, here and now. Choices: "You can do so much more." "You can't give up now." "I can't do this." "...I'm sorry."