//------------------------------// // What is Coral Anyway? // Story: Stars of Harmony // by Onyx Heart //------------------------------// Opening Theme S1 E2: What is Coral Anyway? The Buster pulled out of hyperdrive and in front of them is the planet Rubicon. Home of Coral, whatever that is… However the planet looks like it’s… “Is that planet on fire!?” Magus asked. “It’s not fire!” Mindstorm said, “It’s…” “Coral!” Venus finished Mindstorms sentence. As more of the crew reached the bridge to see the spectacle before them. One was a male Litten Pokemorph, and the other being a female Glaceon Pokemorph. “Artemis! Pyros!” Venus cried out. “You two and Magu get to your ACs now! We’re sending you in to investigate how and why this happened!” The Raven was put onto the catapult first. “Magus Spellblade! Callsign: Raven! Launching!” The Raven launched out of the ship, as Artemis Solaris’ AC called the Luna, was put on the catapult. “Artemis Solaris! Callsign: Luna! Launching!” The Luna was launched as the catapult reset and Pyro’s AC, the Ignis was ready. “Pyros Firestorm! Callsign: Ignis! Launching!” Then the Ignis was launched out of the Buster. All three ACs sped toward the planet with their thrusters. “Look at this planet!” Pyros said, “Think anyone survived here!?” “We’ll soon see, but it’s highly unlikely!” Artemis said, “There!” Artemis saw a small group of at least five ACs leaving the planet’s atmosphere. All five look mass produced. “Those are not ACs!” Artemis said. “If they’re not ACs! Then what in Tartarus are they!?” “They’re a class of Muscle Tracers, or MTs for short!” Pyros said, “Those four yellow ones are subordinate MTs, and the red one in the center are the command units! However, these five couldn’t have caused all of this Coral to be released.” “So they’re being led by an AC!?” Artemis asked. “Exactly!” Pyros replied, then his radar beeped. The five Bishops noticed them and are heading this way. “Looks like we have company!” Magus said, “Go time?” “Go time little pony!” Pyros said as the three ACs engaged the enemy. Magus whipped out the energy rifles and aimed them at one of the Bishops. The targeting reticule tried to lock onto one of the Bishops, but was having trouble locking on. “Come on you piece of… GAH!” Magus just pulled the trigger on the two rifles and they fired. Sending out short bursts of three energy beams toward the Bishops, who dodged the beams. “Shit!” Magus cursed. He fired another burst of three shots, both actually hit their targets this time. Taking two of them out. “Splash two!” Magus said excitedly. “You mean splash two bandits?” Artemis said. “Yeah whatever you say!” Magus cleared his throat and joined the other two ACs. Ignis, being a heavy cavalry unit ran on a hover tank to get around. Using it’s thrusters to maintain it’s altitude in Rubicon’s orbit. Pyros locks on the command Bishop and fires the missile launcher on its back. Destroying it. The Luna is a smaller framed AC, used for general mobility and stealth. It runs on two normal mech legs, and uses mostly a sniper rifle and laser blades. Keeping her two Bishops at a distance, She aims and locks on. Firing two shots that home in on her targets and destroying them. “Piece of cake!?” Artemis said, “I just now realized that these HAVE to be a distraction!” “A distraction from what though?” Pyros replied. “I don’t know, but this fishy!” It was indeed a distraction, as nearby two ACs left Rubicon’s atmosphere during the fight. One was a heavy cavalry hover tank, like the Ignis and the other one was more stealth based like the Luna. This stealth model has two shoulder mounted sniper rifles that are capable of locking on two targets at once. Its main weapons are twin hand held laser blades. “Our destruction worked, they feel for it.” said the stealth AC pilot. “As predicted!” said the other pilot, “Now let’s get out of here Raven!” “Are you sure?” Raven said. “I hear they have a Raven within their ranks!” “We did what we came here for! We released all of the Coral! The High Priest won’t be happy that we disobeyed him!” “Alright!” Raven said, “Let’s get out of here!” Back onboard the Buster the three were debriefed and were dismissed. “Oh Magus! A word?” Venus said, and Magus stayed behind in Venus’ office, “You have adapted well with the Raven. I’m proud of you. It’s like you’re a natural!” “I’ve had some help from the AI, Morrigan!” Magus saluted before leaving. Venus sat at her desk nodding. Magus enters the bridge, as Mindstorm waves him over. “Hey Magus! It seems backup has arrived and has started getting the Coral under control.” “That’s good right?” Magus asked. “It is!” Mindstorm replied. Something was nagging Magus. He met one of the few ponies aboard this vessel, he wondered how they came to be a part of the crew. “Say Mindstorm… I was wondering why you and the other ponies are onboard this vessel. How did ponies get on here? I’ve only known that ponies living on Equus as you called my homeworld. I’m just curious what happened?” “Ponies have been living on many planets for over a century.” Mindstorm said, “To be precise Ponykind explored the stars and made allies among other space faring races of the galaxy. It all started over a century ago when communication with Equus just ended. No explanation or anything. Just radio silence. Pony colonies tried to regain contact, but to avail! Since our homeworld was gone or so we thought the then United Pokemorph Federation threw us a bone. Then President Jill Rivers made and offer to fully join the Federation until contact was re-established. We accepted the offer. However the Federation sent ships to re-establish contact with Equus. It was then that ponykind in the Galactic community learned that there was no magic on Equus anymore, and all three races lived separately again. My ancestors viewed this as a betrayal. Not only that but Princess Twilight Sparkle was missing. Canterlot was destroyed as well! We tried to figure out what happened ourselves with our new allies. We never did. Sure there were many theories, but we never settled on just one…” “Afterwards other galactic races joined us, from different dimensions. Humans and others. Then the Unified Pangalactic Federation was born!” Venus said entering the bridge and taking her seat. “That’s right Captain!” Mindstorm said saluting. “With you here maybe you can finally fill us in on what happened?” Venus asked. “Well I’m fully unaware of what happened. Just that the races hated each other and you all know what happened that day I found the Raven.” Magus said. “Tell me your story. What made you… you!” Mindstorm said. Magus tensed up. He was not in the mood of telling about his past or even how he got his special shadow magic. “Um, I've got to go run a simulation again!” He quickly galloped off the bridge and to the simulation training room. “What was that about Captain?” Mindstorm asked. “I don’t know but don’t push it.” Venus said, “He’ll tell us when he’s good and ready!” “Yes Captain!” Magus piloted the VR version of the Raven through a desolate cityscape. When a squadron of aerospace fighters entered his radar range. All are known as the Type 20 Cazador aerospace fighters that have been around and constantly improved over the last century of the Federation. “Enemy targets sighted!” came the voice of the ship’s AI. Magus target all of the fighters and fired missiles. The missles broke into smaller ones and went for their respective targets. Some were hit and some used EMP pulses to knock out their incoming missiles. Magus cursed under his breath and went into evasive maneuvers to avoid those surviving Cazadors. He uses his own EMP rifles to short out the missiles fired at him, and aimed his rifles at the Cazadors. Firing he hit two of them but there was still one more left, and it was giving him trouble.  “Come on!” Magus exclaimed. The Raven was out maneuvering and avoiding the remaining Cazador’s  firepower. He even countered missiles with the EMP cannons, until they were out of energy. So he took aim and fired with the remaining energy in his rifles. Destroying the missiles aimed at him. He would do a better job if he was able to bring Morrigan into the simulation. Which he couldn’t, and even if he could. He wanted to learn how to pilot his AC without her. "Git gud” as they say, and yes it was spelled like that. Magus kept the last of his rifle ammo as the Cazador fired the last of its missiles. Magus smirked to himself as he had an idea. He allowed the missiles to chase him, as he lead them behind the Cazador, and flew past it. The missiles were dumb enough to hit their own fighter, downing the Cazador as the simulation ended. When Magus climbed out he saw Venus standing there, waiting for him. “Captain! What are…?” “Look you may not want to talk about your past right now and I understand! However, please don’t do something like running off to do something else again! We’ll understand if you don’t want to talk right now!” “Understood Captain!!” Magus said. The PA system came on as Mindstorm spoke up. “You won’t believe this! But we’re getting our first message from Equus!” he said. “Uh weird… Did they get their magical technology working again?” Venus asked Magus confusingly. Magus just shrugged as both went back to the bridge. Back on the bridge Venus and Magus saw Izzy and Sunny on their main monitor. “Hello!” Izzy said, “Any pony there? Hello? We’re just sending this message on random channels! Because we don’t know if we’re doing it right!” Magus looked and noticed something different about Sunny. He noticed she had a horn and wings made out of light, and a rainbow streak in her mane. “This is Captain Venus of the UMV Buster! We read you Equus! It’s been forever!” “Oh someone got our signal, Sunny!” Izzy said. “We would like to know how you found us!” Venus asked. “We’re just sending this signal through various channels as we don’t know what we’re really doing!” Izzy said, “This equipment seems to respond to magical energy that Sunny here used in her new alicorn form! So we’re not sure how this all works.” “Captain, should they really be sending a random signal everywhere within the multiverse?” Magus asked. “Not really, but your planet hasn’t been in contact for over a century.” Venus replied “So we’re just trying out this old outdated…” Izzy was cut off by the signal being terminated, followed by nothing but static. “Get us back to Equus now!” Venus ordered and everyone got into their assigned stations, as the Buster set course for Magus’ home world. Ending Theme