//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Crusaders: Iron Mare // by Solaris90 //------------------------------// Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, or any of the ideas or characters related to it. I do not own Marvel, or any of the ideas or characters related to it. I make no money from this writing. My Little Pony Iron Mare Chapter 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Much has changed in Equestria and the world at large in the nearly two hundred years since the Elements of Harmony and all their friends destroyed the evil conqueror Tirek once and for all. Nations rose and fell. The unsettled wilderness shrank. History and legend marched on. Technology developed, the true scientific age starting with Twilight's mechanical support harness for her brother, who was crippled in the final battle. Towns died out or became cities. Cities became great metropolises, shining beacons of civilization.      Nowhere is this progress more prevalent than in the ancient city of Canterlot, seat of the government that has overseen the land for the past fifty years. Here the elected parliamentary council governs Equestria, with freely offered wisdom and advice from the princes and princesses in Canterlot Castle. What the royalty see is a world to be proud of…and concerned for.      It is a time of heroic possibilities and dreams. But the heroes are not here, not yet. But they will be soon. They are being called forth. The Heroic Age is coming, and it is time for them to wake up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      "...and in local news, it looks like Canterlot is getting a new celebrity couple. Early last evening, witnesses reported seeing Princess Galaxy and top Wonderbolts flyer Gale Speed leaving the party together after another Wonderbolt victory. Whether that will lead to anything, who can say?      "Princess Galaxy, the Casanova of Canterlot, is not a stranger to the spotlight. Orphaned at age three when her parents died in a tragic airship accident, the young unicorn has won numerous awards for the scientific achievements she has performed. She is also estimated as the single richest pony in Equestria, thanks to ArmEx Industries, a technology company that has lead the way in everything from toasters to airships and automobiles, with multiple contracts with the military.      "However Princess Galaxy's next few days turn out, at least she'll still have her money!      "And in other news, a mare was rushed to the hospital late last evening after being found in an alleyway on the Pavilion, bleeding profusely from two deep bite marks in her neck. Police are requesting all citizens to finish their business before the sun sets." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Galaxy woke up to the sun shining blindingly bright through the windows, some mindless news report playing on the radio, and a strange pegasus in bed with her, his forelegs wrapped around her mid-section and his teeth playfully nibbling one of her ears. She wasn't bothered by this; she liked to take a new lover to her silken sheets whenever the chance came around. It wasn't hard, with her sleek, statuesque body; pinkish-purple coat; a luscious red, pink, and orange mane that draped over her shoulders like a fiery waterfall; and eyes the color of rubies. It was a beauty Galaxy and her fr... associates, had put a lot of work into cultivating, a beauty she was rightly proud of, no matter what others said.      What bothered the unicorn that particular morning was that the stallion behind her was awake and still there. Galaxy considered herself an impeccable pony of many talents, such as mechanics, drink-mixing, and due to one particularly slow and boring summer, the ability to fix affix a bow tie around a pony's neck with nothing but her tongue. Being patient with other ponies was NOT something she was skilled at, nor did that moment seem a good time to become skilled.      "Excuse me... pegasus, but what are you doing here?"      The pegasus stopped his nibbling and pulled back a little bit to look at her, the sheets rustling as they gathered in his lap. Galaxy could have laughed at the look of confusion on his face. "Um... I'm not sure what you... we met at the party last night, the speed racing championships had just-"      "Yes, yes," she said, interrupting him. "I know. You're that big Wonderbolts flyer. Wind Streak or Breeze Stake or something."      "Gale Speed," he offered, though whether she noticed or cared couldn't be guessed by the look on her face.      Galaxy rolled away from him and off her side of the bed, four perfectly pedicured hooves hitting the blue marble floor with a satisfying clack. "Yes, fine then, whatever. It was a nice night, now show yourself out. I'm sure you have some groupie's autograph to sign."      Much to her annoyance he stayed on her bed, staring at her like a kid that's been told the tooth fairy isn't real. "Wait, you mean that's it? Come on, I... I bought you your drinks, flew you back to your house..."      Galaxy paused in flipping through the schedule book she kept on her ivory nightstand and looked back at him. The corners of her lips were curling up into a smirk. "Well what do you want me to say? Oh Gale, you were the best I've ever had? Oh Gale, you make my life complete? Oh Gale, please see me again tonight? Look around you!" The white mare swung a foreleg about, indicating the bedroom around them. "Do you think I need a silly little Wonderbolt boy toy to make it all complete?"      Gale looked around them, and seemed to physically shrink. Rich did not begin to describe the bedroom, which was easily bigger than most ponies' living areas. The marble floor, ceiling, and walls were the brightest azure, the bed the darkest crimson. The wall across the room from the bed was covered by computer and TV screens. The wall to the bed's left plain except for two doorways, one leading to the bathroom and the other to the rest of the penthouse apartment. The wall to the bed's right meanwhile was dominated by a floor-to-ceiling window, which at the moment was hidden by curtains matching the sheets.      Then suddenly the pegasus was flipped off the bed by a wave of red magic. Galaxy trotted around the bed and looked down at him on the floor, not deigning to offer him a hoof up. "Now then, I'll ask again. Do you think I, Princess Galaxy, need you? At all?"      The pegasus, top Wonderbolt flyer and celebrity, gave her no answer. He just got to his four hooves and started for the window head low and tail limp. Galaxy decided to help along and pressed a button on the wall, and with hardly a squeak the curtains slid apart and the window rose into the wall, allowing a glorious view of the Canterlot skyline. "That's it, run along little commoner."      Galaxy turned away and started again for her schedule. Before she got more than a few steps however, a hard gust from the pegasus's wings sent her sprawling on the bed. "I heard the rumors, and I guess it's true that you're nothing but a royal pain! Blank flank!"      Galaxy was on her hooves again in a moment, screaming and grabbing and throwing a chair with her magic. But the pegasus was already flying away and well out of reach of her wrath. He was not so far away however that she could not hear his sneering laughter, mocking her.      For a moment Galaxy just stood there on her bed, staring with burning eyes at the open window, giving a little hate at every pegasus that flew by. But then that burning was quenched as hot tears leaked out. She stifled the sob that threatened to come out, instead sitting down on the bed and letting the tears fall silently.      Blank flank. Again with those two words. No two-word combination in the history of the world was so terrible to Galaxy. Blank flank. The title for useless ponies, lost ponies, ponies that have yet to find what makes them special. Galaxy hated, hated, hated those two words. She was 25, darn it, and still she was a blank flank. The only pony in history to reach such an age without a cutie mark, according to the research she had done. It was an embarrassment.      "Stupid pegasus, racing's a stupid talent anyway." Not quite believing her own words, Galaxy looked at her own painfully-blank flank. She rubbed a hoof over it. "A mark here would look terrible anyway. It, it would mar the singular purity of my coat. Heh, yeah, that's a load."      Knocking suddenly came from the bedroom door, followed by the voice of an older stallion with a cultured Canterlot accent. "Your highness, breakfast is ready and waiting in the kitchen, along with this morning's paper, as per the usual."      Galaxy let out one final sob, before wiping her eyes and climbing off her bed. "Very good, Alms. I'll be out in a moment. Just making myself presentable."      "Very well, your highness."      There was the sound of retreating hoofsteps, and then Galaxy was alone with her thoughts once more. She hit the button for the windows with her magic and started for the door, keeping her head up and her chest out, forcing her feelings back down where they belonged. She was Princess Galaxy of Canterlot, descendant of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, and head of the richest industrial company in Equestria. She was better than this.      "Let them talk. Mouths probably need exercising."      Now fully psyched up, Galaxy was finally able to pick up her day planner. She flipped it open as she walked to the door. Every entry for that day said exactly the same thing.      "Whatever I want. Perfect. First stop after breakfast then, the garage." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      "This is Canterlot One, News on the Street, here with a special interview with the one and only coach for the Wonderbolts, Moonbow Bltz. Mr. Blitz, please tell us, what are your thoughts on last night's rumors of star Wonderbolt Gale Speed and Princess Galaxy of Canterlot hooking up?"      "Tch, absolute baloney. I spoke to my boy Gale when he came in for training this morning, and I can say with the utmost certainty that Canterlot's newest 'celebrity couple' lasted about as long as my ballet career. Um, wait, this isn't live, is it? Edit that last part out."      "Did Gale Speed give any reason for not sticking it out with the princess? Word is she's quite the catch."      "What kind of news station are ya, lady? And yeah, Gale told me the whole sordid tale. For starters, that dame ain't quite the catch at all. You'd be wiser to throw her back in the lake like my boy Gale did. But I could've warned him myself not to go with her. Spoiled, spoiled, and spoiled, that's all ya got to know. Practically threw Gale out of the house when she found him still there this morning. At least Celestia and Luna give us day and night, they can have all the big castles they want. What's Galaxy ever done for us? Stupid blank flank. And ya know, another thing, I'm thinking those beauty pageants were scared of gettin' the royalty angry, 'cause Galaxy no more than a seven, eight out of ten, tops. And another thing, I-"    Princess Celestia sighed and switched off the TV. "What am I going to do with that foolish girl?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Down in her personal car garage and work area below the ground floor of her building, her head and forelegs stuffed into the engine compartment of a G2-Class air speeder, Galaxy did not notice the knocking and bell-ringing of someone at the entrance, especially after she turned up the volume of her radio to drown it out. The small device, black and silver and just smaller than a pony's head, blasted out a fusion of heavy metal and orchestral that to anyone else's ears would have been an incoherent mess, she was sure.      Galaxy also did not notice the sound of the elevator coming down to her level, nor the pleasant ding as the double doors slid open. She did not hear the exasperated sigh or the clip-clop of hooves on plain grey concrete. Her attention was focused completely on the engine in front of her. The porcelain insulator for one of the spark plugs had developed a crack, the compression in cylinder three was low, and she had the sinking suspicion the fluid on the crankshaft was coffee. Somehow.      Galaxy did notice however when her music was switched off mid-lyric and a stack of papers were plopped down on top of the engine casing. She drew her head out of the engine, looked at the papers for a moment, and then looked up at the caramel-colored unicorn stallion in a blue business suit standing next to her and tapping a hoof against the ground. The extremely irate-looking caramel-colored unicorn stallion in a blue business suit standing there and tapping a hoof against the ground.      "So... " Galaxy coughed and brushed a bang from her eyes, smearing her forehead with some engine oil in the process. "You look like you need some coffee. What's the word, Cello?"      Bow Cello's right eye gave a little twitch, but other than that he remained under control. "Well, the Wonderbolts have banned you from future shows. All future shows. For the rest of time."      "Oh, is that all." Galaxy stood up and grabbed a towel from a nearby rack to start wiping off the grime she had gotten on herself. "I think I'll buy the Wonderbolts. That'd be a nice early birthday present to me. Or no, that's an old team. Cello, start and fund a new team of pegasi to show up the Wonderbolts. Red and silver outfits, have a bit of an opposite theme going. Or, maybe bring back the Shadowbolts, Luna would love that. Is that the morning paper?" This last comment was accompanied by a hoof pointed at the papers on the engine compartment.      "No, said Cello. "Those would be the papers for the board of directors meeting today. The one that was supposed to start ten minutes ago and halfway across Canterlot at that company you make a point of not running."      Galaxy dropped the towel and started for a wash station set near the elevator. Some of her stains were being stubborn, she found. "Well what do you expect? I'm bored of directors, especially at meetings. Besides, I'm busy right now having a little thing called fun. You should try it sometime." She turned on the faucet and started filling the basin. "Why don't you just do whatever it is you always do when I don't show up at meetings?"      Cello shrugged and gave a little smile as his employer dunked her face into the basin. "Well, this meeting is very important. So I brought the important members of the board along with me."      The elevator started up, counting down the floors to their level. Galaxy looked over at it in shock, face and mane soaking wet. Then she looked over at Cello, at his grin. "You brought other ponies to my workspace? My personal workspace, the one that is, well, personal?"      "Well we had to get your attention somehow."      "No, but you brought them to my personal workspace." Galaxy was already rubbing her face and mane dry with a fresh towel. "My personal workspace in my personal garage level. I mean, it's personal for a reason, I bought it, I own it."      "You own the entire building, Galaxy."      Galaxy threw the towel up on a rack and paced around as the elevator grew louder, meaning closer. Her eyes scanned the shelves and trolleys for something she could use. "Fine then, you brought strange ponies into my personal work space in my personal garage in my personal freaking building. Mine. Now I have to look all presentable and stuff. How in Tartarus am I supposed to look presentable in a garage work area? It's paradoxical. I'm going to have to show up at the Grand Galloping Gala next time in overalls and a grimy tank top just to make it ev-aha! Here we go, they'll eat these up!"      Galaxy grabbed a box from a shelf and turned back toward the elevator just as it dinged. The doors opened and three unicorns, two earth ponies, and a pegasus walked out, all in matching grey suits that did a disturbing job of making them blend in to the concrete walls. Galaxy had to try not to laugh at this. "Hello, members of the board. It's always such a pleasure to see you."      The lime-green pegasus, Storm Chaser, Galaxy thought his name was, took a long look around the machine-littered garage, before looking at Galaxy with a smile as phony as they come. "And it's always such a pleasure to see you, your highness. It's a shame that we don't get to see you around the offices more often, but some things can't be helped I suppose."      "No, I suppose they can't." Galaxy levitated over some folding chairs and a table from a corner and sat down, setting the box beside her, before looking over at Cello. "You're dismissed. Go and get yourself some donuts or something." Then as Cello hurried away to the elevator, she looked back at Chaser and the others. "So then, what's the big occasion to make you really need to see me? Someone lock you out of Armor Towers' meeting room?"      One of the earth ponies, a dull brown mare called Weaver, took the chair facing Galaxy. She fixed Galaxy in place with a stare. "We're here because we have several concerns regarding the company's future direction."      The other earth pony, a grey stallion, spoke up next. "This year is the 110th anniversary of ArmEx Enterprises. For sixty of those years we have dominated the industrial military production, airship production, and computer research in Equestria. But times are changing. What was popular or important last year isn't anymore. Shareholders want to know that there is a future they can believe in with this company."      Galaxy, who had done her very best to pay attention while the other pony talked, nodded and lay back in her seat. "Right." She took four clunky metal boots from the box beside her and started slipping them on. "And as majority shareholder in the company, descendant of the founders, CEO of the company, and princess, you need my permission to... do what now?"      "We need your signature more than anything else," answered Chaser. From a suitcase he brought out several tan folders and set them on the table. "We have pending military contracts with Germaney, the Gryphon Kingdoms, and Camelu just waiting for you to make them official, as well as a possible future contract with the Crystal Empire. What we are looking at here is a possible quadrupling of our... what are you doing?"      Galaxy finished securing the last boot, before double-checking to make sure every strap was as it needed to be. She then shot a smug little grin at the ponies in suits and hopped off her chair and moved to a relatively open area of the garage, eager to see the looks on their faces at what she was about to do next. "Just demonstrating MY company's new direction. Until only a few centuries ago, the sky was the dominion of pegasi and other fliers, and unicorns and earth ponies had to be content with the ground. Even today we can have only a pale imitation with airships and speeders. Today, that all changes."      A spark of magic from Galaxy's horn to activate the charging mechanisms in the boots, and suddenly the grinning unicorn lifted up into the air, blowing away the folders on the table and whipping around the board members' ties with a warm breeze. The bottoms of the four metal boots Galaxy wore glowed a bright electric blue, bright as searchlights in the garage and with a sound comparable to a portable generator's hum.      "Great Luna!" One of the unicorns Galaxy hadn't bothered to learn the name of staggered back a step, awe written on her face. The others all had similar expressions on, except Chaser, who looked shocked in a decidedly unhappy way. She brought a hoof up to hold her mane in place as the breeze blew it around. "Galaxy, ma'am, are those jet boots!?"      "Not quite," answered Galaxy, happy to hear the awe and excitement in the other mare's voice. Perhaps she was one to get to know the name of. "It's repulsor tech. Doesn't need physical fuel like gasoline or whatever." She hovered to the left, then backwards, and then did a little whirl. As she did a smattering of applause came from the watching board members.      "I am sure that I do not have to explain the possibilities of these boots," said Mr. Watches, the futurist of the board and a unicorn who was immensely well-fed. And though he said the possibilities didn't need explaining, he proceeded to anyway. "Hiking trips, for ponies to go where they couldn't otherwise. Or rescue services, to help them get in and out of places it would otherwise take ropes and ladders and three other ponies. Stripped-down versions for fillies and colts to play with, and teams of aerial ballet ponies that AREN'T pegasi. And Mr. Chaser, I'm sure you're excited over the possible military possibilities this presents."      "Oh yes... so excited..." The pegasus did not look excited. In fact, Galaxy thought when she looked at him, he looked miserable. He watched Galaxy hover this way and that around the room, the corners of his lips turning down into the smallest frown. "So tell me... ma'am... are these boots near ready yet? A deadline helps in pitching ideas to buyers."      A few more seconds of hovering around, and then Galaxy went back to approximately where she had started, landed with a soft clank of metal hitting concrete, and began taking the boots off. All the while she talked. "I'm thinking two or three more revisions before they're ready for that. I still need to perfect the energy storage crystals so that earth ponies can activate them. They need slimming down because these clunky versions would kill any self-respecting pony that went into public wearing them. There's also only about seven or eight minutes of hovering per charge, so increasing that would be nice for, oh, probably everybody."      Now that that was done with, Galaxy chucked the boots back into their box and started for the elevator. "Now then, if there's nothing else to discuss, I happen to have a lunch date at the Pavilion to get ready for, and I simply must look my best."      "Actually, there is one last subject to discuss."      Galaxy stopped walking and looked back. Weaver had stooped down to pick up one of the folders that had blown about during the flight, and now she held it out to Galaxy. "The Princess has made a formal request for us to look into the support harness again."      Even before Weaver had finished talking, Galaxy was rolling her eyes and turning away. "The support harness, really? That hold thing? It's a relic, a publicity stunt."      "Well, every company needs a good publicity stunt on occasion," replied Weaver. The earth pony matched pace with Galaxy and held a hoof out to block the elevator open button. "The company, your family's company, ArmEx Enterprises, was started from the design and manufacture of the support harness to hospitals around Equestria-"      "Yeah," interrupted Galaxy, pushing the hoof out of the way. "But that was a long time ago. There hasn't been any advancement in the harness for decades; it's a technological dead end. And it's certainly not fashionable."      The elevator doors opened. Galaxy got in, but before the others could she put up a barrier of magic to stop them. "You can all catch the next one. And Weaver," she fixed the earth pony mare in place with a stare that could have frozen ice. "If you ever block my way again, or do anything that doesn't respect my position above you, I will fire you. And you and your descendants will never work at ArmEx Enterprises or any company related to MY company, ever. Understood?"      "Y-yes, your highness."      The doors slid shut, and so Galaxy missed it as Storm Chaser's expression changed to rage. Rage and hate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      "I've had enough of that royal pain. I want her dead, preferably in a painful fashion. Am I understood?"      "Yes, sir. Breakfast will be her last meal." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Galaxy was upset all the way through her shower. She was upset all the way through picking out her red and yellow dress and shoes combo that was certainly not meant to hide her blank flanks. She was upset all the way through her drive to the Pavilion carriage area halfway across Canterlot, not saying a word to her donkey driver beyond where she wanted to be taken. But by the time she had come in sight of the carriage area 10 minutes later she had managed to cool herself down and recollect herself. It would not do to appear angry or upset in any way in public, where there could be photographers and reporters and the paparazzi waiting around every corner. At least, it would not due to appear angry or upset in public without the reason being known.      And so, when Galaxy stepped out of the automobile and looked ahead at the waiting Pavilion, she could look at it with the same awe that such a technological achievement always inspired in her, without it getting spoiled by her previous bad mood.      The Pavilion, simply put, was a massive slab of rock, roughly a fourth the size of the city of Canterlot and reserved for only the richest of the rich and most famous of the famous. Whereas most of Canterlot was built into the mountain, beside the mountain on solid ground, or hanging off the side, the Pavilion floated in midair beside the mountain, kept from falling by Equestria's largest electromagnetic generator in history, connecting the floating isle to the rest of the city by a magnetic beam. Special teams of chariots were kept to ferry visitors to it, where they could find expensive shops, restaurants, and theaters, all only serving the best of the best. The whole thing was a triumph of Equestrian science and prosperity.      Galaxy started walking toward the building where visitors hired out chariots. Before she could make it halfway there however, the sound of an approaching chariot caught Galaxy's attention. She stopped walking and looked to her right. A carefully considered smile broke out on her face as she watched the reason she had come there, the unicorn Glory Belle, coming toward her in a chariot pulled by a pair of golden-yellow pegasi.      "Hello, darling! I hope your morning has been as fantastic as mine!" Glory waved a hoof at Galaxy, before motioning for the pegasi to slow down, and Galaxy waved back. Glory was one of her oldest and closest associates, though Galaxy wouldn't go so far as to say they were friends. Her coat was silvery-white, a fine contrast to the purple mane and tail with blue streaks. Her eyes were olive-green and her cutie mark a purple shooting star, though today it was covered up by the sleek purple dress and hat she wore, matched by a fashionable parasol spread open to give her shade.      Glory was the top jeweler in the city, providing high-quality jewelry to everyone who could afford it. Though the other mare's true passions, Galaxy knew, were for the various charities she helped organize and fund. Such a generous heart.      As soon as the chariot came to a stop in front of Galaxy she climbed on and nodded to Glory. The chariot pullers started moving again without a word, taking to the air and heading for the Pavilion. "My day's been interesting, at least. Nothing really important, other than getting banned from all Wonderbolt shows."      Glory let out a hmmph and stuck her nose up in the air. "Well if you ask me, that can only be a good thing. I never had a taste for racing and aerial shows, honestly. The outfits are just garish, there's no room for them to accessorize, and once you've seen one show you've seen them all. My older sister, bless her heart, loved them, but I just can't. Why, I could get more entertainment watching these two pegasi pulling us." Glory looked ahead after saying this, watching the two chariot pullers with a soft blush growing on her cheeks. "Mmm, the right one certainly has a nice flank."      Galaxy brought a hoof to her face and groaned. "Focus, Glory. We're talking about me right now. You can waste time ogling the stallions later."      "Right, right, of course. I know exactly what we need to do." Glory grinned and gave a bat of her shining eyes. "A full day on the Pavilion is exactly what the doctor ordered. First we'll have lunch at this charming little café I found the other night, just off the main boulevard. Then we'll catch a movie, followed by a trip to the mall. Finally, imported gelato. All paid for by yours truly, of course."      "Of course," responded Galaxy, finding the plan enticing even though she didn't care for gelato. "Nothing else could be expected."      A few moments more idle chatter between the two, and then their chariot was coasting to a stop along the landing area reserved for the chariots. Galaxy and Glory disembarked, Glory giving her usual generous tip, and then the pair was trotting down the main boulevard, sharing the gossip of the week.      Glory, more involved with the goings-on of the Canterlot social scene than Galaxy, did most of the talking. She told Galaxy about the new drafthouse being built in far-off Appleloosa, about the latest monetary scandal in Parliament, about military movements being overseen by Prince Oren, how his son Lir still showed no interest in any sort of courtship, and a dozen other myriad topics. Galaxy was truly interested in little of it, but decorum meant paying it all the utmost attention. When dealing with the elite, decorum meant everything.      "So how about you then, my dear? Tell me how you got yourself banned from all future Wonderbolts shows?"      Galaxy told her. At the end Glory shook her head and sighed as they turned off onto a side street. "You are truly minor royalty, with all the chivalry and respectability to be expected. If I could have a true boyfriend, I definitely would."      "Yeah, sure." Something bothered Galaxy as they walked down the street and eyed the fancy storefronts. There were the usual ponies asking her to attend dinner parties and operas and social functions, all of which Galaxy accepted but few she planned to actually attend. This would have been the norm wherever she went in Canterlot. But where were all the paparazzi? Where were the click and flash of cameras from unexpected angles? Where were the insistent young ponies asking inappropriate questions that she loved giving ridiculous answers to? What did she not know?"      They turned the corner onto the street Glory claimed the restaurant was on, and Galaxy got her answer. Sitting at a table in front of a café halfway down the street from them, his pearly white fur and pink eyes recognizable from anywhere, sat Prince Oren, leader of the diamond dogs. The large canine was dressed in a black, sleeveless vest and a diamond-studded collar. He sat sipping a coffee and staring off into nowhere, doing his best to ignore the throng of ponies surrounding him and looking miserable while doing it. Galaxy could guess why.      Glory saw what was going on almost as fast as Galaxy did. When she did she let out a school-girl squeal and danced in place. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"      Galaxy facehoofed. "Glory…"      At the sound of Glory's squeal Oren's ears perked up. The diamond wolf looked around for the source and, seeing the two new ponies, smiled and beckoned them over. As they came he turned to the ponies surrounding him and bared his fangs. "Get lost, all of you, before my wife banishes you all to the moon."      They got lost, giving the two approaching ponies a wide berth. Galaxy had to chuckle at this, knowing the threat to be an empty one. She then stopped at the extra-large table and inclined her head to the higher noble. "Your majesty.      Oren waved a wand, a silver glow surrounding it and two chairs slid from the table. "Princess Galaxy, Miss Glory Belle. Thank ye kindly for the timely arrival. I was just about to lose my mind there. I hate crowds."      "W-well, it's our pleasure to help." Glory looked about ready to swoon. As Galaxy took one of the offered chairs she thought it a wonder her fellow unicorn managed to do the same without fainting. Coherent words around the alicorn-sized diamond wolf were an even bigger surprise.      The waitress, a mousy little cream-colored pegasus, came over to get their orders. Galaxy ordered a coffee, no cream or sugar, and caramelized pears. Glory ordered almond croissants and a hay smoothie. The waitress left and Galaxy turned to look at Oren. "I'm surprised to see you in Canterlot. I'm even more surprised to see you on the Pavilion. For a guy like you, did they open up an army recruitment center here or something?"      The diamond wolf chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing like that. Just visiting the family. The wife's around here somewhere, shopping to her heart's content. Don't know why, she just told me she enjoys it more than having every outfit made to order." Oren sighed and shook his head again. "One hundred and fifty years together, and she's still as inscrutable as the night."      The waitress came back with their drinks. Not being an overly romantic pony, Galaxy didn't know about the night being inscrutable, so she decided to just sip her coffee and stay quiet.      Glory, however, was quite the romantic. The purple-maned unicorn let out a happy sigh and got a dreamy look in her eyes. "It must be so wonderful to have your soul mate, someone to stand beside you and love you just for who you are, not anything that you can do for them. I've looked, but I've just never been able to find a stallion like that for me."      Galaxy snorted and took a deep gulp of her coffee, wondering where the waitress had gotten off to. "Well, don't hold your breath waiting. You're a great gal, Glory, but high-class elites at our level don't exactly have much opportunity for 'true love'. These ponies and whatever we're surrounded with are only going to be interested in prestige and their social standing. There's really not much else to it."      Now Glory was glaring at the pink mare. "You're only saying that because that's what you think. I'd rather hope differently, thank you very much."      Galaxy shrugged and finished her coffee. "If you insist. Where in Tartarus did that waitress get to?"      At these words Oren sat up stock-straight in his seat, hand leaving his glass of tea and going to his hip. It was only then Galaxy noticed that, along with his black vest and collar, the diamond wolf also wore a belt. And attached to that belt, gleaming silver in its holster, rested the first revolver Galaxy had ever seen. "Ore... Prince Oren... what is the mat-"      The diamond wolf silenced her with one upraised hand, while with his other hand he drew out his revolver. "I think that right now it would be better to refer to me by my other title." His ears were perked up, his eyes flicking left and right, scanning the area. "General Oren."      Glory stood up, her knees quivering. "Galaxy, perhaps we should-"      A sound, like a soft thump, was heard. Oren turned toward the street, gun raised, but before anything else happened a metal orb the size of a baseball landed on the table between them all. Galaxy had a moment to read ArmEx printed on the side, before the orb opened up and released a shockwave of gold energy.      Oren staggered from the force but kept standing. Glory teleported away as soon as she saw the orb. But Galaxy didn't have the physical strength to withstand the blast, and she had never bothered learning how to teleport. She was sent flying, tumbling head over heels clear across the street, only stopping when she slammed back-first into a bank's decorative pillar. It was a bad landing that dominated Galaxy's hearing with a sound like the snapping of many dried twigs. She fell to the sidewalk with her world enflamed with pain, mind-rending pain that made the mare want only to crawl into a corner and die. But she couldn't. Galaxy struggled, but her hind legs wouldn't move.      "Help… someone… help…"      All around Galaxy was chaos; ponies screaming, gunshots, magic crackling through the air, and more explosions. And something else, barely coming in through the haze of pain in Galaxy's mind. Cries of a new Tambelon, and the sky belonging to real flyers… Something hard and metallic bounced off Galaxy's head and landed with a clunk beside her. She had a moment to stare wide-eyed at the grenade on the ground four inches from her face. "Oh."      A deafening boom, and then the world went dark. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Galaxy woke up and felt soft sheets covering her and a stiff bed beneath her. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten into a bed. Her last few memories were fuzzy. Somewhere she heard the drip-drip of an IV. A hospital. The sheets felt heavy. She was cold and hot. A window was open, her neck hurt, gossip about Parliament scandals, bandages covering her eyes, thoughts…      Galaxy slowly collected her thoughts, got them under control. There had been some sort of attack on the Pavilion. She had been hurt…      "Galaxy, I can feel that you are awake."      Galaxy flinched at the sudden voice from somewhere to her left, her muscles instantly protesting the sudden movement. She turned her head and tried to see through the bandages. "Princess Celestia, is that you?" Talking hurt, like her voice hadn't been used for a long while.      "Yes, it is, my little pony." Galaxy felt a large hoof gently caress her cheek. "It is so good to hear your voice again, my niece. I was so worried for you after I heard what happened on the Pavilion." Celestia's voice cracked, and Galaxy knew, knew without seeing, that the alicorn was crying or had cried. "These last few weeks have been a nightmare."      "Last f-few weeks?" Galaxy whimpered, both from those words and the pain speaking them brought her, but pressed on. This was too big not to press on. "What happened that day? Who were they? Where am I? What's New Tambelon? Was anyone else hurt? Why can't I-"      Celestia's hoof caressed Galaxy's cheek again, quieting her. "Please, don't overexert yourself so soon, you might get hurt. I will answer all your questions as well as I can, though I will have to ask you some as well. Do you understand?"      Galaxy nodded, forcing back a sob. "Yes, Princess."      Silence for a few seconds, as Galaxy assumed Princess Celestia gathered her thoughts. Then the alicorn spoke. "This is what I know. The attack on the Pavilion was perpetrated by a rogue group of gryphons and pegasi that calls itself New Tambelon, after the dark gryphon city of old. They are supremacists that believe only natural flyers should have access to the skies, and see airships, helicopters, and all other forms of unnatural flight an affront to them. An attack on the Pavilion itself makes sense."      A pause for breath. "14 other ponies were injured, and two killed. Oren was injured as well, but managed to stop the… the t-terrorists before they could kill anymore. Before you ask, your friend Glory is fine. She's been staying here and watching over you as often as she can. She's a real sweetie, that one. As for where you are, you are in the castle's private medical ward, to receive the best possible care. However... your injuries were severe. Very severe. I had to step in just to keep you alive."      Galaxy forced back another sob. It was becoming harder and harder to do. And yet, the mare noticed with some horror, she could not feel tears forming around her eyes. She actually wanted to cry, but it wasn't coming. "What... what were my injuries?"      Silence. Galaxy forced her way through the ache and pulled herself up into a sitting position, back against the headboard. She had to drag her lower legs. "Princess Celes... Auntie Celestia, what were my injuries?"      Though Galaxy couldn't see the look of sorrow on the elder princess's face, she could hear it in her voice, making the bedridden mare wonder how often through the millennia Celestia had been in this position. "Your spine was shattered when you struck that pillar. Doctors repaired it as best they could, but for now on you will need one of your own company's support harnesses to walk."      "That's not the worst of the news, is it?"      In answer, Galaxy felt an electrical tingle over her face; the telltale sensation of magic. Slowly the bandages began unwrapping. "Galaxy," said Princess Celestia, "I need you to remain calm. I can assure you that this isn't the worst thing that could have happened."      This didn't reassure Galaxy at all. She squirmed where she lay and frowned as the world around her gradually grew brighter as the coverings were taken off.      Then the bandages were gone. Galaxy blinked several times as she adjusted to seeing again after such a long time, and found the world to have a very slight red tint to it. "I don't-" Princess Celestia levitated over a mirror from the bedside table. Galaxy stared into it for nearly a minute, but to the unicorn it felt far, far longer as she took in her new visage.      Where her flesh eyes had once been, there now rested in her sockets fire-red gems carved into the shape of eyes. They were beautiful, no doubt, burning with a faint inner light like fire, but unlike anything Galaxy had ever seen. "They're... enchanted fire rubies, right?"      "Yes."      Galaxy examined herself further. The skin around each eye was raw and scarred, from the initial injury or subsequent surgery Galaxy wasn't sure. There were more little scars scattered over her face, with one extending from the right corner of her lips so she had half a Glasgow smile. "My looks are ruined."     "I'm afraid so."      Galaxy knocked the mirror away with a hoof, listening to it shatter on the floor. She had one Equestria's Most Beautiful Mare three times and Canterlot's Most Beautiful four times. She had won so many lovers with her looks, gotten her way so many times with her looks. She couldn't count the number of magazines with her face on the cover, and now all of that would be a mocking reminder of what she had lost.      The sound of a cough from beside the bed made Galaxy look over to the source. Celestia looked as bad as she had sounded, but still managed to offer a smile. "There are more important things in this world than looks, which I suppose I should have told you when you bribed all those beauty pageant judges. You still have your friends, and you still have your life."      At this Galaxy snorted and looked away. "You don't know me very well, I guess. I don't have friends. I don't need friends. I am Equestrian royalty, better than the common pony, and I..." a light bulb went off in Galaxy's head. Fire rubies. She looked back at Celestia in shock. "These are the third-rarest gemstone in the world. They can't be found in nature, they can only be grown. Only one unicorn in Canterlot cultivates them…"      The door into the hospital room opened. Glory came in carrying a stack of takeout boxes with her magic. "Princess Celestia, I brought donuts for the wai-" The unicorn noticed Galaxy staring at her and stopped to stare back. The next moment Celestia had to catch the boxes as Glory ran to hug the bedridden pony. "Galaxy, you're awake! I was so worried for you!" This was what the others gathered from the dramatic weeping the unicorn let out. "I'm so sorry I l-left you there like that! I'd, I'd forgotten that you can't teleport!"      Galaxy returned the hug, squeezing Glory as tightly as she could with her weakened forelegs. She couldn't cry, but she wished she could. "Glory... Glory, stop crying. I forgive you. But look at me." Galaxy pulled back a little to look Glory in the eyes. "Two fire rubies, Glory. These take months to ripen, sometimes years. You must've nearly crippled your fortune making these for me."      Glory sniffled and wiped at the tears staining her cheeks. "We-well, they were the only gems worthy of my one, true friend. My sister taught me all about being generous to others. I couldn't let you get by with mere diamonds or sapphires."      "Oh Glory." Galaxy returned to hugging her friend. And that was what the other mare was now. Not just an acquaintance, not just an associate, but a friend.      Celestia smiled and set the donut boxes down, before turning for the door. "I'll give you two some privacy, it looks like you have a lot to catch up on. Don't worry about New Tambelon, I promise that neither I or my sister Luna will rest until they are brought to justice for their attack. The doctors say your injuries are healed for the most part, Galaxy, so just another day or two here to get you fitted for a support harness and you can leave. Goodbye."      As soon as the alicorn princess was out of the room and the door was closed, Galaxy broke the hug and gently but firmly pushed Glory away. "I was the target of that attack, not the Pavilion."      "What?" Glory stared at her aghast. "Darling, how could you think that?"      "Because," answered Galaxy, "if they wanted to bring down the pavilion they would've attacked the electromagnetic generators holding it to the cliff's side, not some random café. That, and I can't believe it's mere coincidence that the attack happened mere hours after I showed off jet boots to my company's board of directors. One of which is a pegasus who is really bad at hiding he doesn't like me."      To Galaxy's relief the look on her friend's face was changing from shock to understanding. She still looked unconvinced, though. "Well, okay, it makes sense, but you need proof if you want to take this to anyone."      "I'm not going to be taking this to anyone." Galaxy's mind was swarming with thoughts, ideas she had to get down and get to work on. She looked around, spotted a notebook and pen on the nightstand, grabbed them with her magic, and started drawing. "And the proof is in the attack, only I'm the only one who knows. Those weren't mere grenades, they were repulsor charges. I designed them for construction and demolition, not war. They harness a small magic charge and release it in a burst of pure concussive force, to clear away debris and other stuff. Only I and a few others in the company now about that project, including the pegasus. Storm Chaser."      Glory bent over to look at the diagrams and equations being written down. Galaxy let her, trusting her more than any other pony at the moment. Even so, it was clear from the white unicorn's face that she couldn't make heads or tails of them. "Darling, what is all this?"      "I've been hurt, scarred, and humiliated. My own company, my reputation and legacy, used to hurt me. I won't stand for that." That first page taken up, Galaxy flipped to a new page and continued. "The day of the attack, Princess Celestia asked me to take another look at the support harness." She looked up at Glory, her gaze in that moment harder than mere crystal. "I'm taking another look."