//------------------------------// // Illuminati chapter three The Anuk-Ri // Story: Illuminati // by awesomespike //------------------------------// The meditation chamber was large by pony standards, but by Spike and garble; two full grown dragons. It was the equivalent to a medium size cave. In each corner of the room were Ionic columns, but they didn’t reach all the way to the roof, instead they stopped half way up. At the top of each column sat a dark iron cauldron which was mean to house flames. The cauldron barely shook as a large shock wave traveled through the room and causing any and all who were not flying to fall to the ground. Over thirty ponies lay or floated there in amazement after just watching Spike throw Garble onto his back. “You are still as strong as ever my friend.” Garble said laughing as he climbed up off the ground. “Oh please Garble, we both know I can tell your holding back. In a true contest of pure physical strength there isn’t even a competition between you and me. You’d overpower me in a matter of seconds.” Spike replied while laughing. “Now are you ready of the second challenge? The pride of your flame is at stake here, so don’t you dare hold back!” Garble positioned himself a few feet away from Spike. Both dragons lowered their stances so they were barely inches away from the ground. Neither dragon was at the actual height, but was still quite huge in their current forms which rivaled some of the trees in the Everfree forest. Seconds felt like minutes as the two fears beast simply stood there staring each other dead in the eye, and without any warning; fire erupted from within the dragon’s mouths. The green and red flames twisted and turned amongst each other. Neither fully capable of pushing the other back, but both causing the heat in the meditation chamber to rise to the point breathing was getting harder for the ponies watching in awe to do. Many started to leave out the chamber, but a few remained watching and waiting for the outcome of who would be victories in this heated competition. Spike’s flame started to waver as a stream of fire started to part on both sides of spike’s main fire stream. Each stream took the shape of a dragon’s claw and proceeded wrap around Garble and lift the fire dragon on the ground; slamming him against the wall before dispersing. “Looks like I win the flame competition.” Spike said jokingly as he walked towards the red dragon and extended his claw out. “Was there any doubt? You are after all, a master of the Anuk-Ri. Any dragon who thing they will be able to beat you in a fire fight would have to be crazy. Garble took Spike’s hand and pulled himself up onto his to hind legs. “Well this has been fun, but we better get some rest, tomorrow we strike one of Luna’s and Celestia’s support depots. It will be risky, but I am more than sure Rapid Dash and yourself will be able to pull it off and of course you to will have my support.” Spike said with a grin. “Wait, to do such a maneuver we will need to split our forces up into two groups. Even if we are only hitting supply depots, they will still be heavier armed then us and will take our full force. Also, why does it sound like you will not be joining us?” Rapid dash said as he shook himself out of shock from what he had just witnessed. “Worry not, I will be there, with both team in fact, but not physically. Physically I will remain here in the meditation chamber over seeing both operations and providing support.” Spike replied as he pointed to what looked like a throne in the back of the room in between the back columns. “Wait, what? This makes no sen…..” “Just wait and see Rapid Dash, and Spike are you sure you don’t want to ease into this first and only hit one first? Having your conscious split like that cannot be too comfortable.” Garble asked. “It is OK my friend, with any luck I won’t have to overextend myself this early into the war we are starting. Remember I am our Equalizer here, and I won’t be doing my job if I take it easy. Now everyone get some rest because we are going to have some real fun tomorrow, and can someone show me to our Supply base?” ***** Early the next morning, no more than fifty soldiers showed up to the armory to get suited, majority was a mixture of ponies and griffins with ten diamond dogs thrown into the mix. The expression Rapid Dash had made the soldiers slowly back away in fear of getting a spear through their hearts. “GARBLE, WE HAVE OVER FIVE-THOUSAND SOLDEIRS SO WHY ARE THERE ONLY FIFTY HERE?” Rapid Dash yelled at the top of his longs as he flew over to the dragon that was briefing the others on the plan. “Good morning to you too sunshine and this is by Spike’s command. The two teams will only consist of twenty five soldiers; five of them will be Diamond dogs who will infiltrate the supply base from underneath and extract the weapons, food, and medical supplies. Also here put this on, Spike brought them in this morning this morning and wants every soldier wearing them at all times while out on the mission.” Garble tossed the Pegasus a green gemstone necklace. “The hell is this? What do I need this for? It is bad enough we are splitting up our forces, but this is just suicidal! I read the mission reports on my way here and our targets are like a two week journey away one way and yours is even further. This all makes no since what so ever.. I am going to go have a word with our so called leader!” Before Rapid dash could fly off Garble grabs him by his rainbow colored tail. “If you would stop talking and actually listen for once then I will explain, just like I explained to the soldiers. First off, normally it would take a week to get to your target and two months to reach mine, but…..” Two green flames swirled on the far end of the wall. “And there is our ride, as I was saying thanks to Spike being here; one of the many abilities the wielder of the Anuk-Ri possesses is the power to create portals between two points. So the takes what would take a two month trip and turns into less than a five second trip.” Garble said releasing Rapid Dash. “Wait if he can make moves like that then why doesn’t he just open mortals up into let say….Celestia’s bedroom and kill her?” Rapid Dash asks staring at the portals of fire genuinely amazed. “He can only open portals up at areas he holds knowledge of, while he could move our entire army into Canterlot, such moves could easily be disastrous to make such an attack while their military is still at it strongest. When we start make movements into areas such as the badlands, we will be moving on foot, because he will only be able to take us so far still shortening the journey. As far as these necklaces go, these are crystalized pieces of the of Anuk-Ri and as long as we carry them; Spike will be able to see into a certain area around us. This gives him the ability to create portals needed for our escape and even return to this area if need be. Now ready your soldiers and know that The Anuk-Ri wielder is not only watching over us as we go into battle, but will be lending us even more assistance.” With that Garble commanded his soldiers to enter into the portal on the right with him falling behind him. “Wait, one more question, I realize its dragon tongue, but what does Anuk-Ri mean?” Rapid dash asked stopping Garble from entering the portal. “Dragon-Fire.” Grable replied before stepping into the portal. ***** “My queen we have word that the Princesses of Equestria have lost a supply port each. Our network states that the attacks were simultaneous and so fast that they defenders didn’t have time to fully prepare and defend themselves.” A young changeling kneeled before Queen Chrysalis who laid upon a stone bed covered in velvet pillows. “Who were the attackers?” She responded as she brushed a lock of her hair back behind her head. “The attacker on Luna’s forces was The Red Dragon Might, Garble. The Attacker on Celestia’s forces was The Dragon Slayer, Rapid Dash.” The changeling responded. “Garble?” Queen Chrysalis stood up, and walked over to the window giggling. “So has my big dragon finally decided to make his move? Interesting, a dragon praised for being one of the strongest of his kind. Joins forces with a killer of his kin, oh how I wonder how this team up came to be.” “Excuse me my queen, but there is much more. Our scouts who surveyed the battle said the so green draconic like creatures made entirely out of green fire. They were the reason the battles were won so quickly. The creatures seem to appear one after another out of nowhere Attack anything that moved and would wreck everything else. If damage they exploded lighting ablaze anything within fifteen feet. The ponies had no way of defending themselves against it, but Garble’s and Rainbow Dash’s forces seem immune to the flames even if they themselves appeared to be shocked.” The changeling never looked up at his queen; that was only a privilege granted to those who truly worthy of catching the queen’s eye. “Ri Akali, so Discord wasn’t playing his little game when he informed us about them at the meeting. Send word to Luna and Celestia; tell them it was The Dragon Fire Liberation that attack them, but don’t tell them Garble had something to do with the attack. Also send note to Luna, Celestia, and King Sombre that we have verified that Discord was correct in the fact that Spike can create constructs out of his fire. Oh, and what about escape; what routes did they take?” “T..that is the weirdest thing of all my queen, they disappeared just as fast as they appeared. The scouts said they stealth fully went on the pursuit in hopes to find where they have been hiding, but as soon as both parties entered the covered area they emerged from; they were gone without a trace.” “…You may leave.” Chrysalis said with little agitation in her voice before looking out the window and surveying all that she ruled as far as her eyes could define. The land the changeling queen ruled was a land of stone, dirt and canyons. Every building was building in her kingdom was built into the sides of cliffs and was connected by either tunnels built inside the cliffs or by bridges made of the stone that was removed from the sides of the cliffs to make the buildings. Her castle itself was extravagant, and easy to spot as it its entrances was a large equilateral archway with two smaller version of it on either side of it. The windows of her cliff side palace were design in a trefoil arch style, and was only true was for a outsider to know where her palace begin and ended on thus cliff. ***** “So would you all like to explain to me or the princess exactly what happened? Oh, and word to the wise, I am nowhere as near understanding as she is.” A pink coated mare walk closer to a wounded soldier Pegasus who was struggling to pull himself away from her. “P…please captain… It all happened to fas…..” “Me it is then!” The punk mare wore a utility vest jacket which contained eight pockets, and around her waist were three strap on Fanny packs. She reached into the fanny pack that on the right side of here waste and pulled out a miniature syringe in which she proceeded to stab the Pegasus in the right hind leg with; squeezing on f the substance in the needle into his body. “Wh…what was that captains please spare me!” The Pegasus asked; his heart racing as the fear in his eyes caused the pink mare to smile sinisterly. “Save you, for failing our princess? OK!” The pink mare then reached into her top left vest pocket and pulled out a small tube with a twist on cap. “What I just injected into you was poison from the deadly Nocturne plant you will start to hallucinate as well as vomit uncontrollably, but as you know we ponies are incapable of vomiting. Due to our actual anatomy our esophagus shuts down whenever our stomach get bloated which leads to Colic and ultimately our stomach’s rupturing and killing us. In this bottle sits the only known antidote to the plants poison but it only works at early stages of the poisons affect.” The pink mare placed the tube down in front of him. “But if what I injected you with is not Nocturne poison, but instead simply water and you drank the antidote. The antidote will cause your heart beat to constantly increase until your heart explodes. Now live or die, make your choice!” The pink mare said giggling as she watched the Pegasus debate amongst himself whether or not he should drink the antidote.