Waking up at four in the morning is not something many ponies do. Twilight Sparkle however, isn't like other ponies. Not only was she awake but she had showered, brushed her teeth and combed her mane and tail. All that was left of her blueberry muffen breakfast was crumbs, now residing in the waste bucket.
"Ok...breakfast eaten...check, next is meeting with Top Notch in his office" Twilight said out loud while going over her list of things to do. Twilight looked up at the clock in her room. 'I better leave now.' she thought to herself. Placing her list down on the desk Twilight levitated her saddlebag off the floor where it lay and placed it snuggly on her back. Once she made sure it was frimly on she levitated a leather necklace with her I.D. badge off the desk and placed it around her neck. Twilight did a once-over of her room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
Her room was much bigger then the other dorm rooms. It even had a washroom atttached to it. The other dorm rooms only contained four beds and a small collapsible table with little to no space for anything else. The color of her room was like any other rooms in the compound...gray and dull. She didn't mind it though, all rooms served a practical purpose. There was no need to beautify them.
Satisfied, she left her room and embraced the world outside. Twilight troted happily out of the dorm building heading toward her destination; Solaris Magnum the central building of the compound by the same name. The compound was located in a huge clearing within the Greenveil Forest north of Canterlot. Besides Solaris Magnum seveal other buildings resided on the landscape. There was two dorm buildings. One for soilders and the other for civilian engineers like Twilight. There was the mess hall and a military building that Twilight wasn't allowed into. All of the buildings were grey and white. Solaris Magnum was however, a bit different the the other buildings. It had eight floors and was shaped like a donut. In the middle stood a golden cylinder with a dome top. Even in the moonlight it glistened with unmatched beauty.
As Twilight got closer to Solaris Magnum she found herself walking pass several armed ponies. They ignored her as much as she ignored them. The soilders were on the site to provide protection to the civilian workers. Twilight also knew that they were here to carry out another duty related to the engine of Solaris Magnum but she didn't have the clearance to know. She shook her head dropping that line of thought. She felt it wouldn't contribute anything helpful to her now.
Two soilders sat besides the four tinted glass doors that was the entrance of Solaris Magnum. The two nodded at Twilight as she neared the door. Before her nerves could get the better of her she raised a hoof to the handle and pulled it open.
"On time like usual Miss Sparkle, you Continue to impress me." Twilight jumped in the awe, surprised at who had spoken. In front of her was old creamy brown stallion. His mane grey from age. His yellow eyes however, seemed just as bright and sharp as they had been during his youth.
"Mr. Notch...I...I thought we agreed that I would meet you in your office" Twilight said in a less then calm voice.Twilight thought she saw him smile but she blinked and it was gone.
Top Notch was amused by the bewildered Twilight. She was smart and reliable, which she had to be if she was taking over for him. He respected her skills but for some odd reason he found it funny how she would get bent out of shape if something happens that effect her time schedule. Luckly she usually got over it quickly...most of the time. "Yes I did say that but considering how we both want to get this over with so I can retire and you can work without me breathing down her neck, I though I would meet you here."
Twilight didn't realize how tense she was until she let out a sigh of relief. "Oh...um...yea this works out as well." A faint smile graced her lips. The old stallion nodded before turning around to walk deeper into the building. Twilight followed him without a word.
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For the next hour Twilight went around the building to make sure everyting was ready for 'sunrise'. Twilight doubled checked and even tripled check the mechanisms that were a part of the procedure to rise the sun. She even found the time to stop other workers to go over safety protocols, to their annoyance.
Top Notch simple watched, today he was just observing Twilight for the last time. He was passsing the gauntlet to her and he wanted the transaction to go smoothly.
For Twilight It was the happiest day of her life. She wore the mask of seriousness but she was jumping gleefully within the secrecy of her own mind. Long gone were the sorrow filled thoughts of having to give up joining the Magistium.
"Looks like everything checks out...next stop is the Sanctuary." Twilight said more to herself then to Top Notch.
The Sanctuary as it was called was the control room where one could say 'where the magic happens'. Though it is located on the fourth floor very few where given acess to such an important room. Being in a circular building it had two entryways both guarded by unicorn soilders. Upon troting up to one of the doors the soilders recognized Twilight and Top Notch. The two guards simultaneously rose a hoof to their head in salute. Both Twilight and Top Notch gave a slight nod in responce before opening the door.
The back part of the room was risen a few feet above the rest of the room. It was where the control hub was located. The other half was filled with machines humming away controling the electrical systems at the commands of the engineers in charge of them. There was a third door but unlike the other two this one lead to a chamber that connected to the engine room. Such a room was off limiits to non-military personal.
The greeting Twilight expected upon entering the room never came. The reason so happen to be that the two on duty engineers were having an in-depth conversation.
"yea, but that's what I don't get." A red mane unicorn said. "What do you mean?" his sliver maned companion asked tilting head to one side. "This facility supposedly has the hightest form of technology then anywhere else...well besides Lunar Magnum...yet we all have been told that the engine is way to advance for us to handle it properly and only the military can. Oh and while I am on the subject, why are we here if the military are the only ones allowed to take care of the engine, why not control the whole thing. Why have civilian engineers here at all." The red mane pony let out an aggravated sigh. His compainion gave him a wary smile before answering.
"It's because they need ponies who are smart enough to work here and not everypony with the needed qualities are in the military...I guess you can say that they are willing to let civillan ponies work here to keep everything-"
"Top Notch"
"Well I was going to for tip-to-"
"No, former Chief Top Notch." The red mane pony pointed a hoof over the right shoulder of his companion. In a flash the pony turned around to find himself face to face with Top Notch, The sliver maned pony opend his mouth to speak but nothing came out besides "ahhh." Both of the engineers shifted their heads to watch a purple mare trot up besides their former chief.
"While you are correct that the military needs qualified ponies to work here and is willing to hire civillans to take the job. It is also because they want the public to be given the feeling that they are, in a way involved with the celestial orbs, not just the military" Twilight reported in a dutiful manner. The red mane engineer exhaled loudly; making known his agitation toward the the ones who had butted into the private conversation.Twilight and Top Notch ignored it however. His friend however, smiled happily at Twilight.
"of course chief engineer Sparkle would know on the account that her brother is captain of-"
"Hush up, it is time we raise the sun...we need to be right on schedule and not a second late." The red mane engineer snorted in surpressed anger but joined the others in preparation.
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Throughout the compound gongs were heard signaling the begining of the sun rising procedure. There was however more ears listening to the gongs then the poines thought.
A black griffin with red eyes watched the poines scurry around quitely from the treeline. sensing his second in command behind him he spoke.
"In two minutes we attack and obtain the sun for king Sirius and our kingdom." he said smiling maliciously.