Dual Mark grunted with effort, his horn glowing a bright sickly indigo, mots of golden light flickering in the cloud of energy.
"Just... A little... More!" His deep throated roar could be heard in the main part of the cave system that he had made his home.
Panting he checked the fruits of his labor.
"Yes! Quin, can you see this? I finished it" The green unicorn sat down hard. Sweat trickled down his neck and his breathing was heavy.
The dragon named Quin ran down the stairs cut into the floor of the cave only to stop in awe. Mark's project today was a magic circle that would charge fountain gemstones with massive amounts of power with very little magic from the unicorn himself. Along with his previous experiments over the past eight years Dual Mark could create a Perpetual Magi Engine, powerful enough to run a Sentinel. Speaking of...
"Wow Mark, that's awesome. How much longer till you can get them up and running?"
The dragon expected a very different answer to what it got.
"With this, I can charge enough gems tomorrow to activate Sentinels: Omega, Alpha, Duex, Un and Primus. Five out of fifteen."
The unicorn glanced behind him at the hulking humanoid machines.
"I can wage war on Equestria in five days max, and destroy Princess Twilight. Then maybe my destiny will become clear.
~~*~~
"Hehe she's the mother of two other princesses, Maybe she just likes having kids?"
"Ha! such a tramp. I know I shouldn't question our princess but have you heard the rumors?"
"Dude, there is no way she is like that with the guards. Besides she never gave birth to them did she?"
Twilight Sparkle had had enough. Twisting around with a scowl on her face she growled out "Alright who said that?!"
Looking at the researchers and explorers all of whom had a guilty expression but none of whom answered her she decided to take it upon herself.
"That's what I thought" Twilight said with a huff.
"Princess please don't think anything of it, I'll make sure they stay in line."
Twilight looked to her side and smiled at the lime green earth pony.
"Thank you Professor Heartstrings, I just hate these... false accusations."
The earth pony bowed and continued leading Twilight through the excavation site.
"Oh and Princess, please just call me Harmonica, Professor Heartstrings was my grandmother."
Twilight shared a chuckle with her guide. "Of course, and thank you."
"No problem."
They entered the tunnel system beneath the excavation site and started down. Finally they reached a corridor that was newly dug out and they stopped. Magilights were strung up to provide enough light to see by and excavation tools were placed on the ground.
"So, Harmonica. Why did you bring me here?"
Harmonica looked back at the violet Alicorn.
"There is a strange wall that we found while digging, we don't recognize the symbols. Well that is to say we didn't recognize them other then the Brony descendent Silent Word, he noticed they were human symbols from long ago. I was hoping you would be interested enough to see them for yourself?"
Harmonica asked hopefully.
"Of course!" Twilight exclaimed. She had learned all she could about human languages, magics, and technology since the Bronies first came to Equestria. And even more so when she learned they had been here thousands of years ago before mysteriously disappearing. "I would be happy to help just lead the way."
"Thank you Princess."
Harmonica lead Twilight another mile or so down the tunnel until they came across the object in question. A large golden brown wall blocked any farther advancement, large symbols carved directly into it.
Twilight frowned, they looked familiar but she couldn't say for certain. The swirling hieroglyphs and lettering confused her due to the fact she didn't even know which way to read them.
Several hours past and a unicorn scholar brought refreshments, only to leave when they where finished. His parting words however, woke Twilight from the lull she managed to place herself in.
"You know, I don't know much about legends but you my Princess is highly esteemed in my eyes."
It took a few moment to process what he said but when it did-
"Eureka!"
Twilight shot to her hooves and moved close to the wall, a nearly manic expression making Harmonica Heartstrings uneasy.
"Princess? Is everything alright?"
"Yes!" Twilight nearly shouted in glee. "I just remembered why these symbols are so familiar, One of the first bronies to come to Equestria was name Rosetta Tongue. Odd name I know but he know so much about languages and legends. One of which was the legend of Atlantis, he even knew some of the language so he taught me. This is Atlantic!"
Harmonica leaned foreword, as if she could use this new knowledge to read the wall.
"What does it say Princess?"
"Hmm... odd" Twilight leaned back to ponder what she learned. "It's instructions. I can read part of it but..." She trailed off.
Looking at Harmonica she said "It is too dangerous to start the process without knowing all the instructions and what it does. Have your team dig the whole area out and send a message to me when your done. Good luck Harmonica."
"Thank you Princess, will do." With a nod the alicorn walked away, a new mystery of the world burning in the back of her mind.
"Just like the good old days."
~~*~~
"Hahaha slow pokes! You couldn't catch a turtle!"
Ponies ducked as a yellow and blue blur zoomed overhead, fallowed by a full squadron of pegasus royal guard.
Then scattered as unicorn royal guard ran through the courtyard.
Shock Blitz laughed in exhilaration at being chased. Of course he was being chased by the Guard for the fourth time this week alone so it was a personal best. A barrel roll and sharp turn latter he shot into the bad area of Canterlot, his saddle bags jingling with bits he swiped from the treasury. Well half of it was, the other side was stuffed full of food from the dinner table of his royal highness.
Just a little more and home free Blitz thought with a smirk as he dove under a clothes line. Zigzagging through ally ways were an amazing way to loose the guard.
"Hal... halt thief... I said... halt!" A unicorn guard shouted. Shock Blitz looked down in well... Shock at the unicorn teleporting to keep up.
"Dude, sure thing just give me a moment."
Shock Blitz flew down and walked up to the unicorn, who seamed to be having a heart attack. Or maybe a stroke. Or were they the same thing? Blitz shrugged reaching into his saddlebag for a bottle of water he had swiped today.
"Here man, drink up" Blitz offered the bottle to the panting stallion.
"Th... thank you." Drinking greedily water ran down his face.
"Well, I don't think you can catch me the way you are so... goodluckgoodbye!" Shock Blitz flew straight up and shot down the ally way leaving the poor guard staring at the blue contrail left by his passage.
"Awe ponyfeathers..." And with that and a flash the privet teleported back to the castle to report in. Little did he know he was going to be bought a round by his buddies for out doing them the first time he gave chase to Shock Blitz.
~~*~~
"Hey kids! I'm baaack" Shock Blitz sang as he opened a door to one of the many abandoned warehouses in the area, only to be assaulted by a chorus of filly and colt voices.
"Blitz, your back!"
"What did you get us Blitz?"
"Yeay, Shocky's nack!"
"Uncle Blitz, Uncle Blitz! What did you get us Uncle Blitz?"
"Whoa there kids, settle down. Do I look like Santa Claus?" Shock Blitz took on a stern expression.
"Awww... Sorry Uncle Shock Blitz..."
A grin bloomed across his face. "Well that's good, because I don't think he shares any of his cake!"
Shock Blitz took out a large half a cake from his saddle bag only to be the bottom of a large pony pile.
A few hours latter after a large meal, multiple stories around the fire, and a large number of lullabies Shock Blitz sat near a window looking at the stars.
I wonder what it was like, to be able to see Princess Luna painting the night sky, or basking in Celestia's presence without going to Artemus or Solaris. He thought. He had always wanted to see what the other Alicorns had looked like.
"Uncle Shocky?" A sleepy voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, hey Dream Seer, what's up?" He hugged the little filly close feeling her shake against his chest.
"I... I had a dream about you..." She looked up at him with her green eyes. "You are gonna die Uncle Shocky, We all are..."
A small glow appeared on her flank, fading and being replaced by her newly earned Cutie Mark, A mirror filled with purple mist.
"We are all going to die..."