//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Wily 
// by JeckParadox 
//------------------------------//

	Celestia flinched, rising from her bed and looking out the window, a cold sweat surrounding her. She got up out of the bed and checked the clock. She didn't have to raise the sun for a few hours. 
Something was wrong. She was sure of it. She walked out the door of her bedroom, doing a spell on herself to make her look rested and presentable. She descended the staircase and creaked the door open. The two pegasus guards outside both noticed and stood at attention. "Princess!" One of them grunted. 
"Hello, I was just curious, has anything... noteworthy, happened in Canterlot while I was asleep?"
"Not that we're aware of Princess."
Celestia inwardly frowned, but she gave a smile and nod to her guards. "Thank you for your time, keep up the good work."
The two guards saluted and she climbed back up to her room, lying back in the bed and trying to go back to sleep. But something was just wrong. She didn't know what, but there was something that had changed while she was asleep. 
She decided to give up on sleep and levitated a book over to her, a flame lighting the candle near her bed. It was a personal favorite of her's, but she didn't pay much attention to the plot. She was familiar enough with it, and was distracted enough that by the time she actually concentrated on the book she was well into chapter four, unsure of what was happening. She sighed and slid the book back into it's place on the shelf. She checked the clock again, night court would begin soon. But Luna could probably spare a few minutes. 
She walked out onto the balcony and fluttered the distance to Luna's tower, where Luna was sitting at a small table, drinking tea and reading in the moonlight. "Hello Tia." She greeted, not looking up. "Troubled dreams? I could help you if you wish."
"No... at least, I don't think so." Celestia said, settling into the chair next to her sister. "I just woke up a half hour ago, feeling like something was... I don't know. Wrong."
Luna raised an eyebrow and set down her book. "Alright, I'll bite. What is it?"
"I don't know! I can't focus on anything else right now... I can't put my hoof on it, but there's just... something out of place."
"Discord?" Luna asked, frowning. "Do you think he did something?"
"No, no... I recognise his feeling... this isn't it. He's playful and insufferable... this feels... I don't know, colder."
"Sombra? Chrysalis? I know of your prophetic moments, is it a threat to Equestria?!"
"I... I don't know. Just, keep an eye peeled for things out of place I suppose."
"Of course. Please sister, get some rest. If you wish I'll try to find whatever you're looking for in your subconscious..."
"...No... there's no need, I'm sure it's nothing." Celestia lied, getting up and putting on a false smile. "I'll try to get back to sleep."
She went back to her bedroom and found herself staring at the wall. There was something wrong, and she knew it. 
She didn't get any sleep that night.



She forgot about that sleepless night with time. The feeling passed, whatever it was, and she got back to her normal schedule. 
But as the days went by she began noticing a strange series of events, seemingly unconnected, but her subconscious was bothered by it.
Diamond Dog sightings have increased exponentially in the Northern mountains. Dozens of dragons became suddenly active after the mysterious thefts of their hordes. Strange rock formations were found in the Crystal Empire. A previously rich iron mine was found stripped bare overnight. And the most unsettling one of them all; Sombra's horn, the largest surviving remnant of the demon, encased in ice and protected by spells, was stolen from the Crystal Empire's archive by an unknown pony.
But it was clenched when a small Northern city, Whinnyeapolis, was taken over by heavily armed and well-coordinated Diamond Dogs. 
She and Luna gathered their troops, and a message to Ponyville brought the third Equestrian Princess, her five friends, and their Elements of Harmony, to their aid as well. Within two days of the news the Equestrian Military moved forward to the North, Princess Luna remaining in Canterlot.



Celestia was adorned with golden armor, her ethereal mane floating behind her majestically. She looked to her right with pride, seeing her protege standing in similar white armor, followed by her five friends in their own sets. "Are you ready Twilight? If this doesn't go well... it may be the first time you go into battle against an actual army, instead of against solitary monsters."
Twilight nodded, her wings outstretched. "I'm ready. Right gals?"
"We're ready for anything they can throw at us!" Rainbow Dash said confidently. 
"We'll have your back Twi." Applejack agreed.
Fluttershy mumbled something quietly, but her expression was determined, if still afraid.
"When you're ready Twilight." Rarity assured. 
Pinkie Pie was pronking in place behind Twilight. "Let's rescue Whinnyeapolis!"
Celestia gave a warm smile at the six Bearers of the Elements, before turning back to her own troops. "We'll send in a messenger first, to see if there's any way we can negotiate... but just in case, Twilight, I'm giving you the authority to begin the attack should the need arise-"
"Princess!" shouted a guard, running up the snowy slope to her. 
"What is it?"
"The Diamond Dogs have sent a messenger, alone and without a spear, as a sign of good faith. They want to negotiate!"
Celestia smiled. "That's good, make sure that our messenger is properly rewarded for-"
"Uh... Princess, sorry to interrupt, but our messenger hasn't been sent yet."
Celestia blinked. "A-are you sure?"
"Yes, m'lady."
Twilight frowned. "Princess, what's wrong?"
"The Diamond Dogs have never been the first to offer negotiations... they always were the ones who responded... it's considered a sign of weakness to be the first suggest something other than fighting..."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "So what do you think?"
Rainbow frowned. "Is it a trap?"
"I don't know... I'll speak with the messenger myself. Girls, have your elements ready... the Diamond Dogs are acting unpredictably..."
The guard led the group down the mountain, over to where the diamond dog was standing. Celestia gasped again. The dog was wearing armor she had never seen before. It was strangely rounded, lacking the spikes Dogs were fond of, the helmet was the strangest. Over the top sides, where the ears were, were two... disks, with large round gems in them. And covering the Dog's eyes were visors. And while most Dog's only wore helmets, shoulder pads, and chest plates, this one was decked out in full armor.
"...very strange.." was all Celestia said before she walked up to the Dog. He was sitting at a table that had been set up in a tent, Pegasus guards surrounded the tent walls on all sides. "Leave us." Celestia commanded, and waited for the Pegasi to file out the door before she closed the curtain. "So, are you able to speak for the Diamond Dogs? May we begin negotiations?"
"Yes, I speak for Dogs, but negotiations must happen with master."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Master?"
"Yes, Master! He want to speak with Pony Princess!" The dog said happily, shaking his armored tail. "Master wants you to come into Monsteropolis! Then you can talk!"	
"Monsteropolis?" Celestia asked. "And where, might I ask, is that?"
"It's city's new name! Isn't it great? Master is so smart!"
"...And he won't begin negotiations until then?"
"Nope! Come, come, I'll show way!"
"Are you going to lead me into a trap?" Celestia asked bluntly. It was okay to be more blunt with diamond dogs than other races, considering how literally they see the world. 
"Nope! Come, come, master's waiting for me!"
"Allow me to gather an entourage.. then I'll follow you."
"Okay! Bring as many ponies as you want!" The Dog seemed to concentrate a few seconds, it was hard to tell with it's eyes concealed. "...But no weapons! Master doesn't like weapons in Monsteropolis."
Celestia frowned but nodded. She quickly gathered her entourage, about twenty soldiers of varying races, and leading the charge were her six Element bearers... and their distinctive 'jewelry'. The Dogs are so obsessed with gems that they wouldn't consider the extravagant crown and necklaces anything other than just decoration. 
The dog happily led the group to the edge of town and motioned for them to follow. Celestia looked at the houses they passed with curiosity. The ponies there were obviously afraid of the Diamond Dogs, but they weren't panicking, they weren't despaired. They didn't look like a conquered city. Their faces lit up when they saw Celestia and her guards, but it wasn't the same look she received when she saved a town, the expressions were closer to the welcome she received whenever she visited a town. 
She frowned. "This whole situation is strange. I don't like it." She whispered to Twilight. As they passed the suburbs Celestia began to notice the metal rods that were planted in the ground every few meters. At the top were gems that slowly flashed to one another. Waves of color passing from one rod to the next. Diamond Dogs in strange armor patrolled the street alongside the normal Policeponies, and she noticed one actually smiling and waving at her as he halted traffic for her procession to cross the street. 
This city didn't look conquered. There was no smoke, there were no depressed, their was no smell of sickness or wails. In any other situation she would have been glad, but she found it only eery. The reports she recieved the day before were clearly urgent and panicky, but now... the town looked like any other. Where was the invasion. She could see soldiers, but it didn't feel like they were conquering the place... merely protecting it. 
Then she gasped as the Dog led them to their destination. A large stone structure was built around where town hall should be. She felt a strange taste in her mouth as she observed the structure. It wasn't shaped like a pony skull, but it was a skull of some kind nonetheless. Dogs didn't have this type of style. 
"Come in! Come in!" the Dog cheered. "Master is going to be so happy to see you!"
"hm." She said, eyeing the soldiers on either side of the street. None of them were armed. "Twilight, be ready." She whispered.  The lavender Alicorn nodded. Celestia walked into the skull, following the Dog between a massive gap in the two front teeth of the skull. She lit up her horn for light as she entered the black tunnel. Gems were covering the walls, making strange designs. She thought she spotted a large 'W' on the ceiling, but her light made it come out strange.
She turned off the light as she entered the main room, gasping at the literal hills of treasure that filled the room. The room was filled with the laughter and barking of Dogs playing in the piles, throwing gems and gold coins into the air and letting them shower them. She lifted a hoof as three puppies chased each other underneath her, going after a particular ruby one of them was gnawing on. 
But soon her attention gravitated toward the seven figures on top of the highest pile. Surrounding the steel throne were strangely armored creatures. Beside one, each stood almost as tall as her, one of them taller. They were oddly colored, all of them different shapes and sizes. One had white armor and red skin, what appeared to be two blades attached to it's head. Another, the shortest, was wearing a blue coat over most of his body, but she could see the white armor underneath. There was a large black and yellow one, with a bright orange mohawk on his head. There was even one with a huge underbite and another with a flame coming from it's crown.  
But her eyes gravitated toward the figure in the center. In the pit of her stomach she got that 'wrong' feeling again. The sleepless night from a few weeks ago came to her memory. 
He was balding, but had quite a bit messy gray-white hair going off in both directions from the sides of his head. His eyes were wild, but shielded and made more subtle by his scruffy wild eyebrows, similar to Discord's. But possibly the most distinguishing feature was the large white bushy moustache under his pointed nose. He wore a burned and battered labcoat, a purple shirt underneath. He wore black pants and his shoes shone. His black tie was covered with a strange white pattern. 
"Hello, Princess." He smiled a wide, eery grin. His mouth going from being hidden beneath his moustache to becoming the center of attention the moment it opened. "I take it you're here to negotiate the return of my city." He had a strong german accent, but not enough that his words weren't clear. 
"Yes.. though it isn't your city..." she glanced at the puppies rolling around in the gold. "But I take it you have a reputation for taking things that don't belong to you."
The creature got up from the chair, his lab coat billowing at the sudden movement. "Not even two minutes into our conversation and you already are accusing me of irrelevant crimes." He gestured at the gold. "But if you must know, the Dragons who had this probably stole it as well, considering dragons don't make coins."
Celestia raised an eyebrow and walked up to him. The six creatures around him looked to her warily, but nothing but confidence radiated from the man in the lab coat. "Where are my manners, I'm Princess Celestia, regent of the day, sovereign of the Land of Equestria."
"Doctor Albert W. Wily. Roboticist and Visionary. And these are my sons, DWN's numbers 003 through 008. Cut, Guts, Ice, Bomb, Fire, and Elec, respectively." He spread his arms in a wide arc. "And this is my city. New Monsteropolis. We wish to declare independence."
Celestia gaped at the tenacity of him. "What?! Why? What gives you the right to stroll into Equestrian territory and decide to make your own country?!"
Wily smirked. "Right? What gives me the right? Because I can. Because I'm smart enough. And because I have the right tools to succeed." He snapped his finger and the Diamond Dogs in the room that had armor quickly formed a line between him and Celestia, the puppies gathering behind him. 
"Did I do good master?" The messenger dog asked, going up to Wily. Celestia's eyes widened as the helmet opened along the middle, compressing itself into the collar so that Wily could rub his head lovingly. 
"Yes, you're a good dog, a very good dog." He withdrew his hand and the helmet covered the Dog's head again, the messenger joining in the line. 
"You're making a mistake if you're declaring war on Equestria."
"Oh? I never mentioned war Princess, my my, I thought that the Princess of Equestria would agree with her citizen's desire for everlasting peace." He smiled slyly.