//------------------------------// // Short: Ren Excavo // Story: A Circle Has No End: Volume I // by Gladi Writes //------------------------------// Ren Excavo had been, until a month ago, the leading Professor of Archeology at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns- they did more then just magic there, after all. Ren had studied for a decade to get his PhD at the school, he was respected and his work was published in dozens of journals across the nation. He had even traveled across the ocean, and in more peaceful times had seen the Griffon Kingdoms for himself. He was a stallion of science, culture, and he liked a good glass of wine. His magical speciality was levitation, which he used to great effect in digging up archeological sites. He earned his cutie mark, a trowel, when he dug up half the yard in one fell swoop of magic excavation to find an ancient arrowhead. At this point in his life his mane was spotted with white hairs that complemented the brown majority of it, which contrasted with his dark green coat. A pair of spectacles made his orange eyes appear larger than they actually were. He did not expect to spend the last month of his life training in a camp at the edge of the badlands, and even more then that he did not expect to find himself, today, cutting through trees with a squad of soldiers to recover parts of a downed griffon attack ship. Apparently they had some sort of new weapon, and the brass was eager to find out how it worked. Surrounding him were all professional guardsmen, now part of the 'Legion'; and they seemed to look down upon Ren as a civilian, despite a month of hard training. He had been with these stallions for only a week, based out of Canterlot. Their unit designation was the 47th Field Engineers. Ren always thought the reservist pay was a good way to get an extra bottle of wine every month, he greatly regretted that decision . Professor Ren Excavo, PhD; was now Private Excavo- THX1138. The squad leader, Ren wasn't sure of his name- something that would fit a man who's entire life revolved around hitting things and screaming at them, threw up a hoof and the unit halted. He was a large stallion with a dark yellow coat, mane and cutie mark obscured by his uniform and helmet. "Private Excavo, front and centre!" He ordered. Ren adjusted his glasses and came forward, ducking through the dense foliage that had turned this outing into a grueling outdoor exercise. They had been marching since daybreak, and it was late in the afternoon now. The last time Ren had gone on an outing like this he was on a camping trip- as a colt. Normally Ren was the one giving the orders, to undergrads that amounted to... exactly what he was right now- labour. "Yes Sir!" He shouted, coming to face his superior. His salute was returned with a silent gesture. Following it Ren spotted what they had been looking for- a wrecked vessel standing in a clearing of fallen trees. Curiously, it seemed to have no weapons. It was a barge looking craft with a flat topside. A large hole in the side revealed a rack of small cylinders inside. There was close to a dozen of them, whatever they were. The gold trim had melted all over the ship, revealing the steel underneath. The propellers had been torn off at some point, and lay to the side along with other assorted debris, including what looked like the cockpit. "Private, lift it." Ren suppressed, with much effort, a sigh. Using magic for something as trivial as manual labour seemed almost heretical. Why couldn't they just have the Wonderbolts use one of their new aircraft? "Sir, flash going around- another engagement on the coast," one of the soldiers said, heralded by the buzzing noise of a radiograph. That was why. They were at war now, and as much as he hated it Professor Ren Excavo had to do his part, just like the rest of them. He lit his alicorn and surrounded the ship with a hot pink (Ren was quite aware of this, and any pony that pointed it out was liable to loose a few teeth.) field of magic. With a discernible lack of effort that changed the others thoughts from finding the fields colour hilarious, to impressed by the ease of this action, the crashed ship raised into the air and quickly flew over the trees, hovering ahead. The trick with magic was to never try to do anything, but to just do it. Big, small, it doesn't matter. Ren had learned this early on, and he could excavate an entire field flawlessly in minutes. He glanced back and noticed something, a small island of black stone lay under where the ship had come down, it looked like a few dark stone bricks. "Private! Get a move on!" His commander shouted, startling him back to attention. "Yes sir!" Ren replied. He smiled as he noticed the others looking up in awe as the ship hovered over the trees, sending down a dim pink glow through the canopy. "Don't let it get to your head, private- I've seen your marksmanship scores- Squad Forward!" The others turned away, smirking to each other. Ren frowned and took the rear. It wasn't that they didn't respect him, or him them- he just didn't fit. How was he supposed to help fight a war? The biggest fight he had ever been in was when the dean had caught him signing tests using the faculties nickname for the school- P.U. A dull buzz heralded another message, Ren hoped it was something positive. For less then a week Equestria had officially been at war, and the first objective was taking back the ruins of Baltimare. Only hours after the declaration the Legion had swarmed in, expecting to take it quickly. That was three days ago, and if Celestia's morning radio broadcasts were true, the Night Guard and Legion had taken turns slowly driving the griffons back. Slowly. The only thing holding the nation together now was the knowledge that Celestia had seen them through worse. Industries were nationalized, bonds sold, taxes tripled in a day- alongside new sales tax levies. The nation was behind her, and Celestia "would see them through the dark into a brighter dawn". She would, right? "Looks like we better get out of here, there's a squadron moving for the changelings." "Again!?" "Keep it together people, let's just get out of here." Ren glanced up through the trees, suddenly very aware of the pink glow. With a sudden thought he simply tore a tree from the ground, and with a little bit of maneuvering, hovered it over the hovering ship. Nopony seemed to notice, but he was happy enough with it. The group was tight, and went back down the path they had carved through the thick forest. They had abandoned their heavy metal armour back at base, and wore instead thin uniforms of green. Earth ponies all, pegasi had been swept up by the Wonderbolts and most unicorns- most- were in leadership or special operations. Ren had been disqualified for the first because, quote 'unsuitable disrespect of vertical command structure', and for the second due to his terrible eyesight. Ahead the leader shot a hoof into the air, and the group halted. The first thing the group noticed was a huge flock of birds, of all shapes and sizes, heading in the opposite direction. Once the cacophony of avian retreat had passed, a dull roar in the distance replaced it. Buzz "It's them." The group tensed up and crouched low to the ground- for as much good as it would do, if the griffons somehow saw them through the trees the game was up. Patrols that came across raiding parties like this, well... They didn't come back. The low rumble became an intense roar, the trees shook above and around them, raining down leaves. Ren hovered low over the ground, an encounter with the griffons was definitely not something he, or the others, wanted. The likelihood of the enemy seeing them, or even looking at the treeline, was slim to none- but the idea still sent shivers down his spine. Ren looked ahead and noticed two of the soldiers together, whispering something. He watched as they assembled some sort of launcher from their packs. Ren mostly slept through the weapons training, but he was pretty sure it was a mortar. What they were going to do with it against aircraft was a mystery. He also noticed the commander was silent instructing them with hoof gestures, finishing with a crossing of his arms and pumping the air three times. He really wished he had paid more attention in training, it was one thing to cower in fear- it was another thing to be powerless to even help. Glancing ahead the ships passed, shining golden outlines barely visible through the tree canopy. As expected they seemed totally uninterested in the ground. They roared off in the distance and the sound was quickly joined by the crackle of the changelings response. The Crystal Empire had been had pressed making new arms during the month long build up, and the changelings... A load pop in the distance explained that well enough, they spent the last three days putting their own arms to use. After being caught off guard they had closed the border to civilians and purchased a significant amount of weapons from... somewhere. "Alright people, let's get back out of here before something else comes this way." The pair carrying the mortar quickly packed it up, and the group set back the way they came. Ren stole a glance back at the clearing, that structure was clearly pony made... Or maybe, something else? The walk back took until the evening, distant popping echoed throughout the sky keeping them tense all along. Coming out of the forest with the sun descending below the horizon, the ship still hovering in the air over them, the group finally came to the end of their mission. Ren was exhausted in body, but figured he could probably hover the thing for another day if he wanted to. Ahead of them in the clearing a large flat unarmed ship lay on the ground, a few armoured bat ponies milling around near it. Seeing the group they stood at attention, and one of them came forward. Ren didn't recall anything about the Night Guard in the briefing. "Lieutenant Flintlock!" The approaching bat shouted, the group glanced at each other- unsure what was going on. "That's me, what's all this about- I wasn't briefed on a-" A buzz heralded another message. "Uh, message for you sir, Night Guard is taking over." The signals pony said, Lt. Flintlock dashed over and tore the thin paper off the machine. "You can't do this! It's st-" The sun set. "Not anymore, now set it on the ship and go home," The bat ordered, pointing up at the hovering ship. The group of soldier ponies tensed up, a few of them reaching back for weapons. Before they could the bats had their own out in a flash, and they had firearms for the squads crossbows. The sqaud outnumbered them six to three, but were clearly outclassed. The bats glared at them with glowing eyes. A cold shiver of fear ran down Ren's spine- this was all too similar to a little bit of ancient history, from 1001 years go. "Do it, private." Lt. Flintlock ordered, his men stood down. Ren took a deep breath, that was too close. "Yes Sir," He said, and flew the ship over to the barge. "Careful!" The lead bat shouted, cringing as it dropped down. One of the cylinders was disturbed as it fell heavily down on the deck, and rolled out through the hole. "Get down!" He yelled, The group leapt for the ground, Ren included. They all had that response drilled into them. Peering through his arms ahead, Ren watched as the cylinder rolled along the top of the barge. The field was filled with a tense silence, less the sound of metal rolling on metal. It rolled, and it rolled. And then, with a roaring sound paired with a blinding flame, it flew forwards. Knocking against the side of the barge it few downwards, bounced of the ground, and then with a kick of dirt flew up into the sky in a spiral. "Stay down, and stay apart! It's heat activated!" The bat warned. "You're kidding, right? You realize we're the only warm thing in the field!" One of the soldiers shouted. Realization dawned, and glances from fearful eyes shot around the field. One of them was going to die. Ren stood, the rest of them glancing up in horror. Not on his watch, he might be useless physically but he still had the most important thing Equestria itself had, the unifying factor between everypony- pegasus, unicorn, earth; even the bat ponies, and most recently, the changelings. Magic. A pink light sprung from his horn, bathing the field with it's glow. Ignoring the protests of his comrades he shot a fireball to the sky. The missile turned almost at a right angle to fly at it. Ren guided the fireball towards the ground some distance away. Just as the missile was about to follow it to the end he twitched, and brought the fire a few meters closer. The missile impacted with a huge force that threw him backwards, slamming against the ground. A wave of shrapnel followed. Everything faded to a black silence. The next thing he saw was his commanders head, specifically the back of it. His head hurt and he felt like he could use a warm bath. Lifting his head he flopped it back down with a groan, it really hurt, so did the rest of him. A burning pain filled every part of his being, he tried to scream but found he couldn't. "Looks like he's awake Lt, should I message the medics?" "Wouldn't do any difference, he'll just have to hold out." The head infront of Ren glanced back at him, he couldn't feel any of limbs, and his vision was incredibly blurry- where was he? "Hold on Private, I...." His vision faded to black once again, in the abyss there was no pain- only blackness. The darkness was... absolute. Ren looked around, and it stretched in every direction. He didn't seem to be standing on anything, and couldn't tell if he was or wasn't moving forward. He felt nothing, no emotions, no pain, no fear. Only absolute peace, and before him a white light blinked into existence. He swam through the abyss towards it, not sure if he was getting closer or it was expanding. On the other side he could hear dim conversation. "...fractured, it'll be..." "...Cordrazine! Right now!" "...Private, I owe you...." "...no you don't understand, if we don't..." "...proud of you.." Before he could reach the light, he was pulled away by some unknown force. It faded, and faded, and then vanished. Blackness overtook him once again and he felt the cold sting of fear. He gingerly opened his eyes, seeing the white tiles of a hospital ceiling. Nearby he could hear something beeping, it's sound seemed to cut into his head. Sure to be extra gentle this time he lifted his head, and looked down on his body. Covered in bandages from neck down he was very thankful to at least note all his limbs appeared to be there. Around him a bouquet of flowers and a few cards were on the table beside him, while wires ran from his body to several different machines along the walls. Beside him a bag of unknown liquid connected into his arm, another ran from under the sheets. Fear overtook him, and he let out a muffled scream. In full panic mode now he thrashed around, but all that did was send arcs of incredible pain through his limbs. The beeping machine increased in pitch, and he could dimly see a red light blink near the door. It became more difficult to keep his eyes open, taking incredible effort just to continue to be aware. "...Call Colgate!" A voice shouted outside, and once again his vision faded- but not to the abyss. The next time he opened his eyes he was relieved to see a pleasant blue coated mare looking down at him. "Private Excavo, my name is Doctor Colgate. Just relax, you're going to be fine. Relax," She reached over and pushed something, sending an arc of pleasure through the privates battered body. He sighed with delight. "There, isn't that better?" She said, smiling. Ren lifted his head, greatly pleased that it no longer seemed to hurt to do so, and noticed a few things. Most of the bandages had been removed, he was no longer connected to any machines, and instead a blanket covered him. The only thing connecting to his body were a few wires into his arms, and thanks to those drugs he didn't care much. He also saw his squad, most of whom he had never bothered to learn the names of, standing beside his bed. At the end was the lieutenant. "He's not a private anymore, the papers went through- Corporal Excavo. Even got you a purple heart." He smiled warmly at his comrade, and reached forward to put a medal on the table, the others raised a series of mugs. "To Corporal Excavo!" They cheered. Ren felt something, something that even his drug addled mind understood. For the first time in his life he felt a part of something. As a professor he had always competed with the others for grants and tenure, as a student with the others for grades. Now, he was a part of something greater then himself- he was a soldier in the legion. "Ah, not like it matters eh?" The Lt said as he pulled a document from his uniform, "You're clear to go home, Ren Excavo. I know you wanted this, and who can blame you? I sent for an honorable discharge and you got it, you can go back to being a professor." All the stallions in the room smiled at him. "It's our gift, for saving us. We saved you- from us.!" They laughed together, clanking mugs together. "Give it here," Ren ordered. Lt. Flintlock handed the paper to Colgate, who passed it down to Ren. "Honorable Discharge: Ren Excavo. As your conduct has been 'good' and..." He tore it up, to a shocked gasp from the room. "I'm just getting started, why stop now?" Another series of cheers, another swishing of cider. "Alright, you've all had your fun. It's time for the corporal here to get his rest," Colgate said, waving towards the door. The group ignored her, instead crowding around Ren. "I said out!" she shouted. The squad all cringed with fear, and then the six of them quickly filled out with Colgate at their tail, shoving them out the door. Sheh slammed it shut and then turned back to her patient. "That was a brave thing you just did, if the rest of the legion is as brave as you we'll be in Wing's Reach by Hearths Warming," She said, trotting over to his side. "It'll be a few days before I can discharge you, you took a nasty beating," She said. "Skull fracture, major lacerations, two broken legs, a broken rib, detached retina. If it wasn't for magic you would be blind- or dead. You've actually been in Canterlot General for three weeks." "Three weeks!? How's the..." he paused, the question was something he had never in his life expected to ask, "... war going?" She shrugged. "I don't pay too much attention, I'm so busy tending to the injured here- y'know I used to be a dentist. Guess I'm helping people more now. Anyway, Everfree News should be on soon, so I'll leave the radio on for you," she replied, and reached behind the flowers (Ren suspected they were from his mother, whom he should probably call when he wasn't bedridden.) to turn on a radio. "I'll leave you be, don't try to stand or anything. Not yet." Colgate said, gingerly opening the door. With a warm smile she left Ren alone in the room. He sighed, and lay back in his bed to listen to the radio, nearly a month had gone by and it would be nice to catch up. "Everfree Radio News Update. Evening Edition, Fifth of September. Brought to you by Applebucks The Wonderbolt Fleet reported another victory today, the third victory in as many days. The battle took place near Manehatten, and the city can once again sleep at ease knowing there won't be a repeat of Black Friday. The fleet seems to be using some new weapon that has sent the griffons running, but they're remaining mum on the details. Spitfire hasn't been seen in public since Fleet Day, but her personal aircraft has been seen making stops all over the country. The specifics remain, as always, classified. The city remains closed off to travelers without reason, but it's expected this will be lifted soon. Turning our attention to the ongoing liberation of Baltimare, more good news: The Legion reports that the last major neighborhood has been cleared, and they are now turning their attention to the outlying island. One final push is all it will take before we can declare the continent free of the griffon menace. General Masse has said the troops are feeling 'confident'. In national news, Princess Celestia has still refused to clarify her position on the draft, only saying that she has 'taken it into consideration'. What this means, remains up to debate. Princess Luna has been more open, saying that she would impose it herself, but remains adamant that 'where the sun shines, Celestia will decide'. More strict rationing measures are due to go in force next week, and while Celestia was clear to point out that while stocks remain high, but we should 'prepare for the worst'. Whether this is an indication that the rumored plan for a full-scale invasion of the griffon home islands is true, is not known. The Crystal Empire reports that ammunition production is finally up to expected levels, troops in the field will be happy to hear the tradition of 'shoot, and then throw the gun at them', will soon be joke of the past. The caveat, however, is that firearms production is down nearly fifty percent. A spokespony for Field Martial Armour released a statement alongside this, mentioning that "a focus on elite sharpshooters; rather than giving every soldier a rifle, would be better in the long run." This reporter would like to point out that there wasn't supposed to be a 'long run'. The Changelings have been remaining quiet. the border remains closed to civilian traffic, but properly identified refugees of Baltimare remain able to come and go. We've spoken with a few, and they simply describe the Hive as 'quiet'. Reports of unidentified flying objects near the southwest border remain unconfirmed, Government sources refuse to comment, saying only that 'we cannot comment on something that doesn't exist." In this reporters opinion, it's aliens. In less serious news, Princess Twilight has announced that she will be touring the front, bringing some needed cheer alongside Pinkie Pie. The troops call her 'the pink wonder', and for good reason. Ms. Pie has already done a few such tours by herself, stating simply 'beat 'em with smiles', when asked why she goes through such great effort to entertain the troops. This will be the first time Princess Twilight will have left Ponyville, having taken charge of the civil defense committee some weeks ago. When asked about this she said simply 'it's time to do my part'. This has been the Everfree Evening Edition, I'm Hertz F.M, and I'll be, as always, watching the airwaves." Well, they hadn't lost. That in itself was good news. Three whole weeks... He could end it now, go home, let them continue the war without him. What did he have to go home to? He had his research, his students, but all his life he had always striven to get more for himself. He never had any real good friends because he was too busy competing with everyone he knew, he only had acquaintances, and contacts. When he found himself in the legion he kept everypony else at arms distance, thinking he would find a way to get out and then just leave, going back to competing for tenure, money, and academic fame. One day he would become Dean, and then from there he would... He wasn't sure actually. What would he do when he was on the top? Keep it? Nobody knew the current dean very well, he was a powerful stallion but kept everyone else at arms distance, always playing the game of politics. Was that really any sort of life? His mother, and his late father, had always criticized him for this singular focus. He remembered his father, shortly before he passed, saying one thing in particular. "School is where a stallion goes to grow up, it's time to grow up and do something real." He was right, it was time to do something real. He went to sleep with a smile on his face, and a warmth in his heart. Not from the drugs either. When he awoke, after what he imagined was a few hours- it was difficult to tell time, he spent a few minutes looking through the cards. His sister set him a 'get well card' with a picture of a well on it. The faculty had, all together, sent him a single card. The same card. His mother had sent a hand drawn card of a bone underground, captioned 'don't become a fossil." That's paleontology! Nonetheless, the thought was nice and, opening it, there was a hand written note. "Proud of you, good to know you're doing your part. Love you forever, Mom." He held it close to his heart when the door opened. Doctor Colgate walked in with a small cardboard box and set it on the table. "Morning doc, what's with the box?" Ren asked. "Afternoon, actually, and I hate to do this- but I gotta kick you out," She said, and a nurse rolled a wheelchair in. "You've got two weeks of sick leave, and then they expect you back at the front soldier." Ren was lifted out of the bed with a magic field, and deposited somewhat heavily into the chair. "Careful with your right leg by the way, there's a bit of shrapnel we had to leave in. We'll get it out in a few months after you've recovered, but for now I suspect you'll be walking with a limp. Stick with the chair for a week, and then start working on those muscles," She said, tossing the stuff on the table in the box, and tossing that in turn on Ren's lap. The nurse quickly wheeled him out, Ren glanced back down the hallway as Colgate left the room. "Do I get any more of those drugs?" He asked. "Toughen up, you're in the legion now!" She shouted down the hall at him. In the blink of an eye he found himself outside, with two weeks of leave ahead of him and a box full of belongings. A few cards, some wilting flowers, and a medal. He held it, and gazed at it while in the background the city of Canterlot went through it's daily business. Putting it back in the box he felt something was off, and slowly wheeled himself down the street, listening intently. Silence. Canterlot was never silent, this was the city where the crown made it's home, this was the city that ran the country, this was the very beating heart of Equestria. Only a few ponies were in the street, and they were scattered and silent. None of the usual street vendors, heralds, or assorted hawkers of wares could be seen. The advertisements that often plastered walls and street lamps had been replaced by propaganda- Celestia Wants You! The city felt less like a city, and more like a bunker. All the citizens cowering, waiting for the danger to pass. Most of the smaller businesses were shuttered too, probably a result of all those reservists going off to war. A dull clanging in the distance piqued his curiosity, and he increased his pace down the street to investigate. Following the source of the noise he went past block, after block, after block. The noise growing ever louder as he did. Eventually he rounded the last of the buildings to see the walls of the city. With some difficulty he managed to get the chair to the top of the stairs (levitation really is the best form of magic), and stretched his neck over the walls he saw the valley below, Ponyville barely visible in the distance. Clang He swung his head to find the source of the noise- an enormous structure jutting out from the mountain, the innards of an airship visible in the early stages. It was larger then the most he had seen, but not as large as the Magnificent. Visible on the hull was a name in massive lettering, running the entire length. Marauder If he was judging right, which would be a small miracle in itself considering archeology has been his career; and he had blown off most of his fleet courses in training (He wasn't even going on the fleet, what did it matter?), then the huge hollow area with what a series of holes in it meant it was designed to drop something. Probably bombs, and hopefully on the griffons. What did they need this for, the war would surely be over as soon as they kicked the griffons off... The crystal heart. It dawned on Ren that they were going to be at this for a very, very, long time. He leaned against the wall and watched the ship builders go their task, a cloud of pegasi hovering around the skeleton of the vessel as it was slowly constructed. The clanging noise came from a large crane dropping a weight down on rivets that were probably larger then himself. It was fascinating to watch, more steel then he had ever seen in his life was being put together in a vessel larger than any he had ever known of, less the Magnificent. Down below in the valley the train passed through the drydocks shadow, giving perspective on it. The train itself was in total only as long as the dock, it was truly a spectacular sight. After a while of watching he decided on a course of action he had been milling in his head since waking up. He still had his job at the school, it was just on hold until his tour was up. That clause was one of the reasons he had been so easily swayed into registering as a reservist. He wheeled himself to the edge of the wall and then flung himself right off, levitating the chair into the air. Personal levitation was incredibly difficult because of the way magic worked. Your horn basically cancelled itself out- it was like trying to float water on water. If you had something to stand- or sit, on though... Ren sped the chair through the streets, thrilled to feel the air through his mane. It was a difficult thing to do, but he was one of the best physical mages in the land, and he wondered why he never had this idea before. The few passerby in the streets looked up in astonishment at the hot pink glowing wheelchair bearing it's unicorn passenger through the air, banking around corners and shooting down the streets. Perhaps, if some sort of rapid firing weapon was attached... He abandoned that idea. Even if it was this was way too shaky to ever hit anything, and he didn't have very good aim either. Finding his destination he put the thought to rest, and lowered to a fast landing along the road leading to the school. The tires screeched as they set down and he almost flew forwards as the friction of the ground stopped his momentum. He wheeled himself over to the bridge that crossed a small decorative moat that surrounded the school. Like the city itself, it was quiet. Coming over he noticed that the courtyard which was normally full of gossiping students, relaxing lecturers, and summer romance- was silent. The only sound was the water running from the fountain below the statue that represented the known star system. The silence was deafening, and he picked up the pace to do what he had to and get out of there, speeding across the courtyard into the school proper. He sighed and relaxed, relieved, as soon as he was inside. The scene in the school was just as it had always been. Students milled around, trying to look like they had a purpose while they looked desperately for an excuse to skip lectures. Professors milling around, trying to look like they had a purpose while they looked desperately for an excuse to delay marking. Custodians milling around, trying to look like they had a purpose while they looked desperately for an excuse to not be in the cafeteria- there was always one kid that threw up, every day. This was his school, or well it was. "Hey prof! They let you off already? Kick you out for digging your head in the dirt?" Somepony sneered. Ren quickly turned himself around, and levitated his wheelchair to look down on the pony that had said that- Val Dictoria. She was his best student, and they had a mutual respect that would seem from the outside like a constant feud. "That's Corporal Excavo to you, Val. Say, how was the last broadcast of 'Adventures in Space'?" He asked, grinning manically down at her. "I told you not to mention that!" She grumbled through gritted teeth. "I don't know what you mean, Sergeant Excavo!" She shouted, glancing around. She quickly ran off. Ren's ace in the hole had always been her adoration of that show, she had even written a paper about it for a equinology class. What she saw in it was beyond him, but to each their own. He was anxious to get his work done here and follow up on what he had seen three weeks ago, perhaps the changeling ambassador would authorize a dig, it would help with the sudden spare time he had. His office was in the rear of the building, crammed into the corner. Since it had no windows, and was probably a janitorial closest at some point in the schools long and storied past, he barely spent any time there. This was to the everlasting complaint of his students, whom had better luck bumping into their professor in the street then finding him during office hours. On the door was a plaque, which he tore off before entering. "Professor Ren Excavo, PhD, Head of Archeology." Inside he found the room just as he had left it, with thin plastic covering everything. He threw off the covering on his desk, and picked up the phone. Half a minute later he put it down, frowning. Either his mother had moved out of their old home in Manehatten, or the phone lines were down. There were other possibilities, but Ren had learned not to dwell on the worst. Putting the plaque in his box, he took one last look at his office. Nothing special really, a few books and his desk. He never really settled in despite being here for nearly a decade, it was a simple case of always striving for more. Perhaps it was time to stick to something, maybe even settle down when the war was over. Grabbing one last thing- his PhD certificate, he left for the last time. It felt good A few minutes of wheeling, taking in the sounds, sights, and smells of the school going about it's business for what he assumed would be the last time, he stopped before the Dean's office. Nobody actually knew his name, everypony just called him 'Dean'. He was an ancient stallion, as near as Ren could tell he had been serving at his post nearly as long as Celestia had reigned. Nobody knew what sort of powerful magic allowed him to live so long. Perhaps he had some deal with the Princess, perhaps he had some special spell. Whatever the case, it was a secret he guarded closely. Ren barely knew the man, none of the faculty really did. The only time anyone saw him outside of his office was if they were about to find themselves outside with their desk in a box. Ren kicked the door open and wheeled himself right on in, at the far corner of the room behind a great desk an ancient looking stallion yelped in surprise. "Professor Excavo! What is the meaning of this, you have no appointment!" The dean exclaimed. Ren breezed right up to the desk, and tossed his door plaque on it. "I resign." The Dean chuckled, as the plaque lifted in the air and was enveloped by a purple-green flame. "I figured you couldn't cut it forever, go live out your life with the rest- blowing away like dust in the wind when it's done," The dean said. Ren glared back at the man. "Or be like you, mired in eternity, caring for nothing but yourself? How old are you, Dean?" "Older then you can imagine. Now you accuse me of caring for nothing? I have seen lived through worse times then these, and I have seen worse enemies then those we know now. Empires have risen and fallen- but one thing persists." "And what's that?" Ren asked. "Me." A green-purple field forced Ren out the door with a surprising amount of force, and before he could protest the doors to the room slammed shut. Ren spun himself around and quickly left that life behind him. A few blocks away was the Canterlot Castle, and he quickly wheeled through the silent streets to get there. Hopefully the Ambassador would be sober, if Equestria Daily was anything to go by that was a rare thing indeed. The castle guards let him through easily enough, he still had that box with him and simply flashed his shiny new medal to anypony that asked him his business. They probably assumed he was taking his sick leave to explore the castle, and left it at that. Asking around he had found out that the ambassadors office was on the second floor, and as he approached the sound of a lyre softly filled the hallway. Outside a changeling stood at attention, heavily armoured with an intimidating pike at his side. It was probably a good idea to have an appointment, but it was too late for that now. Stopping beside the doorway Ren felt the glare of the guard on him. "I'd like to uhh, see the Ambassador?" He asked awkwardly, the guard didn't reply- it just continued staring. "Well the doors open isn't it!" Somepony shouted inside. Relieved, Ren rolled himself right on in. "Nice box," A green mare commented. She sat at a desk, strumming at a lyre. Directed ahead the Ambassador sat behind his own, which he noted was quite a work of art. "Don't mind Gamma out there, he's just doing his job." He pushed aside some papers on his desk and gestured in front of it. "What can I do for you, friend?" he asked. Ren felt oddly at home, and wheeled himself right up to the desk. "Well, Ambassador, a few weeks ago I was out in the field- near the changeling hive, and I found something you might want to follow up on," Ren said. "Oh did you?" The Ambassador asked, putting a hoof to his chin. "Yes, I think we uncovered part of an old structure, long since buried. It appeared made of the same dark stone that the changelings have used for centuries," The ambassador sat back in his chair, and spun it to look out the window. "Where was this?" he asked. "About ten miles north of the Hive," Ren replied. "And you think we built this, despite the fact that the hive has never expanded from it's current location- as far as I know anyway." "That's correct, and with your permission I would like to organize a dig." The ambassador spun back around, grinning. "That's a fantastic idea, I haven't gotten out of this office in weeks and that would make a fine excuse, I'll arrange for a legion escort and we'll set out tomorrow," He said. That was surprisingly easy. "Wait a second, a legion escort? Shouldn't you have your own people on this?" Ren asked. "What's your name, mysterious stranger?" Ren was embarrassed to realize he hadn't introduced himself. "Ren Excavo," He replied. "Well, Ren, you can call me Wildcard. If we're going to be working together I need to make one thing absolutely clear- never think about anything I do too much, it's dangerous to your health," He said, in a much lower voice than earlier. Ren wasn't sure to take it as a threat, or what exactly the Ambassador was getting at. Still, he was the one that could get him into changeling territory without trouble, so he would have to run with it. "Alright, Wildcard, consider it done. You're in charge." Ren said. Wildcard rubbed his hooves together, and picked up his phone. "Excellent, meet me here at oh... 8AM sounds good, we'll set off for this site and see what you found," Ren nodded and wheeled himself around. Leaving into the hallway with the sweet sound of a lyre behind him. To burn off the time before the evening he got some food, finding that apparently in his time in the hospital rationing had been put into effect, and while he was able to get enough to feed himself comfortably, it was a bad omen. The first place he had checked had provided him with a 'ration book' and registered him, explaining that if stocks ran low they would only have enough for registered customers. For now, thankfully, stocks were fine. His purple heart won him an extra apple. He also grabbed a newspaper, reading it would help pass the time. He ate on the castle wall, watching the ship continued to be constructed. Down below the unceasing clanking continued into the evening, the buzzing of pegasi unceasing in their work. He noticed that there was actually a second, smaller, ship being constructed behind the larger one, almost impossible to see unless the light was just right. Three weeks, he had spent three weeks out. In that time everything had changed. When he set out that day Canterlot had been as busy as ever, rationing was an idea that only existed as historical fact, and the consensus was the war would be won by the end of the week- since when did any of our problems last longer than a day, or a few days, tops? But here they were, three weeks into it and they hadn't even taken back Baltimare. Down below the evidence that this was more then a crisis, but instead an enter chapter in Equestria's history was being put together. The griffons had taken the crystal heart, and if their current ferocity was any indication it would take an invasion of the griffon home islands to get it back. Nopony knew why they had taken it, but it didn't matter anyway. They had, and that was enough. Taking the paper out of the box once he had finished eating the first thing that hit him was the cover- The shaky picture of a ship going down in flames. The title was a relief- 'Wonderbolts Victorious: Manehatten Safe Another Day', but there was a small article below it that sunk his heart. "Todays Fleet Losses: H.M.S Salvo, lost with all hands. H.M.S Ironside, lost with all hands. H.M.S Fargo, lost with all hands. For names of crew, and further legion losses, turn to page 7." Turning to page seven he memorized all thirty six names. Thirty six that had gone to their graves defending the country. His sadness turned to anger, and he looked towards the coast with a fire in his eyes. The griffons will pay. He went to the barracks next, stuffing his meager belongings into his locker. His PhD certificate he taped to the inside. Except for a skeleton crew the barracks was more or less abandoned, and his squad was nowhere to be seen- probably on deployment somewhere. His home had been repossessed by the state for construction of a new defensive perimeter, so he had simply sold all of his possessions since this came on the same day he received his deployment orders. He had quite of lot of bits in the bank due to this, but nothing to spend them on. Parking his wheelchair before a bunk he lay himself down, with a significant amount of effort from his wobbly limbs, and went to sleep thinking on what he would do after the war. Full time academia was too demanding if he wanted to settle down, but perhaps he could teach at a lower levels, at a town school or something. There was a cute mare in Ponyville he met when he was doing some fieldwork in the Everfree.... He got up bright and early the next morning, taking a quick spin around town before coming to the Changeling Ambassadors office at 8AM, just like he had asked. Inside a group of four soldiers, in green armour, chatted amongst themselves while the ambassador sat at his desk. His secretary was nowhere to be seen. "Good, you're here!" The ambassador said, the soldiers all came to attention as he strode to the head of them. "Centurions, this is Ren Excavo. He'll be leading us to the location, and you're going to make sure nothing touches us, got it?" "Yes sir!" They replied. Ren was fascinated by the fact that the Changeling Ambassador was apparently commanding elite Equestrian troops. "Alright then, let's get on that train and get moving. I'm rather anxious to see what you've got." He said, and pointed at Ren. "Lead on," he ordered. Ren did as asked and spun around, leading the group down the hall. Wildcard came to his side with an almost total silence, startling Ren when he spoke. "General owed me one, don't make me have used that favour needlessly," he threatened. Ren swallowed, this was getting to be more than he bargained for. Once on the train, specifically the rear car, the Ambassador sat beside him and asked for specifics about their mission that day, and what he had been doing since. Ren hesitated at first, but if the General trusted him enough to send a squad of centurions out under his command, then it probably didn't matter if anything he had to say was classified or not. The Ambassador seemed to have a strange relationship with the upper workings of Equestrian government, mentioning Celestia several times during his questioning. Ren remembered his early threat and didn't ask anything in return. "So this ship you found, the Night Guard took it?" The ambassador asked. "Yes, they did. It almost started a fight, just like..." The ambassador interrupted him. "A thousand odd years ago, interesting," Wildcard replied. Suddenly he grabbed Ren and drew himself in close, staring intensely into his eyes. "Ren. I need to make this perfectly clear. Nothing we discuss, and nothing you see today, can ever be known by anybody else. Do you understand?" Ren swallowed. "I do, definitely, for sure." Wildcard released him, and he quickly turned away. "Good, there's factors at work you can't possibly begin to understand, so don't..." "Who are you?!" Ren exclaimed, this was proving all too much for him to take. Wildcard laughed, patting him on the back. "The only one you can trust, I'm quite thankful you came to me with this information and not my anybody else." The rest of the ride went by in an awkward silence. Ren couldn't help but think about what the Ambassador had said, just what exactly was going on around here? The answers would have to wait, the train stopped at the border as it had since the war started, changeling customs would check it thoroughly. "This is our stop, let's get a move on," Wildcard ordered. The centurions all quickly filed out the back door, followed by him with Ren at the rear. "Two miles south right? We better get a move on then," Wildcard said. Their journey began. The hike went much faster then it had three weeks ago. For one thing the centurions moved at a much faster pace, and adding to this was the fact they only had a firearm each, instead of the heavier crossbows or pikes the squad had gone in with. A small satchel was all the supplies each had needed to bring. The path his squad had carved in the jungle remained, giving them a clear path forwards. They moved with the grace of elite soldiers, taking a circle around the two unarmed members of the group. They constantly glanced around and sent wordless signals to each other as the group made their way forwards. By the time they neared the site of the crashed ship Ren was exhausted, even with magic propelling his chair forwards it had still been hours of pushing it. "This is it, just past the trees ahead," Ren said. "Good, mark it." Wildcard ordered one of the centurions. He nodded and took a map and compass out of his satchel, quickly circling an area on it. Wildcard grabbed the map and stuffed it in his satchel. They entered the field and in the centre stood the dark rock outcropping, just as Ren had seen before. Wildcard ran up to it while the centurions scanned the edges of the clearing. "Incredible, it really is hivestone!" He exclaimed, and then turned to Ren. "Now, you're a unicorn right? Since you didn't bring a shovel I'm assuming..." Ren grinned, it was finally time for him to prove his worth to this expedition, and maybe impress those elite soldiers in the process. "Stand out of the clearing and let me do my thing. "He said, Wildcard gestured to the centurions and they lined up behind him. The ground shimmered as a pink field came over, and then slowly descended into the ground. The idea was simple- dirt was much less dense than stone, so find the less dense matter and levitate it out, leaving the denser material behind. He had done this dozens of times in the past, becoming quite expert at it. After a few moments of concentration a few thousand tonnes of dirt lifted into the air, followed by gasps of awe behind Ren. It floated a few hundred meters away and then he dropped it, crushing everything under it and shaking the ground. Ren turned to see the other five with their mouths agape. "That was impressive, I'll give you that." Wildcard said, and pushed past him, jumping fluttering his wings down into the pit. "It's huge!" He shouted, it echoed through. Ren turned back and his own jaw fell agape- it really was huge. A gigantic stone structure stood from the floor, which was a dozen meters deep. A stairway ran the circumference, so clearly this was purposely dug into the ground at some point, and had been filled in on purpose. Before the structure a few dozen smaller stones jutted up from the ground, segregated into three lines that ran nearly to the edge. Ren slowly walked down the staircase, the soldiers stayed up top and took positions around. As he walked down he was able to get a better look of the place, noticing that a large statue of someone, whom looked like a changeling except moderately more muscular, stood out from above a gaping doorway in the larger structure. "So what do you think this place is!" Wildcard shouted, standing in the middle and glancing around. "I think... I think it's a cemetery," Ren replied. "That doesn't make any sense, we cremate our dead." Wildcard replied, he stood before one of the stone outcroppings, and then dashed to another. "Hold on a second! I think you're right!" He exclaimed, dashing quickly back and forth through them. Ren came to the bottom, and approached one. They each seemed to have an engraving on them, he dusted it off and read it, surprised to see it was in Old Equestrian- why would the changelings be engraving tombstones with a dead equestrian language? "Fifth-Sixth. First known as Flint. Lost to us March 7th of the second year of our exile. May he know a greater light." Exile? 'First known'? There was something fishy about all this. Wildcard tapped him on the shoulder, almost startling him to death. "Remember what I said on the train? Nothing you see here leaves here." He said. "But Ambassador! There's so many questions that this raises. Why would your people be using Old Equestrian? Why these strange names? What 'exile'? This place could some evidence for the origins of your people!" Ren argued "Exactly, which is why this must remain a secret for the time being. This place isn't yours, and if you can't handle that you can go home, you've already fulfilled your duty here," Wildcard said. "I'm an archeologist, my duty is to find the truth!" "You're a soldier, your duty is to follow orders!" Wildcard snapped. Ren was about to continue arguing, but the ambassador shot up a hoof and sniffed the air. "Pack it up colts, everything you saw here is classified top level, take our friend here home!" Wildcard shouted up at the centurions. They dashed down and surrounded Ren in the blink of an eye, one of them put a hoof on his shoulder. "What are you trying to hide, Ambassador?" Ren demanded. "It's not what I'm hiding, but who I'm hiding it from that's important. Now get out of here!" He yelled. The soldiers pulled Ren back up the stairs, he glanced back to see the ambassador pacing amongst the stones before they disappeared back into the forest. Wildcard remained, alone, in that hole. If the Equestrians discovered this place existed it would prove to them that the changelings were once their kin, and there were so many ways that information could be taken. If it were to get out now, while Equestria was already facing external problems, it could lead to disaster. That was less important then what the Hive might do, the power structure relied on an understanding that there were different than the ponies, and that the caste structure was something that had existed forever. If the warriors found out there was no actual difference between them or the leaders- or even the queen- it would cause a second disaster. This cemetery highlighted something else though, which made the trip worth it. Three grave sites which apparently marked the first people that had gone over alongside Crystal Star, along with their descendents. If he was correct in his translation then each section aligned with one of the castes, but they were equal in size. The Hive now was nearly 70% workers, they all had the minds of children and could barely see, being only useful for manual labour. This was a genetic thing, and if it wasn't always this way then there were vast implications for the future of the hive if things continued the way they did. He sniffed the air, the telltale pheromones of a changeling on it. Whoever was coming was coming fast, but he had a minute before they were here. Looking up at the larger building he trotted towards it. If these were the graves of the original exiles, then that must be the tomb of Crystal Star's mate. Standing outside the dark mouth of the building he found an inscription. As he began to read it a crossbow bolt slammed into it and ricocheted barely past his head, he stumbled back startled. When he looked back his heart sunk into his stomach, two griffons hovered over the hole with weapons pointed town at him. Wildcard readied himself for the end, finding it oddly fitting he should die surrounded by his ancestors. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sound of familiar manic laughter filled the hole and he opened his eyes, seeing a pompous looking stallion riding a chariot behind the two griffons. He looked down on Wildcard with a smirk. If Pretense was here, how did he get past the changeling patrols? More then that, which one of them was the changeling he had detected? The smell of changeling pheromone was one of few things that set ponies and changelings apart, and it was as clear as day to them when a changeling was around. The only problem was it was difficult to ascertain who it was coming from without getting closer. "Pretense? What the buck are you doing here? Don't you have some children to steal candy from?!" Wildcard shouted at at him. He was met with laughter as the pony gestured the ground, his bodyguards taking the chariot in to land in the centre of the opening in the ground. "Oh Wildcard, you really are stupid aren't you? You haven't figured it out, it's a shame really." He said, and hopped out of the chariot. Wildcard regretted not coming armed, and he regretted putting his faith in changeling border patrols even more. "Figured what out?" Wildcard asked. Pretense grinned and approached, his four henchmen at his side. He gestured at Wildcard and two ran up to him, grabbing him by his arms. The scent grew stronger, clearly it was one of the four. "If you're here to kill me just get on with it already you coward," Wildcard spat. "Oh poor misguided Wildcard, you're worth so much more to me alive!" Pretense said, coming before him. "You call me misguided while you literally commit treason, cute." "Oh no, I'm not the one working against his own people. You're foolish and incompetent work as 'ambassador' has made my plans so much easier. I really should thank you.. Eta-Delta," Pretense said. "You haven't figured out which one of us it is, have you?" He sneered. "Which one of you is what, what are you talking about? Have you finally gone totally insane?" Wildcard received a smack on the back of his head for that remark, Pretense snorting as he did. "You really are stupid," he said, and began to shimmer green. "It's me!" He shouted, now the familiar image of a changeling leader, with eyes of blue and a dark body filled with holes. "Zeta?!" Wildcard exclaimed, flabbergasted. "Now you're getting it!" Zeta shouted, pinching Wildcards cheek as he did. "You're adorable when you finally figure things out, it's too bad you're an idiot." Wildcard glanced at the bodyguards, surprised that they didn't seem to care about this. "You're the idiot here, don't you know we're at war?" Zeta laughed, and so did the griffons. "No, you're at war. These fine griffons simply follow the money, and after disposing of that waste of skin Pretense I have quite a lot of it. Enough to have my own private army, enough to save the hive from this idiotic path you've decided we tread. Tell me, Wildcard, do you know what's in this tomb?" "Yes," Wildcard lied. Zeta pushed him to the side and lit his horn, outlining the inside of the structure. It was a large room with a central coffin, beside it a few vases and some trinkets made of gold. Probably worth quite a lot. "Don't take me for a fool, I know you don't. I do," Zeta said, and trotted over to the coffin. "And you know what? I don't think I'm going to tell you," He added, and clacked his hooves before pointing at Wildcard. With a great thud his vision faded to darkness. When he awoke he found himself on cold sand, the moon just barely over the horizon. He sat up and rubbed his aching head. A ways ahead the lights of a small town were dimly visible. Wildcards first thought was to contact the guard, but the less people that knew about what had happened the better. Buzzing his wings he headed for the town, probably Appleloosa. From there he could take the night train home. Being ambassador was supposed to be simple. Since when did the job description include balancing the demands of your home country with what you knew to be right, all the while getting sucked into internal bickering and having to fight a war? Ambassadors didn't generally secretly take a squad of elite soldiers to uncover secrets of vast implication, and then get beaten up by traitors and dumped in a field. Next time he would be armed, and only one of them would leave. Before that however he would have to have a word with his queen, alone.