The Royal Hospital at Canterlot had a strict policy against the press. It was one of the few things Obsidian was grateful for as he walked through the front doors, his pulled back ears and flicking tail the only indicators of his mood.
A blue-grey coated nurse glanced up as he approached the front desk, her big green eyes a little nervous. “Welcome to the Royal Hospital sir. How can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Miss Epona Stark. Where is she?” His voice was carefully measured and neutral. He leaned over the counter, his sheer size intimidating to look at as he glowered down at the nurse.
“Miss Stark?” The nurse glanced at the chart. “Um, I believe she’s room 208, sir. Should I notify the doctor that you’ll be coming up?”
“That won’t be necessary, miss. Thank you.” Obsidian gave her a curt nod and turned, making his way to the stairway. He took the steps two at a time, ignoring the ponies he passed by as he did so.
Calm, Obsidian. Calm and control, he reminded himself mentally, You still need her around. She’s important, in more ways than one. She’s Merry Stark’s daughter. She’s your golden girl. Even if she’s obviously gone off the deep end…
The black unicorn slowed to a walk as he approached the doorway to room 208. He took a few seconds to compose himself before reaching a hoof up and knocking firmly.
“Come in?” A voice came from the other side of the door.
Obsidian stepped inside, pushing the door open with a hoof. The private room was well lit and painted a soft, pastel pink. An older, gray coated mare with a curly crimson mane, glasses and a white coat sat beside the bedside, glancing up at him as he intruded.
Epona was laying on the bed, still dressed in her black dress, though it was slightly wrinkled now. A thin tube led down to her left fetlock, connected to a bag of clear fluid.
“Hey Obsidian.” She smiled, looking away from him to the mare. “Doctor Goodheart, could you excuse us for a second?”
“Alright Miss Stark. Just try not to exert yourself too much.” The mare stood up, pushing her mane out of her face before she trotted off, leaving the two alone.
Obsidian stared at Epona for the longest time, his ears pulled back so close to his scalp that they almost disappeared. Part of him wanted to shout at her, to browbeat her for her stupidity. But looking at her as she was, it was hard to muster up that much anger.
He settled on a disappointed glower. “Well?”
“I’m sorry, Obsidian. I know I should have stuck around, but…”
“I know.” He grumbled. “Hospital, getting checked out.”
“How did it go?”
“How did what go? The press conference you left me at? It was like being pecked to death by ducks.” He began to pace, his hoofsteps heavy on the smooth floor. “I had to get security to get most of the press out of the building. We nearly had a riot on our hooves! I can already see the papers tomorrow; “Has Epona Stark Lost Her Mind? See page 6!”” He snorted and turned to face her, his voice slowly rising in volume. “And then I had to promise to the board that no, you haven’t lost what little sense you have, and that I’d talk to you before we shut down what’s effectively a third of our entire business! What were you thinking?!”
Obsidian huffed softly as Epona curled up, her head lowered and her eyes closed. He inhaled and shook himself then made his way over to her bedside, having a seat.
So much for calm, he thought morosely, reaching a hoof out to touch hers.
“Look, Epona… I know you’ve been through a lot.” His voice became gentle. “I can understand that. I was in the military. I fought and saw a lot of violence during the Diamond Wolf War. I know how it feels to come back after all that.” He pulled her hoof up, holding it in both of his. “I know that it’s tough. So I can understand if you want to make changes. But you can’t just do something like that, not so suddenly. We can do this though. I just want you to know that I’m behind you, alright?”
“Alright.” She nodded, rolling onto her side to face him, “Thanks Obsidian. To be honest, I was sort of dreading this… I figured you‘d come in here and get all fire and brimstone on me.”
“I was considering it.” He chuckled, then went back to looking serious. “But Epona, you have to understand, this isn’t a simple thing you’re asking for. Stark Enterprises makes weapons for the crown. We’ve built our manger out of iron and blood, and filled it with bits from Equestria’s military budget. Take that away, and the company will starve.”
Epona felt her anger rise in her stomach. “My company is selling weapons to terrorists. Or weren’t you listening to my little press conference?” Epona glared, yanking her hoof away from his grasp. “We’re doing something wrong if something like that is going on.”
“Alright Epona, I under…”
“If you’re going to tell me that we can’t, then point me towards the board, and I’ll…”
“Epona!” Obsidian snapped, then leaned over to nuzzle her gently. “I’m on your side, my golden girl. I’m just saying that if we do shut weapons R&D down, we have to do something to make up the difference. So if you‘ve got any ideas…”
“I do, actually.” She interrupted.
Obsidian arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“I think we need to look into the Artificial Resonance Cascade Reactor again.”
Obsidian arched an eyebrow. “Seriously? That old thing? Hah.” He shook his head. “The reactor was a thought experiment, your mom’s pet project. We tried to make the thing work, but there’s no way. It’s a glorified money sink! I mean, if we had a working prototype that’d be one thing, but that’s a bit much to ask for.” He paused and glanced at her appraisingly, his lips trembling in a smile that he tried to suppress. Epona seemed slightly amused as he cleared his throat “I mean, unless you’ve got something you want to share with me? Some clever plan?”
“You do realize how terrible your poker face is, right?” Epona deadpanned. “This is why I never take you to Las Haygas. Who told you?”
“Told me what? I wasn’t told anything.” Obsidian feigned innocence.
“Was it Roadie? It had to be Roadie.”
“Doesn’t matter who told me, just show me.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and gestured to her chest. “Pull down my blouse.”
Obsidian swallowed, a hint of blush coloring his cheeks.. “What? Epona, I… I didn’t know you thought of me like that.”
“Oh come on Obsidian. What are you, a schoolcolt? It’s mounted on my chest.”
“Alright, alright…” He chuckled, reaching up to her dress and pulling the neckline down…then froze. The light from the ARC Reactor lit up his face, glinting in his wide eyes.
“Sun and moon…” He whispered in near reverence. “Is that…?”
“It is, and it works, Obsidian.” Epona grinned. “Admittedly, it’s only a prototype but it works perfectly. Thank about all the applications we could use these for!”
Obsidian felt his jaw go slack as he let go of Epona’s blouse, leaning back in the chair. ”Amazing… just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me any more. Wow.” He looked around the room quickly then leaned in. “Alright…alright. You‘ve sold me on it. I’ll talk to the board and see what I can do.”
“Thank you Obsidian. I shouldn‘t be here too long. The docs just want me to stay overnight to make sure I‘m not going to keel over.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Look, it’d be best if you stayed low for a while, minimize publicity. Go home, rest, recuperate, work on personal projects, whatever.” He tapped a hoof on the bed. “Just let me handle the mess, alright? Think you can do that Epona?”
“I think I can deal with that. I had a few things I wanted to work on.” She smiled, then leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you. Thank you for understanding.”
“Hey, don’t you start getting all mushy on me Epona.” He chuckled, returning the hug. “You just focus on getting better, alright?”
“Right.”
“I’ve got to get back and deal with all the fallout. You take care of yourself.” He stood and made his way out, shaking his head.
Not exactly what I had in mind, but I can roll with this, though, he thought to himself as he climbed down the stairs. I always do.
---
The house was just like she’d left it. Then again, the only one who had been living in it since she left had been Sparks, and he prided himself on his neatness.
Still, it’s a little unnerving to see everything so shiny and clean, Epona thought to herself as she shut the door. The place even smelled clean.
“Sparks?” She called, looking around as she walked. “Sparks, are you in here?”
“Coming Miss Stark!” The dragon quickly descended the stairs from the upper floor and slid to a halt in front of her. “Welcome home!”
“At ease soldier.” She chuckled. “It’s good to be home. I see you’ve kept the place clean for me.”
“Yes Miss Stark, always. Would you like me to fix you some lunch? Draw you a bath?” He seemed almost eager, his big red eyes focused on her intently.
“Maybe later. Right now, I really need to head down to the garage.” She smiled, walking around him and heading to the stairwell.
“The garage, Miss Stark?” Sparks sounded nervous as he trotted after her. “R-really? So soon? I mean, surely you’d prefer to relax, catch your breath. I mean you just got out of the hospital.”
“I’m not an invalid Sparks. Besides, you know I feel comfortable in the workshop.”
“B-but…” Sparks whimpered as Epona pushed the door open.
“Honestly Sparks, I’m fine. You act like I’m going to…” She turned back to look forwards as she entered the garage, then stopped, her eyes wide.
The garage was a mess, to put it lightly. Her sketches were spread out along the wall and floor, design maps drawn on and connected together with tape. Drawers were open and pieces of equipment were scattered everywhere, tools laid out on the ground like they had been set there and left alone.
The garage’s far wall was now dominated with what looked like a work station of some sort. A pair of stumpy towers filled with circuitry and gems glowed underneath the desk, while solid-light holograms hovered silently within reach of a padded hammock chair suspended from the ceiling. Several large monitors surrounded the chair, backlighting the contraption with a deep blue light.
“I…I wanted to have a chance to clean up first, ma’am…” Sparks whimpered nervously, slowly walking around and into Epona’s field of vision.
“What…Sparks, what did you do?!” She gaped, her voice filled with shock.
“A-after I found out you went missing…a-and after Princess Celestia brought me back to Canterlot I…well…” He scratched one of his ear frills nervously. “I figured I’d try to help.”
“What…”
“I-I used a lot of your design sketches, Miss Stark! The crystalline processor plans, the prototype programmable micro-circuitry and multi-phase computing motherboards, the solid-light-illusion projection systems…all of it. I… I also used your expense account and borrowed a lot of stuff from Stark Enterprises. Programs too; tactical simulations, navigation software, computer modeling and simulation projections…”
“But…but why?” She stared at the machine. She never really thought the plans would amount to anything. They were just ideas, things she worked on, that she’d never thought of putting into production.
“Because…” Sparks swallowed, stepping back before rushing to the computer, his back against the desk. “Because I couldn’t just sit here! I thought that if I could find a way to calculate…if I could map the pegasi’s patrol flights…if, if I could just find you, it’d make up for me not being there when you were taken away!” He sniffed, wiping his eyes.
“You…you did all this just to find me?”
“Yes…I-I know you don’t like others messing with your plans or your tools. So I-I’ll understand if you’re angry with-”
“Come here.” Epona tapped her hoof on the floor.
“Yes, Miss Stark.” He slumped dejectedly, his tail dragging as he walked. He stopped just short of her, expecting the worst.
He froze as he felt her wrap her arms around him, nuzzling into his forehead.
“Oh Sparks.” She whispered. “You really are too good for me. You did all this just to find me.”
“S-so…you’re not mad, Miss Stark?”
“Mad?!” She pulled away, her eyes a little watery. “Mad? How can I be mad?! Look at you! You built a computer just from my leftover plans. I didn’t expect half of those design to even work, much less get put together into…this! Sparks, I’m very, very proud of you.”
“Miss Stark…” He whimpered, his tail stiffening.
“And no more of this ‘Miss Stark’ nonsense. It’s Epona. You’re not my butler, or my personal blow-torch. You’re my friend, understand?”
“U-understood, Mi…I mean, yes, Epona.”
“Good.” Epona smirked, letting go. “Now, I hope you’re ready to get to work, because I’ve got something planned. Something big.”
“Anything you want, I’m here to help with.” Sparks saluted as Epona trotted over to her drawing board. “Um, Epona?”
“Yes?” She looked up, a pencil held in her mouth.
“I do have a sketching program installed in the computer. You don’t have to use paper and pencil.”
“…Oh.” She spat the pencil out. “Well, that helps a lot.”
“Do you want me to log this new project and submit it to the records at Stark Enterprises, Epona?” The young dragon climbed into his hammock, bouncing slightly in the seat as he cracked his knuckles.
“I…” Epona frowned and paused. The images of the Stark-made weapons in the hooves of her captors came back almost as clear as day.
If somepony in my company is selling weapons like that, I’d be better off keeping this off the books, Epona thought to herself. “You know what Sparks, let’s just keep this a secret between you and me. Nopony else, not even Pepper.”
“Not even Pepper?”
“No, not even him.” Epona walked over to peer at the screens. “I don’t think he’d understand what I’m doing.”
“Right,” Sparks nodded, picking up a stylus and offering it to Epona’s lips. “I’ll bring the sketching program up. Draw when ready.”
“Mm.” She nodded again, wiggling the stylus up and down as she dug into her memories. The Mark One suit had some good ideas, but I think we can do better. A lot better.
A blue pad popped up in the air before her, waiting for input. Now, let’s see what improvements we can make. First, the flight system… though I’m also going to need a better reactor…
---
Pepper Pot did his best to be professional and courteous to everypony, he really did. When he had joined Stark Enterprises, he had expected to be working in a professional environment for one of the foremost technology companies in Equestria.
Instead, he was the personal assistant to Epona Stark. Not that he minded the job’s perks, like his great salary, excellent benefits, lots of chances for travel, and a good deal of responsibility. No, his problem was with his boss. Epona Stark was, by all metrics, completely insane.
This was typified by the scene he had just walked in on.
“What in the name of Celestia’s horn are you doing!?” He couldn’t help but screech and drop the folder he was holding. His boss was laying on her back atop one of the work tables, limbs pinned down and spread-eagled as Sparks stood over her, a glowing object in his clawed fingers.
Epona glanced over at him with a grin. “Oh, hey Pepper, you’re just in time. Give Sparks a helping hoof, would you?”
“Give Sparks a helping hoof? You look like you’re going to do surgery or something!” Pepper stomped over towards the two. “Explain!”
“It’s not surgery Pepper, seriously,” Epona replied nonchalantly. “Sparks is just going to switch out my old ARC Reactor for the new one I built.”
“Oh, you mean the one that’s currently keeping your heart from tearing itself apart?”
Epona winced again at the screech. “Well, if you put it that way, yes. But it shouldn’t be too hard. Actually, with you here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You’re a lunatic Epona Stark.”
“Hardly. Look, all I need you to do is remove the original reactor while Sparks slots the new one in. I’ve already taken some medication to slow my heart-rate down so that I won’t damage my heart too much.”
Pepper stared at Epona, eyes wide.
“You want me to pull this thing out?”
“Correct. Look, if you do it, then Sparks will be able to get the reactor in that much faster, with much less stress, alright?”
“And the straps?” Pepper glared at the bindings.
“Um…they’re to keep me pinned in case I, you know, start flailing around and screaming in pain.”
“…Fine.” Pepper inhaled and sat down beside the table. “What do I do?”
“All you need to do is rotate the reactor counter-clockwise until you hear a click., and then give it a pull. Then Sparks will put his in and then we’ll be done.”
“Right.” Pepper inhaled slowly and began to concentrate. A reddish field of magic formed around the Reactor. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Go ahead.” Epona inhaled, laying her head back and closing her eyes. There was a click and, as she felt a small spike of pain, a second click and a cool rush of energy.
“And we’re done.” Sparks began undoing the straps as Epona rolled onto her stomach. The new reactor was slightly larger than the previous one, the central chamber pushing out a bit further and glowing brighter.
“See? That wasn’t bad, now was it Pepper?” She grinned as Pepper stared at the reactor hovering in front of him.
“Um….n-no.” He inhaled, setting the old ARC Reactor aside before he turned back to his boss. “Don’t ever ask me to do something like that again, though. You scared the daylight out of me.”
“Sorry. It was rather stupid of me.”
Pepper paused at that, then nodded. “Apology accepted. Now, could you explain this to me?” The russet unicorn floated the folder back over and set it before Epona, opening it.
“Hmm? These look like the requisition orders I put in.”
“Machine parts? CrystalLine? Carbon-fiber mesh? Gems? And things like “Aurumtanium” and “Multi-force projection lenses?”” Pepper’s voice was strained.
“Aurumtanium is a composite alloy of gold and titanium: it carries energy like gold, but has the tensile strength and durability of titanium. The multi-force projection-”
“You know what, I don’t care.” Pepper grumbled. “I just want to know why you need all of this.”
“Special project.” Epona smiled.
“A special project.” Pepper replied, eyes narrowed. “I thought you said you were done with weapons.”
“This isn’t a weapon, Pepper. It’s something completely different.” Epona sighed. “Pepper, I know we haven’t been on the best of terms since…well, ever, really.”
Pepper rolled his eyes, then froze as Epona touched his shoulder.
“But,” she continued, “I need you to just trust me. Alright? I know that‘s a bit hard to swallow, coming from me, but you‘re one of the closest things I have to a friend.. Moonlight, I probably couldn’t brush my teeth or dress myself in the morning without you.”
“…Hoof off please.”
“Sorry.” She removed her hoof.
“Thanks.” Pepper brushed off his shirt and pulled himself up as best he could. “I know you’re trying to be better Epona. I’m not really sure how I feel about that, but I accept it. I’m willing to trust you... for now. I don’t know what you’ve got planned, and quite frankly I’m not sure I want to know. Just…don’t screw up, alright? Can you promise me that?”
“Alright. Promise.” Epona stood up and hopped off the table, leaning against the edge with one leg folded cockily over the other. “How do I look? Does this reactor make my flank look big?”
“Only about as big as your ego.” Pepper shook his head, then glanced over the old reactor. “What do you want me to do with that?”
“Whatever you want. It’s not like I need it anymore.”
“Right.” He levitated the still-lit arc reactor and began to trot off, the folder floating behind him. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be at the office if you need anything else.”
“Hey Pepper!”
The unicorn silently counted to ten before answering. “Yes?”
“Would you mind not mentioning what I’m doing down here to Obsidian? He’d probably have a conniption if he knew what I was working on.” Epona gave him a wide grin.
“Fine. Sure, whatever. Just leave me out of this special project of yours, alright?”
“You’ve got it. And Pepper…thanks. For everything, I mean.”
Pepper shook his head and pushed the door open. “You’re welcome, I suppose. I’m going now.”
“Just make sure to put in those requisition orders!” Epona called to him as he shut the door.
---
“Are you sure this is safe, Epona?”
The mare chuckled softly as she walked, her hoof steps heavy and clunking. A solid week of designing, prototyping, checking, rechecking and re-designing had lead to the rig she was wearing. It was surprisingly simple: a set of heavy, form-fitting metallic grieves that covered her legs up to the forearms and ankles. Thin, insulated wires ran up her limbs to the saddle-like band on her midsection, which then lead to a pair of larger, flatter wires that fed over to her ARC Reactor.
“Of course it’s safe, Sparks. Why wouldn’t it be safe?” She shifted her weight, doing her best to lift her legs as she strode in a slow circle on the solid stone floor, testing the weight of the boots.
“It might be because you have a glorified laser cannon strapped to each hoof?” Sparks noted as he turned back to the computer, tapping on the keys. “Something like that usually doesn’t fall under “safe.” I still think it’d be better if we used a mannequin for these initial tests.”
“I told you Sparks, a mannequin can’t adjust itself on the fly. Now, are we ready for the test?”
“Yes. I’m set to record, and I have the fire extinguisher handy in case you set anything on fire.”
Epona rolled her eyes. “It’s a kinetic energy projection system Sparks, not thermal. Nothing‘s going to catch fire!”
“Better safe than sorry.” Sparks tapped on the console, then turned back to his friend. “Recording is on.”
“Alright!” Epona grinned as the camera trained on her. “Test one of the personal propulsion system! I’m going to give it ten percent thrust.”
Sparks jerked in his hammock. “Ten percent!? Epona, wait!”
Epona spread her legs, centering herself carefully as she rested the pliable tips of her hooves on the thrust controls in her boots. “Firing in three, two, one!”
FOOM!
There was a violent jerk upward, just before Epona’s vision filled with bursts colored light and pain, right before the concrete came back up to meet her.
---
Epona groaned, her vision swimming as she came to her senses.
“Epona?” Sparks’ eyes filled her field of vision. He leaned back, holding up two fingers. “Epona, are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Ugh…two…” She winced. Her head was hurting. She reached up, pressing the still glowing lens of her boot to her forehead. “What happened?”
“You had a pretty impressive crash. First you rocketed upward and hit the ceiling, and then you fell down and landed here. You just barely missed your sketch table.”
“So I take it I didn’t achieve flight?” She grinned weakly as Sparks growled, crossing his arms.
“No and for the record, that was stupid. And reckless. And irresponsible! You could have really hurt yourself! I thought we agreed on one percent thrust for the initial tests, not ten! What were you thinking?!”
Epona winced. “I decided that ten percent was just as controllable.”
“Well, it isn’t. You can’t just decide to violate testing protocol on a whim!”
Epona lowered her head. “Yeah, that was stupid of me. I’m sorry.”
Sparks snorted, shaking his head. “I know you’re anxious to see some results Epona, but you have your health to worry about now, what with your heart and everything.”
“I’m fine Sparks. I’m not that fragile! I survived bigger crashes than this in the desert!” She grunted as she pulled herself to her feet and stood up on her wobbly legs.
“Careful!” The blue dragon reached up, steadying the pony with an arm wrapped around her side.
“I said I’m fine Sparks. A little rattled, but fine. Come on, let’s try again.”
“Again?” Sparks shook his head. “No, no, no. You need to lie down…”
“So help me Sparks, if you keep going on like this I’m going to, to,” she growled and shook her head again, “to do something to you. I’m not sure what, but it’ll be bad!”
The pair stared at each other for a few moments; Epona with her brows furrowed, and Sparks with his arms crossed defiantly.
Epona was the one who broke the gaze first, lowering her head. “Yeah…you’re right. Maybe I should go lie down for a bit. It’s been a long day after all.”
“Yeah.” Sparks ran his claws along his spines before setting to the task of undoing the straps on the propulsion rig. “It doesn’t help that you’ve been spending all day every day down here. You really should take a break, you look like you‘re about to topple over. Plus you‘re starting to get a bit smelly.”
Epona chuckled, stepping out of the boots. “I’ll take it under consideration. But first I need some aspirin. While I’m out, would you mind finishing up those communicators?”
“The sympathetic crystal communicators? Sure. I was nearly finished with them anyway.” Sparks set the propulsion rig onto its support structure before trotting back to his workbench. “It shouldn’t take too long.”
Epona nodded as she wobbled over to the door, pushing it open and mounting the stairs. Her head was still throbbing, but at least she didn’t feel like she was bleeding anywhere. She did lean against the wall of the stairwell as she walked, using it to support herself.
Maybe Sparks is right. There’s no use in pushing myself. She sighed as she nudged the doorway to the living room open. It’s not like I’m under a deadline right now. But there’s so much I have to do on this project.
The house was dark and quiet as she walked. She didn’t know if it was her banging her head or the fact that her last cup of coffee was wearing off, but she felt tired. The lambent light of the moon outside and the glittering tapestry of stars didn’t help matters much as she entered her bedroom, climbing slowly into bed.
Just a short nap. Even her thoughts felt heavy as she laid there. Not long. Maybe a few hours and I’ll be right back to work.
Sweet black oblivion consumed her as she closed her eyes.
---
Roadie tried to swallow his nerves as he walked into the courtyard, the sound of clashing metal sending a tiny twitch along his primaries. He wasn’t used to visiting the royal halls during the evening, but this was a special case. He’d been asked for specifically by Princess Luna, which was a little odd given her previous distance from the members of the court.
The slight fact that he was in the central courtyard, at night, watching a pair of ponies swordfight only made the situation that much weirder.
The courtyard was well lit by glowing magical lanterns, the light sharp and artificial compared to the moon above. The grass had been tamped down one either side of a long roll of ribbed canvas. A pair of ponies stood at attention, clad in fencing garb and helmets with slender, blunted sabers hovering before them in hazy telekinetic fields. One was a unicorn stallion with a reddish coat and a blonde tail, with a cutie mark of crossed swords. The other was a much taller mare with a distinctive navy coat, her white moon and black cloud cutie mark all but announcing her identity..
She fences. Why am I not surprised? Roadie thought to himself as the ponies began to fence, the sabers clashing, sending small sparks from the attendant magical fields. The pegasus kept quiet as the pair fought, wincing as he saw Luna nearly body-check the smaller pony as she pushed the offense.
There was a soft slap as the princess’s blade made contact with the other pony’s left leg. “Huzzah! Touché!”
“Indeed.” The other unicorn replied, backing up and bringing his sword to his side. “However, please remember that bodily contact is prohibited in saber fencing, your majesty.”
“I apologize, Estoc. I am much more used to traditional swordplay.” The dark alicorn brought her sword down and away.
“Understandable.“ The stallion pulled his mask free, shaking out his short mane. “If I may say, you’re an excellent sabreuse. Though I wouldn‘t expect any less from someone of your experience. Some more practice and you would be competition-ready.”
“You flatter me.” Luna removed her own face guard, shaking out her flowing mane before glancing over towards Roadie. “Pardon my rudeness, Estoc, but it appears my next appointment has arrived. If you would be so kind as to allow us a few minutes of privacy?”
“Of course.” Estoc bowed his head and trotted out of the garden, his tail swishing as he passed Roadie.
“Um…I’m sorry your majesty. I didn’t mean to interrupt your exercises.” Roadie tried to not sound nervous. From what he knew of Luna, she was more of a stickler for propriety than Celestia was.
“There was no harm done.” Luna stepped off the canvas and over towards a low table holding a pitcher of water and a pair of glasses. “In truth, your swift attendance to my request does you credit, Lieutenant Colonel. Come, sit.”
He did so, settling into the soft grass as Luna poured herself a drink. “How has the campaign in the desert proceeded, Lieutenant Colonel?”
“ Campaign? Oh, the policing action…” Dusty frowned. “I’ve submitted my reports to you and your sister, as well as any communications I’ve had with my subordinates…”
“Lieutenant Colonel, while your reports are immaculate and more than satisfactory to my sister,” Luna sipped the water before continuing, “I do have my own questions.”
“What do you want to know, your majesty?”
“Do you feel as though you were given enough resources to carry out your mission?”
Roadie shifted nervously. He felt like he was back in officer school again. It didn’t help that Luna was nearly twice as tall and ten times more intimidating than any of his instructors had been.
Still, she was asking him a question. “Permission to speak freely, your majesty?”
“Granted, Lieutenant Colonel.”
Roadie inhaled slowly. “To be frank, no. While I was there, our resources were stretched tight. Even with the assistance of the mages we couldn’t locate whoever or whatever was behind the attack and kidnapping, and our patrol flights were mostly limited to daytime flights to take advantage of the thermals to increase endurance and range. And since the cavern that Epona told us about turned out to have been abandoned, we‘re back to square one.”
Luna nodded. “I understand your frustration.”
“I just don’t get why Princess Celestia won’t send reinforcements.”
“Perhaps it is because she is uncomfortable with the idea of placing her subjects in harms way.” Luna set the glass down with a sigh. “My sister has ever been the optimistic and benevolent soul, always slow to anger and swift to forgive, always seeking the most peaceful solution. If it were her choice, we would likely not even have a military. That was always more my forte.”
Luna fell silent for a few moments, slowly turning the glass around on the table as she thought. “I will see what I can do to improve your situation, Lieutenant Colonel.”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
“Now, as to your friend, Miss Stark.”
Roadie blinked. “What about her?”
“What is your opinion of her behavior as of late?”
The brown pegasus shook his head. “I can’t really say, your majesty. She hasn’t been herself recently. Usually she’s out drinking, rubbing shoulders and finding some poor stallion to take home, but she’s become a recluse recently. It’s really not like her.”
“Some ponies deal with personal trauma differently than others. Perhaps you should speak with her before returning to the desert?”
“Should I consider that a command, your majesty?” Roadie frowned slightly. To be honest, he’d been avoiding visiting Epona, especially after the scene in the Buffalo encampment.
“Consider it what you will, Lieutenant Colonel.” The glass made a rough sound as it slid along the table-top, the dark princess’s eyes half-lidded and her expression neutral. “However, I can speak from personal experience that camaraderie is a good salve for even the most grievous wound.”
“I’ll take it under advisement, then.” Roadie swallowed nervously. “I suppose a visit wouldn’t hurt.”
“I do hope so. That will be all, Lieutenant Colonel.” Luna lifted the glass to her lips and nodded.
“Your majesty.” Roadie drew himself up to a salute, then slipped away as Estoc re-entered the yard.
---
“Epona?”
Epona grunted softly as she felt a familiar clawed hand gently shake her. She squinted at the shafts of light coming through the curtains. Her ears turned, following the gentle, padding footsteps as Sparks made his way around to face her, blocking the sunlight. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better…still got a headache though.” she blinked, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”
“About an hour past noon.”
“What?!” Epona sat up, a hoof going to her head. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?!”
“You looked like you needed the rest.” Sparks frowned as she climbed off of the bed.
“I was just planning on getting in a quick power nap, not spend half a day knocked out. Ugh, I’ve already wasted too much time…”
“Epona…” Sparks reached out as Epona tumbled out of bed and trotted towards the bathroom.
“There’s still way too much to do! We have to finish the tests on the propulsion systems, then get the external frame ready, not to mention the link to your command crèche…”
“My what?”
“Your computer!” Epona called as she turned on the shower. “And then there’s all the wiring…”
“Epona!” Sparks shouted, his ear-frills flared.
“What?”
“You need to calm down. We don’t need to rush things along.” Sparks walked over to Epona, resting his hands on her muzzle. “Why are you freaking out like this?”
Epona looked down, her hooves stomping the floor. “Because…I just need to get this done. I know I shouldn’t be so worried, but…”
“Don’t be, alright? We’re on schedule. Why don’t you take a while and get yourself settled? Shower, clean up, relax on the couch, whatever. Just get out of the garage for a while. We‘ve already got all the design schematics down and the machinery up and running. Just relax and let me handle it, alright Epona?”
“Mf…” She grunted softly as she climbed into the shower, letting the hot water pour over her. “Fine. If you insist.”
“I do insist. I’ll be down in the garage if anything comes up. Just relax, alright?” The dragon closed the door behind him as he left, leaving her in the shower. It felt nice, the hot water stinging slightly as she closed her eyes.
How long has it been since I showered? She shook herself, having a seat on the shower floor as she rubbed soap into her coat. Her mane and tail were still a coarse frizz, but at least they was growing back. Sun above, when was the last time I actually tried taking care of myself? Maybe Sparks is right to be concerned. Why should I rush?
Her hoof stopped its rubbing. She knew why. She just didn’t want to admit it. No project meant no distractions. No distractions meant she’d have to start thinking about other things. Things she didn’t want to think about.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the shower door, the glass catching her reflection.
“None of that Epona,” she mumbled to herself. “I’ll just have to find something else to keep me occupied.”
The soap slid off quickly under the hot water, and the dials clicked as she turned off the shower. A quick rub-down with a fluffy towel was enough to get most of the wet off. Her coat was still slightly moist as she climbed down the stairs to the living room, only to stop mid-way down the staircase.
“Roadie?”
The brown pegasus stood up from his spot on the sofa, his wings folded tight against his sides. A brown paper box sat on the coffee table beside him. “Hey Epona.”
“Roadie, what’re you doing here?” Epona continued down, eying him curiously.
“Visiting you.”
“Why?” Epona slowly sank onto one of the chairs. “Did something blow up? And are those donuts?”
“Dozen of Pony Joe’s powdered sugar donuts. I figured you could use the pick-me-up.”
Epona tried not to lick her lips, or drool. Her growling stomach already made her desires quite apparent. “You brought me donuts?”
“Yeah. Why, is that weird?” Roadie flipped the box open and had a seat. “I mean, I would have brought you flowers, but that would have been a bit much.”
“I’d rather have these than the flowers. Mm.” Epona mumbled as she leaned down, popping one of the donuts whole into her mouth and chewing.
Roadie shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “So, uh, how’ve you been?”
“How’ve I been? That‘s new.” Epona licked the powdered sugar off her lips. “You usually don’t pay me social visits. Did somepony send you to check up on me or something?”
“Kind of.” Roadie glanced away for a moment before looking back at Epona, watching the mare devour a second donut. “I just realized that I’ve been avoiding talking to you ever since Appleloosa. You just disappeared after the press conference, which really isn‘t like you. Ponies are talking about how you’ve gone quiet and hermit-like…” Roadie let his voice trail off, then shook his head. “I just wanted to see how you were doing, that’s all.”
“That’s actually kinda sweet of you, Roadie.” Epona smiled. “Though really, you didn’t have to. I’m fine. I’ve just been keeping myself occupied with other things.”
“Other things?”
“Obsidian suggested I stay out of the public eye for a while. So I’ve mostly been hanging around the house, working on personal projects.”
“I see.” Roadie rubbed his head as Epona downed yet another donut. “So you’re alright. I mean, really alright? Nothing you want to talk about or anything?”
“I’m fine Roadie.” Epona managed around a mouth full of donut. “Really.”
“Alright, if you say so. But Epona…if you ever do need anything, you know you can just get a hold of me and I’ll do anything I can to help.” Roadie slowly stood. “You know that, right?”
“Mhmm… Wait a second Roadie, that reminds me.”
The pegasus blinked as Epona trotted off and disappeared down the steps leading to the basement, only to return shortly after with what looked like a small metal box.
“What’s…” Roadie blinked at the object as she set it on the table.
“It’s a prototype. Something me and Sparks have been working on. It’s a special device designed for instant long-distance communication. Admittedly, it’s only good if you want to contact me and no-pony else, but it’s a start.”
“And you want me to have this?” Roadie arched an eyebrow as he picked up the small, boxy device.
“Yeah. Just keep it around in case I need to talk to you or vice-versa. You know, for emergencies and such.”
“Emergencies, huh?” He nodded. “Alright. But shouldn’t you give one to your secretary?”
“I planned on it, but you got here first. Pepper’s been spending most of his time at the office, so we don’t really see each other unless he comes over to give me an important update.” Epona frowned. “Or he’s just staying out of my way because he’s in a grumpy mood.”
“I’m sure he’ll get over whatever it is eventually.” Roadie stood, pushing his mane out of the way of his eyes.
Epona rolled her eyes. “I’ve been doing better.”
“Good.”
“Leaving already?” Her gaze followed Roadie as he walked around the table.
“Yeah. Have to get ready to head back to the desert. I’m still technically in charge of finding whoever it was that attacked you.” He smirked. “Don’t worry though, we’ll find them eventually. They can’t hide forever.”
“Have fun playing in the sand, Lieutenant Colonel.” Epona waved him off as he left, leaning against her chair with another donut.
---
Epona’s absence from the garage lasted until sundown. Admittedly, she had exceeded Sparks’ expectations. The dragon tapped on the console as Epona steadied herself, once again strapped into the propulsion rig.
“Recording now, Epona!”
“Good. Second test of the personal propulsion system. Given the events of the last test I’m going to start at one percent thrust.” she smirked at Sparks, who shook his head in irritation. “This way, we can see if we can achieve a stable hovering pattern. Ready Sparks?”
“Ready.”
“Alright.” Epona steadied herself, legs spread out and boots firmly planted. “One percent thrust in three, two, one.”
There was a soft whine as the lenses fired, luminescent beams of pure kinetic force gently pushing Epona up a few feet into the air. Epona gritted her teeth, slowly moving her legs to correct for drifting as she hovered there, wobbling only slightly.
“Looking good Epona,” Sparks shouted over the whine of the rig. “Cut the thrust!”
There was a heavy ka-klump as Epona landed, a large grin on her face. “I think this confirms that the thrusters work as intended.”
“Yup!” Sparks glanced back at the readings on his console. “Power output is stable, no obvious strain on the rig, everything is green.”
“Think it’s safe to bring it up to three percent power?”
Sparks frowned, rubbing his chin. “I don’t see why not. Sure.”
“Alright. We’re still recording, right?” Epona glanced over her shoulder at Sparks as he gave a thumbs-up, then centered herself. “Three percent thrust in three, two, one.”
The whine grew louder as she lifted off the ground, the energy beams pushing her into the air. Epona hovered slowly, consciously adjusting her legs to maintain her balance, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Okay, looks like quadrupedal formation is stable…let’s try bipedal. She inhaled and pushed a tiny bit harder on the triggers in her frontal boots, slowly pushing her body upwards until she hovered in mid-air, forelimbs splayed out to either side, her eyes wide as she began to laugh as she slowly rotated in mid-air.
Sparks couldn’t help but laugh as well. It was weird, seeing Epona so joyful, even as she slowly landed with a ka-klump of metallic boots on the hard floor, still laughing with excitement and happiness. “I think this counts as a successful test, Epona,” he managed to call out in-between giggles.
“I’d say so.” Epona panted softly, inspecting one of the boots, the tiny transmitter crystals along the thruster mechanism glittering in the harsh light of the garage. “It’s actually a lot easier than I expected it to be. Hey, Sparks…why don’t we move on to the stage two testing?”
“Stage…two?” Sparks blinked then shook his head violently. “No. No, absolutely not. We don’t have the external armor complete yet! And besides, there’s reams of data we have to look over before we can even try a proper flight test…”
“Sparks, I’m not planning to fly all the way to Hoofington on these babies.” She smirked, turning to face him properly. “I know you want to be cautious, but everything’s in the green so far. A short flight test won’t cause too much of a problem.”
“Well…”
“Trust me Sparks, I know what I’m doing.” Epona trotted over towards him, the propulsion rig’s boots clomping heavily. “And I won’t go too high. I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Promise?” Sparks curled his lips, his arms crossing as he met Epona’s eyes.
“Promise.”
“And you won’t try something stupid?”
“Promise.”
“And you’re sure you won’t crash and break every bone in your body on impact?”
“Well, there’s always the risk, but sure, I promise.” Epona smirked.
“Well, I suppose a test wouldn’t hurt to- HEY!” Sparks scrambled out of his hammock as Epona pushed her way through the door. “Where are you going?!”
“Outside!” Epona couldn’t help but giggle. She hadn’t felt so giddy in a long time. She quickly climbed the stairs to the main room of the house, then trotted through the doors out to the small garden behind the house. For once, she was grateful that her home was a bit higher on the mountain than normal. At least there wouldn’t be many ponies to see what she was about to do.
She grinned at Sparks as he ran out. She was already in her stance, legs spread slightly to maintain stability.
“Ready, Sparks?”
“Ready? No, I have to get the recording equipment!”
“Not enough time for that.” She looked up at the deep purple sky and inhaled. “Third test of personal propulsion system, non-laboratory setting. Ten percent power.”
“Epona, at least let me get-”
“Firing in three! Two! One!”
There was a loud whoosh and a whine as Epona shot up into the air. Unlike the last time, there was no ceiling for her to ram into. The house fell beneath her as she flew upwards, pressing further on the front triggers to move her body into a bipedal position. The cool night air rushed by her as she flew higher, the light of her house and the city of Canterlot glowing against the dark ground.
Epona lifted her arms, arching slightly as she executed a clumsy, ninety-degree backwards drop, turning her vertical lift into horizontal flight. It was a bit difficult to control as she moved her arms, the thrust of the force projectors rolling her over. She was streaking through the air, her eyes squinting against the rush of the wind. She felt… alive.
Is this how pegasi feel when they take wing for the first time? She felt her lips pull back as she tried to smile. She rolled again and tried to bank, leaving a quartet of glowing white contrails behind her as she turned slowly, zooming downwards back towards her house.
Now came the tricky part. She pushed her arms forwards, her front limbs fighting the wind resistance as she pushed down on the thruster triggers. She slowed to a halt, wobbling in mid air as she slowly lowered herself down, decreasing the output until she touched down on the front lawn. She managed a single step before her legs gave out, the adrenaline making her heart pound in her ears. She laid there in the grass, her chest rising and falling as she watched Sparks charge up to her, picking her up slowly.
“Epona? Are you alright?”
“Sparks…” She gasped, a wide smile splitting her lips.
“Yes Epona?”
“I can fly.”
“Yeah.” Sparks nodded as Epona leaned on him, her panting breaths mixed with giggles.
“I can fly!”
“Yeah…”
“I CAN FLY!” She screamed ecstatically, raising a hoof up to the glittering night sky as Sparks helped her back into the house.
---
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean by misplaced?”
Obsidian’s tone was calm and icy as he glared down his muzzle at the poor pony that had provoked his ire. The messenger was some poor intern, probably picked to deliver the bad news because he was expendable and easily replaced. The poor colt was literally shaking as Obsidian rose from his place behind his desk.
“Let me see if I understand. The Aurora unit, which was not adopted by the military on Princess Celestia’s orders, was to be dismantled and shipped to a storage area for use in other projects. And now said parts have seemingly vanished into thin air? Am I understanding you correctly?”
“Y-yes sir.” The stallion swallowed nervously.
“So the pieces of a massive anti-infantry and anti-emplacement super weapon have mysteriously vanished, and I’m only now hearing about it?” He growled, his tail swishing through the air behind him.
“S-sir, they were being transported…”
“I know where they were being transported!” Obsidian snapped, his teeth clicking angrily with each syllable of that last word. “Find out where the thing went! Inform your superiors that if I don’t find out where the Aurora has gone too, then they can start looking for new jobs elsewhere.”
The young stallion gave a small whine. Obsidian shook his head and sighed.
“Its not your fault. Inform me if they take any action against you, alright? Can’t have them beating up the messenger.”
“T-thank you sir.” The colt stumbled slightly as he backed out of Obsidian’s office. The black-coated unicorn returned to his desk and settled in with a soft sigh. He didn’t enjoy getting angry at ponies, but there were times when it was called for.
Stark Enterprises was his company. As much as he adored Epona, he knew quite well that she wasn’t a businessmare. She was a figurehead for the most part, working on her brilliant machines and making things that his engineers could only hope to replicate. And Obsidian was more than happy to leave her out of the equation, even though technically she was his partner. The board of directors were a bunch of squabbling would-be nobles who probably couldn’t run a business if their tails depended on it. Which was exactly how Obsidian wanted it. So long as Epona signed off on what he gave her, he was in control. He was in charge. And that felt good.
Oh Merry, he thought to himself, resting his front hooves on the desktop, his eyes on a carefully-framed black-and-white photo of a mare with sharp eyes. You always wanted the best for Epona. I’ve done what I could to keep her on a path that would make you proud. A path that would make her as strong, dedicated and ruthless as you were. I just hope I haven’t failed too badly in that regard. I miss you so much, my sweet lady of war. Maybe if I’d have been just a little quicker to catch your eye, then Epona would have been our child instead of Hayward’s…
He shook his head. Nostalgia could wait. He had things to do, plans to execute, and a company to run. If Stark Enterprises was going thrive, it was going to need something big, something to shake it up.
If Epona wanted the weapons development division to just go away, then he’d oblige her. Of course, what he had planned probably wasn’t what she was expecting.
---
“Looking good Epona!”
Sparks’ voice crackled softly in her ear as Epona banked sharply, just barely audible over the rushing of the wind. Epona didn’t respond, her concentration focused on maintaining her flight pattern, her blood rushing as she banked and swerved nearly a hundred feet above the grassy ground.
It had been nearly a week since her night-flight test. Since then, her days had been filled with practicing, pushing the rig to see how fast and how high she could go. Flight had consumed her mind; with the actual mechanics and mechanisms going into the suit essentially designed and working, she had devoted her time to studying aerobatics. It wasn’t hard to procure copies of Cloudsdale training materials, not to mention aerobatics guides of all sorts. She didn’t have wings, but the basic principles were easily adaptable for her purposes.
Of course, practicing was another matter. Rather than risk a run-in with the local flight patrols (or worse, run into the Royal Guard), Epona practiced her flying on the far side of the royal mountain, away from prying pony eyes. She made sure to leave before dawn every morning, and only returned when the sun was well past its zenith. She’d traded in her typical black dress for a skin-tight suit of flexible, woven carbon-fiber, her eyes hidden by a pair of flight goggles. The only other thing she wore in addition to the personal propulsion rig was the small communicator at the base of her skull, the attached ear bud tucked into her left ear.
Epona swerved sharply and rolled, kicking her rear legs downwards to flip herself in a near-instant Immelmane Turn. The g-forces weren’t that big of a problem for her, nor was the lack of wings. Like most earth ponies, she had a great deal more stamina than an average pegasus. Still, she needed to get used to the speed and the sudden disturbances in her balance that the maneuvers caused.
“Careful Epona,” Sparks’ voice buzzed in her ear again, “you don’t want to pull too many g’s too suddenly. To many and you risk blacking out and crashing.”
Thank you for reminding me, again. Epona thought to herself as she performed another roll, kicking all four legs forwards to pull to a hovering stop, her breathing hard and her heart pounding steadily in her chest.
“You’ve come to a stop Epona. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing Sparks, just catching my breath, that’s all.” Epona huffed sharply into the tiny receiver next to her mouth. “How’s the external shell looking?”
“It’s good. I had to make a few minor adjustments after taking the powered servos into account, but we’re on schedule. I’m just about to send the schematics to the machine for fabrication. The armor should be finished by tomorrow night at the latest.”
“Good.” Epona slowly rotated in mid-hover, making the world spin slowly. “You know, maybe we should give it some paint, too. I mean, a suit of golden armor is just a bit ostentatious.”
“That’s a first, coming from you.” Epona couldn’t help but grin as he chuckled.
“Tell you what Sparks, throw some Sunrise Pink on it. Not much, maybe just parts of the helmet, the dock and the chest.”
“Hot metallic pink and gold. Scratch my earlier remark. Should I have some hearts engraved on it too? Maybe some neon under-lighting?”
“Hey, it’s my suit of armor,” The mare snorted dismissively. “If I want it to be bright pink and gold, then by Celestia’s mane it better be bright pink and gold.”
“Never took you for being a girly girl, Epona.” She could hear a faint clicking in the background. “Done. By the way, Pepper stopped by this morning. He was looking for you.”
Epona swallowed. “What’d you tell him?”
“I told him you were out exercising. Nothing major, just a bit of calisthenics. Doctor‘s order‘s and all.”
“Nice save. Did he buy it?”
“I think so. He did give me a funny look, though. Anyway, he wanted to know if you were going to attend the party tomorrow.”
Epona blinked. “The what? What party?”
“The Royal Foundation of the Arts is having its annual party tomorrow evening. You know, the one for its major donors?”
Epona winced. “Oh yeah, that party. I forgot.”
“It‘s understandable, considering how busy we‘ve been recently.” Sparks paused for a moment. “You know, it’s not like you’re required to attend. I’m pretty sure they’ll understand if you don’t come.”
The lenses hummed softly as Epona decreased the thrust, landing heavily on the stone outcropping she used as a landing pad. She pulled the small saddlebag over to her from its spot on the rock, pulling a bottle of water out with her teeth. “What did you tell Pepper?”
“I told him I’d talk to you about it.”
Epona tilted her head back, swallowing a drink of water before answering. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.”
“You’re thinking of going?”
“Why not? We’ve been making plenty of progress.. Like you said, I do need to get out of the garage sometime. And I think nearly a month out of the public eye is enough.”
“Alright. Should I get one of your dresses ready?”
“Of course.” Epona capped the bottle with one hoof and stood, steadying herself for launch. “We can talk clothing once I finish practicing, though.”
“Understood.”
---
The quiet bustle of conversation and the clinking of glasses echoed off the walls of the Royal Gallery of Art. Well dressed aristocratic ponies of all sorts quietly mingled, sipping from glasses of wine as they talked. The soft conversation only paused, imperceptibly, as Epona entered the gallery. Nervous and concerned eyes followed the slender mare in her black dress as she walked, her short black mane matching the glossy fabric of her clothing.
This is weird. Her thoughts felt too loud compared to the ripples of conversation Three months ago I would have been comfortable here, quietly posturing alongside all the other patrons of the arts, maybe trying to find some cute colt to drag off to the play footsy in the sculpture garden. Now I just feel… out of place.
“Epona?”
Epona paused and turned to face a rather surprised looking Obsidian.
“Oh, hey Obsidian,” Epona put on a friendly smile as the older unicorn approached. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“I could say the same for you. How’ve you been?”
“Occupied.” Epona eyed the glass of red wine floating just below his mouth.
“So I’ve gathered. I didn’t expect you to take my advice so literally.” He frowned. “When I suggested you stay low, I didn’t mean for you to just vanish altogether.”
“Relax Obsidian, you know how I get when I get deep into a project…”
“I’m just glad to see you again.” The unicorn leaned in, nuzzling her on the cheek. “Though I really need to talk to you later…”
“Exactly. Later. Right now, I need a drink.”
“Of course.” Obsidian nodded as Epona wandered off, carefully making her way through the gallery. Considering the amount of wine everypony seemed to be drinking, there had to be a bar, at least. She had finally spotted the source of the wine when she felt something tap her on the shoulder.
“Miss Stark?”
Epona started slightly and turned, coming face-to-face with a familiar gray stallion. He was extremely…nondescript. Gray mane, gray tail, gray eyes, gray coat, a solid black suit and a straight, even face. She’d never seen a blander pony in her life.
“Um, how can I help you?”
“Agent Colt Sun, Miss Stark. I work for the Bureau of Research, Information, Defense, Logistics and Enforcement.” Even his voice was nondescript and average, no accent or anything.
“That’s a bit of a mouth-full.” She muttered distractedly, waving the bar tender over. “One glass of wine please,” she ordered, turning back to the stallion.
The stallion was unamused. “We intended to debrief you earlier while you were in the hospital. However, we’ve been unable to contact you.”
“Should you guys have my debriefing from during my recovery? From what I’ve heard Roadie writes excellent reports.”
“Lieutenant Colonel Roads’ report was satisfactory, but our organization is interested in exactly how you escaped capture.”
Epona took a swallow of the wine, grimacing slightly. It did nothing to help. “Not exactly something I want to go over,” she replied, raising a hoof for another glass.
“Be that as it may, we still need to debrief you. Should I speak with your secretary and set up a time?”
“That would be fabulous, Mr. Colt Sun,” Epona grumbled as she downed her second glass. “You can speak with him sometime tomorrow. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a party to attend to. Anything… else?”
Epona turned back to face Colt Sun, then blinked. The stallion had melted into the crowd without so much as a word..
“Another drink, miss?”
Epona nodded slowly and turned back to the barkeep as he poured another glass. “Thank you. If the night keeps getting worse, I’m probably going to need something stronger.”
“Miss Stark?”
Ugh, what now?! Epona turned sharply, about to snarl something impolite, only to find herself facing down a pair of royal guards, their gleaming gold dress armor standing out against their gray coats.
“Um…hello sirs. What can I do for you?”
“Her Majesty wishes to have an audience with you,” said the guard on the left.
“Please accompany us, if you would,” finished the guard on the right.
“Celestia’s here?” Epona blinked, then face-hoofed. Of course she’s here. She runs the foundation, silly pony.
“She is.”
“Am I in trouble or something?” Epona ventured, her tail going limp as her ears folded back. A stony silence was her only answer.
“Alright, alright. Lead on, then.
---
Epona couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of déjà vu as she entered the room. Celestia was facing away from her, quietly inspecting the painting hanging on the wall. Epona recognized it; Rosy Saw’s Tiger in a Tropical Storm. Epona swallowed her nerves as she came to a halt, one of the guards peeling off to block off the room’s entrance.
“Have a seat, Miss Stark.”
Epona lowered her rump onto the ground at the guard’s request, her tuft of a tail twitching nervously.
“I actually didn’t expect you to show up.” Celestia’s voice was calm and cool, her back still to Epona as she spoke. The princess’s aurora-like mane hid her face. “Considering what’s been going on, I wasn’t certain you’d have the temerity to show your face in public.”
“Your majesty, with all due respect I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Is that so?” Celestia lowered her head slowly. “Then let me explain. Nearly a month ago, you told everypony in Canterlot that you would be shutting down the weapon’s development division of you company, is that correct?”
“I did.”
“You said you were going to be taking responsibility for the actions of your company.”
“I did.” Epona’s voice developed a slight edge.
“That you were regretted your prior actions.”
“Is there something the matter with that?” Epona rose to her feet, causing the guard beside her to step back. “If you’re going to accuse me of something, go ahead, but to the best of my knowledge my company has been-”
“I wish I could believe that, Miss Stark,” Celestia snapped, interrupting Epona in mid sentence. “I really wish I could. However, it seems that your company has other ideas. Fidelis, please show Miss Stark the pictures.”
The guard at Epona’s side nodded, producing a set of photographs that he laid at her feet with a soft, slightly plastic rustle.
"Is this what you call 'taking responsibility,' Miss Stark?"
Epona felt a deep chill run down her spine as she looked at the pictures. They were aerial shots, probably taken by a pegasus in flight. The images were of a familiar desert town, one she’d visited before during her trip to the presentation and her subsequent recovery. However, the shots showed heavily armed ponies walking the streets, some of which she recognized, particularly the large bluish stallion. Several buildings were in shambles, some riddled with bullet holes, some scorched with fire. That wasn’t what filled Epona with horror.
No, what truly horrified Epona was the familiar three-pronged barrel of the Aurora just outside of the town, its payload aimed towards the town square.
The mare felt a shadow pass over her. Epona looked up slowly as Celestia loomed over her, her rose-pink eyes hard and disappointed, a frown creasing her lips. “Would you like to explain, Epona?”
“What…I…I don’t know Princess. What…” Epona couldn’t help but stammer.
“Two days ago, a terrorist organization attacked the settlement of Appleloosa. Said terrorists were armed with your company’s weapons, including the Aurora unit which you see there.” A golden slipper tapped the photo in question. “Thankfully, there weren’t any fatalities. Yet. However, the terrorists have issued a statement that they intend to destroy Appleloosa if their demands are not met.”
“I had nothing to do with this!” Epona stood up. “My company…there’s no way! I… I thought the company was shutting down… I don’t understand!”
Celestia simply watched as Epona shuddered. “Princess, you have to believe me. I wouldn’t have done this. I didn’t do this. I don’t know who in my company did this, but I’m going to find out. I’m trying to be better, I swear.”
The sun princess stood there, then slowly sighed and closed her eyes. “I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Epona. I believe you when you said you had nothing to do with this. But I can’t simply ignore what’s going on.” Celestia leaned her head down, meeting Epona’s eyes. “If you’re really, truly willing to take responsibility, then find a way to fix this. Otherwise, I will be forced to take drastic measures against you and your company. Understand?”
“Understood.” The cold filling Epona’s body deepened as she bowed, freezing inside her heart. Confusion turned to anger as she made her way out. She needed to talk to somepony.
---
“So Epona’s really here?” Pepper Pot tilted his head slightly as Obsidian nodded.
“Yes, she is. I was surprised to see her too.” The elder unicorn let the wine swirl slowly in its glass before taking a sip. “Considering she hasn’t been very active recently.”
“Oh, she’s been active. Just not in the business. She’s apparently taken up a new exercise routine or something in the mornings.” Pepper sighed. “Which screws up my schedule something fierce. I swear, I’m in the office more than she is nowadays.
“Well, I suppose staying healthy would be high on her list of priorities right now, given her condition. Still, it wouldn’t hurt if I got more input from her than the occasional signed memo.”
“Obsidian!”
The black stallion turned as a familiar butter-yellow mare stalked towards him, her eyes drilling into him. “Oh, Epona, we were just-”
Epona butted her head right against his, pushing him back slightly. “Would you care to tell me why my company is still supporting the ponies who tried to kill me?” Her voice came out in a soft, sibilant hiss.
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me, Obsidian. I want you to explain. I want you to explain to me why the Aurora is in the hands of a terrorist organization.”
Obsidian looked away slightly. “That’s…what I was going to tell you. The Aurora disappeared during transit to its storage site. I’ve been looking into it, believe me.”
“And the weapons? What about those? Why hasn’t this sort of thing been stopped?”
“We’ve been looking into that too…”
“Looking into it?” Epona’s voice rose from a hiss to a snarl. “Looking into it? A super-weapon goes missing and you’re looking into it? My weapons keep winding up in the hooves of psychopaths and you’re looking into it?! What have you and the board been doing, Obsidian? I thought you were behind me, Obsidian. That’s what you told me.”
“Epona…”
“I trusted you with my company, Obsidian. I trusted you and the board to do what I thought was right. And now I have to find out that my company-”
“Epona, it’s not going to be your company much longer…”
Epona froze. “What?”
“That’s…the other thing I was going to tell you.” Obsidian took a deep breath. “The board thinks you’ve gone insane, that the trauma you’ve suffered has left you un-fit as a senior partner. You weren’t exactly popular with them, and your declaration that you’re shutting down weapons development hasn’t helped. I’ve kept control, but they won’t listen to me. They want you out Epona.”
Obsidian stepped back as Epona met his eyes. Her gaze was intense and cold, filled with an icy rage like a mid-winter blizzard. For a brief moment, Obsidian felt a spark of fear from those steely eyes. Fear and something…hotter.
“Do they now?” The mare’s voice was as cold as her gaze. “Tough. I want the board handled Obsidian. I don’t care how you do it, but get rid of them. All of them.”
“Of course.” My lady of war, he appended mentally as Epona glared at him. “But, Epona…what are you going to do?”
“Take responsibility.” Epona growled darkly as she turned away.
The other ponies whispered nervously amongst themselves shying out of the way of the enraged mare as she stalked away, pushing through the doors of the gallery.
“Let her go, Pepper.” Obsidian murmured as he touched Pepper’s shoulder, halting him mid-step. “I’m sure Epona’s got something in mind.”
That couldn’t have gone better. He thought to himself, suppressing a shiver. I can’t wait to see what you do, my darling Epona.
---
“And there!” Sparks dusted off his hands as he set the last piece of the armor onto the holding frame. He felt a swell of pride as he looked the completed suit over, hands on his hips.
The entire contraption was, in some ways, a work of art. The suit was in three pieces, each one working together to form a cohesive whole. The innermost-layer was the suit of flexible carbon-fiber mesh, whish formed the connective tissue for the rest of the suit while protecting the wearer from the machinery. The second layer served as the organs and muscle: the personal propulsion rig for flight and defense, the onboard sympathetic crystal communication system, the holographic heads-up display, and the carefully built artificial muscle-servos which augmented the wearer’s own physical strength. The outermost layer was the custom-made aurumtanium carapace. The gleaming armor served as a secondary conduction medium for the magical energy that powered the suit, the inside curves lined with an array of lightening spells to make the entire thing as light as silk.
Sparks had to admit, it was rather impressive. Impressive and frightening. The enormity of what he and Epona had done began to set in as he looked at the suit as it was, waiting to be assembled around its pilot.
This isn’t just a suit. Something like this would turn a pony into a one-mare army. Sparks rubbed his chin in thought. No wonder Epona didn’t want this to fall into the wrong hooves. My only question is… what in the hay is she planning on doing with it?
Sparks jumped slightly as the front door slammed, followed by hoof beats coming down the stairs. Huh. I didn’t expect Epona to be home so soon. He turned to face the door as it swung open. “Evening Epona, how was the…party?”
He’d never seen Epona like this before. Her body was tense, her eyes hard and her teeth set. Sometime during her absence she had pulled on her dress, leaving it a wrinkled mess. Her mane was no better, as though she’d run her hooves through it and tried to yank it out.
“Epona, are you alright? What happened?” Sparks stepped aside as Epona walked past him, staring at the suit, her eyes locked on the light blue lenses of the helmet.
“Appleloosa is in danger, Sparks.” Her voice was flat. “Because of my company, Appleloosa is currently occupied by a group of terrorists.”
“Because of Stark Enterprises? Epona…”
“Yes, because of Stark Enterprises.” Epona snapped, baring her teeth. “I should have kept on top of things. I should have made sure that the weapons department was shut down. I should have made sure all of my weapons went to where they were supposed to go. I should have been better Sparks.”
The corners of her eyes grew wet as she stared into the mask. Sparks reached up, touching her cheek as she stood there, motionless.
“Sparks, I want you to begin assembly procedures.”
“…What?” Sparks withdrew his hand as Epona turned, pulling off her dress.
“I want you to fully assemble the suit. I’m going out.”
“Out… Epona, no! I haven’t even gotten the automated assembly system ready! We haven’t even done a prototype flight test with the fully assembled suit!”
“SPARKS!”
Sparks froze as she shouted at him. Epona glared at him, then slowly picked up the carbon-fiber weave under-layer. “I’m doing this. I have to fix this. Ponies are going to die if I don’t do something. I’m going to take responsibility.”
Her voice grew harder as she pulled the suit on, the woven mesh tight against her body like a second skin. “I’m going to fix things. I am Epona Stark, I build things. I fix things and make them better. And if fixing it means I’m going to have to be the iron mare again, then so be it. Now help me into this suit!”
“Alright, just calm down… here.” Sparks lead her into the center of the suit’s supports. He worked carefully, strapping her into the second layer of machinery. The servos and the various bits of machinery clicked into place, fastened against the suit like pieces of a puzzle. Then came the carapace, the armor shell supported by mechanical arms as he fastened the superstructure together, piece by gleaming piece.
The mask was the last piece, a gleaming and blank mask of pink and gold metal that covered Epona’s muzzle. As it clicked into joint, Sparks scrambled over to the command crèche, climbing into his hammock as he brought up the various programs, holograms flickering to life as readouts appeared on the monitors.
“Are you ready Epona?”
“Yes.” The reply in his ear bud was slightly metallic
“You’re clear for your first flight. Just come back safe, alright?”
“Right.” The reply was terse as Epona strode off, the armor humming softly as she did so. Sparks watched her, the fear from earlier returning.
What had they just done?
-
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Jack of Games for getting me onto this project, to the chatters in #EquestrianStudy for helping me proof-read. Major thanks go to author 25 or 6 to 4 for inspiring this whole Marevel Ultimates thing.