//------------------------------//
// Strategy Games 
// Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

Crystal Empire, Crystal Palace
Royal Guest Wing, Conference Room A
One week ago

Lightning Claw hadn't met many important ponies, even fewer from other countries in his life. He'd seen Princess Celestia and Luna a couple times, met Twilight Sparkle but he didn't really think much about authority figures. Lightning knew every creature was just trying to do what they thought was right, what was best for who they represented so any titles or royalties they made for themselves were largely irrelevant in his mind. Not that he didn't try to treat every pony with the utmost respect, just that he didn't treat beings differently because of the rank they held.

Naturally, this put him at odds with many in power. But Lightning Claw didn't care; he just did his own thing, other ponies did theirs and life went on. Which is why, when his current superior Vice Grip told him they would be meeting some very important individuals today, he responded to it the way he did when he usually had to sit in meetings: he played his Nintendo 3DS.

Naturally, this annoyed the crap out of Vice Grip.

"Do you have to have that out now?"

Lightning Claw's attention was solely focused on his game. "Yeah," he said, not even looking up at Vice standing beside him.

Undeterred, Vice turned to face him, trying to coax him to break his attention. "You know how important this is. You know how important it is to make a good first impression."

"Uh huh," Lightning said.

Vice pinched his brow. "So do you have to be playing that RIGHT NOW?!"

"Yes, actually," the broken-horned pegasus replied casually.

Vice visibly shook with frustration. Still, maintaining composure was important so he did his best to suppress his anger. "Why?"

Lightning finally looked up. "Because. I don't know how long this is going to last and it's likely I'm going to get bored. Meaning I'm going to be playing this at some point, meaning I'm going to have to get it out at some point."

Vice opened his mouth to say something when Lightning continued.

"So, would you like me to go in there, sit down, act like I'm paying attention and THEN pull out my 3DS later or go in with it, let them know I'm already not paying attention and not risk looking like an idiot later?"

The upright stallion closed his eyelids tightly, then nodded. "Okay… okay. I see your point." He actually had to give his colleague credit for at least thinking this through.

"Good," Lightning's head lowered, returning his focus to the game. "Because I'm trying to catch Deoxys right now and he is touuuuugh."

"Fantastic," Vice replied, focusing his own attention on the encounter ahead of them. He gripped the double doors to the conference room and pulled them open.

"Gentlecolts, so happy you could join us today." Forelegs outstretched, gauntlets simulating a welcoming gesture, Vice addressed the three occupants at the long conference table in front of them.

Lightning Claw continued past his associate into the board room and took a seat at the far end, away from the other three individuals without so much as a word. Their eyes watched him, not that he noticed though Vice Grip did.

Vice swallowed. Despite the large space of the conference room, the presence of his three guests almost filled it completely. He'd taken great risk to contact each of them and bring them here, now it was only the matter of impressing them. But for the moment after his introduction, there was nothing but silence as the three regarded his associate.

He was almost stunned as slowly their attention turned from Lightning Claw to him. They sat equally spaced on between each other, two on one side and one on the other, a miniature representation of the boundary lines that separated them. Alone, they each were powerful members of their respective nations, leaders of races and well-respected among their own kind. But today, like him, they were guests of the Crystal Empire and its parent nation, Equestria. Like him, it was something that caused slight chaffing.

The one who sat furthest to the back sipped a glass of water that had been provided for him. "I must admit, the hospitality is most appreciated," the griffon remarked with a smile. He examined the goblet, still grinning as if appraising the item.

Vice smiled, relieved that someone had broken the ice. Sky Marshal Gust Grasp demonstrated a bit of his race's trademark roguishness, despite his outward appearance. His reddish-brown body feathers were maintained for precise maneuvering, protection and temperature management while on the ground or in flight. This was complemented by the military jacket he wore, decorated with various medals, commendations and the official rank of Sky Marshal within the Griffon Kingdom's royal armed forces but he wore it open like a cloak, keeping it on him with his wings so his talons would be free to manipulate. And, perhaps steal.

Griffons as a race were well-known for their mercenary-like qualities throughout Equestria. They were often found as thieves, bandits or raiders in other countries, forming bands. On the seas, they had even been pirates before more civilized nations like Equestria and the Zebra Nation had pacified them. Reluctantly, many griffons had settled down to the pillars in far north-eastern Equestria, a route naturally protected by the Dragon Domain's official migration paths, established by treaty. Still, many of them were rogues and treasure hunters and Vice had no doubt at least a little bit of the Sky Marshal's appearance had been manufactured.

"Of course," Vice said. "FIST is very happy to provide for its allies. We appreciate each of you coming out here today."

Gust turned to Vice, still grinning. "I'm sure you do."

"You have… "provided" for us, Vice Grip," the zebra closest to Vice said, raising and examining his own goblet. "I cannot help but wonder why."

The scientist stallion attempted a lighthearted chuckle. Instead, his voice nearly cracked. "Hu-em, whatever do you mean?"

The zebra slammed it down and turned a steely gaze to Vice Grip. "You've gifted us, your nation's rivals with weapons, knowledge, supplies. You would not be doing this if you did not expect something of equal or greater value in return."

Vice did his best not to flinch as the zebra stared him down. General Zen Zeal's expression was both hot and cold, rage and contempt worn on the same incredibly judgmental expression. His short-cropped black-and-white was sharp and curved, ending in jagged angles that made it look like a saw blade he could use as a weapon. Unlike Gust Grasp, Zen radiated disdain and made no attempt to hide it. Vice had a feeling that if he didn't cut to the chase, Zen would.

Unlike Equestria, the Zebra Nation had not disbanded the bulk of its armed forces after the Great Exodus. Owning claim to most of the territory north of Equestria past the bordering mountains, the zebras had worked hard to carve out an empire of their own and tame the land for themselves. Zebropolis, their capital, rose out of the waters of Peaceful Lake like a pyramid of gold rising from the oceans, the tallest buildings overlooking the waterfalls. Its decadence and luxury had largely been brought on by conquest, a fact that the zebras were not ashamed of.

General Zen Zeal was a name heard by many in the upper echelons of government. Known as 'The Unstoppable General', he had never been defeated in combat, nor even slowed down. Throughout his military career, the general had pacified uprisings, dealt with pirates, waged war with dragons, serpents and beasts for territory bringing the zebras great wealth, power and respect, not to mention himself. Most famous for his defeat of the supposedly unpredictable Vizier Vex Ibex in the Zenith Wars,  General Zen Zeal was nothing short of a living legend revered and feared by many. Rumor had it though that he was currently at odds with the Zebra Nation's ruling house, a battle that he finally found he could not win. 

The Unstoppable General had been stopped by politics.

"Gentlecolts," Vice began, "the reason I and my corporation have been so generous is simple: we want you to use our gifts."

Gust burst out in laughter at the thought. General Zeal raised an eyebrow, almost in disgust while the third occupant finally turned his eyes to Vice Grip.

"You want us to use these weapons?" Gust asked, chuckling. "Against who? Each other?"

For the first time, the general turned his gaze to the sky marshal, as if the question had been a challenge.

The griffon continued. "You told me… and I presume, you told us, over the phone that you were wanting to give every nation the same opportunity as Equestria. The opportunity for what though, to blow each other off the face of the planet?"

General Zeal slowly turned back to Vice Grip. "I find it odd that you're not more loyal to your brethren."

"That's a good point," Gust agreed, taking a swig from his glass.

"Is loyalty not one of the virtues your kind prizes? Or is this more deception?"

Vice Grip finally approached his accusers. Even Lightning Claw had finally taken an interest, looking up from his game while still playing it. This was the moment Vice was waiting for. He gripped the back of the chair in front of him with both gauntlets.

"My loyalty is to Equestria as a whole. Not just my fellow ponies. As you know, I and my corporation, FIST, were contracted to develop a defense system by Princess Luna. What you don't know is why," he said. Slowly, he watched their accusing expressions give way to curiosity. This was what he needed; he released the chair and began a casual pace.

"I know for a fact that each of you is aware of Equestria's current extra-terrestrial guests," Vice said, taking a leisurely walk to the side of the table. The most important bits of information he had to convey with a sense of unimportance to temper any further accusations. If they knew he had something they wanted, they'd be a bit more… acceptable.

"You refer to the humans," the third guest finally spoke, a cool voice that seemed to flow through the air. He'd been so silent the others had almost forgotten he was there, despite the fact he was by far the most bizarre and rare individual among them, perhaps among Equestria at the moment.

They all turned to him but he didn't meet their gaze for a full moment after he'd spoken. "The aliens from the the other world," he said.

"That is correct," Vice said, agreeing. "It may not be a secret we're hiding… but we aren't exactly advertising it either."

The third guest held Vice's hospitality. "There is not much you can hide from us… whether you advertise it or not," he said.

Vice swallowed again. If Sky Marshal Gust Grasp was a rumor and General Zen Zeal was a legend, that had to make sea pony Admiral Sonar Scope a myth made real. Sea ponies themselves were only heard about in stories and tales throughout Equestria: a race of soldiers that conquered the oceans. Very few who dwelled on the surface or in the skies even knew of their existence for certain and even fewer had ever met one in real life. Some of the other races were reclusive, distrust worthy of foreigners and even borderline xenophobic but none were more hostile to outsiders than the sea ponies.

Many had speculated that ponies would be the first to make contact with their sea-based cousins but in fact, the opposite was true. Sea ponies explored and subdued all that lay below while their surface brethren were content to peacefully settle locations on land rather than ruthlessly conquer. The first sea ponies developed reverse-diving suits, armored apparatuses filled with sea water and equipped with mechanical legs and hooves not unlike Vice's gauntlets to help them walk on land. As if to crudely parallel evolution on Earth, the sea ponies built for themselves legs with which to walk on land and explore the surface.

Of all of Equestria's neighbors, the sea ponies were by far the most hostile. When they met early ponies on the surface, whatever peace existed in the meeting of the two races was short-lived. Ideological differences soon led to conflict, with young Equestria unable to grasp the concept of war so shortly after the 2nd Changeling Invasion.

Sea ponies like Admiral Scope believed in the concept of control above all else. The sea was something that rapidly changed, surviving meant adapting and dominating the environment and the sea ponies were not afraid to do so at the expense of others. When the sea ponies discovered that Equestria had a more loose grasp on the surface, they moved to establish a firmer control on resources. Because all life on land was effected by the sea and vice versa, the sea ponies believed themselves justified in controlling nearly all sources of water. Disputes involving resource allocation, weather and pollution quickly escalated into full-scale war. The sea ponies invaded the surface, intent on dominating land, sea and sky.

The fledgling nation of Equestria could do nothing to stand against the tide of warriors rising from the depths to claim the surface. The ponies retreated, fleeing further into their own borders as the wave of sea ponies swallowed up city after city. The other nations, many still nomadic tribes and/or unorganized fled as well before the onslaught. The sea ponies advanced against all that walked or flew, like a flood, covering the land until barely a hoofful of cities remained dry. It seemed nothing could stop their conquest. Until Equestria itself came to the ponies' defense.

Over-extension had not been a problem; the sea in Equestria, like Earth, covered most of the planet. The sea ponies had more than enough numbers to effectively subjugate and control the land. Neither were resources a problem; using their technology, they were able to treat fresh water sources, acquire food and resupply their armies on land. The sea ponies were truly masters at adapting and had prepared for anything they might encounter on the surface. But there are some things that simply cannot be prepared for.

At the height of the Sea Pony Siege, as Equestria's borders shrank so that even the Everfree was not under their control, a cold wind began to blow. The harshest winter Equestria had seen since the first Hearth's Warming Eve mere decades earlier. It froze lakes and streams, caused snow to fall instead of precious rain. While ponies on the surface were able to endure, the conquering sea ponies soon found themselves ill-equipped to face the cruel winter.

Initially, it had been something the sea ponies had prepared for. The invasion had gone on for two years and they had seen Equestria's winter before that. They treated their own water so it would not freeze and adapted to the weather just as they had before. The sea ponies expected spring to come to relieve them so they could finish their total conquest of the world.

But it didn't come. Without the pegasi to wrap up the winter… winter continued. Clouds continued snowing with Wendigos feeding on the conflict they created, causing it to grow colder and colder. Too late did the sea ponies realize the dire nature of their situation, a mistake that would cost them greatly. They tried many solutions to thaw their water supplies, to no avail. The sea pony armies soon fell into a desperate retreat to the oceans where the warmer waters stood as their only chance at survival.

Only Admiral Sonar Scope's ancestor, Princess-Admiral Pearl Scope would make it back to Canterlantis. An army of nearly one-hundred-and-fifty million sea ponies froze in place north of the Crystal Empire, freezing just before they made it to the shore. A glacier soon rose to cover the valley making any attempt at recovery of the army impossible. To this day, the cold warriors of the sea remain buried under millennia of ice and snow, a grim reminder of those who would challenge nature.

"I… would not doubt that," Vice choice his words carefully. "I'm aware that each of your nations have taken a great interest in Equestria's alien guests. This interest has not gone unnoticed by the princesses."

"Naturally," the griffon remarked with another callus smirk. "We all know we're keeping tabs on each other. 'Tis what allies do, after all."

"What exactly are you getting at, Vice Grip?" Zen Zeal asked. "You show us all of your little toys, invite us down here, tell us you want to be friends, what for? What do you get all of this? What do you want from us?"

Vice waved away the question, as if the notion of anything but his modesty was a joke. "What I want is a future for Equestria. A future where every pony- err, every being has the opportunity to flourish with or without magic."

"And who is going to be in charge of this… future Equestria?" Admiral Scope asked.

"Obviously not the princesses," Marshal Gust stated. He leaned back in his chair, like the conversation of toppling governments was casual to him. "When I first got your call, saw your gadgets, I was thinking "coup" but now you're making all these convoluted speeches like… uhh, like…"

"Like he actually does want a better future for Equestria?" Lightning suggested, looking up from his game.

The others looked at each other, then exploded into laughter. Vice nodded at Lightning across the table, happy he had at least tried.

"No, but seriously, what's the deal with the machines?" Gust asked, finally regaining his composure. "You're giving them to every nation, every pony like they're going out of style. Pretty soon, every city in Equestria is going to have its own Magic Gear."

"Yes, but after the stunt in Canterlot, the princesses rescinded the contract with FIST," Lightning explained. "They canceled their order… and so did the donkeys."

Vice sneered at the mentioning of the Republic of Donquestria, the nation to the south. The donkeys had more than twice the industrial capacity of Equestria but little to no magic, something Vice had attempted to use to his advantage. The Republic suffered from frequent uprisings, even successful revolutions, leading to most of its military being a police force. Because the majority of its armed forces were interior-based, it made donkeys like Security Chief Dire Drive effectively the leaders of the army.

Many donkeys were concerned with security so Vice had attempted to gift them with a security system early on. Unfortunately(for Vice), Dan's destruction of said system on the train ride to Canterlot caused Dire Drive to withdraw support from FIST. Because of this, Vice had been forced to use his own production facilities at Prosperity Mountain to develop the Magic Gears. This effectively delayed their production an entire month, and prevented them from being deployed along Equestria's southern border.

Unknowingly, Dan had stalled the doomsday clock and in one particular possible future, prevented the destruction of Phillydelphia. With the donkeys refusing to support FIST, the possibility of them attacking rival industrialized cities no longer existed. The future was just a little brighter because of Dan.

"So, how are you still getting permission to build them?" General Zeal asked.

Vice shrugged. "Princess Luna asked me to build the perfect defense system for Equestria. She never said it could only be for the ponies."

For the first time, the zebra general smiled. "I see now… you lost your support for your project and now you seek ours."

Vice clasped his gauntlets together. "Gentlecolts, I want you to use Magic Gear." He let the words sink in.

Gust raised his claw like he was in class. "For?"

The scientist stallion smiled. "Good question. To which, I ask another. Gentlecolts, to make some pony want something, all you have to do is tell them they can't have it. But how do you make some pony need something?"

They all waited for an answer, exchanging glances. But only one of them knew.

"If you want someone to want something, you just tell them they can't have it. Like a child, it only makes them want it more. But to make them need it…" he leaned over and grabbed the table. "You give it to every other kid first."

"Interesting…" Admiral Scope remarked. "So you want us to use your little toys."

Gust's beak broke into a greedy grin. "What do we get in return?"

"Your own giant robot isn't enough?" Lightning asked the others.

"That's what you already need from us," Gust countered. "The tools you've already 'provided'. What are you going to give us for using them?"

Vice's smile disappeared. He was hoping this wouldn't happen but not surprised it did. He thought it over, then decided to let them in on the whole plan. He smiled again. "What if I offered you… the Crystal Empire?"

"The whole kingdom?" Gust scoffed. "You don't own it! You're not royalty, you're not anything. How could you possibly give it over to us?"

"I'll own it in a week," Vice answered simply.

"Really?" Gust said, still in disbelief. He didn't notice both Zeal and Scope were not skeptical. "And how are you going to manage that?"

Vice shrugged. "I have my ways, you have yours. And I happen to know each of you has been… inconvenienced by the Crystal Empire's reappearance."

Gust's smile slowly sunk from his face, now resembling the tone of seriousness the others had.

"For the past thousand years, the Crystal Empire hasn't even been here. But the land, water and air have been here. Plenty of it for all three of your nations to share…" Vice explained, a sly smirk appearing over his face.

The others finally began to understand.

"Gentlecolts, my Magic Gear is a lot more than just a weapon. It truly is magic and I believe you'll be impressed with the next trick I have up my sleeve."

They all leaned towards him, curious to what he had to say.

"In seven days, my Magic Gears will make the Crystal Empire disappear. Again. But in order to pull off this little magic trick, I'm asking for the three of you to volunteer," Vice stood up and moved to the door. "I'll give you the rest of the day to think it over. For now, I have another message to send. Lightning?"

The pony looked up from his game. "Yeah?"

"When our guests are ready, teleport them to wherever they'd like to go. Oh, and if that happens to be the units stationed outside the city, just to let you know, the instruction manual is in the cockpit," Vice shot his associate a grin.

Lightning nodded back. "Oh, but of course."

Vice then left, closing the door behind him.

Back in the conference room, the four of them sat silently. Each of them had much to gain and much to lose, even Lightning Claw.

"Hey! In finally got him!" Lightning shouted, standing from his chair. "Oh thank gawd, that lasted FOREVER."

Sky Marshal Gust Grasp looked over to the indigo pony. "What game is that?"

"AlphaSapphire," Lightning replied shyly.

"Oh, nice!"

"I just got that for 3DS, too," Zen Zeal said. All three of the other guests moved to look over Lightning's shoulder at his game.

"I actually got OmegaRed for my birthday," Admiral Scope commented.

Lightning quirked an eyebrow at the suited sea pony. "They make waterproof gameboys now?"

"No, they don't," Scope said.