//------------------------------// // CHAPTER 9 // Story: Those Who Live On // by SpartanD014 //------------------------------// CHAPTER 9 Tali slumped down onto a low couch in the lounge room they had been led to, letting out a heavy sigh as soon as she hit the cushioned seat. Tilting her head up, the quarian watched as other members of the Normandy crew entered. They took up positions around the room, all of them undoubtedly thinking about the same thing as Tali: the attack. They still had no idea who was responsible. The only pony who could possibly know was in critical condition, and may not survive. Tali was worried. She had experienced war and seen death firsthand, but to see it happen to such a peaceful species… She hoped it would not compromise the negotiations. Tali looked around the room as the lounge door closed, looking at the positions of everyone. Garrus and Kaidan were whispering quietly by a window, looking out over the city below them. Liara was standing alone in a corner typing on her omni-tool, and Cortez was sitting in a chair next to Tali. Legion stood by the door, doing nothing that the quarian could see, and the four council representatives were all huddled together around a table at the opposite end of the room. All of their heads were drawn to the door as it was pushed open, and Princess Celestia stepped inside. “Hello everyone,” she greeted. “I apologize for today’s events. I understand how important these negotiations are, and I must say that this attack happened at the worst possible time.” “Again, we understand entirely, princess,” Primarch Victus expressed, standing up. “Have any developments occurred?” “Luna is drafting a letter to the family of the guard who was killed…” Celestia answered. “A number of civilians – including reporters – showed up at the castle gates a few minutes ago, wondering what happened.” “What did you tell them?” Garrus asked. “The truth,” the princess stated. “That we are not sure, but we are looking into it and I will make an official statement in the next few days. That seemed to be enough, and they dispersed a few moments later.” Celestia stepped further into the room and sat down across from Tali, looking around. “So, what remains of our negotiations?” “We’ve just about covered it, princess,” Matriarch Lidanya said, crossing to the alicorn. “All that remains is for everything we’ve gone over to be put into one document that all parties can sign. Once that’s done we’ll get you some resources so you can be better prepared for integration.” “That reminds me, we have a book for you,” Celestia said, standing. “It covers the history of Equis, the intricacies of each country’s government, and a few extras. Legion, we were hoping that you could help us translate it?” “We would need to understand your written language first, Princess Celestia,” Legion replied. “This should not be difficult for us. How do you recommend we begin?” “I’ll have Twilight teach you the basics when she is finished writing her book on all of you,” Celestia decided. “But for now, I will gladly answer any questions you might have.” “If we get any, we’ll be sure to come to you,” Jedin Polban spoke up for the first time all day. Previously he had simply been watching, his large black eyes taking note of everything going on around him. “If you will excuse me, I must get into contact with my people.” “The Alliance could use a status update as well,” Hackett added, following the salarian out of the room. A moment later Victus and Lidanya left, leaving the princess alone with the Normandy crew. “Legion,” Celestia began. “I haven’t had a chance to welcome you back yet. When I heard of your death, I was very upset. It is good to know that you are fine.” “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Legion said, bowing his head. “We wish the same could be said for other geth.” “We’ll figure something out, Legion,” Tali comforted, stepping up behind the geth. “If you could be restored, perhaps others can too.” “Perhaps…” “No matter what happens, Equestria will know what you did for us,” Celestia added. “And you have my personal thanks as well… Were it not for you…” She faltered, her eyes darting downward. “I owe more than I can ever give.” “We did what was right,” Legion said. “We ask for nothing in return.” Celestia bowed her head and turned, exiting the room. There was silence for a moment, and all of the Normandy crew stepped up behind Legion. “One day, Legion, you’re gonna need to tell us everything that happened here,” Kaidan decided, grinning. “How long were you here?” “Approximately one month, Major,” Legion answered. “The original Legion created this copy of itself on its final day here. It seems that our judgement was… appropriate.” “Yeah…” Garrus agreed. “So, uh… What now?” “I guess we wait,” Liara decided, crossing to an empty chair and sitting down. The rest of the crew (minus Legion) joined her a moment later. Silence filled the room as each person was simply resigned to wait… Rainbow Dash looked out the window of the Normandy’s lounge, her large cerise eyes passing over the expansive canopy of the Everfree Forest. She sighed and sipped her drink, now more acclimated to the strong flavor. She was somewhat aware of a conversation occurring behind her, but the pegasus paid it no mind. Not until an invasive silence swept over the room did she bother to turn and see what was happening. Standing in the doorway of the lounge was an alien that Dash had seen only once before. He had called himself ‘Javik’, she remembered, though she could not remember his species. Proton? No, that wasn’t right… Electing to figure it out later, Dash stood from her position in front of the window and joined her friends, her drink still held in a hoof. “Hi!” Pinkie exclaimed, grinning widely. “I remember you! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Javik looked down at the excited mare and glared, his four eyes giving off a look of annoyance. Applejack placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder and pulled her away from the towering alien, grinning awkwardly. “Howdy there,” she greeted. “Can we help ya with somethin’?” “I am simply here for a drink,” he answered, stepping past the ponies and approaching the bar. “You like the drinks here too, then?” Rarity said. “They are far stronger than anything we have here in Equestria.” “Commander Shepard hosted a ‘party’ for the Normandy crew,” Javik began. “I became accustomed to the drinks of this cycle…” “Cycle?” Dash asked. “What do you mean by that?” Javik grabbed a glass and a few bottles from behind the bar, then began mixing a drink. “I am older than all of you,” he replied without turning around. “You know of the Reapers, yes?” The ponies all nodded. “They come in a cycle, destroying all advanced organic species every fifty thousand years. My species was the last to be eradicated – fifty thousand years ago. I am the only one to survive the holocaust against my people.” None of the ponies knew how to respond. He was the last of his kind… Dash felt sorry for him, and understood why he was acting a little… reserved. “Oh, I’m so sorry, dear!” Rarity cried, her expression one of sympathy. “I cannot even begin to imagine how that must feel!” “Pray that you never do,” Javik said. “Now why aren’t y’all in Canterlot with the rest of ‘em?” Applejack asked. “Your kind wished to examine me,” the alien explained. “I do not want that. I will remain onboard the Normandy until we depart.” “Suit yerself…” AJ said as she took a seat in one of the room’s many leather relaxation chairs. “Though if ya ask me, ah don’t think an examination is necessary. We’ve been around y’all a while now, and we ain’t dead… yet…” Silence filled the room once again as Javik sipped on his drink and the ponies stood around awkwardly with theirs. It was finally broken when the door opened and Joker stepped through, a look of worry plastered onto his face. “Ah…” he began slowly, picking his words. “Kaidan just called… There’s been an attack on Canterlot.” The ponies all immediately became more alert and crowded around the human pilot. “What kind of attack!?” Dash asked, aggressively launching herself into the air. “A bomb, they don’t know who set it off yet,” Joker answered. “One guard is dead, another is wounded.” “We should go and help, girls,” Rarity suggested, making to leave. “Actually, Princess Celestia added a bit to Kaidan’s message,” Joker said, stopping the mare. “She wants you to stay here where it’s safe. Twilight should already be on her way here as well.” “We can’t just stay here and do nothing!” Rainbow Dash yelled angrily. “It’s not my call,” Joker defended, taking a step back. “Sorry. I know what it’s like.” “Joker,” Traynor said, appearing in the doorway behind the pilot. “QEC just came online, they’re asking for you.” Sighing, Joker nodded and turned around, exiting the crowded lounge. Traynor took a step inside, standing awkwardly before the group of ponies. “So… you probably heard about the attack then, huh?” she asked, her expression turning sympathetic. “Yup…” Applejack answered. “Don’t worry, you’ve got the best soldiers in the galaxy up there,” Traynor said reassuringly. “And your princesses seem fairly capable, too.” This got no more than a few grunts out of the ponies, who were still upset at being forced to stay in “safety”. “Hopefully we won’t have to stay here long…” Fluttershy whispered. “I can’t imagine how ponies in Canterlot must feel right now!” “Yes, it must be awful,” Rarity agreed. “Mhm…” Rainbow Dash nodded, frowning. She took another sip of her drink, shuddering slightly as it went down. “Well once Twilight gets here maybe we can figure something out…” “I’m sure you will,” Traynor said. “If you need anything, come find me. Or just ask Javik, I’m sure he’ll be delighted to help.” Javik grunted, rolling his four eyes. Traynor stepped out of the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Sighing, Rainbow Dash turned around and returned to her position looking out at the Everfree. Far in the distance she could see the mountain that was home to Canterlot, and if she squinted she could just make out the form of the city. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a thin trail of smoke coming off of it. Taking another sip of her drink, Rainbow Dash sat down on the cold floor of the Normandy, ready to wait… Tali sat on down on the couch in the exquisite lounge, trying to keep herself busy by fiddling with her omni-tool. Nearly an hour had passed since the bombing, and she was beginning to grow restless. She hated just sitting around with nothing to do; to her, it felt… counterproductive. She glanced up as Legion took a seat next to her, but did not stop her fiddling. “Creator Tali’Zorah,” Legion began, breaking the silence. “We have an inquiry.” “What is it, Legion?” Tali asked, not looking up. “We have observed that you and other Normandy crewmembers are referring to us as ‘he’, rather than ‘it’,” he continued. “Why is that?” Tali raised an eyebrow, curious as to what brought about the question. “Well…” she started, trying to think of the answer. “I suppose it was when you sacrificed yourself. You gave your own life to give true intelligence to the rest of the geth. The least we can do is call you ‘he’.” “But that was a different Legion,” the geth countered. “We are not the same as the one that sacrificed itself. We did not experience the same events, and we do not have the same memories.” “Okay then, what would you have done, given the chance to upload the Reaper code?” Tali asked, turning to face Legion. “Would you have done the same as your original? Or would you have deleted it, and remained the way you are now?” Legion paused for a moment, the flaps around its eye widening in thought. “… We would have uploaded it,” he finally decided. “See, no problem then,” Tali said, returning to her omni-tool. Her work was short-lived, however, as she looked up again as the door opened. A human soldier stepped inside and looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on Tali. “Miss Zorah,” he said. “You’re needed outside.” Nodding, Tali stood and joined the marine by the doorway. He closed it as she exited, and Tali looked around the hall, finding Admiral Hackett waiting nearby. His expression was grave, but hope flickered in his eyes. Tali curiously approached the human, wondering what she was needed for. “Yes, Admiral?” she asked. “I just got off the comm with Lieutenant Moreau,” he began. “The SSV Nautilus called in. They have confirmed that the unidentified life sign in the rubble of the Citadel is indeed Commander Shepard.” Tali gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She had been holding out hope, but to find out that it was true? She was at a loss for words. “I…” she stammered. “How do they know?” “They managed to remove enough rubble to send a camera down,” Hackett answered. “It’s him, but he’s in bad shape. They’re doubling efforts to get the rubble out of the way and get him out of there.” A smile formed on Tali’s lips, and she felt her legs weakening. A soft laugh escaped her as happiness took her mind. “When can I see him?” she asked excitedly. “Not yet, Tali, I’m sorry,” the human said. “We’re still unsure about Shepard’s current condition. Once he’s conscious, you’ll be the first to see him, I promise.” “Thank you, Admiral,” Tali said, still smiling. “I’ll go tell the rest of the crew.” “You do that, Tali,” Hackett said, grinning. “I’ll keep you appraised.” With that, the admiral spun on his heel and began walking back down the long corridor. The marine who had accompanied him jogged to catch up, before falling into stride with the human. Tali watched him go for a moment, before she turned and re-entered the lounge. All eyes were instantly on her, each one giving her a questioning look. “What was that all about?” Kaidan asked, standing up. “It’s the life sign from the Citadel,” Tali began. “It’s Shepard!” “He’s alive!?” Garrus exclaimed, standing up from his position on a chair. “Yes.” Tali took a seat next to Legion and let out a sigh, unable to stop smiling beneath her helmet. “He is.” “When are they letting you see him?” Liara asked, sharing in Tali’s happiness. “As soon as he’s fully recovered,” Tali replied. “He’s… not in the best shape right now…” “How bad is it?” Garrus crossed to Tali, a sympathetic look on his face. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “I’m not sure anyone does just yet. But he’s been trapped under there for days… it can’t be good.” The door to the lounge was enveloped in a light blue aura and Princess Luna stepped inside as it opened, a smile adorning her lips. She cantered over to Tali, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness. “I just heard, Tali,” the princess said. “I am so happy that Commander Shepard is alive.” “Thank you, princess,” Tali said, bowing her head. “I am excited to be able to see him again.” “It does not surprise me,” Luna began, crossing to the rest of the Normandy crew. “But that is not the reason I have come. I come to ask a favor of you.” “What is it, princess?” Kaidan asked, stepping up to the pony. “I have just spoken with my sister,” she continued. “Princess Twilight’s book on you all is almost complete, and Princess Cadance has finished writing the address that Celestia will give to our ponies. But when your existence is revealed to the masses, there will undoubtedly be questions. We want you to be there, with us, to answer them.” “That’s quite a favor to ask,” Kaidan stated. “But… why would you want us? Why not the dignitaries?” “You all, and especially Legion, know us better,” Luna explained. “We want something… a bit less formal than your dignitaries. In times where giant metal insects attack our cities, and bombs go off at the castle, our ponies will want to speak with those who make them feel comfortable. And comfort is often found in informality.” “We will stand with you to represent the geth, Princess Luna,” Legion offered, standing up. “Thank you,” Luna bowed her head. “Anyone else?” “I’ll check with Admiral Hackett,” Kaidan said. “If he gives me the go-ahead, I’ll be right there with you.” “We intend to reveal your existence tomorrow morning,” Luna said, making for the door. “Please have an answer for us by then. Good day.” Luna stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her and once again leaving the Normandy crew alone. Tali looked down at the marble floor and at her reflection, staring into her glowing eyes behind her mask. The last person to see them unobstructed had been Shepard… Shaking her head, Tali looked up and began to walk to the door. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me,” she informed her friends before exiting. Once outside the lounge, she looked around for a few moments to get her bearings before making her way down one of the many castle corridors, heading for her room. Doctor David Foster sipped on his cup of coffee while looking down at a translated newspaper before him. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he read the headline: CANTERLOT CASTLE BOMBED – CULPRIT UNKNOWN. A number of other newspapers lay on the table before him, each of them reporting similar attacks in different locations. He did not often show any form of emotion, but Foster was not going to deny his happiness with the situation. These bombings would keep Equestria busy with investigations, completely blind to what was happening in the north… “Sir,” a technician said, stepping up behind the doctor. “The last few devices have been planted. Their effects should already be taking place.” Foster finished off his coffee, then stood up and spun to face the technician. “Perfect,” he said, satisfied. “Begin the next phase of our plan. Send out the signal.” “Yes, sir.” The technician turned and exited the room, the white door sliding shut behind him. Foster let out a sigh as soon as the employee was gone, and turned back to face the newspaper. His eyes flickered upwards to rest on the inert QEC at the other end of the room. It had been days, and still no communications had been established with any Cerberus stations. And given the presence of Citadel races on Equis, the man was worried. He did not want to believe that the Illusive Man had failed, but that was looking all the more likely with each passing day. Regardless of what was happening beyond the Equis system, Foster still had his mission. And if Cerberus had fallen, then that made his mission all the more important. He pressed a button on his desk, opening a channel to the armory. “Commander,” he began. “Prepare your troops. Occupation of the griffon capital begins tomorrow.” Prime Minister Sharptooth sat at his office window, brooding over the events that had occurred over the past few months. How had his people lost their faith in him so much? Outside, a light snow fell, but Sharptooth could still see the flames. They burned brightly through the veil of the snow, a dull orange glow like small suns. His city had been levelled by the collectors, and what survived was now being torn apart by its very inhabitants. A knock sounded on his office door, and the Prime Minister pulled himself away from the window to address the guest. “Enter,” he commanded. The thick wooden door was pushed inward by a chainmail-clad griffon, a letter gripped in one of his talons. The soldier marched into the office and placed the letter on Sharptooth’s desk, bowing his head. “A letter from Senator Proudwing, mister Prime Minister,” the soldier reported. Sharptooth grabbed the letter and tore open the envelope with a clawed finger. He pulled out the letter and unfolded it, his large green eyes scanning over the words. A moment later he placed it back on his desk, and looked up to speak with the guard. “Thank you,” he said. “Has there been any luck finding Ambassador Silver Pen?” “No, sir,” answered the guard. “He left for his residence two nights ago and has not been seen since. We have no leads.” Sharptooth frowned, his brow furrowing. Silver Pen had been Equestria’s ambassador for nearly twenty years, and nothing like this had ever happened before. With the events occurring in the city beyond the castle, Sharptooth could not help but think that the worst had come to pass. “I understand,” Sharptooth sighed. “I will write a letter to Princess Celestia, letting her know. Thank you, you are dismissed.” Bowing his head once more, the guard turned and exited the room. Sharptooth reached into his desk drawer and retrieved a piece of parchment and a quill, prepared to write his letter. Before he could write a single word, a series of dull booms sounded from outside of the castle. Confused, Sharptooth stepped away from his desk and returned to the window, looking out through the falling snow at the city beyond. A number of bright flashes cut through the storm, adding to the flames that already burned. The flashes slowly came closer and closer to the castle, and Sharptooth’s eyes widened as he realized what they were. “GUARDS!” he yelled before being propelled backwards as an explosion tore through the stone walls of his office. He hit the opposite wall, cracking the stone and sending thousands of particles of dust into the air. His vision blurry, Sharptooth struggled to stand as a number of additional explosions shook the foundations of the castle. Finally he gained his footing, and limped to the other side of his office where once a thick stone wall had stood. The snow now fell on his own wooden floors, collecting on the edge before falling down to the ground below. His eyes widening in shock and fear, Sharptooth stumbled away from the edge and returned to his desk, upon which was still the piece of parchment. He scrawled out a quick message, folded the note up, and sealed it with a drop of hot wax. Just as he finished the task, his door burst open and the same guard from before entered, spear at the ready. “Prime Minister, are you injured!?” he exclaimed, stepping into the office. “I’m… I’m fine…” Sharptooth replied. He grabbed the letter and thrust it toward the guard, who stared at it, confused. “Take it! Go to Canterlot! Fly as fast as you can!” Bowing his head, the guard dropped his spear and took the letter, then leapt from the destroyed wall of Sharptooth’s office, taking to the skies. A moment later he disappeared in the snow, leaving Sharptooth to watch over the new destruction. More booms sounded, and again the Prime Minister saw more flashes of light. He braced himself as they drew closer and closer to the castle, hoping that Equestria would get his message… There was a bright flash of lavender light, and when it faded Twilight Sparkle found herself standing in front of the Normandy’s airlock, which was already open and waiting for her. She stepped into the small room, and stood still as the outer door closed behind her. A moment later the inner door opened, and she smiled as she saw Joker waiting inside. “Hi, Joker,” she greeted as she stepped into the CIC. Her saddlebags shook with every step, filled with several hundred pieces of parchment; more than enough to finish her book. “Hey, princess,” Joker reciprocated, motioning for her to follow. “Your friends are already here, they’re waiting for you in the portside lounge.” Twilight followed the human through the ship until they came to a featureless door, behind which Twilight could hear conversation. The door slid open, revealing a room the same size as the other lounge, though decorated quite differently. On one side was a green poker table, and on the opposite was a small bar. Several seats were available, and a few of her friends were making use of them. Sitting at the bar was the ‘Javik’ alien, who she had not seen much of since first coming aboard. “Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping up and running to the alicorn. “What took you so long!?” “Hello to you too, Pinkie,” Twilight smiled. “I had to pack up everything for my book. I need to finish it today, since the other princesses are planning on doing the reveal tomorrow…” “So soon?” Rarity inquired, crossing to Twilight. “The negotiations have gone by fairly quickly, according to the letter that Celestia sent me,” the young princess replied. “The only distraction was what happened earlier today…” “Any word on who did that?” Applejack asked. “None yet. The only pony who might know is unconscious, and may not wake up…” “Don’t worry about it,” Joker urged. “You’ve got some of the best the galaxy has to offer up there. Everything will turn out alright.” “I hope so…” Twilight navigated over to an unoccupied chair and sat down, laying her saddlebags next to her. She undid the buckle and opened the bag, taking out the pieces of parchment that composed her book. “You’re still working on that?” Rainbow Dash asked, flying lazily over to her friend. “I’m nearly done,” Twilight said, withdrawing a quill and inkwell. “I just have a few more topics to cover, then it’s off to the printer.” “What is that?” Joker stepped up behind the princess, squinting at the unfamiliar writing on the parchment. “A book about all of you,” the pony answered. “You’re being revealed to the world soon, this is to help make that a bit easier.” She uncapped the inkwell and dipped the tip of her quill into the still black liquid, then drew it across the parchment as she continued from where she had left off. “Well I’ll leave you to it, then,” Joker stated. “If you need anything, just ask.” With that he turned around and exited the room. Twilight did not bother to look up from her work, instead choosing to keep writing. “He is different,” a voice said, breaking the silence that had formed. Twilight looked up curiously, and found her eyes drawn to Javik. “Normally he would be telling jokes,” the alien continued. “That is why they call him ‘Joker’. But since the death of the EDI machine, he has been… different. I can sense it.” “Sense it?” Twilight asked curiously, the scholar in her wondering what he meant. “Evolution in this cycle has taken an interesting turn…” Javik observed, standing from his barstool. “My people, the protheans, were born with the ability to read things; our surroundings, primitives, even each other.” He turned to face Rainbow Dash. “You. Rainbow pony. You are bored.” “Well done, detective,” Dash deadpanned. “I thought I was fooling everypony with how interested I was in this conversation…” “But you are also scared,” Javik continued, causing the pegasus to raise an eyebrow. “The attack on your capital… It has put fear into you. You do not know who is responsible, and that makes you afraid. You do not know if they will strike again. “You all share this feeling. Joker feels fear too, but not for the same reason. He feels fear because he is worried he will be alone for the rest of his life. This EDI machine… she was his first lover.” “That’s… impressive, Javik,” Twilight observed. “And all protheans could ‘read’ others?” “Yes.” “Creepy…” Dash sulked, lowering to the ground. “I will leave you to your work,” Javik said, making for the door. It opened as he drew near, but he stopped and turned before stepping out. “I was wrong about the races of this cycle… Perhaps I was wrong about your kind as well.” He exited the room, the door closing behind him. The ponies all stared at where he had been, wondering what exactly he had meant. After a few moments of staring, Twilight remembered why she had come aboard the Normandy. She raised her quill, refreshed the ink on its tip, and continued working. Princess Celestia looked out over the delegates as they took their seats at her meeting table, prepared to begin their final meeting. The excitement that she had detected from most of her guests was almost entirely gone, given the day’s earlier events. Now the excitement had been replaced by an air of apprehension, a feeling which she shared in. Nopony had directly attacked her castle since the changeling invasion nearly two years prior, and the last attack that had involved deaths had been well over a century ago. Who had done it, Celestia did not know. But she was going to find out. Her train of thought was interrupted as she realized that all eyes were on her. Each delegate had sat down, and were ready for the meeting to begin. “Well it appears that we’re all here,” the princess began, taking her seat. “This will be our last meeting before we reveal your existence to the world tomorrow. I will brief you all on how it will play out, and answer any questions you may have. Are we ready?” Everyone nodded, and Celestia withdrew a piece of folded parchment from beneath the table. “The public conference is at ten o’clock tomorrow morning,” she continued, unfolding the document. “Cadance has kindly written the address for us, and it is quite informative. However, there are questions that it doesn’t answer. These are questions that our citizens will be asking as soon as the address is concluded. To answer these, the crew of the Normandy have kindly volunteered themselves.” “Just tell us what to do, ma’am,” Kaidan nodded, grinning. Celestia nodded back, and returned to the parchment. “The Q&A session will last an hour. We expect ponies to have a lot of questions for you, so we might as well give them the time. After that, we will have to wait.” “Wait for what?” Tali asked. “Reactions,” Celestia replied. “Not just from ponies, but also from griffons and zebras and changelings. Their reactions will dictate our next move.” “And if the reactions are negative?” Primarch Victus wondered. Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but closed it as a knock sounded on the thick wooden door to the meeting door. “Enter.” The door opened and a guard stepped inside, his eyes settling on Princess Celestia. “Your highness,” he said, bowing. “You and Princess Luna are needed immediately. It is urgent.” The two princesses shared a confused stare, before they both stood up and made for the door. “We’ll be right back everypony,” Luna said as the two exited. The door closed behind them, and they began following the guard as he trotted down the long marble hallways. After a few minutes of walking, it became clear that they were being led to the castle’s medical wing. This was confirmed as they stepped up to a set of wooden doors with a red cross above them. Two guards stood watch, but opened the doors as their princesses approached. Celestia and Luna stepped inside and followed the guard through the recovery rooms, past the surgical suites, and finally to the last section of the royal hospital: the morgue. The guard lit his horn and opened the iron door, revealing a short hallway with an identical iron door at the end. He closed the door after the princesses entered, and then opened the next one, letting in the invasive scent of antiseptic. Celestia and Luna stepped through the open door and came into a small room with a table in the center. Lying on the table was the dead form of a griffon, his bruised and beaten body riddled with bolts. “Who is this?” Luna asked, glancing at the guard. “We do not know, your highness,” he answered. “A patrol found him several miles west of the griffon border. Based on the direction he was facing when he crashed, it looks like he was trying to fly here.” “But why…” Celestia wondered, examining the body. “These are griffon-made crossbow bolts. Very fast, and very sharp. Did the insurrectionists do this?” “I am not sure, your highness,” the guard said. “But he was carrying something with him.” The two princesses turned to face the guard as he crossed the room to a small table. He retrieved a crinkled piece of parchment from it and transported it to Celestia, who took it in her telekinesis. She unraveled the note, frowning as a few drops of blood fell from it and onto the stone floor. Her frown grew as she read the single word scrawled onto the note in what was clearly Sharptooth’s penmanship. HELP. Legion sat among the organics at the Canterlot castle meeting table, silently observing each one of them as they sat quietly. The geth did not need much experience with organics to know that they were afraid. Even Creator Tali’Zorah, who remained behind her mask, was having difficulty hiding her fear. Legion understood why they would feel afraid. Unknown attacks would cause that emotion in organics, and that emotion would persist until the threat had been eliminated. Of course, it was difficult to eliminate a threat that remained nameless. All eyes were drawn to the meeting room door as it opened. Princesses Celestia and Luna both entered, their expressions grave. Legion instantly was able to infer that the cause of such an expression was likely the note that floated in the air beside Celestia. It had not been with them when they had left, and it was likely what the guard had come to retrieve them for. The princesses retook their seats, and sighed. “What was that about?” Admiral Hackett asked curiously. “Proudwing,” Celestia began, looking to the griffon senator. “You’ll want to see this.” She floated the note over to him, setting it down in front of his talons. Proudwing picked up the note, unfolded it, and read. Instantly his expression turned from one of curiosity to fear. His head snapped up, his eyes wide. “How did you come by this?” he asked. “A dead griffon was found in Equestrian territory, killed by a number of crossbow wounds,” Luna explained. “He was brought here, and that note was found on his body. Prime Minister Sharptooth wrote it.” “But what could it mean…?” Proudwing wondered, dropping the note. “It just says ‘help’! What does he need help with!” “Could be any number of things,” the salarian dignitary began. “Perhaps help with rescue from enemies, perhaps help with capturing enemies, perhaps help with killing enemies. Only one way to find out.” “Under normal circumstances he would have written more,” the griffon said. “This is just one word, and the griffon carrying the letter is dead! Sharptooth is in trouble, I know it.” “Our ships can run scans of your country, if you’d like,” Victus offered. “We can get some images for you. If he needs help with something big, we will probably be able to see it.” “Do it,” Proudwing stated. “If the insurrectionists tried something…” “Correct me if I’m wrong, senator,” Luna began. “But doesn’t the griffon military outnumber the insurrectionists by nearly three to one?” “By our last count, yes,” Proudwing answered. “But who knows what could have happened…” “Images are coming in now,” Victus said, standing up. He activated his omni-tool, projecting a screen over the meeting room table. After a moment, a number of images appeared on the screen. Victus selected the first one and zoomed it in until it took up the entire screen space. A gasp sounded throughout the room as all of the organics reacted to what they saw: it was the griffon capital, and it was burning.