//------------------------------// // Secrets of the Lego World // Story: LEGO Equestria Girls 3 // by Chronicler06 //------------------------------// Chapter 1 Secrets of the Lego World The next morning, most of Canterlot City’s primary LEGO Team — Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy — were waiting outside of a sweet shop and bakery known as Sugar Cube Corner. Their remaining friend and teammate, Sunset Shimmer, had already called to let them know she would be arriving in a few minutes. But she wasn’t the only one they were currently waiting on. In fact, some of that additional company was already with them. Luna Playwell, overseer of the LEGO Team’s lunar branch, was also waiting beside the five girls. With her sister Celestia away on a series of business trips with their uncle Kjeld, she had agreed to take temporary leadership of the Canterlot City branch for the last few weeks. Things hadn’t been much different than what she was used to, but she did get the opportunity to welcome some new potential Master Builders into the organization. Luna was actually in a good mood on this Monday morning because the last stop of those business trips would be today, right here in this city. Naturally, she was excited to see her dear sister again, and couldn’t wait to hear all about how things had been for her. For now, all she could do was wait patiently with the others for the arrival of their remaining guests. But not even that would turn out to be uneventful, for the gathered team members had a rather peculiar recent event to report. “An astronaut suit?” asked Luna as she raised an eyebrow. “That’s what Sunset told us, at least,” replied Rainbow Dash with a shrug. “Whoever this shady feller was,” continued Applejack, “she was pretty dang sure they were up to somethin’ involvin’ that interdimensional portal at that statue in the park.” “Are you certain the portal is closed at this time?” asked Luna. “According to Princess Twilight’s most recent response less than a week ago,” answered Rarity, “the interdimensional portal still remains closed, and the entrance on her side is securely protected from any outside influences. So as far we’re all concerned, there is absolutely no way for something to have passed through from Equestria.” “That is a relief to hear,” said Luna. “The Lego World has already been through quite a lot in regards to magic from that alternate universe. I think we can all agree that the last thing we want is another world-threatening crisis on our hands.” “Totally,” agreed Rainbow. Her tone then got a bit more serious as she continued, “But still, Sunset saw that weird astronaut doing something near the portal last night. If it’s really someone from this world, then what are they up to?” Fluttershy shuddered and quietly mumbled, “I don’t even wanna guess.” Luna rubbed her chin and glanced upwards for a moment, then returned her attention to the five girls and said, “Come to think of it, I have occasionally received reported sightings of a mysterious individual in an astronaut suit. I never thought much of them, since such an outfit is rather commonplace where I live and work. However, I must admit that such reports do get a little strange when they come from places like the Pirate Region.” “Have you been keeping track of these sightings?” asked Rarity. “Perhaps there might be a pattern that could give us a clue to this person’s identity.” “Yes, I do still have access to all the reported sightings,” replied Luna, “but I had not considered compiling them in any way. I suppose I should do as you suggest and try to find any clues there might be.” She turned her attention out to the street and continued, “For now, let’s set this mystery aside. We will have a big day ahead of us, once our guests arrive.” “Looks like we won’t have to wait any longer,” said Pinkie Pie excitedly as she pointed down the street to the left. “They’re here!” Everyone looked over in the direction Pinkie was pointing and saw a limousine coming down the road and then slow to a stop right in front of them. The chauffeur climbed out and opened the right passenger door. The first person to climb out was Celestia Playwell, who immediately smiled and walked up to her sister and embraced her in a hug. Luna just as happily returned the gesture and said, “Welcome home, Celestia. I trust your business trips have gone well?” “Indeed they have,” replied Celestia as they broke their hug. “There was certainly much to discuss, but I think everything in the foreseeable future is going to turn out just fine.” While the two close sisters warmly greeted each other, the five friends greeted the other passenger; Kjeld Playwell, leader of the entire Lego World. “Mister Kjeld Playwell,” greeted Rarity. “On behalf of all of us, I welcome you to Canterlot City.” “Thank you, Miss Rarity,” said Kjeld with a smile and a nod. He glanced around at the others as he continued, “I must say, it is certainly a pleasure to have us all come together like this without having to worry about a severe crisis.” “Ah think we can all appreciate that,” quipped Applejack. “Indeed,” said Kjeld with a light chuckle. His smile fell as he glanced around at everyone present and said, “Though I can’t help but notice that someone is missing. Where is Sunset Shimmer?” “She said she wanted to test out that new car she just built before getting here,” answered Rainbow Dash. Kjeld smiled again and said, “Well, in that case, let her take her time. I’ve never been one to stand in the way of one’s creativity, and I certainly don’t intend to let that change today.” Meanwhile, in another part of Canterlot City, Sunset Shimmer was sitting in the driver’s seat of her new car, waiting at a red light. The car she had built was a red convertible with a sleek front end, two doors, an adjustable spoiler on the rear, and decals of yellow flames on front and sides. As she waited, she occasionally revved the powerful four hundred horsepower engine. Finally, the traffic light turned green. Sunset smirked, then stomped on the accelerator. The tires squealed and the engine roared to life as the car took off down the road. With the top currently down, the windshield did little to stop the cooling breeze from hitting her face and leaving her hair flapping around behind her head. There was little traffic on the streets at this time, so she didn’t have to worry much about driving around other vehicles and could instead just simply relax at high speed. As she slowed down to get around each turn, Sunset would occasionally hear a pedestrian or two politely call out to her, to which she always responded with a simple smile and wave. She had to admit, it was quite remarkable how much things had changed within the past year, especially for herself. There had once been a time when she was such a dangerous wanted criminal that her presence alone would have made people flee in terror. Once she saw the error of her ways and began to seek forgiveness, most people continued to avoid her, not out of fear, but out of hatred for what she had done. And now, as one of the heroic members of Canterlot City’s LEGO Team, people were finally happy to have her around. They looked up to her as an inspiration, proving that no matter how far you fall, you could still rise up to become one of the greatest heroes in the world. As much as Sunset enjoyed cruising around town in her new favorite ride, she knew she had somewhere to be, so she quickly drove up onto the highway and made her way across town toward her destination. As she sped down the highway, she glanced around at the surrounding city skyline as well as the clear blue sky above. It was truly a lovely day to relax. “Hey! Look out!” “Sunset! Watch out!” Those panicked shouts quickly drew Sunset’s attention forward, where some construction workers had set up barriers in front of a missing portion of the highway. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, then narrowed again as she smirked and then increased her speed. Sunset’s new convertible easily smashed through the flimsy barrier and drove straight off the edge. As soon as her car was airborne, Sunset immediately pulled back a lever on the floor. The bricks and pieces that made up this car quickly shifted around, tucking the wheels in underneath, giving the body a more aerodynamic shape, and exposing powerful thrusters out the back. The radical transformation took only a few seconds, and once it was done, the flying car immediately took off into the air. As the uniquely converted car flew away, one of the construction workers tipped his hardhat as he chuckled and remarked, “Gotta love that creative spirit.” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help but feel giddy with excitement as she flew over the city of Canterlot in her flying vehicle. She had built this car with the intention of having the “convertible” part of the name not apply to just the roof, but also to its ability to shift between street mode and flying mode. This was but one example of what a talented Master Builder she had become. Once, not so long ago, she had absolutely no creative talents, incapable of building anything without the aid of an instruction booklet. But once she was finally able to open up her imagination, the possibilities had practically become endless, giving her a sense of freedom she had never felt before ever in her entire life. After going from the most wanted criminal in the world to one of the greatest heroes there ever were, life for Sunset Shimmer was now better than ever. Back at Sugar Cube Corner, the five friends and three leaders looked up and saw the arrival of a flying car that was red with yellow flames. As it came down low and flew along the street, Rarity stated, “I believe that would be Sunset Shimmer in her new vehicle.” After flying down the length of a city block, Sunset turned her flying car around, brought it down even lower, then converted it back to street mode. The tires briefly screeched as they hit the pavement and the car zoomed down the street. As soon as she arrived at where her friends had gathered, she stomped on the brake and jerked the wheel to the left, causing the car to drift perfectly into an open parallel parking spot. Sunset shut off the engine and turned to smile at her friends. “Roads?” she quipped with a light chuckle as she climbed out of the car. “Where I like to go, I don’t need roads.” “Awesome!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash with a huge grin on her face. “Now that’s what I call a convertible! Ya think you could show me how to build one?” “No problem,” replied Sunset. “Now that I know everything on it works properly, I’ll be sure to write the instructions for it tomorrow.” As Rainbow let out another excited cheer, Applejack chuckled and remarked, “Ya never seem to run outta ideas, do ya, Sunset?” “What can I say?” responded Sunset with a shrug. “It’s what being a Master Builder is all about.” Celestia approached Sunset and warmly greeted, “It is good to see you again, Sunset Shimmer. And I have to say, that is a rather nice outfit you’ve chosen to wear.” Sunset glanced down at her new standard wardrobe. Her legs were medium blue with black around the feet and lower legs, and an orange chevron just above her ankles. Her torso was light blue on the lower half and black on the upper half, with the exception of the front, which was an open jacket that exposed more of the light blue shirt underneath. Her arms were black with an orange chevron on her shoulders. And finally, she wore a skirt piece around her upper legs in a rather unique color for such a piece: translucent yellow. “I’m glad you like it,” said Sunset contently. “Now that I’m one of the good guys, I figured that I should go with a softer version of my old ‘tough girl’ image.” “If you ask me, I’d say you’ve done a wonderful job of balancing your new image,” remarked Celestia. She then frowned and uneasily asked, “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but does your hair piece seem a little… faded?” “Yeah, I’ve noticed that, too,” replied Sunset with a hint of sadness in her voice as she grasped a portion of her hair and held it up in front of her face. It was true. The once vibrant reds and yellows of her hair had now become noticeably faded. “I must’ve been out in the sun too long. Rarity once mentioned that too much exposure to direct sunlight can cause colors on certain pieces to fade.” Kjeld cleared his throat and spoke up, “In any case, I am sure we are all looking forward to getting caught up with each other.” He gestured toward the front door into Sugar Cube Corner and smiled. “Shall we head inside and begin our discussions over tea?” “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, uncle Kjeld,” replied Luna. The six friends and three leaders all agreed and proceeded to enter the building. Sunset was just about to step through the doorway when she suddenly stopped and said, “Oh! I almost forgot.” She quickly pulled out a set of keys and pressed a button on one of them, causing her convertible car to chirp twice and the headlights flash on and off once. “Safety first,” she remarked as she pocketed her keys. Kjeld couldn’t help but chuckle at that little display. Once the entire group was inside the building, he stated, “After all these business meetings, I am certainly looking forward to having just a simple get-together among good friends.” The group of nine minifigs were seated around a table in the middle the main room — Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie sat on one side; Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack sat on the other side; Celestia and Luna sat at one end; and Kjeld sat at the opposite end. A tea set had been placed in the middle of the table and each person had their own cup. For the last few minutes, everyone had been enjoying their tea while sharing stories with each other. “…so I told her, ‘Duh! It’s called SNOT walking. Not SNOT running,’” finished Pinkie Pie. Nearly everyone responded with laughter, some more lightly than others. The only one not laughing was Rainbow Dash, though she couldn’t hide a slight smirk as she glared at the pink party girl. As soon as Applejack had finished laughing, she nudged Rainbow Dash and remarked, “Ah can’t believe ya actually tried to charge right up that wall like that!” “Well, what else was I supposed to do?” retorted Rainbow. “She was beating me at everything that day!” She sighed and shook her head as she glanced down at her tea. Luna finished a sip of her tea before she said, “Still, despite that little act of recklessness, I believe you two had done a fine demonstration, proving that you and your team are fully capable of handling whatever future challenges you might face. But enough about recent events here in Canterlot City.” She quickly turned her attention to her beloved sister beside her as she continued, “Tell us, Celestia. How did things go for you and uncle Kjeld these past few weeks?” “Oh, you know how it is with business meetings,” replied Celestia with a playful smile as she rolled her eyes. “Sitting in conference rooms for hours, listening to executives go on and on about sales, statistics, projections, research and development, and other corporate nonsense that I’m sure most of you wouldn’t be interested in.” “True,” admitted Luna with a nod. “But still, I am sure there were certain moments that are worthy of sharing. Such as your visit to the Octan Tower.” “Oh! I’ve heard of that,” said Rarity as she gently set down her cup of tea and clasped her hands together. “Is it true that President Business permitted you and Kjeld full access to his supposed collection of mysterious relics?” “Indeed, you are correct,” answered Celestia. “I’m afraid I cannot share any details about these relics — Kjeld and I signed a nondisclosure agreement — but I will say that some of them certainly have the potential to unleash a great amount of devastation, depending on how they are utilized. Thankfully, Mister Business is not only now on our side, but has also promised that he will do his best to keep all of these relics safely locked up inside his office.” “Good,” said Luna. “The rumors about his relic collection had me concerned for years, and it pleases me to know that it shall no longer be an issue.” She smiled slyly as she added, “Speaking of President Business, any word on a certain request of mine?” Celestia leaned closely to her younger sister and whispered, “We will discuss that later in private.” Luna silently nodded in understanding before taking another sip of her tea. Celestia spoke up again. “In any case, one thing that certainly surprised me throughout these business trips was just how often Canterlot City’s LEGO Team was mentioned. It seems you girls are becoming quite popular.” “That doesn’t surprise me at all,” remarked Rainbow Dash as she leaned back in her seat and rested her arms behind her head. “I mean, we’ve saved the Lego World more than once from evil magic from Equestria. I’m pretty sure people would start noticing us by now.” “And they certainly have,” continued Celestia. “City streets are being renamed in your honor, demand is high for instructions on some of the creations you’ve built, and I’ve even heard that Sunset Shimmer is now regarded to be almost as great as Clutch Powers himself.” Sunset quickly responded, “Okay, all things considered, that might be a little too much praise for me. After all, the first incident was caused by me, and when the second incident came along, I had only intended to do nothing more than send that message to Princess Twilight.” Rarity finished a sip of her tea and said, “Sunset, dear, you simply cannot continue to be so hard on yourself. We never could have succeeded against the sirens had it not been for all of your contributions to the team, and Mister Playwell rewarded you for your efforts with a full pardon. You must learn to let go of your past, darling, so that you may look forward to a brighter future.” “Yeah, you’re right,” said Sunset with a smile. She took a sip of her tea before adding, “I guess I’m just still a little new to not only friendship but also being considered a hero. I actually find it remarkable that people all over the world are now looking up to us as role models.” “Indeed,” acknowledged Celestia. “Uncle Kjeld and I attended an auction at one point, where a number of items from your recent exploits were being sold. They had anything you could imagine, such as Rarity’s sketch of a spaceship that was quickly built by Pinkie Pie, that spare gear Pinkie Pie had once placed on her head, some of those hardhats you girls had worn while visiting that construction site in Bricklyn, Rainbow Dash’s favorite laser pistols, Sunset Shimmer’s fake ID card, and even that trashcan that Pinkie Pie had once got her head stuck inside.” “Seriously?” asked Applejack skeptically. “That darn thing ended up in an auction?” “Believe it or not,” replied Celestia, “that specific trashcan actually sold for five hundred dollars.” Applejack scoffed as she gazed down at her tea and grumbled, “Five hundred dollars for a beat-up ol’ trashcan. Now there’s somebody with a lotta money to throw away.” Kjeld finished a sip of his tea and then spoke up, “Personally, I think the real highlight of our business trips was when we officially opened the newly established region of Knighton.” “Ah, yes, the realm of the Nexo Knights,” stated Sunset Shimmer as she smiled and set down her cup. “Combining medieval knights and castles with advanced cyber technology is definitely something we haven’t seen before. I honestly don’t know what to expect, but I’ve heard people are already claiming it to be the ‘next Ninjago’, in terms of success.” Kjeld chucked and admitted, “Well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a lot of optimism for Knighton. Though I’ll be honest, back when the Ninjago Region was first established many years ago, none of us could have ever imagined just how successful that realm would turn out. These days, there is a general agreement that Ninjago will be staying with us for quite some time.” “I suppose only time will tell if a similar fate awaits Knighton,” said Rarity as she refilled her cup of tea. She gently blew across the surface of her hot beverage before contently adding, “I certainly wouldn’t mind if we ever have the opportunity to visit that realm.” “I’m sure it would be a lovely place,” Fluttershy quietly remarked. “I’d like to have a hands-on experience with the tools they’ve got,” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Castle weapons powered by space technology? How awesome is that?” “Personally, Ah’m more interested in seein’ how they’re able to keep livin’ the castle life in spite of all that cyber stuff,” admitted Applejack. “It’s the simple things that deserve the most respect.” “And I would love to see how they party in Knighton! Woohoo!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she threw her arms up in excitement, accidentally knocking over her cup in the process. Once she quickly realized she had spilled her tea across the table, she blushed and lowered her arms back down as she giggled nervously and muttered, “Oopsie.” Sunset Shimmer chuckled and remarked, “I think it’s fair to say there’s a lot of hype about the Nexo Knights, isn’t there?” “You are more accurate than you might realize, Miss Shimmer,” said Kjeld. “In fact, I would call it a cause for concern.” The six girls of Canterlot City’s LEGO Team quickly dropped their smiles and turned to Kjeld. “What do you mean by that, sir?” asked Rarity. Kjeld softly answered, “When the world’s attention is focused on one place, that can leave other places more vulnerable than usual, and a competent enemy would not hesitate to take advantage of such a rare opportunity to exploit that kind of weakness.” Applejack raised an eyebrow and asked, “An’ just what kind of bad guy would see a time like this as an opportunity?” Kjeld took a sip of his tea and remained silent for a moment before he finally answered, “The Shadowbolts.” Pinkie Pie gasped in shock and exclaimed, “Not the Shadowbolts!” She then leaned close to Fluttershy and whispered, “I don’t actually know who they are.” “Who are the ‘Shadowbolts’?” asked Rainbow Dash. “They are an underground group of secret agents,” answered Kjeld, “and their ultimate goal is to overthrow the LEGO Team and impose their philosophy upon the entire Lego universe.” “And just what is this philosophy of theirs, Mister Playwell,” Rarity asked curiously. “Let me put it this way,” replied Kjeld. “Us members of the LEGO Team believe that everyone should be given a chance to express their creative talents. No one is ever told they have a bad idea, and those who are genuinely very talented are rewarded for their efforts. In short, people are free to build whatever they want.” His expression then darkened. “The Shadowbolts want to impose a much more restrictive system. In their view, the people at the top should call all the shots, and everyone below them is expected to follow those orders, no matter what.” “That sounds awful,” whimpered Fluttershy. “My thoughts exactly,” said Kjeld. “With Sunset Shimmer reformed and the Dazzlings imprisoned, it is the Shadowbolts who are now the greatest threat to the Lego World. And as I have already explained, we are now at a particularly vulnerable time when they may attempt to make their strike.” “Don’t worry, Kjeld,” assured Rainbow Dash confidently. “After everything we’ve been through, I’m sure we can take on these guys without much trouble.” “Don’t underestimate the Shadowbolts,” cautioned Celestia. “Their agents are very rarely seen, and lately, they have gained a reputation of simply vanishing without a trace. No one knows the identity of even a single Shadowbolt agent.” She paused to take a sip of her tea. “I am not exaggerating when I say that you would be up against an unknown enemy.” “That won’t be enough to stop us,” remarked Sunset with a smirk. “As long as there’s trouble out there threatening our home, we’ll do whatever it takes to stop them.” All five of Sunset’s friends and teammates lightly cheered in agreement. Kjeld had an uneasy expression on his face as he stared down at his tea. After a moment of silence, he finally set down his cup on the table as he looked up at everyone and asked, “Is there a room nearby where I may be able to hold a private conversation at this time?” “The Cakes’ office should be available,” answered Pinkie Pie as she pointed up the nearby stairway. “Since the shop’s closed due to your visit, they decided to go out and get some ingredients and other supplies we need.” Celestia set down her cup and moved to begin getting up out of her seat when Kjeld suddenly spoke up, “Sorry, Celestia, but it’s not you whom I wish to speak with.” He glanced over at a certain amber girl sitting next to him. “It is Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset’s eyes immediately widened in shock, then she quickly glanced over toward Celestia. Without a word, Celestia sat back down in her seat, smiled at Sunset, and gave her a single nod. Sunset glanced down at her cup as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Finally, she finished the rest of her tea, set the cup down on the table, and got up out of her seat. “After you, Miss Shimmer,” Kjeld said softly as he gestured towards the stairway. The seven remaining minifigs sitting at the table watched silently as Sunset and Kjeld went up the stairs and beyond their line of sight. Many of them thought it was rather peculiar that Kjeld would request to speak privately with Sunset Shimmer of all people, but saw no reason to question his decision. As soon as Kjeld had gently closed the door to the office, Sunset Shimmer turned to him and asked, “What is it you would like to talk to me about?” Kjeld calmly walked past Sunset and stopped in front of the only window in the room. As he gazed outside and clasped his hands behind his back, he let out a sad sigh and muttered, “You are not the only one who has had a troubled past.” Sunset blinked once, but said nothing. “Let me tell you, Miss Shimmer,” continued Kjeld. “Watching over everything in this universe is not an easy task by any means.” He closed his eyes and turned his head downwards. “It is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.” Sunset leaned her back against a wall and folded her arms as she continued to silently stare at Kjeld. “For many decades,” continued Kjeld, “my family had kept things very simple throughout the Lego World: basic bricks, basic colors, basic minifigures, and no instruction pages. But as I was growing up, I came to believe that the world had the potential for many more countless new ideas, if only the opportunity could be provided.” He turned back to Sunset. “Do you know when the first regions were established?” Sunset nodded and answered, “About forty years ago, your father, Godtfred, divided up the Lego World into three basic themes: Town, Space, and Castle.” “It was not my father’s idea,” admitted Kjeld as he turned to face out the window again. “It was mine. I spent many years trying to convince him that dividing up the Lego World into separate themes would lead to an unprecedented range of creativity for everyone. He was skeptical and wanted to keep things the way they were, while I wanted to establish nearly a dozen different regions almost right away. We eventually settled on a compromise: those three basic themes.” “And seeing as the Lego World has all these different regions today, I’m guessing your idea turned out quite well, right?” asked Sunset. “Not exactly,” replied Kjeld. “My father remained unconvinced, so things stayed mostly the same for over a decade. Of course, it didn’t help that I began publishing the first instruction books at the time, despite my father’s wishes.” Sunset raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why would he think that was such a bad thing?” “He thought instructions would completely stifle all sense of creativity, while I believed that instructions could inspire people with new creative ideas they might otherwise have never considered.” “So what made your father change his mind?” asked Sunset. “I mean, instruction booklets can be found on every street corner these days, so I’m sure he eventually saw the benefits you saw. Didn’t he?” Kjeld said nothing. He simply shut his eyes tight and turned his head downward. That was enough to give Sunset an answer. She turned her gaze down to her feet and sadly whispered, “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be,” said Kjeld as he did his best to hide his sadness. “This happened long before you first came to this world, even before you were created. Personally, I had always hoped that he would be around for a long time to teach me all that his father had taught him… but that’s just the way life can be, sometimes.” Kjeld took a deep breath before he returned his gaze out the window and continued, “Anyway, once I assumed full control over twenty years ago, I set out to establish some new regions — such as Pirates and Adventurers — as well as subregions of the classic three, such as Exploriens, Insectoids, and Ice Planet 2002 for the Space Region; Dark Forest, Royal Knights, and Fright Knights for the Castle Region; and countless aspects of the Town Regions — later renamed City Regions.” “I guess I need to brush up on my history,” remarked Sunset, “because hardly any of those sound familiar to me at all.” “I would not be surprised,” said Kjeld. “Those were all from the time before things took a turn for the worst.” Sunset began to feel worried, but also remained curious, so she simply asked, “What happened?” “It’s very complicated,” Kjeld answered carefully. “Long story short, I had been overwhelming myself, and despite my best efforts to keep things under control, the Lego World was spiraling toward a time of crisis. There was no way I could ever go back to the simple ways of how my father and grandfather were able to manage everything, so in desperation, I hired a Board of Directors — top experts in all fields who would work together to come up with successful ideas to keep things running smoothly.” “And did they help?” asked Sunset. Kjeld clenched his fists as he scoffed and grumbled, “Hardly. Their efforts only made the issues even worse!” He paused and took a deep breath to compose himself before he continued, “They quite literally tried anything and everything they could come up with. The regions that were established in those days were arguably some of the most outlandish ideas to have ever been conceived, and the residents of the older regions had felt insulted that such crazy ideas were being thrown out there. ‘Not true Lego’ became a popular slur for anyone from these newer regions, and that inevitably led to some serious conflicts.” “So how did you resolve all of this?” “At first, I did… nothing,” answered Kjeld, hanging his head in shame. “I was in a state of denial for quite some time, and remained convinced that the Board of Directors I had so carefully hand-picked would solve everything. But as each year passed by, the conflicts only continued to escalate.” He paused and slowly raised his head back up. “The final straw came when the planet Galidor was destroyed. I’ll admit that of all the regions that were ever established, that one was by far my least favorite, but not even they deserved to be completely obliterated like that. Not long after that terrible event, I called for a meeting with the entire Board. A lot of heated words were exchanged in that conference room that day, and at the end of it all, the result was all but inevitable…” Sunset slowly asked, “And that result was…?” “I fired the Board of Directors. All of them. They were gone, and I was left right back where I started, except with an even bigger mess to clean up. And I ultimately realized that I had no one to blame for all of this but myself.” Both Sunset and Kjeld remained silent for a moment. Sunset was astonished to hear Kjeld open up to her about such a troubled past. True, not even Princess Celestia was perfect — though certainly not nearly as flawed as she had once believed — but she could hardly believe that the leader of the entire Lego World had once made such terrible mistakes. Sunset eventually asked, “So how did you fix everything? How were you able to turn things around to get the lovely world we have today?” Kjeld turned away from the window and faced Sunset as his expression brightened and he replied, “The LEGO Team is the answer. Believe it or not, the inspiration came from my beloved nieces, Celestia and Luna. They came up with the idea of an entirely new way of managing the Lego World: work with the people, not at them. Just because I’m the leader doesn’t mean that I’ll always have the best ideas. Sometimes, the best ideas can come from outside sources, in places you may never have expected. So I started off with just one headquarters building in Lego City. When that turned out to be a spectacular success, I quickly expanded the organization to the other regions. Finally, with all the truly great minds of the Lego World working together, I had regained the confidence to establish new regions again, from average scale regions like Mining, Atlantis, and Dinosaur Island, to big-budget ideas like Ninjago, Chima, and Knighton.” Sunset smiled and remarked, “So I guess this means my friends and I really are part of the operation that originally saved the Lego World and continues to keep it safe.” “With the help of talented Master Builders like yourself, yes,” confirmed Kjeld. Then his smile fell as he shamefully added, “Though there are still scars from those dark days that remain to this day. For example, although most regions established at that time ultimately failed and had to be shut down, there was one region that exceeded all expectations, despite its controversial building system. It is an entire galaxy that I have since dubbed the Constraction Zone, where the inhabitants are built out of dozens or even hundreds of parts, mostly attached with ball-and-socket connections. Compared to minifigures like us, they very easily stand as giants. But even with such a successful new building system, they weren’t spared from being called ‘not true Lego’. Shutting down the Constraction Zone was simply not an option, so through highly difficult but not impossible means, the entire galaxy was moved away to a far-off corner of the universe. It’s not ideal, and I certainly hope that we can reestablish communications with them one day, but for now, keeping them in isolation is for the best.” “Sorry if I’m interrupting,” Sunset spoke up, “but I don’t understand why you’re giving me this big history lesson.” Kjeld gave Sunset a serious look as he replied, “It’s because the leader of the Shadowbolts, Abacus Cinch, used to be part of the Board of Directors. She was once the principal of a highly successful prep school, so I had hired her in hopes that her experience could improve the education system throughout the Lego World. When I fired the Board of Directors, she had two options. The first — and far more preferable, in my opinion — was to follow the example of most of the others: return to their old jobs and simply move on from that disastrous era. The other option was to follow the example of President Business, who was also part of the Board.” Sunset suddenly asked, “Wait, are you saying… that you were responsible for President Business being evil?” “I’m afraid so,” admitted Kjeld. “When I fired the Board of Directors, he remained convinced that he had done nothing wrong, and became obsessed with proving that his idea of leadership, absolute order and perfection, was superior to all other ideas. So he used his vast wealth to buy out certain regions, such as the city of Bricksburg, the Castle subregion of Middle Zealand, and the Old West town of Flatbush. Once had accumulated enough territory, he made his strike, and I’m sure you already know what happened.” Sunset nodded and casually replied, “Yeah, the story of some ordinary construction worker becoming ‘The Special’ and saving everyone from being frozen in glue by convincing President Business the error of his old ways.” She tapped her chin and thought aloud, “I wonder if that would make a good movie?” “Anyway,” continued Kjeld, “Miss Cinch refused to accept any blemishes to her record, so when she was fired from the Board of Directors, she took it very personally. Rather than return to her prep school, she instead decided to form an anti LEGO Team — the Shadowbolts — with the intent of proving her twisted perception that the old ways of running the world — the so-called ‘Shadowbolts philosophy’ — are somehow better than the ways of the LEGO Team.” “By ‘old ways’, you mean how the Board of Directors tried — and failed — to manage the Lego World?” asked Sunset. “Precisely,” replied Kjeld. “If the Shadowbolts were to ever succeed in taking the place of the LEGO Team, then we will almost certainly face a total collapse of all societies across the entire Lego universe.” He slowly approached Sunset and asked, “You understand now why it is so vital that the Shadowbolts be dealt with as soon as possible?” As soon as Kjeld had stopped in front of her, Sunset furrowed her brown and gave a single nod as she replied, “Of course, Mister Playwell.” Kjeld smiled and simply said, “Good.” He then turned away and slowly walked back to the window as he added, “Now that we are on the same page on that subject, I have one last piece of knowledge that I wish to share with you.” Once he arrived at the window and stared outside again, he continued with a serious tone, “It is a very powerful secret. One that, until now, I have never shared with anyone else. Not even my always loyal nieces.” Sunset remained silent as her eyes widened in shock. She was very surprised to hear that there was a secret so powerful that not even Celestia or Luna were even aware of it. Eventually, she cautiously asked, “And what makes you think you can trust me of all people with this secret?” “Let me start by asking you a couple of questions, Miss Shimmer,” responded Kjeld. He turned around to face Sunset and asked, “On both occasions when you were inside the storage room of LEGO Headquarters, do you recall seeing a vault with a wide range of security locks across the door?” Sunset nodded and replied, “Yes. My first time there, I simply didn’t care about it. The second time, I only checked to be sure it had remained undisturbed. And on both occasions, I never dared to try opening it, for fear of triggering any alarms.” “A wise choice,” remarked Kjeld. “There is something very powerful kept inside that vault, which leads me to my next question.” He took a few steps toward Sunset as he asked, “How did you first gain access to this world? Where in Equestria would one find the interdimensional portal between our worlds?” Sunset glanced down at her feet and let out a quiet sigh before she returned her gaze toward Kjeld and answered, “In Equestria, there is a magic mirror, officially called the Crystal Mirror, that acts as a gateway to an alternate world — this world. Normally, it opens briefly only once every thirty moons, but Princess Twilight was able to figure out a way to force it open, allowing her to visit whenever she wants to.” Sunset paused before asking, “What are you trying to tell me?” Kjeld pulled out his phone and searched through a series of pictures as he simply answered, “Equestria has the Crystal Mirror. The Lego World has this.” He found the picture he was looking for and turned his phone around to show it to Sunset. Sunset looked closely at the image on the phone and saw what appeared to be little more than a black box that was covered in all kinds of blue lines and circles that appeared to be glowing. “A box?” “The Dimensions Box,” stated Kjeld as he put away his phone. “Like your Crystal Mirror, the contents of this box would permit access to other universes.” “You mean like another alternate world to this one and Equestria?” asked Sunset. “No,” replied Kjeld. “They are completely different universes, and yes, I did say more than one — much more, in fact. The only thing these universes have in common is that they are all built around the Lego system, just like in this world.” “And why do you wish to keep this such a closely guarded secret?” Kjeld slowly returned to the window as he replied, “Because it turns out that these boxes were distributed to all these universes to face a terrible conflict. Most worlds immediately jumped right in, but I want this world to have no part of it.” “Why not?” Kjeld gazed upwards out the window as he replied, “My father was a pacifist. My grandfather was even more so. I guess you could say it runs in the family, for I, too, wish to avoid any potential conflicts at all costs.” He cast a knowing glace back at Sunset as he added, “If I ever have any say in such matters, of course.” Sunset responded with just a slight smile. Kjeld turned to face Sunset as he continued, “The moment that box is opened shall be the moment we gain access to all these worlds and everyone who resides in them. We could call upon many great heroes, but also attract a lot of terrible villains. And since this world and Equestria are now semi-permanently linked, that would automatically give Equestria access to these worlds, too. That is simply too great a risk for me to take, so for the sake of keeping the peace, that box shall remain closed.” “If that’s the case, then why are you even telling me about this box?” asked Sunset. “Because if there ever comes a time when we might face serious trouble and we are left with absolutely no other choices, then at least you’ll be aware that this option even exists.” Kjeld walked over to Sunset as he continued, “As the only person from Equestria living in the Lego World whom I can trust, you will also understand better than anyone else just how risky this option would be.” He placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and firmly asked, “Do you promise me that you will save the Dimensions Box to be used only as an absolute last resort?” Sunset didn’t hesitate to confidently reply, “Consider it a Pinkie Promise.” Kjeld smiled and softly said, “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer. I knew I could count on you.” He removed his hand from her shoulder and spoke up, “Anyway, I’ll leave it entirely up to you to decide on whether or not to share with your friends and teammates everything I’ve told you in this room, though I would highly recommend that you say nothing about the Dimensions Box.” “Understandable,” acknowledged Sunset with a nod. Kjeld nodded back and said, “Now then, let us rejoin the others downstairs.” He walked over to the door and opened it, then gestured for Sunset to step though first. Sunset silently accepted the gesture and left the office ahead of Kjeld. The threat of the Shadowbolts and the incredible potential of the Dimensions Box certainly gave her a sense of just how precarious a peaceful life could really be. But she remained confident that as long as she had her best friends by her side, then they would always be able to overcome whatever obstacles might lie ahead.