//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Other Voices // Story: Queen of the Predacons. // by Gyvon //------------------------------// Chapter 6 Other Voices Laughter rang out as two blurs, one prismatic and one violet, raced across the cerulean skies. Twilight had been flying with Rainbow Dash for most of the Afternoon and had been challenged to a quick race by the cyan Pegasus. Surprisingly, Twilight was able to turn much faster than her athletic friend, though Rainbow Dash could easily outstrip the Alicorn in a straight line. Their race finally came to an end with Rainbow Dash edging out Twilight by a couple body lengths, with only the numerous turns in their impromptu course allowing Twilight to keep up at all. "Wow, Twi, you really are a natural." said Rainbow, hovering next to an airborne Twilight. "Are you sure this is the first time you've been flying?" "For the last time, Rainbow, yes!" she replied, voicing a little more frustration than she intended. "There's only one spell that would allow me to fly, and I've never used the 'Butterfly' spell on myself." "Could've fooled me." Rainbow replied, barely managing to suppress a grumble at the mention of that particular spell. She had long since forgiven Rarity for attempting to show her up at the 'Young Fliers Competition'. The fact that Rainbow had won the competition while saving her Unicorn friend from pancaking into the ground below Cloudsdale helped assuage her feelings, but it was still a sore spot for her. Taking a moment to shake those ill thoughts from her head, Rainbow Dash looked around the sky for someone. "Where's John?" she asked. "I thought he'd like to be part of this race." Twilight slapped herself. With as much fun as she had flying with Rainbow, she'd completely forgotten about him. She joined Rainbow in her search, and found John sitting under a tree next to a white, pink-maned Pegasus that she instantly recognized. Eyes wide, Twilight let off a gasp that would make Pinkie Pie proud. She folded her wings and quickly dived, passing Rainbow Dash and causing her to spin like a top. After stopping her rotation, Rainbow Dash looked down to see where Twilight was heading. "What's Twilight in such a rush for?" she asked nobody in particular before flying after the lavender mare. "So anyways," said John, between bouts of laughter, "after spending all night at school, George and I finish rebuilding the damn car, and as we turn to leave the office, we see the Principal standing in the doorway, staring at us dumbstruck." "Oh my." said Celestia, stifling her own giggles. "You two must have been in so much trouble." "Oh, we were screwed, no doubt about it. Mr. Henderson regained his composure quickly enough, and yelled 'What do you two have to say for yourselves?' at the top of his lungs." he continued. "George, in his infinite wisdom, stood up straight as a board, looked around the room, and went 'This isn't where I parked'." The Princess couldn't keep her composure any longer, and burst out laughing, imagining a teenage John and his friend caught with their hands in the figurative cookie jar. Her mirth was infectious, and John found himself laughing along with the Princess. They continued laughing like hyenas until a flustered Twilight landed in front of the pair. Her wings flared and eyes widened as she gasped once more before speaking. "Princess! What are you doing here?" she asked. "That's the Princess?!" shouted Rainbow Dash, who landed right next to Twilight "Wait, how do you know it's the Princess?" asked a surprised John. "It's quite simple." replied Celestia. "Twilight has seen me in this disguise before. We would occasionally walk around Canterlot together like this. As for why I am here; Spike sent me a letter this morning and I came as soon as I could. I would have been here sooner, but I had an important conference call with President Eden." "What did the President want?" asked John. "He called it the 'Elysium Project'. I'd say more, but it's classified." said Celestia. "However, you should be fully briefed on the project soon enough. The President just wants to keep it a surprise. It's only in the early planning stage anyways." Although still curious about the project, John was content to drop the subject. If National Command Authority wanted something classified, by god it was classified. "Anyways," he said, "we've been shooting the breeze for the past couple hours while you two were having fun. I even told her about the time I put my high school principal's Yugo in his office." "Oh, that story's hilarious!" interjected Rainbow Dash. "I always wanted to meet your friend. What happened to him?" "Last I checked, he's working with Richard Childress. You two would've gotten along just fine." Twilight, a little miffed that she was cut out of the conversation, cleared her throat. "Princess, thank you for coming so quickly. I have so many questions! Where do I start?" "Why don't we start by adjourning to somewhere more comfortable, my student." replied Celestia. "Your library, for instance." Twilight's smile would've put Pinkie Pie to shame. "That's a great idea!" she said, and jetted off, leaving Rainbow Dash, the disguised Celestia, and John in a cloud of dust. "She seems in good spirits." Celestia stated matter-of-factly. "Shall we follow?" "Lead the way, Princess." replied John. As the Princess left, he turned to the cyan Pegasus. "You coming Rainbow?" "Why would I" she asked, a puzzled expression on her face. "I don't need to be there while Twi 'interrogates' the Princess." "What about the surprise party Pinkie undoubtedly has waiting for Twilight at the Library?" It took a moment for that statement to register in Rainbow Dash's head, but she grinned and nodded her head when it did. Rainbow Dash, Celestia, and John arrived at the library to find Twilight waiting outside the front door. "S-sorry I just left you back there." she said sheepishly, rubbing her forelegs together. "it's just... I'm so excited! I have so many questions. Like-" "Any questions you have can wait until we get inside, Twilight." interrupted Celestia. "I'd rather nopony else figure out that I am anything but a normal Pegasus." "Oh, of course." said Twilight. Without turning, she telekineticaly opened the door to the darkened library and backed inside, followed by Celestia and Rainbow. Before John entered, he turned down the sensitivity of his audio receptors. Smirking to himself, John ducked into the Library. Twi really needs to get a bigger doorway, he thought to himself. It was then that Twilight turned the lights on, and John, Rainbow, and Celestia looked around to see... ...Nothing. No party favours or party guests were to be found in the Library. Only the books along the wall and boxes littering the floor could be seen. Twi must've gotten some new books in, mused John as he readjusted his audio receptors to full. ...Which is when Pinkie decided to jump out of a nearby potted plant. "SURPRISE!!!" she yelled, surprising the four newcomers. The three mares jumped, nearly hitting the ceiling, while John clutched his hands over his ears as he fell on his backside. "Sorry I couldn't get the party fully set up. I only found out an hour ago." said Pinkie, talking a mile a minute. She then reached into her mane and pulled out a remote control with one big red button. Holding the device in one hoof, she pressed the big red button. The scattered boxes poofed open. One shot various party decorations around the room, while a large table materialized out of another, covered in various snacks. From the rafters, a large banner that simply read "Congratulations Twilight" unrolled. "Instant Party; my latest invention!" exclaimed Pinkie. "Sure I've still got a few bugs to work out, but once I manage to get everything into one box, my party throwing ability will increase by twenty percent. So, were you surprised? Were ya? Huh, huh, huh?!" "Yes, very." replied a twitching Twilight. "Someone get a spatula! We need to peel Rainbow off the ceiling!" yelled John. "Oh, ha ha!" retorted Rainbow as she landed next to the disguised, visibly shaken Celestia. "Say, if this is a party, where're all the quests?" "Oh, I knew I forgot something." said Pinkie, slapping her face with a hoof. She dashed over to the potted plant she jumped out of earlier, reached in, and pulled out a megaphone. The hyperactive mare then stuck her head out the door, took in a deep breath, and yelled "PARTY AT TWILIGHTS!" into the megaphone. John would bet money that the residents of Canterlot heard that proclamation. He'd wager that Appleloosa heard at least a faint whine. Hell, John had no problem imagining someone in Barbados looking up at the sky and asking "what was that?". That was when they all heard the sound of thundering hooves, all converging on the Library. "What should we do?" asked Twilight, voice raised to be heard over the din of the approaching horde of ponies. "Probably best to just enjoy ourselves for the time being." replied Celestia. "We can talk later, Twilight." To the Northwest of Ponyville, on the outskirts of the Everfree Forrest a sole being waited for his contact. Dinobot was late with his latest intelligence report, because he had no report to give. His contact had failed to meet him at the usual rendezvous point. This was troubling news for the former Predacon. While he didn't particularly like his contact, the information his spy managed to report was usually good, and the spy had never been late to a drop-off in the past. Dinobot could only conclude one of two things from this fact. Either his contact had been "made", or the Predacons were planning something big. Something that would prevent the spy from leaving the base. Neither possibility was pleasent to think about. "Where are you, vermin?" "So, I hear that Lt. Commander Kelley is on vacation." said Admiral Morrison. The current Secretary of the Navy was a joyless old man, a relic from the Cold War. "That's what Colonel Golovko told me." replied General Ackerson, Chief of Staff of the Army. "Honestly, I don't blame the kid. He's had a long year." "As far as I'm concerned, he had a month-long vacation not too long ago." SECNAV stated bitterly. "During which he not only defended a town from an actual, fire-breathing dragon, but also trained a pre-industrial fighting force to not only fight off the Decepticons, but actually managed to do so successfully" retorted Admiral Greene, Chief of Naval Operations. The retired SEAL was not afraid to put his boss in his place. "Let's not forget that my Marines had to save his ass." interjected the Commandant, not even bothering to hide the pride in his voice. It was then that President Eden decided to stop the argument before it could continue. "Gentlemen, we are not here to discuss the Lt. Commander's personal time. We have something far more important." "The Elysium Project?" asked the Secretary of Labor. "Correct." replied the President. "I've spoken with Princess Celestia and she agrees. This will be a monumental endeavour for both our worlds." "You're god damn right about that!" exclaimed the President's Science Advisor. "This whole project could very well change our whole viewpoint of the universe." The party lasted well into the night, but eventually began to lose momentum as the various ponies remembered that they had to work in the morning. They began shuffling out just before eight in the evening, until only nine remained. After the last guest left, Twilight, John, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike quickly closed every curtain on the ground floor. "Ok, coast is clear." stated Twilight as she closed the Library door. "Finally!" exclaimed the Princess, at long last able to drop her disguise. Twilight had let her friends know about the Princess during the party, but Celestia still managed to surprise them. The six ponies attempted to bow, but were stopped by the Princess before they could move. "There is no need for that. We're all friends here." "Sorry Princess. Force of habit." explained Applejack. "It is quite alright, my little ponies. Now, I hate to be rude, but I must speak with Twilight. In private, preferably." she said, only to be met with a simultaneous "awww" of disappointment from the five. "Now now, I do apologize, but this really is a private matter." "Oh, alright." sighed Rainbow Dash. "But before I go, I should warn everypony that there's gonna be a big rainstorm tomorrow. It's been brewing over the Everfree since yesterday and the Weather Center's decided to just let it hit Ponyville." "But we had a rainstorm yesterday!" exclaimed Pinkie. "No, Pinkie, there was no rain in Ponyville yesterday." said Twilight. "Yesterdays storm was only from Canterlot to just north of Ponyville." The hyperactive pink mare opened her moth to protest, only to be shushed by a hoof from Applejack. It was then that Rarity spoke up. "I must thank you, Rainbow Dash" she said, before turning to Spike. "Spike, would you be a dear and come by the Boutique in the morning? I need some help with my latest line." "Gee, I dunno." he said. "I've got a lot of chores to do, and I don't think-" the Dragon was interrupted when a lavender hoof tapped his shoulder. "It's alright, Spike." said Twilight. "I doubt anypony will be coming by tomorrow, what with it raining and all. I can watch the Library myself." "Gee, thanks Twilight!" said Spike as he hugged the lavender Alicorn. As he released her, the Dragon let off a loud yawn. "Hehe, I think it's bedtime for you, Spike." With a sleepy nod, the baby Dragon climbed the stairs up into the bedroom. The others took that as their cue to head home as well. Soon, only Twilight, Celestia, and John remained. "Now than, I think it's time I answered any questions you have, my student." said Celestia. "Wait, before you do, I want to show you something." said Twilight. Before either the Princess or Autobot could say anything, Twilight took off and flew into her room. The Sun Diarch shot John a puzzled look, only to get a shrug in response. Soon enough, Twilight came flying out of her room, levitating the golden disc she was studying yesterday in front of her. "Twilight, what is this?" asked the Princess as the disc was set down in front of her. "Where did you get this?" "It was dug up on Applejack's farm yesterday morning by a trio of 'junior archaeologists'." replied Twilight. "I've been studying it ever since. Well, that is to say, when I haven't been panicking over growing wings or learning to fly that is." "This is marvellous, Twilight." said the Princess, a hint of pride in her voice. "Have you been able to decipher these runes?" Twilight shook her head. "Not yet. I wanted John to take a look at it. He's more a historian than I am." "Yeah, but I suck at languages." replied the Autobot as he approached the disc. "Besides, I don't recognize any language this could be. Let me get a closer look." He reached out with one hand, and touched the disc. Before he could go any further, bolts of electricity streamed off of the disc, completely encasing the Autobot. "John!" cried Twilight, but it was too late. Screams of pure agony echoed off the living wood of the Library as John's skin cracked and burned before the two Alicorn's startled eyes. They tried with all their magical might to aid their friend, but not even the Sun Princess' potent magic could do anything. It was as if something was dampening her powers. Just as suddenly as it began, the lightning arcs stopped and retreated back into the golden disc, and John's burnt and broken body collapsed in a heap, staring at the two Alicorns with cold, lifeless eyes, only shallow breathing indicating that he was still alive. He remembered pain. More pain than he had ever experienced before. Even more than when Galvatron flayed him alive. But in this place, it all seemed so distant. He was standing amongst a ruined city, stone crumbling all around him. Vegetation clung tenaciously to what resembled Mezo-American architecture. Looking up at the sky, he couldn't tell whether it was day or night. There seemed to be an ever-present lavender light shining out across the heavens, neither sun, moon, or star to be seen. As he continued to stare at the sky, the light seemed to coalesce in one spot, slowly leaving a black abyss behind. When all the light had converged on one spot, a spot brighter than the sun, it flated down into the city, landing in front of him. He stared into the impossible light, and reached out a hand. As he touched the light, a loud, screeching noise rang out, seemingly coming from the very air itself. He clutched his hands over his ears, but the sound only grew louder, driving him to his knees. His vision swam as he began to black out, the light fading from the world. The sound slowly faded, until he could make out one word. One single, solitary word amongst the din. Vok. Warning: Stasis Lock Initiated Warning: Organic Form Critically Damaged. Estimated Repair time: ERROR. Warning: Transport Form Critically Damaged. Estimated Repair time: ERROR. Engaging Backup Form. ... Warning: Data Corrupted. Backup Form Not Found. Scanning Local Life-forms. ... Scan Complete. Optimizing DNA Sequence. ... DNA Sequence Optimized. Disengaging Stasis Lock. Rebooting