//------------------------------// // An Ancient Secret, A Ruler's Discovery // Story: Nine Tales Of Equestria // by Natural Disaster //------------------------------// Celestia sat on her throne, peering down at her student, who had come running in shouting about a presence being inside the Canterlot Caves. "Twilight, are you a hundred percent sure you felt a presence and it wasn't just feedback from your spell" "Yes Princess, this energy was entirely different from my magic, it not only had a completely different color, and it was also much more potent than any other type of energy I have ever felt before, including you, Princess Luna and even Discord!" As Twilight spoke she constantly shifted from left to right, showing just how nervous she was. Celestia frowned, hearing from her prized student that whatever energy she had felt was stronger than even Discord did not sit well with her, especially considering the fact that such energy was under HER city. It was at this moment she made a decision. "Guards! Give the order for Squad 9 to mobilize, tell them that it is an unidentified entity though its power is much more potent than Discord's own, and so bring everything!" The Guards, having heard what their Princess said, couldn't help but be shocked as then ran out the door to do as they were ordered. "Uhhh, Princess, what's Squad 9?" Twilight couldn't help but be curious and had to ask. Celestia looked down at her student with a small smile. "Squad 9 are a group of remarkable warriors each with abilities unique to them only that are to defend Equestria should the Elements Of Harmony prove unable to defeat a foe or if the foe being fought must be....eliminated for the good of all ponykind, though they are much more qualified to fighting foes with high levels of magic due to all of their skills being able to contain almost any form of energy. Now, come with me Twilight, we must go and wake my sister so we may go with Squad 9 to investigate." Twilight couldn't help but be shocked, after all, finding out that not only the energy she had found would cause her mentor to call a highly powerful group of warriors to go investigate, BOTH Princess' of Equestria would be going with them. To her, it seemed far too much, even if the energy was more potent than Discord, the Elements of Harmony had easily trapped him back in stone. 'Wait a minute......The Elements of Harmony!' "Princess! We could just send a message back to Ponyville to bring the rest of my friends and if it is required we could use the Elements!" Princess Celestia stopped to think for a moment, before shaking her head. "No Twilight, the idea has merit, but it would take too long to call them here. We do not know how this presence will react to being awoken, it might retaliate soon so we must make the first move." It didn't take long for them to reach Princess Luna's room, and Celestia simply looked at the guards in front. "Protocol Chimera" Those two words somehow caused the white stallions to seem whiter than before, then one ran into Princess Luna's room just to come back out five minutes later with a fully armored Princess Luna. "SISTER! WE ARE READY FOR BATTLE!" The force of Luna's shot blew back Twilight's mane while Celestia simply sighed. "I had forgotten no-one had told you the meaning of Protocol Chimera....it does not matter, just teleport that armor somewhere safe, though be prepared to bring it back if the situation needs it" Luna just blinked, then in a flash of light she was in her normal attire. Celestia then lead them towards the courtyards and when the door opened, Twilight finally got to meet the esteemed Squad 9. Straight away, Twilight's eyes went to the absolutely HUGE, muscular minotaur who stood towards the groups back, he had almost black fur down from his hips, and slightly blue tinted fur above, he wore a strap around his chest which held up on his back, from what she could see, a long bundle of bandages with a very large handle which went over his shoulder that had a small decorative skull as the pommel. Next, her eyes went to a small, female, smiling griffin, who had heterochromiac eyes, one a deep green and the other a vivid purple, the lion part of the griffin was a pale grey, while the eagle part seemed to give off a greenish tint and she was coated in silver armor which was highly decorated with odd symbols and gems which seemed to crackle with magic. Lastly, her gaze went to the only pony of the group, first seeing the semi-long blood red mane that was slightly spiked, then the bright silver that made up his body's fur, the odd cloth armor, which was also covered in the same symbols as the griffins armor, he also had scrolls tucked up on where his flanks would be and across his back, then she finally noticed the somewhat familiar blue eyes which shone with mischief. "GLEAMING SHEILD?" Gleaming sheepishly smiled, hoof behind his head and eyes squinted shut. "Oh hey there Twilight, didn't think I would be meeting you here, but what can I expect with you being the student of our Princess of the sun" "Well you could have tol--" "There is no time for idle conversations, we must go and investigate the energy first" Celestia looked around with a stony look "Yes my Princess, right away" Then they were off to the Canterlot Caves Twilight led Squad 9 and the two Princess' to where she had felt the energy come from and they came to a massive wall of glowing red crystal. "Well looks like this is the place" Gleaming felt the need to point out the obvious and that caused the huge minotaur to glare at him, "What? I thought I would tell you lot!" The minotaur just grunted in annoyance. "Hush Gleaming, we do not wish to provoke an attack from our unknown guest, Princess'" He then looked over to Celestia and Luna, “I think it would be wise for you two to use your magic to notify the creature that we are here to we do not surprise it, then could you please cut a doorway into the wall in front of us" This reasoning cause Celestia and Luna to nod, then look at each other. With a simple movement both Princess' shot a wave of magic out, and instead of the two waves fighting with each other, they both mixed together and melded into one form, showing the unity of the sisters. The new wave flew through the wall and nudged the great beast behind it. Kurama opened his eyes, moving his head to the direction from where the nudge had come from and noticing a group of highly positive feelings coming from behind one of the walls of his den. 'I guess my little warning earlier didn't deter my little....intruder, seems like it's time to greet my new guests.....'The grin that accompanied that thought would have brought shivers down the spine of any onlooker as he stared at some energy cutting through the wall. The group all took steps into the looming darkness which was revealed through the cave wall. Twilight was the first to notice and she had frozen in terror, Celestia saw this. "Twilight, what’s wrong?" "L...Look up....." They all lifted their heads, slowly, it was then they all found themselves being stared down by a glaring pair of red, slitted eyes and a massive sharp toothed grin.......then it spoke "Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly, won't you take a seat?" Twilight screamed as a leering fox's face came out of the shadows from above them.