22 -- The Busy Life of Twilight Sparkle
“BEAGLE, BREAK RIGHT!”
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07:50, 11/30/2015, LUNA’S CHAMBERS, CANTERLOT
Twilight fidgeted in place as she glanced around the spacious rooms that Princess Luna rarely occupied lately. Books and scrolls were scattered about haphazardly, and Twilight had been especially careful not to disturb anything as she waited for the lunar diarch to arrive. Just because I can’t make sense of the chaos here doesn’t mean there isn’t a logical system in place for Luna, she reminded herself, and her mind drifted back to the time she had tried to teach the Cutie Mark Crusaders how to organize the library. I still haven’t found all the books that should still be in the library...
A small flicker of movement caught Twilight’s eye and brought her out of her thoughts. A small clockwork device sat on the large table that dominated the center of the room, and Twilight was quick to recognize the purpose of the device. Two arms were present on the device, with the farthest arm holding a masterfully cut topaz that glowed with some inner fire. The second arm held a perfectly spherical and featureless stone that seemed to drink in all the light that dared come close to it. In the center of the device was a sphere that most certainly represented their world, with immaculate engraving to mark its continents and seas.
What was perhaps more interesting was a small pile of parts similar to the Equestrian solar system model that rested near the table. All the parts were there to create a similar device as the first one Twilight had seen, but a significantly larger number of arms and other objects were present. At the center of the pile was an unenchanted topaz much like what was used to represent Celestia’s sun in the first model, and a short distance away was a small arm and a brownish stone. Next to that was another arm and a glass marble that continued to swirl with blue and green colors. And after that…
Ah! She’s trying to make a model of the human solar system? Twilight asked as as she rapidly identified the respective worlds as she went down the line of parts. The topaz is the only thing that’s enchanted, and the rest is clockwork? That’s amazing! I bet-- she clamped down on the wandering thoughts. No, Twilight. Don’t get distracted, no matter how much you want to be.
Before Twilight’s train of thought could spiral any further downward, the doors to the chamber were pushed open and Princess Luna entered with a tired look on her face. The expression was short-lived as she composed her expression and took a seat near the younger alicorn. “Good morning, Twilight. I understand that you have something you wish to discuss with me?” Despite the statement being posed as a question, the lunar diarch’s tone and knowing look made it come across more as a statement.
“Yes, Princess. I--”
One hoof rose to cut Twilight off. “Please, Twilight. While we’re alone, I would prefer you call me by my name instead of my title. Nopony is here but you and I. If you insist, then you can consider honoring my little request as payment for listening to your problem.”
Twilight simply nodded her head before looking down. Where do I begin? I don’t want to get anypony or anyone in trouble… but… “Last week, I found out that my friends had a secret that they were keeping from me. It might even be bigger than them! I don’t know how long it’s been going on, either! I think my friends found out about it last week but nopony has told me anything!” The younger alicorn could feel her words turning into an uncoordinated ramble as she continued. She forced herself to halt and take several deep breaths. When Twilight finished her exercises, Luna placed a steaming cup of tea on the table beside her seat and waited for the younger alicorn to take a sip.
“It’s a very grave concern that you have, Twilight,” Luna said after allowing the younger alicorn several moments to calm down. “However this situation resolves itself, you should always keep in mind that your friends would never knowingly choose to do you harm. You should also consider that their decision not to tell you may have other implications.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.
“As you said, this secret concerns you, yes? I will assume that it doesn’t pertain only to you?” Luna held up a hoof to halt Twilight’s question before it was even asked. “Is it possible, perhaps, that they have not directly told you this secret because it was shared to them by this other party on condition that they don’t discuss it? Perhaps this other individual is approaching your friends as a way of indirectly approaching you on the subject?”
“I suppose that makes sense…” Twilight grumbled as she looked down.
Luna gave a slow nod and a gentle smile in response. “I imagine Celestia would have loved to have had this as a letter, were circumstances different. When somepony does something that hurts you, it’s frightfully easy to assume their actions were deliberate and intended to cause the pain you suffer. I will not try and argue that there are some that harm others deliberately, but it’s just as likely that their actions were unintentional and not meant to have the effect that they did. Have you spoken with your friends about this?”
Twilight couldn’t do more than look down at the marble floor. “No. Not yet. I keep trying to but I just...” she trailed off, and her voice refused to comply with her thoughts. It just feels like everything is coming undone and everyone is keeping secrets! The humans used my magic I gave them to create their golems and Celestia knows what else, and I don’t want to think about what Chrysalis tries to do to Matt when they’re alone. It’s been almost a week and none of my friends has said anything to me about this!
“I can see the turmoil in you, Twilight, and I’ve seen it in your dreams as well,” Luna said as she studied the younger alicorn’s face. After a moment, her gaze fell to the floor as well. “I must admit that I know the nature of the secret to which you refer, and the individual involved.”
“WHAT!?” Twilight blurted out, and the teacup nearly toppled from her telekinetic grasp. How many have known about this? Was I the last to know!?
“Calm yourself, Twilight. I only discovered this secret recently, and I spoke with the individual in question. I believe it was my conversation with him that prompted his decision to approach your friends,” Luna said. “I apologize for not sharing this with you, and it isn’t my place to say anymore. I would recommend that you speak with all of your friends today, as they will be able to provide a great deal of insight into this incident that I cannot. Will you do this for me, please?”
“Yes, princess,” Twilight said quietly, and Luna winced at the mention of her title instead of her name.
“I hope that when the truth is revealed, you will forgive me for my part in this. Just remember that there are more sides to every issue than the one that you see it from, Twilight,” Luna said, before walking towards the doorway. “Please send my regards to the High Talon when you meet with him, okay?”
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09:00, 11/30/2015, GRYPHOS REFUGEE COMPOUND, CANTERLOT
Twilight was escorted from the outer perimeter of the griffon enclave by a pair of hawkeyed sentries, and dozens of armed soldiers could be seen keeping watch from the rooftops or maintaining checkpoints on the street level. Everyone, from pony vendors delivering food and other supplies, to other refugees in the compound, to Twilight herself, were stopped at every checkpoint before giving approval to proceed.
They take their security seriously, not that I blame them, Twilight thought as her griffon escorts led the way into a larger structure that was positively teeming with the avian people and their children. If the aliens are using pony look-a-likes and invisible monsters, I would make sure everypony was just as on guard. I suppose if they don’t have magic to detect such things then they have to make up for it with additional wings in the air, so to speak.
The young alicorn’s attention was brought back on track when a massive griffon stepped into their path to block them. One of her escorts stepped forward and whispered quickly to the larger griffon. It looked up from the smaller griffon and Twilight found herself staring into the pitch black eye sockets of its featureless helmet. The moment stretched on uncomfortably before it responded with a head tilt and began to walk further down the corridor.
“The Myrmidon will take you to the High Talon, princess,” her escort said with a polite bow before leaving Twilight to catch up to the armored griffon. The only thing that passed between the two was the click of the Myrmidon’s metal talons and the rattle of the absurd number of weapons that adorned his body.
A new sound eventually joined, then overpowered those that came from the Myrmidon. Laughter and shouts that could only come from the Cutie Mark Crusaders filled the corridors, as well as two voices that they had first heard only recently. The first of these voices was that of the young High Talon, barking orders that were punctuated with clipped laughter. And the second…
“Command, Beowulf,” the faceless golem said as it turned it’s golden-glass gaze at the young alicorn…
The quartet of younglings were bouncing a ball between them in rapid succession as they charged across the courtyard. A swift kick from Applebloom sent the ball tearing across the courtyard’s grass with blinding speed, only for it to get kicked straight up into the air as Scootaloo skidded into it. Alvar snatched the ball out of the air and launched himself into a forward spin to gain as much momentum as possible before tossing the ball straight downward. The ball’s trajectory twisted in mid-air with Sweetie’s magic and hurled toward the impromptu goal and the goalie protecting it.
The golem from Twilight’s memory hunched over in front of the courtyard’s arched entrance, it’s blocky legs widespread and three-fingered hands raised. Its head was lacking any of the features that would be present on a pony or even a human face. A plate of golden glass covered where the eyes would be, and what might be described as plated ‘shutters’ rested on its forehead so as to not impede its vision. The armored head tracked the ball as it spiraled through the air, and only when it had passed through the goal did the golem react. A metal hand struck with hawk-like speed and precision, snatching the ball out of the air but not before stumbling backwards almost comically on one leg. Once it regained its balance, it tossed the ball back to the cheering children.
The game was all set to continue until Alvar noticed the Myrmidon and Twilight’s approach. He spoke a few hushed words to the foals before approaching. “My apologies, Princess,” Alvar said formally as he bowed to the alicorn. “It is unforgivably rude that I request this appointment and then nearly forget about it.”
Twilight returned the bow to the young griffon before giving him a smile. “Please, call me Twilight, if you don’t mind. Given the reason for your delay, it’s perfectly understandable. Those three are quite notorious for getting into all sorts of trouble. I should thank you for looking after them all of this time and keeping them out of… danger,” Twilight said sincerely, though she cast a wary glance at the golem as it caught and returned another ball toss.
Alvar followed the direction of Twilight’s attention before nodding slightly. “You may call me Alvar if you prefer. Every time someone addresses the High Talon, I find myself expecting to see my father… but that is beside the point.” Alvar motioned to a short staircase leading to the balcony above the courtyard. Once the pair were situated, he continued, “The golem’s name is Beowulf, named after a human hero of the distant past. It might surprise you to know that he shares our concerns regarding the safety of those three fillies.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Twilight said as she continued to watch the game in the courtyard. It’s hard to reconcile the idea of that golem playing with foals when the last time I saw it, it was killing aliens with its fists. Matt said there was someone controlling it, but still…
“A couple of days after the battle, Beowulf approached me personally. He explained that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been snooping around the human compound just before the battle last week. That wasn’t the reason for his visit, though,” Alvar explained as he also looked out to the courtyard. “When they were spotted, the three naturally panicked and ran away. Beowulf was the one that found them and brought them back to safety just before the battle commenced. He also informed me that they had been in very real danger during the search, as they had unwittingly found a… depository for the bodies that the alien infiltrators had murdered while they were in the city. It was then that Beowulf and I agreed to do everything we could to keep the Crusaders as busy as we could so they don’t wander off on their own. I don’t doubt that the guard has done an excellent job in sweeping the city… but I don’t want anything dangerous to come near them ever again.”
Twilight spared a glance towards the young king, and her eyes lingered on the sword that was strapped to his back. I don’t doubt for a minute that he means exactly what he says. I also don’t doubt that he would use that sword or even his own beak and talons to defend them if necessary. I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to kill if he had to.
“I hope that I have answered your concerns, Twilight,” Alvar said as he waved a talon towards the padded seats just inside the balcony area. He waited for Twilight to take her seat and get comfortable before he continued, “Before I pose my questions, I must warn you that these are somewhat personal and private to me, so I would very much appreciate your discretion. You may also refuse to answer if you wish, if you find the subject as hard to discuss as I do.”
“Anything you say will stay between us, Alvar,” Twilight said with a nod before casting a wary glance at the Myrmidon lurking on the perimeter of the balcony.
“Do not worry about him. If anyone could keep a secret in this world, it would be the Myrmidon,” Alvar said with a chuckle before he composed himself. He took several long breaths and closed his eyes before he mustered the willpower to speak. “Shortly before the attack, I saw you teleport all of your friends and some others into the medical wings. When some of them stated their intent to assist in the battle, you wore an expression I’ve only seen once before.” The confidence that the young griffon had previously been projecting vanished and more a too-young child in Twilight’s eyes. “When the aliens attacked my homeland, I saw that same look on my brothers’ faces when they told me to escape with the others. That was the last time I saw them alive. I still don’t know what they were thinking! I’m a griffon, a son of the High Talon! Battle does not frighten me! Neither does a glorious death!”
Twilight continued to study Alvar as his voice rose in volume at his declaration. When she was certain that he was finished, she spoke in a quiet voice that sharply contrasted his. “I think you know the answer already, Alvar. When you were explaining how you wanted to protect those three fillies, what did you think? What did you feel?”
The griffon’s expression went from curious to introspective as he considered his answer. “Caution, and determination. They are far too soft and innocent for the terrible things that come from war. It might be greedy of me, but I don’t want them to lose those qualities. It would feel too much like a tragedy for them to be forced to give that up.”
Twilight nodded before posing her next question. “I’m sure if it came to it, they wouldn’t hesitate to help anyway they could if another attack occurred.”
“No, absolutely not!” Alvar snapped, his face a study in shock as he stared at Twilight. “These monsters aren’t like anything in the little games they play. I would sooner die than allow them to put themselves in danger!”
“And I’m certain that’s exactly what your brothers were thinking the last time you saw them, Alvar,” Twilight added sadly. The young griffon’s eyes widened as the logic all fell into place. More than once he attempted to speak, but his words failed him and he remained silent. The pair watched the fillies play their ball game in silence for several moments before Twilight spoke again. “You had mentioned that there were other questions that you had, right?”
“Yes, I do. Since father… since I became High Talon, all of the griffons have been treating me differently. It’s expected that the rank and file would alter their behavior, since it was almost unthinkable that I would be the one to take this position.” Alvar paused and seemed to struggle over his words. “My friends… my clutchmates that I’ve grown up with and trained with all treat me as the High Talon. They don’t treat me like Alvar. Your friends still treat you like a friend and not a ruler, Twilight. I don’t… I don’t know how to get my friends to treat me the way they used to.”
For all the responsibility that has fallen to him, Alvar is still a child at heart, Twilight thought as she watched the young griffon remain in his ‘regal’ pose despite his uncertain expression. He’s done well despite the pressure, but he wants some part of his old life to remain the same. I can’t exactly blame him. “I’m not so certain I can help with that, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to work things out with them. If you don’t mind me asking, did your father have any close friends?”
“Just the Talons that served with him.”
And they’re all dead. Smooth move. “How was your father treated by his subjects?” Twilight asked in an attempt to keep from dwelling on the more morbid details.
“With respect! He was always addressed by title and all of his decrees were carried out to the letter for the good of the empire.” The explanation started out strong but quickly dwindled as Alvar reached the end. “That’s how they’re treating me now, too. With ‘respect,’ like a subject treats the High Talon. I don’t want that from my friends.”
“I won’t argue that it’s not a position that’s worthy of that respect. It almost sounds like a cultural expectation,” Twilight observed. When Alvar responded with a skeptical glance, she continued. “The way you described your father sounded… lonely. He earned the respect he got, but it separated him from the majority of his people. It might be hard, but you should stay in contact with your old friends. They’re still very young, and they might not realise that they’re hurting you by treating you the way they think they should. Once they grow a bit older, they’ll realize that you’re still the same griffon they knew, despite the fancy title. Until then, you’ve got to keep trying.”
Alvar mulled over the alicorn’s words. “Thank you for your advice, Twilight. It seems that the one thing I’m reminded of every day is that there is so much I don’t know. It’s… disconcerting.”
Twilight’s response was a reassuring smile. “Starswirl said it was the mark of the wise to know when you don’t know everything, and the mark of the fool to claim to know everything. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to learn about friendship over the past few years, so I’m happy to share what I’ve learned. Maintaining a relationship is just like maintaining a skill or a muscle. It takes hard work and determination to make it work. If you neglect it, it will weaken and it might fail you when its needed most.”
“An apt analogy,” Alvar nodded, before hesitating over his words. “I must admit to having less experience than you in most things, but if you have any need of me or my people, all you have to do is a--”
“WATCH OUT!”
Through either skill or pure luck, the ball from the Crusaders game launched over the balcony railing with an impressive amount of speed, ricocheted off of the doorframe, and flew straight at Alvar. The young griffon had just enough time to let out a squawk in surprise before it knocked him off of his seat. One talon rose triumphantly with the ball securely in its grasp as Alvar shouted, “Girls! How many times are you going to do that and claim it’s an accident afterward?”
Twilight had to stifle a giggle when she heard all three of the Crusaders laughing from the lower level. When Alvar cast the alicorn an apologetic look, she waved a hoof and he descended to join them in their game. I may have to take you up on your offer to talk, but not today. I’ve got to go see another friend, Twilight said to herself as she was escorted out of the compound.
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12:30, 11/30/2015, JUNKWALL, OUTSKIRTS OF CANTERLOT
The day immediately following the second battle of Canterlot had revealed a massive number of ships that were destroyed and unceremoniously dumped by Shining Armor’s barrier shield around the base of the Canterlot mountain. The humans had dubbed the massive piles of wrecked ships a ‘boneyard’, but the Equestrians had adopted a slightly less grim ‘junkwall’ to refer to the new perimeter that surrounded the city. As soon as the city had been secured against any remaining aliens that had managed to enter, the troops had scoured the junkwall to eliminate any survivors that would pose a threat to the city or the stream of refugees that made their way there.
And, as a testament to human ingenuity (or as the detractors claimed, greed), the moment the junkwall was declared tentatively secured, XCOM’s engineers had descended en masse to salvage anything they could from the wreckage.
It was one such engineer that Twilight was dearly hoping to see as she entered one of the temporary buildings and trotted towards one of the larger groups of humans. Tarps had been laid out in a wide area as well as several temporary buildings, and various artifacts retrieved from the ships were spread in some logical way that the alicorn couldn’t quite make sense of. Humans in work clothes were everywhere, as well as a hooffull of soldiers in heavier body armor keeping watch.
“Blasted scavengers,” muttered a voice from behind Twilight, and she couldn’t resist the impulse to look over her shoulder and glare at the source. A pegasus stallion from the Solar Guard stood at her flank, and he was at least polite enough to attempt to hide his disgust at what he saw. He tried a lot harder once he became aware of Twilight’s attention directed at him.
“Is there a problem?” Twilight asked with a forced amount of sweetness in it, though her eyes continued to shoot daggers.
“I just don’t think it’s proper to strip the junkwall. It’s a giant tomb now,” the guard observed, and he cast a disgusted look out the window towards one of the larger buildings that the alien corpses were being taken.
Twilight’s response was a bit more heated than she initially intended. “If you can’t contain your displeasure, then perhaps you should return to the castle.”
“I’m sorry, princess, but Captain Armor ordered me to--”
“I never said you would have a choice in the matter,” Twilight snapped, and the guard vanished in a flash of purple light. Shiny is going to give me an earful when I get back, she thought glumly as she walked further into the salvage camp. More than once, the human engineers stopped to watch her as she walked past before resuming their duties.
Her walk became a trot as she heard a familiar voice among the general clamor of the salvage area. The human in question was easy to pick out from the others, with a mostly bald head, graying hair and a wrinkled face marking him as at least two decades older than any of the others working in the area. His face lit up when Twilight shouted his name. “Mister Shen!”
“Twilight!” the elderly engineer said with a wide smile as he turned to face the approaching alicorn. He handed a tablet computer to one of the workers beside him before walking to meet Twilight halfway. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to visit you yet, but things have been busy here. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, thanks for asking, Charles,” Twilight answered before glancing around at the collection of other humans that went about their work. “Do you have a minute to talk? Privately?”
A small look of concern entered Shen’s expression as he led the way to a small desk that was separated from the rest of the work area by some distance. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid this is the best I can manage at this point. I didn’t want to mention it earlier, but you seem tired, Twilight. I imagine it must be a bit stressful, being a princess now?”
“It was a bit of a shock, but everyone’s been really supportive,” Twilight explained as she looked back and extended one of her wings. “My brother wants me buried in guards if I leave the castle, which is more than a little aggravating. I suppose I should ask Cadance how she deals with his smothering overprotectiveness.”
Shen smiled as he listened before chuckling. “It’s one of the pitfalls of having family that cares. Cadance is your sister-in-law, right?” When Twilight nodded but didn’t say anything else, Shen took his seat at the desk and gave the alicorn a long look. “I appreciate the chance to talk as much as the next person, but my instincts are telling me that you came here for more than that. Am I right?”
Twilight nodded again, and she chewed her lip before working up the courage to finally speak again. After several false starts and aborted words, she said, “When I was on Earth, you showed me some of the things you had made using the information I had given you…”
“I remember,” Shen nodded. “There were some armor systems, and the Ea generator that--”
“That wasn’t everything, was it?”
The good cheer in the human’s eyes slowly faded, and he sagged in his chair. “No, it was not,” Shen admitted. “You, of any of your kind, should be aware of how creative humanity can be if we have to be. What you taught us has opened up entirely new fields of study on how the world works and how we can fight the aliens. The survival of our species might justify what we’ve done in the long run, but I feel personally responsible for abusing our friendship by not telling you about everything we had made.”
Twilight’s head sank as her fears were confirmed. No matter how indirect it is, it’s more blood on my hooves. I gave them everything they needed to make all their weapons and armor because Lana getting hurt scared me. An idea struck the alicorn and sent her for a loop. But… if I hadn’t given them this information, more humans might have been killed! Matt wouldn’t have been hurt… but Lana wouldn’t be whole without the arm I designed for her. Which was the right choice, and which was the wrong one?
“Do you regret it, now that you know the truth?” Shen asked gently, but the question struck Twilight like a physical blow.
“No. No, I don’t,” Twilight said finally, her gaze locked on the floor. I did what I did to help Lana and the rest of my friends on Earth. I can’t ever regret helping someone who needs it. “I just… I wish the aliens would just go away. I don’t want there to be any more killing, but I don’t want my friends to get hurt any more.”
“You’re not the only one, Twilight,” Shen said as he knelt beside her and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. That simple contact was like a breaking dam for Twilight, and the elderly engineer quickly found himself wrapped up in a tight hug. “You’re not the only one,” he repeated as he returned the embrace.
The two eventually separated, with Twilight feeling much better despite all of the uncomfortable questions that the conversation had brought up. I guess I didn’t really need to be told about all of that. I just needed to hear it from him, Twilight thought as she looked up to the engineer. Shen had begun walking out of the salvage area with Twilight immediately behind… only to nearly run into Matt and Lana. Both of the new arrivals were clad in heavy armor, and both held their helmets to one side and their weapons on the other.
“All of the ships have been cleared out to the third marker, so you should be able to begin salvage operations,” Matt reported professionally before his gaze fell to Twilight and he smiled. “I should have known you’d end up here eventually, Twily. Shen’s been up to his eyeballs in salvage, but he did have plans to come visit you as soon as he could.”
“I should probably get going,” Lana said with a not-quite apologetic smile and a glance at Matt.
Matt’s expression was eerily similar in return. “You probably should. I think I saw Firecracker somewhere outside, and she’s looking for you.”
A curious series of emotions raced their way across Lana’s face before she forced a smile and marched out of the room. She was nearly knocked over when the door flew open and Shining Armor galloped over to the humans gathered around Twilight.
Is he… did he run all the way here because I teleported my guard back to the castle? Twilight asked herself with equal parts affection and annoyance. “Shiny…”
“Oh, uh, hello Twilight,” Shining Armor said between gasps, as though he was seeing her for the first time. His attention shifted back to Matt as soon as he caught his breath. “I came here to warn you, Matt. I was reviewing the new officer listings within the Solar Guard and found a name I didn’t expect. If he has reenlisted, then--”
“Good afternoon, captains, princess,“ a new voice greeted from the entrance to the area. The voice’s owner was a unicorn stallion with a dark blue coat and mane, and while his cutie mark was hidden under his armor, Twilight had absolutely no trouble recognizing her father. “I’m Captain Night Light, formerly with the reserves but recently reactivated.” His amber gaze addressed each of the room’s occupants that weren’t already working before finally settling on Shining Armor. “Captain, you seem to be out of breath. Was there some sort of emergency?”
“Oh, ah…” Shining stuttered before shooting a glance at Twilight. “Princess Twilight seems to have misplaced her guard escort while outside the castle, and I thought it would be best to keep her company until she returned.”
“Is that so?” Night Light asked, casting a skeptical glance at his two children before walking to stand before Matt. “I believe this is our first time meeting, Captain Harris. I wanted to personally thank you for all of your work here so far, and for what you did on Earth. I know Twilight can be a lot to manage, but I’m glad to hear my daughter was able to make such a good friend while she was away.”
More than a little anxiety began to eat away at Twilight’s composure, and she was sorely tempted to teleport Matt, Night Light, or herself away from this disaster in the making.
Throughout the entire exchange, Matt had watched with polite interest. He had maintained his cool composure when the conversation had shifted directly to him, though the slight widening of his eyes betrayed some surprise when Night Light revealed his connection to the others in the room. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. When she was on Earth, she always talked about how much her family meant to her,” Matt said with a winning smile.
A laugh erupted from Night Light as he turned to leave the salvage area. “You’re a terrible liar, Captain. I like that about you. It took her two years and a wedding invitation for her to tell her friends that she had a brother!” He looked over his shoulder and motioned for Matt to follow, who obligingly fell into step behind the Equestrian captain. The two continued to talk animatedly even as they exited the building.
“Did that just happen?” Twilight asked blankly as she shot a dumbfounded look at her brother.
Shining returned her look with an equal amount of surprise. “I think it just did.”
“Did Matt seem…odd to either of you?” Shen asked aloud, causing both unicorns to nearly jump in place. “He seemed really… well, maybe I’m just imagining things. It was nice seeing you again, Twilight, as well as meeting some of your family. I’ll try and stop by later this evening once the workload is reduced a bit, alright?”
Twilight nodded absentmindedly as she tried not to imagine what horribly embarrassing stories her dad might be telling Matt. She was already halfway out of the door when Shining shouted, “Twilight, where is your guard!?”
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03:00, 11/30/2015, MEDICAL WINGS, CANTERLOT
Twilight chewed her lip nervously as she paced back and forth in front of the door to Fluttershy’s room. She could hear voices talking on the other side; all of the other Element Bearers were present, unless her ears failed her. Just calm down, Twilight, just calm down. Remember what Luna said. Stop, breathe, and do what you have to. The alicorn took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. One hoof slowly rose up, and before she could talk herself out of it, she knocked gently on the door.
“Please, come in,” Fluttershy’s voice said from the other side of the door, and Twilight stepped inside. Fluttershy sat in a wheelchair near the windows, with the other Element Bearers sitting in the overstuffed chairs and sofas nearby. Spike was also present, writing something down on the table near Fluttershy’s bed, but he put his paperwork down when he noticed Twilight now in the room.
“Good afternoon, everypony,” Twilight greeted as she tried to keep her voice steady. It was significantly harder to meet the eyes of her friends, and she felt her resolve begin to crumble under the temptation to just run out of the room and hide. “I… I guess you’re wondering why I wanted to meet you all here…”
Rarity was the first to answer. “You don’t need a reason, Twilight! It feels like its been ages since we’ve all gotten together just to chat without some terrible threat hanging over our heads.”
Some of the tension that had been building in the back of Twilight’s mind deflated a bit, and she latched onto the temptation to talk about anything but what she should. She let out a nervous laugh before she opened her mouth to speak.
“His name is Victor Spiegel,” Pinkie Pie interrupted, which caused Twilight to nearly bite her tongue as her jaw snapped shut and the other Element Bearers to gasp.
“Pinkie! You promised you would keep it secret!” Applejack nearly shouted as she rose from her seat and shot the pink pony a glare.
Pinkie returned the glare with an arched eyebrow. “We knew about Victor. Twilight knew that he was here. She knew that we knew, so she called us all together. And I knew that she knew, so it’s not a secret if everypony knows, right?”
“Then why didn’t anypony talk to me about this before now?” Twilight asked, and her previous anxiety began to creep back into her thinking. Nevermind my friends here, why would he even come here with the humans in the first place? Why would Matt and Lana let him come here without telling me first?!
All of the Element Bearers looked away guiltily, save for Fluttershy. “Twilight, I know it’s hard to look at a situation like this from another perspective other than your own. You almost died, and nopony blames you for what you’re feeling.” The pegasus looked to the others in the room, who all nodded. Spike had made his way from the bedside table and put a comforting claw on one of Twilight’s legs, which nearly caused her to break then and there.
“Twilight, do you recall anything that happened after your injury?” Rarity asked carefully.
“Matt?" Twilight asked weakly, "Could you… scratch my ears, please?”
“Well... I was asleep for most of it, then I woke up in Canterlot,” Twilight said as she weighed the guilt of lying to her friends with the warmth that particular memory brought her.
“I have to really twist my head to understand their reasons, but Victor said the humans were scared that we might end up attacking his people because of what happened to you. They told Victor that they were keeping him was as a peace offering if we came wanting revenge,” Applejack explained, and her expression was scrunched up as though the words themselves were bitter to taste. “When Princess Luna went to Earth and worked out how we’ll be helping them, they told Victor to keep quiet or bad things would happen.”
“I don’t know if I can blame them for thinking that,” Rainbow Dash said, though she couldn’t meet the eyes of the other Element Bearers in the room when they turned to her. “I was up doing the early morning weather shift the day that they brought you back, Twilight. I nearly had my feathers scorched when Celestia blasted past me like a fireball to get to you. That kind of welcome would scare anypony, especially when Victor was the one who did it.”
“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy warned with a pointed glare.
“It’s true, isn’t it? I know that he said he was scared and that he’s feeling guilty about it, but that doesn’t change the fact that he shot Twilight!” the other pegasus snapped. “If Celestia had mustered the Solar Guard and invaded, it makes sense to use him as a scapegoat.”
Fluttershy’s harsh look only intensified. “Rainbow Dash!”
“I’m not saying it’s right! I’m not saying I like that choice or agree with it!” Dash shouted back.
“GIRLS!” the shout brought the budding argument to a grinding halt, and all eyes turned to the unlikely source of the interruption. “I could be wrong, but something tells me that this is an argument you’ve already had,” Spike said as he looked at each of the mares before turning back to Twilight. “Before you start arguing again, I think you owe Twilight an explanation for why you didn’t tell her.”
Nervous glances went between the mares before all eyes went to Fluttershy. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she explained, “Victor has spent a great deal of time visiting me after I was hurt. He saved my life, and Zecora’s, and he wanted to make sure I would get better. When I told him that I couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares, he told me that he had the same problem. What happened to the both of you has been haunting him just as badly as what happened to me.”
Smoke in her nostrils. Three humans mutilated by a monster. Claws scrabbling against cement, propelling an unspeakable horror forwards. STAY AWAY! The memory and her own experiences with nightmares caused Twilight to wince, and she couldn’t bring herself to interrupt as Fluttershy continued.
“The reason we couldn’t tell you is because it took a lot of trust for him to tell me what was bothering him, and even more trust to tell the others. You’re my friend, Twilight, but so is Victor,” Fluttershy said as she met the alicorn’s eyes. “He told us because he intends to talk with you eventually, but I think the thought of actually speaking with you scares him. I hope you can forgive us for not telling you about him as soon as we found out, Twilight. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“I’m afraid she’s right, sugarcube. I could tell that it took a lot of effort for him to tell us as much as he did,” Applejack offered, though her eyes narrowed as she continued. “I also get the impression that he was sugar-coating some of what he told us, though I don’t have any idea just what he was holding back..”
While the earth pony spoke, Rarity rose from her seat and moved to Twilight’s side. “We felt absolutely terrible about keeping this from you. Can you forgive us?” she asked.
Everything they’re saying makes sense, but it still hurts that they didn’t tell me, Twilight said to herself. Despite that dull ache in her heart, she found it hard to resist the temptation to accept their apologies immediately. Am I a terrible pony for not forgiving them just like that? Why can’t everything be simple like it used to be? Despite her doubts, she nodded at Rarity but remained silent.
“Thank you, Twilight,” Rarity said as she put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder for support. “Now… I hope you don’t think I’m prying, but there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about for a little while now.”
“Oh, here we go. Rarity’s letting that new book go to her head,” Applejack said with an eyeroll.
Rainbow Dash let out a burst of laughter. “Exactly! Those books are for mares who can’t get a coltfriend.”
Rarity’s eyes were as sharp as knives as she glared at Rainbow Dash. “You must enjoy them a great deal then, darling?” When the pegasus’s humor became a scowl, the unicorn smiled smugly. “And for your information, I came across this juicy bit of information before the last in the series came out, so this isn’t just my imagination running away with me.”
“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked, despite the creeping sensation that she should be running away as fast as she could.
The fashionista’s expression became a beaming smile as she turned back to Twilight. “Earlier this month, I had a chance to take some measurements and used a pair of humans to help with my designs. You remember, right? Mister Finch and Miss Jenkins helped immensely. While I was working, I had a rather enlightening conversation regarding your good friend, Captain Harris.”
“Isn’t he the guy who blew up half of Ponyville?” Applejack asked with an arched eyebrow.
“I think that’s right, AJ. Something’s seriously wrong with him,” Rainbow Dash confirmed as she stared at Twilight.
“It’s not like that! It’s just that he was really nice to me back on Earth, and he’s a good person who’s had to make some hard choices! I know he was scary during the fight at Ponyville, but he wasn’t himself then, and he’s always nice to me when we’re alone--”
The last thing Twilight felt before she drifted off to sleep was the amazing sensation of his fingers scratching her ears...
“--AND NOTHING HAPPENED!” Twilight blurted out as fast as she could, her face growing redder from a combination of frustration and other emotions. Her rant was halted when she caught the knowing smiles from the other mares and the barely suppressed giggles from Rarity. “What are you all smiling about!?”
“I think the princess protests too much,” Applejack grinned.
“And what she just said… it’s almost word for word from the book,” Rarity explained as she continued to do her best to restrain her giggles. “It’s just so adorable.”
Twilight was just about to launch into another flurry of denials, when the pieces came together in her mind. A romance book that’s somehow linked to recent events, with dialog that’s similar to how I talk? Please please please don’t be what I think… “Where is the book?! Let me see it!” Twilight demanded, and her magic immediately emptied out Rarity’s saddlebags that rested against the wall.
The majority of the contents were the usual things she expected the unicorn to carry: a mirror, a brush, a small coin pouch, other knick-knacks… and a hardcover book. The literature in question shook in Twilight’s telekinetic grasp as her worst fears were confirmed. The cover featured an alicorn in a rather passionate position with what could only be a human. At this point, the book was shaking too much for her to read the blurb or the title, but she immediately recognized the author’s pen name.
In a flash of purple light, Fluttershy’s room vanished and was replaced by a well-kept living room filled with well used furniture and family pictures filled with familiar unicorns. “MOTHER!” Twilight roared at the top of her lungs. “COME HERE RIGHT NOW AND EXPLAIN THIS TO ME!”
“There’s no need to yell, Twilight,” a voice replied from one of the rooms next to the living room. “If the aliens are attacking again, you’re going to have to tell them to wait. I nearly missed my last deadline, and my publishers want me to crank out a sequel as quickly as I can given how well my last book sold!” The owner of the voice, a white coated unicorn with a two-tone white and purple mane, trotted out and affixed Twilight with her best parenting look. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“This!” Twilight yelled, and she nearly beat her mother over the head with Rarity’s book. “Explain this to me!”
“It’s a book, dear. I write those because it’s a fun way to spend my time and to make a living,” Twilight Velvet explained slowly. “That’s actually my newest release! Did you finally muster up the courage to buy one on your own and read it? You are getting to be that age, after all…”
“NO!” the younger Twilight snapped, and she tapped her hoof repeatedly on the cover. “I want you to explain why you’re writing books about me and… and…” She couldn’t finish her thought, so she continued to tap the cover to indicate just what she meant.
Velvet’s response was to tilt her head sideways and arch an eyebrow. “But I didn’t write it about you, Twily. I actually asked Princess Cadance if I could use her as a physical model for the character. She’s a big fan of my books too…”
Twilight spared a glance at the cover again as Velvet continued to explain. Just as she said, the alicorn on the cover was more pink than lavender. Artistic license with several features ensured that nopony could associate it with a pony in real life, but there was enough similarity for Twilight to make the connection. Did I really jump to conclusions? Maybe I let my friends teasing get to me…
“Wait just a second,” Velvet stopped mid-explanation and cast a suspicious glance at her daughter. “The last time you acted like this was when I was publishing my Book Smarts series. You were just a teenager at the time and you had a crush on--” The light of comprehension shone within the older unicorn’s eyes, which only grew with Twilight’s horror that her mother knew. “Twily, dear, do you have--”
“ARGH!” Twilight screamed in frustration as she flung the book upwards with her magic and teleported back to Fluttershy’s room. “Not a word from any of you!” she huffed indignantly as she pouted. When no teasing became apparent, she glanced to the other mares in the room and saw that all attention was on Spike.
A scroll was in his claws, which he offered to Twilight. “It’s from Princess Cadance, and it’s addressed to you, Twilight,” Spike explained.
I swear, Cadance, if you’re sending me a letter to tease me, you will rue the day! Twilight thought as she flattened out the scroll and began to read.
Twilight, I don’t have a lot of time, but I wanted to apologize for what this letter is going to do to you. If I had any other choice, I would have taken it, if for no other reason than to spare you from having to be the first to hear this. The train tracks leading to the Crystal Empire were destroyed some distance from Canterlot, forcing myself and my retinue to continue on hoof. I suspect that was the aliens’ plan as this left us isolated and unable to adequately defend ourselves when they attacked. We’ve met with several other crystal ponies, who all tell of widespread attacks in the Crystal Empire.
A centaur has been leading their efforts to hunt us down, and I dare not face him directly. He somehow possesses the ability to steal magical capacity, and far too many of my guards have been left weakened and powerless. It is absolutely imperative that you tell Princess Luna and Shining Armor about this threat, as he will be unstoppable if he is allowed to rampage with the aliens’ permission. I had thought to play the decoy to allow my little ponies to escape to safety, but I fear that I have underestimated this centaur and his allies. I’m afraid I only have the time to write this letter due to the nature of my hiding place, though not for much longer Even now, I can hear their approach, and it’s only a matter of minutes at best before they reach me.
I struggle to write these words, but by the time you finish this letter, I will likely be dead.
I know how much you care for me, Twilight, so I know how hard this will be for you to take. Please find comfort with your friends or that mysterious human that you and Shining never told me about. Mourn my passing, but don’t let my absence harden your heart and turn you into an angry and bitter mare.
And please tell Shiny that he was the best thing thing that ever happened to me. I don’t regret knowing him for a single moment, and I cherish his love more than anything in this world. Please don’t let me be the last mare he loves, Twilight. I don’t want him to spend the rest of his life lamenting what was lost. Maybe you could get him to talk to that human named Fujikawa, once everything is settled down? I think it would be healthy for him to have someone he can talk to professionally.
I’m so sorry that you’re the one who has to get this letter, but I know you’ll do what’s necessary. Goodbye, Twily.
“Twilight, what’s wrong?!” the shout tore the alicorn’s teary eyes from the letter to the worried faces of her friends, then to Spike. The dragonling brought one claw up to his mouth and belched a massive gout of fire, only for the flames to deposit a large object in his grasp and vanish almost as quickly as they appeared. “Twilight… why is this here?” Spike asked quietly as he looked down at the Crystal Heart.
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Good afternoon, everyone!
I hope everyone enjoys this little slice of Twilight's life before I punched you all in the feels. THIS IS XCOM, BABY! EVEN IF YOU NEVER WEAR ANYTHING, YOU'RE STILL ISSUED A RED SHIRT.
So I think I know what happened with the minotaurs and the golems: the minotaurs were using golems extensively, but then there was an uprising, and golems were banned in the aftermath.
That last bit was a curve of into left field. This will not end well for all involved.
i decided to take a peak and find myself facepalming.
magic jamming grenades? are you joking here? that is full on contrived way to somehow make them more of a threat. it makes no sense that they could figure out how magic works, or at least enough that they could disable it with machinery.
magic is a metaphor, and science cannot be used to describe a metaphor. the whole use science thing is a cheap method that really does not make sense.
other than that, i have a major issue with another contrivance, that the elements would not work.
the elements are not order, yet are. throughout the series we get hints of what harmony is. the regal sisters are an alicorn of light, and one of the night. the element bearers are not paragons of their virtues and struggle with personal, and in some cases mental, issues.
twilight's very name is an event where darkness and light intersect.
the elemens of harmony are both chaos and order, light and darkness combined. good can come from order or chaos, light or dark. evil is when these factors go to an extreme.
these aliens are a prime target for the elements of harmony, for the represent corrupted order.
I tried playing Long War, and noticed that it helpfully gave all my soldiers red armor.
........ and another grievance.
seriously dude, don't you think that if anything messed with the everfree it would wake something up?
5913588 And right before I go and risk my life learning how to drive.
How kind of you...
5913588 And even if it's a white shirt, it'll get covered in blood anyway.
EDIT: Also, I may have referenced that inverted want-it-need-it spell in one of the stories I work on. Can't remember which, but this is a huge inspiration to me. Thanks, Arad!
Buckle up, folks. Tirek has come calling.
Goddammit. Something tells me that Twilight will do the exact opposite.
Another good chapter and mixing in events
Another enjoyable chapter. Good work.
When you realize that even your Colonels aren't immortal.
5913720 why would he though? if he does he will just get himself involved in all of this madness.
They just keep racking up the points that make us want them dead, don't they? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
5913588
No, the phrase is even if you have the best armor, you still wear a red shirt for this is X-Com.
So Teriek is in the world now, I wonder who gets him first, the aliens, the three alicorns or the humans. I feel sorry for Teriek if its the humans.
My prayers have been answered. I'd really love to hear more lore about Sombra's elerium usage. Might prove relevant to this Tirek business.
I wonder how the aliens are keeping said Centaur under control given that psionics is magic... the threat of plasma fire, perhaps?
Oh, and I seriously doubt Candice is dead. No, her fate will be far worse then that... I'm thinking brain implants and cloning.
......... tirek had to start with unicorns. then he had to work his way up to the other pony breeds after that, before ultimatley taking alicorn magic.
also it seems unlikely he would have involved himself in these events at all. and if the aliens somehow found him, he would not be seen as something of use to them.
cadance not being able escape is also implausible. she may not be celestia but she is still powerful. more than likely she could have teleported herself and the others, along with the heart, out of the area and back to ponyville.
seriously dude i thought about coming into this for a while, and so far i am disappointed right and left. you have some rather contrived reasonings for making the aliens a threat, are pulling anti magic technology despite how cliched, and contrived, that actually is. and at several points it seems you temporarily neuter characters so they end up in a bad situation, mainly cadance here. no teleporty because she has to die, or worse.
..... maybe you have an explanation for tirek, but so far i am not feeling confident.
Really nice. Kind of a wind-down chapter before the sucker punch. I'm hoping Discord messes up Tirek this time around.
Up ticks the doomsday clock! The Crystal Empire has withdrawn its funding.
its
Being hunted down like an animal is no excuse for run-on sentences, Cadance!
Don't know why, but this revelation at the end just gave me a 'meh' kind of feeling, again, I'm not sure why but it just didn't punch me in the gut like you were planning. I mean, I think it might be that I don't care much about Cadance, but it could be that the way that you put it in your comment makes it seem like you're doing it more for shock value then anything else *shrugs*. Anyways, meh chapter is meh.
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Oh God. What the hell, man
Aw come on, don't kill Cadence man! She's one of those characters who really grew on me after her abrupt intro.
I am really hoping you don't kill off cadence. You have not done it to any other of the MLP cast yet. Please don't start now.
Time to reply to comments!
5913661
Nope.
5913662 5913697 5913788 5913878
Going to reply to all your comments in one go.
First, the ground work for Jammer grenades was set up back in Stardust, and I had originally gotten the concept from other fiction (Unicorn Gelding from L2L's Doctor Who stories, and another story that used a binding to lock a unicorn's magic that I've sadly misplaced) so the concept isn't uncommon. I'm not quite certain what you mean by 'magic is a metaphor' to explain how it cannot be studied and measured like a science, which is something that Twilight has done. Regarding the elements, that will be explained further in Mente Materia as well as in the side story Celestia.
Second, I'm assuming you're referring to Chryssalids turning Everfree into a massive breeding ground that needed to be purged by fire. What exactly would be woken up?
Third, Tirek's motivations will become apparent in the fullness of time.
Fourth, further details regarding the circumstances of Cadance's fate will be discussed in the following chapters. I'm sorry to hear you don't like this development, but unless you stay until the end then there's nothing I can do for you. I won't spoil what's going to happen, but I can say this has been planned for a long time.
As I explained earlier regarding the Jammer grenades, I've laid the groundwork for this some time in the past, and I have my reasons for making these decisions. You are free to have your own opinion but it's not my fault if you make your assumptions without all the facts.
5913666
That should be a sign of what Long War is all about...
5913703
Rejoice! You were issued the red shirt at birth! Just gotta avoid wearing it...
5913717
Oh? What story is that?
5913833
Next few chapters will prove to be very enlightening!
5913939
Sorry you feel that way. Was it intended as a shock? Yes. Was it added purely for shock value? No. I have -plans-.
Hmm, what happened to Venus?
Poor Myrmidon.
Oh.
Aww that talk with the mane 6.
BWAHAHAH! Twilight can never get a break from her family, can she?
Poor mare.
Oh ffs, Tirek's allying with them?!
No. No no no.
This just took a turn from 100% Happy to 100% Heartwrenching REAL quick.
Arad, I hate you. I hate you so SO much! Why would you do this to us?
5913662 And I *along with others* am finding myself face palming at YOU. Instead of taking a 'peak' *which should be spelled 'peek'* at Mente Materia, go back and read Stardust from start to end first before you start slinging your annoyed vitriolic rants that is, frankly, making you seem like more of a complaining snob than Reality Check is half of the time.
Magic as established in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic canon IS a science, which is why there are schools to teach it, ponies to research it and then apply what they learn about it from said research. Heck, the closest we get to actual magic in our reality would be quantum physics (seriously, particles that can simultaneously exist in different parts of the universe at the EXACT same time is one example, i.e. quantum entanglement), so one COULD theorize that things like The Elements of Harmony, The Tree of Harmony, and Discord's "Chaos Magic" would be the field of magic's equivalent to quantum physics. So going off of that, magic would be just a form of 'science' that mankind hasn't had a chance to study, but the ponies have for ages. Twilight Sparkle herself was the catalyst for discovering how all this works for XCOM, as well as *spoilers* Elerium being what the Aliens use to artificially recreate the same effects that unicorns can do by manipulating the 'Field' which the energies that supply 'magic' comes from. Here, read Stardust Supplment Files pt 3 for further understanding. Also, try to remember that this is FICTION, meaning you can have 'magic' be metaphorical like you were stating OR just another form of science. Comic books, movies, and video games have been doing this for AGES (DC's "nth metal", Marvel's "uru" metal, and Mass Effects "element zero aka eezo" being prime examples).
As for the grenades, they are based on what is known as "Rule Breaker" tech which, as stated here in The Deal , is a device that disrupts the drawing of energies from "The Field" that power magical spells. Originally used to help those humans suffering from migraines as their brains started to tap into the Field *aka what is known in the games as Psionics* as well as to allow those with "The Gift" to be able to practice with their powers yet be able to shut them down safely in case they get out of hand, the A-Holes at EXALT weaponized it to be used against those who can use magic, hence the grenades.
The Elements of Harmony won't work on the Aliens for two reasons. The first is very simple: the Elements have already been returned to the Tree of Harmony before the events of Mente Materia started. The second, as Discord explains it in Meanwhile pt 3 , is the Aliens are indeed their own form of perfect Order aka harmony; they are all mind controlled 'cogs' in a very MASSIVE machine that works in perfect, meticulous order, each race/class of enemy having their roles to fill and doing so in perfect harmony with the others. Also, here's a startling revelation.... the Aliens are NOT evil.... they are just aliens. To humans and ponies (who have similar ways of thinking), they sure seem evil, but to the aliens, it is just something they have been doing and are totally emotionless about it (like Vulcans taken to a horrifying extreme). To use another scifi/fantasy example, H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu causes a person to go insane when they gaze upon it.... we view it as an 'abomination'/evil-monstrosity because it is THAT alien *aka foreign* to our logic; it is following its own form of logic.
Anyways, there ya go. I explained things to the best of my abilities, so take it or leave it however you wish.
is the kingdom Tirek from going to join the ponies and humans? have you read the comic? I think scorpan is the king there now
So... Cadence's guards had no comms at all?
Cadence had no X-Com personnel with her? No guard for high-value targets like her?
No notice of attacks or anything of the sort until it was too late?
X-Com or not, I call shenanigans.
5914178 Eh, whose to say that there WEREN'T XCOM guards or comms there with her? Perhaps the signals got jammed and they were ambushed by 'cloaked' enemies (remember, we've got stealth technology for various enemies in the game and this story), overwhelming them in moments. Just look at Vietnam.... U.S. troops would regularly stumble upon by accident OR get set upon by large groups of Vietcong simply because they were THAT well camouflaged. Just fill in the blanks with your imagination :D
5914123 she measures it with magic science dude.
to get technical magic IS actually a metaphor. it was used to describe things we do not understand long ago.
in context of mlp, the most powerful forces in their world are in fact things represented as metaphors. interpersonal connection, love, anger, harmony, darkness, light, night, day. if the greatest manifestation of power in their world is interpersonal connections and the balance of order and chaos, then would stand to reason that magic is more closely related to metaphor and emotion than science.
there is definitely a certain amount of science to it. but ultimately the truly powerful magics have more to do with emotion and abstract concepts than scientific theories and figures.
magic might be used to affect the physical world but that does not make it so easily studied by science. one could mix the two together , combining magics aiblity to defy physics by using knwoledge of physics, but it seems that anythign that could be used to supress it would have to actually use magic as well.
with the everfree forest........ it requires a god tree to hold it at bay, and the forest was wearing the god tree down without its elements.
put simply they would have t odeal with the god tree, or worse the god tree could itnentionally release the everfree as a response.
it seems aplsubile that dangerous, powerful things live in the everfree forest. why else would the tree of harmoyn be so necessary?
put simply it seems both that there is a terrible power in the everfree, kept at bay by the tree. though i am pretty sure that causing so much disruption as those chryssilide things did, would cause the things that live there to stir.
things that require a seemingly eldritch entity to contain. an entity that might be compelled to let it wake up considering the circumstances.
not saying there are forest chthulus in the everfree, but their has to be something akin to forest chthulus if the tree of harmony needs to be there.
5914123
Eh, it's no problem, it's mostly that I'm sure that Cadance is either going to be still very much alive, or turned into an enemy by the aliens, I doubt she'll just be 'dead dead' (because from a narrative perspective that would be boring) so this is kind of just the 'okay, now we wait for the next chapter for things to get interesting again' part. I'm sure you'll wow me and the rest of us of it like you've always done before (this is really the only chapter that's left me at 'meh' so don't worry, you're still doing great!)
5914243
Human magic may be a metaphor. This is a magical society, where it isn't a metaphor. As Edward Elric says "Its not magic, its a science." Different universe, different rules. If a person claps his hands and a rock pillar grows, everyone would freak out. In the Fullmetal Alchemist universe, that's simply an alchemist practicing his craft.
Regarding the Everfree Forest. Arad's headcanon. Not yours. I can write the Forest as having a massive kingdom hiding in the middle because plot reasons. I can have a giant wolf who secretly controls all the animals in the forest. Because I made it that way, and it exists according to its own logic.
Its your headcanon that the tree holds the monsters at bay. My headcanon is that they simply don't want to leave the safety of the forest to face ponies. They are both valid because you're the god of your own universe, not others. Arad has his reasons for the pony universe existing in this way. Judge it by its story telling, not by background details that conflict with your headcanon.
Hell, numerous authors have written their own version of Equestria's past, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy all of them at the same time.
5914243 In this story Unicorn magic is the same thing as Elerium tech is the same thing as XCom psi powers. XCom tech is all about 'cheating' by using the enemy's powers against them. The first thing they did with it is figure out how to shut all that off -- and yes, they do it using magic. Their 'rule breaker' devices are magic-powered.
As for the Everfree... if there is a Cthulhu being held in check by the Tree of Harmony, why would burning down the trees and killing the Chryssalid-infected animals matter to either of those entities? It'd be like shaving someone's fur off in their sleep.
Oh, shit, it's Tirek.
Every time XCOM gets a minor advantage the odds beat humanity back into the dirt.
And there's only so many times you can get back up before you lack the strength to do so again...
Technically, the tree was being worn down by Discord's plunder seeds, not the forest. We don't actually know anything about the Tree however.
As far as we know, it caused the forest.
Or, it was placed there by some other force.
Or, my personal favorite, it picked that spot to avoid all the well intentioned but noisy and obsessively micromanaging ponies over yonder, but still be close enough to bail the planet out of trouble when they get attacked by the great evil of the month.
"Why me," said the Tree, with a long suffering sigh.
Well, this chapter's just turned up a rather unexpected development, and I'm not sure it's going to end very well at all.
I really do hope there's something behind the scenes here, otherwise I'm not sure of what's going on anymore.
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I'm... going to do my best to respond, but some of this is hard to read.
Magic science? Is that like... chemical science (chemistry), or creature science (biology), or... you get the picture. Pulling the definition of science returns the following:
Which is kinda what Twilight does with her magic. To her, magic can be broken down into measurable effects just like gravity or any other phenomenon that occurs in our every day lives. To us, it seems magical (as in defying the rules of the universe) because it doesn't happen here. To Twilight, 'magic' is just another part of the universe she lives in, which she chooses to study. Much like a botanist, physicist, or chemist are experts in their fields, Twilight is an expert in her chosen science. And if you had actually read Stardust, you would know Rule Breakers do use a form of magic to negate the abilities of others.
If my memory serves me correctly, it wasn't Everfree that was strangling the ToH. It was Discord's evil seeds that he forgot about. The argument could be made that those seeds also affected the forest, but my point still stands.
As for why the Tree is necessary, that's the sixty four thousand dollar question, isn't it? I've got my own plans in motion to answer that question. Unless I'm missing something, apart from Discord's evil seeds there is no arch evil monster in Everfree, and your argument begins to sound a bit like personal head canon (which is unrelated to this story).
Edit: Appletank did a much better job of breaking down the 'Magic is science' idea.
5913878
Have you read the first story?
5913662 no
Just no.
Have you been reading any of the rest of this story at all?
Aside from magic observerably not being.. That.. The Aliens themselves use Psionics which is functionally the same thing as magic.
Secondly, XCOM themselves could create antimagic grenades. They already have anti-magic armbands, also known as Rulebreakers.
5914362 I tried to explain to him too. Though I agree Appletank did a fair better job than I did :)
Introspection, meeting with friends, funny and embarrassing moments, and then- OH FUCK!
Enter: Lord Tirek. Thumbs up!
5914362 was stating it in a silly way. there may be science to it, but ultimately the question is magic reliant on science, or is sciences tudied so the ponies can more easily perform feats that make Einstein cry?
as i said the most powerful magic in equestria is a force that relies on abstract concepts and other very not science factors to function. so it seems that science may be more guidelines than rules....... especially since pegasi can itneract with water vapor as if it were a more solid substance.
as for the everfree forest. as i said i do not know if there are forest chthulus, or if the forest itself is chthulu. however there is more than likely some great and terrible force to the everfree, something alive. celestia does mention that the tree is in the everfree to keep what lives there subdued. and even then we have slef animated wolf golems and constellation based beasts wandering around.
and i am not even saying something evil. but still some primal and something dangerous enoguh that it requires the twenty four seven presence of a god tree.
if it was nothing than just a big old forest, or if the issue was just its strange magic, then why would celestia mention something about unknown entities?
there has to be something there.
and actually it was it keeping the everfree at bay without the elements that wore it down. the plunder seeds were completely inert for a thousand years simply by the tree's presence. it wore down over those long years, likely because without the elements there was far less dominance on its part over the forest. till it was weak enough for the seeds to grow once again.
I am shocked and feel the urge to swear, but I won't so I'm just gonna say Blueberry!
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While I disagree with him on almost all of his other points, I do understand lordofmyth's point regarding the Elements of Harmony. I would never consider Order and Harmony to be the same thing (hell, I even wrote a story revolving around that very concept) and even if they did surely the E of H would act to enforce the users' definition of Order. Otherwise, they would have had no effect on Nightmare Moon, as she considered herself the bringer of a new order.
Interestingly enough, despite the above, the removal of the E of H doesn't bother me. First off, because they are so powerful that it is difficult to work-in a conflict that they cannot immediately solve without resorting to stupidly overpowered villains. A good writer works around these limitations, or somehow adjusts the universe accordingly. Secondly, there have been a fair number of hints dropped that there is a reason the E of H do not work on them beyond what we currently know. Lastly, the story itself is very good and otherwise handles the difficult act of balancing two very different power scales, extremely well.
You had me smiling through the entire chapter and then you end it like that.
5914497 *Nods* I totally agree. And I will not talk about any potential future story developments as I am an editor of the story, and I don't want folks thinking I am dropping hints when I am not lol.