The Light of Equestria

by Sinthia

Chapter 4 - A Call to Few

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Chapter 4 - A Call to Few

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

~Tony Robbins

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Six ponies gathered in the center of the library.

All of them, save for one particular pink pony, stood wobbly and lazily, eyes half closed. Twilight was quick to gather them, teleporting from home to home, giving them half-coherent explanations as to why she needed their audience so late at night. They knew there would be a good reason, likely in the form of bad news, but fatigue reigned over them nevertheless.

“So Twilight,” Pinkie squeaked, bright and alert as ever, “why’dya bring us over to your house? It’s a really weird time to throw a surprise party.”

“Ugh, you brought us over for a slumber party?” moaned Rainbow Dash.

“No, not at all,” said Twilight. “Didn’t you listen when I woke you?”

Applejack rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“You’ve got to give me one or two or ten minutes,” she said, “if you’re gunna wake me in the middle of the night. You were blabbing somethin’ the minute you came to my door. Didn’t catch much.”

Rarity sat with her sleep mask still upon her head. “Sorry dear,” she said, “I heard something about the princesses?”

Pinkie gasped.

“The princesses are coming to the party?! Twilight, you should’ve told me sooner!”

“Yes, everypony listen!” Twilight huffed. “This is important, girls. Princess Celestia and Luna are on their way as we speak, and the situation is dire. You girls remember those strange lights outside of town several days back?”

“That’s what this is about?” yawned Rainbow.

“Yes, I remember,” whispered Fluttershy, her voice barely audible. “Whatever it was, it was scaring the animals in the forests. Scared me too...”

“But didn’t Princess Luna already take care of that business?” said Applejack.

“That’s what I thought too,” Twilight said. “But I’ve had reason to believe otherwise, and this letter from the princesses have confirmed it.”

Twilight held up the scroll that was sent to her just moments earlier. The royal seal was clear for all the ponies to see.

“What is it, then, Twilight?” asked Rarity.

“The princesses will be here soon, so I can’t explain much... but if what I believe is true, then our entire world is in danger. An ancient evil, older than the Celestia and Luna themselves, is coming back.”

Outside, the winds began to pick up. The branches and leaves of the library rustled and swayed, and a sharp, airy noise could be heard from above. The winds changed to a less natural sound, like a constant hiss that grew progressively louder. The air blasted to a crescendo as a loud crack resonated, just outside the door. The ponies jumped at whatever impacted outside, already on edge after Twilight’s words.

“What the hay was that?” shouted AJ.

A soft knock came from the door.

“Wow,” said Twilight. “That was really fast.”

She walked over the door and opened it, giving way to two large ponies standing outside. She bowed her head at first then embraced them, her worried look disappearing for just a moment.

“I’m very glad to see you, your Highnesses,” said Twilight.

Princess Celestia and Luna stepped into the library, and the other ponies greeted them with respect. Luna shut the door behind them as the ponies gathered close.

“Likewise, we’re glad to see you all,” said Princess Celestia.

“We know it’s an inconvenient time for everypony, but we need to make haste,” continued Luna. “Please, come close. We will explain everything, but here is not the place.”

Celestia and Luna both began to cast their magic, horns together glowing brightly. The ponies were anxious, but trusted the princesses fully, and huddled as an aura began to surround them. The light grew brighter, and in a flash, the ponies blinked from the library, leaving silence in their wake.

The sound of small feet dotted down the stairs moments after.

“Hey Twilight, I moved the last of the books upstairs like you asked,” said Spike, hollering from the top of the stairs. “In alphabetical order and all that... so hey, just wake me when our friends and the princesses get here, kay?” He yawned, walking back up the stairs. “I’m going back to bed.”

---

The ponies, eight in all, flashed into their destination. None of them felt tired anymore, with the rush of a mass teleportation spell flowing in their bodies.

“Wow, that was awesome, do it again!” shouted Pinkie, her voice echoing through a massive hall, with tall shelves of books as far as they could see.

“Oh, grand,” muttered Rarity. “Another library.”

“Where are we?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I recognize these seals,” said Twilight, glossing over a stack of books on a table nearby. “Are we in the Royal Canterlot Library?”

Luna gazed at their surroundings before responding.

“Yes, technically. We are in a separate chamber far below the castle.”

“This place looks ancient,” said Twilight. She picked up an old book and blew the dust off the cover. Even then, it was faded and barely legible.

“That’s because it is,” said Celestia. “We are safe here, but we will waste no time.”

The ponies stood in a circle around Luna and Celestia, listening intently.

“The future of our world is in danger,” said Luna. “A darkness is coming back.”

“But this is no Discord,” continued Celestia, “or King Sombra, or even Nightmare Moon. This evil comes from the stars.”

“Aliens?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“What do you mean, ‘coming back’?” asked Applejack.

“It goes by many names,” said Luna, “and yes, it has been here before.” Her horn began to glow, and several books started to fly at her from throughout the library at lightning speed. She levitated the books in a circle above her, opening them all to reveal various texts and illustrations. A few of the books were so old that it seemed like Luna’s magic was the only force holding them together.

“The Hive,” Celestia said. “An alien race bent on pure evil.”

The books showed many images of the Hive. The twisted bodies of the Thrall, the hideous Ogres, the frightening Knights. A distinct drawing showed a large, three-eyed monster, standing with a grotesque sword, and with it, a name.

“Kairus,” said Luna. “He came before, and tried to take our world by force. We would have fallen to his Darkness, but we were ready.”

“So you’ve beat them before?” asked Twilight. “Kairus, and these creatures?”

“Yeah, we’re all still standin’.” said Applejack.

“Before the Kairus and his army came for Equestria,” said Luna, “we had another visitor.” She sent the books above her away, and new ones floated in to replace them. She opened these, and showed their contents to the ponies. The drawings and texts of these were much different from the last set of books.

“Eons ago, before Nightmare, Discord, Sombra, and Kairus, before Luna and myself, before Equestria and the gifts of magic, came the Wanderer,” said Celestia.

One of the books showed a large spherical object floating in the sky, and on the ground below it were masses of ponies, praising towards it.

“Our world was a perilous place,” said Luna, “and the Wanderer gave us the gifts we needed to survive together. It bestowed magic upon our race. Earth ponies harnessed the unforgiving lands, pegasi were given flight, and the unicorns channelled the pure magic of the Wanderer.”

The books showed drawings of the three tribes, an ancient story that was well-known among the ponies. The first civilizations, the spread of ponykind, and the hardships that were endured.

“Our race did not go untested, as you may know,” continued Celestia. “After many struggles, we emerged from our turbulent world, victorious, and with the founding of Equestria, the Wanderer deemed us worthy of its gifts.”

Luna raised a particular book towards the ponies, showing an image of two ponies, bestowed with both wings and horns.

“The Wanderer chose two of our race to lead Equestria, and gave to them a power and responsibility like no other. Celestia and I, deemed the first Alicorns, were given this momentous task.”

“And to this day, our duties still stand.”

The ponies stood, shocked at the revelation. The princesses understood, and gave them a few moments to take it all in.

“The history books I’ve read,” said Twilight, the first to speak, “they’re all wrong, then?”

“No, actually,” answered Celestia. “The history of ponykind begins with the Wanderer, and everything that came after has been a part of our story. Many things are lost to time, something that books can lose to myth and legend.”

“Like those aliens?” said Rainbow. “Where do those guys fit in?”

Luna sent the last of the books above them hurtling away towards distant shelves.

“Kairus and his kind came shortly after the birth of Equestria. Celestia and I were young, eager to prove ourselves but our magic was still so new to us.”

“The reason books today tell so little of the the Hive,” said Celestia, “is because they were driven away so swiftly, with the Wanderer’s help. Our unskilled magic alone was not enough to defeat them, so the Wanderer intervened, sending Kairus and his army far away. Unfortunately, in this act, the Wanderer left us, too.”

“But now Kairus is back,” said Twilight. “And we’ll be able to stop them again, right?”

They did not answer at first.

“Right, Princess?”

“That is why we have brought you here,” said Celestia. “Somehow, the Darkness has found us again, and a war is coming. Now, more than ever, we need the Elements of Harmony to help guide and defend Equestria from this evil.”

“Here in Canterlot,” said Luna, “you will be kept safe while Celestia and I will help prepare you for the times to come.”

“Ya’ll are asking us to fight?” asked Applejack.

“We’re asking you to be ready.”

“What about everypony else?” asked Rarity. “Surely all should be warned of what is coming.”

“We left in such a hurry...” added Fluttershy.

“We needed to vacate the Elements from Ponyville as soon as we could,” said Luna. “Equestria’s best chance rests on all that are here now.”

“You must understand,” continued Celestia, “plans are being put into effect for the public as we speak, but we are running out of time. We know it is a lot to ask, of any pony, but all of Equestria will be counting on us to make the right choices, at the right time.”

Rainbow Dash flew above her friends.

“Well, I dunno about you guys,” she said, “but I’m not afraid of Kairus and his cronies. I’m ready to kick some alien butt, any day!”

“Same here, I’m ready!” beamed Pinkie Pie.

“I, as well!” said Rarity.

The other ponies echoed their words of approval.

“Whatever is asked of us, whatever it takes,” said Twilight, “we’re willing to do what needs to be done to protect Equestria.”

“We are very grateful for your dedication,” said Celestia. “Now, come. We will bring you to the castle, where you will stay. More will be conducted tomorrow, but for now, you should rest.”

Rarity gasped. “We’re staying in the castle!”

“Just a moment, Princess,” said Twilight. “Do you mind if I take some of these books with me? It seems like there’s a lot I could learn about what’s coming.”

“Take what you wish, but do not delay,” said Celestia. “Princess Luna, could you stay with her? I will take the others up to the castle.”

Luna nodded, and the others gathered close around Celestia. Yellow magic surrounded the ponies before they teleported away, leaving Twilight and Luna in the library.

“Great!” said Twilight. “I’ll be quick. Spike, could you help me carry some of these books?”

Twilight gasped when she realized where he still was.

“Oh no! Spike is still in Ponyville!”

“Ah.. no issue,” said Luna. Her horn began to glow. “I suspect he is in the same place...”

A bright spark lit up the dim library as a small bed appeared before them. In it, Spike was still fast asleep.

---

“Lexine, of all of your brightest ideas, this has got be the dullest.”

“Oh, enough already,” hissed Lexine. “Whose side are you on?”

“The side that doesn’t get us killed or exiled,” said Ghost. “I don’t want to live on the moon.”

Lexine ignored him, she was occupied with the goal before her. She was back at the Tower, her last mission abandoned. If a Guardian decided to do such a thing, the Vanguard would ask for some kind of explanation, but Lexine could not give them hers. She wanted the mission that she believed was rightfully hers, and she was determined to take the ship that would take her there.

Despite Ghost’s protests, Lexine disabled passive communications with the Tower. It was still night, and her absence has gone unnoticed, but she was taking no chances. The hangar bay of the Tower, where she was now, was mostly vacant, a stark contrast to the constant arrival and departures of Guardian ships during the day. She was in the Tower’s hangar bay now, but was without her armor. She managed to sneak into an engineer’s jumpsuit, posing as a worker on the flight deck. Across the deck, the ship was dormant along the flight line. Now, she was thinking as to how she could get onboard and takeoff, while staying under the nose of the Tower.

Heavy footsteps approached from the hall near her, interrupting what plan she had formulated in her mind. Quickly, she reached for the pair of safety goggles on her head and pulled them over her eyes, hoping it would help hide her identity.

“Nice try Lex,” said the guardian, stopping in front of her. “By the way, that outfit makes you look fat.”

“Oh, go to hell,” she said, pulling the goggles off and throwing them at the guardian. It bounced off his armor and crumpled to the floor. “What took you so long?”

He crossed his arms. “What are you doing, Lexine?” he said in singsong.

“What do you think, Deacon?”

“Well, if my hunch is correct; and I’m usually correct; you’re fixing to steal that ship.”

“My ship. My mission. Are you going to help me, or not?”

Deacon laughed.

“You know, Lex, I would, but what the hell am I supposed to tell the Vanguard? That we traded?”

Lexine turned towards the ship. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” She hopped over the guardrail to the flight deck and started towards it.

“No, wait!” Deacon chased after her. “Look, you know I’ll stick my neck out for you,” he said, grabbing her shoulder, “and we can both agree the Vanguard are total jerks for giving us these cards like this.”

“But...?”

“But we don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side,” said Deacon. “If we lose you to a mission that was supposed to be for me, I don’t know how-”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Lexine sighed. “Look, I ran into that portal back in Los Angeles, and fought what came through” she said. “So I have a good idea what I’m up against. I need this assignment, Deacon. I need this chance.”

“Okay... fine. But you follow my lead,” he said, passing in front of her. “Whatever plan you had to snag this thing was probably crap, anyways.”

The two walked across the flight deck towards the ship. The hangar bay was mostly empty during that time of the night, and fortunately for them, the shipwright was off duty. That meant the only obstacle they needed to face was the security droid frame guarding the ship. If she could take off fast enough, Lexine could avoid a confrontation with Tower flight control.

Lexine’s initial plan was to somehow sneak past the frame, but with Deacon’s help, there should be no need to. As they got closer, the frame noticed their presence and raised its arm to signal them to stop.

“Halt, this is a restricted area,” it said. “Authorized personnel only. Please state your business.”

“We’re here to do some last minute integrity checks on my ship before takeoff tomorrow,” said Deacon. “Make sure everything is good to go.”

“One moment,” said the frame “Scanning...”

After a few moments, it continued.

“This ship is authorized for Deacon-23, credentials match. Scanning second visitor...”

Lexine held her breath. Her ID transmitter was offline, to avoid detection within the Tower. She was unsure how the security frame would react, now that she was being actively scanned.

“Security pass detected, Engineer 2rd Class Marcs, access authorized. You are both free to proceed.”

Lexine felt the faint pressure of an object inside her left breast pocket. Careless, for whoever owned the jumpsuit, but very convenient for her. The two guardians continued past the frame and entered the ship.

She was familiar with the model type, and knew how to handle the controls. This particular ship, however, was modified with Golden-Age portal technology, something she knew little about.

“Alright Lex, you’re on,” said Deacon. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“I’m leaving as soon as possible,” said Lexine. “Ghost, transmat all of my gear to this ship.”

“Already done.”

In an instant, a white flash enveloped Lexine’s body, and she was back in her armor. Mechanical noises filled the ship as Ghost tuned with its systems.

“The mission dossier is in the ship’s databank,” said Deacon. “So you’ll find everything you need to know there. A simple scouting mission as far as I know, but y’know, in another dimension.”

“Files downloaded.”

“And speaking of dimensions,” continued Deacon, “the portal tech. The ship’s warp drive was modified, so instead of making a normal jump, the ship will pass through whatever you saw back in LA.”

“Got it,” said Lexine. “I’m ready.”

“Hey Lex,” said Deacon. “You’d better come back.”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said reassuringly. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I know. But just in case you run into anything big and nasty, some of my weapons are in the ship’s storage. They’re all yours.”

“Thanks, D. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” Without thinking, she reached over and hugged him, their armor making the embrace clunky and awkward. However, to her infinite relief, he returned the gesture.

After what was probably too long, Lexine turned towards the ships controls, her hand priming for startup.

“Well, you’ll find out very soon,” answered Deacon, “so you be careful out there.”

Lexine nodded, and Deacon turned back towards the exit ramp, stepping out of the ship as it closed shut. As soon as it was secured, Lexine took her place in the pilot’s seat. She knew that once she activated the ship’s engines, the Tower would know something was off. The ship should be able to take off and break orbit before any action would take place, but Lexine hoped Deacon would be able to handle whatever fallout was to come.

“Well, that went well,” said Ghost, appearing beside Lexine.

“You think so? Friends do that, right?”

“I was referring to the commandeering of the ship. As for that, don’t ask me. I don’t have arms. Or a body. Or friends, really.”

Lexine chuckled, and activated the startup sequence. The runway was clear, and Deacon was smart to leave the area as soon as possible. She flipped several switches and the ship’s engine roared to life. Gripping the controls, Lexine navigated the ship towards the hangar bay opening. As she suspected, an incoming transmission from the Tower flight control hailed her ship. She ignored their words, and instead hit full throttle.

The ship blasted out of the hangar bay and into the sky. It ascended into the atmosphere at blinding speed, too fast for those back at the Tower to react. The Last City below faded to faint lights and the Traveler grew smaller as they ascended. Lexine took one last good look at them, knowing that she would need their strength, wherever she was going. Within moments, the ship was in orbit above Earth. Avoiding interception, Lexine activated the ship’s jump drive.

The ship hovered in time, and after a few seconds, it disappeared into the darkness of space.

---

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VANGUARD ASSIGNMENT -- DIRECTIVE OVERRIDE - Scouting Mission
UNKNOWN LOCATION - Portal technology originating from the Golden Age was recently recovered. Hive activity and unknown hostile organisms are in correlation with the technology. Investigate possible threats that may wait on the other side, utilizing a modified jumpship to pass through. If possible, avoid direct confrontation and engagement. Return to the Vanguard with your findings.

NEW JUMPSHIP ACQUIRED - Kestrel Class
MODIFIED AX - Base model experimental jumpship. This ship has been modified with Golden-Age portal technology, enabling it to pass through certain dimensions in sacrifice to jump capabilities.

NEW WEAPON ACQUIRED - Rocket Launcher
DESPOT SA/5 - A high-end general-purpose launcher, built for oppression through controlled devastation.

Comments

[Sinthia]

6426605 Lexine is a human.

[ArmyOfOne1112]

Now this is a crossover! Many crossover fics I read awkwardly mash the two universes together and hope that our suspended disbelief takes care of everything else. Please continue!

[Sadora5459]

Oh FUCK yeah the hive is coming to equestria and knowing the hive it will kill every single living thing until nothing but the hive soldiers will walk the planet of Equis thinking up ways to capture other planets to do so oh man Croat will be so proud of he won't kill...hopefully

human why are kairiuis is not advancing on the new planet?

Right away Croat they are boarding the ships now!hehe please don't kill me