Warriors

by PseudoFiction

WARRIORS

By PseudoFiction

She was falling.

Plummeting through the frightening darkness that enveloped her whole world. The gnarly, knotty branches of the Everfree trees reached in like twisted fingers trying to catch her as she spiralled out of control in her endless free fall.

Trying to catch her? Or trying to flay her?

One of them whacked her in the face as she plummeted past, sending blinding pain searing across Twilight Sparkle’s face. She screamed while whirling around, kicking her legs as if trying to grasp the very air rushing around her. Her heart was beating faster than she thought it could and neither her wings nor her magic would obey her commands. The young alicorn princess was tugging at the muscles in her shoulder-blades, willing her wings to spread and somehow slow her descent. But they just remained glued to her sides. Her magic was just as non-conforming – it wouldn’t even splutter, not even an aura surrounding her faithful horn as she fell.

So Princess Twilight Sparkle fell, through a tunnel of whiplash branches snapping against her body before she gave the ground a fond greeting. It replied with a merry ‘thud!’

Nothing moved. There was no sound.

Moments turned to minutes, and minutes seemingly turned to hours as she just lay there, eyes clamped shut with her chest rising and falling erratically with every ragged, winded breath. One of her front legs twitched, and she slowly cracked her eyelids. Through the woozy blur of shapes dancing around in her field of vision, she expected to be laying in a ‘Twilight Sparkle shaped’ crater, much like she’d found the Spartan who’d fallen out of the sky some time ago.

No such luck. The sight would have been mildly amusing. What she saw however wasn’t the slightest bit comforting.

Lifting her head, Twilight looked around the Everfree Forest stretching in all directions around her. Darkness swallowed the woods like an inky fog that hid everything behind the first line of trees surrounding the alicorn. Angling her gaze up she saw a star-less sky stretch above the clearing she’d fallen into, a tunnel of knotted branches partially blocking out the magnificent pale eye of the moon.

Finding her hooves, she slowly propped herself up on her front legs, sitting back on one thigh. She tested her limbs and joints slowly, finding little soreness from the fall. She hadn’t broken anything, some good news at least. But that was about the extent of her good fortune.

Straightening up on all fours, the lavender pony turned on the spot, inspecting every tree surrounding her. As she was trying to figure out where she was it felt like the woods were closing in on her. She felt claustrophobic, like the leaf-less branches were sucking the air right out of her lungs. Paranoia set in as she remembered the horrible plunder-weed infestation earlier in the year. It was like the foliage was creeping in to snatch up her limbs and hold her down.

So it was only natural that when Twilight caught movement in the corner of her eye she whipped around to face it with a brave face… but she stumbled backwards a step out of fear.

It materialised out of the darkness, as if gathering shadows to give itself a towering, sinister figure. Long powerful limbs with glowing red eyes. And flaring venomously in one hand a ball of sickly green energy. The darkness shrouding the figure seemed to recede, peeling back like the cocoon of a caterpillar. Only the form underneath was no butterfly.

It was death.

The towering Covenant warrior snarled, the fierce alien mandibles exposing rows of jagged tusks with lines of drool dribbling past the scant lips. With an easy motion the device in the carnivore’s hand raised, and the ball of hot energy was held level with Twilight Sparkle’s terrified expression.

Intense heat blasted her face as white light filled her eyes. And the cold touch of death on her shoulder caused her to scream…

Nearly leaping up and out of her cocoon of warm blankets, Twilight Sparkle nearly shattered the glass in the chandelier with the pitch of her cries. Tearing open her eyelids with the realisation that the heat of the weapon was gone, Twilight’s bloodshot and tear-brimmed eyes darted from side to side to look around her room.

It took her a few moments to realise she wasn’t in the Everfree Forest. That she had been in bed the whole time; surrounded by walls built to stave off sieges, protected by royal guardsponies trained to stave off danger and under a blanket stuffed to stave off the winter chill.

Across the room in the hearth crackled a small magical fire Twilight had lit the previous night, but still frost clung to the tower window caked on the outside with powdery white snow. Beyond the glass panes she could make out the farthest Equestria mountains, hazy thanks to the moisture misting the window, but definitely dusted with snow. The sky was grey and gloomy with only sporadic patches of blue sky shining through the canopy of clouds.

It was winter. Decemare to be exact, only a week until Hearth’s Warming Eve.

Seven more days until the family gatherings, the friendly dinners, the warm greetings and general festivities.

But for the first time in Twilight Sparkle’s life, she wasn’t looking forward to it. It was unlike her not to get excited about spending time with her friends and family. But she hadn’t been like herself since a few months ago. A few months ago everything had changed.

On that faithful night in the Everfree Forest she had leaned ponykind were not alone in the universe. That there were treasure troves of knowledge and learning out there – a galaxy full of wonders to sate desires both subtle and gross. But it wasn’t for the timid. As for every wondrous privilege, there was an equally terrifying danger.

Twilight sighed as she dropped back into her bed. “What’s wrong with me?” she groaned tiredly rubbing one eye with her hoof.

She thought back on that night in the Everfree Forest. That night she’d met the Spartan headhunters; foulmouthed and aggressive warrior Marko and his charming and empathetic friend Ishmir, aliens from another world. They had been sincere enough in their mission to get home. But unfortunately their landing in Equestria had brought something from their life into Twilight’s.

The Covenant. A race of violent aliens supposedly systematically wiping out Marko and Ishmir’s people. And had it not been for the headhunters taking care of her, they would have wiped out Princess Twilight Sparkle and probably the rest of Equestria.

The young princess had been having nightmares about it for months. Every time the same one. She’d fall into the Everfree Forest and then be attacked by a Covenant elite, the same kind Marko and Ishmir had saved her from several months ago. Was she suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?

Or was it something else?

It was that feeling of the Everfree Forest closing in on her as if it wanted to choke the life out of her. It was a familiar feeling, much like the terror she’d felt when standing face to face with an elite training a weapon on her face. But the events were unrelated. Her fear of the Everfree Forest closing around her was from something that had happened before she met Marko and Ishmir. Back when she was in the forest alone with Spike and she’d been overwhelmed by plunder-weed. It had been a sense of helplessness as she had nearly been cocooned alive and Celestia only knows what after.

That had been the day they had sacrificed the Elements of Harmony to save Equestria. The most powerful force of magic that had protected Equestria since the dawn of the land was gone. Twilight had nothing with which to protect Equestria, besides her sharp wits.

And that would hardly do against the murderous terrors that filled the galaxy.

Twilight had been helpless against less than a dozen aliens. So what happened if the Covenant returned with an army? What happened if Twilight Sparkle was unable to contact the Spartan headhunters who had saved her life the first time?

Twilight shivered just thinking about it. If aliens as advanced and violent as Marko and Ishmir were barely holding their own against the Covenant; Equestria’s odds of surviving an encounter were not promising.

But something good had come of the alien ordeal. Twilight’s interest in the galaxy around them had been piqued. She’d bought a brand new telescope – one much more powerful than her first. She’d clocked many hours in the Canterlot Royal Observatory as well, scouring the stars and planets for life beyond their little Horsehead System.

Perhaps she was looking for signs of life. Perhaps she was making sure there wasn’t a Covenant fleet coming to conquer Equestria. Or perhaps she was just hoping to catch a glimpse of her Spartan friends out there protecting worlds from monsters.

Speaking of protection from monsters, Marko and Ishmir weren’t around to protect her anymore. But she had something to stave off the fear at least. Reaching into the pillows piled up against the headboard, Twilight produced a small stuffed toy.

It wasn’t a fluffy teddy-bear, a stuffed doggy or anything like her raggedy old Smarty-Pants doll. It was a small bipedal thing with a pair of stumpy, dangly arms and legs. The body was a fairly basic shape, rounded and plump almost like that of a baby dragon. The head was equally simple, featureless with just a pair of buttons sewn on to the bobble-head visor to represent a pair of eyes, and a simple embroidered smile where the mouth would usually go.

The doll was the spitting caricature of Marko. If the Spartan knew he’d be livid!

The stuffed image of the Spartan headhunter was the only one she had to comfort her in Canterlot. Spike hadn’t come with her, staying in Ponyville to take care of the library while the young princess had business in Equestria’s capitol. Twilight Sparkle’s friends had stayed behind in Ponyville too. They had their own lives to lead. Rarity had a big order of gowns to fill for the annual Hearth’s Warming Eve Ball in Manehattan. Applejack had plenty of chores on the farm all through winter. Rainbow Dash was filling in for an injured Wonderbolt for the Cloudsdale air show counting down the week to the festivities. Pinkie Pie had plenty of parties to plan and bakery orders to fill. And as per usual Fluttershy was hard at work taking care of the Ponyville critters through the winter.

As a princess of Equestria, Twilight was just as busy as her friends. Although, her busy schedule as of late followed by the royal court hearing was her own doing.

Twilight’s eyes bugged as she realised the weak sun was piercing the frost clinging to the window.

It was morning. The hearing!

Realising she’d slept in, Twilight suddenly cared little for the chill of her room and the nightmare that had left her bathing in a pool of cold sweat. She threw herself from bed and sprinted into the bathroom. At one minute and thirty seconds it was the fastest she’d ever washed, brushing her teeth and splashing herself down with water at the same time. As soon as she was done she stumbled back into her palace lodgings, pulling off her leg-warmers at the same time as she levitated a brush through her hair.

Tossing the brush to the ground much like the rest of the sleeping attire, Twilight Sparkle heaved her saddle bags onto her back and ran out of the tower-room and into the snow.

The palace was waking up around her as her hooves crunched through the layers of snow encrusting the paths and bridges that ran along the exterior of Canterlot Castle. The royal guard were changing from night to day watch, thestral ponies squinting like hung-over stallions in the early rays of sunlight while stalking off to the barracks. Below in the streets of Canterlot Princess Sparkle spotted a few early risers. Bakers opening up their stores to let the sweet scent of the morning goods drift on the cold winter air. The cafes and coffee shops were opening too, despite the chill air outdoor tables were made under enchanted heat-generating canopies.

Slipping and sliding, Twilight dashed with a spray of snow kicked up in her wake and mist bellowing from her mouth like smoke spat from the chimney of a locomotive. She burst through the door at the end of the bridge connecting her guest-tower with the main castle and slid with wet hooves over the polished marble floor of the castle’s interior hallways.

With every heart burning full power, the inside of the castle was warm to nearly immediately melt the specks of snow dotting Twilight’s lavender coat and straight mane. She shook out the feathers of her wings awkwardly around her saddle bags as she ran with purpose. She only slowed to a canter when the royal conference chamber came into sight.

The polished wood doors were set on a crack, hearth-light spilling out into the dim hallway. Approaching slowly, she gently pushed open the door and peeked inside.

“Twilight. Good of you to join us.”

Twilight Sparkle scanned the room breathlessly, her wide eyes taking in the various faces positioned around a long conference table in the centre of the cavernous chamber. Royal servants were pouring cups of steaming tea and serving buttered scones for all those seated. There weren’t many. Three alicorn and two other ponies to be exact.

Her eyes finally fell upon the warm motherly figure who had greeted her. Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria matched only by her sister, Luna, was levitating a plate with a scone in front of her face. The golden glow around her half-munched breakfast faded as the tall porcelain white alicorn set down the dish. She was seated near the head of the table, her sister seated just opposite her, and her niece and ruler of the Crystal Kingdom just beside.

Beside Princess Cadence sat a colt, a simple unicorn diminutive in comparison to the three grand, slender alicorn seated beside him. Twilight Sparkle recognised him as Starry Sky, a consultant astro-physicist she’d requested attend the hearing.

Opposite him sat another unicorn, equally diminutive as Twilight sometimes felt in the presence of other alicorn, but familiar none the less – Celestia’s nephew Prince Blueblood looked tired and bored, fidgeting with a scone and a butter-knife.

“Come in, Twilight,” Celestia beckoned, noting the nervousness on Twilight Sparkle’s face. The young alicorn had called this hearing after all, it was a first for her. She had every right to be skittish.

Walking in, Twilight spotted her requested equipment had been set up already. A long blackboard set on a sturdy easel upon which she’d make her presentation.

Levitating the saddle bags off her back, Twilight Sparkle lumped all her research into a corner before opening up the flaps and producing a series of scrolls. An awkward silence persisted as she started pinning images and charts over the blackboard.

One in particular, a diagram of the solar system refused to be hung and flopped to the ground twice before Twilight managed to stick it in place properly. She could feel sweat prickling her spine and was pretty sure her face was red as a beet by the time she’d hung up all her material.

Turning to the waiting princes and princesses though, Twilight Sparkle was met by a few patient grins. One in particular coming from the ever pragmatic Princess Celestia. Twilight sometimes surprised herself with deep dark thoughts of how sickly sweet her old mentor had been, and still was! Thanks to fairly recent events Twilight was aware of the down-sides to a sweet existence.

Clearing her throat, she turned to the watching ponies. “Good morning, everypony. I’m sorry I’m late.” She rubbed a little bit of sleep she’d missed out of her eye, then indicated the star charts she’d hung up.

They were high quality images of the Horsehead System, their very own little slice of the universe. The third dot from the Horsehead sun was a pale blue and green dot, Equis hanging unfazed in space, orbited by a single moon and sharing the system with eight other planets seemingly randomly placed in orbit of the sun.

Just on the edge of the chart was an object. It was unlike anything else in the system, a bright flaring ball of purple dragging a glowing blue-ish tail in its wake, almost like an oddly coloured comet with an under-sized trail.

Reaching out with a hoof, Twilight tapped the object. “The past two days I have been tracking an object. I believe it entered the Horsehead System only a few hours before I detected it. All evidence seems to indicate it is heading straight for Equis. Here is an image of the night sky before I detected the anomaly.” – Twilight Sparkle indicated one of her telescope images of the night sky above Ponyville, then pointed to the next slide beside it – “And here is an image after. Note how this cluster of stars are blocked, indicating that this object is extremely large.”

There was indeed a large void of black where a certain cluster of stars should have been. Checking her audience, she noted they were all silent, watching expectantly for an explanation of her findings.

Taking a breath, Twilight began to say, “It is my professional opinion that this object is…” But she stopped, rubbing her neck sheepishly. She felt light-headed as her heart hammered her ribs nervously. She knew the explanation sounded ludicrous, and she’d had her fair share of odd looks from the royals since she’d told her story of the aliens in the Everfree Forest.

She had to admit, even to her, knowing what was out there in the big-bad-universe, the explanation was quite unbelievable. But what else could it be?

Twilight swallowed her fear and said, “It is a ship. An alien war ship of unimaginable, terrible power.”

The room was silent for a full second before a howl of laughter pierced the air. Prince Blueblood, clutching his sides with his forehooves slumped sideways out of his cushion and hit the ground. Twilight secretly hoped he’d hurt himself.

Celestia, Luna nor Cadence said anything and just glared at their nephew – either they didn’t want to add more interruptions to Twilight Sparkle’s presentation, or deep down inside they felt Blueblood was justified. Even they had turned up a nose to Twilight’s story of what had happened to her in the Everfree Forest.

Starry Sky sighed at the prince’s outburst and slowly shook his head. “And you are sure this is an object?” he asked Twilight.

Blueblood, having caught his breath, scoffed. “No she is not.”

“I am, actually!” Twilight Sparkle retorted almost offended. “I used the reflector dish we launched in the eighties to map our solar system in real time and saw this.” She tapped the unidentified object on the star chart again. “Note the shape. The tail. The trajectory. It has our planet in its sights and is heading straight for us.”

Starry Sky was once again on the ball with intelligent questions. “In its sights? You’re suggesting this is not a comet?” he inquired.

Twilight nodded. “I know what you’re all thinking. Everypony is still having trouble comprehending my story about the Spartan headhunters and the alien bodies found in the Everfree Forest. A few years ago, before I met the aliens from another world, even then I would have said this wasn’t a normal piece of space debris. Look at the trajectory. Look at the current position. This object should be caught in the gravity of Maires. But it is not. It remains on a perfect collision course with Equis. And it will collide in just twenty-four hours.”

Starry Sky considered Twilight’s notes and charts a few times before he sighed with an agreeable nod. “Meaning...”

“It’s correcting course.” Twilight finished for him in his pause to comprehend it all.

The following silence was broken nearly as immediately as it had begun.

“Puh-lease!” Blueblood moaned. “Auntie, must we really listen to this tripe? Twilight Sparkle has been stargazing ever since she’s been infatuated by her so-called ‘alien’ friend.”

“That is Princess Twilight Sparkle, Prince Blueblood. Do not let me correct you again,” Princess Celestia snapped harshly before her features softened and she considered the other regal mares seated at the table. “I see you all have some doubt about the findings of our newest member of the royal family. But should I remind you of the countless times Twilight Sparkle has warned us of danger and every time we chose to ignore her, putting Equestria in even more dire danger?”

There were sorrowful nods from Luna and Cadence, though Blueblood didn’t react with his straight-face that was the bane of poker games across Canterlot. Even Starry Sky gave a firm nod.

He declared, “I say Princess Twilight Sparkle’s visual evidence is enough to safely say something fishy is going on. Be it a simple comet or actual alien invaders, we can’t just sit here and wait for it to hit us. Something must be done.”

Cadence rose from her seat. “I agree.”

“As do I,” Celestia concurred as Luna too rose.

“Any action taken has our support.”

Celestia gave a satisfied nod and locked gazes with a relieved looking Twilight. “Then the decision is unanimous. We investigate the object.”

Blueblood coughed and spluttered, nearly falling out his seat again. “Unanimous? I agreed to no such action!”

“Because nopony asked you,” Princess Cadence sneered.

Blueblood gave an almighty ‘harumph!’ as Twilight Sparkle took the floor again. “Excellent. I’ve been working on a design. It’s only in the early stages, but with help from the unicorns in the Rogal Guard I can finish it in a few hours.”

Delving into her saddle bags again, Twilight produced a new roll of paper and magically unfurled it across the blackboard. It was a complicated schematic of some sort, annotated with a variety of spells and what looked like circuit diagrams.

“What is it?” Starry Sky asked looking over the schematic. On the whole it was a cylindrical object that stood on a fairly stable but simple tripod.

Everypony thought for a moment it may be some sort of space-faring recon satellite for exploring the incoming object. Unfortunately, when Twilight Sparkle clarified what it really was, everypony went a little pale.

“An explosive,” she explained. “If we can somehow teleport it aboard the alien vessel we could wipe it out in one strike.”

The court fell deathly silent. Looking proud of herself, Twilight Sparkle glanced around the chamber, only to feel her smile fade. Nopony else looked remotely impressed with her statement. Clearly they weren’t as excited about her developing a weapon of destruction as she was. Unfortunately, Twilight knew that they didn’t know of the dangers festering in the galaxy like she did. If only they’d met the headhunters, then maybe they would understand.

“It’s the only way,” she began to explain, hoping she could make them understand.

“No, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia suddenly announced, and Twilight felt her expression sag, ears pinned down against the sides of her head. The princess’ tone had turned stern all of a sudden, reminding her of the time Celestia had reprimanded her for the Ponyville debacle with the want-it-need-it spell. “Luna and I will handle this personally. We will meet these visitors once they enter orbit and extend friendly greetings. Once a peaceful parlay has been established we will discern their intent.”

Twilight Sparkle gaped furiously, stepping forward to argue. “But, Cele-…”

“The decision has been made,” Celestia snapped sharply, and Twilight felt like she’d just been punched in the gut. “This hearing is now dismissed.”

Everypony bar Twilight Sparkle rose to their hooves and filed out of the room. Blueblood was the first to flounder out. Twilight looked expectantly to her sister-in-law, but to her disappointment Princess Cadence did not meet her gaze as the pink alicorn briskly trotted out with Luna.

Crestfallen, the young princess sighed. Turning on the spot she slowly began taking down her charts and notes and rolled them into her saddle bags.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, a word please?”

Twilight’s ears perked up a little as she turned to realise Celestia had not left with the others.

“Yes, princess?”

But even as she asked, Princess Twilight Sparkle was sure she already knew what was concerning Princess Celestia. It was written all over the taller alicorn’s face. And usually wearing a kind expression, Celestia was notoriously difficult to read. Not this morning it seemed.

Her concern was as easy to spot as a sangheili going shopping for hats.

“Twilight, all this speak of ending life and destruction,” Celestia began, voicing her concerns with no deviation. “You were the same at the crisis meeting concerning the diamond dog raiders.”

“Princess, those diamond dogs were a danger to…”

“This isn’t you,” Princess Celestia interrupted rather ungracefully. But with the concern permeating her expression it was only understandable. “You haven’t been the same since we found you in the Everfree Forest. Something in you changed after you told us the story of these ‘headhunters’ you met. I’m worried, Twilight.”

Twilight didn’t say anything, hanging her head a little with what seemed like shame. Though she’d never tell Celestia, she wasn’t ashamed. Not for wanting to protect her home, her family and her friends. She was disappointed. Disappointed at Princess Celestia’s naivety. At her complete disregard for the severity of the situation.

Maintaining her motherly tone, Celestia said, “The royal psychologist has always been there for all of us in our times of need. Being a princess of Equestria is a stressful position. Sometimes even an alicorn needs somepony to talk to.”

“I don’t need a fucking psychologist,” Twilight murmured under her breath.

Looking on with some confusion as she tried to decipher what it was the young alicorn had said, Celestia dipped her head closer to Twilight’s. “What was that?”

Twilight didn’t have to fake a smile. Simply thinking of how Marko might explain the use and meaning of his coarse language to one like Princess Celestia was enough to cheer her up. “Nothing, princess. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Celestia refused to accept that answer. “Doctor Sound Pound is expecting you later this afternoon, Twilight. Do not let me hear you missed another appointment.”

“Yes, Princess Celestia.”

Twilight was still hanging her head, watching from the corner of her eye as the taller princess left. She hated herself for thinking it, but she was glad Celestia was leaving. Standing in her shadow Twilight couldn’t help feel upset. Not like a child feeling guilty over having upset a parent.

She felt like she’d discovered her lifelong hero was a massive plot-hole.

All her life she’d looked up to Princess Celestia. But now? Now that she had looked death in the face and seen what other horrors the universe could throw at ponies – horrors the likes of Nightmare Moon or Lord Tirek couldn’t hold a candle to.

That grand, all-powerful alicorn matriarch who could move suns with her magic was suddenly no comfort.

When the door fell shut leaving Twilight alone her expression lifted to her saddle bags. Sticking out from under one of the flaps was a little aerial connected to the tell-tale bulge of the headhunter radio within.

She had been trying to contact Marko and Ishmir for weeks on the radio they had given her. Unfortunately nothing had worked. She was running out of ideas and was all out of spells. There was one more thing she could try. It was dangerous.

But for the good of Equestria, she had to do it. She had to get help.

She was going to have to miss Sound Pound’s appointment…

Comments

[Bronzer]

That grand, all-powerful alicorn matriarch who could move suns with her magic was suddenly no comfort.

But, you just said your system's planets orbits your sun.

[Atlas55]

6587395 No, doesn't the Sun orbit Equis which in exchange murders all other living life in the Solar System?

[Bronzer]

“Twilight, all this speak of ending life and destruction,” Celestia began, voicing her concerns with no deviation. “You were the same at the crisis meeting concerning the diamond dog raiders.”

She is saying this right after reminding everyone that each time they have not believed Twilight, she has been proven right and it nearly doomed their world. Now she is telling them that the incoming alien ship is an enemy ship of the same xenos who tried to kill her and are exterminating humanity. Yet, Celestia's reaction is "Oh, no! Why-ever would you suggest such a thing! You must be wrong because I say so." Just like every time and, like every time, Twilight will be proven right.

[Armageden]

Ooooooooh shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

[verypeeved]

8425298
i'm sure the irony is not lost on Twilight.