STAR WARS / FiM: Realms of the Heavens

by Tathem_Relag

Chapter Twelve: The Invitation

The Castle of Friendship
12/16/3
8:32 A.M.

To Her Royal Highness Twilight Sparkle, the Princess Ponyville,

We humbly request the honour of your presence at the Everfree Imperial Garrison at noon tomorrow. We wish to provide you with a tour of our facilities and limited access to our archives to aid in the establishment of trusting relations between our peoples. We are ready and willing to accommodate any companions you may desire to bring with you. Please let this messenger know your decision and the size of your retinue so that we might make the necessary preparations for your arrival.
Sincerely Yours,
Malen Valerious
High Inquisitor of the Galactic Empire

Twilight looked up from the scroll to the Imperial officer standing at attention in her doorway. He had made Spike interrupt her studies, claiming that he had orders to give his message to Twilight directly, and she thought she knew why. The demand for an immediate response meant that she couldn’t take the time to carefully think out her decision.

One thing about the letter stood out to her. “If this is some kind of trap, it’s a really bad one. I know that name – that’s the jerk who attacked the Princesses! How dumb do you think I am?”

The human shrugged. “I don’t know the exact content of the letter, Your Majesty, merely that it’s an invitation and that I am to receive your response. Am I to assume that you decline?”

“Yes!… Actually, no. I accept. Let the High Inquisitor know that I’ll be bringing five other ponies with me.” Nothing could overcome her when her friends were by her side. If he tried to fight the Elements of Harmony, he’d learn the true power of the magic of friendship.

“Very good, Your Majesty.” The human bowed, then walked off toward the Everfree.

Watching him go, Twilight’s eyes were inevitably drawn to the Imperial base. Its dark walls towered over the treetops, and its central spire reached almost half as tall as the Crystal Castle’s. On its six outer corners, and on three shorter towers surrounding the center, there were strange turrets with tubes sticking horizontally out of them that bore a disturbing resemblance to massive versions of the “blaster” weapons the humans carried. Around the main structure, the tops of smaller guard towers could be seen at regular intervals. According to Fluttershy, those towers were on a huge fence just shorter than the trees that surrounded the entire complex. Anything that touched the fence would receive a nasty electrical shock, and a raised walkway behind it was constantly patrolled. The only gap in the fence was bordered by guard towers and blocked by a red magical shield that was only lowered when Imperials were entering or leaving the base. Or maybe it wasn’t magical – the humans’ technology had accomplished many things Twilight had thought only alicorns and the most powerful unicorns could pull off. If what they said about travelling the galaxy were true, it could even do things she had considered flat-out impossible.

All in all, the base was an entirely unpleasant, and somewhat intimidating, symbol of Imperial permanency and might.

She shuddered, then went back inside, not wanting to think about what she might find in that fortress of evil. “Spike! Take a note.”

---

11:09 A.M.

“And you agreed to that?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “You do know this is a trick, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. But I have to go. Think of how much we might learn about them!”

The Element-Bearers and Royal Sisters were arranged around the dining table. The four other Element-Bearers and Luna had looks of trepidation on their faces, while Celestia remained stoic.

“I have complete faith in you, Twilight,” she interjected serenely. “If you think this is a good idea, then you should go.”

Rainbow Dash was still adamant. “You go if you want, but I’m not getting anywhere near that place.”

Applejack piped up with a grin. “What’s the matter? You’re not scared, are ya?”

The cyan pegasus glared across the table. “I’m not scared of anything! And who’re you to talk? It’s not like you’re going!”

“Says who? Twi’s my friend, and I’m not gonna let her go into danger without me. But that’s alright. I’m sure there’s nothin’ wrong with the Element of Loyalty not helpin’ her friend.”

Rainbow fell back into her seat, defeated. “I wasn’t actually going to stay behind.”

“Sure you weren’t, sugarcube.”

“I wasn’t!”

“That’s enough, you two.” Twilight looked around the table. “Does anypony else have any problems with this?”

“Well,” Fluttershy replied meekly, “I was going to have Zem over for lunch tomorrow…”

Everypony else gaped at her.

“… but I’m sure he won’t mind if I reschedule it,” she quickly finished. “I’ll just… leave a note on the door, I guess. He’ll understand. I hope…”

The three alicorns exchanged a concerned look. Finally, Twilight gave voice to what they were all thinking. “They’re trying to break us apart.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, it would seem so. But your friendship has survived every challenge so far. I know it will survive this one, too.”

Luna seemed less confident. “Be cautious, Twilight. I have not been able to see their dreams, and Discord has been acting most difficult, refusing to go into their base to watch them. I think he believes they pose no threat to him, so he finds our fear of them amusing. I have also detected traces of a new, dark presence in the dreams of many ponies. It always leaves just as I arrive, so I have not been able to determine who or what it is. However, the timing is far too coincidental. It would be foolish to assume that the humans have nothing to do with it.”

Twilight bit her lip. “I hate to suggest this, but could it be…?”

“No.” Luna shook her head with almost violent certainty. “The Tantabus is no more. This is something new. And, perhaps, no less dangerous.”

Celestia gave her sister a sympathetic smile, then glanced around the table. “Prepare yourselves, my little ponies. I do not know what will happen tomorrow, but know that if you trust in each other and the magic of friendship, you will prevail.”

---

Location: Lun
Galactic Standard Calendar Date: 28:3:35
Coruscant Standard Time: 23:57

The smoke from the blaster cannon on the right gauntlet of captain CC-9483’s spacetrooper armor floated off into space as the last of the strange creatures collapsed to the ground in the strangely slow and peaceful way that beings killed in low gravity fell. He checked his helmet’s HUD. All of the team leaders were reporting mission success. Right on schedule. He opened a comm channel. “CC-9483 to the Implacable. CC-9483 to the Implacable. The moon has been sterilized. You may proceed with the next phase of the operation.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Where are the character tags?

[Tathem_Relag]

7230555
I wasn't sure who to narrow down the tags to at the beginning - since this is affecting the entire planet, quite a few characters will have some fairly important roles later on in the story. Plus, adding tags for some of those characters might be a bit spoiler-y. However, considering the way things have gone so far (I have a general idea of how the story will play out as a whole, but for individual chapters I just write things as I come up with them) and that this has been the second question I've gotten about character tags (the other was a PM), I'm thinking I might just tag the Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, and Other.

[211]

Did they seriously just kill off all the dreamlings on the Moon? Luna is not gonna be happy when she hears about that.

[DANIELDOESWHAT]

7264524 What the hell is a dreamling?