G7.01: Guest of the Princess
Ponyville was not a very large town—Lucky knew that, and she knew not to expect much as they finally angled down for their descent. Flying with her mom had been a return to something familiar, back when she had been pretending that there would never be anything more to her life.
It was fun to pretend again, though she knew she couldn’t stay. Last time I forgot what I was doing here, Olivia got captured and I ended up in charge. I can’t forget again. Some little part of her felt the temptation to slip into pony society and forget about everything. It would be so easy—or it would’ve been, if she were alone. Somehow, she didn’t think Lightning Dust would want to pretend anymore. Ever since seeing the danger to Equestria, she was even more determined to beat Harmony than Lucky herself.
“Something’s wrong,” Lightning Dust said, pointing with one hoof into the darkness. Lucky could see the lights from distant homes, running in rows through the city. They looked like early electrics, whole sections of the town growing rhythmically lighter, then darker again. It was subtle enough she might not have noticed it from the ground, but up here it was obvious.
“What, the power grid?”
“No.” Lightning dust shook her head. “This is the middle of the harvest festival. I’ve been to earth pony towns during the festival before. Great time to…” She cleared her throat, slowing to a hover in the air. Lucky imitated her, less gracefully. “Well, to make friends. Anyway, there should be lights everywhere. Ponies in the streets, celebrating, music… we should hear it from here.”
“Maybe Ponyville celebrates it differently?” Lucky suggested, shrugging.
“Maybe,” Lightning Dust repeated, obviously unconvinced. “Look there, by the big building. Probably city hall, right?” Lucky nodded, following her gaze. “See all those stalls? The tables? There’s a dance floor too, right there in the street. But nopony around but…”
Then Lucky saw it. There were guards. Not many of them—but a few. Wearing purple armor instead of gold. Those few she could see all had batlike wings. “Do you think Twilight told Celestia we were coming? Maybe those guards are waiting for us.”
“Probably not…” Lightning Dust said, frowning down at the town. “But we should land. Those bats can see as well as we can with the goggles. If we just hover up here, we’ll look suspicious.”
“Right.” They came down for a landing, quiet enough that she hoped they wouldn’t attract much attention. They stopped on the road, which they’d been flying above for the whole trip. There was nothing around on either side but a large fruit orchard. It smelled quite nice against the evening air.
“I don’t think she would’ve gone back on us like this,” Lightning Dust said. “This is giving herself away—we might get spooked and fly off. Her best chance of catching us is setting a trap. She knows we’re coming… well, she knows you’re coming. If I was going to screw a pony over, I’d do it like that.”
“So if not us… what, then? Something to do with Olivia?”
Lightning Dust laughed quietly. “You ponies aren’t the only ones who make things happen in Equestria, you know. From the newspapers, it seems like Ponyville is always in some kind of danger. Maybe there was another disaster… or they’re expecting one. Either way, we should decide. There aren’t any other towns that close. If we don’t go into town tonight, we’d have to camp on the road.”
Lucky tapped the goggles on one side, bringing up the interface. It couldn’t do much, but it did show the time. Nearly ten o’clock. “If we do go in, and we aren’t what they’re expecting, it might help us avoid suspicion. We can slip in while they’re afraid of other things. And if they are looking for us, getting away from a few guards in the open will be easier than an Alicorn in her own castle.”
“Makes sense,” Lightning Dust said, and they started walking. “Were you ever excited when you were on missions like this, Lucky? Even if they’re scary…”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “Like when we met. I didn’t know what ponies would be like—if you’d take me in or leave me to the wolves. I know we look strange to you, but you looked strange to us too. I was still excited. I knew I’d be doing something good, even if it was dangerous and scary. I wanted to make a difference.”
“Can’t make a much bigger difference than this.” There was an adorable little bridge up ahead, and past it the town. Lucky could see a single Lunar Guard standing there, leaning lazily on his spear. A real spear, she noted, not the dull metal ones she had seen guards carrying in the Crystal Empire.
The guard had seen them. He stiffened, before gesturing urgently. “Ponies, what are you doing out so late? Quick!”
“Here we go,” Lightning Dust muttered, before taking off at a gallop, moving to where the guard indicated. Lucky kept up as best she could, which was much better than it had been a year ago. She could gallop now, and do everything else a pony did.
“You two.” The Lunar Guard glanced between them, though mostly at Lightning Dust. His coat was dark like many bats, wings bright purple like the armor. “What are you doing here?” There was no suspicion in the voice, though, only confusion. “Haven’t you heard about what happened?”
“Heard about what?” Lightning Dust asked, sounding convincingly confused. “Where’s the festival? It’s not even midnight yet, shouldn’t there be music?”
“I wish,” the guard muttered, before straightening again. “Look, there’s been a… something bad happened. There’s a criminal on the loose around here—it’s not safe to be wandering the night alone. You’ll have to come with me.” He turned back towards town—which was entirely in view now, on the other side of the bridge.
Maybe a hundred medieval-style houses, with thatched roofs and upper floors leaning out above the lower ones. A far humbler, more rural place than the Crystal Empire, though it did have its own bit of crystal glittering in the moonlight on the other side of town.
They followed the guard through the empty streets—occasionally Lucky caught a glimpse of ponies watching them from inside houses, or the faint sound of music echoing out a mostly closed window. From the sound of things, the one large celebration had dissolved into many smaller celebrations spread all over the city. She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that they wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy any of the festivities.
They passed a single guardpost near the center of where celebrations had been. A stern-looking unicorn took one look at their shirts and waved them through without taking anything more than their (false) names for the ledger.
“Hostel is full,” she said with a disinterested grunt. “I think there are still some guest rooms open in the castle, though. Gibbous, run a message to the princess’s assistant, see if there’s room.”
Their escort saluted, then took off, leaving them alone with the unicorn in the mostly-deserted town square. Lucky searched for any sign of what had happened, but nothing seemed to suggest a terrible attack. There were no leveled buildings, no arrangement of candles outside a former home to suggest a murder. Did ponies even do that?
“What happened?” Lightning Dust asked, apparently thinking the same thing. “This doesn’t look like last year.”
“Nothing good,” the unicorn said from behind her desk. It was just like all the other tables out here—like she’d dumped out all the delicious baked goods and commandeered the most central location. The tall building directly in front of them looked like a civic center of some kind, judging on the way it stayed mostly lit while much of the town was still dark. No sign of anyone inside, though.
“Some kind of… unicorn criminal, I think.” She gestured vaguely with the pen she was levitating, not even looking up at them. “She was locked up somewhere, and she broke out… real spectacular-like. A few ponies were hurt, though none seriously. We’ve locked things down mostly as a precaution, since she hasn’t been recaptured yet.”
Dust looked over her shoulder at Lucky, and even though she said nothing, Lucky could practically hear her words. ‘See, told you everything didn’t have to do with you.’ If it was a unicorn, it obviously couldn’t be related to Olivia.
“But an escaped criminal wouldn’t attack ponies out celebrating together, would she?”
“Ma’am.” The guard finally sat up, looking directly at Lightning Dust. “I mean nothing impolite, but I don’t think you’re equipped to imagine what somepony like this might do. They don’t think like the rest of us… Until we can get them locked away, everyone will be in danger. But don’t worry—Princess Twilight has joined the search, along with an entire detachment of the Royal Guard. Wherever she is, this criminal will be brought to justice.”
At that moment Gibbous returned, a little out of breath from his swift flight. “The dragon says there’s room,” he said. “So long as these two are willing to ‘probably not sleep.’ Something about a pinkie? I didn’t know what that was.”
“‘Who’,” the unicorn said. “And I’m sure these two will be fine with it. They’re here for the festival, obviously.” She gestured down a side-road. “Make sure they reach the castle safely, Gibbous. Then return to your duty station.”
He saluted again, and they set off towards the castle.
When they were away from town square, Gibbous leaned a little closer to them, whispering. “It sounded like whatever was going on in there must be fun. I’m jealous—serving in Ponyville was supposed to be a chance to participate in celebrations like this, not watch empty streets for criminals who aren’t coming back.”
“There’s still another few days of the festival left, right?” Lightning Dust offered, her voice consoling.
“Yeah, but tonight was about cider. There’s only one of those.”
The castle was closer to town than Lucky had suspected it would be—a few blocks down the dirt road, and they had already reached it. She was stunned for a moment, staring up at what seemed like a glittering crystal tree, which had sprouted from the soil as though it had naturally grown here.
Gibbous laughed from just up ahead. “Yeah, it’s pretty spectacular. Not as big and impressive as Canterlot, but it’s got its own charm. Particularly on nights like this, when the moon is good.”
Lucky resisted the urge to put her goggles back on and get a better look at the castle with the advantage of night vision. Instead she hurried to catch up, moving beside her mom towards the massive doors. There was music coming from inside, a little scratchy and distorted.
There were many happy voices, all laughing and talking together. Leave it to ponies to find a way to keep the celebration going even when there’s a dangerous criminal on the loose.
There were two more guards waiting at the door here, both bats like Gibbous. “The ponies I was asking about,” he said, pointing back at them with a wing. They nodded, and one stepped back to push the massive doors open. It felt like the castle was opening its gates to receive a king.
A glance backward at Dust was all Lucky needed to see that she wasn’t nearly as pleased by all this as Lucky was, though she seemed to be trying to hide her annoyance from the guards. She had fallen silent, glaring at everything. Please don’t freak out. I know you hate these ponies, but staying in the castle is the best thing that could’ve happened for our mission.
Not far away, Lucky could see another set of massive doors already open, and that was apparently where the music was coming from. There were maybe a dozen ponies inside, apparently enjoying themselves a great deal.
She was so taken-in by everything else, Lucky almost missed the little dragon standing right in front of her. Well… little compared to what she imagined a dragon would be like. This one stood about as tall as she was.
He might’ve looked fiercer if he wasn’t wearing a party hat. “Hey,” he said to Gibbous. “These are the ones?”
Gibbous nodded. “More tourists. You’ll find a place for them, right?”
He nodded. “I’m sure I can find something.” He turned on his heels, gesturing for the stairs. “Come on then, you two. Let’s find you somewhere to sleep before Pinkie notices you’re here and tries to drag you into the party for the rest of the night.”
Then it clicked who Lucky was talking to—she had heard this voice before, however distorted it had been over the primitive pony radio. It made sense—how many dragon assistants could one princess have? He said my voice was clear. I better be careful, even if he doesn’t know what I look like.
Lucky stayed silent as they climbed a massive spiral staircase, up what had to be the thick trunk of the tree. How many floors did this castle have? How much space? And all of it built from the same strange crystal, just like the capital and many of the walls in the Crystal Empire. The lights in here weren’t irregular electrics, but a constant magical glow from little gemstones suspended from the ceiling at various points.
“So where are you ponies from?” Spike asked, sounding more polite than interested. “From what you’re wearing, you must be here for the harvest festival, right? It would’ve been better if you came last year, it was great then. But I guess Ponyville is back to its constant disasters.”
He never actually stopped to wait for their answers, just kept going and going. Exactly like he had been on the radio. “I don’t actually suggest you try going to bed without at least visiting the party first, or else Pinkie Pie might get offended. Twilight’s friends are already a little on edge from not being invited to go…” He trailed off. “Well, they should get used to it. I’ve been not getting invited to things for years now, and I turned out fine.” They stepped off the stairs onto a landing about halfway up, where a round hallway circled the large trunk, with doors running around it. “Lucky you, only the staterooms are left empty. Just don’t make too much of a mess of things, alright? I’m the dragon who has to clean them.”
He selected a door apparently at random, pushing it open.
Only in videos had she ever seen luxury like this—walls and floor of smooth crystal, ancient wooden furniture inlaid with gold, and literal jewels set into the molding. There was more wealth on one of the jewel-encrusted wall hangings than Lucky had possessed in her entire life. "Woah."
"You should see the royal rooms," Spike said, apparently satisfied with their reactions. “But now that Twilight’s a big important princess, we’re always hosting some important pony or another from far away. It’s good to make them feel at home, you know? I’ve got a guestbook for each of these… all the important ponies who have stayed in each one. He selected a drawer from a nearby boudoir, removing a book with one claw.
Lucky felt a brief twinge of jealousy as she watched him do it. Why couldn’t I have gotten a dragon body? It would be nice to have hands again. But she kept quiet, listening politely as he read off some names, trying to look impressed. Lightning Dust actually did look impressed, though some of that was apparently sourness.
Spike snapped the book closed. “Anyway, you can leave your things up here. Even if you’re tired from the road, you should visit the party for a few minutes. That should be enough to stop Pinkie doing something extreme. Hopefully.”
Lucky tossed her saddlebags onto the single massive bed, and Lightning Dust did the same. Spike didn’t seem to notice their apprehension at leaving their things behind. But Lucky had the hair-clip—that would have to be enough if there was some kind of emergency.
This will be easy. I’m just here for a party. No fighting, no need to pretend too much. A few minutes down there, and we can get some sleep for tomorrow. Hopefully Twilight will be back from hunting her criminal, and we can talk about something that matters.
Olivia had prepared as well as was possible considering the few hours she had to work. In all likelihood, she never could have made the progress she had without the stolen armor. Wearing it, all she had to do was think about moving something, and it would move. Her night-vision was perfect, her reactions were lightning-fast, and she never tired. It was the only way she stood a chance.
Some small part of her wished she had put the helmet down and run away right then, taking her pick of the equipment, and destroying the rest. Maybe her chances of survival would’ve been better in that case.
That might be true, but she hadn’t been able to get herself to run. After all the danger she’d been in—after slaving away as Othar’s governor under the fear of extermination by forces she couldn’t control, Olivia was ready to get even.
Of course, she wasn’t wearing the helmet right now. Once she’d removed it, the rest of the armor had faded away, gone as quickly as it came. It was a good thing she had only taken it off when she was finished preparing the old ruin, or else the ponies might’ve found her surrounded by weapons and collapsed from exhaustion.
Fortunately, one of the crates contained medical equipment, which included stimulants. She had a patch under her tongue even now, keeping her alert. The effect was more potent than the armor, but also less natural. Soldiers could stay awake for days using patches like these, but would often have to sleep for days afterwards, recovering from the stress.
Hopefully I won’t have to use them that long.
Olivia had considered one other course, one that might very well have gotten her out alive. If she could summon boxes of weapons using the incredible armor, perhaps she could summon communications equipment as well. She could bring it here, then call for evac.
If the Forerunner could speak to her, it probably would have chided her for being so short-sighted. She should be calling for help, should be getting out and planning her conflict with Celestia more formally.
But if I go, I have to leave this armor behind. And without it, we might not be able to beat her. It wasn’t just controlling the terms of the engagement, though she would be doing that. It was also the power that tool would give her, in addition to all the human weapons she had brought.
Besides, Olivia should be dead already. Fighting their enemy, possibly slaying her and saving Othar forever, well… that was a noble cause. Worth the risk of one cloned life.
She wasn’t kept waiting long, in any case.
She saw them coming from the camera she had placed furthest from the ruin. The glint of moonlight reflecting off the armor of soldiers. Their numbers were enormous, dozens at the very least, and not just on the ground. Some came hovering in the air, all wearing the same armor.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the same stuff she had stolen. Whatever the Nightmare soldiers wore, it was evidently difficult enough to create that it was not shared around with common conscripts.
She didn’t really have anything against these ponies, though. As much as she recognized the need to inflict casualties and draw out their elites, she felt no more desire to see them hurt than she had wanted to harm the blue pony with the silvery mane.
She had posted a warning by the bridge. She didn’t know Eoch, and she couldn’t contact Forerunner for a translation without risking its involvement, so she had settled for pictograms.
What the sign said, or what she hoped it said, was that the castle was dangerous—that any who entered would die. She hoped that would mean the soldiers would turn back.
A naive hope, as she realized before they even saw the sign. A few pointed at it, and what looked like one of their officers came descending from the air to examine it personally. They didn’t stop, though.
They crossed the bridge, and began to assemble in front of the castle. They lined up in Napoleonic ranks, as though they were about to besiege its crumbling walls. Then the force divided, charging in using every viable entrance. The open doors, the holes in the ceiling, probably running around for the postern gate too.
Olivia sighed, lowering her head for a few seconds and thinking a silent prayer for those she was about to kill. She wasn’t particularly religious—she had no gods to pray to. But she hoped something was listening, because many men were about to die.
The explosions started a few moments later.
Lucky Break followed Spike back down the way they’d come, down the spiral staircase back to the party. Lightning Dust kept hesitating, glancing back up towards the room. She hadn’t been able to say anything in private to her, not even a few words.
But she didn’t have to for Lucky to realize what she must be thinking. Lucky did not know the specific details of what Lightning Dust had done, but she knew enough. She knew that these ponies had been directly involved in an accident—that through Dust’s negligence they’d nearly been killed. The legal authority of Equestria had not reacted well to the near-loss of some of their most important citizens, and the punishment was severe.
Even though she’d served her time, the bad reputation had kept Dust in poverty until they abandoned Equestria entirely. It would have her there still if Lucky hadn’t dragged her out of society and into the Pioneering Society.
“You’re going to love it,” Spike was saying, as they made it down the stairs. “I can tell from what you’re wearing. Pinkie Pie didn’t quite keep to the traditions… which I can tell you in detail because Twilight made me study them… but I think the modern way is more fun. There’s no reason to just use torches and only drink sour ale, you know?”
Lucky blinked, trying to process anything Spike had said. Her mind was drifting, and she had a hard time concentrating. It was so much easier to think about how close she was—how suddenly they would be forced to confront Twilight about Celestia. When she returned, either they would succeed in their mission, or… it would get much harder.
“You’re… old enough to drink?” she found herself asking, the words spilling out unexpectedly. Dammit, I shouldn’t have said anything. What if he recognizes how I sound?
Spike squinted at her. “I know I look young, but I’m older than you are. Dragons do it differently. Slower. In pony years, I bet I’m twice as old as you. If ponies like you can attend the festival, I can.”
Apparently not. Guess I’m safe. Lucky raised a hoof. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious. Don’t let me tell you what you can and can’t do.”
“Really?” Spike hesitated just outside the doors to the great hall, looking back at her with disbelief. “You’d be the first pony in the world who doesn’t want to tell me what to do somehow. You must be a weird one.”
She shrugged, but Lightning Dust answered for her. “Absolutely she is. Weird doesn’t even begin.”
Spike laughed, pushing the door all the way open for them.
The great hall could’ve seated fifty, though it was mostly empty tonight. Brilliant crystals lit it from above, their light fading into different colors at regular intervals. There was a single central table at the far end of the room, surrounded by high-backed crystal chairs. Right now the whole thing was covered with a cloth, and a row of temporary tables had been set up a little further away.
It looked at a glance as though there was as much food assembled here for a party of a handful as had been gathered in town square to feed everyone. Lucky felt the groaning in her stomach at the smells, practically lifting her into the air.
As good as chemically fabricated food could be, she didn’t think Forerunner had ever quite mastered the formulations for the pony tongue. This new body had its own preferences, and there was something to satisfy them all on that table.
Lucky realized then that Spike wasn’t the only pony here she had spoken with before. There was another—a bright blue pegasus playing some kind of party game with a yellowish earth pony mare. Rainbow Dash, the member of the Wonderbolts that had been there for her flying exam.
Spike slowed as they passed through the door, putting up one claw. “This will… be easier if we stay quiet and just wait for it to happen,” he said, looking around expectantly. Lucky found herself bracing, expecting to be struck by an incoming train.
Nothing happened.
Spike seemed as befuddled as they were, until he caught sight of a pink pony in a far corner of the room, staring at a wall. “Weird,” he said, shrugging. “She’s been… I thought having somepony new… well, guess no one can figure her out.” He started off again across the room, leading them into the place where a handful of ponies were gathered to chat.
“Hey, everypony! Got a few more festival refugees. Guess they came in just in time for the really late stuff.”
“Don’t say things like that, Spike,” said a delicate mare with a white coat and an elegant mane. “You can see how young that one is. You shouldn’t put thoughts in her head.”
She turned to face another pony, who had looked up from what appeared to be a very serious game gathered around a table in the corner. A young adult mare, by the look of things, with several of her friends. “I’m watching you too, Sweetie.” She advanced then, extending a hoof to Lightning Dust. “Name’s Rarity, dear. This here is Fluttershy, and the two trying to drink each other into a stupor are Rainbow Dash and Applejack.”
Lightning Dust took the offered hoof, stiffening visibly. “I’m Cloudcover, and this is Windy,” she said, her tone sounding more honest than it had last time. “Thanks for taking us in. We wouldn’t have come all this way if we thought there would be… so much going on.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll have things sorted by morning,” Rarity said, waving a dismissive hoof. “You know the Royal Guard. Ever skillful, ever efficient.”
“They won’t,” said a distant voice. The pink pony, whispering to herself by the wall. “It’s not going well. I can feel it.”
Rarity cleared her throat loudly. Apparently she could hear it too. “Well, you’re welcome to join us for the party tonight, in any case. There are already a few missing, so it’s good to have a little extra company. Feel free to enjoy what we have. It’s the same sort of, uh… food… that would’ve been served at the festival, if it were happening properly. So hopefully you won’t feel too put-out.”
“We won’t,” Lightning Dust said, about as charming as sandpaper. “Thanks.”
“Yes, well…” Rarity laughed awkwardly, then turned away. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. The hostess has gone for the evening, but I will try to serve you in her place.”
They served themselves, eager for an excuse to be moving. There was no need to fake their hunger, though they did have to fake enthusiasm for the cider. Fortunately for Lucky, there were several different barrels here, marked with a few simple numbers to show just how intoxicating they were. Lightning Dust selected the mildest barrel along with Lucky, and they took their food to the only empty table to eat.
Subdued conversation began, barely audible over the crackling music issuing from a gramophone in the corner of the room. Lucky kept her head down, trying to look at nopony in particular. It seemed the room’s existing occupants were just as eager to leave them to themselves, continuing several hushed conversations.
Their little table was near the one where the younger ponies were gathered, including the one Rarity had called “Sweetie.” Under other circumstances, Lucky probably would have joined them to see what they were playing, though they were all older than she was.
She didn’t have to move to listen, at least. The younger ponies were the closest table, and by far the worst at whispering. “Did you see what happened to the hospital?” one of them was asking—she didn’t look up to see which one.
She did stiffen all over, ears swiveling to listen. Hospital? Wasn’t that where they were holding Olivia? Her heart sank as she imagined the worst possible scenario, though of course that couldn’t be it. It was just a freak coincidence, that was all!
“Yeah,” said another. “Half the wall blown right off. Ah heard they had to up and move everypony on the second floor to Canterlot.”
“Woah,” said the third. “How could one pony do that?”
“Dunno,” responded the first. “But Starlight was there. You know what that means.”
The ponies made sounds of agreement, though of course Lucky didn’t have a clue what it meant. It sounded like a name by the way she’d said it, but beyond that. Starlight wasn’t the name of anypony she’d ever heard of.
“But why would the princess send so many guards? Doesn’t that seem a bit much to catch just one unicorn?”
“Ah dunno. Ask her yerself, next time we’re in Canterlot.”
“We could ask Twilight when she gets back.”
“You really think she’d tell us?”
Something touched her shoulder, and Lucky almost lept into the air. She resisted, though she did still jerk a little. Almost enough to knock over what was left of her cider.
“Are you alright?” Lightning Dust whispered.
She could only shake her head. It wasn’t right—none of this was right. She felt a little sympathy for the pink pony in the corner with the deflated-looking mane. She could share that feeling.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing any way to communicate with Forerunner. If she was, she could’ve asked him to send a drone into the Everfree for her. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look at what Twilight and the Royal Guard were up to, right? Just in case?
As she thought it, she felt a sudden jolt, accompanied by a deep rumbling. The sound was very distant—like a gigantic landslide. Or a bomb.
Instantly the adult mares in the room all looked up, heads turning towards the sound.
Unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them, even the two who had seemed half-drunk before.
“She told us not to come,” said the yellow one, her voice timid. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” said the other two.
Rarity turned away from them as another, smaller pop sounded from far away. This one was more like fireworks, crackling through the night on the Fourth of July and muffled by the building all around them. Either that, or it’s automatic weapons fire.
It can’t be! Forerunner is the only one who can let ponies use guns like that, and he wouldn’t lie to me! If he put me in charge…
Did she trust the program? Maybe not as much as she had wanted to. It seemed possible, however distantly, that what had happened in Dragon’s Folly had been his idea instead of Olivia’s. Maybe it had been the one to pressure her to deal with criminals, and eventually got her caught.
It sent us off to waste time then too. While Olivia fought the real war.
Rarity had made her way over to their table by then, as the others quickly gathered their possessions. Even the depressed-looking pink one seemed resolved. “I’m terribly sorry, but… my friends and I are going to have to leave you for the time being. A dear friend of ours is out there, and it sounds like she might be in trouble. I know you’ll understand.”
She didn’t even wait for a response, turning to join the other five as they galloped out of the room.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Lucky muttered, rising from the table. She no longer felt hunger.
She didn’t see what the younger ponies did, or the dragon, or the other refugees. She didn’t care. Lucky made her way out the door just behind the group, back up the stairs. She lifted onto her wings, flying as quickly as she could. Lightning Dust caught up in seconds, swiftly outpacing her. There was nopony in the stairwell, no one to slow them down. Not even any guards.
“What are we doing?” Lightning Dust asked, speaking in an urgent whisper. “Do you know what that sound was?”
It was still going—louder than before, and more constant. Like a whole firework show going on a few miles away.
“It sounds like a battle,” Lucky said. “And so far as I know, those weapons are human. We shouldn’t be hearing them here.” Even if she was right about her worst suspicions, even if Olivia was involved in this somehow, how could she be making all this noise? She had one exoskeleton, and surely the ponies would’ve taken that away. Even if she got it back, did it have enough to shake the ground like this while it fought?
She reached their bedroom.
Lightning Dust landed by the door, standing in the doorway as a lookout without having to be asked.
Lucky scrambled to her bag, dumping out her things. She found the concealed computer-book was vibrating. She opened it, and found a string of text on the screen waiting for her.
“Something is happening I cannot explain, Lucky. The bird-drone I’ve hidden in Ponyville with you is picking up the signals from radio detonators. These codes belong to inventory that was never checked out. Did you smuggle bombs into Ponyville? I would have given them to you if you asked.”
Lucky didn’t have time to type, not with the pitiful speed of hooves against a touchscreen. She fumbled with the interface until she found the voice button, then started whispering harshly into the screen, in English. “I have nothing to do with this. Dust and I are in the castle waiting for Twilight. From what we’ve heard, she has taken a bunch of soldiers to capture some kind of criminal.”
There was a brief delay, as Lucky was used to from satellite communication. Though how the computer could get a signal without a clear line-of-sight to the sky, she couldn’t guess.
More text appeared on the screen, replacing Forerunner’s previous message.
“I have only the one drone. I could send it to investigate, but if I do and it is destroyed, we will not be able to communicate until a replacement arrives. I have already released a whole flock, but they are hours away.”
“Worth the risk,” Lucky responded, not even waiting for him to finish. “Send it over the Everfree Forest. That’s where the criminal is, that’s probably where the fighting is too.”
“I can follow the sound,” Forerunner responded. “I recognize each of these sounds, Lucky. That’s a Xerxes heavy repeating rifle, anti-personnel mines. I certainly fabricated those weapons.”
“How are they out here if you didn’t send them?” She hoped she didn’t sound suspicious. “It couldn’t be Olivia, could it?”
“Stealing from my inventory? It is possible, if she did it long enough ago. These weapons are antiquated. I have sent drones into Inventory as we speak. I will soon know how they were taken.”
“What should I do?” The question was out before she knew what she was saying. Idiot! You’re the governor, he’s not going to give you instructions!
“I don’t know,” Forerunner said. “It seems prudent to remain hidden where you are. You are transmitting from Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle, so you have already succeeded. Remain hidden, utilize your disguise, and wait for more information. I have increased the Speed of Thought’s velocity, but we were not meant to arrive in Ponyville until late tomorrow evening. We were speeding away until moments ago. It will seem suspicious for us to cut such a direct route towards a location we ignored. I am taking the risk anyway, unless you suggest otherwise.”
“N-no,” she croaked, slumping forward onto the stately bed. “That seems like a good idea. If you see anything with the drone, put it on my screen here. I want to see too.”
As the words left her lips, the sound of distant rumbling finally stopped, casting the night into sudden silence.
Lightning dust turned around from the doorway. “Did you do that?”
“No,” Lucky called. “You can come in. I don’t think anypony’s out there to watch for.”
Lightning Dust frowned, glancing up and down the hallway outside. Then she shut the door, dragging over a massive wooden dresser to block it. Only then did she make her way over to the bed.
“I heard your side of that. Did that Forerunner pony know what was going on? Or…” She lowered her voice. “Are you fighting them?”
“No!” Lucky responded, meeting her mom’s eyes. “No! It isn’t us. Forerunner thinks someone stole weapons, though he doesn’t know how. He’s sending a… a spell we can watch with. Hopefully we’ll be able to see what’s going on soon.
A few moments later, she could. The hidden screen suddenly showed a bird’s eye view from distant treetops. And far below was a castle in flames, surrounded by an army.
Even from a distance, Lucky could see it had not gone well for the attackers. There were craters around the castle, ponies sprawled out motionless, ponies dragging their wounded away from the walls.
How many had been killed during the few minutes of combat? Too many.
Flying behind the routed army, sheltering them with a flickering shield of purple energy, was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle, her face twisted into agony and terror.
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Good job, Olivia. You just fucked everything up.
Shit
GG WP , Olivia ..
This is Twilight’s fault, through improper interrogation procedures and improper security measures, though Starlight Glimmer and her disregard for appropriate security and safety measures is the proximal cause of the disaster. The ultimate failure is Celestia’s for failing to properly inform and warn Twilight of the scope and severity of the danger Harmony and the enemies of Harmony represent. The guard commander also bears a measure of responsibility for not proceeding cautiously, but that is mitigated by the multiple failures in the chain of command.
Oh_my.webm
You know, I understand why Olivia's doing this. After so long with being out of her element, she just wants an enemy she can take in a straight fight. The good news is that for now Celestia still seems to not know what's going on. I wonder if Lucky and Lightning can get there fast enough to help?
Oh, that ain't good...
Yeah this is no longer a problem you can just talk around.
8681073
Well we knew it was only a matter of time
And not even much of that ever since she broke out.
8681100
"So, you're saying that the world will actively attempt to kill us if we progress beyond a certain level of scientific proficiency and, or, knowledge about the world itself?"
"Yes."
"And that these ponies... sorry, people, already have this knowledge and are far more scientifically advanced than us?"
"Yes."
"One last question. Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?!"
Mwahaha, there is a bodycount! The time for diplomacy is over, there's no way Celestia and Luna won't hear about an entire Royal Guard battalion being defeated.
Honestly, if Lucky and Dust had any brains they'd be on the run already: there's no way you can talk things out in the aftermath of such a bloodbath. Perez might do them a favour by taking the choice out of their hands, as soon as he hears Olivia is fighting the enemy he will rush in to support her.
I wonder what the punishment for Starlight will be, she's basically responsible for all these deaths. Perhaps she'll have another breakdown and go for a time travel spell to fix everything? Or would Discord be the one to push a reset button?
8681132
Old military saying "no plan survives contact with the enemy". Sometimes you can't do the " correct" thing because you just can't know what that is.
Oh no, this is bad. Twilight's going to blame herself for this, but she's also going to hate anyone that's part of the Pioneering Society. I really hope she's not going to punish Lucky and Lightning for the actions of Olivia.
8681136
On the contraire, they're ponies. If Lucky rash now then and only then would diplomacy be out of the window. As it is right now their only chance of peace is staying and taking to the princess of friendship, the one that can know if they're lying or not.
There will still be conflict between Celestia and Twilight, though. Twily would NEVER forgive Celestia for hiding such secrets from her, as a princess and a friend.
8681145
Oh, I'm imagining that as a conversation between Tia and Twily.
And the award for Sadest Cameo goes to Pinkie Pie.
Oof, negotiations are off to a rocky start.
The poor ponies. Dead, wounded and no idea why.
Well CRAP. Dead ponies. Lots of them.
And it gets worse. Olivia is gunning for Celestia. The big bad High Value Target. Why do I suspect that the sum total of Olivia's knowledge about Celestia is "Alicorn" and "Enemy?" And now Twilight appears on the battle field...
Yeah, the excrement has definitely hit the rotary air impeller on this one...
8681198
Olivia has met Twilight Sparkle before while in the hospital room.
The level of badass Olivia brings to the table is always turned up to 11. You don't screw with humans. Olivia is determined not to be their captive little songbird, to not fall to the cantrips of their people, and gets nothing but respect from me for it.
So Olivia is basically a lunatic with no control of herself. How does she perceive that killing a bunch of ponies will keep them safe? I just don't understand this at all. It's more like she just want's to see bloodshed. I don't really like how this turned out and hope she pays for this. As in with her own life.
Olivia's current state
media.tenor.com/images/f419d34c3142926cdad02d59e44e3010/tenor.gif
Lucky's reaction
thepaperbprincess.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/despicable-me-what-gif.gif
Forerunner's reaction
media.giphy.com/media/10uC1T167EN1N6/giphy.gif
Of course it would stop at the BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER so far. Lol
Dammit! I'm gonna go insane waiting till NEXT Friday! Xp
While I know people are gonna say Olivia fucked up, she kinda did. But with what little information she had she made the best choice she could at the time. She could not allow herself to remain a prisoner, they would rip information directly from her brain, and we know as she knows that OTHAR and her people must be protected at all cost. Do I like that it came down to this battle? No. Do I understand it is necessary? Yes. Olivia did warn them after all, they choose to ignore it, instead of having twilight try to resolve this thru negotiation. While the situation sucks, I can't help but yell...GO OLIVIA!!! KICK ASS!!!
Next week can't come fast enough. Lol
It feels more like this chapter was unnecessary bloodshed. And it really felt unnecessary. Like so now any of the trust or faith they had was tossed out the window for utterly no reason than to prolong the story. I sure do hope more than just Olivia pays for this. Because I feel it was just so stupid that this was the end result.
8681216
DOH! How'd I forget that? I'm an idiot!
8680036
To be fair to MLai there are no biological tissues that can just chill in boiling lava either.
Whelp there goes any shot at peace. Forerunner should make sure this is the last Olivia they create for awhile.
8681242
I .... what? What trust or faith? Olivia is acting on her own and is using the power of stolen armour to enact the plan which she wanted to usefrom the very beginning, remove the threat of Celestia through military action and probably killing her. How does that have anything to do with trust or faith? Why should anyone other than Olivia pay for anything?
I had a think and the only guess I've got for what you mean is the ponies should have just let Olivia go????? No that doesn't make any sense either.
Well, she tried to warn them. The blame could go any number of ways. We could blame Olivia for not guaranteeing she wasn't captured and her subsequent violent escape, we could blame Celestia for her paranoia since Flurry Heart learned some things she apparently wasn't supposed to, or we could blame Starlight for giving Olivia to opportunity to do all this. Passing the blame around doesn't really do anything, though. We just gotta wait and see what happens
8681100
While I agree this should happen, I fear...
"So... Let me see if I have this right Captain Balaclava, you found that the immensely powerful, dangerous, and violent magic user had fortified themselves in a literal castle, having been left alone in their location for several hours, and you know that she had laid extensive lethal traps and other defensive works, since she went to the trouble of putting up a sign warning you of this. Furthermore you must have appreciated that many such traps and defensive works would be of a magical nature given their creator having access to a Nightmare Suit. And you thought the best course of action was to ignore the warning, and go charging in, even though we know she's defeated a dragon before she acquired the aforementioned Nightmare Suit."
"Yes Sir. That is exactly what happened."
"Hmm. Looks like you followed the Royal Guard handbook to the letter. Can't think of a single thing you did wrong. Must have been pure bad luck things turned out as they did."
Also, betting pool time!
2:1 odds - Twilight is upset
3:1 odds - Twilight does something stupid as a result
4:1 odds - Dash, or someoen else in the Mane Six identifies Lightening Dust
5:1 odds - Lightening Dust is identified just as Lucky was about to make some progress
10:1 odds - Lucky gets to see the Friendship Table, and gets it to do interesting things
15:1 odds - And subsequently breaks it somehow
20:1 odds - Android!Forerunner offers medical assistance. "I have detailed files on pony anatomy."
30:1 odds - One of the Royal Sisters turned up to see what's happening in their old home
40:1 odds - In a moment of high stress, Lucky gives Moon Dancer a well deserved punch to the face
50:1 odds - Lucky actually meets Twilight and gets to exchange more than a single line of dialogue before the next chapter ends
100:1 odds - We learn Harmony already started the count down to the End of the World five weeks ago
500:1 odds - One or more alicorns agrees to help
1000:1 odds - Significant plot progress in the next chapter
1:1 odds - The next chapter ends on another b
"Buy some apples!"
g cliffhanger. 
8681276
Barring magic, it would be possible if the Dragon had scales and skin composed of heat resistant materials. That by itself would increase the contact time from seconds to minutes of exposure. If they had an organ designed to act as a heat sink with small tubules throughout the deadened layer of scales and skin, it could increase the exposure time to as long as the organ works.
8681242
I tend to agree.
The mistakes made in the past were possible to work around (Deadlight's capture) or were misinterpretations (Lucky and Flurry on adventure).
This was not necessary. Olivia had landmines - how about a remote detonation to "mark a line in the sand" as the guards approached? She had that ability. Not even a heavy warning shot? A barrage into the dirt from one of her guns? That might prompt some communication.
It could be argued that revealing the location of one of her armaments to prevent unnecessary escalation is worth it.
Instead she went to war. They came to apprehend - not kill.
With the chapter's emphasis on "too many have been killed", any intellectual alliance Lucky may have had with Twilight has literally been shot through.
8681220
Eh, well she kinda screwed up the whole "having any chance at all of friendly contact with the ponies" thing royally this time. Y'Know it's only the second time ... in a row that she's done this. Not to worry, it's only their reason for existence that she's buggered, nothing too important.
8681303
I think you guys missed out on the fact that she was feeling especially edgy from her capture and imprisonment in the hospital. Although you guys are inclined to believe that this may throw any alliances out the door, I'm more inclined to believe that this is an opportunity for both Twilight and the Otharian's to really see the Wrath of Harmony.
8681303
I am kinda surprised that no one has taken into account the name of that suit of armour... I really don't think it's called the nightmare armour for no good reason. The last thing that the ponies called a nightmare tried to plunge the entire world into eternal night and it is accepted that Luna's mind was twisted when she became Nightmare Moon. Guess what Nightmare Moon liked to wear? A metal helmet.
8681303
8681225
8681242
Y'know all of this is explained if you take into account the name of the armour. It kinda sounds similar to someone in the past who took the name "Nightmare" got a dark power boost and went insane. I can't quite remember the name though.
8681317
Are you suggesting that the Nightmare armour is ironically Olivia's saving grace?
That she was psychologically destabilized by the helmet which may explain why she decided to go to hell?
I like your view and want to believe it.
If that is the case, then for all we know any wearer of said Nightmare armour may require extensive training or mental preparation to resist the "Nightmare effect". Of which Olivia had none.
Even so, I'm not sure how forgiving the families of killed guards will be.
8681323
Except that Olivia took off the helmet once she was done trapping the castle.
Which means the nightmare effect would either need to be permanent, or linger.
8681335
Or it could be something as basic as a spell cast by Twilight. It's possible she was able to analyse the helmet and was able to use alicorn magic to counter the effects but it has to be cast directly on the user or there is a very short safe length of time before it starts to effect you.
There are any number of explanations why Starlight and Trixie were not effected.
Oh shit....
Uh Forerunner? Remember how you warned Perez about what happens to "malfunctioning segments" of the crew? Well...yeah initiate that protocol NOW before it is too late!
This is why they needed a diplomat.
Pringess Twilight, hello. I represent Othar, a powerful government with which you have no formal relations, a rogue member of which just attacked your citizens. The extent of the damage you have just suffered is clear evidence of why it is imperitive that we establish formal relations before this misunderstanding escallates further. We are only willing to negotiate with you directly, without any intermediaries, in the interest of clear communication and an immediate cessation of hostilities.
8681317
Are you suggesting Luna, Celestia and/or Twilight would have designed a magical suit which could empower users to alicorn levels AND possibly turn them into murderous lunatics...for their black ops agents?
And that they allowed Trixie and Starlight friggin' Glimmer to wear them?
8681397
Is it not a possibility that Twilight developed a spell that they need to have cast on them to protect them from the effects? There are many explanations for why Starlight and Trixie are not effected and Olivia was. K'know Like I already said in my previous comment on the topic.
8681397
Also it's a possibility that they did not develop the helmet, it could be an application of the principles which made the original helmet of Nightmare Moon work. There may be a part of the process that increases the perceptions of the user which has unavoidable side effects and as such the Nightmare armour was not issued to all members of the military and instead saved for only the most dire circumstances.
Welp, everything is boned. Good job, Olivia, you are living up to your predecessors.
8681406
I feel it's entirely possible there's some level of training that goes into it. I imagine with the power involved Twilight didn't just hand them the armor and tell them to have fun. This coupled with the fact that Olivia has very little actual experience with magic and it's plausible the armor might have a negative impact on her physically or mentally.
I am having trouble understanding Olivia's motivation and strategy here. She has her own doubts about what she's doing, but that just makes it more difficult for me.
I am very surprised and puzzled that the sounds of battle were heard so easily within Twilight's castle. Distant explosions, maybe, but small arms fire? Indoors, through those crystal walls? The Castle of the Two Sisters would have to be practically just outside of Ponyville, wouldn't it? I have never gotten that impression of its location before.
How could you be more obvious?
8681100
Guard is even more stupider than a zombie army. I mean, one trap, fine. But why blindly throw away lives a-la lemmings, again and again? She doesn't even have any hostages, there's no timed bomb in Canterlot, there's zero reason to rush in as quick as possible, for Pete's sake!
"I'll kill myself or die trying!" - Olvia
Ok, here's a plan: they should kidnap Twilight during the chaos of the battle, because why the fug not and nag her until she agrees to be friends with humanity! It worked on that bat pony (who's name I forgot).