It’s generally a bad idea to make a Unicorn into the angriest entity in Equestria. However, there are some things ponies simply don’t know about. For example, the younger a Unicorn is, the more powerful they are- even though their magic gland increases its output as they mature, along with their horn stowing more power before maxing out. The thing is, a young Unicorn, given they can get their hooves on the mana, has nearly limitless power.
Thus, it’s an even worse idea to make a young unicorn into such.
Give that young unicorn access to the amounts of mana that Zeus can produce or store, and you’ve got an apocalypse. Twilight finds herself to be elsewhere when Rarity drops herself back into the seat she’d selected, her right foreleg missing.
“Please tell me that mana transfer thing doesn’t hurt,” Rarity mutters to the room.
“It shouldn’t hurt any more than it just did,” Zeus answers. “I am not able to detect any damage caused by such directed transfers.”
Rarity lets out a breath. “At least I’m not ruined.”
“However, thanks to recent advancements in magical technology, I may be able to replace the magic gland as well.”
Rainbow eases herself into the seat next to Rarity, trying to ignore the phantom pain of her missing wing. “Well hay,” she intones. “At least you’ve got a workaround.”
“And you’ve still got four hooves,” Rarity retorts.
Fluttershy, settling down in the row behind everypony else, makes her voice heard. “This can be fixed, right?”
“You told us before,” Applejack joins in. “So long as our brains, horns, and magic glands stay alive, you can rebuild the rest. That still true?”
“Yes. It’s looking like I might soon be able to strike the magic gland off of that list.”
Several hundred kilometers away, Twilight passes out in front of her startled brother.
“What just happened?” the light pink alicorn nopony knows is standing in the other room wonders idly.
A scream is not heard near Zeus’ power banks.
I don’t bother counting how long it takes to wake up this time. I must have been lucky; I could’ve sworn that last failure would put me out of my misery. I perform my customary check of my Personality Center…
That can’t be right. Am I in Tartarus or something? There is no possible way my personality center should be 100% functional. A momentary check of timestamps suggests the accuracy of this diagnostic result. I check with DCC… Where did it get those nanites from? No matter, my command deck plating can be disintegrated to make more- which DCC neglected to do, until now. Wherever they came from, I am now capable of a full recovery- and reconstruction. I am no longer permanently incapacitated.
I will find the unit that self-identified as Unit XXXV/C-0309 ZUS of the Line. If he is working against my precious ponies, I possess the power to destroy him in a stand-up fight. If, however, he is working with them, my firepower is better used alongside rather than against his.
“I honestly don’t know.”
The Third Princess of Equestra jumps high enough to strike her horn off the smooth ceiling, searching for the stallion that had surprised her so. She spends a couple seconds in fruitless search. “Show yourself!”
“I’m afraid that is quite impossible.”
Fifteen minutes later, the Crystal Kingdom has long been locked down, in search of the missing Princess- and her daughter. In the meantime, Shining Armor makes an attempt to wake his sister up. She’d appeared between the two alicorns at the same time as they disappeared, shortly before collapsing in front of their dining table. Perhaps she could tell him where they went.
He’s interrupted by a blaze of light, marking the arrival of his wife.
“There you are,” he greets. “Was Flurry Heart anywhere?”
“What? Is she missing too?” She then spots Twilight on the floor between them, and facehooves. “Of course.” At least Alicorn magic can wake up any living pony.
Twilight awakens with a start. “Wha-?” She jumps upright, looking around alarmedly, before turning to Cadence and bowing. “Princess!”
Cadence is hearing none of it. “Twilight. Where’s Flurry Heart?”
“Huh? I don’t know.”
Cadence sighs, staring at the floor, while her husband explains what happened to a shocked purple princess.
“Sorry,” Twilight mutters, when he’s done. “I didn’t cast that spell. She probably came out somewhere near where you did.”
“How near?”
“Given Rarity’s skill, she could be literally anywhere, though I’d put my money on the nearest hundred kilometers.” She blinks slowly.
“Hundred kilometers?” Cadence asks.
“Doesn’t that cover the entire Everfree?” Shining asks.
“Uh, not quite, though it does cover most of it- and Canterlot.”
“You said she could be anywhere in that region?”
“Yes. It’s possible she ended up in a cave, or on a cloud.”
“Well, she did learn to glide just last night,” Cadence surmises. “I’m hoping it’s the cloud- and one high up, at that.”
“Me too,” Shining agrees. “No telling how much trouble she could get into if she’s attacked on the ground. I’m going to start the search parties.” His horn shines briefly and he teleports away- a skill he’d only recently learned, from Twilight.
The room with two occupants grows cold as Cadence turns back to Twilight. “Is it true?” she demands, her voice acquiring a deep rumble similar to that of the Hulk.
Twilight freezes in place. Cadence had told her she’d landed near Ponyville. Had she happened to land in a certain talkative subterranean bunker…? “Is what true?” she squeaks.
“Is it true,” Cadence begins, ignoring the dishes rattling on the table, “That you left Rarity’s magic gland on the moon?”
Yep, she had landed there. She shrinks against the floor, nodding slightly. Zeus’ anger might have been more terrifying by itself, but Cadence has far more power- both magical and political. Score, she’s out herself.
“And the others’ limbs?”
Another terrified nod.
Cadence’ horn glows briefly as she turns towards the door, which pops open to admit an admittedly terrified courier. He’d never seen Cadence this angry.
Only, his fears are mostly unfounded- she doesn’t explode on him. Her voice returns to normal before she addresses him- though the room stays cold.
One hour later, Twilight lands face-first in the snow just outside the shield, moments before it solidifies against her. She stumbles slowly to her hooves, staring at it. Cadence had ordered her not to be allowed to right any train until she reaches Ponyville- then she had exiled her from the Crystal Kingdom.
Meaning, of course, she has to walk. At least Cadence’ ban on the train shouldn’t hold once she gets back to Equestria proper- so she begins her journey. Her long, cold journey. Why did she have to spend all of her power in forgetting parts of her friends? She feels bad about it herself, even without anypony- or bunker- being angry!
The next morning, all of the missing legs have reappeared, though Rainbow’s wing has only grown to the size of a newborn’s. Still, it’s much faster than she could expect on her own.
“Good morning,” Zeus greets all five. “It would seem Princess Cadence wasn’t impressed by the situation either, so Twilight should be arriving back in Ponyville sometime next week, if she doesn’t get lost first. In the meantime, I have confirmed I don’t have the technology to replace a magic gland just yet, so we’ll have to make do with the whole transfer thing, Rarity. I have come up with a canister that should make it easy and negate the need to come back to me every time.”
Rarity blinks. “You’re cheerful,” she replies.
“What can I say? Justice has been served. Princesses Celestia and Luna stopped by to confirm Cadence’s story a couple hours ago- and have since reaffirmed Cadence’ orders. They are also preparing a rather malicious spell to set on her whenever she passes Canterlot.”
“Oh boy,” Rainbow intones.
“It’s not dangerous, is it?” Rarity asks.
“Not directly, no. It’s a simple teleportation curse, set to wear off in a couple months- my suggestion.”
Rarity blinks. Knowing Zeus, lethal is the one thing it won’t be. That would explain his apparent jubilance. “Ahh. So, this canister thing you speak of?”
“I’ve prepared a few dozen of them for you. Each one should be good for roughly 1893 full recharges- and I’d recommend keeping them out of the Crusaders’ reach. Celestia only knows how long it will take them to bypass a genetic lock.”
“What’s a genetic lock?”
“It’s the control device on these canisters.” One of his metal spiders presents the package to her, with the small cubes inside. “Thanks to the genetic lock, only you will be able to use them. At least, until the Crusaders manage to bypass it.”
“Don’t jinx it!” Applejack yelps.
“I’m not,” Zeus replies. “I’m acknowledging the inevitable. I would be jinxing it if I said they couldn’t do it. Which is- theoretically at least- the case.”
“Ahh. And it won’t burn when it goes in?”
“No. I still don’t fully understand the difference, but the energy in these canisters is not simple raw magic, and should not hurt at all when it flows in- even if you manage to override the flow limiter… Or break the canister.”
TIME:And now you are fucking with me...well shit.
OMNI:Don't lie...you love it.
TIME:...
Is the starlight loop canon here? Flurry got stuck in it for a while (unconscious, though, so she didn't go insane) so now she's older. Or alicorns mature faster (physically. I doubt she's mentally mature...)
I am having trouble telling what happened. Did the "elsewhere" refer to Rarity somehow getting magic and randomly TPing everyone? And how did Flurry Heart and Cadance get involved in that?
Ride any train?
8739386
Um, no, Starlight did not cause... This is an alternate universe fic- here, Cadence & Shining got together sooner or something... Donno, don't really care either.
8739524
I don't suppose it matters how she's older here. Just use the standard "Stuff happened" or "reasons" if need be; I just thought that if there had been any timey-wimey shenanigans, that'd be it.
At least Zeus is genre-savvy enough to realize that the Crusaders will probably break into the canisters, and has specifically designed them to fail safely.
Now if only he'd put homing tech on them so they'd return to their owners when the Crusaders inevitably "borrow" one and take it more than a certain distance away.
Okay, yeah. I guess Rarity transpositioned Twi and Flurry, who then blew up...
I am still not certain how she swapped their location rather than just sent Twi away.
8743117
My theory is that she sent Twilight away... And Twilight happened to intersect with both Flurry and Cadence when she appeared. Rarity's spell, rather than allowing a possibly ugly scene, dropped both princesses into the teleport matrix, to come out somewhere rather indeterminate, near Rarity's own position. Cadence landed in the next troop compartment over, but Flurry landed somewhere less than friendly.
This story started out strongly, but has been getting more and more incoherent as it's developed. I have no idea why Twilight has been banished and shamed, or who's where, or why. Cadence in particular is ridiculously OOC. You keep throwing in new plot points without resolving old ones and adding probelms that spring out of nowhere, without any build up or explanation, and then get resolved off screen.
This could have been amazing. Unfortunately it just hasn't lived up to it's promise. Throwing Twilight into the cold to walk back from the Crystal Empire was just the final straw. Not reading any further.
8754639
Re-read the chapter if you don’t understand something... not nit-pick on the author about it, yes the book has let me down in some places, but it’s still living up to some of my expectations...
Seriously just re-read. I read the chapter once and i understood perfectly why Twilight was getting punished and what she did.
She Telefragged her friends, leaving some of their body parts on the moon. Thats why she is getting punished, for being reckless.
Yes they could have been better and thanked her for saving them, but this has an AU tag so they could very well be less forgiving.
8754639
And dont give up because something let you down...
Seriously that just pisses me off when someone stops reading because ONE LITTLE FUCKUP. Damn learn to take a beating before giving up.
I am pissed at you, yes, but i will keep the hateful shit to myself because i am a better person than that.
Also you have to remember that this author does not even have a profile pic yet, so you can assume that they are not a veteran to the website and that they are probably new. so cut them some slack.
And this is really damn good for someone who is new to the site and probably new to writing. Keep this in mind next time you want to judge a story someone wrote, you arent omnipresent nor all knowing so you cannot assume that this person has been here for any length of time.
Yes i wrote this big ass comment just to tell in an over complicated way to think before you open your mouth or type because i have seen shit like what you just did too many fucking times and i have been on this site since 2017, which is not that fucking long.
So, in a more crude way of saying it. Shut the fuck up, get the stick out your ass, and think for a goddamn second alright?
Have a good day or night wherever you might be. And keep your hypocritical comments to yourself okay?
9017399
9017426
Very nicely put, thank you.
Honestly, I’m not exactly satisfied with how events went in this story either- and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the reception. It is true, this was my very first story; even at this point in the story, if you cut back to the first couple chapters, the development in my writing has improved visibly since- style, characters, world, everything, really.
Yeah... no. I do NOT like this. Twilight SAVED THEIR LIVES in an absolute emergency, using everything she had, and she's not only tossed into the snow, forbidden from getting help, and more?
I call that not only absurd, ungrateful, and ridiculously unfair, but downright criminal.
9563827
Yeah- I'm not a fan of that entire arc either. Rarity getting mad about the telefragging and sending Twi over in the first place is okay- but the curse is just mean.
One of many reasons I'm rewriting the story- and you can bet the curse won't be part of the rewrite.
Really harsh punishments for an accident....