Imbalanced: Legacy of Light

by Nameless Narrator

23-2: Going somewhere?

“What in the empty void is this?!” Heavy Hoof breathed out in absolute astonishment.

It had taken days, some persuasion, and a lot of pain to get through the Badlands. How had he gotten to this point from Manehattan? Like this:

When Bucket sent him on the investigation mission, Heavy thought the new Blazing Light would be his main clue to solving the disappeared Silver Sun money, but after some thought, he concluded that that wouldn’t be the case. First, secretly going through the new Blazing’s belongings didn’t show him possessing any kind of golden Silver Sun credit card, and the short observation of his activities, namely training and recovery, didn’t coincide with the missing money at all. Second, Heavy’s chats with Bucket over the next few days revealed the unauthorized payments kept happening even while Blazing was in the mansion. Much smaller amounts than what was discovered to had been sunk into the Soulstealer project, but still a trickle. Bucket could have cut the flow of money off at that point, but that would have ruined the only clue he had.

At that point, the clearest clue to follow was the involvement of Desert Shade, which led Heavy to Pine Hills where he waited. Des had to show up at some point, which she did, and took an expedition with her. What little fragments of information he was able to overhear set the expedition’s target to be the old changeling hive. It was easy to follow the group through the Everfree, and he recognized one member of the expedition to be that dragonpony girl, Harriet. Obviously, Des knew about him following the group, but chalked his presence to wild Corrupted in the area.

Unfortunately, trailing the group unseen from the distance through the Badlands afterwards was near-impossible. He had the general route, but since at some points the safe route was only a few steps wide, he had to rely on summoning tentacles from the ground and going few steps in the direction in which they didn’t freeze, fly off, or get disintegrated. Surprisingly, Bucket’s staff helped a lot, since it proved able to push the effect of the anomalies away a little.

Unfortunately, figuring out the safe route on his own like that took too long, and by the time he got inside the hive, neither Desert Shade nor the expedition was anywhere to be seen.

What he did find was far more puzzling, which almost brings us to here and now.

Several minutes earlier, Heavy had left his backpack outside when he’d heard a commotion inside. He’d taken only the necessities, and absorbed them into his body, allowing him to fuse with the already malleable walls of the hive, and use his Corrupted abilities to sneak inside. He hadn’t expected to find electronic equipment far above the level of what even the griffon Black Ops had - mapping, communication, archives, washing machines for some reason, and a lot more. Still, it had gone a long way to explaining where all the Silver Sun money had gone. The much more interesting part, however, were the creatures who were now carrying the equipment out of the hive through underground tunnel seemingly unaffected by the anomalies.

The entire operation looked as if it was led by a muscular changeling mare even taller than Heavy was who could easily pass for a hive queen. She had cheek-long wine-purple mane shaved on one side into an undercut, secondary armor of the same color, and eyes exactly the same as queen Chrysalis. The second in command was a changeling as well, although this one bore features of a high-tier infiltrator instead. Her mane was bright red and styled into a short, shaggy pixie cut of someone who clearly didn’t want to bother with fashion but didn’t want to just let their mane grow. She didn’t bear any additional plating, making her look like a lower rank changeling, which didn’t fit Heavy’s image of her whatsoever, though. Also, her eyes copied the leading mare’s, and low-tier changelings in their natural forms usually relied on their natural blue eyes instead. The smaller one was barking out orders in a language Heavy didn’t understand to the swarm of about fifty other creatures responsible for making sure the changeling hive remained completely empty of any trace of them, going so far as to make the hive walls shapeshift to spit the wiring inside them out.

The interesting part of the varied group were twenty ACTIVE Silversmith mechs, which in itself was a treasure most of the world would go to war for. Come to think of it, those looked like slightly simpler versions of Bucket’s normal bodies. However, they weren’t just simple machines, rather they acted simply like ponies obeying orders in the same growling language from few scattered tiny earthponies, barely reaching up to Heavy’s knee, who were however clad in full black stars-damned power armors! All this was topped by several minotaurs in…

A chill ran down Heavy’s currently nonexistent spine as memories of not much happier times long gone trickled in.

The minotaurs were wearing istrium armors. Not the finely crafted white stuff like Bucket’s main body, but the old, jagged grey designs of the Dark Prophet from the times when Nightmare led the army of zebras invading Equestria until her twisted fake alicorn servant was finally defeated by real Blazing. The same glassy, black crystals covered the walls of the tunnel as well. Several suspicions clicked in place about the current state of events, or similarities to what had happened once before - zebras were coming, and minotaurs had their old armors on again. Why would Nightmare use zebras again, though, now that she’s gained complete dominion over the powers of reality? A game? Another game with the lives of mortals? That could be the case, especially since she hadn’t done anything direct since the attack on the old Silver Sun mansion. It would make sense, since Void and by extension Blaze’s goal used to be to free mortals from the whims of the gods.

Heavy could keep guessing until mountains turned to dust, but he just didn’t know enough to come to anything decisive. However, Bucket was way smarter than any pony, and he had to be informed as soon as possible.

Thankfully, none of the technology or changeling senses involved were able to detect Heavy as he drained through the soil of the anomaly-free tunnel, pondering the strange situation. The two silent dreamlings trotting short way behind the procession inside the tunnel stared at the walls and bared their fangs occasionally when Heavy slowed down to observe them, but didn’t seem to be able to take any action against him while he was one with the soil.

So, the zebras were coming, seals of some strange purpose were being taken by some mysterious and unbelievably powerful entity which even the Nightmare wasn’t sure about, and technology at least centuries ahead of the current world was being used for unknown reasons, and obtained with Silver Sun money.

And as always, all of this was being obscured from the rulers of Equestria.

Heavy grinned to himself. Obviously only to himself, because dirt doesn’t have a mouth.

Eventually, the procession reached Pine Hills, which Heavy easily recognized when the previously unlit tunnel opened into a section of smoothed out caves lit by blots made of blue goop. His suspicion that this was Guiding Light’s dreamling hive was confirmed when the duo of dreamlings left the group. Heavy was torn for a moment between following the rest and reporting to Bucket immediately, and then he opted for the latter, because in the anomaly-less landscape he could cover ground a lot faster as a Corrupted then any other creature could.

“AAAH!” yelped the receptionist mare in Pine Hills town hall when Heavy simply pushed himself out of one of the pillars.

“Calm down, miss, calm down,” he waved at her with his patented heart-melting smile which made the mare blush despite her panic attack, making her horny and extremely confused, “Is Crimson Heart in his office? Silver Sun business.”

“I, um, I-” she stuttered before recovering at admirable speed. This Corrupted was nice, friendly, and ungodly hot even for their kind, “Lord Crimson Heart is in his office, yes. Should I call for him?”

“No need. I know the way,” Heavy immediately rushed up the stairs to the second floor. Without knocking, he opened the door to Crimson Heart’s office, startling the unicorn momentarily, “Crimson Heart, I need to talk to Bucket immediately.”

“Heavy Hoof?” Crimson Heart stood up, saluting, “Of course,” he walked to the corner of the room with an ornate wardrobe. Pushing a button disguised as a decorative spiral on its side, the wooden panels moved and revealed a communication device of similar design as those currently being taken away from the old hive.

“This is top secret, lord Heart,” Heavy nods towards the door, “It might concern you, but I need Bucket’s opinion first.”

“Understood,” with a salute, the Pine Hills Mayor left.

Heavy put in a series of letters and numbers using the keyboard, which tentacles made a lot easier than hooves, and in few seconds, a voice came from the speaker, saying:

“Yes?”

“Bucket, I think I know where your money went-” said Heavy, proceeding to recount everything that led him to this point since him leaving Manehattan, “-and I think the tunnel heads further north from here. They didn’t stop at Guiding’s place.”

“I’ll have to think about it,” says Bucket simply, “I’ve got something for you that might be connected to your investigation as well, and you won’t like this.”

“I don’t like anything about this already,” Heavy frowned.

“This is worse,” Bucket reassured him, “A zebra soldier escaped from Stern’s army, the first one ever, and managed to flee into the territory of the Northern Coalition. The united forces captured him, and after some preliminary interrogation allowed him to say his piece in the war room.”

“Anything useful about how some backwater zebra chieftain murdered half of the continent’s population and keeps going strong?”

“Yes, at least to us. I’m not sure about Celestia and the war effort.”

“What has she got to do with it? Is she leading the reinforcements or something?”

“The zebra explained that he attempted to kill the wizard who is behind all the powerful magic of Stern’s army, and got a quick look and an exchange of words with him. Supposedly, the army is afraid of one thing only, which is a tactical spell strike from Equestrian unicorns. Celestia was against it at first, knowing what semi-permanent damage those caused to the Griffon Empire during the old war, but the rulers of Northern Coalition states signed a resolution allowing such permanent damage to their territory, or before the army reaches their territory. The unicorn orders, as well as Celestia and Luna, left Canterlot yesterday. Twilight couldn’t go, as she’s researching the nature of the seals, so leading such high-tier spells is on them.”

“That’s pretty nuts use of magic,” Heavy raised an eyebrow, “And I know you’re dancing around the subject of the wizard, which is completely uncharacteristic of you, Bucket.”

“That’s just it, Heavy,” Bucket took a quick break, “According to the information our observers from the war room reported, all my calculations point to the unicorn wizard being Mistake.”

***

Night fell on Manehattan.

The pitch blackness of the dead zone was no obstacle to Bucket as he entered the ruins of the old mansion, and waited. Some twenty minutes later, he heard more hoofsteps approaching. Two sets, to be exact. He quickly connected to the trio of drones hovering in the black sky, which showed two griffons approaching the scorched archway of the mansion entrance.

The first griffon darted inside, quickly scanning the ruined surroundings, and immediately pointing a gun at Bucket. The second griffon followed quickly when he saw the reaction, and whispered:

“Stand down.”

“Good to see you, Nicolai,” said Bucket, giving the second griffon a courteous nod, “Is everything okay?”

“We haven’t met any invulnerable ponies cutting everyone to pieces, so as okay as it can be. How is it on your end, Bucket?” Nicolai shook the robot’s hoof, “Before I show the cargo.”

“My drones aren’t catching any visual, magical, or heat signatures. Of course, we can’t do anything about being watched by Nightmare as she’s, by definition, everywhere in this reality.”

“I miss the good old days when ‘god’ was just a reference to a metaphorical concept,” Nicolai sighed, “Alright, lead the way.”

Bucket led the two griffons down one set of stairs which survived Nightmare’s attack in the mansion into the cellars, and after two turns leading the trio to a dead end caused by a collapsed hallway, Bucket pushed a seemingly indistinguishable spot on the white wall. With a hiss, that section of the wall slid inwards, revealing a room with several pedestals on which lay a rather eclectic collection of items.

“What is this? Some secret Silver Sun vault?” asked Nicolai, immediately walking towards the first pedestal as curiosity won over caution.

“One of several,” Bucket nodded, raising his hoof towards the second, silent griffon who reached into his backpack and pulled out a necklace with a simple rock adorned with strange carvings. Bucket scanned it, and confirmed it was the real seal key retrieved in the Griffon Empire, “These contain powerful, limited-use magical items, some designs and blueprints too useful only for me to know, and some rather strange pieces of technology sir Cromach had gathered I don’t know where. Although judging by one recent report, I’m starting to have some suspicions.”

“You don’t know?” Nicolai reflexively picked up a short tube fitting into his talons, and squeezed it when Bucket didn’t object. A thin beam of green light the length of a sword slipped out of the wider end with a buzz.

“I do know, but those archives in my memory are restricted for anyone’s access including mine. I can use them only on sir Cromach’s direct orders.”

“You aren’t curious about that?” Nicolai smirked, tempting the robot.

“I am exceedingly curious about that. However, in my experience when sir Cromach wanted something hidden this well, there’s a good reason for it. Anyway, I know what those devices do and how to use them, I just don’t know where he got such advanced things. What you’re holding is a laser sword.”

“Oh, I understand that, Bucket,” chuckled the griffon as the robot took the seal key, and slipped it around the neck of a ponnequin in the corner and under the plate armor it was wearing, “Black Ops use laser technology for short-range communication or breaking locks. I’m not fascinated by that part. What takes my breath away is the size of the power source,” Nicolai tapped the handle, “Even with magical crystals we ship into the Empire from Equestria, we can’t make something this small. Judging by the heat and dimensions, this could cut through Imperial Guard power armors like butter.”

“A lot of Silver Sun technology is based on reverse-engineering of these artefacts. Sir Cromach didn’t restrict our research on their function. Combined with the scientific breakthroughs I get from your sources and zebras, plus the fusion of technology and pony magic as well as the research of living Corrupted going on in Pine Hills, that’s where Silver Sun gets its power these days.”

“Quite honestly, if Cassius knew about this cache, he would send all armies of the Empire to retrieve the contents,” said Nicolai being ushered out by Bucket with one last sad look at the dream-like pieces of tech, “Say, Bucket, I couldn’t help noticing there wasn’t any sign of a security system either. Well hidden, if even my agent couldn’t spot it, I must admit.”

“That’s because there isn’t any,” Bucker let out his trademark distorted chuckle, “Other than light and door controls, there’s no magical or electrical wiring. From what I heard, Flow has visited these ruins already, which makes them one of the best hiding spots. Secret installations guarded by armies failed, so I’m opting for hiding the seal key in somewhat plain sight. Holy City vaults were an obvious eventual target.”

“Good thinking. Any news about doomsday?”

“Twilight figured out there are six pieces of the key, or six keys in total. Flow has three of them for certain, and I know where two are. I have no clue where the last one could be, or whether Flow already has it. Absolutely nothing.”

“So we still have time.”

“Thankfully, yes. The question is how much.”

“One can never presume there will be tomorrow,” Nicolai nodded, “but shouldn’t live as if there won’t be one.”

“Nicolai, my one and only goal, the one I inherited from sir Cromach who in turn got it from Blazing Light following the path of the primal alicorn of Death, is to make a tomorrow for everyone. Each new day is a victory I take, and also more time I have to prepare for the time when everything I built will be tested to its limits.”

“A true patriot of the world, eh?” Nicolai patted Bucket’s back.

“It helps pass time,” the robot smirked back at him.

Comments

[Two_Madmans]

The entire operation looked as if it was led by a muscular changeling mare even taller than Heavy was who could easily pass for a hive queen. She had cheek-long wine-purple mane shaved on one side into an undercut, secondary armor of the same color, and eyes exactly the same as queen Chrysalis. The second in command was a changeling as well, although this one bore features of a high-tier infiltrator instead. Her mane was bright red and styled into a short, shaggy pixie cut of someone who clearly didn’t want to bother with fashion but didn’t want to just let their mane grow. She didn’t bear any additional plating, making her look like a lower rank changeling, which didn’t fit Heavy’s image of her whatsoever, though. Also, her eyes copied the leading mare’s, and low-tier changelings in their natural forms usually relied on their natural blue eyes instead. The smaller one was barking out orders in a language Heavy didn’t understand to the swarm of about fifty other creatures responsible for making sure the changeling hive remained completely empty of any trace of them, going so far as to make the hive walls shapeshift to spit the wiring inside them out.

I don't know what are you guys doing here, but do you know Four have problems and it's probably your fault too?

The two silent dreamlings trotting short way behind the procession inside the tunnel stared at the walls and bared their fangs occasionally when Heavy slowed down to observe them, but didn't seem to be able to take any action against him while he was one with the soil.

Wait, dreamlings? I thout that's King's ones.

all my calculations point to the unicorn wizard being Mistake.

Should we be surprised?

A thin beam of green light the length of a sword slipped out of the wider end with a buzz.

Schvrmmmmmmm!

[Nameless Narrator]

9900141
DEPLOY THE BIG ONE!
9900241
The hint here is that Bladedancer knows Prominence by name *wink wink*.
9900284
a) who did you want to ship?
b) considering how the chapter ends, it's more... Hello, shipping?
9900522
- It's like a facebook relationship status - complicated.
- It's a party and eeeeveryone is invited!
- Maybe?
- Yes, dwarves have lightsabers now. Wanna fight about that?

[Two_Madmans]

9900713

The hint here is that Bladedancer knows Prominence by name

I'd be more surprised if she recognize flying bag by name.

who did you want to ship?

Starry and Blade. I'm sure I'm not not the only one who thought it might be a good idea.
But if you will bring her back I'm not even will be surprised.

- Yes, dwarves have lightsabers now. Wanna fight about that?

Nah, I'll just bring my K'Tan sword and will cut everyone until I'll meet K'Tan.

[Nameless Narrator]

9907687
Yeah, once someone is written into my story as a semi-main character, they're in trouble.
9907830
What if she isn't up to anything, and everyone is just destroying themselves out of sheer paranoia?
9907901
Now that is a good thing

[Blewfire]

I am happy to see Boss Beard's changelings here. I am pretty sure that's One and Five if I am not mistaken.
Lazer sword , yeah we all know you wanted to say light saber.

[Nameless Narrator]

9908950
- 1 and 2. I'm noting that down...
- (I diiiiiiiid so much!) Lightsabers are trademarked

And I believe with this you're all caught up with everything. Why would you do that to yourself?