Guardians of Equestria

by Silverwind Blade

Connections

Connections

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The underground vault seemed almost impossibly vast. Ducting and pipework ran everywhere with catwalks and raised walkways spanning the cavernous expanse. Bank upon bank of lighting was arrayed across the ceiling, chasing darkness into pools in the corners. Banks of machinery were hard at work, giving the whole space an aura of noise that blended into an ever-present humming concerto.

Twilight and her friends were in awe of the spectacle. It was outside of the Equestrians' experience to see such technological sophistication. Even in Princess Twilights' journeys to the human world, she'd only seen such things in pictures.

The Lemurian facility at the plateau in Equestria’s southern reaches had been impressive, certainly, and well beyond any level of technology they had seen before. It had been smooth concrete and metal, and the underground hangars and facilities had been impressive, but claustrophobic by comparison to this. The underground caverns of Tartarus were larger, however, and even some of the caverns within Mount Unicornia, below Canterlot were a comparable size. But the space they looked over now was… almost unbelievable. Not least of all, because as Haglan had informed them, it had been excavated entirely by artificial means by the last Lemurian survivors that had created the city and this space, as well as entrusting and teaching the Rangiferans in its’ use. But what they had left to them to do that was what dominated the space, bathing in the glow of the banks of lights.

What Twilight and the others had been expecting, they weren’t sure. But it wasn’t what lay before them. At the centre of the underground vault, gleaming softly under the the lights was a streamlined, elegant, but powerfully built and imposing shape. Twilight leaned over the railing along with the rest of her friends, violet eyes narrowing as she studied the shape, trying to get a better look at what was in front of her. Her eyes traced over the lines and the shape, noting the swept-back surfaces, the rows of windows, and the gaping apertures at the rear. Hatches and openings of various sizes lead into the construction and as her eyes flicked from place to place, she was reminded of books she had read, and of the comics Spike and Rainbow Dash often indulged in. Her wings spread in surprised and her tail flicked as she turned to look to Haglan and the other Rangiferans.

“Haglan, is this-”

“This is a space ship, right?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “It’s some kind of totally bucking awesome, super-cool ship or something, it has to be! Just look at it, those are definitely thrusters or engines of some kind at the back. And that looks like a bridge. And are those gun turrets, or rocket launchers?!”

Twilight gave a snort of annoyance, but looked to Haglan as the question was asked, and the caribou nodded as answer.

“As far as we can tell, and from what’s been told in the accounts passed down through the years it’s a flying vehicle. A ship, like Rainbow Dash says, but one that sails through the skies rather than the seas. And much faster and more technological than any airship or balloon. And there are machines in there – computers – full of more information than any library I’ve ever heard of. If anything can lead you further on your quest, then it would be in there. We have never managed to get the ship working beyond the computer systems that have bought knowledge and information to our people over the centuries. It just seems to be… dormant, somehow”.

Twilight levitated the compass in front of her and activated it with a caress of magic across the controls. The pulsing indicator pointed squarely at the ship and it was brighter than she had seen it to date. If anything was an indicator, that seemed like a plain one. The other ponies looked over as she levitated the device, moving it so they could get a better view, and they looked from the pulsing indicator to the craft in front of them.

“Well, that looks pretty certain to me darling” Rarity said, glancing back and forth. “So what next?”

Vigga, Haglan and the other Caribou looked among themselves, before Freun looked back to the ponies.

“Shall we go inside?”

Sunset looked away from the equipment, the readouts and displays glowing and working steadily. Cables snaked across the floor, running from the equipment arrayed around the walls of the laboratory space to the observation ports around the containment cell in the middle of the space. A bank of glowing blue spell crystals arrayed into a generator provided power through captive electrical spells. Custom fashioned and improvised connectors linked the cables to the generator, turning the laboratory into a mismatched blend of Equestrian magical science and the technology of the human world.

“Well, it all seems as ready as it’ll ever be,” the yellow unicorn said with a grim expression. “Everything seems to be as calibrated and in working order. Ready to start monitoring whenever you want”.

Starlight checked over the magical instruments alongside Sunburst, lifting a roll of paper printout in her magic and studying runes hovering over the equipment. “Looks like everything is all right here, too. No time like the present, I guess”.

Sunburst nodded in agreement, lifting his glasses in his magic and cleaning them on his cloak. “It seems like everything is ready to go”. He peered through the viewport into the holding cell, his muzzle forming a tight, firm line, looking in at the Hollow Thing. For once, it was more active. The activity and movement around its’ cell seemed to have spurred it to life. Sunburst moved over as Sunset peered in alongside him in curiosity. As she saw the black shape of the techno-organic creature, she frowned. It was larger than a pony, but not immense; it was built more heavily, and with an angular, sharp-edged shape to its’ body and no fur, and no thickly-haired mane or tail. She had expected, from Starlight's description and the things she had read since being in Equestria and the castle, that it would be a hulking creature of a blackness darker than the void of space and glowing like the embers of the sun itself. Instead, she found it almost… pitiable. It looked sick, almost ill and poorly in appearance. The plated armour-like surface of its’ body was a pallid grey and the seams and gaps between a feint, weak, sputtering gleam of dull orange. The creatures’ posture almost reminded her of one of the little dogs that the Fluttershy of her own world – the other world, she corrected herself – looked after at her animal shelter. The tiny ‘toy dogs’ that couldn’t help but shiver and tremble all the time. She gave a ‘hmm’ of thought and Sunburst looked over at her with a quizzical expression. She caught the look and shrugged.

“I guess… I was expecting something a bit more impressive. From what Starlight said about the way they’ve been rolling over Equestria and all of the army, I thought they’d be more… impressive.

Sunburst frowned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his muzzle. “It seems to have, well, deteriorated since we’ve had it in our control. I’m hoping that by monitoring it with the equipment you’ve provided, we may be able to get some answers”.

Sunset nodded thoughtfully and looked over the banks of equipment, the electromagnetic readers and monitors, the infra-red sensors and detectors and the other devices, and then back to the cell.

“Has anyone tried talking to it? Find out what’s wrong with it, what it needs or what it wants?”

Starlight and Sunburst exchanged looks and then looked toward Sunset.

“Every time anypony tried to get close, it'd just start draining their magic. It seems like it's not even intentional, necessarily,” Sunburst answered. “It's never tried to communicate with us in any way”.

The red-and-white maned unicorn looked thoughtfully through the little viewing port into the chamber. The isolated Hollow Thing raised its' head and looked back, its' dimly glowing eyes looking back at her. She held it's look for a moment, before the creature lowered its' head back to the floor of the room, looking back at nothing once more. Sunset turned back to the other unicorns, the same thoughtful look on her face again.

“I know these creatures have been running all over Equestria, and that lots of ponies have... died... because of them. But...” she frowned and her ears flattened back, eyes darting as she thought, looking toward the floor of the room. “We've all learned things from Princess Twilight and her friends, and not the least of those is forgiveness, and friendship. Shouldn't we try that first at least? Even if it doesn't succeed, shouldn't we at least try first? It's what ponies do, after all”. The other two looked at one another, expressions faltering before Starlight nodded, drawing herself up taller and a firm look came onto her face.

“You're right, Sunset. Twilight would want us to try. It is the right thing to do”

Sunburst gave a small, humble smile and pushed his glasses up his nose, giving a quick nod of agreement. “All right. I'm with you both. What's the plan?”

The voices of the Hollow Things, their collective identities or senses of self swirled in the not-quite-hive-mind that the Pony of Shadows had become part of. As their designated leader and chosen 'head', they battered at his own 'self' with their demands and insistence.

They hurt us, the voices declared angrily and intensely. They damaged us, killed many of us. Hurt them. Make them pay.

The bombing attack by the flying machines had taken him virtually by surprise, despite the knowledge they had that the ponies had only a bare handful. He had thought – foolishly, as it turned out – the Equestrians would not risk the use of the aircraft so soon and in so clumsy an attack. And they had been shrewd in following it up with further bombardments from their big guns and tanks, and lobbing bombs from pegasi overhead. It kept the ponies themselves out of reach, limiting the numbers that could be drained to feed the endless hunger.

He projected reassurance and soothing thoughts to the horde. Patience, he reassured them with a warm confidence. They can do so little, and there are so many of us. They strike only to delay us, but we are like the tides themselves. We draw back only to crash against them again and again, and like the seas, we will wear them away, like rocks broken into sand by the endless waves. They cannot resist us, they cannot outlast us. Their best weapons are so few as to make no difference, even if they hurt us.

The dark being turned his senses outward, channelling into the knowledge of the Hollow Things, looking through their senses as his forces spread outward. Hollow Shades was gone now, the settlement and the surroundings it had broken down by Hollow Thing drones and specialised creatures and turned into materiel to further their needs. A citadel had been erected. A towering structure of ominous matte black and ember-glowing orange, with the same feint hexagonal pattern as all their works. A collection of upthrust pillars and columns, each of them were hexagonal themselves. Around the fortress/factory/refinery, the ground had begun to grow bare, more dead and wasted. For miles around, the trees, grass, and creatures had disappeared, leaving nothing but bare, dead landscape. The Hollow Things needed magic to live. The magic that was intrinsic to everything in Equestria, and on the surface of Equus itself would be consumed to power them to ever greater heights and lengths of sophistication and complexity. Nothing would, could stand against them, as they consumed the very essence of Equus itself to fuel their civilization.

Further outposts and fortresses were being put together as they spread out, acting as relays for the growing horde. Each would absorb from around it, channelling and funnelling the magic around them into the structure of the fortress and opening a portal to the limbo realm where more imprisoned creatures could be bought forth, more complex and advanced forms could be pieced together and sent out. The urgent thrill of power and anticipation sizzled through his form as he contemplated this, feeling the motions of the titanic beings straining on the other side of the gigantic gateway at the heart of the citadel, now dozens of times bigger. Soon, was all he could image to the horde as they clamoured at him. Soon.

His senses shifted again, riding out on the Hollow Things out in the field. He could feel through their senses the draw of magic just on the fringes of their notice. Over the rolling meadows and ridges, past copses of trees and across fields, there was a pulsing ebb and flow of magic, a knot of energy that called to them like a sirens' song, and stoked the embers of hunger in their souls to a burning, almost painful fire. They wanted it, and so did he. The Equestrians had gathered there, falling back after the Hollow Things had routed them from their capital, and the place had a significance, a sense of safety. And that made him want to take it more. The forest that lay beyond, stretching across the horizon as a low, dark line sung with raw energy too. A banquet ripe for devouring. They would have both. The Pony of Shadows turned his attention around, directing thoughts, summoning forces and building a strategy. Tendrils of the horde were already spreading out, searching out new sources of energy to keep their machine running. But this would be the hammer to strike the anvil. Resources would be diverted, forces mobilised and emplaced. And then, all in one fell swoop, they would take them all. He felt the surge of excitement and approval from the horde around him at the idea, and revelled in it. It would be glorious, and propel them onward, taking their victory through the rest of Equestria and beyond.

Luna looked up as Tempest Shadow walked into the main chambers of Ponyville's town hall. The room had been taken over as a command centre for running the defence of Equestria, as well as managing the town's status as a fallback camp and rally point for the wounded from the front lines. Ponies pored over charts, maps and desks covered with paperwork, photos and more. The buzz of conversation was constant, joined with the harsh crackle of magic-powered radio sets along one wall.

The purple unicorn, clad in her dark-hued guards uniform crossed briskly over to the lunar alicorn. Dust and dirt coated her armour, and there were bags under her green eyes. Nonetheless, she stood tall and professional as she drew to a stop in front of the former princess and current leader of Equestria.

“Princess,” she said simply. “I have news from the front, as you requested”.

“I am no longer a princess, Commander Tempest. Simply 'Luna' is good enough”.

Tempests' face said she thought otherwise, but she nodded briskly all the same as Luna pressed on. “It is not difficult to see that the battles are not going in our favour and these Hollow Things are still pressing us further. But pray tell, was the aerial attack successful?”

Tempest grimaced and pawed the tiled floor of the room before she answered. “It was devastating,” she replied carefully. “And it did hit a large number of the Hollow Things assembled at the front line. And it has seemed to make them more cautious and restrained in their attacks, but for all that it held them back, we're not really able to effectively counter-attack with the openings it gives us, and they're already moving to outflank our battle lines. The ammunition we've expended holding them in place has been... staggering, your maj- I mean, m'am. We have reserves for another two days at the current rate of expenditure, and that will only last as long as there's not another big push. And,” she tossed her mane with a grimace. “The tanks all need maintenance desperately. The numbers we've lost due to their weapons are well above our 'acceptable' losses. And we've been fighting them harder than we ever have before, too. The stores of spares and replacement parts are running out almost faster than we can fit them. More are coming from the factories, but that will take time. And the tanks themselves are not easy to replace. Others are being shipped here by rail from other parts of Equestria, but it's not just the tanks”.

Luna grimaced and nodded in understanding. “Of course. It is also their crews. Our little ponies are not hardened and regularly trained in the ways of war, and so very few understand and know how to crew the tanks. And it is not just the machines that are damaged”

Tempest nodded grimly as the night-blue alicorn summed up the situation elegantly.

The night-blue alicorn hummed with a severe expression on her elegant muzzle, her waving, star-flecked mane shifting ethereally with the motion. Her gaze roved across the map in front of her, lingering on the battle line. The river to the north of Ponyville formed a natural barrier, and the Everfree Forest to the south formed another. If the Hollow Things could force their way across the river, it would be simple for them to sweep around and cut Ponyville off. Tempest shifted on the spot and waited quietly as the alicorn studied the map and contemplated her options, and what her enemies' strategy might be. Ponyville seemed to be their target, for some reason. The horde could easily have moved to the west or south. And indeed, some number of them had been reported in scattered incidents and altercations in those regions; Chicoltgo and Whinnyapolis had begun moving residents away in evacuation programs and mobilising local militias. Was it time to do the same here? Abandon the town that was not the capital of Equestria, but one that almost seemed its' heart and center?

“What are they doing now?” Luna asked as she looked back toward Tempest. The unicorn gave a sour expression as she answered.

“As far as I can tell, they're just... waiting. I don't know what they're waiting for, or why. But they're just sitting there, just outside the range of our artillery. They haven't made any moves to attack yet, just... sat there”.

Luna frowned, her ears flattening back as she considered that, looking down at the map. “That does not particularly inspire confidence,” she remarked dryly. “I cannot imagine it is anything good that they are waiting for.” she considered the map again, and sighed. “Do you think there is any advantage in any further aerial attacks, commander?”

Tempest looked down at the map between Luna's hooves and hesitated before answering, her green eyes looking across the symbols on the map marking the locations of the battle lines and units.

“...If we can hit them as they mass, maybe hitting a large concentration of their troops, or some of the larger, heavily armed creatures. If we could find out where their headquarters was, or if they had some kind of command structure, then that would be an ideal target, but-”

Luna nodded. “But we have not yet found such a thing, yes”. She sighed again “Return to the front, Commander;” she said absently, resting both fore-hooves on the table and not looking to the unicorn. “And we will do our utmost to see that you receive the supplies you need to ensure our safety. And your skill and efforts are most greatly appreciated, as are those of the ponies you command”.

Tempest bowed her head and stepped out of the room, leaving Luna to contemplate the map further, before she gave an annoyed snort and reared back to the floor on all fours, feeling the need to pull herself away from the map.

Luna drifted through the town hall, looking at the ponies around her at work. Stallions and mares were busy everywhere, carrying letters, notes and scrolls, answering field telephones and radios, and other tasks. Others prepared potions and other medicines, rushing them out to troops in triage outside. It was a kind of organised chaos. She wasn't sure if Discord would have approved of 'organised chaos' or not. It was a surprise to herself that she felt a subtle pang of sadness at the loss of the draconequus and the knowledge he was gone, as she stepped down the stairs leading up to the town halls front doors and onto Ponyville's streets. The sun was low to the horizon, and the clock at the centre of town told her as much as her own senses, in tune with the rhythms of Equus and the Moon itself told her it would be time to lower the sun and raise her moon very soon. The alicorn wandered further, her thoughts leading her on a random course through the small, pretty town's streets, past ponies whose faces she recognised, nodding absently as she passed.

Thinking of the Moon lead her down one avenue of thought. Like her sister had, she could turn the Moon's fury on them, use her link with the celestial body she was an avatar of to wreak havoc upon the Hollow Things, but the cost would drain her. Such magic was ancient and primal, and drew a lot from one's own self and being... and could she risk leaving her little ponies, with her sister and Twilight gone, and with Cadance so distant in the Crystal Empire? And as resourceful, brave, and decisive as Cadance could be, she doubted that the Princess of Love had the heart to wage a war of this magnitude – not that that was a mark against her; a kind heart was a thing to be cherished.

She gave a snort of frustration, looking up at the reddened evening skies overhead. Even if she did bring the Moons' gravity down upon the Hollow Things, it was no guarantee that she would strike them all. After all, they were many and spread out, her attack could kill many, but it would be concentrated into a single place and instance, and many others would escape.

The distant crackle and pop of gunfire rolled in on a chilly breeze from the north, sounding eerie and spectral as the sun dropped lower. Luna looked around at the tiny town, and her heart sank; there really was only one option left for these brave, lively and unique citizens of Equestria. Another stab of regret jabbed into her heart as she lit her horn to lower the sun and raise the moon, and began thinking on how she would break the evacuation of Ponyville's civilians to Mayor Mare.

The interior of the Lemurian ship had been even more of a fascinating tour than the exterior and the gigantic chamber it had been located in. Their Rangiferan guides had told them it had been there for literally centuries, something Twilight could barely believe, given the state of the ship inside and out. It was brightly lit, clean, and tidy, all of which were an excellent frame to show the broad, high corridors panelled with smooth, clean plastic, elegant instrument panels inlaid with shining brass and clear crystal. Floor panels made of spotless alloy and warmly glowing ceiling panel lights. The whole vessel hummed steadily with power, despite the numerous cables and wiring that had been run off of the ships' engines to feed the city above. Twilight had questions, more than she could even begin to list, let alone ask, and more leading on from those, and the Rangiferans had been happy to answer as many as they had answers for. But the chief ones among them for the princess of friendship had been how and if the ship related to their quest, and in what way it could help.

That thought was on all of the Equestrians minds as they gathered on the ships' bridge, stood in the centre of the roughly semi-circular room, with their three guides. Twilight had sent a message to Spike, instructing the crew to bring the Sun Chaser nearer to the city, with no obvious or immediate danger in place, and now that they were introduced to the cities' residents. Now that they were on the bridge of the vessel, they had spread out in curiosity, asking quiet questions to Vigga, Fruen, Haglan and the others as they came to mind, drifting into small pairs or trios as they looked over things.

“What about that doohickey, Twilight?” Applejack said, nodding toward the saddlebags around the alicorns' middle as she and Twilight stood with Haglan at the middle of room by the most ornate of the chairs there. “Th' one ya got from Livvy?”

Twilight fished the device from her saddlebags and held it out. All three looked on with interest as it glowed to life and a low, sonorous hum emanated from the device. Applejack's eyes widened, and Haglan tilted his head with a curious expression. The device flashed up holographic readouts into the air above it, held in Twilight's upturned hoof. Multiple windows opened, each filled with scrolling data and images, flashing rapidly through, and crowding the air between the three of them. “Whoa nellie!” Applejack exclaimed, backing away from the device. “It's gone nuts!”She yelped and jumped back as a beam of light shot out from one edge of the device and into a gem or lens-like aperture on the big bank of instruments that ringed the bridge. The others turned around at the sudden motion and looked on in awe and surprise as displays flickered to life, holograms shimmering into existence above consoles and stations.

“I didn't do it!” Twilight stammered as the ships' instruments sprang to life with whirrs, whines, and hums.

“Yes darling, but what is it you didn't do?” Rarity said in a hushed murmur as she looked around the room. “It looks like Livvy's device was the 'on' button”

“Just so,” Vigga said as she examined the nearest bank of instruments, the shining silver patterns in her horns reflecting the glow of the holographic displays and controls. “I've never seen the ship so full of life. What does it all mean?”

“Some of it looks like the same stuff that Livvy had floating around,” Rainbow said as she fluttered around the bridge, pointing out icons and runes with a hoof. “I mean, makes sense, right? If it's all Lemurian, then some of it would be written in the same language, or mean the same things?”

“Some of the runes are the same as others we have seen,” Urlur said, examining one of the consoles Dash had pointed to. “Especially the same as those on the collector towers that power the forcefield that protects the city. We know that the shield and the ship are linked,” he said as he leant back, sitting on the deck. “Perhaps this ship is able to control the shield somehow, or the collector system”.

“Why don't you ask it?” Fluttershy said quietly, looking to Twilight. “I mean, we found out all about Livvy and what she did by asking her, so why not ask the ship, too”.

Twilight opened her muzzle to argue against the idea for a moment, before closing it again: she couldn't argue with the idea, after all. Fluttershy was right, that was almost exactly how they had got through to Livvy in the first place. Feeling suddenly self-conscious despite her position as Princess of Equestria, and of friendship no less, she straightened her neck and back and walked forward a few steps, hooves ringing against the deck plates. “Ahem,” she began, clearing her throat and lifting her muzzle toward the general direction of the ceiling. “Hello, ship. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I have been given directions to this um, vessel by an artificial intelligence-”

“Greetings, Princess Twilight,” Livvy's voice said warmly from the air around them. “It is good to speak with you once more. I understand you will have many questions. I hope I am able to answer them all”

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash said with glee. “Livvy's back!”

“Hello again, Rainbow Dash. I am pleased to be back”.

“Livvy,” Rarity said as she turned her head toward the ceiling. “Perhaps you can explain to us what is going on in this city, and how the Lemurian technology for gathering the storms' energy is linked to this splendid ship?”

“The vessel is the control point and system for the energy capacitors for the city above. Its onboard systems regulate the flow of electricity, as well as control the programs – what you would term 'spells' – that charge the towers and stimulate the storm clouds to produce lightning. The shield system that protects the city is an extension of the ships' own defensive shield system, enhanced to protect the city from the Hollow Thing wraiths”.

“Wraiths?” Applejack said warily. “That sure don't sound good. What the heck are they?”

“They are what we mentioned previously,” Freun said, answering the farmer ponies' question. “The things that stalk the plains outside of the city and have scoured them of life, and that haunt the ruins of their cities”.

“Correct,” Livvy chimed in. “I have used the sensors on the collection towers to survey the area and have located approximately one hundred and fifty wraith-class autonomous weapons within four hundred miles of the city. None appear to be on a current course toward the city, but all are in active search-and-destroy mode”.

“A hundred and fifty of the buggers?” Applejack said, tipping her hat back and shaking her head. “Horse apples, that's one heck of an army. An' these things are something to do with the Hollow Things? Y'all are lucky yer city has this shield thingy if there's that many of 'em”

“If there are that many, why haven't they attacked and overwhelmed the city yet? I mean, even with a shield, that's a lot of them, and they must be dangerous if a shield is needed,” Twilight said with a frown, touching one forehoof to her chin in thought. “Not that I'd want them to, of course. I'm just surprised”.

“They only ever come a few times a year,” Vigga said with a frown. “The shield is weakest with the summer and winter solstice, and with the new moon. It seems as though there is some connection.

“Magic,” Twilight said without hesitation. “The mana field of Equus is at its' weakest when the sun and moon are furthest from the planet. If the shield draws from the planets' natural magic field in the form of the generated lightning, then it stands to reason it'd be weakest at that time, and having to draw on the stored energy.”

“That's great that you understand the theory, but how do we make use of it?” Haglan said frowning. “After all, the shield has held them off so far, and should continue to do so. And how does this connect to your journey?”

“We'll have to travel to the Lemurian city to continue our journey,” Twilight said, looking across at Haglan, then back to the controls. “Isn't that right, Livvy? And there must be some reason behind us being directed here, to this ship, by the compass?”

“You are correct, Princess. This ship does hold the key to the secrets you seek in the capital of Lemuria, to the south. And it would be too dangerous to proceed without it as protection from the dangers of the ruins.”

“But without the shield, our city will be defenceless!” Freun cried out. “We'd be left as prey for the wraiths out there, they'd swarm the city and overwhelm us easily. Even with our augmentations and armour, we wouldn't last long!”

“This is, regrettably, also correct.” The AI replied with a sad tone.

“Well then,” Twilight said firmly. “We're going to have to find a way to do something about that, aren't we!”

“I know I've already asked you a dozen times, but just to be really really sure; are you sure about this Sunset? Because it really does seem like a terrible idea”. Trixie's wide eyed look flicked between the armoured door of the vault and the yellow unicorns' face, which was set in a determined expression. “Can't you just shout through the door, that would count as talking to it. It would be much safer than going in there with that monster”.

Sunset gave a sideways glance to the powder-blue unicorn and the edge of her muzzle drew up in a slight smile; whichever world she was in, Trixie was always Trixie. It was kind of reassuring.

“Well, frankly no; I'm not sure. But maybe trying something crazy is what we all need right now. And if Twilight's taught any of us anything, it's that trying to talk and make friends is never a bad idea.” Trixie subdued a little at that, but the nervous look remained, and Sunset patted her on the shoulder with one forehoof and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I'll be fine, Trixie. But thank you for worrying. If anything goes wrong, then Sunburst and Starlight will open the door, and you and the guards can pull me out. All right?”

Trixie gave a short, sharp nod and a wan smile. All the same, she took up position near to the door and forced a stern expression onto her muzzle, holding a hoof up to signal Starlight and Sunburst that Sunset was ready. With a hiss and a creak, the thick steel door hinged open and swung outward. Guards around and behind the yellow mare raised their rifles in readiness with a click-clack of rifle bolts being worked. Trixie lit her horn, just in case the creature dared to try any sudden movements. Exchanging a final glance and a nod with the blue unicorn, Sunset stepped forward into the chamber.

Sunset wasn't sure what she'd expected when she walked into the room and into the creatures' presence. She'd read and heard how they 'sucked' magic out of ponies, like Tirek turned up to maximum, and how even being near the creatures was debilitating to ponies. She imagined she'd feel some kind of draw or pull from the Hollow Thing that lay in the corner, or some kind of chilly ache from deep inside her core, maybe a sapping of energy and a sudden tiredness, nausea or fatigue. She'd braced herself mentally and physically for such an assault, holding in a breath. And instead she felt... nothing.

She let out the breath with a sigh, and looked toward the Hollow Thing under the bright lights of the chamber, and found it looking back at her. It met her green-eyed gaze with the dull, guttering embers of light that seemed to mark its' multiple eyes at the front of the wedge-shaped head. A dull, pitiful mechanical-sounding groan came from somewhere within it's body and with a whining and whirring of what sounded like electronics, it rose onto all fours, but remained in place in the corner of the room. A flickering, stuttering glow fitfully ran across the hexagonal outer shell of its' black armour-like carapace, but it less resembled a hi-tech system in action than an old TV flickering as its' tubes died. With a grinding whine, it took a step to steady itself, and she noticed it was swaying, almost wobbling in place slightly and the head was dipping even as it held the gaze with her.

“It looks- you look sick,” she said cautiously as she studied it, and then glanced around the room as she started to think. “Shut in here, with these thick walls, cut off and away from the others, and from magic... you must be starving,” she murmured, to herself as much as to the creature. She looked back to it, and found it watching her once more, with that unblinking gaze. “Do you understand me?” she said, taking a tentative few steps closer; the thing didn't react, simply standing still. It didn't move to attack her; though she wasn't sure if it was even capable of doing so. It's weaponry had been stripped away while it was incapacitated and it looked weak and unsteady. But underestimating it would be more fatal than anything.

“Be careful, Sunset!” Sunbursts voice said urgently over the speaker into the room. “We have no idea what it might do; it might just be waiting for an opportunity to drain you of your magic”.

“I think... I think it's hungry,” she said louder for the benefit of the bespectacled unicorn monitoring her from outside the chamber. “I'm going to try something, keep monitoring with the instruments”

Outside, Starlight was looking over the banks of instrumentation that she had bought back from the human world with Sunset's help. Connected to mana-batteries providing electrical power, they were recording all manner of information and data about the creature as Sunset interacted with it. Some of it was more puzzling than others, and some was beginning to give her insights into how the creatures worked. At the mention of Sunset 'trying something' the purple unicorn winced and stood up off of her haunches, rapidly turning around and scrambling to look through the viewport into the chamber.

“Sunset! Don't do anything rash, or Twilight will kill us both, especially if you're dead!”

“I'll be careful, I promise”

“You're already not being careful!”

Sunset didn't have an answer for that, and her attention was already taken by the magic she was working. Her horn glowed and she summoned up her magic, weaving strands of glowing energy into existence and shaping them into a small globe on front of her, about the size of an orange. The Hollow Thing perked up and showed an interest as the magic gathered. Sunset kept a careful watch on the thing as she pushed the little globe of magic toward it. The angular, mechanical-looking creature didn't hesitate or wait as the magic grew closer. The hexagonal patterns on its' armour lit up near the pointed front of its' head, and the glow on them grew brighter as the globe shrunk away. The weakly glowing embers of light between the armour plate joins grew a little brighter, as did the lights of its' eyes, taking on more of a fiery orange hue, and the creature stood taller and more firm on its' metalshod feet. Sunset felt a shiver along her spine as the creature stood taller, more alert, and stronger. Its' eyes focused on her and it dropped its' posture, lowering its' shovel-shaped head with a series of whirrs, whines and electronic fluting sounds. The red patterns gathered at its head again, and Sunset drew herself tall and set a stern expression.

“You can drain my magic – or try to – but you do, and you'll be cut off again, left in here with no food, and no contact. I saw how weak you were, and you felt it – you don't want to be like that again, and I don't want to see you like that again. I'd rather keep you alive. And if you co-operate, then I'll feed you again. You understand?”

The Hollow Thing held Sunset in it's gaze a moment longer, before it straightened back up and stepped back a few short paces, the hexagonal glow dissipating back into the pattern that flowed across its' outer shell every few seconds. There was a moment's quiet and Sunset opened her muzzle to speak again before there was a sudden hissing, buzzing voice that seemed to come from nowhere on the creature, yet everywhere at the same time.

“Yes,” It said, keeping her fixed with that quartet of glowing eyes. “I understand”.

Sunset's jaw fell open.

The holographic wraith hung suspended in the air at the centre of the bridge. Livvy had explained it was less-than life-sized, but it was still bigger than the ponies and the Rangiferans, even as a hologram. The wraith looked like some kind of deep-sea creature, long and eel-like with a body made of spined, segmented rectangular sections. The head was a fearsome skull-like apparition, with ferocious fangs and the characteristic multiple eyes that glowed like embers. Unlike other Hollow Things, it didn't seem to have obvious weapon systems, but there was no doubting they looked dangerous.

“Ugly suckers ain't they,” Rainbow said, hovering in the air in front of the things face and poking at the hologram with one forehoof. It shivered and wobbled in mid-air, and she made an imitation of its' toothsome grimace as it hung in the air. “What's so dangerous about them, other than their looks, anyway. I could believe those are bad enough to knock down a city”

“They are quite fearsome,” Urlur agreed with a slight smile. “But no, it is not their looks that are the danger. They have powerful energy blasts they can use to attack and cause damage. And they seem to be able to absorb energy as well, but never enough to drain the shield”.

“So like, if we have the super cool ship turned on now, why don't we use it to kick their butts?” Rainbow asked, looking from the hologram back down to the group assembled around it. “I mean, it's got plenty of weapons and all. Can't we just blast 'em?”

Twilight looked up at the hologram and then out of the bridge window. It looked along the ships' hull toward the bow, overlooking the multi-gun turrets and hatches on either side of the central hull. There was no doubt that Rainbow was right as far as the ship's firepower went; it definitely had it. But was that the way she wanted to go? A war of firepower and weapons wasn't the Equestrian way, but was the Equestrian way enough to deal with the Hollow Things?

“Livvy,” she said hesitantly, eyes still looking out the bridge window. “These wraiths. Are they... intelligent? Do they have thoughts or feelings? Can they be reasoned with?”

“Twilight darling?” Rarity said with a concerned tone after looking at the others and stepping closer to her. “What is it?”

“Rarity,” she answered, looking around at the white unicorn. “It's just... I know that the Hollow Things are attacking Equestria with no mercy and no restraint, that they're using all sorts of weapons and killing ponies and creatures with no hesitation. But even when we have fought in the past, it's only been as a last resort, and only with the Magic of Friendship backing us up, like the Elements of Harmony or other magic. Going into a battle like this, using weaponry and fighting so... openly like this. It just doesn't seem like us. It seems like we're losing something, or giving something up. Something that isn't us”.

“Regarding your query, princess,” Livvy replied in her normal, neutral tone. “Wraiths are inorganic constructs. They are comprised only of mechanical components and systems, with simple programming and directives, and no higher functions. They are last-attack weapons; deployed as 'revenge' weapons after the Hollow Things were imprisoned and defeated, and acting on their last instructions to destroy as much as possible, with no regard to allegiance or strategic or tactical considerations, simply acting as scorched earth weapons. They attack targets that have any kind of energy output, especially magical energy to replenish their own energy reserves to keep functioning.”

“They sound more like animals than people,” Fluttershy said as she listened to Livvy's words. “Although, like not very nice animals. If they're just doing what comes by instinct, rather than thinking about it”

“Yes, although those instincts are not natural themselves,” Vigga replied. “If they are programmed, as Livvy said, then someone had to create those programs. It must have been these Hollow Ones that did so, creating them to act as weapon systems”

Pinkie shook her head sadly. “That's a sad thought,” she said. “Being created just to destroy things, with no thoughts of fun, or any other of the great things in life. I don't think those Hollow Things really get the ideas of fun so much. Maybe that's why they didn't like the Lemurians”.

“Maybe,” Applejack said with a frown. “But it sure don't sound like these Wraith things are gonna listen to friendship or reason at all, even if the Hollow Things might. These Wraiths just sound like a train which runs with no driver. They're just machines, from what I hear y'all sayin', and we're gonna have to get past 'em if we're goin' ta get to the Lemurian city. An' we can't leave our new friends here without their shield... so if we got a chance to do somethin' to help 'em by getting rid of these monsters, then so much the better, right?”

Twilight's muzzle screwed up as she considered it, but she let out a sigh and a nod eventually. “All right then. Maybe you're right; if they're machines, then maybe it is our only choice; they can't be argued or reasoned with, and we can't make friends with something that doesn't even know what friendship is. So instead, we need to come up with a plan to take on these things. We've got the ship and its' weapons, let's hope they're powerful enough. Livvy, will they be effective against the Wraiths? And is the ship fully functional?”

“Yes, Princess. The ship is at eighty three percent of operational status. This is well within parameters for combat. All weaponry should be effective against wraiths – provided we are able to target them effectively; their manoeuvrability is their greatest advantage and defence”.

“Then that means we gotta get them into a place where we can hit 'em, like rounding up clouds to make a storm,” Rainbow said, punching one hoof into the other.

“Making a storm, well; that's exactly it,” Rarity said with a thoughtful expression. “If they're drawn to magic, then we have exactly the right thing. The collector towers that turn the clouds into storm clouds and power the shield. They use magic, do they not?”

“Of course,” said Haglan. “After all, that is why they attack us every month or so, when the shield is weakest. It is the collector towers and their spells that attract the creatures along with the life in the city. But what are you proposing; that we lower the shield and allow them to come towards the city on purpose? That is a... most risky proposition”.

“But one with a great payoff,” Twilight countered, her expression turning from one of doubt to a growing confident smile. “And I think I know exactly how we're going to get them where we want them, and hit them where it hurts. And it'll solve all our problems at once!”

Author's Note:

Time for the real hi-tech stuff to start showing up! I've been getting towards this point, and I'm eager for the first steps on a couple of big reveals!