Thera Victoria!

by Joe Toon

Chapter 1: A Tree and Ruins

Inter-dimensional Gate site, Valletta,
Island of Malta, Thera.

"Percival, Willsing, Yurulek; I want you three and Major d'Vhakk to scout the other side of this Gate. The place should be breathable and the climate temperate, so you should have no problems going through. Grab a mount, survey the area and make note to every landmark you can find! d'Vhakk, you're in charge!"

"Yes ma'am!" Rakthim nodded to the Commander before addressing his squad of scouts, "Alright you lot! Let's move out!"

The squad assembled on the Gate's platform as they grabbed their mounts, save one.

"Pardon me Ms Willsing, but where is your mount?" Percival asked, noticing the lack of said mount.

"I have no need," she smiled reassuringly as she looks up to the sky, "I have a friend coming over."

"Um, on another matter," Percival added quickly, "why are you not in uniform?"

Polaris looks at her old ragged tunic and then to the soldier's khaki uniform.

"Forgive me but I am not one of your men. I am here at the behest of your Commander, Paul Andrews; I hope that is ample reason to assure why I am here. I've come to offer what service I can provide while I reside in your world as I travel to the next," she bluntly explained.

"I see," Percival nodded as he brushed his horse's mane, "I suppose I can't complain at whatever help is provided."

"Percival, Willsing; grab your mounts and head to the Gate!"

"Hang on Major, my friend should be here right about..." As Polaris cued, a loud shriek screeched above them as a giant bird landed into the Fort's atrium, startling many of the volunteers, "Now."

The bird was gigantic, it stood roughly larger than a horse and it's wings spread out as wide as a biplane. It had a head of a hawk and a body structure of a falcon with feathers that shined like silver. It stood majestically before them as it leaned towards Polaris, "Polly, you told me this place wasn't hard to find! I had to hop from one island to another before finding this fort!"

"Oh faithful Aquila," Polaris moved closer to the colossal bird and brushed the feathers of his neck, "I had no doubt in my mind that you would find me here."

The two shared an embrace, whilst ignoring the onlookers.

"Is... Is that a Silver Breetle?"

"No way!! Those things are rare in the Mystic Isles!"

"Wait, did it just talk?"

"Yeah, apparently those overgrown parrots are sentient. And very intelligent."

"Does that make it a Xeno?"

"I must say Ms Willsing," a nervous grin was seen on Percival, clearly startled by the giant avian, "I wasn't expecting your mount to be a colossal bird of prey."

"Are you call me fat, human?" the bird furrowed his eyes at the sergeant, striking an intimidating pose.

Feeling threatened, Percival took a step back. "N-no, not at all! I..."

"Hah! Don't worry about it, I was just messing with you!" Aquila gave a chuckle that sounded oddly similar to a cockatoo. He wrapped a wing around the sergeant comfortingly, "Rest assured sir, no harm shall come to any of you while I provide overwatch from the sky itself. Besides, we can scout a wider area from above."

"(Humph), you always do love to make an entrance," Polaris scoffed, shaking her head.

Rakthim cleared his throat, catching the attention of the squad. "Now that your bird is here, Polaris, we need to move out, now!"

Forming up in two columns, the four with their mounts stepped into the arch of the Gate and into a new world.

---

"What is this place? A cave system?"

"Looks that way, George. Probably an underground cavern."

"Dame Willsing, have a look at this!"

"Crystal walls... Looks like Aurcite."

"And yet it glows faintly. I sense a strange power emitting from it but nothing like that of the Zro Crystals from our universe."

"Major, Yurulek, Ms Willsing, there's a light up ahead. Probably a cave exit."

"Right! Percival, take point!"

Following the source of the light, the squad soon found themselves staring with awe at the sight before them. Reaching the cave's exit, before them stood a majestic tree house made of Crystal in a middle of an atrium surrounded by ruins. The marvelous structure glowed vibrantly as its pink leaves sparkled from the reflection (both from the sun and the glowing bark of the tree).

"Incredible!" Rakthim breathed out.

"I've never seen anything like it, not even in any of the worlds I've been to," Polaris noted.

"It looks like Starcatcher architecture," Percival commented as he pulled out a notepad from his bag and started looking through his notes, "The crystalline material looks like the same one that made up the Gate."

"Except it isn't." All eyes turned to Yurulek as he approached the treehouse. "I cannot sense a star crystal powering it," he said as he held out a talon-claw inches away from the bark of the tree, "and the crystal that makes up the tree seems to breath, as though it is a living thing."

"A lithoid lifeform perhaps?" suggested the major.

"It's possible." the Zangald shrugged.

Percival took out a portable camera and photographed the treehouse before pulling out a wireless communique from a saddlebag. "Major, we'll need to contact the Commander," he said while passing the device to Rakthim.

The Vailon grabbed the wireless and reported, "Colonel Lafayette, this is Major d'Vhakk. Over."

"We're receiving you, Major. What's the word?" came the response.

"The Gate entrance is inside a cavern. We managed to find the exit that led us out to an interesting structure. A treehouse made of crystal."

"Starcatcher?"

"No, Yurulek didn't detect any star crystal from it, and it's alive. We suspect it might be a lithoid lifeform. The tree is also surrounded by some castle ruins and we seem to be in a middle of a forest. Over."

---

Inter-dimensional Gate site, Valletta

"Acknowledged Major. We are sending Second Squad to secure the landmark. Hold position until they reach you. Inform me once they do or when you made contact with the locals."

"Yes Colonel! Major d'Vhakk over and out!"

"A crystal structure that isn't typical Starcatcher, huh?" Captain Aiden Woods commented.

"It might be a lost colony that adapted to a new environment or a technological parody influenced by the Starcatchers," the colonel theorised, "Could be the reason why The Order is there."

"Colonel, this is Major d'Vhakk. We've rendezvoused with the second squad and are awaiting orders." the communique sounded.

"Have Second Squad set a perimeter round the treehouse landmark! Have your squad continue scouting the area; prioritise the castle ruins!" Lafayette ordered.

"Acknowledged! Moving out!"

Sabine turned to her captain, "Woods, ready three more Squads and prepare the rest of the Battalion! Have our supplies and equipment ready to be shipped out!"

Woods replied with a salute, "Right away, ma'am!"

---

Treehouse Landmark, Equis

"Well Doctor B'Eren, looks like we'll be leaving this tree to your capable paws. Don't destroy it while we're gone."

"Just move it, your highness! I promise we'll play nice with the tree."

As soon as the First Squad left, Illia began unpacking. "Lieutenant, could you give me a hand? I need to start studying this tree."

"Shouldn't we wait for the rest of the scientists, Doctor?" the lieutenant questioned.

"I would like to start work on this tree. It could provide us a power source should we run out." said the Kaldivian Doctor as she began to takeout various scientific instruments.

"If you would be so kind, could you be gentle?"

Everyone dropped what they were doing as all eyes turned to the source of the voice; a humanoid figure with wings stood before them, glowing brightly with a gentle smile. It looked female but it was mostly ambiguous to all who saw it.

"Oh dear, don't let me interrupt your duties. Please, continue as you were. Just be gentle with me." she asked with a giggle, catching everyone off guard.

"Oh my God, the tree is alive!"

---

"This Castle is impressive! How old are these ruins?"

"Judging from the state of these stones and the structural integrity of the ruins, probably three/five hundred years, give or take."

"How'd you figure that Percival?"

"My family property has an old ruined castle in our property. The ruins are about five hundred years old and this castle seems to be in better shape."

"I don't know, Sergeant," Yurulek entered the ruined halls and took a deep breath before exhaling, "The air in these halls feel a lot older than a few hundred years."

"How do you know that, Old Bird?" Rakthim asked.

"I sense the energies in place. It is very powerful, and very old." came the Zangald's reply.

While this was happening, Aquila started fidgeting nervously as he surveyed the surrounding area. Noticing this, Polaris held out a hand to calm her companion, "Aquila, what's wrong?"

"Don't you feel it, Polly?" the Silver Breetle clacked with his beak, "This place reeks of Mage Craft!"

"Are you certain?" asked Polaris, clearly alarmed.

Aquila shook his head, "To be honest, no. It feels like Mage Craft, but it's something else. It's like two sources of power collided here."

"I concur," Yurulek added in agreement, "I sense the residue of two sources of power; likened to two great beings that did battle here a very long time ago."

"Mage Craft? You mean magic?" Rakthim perked up nervously.

"I certainly hope not," muttered Percival, "I've seen enough magic to know it's bad news."

"Major! Major, come in! This is Illia, do you read me, over?!"

Picking up the Wireless, the Vailon answered, "This is Rakthim, Doc. What's the matter?"

"Head back to the Treehouse Landmark. We have a surprising development. The Tree is Sentient!"

---

Treehouse Landmark

"Understood! We are on our way back. Moving out!"

"Fascinating. Are those devices your means of communicating from great distances?"

"Yes, they are. They use radio waves to transmit sound across to the receiver and back."

The entity chuckled, "I know one who would rejoice at the chance of studying such devices."

Relaxing at the comforting nature of the tree's avatar, Illia asked with excited curiosity, "If you don't mind me asking, what are you? A lithoid life form?"

The winged avatar shook her head, "No, I am the consciousness of the Tree of Harmony. The manifestation of Equestria's greatest sources of power."

"Tree of Harmony? You mean you are some kind of World Tree?"

The avatar smiled, "Harmony: Strength, Healing, Hope, Beauty, Bravery and Sorcery. Or what is now commonly attributed: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic. Together these virtues create the elements that complete Harmony. I am the cultivation of that power and from me bore the Elements of Harmony."

"This is fascinating! Hold on, let me put this down!" the doctor pulled out a handheld device and spoke into it, "This is Doctor Illia B'Eren Kirito, first day in the world of Equis. I am currently interviewing the avatar of a sentient crystalline plantoid calling herself the Tree of Harmony. Sorry, if you don't mind could you repeat what you just told me earlier and could you answer me a few more questions?"

"Certainly," the tree's avatar nodded, "I would be more than happy to."

While the interview was taking place, the Lieutenant assigned to Second Squad relayed what has transpired so far to Command.

---

Inter-dimensional Gate site, Valletta

"The Tree is alive?"

"Yes Commander. It is seems to be rather cooperative. Dare I say, even friendly."

"Hmm, did it ask what our intentions are?"

"No ma'am. Doctor Kirito has taken the initiative to interview it with her own questions."

"I see. Keep an eye on the entity but show no hostility towards it. If we play this right, we might give a good enough impression with the locals if this tree is as significantly an icon as it claims to be."

"Very good, ma'am. Lieutenant Disher out!"

It seems the first day of the mission is going well so far. No hostilities. No miscommunications. No Casualties. Sabine thought to herself as she let out a rare smile. If nothing else unexpected happens, I'd say everything so far is going according to plan.

"Commander Lafayette! We have a problem!"

Of Course! It was too good to last. "What is it Captain?"

"It appears one of our chaplains have gone missing. We believe he might have jumped the gun and entered the Gate without proper authorization."

Cet imbécile! "Form a search party! That thick idiot is going get himself killed!"

Author's Note:

G'day all.
Sorry this took a while. I rewritten this chapter three times before finally settling with this one. there was also my other stories going on and to top it all off; my Dad's Birthday in just a few days away so this had to take a back seat for a while.

Once again, let me know what you guys think so far. Your feedback helps improve this story a whole lot.

Comments

[Davenfjeld]

Oh my god I thought you'd died.

AVE! It's nice to see this one back up and running! A much better start this time, too. Hope to enjoy it just as much if not more than the first time round.

Thera Victoria!

(Also – since it's British armed forces – is it pronounced lef-tenant or loo-tenant?)

[Joe Toon]

11154582
lef-tenant
And there is no way I'm giving up on this now that I put together a proper timeline.
It'll just take a while to write with my other projects.