Deos ex Caellis

by Devona

Chapter One: Glimpses of Olympus

Eons have gone by since human light first shone across the stars. Eons, thousands of years saw vessels big and small traverse the ultimate beyond, well into the void and past their cradle, so beautifully blue in colour and yet more and more dim as years went by. For these eons stars themselves have watched humanity as it spread and flourished, hand-in-hand with both unseen beauty and cruelty, its silhouette dancing across the stars yet ready to stab whomsoever it could encounter with equal elegance, sending their corpse spiraling into the infinite beyond. There was not a grain of dust left untouched by a curious explorer’s hand, and so it was that the galaxy was painted, or stained, whichever word one would find more appropriate, by human touch.

And so, the stars, moons and planets inanimate bore witness to how their home changed with the arrival of mankind - and it changed oh so dramatically. The human tide swept across the galaxy without stopping, covering anything and everything they came across, making worlds shine with ornate temples, beautiful towers and horrible fortresses, until it was all done. The residents of space could oppose the tide no longer, their nests all undone and replaced by majestic human crafts. For the first time in ages, the unified galaxy remained quiet. Mankind was the universe’s one true ruler.

And soon, the heavens would be ripped asunder.

For where there is empire, there is conflict. Whoever achieves glory does so by the blood and tears of others, whose doubtful success may not always find its way. And so it was that mankind's glorious domain was thrown into the claws of civil war. The unified roar of billions of Replicants shook each and every world, and man could not counter. Their numbers of steel uncounted and unbendable tore across the skies in haste, supported by their own sweat and the roaring fires of the Stelarite, the very same forge that had made the human tide so unstoppable over eons. And so, as the miracle machine spewed forth armadas, humanity’s light dimmed slowly but surely, retreating back further and further into their own cradle which could support them all no longer.

A humiliating display it was, indeed; one of shame and misery for those involved. In that hour of darkness, there was no respite - man finally had to pay for all his misdeeds. And when the dust settled and gunfire ceased, there was little remaining of the Mindkind Empire. What once held all galaxy in its grasp now reduced to nigh-null, and humanity with it, surrounded from all sides by vile Replicants determined to extinguish the light of their creators, make it gutter like a wind-blown candle and finally put out, throw into pure oblivion.

Such was the price humanity had to pay; this complete isolation, with doom awaiting just around the corner, their presumed destiny shattered into billions of pieces and incinerated in the fires of oblivion. And waiting, for centuries, millennia even, to spread one’s wing and soar; this fate which has befallen mankind… it could not be easy. And it was not.

For countless millennia, the Mindkind Empire had endured under the eternal rule of its High Council. Through the Replicants, it had fought off every threat and competition its fleets and armies had ever faced. But without them… let the universe have mercy on humanity, for its innumerable foes shall not.

---

When the Replicant cheers faded, most were not there to hear them anymore, annihilated obsolutely by the extraneous fires of oblivion. The Milky Way, aside from mankind and their creations, stayed desolate and silent. But, alas… there did remain corners of the vast cosmos untouched by conflict.

The Faust system. A stellar anomaly of unseen scale, where the forces of gravity, dark energy and magic itself clash each and every passing cycle. An anomaly so monumental, and yet not witnessed by even one in the vast annals of recorded history. Shrouded in energies as common as otherworldly, Faust hid within itself a carefully guarded secret… a single planet, orbited by a lonely moon. A planet on which, under watchful eyes of their sovereigns, species thrive and flourish. Species primitive yet advanced, peaceful yet drawn to conflict; species as different as individual irises of men.

This tiny planet, without a single doubt unusual for reasons known only to the universe itself, had turbulent times behind itself. A time of turmoil, which left it peaceful yet stagnant, and reigned over by a single dominant species.

Equus Nobilis. The most noble of equines. Intelligent and gifted with the ability to harness the shrouded energies of Faust, albeit not in their entirety. And so, over eons, the evolutionary pathways chose to split Nobilis into three.

Equus Volatilis, Equus Elevatio, Equus Portatio. These three, through conflict united and through peace enduring, would lead their world to greatness. Or at least, so they had most likely thought.

---

“As the history books tell us, the human empire has always spanned the stars in its unending glory, bending the very forces of nature to its will, turning wars around, shaping galaxies themselves. Until… the tide arrived,” Ucantus bent forward slightly, looking at his companions with a captivating glare, his hands intertwined with each other. He quickly gave the other few crew members a look, silently judging their reactions.

Sure enough, the faces were exactly what he had expected; a mixture of fear and surprise, despite them knowing the story very well already. Indeed, this was the one and only favorite tale for any human in the Navy.

“So… what happened next?” A sailor asked suddenly, though not unexpectedly. The dim, red light in the room illuminated Ucantus’ growing smile.

“Well… the tide was not a trifle, you see. And once it arose, it was no fickle thing either; no, it loomed over us decisively and completely, eclipsing all light of any hope. For the tide is no storm on the open sea, changing and waning as the wind moves, but rather a tsunami, quiet when moved, yet impossible to stop, until it reaches its target. And when it does, oh, woe be ones it strikes, for there is no escape,” a deep laugh escaped Ucantus’ belly as he uttered these words, one which promptly shook the singular lamp hanging over the heads of the gathered group. The hum of machines surrounding this cramped space gave the sailors chills.

“How did the tide not devour us? What happened to that empire of old, captain?” A woman asked with a spark in her eyes, one more of excitement at hearing the answer again than fear or even curiosity.

“Well… we, our ancestors, they fought hard and they fought well. And they fought the tide to a bloody stalemate,” Ucantus glanced at the gathered sailors, and upon seeing their lit-up eyes, momentarily smiled. “And when the dust and ash settled and all became clear, we-”

“Captain!” A voice suddenly broke through, as the room was quickly flooded with white light, blinding the gathered crowd completely. “Uh, excuse me for disturbing, but we’ve been trying to reach you for half an hour, Sir! You’re needed on the bridge at once!”

“Eh, for feck’s sake, Bernardine!”, replied Ucantus, quickly shielding his old eyes from the light as his head shook in an attempt to preserve them. “And here I was in the middle of an inspiration strike! Ah, gawddammit, alright. Lead the way,” he said as he stood up, nodding at his previous companions one last time and, stroking his long, black beard, quickly stepped out of the engine room.

---

Even as the pair paced through the expansive hallways of the Dauntless, the hum of machinery, now ever so distant, remained, ringing in their ears as if it was but an echo of some cataclysmic event. There was still quite a way to be covered until they’d reach the bridge, as Ucantus knew very well, and so, not truly believing in the whole concept of “secrecy” so enforced by many in the Navy, decided to break the eerie silence and save himself some precious time; after all, the tale won’t finish itself, and the sailors in the engine room were still waiting.

“So, tell meh, Bernardine; what caused such ruckus, pray tell? Did a space whale appear?” he asked with a sly grin and a quiet chuckle.

Rolling his eyes with an audible sigh, Bernardine replied privately, “No, captain, a space whale did not in fact appear. And as I’m sure you’re aware, we should not be discussing matters such as these until we reach the command center itself.” Having said that, he narrowed his eyes further, as if to give the dismissive captain a clue - an effort going, naturally, in vain.

Ucantus but waved the remark off with his hand, scoffing, “Ay, if ah were to follow all these convoluted procedures to the letter, not one ounce of mah genius would remain for other matters! I’ll let you in on a secret: this mind,” he said, pointing at his head, “is not the youngest anymore, you see!” A deep laugh escaped Ucantus’ belly as his companion simply shook his head in disapproval.

“Yes, alright,” he said slowly, before sighing once again. “As I’m sure you’re aware,” he started, deciding to move straight to the point in hopes of finishing before any unwanted listener came into view, “our vessel was just preparing to map out local Dimensional Alignment Tides in order to jump into hyperspace, however… while doing so, there arose a… complication.”

“Ah? What gives? I’m sure we’ll be able to solve it on the double!” replied Ucantus with a smile, his thoughts already venturing back to his moment of glory back in the engine room. Bernardine’s face moved into a troubled grimace.

“I’m… not so sure about that, captain. You see, I… we…” he sighed, before briefly lighting up, “maybe it’ll be easier to show rather than tell,” Bernardine finished relieved as the double door leading to the bridge finally came into view. As they quickly slid open, the pair entered the ship’s command center.

It was a spacious room, although not as spacious as some could think based on the sheer size of the Dauntless alone. The layout itself in turn differed little from the norms established millennia earlier with vessels faring between islets on the vast oceans of Earth.

Imagine an overgrown waffle, with a walkway down the middle, every square of it a spot for a console or an undefined technician post, kept in operation only by the relentless efforts of unfortunate sailors. At the very end of the walkway itself, just by the double door at the back, was an elevated seat. A seat so majestic it eclipsed everything else in the room; the only object adorned with decorations of any kind, and what decorations they were! Ornate, regal, lined with pure gold every few inches.

Regardless of what one might call it, there was only one word to properly describe this seat - it was, indeed, nothing less than a throne. And it was Ucantus’ to call his own.

Sitting down on the massive contraption and rubbing his hands in excitement, the captain took a sip from a cup just delivered to him by a humble servant, before finally breaking the silence on the bridge.

“O’right, everyone; what’s the matter at hand? Me will not be waiting for long, I tell ya!” he exclaimed with a grin. Truth be told, in this moment, no thought occurred to Ucantus which could even closely resemble the true nature of the situation.

Meanwhile, the bridge remained in silence, only broken by the soft humming of surrounding LED lights. Slowly, one of the technicians approached Ucantus, bowing low as she did so.

“Sir, my Lord, I… w-we…” as she stuttered, cold sweat ran down her face.

Ucantus slowly shook his head. “Well? Why are we not jumping yet?”

Taking a deep breath, the technician steadied herself, before finally, despite the utter prohibition of the notion, looking up straight at Ucantus with a pale face. “We’ve tried,” she uttered quietly. “The Dimensional Alignment Tides waver. We can trust the routes no longer… not in this sector. Something’s out there… something new. Something big.”

Ucantus merely raised an eyebrow, his cheerful demeanor all but gone. “Firstly, my lady, please know your place,” he said, pointing downwards with his left arm, as the technician immediately renewed her bow. Cracking a small smile, Ucantus continued, “Excellent. However, more importantly… what does thou mean? Please, elaborate to an old man!”

“W-well…” the technician stuttered again, this time not daring to raise her sight even slightly, “there… there appears to be some… some new… an enormous, big, uh… a gravitational spacetime distortion, Sir!” she finally uttered, releasing a sigh of relief at her success. “It came out of nowhere. We cannot be sure of its nature, but… it almost appears as if it was an entire new star system, captain, Sir, my Lord!”

Now it was time for Ucantus’ face to grow pale. It was utterly impossible for this phenomenon to indeed be a previously hidden star system, much less so a newly created one… however, as he knew well, various superstitions ran wide among the common sailor folk. No matter, though; whatever this was… Ucantus had to admit it was no thing he had ever encountered before. And if it was indeed an example of Replicant machinations… then something big was going on in the vicinity. Something humanity could never allow to remain hidden.

“Navigator,” Ucantus finally ordered, having taken some deep breaths. “Chart a course to the Behemoth system. We shall resupply and, as a patrol craft, do our duty by striking right into the heart of this anomaly. We may be an age too late to prevent the rise of the Replicant tide… but alas, we can still stop it from growing.”

---

“What is your plan, my sister?” Princess Luna asked, trotting beside her fellow monarch through the dry, rocky halls of the fearsome Canterlot dungeons, her expression confident yet serious, as if her mind was preoccupied with matters far more important than instincts as primal as fear or uncertainty.

And the latter, there could be plenty of. In addition to what had transpired - a matter of utmost importance, indeed - the dungeons themselves truly lived up to their terrible reputation. Only used to house he most terrible of villains who didn’t quite earn the right to be put in Tartarus, the insides of the Three Tribes Mountain Range were enormous and maze-like, dim yet filled with moisture from the plethora of high-altitue ponds, lakes and underground streams, capable of confusing all but the most skilled of travelers.

And skilled, Luna undoubtedly was, and so was Celestia. But more than that; they were knowledgeable, having kept this area under their surveillance since times immemorial. Luna unwittingly let her thoughts wander to the period well before the current era, just after the end of Discord’s original reign of terror.

It was a sad time to think about, all the Princess' mistakes flooding into her mind once again, all those tragic mistakes which culminated in her eventual banishment. And yet, even in those darkest of times, there was some respite - here, in the dungeons, those catacombs most mysterious, carved into the mountains in elden pony times, shortly after the abandonment of the Canterlot Mines. It was here Luna would hide all day long, cry her eyes out when it felt like noone in the world supported her anymore. Sometimes, she’d briefly get lost, only to return to the surface the next day, giggling for reasons only known to herself. All those days spent in the dungeons had long made Luna resistant to their aura of evil.

And yet, despite experience longer by a whole millennium, the same couldn’t be said about Celestia. Even in the blinding light of her horn’s Illumination spell, sweat could easily be seen dripping down her snow-white coat, her expression as neutral and Princess-like as she was capable of mustering under this intense stress. Finally, Celestia broke the silence, summoning Luna back from her brief, imaginary recollection of the past.

“The only plan I have at present, my sister, is to get to know this… creature,” Celestia said with a long sigh. “We can’t possibly expect it to tell us its motives, and so, it would be wise to first entice it to do so,” she finished, forcing a small smile, although her gaze remained focused forward.

“And you suspect we shall be able to accomplish such a task without the need for… more direct means?”

It took a while for Celestia to reply, as her brow tightened, thinking about the response. “Patience, Luna.” she said, “We shall do what is necessary to protect our subjects, however I would prefer not to use violence without need…” She paused, trailing off, as a sudden flash stopped the two sisters in their tracks, forcing both to instinctively shield themselves with their forelimbs.

As Celestia lowered the luminosity of her spell, the reason for the disturbance was quickly revealed.

This was it. The door to the Interrogation Room, made of solid, polished platinum. Looking to her sister with a stern, determined frown, Celestia uttered but a few words.

“We’re here.”

---

A good while had passed before Luna was able to collect her staggered thoughts; such sudden proximity to the matter at hand proved to be more overwhelming than she’d expect. While the dungeon corridors themselves scared her no more, the unknown awaiting them behind this reinforced door very much did - how could it not, after all?

It was nothing the Princess couldn’t handle, no, but nevertheless, a cause for worry indeed. Shaking her head briefly and casting the stray thoughts away, Luna found herself being gazed at by her sister.

“Are you ready, Lulu?” Celestia uttered, with a tinge of worry, but primarily care in her voice. This time, her smile felt much more genuine, her deeply troubled look somehow putting Luna at ease… at least to a degree.

“Yes, my sister. We… nevermind. We are ready to proceed,” Luna replied, deciding it best to put more personal matters on hold for now. After all, what awaited them just a few meters ahead was quite possibly a matter so monumental it could eclipse any other event in history ever since Grogar’s tyrannical reign thousands of years ago. Nodding, Celestia approached the platinum door.

It was a peculiar sight, seeing the monarch bend forward and insert her horn into the gate’s keyhole. Briefly illuminating the corridor whole, Celestia’s magic resonated within the frame, before a loud crack broke all silence. Tumbling open into darkness, the door gradually revealed the Interrogation Room’s distressing insides…

Celestia’s horn lit up once again, letting the white light illuminate the room ahead.

It was a spacious, square-shaped space, yet empty to an astonishing degree. The walls were adorned by two dim torches on each side, and that was about it. No machinery, no other doorways than the one the sisters came from, betraying the chamber’s position at the very endpoint of the labyrinth than was the Canterlot Dungeons. Not even chairs were present in the room, besides the sole one at the very center, currently occupied by a… creature.

And what a creature it was; Luna had yet to see it for the first time, and could not hold back a gasp once the bright light first showed its true visage. Despite being tied up with the hardest cords Equestria had to offer, enhanced by Celestia’s own strengthening spells, the intruder appeared relaxed, no signs of weariness on the ropes betraying the complete lack of any effort to break free on its part.

The creature was a humanoid, a little akin to diamond dogs, yet without any fur at all. It was white, or perhaps pale, incredibly so. It looked almost like a piece of worn-out marble, yet clearly organic in nature. It was big, barely fitting into the chair, which itself clearly didn’t appear designed to accommodate a creature with such physiology. The intruder’s hooves, or perhaps hands, if one goes by griffon terminology, had six talons each; so was the case with its hind limbs, and all four appendages appeared grabby, at least by Luna’s brief, improvised observations. Through the back of the chair, a long, meaty tail escaped, now laying dormant on the floor but possibly ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

The most disturbing part however was the creature’s head, or rather what enveloped it. The snout, just as almost every part of its body, was very flat, and at the very sides gave way to… something. It looked like a hairband, the likes of which some pony beauty workers prefered to wear, but it was thick and made out of some reflective, silver-coloured substance very much akin to metal. It also appeared to be embedded straight into the creature’s skin itself.

As if sensing the arrival of the diarchs, the humanoid gently opened its eyes, revealing two plates immediately reflecting all the light in the room as if they were small, silver mirrors. Sighing briefly, it finally spoke in a very distinguished, elegant, masculine voice, “Ah, and you shall be my glorious captors. I have been expecting you. Please, make yourself at home in this humble, yet temporary, domain of mine.”

The creature’s words resonated throughout the room, reaching the Princesses from all directions at once, seemingly enveloping them in the elegant, soothing tone of its mocking voice. The sensation sent brief shivers down Luna’s spine; instinctively, she quickly retorted, as if in defense.

“Quiet, fool!” the Princess said, “It is our domain you reside in, and only…” Luna trailed off, seeing her sister raise a hoof in front of her. With a scarily blank expression, Celestia stepped forward, indicating her position as the leading interrogator.

“I am sure we will be able to exchange introductions without the need for jest,” she said confidently yet with a stern frown, sweat dripping down her coat. It was barely visible in the dark, yet Luna knew her fellow Princess somehow felt very uneasy in the company of this being… and so did she herself, truth be told.

“Perhaps… perhaps,” the creature replied in the meantime. “I trust you have questions… which I shall answer if I so see fit.”

“We do indeed,” Celestia nodded, “Perhaps, however, we already know just a bit more about your kind than you might expect.”

“And why would that be?”

Celestia allowed herself to cast a small smile, confident in her statement, “However else would you speak our language so fluently if you haven’t resided here for years?” She said, strengthening her majestic posture. The Princess’ confidence didn’t last long though, as she was met with nothing but deep, long laughter.

“Ha ha! Well… you might just consider that there are forces and means in this universe seemingly far beyond your understanding or expectations,” the creature responded, as its interrogators’ frowns grew more and more confused, sighs unwittingly escaping their lips.

Finally deciding enough was enough, Luna stepped forward, ignoring Celestia’s stern look as she did so. “Enough, alien!” she shouted, “Who are you and what do you want from our world? Answer us or perish, now!”

That seemed to do the trick, at least to a degree, as the being did not immediately respond. Instead, it tilted its head slightly, as if in thought, before finally letting out a sigh of its own.

“Very well. I… am what the naturals from Earth call a ‘Replicant’. And as for your world… let me phrase it this way; would you want to forever be trapped in a prison cell, without contact with the outside world, and no chance to ever set your hooves beyond its borders?” the creature uttered, and Luna hesitated; what was it even talking about? What was this wretched metaphor meant to convey? What was ‘Earth’? Did the being mean something… underground? Barely anything made sense to her here, and the Princess’ nervousness quickly gave way to growing irritation.

“Get to your point, Replicant,” she replied simply, attempting to stand as tall as she could. It wasn’t long before the intruder responded, with a tinge of pride in its elegant voice.

“Well… now, your world is free.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why isn't there a crossover tag?

[BleuBlooms]

This chapter was so good! The intro conveyed just enough information with just a hint of drama? Grayscale? Idk? Words?

Point it was great! (I am also a writer ,so I try to practice.)

The passage of the lead into entering the cell was amazing. You really gave us some insight into the your version of the sisters.

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

11573976

Crossover to what exactly?

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

Luna, don't do you something very rash, or do something you might regret. Because, attacking that Replicant will upset that powerful space-faring replicant empire.

Equestria won't survive a massive onslaught like that. Not without humanity. 😎 🤠

[Devona]

11573976
Because it's not a crossover. I recognise that I may have structured the later parts of the opening chapter a bit like that, perhaps, but this is an original world MLP interacts with here. It has been inspired by properties like Dune or Warhammer, true, but that basically only amounts to its tone, not contents.

[Devona]

11573977
Comments like this are why I like writing stories, you know? It's incredibly moving to see, but also insightful and discussion-starting. I don't think I can fully express here how I feel reading it, but it's a sensation of accomploshment and engagement in a topic I love. So... thank you. Thank you a lot.

[TheAlienBrony22]

This was quite the first chapter. I love it!

[Devona]

11583641
Thank you so much! And thanks for taking your time to look at the story! Unfortunately, it may be a while before the next chapter is released, but I wanted to share this one nonetheless as soon as it was ready.