Warsong: Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 21: The Great Protector

It all felt strange. Din and I stared up at the massive robot before us. What has happened while I was out?

Interesting… Using whatever my sister has to keep itself going. Shall we teach it a lesson, vessel? Din cackled. I grinned and nodded. With a single swish of my head, I aimed my horn and blasted a good bit off the robot’s head. I clicked my tongue, realizing I was still a bit loopy from the whole spiritual journey we just went through, it didn’t strike me as anything noteworthy in this confrontation. That is, until it called itself Rosette Nebula. Din froze in place.

‘Din?’ I asked. Din narrowed her eyes.

That name… The good doctor? She wondered. I balked and dove to the side as the robot alicorn slashed downwards. I called my halberd and clashed with the follow up, deflecting the blade. Din snorted. No matter. Vessel, wash your magic on this misbegotten abomination. I am feeling rather powerful right now. She grinned challengingly. I was impressed that the robot was able to keep up a ferocious press of attacks.

I deflected the blade here and there, throwing in a few flourishes and dodges to try and throw it off. It maintained a focused stand, causing me to kick off the ground with Din flying me upwards. The alicron aimed its’ horn and began to fire these strange white crystals that I could see was full of arcane magic. Din had me twirl and flipped in the air, avoiding the volleys and unleashing her own volley in return. The robot deflected most with its’ blade before throwing up a bright shimmering barrier that dissipated the oncoming magic from Din.

The alicron then unfurled its’ wings and took off from the ground. It was insanely quick and I was lucky enough to deflect the fly by slash of the energy blade. I let out a soft exhale, calming my breath.

‘I wonder if we can get something out of it. It’s sentient, right?’ I asked. Din hummed as we watched the robot spin around and unleash several spherical balls of magic that hissed and soared wildly towards me.

Perhaps. I’m quite curious of this Rosette Nebula myself. She said as she threw up a fire barrier that made the projectiles sail off course and explode in bright colors behind me. I swished my halberd and kicked off the air, rocketing towards the robot and clashing with the energy blade once more. Every blow exchanged was deflected or blocked, almost like a majestic dance was taking place.

And through this exchange I couldn’t help but feel lighter. As if a massive weight has been taken off of me. And for some reason, Din was sharing this sentiment I sensed.

‘Seems we can synergize properly this time.’ I commented in my thoughts as I flipped over a slash and bucked the back of the head of the robot, sending it swaying away from me.

This power is amazing! Ahahahaha! I’ve never felt more alive! This is only a taste of ascension! It’s wonderful~! Din gleefully said as I conjured seven of my clones and ordered them to charge the robot. The alicron started unleashing several barrages of artillery as my clones dodged and twirled through them. Reaching the robot, they began to distract it with pokes and jabs with the halberd. I smirked.

‘Alright, Din. Together.’ I thought to her. I held up my halberd and striking the blade with my horn like a match, I flicked my halberd out and the blade and shaft extended greatly in a fiery blaze enshrouding it. I flourished my halberd before diving low, ordering my clones to keep its’ attention above itself. With the robot distracted, I held my halberd tightly, primed to strike. Din cackled and mimicking my stance, we swung the halberd upwards, slicing the robot in half.

I spun around in the air to face it, seeing the lower half fall into the jungle with a loud crash. The upper body, however, was still flapping its’ wings. I blanked a bit when I saw the robot shriek and its’ body began to glow. Din hissed and flew me away as the robot screamed, unleashing a torrent of lightning and energy that struck my clones and traced along the ground, kicking up a lot of dirt and dust. The alicron clutched its’ head and shook it violently.

”It hurts!! It hurts!! Arrrrrgggghhh!! My queen!! Help me!!” It shrieked; a different voice having taken over. Din scoffed.

The poor soul. All the better we are doing her a favor. She commented. I gave a disturbed look and nodded. The robot turned its’ head to me. I never thought a robot could show a pained expression that turned into anger. It sent a chill down my spine as it drew its’ energy blade and charge me, shrieking in the process. I readied my halberd and blocked a blow, only for me to underestimate the force of it. I was sent rocketing away, Din and I working to straighten ourselves.

The robot chased and began to swing its’ blade violently, the arcane electricity sparking out of it with every motion. I deflected and dodged, unable to find a proper opening.

‘Dammit! This thing is tough!’ I thought. ‘I can’t get an opening!’ Din hummed in thought as I went sailing backwards when the robot gave a surprise right hook. Din smirked and I sensed her idea. ‘It’s our only shot!’ I commented. Din scoffed.

Don’t get too ahead of yourself! She retorted. I smiled smugly, readying my halberd.

‘Pot meet kettle-’ I then heaved my halberd like a javelin right as I said: ‘-You’re black!’ The robot deflected the halberd and Din grinned smugly. The robot shrieked and swung the blade downward, slicing right through me. However, the image it slew vanished into a burning flame of embers. Having emerged from my halberd’s fire, I grabbed the halberd and spun it in my hooves, aiming the blade and kicking off at high velocity towards the robot.

It looked up just in time for me to pierce right through the robot all the way through to the other end. The robot froze in place, the wings breaking apart as I soared upwards from a downward dive. I looked to the robot and narrowed my expression. The robot turned its’ head to me, a hoof outstretched towards me.

”Not bad… Subject Star Bright… You really were… the best… a mind like mine… could achieve…” It said before the voice changed; ”Peace… at last…”

As the robot fell, it began to fall apart, the scrap breaking away as it plummeted. I blinked, remembering something Din said and closed my eyes. I reached with my magic, not to grasp, but to feel. My magic washed over the robot and when I opened my eyes, observing it crashing into the jungle foliage, I could make out a web of magic all around me. Din, however, had me focus on one particular strand of the web. It led eastward. Taking a better look, I could make out the top of a temple.

The strand connected to the top. Feeling rather happy with this, I began to make my way back to the village. As I approached, I couldn’t help but wonder. What was all that about? Rosette Nebula? A sentient robot? The Triad really are still an enigma with certain projects. I found myself floating above Thi and Mystique, who were looking battered but unharmed. Thi grinned and saluted to me as I gave one good swing of my halberd and shattered the crystals. I landed on the ground and Thi rushed over to me.

“Fie! That was amazing!” She excitedly said, holding my hooves. I smiled until she narrowed her look. “That is, unless you are Din.” Oh, she has this coming. I gave a maniacal grin and did my best cackling impression I could. Din frowned.

Flattery is an insult. She stated. That made me crack into a normal laugh and I pat Thi’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, Thi. It’s me. And Din. Well, both of us really. But I’m still me.” I said. Thi studied me, her mind probably still racing with questions. However, her eyes widened and began to pull me along.

“We have to check on the others.” She said. I nearly stumbled as she hurried me along. When I arrived, my expression softened. Scribble was tending to Cloudchaser. Her hoof bandaged and splinted. Flitter looked pale and distressed. However, Cloudchaser smiled at me.

“That was quite a show, Fie. Rocking a new mane style too. Though I’m not sure how to feel about the fire effects.” She teased. I giggled and closed my eyes. I gave the energy all back to Din and I felt the warmth leave me. When I opened my eyes, I examined myself. Normal and the usual plain empty. I then looked to Flitter.

“Are you alright, Flitter? You don’t look so good.” I asked. Cloudchaser then glared at Thi and Thi gave a wince and rubbed her foreleg.

“Errr… about that Fie.” She began.

---

“What a sight, to see such a star so bright.” Mystique said as she rubbed something on Cloudchaser’s leg. We had gathered in the area where the bonfire was, the villagers shifting through the wreckages of some of the huts. Flitter, having recovered a bit, looked sadly around.

“How long does it take to build a hut?” She asked sadly. Mystique smiled.

“It takes a few days with all the help here. But you should be more worried about the poison that sleeps inside of you.” She gave a grim look. “I am afraid that your long exposure to the substance has caused some harm to your health and psyche. The flower you call Pocket Gold is worse than the Poison Joke.” Thi sighed and gave a solemn expression to Flitter.

“Again, I’m so sorry, Flitter. It was the only thing I can think of to give you guys the space needed to get out.” She said. Flitter rubbed her foreleg.

"U-unexpected, honestly. But... we are okay in the end, right?" She said with a small smile. Cloudchaser snorted and silently crossed her forelegs once Mystique had patched her up. Scribble sighed, the stallion looking more exhausted by the second.

"I hope we managed to get some info out of this." He said, looking at Thi. Thi softly exhaled and nodded. She began to explain what she learned from the pony she interrogated before the events of this transition happened. I've never seen Thi so tired. When she finished, Scribble opened his journal and began scribbling down in it. I walked over to Cloudchaser, who was examining her hoof. I noticed a strange gauntlet next to her. I pushed it aside a little and sat down next to her.

"You okay, CC?" I asked. Cloudchaser shrugged.

"Just a little sore from using Hercules's Gauntlet." She furrowed her look at the gauntlet. "It was the only thing I could think of." She glanced at Thi. Thi's ears lowered and she kicked the ground softly. Flitter stood up and smiled, walking over to her sister.

"Cloudchaser, I'm fine now. Really. Whatever Mystique did, I feel a little lighter." She then had a thought which she turned to the zebra. "You don't happen to know about a certain... 'grandma'?" Mystique blinked blankly.

"I'm not sure who you are asking for. If you are asking for the Elder of our village, we do not have an Elder anymore. R.E.Z.A. has provided aid for the elderly and are providing for the villages." She explained. Scribble spoke without looking up.

"A lot has changed since R.E.Z.A. showed up. I wish we could know more about it, but if the destruction of those 'Alicrons' have alerted the Triad to our presence, then we are only good for putting this village in danger." He looked to Mystique. "Do you know of a safe place for your kin to hold out? Perhaps notify R.E.Z.A. to aid in relocating?" Mystique looked around her village, her kin mourning over the loss of destroyed homes. I was relieved however to see that no zebra was badly injured. She sighed and closed the medkit.

"I will talk to my kin. We can relocate to a neighboring village that is occupied by R.E.Z.A. We'll leave first thing in the morning." She replied sadly. I gave a reassuring smile and walked over to her, patting her back.

"I'm sorry we caused a disturbance by showing up out of the blue. I promise we'll make it up to you." I looked over my shoulder to my friends. "I know where we are going to go next. It's not a facility, but who knows. It's where the robots came from. They were powered by Lux to some degree." I looked back to Mystique. "My guess is the Triad stationed there are occupying the temples looking for something. If not, already found it and are just doing more digging. We'll chase them out. And who knows." I turned to my friends. "We'll probably find more info about the whereabouts of Roam's next in line." Mystique stared at me in awe. My friends smiled and nodded.

"You... you would do that for us?" Mystique asked. I pat my chest and winked.

"You and your village gave Din and I a chance to get better acquainted with one another. Zebra magic is on a whole other scale than I thought. It's only fair I do something in return. That and it benefits Din's search too. We'll make sure the Triad are out of your hair." I held out a hoof to her. Mystique studied me. She eventually smiled and wiped a small tear from her eye before taking my hoof, helping her up.

"I don't know how to thank you. All of you." She said. Thi rubbed her snout with a smile.

"It's kind of what we do. And if I didn't know better, Fie. You seem completely different now than you were before." She said. I waved a hoof with a playful grin.

"I'll tell ya' more about it later. We should rest up while we can. We are going to be trekking east." I replied. Mystique balked.

"But that's... oh no..." She began.

"What's wrong?" Flitter asked. Mystique motioned to the jungle.

"The Great Protector roams these jungles near the temples. You'll be crossing into his territory." She said.

"The Great Protector?" Cloudchaser asked, tilting her head.

"The Great Protector was born from a star. They have been protecting this land for centuries. And with the intrusions of the Exiles and these Triads, the jungle has been restless. We've been hearing The Great Protector cry out for the jungle when he's supposed to be in a slumber." She explained. "I fear that angering him further will only cause the complete destruction of the jungle. And with the restlessness, it'll spread out into the Savanna. If you are to head towards our ancestor's temples, be extremely cautious. I know not of what The Great Protector will do when he sets his eyes on you." I rolled my neck and stretched a bit, nodding.

"Thanks for the info, Mystique. We'll be leaving once we are rested." I replied. The area went quiet when we heard a growl rumbling loudly. Cloudchaser readied herself.

"The Great Protector!?" She asked at the ready with my friends. I blinked blankly and looked down at my stomach, hearing it growl. I gave a nervous laugh and tapped my hooves together.

"That would be me. I'm hungry." I said with a blush.

---

It was still early morning, the sun not having peeked out yet. But the dusk sky showed it was time to go. The villagers had erected a small bit of shelter from the fallen structures of their huts, having worked quickly to manage it. We bid Mystique a farewell as the villagers were beginning to mingle about and readying to relocate. With a full belly and a happier mindset, I left the village with my friends in tow. We didn't have the best sleep, but I felt fully energized. I looked to Cloudchaser, her hoof casted as she floated next to us with Flitter next to her.

"Any pain?" I asked her, pushing aside a big leaf of a plant as we proceeded into the foliage. Thi took the lead, using a piece of the destroyed Alicron as a machete to cut through the thicker foliage. Cloudchaser shifted her leg and smiled.

"Tingles. Mystique says the remedy she used would help mend the bones quicker. And considering the healthcare in Roam, I trust zebra medicine over Equestrian medicine any day." She said. "Seriously, whatever they do mends things faster than I can read the entire Wonderbolt's training regimen. How have they not taken advantage of this?"

"Because Zebrica has a bad history with greedy corporations and foreign affairs ruining the ecological state of their land. All they ever want is peace, yet the magic that the zebra practice is valuable to the point that there was a time when a lot of bits were thrown into the land, only for the zebra to deny it and pay the ultimate price for rejecting their offer. Which was paying off the wasted bits with work with no pay." He explained. Flitter gasped in horror.

"That's evil! How can anypony do that!?" She exclaimed. Scribble sighed.

"Like I said. Greed will always remain in the hearts of creatures. Thankfully the tribes united their communities and chased out the moguls. Ever since, Zebrica has been extremely wary with foreign trades and limiting tourism." He replied. Thi grunted as she got slapped with a leaf, hacking at it in frustration before responding.

"And with the Triad around, it's going to be more than just a repeat of history. They'll raze all of Zebrica for the search of their magic. The fact they haven't done so yet means that they found something extremely important and are focused on it. That or trying to maintain a neutral ground in order to win Zebrica's favor for the war." She looked over her shoulder to us. "Either way, Zebrica is in way more trouble than Roam is at the moment. We can't save the entire nation. But we can at least make a dent for them to fight back like before." I rubbed my chin in thought.

"Speaking of that. We are heading to a temple. If the two alicrons came from there, they must have been onto the Exiles long before they stole the first one I destroyed. The magic was quite dense which means they have been there for quite a while." I replied. Din hummed with a smug smile. Cloudchaser's ears flicked and she shushed us.

"Does everypony hear that?" She asked. We quieted and listened in. The sound of something humming getting closer and closer. Thi clicked her tongue.

"Hide." She whispered. We ducked into the foliage and kept low, keeping our attention on the sound of the humming. It was getting louder and louder. It wasn't long until the beams of wagon lights shone past our hiding spots. Three auto wagons hummed by us, their speed slow as they trudged through the foliage. Thi frowned. "A transportation convoy. Looks like they are heading to the temple." She whispered to us. There was a loud metallic grind followed by the lead wagon coming to a stop and getting tail ended by the other one. We watched as a few Exiles stepped out and swore at each other (from what I'm guessing due to the growls) and started examining the wagons. The bigger one in the back was close but not too much. The back of the wagon looked like we could hop in and keep ourselves hidden. Which is what everypony seemed to have in mind. We snuck out of our cover and hurried over behind the wagon. I helped Scribble into the wagon before following after, followed by Thi. Cloudchaser and Flitter were quiet to float into the wagon. The back of the wagon had a lot of covered up barrels and space for us to squeeze into and hide under the tarps.

We remained quiet and waited for the Exiles to finish up their run through before we felt the wagons jerk and begin to move. It was a bit of a bumpy ride but it wasn't long before the wagons came to a stop. We heard the Exiles speaking to each other, having to remain low when two of them proceeded to check the back of the wagon. Seems they were having a lazy day as they only looked in the back and scanned it with their eyes before waving the wagons through. When the wagon came to a stop, we waited a bit for the Exiles to finish up and the sounds of their hoofsteps getting further and further away. I nodded to Thi and we both crept out the back of the wagon and took cover behind a stack of crates and barrels, the rest of my friends following suite. Cloudchaser quietly marveled at the sight.

The temple was massive. It towered above the treetops and had a brilliant shimmer to it when the sun started to rise over the mountains. Expanding before us is the activity of passing Exiles and, upon closer inspection with Din's eyes, Triad as well. However, it seemed that the Triad were not lifting a single hoof to help the Exiles in anything. They were shadowing the activities more than anything, their arc weapons seemingly at the ready for a quick take down. Thi must have noticed this too as she clicked her tongue again.

"Where do we even start?" She asked. I pointed to the temple.

"We have to get in there." I said scanning the temple. I frowned. "But I don't see a way in." The ground began to rumble a bit and we looked to see at the bottom of the temple two massive stones sliding aside as a convoy had arrived. The Triad waved the wagons in and the other wagons coming out. When the wagons had finished moving, the stones slid back into place and we watched as turrets slid out of the wall and began to scan the area followed by several Triads patrolling. Thi turned to us and we gathered together.

"Alright, how should we go about this?" She asked. "Any ideas?" Flitter tapped her head in thought.

"Perhaps doing the usual disguise as a guard?" She asked. Thi shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I think that security system is set to recognition. We'll be lit up before the magic tracing spell on their uniforms kick in." She said. Cloudchaser shrugged.

"What about seeing another way in around the temple? There could be a crack that the Triad aren't covering." She said. Thi smiled.

"A good idea. But with how big the temple is, I am not sure we'll find it in time. I'm more worried when the Triad will start making their way into the village." She replied. Scribble peeked out and scanned the area.

"Repeat what we did when we got in?" He asked. "We saw convoys enter and exit." Thi rubbed her chin.

"Another swell idea. Only, I think the Triad are a bit more competent than the Exiles. They'll definitely do a thorough inspection." She said, tapping her horn in thought. I hummed in thought.

"What if... we have the Exiles rebel against the Triad?" I suggested. My friends looked at me with raised brows. I blinked blankly. "What? I mean, from what I'm putting together, the Exiles are pretty miserable under the Triad banner. Even if they have some free reign to some degree, there has to be a fault somewhere that makes them want to overthrow the Triad." I rubbed my chin. "We just need to give them a little push." I looked at Thi's machete. Din must have facehoofed.

This realm is doomed if that even works. She said.

'Hey, I got the Princesses to go undercover. Probably not a good plan, but who knows?' I replied to her. Din arched a brow.

If I recall, only one simpleton fell for it. I smiled slightly.

'A successful endeavor.' Thi waved a hoof at me.

"You okay, Fie?" She asked. I snapped back to attention and levitated her machete to me. I then snapped off a bit of the metal and peeked out from around corner. I ducked back a bit when a passing Exile trotted by. I carefully tucked the piece into the uniform pocket. The zebra did not notice. I beamed and ducked back to my friends. Scribble stared at me in a stoic manner.

"Any other bright ideas?" He asked, looking to everypony else. The others proceeded to rack their brains while I peeked out and studied the area. Using Din's eyes I followed the zebra I stuck the piece of Alicron in. I heard my friends discussing something, yet my attention focused when the zebra proceeded to talk to two more Exiles. The conversation seemed casual until two Triad guards walked by and started barking something at them. The Exiles didn't look too pleased. However, one of the Triad ponies blinked quizzically, withdrawing a strange device with a crystal on it. The Triad waved it in the direction and pointed the device at the zebra. A few more Triads approached; guns trained on the zebra. I observed as the situation seemed to escalate a little more, a small smile creeping up on me. I focused on the lips of the ponies, wanting to practice my lip reading.

"Empty your pockets!" The Triad with the device ordered. The arc guns trained on the zebra, catching the glares of the other Exiles around the area. The zebra said something I couldn't quite read, but they proceeded to empty their pockets. When the piece of the alicron fell out, one of the unicorn Triads levitated it and the pony with the device waved it over the bit. The expressions of the ponies turned cold. "We got a saboteur." The pony mouthed. The zebra replied in shock and from the gesturing they were doing, trying to explain their innocence. It wasn't until another Exile approached the group with their own posse that the tension began rising. One of the Triads held a hoof to their ear and said something and suddenly, the alarm blared.

"Shit, were we spotted?" Thi spoked, having quickly drawn her gun. I waved a hoof at them.

"Just the push I gave them." I said, the small smile remaining on my face. My friends must have exchanged confused glances before peeking out. The exchange between the Exiles and the Triad were starting to get heated as guns were being brought out and the Triad smugly displaying power over the event. I turned to my friends and waved for them to follow. "Now we move." I whispered. Thi smiled softly and nodded, my friends shrugging to each other before we proceeded to move around the events transpiring. We crept past several Triad onlookers, seemingly grinning at the events. We sidled through the first check point before making our way to an overlook tower. Thi mentioned that having a better eagle's eye view can help us find a better way to get in further. As expected, upon sneaking into the tower, there were two Triad guards idling in chairs, playing cards. Thi cleared her throat and leaned coolly against the entrance.

"Fellas? Got room for five more?" She said with a grin. The Triads looked at us and one of them dropped their cigar from their muzzle. Subduing the guards, Cloudchaser and Flitter scanned the area while Thi and Scribble shifted through the stuff that the Triad had on the tables. Nothing worthwhile, but Cloudchaser and Flitter did spy less Triad guarding the westward area. Ensuring that the guards were neatly tied and tucked away, we headed back down and crept towards the area. There were indeed a lot less Triad idling and patrolling, but we ended up running into an issue. The turrets that were scanning the area. There was no way we'd be able to move freely or from cover to cover without being picked up by the sensors. We decided to rack our brains once more. Thankfully, the sound of gun fire began ranging out along with shouting, causing us to stay put as the Triad began to mobilize. With the coast clear, that left us with just the turrets. I was planning on blasting them with Din's power, but Din shut it down.

We should really be saving our energy for something vital. Wouldn't you agree? She stated in annoyance. I sighed and nodded.

'You're right. Never know if we need to fight another Alicron here.' I thought. I used Din's eyes to scan the area around us, spying what appeared to be a box building near what I would believe to be the westward entrance. I tapped Thi on the shoulder and pointed to the building. “Perhaps the security shut down button could be there?” I asked. Thi put a hoof on her forehead to scan the area and hummed.

“Could be. Only one way to find out.” She replied. We were about to move when we had to duck back into cover at the sound of several arc bullets ricochetting near us. I looked over my shoulder and slumped. The Exiles were pushing the Triad back. This isn’t good. The Triad mobilized the retreat back and now we were unable to move from our spot. I facehoofed.

“Dammit. Worked a little too well.” I stated to myself in annoyance.

It always amazes me that this realm hasn’t gone to megaspell fallout years ago. Din commented amusedly. Thi clicked her tongue.

“Might have to fight our way out. Get ready everypony.” She said, cocking her arc pistol. We readied ourselves with bated breaths. The gunfire ringing all around us now. Suddenly, a loud grumble shook the ground. My friends looked at me and I blankly blinked.

“That isn’t me this time.” I said. The ground began to shake, less so at first before increasing. We looked over and saw the trees in the jungle began to crack and rustle, as if something huge was barreling through the area. The gunfire quieted as a loud roar rang out loudly through the jungle. Thi slumped.

“What now…?” She groaned. Our eyes widened in surprise as something humongous barreled out of the jungle, chucking two trees with ease over the area. The Triad and Exiles scrambled, some of them unfortunately getting pinned or crushed. I heard the stories about the Ursa family. But to see an actual Ursa Major, I felt like an ant, even with Din. The Ursa Major roared loudly and angrily, the mouth frothing as it stood on two, claws out.

“The Great Protector… is real?!” We heard one of the Exiles loudly state along with the panicked chatter of the Triad.

“All units, open fire!” One Triad ordered. Gunfire soon rang out, all concentration on the Ursa Major. To everypony’s stark surprise, the bullets phased right through it. Thi glanced at her arc pistol and holstered it with a disappointed look. The Ursa Major fell on all four and charged, easily batting away auto wagons, ponies and zebra alike. The turrets turned and began to fire. Yet it phased right through the creature.

Thi looked over to the building and waved to us.

“C’mon! Now’s our chance!” She said. We bolted out of cover, nearly avoiding a wagon that was chucked away by the rampaging Ursa Major. We reached the box building, only to stop to see Triad beginning to funnel into it. One turned their head and noticed us.

“Hey! That’s Thi Billet and her cohorts! Intruders!” They called out. The turrets suddenly bleeped and aimed at us. We scattered as the turrets began to fire down around us. I dove behind a concrete barrier. Thi began to fire back just as some Triad began to return fire from inside the building. Flitter fired several arrows from behind cover, pelting some of the Triad’s hooves. Scribble had lent Cloudchaser some of his arcane stones and the two were chucking firebolts like grenades.

All hell was breaking loose. I grit my teeth and tapped my head.

‘Think, Fie, think!’ I growled to myself. A memory struck me and it turned into an idea. ‘Din!’ Din cackled.

Remind me to thank the zebra properly. She hissed gleefully. I looked to the Ursa Major that had ripped the turrets from out of place and tossed them aside, crushing Triad and Exiles, who in turn were backstabbing each other with gun fire. I felt the warmth flow around me. Din and I combined our voices as I stood up.

“Creature! Hear our voice and listen!!” Our voice rang out. The Ursa Major was about to attack some cowering Triad when it stopped and looked around. Its’ eyes fell on me. I stared it down. “Obey us and you will ensure your vengeance against the disturbers of your lands!!”

“Fie??” I heard Cloudchaser say. The Ursa Major turned and roared loudly at me. I stood my ground. The Ursa Major took note that I wasn’t backing down and resorted to grunts. Din caused me to crack a grin.

“You are to aid us in this endeavor! Destroy these obstacles on your temple and allow us to aid you in return!! This is the star’s promise!!” Our voice finished. The Ursa Major studied us before looking at the turrets that were suppressing Thi. The Ursa Major growled before roaring and charging the building. The Triad shrieked and scrambled. It was too late. The Ursa Major stamped on the building and reared up on two, swatting one of the turrets then biting down and ripping off the other one. The Ursa Major then dug its’ claws into the metal door and ripped it away, chucking it behind it and crashing into the jungle. The Ursa Major looked to me and I nodded.

“Everypony in!” I called out. My friends were baffled but they quickly bolted out of cover and together we rushed under the Ursa Major as it turned and roared loudly again, charging back to the direction it had came from.

We raced down the hall, Thi laughing excitedly.

“Since when could you do that?!” She said to me. I shook my head, panting as I replied.

“Dunno! I have a vague memory of Din ordering a couple of ponies to bow with her voice!” I looked over my shoulder. “I didn’t think it’d work!”

Hmph. Neither did I think the broken bit would work either, but here we are. Din replied. We quickly entered into a large atrium, slowing our pace and took cover behind some crates. The alarms continued to blare as Triad hurried about, as if scrambling to station themselves for a possible invasion. Yet, when we saw several metal behemoths began to rumble to life and an alicron being rolled out, things were starting to look a little hectic. I looked to my friends.

“Alright, we made it this far. We are looking for something regarding to Lux. Borrowed power, energy sources, ancient relics. Anything that might clue us in on activity that could put us closer to stopping the war entirely. We should also keep a look out for the heir to Roam.” I peeked out from cover. “At this point, we might as well kill two birds with one stone.” Thi chuckled.

“Killing birds sounds gratifying. A little revenge never hurts.” She said. I gave a worried look to Thi. I hope I won’t regret this.

“We should split up into groups. Cloudchaser and Thi, you two should stick together. See if you can find anything regarding the heir. Scribble and Flitter, see if you can find documents or anything top secret the Triad could be holding here. A lab or anything.” I smiled. “I’ll help our new friend distract the Triad.” Thi nodded, Cloudchaser not looking too pleased but nodded as well. Scribble put a hoof on my shoulder and gave a small smile.

“Glad to see you back, Fie.” He said. I smiled and nodded as Flitter and Scribble bolted from cover and began to make their way cautiously down the atrium. Thi smiled at Cloudchaser.

“Ready to kick some flank?” She asked. Cloudchaser shifted her casted hoof and rolled her good one.

“Let’s not get too crazy.” She said before glancing at me. I smiled reassuringly to her and she sighed before taking off with Thi in the opposite direction. I turned back to check if the coast was clear.

‘Sorry, CC. But I know you can at least knock some sense into her.’ I thought to myself. Seeing that the atrium was clear, save for some far-off Triad, I galloped across the room and headed for the stairs. I arrived at the third floor of the atrium and made my way through what I would believe to be the actual temple structure. Wall scones lit the way, but the clash of spotlights lining the halls with a cable running through ruined any mysticality this temple might have once had. I followed the hall, being careful when I would hear the sound of Triad mobilizing further down.

I used Din’s eyes, seeing that the web of magic surrounded us densely. Din gave a frustrated sigh.

So much clutter here than your head. At least we can carve our way through. She commented. I noticed that some of the web strands began to glow a bright amber before disappearing. With most of the density gone, I noticed a bright and unusual glowing strand that stuck out like a thin line. I followed it down halls and through rooms. The Triad were deep in excavation. Whatever they were looking for, they probably combed the whole surface of the temple.

I eventually arrived at a bigger room, one that expanded like a warehouse. This must be the main entrance. I looked over the railing and saw the massive door that were most likely hidden behind the massive stones. The room had a red ambient glow from the alarms. Auto wagons were lined to make room for more metal behemoths that were ready to funnel through. Using Din’s eyes, I scanned the area. A small building jutted out above the entrance. That must be where the control room is for the door.

Being cautious, I crept hurriedly along the catwalk, reaching a set of stairs that led down to the main area. I frowned when I reached the bottom, scanning the area again. It doesn’t appear to be an easy way to get to the main room. Of course, leave it to the Triad to make a room that is accessed somewhere deeper into the temple. Din cackled softly.

I have a promise to uphold. What can the Triad do to us that they haven’t already? She grinned. I felt a bit relieved.

‘Oh good. It would be too much of a pain to scour the temple.’ I replied. I felt the warmth envelop me and I stepped out from the doorway. The Triad were too busy mobilizing to notice the intruder casually walking out into the middle of the room. Before anypony noticed, Din swished my head and aimed my horn at the room. A large fire beam blasted the building jut, creating a hole. The confused panic of the Triad could be heard as I kicked off the ground and hovered up to the hole Din created.

The Triad inside the room were baffled and wide eyed when they saw me enter and look around.

“H-how did you get in?!” One Triad asked as several guards entered the room with guns trained on me.

“Who the hell cares! Open fire!” One of the guards stated. The chorus sounds of arc fire rained around me. Yet, I didn’t move. The barrier Din created did well to redirect the bullets. Instead, the bullets began to destroy the contraptions around the room, even ricochetting back and disarming a couple of Triad. There was a loud crackle and burst of sparks from the contraptions that was then followed up with the ground shaking.

“The door is opening! Ready yourselves!” I heard a voice call out from down the main area. I smirked and swished my head, rearing up and then slamming my forehooves on the ground. The barrier expanded and burst, knocking the Triad away and knocking them out. I let out a soft exhale.

‘If I was able to do magic like that, I think my parents would have made me a combat mage in the ranks of Canterlot.’ I thought. Din scoffed.

Are you making a jibe at me? She scowled. I chuckled and turned to look out the hole.

‘Maybe. Thankfully, I can only do one simple illusion spell. Starting to appreciate my lack of magic.’ I replied. Din rolled her eyes.

Not even Starswirl would be able to comprehend the language my magic holds. She stated. The ground began to shake. Rhythmic thumping followed and the Triad waited with bated breath. All was quiet. I furrowed my look.

‘You know… Maybe I didn’t account for the size of the entrance and the Ursa Major.’ I thought with a rub of my chin. The door suddenly blew open and a starry purple fog enveloped the room. I stared in awe as the fog started chucking aside the behemoths and Triad alike. The fog then began to sparkle, creating a formation and soon the image of the Ursa Major appeared. It roared loudly, growing in size before regaining its’ original size. It nearly took up the whole room.

‘Huh… good to know that Ursas can do that.’ I commented. The Ursa Major grunted, realizing that it was quite too large to fit. The starry purple fog enveloped the room again and the size of the Ursa shrunk and faded. I then looked around the room. ‘Well, we did our part. I wonder if this room has anything worthwhile.’ I threw my hood up, adjusting it to fit nicely on my head before stepping over the unconscious Triad. Sad to say that most of the contraptions surrounding this place is riddled from the trigger-happy ponies. Save for a couple of crystal television screens.

I studied the crackling images and hummed. ‘Hold on… those ponies look familiar…’ I noted. It was hard to make out with the screen tear. But looking at the second monitor, it flicked to what appeared to be within a containment cell. I then balked, recognizing the starry attire. “Trixie??” I said out loud. My eyes weren’t playing tricks. The unicorn magician looked to have seen better days. She was laying on her side, curled up and staring blankly at the wall opposite to her.

I furrowed my look. ‘That isn’t good. What is she doing here?!’ Din sighed defeatedly.

We have other important matters to attend to. She said. I studied the tearing monitor next to Trixie’s. I could make out a certain manestyle that I know is unique to another pony. I narrowed my eyes.

‘Din, Lux’s strand. Do you see anything else that sticks out?’ I asked her, having a thought. Din shifted her frown but had me follow the strand. Din’s eyes then narrowed. I noticed it too. A light blue hue trailing along the white strand. My heart sank a little. Din hummed.

Perhaps it isn’t too late for your friend. The connection isn’t there. But they are dangerously overlapping. She said amusedly. I looked to the monitors and nodded.

‘I’m coming guys.’ I thought to myself before cantering out of the room and following the strand. I galloped quicker than I thought I could, my eyes following the white and blue strand. The Triad must be distracted with the Ursa Major intrusion as I barreled down the hall, coming across no opposition. I followed the strand through the temple rooms, being careful as to not trigger anything that might direct attention to me. I then came to a doorway that looked to have been installed by the Triad.

This is where the strand phased through. There was a glowing pad next to the door and I examined it. I clicked my tongue.

‘Guess we are doing this loud.’ I thought. I stepped back and called my quarter staff, enveloping it in fire to form the halberd and I jammed it into the door. I grunted and pulled, feeling a bit of warmth surround me. Din sighed and mimicked my action. Together, we pulled the halberd and the door slid right open.

Make it quick, vessel. My sister still needs her punishment. She said. I nodded and called away my halberd, galloping in. I slowed my pace when I began to pass containment cells. No creature appeared to be in them fortunately. Save for the cell I came across. I put a hoof on the glass cell, seeing Trixie in the same spot as she was before.

“Trixie! Trixie it’s Fie!” I called out, knocking on the glass. Trixie didn’t respond. She looked completely out of it. I bit my lip in worry. What did the Triad do to her? I looked around, not wanting to expend more energy from Din than I had already.

“There is a guard that went to the bathroom down the hall. They were the one that locked us in here.” A monotone voice said. I blinked and looked over my shoulder. My eyes fell on a grey mare with a purple straight mane. Her expression stoic and her rock-colored tunic tattered. Upon closer inspection, she is an earth pony. “You might want to be careful. There could be more I haven’t counted.” I blinked quizzically but then nodded and crept further down the hall.

Sure enough, there was a guard that was washing her hooves outside the bathroom. She was whistling a tune, drying her hooves off. I snuck up behind her and before she knew it, I brought her into a headlock and pulled her away. She began to kick her legs out, struggling against me. Zebra arts is a scary thing. I quickly jabbed the tip of my hoof into the center of her ribs to stifle the lungs before cracking her neck and causing her to fall unconscious. Laying her down, I dug through her pockets and withdrew a keycard.

I stuffed her back into the bathroom and quickly made my way back to the cells. I swiped the card and opened both cells. The earth pony stood up and walked out while I rushed into Trixie’s cell and helped her up. She had a dead look to her eyes but thankfully she is still breathing.

“They ran some awful tests on her. Seeing as they weren’t getting anything, they threw her back in here.” The pony said in a monotone voice. I arched a brow at her.

“You’re quite calm about this.” I stated. She looked me in the eyes.

“I’m terrified.” She replied with no emotion. She then helped Trixie onto her back and looked to me. “I’m Maud Pie. Nice to meet you.” I tilted my head, recognizing the name.

“Pinkie’s sister? What even happened?” I asked, rubbing my chin.

“We were handling an issue in Vanhoover when we ended up taking a wrong turn. We spent days out on the sea before being thrown in here.” Maud explained. I narrowed my eyes.

“Then… it’s as I feared. I’m guessing Starlight hasn’t been released.” I said. Maud blinked.

“Yes.” She replied. “Her and Sunburst.” My expression turned grim.

“Do you know which way they went?” I asked. Maud looked around before pointing to a door further down the hall. I smiled and nodded. “Keep yourselves hidden. I’ll get them out.” I began to gallop down the hall, hearing Maud’s voice as I did.

“Becareful, Quiet Fire.” She called out in a monotone expression. I hurried over to the door and swiped the keycard. The pad blipped and the doors swung open. It was like I had jumped out of time and into the past. Everything beyond the door is natural temple. I followed the strand all the way through, taking sharp turns before reaching an entry way. I must have arrived at the center of the temple. The room was massive.

It almost reminded me of where the Sun Dial was back in Trottingham. However, the bridge was completely Triad made. When did they start making this? It led to a center column that hissed open to a circular platform. I turned around after entering an elevator that was the center of the column and pressed the button. With a hiss, the door slid closed and a subtle hum could be heard as I went downward. Din hissed and cut the connection to the magic as it was starting to get a bit blinding.

The source is here. Just a little further. She said, an eerie grin creeping along her muzzle. The platform came to a stop and the door hissed open. I galloped down the long hallway before reaching a door. I swiped the keycard and entered in, only to stop and gasp. Another massive temple room. Yet a giant drill like contraption was sparking away at what appeared to be a stone doorway. My eyes fell onto a massive generator looking device. Inside it, I spotted Starlight Glimmer.

She was floating in the air in a trance, her horn releasing a spiral of magic all around her. I grit my teeth and called my halberd. Twirling the halberd in my hooves, I jabbed the butt of the halberd hard into the casing and the glass shattered. A blast of cold wind and magic shot out and sprayed everywhere, causing me to shield myself. Starlight was shot out of the cylinder and I rushed to catch her. The massive drill began to shut down. The mare looked like she had been through hell. Laying her down gently, I studied her for any injuries.

‘Seems they overloaded her magic. She’s suffering major burn out.’ I noted, putting a hoof to her head. My ears flicked when I heard the sound of something cocking behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing several Triads aiming their rifles at me. One of them grinned and held an arc pistol up to a disgruntled and tattered Sunburst, who looked terrified.

“The fact you made it this far just shows how much of a dangerous mare you’ve become, Thi Billet.” I arched a brow. I then began to chuckle and stood up after laying Starlight down gently. I turned around and removed my hood, grinning. The Triad’s eyes widened. “You!”

“Me.” I replied smugly. Studying the pony, it appears to be another lead head of this operation. I then motioned to the device. “Must have been frustrating trying to drill into whatever you are looking for. Guessing your own weren’t powerful in magic alone.” The Triad flushed angrily and held Sunburst up a bit, pressing the barrel into his face.

“Don’t think of using your demi-god bullshit, Demon. We may not be able to kill you, but we can at least make you suffer!” They barked. I shook my head.

“You really want to unleash the demon you think I am? Because you aren’t wrong. Lessons are never learned with your group. I’ll never understand why you would go to this much length to throw your lives away.” I replied. The Triad growled.

“Shut up! Our queen’s ideal is law! It is the truth! We will gladly give our lives to see the light of this land return! To guide the ponies from the darkness! You may mock us, but our ideal justifies the ends! The relics that do not belong to hooves or other limbs of the pathetic wastes that roam this realm belong to the Queen! Long may she reign!”

“We walk in the abyss to guide the light!” The other Triads spoke. I glanced between them before looking at Sunburst.

“Either way I see it, my friends and I are going to walk out of here. The amount of times you’ve all had us under one roof you just couldn’t keep things together. Of course, I’m speaking loosely.” I stated before taking a step forward. The Triad shifted, aiming at me while the one holding Sunburst hostage waved their gun at me and tapped the barrel against his cheek.

“Say what you will. The fact of the matter is that your endeavors are pointless. Our only salvation is to find the one truth! With it, nothing will stand in our way!” They grinned. I slumped and rubbed the back of my head.

“I see what you mean now, Thi.” I stated to myself. My look softened. ‘But they are still ponies.’ The Triad chuckled.

“Tell ya’ what, Demon. How about you power back up the drill yourself and allow us to enter the vault. We’ll get what we came here for and we will let your friends go. You can continue your pointless crusade against us. We all know nothing will change no matter how many lives are taken or how many things are destroyed. The ultimate goal is the survival of this realm!” I frowned.

“How about leaving Zebrica entirely alone? Dismiss the Exiles and restore the homes you’ve destroyed? Refurbish the temple back to how it was? Let the angering spirits and nature rest? Maybe stop being a total maniacal cult group bent on destroying everything for a dumb ideal that lost meaning.” I furrowed my look. “Why must we shed so much over this? You and I are ponies. One in the same. We shouldn’t be kidnapping each other and other creatures. We shouldn’t be fighting each other. What happened between our nations?

“Why is Queen Moonlight Sonata so hell bent on taking out opposing nations? What have we done to gain such ire? Was it something we said? It can’t just be the actions I made in Hoofington. That was just an excuse. There has to be more to it. So why? Why do you continue to follow the ideals that have no more meaning? Why can’t we just achieve one harmony?” I held out my hoof. “Why not be friends with each other?”

“You are not looking at the bigger picture, Demon.” The Triad smirked. “Not like you’ll understand it anyway or deserve it for that matter. Now then, if you are done spouting pointless inhibitions, save your friends by being a good little filly.” I shifted my frown and slumped. An idea struck me.

Mortals I will never understand. These must be major faults. Din commented.

‘Faults that just seem so muddled by meaningless struggles. Either way, we found the source of the matter. Shall we?’ I asked her. Din sighed.

I hope your idea has merit here. Our luck can only get us so far. She said. I smiled and turned to the drill.

‘Why, Din! You aren’t one to question luck.’ I giggled. Din waved a hoof in dismissal.

I don’t believe in it. But I cannot deny the events before hoof. At this point however it’s full improv. She replied boredly. I felt the warmth envelop me and I held out my hoof. I closed my eyes and let the magic wash over me. I then began to push it out of my hoof. The pillar of magic connected to the drill body and it roared to life. Our power must have gave it an extra kick as the drill began to spiral quickly and make leeway into the stone. I heard the Triad marvel.

“Excellent! We are ever so close!” The pony said. The drill roared loudly, rolling further and further into the stone before it kicked itself through. I released the magic and panted, giving the power back to Din. I looked to the Triads who were in awe at the sight. The lead Triad shoved Sunburst away and walked past me. Sunburst crawled to Starlight and held her in a cradle, looking up to me. I gave an apologetic look to the stallion before turning to the Triad.

“Well done, Demon!” They said pleasantly. They then waved their hoof and the Triad soldier advanced into the vault. I made a subtle motion for Sunburst to get out of here with Starlight before following the lead Triad to the vault. Upon entering the vault, my jaw dropped.

The room was lined with solid gold. Coins, jewelry, artifacts, you name it. A few of the Triads began to laugh and cheer at the sight of the riches. The lead head stood at attention.

“Soldiers! At attention!” They called out. The soldiers blinked and quickly lined up in front of the lead head. “We are here for one thing only. Do not be sidetracked. You’ll tarnish the Queen’s ideals with your greed.” The soldiers saluted and began to spread out. I looked over my shoulder to see that Sunburst was carrying Starlight on his back before waving at me to follow him. I took a quiet step back, only to stop when I heard one of the guards call out.

“I found something!” They said, rolling in a tall gold-plated mirror. The design had intricate zetecan designs, a bear head dawning the top. The lead head withdrew a parchment and studied it.

“Good work.” They grinned. “Our Queen will be pleased with the relic. The only thing that can be taken out of the vault. Hop to it.” The soldiers began to wheel out the mirror. I stepped aside and watched them roll out the mirror. When the last guard exited, that’s when the ground began to shake. I arched a brow.

‘Did the Ursa Major finally make his way in?’ I asked myself. It wasn’t until the Triad lead growled and turned to their soldiers.

“You imbeciles! Which one of you has it! Put it back now!” They ordered. The ground began to shake wildly that it was hard to keep our footing. I looked in the vault and gasped. Was it just me or was the gold multiplying and getting bigger. The vault began to spill out coins and accessories that then heated up and started to melt. The golden sludge was starting to rapidly trail the temple ground towards us. The guards panicked and began galloping away. I grit my teeth and turned to tell Starburst to run, but the stallion was already at the elevator.

“Fie, hurry!” He called out. I didn’t hesitate and galloped away.

“Move it, bums! This mirror needs to get back!” The lead Triad ordered. The Triad soldiers lifted the mirror and began to gallop towards the elevator. We ended up reaching the elevator all at once. Without hesitation, Sunburst closed the door, leaving one unfortunate Triad that was too slow to follow us. He banged on the door but the platform was already beginning to rise. The last thing I saw was the stallion getting washed away.

The elevator raced upwards as the Triads were regaining their breaths. I withdrew my halberd and stood in front of Sunburst, glaring at the Triad ponies. The lead Triad clicked their tongue.

“For all that I care for, we are done here!” They said. There was a clatter and we looked to see one of the Triads scramble for a gold coin. She looked up and sighed in relief before freezing up upon seeing the lead glare down at her. “Traitor!” The lead hissed. The mare held up her hooves in terror.

“I-I-I didn’t… I just… my sister is sick! I wanted to give her something from out of state!” She stammered. The lead looked at the mare in disgust.

“You nearly compromised this entire operation! What did I say?! You insult the queen with your greed!” They barked. The temple began to shake again. The elevator finally reached the top and proceeded out and across the bridge. I turned to Sunburst.

“Trixie and Maud are okay. They are waiting for us back in the cells.” I whispered to him. He looked exhausted but nodded. Before we could step out, the lead spun on their hooves and aimed an arc pistol at the mare. No words, no hesitation. The mare crumpled to the ground. The smoking barrel of the arc pistol hissed. The lead then aimed at us.

“None of you are leaving alive! Get that mirror going!” They ordered. Rocks began to hit the elevator platform, knocking out support. The Triad guards panicked and began to race out the elevator platform. “You buffoons! The relic!” The lead barked. It fell on deaf ears. The lead growled before turning to us and aimed the pistol. They smirked, my senses picking up the killing intent. They pulled the trigger but I was quick to push Sunburst out of the way and duck. The bullet cracked the mirror’s glass.

This caused the lead to balk and their face turning red. They then tackled me and I began to wrestle with them. I grunted but looked to Sunburst.

“Get out of here! I’ll catch up!” I called out. The pony was surprisingly strong and I found myself on my back as the pony drew a knife and aimed at my chest. Sunburst galloped out the elevator and looked over his shoulder to me. A rock fell and crashed onto the pad, closing the elevator on us and we began descending down the shaft. ‘Shit. We have to get out of here Din!’ I struggled. This pony tried to stab at me but I managed to buck them off of me and kip-upped from the ground.

I got in my stance and faced the Triad. They roared angrily at me and began to swing their knife. I dodged and side stepped, bumping into the mirror. I was planning on moving when something caught me. I looked back. It was like I was glued to the mirror. The pony laughed menacingly and raised the knife to strike. I lifted a hind leg, batting the knife away before following it up with a kick across the pony’s head. They fell unconscious. I struggled against the mirror. Was it just me or was it trying to pull me in?

The elevator had reached the bottom. The glass on the other end filled with molten gold. I could make out the stallion from before, an agonizing expression in solid gold. I looked between the mirror and the impending doom. I made a decision. I took a deep breath and leaned into the mirror. I felt myself being pulled in, like I was diving into a viscous pool.

When my body entered the mirror, I found myself in a spiral of multi-color spectrums swirling around me. My body elongated into a spaghetti like motion. I screamed in pain, feeling the bones in my body began to crack and tingle. The world soon faded to white.