Friendship is Magic Redux

by paiohelohelo

Ch. 10- Après elle, le déluge

Rarity stretched her arms upwards as she yawned. It was another bright and sunny morning in Equestria, and she was just walking into The West Castle, towards her office in the Archaeology Division. Surprisingly, she spotted one of the division scientists pacing the otherwise empty halls anxiously; when the man in the labcoat saw her, he gasped and ran up.

“Dr. Belle!” he shouted in a distinct British accent, almost out of breath as he reached her. “Oh, thank God you’ve arrived.”

“Good morning, Dr. Turner. Is everything alright?”

“No, Rarity, it’s the military- they’ve… they’ve finally come for it.”

Rarity’s face turned even paler.

“Where are they?” she asked grimly.

“Down in Storage… they said that they’ve come to take it to Harmonics. They absolutely refuse to leave without the artifact accompanying them as well.”

Rarity sighed. “Allons- y.”

Rarity and Dr. Turner made their way down to the very bottom of The West Castle. As the elevator doors opened unto an expansive subterranean warehouse, Rarity’s blood froze; sure enough, there was a large group of soldiers loading a very heavy crate from storage onto a forklift, as various scientists and lab assistants stood around them in a circle, yelling and arguing. Rarity picked up her stride as she approached the tumultuous group.

“Excuse me,” she addressed the highest- ranking member of the group of soldiers. “But just what do you think you’re doing?!”

The captain just glanced at her, and then turned his attention back to his EGO.

“Just following my orders, Doc. Simple as that.”

“You cannot just simply waltz in here when the department head is absent and take whatever captures your fancy, sir, I don’t care what your orders are or who they come from.”

The captain sighed and then looked at her again. “Look, this comes from the top brass. The very top. We have explicit orders to retrieve the artifact known as The Alicorn Casket and take it straight to The Harmonics Division, right away. If you got problems with that, Doc, then I suggest you take it up with General Armstrong. Otherwise, just let us do our job, alright?”

Rarity stared daggers at him, and then promptly turned around and starting walking back towards the elevator.

“Where are you going?” Dr. Turner asked her as she retreated in the distance.

“To get the director,” she shouted back. “Call Velvet Sparkle and warn her immediately!”

***************************************************************************************************

It was already turning out to be quite a crappy day for Twilight Sparkle.

Sure, it was a bright and clear sunny morning, but Twilight honestly couldn’t give a shit. She lay in bed, groaning unhappily, partly because she had been up all night, and partly because she currently had really, really bad heartburn. Twilight pondered with bitter irony about how her mother was 100% accurate in predicting the eventual outcome of her years upon years of unrestrained caffeine abuse.

Mother… Twilight thought as she lay there. God, why did she have to treat her so badly? Surely Velvet Sparkle wasn’t the best mom in the world, but she never would have been so willfully malicious or cruel to her daughter, and she always seemed as if she only had the best intentions in her heart for her children. Was it possible that Twilight really was being dumb and immature, this entire time? Was it possible that she really did need to give up her deep- seated selfishness and insecurities? Twilight sighed… for all the crap she gave Velvet about not truly knowing her own daughter, Twilight had to face the truth: she really didn’t know herself all that well in the end, either.

A knock on her room door interrupted Twilight’s train of thought. She blinked and got up to open it, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Spike was standing in the hallway, grinning.

“Hey, Twi, I just wanted to… see…” his grin slipped as he really got a chance to look at her. “Hey, are you ok? You don’t look so good.”

“Thanks alot, Spike… though I probably, really deserved that,” She mumbled unhappily.

Spike looked down too, hands behind his back. “Something between you and your mom, huh?”

Twilight sighed, and then nodded. Somehow, she felt like she could really open up to the little guy.

“Did you see her today, by any chance?”

Spike shook his head. “No, although she’s probably working at her lab in Harmonics. She let me stay behind in Canterlot to take care of you.”

“Goody,” Twilight sighed. “Well, I feel like this day is wasted, I’m going back to bed… so… goodbye, Spike.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Spike stopped her from closing the door in his face. “Don’t you wanna take a real tour of Canterlot with me? C’mon, Twilight, you don’t wanna be stuck in this room all day, do you?”

“Yes,” she simply replied, which shocked even her, given how sarcasm- free that response actually turned out to be.

“Twilight, you know that’s not good for you,” Spike crossed his arms, wearing a worried look. “Would you just let me take care of you like Velvet asked me to? You know, let me do my job?”

Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Fine. Just give me a minute to get ready,”

***************************************************************************************************

Outside of Canterlot, all that remained of Equestria were verdant patches of ancient rainforest, which, due to the distortion of The Eye, seemed to stretch right on past the horizon and in all directions underneath a lone helicopter soaring hundreds of feet above. Through the windows, Luna scanned through the distance of endless green for the grey stone ruins of the old Equestrian Royal Temple, the monolithic structure that held The Harmonics Division. She sighted it shortly before the helicopter made a wide bank to proceed to land near it.

Luna got out and trudged through the jungle overgrowth blocking the Temple entrance, business suit and all. The helicopter behind her idled, and its whirring blades started to slow down.

Luna quickly made her way into the main chamber of the ruins, the very heart of this long abandoned religious complex, and soon found herself standing before two very different Equestrian artifacts at the middle of the room. One was basically a collection of six different colored miniature stars, each shining so brightly that the translucent container they sat in was polarized with a tint so that the room was not overcome by the light emissions. Underneath this first artifact, scientists in lab coats hurried around the consoles at its base, as if they were busy maintaining some sort of nuclear reactor. The second object, although larger, about 2 meters long, was jet black, resembling some sort of long, sarcophagus- like metal box covered all over in Equestrian script and a large Alicorn symbol. There were soldiers standing all around the box, guarding it and holding back angry- looking Harmonics engineers and scientists, the most prominent (and loudest) being Velvet Sparkle.

“Excuse me,” Luna spoke sharply and the arguing stopped. "What is going on here?"

“Madam Director,” the captain in charge saluted as his men did likewise. “As we’ve been trying to tell the Harmonics Division, we have orders directly from General Armstrong to connect The Alicorn Casket to The Elements, ma’am.”

“Director, they can't do this,” Velvet stepped up to explain. “Dr. Heartstrings and Dr. Belle clearly deciphered the inscriptions on its surface… it’s supposed to hold, and I quote, ‘A Nightmare In Store For Those Who Would Disturb Holy Canterlot, The Foreign Enemies of Equestria'… the archaeologists say that it’s almost guaranteed to be some sort of curse, in some fashion,”

“We are quite aware of the translations, Dr. Sparkle,” the captain replied as if they’ve both been through this already. “However, the general believes that this is a very important candidate for The Initiative’s Advanced Weapons Program, and so he ordered us to finally get it ‘cracked open’, so to speak.”

“Director…” Velvet looked at Luna pleadingly.

Luna sighed. “Unfortunately, doctor, I just got off of an emitter call with the President, and it seems as if the Joint Chiefs of Staff have finally convinced the Secretary of Defense to allow the Advanced Weapons Program to start up again. As a result, they’re fully backing whatever General Armstrong chooses to do with whatever materiel he chooses to do it with, all for the purposes of developing our nation's strategic defenses.”

“But Director Everstar!- it could contain a mutant strain of The Pony Plague, or some sort of rigged explosive device, or-“

“-I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about it. However, I did come to oversee what we both know will turn out to be a horrible mistake on the general’s part.”

“I’m sorry too, Madam Director, really,” the captain looked sympathetic. “However, orders are orders... Dr. Sparkle, if you would…”

He looked at Velvet, whose eyes were still pleading with Luna. The director merely closed her eyes, sighed, and shook her head; Velvet sighed as well, quite heavily, and turned to her scientists:

“You heard the director… let’s get this damn thing hooked up, already. All personnel non- essential to power relay procedures will leave for Canterlot, right now,” she ordered, and her team reluctantly started to comply.

When most of the scientists had left and a skeleton crew was ready, Velvet manned a console under The Elements of Harmony, sweat covering her brow. The soldiers and Luna stood to one side, watching silently.

“Initiating energy relay,” Velvet stated, as her hand began to push something at the console up. The Elements started to whine with gathering power, almost as if in protest.

“Opening a subspace channel between The Elements and the artifact… connection established… begin power transfer,”

“Initiating transfer,” a technician parroted and began to do so.

The Casket immediately began to vibrate, even though no wires actually connected it to The Elements; the inscriptions on it began to glow with a bright blue light. The soldiers started to gasp with awe, but Luna’s heart started to race uncomfortably.

“Establishing full transmission parameters,” another technician reported, “transmission stream stabilized… artifact is now fully operational.”

Suddenly, The Casket stood up on its own, brought to life by an invisible force. The people in the room all jumped back in shock, and the soldiers raised their weapons at it.

The surface of The Casket began to separate into different segments and collapse into each other towards the floor as a great cloud of smoke issued forth from the newly formed opening, billowing across the room.

“EVERYBODY EVACUATE, NOW!!!” Velvet shouted, and all the people there started to run for the chamber doors. However, before they reached it, the doors completely shut by themselves and the soldiers found that they couldn’t open it. As Velvet attempted to manipulate them with her EGO, all the lights apart from The Elements turned to a low blue, and a menacing laugh started to ring all around the chamber. The soldiers immediately began to cover the civilians and the director for protection, rifles raised at the ready. Everyone looked through the thick clouds of smoke back towards where The Casket had activated.

The smoke eventually cleared, revealing a truly bizarre sight: in the center of the room where The Casket was located, there now stood a black, robotic figure, dainty, with spike- like projections coming out of its hands and shoulders. It stood on the casket segments, which had collapsed under its feet to form a pedestal of sorts. The terrifying robotic being’s eyes suddenly lit up a bright blue, as did a line of light across its mouth as artificial, fanged jaws opened to laugh again in a low female voice. Emitters placed at the top of its head began to issue forth long, flowing virtual hair that seemed to sparkle with stars of their own.

“Somebody get that fucking door open!” The captain cocked his weapon. “Alright men, prepare to fire-“

“WAIT!” Luna shouted and put her hand up. The soldiers looked at her.

Luna started to slowly walk forward, her eyes never leaving the ancient Equestrian figure standing before them.

“Madam Director!-“

“Stand down, soldier!” Luna shouted back. The captain fell silent, his weapon still pointed at the robot, and she continued to approach it as its head cocked in curiousity upon seeing her.

“Greetings,” she moved and spoke very carefully, “My name is Director Luna Everstar. Can you understand me? Are you able to speak?”

The robot merely regarded her in silence as it continued to stand there.

“Can you understand me? Do you have a name?” Luna pressed on.

The robot slowly walked forward, still saying nothing, and the soldiers started to ready themselves again.

“Stand down!” Luna turned to stay their hand again, before turning back to face the approaching thing. She stood up tall, almost defiantly, and gazed into the bright blue artificial eyes of the robot as it walked right up to her and stood, face to face, hot flesh to cold metal.

The robot cocked its head again. “Luuuuuna….” It repeated the director’s name in its raspy, feminine though entirely mechanical voice.

“Yes… do you have a name?”

“I am…” the robot seemed to be struggling to remember; it leaned forward as it continued speaking. “I am… I am…”

Luna’s heart was exploding in her chest; she didn’t think she had ever been this afraid before, though a cool, serene look remained on her face. She gulped, though her throat had run dry a while ago.

The robot bent its head over her shoulder, as if it was about to whisper something secret into Luna’s ear.

“I am your worst nightmare, Luna,”

A long, curving blade- like protrusion with a blue illuminated edge shot out of the robot’s gesturing hand and pierced Luna's chest. Her face barely had time to distort in shock and pain before she was completely run through. She started to slump down and the robot cast her body aside. Velvet’s hand covered her mouth as she gasped in horror.

“Holy fuck!- OPEN FIRE!!!” the captain shouted and his men started to unleash everything they had upon the black metal figure.

The robot’s head tilted again in curiosity as the bullets merely bounced off of its hard surface without even leaving a single dent. Suddenly, wing- like protrusions shot out of its back and fired with a bright yellow light all along their edges. The robot disappeared, taking flight at ground level and moving at a rapid speed. It started swinging its bladed hand at everybody it came into contact with; the soldiers fired uselessly at it until they were one by one sliced into two separate halves with ease; the civilians ran towards the door again, screaming, before they were cut down in their tracks as well. Velvet Sparkle, the last person alive in the room, reached the door and banged on it, only to find that it still would not open. Turning around, she faced the speeding death machine as it swung back its bladed hand for the kill. Thinking quickly, Velvet slammed her right palm onto the surface of her EGO, and her hand became encased in a twirling Unicorn Interface. Velvet threw that hand in front of her, and a great wave of purple energy shot out at the robot, knocking it straight back. It jerked and spun as its metal body clanged and rolled against the stone floor before it came to a rest, motionless. Velvet was breathing fast, her hand still outstretched.

Slowly, the monstrosity started to get up, laughing maniacally.

“My, my, my, does a simple, lowly Unicorn really believe that she can duel with The Alicorn Queen, herself?” the robot cocked its head in amusement. Velvet responded by charging her Interface again.

The robotic being raised he right hand as well.

“Here, peasant… let me show you TRUE power…”

A deafeningly loud dark blue blast of energy shot forward with supersonic speed and hit Velvet straight on, carrying her away and back. She was thrown with such force that she hit the wall behind her with a sickening crack before sliding down to the floor. She stopped moving.

The Nightmare lowered her hand. She turned to the heavily frescoed wall behind her and stopped in front of a large, black, cruel- looking horse rearing up in the middle of the mosaic. She raised her hand again, and the wall behind the horse gave way and opened up. Standing inside was another black robotic figure, this one much, much bigger in frame, its hands crossing its chest in ancient slumber.

The Nightmare made a gesture, and the robot immediately powered up, its eyes and fanged jaws glowing an electric blue. It moved out of its entombment and fully stood up. Upon looking down at the more feminine automaton who had awoken it, the larger figure immediately fell into a deep bow on its knees.

“Your Majesty,” it greeted with reverence, “How may I be of service?”

“Arise, O Warrior Priest,” Nightmare commanded. “Foreign barbarians have penetrated deep into Equestria, this our final resting place.”

The larger automaton stood up, looking down upon his liege. “And what does Her Highness desire from Her eternally loyal subject?”

“Ride, Priest, and awaken my Army of Shadowbolts,” The queen spoke, and then seemed to smile sinisterly with her fake, glowing mouth. “We shall kill them all. Every single last one of them.”

Author's Note:

Before everybody starts gathering pitchforks and torches because of Luna, I would simply ask that you finish the story before jumping to any irrevocable conclusions, thank you.

Comments

[paiohelohelo]

2357597
Thanks!

[paiohelohelo]

2359336
Why, thank you internet persons! Your validation brings me such feelings of goodness. Will update soon, now we get into the meaty thickness of it, so to speak

[catluvr2]

2357597
Any time.

AND OH MY CELESTIA. I THOUGHT I SAW WHERE YOU WERE GOING WITH THIS.

However, I see a suspicious lack of blood when Luna was run through... does that mean what I think it means?