This is the story of six young girls embarking on the adventure of a lifetime filled with magic, giant monsters and a whole new world that's been hiding right beneath their feet.
A thousand years ago, humans and magic were inseparable. Unfortunately, after a group of power mad magicians nearly brought humanity, and the world, to the brink of destruction, it was ultimately decided that magic be sealed away to prevent disaster.
But not forever.
Slowly, the sealed magic would flow out and reunite with its owner. As such, the same council that separated the energy made a vow to slowly guide humanity to proper use of their gift. It did not matter how long it would take if it meant preventing the end.
Six girls are about to get their powers back in full force and have the adventure of a lifetime as they find themselves involved in things far beyond anything they could have ever imagined.
Her snow-white fingers parted the blinds of her office just a bit. Her amethyst eyes caught sight of five girls, each giving their farewells to the latest member of their little group. She sighed and looked away. She pulled out a specially designed phone and used it to send a very important text. It contained one word: Go.
Once she was certain it had been received, she turned her attention to the young girl sitting on the sofa.
“I must say Miss Sunset Shimmer, you’ve caused quite the commotion today.”
The student bowed her head in shame and spoke in but a whisper. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Really? Now that is something I never thought I would hear from you.”
Sunset looked close to tears. “I know,” she whimpered. “I never meant for things to end up like this.” She looked up to the teacher as tears began to make their way down her cheek. “Please, I’m sorry, Principal Celestia.”
No malice, only sincerity, Celestia thought.
She smiled and placed a hand on the youth’s shoulder as she leaned down to level their eyes. “Don’t worry my dear. Everything will be just fine.”
Sunset trembled as she looked her in the eye. Memories from long ago, memories she had thought she burned, suddenly came rushing back. She was overwhelmed. She grabbed Celestia and held her tight.
To her surprise, she felt arms reach around her.
The feeling of warmth and security—the feeling of love—was too much. She couldn’t take it anymore and just let go. As she cried her heart out on Celestia’s shoulder, the principal held her tighter in response.
The moment she got that simple message, she began to move. Past the students, the food, and the sound system, she ascended the stage and approached the microphone. After tapping it a few times, she managed to gain the crowd’s attention.
“Good evening, everyone.” She smiled, all eyes on her. “It has been quite a night, has it not?”
Murmurs and chuckles were heard from those assembled.
“You must have any number of questions, but fret not, for they shall be answered.”
Faint blue light began to emanate from her eyes. As it grew brighter, the assembled students watched; some in fear, some with caution, others yet with awe.
All of a sudden a bright flash of light engulfed all those present. When it cleared, the entire student body stood there, dazed.
Luna took a moment to breathe and compose herself. It had been a while since she had to do that without amplification and she had been out of practice. She looked around and noticed the students still staring at her.
“Well, I think we have had enough for tonight,” she said as she clasped her hands. “Though it has been wonderful, it is time for this party to come to a close. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, have a good night and I shall see all of you on Monday.”
The students still looked confused, but got the message and began to file out as they eagerly talked amongst themselves. Luna smirked as she watched them leave.
Moments after the last student left the gym, the shadows in the back began to coalesce into a humanoid figure. When it had mostly formed, it took a step and the darkness melted to reveal a woman. Her black hair was up in a bun which only helped to convey her obvious age. Her wrinkled skin creased slightly which caused her antique glasses to slip down the bridge of her nose ever so slightly.
However, her most striking feature would have to have been her outfit.. It was a well fitted, well pressed, midnight-blue blazer complemented by a similarly impressive pair of black slacks.
Luna took notice and greeted the new arrival. “Inkwell,” she nodded in her direction, “I take it the other five have have left the premises?”
“Yes, Overseer. The portal has also closed. But then, what shall become of them now?”
Luna released a sigh. “They will to be brought in. They will Awaken soon and we have to be ready for that. Especially if my sister’s assumption is correct.”
“It was inevitable,” said the aged instructor.
“Indeed. At the very least, Project Harmony will come to life once more.” She turned and proceeded towards the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go meet with my sister.”
Inkwell nodded as Luna left the gym.
Luna entered the principal’s office and found the sleeping form of Sunset Shimmer, peacefully resting her head on her sister’s lap.
Celestia looked to Luna as she entered and, in a low voice, said “Since you’re here, that means that the grounds are clear and the deed is done. Well done sister, excellent as always.”
Luna stood there and watched as her sister held Sunset.
“You know, Luna,” Celestia began as she stroked the young girl’s hair. “She was so tired. For so long, she allowed herself to be consumed by her rage. Rage that, if I'm not mistaken, was actually directed towards me." She released a sigh.
Worry found a place on Luna's features. "Tia..."
"The whole thing sounds eerily familiar, if I do say so." She looked to her sister.
Luna knew very well what she was referring to and began to feel more than a little uncomfortable.
"Tia, what happened to her wasn’t your fault. Like you said, this was a mistake the other Celestia made.”
A wistful smile came upon Celestia. “That’s just it Luna, our Sunset Shimmer, the one native to this side, is a Dreamer. A powerful one at that. I could just as easily have made the same mistakes as my counterpart.”
The two were silent as they contemplated the possibilities. Celestia gently lifted Sunset’s head and replaced her lap with a throw pillow. She approached her desk and brought out a white, silken glove.
“Luna.“ She tossed the glove in her sister’s direction. “Could you please bring Sunset home? I have a meeting to get to.”
Luna caught the glove in mid-air, but not with her hand. Instead, the glove floated there enclosed in a dark blue aura. She extended her arm and the glove slipped on. “Of course, Sister.”
She knelt over the sofa and placed the gloved hand on Sunset’s shoulder. Her eyes began to glow and the glove began to heat up slightly. In a short moment, the two disappeared in a flash of light.
A small figure darted around the multitude of stacked crates. Female, humanoid, young, skin a slight tinge of purple, and hair a shade of violet with a purple and pink streak. Her expression was the definition of concentration as she carefully slid around the artificial labyrinth. For the past few minutes she had been careful not to draw the attention of a much larger figure. Truck-sized, lion head (with enlarged teeth), scorpion tail, bat-like wings, very angry.
“Manticore,” the girl observed.
She flexed her hands as she circled around the great beast, using every bit of cover she could to keep herself obscured. With its back to her, she took a quick glance at the gloves she had been wearing. They were pristinely white and had several symbols carefully embroidered in certain areas. With her eyes closed, she took several breaths as heat began to build up in her palms. She clasped her hands and jumped onto the box she was hiding behind. With the manticore still looking away, she quickly thrust out her palms in the direction of the beast.
A sound, similar to glass shattering, echoed through the walls of the warehouse as a column of light, no wider than a basketball, shot forwards. The manticore, though, was much faster than its size would suggest and managed to jump out of what could have been a fatal shot; however, it was not fast enough to save its tail from being disintegrated into tiny sparkles of light.
Rather than simply having lost a tail, a different one took its place. It was a thin furry tail with a tuft of hair at the end. Essentially the kind of tail that could be found on an ordinary lion. This did not make it happy. It spun around and immediately caught sight of the culprit. It bared its teeth and lowered itself to pounce. For a moment, the two just stood and stared, each waiting for the other to make a move. The girl proved to be the first as she jumped over the stack of boxes behind her and broke into a sprint. An enraged howl filled the room.
The girl would have covered a far greater distance had she not had to make so many turns due to all the crates. Despite the situation, she still wore a visage of calm as she reached for her tiny, black earpiece.
“This is Junior-Agent Twilight Sparkle, requesting immediate assistance,” she said to her only line to the outside.
The manticore, on the other hand, had no such trouble with the box maze. Thanks to its significant size advantage, it merely swatted away any errant wall that stood between it and its prey. The distance between the two quickly grew smaller.
Though the beast had her outclassed in size and strength by several orders of magnitude, it did not have her beat in terms of maneuverability. Using acrobatics-worthy movements, the lithe agent quickly found herself at the top of a particularly tall stack of crates. Offering a quick glance downward, she noticed the manticore but a few feet away from her stack. She balled her hands into a fist as her eyes gave off a quick flash of light. She took a step back and thrust herself onto the top of the next stack, easily ten meters apart. Right as she landed, the platform she had departed began to collapse as the orange beast snarled in rage. It seemed more determined than ever to catch Twilight Sparkle.
She leapt for the next stack, then the next, with each stack previous falling almost exactly as she’d left. The manticore noticed her pattern and aimed instead for what would have been Twilight’s next platform. The moment the young agent’s foot made contact, the stack started to collapse, bringing her along with it. Thinking on instinct, she pushed against the closest box and flew away from the falling tower, right into another flying box.
She landed with a thud and, miraculously, onto a box full of pillows. She rubbed her head as she regained herself and stood back up. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the maw of a very dissatisfied manticore. Her heart stopped as she felt the warm breath and what would be the start of a very painful process. Dinner was served for the manticore.
Its meal was, unfortunately for it, interrupted by a sharp pain on its side together with being violently thrown aside. The sharp pain could be attributed to the shining silver staff wielded by a tall, grey-skinned woman with a striped, black and grey mohawk who sported a matching grey blazer. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of the young agent.
“Zecora!” said Twilight Sparkle, who had on a similar looking, if red, blazer.
“My apologies for being late, and quite a mess you did create,” answered the older agent.
The manticore began to stir from its impromptu nap, no more relaxed than when it began. If anything, it was angrier. Zecora raised her staff and took on a ready stance. Twilight noted how impressive she looked and took on a similar position with her hands at the ready. She felt the energy in her hands begin to build up once again.
The beast leapt into the air, intent on crushing the newcomer. Twilight reacted by firing several bolts of light at it, merely singing its fur. Zecora’s method seemed much more effective: a quick dodge to the right coupled with bringing her staff to bear against the monster’s snout.
The floor and the manticore were once again made close as the grey agent gave another smack to its side. Pushing itself up, it threw a clawed paw in the direction of Zecora. Too late, as the agent sailed overhead, landing on the other side of the beast and offering it another quick concussion.
Reaching into her pocket, Zecora pulled out a piece of metallic string which quickly extended into a length of chain. With the beast dazed, she wrapped it around its front paws, fastening them together, and drove the chain towards the ground where it began to burrow on its own. She looked behind the now raging beast and saw that Twilight had done the same to its back legs, completely binding the large monster. It snarled and growled in vein at its captors.
“Thank you, young Twilight. I shall now end this beast’s blight,” said Zecora as she raised her staff above the manticore’s head. The tip facing the beast retracted slightly exposing an edge that had several runic symbols etched onto it. She lightly tapped the manticore on its head and the beast began to shimmer. Slowly, its wings began to recede into its back as its size gradually diminished.When the light dissipated, an ordinary lion lay in its place, still bound by the agent’s chains.
Twilight sighed as she approached her superior. “Thanks Zecora. I don’t even want to think about what might have happened to me.”
Zecora released a breath as her staff shrank and wrapped itself around her wrist until it was the size and shape of a bangle. She gave the younger a flat look. “You claim that you don’t need assistance, yet this beast nearly ended your existence.”
Twilight cringed at her tone. “I know. I’m sorry,” she said as she looked towards the ground. When she felt the presence of a hand on her shoulder she looked up and was met by a smiling face from Zecora. After a moment, she began to smile and even gave out a slight chuckle.
The moment ended when another entered the building, all of them uniformly dressed in blazers similar to what the two were wearing with the exception that theirs were a striking midnight blue.
One of the arrivals, who had pink hair and pale skin which contrasted greatly with her outfit, approached the two fighters. “Whoa. What the hay happened in here?” she asked.
Twilight rubbed her arm as she said, “Well, I kinda sorta made it really angry.” She looked around at the rubble formed during their ordeal. “Sorry, Twinkleshine.”
Twinkleshine scratched her head in response. “Well, I guess we really got our work cut out for us this time. You okay? Need a white coat?”
“No thanks,” Twilight said as she shook her head. “Aside from a few bruises, I don’t think I’ll need any real medical attention.”
After taking a last look at the battlefield, the red coat and the grey coat made their way out of the building. As the doors closed, a number of the blue coats held their arms up in front of a pile of rubble—each of them wearing gloves similar to Twilight’s—and the pieces that were scattered around slowly began to reform into what they once were. At the same time, a different blue coat picked up the lion as easily as one would lift a child and carried it out.
When the pair made it outside, they were greeted by the overly anxious rays of the sun. Twilight held a hand towards her face whilst Zecora squinted slightly. A number of unmarked, midnight blue vans were parked not too far from the warehouse. The sound of gulls and waves crashing against the docks filled their ears. Twilight inhaled the sweet smell of the ocean, much better than the questionable scents inside, as they made their way to a sleek, grey sedan sitting just outside of the vicinity.
Zecora entered first and pressed a button on the car’s dashboard that made a small screen pop-up. She nodded to the younger before she closed the door and began her report to the local Control Center. Twilight got the message and decided to kill some time by taking a walk along the coast.
In a few minutes, Twilight found herself leaning on a railing and staring blankly at the horizon. Her eyes aimlessly followed a particular fish staying far too close to the surface of the water. Unsurprisingly, a gull swooped down and plucked the poor thing right out. She shook her head as she turned to continue walking. With the mission done, she and Zecora were expected back at Canterlot, the capital city, soon. She dread to go back. All that awaited her there was a disappointed mentor.
Here she was, the star pupil, making such rookie mistakes. Her heart began to race as she considered the consequences. She could be dropped from her position, or reassigned to some forsaken place like the frozen north. She knew she wasn’t built for cold weather. So caught up in her own fears was she that she did not notice she was about to smack right into a couple taking their own walk along the coast. Quickly stepping aside, she gave a small sigh.
She even forgot to dispel her cloaking illusion. With a thought, she felt a certain pressure around her blazer release. The couple then did a double take at the girl who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. With a shrug, they just kept walking. Twilight mentally chastised herself for forgetting such a simple detail. Yet another justification for being stripped of her privileges. With a glance towards the sky, and the sun in particular, she made her way back to the warehouse.
Along the way back Zecora’s car appeared and pulled up next to her. The window rolled down revealing its owner; who looked to the younger agent with an icy, urgent stare. Understanding the situation she dashed to the other side and got in. Once she was buckled up, the car sped away.
“What’s going on?” asked Twilight.
“We must go to the center at the behest of your mentor,” said Zecora. “Sunset Shimmer has gone and tried; and succeeded in returning to the otherside.”
“Sunse- Wha- How?” Twilight’s mouth tried to, unsuccessfully, voice a barrage of questions. Her mind tried its best to assess the situation and its implications. When things simply got too chaotic, she brought everything to a screeching halt. Physically, she sat there in stunned silence. Zecora recognized what she was doing and left her to her thoughts. It wouldn’t do well to try and engage the poor dear right away.
Mentally, Twilight collected herself and started from the beginning and what she knew about Sunset Shimmer: She’s a fugitive from the other side, the pony world. She is kept under tight surveillance and is unaware of our presence. She is considered to be dangerous, but contained. She has no idea how to use her natural abilities on this side. She is- She is-
Twilight was shocked to find that she knew so little of someone they knew to be such a threat. One thing she did know, though, was that whenever she discussed this with her mentor, she had always spoken warily of Sunset. Anxiety started to build up within her again as she looked to the ocean.
The grey sedan pulled-up on an unassuming street in an out-of-the-way corner in the city of Fillydelphia. Its two passengers stepped out and made their way towards a simple clothing shop. On a bench outside, a man was casually reading a book on miniature equines. There was nothing too remarkable about him besides a familiar blue blazer. His eyes met the new arrivals’ with acknowledgement.
Once inside, the two made their way to the dressing rooms in the back. When they had stepped inside and locked the doors, the girl at the counter reached underneath and, pushing aside a hanging grey blazer, pressed a button. Silent machines went to work and lowered the two agents.
A moment later, the doors opened and the agents found themselves several hundred feet underground. They stepped onto a large cement hall that had three of the dressing room elevators on one end and a large ornate door on the other. They began to cross the hall.
Twilight decided to release some of her anxiety. “So what’s the plan? What are we supposed to do about Sunset Shimmer? What are we supposed to do if she’s on the other side? Has Cen-”
She paused when Zecora looked at her with a curious eyebrow. She gave an awkward grin. “Heh. Sorry. Guess I’m just a bit nervous.”
Zecora smiled in return. “I understand the feeling, young one, but we’ll decide our next move when we are done. We need to know the whole situation before we can begin our preparation.”
Through the large doors was yet another hall, but comparing it to the one they had been could very well be a crime. It was large and octagonal in shape, with a door on each side which each had two large stone columns flanking and framing them. It had polished marble tiles with long, red carpets extending from the doors to the center of the room. Above was a grand, crystalline chandelier that bathed the room in a warm, inviting glow.
The door opposite the one they emerged from opened and out stepped a tall, lanky, very obviously stressed young man in a red blazer. Relief overcame his expression as he caught sight of the two. “Thank goodness you’re here. Central just contacted us. The Overseer would like a word would you right away,” he said as he ushered them into the Fillydelphia Control Center.
To say the Control Center was modest was insulting; to say it was regal was adequate; to say it was grand was much more appropriate. Standing tall at three storeys, in the center hang a fixture of complex, fractal design that seemed to change shape depending on the direction that you looked at it. On the far wall stood three floor-to-ceiling windows that magically projected a picture of absolute serenity: the calm ocean. The floor itself was made of light granite buffed to a shine, yet enchanted to prevent any accidental sliding. Several pairs—all of whom were wearing red blazers—were scattered throughout the room in an arrangement that resembled a ballroom dance. Each of them had four poles surrounding that projected several ethereal screens of information into the air with which they used to interact with the Center’s mainframe.
In the center of it all was short, well-built man with five o'clock shadow and horn-rimmed glasses. He wore a white blazer that had a beige stripe on the upper left arm. His eyebrows were currently furrowed as he noticed the two field agents approach him. He spoke in an octave higher than was expected. “Perfect timing. Central said she’d be contacting us again soon, hopefully with you present this time.”
Zecora opened her mouth so speak, but was interrupted by her more excitable purple companion. “Overseer Rally Point.” Twilight nodded respectfully. “Is it true that she left? Do we know if she plans to come back? Did she find out about us? What about the portal?”
Overseer Point smirked at the youth’s initiative as he approached them. “Yes, no, and no. The portal is currently under heavy watch. It opened up a few hours ago and will stay that way for a few days, three at the most. So tell me, Miss Sparkle, what was it like almost being something’s lunch?”
Twilight’s enthusiasm came to a stop as she suddenly took significant interest in the patterns on the floor.
Point placed a hand on her shoulder (which was higher than his) and gave her a smile, “Don’t worry too much about that, kid. All things considered, you handled yourself pretty well against a Class 3 like that. You’re one of our most promising juniors and you’ve basically read up on everything there is to know. But there’ll always be a difference between learning about it, and actually doing it. We don’t expect you to be some kind of super-agent on your very first real assignment.”
It took a moment for Twilight to respond with a smile on her own. She had to admit, it helped.
Point returned to his position in the center of the room. “Central Officer’s been waiting for you to get back. Looks like you’ll be playing a pivotal part in regards to Sunset Shimmer. Apparently she’s been-”
He was interrupted by one of the operators. “Sir, incoming transmission.” Her eyes widened as she read who was hailing them. “From the top of the ladder, sir.”
Overseer Point’s eyes similarly widened. “Well, what are you waiting for? On screen!” he barked.
The image in the center window began to shimmer and fade until it was that of a woman at a desk. It was difficult to say how old she was; her pale face was smooth and clearly young, yet her amethyst eyes glimmered with the wisdom of time immemorial. Her hair was the shimmering color of an aurora that seemed to sparkle and flow to some non-existent breeze. She wore a neatly pressed and well-fitting beige blazer, and her expression was blank as she observed the Fillydelphia Control Room.
“Central Officer Celestia,” greeted Overseer Rally Point as he gave a respectful nod. A nod which everyone else present followed.
A warm smile graced her lips. “Overseer Rally Point, may I speak with Miss Sparkle?”
“Of course, ma’am.” He motioned to Twilight, who took his place in the center of the room.
The moment she saw her, Celestia’s eyes lit up. “Twilight Sparkle! My most faithful student.”
Twilight’s mood had also improved now that she was talking to her mentor once again. “Central,” she said with a smile.
“Though it would warm my heart to catch up with you, I’m afraid now is not the time. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Sunset Shimmer crossed over several hours ago. Around an hour later, she returned to this side. I’ve spoken to my counterpart on the other side, Princess Celestia, and she tells me that Sunset may have gotten hold of something dear to her and, as such, has sent someone from her side to retrieve it,” said Central Officer Celestia. “She will be arriving any moment now, which is why I ask that you also monitor the portal from over there.”
The Overseer signaled to an operator. The window to the right of Celestia shimmered until it was the image of a horse statue that stood in the middle of a wide courtyard.
The Central Officer’s smile grew just a bit larger. “She’s here.”
One side of the marble base of the statue began to ripple like water. Slowly, the distortion became greater and greater until a flash of light erupted from the center as it ejected the latest trans-dimensional traveler. Female, humanoid, young, skin a slight tinge of purple, and hair a shade of violet with a purple and pink streak.
It was Twilight Sparkle.
As if on cue by some constant of the universe, they reacted in the same fashion and the same manner, but for differing reasons.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!” shouted Twilight Sparkles.
The eyes of those present in the control center expanded to some impressive sizes as a few jaws similarly fell.
When the Twilights were finished, they both began to hyperventilate. One due to the fact that she was now in two places at once, and the other to her fascinating new phalanges. They both took a breath and were about to scream were it not for an intervening force. A grey hand for one, a purple paw for the other.
When Twilight Sparkle, the one in Fillydelphia, regained her composure, she looked to Celestia who merely smiled in response.
“I know you must have quite a bit of questions, my dear. But now is not the time. I have arranged the fastest available transport for you to return here to Canterlot at once. When you arrive, I will gladly oblige any and all the questions you might have. I’m afraid you’re field training with Zecora will have to be put on hold for now.” When Celestia finished, the window reverted back to displaying the ocean.
The Black Train was the fastest land vehicle in existence. A milestone of engineering, capable of both physical and magical feats, it was reserved for only the most important of tasks. Twilight Sparkle was currently using it to return to Canterlot.
She sat at a special desk whereupon several dossiers were left for her to go over. They were all about one thing: Twilight Sparkle. She still could not believe she was reading about the exploits of an equine version of herself. Apparently, her counterpart had made quite the name for herself. She sighed. At least a version of her, pony or not, was clearly having success in life. She looked over some highlights of her other’s adventures.
Nightmare Moon, she thought. That was the name that Officer Luna took when she was infected by that malicious entity. King Sombra, apparently some evil unicorn that ruled over a place called the “Crystal Empire.” Queen Chrysalis, a matriarch of a race of emotion eaters that tried to conquer their Canterlot. Finally, she paused as she read the next name on the list, Discord.
It couldn’t be, could it? Discord, the instigator of the great Chaos War. The very reason that magic was sealed away in their world apparently came back for an encore on the other side. Did that mean that- No. It couldn’t possible be. Besides, magic isn’t as widespread on this side as it is over there, she thought, reassuringly, to herself.
She continued looking at the rest of Twilight’s adventures and noticed as they got progressively mundane. Galas, cider season, parties, weddings (of her brother no less, which did make her wonder), family reunions, Hearth’s Warmings. Although some surprising things did happen once in a while. A visit from Cerberus, time travel, becoming some masked super-hero, and apparently a coronation.
She had to double-take as she read the cover of the latest dossier. After going through it, she was in wide-eyed shock. Apparently her counterpart had achieved “alicornhood” and was thus granted a position of royalty. As far as she knew, alicornhood on that side translated to full mastery of one’s abilities on her side. She slumped against her chair in awe at her analog’s accomplishments. She had done so much in so little time, and here she was, a mere Junior-Agent who couldn’t even properly contain a manticore.
Another thing that her counterpart had that she did not was something that really was alien to her. Friendship. It wasn’t the familial friendship that she had with her brother or parents, nor was it a bond between student and teacher. It was simply true friendship between companions. Her mind began to wonder as she imagined what it must be like to have friends like those. Applejack. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. As she looked at the file, something inside her was telling her that they all seemed familiar somehow. She dismissed the feeling, though, as the train had now arrived at the Main Canterlot Station.
As she emerged from the underground railway system, she saw a figure she knew very well leaning against a grey convertible. It was a young man, a few years older than her, with snow white skin and partially styled electric blue hair. He wore a well fit shirt and skinny jeans as he scanned the crowd. He smiled as he watched his little sister approach him.
“Shining Armor!” exclaimed a very elated Twilight Sparkle.
“Twiley!” came the loving reply.
A quick hug later and the two got into the vehicle.
“So can you tell me what in the world is going on?” asked Twilight.
“Sorry, kiddo. Central’s been keeping most everyone on a need to know basis. She said that we are only to move if Sunset Shimmer actively tries something reckless.”
“Really? She hasn’t told you to do anything? At all?”
“She’s mostly been in her office discussing this whole thing with the other four head officers and even to her pony self. Did you know she’s only left her office once this whole day?”
“Bathroom?” Twilight asked teasingly.
Shining smiled in response. “Nope. She had to go and talk to you.”
“Me?” Twilight wondered. “Oh! Pony-me!”
“Yup.” Shining nodded. “Not long after she arrived, she went to Central’s office over at Canterlot High. Guess you two really are similar since her first thought was to go to Celestia.”
“Yeah.” Twilight said, half-heartedly. “Guess we are similar…”
Shining, just as any brother, picked up on these signals. “Twiley?” he asked.
Twilight, for her part, noticed how she slipped and immediately put on a happy face. “It’s nothing.”
Shining sighed inwards and focused back on the road..
The sun and moon had just traded places when they arrived at a two-storey parking building. It was around two blocks away from Canterlot High School. Shining drove his car to a secluded corner that was reserved for those in his profession. When the convertible was perfectly in place, the parking spot began to descend, taking the vehicle and its passengers with it.
The second time that day, Twilight found herself several hundred feet below the ground. When they had reached the absolute basement, Shining parked in the spot that actually was reserved for him. The two of them exited and made their way to the large (about twice of Twilight’s height) mahogany doors.
The Fillydelphia Control Center looked like a slum when put up against the Canterlot Control Center. The doors opened up to a large hallway that had a long red carpet running through it resting neatly atop the polished marble floor. Along it were several decorative archways that reinforced the regality of the hall. In between the arches were small, ornate, crystal chandeliers that didn’t so much emanate light as they did glow from within. Every once in a while it would intersect with another hallway that went across and into different parts of the facility. The two siblings would exchange the odd greeting with almost everyone whom they passed. Some wore grey blazers, some blue, others white, and others still wore red. Shining himself had put his back on. A snazzy grey blazer that had a beige stripe on his upper left sleeve.
At the end of the hall was a grand atrium with a large fountain right in the center of it all. Magical water spouts sprayed water into amazing shapes that flowed exclusively above the fountain. Above the fountain was what looked more like a star system than a chandelier. Thousands of tiny lights connected by nigh-invisible metal rods graced the ceiling, bathing the room in bright and gentle light.
They approached one particular door that was flanked, not by sculptures or columns, but by two very large, very tough looking grey coats. Twilight stopped just outside the door and gave her brother another hug before he went elsewhere into the facility.
“Please come in, Twilight,” said a voice from within.
One of the guards reached for the door knob and opened it for the Junior-Agent while giving her a slight nod. Twilight smiled in response.
Celestia’s office was actually simpler than the display of elegance right outside it. On one wall stood a wide bookshelf that carried tomes from across history with a handful even predating the invention of writing. Across was a display case that held some of Celestia’s most treasured mementos and trophies including a bone from the Great Lich of the South, a scrap of cloth that was from the flag of the Draconic nation whose name has been lost to time, and even the very first letter that Twilight Sparkle had sent her. That last one never failed to make its writer blush. The middle of the room had a simple, short table, with sofas on either side. Perfect for tea. Finally, at the end of the room was a large desk that looked to be made of wood, together with its current owner, Central Officer Celestia, Guide of the Compass, and the leader of their organization, MLP.
She greeted her student with a smile that could melt the tundras. “My faithful student. It is always such a pleasure to see you.” She stood from up and motioned to the sofas. “Please, take a seat and let us have tea to go with what I’m sure is going to be quite a discussion,” she said, with playful emphasis on the last part.
Twilight smiled and took a seat. It had been too long since they last got a chance to do this. The moment Celestia got settled in, the door opened and a white coat with a tray of tea and biscuits stepped in, delivered their snack, and took his leave. Twilight extended her, still gloved, fingers and the pot floated to serve the two a gracious amount of chamomile. Celestia smiled at the display.
When the two had had a sip, Twilight decided to break the ice. “Central, what’s going on? You said Sunset Shimmer returned from the other side? Why?”
“She did not, as I had hoped, go to reconcile with my counterpart.” Celestia frowned. “Instead, she bring over a key component of the Elements of Harmony.”
This only raised more questions for the young agent. “Elements of Harmony? Is that related to Project Harmony?” Her furrowed brows then raised themselves as her eyes grew. “Did she succeed?”
“Yes.” Celestia nodded grimly. “The Crown of Magic is on this side.”
“Bu-bu-but- Central? What are we supposed to do? Who knows what someone like her could do with that kind of power?!” Twilight hand’s began to shiver as she tooks shorter and shorter breaths.
Celestia looked to her student with eyes that could stop a storm. When her student relaxed, she calmly stated, "But it is currently in my possession."
Twilight released a breath. "Wait. If you already have the crown, why did pony me come over here?"
Celestia's smile returned as she thought about the meeting earlier. "You know, Twilight, the two of you really are each other's counterpart. Although it was rather amusing how she addressed me like royalty." She took another sip. "She knew I had the crown, but she never asked for it directly. Instead, she asked how she could earn it."
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. "Why didn't you just give it back? Isn't it important to them?"
"Because Princess Celestia believes this adventure can help Twilight prove to herself that she is worthy of her title."
"Oh." Twilight quickly looked to her mentor. "Does that mean you'll be sending me over to the other side?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, Twilight. You have your own mission to accomplish on this side." Her arm motioned as if to raise something as a large screen emerged from the floor. It was currently displaying the other Twilight sleeping soundly on a mattress of books. “But first of all, we need to keep watch over our guest.”
Twilight gazed intently at her other’s sleeping form. “Huh. Central, is it weird that I find watching myself sleep kinda enjoyable?”
A warm giggle escaped Celestia’s lips.
Twilight herself was also smiling, worries about Sunset drowned out by the wonder of seeing herself. “Do you think I can meet her?”
“Perhaps,” said Celestia wistfully. “But not now. Not yet. For reasons I do not know, Princess Celestia never disclosed to her subjects about the existence of this world. To be honest, I agree with her reasoning, if for my own reasons.”
“So what are we supposed to do about her?” Twilight said, never taking her eyes off the screen. “About me?”
“For the moment, we will observe her actions. I assured the Princess that I would not intervene in any way unless it was absolutely necessary.”
The Canterlot Control Room was hexagonal with large windows similar to those at the Fillydelphia Control Room on the three adjacent sides opposite the door, but rather than display the calm ocean, it instead displayed a large meadow, gently blowing with the breeze. The number of ‘dancers’ was also double that of Fillydelphia and each looked significantly more busy with their arms flying around and interacting with the floating screens. In the center of it was a throne whereupon sat Central Officer Celestia. On either side of her were Twilight Sparkle and her brother Shining Armor.
The middle window was currently displaying the football field almost directly above them. On it, Twilight Sparkle was losing a one-on-one match of the beautiful game against a blue young lady with a messy, prismatic hairstyle.
Shining Armor could not help but comment on Twilight’s performance. “Yeesh. And here I thought you were out-of-shape,” he said to Twilight.
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but then closed, then opened. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I really don’t know whether or not I should take that as an insult.”
Her brother and mentor chuckled at her response.
“But in all seriousness,” Twilight began. “Who is that girl?”
Shining raised his gloved palm as a ghostly screen materialized on it. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Captain of most of the school’s athletic teams. She also-”
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted. “Rainbow Dash? Isn’t that the name of one of her friends from the other side? More importantly, isn’t she also part of their ‘Elements of Harmony’?”
Shining tapped his tablet as a different file displayed itself. “You’re right.”
“What about those other girls at the bleachers?” asked Twilight.
“Let’s see,” said Shining. “We’ve got a Rarity, Pinkie Pie-”
“Applejack and Fluttershy,” Twilight finished.
She looked to her mentor whose brows were also furrowed in thought. It’s clear she was also thinking of the implications of this revelation. It was no coincidence that they were helping her.
Several hours passed with nothing in particular happening with Twilight and her group of friends. Because of this, Twilight and her group of friends had a quick lunch before returning to the Control Room.
The windows showed them the cafeteria of Canterlot High, packed with students with the five girls seated at different tables. Suddenly. the five of them began stomping a beat. Once they had the crowd’s attention, music began to echo.
Hey! Hey! Everybody! We’ve got something to say!
They were singing. As the five girls performed a flash dance at their school, the underground audience couldn’t help but be swept along by the beat. Shining was swaying his body in time with the music, whilst Celestia smiled and bobbed her head along.
I’m gonna be myself! No matter what I do!
When Twilight burst into the scene, Twilight was stunned that she was singing. She didn’t even know she could sing.
The dance had been going great. Twilight had managed to win her crown back fair and square and was currently accepting it from Central Officer Celestia. Everything looked to be over until her dog had been kidnapped by Sunset’s cronies. The Twilight underground looked to her brother, who merely shook his head and pointed back to the screen. The Twilight aboveground, together with her five friends, were in pursuit of the two.
After a quick confrontation, a mighty bluff, and a game of keep-away, Sunset Shimmer now held the crown in her grasp. She slowly put it on.
Alarms and klaxons all around the Canterlot Center blazed to life.
“Sir, magical readings are spiking. Sunset Shimmer is now a Class 10 magical anomaly.”
Twilight was dumbfounded. Sunset had now taken the form of what could only be described as a demon. A Class 10 demon. The last time they had Class 10 anything, an entire city disappeared.
“Call back every field agent in the city and get them here immediately!” commanded Canterlot Reactionary Officer Shining Armor. At the moment, him and his agents were all that stood between a fiery demon and the unspeakable.
“Sir!” called one of the operators. “Major magical buildup at Vault 1. Project Harmony seems to be resonating with Sunset Shimmer’s magic.”
The rightmost window shifted to display six pedestals with six orbs on top. Each orb began emitting light that got brighter and brighter.
“Shining, I’m heading up there!” said Twilight.
She was at the door when she felt something violently pull at the collar of her blazer. She looked back and saw Shining’s hand balled up into a fist.
“You are staying here, Twiley!” shouted Shining. “It is way too dangerous up there!”
‘What?!” Twilight was incredulous. “Are you crazy? Look at her! She’s going to tear the school apart.”
The moment she said that, though, something happened on the screen that showed the courtyard of Canterlot High. The six friends were engulfed in light and began to float into the air. The light was a perfect match to that produced by Project Harmony. Sunset’s demonic form screeched in pain as a rainbow of light launched itself from the group of friends. The window displaying the six orbs of Project Harmony had cracked from the magical pressure released by the artifacts.
When the light of the rainbow faded, all that remained was a giant crater in the middle of the courtyard. It was over.
The Control Room was silent.
“Sir?” asked and operator.
“Cancel the call back order,” said Shining. “Scan the students. Make sure there’s no trace of whatever that was. Get the blue coats to help the white coats scan each student individually. We have to make sure this thing was contained.”
Twilight just stood at the door. Her face blank and stunned from what was apparently the magic of—and she could not believe she was saying this—Friendship.
She slowly made her way out as Shining barked order after order to the waiting operators. She needed to lie down.
The delicate rays of light entered the room and slowly made their way to face of the blonde, peach-toned girl. The moment the light hit her, she knew exactly what time it was: time to get up. She didn’t always live in the inner city, much less a city as fancy as Canterlot. Before she entered high school, she actually grew up in a quaint little hamlet south of the capital, on a farm to be precise. Sweet Apple Acres. It was there that she gained her humble sensitivities and learned to appreciate the virtues of good ol’ fashioned hard work.
As such, it was almost impossible for her to lose the instinct to get up at the crack of dawn. She stood up and gave herself a mighty morning stretch to oil up her joints. She tried vaguely to remember the events of last night but, try as she might, she couldn’t remember much. She decided to think about it later after a cup of coffee. For the moment, she had to get started for the day.
Step one, walk to the door.
Step two, open the door.
Step three, pry the door off its hinges.
She frowned and looked at the dismembered door being casually held aloft by her hand. She gingerly put it back down and took a step backward. The next moment saw her head get thrown back by a mighty smack from the guilty hand. She learned two things from this endeavor: She was not dreaming. She also really underestimated how hard she could slap.
“Okay, not the best idea, Applejack,” she said to herself.
As her other, non-guilty, hand gently rubbed her cheek, a few memories of the night previous surfaced. Twilight Sparkle. Sunset Shimmer. The crown. The demon. The rainbow of light. The talking dog.
Her hand dropped to her side as she stared at the broken door. She built that thing herself so she knew it was not shoddy craftsmanship. Then she considered that it might have something to do with last night. She’d have to contact the other girls to see if anybody else was experiencing anything. But first of all, door or none, she had to wash up for the day.
BEEP BEEP BEEEEP
A pale white hand rose from the silken covers of the bed and reached over for the clock. With a precise push of a button, the alarm was silenced. Violet curls emerged from the covers as the owner of said hair sat up and gave off a dainty yawn and stretched out her right arm. Her outstretched hand lightly tapped the headboard which she had decorated with a glittery decal of her own name. Some of her friends found it amusing she had such decor, but frankly she enjoyed the idea of sleeping underneath the word Rarity.
Her lips began to curl as she remembered the events of the past few days. It was absolutely grand. She had made a wonderful new friend, reconciled with her old ones, showed up to the school dance absolutely fabulous, and even saved the world from an insane classmate. Really, all she needed was meeting her one true love, her prince charming, and it would have played out like one of her favorite stories.
Her smile faltered when she remembered that she may never see Twilight Sparkle ever again. She said she would come visit when the portal opened again, but that would still be years away. She sighed as came to accept this and chose instead to remember the memories they had shared. She reached for her phone on her nightstand to view the photos taken during the dance.
As she closed her hand to hold her phone, she noticed that she had grasped empty air. Looking at the table, she noticed the phone was slightly farther than she thought. She reached a little further to grab the device. It slid away from her hand.
She withdrew herself as her eyes widened. She looked to her empty palm, then to the phone. Slowly, she once again tried to get her, apparently possessed, phone. She managed to make contact with her palm. As she began to close her fingers around it, though, the phone flew off the nightstand and smacked into the wall.
Rarity got some extra sleep that morning.
Pink eyelids suddenly opened revealing two surprised blue eyes. One of the eyebrows above raised itself as the owner of all these features wondered why she suddenly decided to wake up. Her mind began a race with itself to figure out why. Could it have been too much to drink last night? She didn’t feel a need for the little girls’ room. Did the sandman have some vendetta against her? She was certain she hadn’t offended any mystical spirits lately. Maybe she had insomnia? Ha. Perhaps it was the big rainbow from last night’s fight with evil Sunset? She was reasonably sure it was that last one.
Ringing suddenly filled the room as her attention was drawn to her jumping, obnoxious alarm clock. She shut off the little noise maker and cocked her head to the side. She had never beat her alarm clock before. Not even once.
Oh well! There’s a first time for everything, Pinkie Pie, she mentally told herself.
Shrugging off her sudden punctuality, she bounced out of bed and took a deep breath. Her cheeks inflated as she struggled to blow the wind out of her with her mouth closed. Her messy, flat head of curly hair suddenly inflated into a messy, mess of curlier hair. She took a glance at the mirror and gave herself a thumbs up for the day. She merrily skipped out of her room to prepare for the day.
A young yellow girl was ready for the day and descended the stairs, her long pink hair bouncing behind her. The sun wasn’t even up yet. It was something she had already gotten used to. She learned to do this for two reasons: One, it was hard not too considering that if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to see her parents off before they had to show up for work. Two, a number of her animal friends needed to be fed at the crack of dawn. She had to admit, one of the best perks of being the daughter of two high ranking military officers was that they had a huge personal lot; within the secondary wall of Canterlot Castle even.
It was large enough that she was able to use it as an, unofficial, second animal shelter for the city. When she first brought home an injured puppy, her parents had been skeptical, but as she showed both the responsibility and skill necessary, they supported her new ‘hobby’ wholeheartedly.
After greeting her parents and having a light breakfast, she went outside towards the food shed. She grabbed what was necessary and went to the animals that were awake. The first little friend she approached was a particularly yappy terrier she had named Terrence. After giving him his meal, she watched him eat for a moment. Terrence then looked at her and pointed to the water bowl outside his cage. She smiled as she brought the water to rest beside his food. She closed the door and realized something.
Did Terrence just point at the waterbowl?
As she worked through the animals, she noticed some wave as she passed by, others looked like they were smiling at her, and some of the birds produced a sound that was suspiciously close to her name, Fluttershy. Once she was certain that their needs were taken care of, she stepped aside with a blank expression.
Am I dreaming?
The animals, for their part, had apparently taken notice of their caretaker’s discomfort. Those in the cages went as close as they could to Fluttershy, whilst those that she allowed to roam around had crowded around her. She had no idea how to react and so, decided to think about what exactly could have happened. Did something get in the water? Did she hit her head again? Did Rainbow-
DOOT DOOT! DOOT DOOT!
She drew her phone out and saw that Applejack was calling her.
The sun was a fourth of the way across its journey in the sky when an unkempt head of prismatic hair emerged from the prismatic sheets. With eyes still half-lidded the young blue girl smacked her lips and glanced out the window. It was a Saturday so she knew she didn’t have to rush. The prismatically named girl lazily slid out of bed.
She approached the window and took a look outside. It was a quiet mid-morning with almost no one out on the street. Across the street was a lush, green park that had a fairly large playground. She smiled as she saw the kids play and enjoy their youth. She figured she’d follow their example and get out and do something fun. She turned around, closed her eyes, took a breath and took a step towards the door.
She smacked face first into it.
Rainbow rubbed her nose and cursed in frustration. Then she noticed that she had traveled the distance from her window to her door, a good two-and-a-half meters, in one-and-a-half steps. She may not have been the best at numbers, but even she knew that did not add up.
She looked down at her feet and carefully took a step forward. Nothing. She took another step. Again, nothing. She scratched her head in bewilderment. Shrugging, she stepped out of her room and onto the hall. The bathroom was at the end past her parents room, easily seven meters. She took out her phone as she walked and noticed a number of missed calls from her friends. Her face soon became much better acquainted with the texture of the bathroom door.
She glared at the offending slab of wood as she nursed her twice-beat nose. She slammed the door open and stomped inside. Thankfully her parents had left earlier in the morning preventing the need to answer questions like, “What’s wrong dear?” or “Why did you slam the door, Rainbow?”
Her eyes widened as she saw her much bluer nose in the mirror. She sighed as searched for some ointment for it.
Never before had she concentrated so hard. Every twitch of her muscles had to be accounted for. She let out a quick breath as she gently wrapped her fingers around the glistening red fruit.
“You okay, AJ?” said a deep voice behind her.
Applejack nearly jumped out of her skin. Instead, the apple decided to jump out of her hand. On instinct, she reached out and grabbed the fruit- and subsequently got a handful of mashed apples.
She shook her hand to remove some of the squashed produce as she turned to face her older brother, Big Macintosh. His green eyes were wide open as he stared at his little sister’s hand.
“AJ, you been workin’ out?” he asked.
Applejack grinned as she reached for a paper towel wipe off the last of the offending fruit. “He he, I guess ya’ll could say that, Big Mac.”
Her brother raised an inquisitive brow at her sister’s uneasiness.
“Hey, Big Mac, ya’ll remember whut happened last night at the dance?” she said, quickly changing the subject.
“What about?” he said, brow unyielding.
“You know,” Applejack began. “The whole Sunset turnin’ ‘to a fiery demon bent on conquerin’ Equestria?”
The brows leveled out and furrowed. “Eexcuse me?” Big Macintosh asked as his head tilted slightly.
Applejack, for her part, just stood and stared at her big brother. Did he forget? Could it have been the-
“AJ, did Rainbow make you try some weird shrooms again?”
“Wha’?” She shook her head vigorously. “No. Nonono. Ugh. You know, I think I better git goin’. I was supposed to meet them soon anyway.” She quickly made her way around the large guy and briskly walked to the front door. Right before she opened the door she turned and said, “And I never once tried that stuff, Big Mac!”
The brow had returned to being raised as Big Mac approached the door. He heard the sounds of AJ’s pickup startup and drive off. The moment he stepped out, he saw the tail of the truck make a quick left. He was heading to his vehicle when he caught sight of his cousin, Red Gala, approaching.
She was slightly older than Big Mac and, unlike Big mac, had lived in Canterlot most of her life. She had cream skin and rosy red hair. She was also wearing a midnight blue blazer. “Hey, Big Macintosh!” she said as she raised her hand—which was wearing a white glove—for a family high five.
Big Mac smiled in return and high fived his cousin. He approached is car and he… He…
He had no idea what he was going to do. Looking left and right, he realized that he was the only one on the street at that hour. Scratching his head, he shrugged and returned back inside. He really needed to get something to eat. After all, he still had to check out the new machines for the bottling plant.
She did it. Despite the morning’s surprises, she managed to do it. Rarity was prim, proper and ready for the day. She took one last glance the mirror. Satisfied with her coiffure, she checked the time on her phone.
She admitted to herself that, had Applejack not called her earlier, she might still have been in bed. Apparently she was experiencing unnatural super-strength and Fluttershy’s charges began directly communicating with her. She related the story of her burst of telekinesis and, after confirming that things were still flying away from her hand, agreed to meet up at Memorial park on the east side of Canterlot.
At the very least, she had a fairly good assumption as to why this was happening. This was related to the rainbow of light from last night. Did it have some kind of side effect that gave them all superpowers? She had to admit it to herself, the idea itself wasn’t that bad. She descended the stairs and entered her boutique. Her parents had been very supportive when she decided to try her hand in fashion design and even helped her put up her, now successful, dress shop.
As she passed the racks of cloth and several mannequins wearing unfinished designs, she paused and scanned the room. Finally, her eyes found her keys sitting quietly on one of her work tables. She made to get them but stopped herself.
She raised her arm and extended her hand. Her face scrunched in concentration but the keys only went further away and slammed against the wall. Puffing her cheeks, she tried again and the keys came flying towards her. Much faster than she would have liked, though. Dropping to her knees, she heard the distinct sound of something embedding itself into the wall. Sure enough, when she turned her head she saw that her car key was halfway into wall behind her.
Sighing to herself, Rarity stood up and, with much more effort than she would have liked, retrieved her keys and went out the door. The shop would have to be closed today as she had more important matters to look in to. The moment she stepped outside, she was greeted by one fo her more stylish friends, Star Catcher. Her skin was a slight tinge of green, hardly noticeable, and she had long, flowing, green hair. The two smiled at each other.
“Hey, Rarity! Closed today?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so,” said Rarity. “I have a few errands that simply cannot go undone.”
Star nodded in understanding. “I get what you mean.”
Rarity decided to see what her opinion was on last night. “Star, has anything strange happened to you this morning?”
Her friend tilted her head in thought. “Not really. Everything was pretty normal.”
“So nothing else unusual happened after Sunset Shimmer got hit by the big rainbow?”
Star Catcher stared at her. “Rares… Did Rainbow Dash make you try something last night?”
“Pardon?” Rarity was baffled. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she realized another possibility. She really needed to see her friends now. “No she did not. Sorry, I suppose I’m just a bit tuckered out from last night. I really should get going,” she said as she gave a weak laugh to excuse herself.
Star looked to her friend, worried. “Alright, Rares. Drive safe, okay?”
“Of course, darling,” Rarity said before getting into her car.
This was going to be a long day.
For whatever inexplicable reason, Pinkie Pie had the strangest urge to go downstairs, get two baby bottles and go back upstairs. Following her (even more) bizarre urges, she found herself standing in the hall with the bottles. When she heard Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake starting to cry, she entered their room and, like any good (practically) sister, gave them the two bottles.
She was quite perplexed at what just happened and decided to just go back downstairs. She scratched her ear as she approached the back door of the kitchen. Opening it, she found the thin and mustard yellow Mister Cake, owner and proprietor of of Sugarcube Corner, as well as her legal guardian within Canterlot, carrying several bags of groceries.
For a moment, they both stood there and looked at each other in surprise. “Well good morning, Pinkie. What are you doing up so early?” asked Mister Cake.
Pinkie shrugged, “Not really sure.” She grabbed some of the bags and brought them to the counter. “I woke up ahead of my alarm and just couldn’t get back to sleep.”
She held her chin as she thought of everything that had happened that morning. “I really don’t know, Mister Cake,” she replied.
“Anything wrong, Pinkie?” Mister Cake asked.
The two looked at each other with wide eyes once more. “Uh, I think I’m just gonna go lie down for a minute,” Pinkie said as she made her way to the stairs. When she was gone, Mister Cake returned his focus to the groceries. After all, he still had to get the shop ready for the day.
When she entered her room, she immediately locked the door. Her left index finger started twitching. She looked at her phone on the nearby desk. Then her phone started singing. Grabbing it and placing close to her face, she answered the call.
“Hey AJ!” she practically shouted.
A slight groan could be heard on the other line. “Mornin’ Pinkie. Just callin’ to ask if anything weird’s been happening to you lately.”
“Hmmm.” Pinkie’s eyes narrowed as she raised her lower lip in thought. “AJ…”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m psychic,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
“Ya mean you can tell when somethin’s about to happen?”
“Pretty much,” Pinkie said, happily.
“And this has never happened before?” Applejack inquired.
“Just started this morning.”
A sigh was heard on Applejack’s side. She started to explain to Pinkie the events of her morning, as well as her discussion with Rarity and Fluttershy.
Pinkie gasped a great gasp. “AJ! Does that mean we’re becoming superheroes?”
“I- I don’t know, Pinkie. All I know is that we’re all meetin’ at the park on the east side of the city.”
“Memorial Park?”
“Yup,” Applejack said. “Also, could you try callin’ Rainbow. She never picked up my calls and she could very well be goin’ through the same thing we all are.”
“No problemo, AJ! See ya.”
“Bye.”
The call ended and Pinkie could not be more excited. She jumped up and down as she thought of the idea that she and her friends would be… SUPER FRIENDS!
But first, she needed to call her spectral friend.
Rainbow Dash was splayed out on the couch as she aimlessly scanned the channels on the television. Her stomach growled and she went to the kitchen. She noticed a note on top a hard plastic shell. Reading it, it was from her parents saying that they left her breakfast underneath the aforementioned shell. Looking underneath, she found a nice looking sandwich. Grabbing a glass, she poured herself some juice and returned to couch. She was gone and back in ten seconds flat.
Settling on a cornball movie about friendship and magic, she sunk her teeth into the sandwich. Delight washed over her tongue as she chewed. The sandwich was relatively mundane except for the spread which her mother personally made. For her, nothing was tastier. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like if her mom became a professional cook rather than an engineer. Meals would be more awesome, that’s one thing. Although, her dad would probably be a bit lonelier without her at the office.
Halfway through, she found the movie to quite enjoyable. Who knew that talking magic ponies would be so cool? Eventually, though, she realized that she really ought to do something else. Forgetting that her television also had a clock feature, she searched for her phone to check the time. Seeing it nowhere in sight, she realized that she left it in her room. Rainbow dashed up the stairs and back and was about to lie back down when the phone began to buzz as a call came in. Right before she answered it, she noticed that she already had three missed calls from her other friends.
“Hey, Pinks!” she greeted.
“Rainbow! I’m psychic now!” exclaimed her excitable friend.
“Huh?”
“I can tell when certain things are going to happen. As a matter of fact, it’s been happening to me all morning. You know, when I got out of my room, for some reason I had this really big urge to go down and get two baby bottles. So I did and when I got back upstairs, the twins started crying. They were hungry and I knew that before they did! And earlier when-”
Rainbow cut her off. “Pinkie! That’s great and all but do you have any idea why our other friends were calling me earlier?”
“Oh, right! Do you have superpowers? AJ’s got strength, Rarity’s got telekinesis, and Fluttershy can talk to animals now, as in literally talk to animals.”
This piqued Rainbow’s curiosity. After exchanging stories of this mornings events, the two said their farewells. Now she knew what she was going to do today. She was about to grab her keys when she decided to try something else. She went upstairs and put on a runners outfit. She might as well see what her apparent superpower really could do.
As she stepped outside, she once again took notice of the kids playing across the street. She smiled as she dropped down to a starting position. She gave herself a mental countdown.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
To any observers, she was a blur. A passing streak of colors, vaguely in the shape of a person. To her, it was bliss. The speed, the rush, the adrenaline. She zoomed through the streets and lived up to the ‘Dash’ part of her name.
Interestingly enough, even though she was moving at incredible speeds, her senses were still able to pick up and impressive amount of detail. She saw a mother scolding an errant child. An elder reading the entertainment section of a newspaper. She even spotted a couple showing affection on a bench.
What she did not, or perhaps could not, observe as she sped by the world were several people wearing dark blue blazers. She also didn’t see a number of them slap their forehead or groan in annoyance as she passed.
Fluttershy thought back to her conversation with Applejack.
“We’re all going to meet at the east park, okay?”
“Alright.”
“Also, we’re all meeting alone. Got it, Fluttershy?”
Alone. Well that would be a bit problematic. Since her parents were in the air force (and were pretty high up the ladder) and since she was also rather shy, her parents had assigned her a bodyguard, a soldier named Stonefist, to shadow her throughout her day. At first she felt uncomfortable with the idea, but she never said anything because she didn’t want to cause an argument. Eventually, she warmed up to her guardian and felt safe knowing that someone was watching over her. It was also convenient that he acted as her chauffeur.
It did, however, make attending secret meetings troublesome. Usually she’d lose him through the more labyrinthine places in the city before going where she needed, but she always hated doing that. She knew it made his job really difficult and added unnecessary stress to the poor soldier. She really hated being a burden on anybody, but she supposed that this time, it was a necessity.
Once she finished making sure her animals were fed and happy, she got dressed and asked Stone to take her to the Shopping Center. That place was close enough to Memorial Park. When they arrived, she immediately entered the closest shop. She browsed the shirts, blouses and pants on display. When she had gone through everything the shop had to offer, she left and went to the next one. She glanced behind and saw that Stonefist was still there, ever vigilant.
She entered the next store and did the same thing. When she had seen their inventory, she left, checking every once in a while behind her. Luckily there were still plenty of shops to go. She entered the next and found that it was a lingerie shop. Blushing fiercely, she slowly walked back out and rushed to the next store.
After several more clothing shops, a video store, and even an electronics shop, she leaned on an unremarkable spot of wall and looked around. She lost him. Satisfied that she managed to shave her shadow, she proceeded to her real goal. Unbeknownst to her, when she had left, a figure emerged from a corner, not too far from where she was standing. It was Stonefist, but rather than wearing his army casual attire, he was wearing a grey blazer.
The park was three blocks away from the mall. By the time she got there, she saw her four friends sitting on a pair of benches. She sighed inwardly as she realized she was late again. Though, her friends didn’t seem to be bothered as they were all talking excitedly amongst themselves as they motioned for Fluttershy to hurry and join in.
“Hi, girls,” she said as she approached the group.
“Hey, Fluttershy!” greeted Pinkie.
“Good afternoon, darling,” greeted Rarity.
“‘Bout time you got here, Shy,” remarked a smiling Rainbow.
“Hi, Flutters,” greeted Applejack.
“So apparently you can talk to animals?” asked Pinkie, getting straight to the point.
“Um. Well,” Fluttershy began. “It’s not so much talk, as it is I can understand them. Like, if they want something like water or food, they would point to their bowls and give me this look that just reads, ‘I want some, please.’”
“And you are capable of doing this with all your animals?” asked Rarity.
Fluttershy nodded in response.
The four nodded in agreement.
“Well you should have seen Dashie get here!” Pinkie said.
“I must admit, Rainbow, you made quite an entrance,” added Rarity.
Rainbow puffed her chest at the praise.
“Seriously,” Pinkie continued as she started to run in place. “Out of nowhere she came. Swoosh, boom, and then she zoomed around place, then she saw us and came heading straight for us. She was actually going really really fast and Iactuallythoughtshewasgoingtocrashintousbutthenshesloweddownandstoppedperfectlyinfrontofus and basically it was AWESOME!” She jumped into the air at exclamation of the last word.
“Oh my.” Fluttershy squeaked.
“Eh. What can I say? I am awesome,” flaunted Rainbow.
Applejack cleared her throat. “Anyway. Rarity, ya’ll said you had telekinesis?”
It was Rarity’s turn to beam. “Quite, darling! Actually, I think I can demonstrate to you what I mean.”
She took out her keys and dangled the in front of her friends. When she released them, they entered free fall. Halfway through its journey it stopped. Above it, the white hand was spread out, its owner’s face scrunched up as she poured all her focus into what she was doing. Slowly, the set of keys began to rise. Before they made contact with her hand, they fell once more. Halfway down, they began to rise. Rarity began to relax as she felt the rhythm of her ability sync up with her mind. This was actually much easier than she thought it’d be. After a bit of telekinetic yoyo, she grabbed her keys and smiled at her friends.
Fluttershy was wide eyed. Rainbow had her brows raised and her hand on her chin in approving contemplation. Pinkie stared at Rarity in awe at what she could do. Applejack decided to speak up. “Mighty impressive, Rares. You ever tried it with something a little bigger?”
“Oh, heavens no!” said Rarity, slightly mortified. “At least not yet. To be honest, I nearly impaled myself when I tried doing something similar to what I did, earlier this morning.”
Applejack nodded. “Alright, Pinkie. Could’ya tell us a little more what you mean by, ‘I’m psychic?’”
Pinkie grinned. “Well, as far as I can tell, it works by my body doing little tiny signals that mean something. Like, earlier this morning, ear got itchy and I really wanted to open the door for some reason. Then I did and there was Mister Cake, just about to put his key in the lock. Then a little after that, my finger got twitchy and I got really interested in my phone. Then it started ringing and that’s when I talked to Applejack about my crazy morning. Then I learned that we all were having crazy mornings!”
“So what you’re telling us is that your body can somehow predict immediate events?” inquired Rarity.
“Pretty mu-” Pinkie was interrupted by her entire body suddenly undergoing a violent shivering fit. When she stopped, her friends stared at her in worry.
Fluttershy held her friends arm. “Pinkie, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think so,” she replied.
“Ya’ll think that was related to your psychicness?” Applejack asked, more than a little worried.
“Maybe?” Pinkie said just before engaging in another fit of shivering.
Behind the girls, deep within a dense cluster of trees, an explosion of light erupted, making the five friends jump.
Twilight Sparkle woke with a start. Shaking off her drowsiness, her mind finally realized a message was being broadcast over the Canterlot Center’s intercom.
“-not a drill. Class 7 magical anomaly detected in Eastern Canterlot. Location: Memorial Park. Reaction Teams Five and Six are to report to the east gate. Obfuscation Team Four and Seven are to join Team One and secure a one mile radius around the area. All Medical teams are to be on standby for emergency deployments.”
She almost wished she hadn’t gotten up.
Shining Armor was quietly frenetic. He was looking at one of the Control Room’s window panes that had shifted to display a radar map of Canterlot. Over on the right side of the map was a massive, flashing red dot.
“How long until the first team gets there?” he asked an operator.
“The closest we have is Team Two. ETA, three minutes,” she answered.
Shining looked to his superior. “Central, isn’t this a bit worrying?”
“I agree,” Celestia nodded. “A Class 7 the morning after a Class 10. Perhaps it could just be an amazingly unfortunate coincidence, but more than likely, the two events are related.”
“I guess the little demon’s performance caused a lot more trouble for us than we thought.”
Only a handful of people could have noticed the tiny wrinkles that formed on Celestia’s forehead at her officer’s choice of words.
“Sir, looks like we have a reaction agent within sight of the area,” said an operator.
“What? Why didn’t we know about him sooner?” asked Shining.
“He’s an inserted agent; the one assigned to keep an eye on a, Miss Fluttershy.”
Several trees were uprooted as the ball of light expanded. It grew and grew until it was easily the size of a house. Slowly, it began to compress as the sphere took on a shape. The glowing aura then faded to reveal fur and scales. It was a bizarre creature to say the least. The ferocious and furry head of a tigress, fangs bared, loomed ominously overhead, ready to devour anything it so desired. Behind it the slithering, slimy form of a snake, stretched out and surveyed the landscape for its next succulent snack. Yet, between them was the horned, long haired, and seemingly innocuous head of a mountain goat that stared aimlessly into the distance.
The five friends stood, paralyzed by the sight of the abomination that manifested before them. Finally, the pinkest of them spoke up. “Girls, I think I know what the shivering was about.”
None of them dared move lest they incur the wrath of the chimaera before them. Unfortunately that did not stop the monster from noticing them instead. Without warning, it pounced towards them and brought its claws to bear. Halfway through its flight, however, its snout met with a large, ghostly fist that sent it rearing back.
The owner of the fist landed neatly in front of the five friends and readied himself to strike again. He felt a slight tingle at the back of his head, a signal from his commanders.
“Stone?!” exclaimed Fluttershy.
Rainbow was impressed. “Your bodyguard?”
The indigo agent turned his head to look at the girls as he said, “Get out of here no-”
His warning was cut off by the chimaera’s tail swooping down and taking him with an open mouth. But Stonefist was quick to activate his ghostly namesakes, stopping the reptile from closing its jaw while simultaneously preventing any serious injury. The rest of the monster got back on all fours and looked down to its five course meal.
It raised a mighty paw and brought it down against the closest target, Pinkie Pie. Just before it hit, the young girl casually took a step to the right, narrowly avoiding getting squished. It raised its paw and tried again with the same results. Every attempt to pin her was foiled by a hop, skip, or a jump. It was almost as if she had a sense for where it would strike. A Pinkie Sense, she considered. The tigress’ snarl widened.
With the feline distracted, Rainbow grabbed Applejack and dashed around it to see if they could help free Stonefist. The snake flailed wildly in the air as it tried to dislodge the agent. Thinking quickly, Applejack signaled Rainbow to toss her upwards.
The country girl soared through the air and landed right on the snake’s head as she gave it a punch strong enough to knock all the fruit off an apple tree. Just like the tree, the snake’s jaw loosened enough for Stonefist to free himself. The only problem with this plan was that Applejack was now clinging onto an out-of-control snake head with no way to get down.
Rainbow ran around for an opening of some kind to help her friend when she noticed the goat head staring ominously at her. She briefly wondered why it had a goat head just before a bolt of fire suddenly came hurtling towards her. Pushing her legs, she just barely escaped the blast radius. Now she understood the purpose of the middle head. Barely dodging the next few, the last one was close enough to knock her off balance and sent her tumbling down. She tried to get up as another bout of flame came towards her. She knew wouldn’t be able to move in time.
She would have burned had it not been for a park bench intercepting the fire. It exploded into a shower of ashes. She looked to where it came from and saw Rarity with arms extended and breathing deeply as a bead of sweat flowed down her face.
Twilight Sparkle rushed into the control room. The first thing she noticed were two reptilian eyes staring menacingly through the windows. The second thing she noticed was Applejack looking determinedly at the creature. She immediately approached the center of the room.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Celestia turned and noticed that her student had her brows furrowed in worry. “It would seem that the five girls from last night have found the magic within them. Unfortunately, they also seem to have attracted some unfriendly company.”
Twilight gave her mentor a desperate look. “All five of them have awakened? At the same time?”
Celestia gave her a solemn nod. “And it is more likely that them being together in one place is what caused this chimaera to appear and not, as we first assumed, the events of last night.”
Shining Armor turned around as he heard the conversation take place. He smiled and nodded to his sister who returned the gestures in greeting. He faced the screen and observed the battle taking place through the eyes of Agent Stonefist. It was impressive that the girls actually decided to help rather than simply run away. It was either that or really really stupid. Nonetheless, the display of their abilities was enough to convince him that the five girls would fit right in with them.
“Reaction Team Two, inbound. Casting Eyes Open spell in three, two, one,” declared an operator over to the right.
The three window panes on the right of the room shimmered as each began to display the point of view of an agent. All of them were quickly approaching a monstrous, three-headed figure.
Shining Armor took a breath. “Finally, some good news.”
A group of motorcyclists sped through the city at breakneck pace, their grey blazers flickering against their bodies. Lives depended on them and they knew that very well. The lead cyclist perked up as her tiny earpiece began to speak.
“Agent Red Letter, you and your team are to subdue a Class 7 chimaera using any means necessary. Agent Stonefist has already engaged the beast but needs support. Also, five newly awakened are in the area. They have been designated priority one and are to be protected at all costs.”
Red Letter narrowed her eyes as she swerved through traffic. “Understood, Control. Red Letter out.” With a thought, her earpiece connected to those of the two bikers following her. “Alright team, looks like we got ourselves a bit of an escort mission going for us. A bunch of newbies are apparently at the site and are in need of a couple of guardians. Wind Shear,” —the biker to her left— “You and I are going to engage the anomaly directly. Sweet Melody,” —the biker on the right— “your main objectives are the five packages. Keep ‘em safe.”
“Yes, ma’am!” the two said in unison.
As they rounded the next corner, they felt a slight tingly feeling at the back of their heads. Eyes Open was active and Control was watching. Red’s eyes widened at the sight of their target. It was much larger than she anticipated. Nonetheless, she steeled herself and got ready.
A silver ruby ring on Red’s right hand melted into her palm then expanded into a saber that had a large red crystal for a blade. Weapon in hand, she tilted her bike forward and with its momentum launched herself towards the tigress’ head. Taken by surprise, the feline received a large gash right across its snout. The wound did not bleed as tiny particles of light instead made their way out of its injury. The crimson haired agent landed neatly on the other side and prepared to strike again.
When he reached the edge of the park he swerved his bike sideways and leapt. He glided effortlessly on invisible wings and landed just behind Applejack. Grabbing her, he tossed her off the snake to where a waiting Stonefist caught her. Now that she wasn’t in contact with the beast, he grabbed onto its scaly skin and drove a generous amount of electricity into it. Its body stiffened as the energy messed with its nervous system. He stopped only when the entirety of the beast whipped itself around, flinging him off. He landed gracefully by a stunned Rainbow Dash.
Just as the agents prepared to strike again, the goat head reared back and screamed.
Everybody in the Canterlot Control Room reached for their ears and tried, desperately, to block out the sound. The only exception was Celestia who, instead, scrunched her face and held her chair’s armrests in a death grip. The shrieking was the unholy auditory equivalent of needles being forced between your fingernails whilst being beaten by a hammer.
The four screens showing the encounter started to flicker with static.
One of the operator’s began to bleed through his nose whilst another through her ear. On the other side of the room, an operator had lost consciousness. The next few seconds were utter agony.
A moment after it ended, several people in white blazers, medical agents, entered the room. The two operators who suffered clear injuries and the one incapacitated were brought to the medical bays as three other red coats entered and took their place. The white coats began to scan the room’s occupants.
“What in the world was that?!” demanded Twilight as a white coat examined her eye.
“Since when were chimaera capable of that?!” Shining asked as a white coat put two fingers to his temple.
Celestia waved off a white coat who offered to check on her. “It would seem this particular chimaera is in a league of its own.” Her face slowly began to grimace.
“How are our people on the ground?” asked Shining to any available operator.
“Several med squads have been deployed to the surrounding areas,” called one of the replacements.
“What about those at the site itself?”
Rainbow Dash was shouting in an attempt to cancel out the terrible sound. Fluttershy and Rarity were on their knees. Applejack’s eyes bulged as she tried to mentally block the pain. Pinkie Pie was on the ground in a fetal position.
The agents around them weren’t faring any better either. Red’s saber had returned to ring form as she tried to drive her hands deeper into her skull, Stonefist and Wind Shear were on bended knee, and Sweet Melody was close to tears.
When it ended, the goat returned to staring blankly at nothing in particular. The beast spun around and, with its snake tail, sent Rainbow and Wind flying across the park. Slightly regaining himself, Wind grabbed the girl and used himself to soften their impact with the ground.
Sweeping a massive paw in an arc, Red, Stone and Applejack found themselves in a painfully tangled pile several tens of meters from where they had been previously.
Finally, the tigress lunged down to consume in one glorious bite, Pinkie Pie, who was still on the ground.
“NO!” The word echoed through the park. The chimaera stopped in its tracks.
Rarity looked to the source of the sound. Icy chills ran down her spine as she saw her dear friend, Fluttershy, give the monster a glare that could, literally, kill. Never before had she seen her friend like this and it was to say the least, absolutely terrifying. On the one hand, it felt like she would do anything to please her just to make it stop, but on the other it was also so paralyzing that you couldn’t even think straight let alone act.
But a chimaera has three heads and two of them weren’t entranced by Fluttershy. The goat head leaned over and sent a speeding streak of fire straight towards the butter-colored girl. It was then that a translucent blue sheet appeared and shielded her from the flame. It shattered on contact.
Sweet Melody’s cyan hair was disheveled. She took several deep breaths. Her ears were still ringing. She blocked every missile the goat launched with her shields, a few of them aimed at her. She couldn’t keep it up forever, though. Each charge took more and more effort and her mind was still frayed from the auditory assault.
The goat puffed its cheeks as it took in a large gulp of air and faced Melody. With a sickening vomiting sound, it unleashed a stream of fire towards the haggard agent. Raising her arms in front of her, she put up a blue crystal-like wall using whatever strength she could gather. She dropped to her knees as the flame bombarded her defence.
“Sweets!” shouted a voice that reared up from behind the goat’s head. Without warning, Wind Shear raised a shining, silver baseball bat and clubbed the billy right on its crown bringing the beast down. At the same time, Melody had collapsed from exhaustion and would have burned to a crisp had Rarity not pulled her over to her with her ability.
This action had the consequence of dislodging the tigress enough that its eyes went elsewhere from Fluttershy’s stare. The yellow girl then proceeded to collapse before being scooped up by a blue blur. The next thing she knew, she was sitting under a tree on the far side of the park. When her senses finally allowed her to perceive the world around her, she noticed Rainbow Dash carrying their friend Pinkie Pie, towards her. Behind her she could see her bodyguard and the two others dressed similarly to him jumping around and taking potshots at the monster who was starting to get up once more.
Rainbow Dash laid Pinkie Pie, who was shivering and grasping her head, before kneeling in front of Fluttershy. “You okay?”
“I-I think so… But what about Pinkie?”
“I dunno. I-I-I- I really don’t know. Fluttershy. Can you help her? Please tell me you can help her.”
She looked to her quivering pink friend. “I’ll do whatever I can.”
Rainbow nodded. “Thank you. I gotta get back there, AJ still needs me watching her back.”
Right before she left, Fluttershy grabbed her arm and looked at her. “Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you going back?! Why don’t you just get Applejack and Rarity and let’s all get out of here?!”
“Fluttershy-”
“No, Rainbow. Please. Don’t.”
“Hey.” She grabbed the yellow hand grasping her and held it tight. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’m awesome, remember?”
“No. Rainbow, would you look at Pinkie. Please. Just let Stonefist and his friends handle it. This isn’t our fight.”
They stared at each other for a moment. “Maybe,” Rainbow finally said. “But what if it is? When Pinkie called me earlier, she said that we were all turning into superheroes. What if she was right?” Rainbow removed Fluttershy’s arm and grasped her shoulders as she looked her dead in the eyes. “And what if they do need our help? What if, when we leave, it gets the drop on them? If that happens, then that thing is free to roam around Canterlot. I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen.”
She conceded. Her head lowered slightly under Rainbow’s gaze. The blue girl let go and ran back into the fray.
Fluttershy leaned over and checked her other friend. “Pinkie? What’s wrong?”
“Too much,” she squeaked. “It’s too much.”
“What’s too much, Pinkie?”
“Too much.” She started squinting badly. “All at once.”
She was cut off by a violent explosion originating at the foot of the monster. It was too far away for her to be sure, but she was felt certain that she saw a very familiar purple figure standing defiantly between the beast and Applejack.
Several moments earlier, the staff at the Canterlot Control Room had recovered and were back in business as they monitored the situation going on in the city.
“Make sure the filter enchantments are active on the windows now.” said Shining Armor.
“If it wasn’t so painful, I bet that screech would make a great research project.”
Shining smirked at his sister’s remark before noticing Agent Sweet Melody’s point-of-view. She was erecting barrier after barrier against the goat’s balls of fire. He couldn’t help but think that her form was just a little bit off. But that little bit could costa shield-caster a lot of energy in the long run. The mentor in him shut up, though, when he noticed that the shield she was casting to protect herself from a stream of flame was starting to wane.
Thanks to a timely intervention from Agent Wind Shear and one of the awakened, Agent Melody came out relatively unscathed. He noticed something blue zoom by in her peripheral vision. Sweet Melody was draped around the one named Rarity as she tried to bring her a ways away from the center of the conflict.
Agent Red Letter had also gotten up and was currently defending herself from some very fast snake strikes. She got a chance to strike back every once in a while thanks to a little interference from, Applejack, as he recalled. He admitted to himself that these girls were admirable for their spunk. And the fact that they were still alive despite everything.
Twilight was getting anxious. She started rubbing her foot on the ground as she watched the battle pick up once more. Their people were at a stalemate against the chimaera’s heads. Wind Shear bounced around delivering several moving strikes against the goat while Red Letter and Applejack alternated hitting the pesky snake tail.
She couldn’t help but feel something was missing. Her feelings were confirmed when the tigress’ head reared back up and, taking him by surprise, caught Wind Shear mid-leap and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. From Red Letter’s point-of-view, the tigress moved the entire beast’s body around and pinned an equally surprised Applejack to the ground. It drove its maw straight towards her face. Red wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
Twilight’s face took on a scowl of rage as she disappeared in a bright flash of purple light. Several operators jumped as their terminals gave a considerable amount of electrical feedback.
“Twilight? What happened?” demanded Shining.
“Sir, Vault 1 is acting up again, but it looks like it’s just the Orb of Magic,” answered an operator.
“But where’s Twilight?”
“It looks like her blazer is transmitting from, Memorial Park? Casting Eyes Open.”
A window on the left shimmered and showed the form of the troubling beast staring right at them. It looked—and was—much larger from directly below it.
Twilight stood defiantly between the glaring tigress’ head and the wide eyed cowgirl.
“Twi-” Applejack was interrupted by a savage roar from the feline.
Twilight stood unfazed. She brought her hands out to her sides as they burst into glorious violet flames. Just under her breath, she muttered, “Don’t you touch her.”
Slamming her palms together, a gigantic column of purple-hued light shot forwards straight through the chimaera. The three heads twitched and turned as its body slowly started disintegrating into tiny flakes of light. Those watching the scene shielded their eyes from the blinding flare.
When the bright lights faded, the beast was nowhere to be seen. Twilight had eradicated it. She stood there, breathing heavily with her arms still raised. Behind her, Applejack stood up and approached the purple girl. “Twi-”
Twilight began to collapse. But before hitting the ground, she disappeared in a flash of light—
—and reappeared at the main atrium, right beside the fountain, of the Canterlot Control Center. The agents at the facility were more than a little surprised to see the her appear out of nowhere. Several white coats rushed to her side as the doors to the Control Room burst open allowing a visibly frenetic Officer to rush out.
“Twiley!” He slid to her side and held her in his arms. A white coat placed two fingers right above her heart and concentrated for a moment. Her eyes opened in shock as she pulled her hand back.
“Get her to the med bay now!” she barked at Shining Armor.
Back inside the control room, Celestia sat on her throne, brows furrowed. “Deploy every available obfuscation agent to Eastern Canterlot. It would seem they have quite a bit of work to get done. Inform Officer Inkwell that she is authorized to use Level 5 methods for the cleanup, Get a pickup team to Memorial Park ASAP and inform them that they cannot use teleportation or other space-bending spells to get those girls here. They have to be taken in conventionally and as quickly as possible. Make sure that some medical agents get to look at them first. Lastly, order the magiteks to ready the stabilization chambers and have them set it to be capable of handling at least Class 5 energies.”
The operators around her got to work making sure her orders got done. Now that the action was over, it was time for the recovery.
Rainbow Dash rushed to her friend’s side. “AJ!” she called. “You okay? What the heck was that?”
Applejack just stared at the spot Twilight had been in. Rainbow began to wave a hand in front of her face. “Hey! Yoo-hoo! AJ? What’s up with you?”
Rainbow recoiled slightly at the look Applejack gave her. “It was Twilight. She saved me.”
“Twilight?! She’s back? Where?”
“Well, she disappeared in a flash of light just as soon as she showed up.”
“Huh? You sure it was her, cowgirl?”
“Course Ah am Dash.” She began to consider. “Then again… How can Ah say this? It looked like her and even felt like ‘er but I could just tell that... it wasn’t her.”
“Sorry? I don’t get it? How can it look and feel like her and not be her?”
“Ah dunno Dash! You didn’t see her yourself. Somethin’ was different. Like she was an entirely different person.”
Rarity decided to join in their discussion as she ran over to them. “Girls! Tell me you saw her. Tell me you saw Twilight.” she puffed.
“That’s just it. Applejack here says that she did see her but at the same time, she’s saying that it wasn’t her.”
Rarity looked to the very confused, peach girl. “Ah dunno, alright?! Hay, I’m not even sure what just happened here!”
It was then that two white vans followed by a small bus emerged from a side street and stopped right at the start of the battlefield. From them emerged several people who were wearing white versions of Stone and his companions’ blazers. Two in particular approached them.
One was male and had cream skin and cherry red hair whilst the other was female with teal hair and light green skin. They had introduced themselves as Clean Bill and Top Form respectively. They were both wearing white silken gloves with embroidered symbols in certain areas like the fingertips and the base of the hand. Rarity, of course, was the only one to notice.
“Is everyone amongst you still standing?” Top asked the three.
“No,” Rainbow said just before running off. She came back a moment later with a now sleeping Pinkie in her arms. “After that thing shouted, she was holding her head real tight and shaking like she was having a seizure or something. Can you help her?”
Top smiled. “I think we can.” She placed her fingers to Pinkie’s temples, then just below her jaw, her heart, and finally above her stomach. Her expression became more grim with each body part. “Bill, she needs an equalizer, stat. Her internals are an utter mess. She’ll need to be the first to be stabilized.”
“Excuse me?” asked Rarity.
“First?” asked Rainbow who now had her eye on the white coat.
“Listen, I know that you must be feeling really confused right now. Especially with what you had to go through. But I promise that I’ll explain everything to you on the way.”
“Whoa there partner. We ain’t goin’ nowhere until we get at least some idea of what’s going on.” said Applejack.
Top nodded. “Of course you have all noticed that you have gained an entirely new set of skills.” The three girls nodded. “And you have just had actual first hand experience with dangerous creatures. I think by now you have realized that magic is very much a real thing i this world. I don’t mean ridiculous parlor tricks, I mean true world-bending, reality altering abilities.”
“Yeah, we kinda figured that out yesterday when our friend showed us a talking dog,” Rainbow remarked.
Top Form had been briefed on the visitor from the other side. “Indeed. The point is I am part of an organization that makes sure that magic does not go out of control.”
“Yeah, still not convinced,” said Rainbow.
“We can also help you develop your own abilities for better use. You also get the chance to mingle with those like you.”
Rarity raised a finger. “Would you excuse us a moment.” She and her two friends huddled up.
“I don’t like this. Smells kinda fishy to me.”
“Ah gotta agree with Dash, here. Just who in the hay are these people?”
“Come now, darlings. We must give them the benefit of the doubt. You saw how they handled that dreadful monstrosity.”
“Yeah, but how do we know it wasn’t them that got that thing here in the first place?”
“‘Sides Rarity, we don’t even know who these people here are workin’ for.”
“Fine. Think of it this way: Fluttershy’s bodyguard of two years was one of their people this whole time. They were that close to us and we didn’t even know, meaning they could literally be anywhere. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to get on the bad side of an organization with that kind of influence or power.”
Reluctantly, the orange and blue girl agreed.
“Alright, we have decided to go with you, but we expect to be treated with respect.”
“Of course, Miss Rarity. We would never do anything to one of our own. Now if you would just-”
“However, we are missing one last member of oru group and we may have to talk to her about everything.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” She pointed to a pair approaching them from behind.
“Fluttershy!” the three girls exclaimed as they crowded the aforementioned.
“Are you okay, darling?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Good because we have to talk to you about something.”
“Is it about the big organization that’s all about magic?”
Rarity opened her mouth to counter but then realized she was right. “Yes. Yes it is. How did you know?”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile cheekily. “Stonefist explained everything to me.”
Rainbow had her arms crossed. “And you’re just going to believe him?”
“Well.” She rubbed her arm. “All I know is that I trust him.”
Rainbow sighed. “Fine. I guess were doing this then.”
They did not, as Rainbow assumed they would, blindfold them and place bags over their heads. Instead, the four friends were on four consecutive seats on one side of the bus whilst their pink friend laid on a long bench on the other. She had a strange apparatus that wrapped around her chest. Top Form was near the front of the bus whilst Clean Bill drove.
Rainbow mindlessly watched the streets and building rolled by until she noticed something. “Hey. I know this area. This place is like, two blocks from CHS.”
Curiosity piqued, Rarity looked out the window. “She’s right. Sugercube Corner should just be around that, well, corner.” She suddenly realized the silent void the absence of her pink friend created. “Are we close?”
“As a matter of fact.” The bus entered a large garage directly behind the school. “We are here.”
They began to descend.
After several moments of staring at a seemingly endless metal shaft, they entered a chamber very deep underground. It was a large, white, empty room with a copious amount of lights that bathed the room in a sterile glow. One wall had three doors relatively close to each other. The girls noticed five other white coats waiting for them.
When they disembarked the bus, a white coat had each offered to escort them to the doors while placing their hands just inches from their bodies like they were feeling a second invisible body of theirs. Top Form, meanwhile, was supervising two white coats who were levitating Pinkie Pie over to the same doors.
They entered the leftmost room and found five pods with transparent lids inside, each open. They looked to Top Form who nodded and pointed to them in return. Pinkie Pie was already being loaded into one as her chest apparatus was removed. The door swung down and sealed itself. A slight whistling sound could be heard has the pod began to pressurize.
The four girls looked to each other, uneasiness written on their faces. Finally, it was Fluttershy who first stepped towards hers. She trusted her bodyguard with her life, literally, and she knew he would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. She squeaked as the pod closed. She looked at her friends and silently encourage them to do the same. Eventually they proceeded to their own chambers.
Once they were all occupied, Top Form left the room through another door. The lights faded until they were nothing but a ghostly glowing on the ceiling. The process was beginning. The girl’s could feel their insides twisting up. They felt the blood in their veins being forced around their body. Their gag and swallow reflexes started to act up simultaneously. They all started to hyperventilate. Then they started to sweat. They could feel heat building up from inside their core expanding outwards to their extremities.
Applejack briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to be microwaved.
Finally it ended. The five pods began to depressurize as the lights brightened up. Top Form entered the room with the five white coats from before as the pods opened. The five girls gracelessly fell out and gasped for air. It was a terrible experience.
Rainbow looked up at Top Form and was about to speak her mind when she noticed something. She felt wonderful. She didn’t just feel good. She felt great. It was like all the little knots around her body had been ironed out. Judging from the faces of the others, including Pinkie Pies, they all felt the same sentiments.
Top Form smiled as she signaled to the white coats. They helped the girsl stand and began a series of physical and magical check-ups. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, particularly things like ‘who are we,’ ‘what are we,’ or ‘what is this place’ and like I promised your questions will be answered. There just needs to be one more thing. The boss, sorry, the Central Officer wants to meet you all.
“Your employer?” asked Rarity.
“Our leader. Or commander, whichever is good.”
“Ah dunno ‘bout this.”
“Oh, don’t be nervous.” said Top Form. “You actually know her pretty well already.”
“We do?! Oh, oh, oh, who is she? Have I ever thrown her a party before?” asked the ever excitable Pinkie.
Rainbow smiled at the sight of her friends bounciness. “But seriously, how could we have possibly met whoever the hay is in charge of” —she gestured to the entirety of the room— “all of this?”
“Actually, you meet me almost everyday, Miss Dash.” said a warm voice from one of the doors.
As it opened the five girls’ jaws collectively hit the floor. “Principal Celestia?!” they exclaimed.
Celestia gave them a smile. “Technically, down here I am known as Central Officer Celestia.”
“Now, girls. It wouldn’t do well to keep your mouths hanging open like that,” said Celestia teasingly. “You could catch flies.”
Rarity was the first to recover. “Principal, do you mean to say that you are in charge here?” she asked. “Why? How?”
Celestia just kept smiling. “You didn’t really think I was just a school official, did you? What did you think I did during my off hours?”
“I always thought you sat at home watching cheesy soap operas and eating ice cream while wearing a fluffy robe. Sometimes I’d even imagine that you had a bunch of cats running around the place.” Pinkie interjected with an enormous grin.
Celestia did not expect that. She also did not expect that she would laugh. “My, my Miss Pie. Although you were right about me having a cat.”
“Wait a second!” said Rainbow Dash. “If you’re the boss around here, is that why CHS is right in front of the building we entered to get down here?”
“For that matter, what in tarnation does that make Canterlot High?” asked Applejack.
“Before I get into all that, would you girls mind accompanying me? It also might help if you could see what I’ll be talking about.” Celestia stretched an inviting hand towards the larger door.
Three of the girls gave her wary looks. The other two, pink and yellow, were excited and uncomfortable respectively.
“Don’t worry, my dears. I’ve done nothing but watch over you as students of Canterlot High and I don’t plan on acting any different just because we’re underground. You can trust me,” said Celestia in her sweet, motherly voice.
Exchanging quick glances, the three apprehensive girls nodded and agreed to follow her. They motioned to the other two and followed Celestia out the door. Top Form followed the group from a short distance.
Rarity gasped when they crossed the threshold of the door. Grand ceilings, gorgeous marble tiles, amazing stone sculptures, red velvet curtains, saffron valances with intricate embossed patterns, fine mahogany paneling. It was just too much for the young designer.
“It’s like a palace,” she marveled as her eyes darted around the room eating up as much of the ambience as she could.
“Indeed.” Celestia giggled. “We do have quite an interest in classical architecture and design.”
“Uh, meaning no offence, Ah think we had a few things we meant to ask you, Principal,” said Applejack as she awkwardly waved to a familiar person in a blue blazer that gave her a friendly smile.
“Of course. If I’m not mistaken, Miss Dash’s first question was the relation between CHS and this facility, correct?”
Rainbow nodded as she passed what she could have sworn was the fourth familiar face.
“The two actually have a very long history, but the simplest things to say is that CHS was built with a purpose in mind. A purpose beyond offering some of the finest education in Equestria, of course,” Celestia answered as she smiled to the next subordinate to greet her.
“That’s still pretty cryptic,” remarked Rainbow Dash.
Celestia gave two small laughs. “It is, isn’t it?” She thought for a moment on how best to describe it to the girls. “You all obviously know that magic exists in this world and that each of you had awakened your powers. Truth be told, everyone in the world is capable of magic. Their powers are all just asleep.”
“Everybody?” asked Pinkie as she waved to a random grey coated agent. The agent happily waved back.
“Yes, everybody. Some may go their whole lives without awakening, but there are others who are on the borderline of regaining their powers. We call them Dreamers. Yesterday, all five of you were classified as Dreamers.”
“So it’s true? You and your people have been watching us?” asked Rarity, more than a little disgusted.
“Not really. I assure you Miss Rarity, we do not monitor your personal lives. You see, Dreamers are obvious to spot because of two distinct things. In the physical sense, they have attitudes that go above and beyond that of an ordinary sleeper. They also have a very different outlook and attitude in life. For example: you are only how old, yet you are the owner and proprietor of a successful dress shop. Miss Fluttershy is also responsible for a sizable chunk of Canterlot’s stray population, if I am not mistaken.”
Fluttershy blushed at her mention while Rarity went into thought.
“What’s the second thing?” asked Rainbow.
“That is more on the magical side of things. Dreamers tend to produce a…. chaotic aura around them as their body begins to adjust to their surfacing powers. It’s actually very obvious for us.”
“That’s why Canterlot High is an invitation-only school, isn’t it?” interrupted Rarity.
Celestia smiled at her conclusion. “Indeed, my dear. Before you lived in Canterlot, you came from all across Equestria, from Ponyville to Cloudsdale. Then one day, you all received an invitation and scholarship for Canterlot High.”
Rainbow began to reminisce of that moment in her life. “My parents were thrilled when they got that letter. They were so happy that one of the most prestigious schools in Equestria was asking for me.” Rainbow’s eyes shot open as she realized what that meant. “So that means that everybody in Canterlot High can do magic? All of them can do the stuff that we can do?”
“In a sense. Your core ability is actually unique to you as a person. Such as you have amazing speed, another may have superb grace,” Celestia explained.
Rarity was about to ask another question when they stepped into the grand atrium. Her jaw nearly hit the floor. It was actually causing a few wrinkles to appear on her face, but she didn’t care at that moment. Even the others couldn’t help but be dazzled.
“Whoa,” said Applejack. She then did a double take as her peripheral vision picked up their Biology teacher, Grassy Graze, in a white blazer. She knew exactly what to ask Celestia next. “Principal, what’s with the colors of all your people here?” she said as she gestured to the agents milling about.
Celestia and the other four took a few looks at the room and at the four recurring colors being worn by the people around them. “The colors are a uniform. They denote the general type of job that people here do. Although, perhaps I’m not the best to tell you about all this. It may be better if you learned about them from them as well.” She stepped aside to reveal an older agent with gray skin and ebony—with a number of silver strands—hair. She was wearing a midnight blue blazer with a cream band around her upper right arm..
“Professor Inkwell?” asked the five girls.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” replied the old chemistry instructor.
“I’ll leave you to it then.” Celestia turned and walked towards a hallway to the northwest.
Inkwell smiled to the group. “Well, I guess that means that you’re stuck with me.”
“Professor, Ah literally just saw Mrs. Graze pass by, does that mean that the teachers at Canterlot High are part of all this?” asked Applejack.
Inkwell nodded. “Central Officer Celestia already mentioned that Canterlot High was created to gather dreamers from all around Equestria, as such, the students would need faculty that could understand exactly what they were capable of.”
“Can we please get back to the colors,” Rainbow said as she saw her first year math teacher wave to her. She awkwardly waved back and gave a weak smile.
“Well, you can see that mine is a dark shade of blue. This denotes that I am a member of the Obfuscation Division. We ensure the veil that protects the Sleepers from the dangerous world of magic stays intact. As for the others, perhaps a member of the respective division could describe it better.” She gestured to the agent who was standing a short distance away.
Top Form reared back slightly as the five sets of eyes suddenly turned their collective attention towards her. “Oh! Well, um, white is the color of the Medical Division. As the name implies, we take care of the other agents as well as any sleepers who happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Essentially, if it has something to do with your body, be it physical or magical, then you go to us.”
Inkwell nodded and smiled as another agent—wearing a grey blazer—approached them from the side. “Are you sure you’re up for this, dear? We could always get someone else, especially after the beating you went through today.”
The girls recognized the necomer as the redhead from the fight with the chimaera. It was then that they realized they didn’t know her name.
“It’s fine, Officer Inkwell. Whites patched me up pretty good. Besides, I’ve seen these girls in action first hand and it would be my honor to introduce them to the Reactionary Division.” She turned to face the girls. “My name is Red Letter, leader of Reaction Team Two. I think it’s pretty obvious what our division does here,” she said as she gave a proud smirk.
The sound of feet hurriedly running across the marble tiles was heard by those present. After a moment, a slightly hunchbacked, lanky man with brown hair and a pointed nose slid into view from the hallway to their left. He was wearing a velvet red blazer with a cream band on his upper left arm. He stumbled a few times on the polished floors as he approached the group.
“Sorry I’m late!” he said between breaths. “Are these the newbies that Central asked us to show around?”
Inkwell’s smile never faltered. “Yes, Inator. These are them.”
“Awesome!” He straightened out as much as his hunch allowed him and extended his arm at the closest of the five. “I’m Canterlot Magitek Officer Inator Inator, you can just call me Inator for short.”
“Uhh, pleased to meet ya’ll,” said Applejack as she slowly reached a hand out to the eager officer.
Not waiting for her, he grabbed her hand and began to shake it vigorously. Applejack couldn’t help but feel a distinct feeling of irony. She was usually the one that gave the enthusiastic handshakes.
“So I’m part of the Magitek Division. We’re in charge of building all the little toys that everyone else uses. Technology, whether it’s physical or magical, is our specialty.” He released the cowgirl’s hand when he finished.
Inkwell cleared her throat and regained the girls’ attention. “I’m afraid it would take too much time to go over the divisions one-by-one so how about this? You girls go ahead and pick which one you want to learn more about?”
Rainbow was quick to interrupt. “Hold on, are you trying to split us up?”
Inkwell gave her a look that was normally reserved for parents dealing with unsure children. “Rainbow Dash, for years we have served as your mentors and guardians whether you realize it or not. Up to this moment and beyond we will still serve as that. You are in no danger here. You are among friends.”
Rainbow eased up slightly at her words. “Fine.”
“I wanna go with Red Letter!” shouted an excited Pinkie Pie as she skipped over to the Reactionary agent.
“Good choice!” she said as she placed an arm around the pink girl.
“I suppose I’ll go with Professor Inkwell. I’m a bit intrigued at how you’ve managed to keep a secret this big from everyone,” said Rarity as she approached the professor. Inkwell nodded in kind as she approached. “Would you like to come with, Fluttershy?”
The yellow girls eyes were downcast as she mumbled, “Um, actually I think I want to go see the Medical division. They help people.” She shrank as she noticed the surprised look Rarity gave her.
The fashionista smiled warmly at her friend then turned to Top Form. “You will take care of her, of course?”
Top Form returned the smile. “You have my word.” She reached out a hand towards Fluttershy who gingerly accepted it.
“Ah think I’ll go with Inator over here. You guys do tech, right?” asked Applejack.
Inator nodded. “Yup.”
“Then Ah think Ah’d like to see what ya’ll got down here.”
“I’m going with Pinkie and Red, then,” said Rainbow. “Seriously, you guys were awesome earlier.”
“Glad to have you on board kid. You weren’t so bad yourself zipping around the place like nobody’s business. Takes guts to do that against a Class 7.”
Rainbow beamed at the praise. “Well, what can I say?”
After agreeing to meet back up later, Red, Pinkie and Dash went through the southeast corridor, Fluttershy and Top Form took the northeast, Rarity and Inkwell the northwest, and Applejack and Inator the southwest.
Rarity enjoyed her walk through the halls far more than Inkwell thought she would. She was aware that the young girl had a taste for the refined but she never knew that she really appreciated it. It warmed her heart to know that class and elegance would live on.
“You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Oh, yes. I must say that this place is exquisite. Such beauty and grandeur and for a long time it was all literally underneath my feet.” As she scanned the walls, she noticed yet another familiar face. “Professor, I’ve been meaning to ask, why do so many people here seem so familiar?”
“That’s because they are.”
“Pardon?”
“It has something to do with the blazers that all agents wear.”
“Ah. Functional and stylish.”
Inkwell chuckled. “Indeed. The blazer is laced with special enchantments that project an illusion of sorts onto sleepers. But the mind is a complicated thing, and on some level, be it physical or magical, your subconscious can still see past the glamour.”
“Why haven’t you tried to stamp the problem out?”
“It’s too variable. The way its detected tends to differ from person to person making phasing the problem out all but impossible unless we account for every possibility.”
Rarity nodded in understanding. “So I take it this was something that your division created? The, what was it? Obfuscation?”
“Yes. With the help of the Magitek division, of course.”
The two turned a corner and came face-to-face with a large, black, ornate door. Despite its haunting and ominous presence, Rarity noted that you wouldn’t actually notice it unless you turned that particular corner. If you didn’t know it existed, you would never know it did.
The doors opened and the pair stepped inside to a simple, adequately lit hallway that had several doorways on either side that were generously spaced apart. A few blue coats exited one room, only to enter another. The pair began to walk down the hall.
“This the west wing of the Canterlot Control Center: the operations center of the Obfuscation Division,” said Inkwell.
They stopped at the first doorway. Through it, Rarity could see several cubicles wherein sat blue coats, surrounded by floating, pink tinted screens that displayed a variety of text, glyphs, runes, and other magical paraphernalia.
“This is where we can access the archives for references and research.”
“So it’s an electronic library?”
“Essentially.”
Rarity nodded as the two made their way to the next doorway on the right. Inside was another hallway with even more doors. Inkwell motioned for Rarity to follow her within.
“I think this will be more up your speed. These are workstations where you can try out new applications of your magic, or make and test little creations be it a gadget or apparel.”
The two were looking through the window of the first workroom. Inside, a blue coat and a red coat were inspecting a grey blazer being worn by a mannequin.
“These two are working on modifications for a specialized version of the jackets,” said Inkwell.
When the red nodded to the blue, she took several steps back. The blue then approached a table and put on a pair of white gloves. He raised his arms in the direction of the mannequin. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the mannequin vanished into thin air.
“Oh my!” exclaimed Rarity. “Now that is impressive.”
The red coat wore a huge grin, but lost it the moment she saw the strain on the blue’s face. Her eyes then shot open as she curled down to the floor. Even the blue dropped his hands and ducked. The mannequin reappeared right before it disintegrated into a shower of sparks and electricity.
“Looks like they still have a few kinks to iron out,” said Inkwell.
The professor led the designer to a particular room at the end of the hall. She opened the door and the two stepped inside. The leftmost wall had several bolts of fabric with several shades of the four divisions’ colors. On the side opposite the door were two well-maintained, high-quality, industry level sewing machines. The rightmost wall had a large empty table, ideal for handling large patterns and reams of cloth.
Rarity was in her element.
Inkwell approached the table and brought out a tablet from one of the drawers. She presented it to Rarity. “You are a designer, are you not? I also know that you are one to pay attention to the tiniest details, if the reports you submitted to me for the experiments we did in class are any indication.”
Rarity took the gadget. On it were the patterns and cuts for two blazers. What caught her eye, though, were the extremely detailed instructions for several embroideries that subtly covered on of them. They were tiny and practically unseen yet it was obvious that they were to be given priority. She looked to the instructor.
“Why don’t you try making both? I’m sure someone of your calibre would have no problem with it.”
Rarity took another look at the designs one more time before approaching the various cloth on the rack. She picked three shades of blue and rolled the first—the darkest—onto the table. Grabbing some tailor’s chalk from the drawer, she began to trace the pattern onto the cloth using only her eye for scaling. It came out perfectly. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut out the respective patterns. Rolling up the remnants and placing them aside, she grabbed the next shade and repeated the motions.
Once the cuts from the three shades were finished, she brought out some embroidery materials. Using thread the same shade as the cloth, she began to mimic, in precise detail, the patterns displayed on the tablet’s screen.
As she read through the instructions, she realized that each stitch had to be accounted for in a very exact manner. Even the angle from which the thread was to enter the cloth was important. It had taken her just over two hours, but she was done with the embroideries.
She took a moment to breath when she noticed that Inkwell was still in the room with her. She received a nod from the older woman and got to work on putting the pieces all together. This process was much more straightforward. When she finished the first—the one with no embroideries—she stood up and turned to find that Inkwell had set up two mannequins for her to use. After she fitted the first blazer, she got to work on the other.
Ten minutes later, two mannequins wearing two nearly identical blazers. Inkwell turned to Rarity. “There are two white, silk gloves on the bottom shelf of the table. I want you to put them on.”
The designer complied and found that the two gloves fit perfectly. Almost as if they were tailored to her hand’s contours.
“Now grasp the shoulders of the one with the embroidered patterns. I want you to think of safety and security. Think of anything that makes you feel protected.”
She placed her hands on its shoulders as instructed. Tears began to form at the edges of Rarity’s eyes as she thought of one particularly potent memory. Her eyes were closed so she did not see the tiny embroidered patterns emit a short, blue flash of light. She let go of the mannequin and took a step back.
Inkwell smiled at her before she approached the desk. She pulled out a pair of gloves, similar to what Rarity was wearing, from her coat pocket. Rarity noticed that the patterns on Inkwell’s varied slightly from what she was using.
The professor placed her hand above the table such that a definite shadow formed on the surface. The black shade twisted around and reformed itself into the silhouette of a particularly menacing dagger. Inkwell then grabbed the two dimensional projection which turned it into a three dimensional weapon.
“Professor?” Rarity asked cautiously.
“I do apologize in advance for this.” Inkwell brought the knife to bear on the blazer with no embroidery. It cut like a hot knife through butter. A large gash now went through the entire left side of the dark blue blazer.
Rarity’s mouth fell open. “Professor?!”
Before she could say any more, Inkwell raised her knife and attacked the other. Just before the blade made contact, it stopped. Not by Inkwell’s choice, Rarity noted. The professor had not let up and was actively still pressing onto the cloth. She took a step closer and noticed that there was still a tiny sliver of air between the knife’s edge and the magical cloth. When she squinted, she noticed that there was also a tiny amount of light that was acting as a barrier for her work.
After a few moments, Inkwell relented. “Impressive. Whatever thoughts you poured into this were potent.”
Rarity blushed. She would never tell what it was, but she agreed that the memory was indeed potent. “Thank you, professor.”
“How did you even manage to fit all of this in here?!” asked Rainbow, her expression dumbfounded.
Right before her was a full track and field with various sport and exercise equipment scattered around the green grass. A number of people were jogging around the track whilst a few used the available things. Above was the gorgeous blue of a calm, cloudless day. The only problem she had with this was that they were still deep beneath the ground in the eastern wing of the Canterlot Control Center.
Red Letter placed a hand on her shoulder. “Our people just really know how to maximize interior space.”
Rainbow wasn’t buying it. She pointed above. “That’s the sky!”
Red rolled her eyes. “Fine. We have agents who are pretty good with spatial magic. While everything you see here is actually here and isn’t an illusion of any kind, it also isn’t obeying the conventional laws of physics.”
That she could buy. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. I was never really much for the egghead stuff anyway.”
“Why don’t you give yourself a quick warm up with a couple of laps.”
Excitement returned to her features. “With pleasure.” She turned and ran—
—at a surprisingly normal pace. She looked to her feet before her eyes shot open. She looked at Red with a twisted expression and stomped towards her. “Okay, what did that little machine of yours do to me?!” she demanded.
Red tilted her head slightly at the question before remembering that Rainbow and her friends were all newly awakened. “That’s the effect of the stabilization process.”
“You took it away?”
“No! When someone gains access to their magic, their body isn’t used to dealing with that level of energy so they tend to, unintentionally, warp the world around them. Stabilization is meant to equalize your internal energies and make it safe for you to keep on existing,” she assured her.
“So I can still go super fast like I was earlier?” asked Rainbow.
“Of course,” Red said as she nodded. “You just need to be wearing these.” She raised her hands to show off her pair of white, silken gloves.
“And where can I get those?”
“You can use my spare first.” Red pulled out a pair of the gloves that she had folded on the inside pocket of her grey blazer. “Eventually you’ll get your own personalized ones from the Magitek division.”
She tossed the gloves over to Rainbow who eagerly put them on the moment she caught them. She flexed her hands as she took notice of the tiny symbols on the gloves. “So how do I use them? Do I say something like, ‘gloves activate’ or ‘startup’ or whatever?”
Red snorted. “No, silly. For you it would be best if you envisioned speed. You're an athlete so that shouldn't be too difficult since you know the feeling. As cheesy as this sounds, you have to put the thrill of speed into your heart. Know it from the bottom of your being.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked, flatly.
Red sighed as she once again rolled her eyes. “I know it sounds sappy, but just trust me on this. It’ll work.”
Rainbow shook her head in disbelief as she positioned herself. She started running as she thought of what Red told her. Get the feeling of speed in my heart? she thought. How the hay am I even supposed to do that? After the first few meters of her going at her normal—but nonetheless impressive—pace, she closed her eyes and started to think about what it felt like when she first went all out that morning. The thrill of going ninety miles an hour. The euphoria of the speed. The wind cutting through her hair, tingling the nerves on her scalp.
She started to feel something. She opened her eyes and saw that the world around her was starting blur. She looked down and saw that her feet were once again gliding across the ground. The feeling in her heart intensified and so did her speed. She started to figure that this was alot easier than she first thought.
Red smiled as she noticed Rainbow’s speed increase exponentially. She turned around and saw Sweet Melody talking to Pinkie Pie. As she approached the pair, she heard the tail end of a conversation that clearly needed more context.
“-then you would need several tons of butter to even begin all of that,” countered Melody.
“Not unless you bypass the saturation requirement. It’s pretty easy to accomplish with asparagus,” asserted Pinkie
“Alright, ladies. Sorry to interrupt but I need to have a talk with Pinkie Pie here.” Red approached Pinkie as Sweet Melody left to contemplate what her new friend said. “So apparently you’re some kind of precog?”
“I think so. I get these little, itty bitty feelings around my body and they mean little things. Like when my chin is itchy, I think it means to check the door.”
Red held her chin in fascination. “So what about when you were dodging that chimaera’s attacks?”
“That one was weird. I wasn’t able to catch all the signals too clearly since it was all happening so fast but I do know that this feeling in my tummy kept telling me to move in a certain direction.”
Several thoughts and ideas came about in Red’s mind about what this newbie’s powers meant. Before she could act any further, though, she would need to see it in action. “Would it be okay for you to demonstrate it? A quick, harmless sparring match should do nicely.”
Pinkie, to Red’s surprise, accepted. She was even smiling as she said, “Sure, it’ll be fun!”
“So what’ll you take? Spear? Sword? Bow? Machine Gun?” aske Red as she approached the wall of training weaponry.
“Nothing!” Pinkie declared, happily.
Red skidded to a stop. “Nothing?”
“Yup! Totally sure!”
“Okaaay.” Red wondered what this girl was getting onto. “Sweets, lend your spare pair, will you?”
Sweet Melody approached the bouncy pink girl and handed her a pair of white gloves. Pinkie put them on and stretched out her fingers, observing the tiny details that covered the gloves. When she was ready, she balled her hands into fists and faced Red Letter. “Ready when you are.”
Red Letter grinned as she brought out her red saber, taking care to dull the blade as it manifested. The two stared each other down.
Red sprang forward, blade in the air, and shot straight towards Pinkie. Her vision closed in around her pink target when suddenly, she disappeared. “Huh?” She looked left, then right. Pinkie had vanished. She felt a finger tap her shoulder. She glanced behind and jumped as two, upside down, blue eyes stared at hers.
“Hey, Red.”
Red Letter brought her sword around to strike but was too late. Turning around, she saw Pinkie tilting back and forth on her heels as she looked at her. She raised an eyebrow as she eyed the mysterious pink girl. She ran towards her and brought her sword up to bear, only to end up hitting empty air once more.
Sweet Melody was baffled as she watched the two go at it. She was amazed at the way Pinkie defied the laws of reality so casually with Red hopelessly swinging her saber around in an attempt to hit her.
The one-sided fight went on for several more minutes with Red getting progressively exasperated. Pinkie, meanwhile, still maintained her smile.
Red’s breathing had become significantly faster as she scanned for her pink opponent. This was, by far, the strangest version of Body magic she had ever seen.
“Mind, Body and Heart?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yes. Those are the three types of harmony magic and each person is only capable of one type. The only exceptions are Central Officer Celestia, her sister Overseer Luna, and North Officer Cadence. They have access to all three types.” answered Top Form.
The two of them were having ice cream in the lounge of the Medical Bay.
“How do you know which kind you use?” asked Fluttershy.
“It depends on how you use your magic.” Top Form was relieved somewhat. When they were walking through the corridors, she could be forgiven for thinking that Fluttershy was a mute. Thankfully, she started to open up when they entered the reception area of the Med Bay.
She showed her around the diagnosis rooms, the analysis rooms, but what really got her out of her shell were the restoration chambers. In it were the animals that had been unwillingly transformed into various dangerous magical anomalies. The moment they entered, Fluttershy dropped her shyness and immediately rushed to a particularly beat up looking puppy.
She picked up its head and looked the poor thing in the eye. The agent stationed there, Tenderheart, approached her with concern. She explained that the puppy had a particularly nasty transformation into a chupacabra and had to be taken down with considerable force. The dog looked at Fluttershy and gave a particularly pained yowl.
She seemed to have gotten a lot more information from that than Top Form did as she immediately asked Tenderheart for a number of drugs and couple of syringes. Tenderheart looked to Top as if asking for confirmation. When she nodded, Tenderheart gathered the requested medicines while Fluttershy washed her hands and placed on some surgical gloves.
Fluttershy went to work, measuring precise amounts of the various drugs and injecting it into equally various parts of the puppy’s anatomy. When she was finished, she looked at the puppy again. Top Form could swear she saw the dog smile. Curious, she grabbed a pair of white silk gloves that were on a nearby table.
She approached Fluttershy and asked her to switch the surgical for the silk. She complied and asked her what they were for. Top instructed her to place two fingers just above the dogs eyes and her other palm just above its heart. When her fingers were in position, she told Fluttershy to form a mental image of the puppy and to make it as precise as her imagination could.
She gasped and withdrew her hands as she looked to Top Form. She tole her that she could imagine a sort of outline of the dog and could see streams of light flowing around it. She could also sense that something was wrong with a few of them. Top nodded and asked her to join her for ice cream. Fluttershy gave a small smile as she followed Top Form out of the room.
They made their way to a different room with several tables and chairs. A few white coats were conversing at one table, but otherwise, the room was empty. Top directed Fluttershy to a table in the corner while she approached a dispenser built into the far wall. She came back with two particularly tantalizing vanilla sundaes with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top.
“The perfect example would be the way you felt what was wrong with the little puppy. You said that you could feel its pain. That you could feel that there was something wrong with it on the inside.
“That’s Heart magic at work. When I do diagnoses, I can’t feel it the way you do, but I easily visualize it in my head. That’s because I use Mind magic.”
“So what about body magic?”
“I wouldn’t know, but they say that they can physically feel what’s wrong.”
“So what if the person they’re checking has a broken bone or something equally serious?”
Top shrugged. “I really don’t know, but they seem fine when they had to check on such injuries.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Technically, you just did and have been for the past few minutes,” Top teased. When she noticed Fluttershy retreat back into herself, she immediately added, “I’m kidding of course. I’m here to help you so just ask away.”
Slowly sitting up straight again, Fluttershy asked, “What were those gloves you made me wear? I noticed that plenty of you seem to be wearing them, as well”
“Did you notice the tiny embroidered runes on them?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“Well,” Red continued. “Since stabilization tones down raw magical power, we need a different way to access our reserves. The gloves are enchanted such that all those tiny runes can tap into our internal streams of energy.
“The streams are essentially the lines of light you saw when you held the dog earlier.”
“I see.” Fluttershy finished off the remnants of her sundae and pushed the bowl aside. “Could we see more of your division? If you don’t mind, that is.”
Top grinned as she pushed aside her own empty bowl.
Applejack was in her own personal paradise. At least, one version of it. It definitely wasn’t the one with apples. Inator had escorted her to Magitek Lab 1. It was a large room with various machines of all shapes and sizes doing jobs that ranged from forming and shaping various materials to conveyor belts that brought finished products elsewhere.
“Welcome to the fabrication center,” declared Inator proudly. “As you can imagine, finalized designs for gadgets and gizmos from our division, and sometimes specialized equipment from the others, go here where they are turned into real things.”
Applejack gave an awed whistle. “Mighty impressive setup you got here.”
“Thanks.” He guided them down a catwalk and through the various machinery. “I take it you’ve dabbled in things like this before?”
“Yeah,” Applejack admitted. “But never something on this scale, o’ course.”
“If that’s the case, I think I know exactly where to bring you.”
The two skirted past the labyrinth of machines until they were at a set of double doors on the opposite side of the room. They went through and found themselves in another hall that had several garage sized workshop beside each other.
“These are part of the R&D section. Red coats come here to design and develop the prototypes of any kind of gadget they’re working on,” said Inator.
Applejack looked to the officer. “So any of you can just come here and start building?”
“Pretty much. We aren’t that strict on things, so long as it isn’t life threatening. We like to encourage creativity amongst our ranks.”
The two had reached an unoccupied workshop and entered it. As far as workshops go, it was standard fare. A table with metal plating on top sat on one side and had various scratches and burn marks on it. One wall had a large corkboard, no doubt for hanging blueprints, whilst the other held a wide variety of tools.
Some of the tools were things Applejack was well acquainted with like various power saws, hand saws, hammers, and rulers. There were also some things that were absolutely alien to her. One thing that stood out was a small, shiny metallic cylinder with grooves along its length. It also had a green crystal-like substance on one end the emitted a faint, eerie glow.
“I know that look.” Inator’s words broke Applejack from her reverie. “It’s the look a kid gets when he has a new toy.”
She looked to the scientist. “Whaddaya mean?”
“You got the bug, kid.” He pointed to the wall of tools. “You wanna create something. It doesn’t matter what, you just want to make something. Especially now with such a variety of tools, even ones you’ve never ever seen, available.”
Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but closed it a moment later when she realized something. “I guess you’re right. You know, Ah always thought Ah was meant to run the family farm, like all the Apples before me. But the day that Ah got that letter invitin’ me here to Canterlot High, I got to thinkin’ that maybe there was more for me.
“Lemme tell ya, this place expanded my horizons. Education back in Ponyville is all well and good, but it ain’t nothin’ compared to what ya’ll got here in the capital. This is where Ah fell in love with machines, to be honest. Ah always loved the way all the pieces, even the tiniest ones, fit so perfectly together. For me, it just made sense.”
Inator observer the young girl for a moment. “I can sympathize. Before I was awakened I used to spend my days endlessly playing with this teal platypus that always came to my building. We used to pretend that he was a secret agent sent to stop me and I was an evil scientist. Even back then I used to build amazing things. They weren’t particularly useful, though. One time I remember building a machine that literally did nothing but blow itself up.
“Then one day, I felt something different. I started building things like crazy. Not only that, but they actually had a purpose. The next day, two agents from the Reactionary Division knocked at my door. They explained things to me and demonstrated some of their abilities. They offered to take me to their base. Who was I to refuse? Apparently I’d just found my companions.
“I’ve been with them ever since. Eventually I rose through the ranks until I became, well, this.” He raised his arm and brought attention to the cream colored band on his sleeve.
Applejack looked closely at the band. She didn’t find anything particularly outstanding about it like the gloves. “What does that even mean anyway?”
“It means I’m the Canterlot Magitek Officer. I’m the highest authority of this division here in Canterlot.”
“So that means that Professor Inkwell is-”
“The Canterlot Obfuscation Officer.”
Applejack thought about this for a moment. “So Principal Celestia’s jacket that’s completely beige means that she’s the head honcho of eveythin’?”
Inator nodded. “Anyway, enough about that. Why don’t we go check out some more of our gadgets and gizmos. I’ll even show you some the things designed for use by the Harmony Agents.”
Violet eyes shot open as their owner gasped for breath. Twilight Sparkle breathed deeply for a moment before calming down. She scanned the room and found herself inside one of the recovery rooms in the medical bay. She also found herself under the gaze of her mentor whose eyes she noticed were scrunched together in obvious worry.
“Are you okay? How are you feeling Twilight?” Celestia asked.
“I’m okay, Central,” Twilight said. “What happened? The last thing I remember was feeling this wave of despair wash over me, but then that feeling was almost immediately washed out by this feeling of calm.”
“Project Harmony reacted to your feelings, just I always thought it might. Do you remember what was happening when you got those feelings?”
Twilight thought for a moment. “We were watching the girls from last night. They accidentally brought about a Class 7 chimaera by being together.” Her eyes widened slightly. “Then it had Applejack pinned and was about to...you know.”
Celestia gave a small nod. “That’s when it happened. You started to emit an aura that, I believe, resonated perfectly with the Element of Magic. Adding to that was that it was someone who had resonated with the Element of Honesty who was in danger. Essentially, I think Project Harmony’s defence mechanisms came into effect.”
“So what does that mean?”
Celestia smiled. “It means that you, my dear Twilight, along with those five girls are destined to become the Agents of Harmony.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped as her eyes widened even more. “Bu-bu-bu-”
Celestia placed a finger on young agent’s lips. “Breathe, Twilight. I need you awake for this next part.”
Twilight’s breathing was getting increasingly labored. “There’s a next part?”
“Of course,” Celestia began. “Being one of the six agents means more than just resonating with your own element. It also means that you need to learn to synchronize with your teammates. The six of you would have to work in harmony with each other.”
“I think that goes without saying, Central.”
“Indeed. But that brings us to the next thing you have to do. Befriending them. There is no better way to understand how you can work together than by using the inherent magic in a bond of friendship.”
Twilight stared at her mentor. “But that means that I have to meet them, and get to know them. What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m boring or lame or-”
Celestia interrupted her again. “Twilight. There is a reason that the five of them bonded so easily with your counterpart. You may be surprised how easily you could accomplish the same.”
Twilight was even less convinced. Her counterpart was perfect as far as she was concerned and she was...not. “But what if it really just doesn’t work out between us?”
“Then there is only one way we can really find out.”
Twilight heard the distinct sound of at least six pairs of feet approaching the door to her room.
“Who exactly does Principal Celestia want us to see here?” said a familiarly raspy voice through the door.
Celestia approached the door as it received two polite knocks. She opened the door slightly and peeked out. She said something to the visitors, too quietly for Twilight to hear. The door opened all the way revealing five very surprised faces.
“Why? Why do I have to do this?” asked Twilight Sparkle.
“Oh, come on, Twiley. It’s not that bad,” said Shining Armor.
“Yes it is.”
“You’ll be able to spend more time with your new friends.”
Twilight snorted. “I don’t think they count me as a friend.”
“Which all the more justifies you having to do this.”
Twilight went over to sulk on a large, brown chair that sat just beside a large bookcase. She and Shining Armor were inside the study of Illumina Mansion, their family's ancestral home.
A knock on the door sounded and in walked Night Light, the father of the siblings. He had dark blue skin, and a tuft of bluer hair. He approached his daughter and gave her a reassuring tap on the shoulder. “Come now, my little spark. You know this is something you have to do.”
Twilight looked to her father with big eyes. “Do I really have to?”
“You know it’s for the best.”
Twilight shifted her gaze.
Night Light frowned slightly. “Remember when you used to tell me that you were going to be one of the greatest agents in history? This is your chance to do that and so much more, my little spark. You’re going to be a Harmony Agent, something even I could never hope to accomplish.”
Twilight looked back to her father, former Overseer Night Light. “It’s just...I’m scared.”
Night’s gaze softened. “What frightens you, my spark?”
“What if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t get along with them? What if they don’t like me? What happens to Project Harmony then?” Twilight started hyperventilating.
“Twilight.” Night’s voice echoed through the chamber. Twilight relaxed.
“First of all,” he continued, “when have you ever not gotten along with someone? You are a very friendly and approachable young girl. Second, what’s not to like about you, my little spark?” He lifted his daughter’s chin so her eyes looked into his. “Finally, when have you ever failed a task given by Central? Never, that’s when. You’ll do wonderfully even in this one.”
Twilight took a deep breath and stood up straight. Her eyes were filled with renewed determination as she stood up from the chair. “You’re right, dad. Thanks.” The pair shared a warm hug. When they finished, Twilight nodded to Shining Armor and the two of them made their way to the garage.
They got into Shining’s convertible and drove off into the city of Canterlot.
“So are you excited?” Shining asked with a grin.
“Not really,” replied his sister.
“Well, like I said, it won’t be as bad as you think. It’ll be your first time too. Frankly, I think it’s about time you did something ‘normal.’”
“Are you kidding me? They’ll tear me apart! Haven’t you ever seen the films? Or the literature? They’ll gobble me up and be done with me!”
He gave her a flat look.
“What? If they all say that then there must be a spectre of truth in it.”
“I guess, but not there. And really, Twiley? Those ridiculous movies are usually way off the mark. Not only that, but you and I both know that everyone there is inherently different. I doubt you’d be getting problems like that.”
Twilight didn’t answer. Instead, she just sulked in her chair.
After several minutes of silence, they arrived at their destination. Twilight got off the vehicle and stared at the ominous structure before her. She gulped and took one last look at Shining Armor. He gave her a friendly wave as he said, “Have fun at school, Twiley!”
She made her way to the dreaded doors of doom. She knew that once she went through, there would be no turning back. She would be a student at Canterlot High. A student.
She entered the building. The halls were empty.
“Huh?” she asked to no one in particular.
A voice from her right called her attention.
“I admit, Agent Sparkle, I did not expect you would actually go along with this,” said Overseer Luna. She was tall, only slightly smaller than her sister, Celestia. Like her sister, her face was youthful but with eyes that told the story of the ages; but unlike her sister, her skin was a light shade of indigo. Her hair was a wavy, deep shade of blue that resembled the night sky more than it did actual hair.
She approached Twilight Sparkle with a stern look. “Nevertheless, you being here means that you have agreed to become a student. That means that you are under my jurisdiction when you are within these walls. As both your superior and your vice-principal, I find your tardiness to be unacceptable to the standards of this school.”
Twilight was frozen in place, trying her best to avoid Luna’s gaze.
“However.” The Overseer’s visage lightened and she smiled. “As your friend, I can understand your anxieties and I want you to know that both my sister and I are here for you. Even the entire faculty, all of them being agents, are on your side Twilight. We know your purpose and we want to see you and those girls succeed.”
Twilight stood in shock before breaking into a smile all her own. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Luna smirked. “But you are seriously late. It’ll be second period in three, two, one.”
Bells around the school sang their song.
“I suggest you get to class,” Luna said before she turned to leave.
Twilight brought out her phone to check her schedule. Chemistry, she thought. This shouldn’t be so bad. The moment she thought it, the halls began to echo as the ground started to shake. Suddenly, the doors to the rooms burst open letting out wave after wave of students into the halls.
With eyes wide as plates, Twilight turned and rushed to her classroom in attempt to avoid the crowd as much as possible. She turned the corner to the hall where her room was. Her face contorted when she found the hall filled with her fellow students. Pushing and squeezing her way through the crowd, she finally managed to enter the room. The room had three long tables horizontally arranged that had several small pipes running along it. A large chalkboard sat in front.
The first thing she saw when she regained herself was her classmates. In the rear were two active agents. They gave her a subtle nod in greeting. Closer to the front was the very thing she had been dreading all morning. The other five Harmony Agents. Four of them had eyes as wide as hers as they stared at her. Only Pinkie Pie seemed unfazed as she smiled and waved to Twilight.
The silence that befell the room would have gone on had the teacher not cleared her throat and gotten everybody’s attention. Twilight turned her head and realized that this was Agent Inkwell’s chemistry class.
She approached her and smiled. “Ah, you must be the transfer. I’ve been expecting you, young lady. Would you like to introduce yourself to the class before we begin?”
Twilight Sparkle approached the center-front of the room. She looked to her classmates and introduced herself. “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m new here. I just transfered here from, uh.” She hesitated for a moment. She knew she had to make something up, something believable. “I’m from Manehattan. My family moved here and I guess I’m here now too.” She ended with a weak chuckle.
Professor Inkwell nodded. “Very good. It is nice to meet you, Miss Sparkle. Please find a seat so that we may begin.”
Twilight’s heart nearly stopped. She noticed that there were two empty seats. One was in the third row, whilst the other was beside Rarity in the front row. She took a step forward as she considered her choices. Another step, a bead of sweat made its way down her face. Another step, her heart was racing. Another step, she thought her legs would buckle from her weight.
She sat in the back.
Her face was blank as she absently watched Inkwell go on about acids and bases. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rainbow Dash turn and look at her with an eyebrow raised high. She gulped. This was going to be a long day.
The day before, Twilight Sparkle was observing the cafeteria of Canterlot High, watching students mingle and otherwise hangout. The thought had crossed her mind on more than one occasion on what it would be like to be there with your peers, not having to worry about things like manticores and chimaeras attacking.
She had a vague feeling of what it was like to be with your peers, but she still worried about monster attacks. She sat alone at her table as she stared at the meatball she was pushing around on her plate.
“Excuse me?” said a voice from behind her.
She turned and found, to her surprise, Fluttershy. The yellow girl was carrying with her a tray with two bowls of mixed fruits.
“Hi there,” she said. “Would you mind if I sit with you?”
“No,” Twilight said, unsure of what exactly was going on. “Go right ahead.”
Fluttershy pulled the chair beside Twilight and got settled in. Once she was, she grabbed one of the bowls and offered it to Twilight. “Would you like one? They’re really yummy”
With one eyebrow slightly raised, Twilight accepted the kind offer. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem,” she said with a smile.
The two ate in utter silence for the next few moments. Finally, Twilight decided to speak up. “So, Fluttershy, you like animals…right?”
After she swallowed what was in her mouth, Fluttershy replied, “Oh yes. I take care of a number of the animals in Canterlot. The shelters in the city just don’t have the resources to manage them all, so I help in what ways I can.”
“Well that’s very noble of you.”
“Thank you.”
The two returned to their meals. The silence between them seemed boundless. It revealed its limitations only when someone new had arrived to their table.
It was Rarity. “Good afternoon, Fluttershy.” She paused and took a good look at the girl beside her. “Twilight. Would it be alright for me to accompany you for lunch?”
Twilight, with brows slightly furrowed, said, “Please, go ahead.”
“Thank you.” She sat across from Twilight.
Silence befell the three once more as they ate. The weight of the situation was starting reflect in their eyes. Rarity paid far more attention than was necessary to the pasta she was twirling around her fork. Her eyes darted around the room every once in a while as if they were searching for something.
Twilight finally picked up the meatball with her own fork and was instead lathering it in the sauce on her plate. Her eyes remained downcast, only stealing a glance at either of the two every once in a while.
Fluttershy took another bite of her salad. She cringed when the crunch of some of the fruits produced a sound that she felt was much too loud for the situation.
Rarity released a long sigh. “I suppose it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Twilight…”
The aforementioned cringed at her name. She looked to the designer’s stern expression. A bead of sweat slowly made its way down her face.
Rarity continued. “The other day, my friends and I bonded with a mysterious girl who was actually a pony from a magical dimension. We became the best of friends and helped her win back her crown. Together, we defeated some kind of evil abomination that was our classmate.” She paused and looked Twilight in the eye. “You are not her.”
Twilight sunk into her chair. Her eyes were downcast as she looked away.
Rarity gave off another sigh. “You are yourself. Which is why I suppose I should stop thinkning that you are her.” She extended her hand towards Twilight.
Twilight raised her head and looked at Rarity. Her mouth was hanging open as she stared at the open palm. Slowly, she lifted her own hand and took Rarity’s. Her lips began to curl upwards as she saw the smile that Rarity gave her. Her eyes watered slightly as she recognized the look in Rarity’s eyes. She had only ever saw it once before. On Central Officer Celestia.
“It’s nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Oh girls!” Fluttershy cried. She grabbed the two and pulled them into an impromptu hug over the table.
As the final bell of the day rang, Rainbow Dash and Applejack arrived at their neighboring lockers at the same time.
“Hey, Rainbow. You ready for this?”
“I guess.” She opened her locker and pulled out a brand new, custom-fit grey blazer with a pair of nicely-pressed dark jeans. Carefully folded inside the jacket’s breast pocket were two white, silk gloves. She looked at the article of clothing. “You know, on some level, I actually still can’t believe this is happening.”
“Ah know whatcha mean,” said Applejack as she held her her own outfit: a red blazer complemented by a pair of black slacks.
The pair entered the closest bathroom and came out dressed as official agents of MLP. They made their way down a hallway until they reached one of the schools lecture halls. The wall where the black boards stood was occupied by two large elevator doors. Spread around the room were other people, some they had known to be students, others were faculty they had never met. As they passed through the room, they exchanged nods and smiles with their fellow agents.
The two of them were the only ones going down and so they had the elevator to themselves.
“Who would’ve guessed that all our teachers were actually pretty awesome?”
“Ah know. Hay, even Mr. Integrator’s one of them agents.”
The elevator dropped them off in a hallway, at the end of which was the grand atrium. They approached the center as they silently admired the details woven into the facilities design. There weren’t as many agents in the facility today as there were yesterday. Most likely because it was a relatively quiet day without any Class 7 emergencies popping up in the city. As such, besides the guards, the only other person in the atrium was their friend, Pinkie Pie.
“Hey girls!” she called out.
“Have the others arrived yet?” asked Applejack.
“Nope. They’re still changing into their outfits,” Pinkie replied as she pulled on the collar of her own grey blazer.
“You were with them?” asked Rainbow.
“Nope!”
Rainbow nodded. “Ah, I get it. Pinkie Sense?”
“Yup! Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight’ll be here in seven and a half minutes.”
“Twilight?” said the cowgirl and the athlete as they gave each other a look.
“Mmm Hmm. They’ve been hanging out since lunch.”
“Well. That’s...nice,” was all Rainbow Dash managed to say. “Let’s go, Pinkie. Red Letter must already be waiting for us in the training center.”
“Huh? I don’t-”
“No, Pinkie,” Rainbow said with gritted teeth. “I’m sure she’s there waiting. Let’s go.” Not waiting for her, she grabbed Pinkie and stormed off into the southeast hallway.
With a shrug, Applejack decided to head to her new division as well.
Eventually, Rainbow released Pinkie and let her walk beside her. That was when Pinkie noticed the lines on Rainbow’s forehead as she glared at the air in front of them as they walked.
“Rainbow, what’s the matter?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“I suppose,” Pinkie mused. “But I think we both know I’m just going to keep bugging you until you finally decide to talk to your Auntie Pinkie Pie.”
Rainbow directed her glare towards her friend. “I doubt it...Okay, maybe. But not now, alright? Let’s talk about this later.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Rainbow.” Pinkie said reassuringly, a large smile plastered on her face.
A long hallway preceded the underground open court of the training center. There were two large doors on either side that led to the male and female locker and relaxation rooms of the reactionary division. Standing in the middle of the hall was Agent Red Letter. She leaned against the wall as she observed her charges approach.
“Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Hiya!” said Pinkie as she bounced forward.
“Hey, Red. So about what I talked to you about yesterday, were they able to make it?” asked Rainbow.
Red smirked. “Of course they were. Although, I admit it was a strange request. Even the Magitek folks thought so.” She handed Rainbow a thin, black, leathery belt.
“Awesome!” Rainbow exclaimed. She grabbed the belt and wrapped it around her waist, on top of her blazer. After examining how it looked for a moment, she grasped the belt as if to pull it off.
Red grabbed Rainbow’s wrist before she could do what she wanted. “Not here, kiddo. Training Center. I’ll show you the Simulation Room.”
“Simula-”
“It does exactly what the name implies,” said Red flatly.
The three entered the open area. Much like the rest of Canterlot Control, the training area was relatively devoid of people. Only a few agents were there, exercising and refining their techniques. One such agent was Sweet Melody. She slowly moved her limbs around her, drawing figures and shapes in the air. On occasion, she bent her knee and performed a sweeping motion with her upper body. Finally, she ended with her body upright and her gloved hands in prayer pose.
She retracted her right hand and performed an uppercut in the air in front of her. A large, blue, crystal-like barrier formed just ahead of her. She opened up the same hand, brought it back to her, and pushed towards the barrier. It was sent flying forwards, violently pushing the air in front of it. Using her other hand, she repeated the motion to her left. LIkewise, the blue shield flew through the air. She brought her back to her sides and exhaled.
“Sweets!” called Pinkie
Sweet Melody turned around with a smile. “Hey, Pinkie!”
As the two new friends walked off, Rainbow and Red approached a large door to the right. It slid open and into a large, empty room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were illuminated as if they had lights under them.
“Now you can bring your new toy out,” said Red.
“Awesome.” Rainbow grasped her belt and built in her mind the image of what it should be. When she found out that reactionary agents could have whatever weapon they could choose, she knew exactly what she wanted. She pulled and the leather just below her hand snapped, allowing her to pull it free. As it circled around her, the leather at her hand wrapped around and solidified into a guard. The rest of the belt extended until it was a good four feet long. The leather then took on a shiny, metallic appearance that glinted in the light of the room. Rather than solidify, the metal retained its flexibility allowing her to whip it around in several arcs before finally letting it rest beside her.
Rainbow looked at the aara in her hand and grinned. “Now this is cool.”
“They also attuned it to your magic, that way it’ll be easier for you to control, and that you don’t accidentally hurt yourself when you’re swinging it around.”
Rainbow waved it around as she adjusted to its weight. Using her speed, she made several laps around the room, all the while watching her weapon weave its way through the air. She twisted her arm and made the sword form loops in the air which she subsequently jumped through. Her movements began to resemble that of a gymnast performing with a ribbon. She ended with a twirl in the center of the room. “Bring it,” she said as she wore a confident smirk.
Red nodded and approached a console that was attached to the wall. She looked to Rainbow Dash and said, “Get ready, kiddo. It’s about to begin.”
Rainbow crouched down and readied herself. The room she was in began to melt away as it was replaced by that of verdant meadows. She stood up and observed the scenery around her. Off in the distance were several mountains. To her right, about a mile away, was a large, blue lake. The tall grass behind her began to rustle. She turned and raised her sword arm.
A rat the size of a wolf leapt out straight towards her. It was fast, but she was faster. She ran around it and swung her arm. Her aara curled through the air and slammed right into the rat’s snout. It cried out as particles of light emerged from the large gash on its face.
The grasses around Rainbow all began to move. Her eyes widened as four more of the rodents of unusual size emerged and pounced towards her. Unfortunately for them, she was still faster. She jumped to the side and turned, mid-air, as she brought her arm back around. The sword followed and flexed around her. The malleable blade made contact with each of the rats and sent them flailing towards the ground. The five were reduced to harmless field mice.
She stood up and threw her arm back allowing her sword to extend all the way. She took a breath but was cut short by the distinct sound of metal on metal. She felt her aara’s blade fall limply to the ground. She turned and found it at the foot of Red Letter, saber fully drawn.
“Not bad, but how about a real challenge?” She raised her arm and faced Rainbow.
Rainbow pulled her sword back and whipped it around her. “This’ll be fun.”
Red Letter charged towards her. Rainbow leapt back and swung her arm, causing the aara to sail towards the other agent’s head. In response, Red turned her body and brought her saber to bear against the flexing blade.
As the aara began to wrap around the saber, Red dove down and slid her blade away from her opponent’s. Rainbow spun around and, like a gymnast’s ribbon, made her blade twirl around her before making it sail towards Red once more.
Thinking quickly, Red crouched down and rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding the soaring aara. She stood up and regained herself as Rainbow cracked her sword like a whip.
“I know you’re athlete but this is something else. Care to explain,” said Red as the two stared each other down.
“I’ve always liked martial arts,” Rainbow explained. “I’ve got black belts in several of them too. The aara is one of the old, traditional weapons. When I first saw it, I always thought it looked so cool. As to why I’m so good with it, I used to practice with a whip. It wasn’t pretty though. I got more than my fair share of whiplash. Got a few nasty scars in some dark places.”
“Ouch. But nonetheless impressive for one so young.”
“Hey, you're the one that said us agents are special, right?”
Red smirked. “Yes. I did. As for your scars; there’s nothing the white coats can’t fix.” She charged Rainbow and the two began another round of sparring.
After several more rounds of stalemates, the two decided that they had had enough and ended the illusion.
“Not bad, Rainbow. Not bad,” said Red Letter.
“Thanks,” she replied.
When they exited the room, Red had turned and decided to get something to eat. Still feeling pumped up, Rainbow declined and decided to practice with her aara a little more. As she went to an empty spot in the open court, she brought out her sword and began to twirl it around.
As she turned around to complete a swing, she found herself face-to-face with a familiar pink expression.
“Hey, Rainbow. How was your training?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“Aaaah!” She jumped a couple of feet back and swung her sword.
Pinkie casually bent her body and legs making her chest parallel to the ground, easily avoiding the aara. Rainbow let go of her weapon and it receded back into a belt.
“Pinkie! What gives? I could’ve seriously hurt you!” demanded Rainbow.
Pinkie giggled in response. “I doubt that.” She raised an eyebrow and gave Rainbow a knowing look.
Rainbow brushed herself off and noticed the look on her friend’s face. She adopted a glare. “No.”
“You’re going to have to talk about it eventually.” Pinkie grinned.
“No.”
“Is it about our school being a secret base?”
“No.”
“Is it about all our teachers lying to us?”
“No.”
“Is it about the big monster we fought the other day?”
“No,” Rainbow growled.
“Is it about that time I ate that last churro?”
Rainbow was starting to boil. “NO!”
“Is it about Twilight?”
“YES!” she yelled at her friend’s face.
The two blinked at each other. Rainbow sighed while Pinkie smirked.
“Wanna talk about it now?” asked Pinkie.
“Fine.”
The two friends sat down on the grass beside each other.
“So what’s got you so worked up?” asked Pinkie.
“I dunno.” Rainbow leaned back and supported herself with her arms. “I guess I still find it weird that she isn’t Twilight.”
“What do you mean? Of course she’s Twilight.”
Rainbow shot Pinkie a look. “You know what I mean. Why aren’t you bothered by it?”
Pinkie cupped her chin in thought. “The way I see it, I get to make a new friend. Who doesn’t like making new friends?”
“I suppose, but still. Doesn’t it feel like we’re betraying the other Twilight in a way?” Rainbow laid down on the grass. “It feels like we’re cheating on her or something.”
Pinkie raised her brows and stifled a giggle. “Well that’s an interesting way of looking at it, but I think I get what you mean.”
Rainbow turned her head to face Pinkie. “You do?”
Pinkie twisted her body around to lay on her belly. With her head on her hands, she faced her friend. “You’ve gotta stop thinking that you’re replacing her. Sure they’re both purple and are named Twilight Sparkle, but that doesn’t mean there can only be one purple Twilight in your life. It’s like I always say: You can never have too many friends. Just because you meet somebody else who likes parties doesn’t mean you’ll stop going to mine, right?” She pouted exaggeratedly at Rainbow.
Rainbow giggled in response. “Of course not. You’ll always be my party pal, Pinkie.” She sat back up and hugged her knees. “I guess I never looked at it that way.” She released a long sigh. “I guess you’ve got a point. If I can let one Twilight into my life, I can let another in. How hard could it be?”
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie bolted back up and gave her friend a much needed hug.
Rainbow hugged her back.
After reaching Magitek Lab 03, Applejack engaged in light conversation and got to know a few more of her fellows. When she had mentioned that she wanted to try her hand at making something, one of the agents she was talking to, Sea Swirl, a pale pink girl with two-toned blue hair, offered to help her get acquainted with the various tools available. They made their way to the workshops.
“So, what exactly do you do ‘round here?” asked Applejack.
“I help with the maintenance of this whole place. My teammates and I are the ones who make sure that everything works one-hundred percent. After All, it wouldn’t do if the transmitters suddenly shut down or if a reactionary’s bike stalled,” answered Sea Swirl with more than a little pride in her voice.
“Then that means you really are the right person for showin’ me around.”
“Definitely.” Sea approached the wall of tools. “One of the things that makes design for us so easy is this little thing,” she said as she placed a large black box with a glass sheet at the top face onto the work table. She pressed a button on the wall that made a section of wall retract to reveal a large screen. She pulled out a cord from the black box and plugged into a port beside the screen. The screen lit up and showed nothing.
“Alright, now what?”
“Now I want you to put your hand on this little baby and to think of what it is you want to build. But you’ll need your conduits”
Applejack approached the table as she put on her gloves. She placed her hand on the glass of the box. A line of light, much like a photocopier, scanned her hand. She felt a strange tingling sensation inside her head. Slowly, an image began to form on the screen.
Sea Swirl tilted her head. “Is that a…?” On the screen was a sleek and shiny, long-barrelled revolver with a smooth wooden handle. As the image completed, it revealed that it also had a gold plated trigger guard and the image of an apple embossed on the metal plate just at the beginning of the barrel.
“This is Quickdraw,” said Applejack. “She belonged my pah. Long time ago, back when I lived in Ponyville, me and my brother used to go out and play with the darn thing. Completely unloaded of course. Sure it was dangerous and kinda stupid but it was a way that the two of us remembered him by.
“Anyway, one day, we were playin’ by the river and one thing led to another. Quickdraw fell in. We were too small to jump in and try to get it ourselves and we were too darn ‘shamed of ourselves to get help. Never saw her again.” Applejack sighed. “Ah figure that, with all these little toys, Ah could bring her back, even if in spirit.” She had on a wistful smile as she reminisced.
Sea Swirl nodded. “I can understand. Your parents were great people. Some of the best agents we had, too.”
Applejack dropped her smile. “What did you say?”
Sea Swirl took a step back as she noticed the intensity in Applejack’s eyes. “Your pare-” She paused as she realized something. “You didn’t know. Of course you didn’t, you just awoke yesterday.”
“What are you talking about?” Applejack was incredulous.
Sea took a step towards the young agent. “Agent Applejack, you’re father and mother were renowned as some of the best we had back then.”
“What? No! Mah parents were apple farmers. They took care of the largest of all the Apple family’s orchards: Sweet Apple Acres.” Her face scrunched up. “Then one day, on a train ride to Dodge Junction, it happened. Ah never saw them again.”
Applejack held her head in confusion. A strange feeling deep inside her started to grow. She hadn’t felt it in years. It was the scintilla of doubt that something was up in the circumstances of her parents death. “Are ya’ll tellin’ me that that was all a lie!?”
Sea took a breath. “Years ago, a Class 10 anomaly appeared in southeast Equestria, right beside Dodge City. We weren’t really sure of what it was but what we did know was that it caused extreme spatial and temporal fluctuations. We lost contact with the Dodge Branch and so they sent a number of teams to investigate.”
She looked Applejack in the eye and took another step towards her. “Your father led the reactionary teams and your mother led the obfuscation teams. By the time they reached the city limits, they realized that the entire place was paused. Time was frozen in one moment. According to their transmissions, the people were vaguely aware of things still happening to them. Slowly, the four teams sent in befell the same fate.
“The last message we received was from your mother. She said that she and your father had figured out a way to stop the anomaly. Unfortunately, whatever they did had the side effect of making the entire of Dodge City disappear.” Sea was close enough to hold the younger’s shoulders and so she did. “Your parents managed to save Equestria from an unspeakable fate.”
For a moment, Applejack said nothing. She only had a glazed look as she stared at nothing in particular. Sea Swirl did the only thing she could think to do at that moment. She brought her close and held her in an embrace.
After what seemed like an eternity, Applejack spoke up. “Ya’ll have records of all your agents and stuff, right?”
Sea Swirl let her go. “Yes. Information on personnel, everything, are in the obfuscation’s archives.”
“Good. I think I’d like to know more about them.” She looked to Sea. “I can do that right?”
The older agent smile in response. “Of course. Do you want to go now?”
Applejack closed her eyes in thought before shaking her head. “No. Not yet. For the moment, I’d like to think of something else.” She looked to the wall of tools once more.
Kept well within the Canterlot Magitek Division’s facilities are a series of large boxes, big enough to spaciously fit a small group of people. Each box is enchanted with twelve layers of magical shielding and its leylines are hidden in an enormous, entangled web of duplicates to ensure no outside tampering can occur. Physically, each box is at least four feet thick on each side crafted from a bizarre mix of carbon fiber and titanium alloys, in essence, creating a nigh indestructible barrier.
To enter any of these vaults you would need to pass through five levels of increasing security which ranged from retinal identification to your personal magical residue signature. When inside a vault, your own abilities would be suppressed to the point of being unusable. The only way to bypass that would be to have a reserve so large that having that much power repressed wouldn’t make a difference.
They were each designed to hold a myriad of powerful magical artifacts, each having the potential to change the world for better, or worse. The first of these vaults held six stone orbs, casually sitting on six metallic pedestals. Each pedestal glowed with a number of defensive runes that ensured no outside force could touch its precious treasure.
These six orbs were thought to be the greatest and most powerful magic in the known universe. Their power could only be unlocked by those that embodied six particular virtues.
The first orb had the silhouette of a five-sided gemstone. It glowed slight a orange. Honesty.
The second had the a six-sided gem. It glowed pink. Kindness.
The third had a three-sided gem. It emanated a slight, blue aura. Laughter
The fourth had a four-sided gem. Purple light came forth. Generosity.
The fifth had an eight-sided gem. Red radiated from this one. Loyalty.
The sixth, in the center of the vault, had a six-pointed star. It shone a faint amethyst. Magic.
These were the core components of Project Harmony.
Four agents, one from each division, were inside this vault with quite a bit of equipment. All of them had a cream stripe across their upper right arm.
One of them was holding a miniature satellite dish to the orb of honesty. He had a tuft of brown hair and long, pointed nose. His brown eyes widened as he took out a small device from a pocket of his red blazer and attached it to the dish. “I’ve never seen them so active before,” said Canterlot Magitek Officer Inator.
A woman to his left placed a grey hand just above the orb of generosity. The wrinkles on her forehead were pronounced by her furrowed brows. She instinctively pulled on her blue blazer to straighten it out when she retracted her hand. “They’re reacting to their presence. They’ve found their new bearers,” said Canterlot Obfuscation Officer Inkwell.
The other man, standing beside the orb of laughter, looked to his companions. The intensity of his cerulean eyes contrasted greatly with his ivory skin. He ran his fingers through his electric blue hair before putting his hands into the pockets of his grey blazer. “So why don’t we just prep them for use? Aren’t these the key to ending the increasing amount of dangerous magical anomalies?” asked Canterlot Reactionary Officer Shining Armor.
A woman standing by the orb of kindness had her gloved hands on either side of the orb. A bead of sweat rolled down her blue cheek. She shook her head which made her two-toned blue hair bounce slightly. She released herself from the orb and pulled out a handkerchief from the inner pocket of her white blazer. “It’s too dangerous. We can’t just assume that the having the bearers would make it safe to use Project Harmony. There’s just too much chaos magic floating around to risk it,” replied Canterlot Medical Officer Minuette.
Shining wasn’t satisfied. “So what exactly is Central Officer Celestia supposed to say at the meeting of the five points?”
“Exactly that,” countered Inkwell. “The Directional Leaders will understand.”
Inator lowered his scanner. “I dunno. The South Officer was looking forward to finally deploying the arsenals of Project Harmony. Besides, haven’t the bearers basically been the last thing we needed?”
Minuette scoffed. “Hardly. You can’t exactly predict how chaos magic would react to its activation. If we could, then I don’t think that’s real chaos magic. The North Officer understands this well.”
“As does the West Officer,” added Inkwell.
Shining rolled his eyes. “Well you guys have clearly never met the East Officer. The moment this is brought up at the meeting, the first thing he’ll demand is that it be deployed.”
“I don’t get it,” said Minuette. “Why are you so eager to set them loose? Aren’t you worried? Your sister is one of them after all.”
A sigh escaped Shining’s lips. “I am. I worry a lot, especially for Twiley, but Inator’s right in that this is pretty much the only way to stop all these anomalies from appearing so frequently. If I could go in her place I would do so in less than a heartbeat.”
Inkwell gave a solemn nod. “I can understand. We put not just our own agents, but everybody out there at such risk if we let these anomalies continue to emerge.”
“It’d be so perfect if we could end it that easily,” said Minuette as she leaned against the back wall.
“You just might get what you want Minnie.” Inator had a pair of headphones attached to his scanner as he waved it around the orb of magic. “I think I figured out a way to slowly draw out the harmony magic from these things without causing too much disruption to the already present chaos magic.”
“That is exactly what I wanted to hear,” said a voice at the entrance to the vault. The tall woman stepped inside, her long, multi-hued, auroric hair flowing slightly. Celestia smiled to her subordinates as they bowed their heads in her direction. “No need for that now. We have work to do.”
“If we look at it from a genetic standpoint it becomes obvious that, barring any mutations, it will not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive into the introduced environment. Furthermore, considering its physical properties it is very likely that it would be hunted to extinction by local predators.” said Twilight Sparkle.
Grassy Graze, the biology teacher, nodded his head. “Excellent as always, Ms. Sparkle.” He looked to the other students in the class. “Well I really don’t know what to say. In the three months she’s been here, Ms. Sparkle has reached the top of the class. I think that proves that if she can adapt that easily, then all of you can aswell. Class dismissed.”
One student in particular blew a frustrated breath upwards. “Egghead,” she muttered under her breath as she stood to leave. She had the unfortunate pleasure of reaching the door at the same time as the cause of her animosity. She gave a forced grin and extended her hand in a gesture of politeness.
Twilight gave a small smile in response. “Thanks, Rainbow.” As they walked out of the room she spun around and faced the other girl. “Oh, you’re coming over to Pinkie’s end of the year pre-pre-party party right?”
“Of course I am,” she answered flatly. “She is my friend, you know.”
“Oh of course.” Twilight gave an awkward chuckle. “Um, I gotta go. See you,” she said before bolting down the hall.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and went in the other direction. As she turned the corner, she was met by her pink friend leaning on a group of lockers. She had a look of expectation as her blue eyes stared into her soul.
“Hey, Pinkie.”
“What was that, Dashie?” she asked as she began to walk beside Rainbow.
“Huh?”
“You know what I mean.”
Rainbow had a blank look.
“Ugh. Twilight? Why are you still so hostile?”
Rainbow repeated Pinkie’s groan. “Because, okay? Can we please talk about something else?”
“No we can’t. Fluttershy and I are friends with her, AJ and Rarity have opened up, you’re the only one who’s still shut her out. Is this still about the other Twilight Sparkle?”
“No. But frankly, doing what you said seems to have made it worse.”
“What? Why?”
“That other Twi was cool. She was fun, awesome, and she was magic.”
“So are we.”
“Besides the point. This Twilight? She’s an obnoxious, show-offy, know-it-all.” She launched a fist which made violent contact with an unfortunate locker. “She just gets on my nerves, okay?”
“She isn’t that bad.”
“Yes, she is. Remember the time we went to the amusement park and she tried to get us to follow her schedule to the second? Or how about that time we were at that restaurant and she kept chastising us for using the wrong spoon and fork? She was worse than Rarity! Better yet, that time we were stuck in that elevator with a view and she went on and on with a lecture about whatever?” Rainbow looked about ready to explode. “Who does she think she is? My mom?”
“She’s just trying to help, Rainbow. Besides, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s kinda new to the whole ‘friends’ thing.”
“No surprise there.”
Pinkie sighed as another member of their group came into view. It was Applejack. “Howdy,” she said as she synced up with the other two.
“AJ, what do you think of Twilight?” asked Pinkie.
The cowgirl looked puzzled. “Twilight? She’s alright, Ah guess.” She shrugged. “Bit of a know-it-all, though.”
“See,” said Rainbow triumphantly.
Pinkie shot her a look before going back to Applejack. “Is that all you can say?”
“Well, she’s nice. Ah can see that she wants to help folks, and that she wants to be the best she can be. Ah can definitely respect that, for sure. Why'd ya ask?”
“It’s for Rainbow.”
Applejack looked to the athlete. “Still ain’t used to her, Dash?”
“That’s not it. I just don’t like her, okay?”
“Well you’re gonna get plenty o’ chances to learn to since we’ll be spendin’ most of the summer at that camp that Celestia’s sendin’ us to.”
“We’re all seriously going?”
“Course. Didn’t Principal Celestia say it was a sort of formal agent training?”
“That she did,” interjected Pinkie.
Rainbow snorted. “Well that’s definitely something to look forward to.”
Pinkie couldn’t help but shake her head at Rainbow’s behaviour.
Meanwhile, a considerable distance underground, the four Canterlot Division officers stood, at attention, awaiting the arrival of four VIPs. Behind them was the door to Central Officer Celestia’s Office. At the moment, however, that door did not lead to her office. Instead, it lead into a large conference room designed for one purpose: to host the Meeting of the Five Points, a rarely called upon gathering between the five leaders of MLP.
Shining Armor stood tall and proud but occasionally rubbed his foot on the floor. Inkwell would take an occasional breath to relax. Minuette, with her hands behind her, wiggled her fingers together in anxiety. Inator silently tapped his foot; though the subtlety of that action slowly waned as time went on.
Finally, the first of the Directional Officers had arrived at the atrium. He was large with a frame that could only be achieved through dedicated exercise and training which only served to dwarf the, considerably large on their own, grey coats that walked with him. His crimson-tinted skin complemented his fiery, orange hair that stood in several spike like points going down the length of his scalp, like a mohawk that had several, evenly spaced gaps in it. His blazer, like Celestia’s, was cream but with a grey stripe running across both upper arms. His eyes could burn through you with the intensity they radiated, yet they also had an instinct and desire to protect. His jaw, large and wide, was currently set in a grin as he approached.
This was East Officer Reginald, overall head of the Reactionary Division.
“Good day, officers,” he said as he exchanged bowed heads with the four. “It’s been quite a while since a meeting has been called, and with such urgency, I might add.” His voice reverberated but also had the distinct touch of refinement to it.
“Yes, sir,” answered Shining Armor. “Central Officer Celestia thought it best considering the situation.”
“Then I best not tally.” He observed the other three. “Straighten yourself up, Inator, and enough with the fingers, Minuette,” he said before entering the room.
The aforementioned had frozen at his comment which coincided perfectly with the arrival of the next Directional Officer. Around her were a number of stern looking white coats, which only served to juxtapose the visage of beauty and serenity that she wore. Her stride was graceful, her purple eyes entrancing. The pink of her skin went very well with the cream of her jacket and the white stripes circling her upper arms. The three colors—yellow, violet, and pink—of her hair shimmered as it ran down her curved figure. She approached with a smile that could melt the most frozen of hearts.
This was North Officer Cadence, overall leader of the Medical Division.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” she said, her voice smooth as silk.
The four officers offered her a nod of respect which she had returned in kind. She looked to Minuette, her direct subordinate. “I see this branch is in good hands, Minnie. I have to admit, every agent here seems to have quite a smile, as well.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I try my best.”
“And it shows.” Cadence looked to Shining Armor who, in turn, shifted his eyes away. After giving him a teasing smile, she entered the door into the conference room.
Once she was gone, Shining’s face broke into an absolutely goofy grin. Inkwell was the first to note this. “I suggest you rein yourself in, lover boy. We’re still expecting two VIPs.”
Shining cleared his throat. “Right, right. Of course.” He returned to attention.
A few moments passed before the next one arrived.
He was tall, with skin a dark shade of grey. His frame was of average build, but more importantly seemed to blend and mix with the very environment even if he was wearing a bright, cream blazer. His upper arms were decorated by midnight blue stripes. This was not because of some kind of shyness within him, rather it seemed to be his second nature to simply vanish. Around him were a number of blue coats who also appeared to be mixing with the background. His dark eyes darted around the room appraisingly as he approached.
This was West Officer Zumaza, overall head of the Obfuscation Division.
He did not stop to chat, but instead gave an acknowledging glance towards Inkwell and just returned the bows of the other three officers.
They looked to each other awkwardly before glancing towards Inkwell. She simply shrugged and said, “It is technically our job to not be noticed so I really don’t see what’s so surprising about his mysterious attitude.”
The last of the Directional Leaders had arrived and he looked particularly distracted. His nose was pointed downwards that it resembled a beak more than an actual nose upon which a pair of horn-rimmed glasses sat. He was slightly thinner and shorter than average which seemed to be pronounced by the cream blazer he wore. His arms had the distinct color fo red around them. An aura radiated from him that seemed to say that whatever academic skill you could think of, he was better. He had only one red coat behind him as his golden eyes scanned every inch of the facility critically, rather than appraisingly.
This was South Officer Gerard, overall head of the Magitek Division.
“Walls could stand to be reinforced and the doors need to be re-enchanted,” he muttered under his breath. He looked expectantly towards the four who bowed their heads in response.
After exchanging the greetings he directed a glare towards Inator which caused the officer to take a step back. “Inator, as the top representative of the Magitek Division here I expect much more from you. My assistant has prepared a list of things that, frankly, should have been done ages ago to this facility, especially since this is supposed to be the core of the organization,” he said before entering the facility.
His assistant handed the list—a folded piece of paper which when unraveled became a good four meters in length—to Inator before going off on her own.
Inator paled as he read through the meticulous to-do list. Shining suppressed a laugh as he watched his companion. “Looks like you definitely got some work to do.”
“I admit, they weren’t as scary as I envisioned they would be,” said Minuette as she looked to the door to the conference room.
“That’s easy for you to say,” said Shining. “You haven’t seen East angry. It’s terrifying to say the least.” He gave a shudder as he remembered.
“Now that they are here, I suggest we get ready. We are still supposed to present our findings on Project Harmony,” said Inkwell.
Inator sighed. “She’s right. Let’s go.”
The four of them proceeded down the southwest hall, towards the Canterlot Labs.
Past the door, the five were seated at a large, marble table in the center of a grand gazebo. Around them was a gorgeous garden with a variety of flowers around them, all in bloom. Butterflies and the songs of birds floated through the air around them as the warm rays of the sun illuminated the surroundings. A babbling brook could be heard in the distance. In one corner of the room stood a door that led back into the atrium of the Canterlot Control Center.
Reginald placed a lump of sugar into his tea before stirring and taking a sip. Celestia smiled calmly at her four equals. Zumaza leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes in meditation. Gerard’s eyes did not stop and continued observing the room they were in. Cadence broke the silence between them.
“While it is lovely to see all of you again, I doubt you called this meeting out of nostalgia. Isn’t that right, Aunt Celestia?”
Gerard had his arms crossed as he looked to the Central Officer. “Indeed. I’ll have you know that I was in the middle of what could very well be a breakthrough for us.”
Reginald and Zumaza, likewise, shifted their eyes towards Celestia.
She sighed as she placed her own cup back onto its saucer. “I was hoping for a catch up a bit more friendly than that, but then, I am the one who called upon you.” She took a quick breath. “We have confirmed the bearers of Project Harmony. They were discovered during Sunset Shimmer’s outburst and have been kept under our wing ever since. After further observation, we have come to the conclusion that the Elements do indeed resonate with them.”
Reginald bellowed a mighty guffaw. “After all these years they’ve finally picked their bearers. It’s about time, reactionaries are spread too thin as is.”
Gerard’s eyes narrowed as his interest piqued. “So we can finally put that old project back into service? At last, we can finally see some use from everything that was developed for it.”
Zumaza stayed silent as he observed the two.
Cadence looked to her aunt. “When will we get the chance to meet them?”
“Soon, but not yet. This is one of the reasons I called this meeting. I want to officiate their training and inclusion into our ranks.”
Reginald was taken aback. “They haven’t undergone basic yet?”
Celestia shook her head. “We wanted to give them a warm welcome before showing them the tougher side of MLP. They were Dreamers who had a rough awakening which required a unique approach to the situation.” She waved her hand and folders with several photographs and documents appeared in front of the other offices. “These are reports on the progress each of them have made while here.”
“I see they have a basic grasp of things,” said Reginald as he leafed through the files. “So I take it they shall undergo the same training that all Junior Agents receive?”
“Of course, Reginald,” said Celestia. “Which is why for the summer, they shall be under your care at the Manehattan facility.”
A smile appeared on the East Officer’s face. “Gladly.”
Applejack and Rarity were in front of the large equine statue in front of Canterlot High having a casual conversation as the sun left the horizon. Beside them were a number of large bags, obviously meant for long term travel. Most of them were Rarity’s.
“Any idea what kinda camp they’re sendin’ us to?”
“I’m afraid I have no idea. Although considering what kind of a group they are, I suppose it would be best to be ready for anything.”
“So what exactly d’ya tell your ma and pa where you’d be goin’?”
Rarity smirked, “The truth, of course. Celestia is sending us to a scholastic get together of sorts.”
Applejack returned the expression. “Same here.”
A moment later, a green minivan pulled up and from it came their friend, Rainbow Dash, likewise packed for their journey. As her parents and friends exchange greetings, she bade them farewell before they drove into the city.
“Hey, girls,” she said.
“Hello, Rainbow. You seem rather prepared,” noted Rarity who observed the number of bags Rainbow had with her. They nearly rivaled her own. Nearly.
“Well, since its supposed to be some kind of training, I figure they’ll have sports and stuff so I just wanted to be prepared.”
Applejack raised a brow. “What, did you bring your own ball for everything?”
“Something like that,” replied Rainbow offhandedly.
They returned to conversation, going onto topics like friends they would miss and what could possibly await them on their trip. The girls laughed and joked around when another vehicle—large, foreboding, and obviously military—pulled up in front of the school. From it came Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, each carrying large travel packs. Pinkie Pie, not wasting any time, ran up and scooped the three into a group hug.
“Hey, girls!” she declared. “Are you excited or what?”
“Hey, Pinkie,” Rainbow got out through the tight embrace. “Pinkie, we can’t exactly breathe.”
The pink girl’s eyes opened as she realized this. She released which allowed them the chance release a breath of their own. “Sorry, girls,” she said.
“It’s alright, sugarcube.”
“Although, I must admit, you are very obviously excited, darling. Care to share why?”
“Of course I am, Rarity! I get to spend the summer with my five bestest friends,” Pinkie said as she bounced in place. “Can’t you imagine the six of us sitting at a campfire eating smores?” She burst into laughter as her imagination ran off.
Rainbow scowled in the background. She had almost forgotten that Twilight was going to be there too. Her expression softened when she noticed Luna at the door to CHS calling their attention. As the other girls noticed, they gathered their things and approached.
“Hello, ladies. It’s good to see you are all prepared for this.”
“‘Scuse me, Overseer, but where exactly are we goin’?” asked Applejack.
“You are all going to receive formal training from MLP. After all, we cannot just send you in blindly against creatures like the chimaera.” She gestured for the girls to follow her inside the school. “Or worse,” she added under her breath.
As they walked through halls Rarity asked another question. “Is this ‘training’ going to be held here in the Canterlot complex?”
They filed into the classroom that contained the elevators to the control center.
“No. You will be going to a place designed specifically to train junior agents like yourselves,”
As they loaded their things into one and themselves into the other, Rainbow was the next to ask a question. “So are we all going to receive the same lessons?”
Luna pressed the the button that closed the doors. “Not quite. You have each chosen a division to specialize in and, as such, you will given their respective courses. Though you will all have to undergo basic things such as combat, detection, and emergency medical response.”
“Detection?” Applejack asked as they descended.
“First-response protocol to any anomalies that appear within your vicinity.”
As Rainbow leaned against the wall of the elevator, she looked to the overseer and asked, “So why exactly are we going down here if this isn’t where we’re having this training?”
Luna raised and eyebrow and looked to the athlete. “Rainbow Dash, you didn’t think you’d be taking conventional transport, did you?”
When they reached the bottom, the doors opened to a number of agents with a few bag trolleys. Once the girls’ bags had all been loaded up, the group made their way to the west wing. Just before the corner to the hall that lead to Obfuscation, another hall lead to a set of large doors.
Through those doors was a large, hangar-like area. The floor here was plated with metal and the walls carved from the very stone the chamber sat it. In the center of the room were three tall, crystalline pillars. Runic symbols encircled each pillar and glowed with an ominous purple hue. On the ground in between, multitudes of engraved circles nested within each other flooded with silver-colored light. Off to the side, an elaborate setup of monitors, equipment and members of the Magitek Division kept watch over it all.
Rainbow gave a low whistle as she took the sight in. “Whoa. That looks pretty serious.”
Applejack herself had gotten quite interested; she had not yet heard of this little project.
“This is a teleportation node,” Luna began. “It is used for instant transport of both materials and personnel between the major branches of MLP. Transportation, however, only works from node-to-node. We cannot just zap things anywhere we so please.”
Fluttershy had paled slightly at the sight of the massive monoliths. They would be expecting her to also use it. She unconsciously grabbed the closest arm. It was Rarity’s.
The designer turned and immediately noticed her friend’s whitened face. “Darling, what’s wrong?”
She lifted her hand and pointed towards the stones. Rarity turned and her eyes widened in realization before looking back and grabbing Fluttershy’s hand. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m sure they know what they’re doing. Besides, it’s not like this is some experimental technology.”
“Your friend is correct. Plenty of times in the past years have we used this and we have yet to encounter any problem whatsoever,” Luna said as she noticed the hesitation in Fluttershy.
As reassuring as it was, it did not make the prospect any less appealing.
As the other agents loaded their things in the center of the apparatus, Pinkie’s face scrunched up in concentration as she stared at the structure. Something felt, somehow, wrong with it. Since her body wasn’t reacting in any way, she knew it couldn’t be her Pinkie Sense which, at least, ruled out any immediate threats. Still, the feeling deep down in her gut kept nagging at her that she should be careful.
Once all their things were neatly piled up, the Magiteks funneled power into the pillars which cause their glow to intensify as a slight hum began to fill the room. When it reached a certain point, the light flowed downwards and into grooves on the floor. In a bright flash and a sharp ping, the bags had disappeared.
Luna looked to the juniors. “Your turn.”
Applejack and Rainbow nodded to each other as they stepped towards the apparatus. Rarity held Fluttershy tight as she brought the two of them over. Pinkie walked slowly, never taking her eyes off the three crystals. Luna tilted her head as she observed the young girl. Eventually, Pinkie joined her friends in the center but her expression of distrust never waned.
Her attention was divided as Applejack placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, sugarcube. Don’t sweat it, I’m sure they know exactly what they’re doing.”
“You may experience a feeling of exploding as you reach the other side. Do not worry, though, as that is a perfectly normal side effect of first time teleportation. It’s also just a feeling, you aren’t in any actual threat of exploding,” said Luna as she signalled to the Magitek operators.
As the process began to repeat, the girls found their bodies feeling progressively lighter. Slowly, they could feel their physical presence fading as a high-pitch hum echoed in their heads. In a flash, they lost all feeling. Their consciousness had melted and joined the currents of energy around them.
The feeling was intense. It was like falling through a tempest. They had no control and danger was all around them. Yet, it was also oddly euphoric. The girls couldn’t help but feel calm and safe, as if the very energy around them was reassuring them that they would be safe—that they would be protected.
Luna’s warning suddenly became apparent as the girls felt their physical selves re-forming. They noticed that they seemed to be resisting, like magnets of the same polarity moving towards each other. The feeling was dizzying to say the least. The high-pitch hum slowly began to return as the girls felt themselves drop.
Rainbow Dash was the first to open her eyes. The first thing she saw were a pair of sparkling blue eyes. As she began to focus, she noticed that, accompanying the eyes, were a head of golden, curly hair, a jaw sculpted to utter perfection, and a body that celebrated the peak of the male form. The owner of all these features looked over each of the girls.
“Greetings, Juniors. Welcome to the Manehattan Control Center,” he said.
As Rarity regained herself, her jaw dropped as she realized who had just addressed them. “Y-y-you’re Easy Eyes, Hoity Toity’s premier male model.” She felt her knees buckle as she he gave her a million-dollar smile.
“Yes, I am. But beyond that I am also this branch’s Obfuscation Officer.”
Applejack held her head to steady herself before looking around. The room they were in was just as large as the one they left excepting that the walls here were also plated with sheet metal. They stood in the center of an apparatus identical to the one in Canterlot. Off to the side, she noticed a few agents standing by their pile of bags. She looked to Easy. “Hold up. You’re some big shot model and the guy in charge of keeping MLP secret over here?”
He laughed in response. “Ironic, isn’t it? Let’s just say that, when used properly, fame can be quite a tool for concealment.”
Fluttershy brushed herself off and took a look around. The trip was not as bad as she had envisioned. She looked around and noticed that everything looked fairly similar to Canterlot. Her eyes then noticed Easy and widened.
Pinkie was standing straight again. The feeling in her gut had not left. She was sure that, whatever it was, it was related to the teleportation devices. She made a mental note to look into it later. No use worrying her friends if she didn’t understand it herself either.
When Easy Eyes noticed the girls had collected themselves, he directed them to the door and lead the way. As they walked through the halls, the girls noticed that, while it still kept considerable victorian influence, the Manehattan facility was noticeably more…corporate.
A strange dissonance existed between the elegance and grandeur of MLP architecture and the obvious minimalistic scheme of the Manehattan branch. The statues that decorated the halls were noticeably more abstract, the colors of the walls much more subdued, yet, entrancing beauty was still carried by moldings on the wall as their shapes swirled and curved in strange harmony.
The girls realized that they were heading away from the counterpart of Canterlot’s Grand Atrium and in the direction of what would likely be one of the facility’s gates. As they passed another set of doors, they noticed a large bus in the center of the parking lot with their bags being loaded into it.
“From here, this bus shall take you to the Training Camp located just south of Manehattan, nestled neatly in the center of a patch of forest. Like all our facilities, it is well concealed and kept from Sleepers.” He gave the girls a playful smirk. “You also won’t have to worry about any anomalies appearing there.”
He stood aside and gestured to the bus. The girls filed in and sat together on one side. They began to talk amongst themselves as the bus ascended.
“I can’t believe I just met Easy Eyes,” Rarity squeaked.
Rainbow crossed her arms as she leaned back on her seat. “He’s definitely easy on the eyes, I’ll say that.”
The girls laughed in playful agreement as the bus reached the top and left a tall garage.
Applejack looked out the window and observed their surroundings. “We’re in the middle of the financial district,” she noted.
The girls looked to her in surprise.
“How do you know that, AJ?” asked Pinkie.
The cowgirl looked back to her friends with a sheepish grin. “A couple years back, when Ah was still a little girl, Ah wanted to have a change of scenery from the farm back in Ponyville.” She took a quick breath before continuing. “So Ah came here and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle Orange, they’re a couple of investors and stock traders.
“Took up a year at a fancy private school not too far from here. Learned quite a bit of the ins and outs of high society. They used to take me to their fancy parties and even when they met up with some of their big shot contacts. I think they were trying to see if I’d be interested in the stuff. Obviously it wasn’t really my thing, and so, Ah moved back to Ponyville.”
Rainbow had an exaggerated smirk directed towards her friend.
Applejack raised a brow. “Wha’?”
“Oh, nothing.” Rainbow continued her smirk. “Just imagining you as some big, power executive,” she teased.
Rarity snorted as the image formed in her head. “Oh my. The thought of you willingly lining up for a fancy dress for an equally fancy party. I’d definitely have a sure customer, for one.” She winked towards her friend.
“Ha ha, very funny, y’all.” Applejack folded her arms as she looked back out the window.
The city skyline eventually gave way to fields and greenery as the girls engaged in the good-natured banter that befit a close group of friends. At one point, the bus took a turn along an obviously less travelled dirt road that led deeper into the forest. Fluttershy was the most taken by the change in scenery as she pointed out different species of small critters like foxes, squirrels and birds.
As she went on and on, Rainbow noticed that, every once in a while, a faint shimmering would appear through the trees on the horizon. She blocked out her friends voices as she concentrated. The last time light had come from a group of trees a chimaera came and attacked them. She was prepared this time. Her hand slipped down and lightly stroked her belt; if necessary, she could bring her aara out in an instant.
Pinkie noticed the look on her friend’s face and asked what was wrong. After being informed, she squinted at the supposed shimmering air. She didn’t see anything, but she also didn’t feel anything like the first time they were attacked. She slipped her gloves on to better access her Pinkie Sense to be sure. Still nothing.
Rainbow turned her head to check on her friends. Her eyes widened as the bus headed straight towards a wall of the shimmering air. The bus did not crash, though, but instead phased through. As the it passed through them, the other girls sat up straight in shock as tingles ran through their bodies. Rainbow herself felt like she was getting a slight electric shock from the wave. After they passed she noticed that it began and ended where it was.
“A barrier,” she said under her breath.
At the front of the vehicle, the bus driver adjusted his rear-view mirror to focus on Rainbow. “Good eye, kid,” he said.
Her head shot up as she looked to the front. “Huh?”
“You noticed the shielding a good distance away. Takes some real keen senses to do that.”
“Shielding?” Rarity asked. “Is that what caused the sensations we just felt?”
“Got that right, missy. It’s a special shielding that keeps out both anomalies and sleepers. Former are just flat out blocked, kinda like a mosquito net. The latter are just driven away, like a repellant.”
Applejack was intrigued. “So if this shieldin’ reaches here, we must be pretty close to our destination, right?”
“You would be correct. We should be at the gate right, about, now.”
On cue, the bus turned and approached two tall, stone towers. The tops were circular and considerable wider than their cylindrical stands. The top also had crenelations from which grey coats looked through. As the trees started clearing, the girls noticed that a wall made from large stone blocks surrounded a group of buildings in the middle. At the center of the camp stood a large stone keep with a tower standing at each corner. From it, a beam of reddish light shot upwards and spread out and down. This was the source of the barrier in the surrounding area.
Around the keep were a number of log cabins neatly arranged in several columns. To the right of the camp stood a larger building with a stone foundation, logs for walls and two stone chimneys extended from its roof. Beside it was a large, square building made entirely of stone. It had no windows and only one door right at the entrance. Two grey coats stood on guard at the door.
The other side of the camp had a large track with bleachers casually sitting to one side. A number of people in work out clothes jogged rhythmically around it. The girls noticed that the agents here weren’t wearing their blazers but instead wore simple t-shirts that bore the color of their respective divisions as well as a pair of black shorts.
The bus came to a stop in front of the keep and the driver directed them out. The five of them lined up and looked around at the camp they had been sent to. On closer inspection, they noticed that the joggers weren’t just jogging in sync, they were also repeating certain familiar exercise chant. Off to the side, a group of agents-in-training were performing push-ups as an older agent who was wearing grey blazer with a black stripe on his sleeve watched. Near the log cabins, a different group of agents practiced hand and leg gestures that Rainbow recognized as martial arts techniques.
Rarity’s face dropped and Fluttershy shrank as they figured out just what kind of camp they had been sent to. This was MLP’s bootcamp.
As the bus pulled away to the side, a large, booming voice greeted the girls from behind. They turned around and saw an appropriately large, crimson-toned man at the door of the keep.
“Welcome, young agents, to the primary MLP training camp, The Dragon’s Nest. I am East Officer Reginald, head of the Reactionary Division.” He began to descend the stairs of the raised platform. “As your first lesson here: when a superior addresses you, your first action will be to straighten up and bow your head slightly. This is the salute of our organization, simple and subtle; as are our ways.”
After taking a brief glance towards each other, the girls did as he said and performed the strange salute.
Reginald nodded at their obedience. “Excellent. At ease, ladies. If I am not mistaken, Central has already informed you of your purpose here. We are still a paramilitary organization and thus require a certain degree of discipline and respect from all of our agents. You are here to learn, not just that, but also basic skills needed in an agent’s day-to-day life such as combat as well as the inner workings of our systems and ranks.
“Your training will not just focus on the physical, but also on the mental as well as the psychological aspects. Anything can happen out there and considering the possibilities of what we could face, you need to be prepared for everything. You have already chosen your desired branch and will thus receive the appropriate training. Normally, agents are grouped up in threes from the same division, but considering your positions as Agents of Harmony, the six of you will be one group to promote, as your titles imply, harmony between all of you.
“You will each receive dossiers that will go into more detail of what you can expect in the following weeks you will spend here. You are expected to report to your classes prepared and on time. Seeing as you are all still students, those habits should not be hard to adjust to.” He looked over the five girls. “You shall all reside in Cabin Six, basic rules and cabin etiqutte will be in the dossiers. That is all, dismissed.” He looked at them expectantly.
Rainbow and Fluttershy, understanding what he wanted, performed the salute. The other three followed suit. After returning the nod, Reginald returned up the stairs and back into the keep. A moment after, a grey coat came out and handed each of the girls a dossier.
Applejack’s had a red stripe along the side. She opened it and began scanning the pages. She let out a low whistle. “Looks like I’ve got a machine class and a potion class.”
“I have deception classes, apparently,” said Rarity. Her’s had a dark blue stripe.
Fluttershy gulped at one of her classes. “Anomaly Analysis and Containment,” she said in a low voice.
Rainbow and Pinkie compared schedules and found that they were basically identical.
“Makes sense, I guess, since we’re both grey,” said Pinkie.
Rainbow pointed to a particular class on Pinkie’s schedule. “Check it out, Pinkie. We’ve got a High-Speed Pursuit and Containment class. That sounds awesome!”
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Pinkie said excitedly. “We also have Improvisation and Survival classes.”
“Alright everybody, why don’t we get ourselves and our stuff to the cabin before we look into these things.” She pointed to their pile of things which had been unloaded from the bus. “Looks like we’ll be bringin’ ‘em there ourselves.”
The others nodded and followed the cowgirl to their bags. After a few minutes, the girls found themselves at the door to Cabin Six, their home for the summer. It was located near the mess hall, which they found out was the cabin with the stone foundation and chimneys. Directly behind was also a spacious spot of grass which was perfect for exercise or practice. As they entered the cabin, they were met by a purple surprise.
“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted as she ran to the last member of their group. After giving her a customary hug, she released her and the other girls, sans Rainbow, approached.
“Hello, Twilight,” said Fluttershy as she gave her a quick hug.
Waves and smiles were exchanged with Rarity and Applejack.
“So are you also going to go through the same curriculum we are?” asked Rarity
Twilight shook her head. “I’m here for more of a mentorship on leadership and to learn how to work with you girls as a unit.”
“Aww. So we won’t be seeing each other that much?” as Pinkie as she put on a pouty face.
Twilight smiled. “No, we still will be. Our free times are all synced up, if I’m not mistaken. Plus we’ll all be seeing each other during Combat Training and Combat Simulation.”
Rarity frowned slightly. “Well that seems rather dark.”
“Excuse me,” Fluttershy said in her speaking—which was whispering for everybody else—voice. “Why do we all have to learn combat? I thought only the reactionaries went against the dangerous anomalies?”
“Technically,” Twilight began. “Reactionaries are a first response team. A lot of times they’d need Magiteks for support, particularly with tricky magical beings, Obfuscation to secure the area and keep things under a tight lid, and Medicals for, well, medical assistance. Since they’re all in the vicinity, it’s best if they all know how to defend themselves rather than act as a liability.”
“Makes sense,” said Applejack.
Rarity nodded in agreement. “But we won’t focus on that so much since that isn’t out specialty, right?”
“Yes. Since you’re blue, you’ll learn more about illusions and misdirection.”
As the girls continued to converse, Pinkie looked around and noticed they were missing their prismatic member. She excused herself from the group and went outside. She went around the house and found her target standing in the middle of the grass behind their cabin.
She had her legs spread apart and her hands behind her back. Suddenly, her arms jolted upwards and grabbed the belt running across her waist. Just as before, it snapped in the center and expanded into her metallic aara. She spun her body around and brought with it her blade. It cut through the air with grace and wonder and twirled in response to its owner’s wishes.
She jolted her arm in the opposite direction causing the flexible blade to crack like a whip. After a few more twirls and jumps, Rainbow ended with her feet on the ground and her arms outstretched. With a flick of her wrist, the sword retreated back towards her and shrank as it once again took the form of a belt and wrapped itself around her waist. To her surprise, she heard the sound of clapping behind her.
“Someone’s been practicing,” said Pinkie.
“Thanks.” Rainbow smiled at the applause from her friend. “Since I figured we’d get some actual teachers, it’d be best if I could show ‘em my A-game.”
“That’s awesome, Rainbow.” She pointed a thumb towards the cabin. “You wanna show off you skills to the rest of the girls.”
Her smile flipped into a scowl as she glared at Pinkie. “No.”
Pinkie, brows furrowed, looked pleadingly to her friend. “You wanna come back inside then and-”
“No,” Rainbow interrupted. “And not now, Pinkie,” she said as Pinkie opened her mouth.
“But Rain-”
Rainbow had put on her gloves and looked at her friend. “I’ll go check out what they’ve got around here. See what we can look forward to.” She used her ability and sped away from her insistent companion.
She was too far to hear the irritated sigh escape her friend’s lips.
The cabin they had been given was quite spacious. Three bunk beds for the six of them, six small desks neatly lining the wall and a common bathroom for them to share. She was also certain that there was some kind of magical temperature regulation happening since it was never too hot, nor too cold, for any of them while inside.
Applejack slammed her head onto the surface of her desk. Beside her head lay the cause of her distress. It was a large, encyclopedia of a book that contained a considerable amount of schematics and designs.
This was all well and good since she herself had gotten a certain affinity for machines. The only problem was that she had never even seen more than half the things mentioned. They apparently expected her to memorize all the little details of every little doohickey within the first week. She was about to scream when she heard a crash from behind her. She sat up and turned around to find Rarity, wearing a dark blue shirt, standing there with the cause of the sound at her feet.
Her eyes darted awkwardly from the cowgirl to the pile.
“You know, Rares, if you’re plannin’ bein’ all stealthy and unseen, it might be best not to knock stuff down,” said Applejack dryly.
“Oh! It’s not my fault!” she cried. “This spell was supposed to make me intangible for a long enough time to sneak through the crack between the wall and the shelf. It only lasted half as long as they said it would.” She crossed her arms and pouted.
“Maybe try givin’ it a little more juice when ya cast it?”
“The last time I tried that, I was intangible for almost an hour. I only got it dispelled when I went to my instructor.”
It was then that the door opened and in walked a visibly shell-shocked Fluttershy. The other two went to her and guided her to her bunk where she sat down with a thousand-yard stare.
“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” asked Applejack.
Slowly, she turned her head and directed her stare towards Applejack causing the cowgirl to recoil slightly. “I just came from my Anomaly Anatomy class.” She paused for a good five seconds. “They showed us pictures of some of the more...terrible things that have shown up.”
The pause was longer this time causing Rarity and Applejack move closer in concern. Finally, Fluttershy turned to Rarity and said, “They had samples. It. was. horrible.”
They were about to say something when they were interrupted by the door slamming open. There stood Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. One thing was very clearly missing from the pair. Energy.
Rainbow dragged herself to the closest chair and plopped herself onto it. Pinkie, after taking a few steps into the cabin, decided that the floor was good enough for her. She dropped down in a pink spread across the wooden floorboards. Both were heaving with heavy breaths as they looked blankly at the ceiling.
“Day three,” Rainbow finally got out. “Three days and they’ve got us doing stunts like that?!”
Rarity looked at the two sympathetically, “I take it the Pursuit class has not been living up to your expectations.”
“I never want to see another motorbike again!” screamed Pinkie Pie to no one in particular.
After a moment, Twilight Sparkle hobbled into the cabin holding a bag of ice to her head. As she noticed the states of her companions, she said, “I see I’m not the only one who’s had such a wonderful day.”
Applejack tilted her head in her direction.
“Advanced Melee Combat,” Twilight answered. “So much more painful than they make it look.”
Fluttershy, desperate to think of anything else, put on her gloves and approached Twilight. She placed one hand on the her friend’s head with the other at the hip. She began a particular breathing pattern. Slowly, warmth started to build up in her gloved hands as they glowed with a faint pink light. After a moment, the light faded and she retracted her arms.
Twilight stood up straight with her mouth hanging slightly in amazement. “You already know healing?”
“Just the basics.” Fluttershy smiled in her direction. “I learned it back in Canterlot with the help of Top Form.”
Twilight looked to the two exhausted grey shirts. “Can’t you help them?”
Fluttershy frowned and shook her head. “They don’t have any actual physical injuries, they mostly just have complete stamina drain. I still don’t know how to help with that.”
Twilight herself frowned as she approached her desk and sat down. They weren’t wasting any time. The past couple of days were a whirlwind, at one point almost literally. The six of them were being pushed to their limits as much as possible, sometimes further. Deep down, she knew they were doing this on purpose. East Officer Reginald was accelerating the process.
The large, windowless, stone structure acted as a combination armory, shooting range, and all around place-to-try-your-weapon-of-choice. Four of the Agents of Harmony were currently browsing the available selection. Fluttershy was the most obviously reluctant as her eyes scanned each tool with disgust and alienation. “Do we really have to pick something?”
“Yup!” Pinkie said as she ran from one display to another. “Rainbow already had her aara made back in Canterlot and Twilight has enough power that she just uses pure magic to fight.”
Fluttershy, though, was insistent. “Exactly. Do we really need to pick a weapon?”
“Darling,” Rarity said as she looked to her friend with sympathy. “I know the idea does not sit too well with you, but you have to understand that, considering what we may end up doing, it will be necessary for us to defend ourselves.”
Fluttershy knew she was right and so just moaned to herself as she continued to look.
Applejack, meanwhile, had gone to a particular section of the armory looking for a particular kind of weapon. She knew that if she were to rebuild it, she would have to learn how to actually use it. As she looked amongst the multitudes of firearms, she found it. She grasped it like a delicate flower and held it in front of her.
Long barrel, six chambers, bit heavier on the grip. It wasn’t an exact match, but it was close enough to Quickdraw that she could easily use it as a surrogate until she completed the real thing. She unclipped the chambers and found, to her surprise, that it was loaded with strange metallic cylinders. She pulled one out and held it against the light to get a better look.
She could see on one end a very obvious circuit board with a number of microcomponents, yet on the other end were a certain arrangement of magical leylines that she couldn’t comprehend. The ‘bullet’ itself was extremely light, like a packing peanut, yet had the unmistakable feel of metal. Its make interested her. She would definitely have to look more into-
“Energy rounds,” said a voice from behind her.
She jumped, spun around, drew the revolver and pointed it straight ahead.
The gun’s barrel ended neatly at the tip of another agent’s nose. The wrinkles on her face suggested middle-age, the intensity of her stare declared it didn’t matter. She had slightly greyed skin, a pair of rimless glasses and a bundle of black hair tied into a ponytail. Her brow was raised in amusement as she stared down the barrel of the revolver. The blazer she wore was the red of Magitek but also had a cream stripe running across her upper arm.
Applejack recognized the last detail and immediately pulled the weapon back and saluted. “Ah apologize, Magitek Officer Raven.”
Raven appraised the young agent. “At ease, junior.”
“You took me by surprise so Ah-”
She scoffed as she waved a hand. “Disregard.” She took the weapon from the younger’s hand. “Firearms?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve been thinknin’ of restorin’ an old family heirloom.”
“Aware. Plans are in your workstation at fabrication training. Quickdraw?”
Applejack was slightly surprised, but after a moment figured it was natural since she was technically one of her teachers. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Current design still built for combustion rounds. Not optimized for magical round.” She held up one of the rounds from the revolver.
“Ah know, ma’am. Ah’m still tryin’ to figure out exactly how to adapt it.” She scratched tue back of her head, causing her stetson to tilt forward. “It’s also the first time Ah’ve ever seen that type o’ round.” She pointed to the tiny cylinder.
Raven nodded. “Energy round allows user to fire compressed magical power.” She raised her hand to emphasize her silk glove. “Energy from conduit gloves pass through firearm into round. Allows for user’s energy to be turned into projectile. One in each chamber due to tendency to overheat requiring cooldown.” She reloaded the revolver and snapped the chamber back into place. “Advantage: nigh-unlimited ammunition. Limitation: own user’s reserves.” She spun the gun around and handed it back to Applejack.
The cowgirl took it and looked at it with a more discerning eye. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Best for revolvers due to cyclical munition chambers,” she said before turning around and walking out of view.
Applejack made to follow but found that she disappeared the moment she turned the corner. Rather than question it, she shrugged and went to look for her companions. The first one she bumped into was Fluttershy who was in the neighboring projectile section.
In her hands was the a sleek and nicely curved long bow, the tips of which ended in a slight wave making the string stay firmly planted on the right side of the bow. Fluttershy stroked the woodwork of the bow and looked at it with fascination.
“Archery?” Applejack asked.
Fluttershy raised her head. “To be honest, I’ve always found it to be such a graceful sport. It’s also not as inherently dangerous as a sword.” She looked to the revolver in Applejack’s hand. “Or violent and explosive like a gun.”
Applejack nodded. “True. Takes some steadier hands, though.”
She shrugged in response. “I think I can manage.”
As they returned to the door, they found the other two on the way. Rarity had a long rapier, sheathed and tied around her waist, whilst Pinkie Pie had nothing.
“Um, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked expectantly.
Her friend grinned in response as she showed them her fists. On her knuckles were rows of menacing, barbed spikes. “Found these in the ‘unarmed’ section. They’ll never see it coming,” she said as she put on a manic grin. When she saw the weird looks they gave her, she immediately broke into laughter.
Applejack smiled, relieved that her friend hadn’t suddenly gone psycho. She looked to the other and asked, “Swordplay, huh?”
“I will have you know the I dabbled in a bit of fencing in the past. I may be rusty now, but that is nothing a little practice cannot solve. This also isn’t the only thing I picked up.” She put on a smirk. “Let’s just say that I have something that is going to take full advantage of my telekinetic ability.”
“Suppose we better get used to this stuff then,” Applejack said before making her way to the shooting range.
Twilight took cover behind a collection of rocks. She turned her head and found her cerulean teammate, likewise taking cover.
“What are you doing here?” Rainbow demanded.
“Getting a better tactical assessment of the situation. You?”
Rainbow looked incredulous, “The same thing.”
“Good.”
The two peeked over their respective side of the rock. Across a small field from them was another outcropping of boulders. Hiding behind it were at least three fellow juniors. More importantly, though, a distance further away on a small knoll was their target, a yellow flag. Since the Agents of Harmony needed to be kept as one unit, the trainers had paired up two Reactionary teams to go up against them for an even, six-on-six game of capture the flag.
Twilight spoke into her earpiece. “Pinkie, Applejack, move-in.”
“Belay that,” Rainbow quickly said into her own earpiece before looking at Twilight. “Are you crazy? They’d be too exposed if they ran across.”
“First of all, I’m squad leader, second, do you have any better ideas?”
“Look over to the left, past the first line of trees.”
The two took another peek. The only thing Twilight saw in that direction was more grass, rocks and trees. “I don’t get it.”
Rainbow let out an exasperated sigh. “We can send someone in over those ledges to flank them. I’ve been watching that area and I know they don’t have anyone covering it.”
Twilight realized what she was talking about. “Well, they’ll definitely notice people crossing it, don’t you think?”
“I do. The best thing is for you and Applejack to provide a distraction since you can fire from right here, then Pinkie and I can move in and take the flag right from under them.”
Twilight played out the scenario in her head. They would just need to hold the rock long enough for Pinkie and Rainbow to get past that window in the tree line. Once they were through, they had the forest to cover them. She had to admit, it was a good plan.
“Alright, Rainbow.” She activated her earpiece again. “Applejack, you’re going to join me at the big rock near the center. Pinkie, you’re going to rendezvous with Rainbow on the left edge of the map.”
“Roger,” came their voices through the earpieces.
Rainbow nodded. “Okay, now I’ll just have to-”
She was cut of by an orange, crescent-shaped energy wave cutting neatly between them and bifurcating the rock. Twilight immediately raised a gloved hand and produced a purple barrier that encased Rainbow and her. Not a moment later, two more waves slammed against it, producing an electric sound.
With her other hand, Twilight reached for her ear once again. “Change of plans, Pinkie, you and Applejack are to give us support here in the-”
“No! Pinkie, AJ use the ledge on the left edge to sneak around them. By the sound of things, we’ve got the defenders’ attention. You should be able to sneak through without problems.”
Three more waves hit the purple barrier.
“Rainbow, we can’t just send them in. The enemy’s got us pinned. We need their help. If they overwhelm us they’ll be able to head straight for our flag.”
“It won’t matter if we get theirs first.”
“That’s too much of a gamble. We don’t even know if these are all the defenders. They could have easily left someone to ambush whoever got near their flag.”
Two larger waves hit the barrier. Two beads of sweat began to run down Twilight’s cheek.
“I think they can handle whatever-”
“Girls,” came the slightly static voice through their earpieces. “We may need backup. They found where we were keeping the flag.”
Rainbow and Twilight exchanged looks of dread.
Across the designated game area, an obfuscation agent and a medical agent were hiding behind trees that were a fair distance apart. Behind those trees, inside a ditch, was a lime green flag. Rarity was using her trusty hand mirror to get a visual on the situation. When she saw a possible target, she nodded to Fluttershy.
The shy girl looked terrified. Her lip quivered and her knees shook as her right hand pulled an arrow back, across her bow. She closed her eyes and took a breath before turning and emerging from cover. The arrow flew true and slammed the incoming grey shirt right in the chest. He fell to the ground, frozen in the very pose he was hit in. Another grey shirt following him drew her own arrow and fired it forward.
Fluttershy tried to move out of the way but was just too slow. She would have been hit, and likewise frozen, had a small knife—enclosed in a light blue aura—not intercepted its path. She gave Rarity a thankful smile as she leaned back onto the tree and watched the knife circle back and return to her friend’s grasp. .
Rarity made a mental increment. She was about to repeat the process when she heard a rustling of leaves above her. On instinct, she jumped away from the tree and drew her rapier. Just as she moved away, a brown skinned, red haired grey shirt wielding a scimitar slammed onto the ground she was standing on. The two held their swords at the ready. Rarity took a step back as her opponent took a step forward.
When Fluttershy noticed the grey shirt, she made to close the gap between her and her friend. Her action nearly cost her as an arrow flew just past her nose. She retreated back to the tree and got her own arrow ready. She notched an arrow and prepared to shoot the one wielding the scimitar. She was about to fire when the two had disappeared behind the cover of a particularly large tree trunk. Realizing she lost the shot ,she pulled back and released it against the other archer instead. It shattered into particles of light as it slammed against the rock her enemy was hiding behind.
Rarity stood straight and smiled as she held her rapier upright in front of her. She leveled a look at the grey shirt and tilted the sword towards her until it was level with the ground. Her opponent smirked and repeated the gesture, but rather than tilt her scimitar, she brought it down to her side in a slash. A duel between sword-wielding agents had just been declared.
The two entered ready stances and began to circle each other. Without warning, they charged. The sound of metal on metal echoed as blows were exchanged. The first strikes were enough for Rarity to know that she was severely outclassed. Her mind was filled with three primary directives: Dodge, parry, block. In the middle of strikes, though, she was able to notice that her opponent had a tendency to overstep her stride. With the right opportunity, she could easily turn the tide—she just had to survive the fight long enough.
Back at the rock, Twilight and Rainbow were being harassed. The energy waves had at least stopped replaced, instead, by smaller surgical strikes. None had yet to hit them, thankfully.
“Applejack, get back to the flag and give them an assist. Pinkie, see if you can flank around whoever is attacking us,” said Twilight into the earpiece.
“Alrighty, ma’am. Sure y’all can handle it?” replied the cowgirl.
“We’ll survive, but we lose the moment they so much as touch our flag.” Twilight looked back to Rainbow.
“Either there are two of them taking pot shots at us, or one of them is running back and forth and hitting us from both sides alternately.” Rainbow tried to peek above the rock only to get a near hit from a magic missile. “I can’t get a good visual.”
Twilight considered things. “You can control where you aara goes, right?”
Rainbow nodded.
“Good. I can use my magic to give you cover, you ready yourself to swing against whoever is out there.”
A smirk formed on Rainbow’s face. “We might as well try something.”
Twilight built up heat in her palm whilst Rainbow gripped her belt. When the next shot from the enemy hit the rock, Rainbow jumped and rolled. The first thing she saw once she was out was a magical projectile heading for the spot right between her eyes. It didn’t hit as a translucent purple wall extended from the rock, protecting her from any other projectiles. Her eyes locked onto their opponent, standing not too far from the trees. She pulled her belt and let out her aara.
As she readied a strike, the wall stayed flexible and ensured that nothing could hit her. As her arm swung around, the shield retracted for the aara to extend just enough to hit the enemy. It was repelled, though, by a chunk of earth launched from the trees. There’s the other guy, she thought.
She willed her sword to return and it did. They had a clear shot on her now, her only hope was to jump in the direction of the barrier. As she did, she found that Twilight had much more control over her shields than she expected as she harmlessly phased through the illuminating wall.
Being on the other side of the barrier, she found a nice open spot in her opponent’s guard. She brought her aara up for another strike. It would have connected had a chunk of earth not come flying out of the forest, neatly intercepting her blade.
Rarity, unfortunately, was not having as good a time. The opportunity she was hoping for never came and she was getting progressively exhausted. Her opponent, meanwhile, barely broke a sweat as she reared up for a particularly savage strike. She barely managed to block it as one of her knees buckled from the pressure. The duel severely worked against her favor in a one-on-one setup. She would have to use the tricks obfuscation had taught her.
As she brought her rapier up to block another strike, her left hand went for a bracelet with seven beads being worn by her sword arm. The beads were sent flying before neatly revolving around her left hand, now balled into a fist, and transforming into seven small knives. She jumped back and parried her enemy’s strike as she threw her fist in her direction. The knives were sent flying towards their target.
The grey shirt’s eyes widened before she took a daring leap to the right. One knife would have hit her badly had she not tilted her sword just right to block. She recovered quickly and looked at Rarity with wide-eyes—right before smirking. The duel was off, which meant anything goes.
The look she was being given upset Rarity. She started thinking that she was more likely to win the duel. Her eyes momentarily glanced to her companion, only to widen as they saw Fluttershy, frozen in place with her arms in front of her cowering face. The odds were looking grimmer with every moment.
A bloodcurdling battlecry came forth as the grey shirt charged her. Terror briefly overtook her emotions before she recovered and sent her knives flying forwards once more. The grey shirt bounced and danced around her knives in mid-air; leaping, strafing, and spinning gracefully. The gap between them closed in no time forcing Rarity to return to blocking and parrying.
The attacks were too swift and too frequent for her to call her knives back. She would have to think of something-
The grey shirt grabbed her sword wrist and held it away from them before plunging her scimitar right through Rarity’s core.
There was no pain, nor was there blood. All Rarity felt was a slight pressure as she willed her eyes to roll down and get a good look. From her position, she could neatly see the scimitar half-way into her own body. The effect was disquieting to say the least; not helped by the fact that she couldn’t move at all. She clattered to the ground as she was released.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a spark emanate from the forest behind her. A small, glowing projectile that looked to be made of light shot at her opponent. The grey shirt tried to bring her scimitar to shield her but was just too slow. She toppled to the ground with the scimitar up and with alerted eyes.
She heard footsteps behind her before she felt her stiff body being tilted. Her sapphire eyes met with Applejack’s emerald. She desperately wanted to thank the cowgirl and to warn her of the other remaining grey shirt. She wouldn’t need to as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the very same grey shirt notch an arrow and fire it in their direction.
It missed Applejack by a hair’s width as the gunslinger leapt back and brought her weapon out to bear. She fired a few suppressive shots which allowed her the chance to find proper cover. She returned to the trees. A number of arrows pierced several trees all around her. By their distance apart, she could tell that the grey shirt was firing blind. She used the chance to use the forest’s underbrush to get out of the area. At this point, it was a game of cat and mouse.
Though the aara was blocked, the greys clearly did not anticipate Twilight Sparkle jumping from cover and sending a particularly nasty looking bolt of energy towards their exposed comrade. He fell to the ground with his face scrunched up from the literal and figurative shock.
Rainbow shot Twilight a smile. “Nice one, egghead.”
Twilight, shocked at the compliment, replied, “Thanks. We’re not out of the woods yet, though.”
At that moment, the treeline exploded as a large golem-like creature made entirely from earth emerged. It snarled at the two as it raised a fist to squish them.
As it was about to bring down it’s car-sized fist, a message was broadcast to all the players involved.
“The reactionaries win. They have taken Team Harmony’s flag.”
“WHAT?” demanded Rainbow. Her face was twisted up as she stared angrily at the sky above them.
The golem brought its arms back and shrugged before walking towards the northern edge of the map. It’s body flashed and disappeared as it was replaced by a significantly smaller, grey-shirt wearing junior agent.
Rainbow redirected her glare towards her teammate.
Twilight shook her head. Two games in a row was not a good sign. She noticed the look Rainbow was giving her. “What?”
Rarity was sitting, cross-legged, under a tree on a small knoll just outside the training compound. Her hair was tied back and she was wearing a blue tank top with the regulation exercise shorts. She had just finished a healthy morning jog and decided to read up on her lessons before her first class begun. She was starting to see the barrier that they passed when they first arrived. She was also beginning to hear a low hum, like the sound produced from grounded speakers, emanate from it. In the two-and-a-half weeks they had spent there, she learned so much more about the world around them.
What fascinated her the most was, perhaps, the two types of magic that filled their world: Harmony and Chaos. The magic that she and her friends, as well as all the agents, were using was a refined and channeled type of Harmony. How you channeled it depended entirely on your birthright, leading to the three forms of Heart, Body and Mind. She herself used mind magic which meant that her thoughts envisioned what her abilities were to do. With her knives, for example, she had to imagine them flying to her target to get them to do just that.
She took a breath and laid her tablet on her lap as she leaned back on the tree. Her eyes darted around surrounding area. She smiled as she noticed a patch of flowers growing contentedly under a whole in the forest’s canopy. The smile she was wearing faltered slightly as she noticed a fellow junior jog out of the compound in her direction. It was the grey-shirt that stabbed her.
She stopped and stared at Rarity for a moment before smiling and approaching her. She extended her hand and introduced herself. She spoke with the slightly nasal accent of those from the desert country of Saddle Arabia. Rarity couldn’t catch quite catch, much less pronounce, the name she introduced herself with. She chuckled and instead gave her a rough Lhaytinization of her name: Ignia Terra.
Rarity invited her to sit with her under the tree.
“Sorry, by way, about other day. It did not hurt too much, I hope?” Ignia asked with a sheepish look.
Rarity smiled and waved it off. “It’s fine. You were expected to beat us, after all.”
Ignia nodded. “Thank you.” She looked to the tablet on Rarity’s lap. “What were you reading?”
“Oh, just brushing up on the things I’ve learned here. Quite a lot to take in, if I do say so.”
“I understand. When I awoke in my home town, I was terrified of what I was. Night of that same day, agents from Saddle Arabian detachment came to my home and talked to my parents. I was too young for training then so they just kept watch and visited for a check-up every week. I was finally old enough this year and so they sent me here to Equestria for formal training.” She had a wistful smile as she brought out a small locket from inside her grey shirt. “I miss my parents more than I expected.”
Rarity shared her smile. “I myself haven’t seen my parents in a while. I was supposed to now but I had to go here for the training. I should probably visit them when we’re done here.”
“Oh, did you hear what we’ll be doing as final exam?”
Rarity tilted her head. “Not quite, no. Why? Is it that difficult?”
Ignia shrugged. “Not sure. All I know is that each team we’ll be sent on their own missions to accomplish. If you succeed, you are a full agent. If not, you have to go to next year’s training.”
“Oh my. I do hope we’ll manage. We haven’t quite gotten used to the whole strategy and tactics things.” Rarity snorted a laugh. “Or combat.”
Ignia chuckled. “If you like, I can give you help with sword skills. I may use scimitar but I’m also familiar with other styles. Is why I chose grey.”
Rarity had a truly sincere smile. “Thank you, I would appreciate that.” She extended her hand. “Friend?”
Deep beneath the giant APPLEWOOD sign in Los Pegasus is the main Magitek facility of MLP. It is here that the greatest achievements in magical and scientific research happen. The facility was tall, eight levels in all. The safest things to work with like enchanted cloth or magically powered tools were closest to the surface. The bottom level was where they kept nightmares that could only be dreamed of by the most deranged of minds.
Within the fifth sublevel, South Officer Gerard was currently observing a young girl through a, considerably thick, sheet of reinforced glass. She had orange skin and long, fiery hair. Her hands were clasped as she sat in a soft, large arm chair. An agent wearing a red blazer with a cream stripe on the upper left arm was shining a purple light into her teal eye.
After he asked her a few more questions, he gathered his things and left Sunset Shimmer alone in her cell once more. She looked around at the blank white walls that surrounded her. She sighed before she stood up and approached a large bookcase filled with an assortment of books.
Though she was kept caged, they treated her well. She was given three square meals—she could even request what to have—and was even provided with a television, some exercise equipment, and the aforementioned bookcase. Whenever she finished a book, they even had the courtesy to change it with a new one she had never read before. About the only thing she could not do was leave. A gilded cage was still a cage.
The words still echoed in her mind: Miss Shimmer, you are not a prisoner. But that does not mean you are not dangerous. For your own good as well as those around you, you will have to stay here for the time being until we are certain everything is safe.
That was the three months ago, and the last time she saw Principal Celestia.
Gerard waved his hand and the image of Sunset Shimmer faded back into the sterile, white color of the walls of his office. He returned to his large, leatherette office chair and clasped his hands in thought. A moment later, he heard a knock at his door.
The agent from the cell now stood at the door with a tablet in his hands. His skin was a cold, grey color made even colder by his dark blue hair. His eyes were a piercing aquamarine which only served to intensify the freezing aura he seemed to emit. He saluted at the door and approached the large mahogany desk. “Sunset Shimmer’s internals have calmed. She is stable now and should pose no threat to anyone,” he said with a voice that could send chills down lesser beings.
Gerard regarded Los Pegasus Magitek Officer Tundra Strider. “What can you tell me stood out about the incident at CHS. What exactly was so strange with what happened there?”
“The Elements of Harmony are quite efficient, if vicious, at what they do, sir.”
Gerard’s eyebrow raised. “Elaborate.”
“The Elements are capable of cleansing malice and chaos magic from one’s body. We are capable of something similar but not to the degree of the Elements. When we combat anomalies or other chaotic entities, we basically scrub them clean of chaotic influence. The Elements go much further, if frighteningly so.
“Imagine having your hair waxed off, but rather than stopping at your hair, it strips the flesh right off your bone. When hit by a full blast of the rainbow from the Elements, the chaos is forcefully pulled out of you. It is safe to assume that this is what Sunset Shimmer experienced that night. It also explains why her dominant personality was suddenly made so submissive. Since the chaos inside her ruled for many years, her internal harmony magic was left beaten and starved.The Elements do not restore that power, so when the chaos was removed, all she was left with was her withered harmonic self.” Tundra handed the tablet over.
Gerard began to scan the pages of his subordinate's report. “She seems to have recovered now from the looks of it.”
“Indeed. Our equipment has sped up her recovery, but there is only so much we can do here, sir.”
“Agreed. I suppose we might as well hand her off to the Medicals. Cadence has been itching to get her hands on that little brat.” Gerard thought for a moment. “Do not take away her escort though. By my order, they are still to follow her to Cloudsdale and wherever else she is to be sent.”
“Yes, sir.”
Twilight was doing her level best to concentrate. She was trying to read a manual on how to manage a six person squad that Pinkie had found in the Reactionary library. The keyword, of course, being trying. Behind her, on the one of the top bunks, was the snoring form of Rainbow Dash. The past hour had consisted of her alternating between giving the athlete dirty looks and reading the book.
She lost it after a particularly piggy snort (that she swore had some saliva in it) had come from the athlete. She slammed her fists on her desk and stormed towards the bed. She reached up and shook the her shoulder. “Rainbow. Wake up.”
Rainbow let out one more snort before her eyes shot open. She turned around and met scowls from Twilight. “What do you want?”
“I’m trying to study. Could you please sleep a little quieter?”
“Hey!” Rainbow was offended. “I do not snore.”
Twilight gave her a look. She put on a glove and held her hand up. It glowed and the sounds she had been enduring for the past hour began to play from her palm.
Rainbow was admittedly impressed as she stared at Twilight’s speaker palm. Still, she had an argument to win. “Well, sorry. Do you have any idea what they make us do at Reactionary training? At least all you reds do is read books.”
Twilight’s mouth was agape. “Excuse me? We do not just ‘read books.’ And when we do it’s always something worthwhile.”
Rainbow just stared back with a condescending look.
Twilight’s blood was starting to heat up. “The book I’m reading now, for example, will at least help make sure we don’t embarass ourselves on the field again.” She floated the book over and opened it to a page before shoving it in Rainbow’s direction. “Look at this. This is a divide and conquer strategy for six people against an equal or greater force devised by Colonel Easy Glider centuries ago.”
She took the book back and looked at it one more time before realizing something. “Actually, this is pretty much a more advanced version of what you suggested then.”
This got Rainbow’s attention. “What I suggested?”
“About you and Pinkie sneaking around while Applejack and I provide distracting fire.”
Rainbow was now sitting up as she looked at Twilight. “Can I see it.” Twilight handed her the book. As she read through, she realized that it was indeed similar to what she wanted to do to get their opponent’s flag. She moved to the edge and jumped off the top bunk, book still in hand.
She began leafing through the other strategies. When she saw a particularly devious one, she began to read through it as she took a seat at one of the desks.
Twilight took a peek over Rainbow’s shoulder and recognized what she was reading. “That one’s really underhanded, frankly. It manages to be a false-flag and blitz at the same time.”
“Uh huh.”
“I don’t think we’d be able to do it though. We don’t exactly have the capability to.”
Rainbow put the book down and looked at Twilight. “Yes we can. I’ve got my speed to compensate while Rarity can use her telekinesis and AJ’s got her strength to pull off the second half.”
“Yeah, but what about the night-time factor?”
Rainbow smiled. “That’s where you and Rarity can come in. You can use your fancy magic to drum up an illusion for us to work with.”
Twilight began to play the scenario in her head once more. She was absolutely right. It really could work that way. The two began to discuss more on strategies and magical abilities. Twilight learned more about pragmatism whilst Rainbow learned more about her own heart magic.
They were so engrossed that they did not notice a pink head with an even pinker puff of hair peep through the door. She smiled as she watched the two discuss and interact with one another before leaving.
The specimen in front wriggled and jiggled as another probe was plunged into its skin. Its skin was coated with a particularly slimy—and disgustingly green—substance. It did not have a mouth, so to speak, yet it still managed to give a low hissing sound. It was also about as big as a human torso.
“Remember, the liquid that a U worm secretes is poisonous and acidic. Do not, under any circumstance, remove your conduit gloves unless you are certain that there is not a trace on you. Even a tiny speck would cause a chain reaction that would melt everything organic within you which basically amounts to all of you,” said the apple-green, purple-haired, white-coat instructor from the front of the room.
Fluttershy had yet to attach any probes to her worm. She just stood there with her arms at her side as she stared at the bulbous creature.
The instructor noticed this and approached her. “Is there anything wrong, Junior-Agent?”
Fluttershy’s eyes alternated between her instructor and her U worm a few times before finally settling on the former. “Well, sir. I just don’t feel too comfortable about...this.” She lifted the probe up, it was long and thin, just about the size of a candle. She emphasized the particularly pointed section that was supposed to plunge into the poor worm.
“I can understand your reluctance and though these devices seem...barbaric, I assure you they are actually quite humane. Though the initial application is painful, patients, even human ones, actually find these diagnosis wands quite comfortable.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m having a hard time believing that.”
The instructor thought it over for a moment. “I may not be the best to describe or explain, but the gist of it is that within this little device is a very physically flexible material that, when influenced by certain magical signals, can easily be manipulated to whatever we need. If you need a particular medicine, it synthesizes it. If you need to scan yourself for foreign particles, it transforms and tells you if anything is wrong. If we need to investigate or find out more about an anomaly, we stick this in them to learn of things such as their origin and their weaknesses.”
“How does that not hurt?”
“Don’t you see? It’s also capable of synthesizing certain anaesthetic drugs to make sure that the process relatively painless,” he assured her.
Fluttershy was still reluctant, but with her teacher now breathing down her neck, she knew she had no choice but to do it. She just hoped he was right about the painlessness. The worm gave a shrill cry as the wand dug itself into its skin. A moment later, though, the creature began to relax like it was in a state of euphoria—which it most likely was.
“Good work,” said the instructor. “Now pair it with your device and see what it’s telling you.”
Fluttershy did as instructed and found that the U worm desired water. After she secured a small bowl of water, she approached the worm and slowly lifted it up to place the bowl under it.
The instructor looked to her curiously. “Why did you put it underneath the worm?”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy wondered. “Oh. It asked me to place it nears its mouth.”
“It...asked you?”
She nodded.
“Did it project its thoughts into you?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t think you see them the same way I do. I still don’t understand it completely, myself, but I can actually do a rough interpretation of what all this little guy’s movements are.” She briefly glanced at the worm. “I believe you now, though. It really seems to be enjoying the whatever the wand is doing to it.”
The instructor nodded and returned to the front of the room. For the next hour, he directed the class in a variety of tests and procedures using the various tools and devices that allowed the students to learn everything from the creature’s basic anatomy to its brain’s chemical composition. Once they had wrapped up, returned and removed all the probes and placed the U worms back into their pen, the instructor dismissed the class.
When they were gone, he picked up a tablet from a drawer at the teacher’s desk.
“Please input vocal identification,” it said in a hollow, robotic voice.
“Manehattan Medical Officer Pulse Rhythm,” he said.
The screen came to life and he was met by the golden eyes of Manehattan Magitek Officer Raven Zarana.
“Well, Pulse?” she asked.
He nodded. “You were absolutely right.”
“Of course.”
“She has the uncanny ability to read even the tiniest of movements. She would be the perfect agent to send in. There is just one problem.”
Raven focused her stare. “What?”
“She is cripplingly shy.”
“Assistance from other Agents of Harmony will help overcome fear.”
“Another problem is that I don’t think she’ll be willing to go along.” He looked at the U worms as they slithered around their pen. “She wouldn’t even use the diagnosis wands on a U worm, of all things, until I assured her it would not hurt the creature.”
“Too much empathy. Solvable.”
“Not solvable, Raven. We are not doing that again.” Pulse scrunched his face in disgust. “Not after what happened to the last agent.”
She directed a glare towards him. “Agents of Harmony significantly more resilient than standard agents. Probability of survival above ninety percent.”
“Raven.” He looked right in the eyes. “Gerard and Cadence both gave the order to shut that project down. I don’t think they’ll change their minds any time soon.”
The Magitek officer let out a low growl. “Then we’ll find a way.”
The moon was at the apex of its journey when its silver light wandered into the fabrication center of the Dragon’s Nest. It helpfully illuminated a table containing a variety of schematics, blueprints, notes and tiny metallic parts. Emerald-green eyes scanned through each of them before returning to a mammoth of a machine attached to a wall.
The door to the private workshop opened and a lime-green face peeped inside. “Applejack?”
The cowgirl turned away from the machine to smile at the newcomer. “Hey, Auto.”
“That what I think it is?” he said as he walked into the room. His voice was thick with the accent of a Manehattanite. His eyes glanced to the table, then to the cowgirl. The serious determination he saw in her eyes was enough to make him take a step back.
Applejack chuckled slightly. “Yup. Ah think Ah actually got it this time round.”
Auto’s brow was raised as he joined her in front of the machine. “You sure? I doubt the Magiteks’ll like the news of another lab bein’ blown up by the same junior.”
She led him towards the table and brought attention to the schematics and diagrams on it. They originally contained the schematics generated by Applejack’s mind through the realization box. Now, they contained layer upon layer of scribble, erasure, calculation and correction. The paper it was on was worn and thin and would have disintegrated had Twilight not placed a special preservation spell on it at the request of the cowgirl.
“Ah’ve accounted for everythin’ Ah could think of. Ah’ve corrected everythin’ and brought it all up to specification. Ah won’t fail this time.”
“You really won’t give up on this, will you?”
Applejack gave him a bittersweet smile. “Y’all know what this means to me, Auto.”
He returned a much more understanding smile. “I know.”
“It’s the least I can do to make ‘em proud.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. Some grease from a stain transferred onto his hand. “They already are, Applejack. You really have to understand that. You know something? I actually overheard instructor Gear Shift talkin’ ‘bout you. He said you’re one of the best mechanical Magiteks they’d seen in years.”
Applejack sighed and looked at Auto.
“If your sister or brother awaken, maybe they can join Medical. That way your family’ll have a foot in all four divisions.”
Applejack’s smile became much more sincere as the thought of her brother, Big Macintosh, as a field medic entered her mind.
With her smile much more honest, Auto turned to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t hurt yourself, ‘kay?” He raised his fist in her direction.
She brought her own up for a quick bump. “Course Ah won’t,” she said as she closed the door for her friend.
The machine hissed as steam poured out from one of its upper orifices into a ventilation chimney. A metal case in the center of it all slowly began to open. Within, held aloft by astonishingly strong microscopic fibers, were a bunch of metal parts and plates. Her orange hands were wearing white conduit gloves when she reached out and gingerly took each part out.
After laying all the pieces out on a nearby table, Applejack took a step back and smiled. She took out a bunch of precision tools and sat down to get to work.
By the time the sun broke the horizon, the cowgirl was fast asleep at the table with her head on her arms. The sound of other junior-agents making their morning rounds managed to wake her up. She raised her head and shook off her drowsiness. When her eyes began to focus, she took another look at the beautiful piece of machinery that lay on the table.
It had taken her the a significant amount of the month they had spent at the camp, as well as countless hours of research and experimentation, but she had finally accomplished what she wanted. She stroked the shining, obsidian-black barrel of her creation. Her eyes locked onto the carefully engraved symbol of her heritage, an apple, sitting just after the ammunition chambers.
She unclipped the chamber and took out one of her personally modified energy rounds. The mechanical and electrical section took quite a mental tax from her but, with Twilight’s help for the magical leylines, she managed to optimize the design while still maintaining the device’s size. It could now be used longer and with less magical strain.
With her hand neatly grasping the smooth, brown, ebony wood handle, she squeezed it slightly and willed it to change form. The metal began to liquidize and compress. Once it changed into a ball of clay-like substance, it began to change once again taking on a flat, oval shape. After a while, patterns began to emerge on the surface as its color started to shift. It ended as a shiny golden belt buckle with an embossed apple right in the center bordered by branches and leaves. It sparkled as she held it in the light.
Now that she knew what it felt like, she willed it to transform once again. The process was instantaneous now as she once again beheld the sleek form of the revolver, Quickdraw. She transformed it once again and clipped it onto her belt as she made her way out of the center. She greeted her fellow junior-magiteks along the way. She had to block the morning rays of the sun from her face when she emerged from the large cabin. There was barely anyone as she made her way to the square, concrete building. She entered and took an elevator to the lower levels.
The shooting range was three stories tall and likewise empty as she stepped onto its platform. The console nearby came to life as she approached it. After placing a few commands, she stepped up to the range and waited, weapon drawn and ready. The first shade revealed itself and summarily received a pellet of energy right through its head. It faded into nothingness as another appeared across the range. Applejack looked down the sights and pulled the trigger. It disappeared just before three jumped out rather close to the cowgirl.
She didn’t even flinch as she glared at their menacing faces. A moment later, holes were present on each.
Suddenly, a particularly large one that looked to made of pure shadow emerged right at the center. She smirked as she held the gun with two hands. She took a breath and poured a considerable amount of magic into her weapon. The ball of light that emerged shined with the might of a miniature sun as it soared towards the black monstrosity. On contact, the shade exploded, showering the room in tiny particles of light.
Like an old western, she blew the tip of the barrel and twirled the gun before willing it back into a buckle and putting it on.
As she took one last look at the now empty range, she began to hear the distinct sound of...spurs? She wondered who the heck wore spurs in the camp as she turned to face the source of the sound.
At the entrance to the range stood a tall, well-built, middle-aged blue coat. His skin was aqua blue and he had a head of scruffy brown hair underneath a black, flat brimmed cowboy hat. His blazer was slightly longer than convention and, rather than black slacks, he wore a pair of black work jeans. Overall, he projected an aura of the good ‘ol ways which resonated well with Applejack’s nostalgia for that lifestyle. It didn’t help that his piercing green eyes seemed to be looking at her with familiar fondness.
After realizing that they had been staring each other for an uncomfortably long period, Applejack broke the silence. “Can Ah help y’all, mister?”
The man cleared his throat and approached the range. “Sorry. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen shootin’ like that, Miss AJ.” His voice had a faint accent similar to Applejack.
She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something about him that was unmistakably familiar. After she realized that he had just addressed her by name, she said, “Well seeing as you know who Ah am, would you mind givin’ me a name?”
“Blue Bellini, at you service.” He took of his hat and bowed like a gentleman of old. “Your name’s been floatin’ around the Magiteks. Big shots’ve been keepin’ an eye on your progress.”
Applejack raised a fascinated brow. “Really?”
“Really. Fits well if you ask me. You’ve got a good grasp on the tech half, your teammate, Miss Sparkle, has the magic half, together you represent Magitek pretty good.”
Applejack didn’t take her eyes off him as he approached and activated the range. “Well you’re obviously a full agent. What are you doin’ here at boot camp?”
“Came to see an old friend. Gets pretty lonely out there. I’m not really in any of the branches, you see. I’m a drifter agent.”
She raised both brows in curiosity.
“Basically, I go about helping branches with certain problems.”
“Like whut, exactly?”
He brought out a silver pocket watch as the first shades formed in the range. In a moment, the watch had transformed into something else. Applejack could see that it was heavily modified and had a number of newer attachments, but underneath it all was still the recognizable frame of an old M1 Carbine rifle.
Four shades appeared in the back of the range, intermingled with a number of agent shades. With absolute precision, he gunned down the hostile shades and even one that had grappled a friendly. When he finished, he transformed his rifle back and looked to the cowgirl. “If they have a problem they want eliminated, they usually send me in. Who better for infiltration than an obfuscation, after all.”
The rifle itself and even the performance was unsurprising for the cowgirl. What wasn’t was the small silver apple hanging by a chain and attached near the end of the rifle’s butt. She squinted in disbelief at the shining fruit-shaped trinket. “Uhm, you an Apple by any chance?” she asked warily.
Blue raised an eyebrow before he noticed what had caught her eye. He smiled. “No, missy, I ain’t. I did know some though. I was also really close to two of them.” His smile changed to a more melancholic version. “You knew them pretty well, I reckon.”
Applejack tilted her head. “Really? Who were they?”
“Stayman Winesap and Ginger Sangria.” His smooth tone nearly broke at their mention.
Her smile reflected his. “I see.”
“Make no mistake, Miss Applejack.” He looked to the young agent. “Your parents truly were some of the best.”
She nodded. “I know.”
Inside the sixth cabin along the first row of junior-agent cabins, Pinkie Pie was at her desk with her nose buried deep within a particularly thick book. On the next seat from her sat Rarity, her nose buried in a similarly thick book.
“Wow. This book is creepily specific,” said Pinkie Pie as she grabbed a potato chip from a nearby bowl.
“I think I can understand the feeling,” Rarity replied.
Pinkie’s eyes scanned the series of images neatly laid out on the book’s pages. It was a diagram on how to use her chosen fisticuffs style with concussive body magic. The process was surprisingly simple. All you had to do was imagine the part of your opponent’s body that your fist would make contact with exploding. The book itself admitted that proper execution required practice as the specific way to channel body magic usually differed between users.
Body magic, much like physical capability, depended on the user’s own fitness level. Those who were of the lethargic inclination more or less received mediocre results. Those, however, with peak physique could leap tall buildings in single bounds and lift entire train cars with their fingers. This is why agents who used this magic tended to be the most physically impressive. Even then, agents who were of relatively equal physicality would likely get different results in test environments due to a, as of yet unknown, factor of randomness.
Mind magic required mental precision and concentration. In order to achieve results, they would have to build simulations in their heads on how they would want whatever they were manipulating to act. The advantage this method had was the amazing precision that could be achieved. A skilled Medical-Mind agent could perform open-heart surgery without making physical contact.
This also provided it’s greatest handicap; since the situation had to be played out in the user’s mind, this limited what could be done with it by the user’s own imagination. Consequently, since the method of using this magic was highly methodical and rigid, new techniques and applications were rare between generations. Agents who leaned in this direction tended to be scholars and members of the Magitek division.
Heart magic, on the other hand, required something much less quantifiable than the other two: passion. Physical contact and mental force usually contributed little in the use of this branch. What mattered most was the user’s ability to feel, emotionally, what they were doing. While it sounded simple, this was actually the most strenuous, frustrating and draining of the three.
The flipside was that, once an agent had gotten a proper flow, their ability would be nigh-unstoppable. When they knew what kind of emotion they needed, it was usually trivial to call it back. The most powerful users have been known to bend their immediate surroundings to their whim granting them the freedom and capability of flight.
Rarity considered this as she read through her textbook. It was a thick grimoire whose contents leaned more to application by the Obfuscation Division. It had three primary sections for the three types of Harmony magic. After giving up on a particularly difficult spell for her mind magic, she decided to browse through the body section.
She found the types of spells and their methods mystifying to say the least. “Pinkie, how does that precognitive ability of yours work precisely?”
Pinkie looked to her friend. “I’m really not sure. Twilight said that she could help me look more into it.”
“None of you instructors could even identify it?”
Pinkie released her book and did an exaggerated shrug. “I even went to some of the Magitek instructors and they didn’t have any clue either. They also said I shouldn’t worry since an entirely new class of ability does pop up every decade or so. I just so happened to be the one carrying the latest.”
It was at that moment a knock was heard at the cabin’s door. Rarity volunteered to answer it. She welcomed Ignia into the cabin with a smile as Pinkie Pie went to meet the arabian.
“You have such curly hair!” said Pinkie as she observed her co-division’s messy mop.
“Your hair so poofy,” replied Ignia. “Like cotton candy.”
Rarity approached them whilst Pinkie gave a squeaky giggle. “So what brings you to our fine abode on such a wonderful day, my dear?”
Ignia smiled and faced her. She flicked her left wrist and a bracelet of several copper rings transformed into the curved form of her scimitar. “I’m free till late afternoon, you aswell.” The sword retracted back to its inert form.
Rarity wore a grin. “I have been looking for a reason to put down that book.” She pointed to the offending tome.
“Ooooh. Can I come?” Pinkie raised her hand and teetered on her toes.
Ignia looked to her. “You use sword too?”
Pinkie shook her head vigorously before bringing up her fists. “I use these.”
Ignia considered her for a moment then looked to Rarity. “Well you won’t always fight other swordwielder. Good you get experience with other schools.”
Rarity shrugged. “I suppose. As long as we get a change of scenery from this,” she said as she gestured to the wooden interior.
The trio left the cabin and went to a large open area in the north-west corner of the camp. They drew their various weapons.
Ignia approached Pinkie and whispered something into her ear before facing her student. “Quick review of what I’ve shown you.” In two great strides she closed the gap between her and Rarity and brought her sword down in a mighty swing.
Rarity prepared herself. She met the scimitar with her rapier and bent her wrist just enough that the scimitar slid down the metal of her sword as she jumped to the right.
“Good,” said Ignia just before she pirouetted and performed an upwards slash at Rarity.
It was countered by a move that involved her rapier’s ornate guard. This resulted in the scimitar being partially locked to it allowing Rarity to safely pull the blade away just enough for her to throw her fist at her opponent’s face.
Ignia crouched down and spun her body around. As she spun and stepped to the right, she reversed her grip on her scimitar. Holding it back-handed gave her just enough leverage to yank her sword free. She recovered and held her sword with the bladed edge facing rarity and the dull edge touching her arm. “I see you learned trick with sword’s design.”
Rarity smirked. “You did say to be creative.” She closed her left hand. Her ten-beaded bracelet broke off and transformed into ten small knives that revolved around her fist.
Ignia nodded ever so slightly as she took a leap to the side, revealing to Rarity a fast approaching ball of pink with a clenched fist wearing metal knuckles with spikes decorated to look like party hats.
“Zecora!” shouted Twilight as she ran towards the grey woman.
“Hello there, my dear Twilight, always a pleasure to see you so bright,” she replied.
Just behind them were the Twilight’s five new friends, sitting and having a nice break of coffee and tea at a cafe just out of Vanhoover. They smiled and introduced themselves as Zecora did the same.
“So are you going to be the one overseeing us?”
She nodded. “But I will not be watching you alone. My partner shall be waiting in the hot zone.” She approached Twilight and slipped a small disc into her hand.
Twilight looked at it for a moment before cracking into a smile. “Are these the mission schematics?” She looked at Zecora like a child who wanted to go out and play with her new favorite toy.
The agent nodded in response. “I shall meet you there, so I suggest you all prepare.” She turned and hopped back into her grey sedan.
As Zecora drove off, Twilight looked at the tiny device in her hand and returned to her seat around the table.
Rainbow leaned over and looked at the thing. “Is that it?”
“Yup.” She placed it in the center of their table and waved her hand above it. A slight hum sounded from within as the top half opened up. A translucent blue projection of a network of twisting and turning tunnels appeared. Scattered in various places were larger chambers of varying size with some being capable of housing several scaled down cars to being able to house several similarly scaled jumbo jets.
“This is what they were talking about?” asked Pinkie as she squinted at it. “I don’t get it.”
Just as she said that, the word ‘sending’ appeared superimposed on top of the projection no matter what angle you approached it from.
A succession of three monotonous beeps sounded out from each of their pockets.
“So it’s some kind o’ giant ant colony,” said Applejack as her eyes skimmed the report on her phone.
“People in nearby towns have reported crops being raided, large swathes of organized destruction and sightings of thin legged, shiny, bear-like creatures,” continued Fluttershy with a twinge of fear.
“Which can only mean one thing,” Twilight began, “a high concentration of chaos magic.”
Two small grey cubes were ejected onto the table from the disc. Rarity picked both up and twirled them around her fingers like gems. “So our mission is to take one of these to the queen’s chamber and detonate it.” She eyed the two tiny things meticulously. There were runes etched on to them that were so small a magnifying glass—or a designer’s eye—would be necessary to see them.
Rainbow groaned. “Lemme guess, the scans don’t work and all they managed was this map. So we’re supposed to crawl in those dark, dusty, and closed tunnels looking for the queen’s chamber, right?”
”Hmmm.” Twilight sighed as she too realized it. “Looks like you're right, Rainbow.”
“Of course,” she said in a tone so flat it could slice air.
“That does not seem quite effective. Are we really supposed to just go through all of it until we find the right place?” asked Rarity.
“We won’t need to,” said Applejack. “These other chambers look awfully big. Considerin’ the queen’s role, I doubt they’d put her in a tight space.”
Pinkie cupped her chin and squinted at the projection. “There’s three of them and six of us. But one of them is waaay at the bottom. Do we split in three or two?”
“Two teams of three,” Twilight said. “My team checks out the first chamber while Rainbow’s checks the second.”
Rainbow looked at Twilight doubtfully. “You sure about that? Splitting our firepower hardly ever seems to work out.”
“The ants encountered on the surface seemed fairly docile and easy to dispose of so I doubt we’d be having any trouble with them.” she replied. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
A loud smack sounded as everyone turned their eyes to Pinkie, whose palm was making full contact with her forehead. “Twilight!” said Pinkie as she looked the offending party right in the eye. “You should never say stuff like that! Now we’re doomed!”
Twilight rolled her eyes and ignored her. “Is everyone ready to move out? Emergency comms? Sustenance packs? Weapons?” She received three rounds of nods as she returned each in kind. The six of them stood up and split into two groups as they approached two unmarked sedans. One was identical to Zecora’s whilst the other had a longer frame and was a muted shade of red.
Twilight, Fluttershy and Applejack got into the red one, whilst Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie into the other.
Large green fields spread out for miles in any direction the girls looked and ended in either a forest or a mountain. The road in front of and behind them seemed to just go on and on.
Applejack looked at the vast, empty wilderness. “On the bright side, at least they seem to be in the middle o’ nowhere.”
Fluttershy was fiddling with a tablet attached to the back of the driver’s seat. “Still. The number of missing pet reports in this area have skyrocketed over the last few days.” She swallowed a lump in her throat as she scrolled through the incredibly long list.
The midsection of the dashboard opened up and displayed a feed of the interior of Rainbow’s car. “We should be roughly over the area the colony’s supposed to be in now, right?”
Twilight nodded. As they crested the next hill she could see a grey sedan parked in the middle of the next field with several mounds of dirt nearby. “There they are.”
Zecora waved at the two vehicles as they approached. Their passengers couldn’t help but notice Zecora’s companion. She was a similarly grey woman wearing pair of rimless glasses behind which was a stare that felt like the unholy mix of a cockatrice’ and a basilisk’s.
Applejack looked to Twilight as they got out. She shrugged in response.
Magitek Officer Raven approached the girls as they assembled into a neat line. “Morning. Agent Zecora successfully delivered the spec; you know your mission, correct?” When she received six simultaneous ‘yes ma’am’s, she continued. “Infiltrate, plant, activate. Once signal is active, MLP systems will pinpoint your location and teleport you out of cave systems. Mission, simple.”
She picked up a suitcase and presented its contents to the girls. They were six pairs of blue-tinted wrap around sunglasses. “Dark-vision glasses. Uses magical energy in the area to simulate vision, will assist in your infiltration.”
An ant the size of a cow growled—in a sense, since they produce smell rather than sound—at the three intruders. Its might was cut short as a small, metallic projectile pierced though it’s chitin and forced it to return to its normal and diminutive size.
Applejack returned Quickdraw to buckle form, but not before trying a bit of a spin for style. As she felt the firearm click into place, she gave it a light pat of delight.
“Glad to see your doing better with that trick,” said Twilight as she let out a small laugh. “Thank goodness you didn’t drop it this time.”
Applejack rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but break into her own smile. “Coach was steamin’ when it shot him in the rear like that. It didn’t even hurt him, just made him mad, if anythin’.”
“Guess you could say he’s got real… buns of steel.” Twilight said with a grin.
The two stared at each other before bursting into laughter at the terribleness of her joke.
Applejack looked behind them at the third member of their team. Fluttershy’s brows were particularly slanted as her eyes bounced around the cavern walls.
“You alright, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.
“Hmmm? Oh, it’s nothing.” Fluttershy waited a moment longer than a moment. “It’s just, do you really have to shoot on sight?”
Applejack sighed. “Well we did try your way—more than once—and it ended up the same every time. It wouldn’t do to have one of us missing a hand for the rest of the mission, now would it?”
“It’s just that-”
“And we aren’t even hurtin’ them really,” insisted Applejack. “Our weapons just put ‘em back to normal. If anything we’re doin’ them a kindness by releasing all that chaos magic.”
“She is right, you know,” said Twilight. “That’s the point of our non-lethal weaponry.”
“I suppose so,” conceded Fluttershy.
Twilight took out her map. “We should be very close to the first chamber.”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Do ya’ll smell that?”
The group paused a moment to sniff the air around them. It was damp, dark, moist and earthy. It smelled like a cave, basically.
“Smell what?” asked Twilight.
“I dunno really.” Applejack looked around the still empty cave, trying to remember what the scent was. “You ever crush an ant and smell it?”
Twilight looked at her flatly. “No.”
Fluttershy gave a small shrug. “Yes.”
“Well basically, it kinda smells like that.”
“Pheromones, then?”
“Probably. I guess it’s just mah farmer’s nose that lets me smell it.”
“Impressively sensitive, but I guess that means we’re close.” Twilight clenched her fists. “Stay on guard. The closer we get, the more likely we are to run into soldier ants.”
The next few corners were distressingly empty. The only sign of life they had was the occasional piece of giant ant excrement. The walls around them became steadily crusty as Twilight and Fluttershy began to smell the ammonia-like odor Applejack had mentioned.
Applejack had taken the lead and carefully watched the ground they walked on. Freshly disturbed earth was scattered around them as she gingerly avoided the larger chunks of soil.
She raised her hand to signal the others to stop and closed her eyes.
She whispered to the others, “Do ya’ll hear that?”
At first they didn’t hear anything as their brains focused out the static-like background noise. Then they realized that what they were hearing wasn’t background noise at all. It was the tiny pitter patter of thousands of oversized ant legs hitting the ground. There was also the occasional snap, no doubt from said ants oversized mandibles.
The team slowly approached the next corner, ready yet also dreading what was surely to come next. They peered over and their eyes all together widened. Straight ahead was their target, the large chamber that could be housing the queen. However, crisscrossing the way were about ten other tunnels from which countless ants appeared and disappeared.
All they could see was a writhing and wriggling mass of reddish chitin, shifting and moving to the tune of organized chaos. Hundreds of tiny antennae could be seen above swaying and scanning like little follicles of hair. From their point of view, the massive processions looked more like a giant hairy caterpillars, making their way across the tunnels.
“That’s bad,” said Twilight as she let out an exasperated sigh.
Applejack carefully drew Quickdraw and kept at the ready. “Now what?”
“I’m not really sure. This is the only practical way into the-”
The wall in front of them started shaking as bits of dirt and debris fell to the ground.
“Of course,” said Applejack as she rolled her eyes and pointed her weapon at the wall.
As the hard forceps of the ant burst through, and as its long antennae felt the touch of intruders, it managed without facial features to have the expression of surprise. Right before it emitted an absolutely foul odor that filled the chamber.
With one hand, Applejack held her nose. “What is that?” She fired her gun and put down the offending insect. It shrank back to its normally harmless size.
Fluttershy just wiggled her nose in slight annoyance but Twilight had entered a slight coughing fit. She peered over the edge and saw all the other ants frozen in place. The coughing was augmented by vertigo as she suddenly felt the gaze of hundreds of eyeless ants lock onto her and her friends.
Balls of purple light formed at her fingertips as she drew her hand back. With a mighty swing she sent five tiny spheres into the advancing ant mass. Each one exploded into a colorful symphony of light as each engulfed at least thirty ants. The tight space held her combat method to an advantage.
She started walking forward, throwing plenty of little balls with each step. Applejack had positioned beside her and began taking out the stragglers that were getting a little too close for comfort.
With their attention focused on the main tunnel, they didn’t notice the column that began approaching through the recently caved wall. With no other choice obvious, Fluttershy reached up and pulled her clip—it had the shape of a circle around a compass rose—from her hair. She pressed it and it began to elongate and change itself from dull plastic into shiny, solid yew wood. A strand of hair that came along also began to stretch and expand. One end moved towards a tip, whilst the other extended and tied itself around the other tip until she ended up with a perfectly shaped and formed longbow.
She pulled back on the string as a shaft of light began to form between her fingers. Once the bow was fully extended the light solidified into a plasma like state and sharpened itself at the tip to form an arrowhead. She released, sending the illuminated projectile straight down the corridor. After hitting the first ant it didn’t stop and went on to hit the five other ants lined up behind it. She kept firing arrow after arrow as every ant taken down seemed to be replaced by three more.
Twilight Sparkle took a moment to glance around her. “This is bad. We’ll be overwhelmed soon enough at this rate.” She threw five more magical bombs at the incoming insects.
“Well any ideas sure would be welcome, sugarcube,” said Applejack as she shot two more ants right between the antennas.
Twilight brought her hands together and formed a football-sized light sphere in between her hands. She drove it into the ground below her.
Purple light flooded the tunnels as the ants let out a number of clicks and clacks that could be interpreted as agony, but instead came off as more like a bunch of castanets. The purple light shuffled along the lightwave spectrum appearing as a number of other shades before finally fading into darkness.
Twilight opened her eyes and saw hundreds of regular sized ants scurrying around her feet in all sorts of directions..
“Let’s go check the chamber.” Twilight began to climb the straight incline, watching her toes for the angry little ants and her corners for the angry big ants. The only sounds in the area was the occasional crunch produced by her and her friends as they approached the entrance. She groaned once they got to the top. “No queen,” she said.
Applejack and Fluttershy came up to either side of her.
“Whoa. Was this their stash or somethin’?” said the cowgirl.
The chamber was as large as an old classical theatre and smelled like an old movie theatre. On one side were white boulders which, on closer inspection, turned out to be huge balls of sugar. In a corner was a deposit of stone boulders as well as a few cinder blocks and some red bricks.Another was full of pulped up leaves shaped into spheres the size of volleyballs. The far corner, however, stood out as it mostly contained junk that other ants must have brought in thinking it could be useful. One particularly large item stood on top of the pile. It was one of their grey sedans.
“Oh my,” said Fluttershy as she took in her surroundings and returned her clip to her hair. “It looks like they were starting to stock up for the winter.”
“Well somebody oughta tell ‘em that being in a car is not the most fun place to be in during the cold seasons,” Applejack said.
Twilight walked over to the center of the room. Her eyes were narrowed as she lookeed around. “No queen. If this is storage then she’s obviously in another chamber.” She turned to face the other two. “All right, we’re to head over to sec-”
Without warning, the ground beneath her feet began to loosen and collapse. She struggled and failed to find footing as several tons of raw earth took her down to deeper depths.
“Twilight!” screamed the other two as they dove to catch her. Fluttershy managed to grab her hands, but the sinkhole only continued to increase in size, engulfing even the ground that she was on. As she felt the sensation of falling, she also felt a pair of hands grab onto her ankles.
Applejack positioned her feet against two large rocks sticking out of the ground. “Hold… on… you… two…” she said through gritted teeth. Her eyes widened as she felt her left foot start to slip. “Uh oh.”
One giant ant soared through the air before hitting the wals of the tunnel with a loud crunch. As it began to dissolve into tiny particles of light, three small knives released themselves and returned to an orbit around a white fist. Rarity jumped back from the angry pincers of an ant that got too close. She turned her other arm around and brought the full might of her rapier onto the insect’s thorax.
At the intersection of another tunnel, a streak of blue passed a line of soldier ants. A moment later, they were all neatly and evenly cut into three pieces. Rainbow Dash made and abrupt stop in front of another column and swung her sword arm out. Her aara extended itself to its full length, but not before piling more ants onto it like a crunchy shishkebab.
On the other end of the tunnel a one sided melee was being held. From the ants’ point of view, all they could tell was that there was something bouncing on their heads and hitting them really really hard. Pinkie Pie shuffled her feet and danced a merry jig on an ants head before jumping towards the next and giving it a solid uppercut with her foot. As she hit the ground she began to turn faster and faster like a top, using her powerfists to knock the insects out silly.
Try as they might, the ants could never once get her. Whenever they figured out where she was—or even where she was likely going to be next—she was always one step ahead and in a completely different position.
She grabbed an ant and dug in her heels as her momentum kept her spinning for a little while longer. She leaned closer to the wall and smacked the insect against it, causing it to burst into a spray of particles and leaving behind one very dizzy looking normal-sized ant. “Tee hee. That was my last one.”
“Well the queen definitely wasn’t in there,” said Rarity. “If anything, it looked like they were still expanding that chamber.” She thought about the brief glimpse they had of their target area. “But what do you think those small white spheres were?”
“Eggs,” said Rainbow as her aara morphed back and wrapped itself around her waist. “They were gonna use it as their new nursery.”
Pinkie tilted her head at Rainbow.
She shrugged in response. “My parents got me an ant farm when I was a kid.”
Rarity’s rapier had returned to her wrist. “Indeed. But now that we know this is not our target, and none of us have been teleported back to the surface, I think it’s safe to assume that the others haven’t found the queen either.”
“Then all there is to do is to go to the last chamber!” said Pinkie Pie as she watched a number of their defeated foes walk on her fingers.
“Right.” Rainbow brought out a copy of the colony’s projection. “Any luck contacting the others?” she asked Rarity.
She touched the black bead on her earring. “I’m afraid I’m still not getting anything. The magic here is causing far too much interference.”
“Then we just stick with the plan. If all goes well, we’ll see the others at the last chamber.” Rainbow began to make her way down the next tunnel on their left. “If we follow this, we should be there pretty soon.”
“I just hope we don’t run into more ants until we get there,” said Rarity as she fluffed her sleeve.
Pinkie Pie skipped up beside her. “Oh come on, Rarity. The big brawl wasn’t that bad.”
“Don’t get me wrong, darling. It’s not the fighting I have a problem with.” She brushed off her other sleeve. “It’s the location. This place is far too dusty and compressed for my tastes.”
Rainbow checked the map and took the next left. “Not gonna lie, kinda agree with you.” She returned the disc to her pocket. “This place is waaay too small for me to use my sweet moves.”
“Your fighting style does favor open spaces. But you don’t have to extend yours all the way, correct?” asked Rarity.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Rarity’s phrasing but dropped it when she saw her serious expression. “Yup. If needed I can just use it as a scimitar.”
“You know, I don’t believe we’ve ever had the chance to go at each other, have we?”
“Nah. They mostly let us spar with juniors from our own divisions.”
“Then perhaps when this is over we could go a round or two?”
Rainbow threw her a smug smile. “Sure, Rares. I’d love the chance to kick your butt.”
Rarity matched it. “We’ll see, darling.”
“Uh oh,” said Pinkie before entering a mild shaking fit. “That’s not good. Does anyone else smell that?”
The walls of the tunnel ahead looked like they were beginning to move as a pitter-patter sound started to echo throughout. The activity in the walls increased making it look like waves until they realized what it really was.
Ants.
Ants the size of large dogs rushed into the tunnel. Some crawled on the wall while the others flooded the floor. They snarled at the girls mouthlessly as they slammed their mandibles together in aggression. The distance between them was closing quickly. In just a moment, they would be completely consumed by the wave of insects.
“Shoot! Let’s get out of here!” Rainbow turned around and grabbed her teammates by the waist. Using her speed, she dashed away from the advance using the strength and reflexes she had trained up to carry her friends and to make sure she didn’t trip on anything along the way.
The entrance to the chamber they had left was getting closer. A fight that slanted against them in numbers would be much easier to handle in there. They would never make it, though, as the wall on the right suddenly caved as a pair of ant legs struck out and began to dig through what was left.
The sudden influx of loose earth on the ground caused Rainbow to lose her balance and fall.
“Ooomph!” shouted Pinkie as she landed on her rump.
The ant that tunneled through stood over Rainbow as she tried to get up. A knife with a light blue glow bored into its head and caused it to disintegrate and return to normal size. She nodded to her teammate as she stood back up and ran towards them.
Pinkie and Rarity had their weapons drawn and were at the ready.
The earth above Rainbow suddenly came down upon her as she was just a few feet away from her friends. The ground below her was not faring any better either as she felt it her feet begin to fall through. The last thing she saw was her teammates scrambling towards her and another army of ants emerging from the chamber behind them. It was then she felt herself fall and be consumed by earth and darkness.
Rainbow Dash awoke with a large gasp as she struggled to regain her breath. Nearly being buried alive was not an experience she wanted to repeat. Her blazer looked more brown than grey and her hair was thick and unruly with plenty of little particles on it. A bitter and dusty taste filled her mouth.
As she got up and brushed herself off as best as she could, her mind finally processed that she was seeing out of only one eye. The fall had damaged half her visor, leaving her right eye staring into nothing but the dark void. “Dang it,” she said under her breath. Everything else seemed to be in place including the chaos collector.
She opened her projection of the colony. It was obvious that wherever she was, it was not part of the projection. From what she could see, there was only one way in or out of the chamber. Shrugging, she closed the map and went on her way.
She passed brown wall after brown wall after brown wall. The thought of pointlessly going in circles made peeped into her mind. “No,” she said to no one in particular. Seeing nothing up ahead and nothing in the direction being her, she dropped to a knee and entered a runner’s position.
She took off leaving a rainbow trail in all the shades of darkness behind her. As she zoomed past intersections and junctions she heard the occasional click of the ants’ mandibles. Every once in a while she glanced a small chamber being further dug out by teams of workers.
Finally her vizor registered something: faint purple light coming from the next junction. The only problem was the line of worker ants going down the same tunnel as her. She smirked and leaned forward.
The ants were no longer a problem.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle raced down the brown, earthen walls of the cavern. Behind them, the sounds of hundreds of thin legs striking rock echoed closer towards them. In the hazy purple light emanating from Twilight’s hand, they looked to each other and nodded.
Still running, Rainbow drew out her aara and made four precise slices on the corners of the cavern walls. Twilight, with her other hand, sent a ball of energy behind them which then anchored itself to the four slices, forming a glowing, translucent, purple barrier.
From the darkness, they emerged. Ants the size of small trucks with frighteningly long, snappy pincers stampeded towards them. As they hit the shiny wall, it stretched somewhat like jelly, but did not yield to the insects'' weight. The ants, in desperation, began to climb over themselves to get to the two junior-agents. Soon, the tunnel was blocked by a writhing mass of legs, pincers and thoraxes. The barrier, though stretched, held firm.
A ways away, the two had stopped running to check their handiwork. They smirked and gave each other a quick high-five before they continued down the path at a more relaxed pace.
“Did you bump into anyone else on your way?”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Me neither.” Rainbow’s eyes followed suit. “You think they took ‘em to the queen?”
“Probably.”
“How long do we have?”
“Not long. Probably fifteen minutes before she really awakens.”
Rainbow’s eyebrow raised. “Probably?”
“It’s likely the thing we smelled was the workers or the soldiers releasing some pheromones that alerted the entire colony to our presence. Think of it like a natural alarm system. She now knows there are intruders here.”
“Great. To think this day started out so great.”
As they approached the end of the particular tunnel they had retreated into they began to hear a loud chittering coming from their supposed destination. Rainbow grabbed her belt as Twilight clenched her fists. They skidded to a stop as they turned the corner.
Twilight threw her hands up as she desperately tried to keep her balance. Once her footing was back, Rainbow jumped back and grabbed Twilight by the scruff of her blazer and brought them slightly farther from the edge.
Twilight’s took a deep breath as her eyes crossed. “Thanks,” she squeaked. She looked to Rainbow who was crawling towards the edge.
A gulp came from the athlete. “You may wanna come up here and check this out.”
The queen’s chamber could house two airbuses and still have room for a middle class house. The primary courtyard took up most of the floor area with several rocky outcroppings connected to tunnels that served as balconies of a sort. The walls were glazed with a thin layer of a mucus-like substance that helped hold the massive cave together. The scent of raw earth and powerful pheromones gave the air a copper like smell.
The queen of the colony dominated a good fourth of the chamber’s volume. Her legs were thick enough to support several concrete buildings. Her head was big enough to comfortably fit two sedans. Her pincers looked like they could cut through five inch steel like paper. But none of that could compare to her thorax. From behind, it could be forgiven for thinking it was a downed blimp of some kind. The individual sensory hairs along it twitched and reacted to every movement it the air. The mass of the thing managed to pulsate despite the hard chitin that shielded it.
She emitted a low cracking sound similar to morse as she eyelessly surveyed the legions of gathered ants that filled most of the chamber. In the center of the region, neatly lined up beside each other, were the unconscious forms of Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack.
From the highest outcropping, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle took in the whole situation.
“That is one huge ant,” said Rainbow.
“Yup.” Twilight’s eyes bounced from her friends, to the legion, to the massive leader. “I’m not even sure we can take them by ourselves.”
“What?” Rainbow stared at her with furrowed brows. “Are you serious? We managed pretty well against that chimaera and that was when we didn’t even know what we were doing.”
Twilight smiled. She wasn’t sure why especially since that wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. “Maybe. What worries me is the others.”
“I doubt they’d be any safer if we just sit here doing nothing. Besides, I don’t see them moving them from here anytime soon.”
“You’re right. The queen must’ve had them brought here for a reason, otherwise they’d probably be kept in the chamber my team found. Still we better concentrate on-”
The sound coming from the queen had changed dramatically. The two practically fell off the ledge as they rushed to check the new development. Their eyes expanded as they both took a sharp breath. Down below, several of the workers started to bring Rarity towards the queen as the the other workers and soldiers present chittered and clicked their pincers in the air.
“Now or never,” said Rainbow as she stood up and gripped her belt.
“Yup.” Twilight assumed a knelt on one knee as she flexed her fingers.
Rainbow leapt off, feet first, and brought her aara out to its full length. She guided herself towards an outcropping with several soldiers and neatly emptied it with a midair twirl. As she approached another ledge, she brought down the tip edge first which caused it to embed into the rock. She swung through the air and bounced off the wall. As she rebounded, she softened her sword to release it.
Twilight had jumped off in a skydiver’s position. The tips of her fingers had balls of purple energy which she sent flying to several of the tunnels. The chamber shook as the various entrances collapsed. If they could funnel any reinforcements into as few tunnels as possible, they had a better chance of keeping the number of ants to a controllable level.
As she got closer to the bottom level, she clapped her hands and threw them forward at where she would land. Two thin bolts of concentrated purple energy shot forth from her palms and smashed into the ground in an explosion of light that dissolved a platoon of the pests.
She changed to an upright position as sweat began to roll along her temples. One particular drop found its way to the tip of her nose. This was the first time she would attempt her new trick outside of a controlled—and more importantly, safe—environment. From her hands and feet she fired several consecutive shots of pressure which gradually slowed her descent. She bent her knees and brought her hands up as she made it to the bottom. Rainbow landed and rolled beside her. As she sprang back out, she swung in a wide arc, taking down a whole row of ants.
“Cover me!” shouted Twilight as she put a small barrier around herself and the other juniors.
Rainbow nodded and turned a smirk at the ants. She felt a bit disappointed that they couldn’t read her expression. She willed her sword to compact into a scimitar and took off for the far wall. The ants, having no sense of sight, could only surmise that the intruder had teleported around their group. Regardless, with the fearsome determination of a one-track hive mind they descended upon her again.
She spun, swung, and brought her blade around. The ants couldn’t even get close. “Is that really all you guys got?” Her expression deflated somewhat as she saw more rush in from the still open tunnels. Movement in the corner of her eye caused her to instinctively jump to the right as she narrowly avoided a potentially painful pinching. She took a look around before compressing her aara and making a beeline straight for the opposite wall, swinging here and there as she went along.
Twilight hands glowed as she waved them above Rarity. She squinted her eyes as she searched, and searched, and searched, and found it. Her mouth curled into a smile as a ball of purple light the size of a marble formed just above her palm. She drove it right into her friend’s chest.
Rarity’s eyes shot open as she lifted herself to a sitting position. Once her mind started to focus on her vision, the first thing she saw was Rainbow dancing and moving around a horde of the ants they were facing. The next thing she noticed was the energy barrier and Twilight kneeling beside her. “What happened?”
“The ants got the drop on us and managed to capture you girls. On the bright side, they delivered us to the queen’s chambers.”
“I take it the plan is still in effect?”
“Yeah, but I lost my cube meaning we have one shot at this.”
Rarity nodded and pulled her watch, bringing forth her silver rapier. “Attend to the others, I’ll assist Rainbow and see if we can’t get to the queen.”
The purple dome flashed as the violet-haired warrior jumped high into the air. At the apex of her flight, she threw one hand forward and sent five slim metal objects at the closest ants. Five flashes of light completed her landing as she waved her sword at the rest of the approaching insects.
Twilight moved forward under cover of magic and knelt down by Fluttershy’s side. She waved her hands above her as she felt for it. When her eyes shot open, she slammed her palm into the other girls chest causing her to jerk upright. They knocked heads together.
“Oh my goodness,” cried Fluttershy as she grasped the side of her forehead. “Are you okay? Ahhh!” She shimmied closer to Twilight as she nursed her head. “What’s going on?” She pressed herself closer as one particular ant started ramming the shield with its head.
“We’re in the queen’s chamber.” Twilight pushed in the direction of the ant, causing it to fly several feet away. “Fluttershy, I need you to revive the others. It’s the only way we’ll turn this fight in our favor, do you understand.”
The junior medical agent’s cyan eyes watered slightly, but nevertheless steeled themselves as she gave her leader a slight nod.
Twilight returned the nod with a smile and stood up with her arms open wide. The purple barrier expanded quickly and knocked a fair share of the ants around them back.and straight onto other ants. Two balls of purple energy raced through the air and slammed into thick concentrations of the large insects turning them into thick concentrations of regular sized insects.
The way to Applejack and Pinkie was clear as Fluttershy dove straight towards them. She adjusted herself slightly to the right and just barely dodged an ant that brought its head back around. She hit the ground with a roll and found the hard chitin of another ant slide above her vision. She squeezed her hair clip; a lance of light shot out towards the next ant in her path.
In the background, Rainbow had been jumping from ledge to ledge and swung her sword in almost every direction. No matter where she swung she wound up hitting something. Rarity had dropped her sense of grace and focused more on speed. The insects she felled doubled as she stopped the unnecessary parries and dodges and leaned more towards blunt and simple thrusts. Twilight herself had resorted to randomly throwing energy balls at the entrances to the chamber to somewhat quell the nonstop flow of insects.
Fluttershy skidded by Applejack’s side. She placed her fingers on her friend’s forehead and closed her eyes. They twitched every once in a while as she performed a thorough search of her friend’s magical field. She smiled when she found it and gently turned her fingers.
Applejack’s found herself staring at her friend’s smiling yellow face. “Fluttershy? What’s goin’—” Her hand jumped to her buckle and unclasped it. “Get down!”
Far, far above them two sets of eyes were watching six separate screens, each a different color. The action in each alone was enough for the climax of several big budget movies.
Raven’s lip curled as her eyes narrowed at what she was seeing. “Most unexpected. Level of mutation has skyrocketed. Insectoid intelligence, rather impressive.”
Zecora’s eyes were locked on the monitor with a purple frame. “This situation is most bizarre. No mutation has never gone this far.” She winced as her eyes glanced over to the other screens. “These numbers are far too overwhelming. They could never have covered this in training.”
“Being an agent,” began Raven, “entails correct evaluation of surroundings. No retreat orders issued; leader believes they can beat it.”
The scene on the white-bordered screen built up into an ever rising wall of legs and mandibles.
The pink-bordered screen’s view jumped all around the chamber delivering lightning quick strikes. But a few missteps brought it the wonderful view of a corner and the looming forms of too many insects.
Arrow after arrow after arrow shot forth in the yellow screen. The ensuing wave of ants was just barely held back. An ant lunged out of the ranks on the side. What happened next simulated what happens when you put a camera in a tumble dryer. It ended with two massive pincers about to close in.
On the orange-bordered screen, the view quickly turned as several shots were fired directly at an ant on top of Fluttershy. Another that tried to get the drop on her quickly found itself punched with the force equivalent to a tractor slamming it at full speed. After a frenzy of shots and a flurry of punches, she made it to Fluttershy’s side and helped her up.
Zecora looked her superior in the eyes, past the solid glass that separated them. “Wao uko katika shida, Zarana.” She pointed to the screen in front of them. “Tuna kusaidia.“
Raven looked right back at her. “Wao ni mawakala mafunzo, Zecora. Hii ni mtihani wao.” She pointed a grey finger. “Kama sisi kwenda katika, matokeo itakuwa uongo.“
Zecora released her frustration at the sky high above. She grasped the bridge of her nose and took a step back from the monitors. The hole was right behind them. It wouldn’t be hard to get to the chamber now that the girls had found it.
She grabbed her bangle and brought forth her staff as she approached the entrance to the colony.
“Zecora!” Raven took a step forward and blocked the path. “Interference? Is that desirable? You cannot keep protecting. Allow them to fight; still capable.” She put a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “Kuwa na imani ndani yao.”
Zecora glared at the ground to the side before conceding with a nod.
Twilight took a step back and felt something behind her. She spun and found her finger, it’s tip illuminated, right between Applejack’s eyes. She also noticed she was looking right down Quickdraw’s barrel.
The sound of clicks and scuffling drew their attention as they both turned around and fired. Several more ants disintegrated around them as those behind them shortly followed the same fate.
“I’m not too sure... how long I can... keep this up,” said Twilight between breaths.
An ant that had the misfortune of coming too close found that its head made a delightful crunching sound under Applejack’s fist. “Does Rainbow still have her cube?”
“Yes. The problem is we can’t get close enough.” She glanced at the queen as two caves behind her flooded even more insects into the chamber.
“Yeeoowch!!!”
An ant soared past the two as a pink blur emerged from a nearby cluster, rubbing her sore bottom as she landed beside them.
“That really hurt!” cried Pinkie as she gave their opponents a disapproving look.
Rarity jumped towards them as she used the ants as stepping stones. She arm swung around as she directed her knives into as many as she could as she made her way forward. “This is getting out hand.” She said as she backed into her comrades.
A rainbow streak ran across the walls and jumped into a trajectory that would get them right in the middle of the four. Fluttershy let go of Rainbow’s neck as she stood with shake knees.
“There are way too many of them,” she said as she swung her aara into the closest group.
Twilight looked around as she threw sphere after sphere. Beads of sweat streamed down her face as her eyes squinted at the mass before them. Her mind raced to find a way out horrendous horde. A feeling of nausea started to build up as spasm of pain shot up in various parts of her body. He breathing was getting increasingly ragged as she solidified her footing and threw out some more attacks. That circle that they had been holding was getting increasingly smaller as more and more ants poured in from the caves.
It was then that she felt something.
It was then that the first vault in the Canterlot Control Center shuddered.
A sixth sense seemed to awaken inside of her as her mind suddenly became intimately aware of the five presences behind her. She could feel their desperation and their determination as they fended off the ants. Phantom sensation of extra limbs swinging, punching and shooting forth as she felt herself hearing and seeing the same situation from six different perspectives.
As her mind sorted through the new information she was able to make out five powerful emotions represented in five different colors: orange, yellow, blue, pink, and white. She noticed that she herself was represented by the color purple.
Running on nothing but instinct, she let her purple essence grab hold of the other five. When they were all holding hands on whatever ethereal plane she had been seeing, a rush overcame her.
A familiar blinding light engulfed her as she felt the surge of power take hold from within. Electric sensations shot down her arms as emotions of tranquility and harmony filled her up to breaking point as she felt the light shoot outwards of their group.
The first thing she heard was a question.
“What in the hay was that?” asked Applejack as she stood up. He jaw nearly fell off as the chamber stood, emptied save for the six friends and one very dazed-looking queen.
Rainbow held her head as she took to her feet. “Did we… win?”
“I felt it again.” Fluttershy was staring at her hands. It was the exact same sensation she felt when the other Twilight stood up against Sunset Shimmer.
“Woo hoo! Let’s go again,” said Pinkie, no worse for wear and jumping up and down again.
“How about we don’t before we find out what exactly ‘that’ is.” Rarity turned and helped Twilight to her feet. “Care to explain?”
Twilight looked to her with a wide-eyed, utterly dumbfounded expression. “I have no idea.”
“Well whatever it was, looks like it got us exactly what we needed,” said Rainbow. She had a smirk that was brimming with herself as she pointed a thumb at the helpless royal. A moment later, she was at its feet and gave it a mock curtsy before pulling out the cube. She rotated a face here and there and pressed it. It blinked yellow as she attached it to the plump chitin.
Their visors all flashed red as two spools of light wrapped themselves around each girl. The light consumed their vision and delivered a significantly watered down sensation to what they felt a few minutes ago. When it cleared, they found Raven and Zecora standing in front of them.
A large helicopter was landing a distance behind the two.
Zecora was smiling at the six.
Raven nodded to them, “Congratulations. Examination, passed. However…”
The door of the helicopter opened and standing inside of it was Central Officer Celestia.
“Settle down, the more you struggle the harder this gets. You know that.” A pair of pink-hued hands wrapped a short bandage around a bruised orange arm before also wrapping themselves. Light escaped through the cracks between her fingers. “There, that should be all better. How do you feel?” She took a handkerchief from the inside of her cream blazer and wiped a bit of dirt off her patient’s face.
“Much better now, thank you, Cadance.” Sunset Shimmer rubbed the healed section. It had the feel of fresh and revitalized skin, still sensitive to touch. She almost jumped as she realized her words. “I mean, Medical Off-” A pink finger cut off her sentence.
“Cadance is fine.”
Sunset nodded without taking her eyes off her.
A pair of white coats, one male and one female, emerged from the inner part of the cave. The pair nodded. The boy went towards the entrance whilst the girl approached Cadence. She had short silvery hair and a snowy complexion. A streak of cream ran across the shoulders of her blazer. Her eyes were grey and intense like a blizzard. “The cave doesn’t go on for too far, but there are signs of past habitation. It was probably used as a holdout; since how long ago is hard to say. There were a few long undisturbed holes beside some relatively fresh ones, all filled-in,” she said.
Cadance smiled at her ever dependable second. “Thank you, Winter Ward.”
“Excuse me, but what are you talking about?” asked Sunset.
“We didn’t just crash,” said Winter. “We were shot down by something.”
“Shot down? But I thought nothing but magic could touch your planes?” Sunset looked at her hands and flexed them as if trying to get them to work properly. “I didn’t even feel anything.” She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and met with understanding amethyst eyes.
“Don’t worry, it’s still there. And there wasn’t anything to feel because they were using enchanted conventional weaponry.”
“Indeed.” Winter reached into her pocket and brought out two cylindrical pieces of metal the size of a film roll. “A couple of slugs were left behind. They’re fairly high-caliber, hard to get unless you know the right people. Even harder to enchant if you don’t have the magic for it.”
Cadance scrunched her face and picked one of the rounds up in disgust. “It’s possible they found a way to harvest the magic from the earth itself.”
Winter glanced back into the dark inner caves. “That adds up with the holes we found.”
“Diamond diggers,” the two said simultaneously.
“What?” asked a completely bewildered Sunset.
“Try as we might, we can’t get to everyone that awakens and some of them end up,” Cadance paused to think a moment, ”enamored by gems. Our own ley line system is actually based on the lattice structures of gems and crystals. They are natural magical conduits and amplifiers and this, of course, attracts those that can sense it. If you know how to handle it, which is what we train, then it acts as an excellent source of energy.
“But if you don’t, the raw power it gives you is unfiltered and ultimately chaotic. This tends to cause instability in its users. They become obsessed and greedy and seek to obtain more magic for themselves no matter what. They must have sensed our plane and shot it down in the hopes of taking its power.”
Sunset swallowed a lump in her throat. “Are they dangerous?”
“On their own? Hardly,” said Winter. “They’re a bit too crazy to be a threat. But they also travel in packs which is what gives them a real edge.”
Cadance was already on her way out and tapped the shoulder of the male white coat as she stepped into the light. “Which is why it is also our duty to help them.”
“North Officer, I really cannot recommend you actively trying to find their lair,” said Winter as she chased after her. Every rocky ledge or jutting formation sent a shiver down her spine as the tips of her fingers frosted at the ready.
Her fellow Praetorian had taken point. Vigor Aegis had a golden crossbow in his right hand that glinted gloriously when the light hit it and on his right hip was a similarly auric gladius. His blonde hair was cropped and cut short, which only served to emphasize his magenta eyes.
He knelt down by a large slab and raised his left hand for the others to follow. They lined up behind him and waited. Three diggers emerged from a corner carrying on their backs three bulging burlap sacks. They were dusty and their eyes were wild. Their hair was all over the place and clearly in need of a wash. But most noticeable of all were their large, ape like arms.
Months spent toiling away in dark and toxic mines, coupled by their obsession with the gems and their unpredictable effects, had twisted their humanity into a dark perversion of itself. Their minds were utterly one-track as they carried their latest haul to the hoard. Together with their obscene strength came obscenely sharp senses. Unfortunately it was taxed by severely lowered awareness and thought which is what prevented them from doing anything about the foreign scents that had entered their territory, especially with nothing visual to help stir action.
They also came with an obscenely strong scent. Sunset felt her eyes watering from the sting. “Are those the diggers?”
A sigh, complete with visible breath, escaped Winter’s lips. “Yes. Unfortunate souls.”
“All the more reason for us to help them, my dear.” Cadance placed a finger to her mouth and murmured something incomprehensible to the others. A small, pink sphere of light left her fingertip and flew over the rocks before jetting over and attaching itself to the third digger. “That should help us find their home.”
Winter watched them turn another corner and get out of their line of sight. “Those were gatherers so they couldn’t have possibly been the ones who shot us down.”
Vigor’s head snapped to attention as he heard the faint sound of rock, shifting around unnaturally, several feet behind and above them. He leapt and pushed Cadance into a small outcropping just big enough for her before entering into a roll that ended with him firing a golden bolt into the face of the first armed digger.
The digger staggered back and dropped his rifle before curling up and losing consciousness.
Down below, Vigor had his sword in his other arm and jumped from ledge to ledge to get to the others emerging from their ambush.
Three nozzles popped from a formation but quickly found themselves encased by a thick sheet of ice. Winter Ward kept one hand blowing a blizzard in the direction of their attackers, and another building a protective shell around Sunset Shimmer. When she was satisfied with her shell, she ran towards the rock wall that Vigor began scaling.
Up above, a digger raised a pick to swing at Vigor, but quickly found herself holding a simple stick before flying back with a new, boot-shaped mark on her face.
A particularly big one, with arm muscles positively bulging, shoved an equally large rock down the slope. “GET ‘EM! THEY GOTS MAGICKS!”
From the base of the cliff, Winter pulled her hand back and threw a bolt of compressed cold air at the large target. He hit him right in the chin and caused his head to swing back violently. He reached up and felt the frozen section of his chin and snarled with such rage that the nearby diggers—who had been trying to take pot shots at the bouncing Vigor—scurried away so as not to get caught in his wrath. From somewhere behind him, he brought out a six-barreled mini gun and carried it as if it were nothing. “YOU GON’ PAY FOR DAT!”
Winter’s eyes widened as she made a quick leap backwards to avoid the incoming spray. She was forced to create a curved, three inch-thick sheet of ice mid-flip as several of the bullets embedded themselves in it.
Meanwhile, Vigor shot a bolt directly down at another digger before using his stunned and staggering form as a platform to leap closer to the larger threat before shooting several bolts at its various extremities.
He had succeeded in getting his attention as the six barrels neatly lined up with his vision. A steady stream of glowing beads shot forth and straight for him. Flipping his sword into a backhanded grip, he used it to swat away the incoming projectiles with such a pace that his arm was but a blur. When he was almost there, he threw the sword and, with a little help of some magic, jammed it into the center of the big gun.
The big digger’s face snarled as he tried to shake the offending knife out of his weapon. His attention was soon taken by a pair of boots landing on his shoulders. He shifted his vision and was met by the pointed end of a crossbow bolt. The explosion created a cloud of dust so thick that it felt like pushing through slurry. His weapon slammed to the ground with a thud as he waved his hands around to try and disperse the cloud. When it thinned enough for vision to be allowed, he found two white points at his eyes with a smirking, silver-haired girl behind them.
Winter sent two small bolts of lightning-like ice into the digger’s head. She jumped back as he froze from head to toe and tilted just enough to send him plummeting to the ground. The air around its frozen form whistled as Winter bounced along the ledges and made her way back down. The digger shattered spectacularly into a shower of glistening snowflakes that covered the surrounding ground in a decent layer of snow. Some of the white powder took to the air once again as Winter landed, standing neatly in the center.
Cadance stepped out of the rocks she was thrown into and brushed off the dust that had landed on her jacket in the scuffle. She touched her hair and the tiny particles of dirt that had made a new home in it were blown off by an invisible wind. She nodded at her two guards before smiling and offering a hand to Sunset Shimmer. The young, fiery-headed girl accepted it and got back on her feet.
The North Officer thrust out an opened hand in the direction of teh battle that had taken place. Her fist closed and every unconscious digger’s body was wrapped in a sparkling, baby-blue glow. She waved her arm in an upward arc before bringing it back towards her chest. The bodies floated up slightly before collectively approaching Cadance. They all straightened out and lined themselves up before landing in three neatly arranged rows at her feet.
The two Praetorians got to work and knelt at the first diggers of two of the rows. They each placed a finger near the crown of the head and their thumb on the bridge of their noses. Cadance did the same with the row before her.
When they were finished, Cadance looked at her two soldiers hopefully as they approached.
Sunset looked bewildered as she noticed the silent grimness emanating from the two agents’ expressions. Her confusion only increased as Cadance’s smile briefly faltered.
Winter shook her head. “None on my row, I’m afraid.”
“I have one,” said Vigor.
Sunset realized this was the first time she heard him speak. She was pleasantly pleased that his low baritone matched perfectly with his silent, serious attitude. “One what, exactly?” she asked Cadance.
“I’m afraid I only found two in my row as well.” The North Officer sighed. “Three out of twenty-four.” She turned and faced Sunset Shimmer. “Remember when I said that they were deformed by exposure to too much magic?”
Sunset nodded as her eyes briefly noticed Winter separating three diggers from the rest.
“We try to rescue them from such a state by separating their natural harmonic magic from the chaotic, foreign magic. Cure them, if you will. Unfortunately and, sadly, more often than not, we find them too late.”
Sunset tilted her head in attempt to wrap her mind around what she was saying. “So what do you then.”
Cadance was frowning now. “We end their suffering. In the best possible way.”
Sunset quickly looked past the North Officer and, with eyes wider than plates, saw Vigor fire a black crossbow bolt into the head of a digger. It was completely absorbed as the body shook and convulsed before collapsing into an unmoving heap.
The final few notes settled onto the crowd like a silken blanket. Brief silence preceded the standing ovation as the grey-skinned cello-player stood up and took a gracious bow. Cheers and whistles of admiration filled the large auditorium. The applause went on for minutes. The star of the show relished each one as a wide smile refused to leave her lips. The butterflies in her gut were no longer from the thought of taking the stage but were now from the reaction she had garnered from the audience. At last the curtain drew back and separated her from them, yet still the cheers refused to die out. She turned and made her way back into the wings of the stage.
The praise and cheers did not end on the stage as the opinion of the audience was very clearly shared by those in the back. A small crowd had even formed and treated her to another round of applause as she neared teh dressing rooms. The stagehand that brought her her cello had even asked for an autograph. She smiled and gladly gave him one of her first. She looked at herself in the mirror with pride as she took off her embellishments and wiped off her make-up.
She just finished changing into a simpler—yet still elegantly formal—satin dress. A rough knock on her door made her drop an earring just as she was about to put it on. “Who is it?’ she asked with the accent of the upper-class.
A gruff, but polite, voice responded, “Someone who would like to have a chat.”
She sighed as she considered whether or not she should open the door. It wasn’t that she didn’t particularly enjoy these chats, its that they tended to take her away from her life at hand. Even when she avoided them as much as possible, it would seem like every time she turned a corner they were there. It was the trade-off, she supposed, for her unlocked abilities.
With a sigh of resignation, she took out a golden watch from a special compartment of her cello case and put it on. A slight tingle shot up the arm that now wore the watch. She approached the door and opened it.
At the door was a slightly elderly man. He had the expression of a kindly grandfather, but the posture and gait of a top executive. He smile and bowed slightly as he entered the room. “Good to see you again, Miss Octavia.” He straightened out his dark blue blazer as he entered and assessed the dressing room. “It’s good to see you moving up in this world.”
Octavia Philharmonica smiled in response. “Thank you, Agent Guise.” Her smiled waned slightly as she noticed another person, wearing a similar but red blazer, enter the room. “Who’s this, may I ask?”
“This is a young trainee I am mentoring for the moment,” said Obfuscation Agent Dis Guise.
She was slightly younger than Octavia, that is to say, she was about a year or so behind her. She had wild, electric blue hair and skin that was a slight twinge of cream. Her blazer was unbuttoned and revealed a white jacket on which were a pair of eighth-notes bridged together. A smile greeted Octavia who found it rather hard to read since her eyes were completely obscured by deep purple shades. She bounced slightly to the beat that leaked out of her headphones.
Octavia bent slightly in an attempt to look past the shades which only elicited an amused smile from the other girl. “Um, hello there. I’m Octavia, you are?” She reached out a hand.
It was accepted, but communication seemed to have ended when their hands separated.
Guise interrupted them before the awkwardness had any chance to settle. “This is Vinyl Scratch. She’s a freshly recruit of the Magitek division, as seen by her red blazer. She’s not much for vocal communication, I’m afraid.”
“Alright,” Octavia said slowly. “Now, as delightful it is to see you again, May I ask exactly what it is that brought you here.” She was tempted to add an exasperated ‘again’ but thought against it when she saw him look at her with more seriousness than she was used to.
“A number of things, really. But the most pressing of which, perhaps, is your magic.”
“I see.” As per usual. While it did grant her talents such amazing grace and power, she never realized that it would come with an astounding amount of bureaucracy.
“Your concert was quite amazing, I must admit. Even young Vinyl here never once considered putting on her headphones during the entire performance.”
The young Magitek agent paused her inspection of the room and gave Octavia an encouraging—as far as she could tell—grin and a thumbs up.
Octavia smiled again. The concert felt wonderful. During the whole performance she could feel a light building up inside of her and shining all the brighter through her cello. The memory of a faint glow encapsulating everyone, even herself, suddenly made itself apparent as she reminisced her latest show. “Yes. I think I’m starting to understand how my body magic works; that’s what it’s called, correct?”
“Yes, your type is indeed body magic and you do seem to be getting an astounding amount of control,” Guise said with a chuckle. His visage darkened somewhat as he said, “However, we did hear about your roommate’s… condition.”
Octavia swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. “I see. There’s a perfectly good explanation for it,” she said quickly.
Guise waved his hand. “No need, one of our white coats managed an interview with her once she was stabilized. He was the very same doctor you talked and explained to that ‘she suffered an epileptic seizure’.”
Octavia crumpled onto her chair and cupped her head in her hands. “It was an accident.” She raised her head and looked at the elder agent. “She just so happened to… hit a nerve at the very same time I was practicing with my cello.”
“That does not change the fact that the poor dear practically had her organs rearranged,” said Guise sternly.
“I know.” Octavia sighed. “I know.”
“You have a wonderful gift, young lady. But it will take time to master.” He took a breath. This next part wouldn’t be easy for either of them. “For the moment, you’ve been re-transferred to Canterlot High.”
Octavia bolted to her feet. “What? Then what happens to my scholarship in the Equestrian Symphonic Academy?”
“It will still be waiting for you. We only want you back for a month or so.” His eyes narrowed slightly which was enough to completely flip his expression around. “Unless you would like to risk another roommate.”
Octavia was about to retort but found herself at a loss for words. “Fine. But only a month.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way.” He gestured to Vinyl. “Agent Vinyl, herself, is still enrolled. I’m sure she can help you in anyway you need.”
The young agent approached the budding musician and placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave Octavia a smile when her pink eyes finally looked to her. To her surprise, she smiled back.
“Oh no.” Inator said as he ran to a panel below a monitor with the word, “OVERLOAD” emblazoned neatly across it and flashing in a series of red and yellow. His breathing was at a pace comparable to a professional sprinter going cross-country. His fingers danced across a number of keys and multi-colored buttons.
Finally the alarms calmed down and the flashing lights steadied at a more comforting yellow. “Phew!” He approached the offending large turbine. He knocked on its barrel before a cloud of thick smog exited straight onto his face, from a coolant pipe. After the obligatory cough, he stared at the hole and said, “Where’d that even come from?!”
“Engine trouble?” The words echoed through the laboratory before a number of shadows coalesced in a corner and into a humanoid form. Once sufficiently solid, it took a step forward and peeled off to reveal Inkwell.
Inator looked at her flatly, his face still blacker than her shadows. “You could say that.”
“I am to assume that this is one of the engines of Harmony-1?”
After thoroughly transferring the soot to a formerly white cloth, Inator gestured for Inkwell to follow. “Yes. I admit, the South Officer’s designs were a bit hard to decipher at first but they were just too amazing an opportunity to pass-up.” A small disc in the center of the table they approached projected a number of schematics for various parts such as the turbine, wings and even specially customized seats. “You should see the cockpit.”
He flicked his fingers and a doorway materialized on the wall that led into another laboratory. Inside was the nose of an aircraft, sitting atop a few short scaffolds. It was slightly longer than it was wide with a rounded tip similar to a transport plane’s. A single sheet of glass curved around it near the top and served as the windshield.
The two approached the back. From this side was nothing but a flat metal wall with, oddly enough, a wooden door which had elegant carvings inlaid and gave it an ornate look. The sides were also strewn with wires, holes and pegs, obviously meant to connect with the fuselage.
“That’s quite an interesting choice for a door,” said Inkwell as she eyed the wood amusingly.
“Oh, that will fit right in once you see what the cabin’s gonna look like. For now, I gotta show you the new trick that the South Officer designed for the cockpit.”
Inkwell followed Inator through the doors that led inside. The room was pitch black and followed the shape implied outside. Two chairs stood side by side near the tip, two sat side by side on the left, one on the right and one was positioned at the center of it all. The only light came from the door behind them and from the long window.
“It’s voice activated, but since the actual Harmony Agents aren’t using it yet, I have it set to my voice.” Inator cleared his throat. “Awaken.”
A feminine robotic voice responded and said, “Magitek Officer Inator Inator, confirmed. System activating.”
The walls of the cockpit faded away until they had a perfect view of everything outside. Inkwell knelt and reached down before she felt something distinctly solid between her and the ground below. It was as if the walls, floor and ceiling weren’t even there. What was through the door to the cabin matched perfectly with what was being projected onto the walls around it.
“Now this is impressive,” said Inkwell as she approached the Captain’s chair.
“I know, right? Once we figure out how to better implement this we can get it on almost any of our standard transports. Complete vision, even when inside the cockpit.”
“I just hope they can handle it.”
Inator looked at his colleague with surprise. “I doubt that’ll be a problem. I mean, this system is fairly easy to learn, I suppose.”
Inkwell shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. They passed their examination, which means they are now full Agents of Harmony.”
“Which hilariously seems to coincide with Project Harmony’s silence,” said Inator in an exaggeratedly sarcastic tone.
She looked at him with furrowed brows and said, “So ever since that incident on the day of their examination, Project Harmony has returned to its dormant state? Absolutely nothing?”
“Absolutely nothing,” he parroted. “If anything, they’re even more dormant. It’s like they just stopped emitting magic.”
A bout of silence took over and separated the two as their faces contorted into concentration at their own separate, yet related thoughts.
“Although,” said Inator.
“Hmmm?”
“When Agent Applejack used the test range at our division the other day, the sensors picked up more than just her firearm.” He looked at his feet as he tried to figure out the best way to say this.”They picked her up. Her magical signature changed from what it was when she first awakened.”
“What did it change into?”
Inator managed to straighten his slouch and looked Inkwell in the eye. “The Orb of Honesy’s.”
Inkwell’s expression was a mixture of confusion and comprehension as she wrapped her head around the idea. “So Project Harmony seems to be actively feeding them their power?”
“That’s the way it looks like it. It would probably help if you could monitor Agent Rarity, since she’s one of yours and all.”
She nodded quickly before walking towards the pilot seat. “I will be honest, this just seems more worrying.”
“How so?” he asked as he tilted his head.
“They’re so young. They are all, quite literally, fresh recruits. Excepting young Sparkle, of course. But, here we are expecting so much of them.” Inkwell released a long and heavy sigh. “Project Harmony has been quiet since either of us joined and for centuries even before that. Why now?”
“You wanna hear my theory?”
She shrugged. “Why not?”
“Well, besides the pony magic being introduced, it probably has to do with Project Harmony on the other side. Whatever those orbs are, we can be sure of one thing: They think. Since they seem to be the ones to choose their bearers I guess the ones on our side defaulted to what the pony side’s since it was forced to be activated here.”
“So what you’re saying is they’re linked and because the pony side’s crown had to be used here, it indirectly resulted in our Project Harmony matching up exactly with theirs?”
“It’s only a theory.”
“It’s as good as any, I suppose.” Inkwell finally decided to take a seat on the leftmost chair. She rested her arm on an invisible panel with completely visible buttons that now seemed to float in mid-air. “The question still remains, are they up for what will likely be in store for them.”
“I trust them.”
“It’s not that I don’t, it’s that I-,” Inkwell looked at the floor to think, “They may not be too emotionally prepared to seethings our way. We’ve scared more than a few awakened away from us in this way.”
Inator found himself the one shrugging this time. “I guess only time will tell.”
