CH 1: A Tale of Two Worlds

=== BABW: A New Beginning ===
=== Chapter 1: A Tale of Two Worlds ===

= [ March 18, 2080 – Nouvelle Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA ] =

There was only one word that could describe the weather in Southern Louisiana (which used to not be as far north as it was but that was increasing sea levels for you.) Actually, wait, there were two words that needed to be used to describe the weather: hot and humid. That is what all anyone felt in Nouvelle Baton Rouge once the calendar flipped from winter to spring. Those were two things that seemed to exist in name only at this point, in any case.

“Why? Why is it so goddamned hot all the time!” a relatively young African-American male outwardly groused as he looked over the balcony of his apartment. It was a common sight in most of the big cities, outside of the Domes. Due to the lack of worthwhile real-estate, many of the rich and the world’s national governments built gargantuan apartment complexes and tenements that offered more or less free room and board, at least in these post-Singularity days.

This bit of charity, while all well and good, had a far more practical purpose: a lot of homeless people in a rather confined space get very riot-y, especially in persistently bad weather.

“And now Madame Benson wants money to build an Ultradome. Because a stadium built to last ‘100 years’ wasn’t good enough the first or second time,” the young man continued to grouse in his usual sarcastic tone, as he looked at the report of NBR Saints owner Mary-Anne Benson trying to argue before the State Legislature and Board of Commerce for donations and public funding for yet another stadium, what would have been the 3rd built in the area in the last 40 years.

With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his hat and sunscreen as he headed out the door, post locking all his doors and windows.

!~!~!~!

“So what are you up to, Mister Blue?” the young man heard over his inner-ear-piece, one of the many of the augments the humans of the time had installed on their persons.

“If you must know, Midori-hime, just doing what I usually do in the late afternoon,” the young man responded as he stared over the side of the observation decks on the banks of the very large river.

“Just kinda staring at the Mississippi, right?”

“Yeah, I’m… I dunno. I’m just kinda drawn to it.”

“I can see.”

“It’s just sickening to me to see the condition the river’s in. The water looks like someone’s been dumping industrial waste in it.”

“You know Andre; it’s not healthy to retain that kind of stress and anger.”

“I know Kyoko, but I just can’t help but get riled up when I see the river like this. When I get a few dollars and go down to the coast, it’s a lot of the same. The water just looks, sick. Like the whole world is sick with a horrible virus.”

“Do you think we’re that virus?”

“No, not necessarily… but we certainly can operate a whole hell of a better than we are right now. By the way, have you heard of the super-storm that barreled into Rio last week?”

“They are saying at least five thousand dead. Countless injured and without power. Total mess in Brazil.”

“What are we going to do, Midori-hime?”

!~ [ Kyoto, Japan ] ~!

The Japanese woman sat there, in her own private little garden greenhouse, deep in the Domed communities surrounding Kyoto; the once again capital of Japan after Tokyo was rendered uninhabitable from multiple earthquakes and tsunamis. She sat there, in her knee length green skirt and blouse, looking up at the clear roof of the greenhouse garden, wondering about the question her friend a half a world away just asked her.

What are we going to do? This can’t go on, every year these flowers and plants grow a little worse, and the ground gets more and more ill. Eventually even these protected spaces will not be able to sustain agriculture.

She stood up from her seat, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. She touched one of the nascent blooms, a white and pink striped iris. Though she could not hear words, it felt as if she could hear the Earth itself sobbing. Like a mother who was slowly wasting away; grief-stricken her child was dying and she could do nothing to stop it.

Is there something out there we could be doing, something we should be doing? What is it going to take to make the Earth truly green again? Have we crossed a point of no return?

She began to walk back toward the main residence; her parents were a bit of the globetrotting sort due to the nature of their line of work, so she mostly spent her time by herself, at least in person.

If it weren’t for those three, I would have spiraled into a pit of despair a long time ago. Just the fact that I know others that are as concerned as me makes me think that something will be worked out before it’s too late. The problem is… what is that something going to look like? What is going to be the thing to save us from the path we seem to find ourselves stuck in?

A few moments later, after the thoughts passed, she heard a beeping in her augment.

“Hey Kyoko, I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything between you and Andre. I know how your conversations tend to get,” a joking male voice said over the line.

“What I and Mister Blue talk about in private is none of your concern,” Kyoko responded with a false haughty tone.

“Oh come on you know I’m just messing with you. But it’s clear to me and Natasha that you and he have a bit of a thing.”

“And you, Ethan, should know most of all how difficult long-distance relationships are to maintain. We’re just friends, nothing more.”
Kyoko sighed as she relayed that last statement, a large part of her wanting to forge something deeper with the man who lived halfway around the world from her.

“Alright, you say that now, but I bet if you could find a way to stay in the States for a good long time, that’d change,” Ethan mused through the private communication line.
Kyoko thought for a few seconds, as she took a warm towel to wipe the sweat off her brow from her time in the greenhouse.

“We will see, I guess,” she said aloud, her voice more chipper than a few moments before.

!~ [ Boston, USA ] ~!

“And that’s another 80+ score, Agent Alkaev. You definitely seem to shoot with a purpose, Natasha.” the instructor said, as he looked over the target at all the head and body shots the field agent scored in the 10-round test.

“I have to, lots of very bad men and women out there just exasperate the suffering of those outside these Domes. So I have to do what I can to ensure our missions end with the highest chance of success.”

<Nadyezhda~ Where are you~ It’s time that you paid your debts to me!> Natasha shook her head as the terrifying thoughts of her childhood replayed in her mind intermittently, as she flipped on the safety and holstered her handgun.

“We need more agents like you, Agent Alkaev. Too many today are just in it for a paycheck and a chance to get out of the slums. You… you are driven. You are purposeful. If we had ten thousand of you I think we’d bust every Mafia cell in the post-industrial world,” the instructor imagined aloud, much to Natasha’s amusement.

She chuckled as she took the hair tie out of her hair, letting her blonde locks flow over her shoulders again.
“That is very kind of you to say. But don’t sell the other agents short. I’m sure given enough time and… experience… they will begin to see their purpose in this agency.”

The instructor shared her laugh with one of his own.
“To think, a century ago the prospect of a native-born Russian working so comfortably in the CIA would have been unthinkable by all but those in upper management. Hell, 50 years ago I probably would have laughed at you.”

“Things do change. We do evolve as a society, don’t we?” Natasha responded, before her words turned inward.

I need to find them… those bastards that killed my parents. I don’t care how long I have to wait; I will hunt them down to the very edge of the known Universe if I have to.

“Hey Natasha, are you busy? I know you usually have your shooting tests this time of the week,” she heard a familiar and welcome male voice over her more refined inner-earpiece.

“I just finished, Ethan. So what’s up?” Natasha responded; a lot more chipper herself at her beau making one of his many daily calls.

“Got off the line a little while ago with Kyoko, she was in the garden again with the sunrise. Wonder if she’s half plant herself?” Ethan joked, noting Kyoko’s rather strong affinity to the earth and plant-life.

“While I can laugh at that joke, you know exactly how our little Green Princess would react if you said that to her face, so to speak,” Natasha started as she admonished her boyfriend.
“Seriously, I do not know why she can’t open up more about it, especially to us. I know her parents have a reputation due to the kinds of projects they’re involved in, but surely they wouldn’t be that reckless or deviant?”

Ethan sighed loudly over the internal ‘phone’.
“Despite the moniker ‘Demon Doctor of Kyoto’, I highly doubt even he would do something like that. And I bet Andre would be the best man to draw her out of her shell regarding this little subject, but she won’t even let us tell him her exact identity.”

Natasha was already walking into a shower room, as she continued her conversation.
“So what do you think we should do for them? This tension isn’t good for anyone, let alone a potential couple. They could be so good for each other, despite the distance.”

“Who’s to say, really? The best I think we can do for them is to make sure we support them as much as we can, and give them a nudge when we think they’re stuck,” Ethan responded.

“Speaking of ‘giving a relationship another nudge’, this is your last week of active duty, isn’t it?” Natasha asked in a sultry tone, despite being silent to the outside world.

“Barring some kind of national emergency or declaration of war, yeah,” Ethan responded, quickly grasping what Natasha was hinting at.

“So when are you going to make your cute little way to Boston? It’s been awhile since we were in the same city.”

“As soon as they process me for my honorable discharge, again barring some kind of emergency.”

“Despite how tense things are, the world seems to be at a détente. Unless something were to literally explode, I highly doubt anything is going to throw off your schedule.”

“And that’s very good for us, isn’t it?”

“Very!”

!~ [ Los Angeles Air Force Base, USA ] ~!

Yes, there is an actual
“Los Angeles Air Force Base”

“Airman First Class Hartford, your last official patrol is in roughly twenty-four hours, how do you feel about this?” Sally chirped, as Ethan looked up at the roof of his apartment-like barracks.

“Do you want me to be honest, Sally,” Ethan responded, as he wondered why the Armed Forces thought it was a good idea to have the equipment AI be able to interact with the operator outside of the actual operation.

“Honest answers will allow me to operate at peak efficiency,” the female-sounding AI voice responded with a dry monotone.

“To be perfectly honest, then, I can’t wait to get my first stipend on my card and curl up in a warm bed with my girl in Boston,” Ethan responded as he looked at the faceless, game die shaped and sized device that was the interface and receiver for his recon plane’s AI.

“I see, please do not allow your forward-looking to a warm and loving relationship with your prospective mate to distract you from completing your final assignment,” the AI responded in its usual curt and clinical tone.

“To the point like always Sally; well, wouldn’t make sense for an AI to waste words, no would it?”

“That would be a waste of processing time, A1C Hartford.”

With that said, Ethan rolled back over, his medium-tan skin and somewhat long, jet-black hair bearing the partial Guatemalan heritage not borne by his name (aside from the middle name of ‘Marco’).
A strange three years it’s been. That first day when they realized that an
“Ethan Hartford” was legitimately a Hispanic. And now I’m one incident-less mission from a nice middle-class life with Natasha in Boston.
He rolled over again in the bed, not really sleepy but not in any mood to do anything else either as the sun began to set in the near-equinox sky.
At the same time, this might be the last time I can fly in a plane to myself. I have no idea how I’ll get licensed for piloting a small aircraft. Even if I did, where would I even get a small plane to fly? And where would I fly it? I thought three years of this would get it out of my system, but it just made me want it even more.

“So tomorrow is your last active day on the job, huh Mister Gold?” Andre asked over the ‘internal’ com line.

“Boy how did Kyoko’s nicknames for us stick like that?” Ethan mused in response.

“Because she’s a really persistent girl who has a way of working people into doing what she wants them to?”

“Boy isn’t that right,” Ethan chuckled, before he got back to the original question.
“Yeah, tomorrow is my last flight, just a normal low-altitude flight to check for drug and/or refugee boats.”

“Such is the nature of our world. Even when I think I have it bad in this government housing, at least I have something relatively air-conditioned. Southeast Asia is a permanent disaster zone,” Andre groaned.

“And let’s not talk about most of Africa or West Asia. If the world was a house, half of it would be on fire and the other half would be flooded,” Ethan posited while the two of them went on a bit at the state of the world from their two perspectives.

“And yet, despite all of this, we haven’t had anything close to an all-out ground war since 2055.”

“Yeah but we’re sitting on a powder-keg. Any little incident could light the fuse.”

“Makes me wonder a lot, Ethan.”

“Makes me wonder too, Andre.”

“Dinner is in an hour and twenty minutes, A1C Hartford. I would not want you to miss a scheduled meal and have to go scrounging late at night,” Sally chirped as the clock drew closer to 6 PM Pacific Time.

“Yeah, I hear ya.” Ethan said as he rolled out of his bed and found something online to occupy his time with.

~!--------------!~

Meanwhile, across the divide between time, space, and reality itself; in a world that is both like the one we left, and very much unlike it, vastly different machinations have begun. An action that would forever link the fate of two worlds together: be it for good, or for ill.

= [ Roughly 2:30 PM - March 18, ???? – Canterlot, Equestria ] =

Princess Celestia found herself trudging through yet another day of entertaining the aristocracy, dealing with the various requests for funding of various projects from the various city-states that the various denizens of this very varied nation of Equestria housed. If one looked at her hard enough, and managed to ask the right questions, they could pluck out the evident frustration in her. She wondered how many more decades she would have been able to take; that is, before the Elements of Harmony, both the artifacts and the Ponies that bore their power, rescued her dear sister Luna from her madness. Perhaps, if everything they could have researched about that mysterious other realm panned out, they could form some kind of constitutional monarchy to relieve her of some of the burden.

She checked the ledger to know when exactly to wake up Luna so that she could get herself ready to for the daily ceremony of the Setting Sun And Rising Moon. It was nearly Vernal Equinox, the time of the year where Day and Night time-wise were more or less equal. After calling forth an advisor to carefully write down the remaining requests of the day, she set off through the hallways; her regal mane flowing like a spectral sunrise, teal flowing into lavender, flowing into pink, and flowing back into teal again, like an endless living gradient. Of course she could have teleported directly into her sister's chamber, but being the wry and sentimental sort, she just liked walking through her expansive castle. And this Vernal Equinox however was very special, so special that, if events that were to unfold progressed properly, would forever go down in the history of both Equestria and whatever nations were on the other world she and Luna ‘found’ some months ago.

She inwardly prayed to the very cosmos itself. I hope nobody leaked what is about to happen, it would be extremely difficult to suppress the information otherwise. Not without making myself like some sort of paranoid tyrant, anyway.

Both sisters had to adhere to the schedule set well in advance, and remain very extremely cautious about their use of magic before now; because what they were about to attempt with the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony completely flew in the face all the public study of Equestrian Magic for the last few millennia.

Meanwhile, already set up in Luna's chamber, there were seven figures standing around her Royal Bed. One, a bright-violet colored Unicorn: the concerned student of the previously mentioned Avatar of the Sun and, until the last few years, de-facto absolute ruler Equestria, a Pony of incredible raw magical power but seemingly of very fragile psyche. Two, a snow white Unicorn: self-described fashionista, generous but a very bright streak of vanity that some would find off-putting at first. Three, a pumpkin-colored Earth-Pony: strength well beyond her class, second in town only to her brother, and sense of pride about a big as he is. Four, a cotton-candy pink Earth-Pony: a mare with a 100-track mind, every track seemingly looping around each other yet somehow only rarely piling up. Five, a cotton-candy cyan Pegasus: rainbow-maned and fast as tropical storm's gale, and could be as stubborn as pumpkin-colored Earth Pony. Six, a pastel yellow Pegasus: meek around those of her kind, but a will forged out of solid titanium. The seventh was a violet and emerald fledgling dragon, not too many years ago hatched and looking around nervously as he was in the private chambers of one of the co-rulers of their world.

"Ok now when exactly were we supposed to wake her up, I mean you can't pull something this big first thing out of bed,” Rainbow Dash asked to nopony in particular, hoping that Twilight already knew the procedure.

"I can't believe both of them talked us into doing this. Something like this hasn't even been attempted in eons,” Rarity quipped, still incredulous to the whole idea but hey, if the Princesses put her up to it must be for a damn good reason.

"Wow I just hope there is gonna be a REALLY big spread after this, like a ‘Congratulations you’ve linked two realities together’ feast. I mean, if we're pulling magic that hasn't been done in how many eons then we are gonna be really tired so we are gonna need a looooooot of sweets to perk us right back up when we're done right?" said Pinkie Pie, trying to be as quiet as she could manage.

"I just hope what we are doing won't hurt anyone or anything, it would be really awful if the whole world just cracked or something." said Fluttershy, voice perfectly suited for talking while a demigod was slumbering next to her.

“Far be it for me to say what anypony could or should do in the field of Unicorn Magic... but making a bridge to another world? It just sounds…” Applejack started.

"Patently ridiculous? I thought the same thing, but the theory of the Princesses is sound. And, well, something about the Elements calms me whenever I think about it. Now let’s get on with our task," Twilight Sparkle said as she levitated a scroll out of her saddle bag, "... hrm, it seems here we have to have her awake by 2:45 PM, which is kinda early for her but this is a very unusual case," she concluded.

"Ok so who is gonna do the deed? I mean I don't want her going all Canterlot Voice on me, it's like a megaphone with built in wind machine,” Rainbow Dash asked somewhat sheepishly, feeling the Royal Canterlot Voice in action some years before.

All six of the Ponies looked back at the purple Dragon with built in fax machine.

"Oh no, ohhh no. You are not asking me to try and wake up the co-ruler and pony that could throw me halfway back to Ponyville half asleep,” Spike said, backing up towards the door, looking for some kind escape route.

Just then the chamber door flew open, not all the way to slam against the walls, but enough to launch Spike in a nice little arc directly onto the middle of the back of the now formerly sound asleep Night Princess.

"Should we try and bar the windows so we aren't having to follow a purple contrail halfway back to Ponyville?" Applejack asked with all earnestness.

Rarity and Twilight quickly grabbed cushions or anything via telekinesis that could keep Spike from being launched out of the room at near-escape velocity.

"JUST WHAT IN THE BLUE AND BLACK COSMOS IS GOING ON IN HERE AND WHO WOKE ME UP BEFORE MY APPOINTED TIME!", Luna yelled at about half-strength Royal Canterlot Voice. This was enough, though, to blow everypony's mane back and practically straight. Spike, for his troubles, was only launched as far the canopy of Luna's bed, his head easily piercing it.

"Still a bit sour when you are awakened even a bit early, I see. Glad to see some things are still the same," Celestia said, finally reaching the chamber of her sister.

Luna began to regain her calm and regal demeanor, "Hrmph, well if somepony could have kept their assistant in check then maybe we wouldn't have been roused 12 minutes early. We do not appreciate being a landing pad for a draconic projectile."

"Speaking of which, can I have some space to get myself down? I really would like to get out of his canopy without hitting you again,” Spike said, trying to be as polite as one can be sticking head first outside of their princess's bed canopy.

"We apologize for the rude remarks, we are a tad bit 'disoriented' and 'grumpy', as it were, when first being roused,” Luna remarked apologetically, while levitating Spike down out of her canopy and aside Twilight, still frozen in place, mane still at a 90 degree angle to her neck. In fact all 6 of the 'normal' ponies seemed stunned into total silence after being at Ground Zero for a Royal Canterlot Burst.

"Woah, that was... woah…” Pinkie Pie barely managed to get out, her voice almost at Fluttershy's normal decibel level.

"I must say, that would come in handy when trying to address a crowd of several thousand at a time..,” Rarity remarked, as everyone's mane was more or less starting to poof back into place.

"That'd definitely clear every tree in Sweet Apple Acres. Only take a few minutes to do it too,” Applejack quipped, as she went to retrieve her had that had been blown flat against one of Luna’s indigo and blue walls.

"I've been in downbursts less strong than that, same ones that can blow a hole through most roofs if we don't aim 'em right,” Rainbow Dash also quipped trying to hide her absolute awe of the spectacle.

Fluttershy was mostly still and silent, wondering how anyone could generate that decibel level without ripping their vocal cords clean out.

"I must say, the Royal Canterlot Voice is something else,” Twilight Sparkle remarked while chuckling nervously, trying desperately to make light of the situation.

Spike was just happy he wasn't head first through fabric or being unceremoniously air-mailed back to the Ponyville Library.

~-- [3:15 PM] --~

After the eventful rousing of Luna, and making sure Fluttershy was still capable of speaking in complete sentences (both of which were successfully confirmed), all nine of them walked through the many, many hallways and catacombs of Canterlot Castle. All of six of the Bearers were taking mental notes as best they could, trying to figure out when would be the best time to get a full tour from top to bottom. Spike was just wondering if there was going to be a post-whatever dinner.

Luna then spoke up to everyone present, "As we have explained to you all before today, several months ago, we noticed a severe anomaly in the mana flow of this world. When we investigated further, we came into contact with an entire cosmos that is both like and unlike ours. We then realized that there are four specific days of that it would be the easiest to probe this world for information and observe things. These line up with our Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, and our Summer and Winter Solstices."

Fluttershy, finally able to actually talk after a good half hour, asked "So, even though we've only found the planet a few months ago, why are rushing to try and make contact with it, wouldn't it be better to wait until we can formulate something more... sound?"

Luna answered with all honesty but trying to retain tact, "To be perfectly honest Bearer of Kindness, we do not know how much time we have until their kind reaches the Point of No Return. We cannot even be sure they haven't already passed it."

Rainbow Dash then spoke up, "Okay so let's get this straight. We just found a planet, which is in a whole other universe, but close enough to ours to reach, and we don't even know if the things we'd be trying to reach will be there to be reached?"

Celestia took that question, "Rainbow Dash, this may come as a shock to you and the rest of the Element Bearers... but the artifacts that have given you the power to fight Nightmare Moon and Discord are the very proof that this was at one point very much possible."

The Six Element Bearers and Dragon stopped dead in their tracks. None of them, not even Twilight Sparkle, the most studious pony any of them knew, had absolutely any clue that the Elements of Harmony had that magnitude of power.

Rarity being the clever girl she was, started to put two and two together. "Wait... you said before that all 8 of us were needed yes?"
Celestia affirmed her statement.

"Then this has something to do with the Elements themselves, do they not?" Rarity then continued the questioning, everyone having resumed walking before.
Luna affirmed her statement.
Rarity, trying to put the pieces together, began a long train of insight. "Oh my... I think I have the answer. What if the Six Elements were part of some greater entity."
Fluttershy, starting to catch onto this train of thought, continued. "Well, it seems like when we use them, they all get funneled into a great burst."
Rainbow Dash continued. "Ok I get ya, I know when we use them, I feel like we're are performing a thousand Sonic Rainbooms at once, at least!"
Applejack then picked up "Yeah, even though we're at the middle of the flash, Ah can still see the rainbow colors around the edges and..."
Pinkie Pie quipped up "Ohh Ohh it's like a REALLY REALLY Big and Pure Light, like the most purest pure light that you could ever get and…"
Twilight Sparkle finished the statement, "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? I believe what we are trying to say is, that, well... we think that the Elements of Harmony were part of some ancient thing of incalculable power and force."
Luna, realizing that Twilight and her friends have stumbled onto the ancient secret through mere deduction, decided to start the true briefing on the plan a little early, or she would had Celestia not already teleported them to the chamber they were walking to.

"Sister, I thought we were not to use any Magic at all until the operation started..." Luna tersely said to her sister.
Celestia simply answered, "I'm fairly sure moving us 200 lengths down the hall won’t deplete my mana reserve terribly."

"Wait, why would use a teleport just to move us... what in the world?" Twilight said before being simply dumbstruck by the sight before her and the others.

They all stood before a truly massive door, a door with what looked like a very faded rainbow connecting two orbs together etched into and then and painted onto it.

"Fillies and Gentledragon, what you are about to see has not been seen by any mortal eye in nearly the entire history of Equestria as a nation." Celestia said as she motioned Luna other side of the door.
The two Winged-Unicorns began to charge their magic through a pair of locks on the sides of the door. Soon the entire door began to glow, and was slowly being pulled apart, gears on the inside making it like a giant split sliding door.
What the seven others saw inside truly inspired a sense of awe beyond description.

!~!~!~!

What the seven non-immortals of this group saw stretched even their minds as to what was acceptable in this land of highly concentrated magic. They saw a cliff-side and a waterfall with no obvious source of water. They saw lush and verdant fields stretch into infinity in one direction. They saw thick forests filled with every possible kind of tree stretch into another. In yet another direction they saw a clear and deep blue ocean, the pool formed by the waterfall emptying into it. Above them was the strangest sight however: a clear blue sky, not just blue-painted walls of a cave, but an actual sky. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy could feel this space had its own weather, and it was perfectly balanced. Pinkie Pie and Applejack could feel the ground beneath them was incredibly healthy and pure, like anything could grow here. Rarity and Twilight Sparkle could feel the mana flow in this space, and it was impossibly pure. In fact, those were the two words that perfectly described what was behind the doors as the Princesses closed behind the nine of them, "impossible" and "pure".

They continued walking through this space until they reached a monument. This monument was incredibly simple by Pony standards. There were six spaces in the middle of a raised platform, all around it were pools of water and various shrubbery. It was as this point that the two Royal Sisters bid their seven guests to sit and listen. There were two more hours until the operation was to begin and they all had to know what exactly it was they were attempting to do today. Celestia was the first to speak, "My Little Ponies and Dragon companion, the short discussion that we had here has led us to this point. So first of all, I would like you all to look around you at this small monument. What you see before you is our shrine in remembrance to what begat the Elements of Harmony."

Rainbow Dash was confused as to the verbiage being used, "Wait, what begat what now?"

Luna answered, "More simply put, this is what existed before, and begat the Elements of Harmony."

Celestia continued the explanation along those lines, "Indeed, Luna. The Elements of Harmony was passed down to us from a single being. Her power was immeasurable, and so was her grace. It is… truly a shame that we do not have her grace and wisdom to call upon going forward. She would especially be interested in what we were attempting to accomplish this evening."

Everyone else could see the wistful look in her eyes, as she appeared to be lost in thought somewhat.

After a few moments though, Celestia’s words made Twilight Sparkle perk up. She had seen some of the ancient records and how they spoke of a 'sister' world to theirs. A world with an entirely different set of magic, and the users of this magic were also wildly different. They looked like highly evolved bipedal apes, all shades of brown from light cream to dark chocolate. But then, the records of these creatures simply ceased, as if something had severed the link and the ancient Ponies just lost all contact with them. Eventually knowledge of these creatures faded from the minds of larger Ponykind entirely.

Twilight Sparkle sat there and trembled at the thought, she could not help but speaking, but what she was about to say could shake her five friends down to their cores, "Humans. The world you have been observing is the Human World that we, I can only assume, lost contact with eons ago, isn't it?"

"What, Humans? You know those are an old mare's tale! I mean honestly, they looked just glorified apes; a bit skinny yes, but primates still the same," Rarity yelped in absolute surprise. Neither she nor her friends, besides Twilight, could even imagine that creatures of legend could have been real in any fashion.

"Rarity, all of you, what Twilight has deduced is absolutely, 100% correct. However, in order to explain fully what her statement means and what this means for our operation today, I must start at the beginning," Celestia said, motioning all of the ponies and the dragon to prepare for a long story.

"Before I begin, I must warn you what I am about to say, if I were to say it in public, would most likely have every pony that ever heard it repeated believe me or Luna or both of us to have finally gone senile," Celestia began, quietly musing on how a being that didn't necessarily suffer brain degeneration could go senile, before quickly going back over her earlier point.

"As I stated, the Elements of Harmony were given to us by a being of great power and wisdom, the very will of our species given form. With both her and another force, Rainbow of Light, our world shared a special bridge: both literally in the Rainbow of Light, and figuratively, in the relationship this great entity and another from the realm of Humanity shared. As far as Luna or I can reason or research: that Rainbow existed as far back as any record could show. This connection worked both ways, as well; the Ancient Humans and Ancient Ponies were in constant contact with each other, sharing ideas and magic. Being industrious tool-makers, they created devices far beyond ours, even to this day, that utilized their brand of magic, and we showed them how to affect their environment to a degree far greater than what they managed on their own. However, like many Golden Ages, it was not meant to last. Some unforeseen cataclysm occurred in the space between our two worlds, and completely shattered the link. After that, we have no idea what happened to the Humans. That is, until we recently began to come back into phase with their world, and we could observe and, admittedly, pry into their information networks."

Celestia then paused in order to levitate some water to drink from one of the many pools that formed around the Shrine of Harmony, and quickly resumed. "After that cataclysm, we only barely managed to stave off a massive ice age. This phase of our history resolved itself in a similar fashion to the fable of Hearth’s-Warming Eve. At that point, the ancient Equestrian tribes and nations reforged their will and their collective link to Magic; and began to reclaim their environment, with the assistance of the other sapient races, such as the Dragons and the Zebras."

Celestia and Luna took a short break from the story to allow the six bearers of Harmony to digest what they heard so far. Applejack was the first to ask a question in this regard, "Alright. So Ah can get that we're all holding something that's a piece of something way bigger, but how could a whole separate world exist, and nopony even know about it?"

Luna then answered this question, "There are an infinite number of cosmos, large and small, that exist along ours in their own spaces. Some are made of nothing but empty, still particles, effectively 'dead' and waiting recycling. Some are roiling pits of pure energy, no sense or reason to anything. Most however are working, functioning universes, although there is nothing to say they work in a way that we'd recognize. The world we were connected to was a part of one of these latter universes."

Twilight was already trying to simplify the story, "Ok, I think I got the gist of what you've just told us. One, the Elements of Harmony was given to us in some form or fashion by a being possibly greater than you two. Two, our world was connected to the Human World by a Rainbow of Light. Three, this connection was shattered when some kind of Cataclysm struck our world and possibly the Human World as well."

The two Princesses merely nodded, as the Element of Magic was mostly right in their assessment.

Pinkie Pie then began to suss out what exactly they were going to resolve the last point Twilight made. "Ok, so we have the Elements of Harmony and you all have your own raw power, are we gonna try and make a new Rainbow of Light or something?"

Celestia responded curtly. "No, with our current resources we can only create a reasonable facsimile, and it would only allow those that use Equestrian Magic to travel to and fro."

Rainbow Dash then asked a question she felt in the back of her head she shouldn't ask, but somehow did anyway, "Well, just how much power would it take to actually rebuild the Rainbow of Light?"

Luna answered, "To use the energy released from your Sonic Rainboom as a reference point, consider roughly 10^1000 of those events, all occurring within a space of one cubic standard horse-length, simultaneously. This phenomenon would then need to occur repeatedly over the span of one year, in order to roughly equal the amount of energy to form and sustain the Rainbow of Light for ten days, give or take three hours. Or to be more blunt, an amount that, if not restrained, would probably reduce this entire realm to ashes several hundreds of millions of times over."

Rainbow Dash did not know if the techno-babble or the sudden feeling of gross inadequacy made her feel worse.

Celestia and Luna then paused again. They explained the purpose of the meeting here, but now they had to explain the why. They were dreading this, because neither of them had any ability to forsee how their charges would react to this part of the story they had to tell, and they only had this evening to pull it off, lest they waited another three months to attempt it.

~-- [ 4:00 PM ] --~

Celestia was now standing on the raised platform of the monument proper, marveling at how well the inscribed magic circle held up all of these millennia of not being used. She then turned around to address the Bearers properly. "Now that we have established the 'What' of today's operation, we now need to establish the 'Why' of it. What is our purpose in constructing this bridge to the Human World? When we first began looking at the world, it was entirely alien to us. There was almost zero magic, there were gigantic areas of rampant and unrestrained urbanization and industrialization, and the wild flora and fauna was dead or dying. But what disturbed us most were the people. They seemed lost, lost not in terms of not knowing where they were, but lost in their hearts. As if everyone had been blindfolded and told to just wander aimlessly. We could not fathom how an entire population of so many billions, and yes, that is with a ‘B’ billions, could be so directionless. Then we saw them. There were these Domes made of some glass-like material, and the beings that lived in them were protected from the ravages of the outside world in their view. Their plants and animals were healthy as far as they could tell. They had plenty of fresh food to eat. Honestly the idea sickened us. We couldn't tell what kind of creature would establish this order of a few elite with all the resources, and a forsaken many with little to nothing for themselves."

"That is before we began reading their history. It shocked us even more. Rampant wars, genocides, slavery... we thought these were the signs of a species that had gone insane, beasts that we’d consider monsters, or even demons. That was, however, before we managed to get to the root of their civilization and how they developed. Once we did everything we had researched until that point made sense, and our anger turned into pity. While Pony Society was built around co-operation because we could actively manage our environment, they could not. At some point their magic simply ceased working, and we could not determine why because their own record keeping was virtually non-existent during this time. Nevertheless, they were left to a world that was cold, desolate, and cutthroat. Eventually humans had to become the same way; otherwise they would have gone extinct eons before today."

Everyone gasped, trying to contemplate a world where they had no control over anything and were left to the mercy of forces larger than themselves. Fluttershy figured it would have been like trying to live in the Everfree Forest, but now the Forest was a whole world.

"The hypercompetitive death game life became on Earth began to plague Mankind as a society. While Ponies are not immune to the psychological monsters of Greed, Envy, and Hatred, Mankind seemed especially brutalized by them. They were locked in a constant mental war; and yet, over the millennia, they had begun to progress and expand their territories. Not war, nor plague, nor natural disaster... nothing could ultimately stop their expansion; even if the expansion was not even and uniform. But eventually, they had run out of places to expand. So then they began to develop mentally. Their science had become their replacement for magic. They began to utilize the primal forces of their universe to their own ends. Perhaps if they were given more time and were in an environment that gave them a wider berth to try and fail and experiment, they would not be in the condition they are in now."
Applejack asked, "What do you mean 'be in an environment that'd allow them to experiment'? Couldn't they just do it on their own? It seems like whatever had happened all those years ago haven't stopped them."

Luna responded for her sister, feeling she needed a break anyway. "Bearer of Honesty, in our world, Ponies are more or less free to pursue their own talents so long as they do not directly interfere in the business or pursuits of others. Sometimes this causes conflict, sometimes it doesn't, but in general we are able to resolve these differences amicably. Humans however, due to the uneven nature of resources in their world and their general scarcity, generally do not resolve these differences amicably. And scarcity breeds conflict, and conflict eventually breeds war. These wars were fought repeatedly, but not simply with swords and other weaponry. There have been wars of religion, wars of ideology, even the soft conflicts of on culture trying to promote itself over another. Humans are extreme competitors, because they have to be to survive their world. And to that end, unfortunately, just because many can reign in this spirit and direct it toward beneficial, or at the least neutral pursuits, doesn’t mean the extreme know when to stop. Eventually, these extremes in the realm of industry began to ‘win’, ignoring the pleas of those who wanted to protect their environment and the natural world they lived in. Now, their world now finds itself in a massive lurch, the environment hardly able to support the multitudes that dot it in their massive cities. And apparently, those that profess themselves above the general population could not care less about what happened, and still is happening, to the rest."

The Princess of the Night continued, the frustration in her voice and heart becoming ever more obvious to the audience before her.
“Their spark, their spark of creativity, their spark of inventiveness had not been, nor is yet extinguished. However, what the larger population has been robbed of is their ability to exploit their own talents to benefit themselves and others. Those who can build find themselves having to compete with machines that require neither food nor shelter, simply fuel for their systems. Those who can perform or produce art find no takers or audience for their work. Those who at one point desperately tried to preserve what was left of their pristine and natural environment now despair and weep at how the world appeared to be growing brown like a tree shedding its leaves for winter. There are even those in the elite who try desperately to teach their brethren the error of their ways before they truly pass the point of no return. Yet their pleas largely fall on deaf ears. Both my sister and myself feel that we would be remiss, and abandoning the creed of Harmony, if we did not offer what assistance we could in helping this species rebuild their world into one that can truly thrive.”

After Celestia and Luna were done, they looked to the seven mortals arrayed before them. One, the butter-yellow Fluttershy, asked them the question they hoped, and prayed that none would ask until they were well into acclimating themselves with the nations of the Human World.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. If their world is truly broken to the degree you say it is. Then some of them are going to want to come here. So what are we to do if some of them did want to move here?”

Time itself appeared to freeze the very moment Fluttershy ceased speaking. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked suddenly crestfallen, as they began the mental gymnastics of how exactly to explain that part of their still theoretical plans to the seven mortals before them. Eventually both resolved to just give the simple truth, and hope their audience understood.

Celestia drew in a large breath, and began to answer. "My Little Ponies, Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. What I am about to say does not leave this room, until the events, if they unfold, do unfold. I cannot stress enough how VITAL it is that none of what I am about to say is leaked to anyone, unless myself or my sister are the ones to tell them. Effectively, time has become their enemy. If it were earlier in human history, this solution would not even be broached in the way that I would suggest it. Humanity, if current trends hold, is most likely one or two major plagues or natural disasters away from breaking down entirely. Luna has already begun developing a countermeasure however, but I fear that what we would ask of them may be too much for even the most desperate of humans to agree to."

“If their world and environment break down before we are able to affect change to it, then yes, the next logical solution would be to begin evacuating humanity here. While we believe it would be an extremely strenuous task and very taxing, it could be done, but only on the strictest of guidelines. However, we have run into severe complications.”

“What kind of complications?” Twilight Sparkle responded, as she looked up at the two diarchs of Equestria.

Celestia took another large breath and responded.
“The identity of any sentient being is largely informed by the body through which they perceive the world. However, that very body has proven to be a literally deadly problem for Humankind, should they even so much as set foot in Equestria proper. The raw magic that is embedded in the very world of Equus itself is like lethal radiation to them. Even at normal background levels, it would likely kill a healthy adult male of their species within 72 hours. I am fairly sure that having only three days left to live is nowhere near a viable solution to leaving a world that may be becoming incompatible with them.”

Luna then took over the explanation, as the magic from the Elements and their two beings began to activate the Shrine of Harmony.
“But as We said, there is a solution, but it may be one that only the most desperate would avail themselves of. Yet, I would not remove a potential escape route should it come to that. Allow me to condense the theory of this solution to its most basic form, since we are short of time: we would offer those who willingly and knowingly understand the consequences, the ability to emigrate to our plane of reality, at the cost of altering their physical form from that of their birth, to that similar to you. In other words, we would be transforming them from Human to Pony.”

The seven mortals sat dumbfounded at the very notion. How could anyone agree to such terms? Yet, at the same time, if they had the ability to allow any of them to move on to literal greener pastures, who were they to deny them. Who were they to say that a human who wanted to couldn’t move on if they truly wanted to, just because they themselves were stuck in a moral quandary?

As the Magical Array began to glow hot with the gold and azure magic of the two Alicorns, the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony suddenly felt something grab at their minds: their imaginations filled with visions of the other world they were now forging a connection to. The sister Princesses stood dumbfounded themselves, as it appeared all six of the Bearers of Harmony had suddenly gone completely blank, yet they could not cease the spell-weaving to attend to them. They could only pray to the Cosmos that whatever had just happened would not permanently damage them or anyone (or anything for that matter) else.

===========!!===========

This is my last chance, my final gambit. I can feel that ancient Will trying to re-forge the bridge shattered so long ago. Please, please let this be true…

===========!!===========

Pinkie Pie found herself sitting in a ransack hut, she could hear children crying somewhere behind her. They passed through the astral image of Pinkie, just simply an apparition that was there to observe and not interact. She walked through the wall to where she found the room of the crying children. They were sobbing over a bed; a female figure was covered up in the tattered bed-sheets. Pinkie eventually reasoned, correctly, it was the children’s now deceased mother. The woman had recently passed away due to some water-borne disease; years of bad diet and random illnesses had weakened her body enough for Death to finally claim her. They held the picture of their departed mother, trying their best to hold on to what few good memories they had in this period of intense grief. The eldest sister was missing, feared kidnapped by human traffickers. Their father was dead, killed in action in some war before most of them could pronounce his name.

This... it's so sad... I…

She was then shuffled to another scene. She saw the children that lived in the supposedly advanced countries. They sat and stared at the holographic computer terminals, clicking to and fro on whatever. Nothing ever grabbed their interest, and they couldn't go outside and play either; the air was so choked with particulates the last week and most of them had respiratory illnesses. The few games that caught their attention for more than a day were so monetized, that only the kids of people in the Domes would ever win at anything. There was hardly any organized schooling anymore, the government and the Dome-dwelling citizens largely stopped caring. Everything else had become bland and dull. The food was bland, the media was bland; practically everything was bland and uninspired. It was day after day of soul crushing monotony, and it was like these children's souls were being ground into a fine powder.

So... so much despair, even I didn't have it this bad growing up...

The she saw the children of the Domed cities. They were hardly any better, though they supposedly had everything a child could want. Their parents had lots of money to buy all manners toys and games for them, and they opportunity to play or do whatever activity they wanted, and had the ability to dine on fresh food that didn't taste like industrial gruel. Yet, even these children knew something was terribly wrong. There was no soul behind anything, none of them felt like they wanted to do these things. They were under constant pressure to be good at everything because the Dome people were superior, and most were forced to waste their time on activities they hated. Many had rooms full of toys and dolls that they never asked for, apparently they parents just loved playing the game of "I can buy my kids more than you can buy yours". A lot of the children felt so empty inside the Domes, little birds living in gilded cages, never to spread their wings to fly where they wanted.

Even the rich kids have it bad... what is anyone supposed to do in a world like this...

Pinkie was having a hard time accepting the state of the Earth; it seemed so devoid of joy, so devoid of laughter. Then she realized what was happening, it truly was becoming devoid of joy and laughter. All the pain and suffering of the poor, all the apathy of the middle, even the children of the well to do were finding it hard to care about anything. These humans were desperately trying to find something to bring joy into their lives, but everything felt empty, it felt soulless. It was so much to bear, these people she didn't even know just going through life not knowing or not being able to sustain laughter, joy; the thought that even if life did you wrong, there were still things worth appreciating. She began to weep openly, as the necklace of her Element of Laughter appeared and began to flicker. She then heard a voice, a voice similar to but not quite her own.

"Element of Laughter, the children of this world have been stripped of their joy, robbed of their ability to laugh."

Pinkie asked, not knowing where to look to direct her words. "It doesn’t seem possible. How can an entire race not know laughter, not know joy?"

The voice replied. "They do know these things, but they feel as if they are drowning. They are surrounded by death and despair. They cannot fulfill their talents. They remain stuck in one place for so long, they lose the capacity to care for anything else. These people are slowly being dragged into a black hole of Despair and Apathy."

Pinkie stood up, her astral body glowing cyan blue like her Element of Laughter. She had seen enough, enough despair, enough apathy, enough of a people seemed like soulless zombies. She knew what she had to do now, she had to go there; she had to go to this world that seemed gray and bleak and give color to it. "I won't let this continue. These people have done nothing to deserve this. AND I WONT LET IT CONTINUE! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL NOT LET THIS WORLD DIE IN DESPAIR. I WILL NOT LET IT DROWN IN APATHY!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Applejack found herself standing next to a MegaTrain station, where a family was waiting there for the next train. She walked up to them, knowing she was but an invisible ghost to them, but she still had to see what this and so many other families were waiting for. She then saw the sign, "Grand Prize Drawing for the Dome Lottery." It dawned on her then: this was some kind of lottery drawing to get into the domes. She heard the clamor of the families, they heard that they would leave immediately and be given a sizeable stipend if they won. Others talked about what they had to sell in order to get enough credits for a ticket. Applejack felt queasy at the sight, her enhanced sense of honesty going off like a warning klaxon in her head.

Somethin’ ain’t right about this. Everything feels like a big scam waitin’ to happen...

She saw the men in the nice suits roll out a podium with a large electronic display. The suited men assured the crowd that the software that would produce the random numbers was entirely legitimate. Applejack however could see in their eyes and feel in their voice that they were lying. The suited men pressed a button and the numbers began to flash in the display panels.

"13. 45. 59. 83. 28. 31.", one of the suited men said. He took out a pad to cross-reference the winning number against all of those with a ticket. Of course, there weren't any matches; they made damn sure of that.

The other suited man smirked out of the crowds view briefly. "Oh I'm sorry, no one won today. But don't worry you all, we will be back in 2 weeks’ time with a new drawing. Just tell your friends to come by next time, who knows, one of you all might be the lucky ones."

What lucky ones?! You cheated all these people out of whatever it was they had to give up just ta play this rigged game. Applejack said in her inaudible, ethereal voice. She was becoming visibly angry now.

The scene then transitioned to a nice corporate office inside a Domed city somewhere. There was a man reading expense reports. Something was gnawing at him in the back of his head. The official reports were not lining up with the amount of capital and resources the company supposedly had. Someone was doing something off the books, and it was his job to figure out what it was, he has a responsibility to his shareholders. The a few weeks later, he found out who had been skimming the funds. It was the CEO and half the Board of Directors. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He was now stuck in a situation to where if he did his duty to his shareholders, the boss could just fire him. He would have hell trying to get a new job, all of the CEOs it seemed like were stealing from their companies; they wouldn't take on a rat like him. It was eating at him, he had a family, he had daughters, he couldn't go out there, not with the way things are now. He then began to cry, he didn't know what to do. Has his whole tenure at this company just been a lie, was everything he worked for just one big lie? What kind of man would he be if he had to lie every day of his life just to keep up his lifestyle for the sake of his kids?

How could they do this to him, he did nothing but be honest. He was trying to play everything by the book. What is the point in following the rules if someone is gonna break them without penalty?

Applejack was ready to kick down the walls of the building. The whole world seemed built on deceit, lies, and obfuscation. This world had become weak, like a tree with rotting roots and any strong storm would blow the whole thing over. She stomped and thrashed about, her astral projection not being able to do any real damage but she needed to vent somehow. Her anger slowly turned to an intense sadness the more she carried on like this. She began to cry for the children, whose innocence and trust would be slowly decimated as they grew up. The Ponies prided themselves on their honesty and forthrightness. Even if they did not always hold to those ideals, at least they tried dammit. This world, however, had given up trying to be honest, and now it had devolved into just get whatever you can; even if you had to lie, cheat, or steal to do it. Her Element of Honesty began to flicker, and she heard a voice like her own beginning to speak to her.

"Element of Honesty, the people of this world are losing their ability to trust. They have begun to see no reason in being honest with each other."

Applejack looked up, but saw no one. She then answered the voice, not knowing where to direct her attention. "How could a whole planet lose its trust, its honesty? It don't seem possible."

The voice replied, "Day after day their friends lie to them. Year after Year their parents and loved ones lie to them. Decade after decade those that broker power lie to them. The people have been beaten down; they no longer trust authority, they no longer trust anything. In many cases, they can't even trust themselves. A world with no trust, with no honesty cannot stand. Nations will go to war as no one can be trusted as an ally. Eventually this world will crumble as the notion of organized society becomes largely pointless with no trust or honesty between the participants. This world is being dragged down a black hole of Lies and Deception."

Applejack stood upright. She had seen enough, enough lies, enough deceit, and enough obfuscation. These people needed to be reminded that honesty is a virtue worth having. There were those who could be honest enough and garner enough trust to lead them; that there were those with enough trust to bear their entire souls to them in companionship. This world did not need to collapse in on itself because of the weight of its own deception. "Then I'm going there. I'm going to that world to save it. YOU HEAR ME EARTH. AH'LL SAVE YOU FROM THE LIES, THE DECEPTION! AH SWEAR BY ALL MY KIN THAT AH WILL SAVE YOU ALL!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Fluttershy landed on Earth, but it looked like Earth 200 years ago. She looked at the deep rich forests, so full of life and vigor. Then the clear-cutting started, and the mining, and the urban development. She watched the forest be eaten by maw of asphalt and metal. The animals that were native were pushed further and further in, or had to risk living amongst the humans. A few did survive, some even thrived, but many of the humans saw them as pests. Then the humans needed more space, and began encroaching into the territory they shouldn't have. They began moving animals, some intentionally, some accidentally, and what were once just merely perceived to be pests that could be controlled turned into infestations that in went entirely out of control. Entire ecosystems became dangerously unbalanced; diseases one group of humans could resist instead found fresh 'prey' in other populations. In a short 200 years it seemed like the world itself was spinning out of control. Whole species were gone, carcasses littered the landscape, beasts dying of the poisons Man didn't think to, or simply couldn't clean up. The great forests and plains looked like bombed out wastelands now, only a few trees were hardy enough to even grow past 20 ft. anymore. Many of humans warned of this fate, industrialization truly gone amok, and balance had to be restored lest they join the numbers of the dead and dying. They were ignored however, and it seemed the slow death march towards oblivion was going to go on apace.

How could they be so cruel? Don't they see what they are doing to their own world?

Fluttershy then saw many varying scenes. She saw the people protesting and rioting, looking for work of any kind, or some kind of increase in support. The governments however did not heed their pleas. Some even went as far as to send drone guards to 'remove' the protestors. The broken bodies made her physically ill, but what disturbed her more were the broken minds she saw. She saw the children who had nothing but gruel and fabricated meals to eat, hardly any decent clothes given the terrible conditions they had to live in. She saw the teenagers, with no hope, taking their frustrations out on other teens; lots of idle hands becoming tools of the Devil as it were. She saw the broken and battered adults, some lamenting that this era it was hard to actually die of exposure or what have you. Many of them felt like ghosts in a Purgatory, never really alive, but not dead either; so many people now wandering around hopeless and lost, simply existing and not really living.

Even the people lucky enough to live in the remaining world powers couldn't escape this feeling. So many lived in the truly gigantic public housing complexes, few could afford their own plots of land, even though it was dirt cheap outside the Domes. The soldiers coming back home were left to suffer in silence, the government mostly ignoring their supposed duty to take care of those that survived the exotic diseases and high-caliber weaponry. The veterans that weren't broken shells of people were instead terribly violent, almost as if they were raging and thrashing against the world itself. They would beat up the homeless and the indigent, anyone the seemed lower on the totem pole. They were mad at the system; they were doing anything to get the system to pay attention to them, to listen to their plight. However, the most they got for their trouble was an arrest and imprisonment if they attacked anyone near the Domes.

I see now... this is even worse... it was only a few people; a few people did this to the rest of them and their world.

Fluttershy was then in the room of a young lady living inside the Domes. The young lady watched images similar to what Fluttershy saw already on her holographic television. She was devastated by the images, and then saw a number to call in to a charity. Charities still operated in this time, but they were so overburdened; but those who worked for them felt a need at least try and ease the pain their fellow man felt. She felt the same way, however her parents certainly did not. No sooner than she tried to dial the number on her wrist-phone her father attacked her. He wrenched her hand back, hyper-extending the ligaments in her wrist; and for good measure, swift-kicked her in the back of the knees so that she'd collapse to the ground. Fluttershy was horrified a parent would do this to their own child, a child that only wanted to help her fellows in whatever little way she could. She did not miss the symbolism though; the will to help was being subsumed by the rank selfishness of a few. The young lady cried openly, as did Fluttershy. Her injuries, given the state of medicine for those in the Domes, were minor and easily fixed. What couldn't be fixed was the thought there were people out there going hungry, people out there with improper clothing or shelter. The few straggling mega-fauna species in the wild were on the verge of extinction. The whole world was breaking apart, and no one seemed to care, it was like kindness had been sucked out of this world, replaced by coldness and cruelty.

Why, why is this world so cruel? Why do the people who can help refuse to do so? Why do they prevent those who want to use their power to help do so?
Fluttershy was quietly weeping. She couldn't take it; she couldn't take how cruel this world had become. It was so bleak and gray, everything just seemed... wrong. It shouldn't be this way, she saw the still flickering lights of kindness in the hearts of these people. So why was this world in such terrible condition? Why did it seem like the whole thing was ready to disintegrate at a moment's notice? She then heard a voice like her own, as if her own subconscious was about to answer her questions.

"Element of Kindness, this world is losing touch with the concept of kindness. Civility is degenerating as they lose kinship with each other."

Fluttershy looked around for someone to answer, but she couldn't find anyone. So she just spoke, hoping whoever was speaking before would hear her. "How can a whole world just forget kindness?"

The voice responded. "The ancient world was cruel to mankind. The weather, the predators, it seemed as if everything was set out to destroy them. So they became cruel in kind. They beat back the environment itself, believing if they could establish dominion over it, they would never be subject to that cruelty again. They also tried to establish dominion over each other. The cruelty of war begat suffering, and the suffering fostered notions of revenge. This mutual revenge eventually begat hatred: of the other tribe, the other nation, the other ethnicity. Even when people began to try and reason these hatreds away, not enough did, so these hatreds were never truly overcome. As the powerful of this world began to close off more and more routes of progress due to their own selfishness, people were left to wallow in the cruelty of a world gone mad and a leadership grown distant. This world is now being dragged down into the black hole of Cruelty and Hatred."

These words began to steel Fluttershy's nerves. How could she weep when there was a job to do? There were people to be saved from the ever spiraling cruelty and hatred. There was a whole world out there begging for help, something to come along and rescue it from a so-called leadership that would sooner see it self-destruct than give up their position. "They don't deserve this. None of them do. NONE OF THEM DESERVE TO SUFFER LIKE THIS. I WON'T LET THEM. I WON'T LET THEM SUFFER THIS LACK OF KINDNESS ANY LONGER!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Rainbow Dash landed in the middle of a city. She walked around, a bit mesmerized how she could already be walking on the ground in the other world, until she realized she was a ghost at the same time. After freaking out for a few moments at the faulty notion she was already dead somehow, she saw a human couple. They seemed a perfectly content couple, the relative lack of resources not being of real concern to them, or so it seemed. She followed the couple for what seemed like a couple of months through their relationship, the male continually expressing how, regardless of their condition, he'd always love her. This struck Rainbow Dash as quite odd.

If you are always going to be loyal, why do you need to tell her all the time?

She then saw why he repeatedly professed his loyalty out loud. The female was sitting alone one night, she kept trying to call the male, but he never responded to the messages or private calls. It was scaring her; she had inkling about what might have been going on, and she desperately wanted it to just be some mild paranoia. However, she had to get out and confirm for herself what was going on. She eventually tracked the male down, and what she found utterly shocked her. He was already trying to woo another female out in public. Apparently, this new female had few more credits on her, probably wasn't laid off until later in the cycle of the Singularity. Needless to say, she felt incredibly betrayed. He had professed his love, his desire to be together, through thick and thin to her; and yet he was already trying to run out on her for another bitch with a few more credits to her name. She bolted towards the where the two were sitting, and the confrontation was quite ugly. The male was desperate to escape as both females argued virulently, and eventually got into a physical fight. Police, thankfully human this time, were called in to disperse the fight. Rainbow Dash stood by and watched; her jaw agape at this blatant display of betrayal.

How could he... she hardly had any more money than the first girl... and he ran out just like that?

Rainbow Dash was then transported to a darkened corporate office in the Domes. She saw a man sitting in the office, and he was being faced with a decision: sell his company to a corporate raider for a quick cash-in, or stick through and pray he could defeat the hostile takeover attempt. He wretched over this decision, he tried to call his friend, his long-time business partner. But there was no answer. He sent him e-mail, text messages, neural private messages, anything to get in contact with him, to get his advice, anything on how he should proceed. Nothing. Then a message from the corporate raider.. his best friend, the man he started the company with, the man he went to bat for, the man who he was going to ask to be his best man at his weeding. He had already sold out, there were now just enough shares for the corporate raiders to take over his entire company, his entire life's work was about to go up in smoke in a few days’ time. How could he tell his fiancée, how could he tell his stepdaughter, he was supposed to be the provider. Why, he was always loyal to him, he always did was in the best interest of the company. He cried, he cried as he ordered all his stocks sold, he had given in, the raiders had won.

What the hell is wrong with this world? How could someone sell out their friends like that... not even give a reason, just 'boom done' just like that?!

Rainbow Dash was quivering. She had blown right past anger into, something similar to sadness. In fact, she really could explain why she was quivering. This whole world seemed warped, like some kind of force was warping people into an unnatural mentality. She could tell humans were perfectly capable of love, of loyalty, of all the things the Ponies were capable of. Then why, why the hell was this world so screwed up? Why does everything seem to goddamn wrong? Her Element of Loyalty began to flicker and shine as she heard her own voice begin to respond to her questioning.

"Element of Loyalty, this world is beginning to ignore the concept of loyalty. The idea of true love and camaraderie has begun to fade as trust disintegrates."

This notion seemed utterly alien to Rainbow Dash. "How, what... a whole world's worth of people just losing loyalty and camaraderie? Nothing about that makes sense, nothing at all!"

The voice then responded to her strained questions, "Those that brokered power forever promised the population deliverance from the world's ill. All they would need to do was put their trust in said brokers. But the deliverance never came. Their condition grew worse and worse. Eventually the people of this world reached a tipping point where they could no longer trust the powerful to show any loyalty to anything except themselves. The people of this world now see loyalty as a weakness to be exploited, betrayal becoming so common as to be expected. A world in this state would surely collapse as no one can trust the other. This world is being dragged down into a black hole of Betrayal and Mistrust."

Rainbow Dash still could not conceive of a world devoid of loyalty, but now the thoughts began to coalesce in her head. It wasn't that loyalty was dead, but dormant. Those with power abused it so badly that people have tried to convince themselves to not believe in it anymore; attempting themselves the pain of the eventual betrayal. This would not stand in her view, no people deserved to live in a world where they had to lie to themselves like that just to get by. "I can't believe this. No... I won't believe this. LOYALTY IS NOT WEAKNESS. IT'S STRENGTH, ITS STRENGTH TO TRUST AND RELY ON OTHERS AND HAVE THEM RELY ON YOU. AND I'LL SHOW EVERYONE THAT!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Rarity found herself in some war-torn desert country, at a humanitarian relief camp. There were electronically locked boxes full of pre-packaged meals for distribution to the starving population. The soldiers wore inhuman looking protective gear, to keep the plague-bearing insects and the sick away from them, lest they end up in some nano-chamber suffering the effects of some random mutated virus or bacteria. The scene obviously disturbed the fashionista on several levels.

So much armor these humans have to wear... just to distribute food? Are things really this awful here?

She soon saw why the soldiers wore so much protection. Malcontents, not content with the pace of distribution, threw several Molotov cocktails into the tent where the meals were being distributed. The tent quickly caught fire and several innocent bystanders were either bleeding from the shattered glass or were being scorched from the intense heat of the flames. The soldiers quickly escaped the scene, their armor protecting them from the glass and flames easily. However it could not protect them from witnessing what happened next. A lean, almost emaciated man then tried to escape the scene with an entire locked box of meals, easily a few months’ worth of food. He tried to pick up the box, but he hardly got anywhere with it; his frame and muscles couldn't support the weight of the box. He then tried to push it along the somewhat sandy, dry ground; his mind trapped in tunnel-vision at the thought of having this much food to himself. He didn't notice that several healthier looking men had noticed his attempted escape and were quickly closing in on him, a giant throng of people chasing not far behind the smaller group.

*THUD* A thrown rock hit the first man square in the back of the head. He'd probably not make it past this night alive. The soldiers in the helicopter hovering not too far from the scene debated whether or not to just remotely open the box and let the crowd figure out how to distribute the food. It was a Morton's Fork: they could open the box and watch the crowd pile in trying to get at the meals, or leave the box locked and watch them fruitlessly try and open it. They decided to open the box. What they and Rarity saw shocked them to their core. The starving people piled onto and eventually into the crate like feral dogs. One of the soldiers took off his helmet to throw up, none of them wanted to have to witness a scene like that. Rarity would have done the same if an astral projection were capable of it.

This is beyond dreadful. What could have caused such conditions to even begin to lead to this?

She then saw a young girl; it's one of her first times out of the Dome, her father having to conduct some 'business' in the slums. A another young girl asks her about her toy, it's a rare toy outside the dome, but inside it's as common as anything, the rich girl gives away the toy to the poor girl without a second thought. She has plenty more, what's one toy gone? A couple of hours later, the father asks his daughter where the toy she had earlier was. She tells him that she gave it away to one of the poor kids outside. The father does not take kindly to this revelation, and begins viciously beating her. He yells obscenities, about how much that toy cost, and why did she give it to some fucking girl in the slums who couldn't even appreciate its value. He, a few moments later though, manages to restrain himself some, feeling he has proven his point, and not wanting to explain too many injuries should she need any treatment.

He leaves his daughter alone in her room; a monument to her supposed good fortune, but now it felt like a monument to his own opulence. The young rich girl, a girl who has everything daddy could ever buy her, now suddenly felt alone. A mountain of things, all of which now become gruesome reminders of her father; a father that'd viciously beat his own daughter over something as trivial as giving away a toy. The daughter cries, cries in her room alone. What was the point of showing anyone generosity if this is all it got her? Were these toys even symbols of her father's generosity, or more like reminders to others that he has enough money to buy the feelings of those around him. She felt extremely empty now, not feeling like some that man's daughter. Instead she felt like a symbol herself, a symbol of his wealth and power.

This is ... this is too much... it's unforgivable. How could anyone treat their own children in such a horrid manner?

Rarity was about to go into hysterics, as per the usual. This time however, it seemed warranted. She'd just seen the worst of human greed and envy. She wanted to just quit right there and have nothing further to do with such barbaric creatures. But eventually her rage calmed, she had seen people trying to be generous and giving, but the world seemed to be slapping these people back in the face. How could things have gotten this bad? Why was everything seemingly spiraling down? The Element of Generosity around her neck was shining now, her own voice beginning to answer her questions.

"Element of Generosity, this world is supplanting the idea of generosity with selfishness. Their own myopia makes them envious of others, even where few differences exist."

Rarity responded to the voice, not knowing where it was coming from but frankly in her state not caring either. "Why though? Why can't they see generosity as a benefit to themselves, not just to others?"

The voice then answered her query. "Some of this world sees no benefit to generosity as a virtue. They feel entitled to whatever they could get their hands on, and warped society to fulfill their own selfish desires. They sell the people on the idea of selfishness as a virtue, that all could be successful if they disregarded the needs of others. People became envious when their work did not get them the same rewards as others. This envy begat more selfishness when those people refused to give to others in order to enrich themselves. This begat even more envy as no matter how hard they tried to climb up the ladder, there was always someone a rung higher. They wanted more and more, so much more that they'd destroy the lives of others they couldn't see in their pursuit of more. Their desire for material wealth became gluttony, a pervasive need to consume. This world is being dragged down into a black hole of Greed and Envy."

Rarity sat for a short while. She had to process everything she saw; the inherent conflict between one person's desire to be generous, and another's desire to hoard or consume everything for themselves. It pained her to have to think about this, didn't people have enough, wasn't there enough to go around. Then she began to realize the problem, the problem was that in some cases, there wasn't enough to go around because a few people decided to take just because they could. She remembered the history of man, how the many developments that could have provided for all were derailed so that they could benefit a few. How resources were being in some sense hogged to satiate the hunger of a few. That hunger called Greed, that all-consuming need for more, and more, and more. She stood up, her resolve rekindled. She couldn't sit idly by while the greed of a select few drove the greater many into ever deeper pits of despair. "This situation simply cannot persist. If I have anything to say about it, it won't persist! I WILL SHOW THIS WORLD HOW GENEROSITY CAN BENEFIT ALL!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Twilight Sparkle landed in what looked like some kind of production studio. It was entirely unmanned, which confused her. She looked up at the monitors and began to see various video feeds of different times. One decade she sees a world filled with smokestacks. The next decade she sees various men tell other men of the problem these smokestacks could cause. The next decade she sees the prototype wind farms, the giant solar arrays, even biodiesel conversion plants. Even though this is foreign to her, she understood to some degree what it meant. A world that can safely transition from the old fuels to new, a world that can grow cleaner and more healthy.

If this is the history of the world, then why does everything look so bleak...

Then the next decade, Betrayal as the politicians sold out to the old industries for a quick buck. Despair as the public fears the worst is yet to come, weather gone mad, companies with nothing to keep them in check. The Greed of those with always wanting more, as the companies began removing human workers in favor of mechanical puppets; puppets that'd never need to eat or compensated in any fashion. Whole sections of the world carved to shreds in the pursuit of more resources for finished products the wealthy wanted or desired. She watched the silent Cruelty of idly watching as species and cultures alike were swallowed by the maw of Death. Deceit as the media and the people themselves tried to comfort themselves with the notion that this was how the world was supposed to work, those with power did what they wanted until something stopped them, and in this case, it seemed that nothing could stop them.

What she saw next would break the hearts of billions into tiny little pieces. The elites created new tools, the nanomachine and the advanced AI; and promised to better everyone's lives and lead to a Resurrection. The nanomachine would produce any material people would need, even going so far as to produce the food that could feed them and cleanse the water for them to drink. The AI Drones would relieve the burden of the slave-level working class, allowing them to fully pursue their intellectual pursuits or find their true desired vocation. This Resurrection however was a false promise. The AI Drones did their jobs well, seemingly too well. Humans were no longer employable at all except in the most sensitive of positions, and of course for warfare. The nanomachines did their jobs as well, but the elites were selfish. They only provided the bare minimum to those not of their level, the bland facsimiles of regular produce and meat products did nothing except fill the stomach.

Those in the war-torn or generally poor regions were mostly left to fend for themselves on a rapidly inhospitable Earth. The rampant pollution and weather changes was making larger and larger stretches of land completely uninhabitable by man, pushing them further and further to the edge. Wars broke out and plagues swept the poor nations. The lives of those lucky enough to live in the advanced nations did not suffer physically to this degree, instead they suffered psychologically. The loss of any kind of livelihood made many people apathetic and uncaring. Life had become a droning monotony, the same exact thing day in and day out to the point the only escape was on the Internet. Many humans began to escape to this digital fantasyland, a place where they might live out some modicum of interesting lives if they were unlucky enough to find work in the aforementioned sensitive positions. She can see the broken faces, the souls cracking to pieces: the loss of Fraternity, the loss of togetherness, the loss of Friendship and Fellowship of Man. It disturbed Twilight to her core; she could not understand why, if man had these tools, they'd still allow this level of suffering.

Why do the powerful allow these conditions? Is this some kind of game to them? Like if they win the most contests they get some kind of prize?

Even those in the Domes, the supposed safe haven are not spared. Another business has been eaten up by raiders, its workers made redundant. Two thirteen year old boys, who only two years ago promised they'd be friends forever, will now be torn apart, their fledgling friendship forever broken. Those who lived in the Domes preached superiority over the Outsiders, people not good enough to live amongst them. The networks of the Domes were isolated; they believed they could shield themselves from the Outsides both physically and mentally. To them, all Outsiders were dead men and women walking, waiting to be swallowed up by a world gone mad. They, however, would be spared. They would inherit everything. They would win the Game of Life. The two boys, in fact hardly any of the younger Dome dwellers share this sentiment; they reach out to each other before the eviction, try and tell each other it will be okay. But the boy still inside the Dome knows that nothing will be okay anymore. The adults assure the remaining boy that he shouldn't care about the now Outsider, he was probably never deserving anyway. This does not console him though, his heart shattered. He retreats into a corner of his mind. Now totally isolated from everyone, fearing losing anyone else to a Dome Eviction, he now feels cursed. Another amongst the numbers feeling they are just waiting for someone to drop the final hammer that'd end everything.

How... even their own children? How could they have such blatant disregard for their fellow men? How could they ignore such suffering? How could they treat them as if they are already dead and buried? None of it makes any sense, none of it... NONE OF IT AT ALL!

Everything Twilight Sparkle watched in that ethereal control room was complete and total anathema to her. She was incensed, she was furious, she was sad, she was depressed; she felt about every negative emotion one sapient being could feel in regards to the plight of others. None of it made any sense to her: humans had the power, but those that could best wield it instead wielded it for their own selfish ends. They thought it would be better if the masses all died, then they could have all the land to themselves. They were the superior people, the Elite, those who were destined to be the new Mankind. But she knew better, she saw how bad the Earth's condition had deteriorated into. The Princesses knew better, they could see the self-destructive nature, if left unchecked, would eventually result in everyone's death and destruction, Dome or no Dome. The tiara that represented her Element of Magic flickered and then shone. She could hear the voice inside of her beginning to answer her questions.

"Element of Magic, these people have been stripped of their Magic, and the power they created in its place is now being turned against them by a group. A group who want to feed their Greed so badly, they'd destroy everyone around them. Those who hoard this power ignore Friendship, they ignore Fraternity, and they ignore anything that would connect them to those they have left behind."

Twilight was crying now, it hurt too much. It hurt her to know that a people this brilliant were being left to suffer like this. An entire people should not be condemned like this. "How could those who have the power to fix things ignore so many suffering? Are they that callous, that evil?"

The voice inside of her responded, "Those who have isolated themselves gave in to the same negativity that plagues all sapient species: the selfishness, the vanity, the greed, the envy, the jealousy, the hatred, the cruelty, the deceit. All are capable of it, but few truly fall deep into it. However these are negatives that are powerful enough to distort everything around them. This world is being consumed by the dark nature of Man; the black hole of Isolation is slowly consuming the souls of the population. If left unchecked, all life remaining on it will be consumed by the twin black hole of Oblivion."

Twilight dried her tears. She saw so much pain, so much suffering. But despite that, what she saw was a population, while not blameless, did not deserve this much. Humanity did not deserve to slowly die off because a few people couldn't keep their greed in check. Because a few people wanted to shut themselves off from everyone but still think they had a right to take everything not nailed down. Nothing and no one deserved that fate, and if she could do anything to prevent that from happening, she would. They deserved a second chance; a chance to make things right, to their planet, and to themselves. "No people deserve this; they don't deserve to die because a few people couldn't do right by others. I will save that world, no... WE ALL WILL SAVE THAT WORLD! WE WILL SAVE THAT WORLD FROM ITS ISOLATION! WE WILL RESCUE THAT WORLD FROM OBLIVION! WE WILL REFORGE OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THAT WORLD! WE WILL SHOW EVERYONE THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, BECAUSE FRIENDSHIP... IS... MAGIC!!"

=~ --- ~ --- ~=

Celestia and Luna could feel the titanic levels of magic emanating from the six Bearers of Harmony. They marveled at the 6 gigantic pillars of light emanating from where they stood, each one representing their particular element of Harmony. They also marveled at the steeled resolve etched into the faces of all six of the Bearers of Harmony, whatever had happened in the last few moments had solidly pushed them in the direction of rebuilding the bridge to the two worlds, and then letting the chips fall where they may afterwards. The two Royals then looked at each other, knowing that they would have to add their own power in order to solidify the link the six Bearers were forming with the other world.

Celestia began to speak, he voiced laced with concern as her body began to glow in her golden magical aura. "Do you think they will accept our help Luna? I mean we would be nothing more than talking multi-color horses to them."
Luna responded, a bit mirthfully, her body coated in her azure aura. "Who knows, I think a lot of the public have been worn down by their lives they'd accept help from anyone or anything at this point."

"I know, but we always must be mindful that we are an entirely alien culture to them, even if our forms aren't necessarily."

"True, we will have to take things very slowly to start with; if we come on too fast we'll probably scare them off, or worse."

"It's almost as if we are dating or something."

"Well, if we are successful, we will be effectively marrying two distinct societies into one hopefully stable whole."

"Yes, but we almost must be mindful of the limited time we'd have to work our magic. Their planet and their people might not hold on long enough to take the slow route. However, we cannot press in too assertive a manner, or the backlash may be too much for us to bear."

"Celly, are you afraid that no matter how well we present ourselves, they will reject us?"

"Lulu, honestly, I am. This is something neither of us can predict. I want it to be different. I want to just tell them we can come in and fix their world and set things right without having to be this drastic. But I'm both afraid that the time does not exist to make that claim honestly, but at the same time they reject our offer anyway. Be it for pride or some other reason."

"We will just have to see. I know it will be better for us to try and fail than to just let things fester as it is."

"Indeed. And that's why you are co-ruler with me. I would not do this without you, Luna."

"Thank you very much. You have no idea what that means to me."

The two Alicorns began to channel their own titanic mana reserves and every bit of free magic they could get a hold of. Twin beams of magic, each in the colors of their flowing gradient-like manes merged with the 6 beams coming from the Elements of Harmony. They all fused into a beam of the most pure white one could imagine. The sub-space they were in responded in kind, as a large dark colored hole opened up in the sky above. The White and Rainbow-fringed beam flowed through the Void between realities itself. And soon found its mark. The deed had been done, the New Light Bridge had been established, and soon the other world would know this fact.

CH 2: Bridging the Gaps

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=== BABW: A New Beginning ===

=== Chapter 2: Bridging the Gaps ===

= [ March 19, 2080 (roughly 9:45 AM EST) – Washington D.C., USA ] =

"President Aguillar, President Aguillar, the transport to Edwards Air Force Base will be ready to go in about 15 minutes. Estimated trip time should be 6 hours barring unforeseen atmospheric conditions,” an aide spoke into the President’s ear, as he walked alongside her in the West Wing of the White House, heading outside toward the Intra-Dome Transport.

President Melinda Aguillar, only the third female and second Hispanic President in the United States’ history. A woman of strong principle, who, in what most regarded as a complete fluke of turnout, managed to win office in an era of rank cronyism in the political ranks. Her poll numbers were stuck in seeming neutral and her proposals left in the lurch of the legislature where many were either too apathetic about her reforms to care, or just plain hated that someone not of the ‘club’ was holding the highest office.

Her mind was being pulled in several directions already, and now every military base on the Pacific Coast of the Americas was on high alert due to a giant column of what appeared to be pure energy just sitting not 120 or so miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Not only that, but the Internet, as it was want to do, was already ablaze with rumor about the nature of said column of energy.

As her primary aides boarded the helicopter-like intra-Dome transport, they continued to discuss what exactly had just happened almost two hours ago. “Probes are reporting an intense unknown radiation within the circumference of the column of energy, however…”

“However what?” Aguillar quizzed.

“There appears to be no abnormal energy readings outside of the circumference. Furthermore, when we send in machines to penetrate said circumference, they appear simply to pass through to the exact opposite point on the circle. It is as if the space now circumscribed inside does not exist in our plane of reality,” the aide concluded.

“I would like to know how that works…” Aguillar mused aloud as she watched footage of a drone boat simply passing through the rather lovely looking but still odd column of light. “I can only assume since the probes cannot actually stop inside of the circumference, the mention of energy is an educated guess, yes?”

“Yes, we cannot prove anything definitively except through observations from the outside,” the aide responded. “Although, personally, I am still trying to figure out how we are seeing those land and townscapes through the column. It is as if a movie is being projected onto the outside of a cylinder.”

Aguillar rubbed her temples, trying to figure out how exactly she was going to officially respond to this incident.

“And what of the Airman that first observed this phenomenon?”

“He is currently being debriefed. This was his last day of active service, hell of a way to walk out the door huh?”

“Indeed. Did he report any physical injury?”

“Some mild queasiness as the column was forming, but overall we cannot detect any kind of radiation poisoning or similar ailments.”

“Good. Keep him away from any media and block all communications that you can. I don’t want his story leaking out if we can at all help it.”

“Yes, Madame President.”

As the intra-Dome Transport landed at Andrews Air Force base, the President and her aides quickly rushed to Air Force One, a large flying-wedge like plane, dodging the press questions all the way.

I hate dodging questions, especially when I have to literally dodge the people asking them… but until we talk to that Airman I am NOT putting anything on the record officially. I can only hope the rumor-mill doesn’t get too far out ahead of us, Aguillar thought as she verbally deflected the questions being shouted over her plane’s engines.

= [ Approx. 1:00 PM PST – Los Angeles AFB, USA ] =

The briefing room was very large and spacious. The commanders of the base sat along one side of the large table/holo-projector. The President, Chief of Staff, and Secretary of Defense sat along the other side along with aides and recording drones. All along the walls were various displays: maps displaying where all the current hotspots were, where aid missions had to be conducted, and ominously, at least they thought, a indigo-blue dot 115 mi west-and-south of Los Angeles, the location of the anomaly. Airman First-Class Ethan Hartford, the man who first saw said anomaly, was sitting in a what otherwise would have been a very comfortable chair; though made uncomfortable, as it seemed every important person in the world was staring at him right now.

"Let us begin," President Aguillar started, her brown hair already starting to gray from the stress and pollution the last 3 years in office. "Now, Airman First Class Ethan Hartford, you have been credited with being the first living entity to make visual contact with the anomaly. You have already been checked by medical staff and are showing no signs of any kind of radiation poisoning we can detect. This is consistent with your plane's AI, 'Sally' I believe you named 'her', detecting no discernable change in radiation outside of the perimeter of the anomaly. Also, as you know, the only recording device that produced clear discernable pictures of the inside of the perimeter was the color chemical camera installed. We have reviewed these photos already, and frankly we are absolutely gobsmacked by what we see. Therefore we wanted a firsthand account of what you witnessed."

Ethan hyperventilated a bit, knowing what he was about to say now would very well go down in all history. After calming his nerves a bit, he began to recount what he had witnessed personally. "Well, as you tell from my flight data, I first pulled into a circular holding pattern after observing a strange patch of perfectly still water in the ocean exactly where the pillar, I mean anomaly, stands now. At that point, I saw a deep indigo outline extend into a virtually infinite 'screen' going upward to the atmosphere and downward to the ocean floor. This screen, I believe the best way I could describe it would be like an aurora, but instead of bright colors, it was like the very night sky decided that mid-morning was a good time to appear. At that point I could see the images of a landscape appear; as I believe your photographs would bear out. This landscape seemed, I do not know how to describe this but I will try, both natural and unnatural. It seemed partially constructed and not, and the colors seemed almost like a painting; whether oil, digital, or water I cannot really tell. If I recall correctly, I remember initially calling it a 'storybook', like I was looking at illustrations or an animation made for children."

"So, if we put all of this together, it's almost as if God or something just decided Los Angeles needed a TV Break and decided to show old children's cartoons on giant supernatural projector,” Secretary of Defense Richardson chimed in. A cynical Caucasian man of 65, he was someone who had seen far too many people die, and was now charged with getting from day to day without the whole world catching on fire.

"As snide as that remark sounds, Secretary Richardson, honestly I cannot come up with a better explanation,” Master Sergeant Thomas chimed in, wondering if his subordinate was going to be thrown in the brig or committed for going stark-raving loony, which would have been a total shame seeing as he only had until midnight before he got his discharge and stipend.

"I am glad I saw the pictures before we had this briefing, otherwise I would have thought this entire base had suddenly come down with a mass delusion. I may be a cynic, but when I see something in black and white, or in Technicolor as it were, with my own eyes, I can’t exactly go around denying it,” Secretary Richardson responded, seemingly going against every cynical and jaded bone in his body.

"Honestly, Secretary Richardson, I wouldn't have expected to hear that from you. Usually the old-grizzled war vets are the last to come around in strange situations like this,” President Aguillar said jokingly, trying to break some of the tension.

"Like I said Madame President, I may be cynical, but even I have to believe my lying eyes here,” Secretary Richardson replied.

= [ 5:00 PM CST – Nouvelle Baton Rouge, USA ] =

“So what do you think that crazy boyfriend of mine got himself into now?” Natasha sighed, as Andre looked at her and Kyoko at the corners of his primary monitor on his computer terminal setup.

“There is no telling, this is a hell of an incident to have to deal with on your last day on the job,” Andre mused in response, reclining a bit in his chair.

“You do have to admit though, that odd column is very pretty. It’s like a little slice of a clear night sky during the day time,” Kyoko added as she munched on a green apple.

“True enough, thought I don’t think anyone has seen skies that clear and pure of color for quite some time,” Natasha wondered aloud. The other two nodded sagely in agreement.

“You know when I first heard the news I thought it was some kind of practical joke. But now the entire internet is practically on fire,” Andre thought aloud as he shared links to the popular non-Dome forums.

“You think it’s aliens? It’d be sooo cool if it were aliens!” Kyoko thought aloud, sounding more like a 12 than a 20-year old as she did, her eyes practically alight.

“Ok seriously, who’d come way out to a planet like this? I mean we’re out on the edge of a galaxy. Surely aliens would have something better to do that to create a column of light in the middle of one of our oceans,” Natasha replied, dismissing the thought out of hand.

“I don’t know why anyone or anything would do something like that, so I can’t rule anything out, myself,” Andre concluded, straddling the fence as he usually did.

“Anyway, did you hear from your man when the higher-ups were finally going to process him out?” Andre asked of the blonde Russian to one side of his screen.

“They are saying they want to keep him on base for at least twenty-four hours to ensure that he wasn’t exposed to some kind unknown radiation, so I guess he’ll be here in Boston by Friday,” Natasha answered, looking coyer as she did.

“Oh? It seems like you can’t wait for that~!” Kyoko mused with a teasing tone.

Natasha giggled and replied. “No, no I can’t. It has been quite some time since we were together.”

“Well I wish you two the best of luck in your future endeavors,” Andre replied.

As the three of them continued on, they were finally joined by their fourth, as Ethan logged into the video chat.

“I swear, if I have to talk to one more reporter I am going to walk right through the gates and into the Pacific,” Ethan groaned as he sat down as his apartment terminal.

“It seems like you’ve been making the rounds already. It’s only been a couple of hours since President Aguillar’s initial statement,” Andre mentioned as he looked at the clock.

“Yeah, and I’m going to be stuck here until tomorrow evening at least. Ugh, I wanted to grab my cash card and hit the first cross-country train to Boston. At least the weekday fares are cheaper than weekends, so I can save a couple of dollars,” Ethan thought as the tension in his body started to slowly fade away.

“And I seriously cannot wait until you get here~,” Natasha replied with a sultry tone, batting her eyelashes through the camera at Ethan.

“Seriously, not in front of the others,” Ethan himself replied with feigned embarrassment.

“Oh come on, they’re grownups, they’ll be fine,” Natasha dismissed, as Andre and Kyoko chuckled on the side.

“Our little Midori-hime believes that it was aliens that were responsible for that little display going on in the Pacific,” Natasha chuckled as Kyoko fumed a bit. If there was anything that annoyed her it was others thinking he was off-kilter any more than anyone else in that day and Internet age.

Ethan sighed as he recalled the visions of the definitely well-constructed city and townscapes interspersed through all the landscapes. “Midori Hana might not be too far off from that…”

“Wait what?” Natasha asked in stunned surprise, as Kyoko and Andre stared right into the camera at the Hispanic pilot.

Ethan felt a familiar pang of nervousness as he rubbed his head and tried to formulate the most minimally crazy-sounding explanation he could. “Ok, um. Well while I was flying around the column; I could see it of course, through the glass panel in the cockpit. And… well I saw city and townscapes that went along with the seemingly crafted landscapes that are in all the public photos.”

“WHAT?!” all three shouted in unison.

“I know, I… I tried to explain the same thing to the higher-ups. And they reacted the exact same way. They probably have pictures of it too, but good God they aren’t going to release anything like that until they could completely sort it out.”

“I… I don’t… I can’t even…” Andre stammered.

“Wow that was just a suggestion in passing, I wasn’t even really being serious,” Kyoko thought aloud.

“That is a bridge too far for me…” Natasha grumbled.

“I guess whenever what made that column decides to want to fess up, we’ll know more,” Ethan concluded.

= [ 2:00 AM PST – Los Angeles AFB, USA ] =

It was late into the night, or early into the morning on the Air Force base, as President Aguillar and her husband slept on in a well-guarded suite in the commanders lodging ‘house’. So she slept, quite peacefully, until her dreams were interrupted by a visitor: an apparition of white, cloaked in many pastel pinks, turquoises, and lavenders.

Madame President Melinda Aguillar, I am a projection of one of the rulers from the world behind the Aurora that appeared near this military installation today. I wish to address your people and inform them of our existence at a later date. Hopefully this can expand into a real dialogue with your many nations. A letter detailing the date of my arrival shall be delivered to once you rise, the white apparition told the President, who then, quite understandably, immediately catapulted awake.

"Just what in the hell was that?” Aguillar thought aloud as she rubbed her eyes open, groaning all the while. “I have to stop taking those sedatives before I go to sleep, the doctors keep telling me they mess with my head.”

She then looked down and noticed a scroll of faded yellow-gold lying in her lap on top of her bed covers. Suddenly the flash went off in her head, as she scrambled and opened the scroll, to see the letter written in perfect English, with a handwriting that could only be considered divine.

"This communiqué comes directly from one of the rulers of the beings that live beyond the Aurora Barrier. We have observed that your military and science divisions have already noticed our barrier, and we therefore feel it is comfortable to initiate dialogue with you and your people. We do understand you are not the ruler of your entire global population; however, we feel it is in our interest to appear in order to explain who exactly you are dealing with. Therefore we request a formal gathering of global dignitaries at your place of residence in six (6) days at noon of your residence's time. If you accept, then I will send similar communiqués to the other major global leaders, as best we can estimate, in order to prevent any misunderstandings or scheduling conflicts. However, if you refuse my request, then I shall simply appear without warning at a time and place of my choosing, and leave you and your world's governments to deal with the aftermath. I trust you to make an amicable decision."
Sincerely:
Princess Celestia, Avatar of the Sun
Co-Ruler of the Realm of Equestria

P.S.: We would not advise having any human attempt to penetrate the Aurora, especially in any type of vehicle. The results may not be very, how one could say, pleasant.
Princess Luna, Avatar of the Moon
Co-Ruler of the Realm of Equestria

= [ March 22, 2080 – Washington D.C., USA ] =

It had been two nights since President Aguillar had been visited by the apparition of Celestia. Not wanting to set off any alarm bells to anyone else, she told absolutely no one of the vision she had those nights ago, nor of the decision she was to make overnight tonight. In the end she figured (A) no one would believe her and/or (B) they’d try and commit her for being over-stressed and starting to hallucinate. Plus she had to gauge for herself whether the thoughts were even real; though another note or three in the last forty-eight hours told her apparition was very much real and very much tied to a living being somewhere beyond that shifting column of aurora-like light.

So the time of decision came, and as she slept, two small lights, one gold and one cerulean-azure, floated in the corner of her personal bedroom; the time of her ultimate decision regarding the previous days’ matters had come.

~~~!!~~~

Melinda found herself in a rather sparsely furnished conference room, nothing but a rather ornate pendulum clock with a stylized sun and crescent moon as remarkable sights within the probably 15’-on-each-side square room. As she sat down to the wood-grain table, she could notice a white-and-gold colored humanoid figure approaching her. Rather than feel nervous, and possibly give a very poor impression of herself and humanity, Melinda sat stoically, internally examining the slightly glowing white feminine ghost.

It would be hard to conduct negotiations if you did not have a human-like figure to focus on… my apologies… the ghost ‘said’, her voice somehow resounding slightly all through the dreamscape. Within short order said ghost began to coalesce into a very discernable human figure. She had coffee-brown skin and a very smooth visage, much like someone born or descended from those born on the Indian subcontinent. She had a figure commiserate with a woman of ‘above-average genetics’ (one could say) in her mid-to-late thirties. She wore a white business suit with metallic-gold fringes, and a mark of her stylized Sun over her left breast-pocket, right over her heart. Melinda though, was taken aback by two particular details on the now very human figure sitting across the table from her: one, her hair seemed to have living color, constantly shifting between the long tracks and sections of pink, lavender, and aquamarine; and two, her eyes spoke of a great many more years that her outward appearance did not.

After a few moments to contemplate the person her opposite at the table, Melinda began to speak. “Yes, it is much easier to negotiate with an actual face.”

The dark-skinned woman chuckled a bit before she introduced herself. “You may simply refer to me as Celeste Apollonius, this should be a form that you would be most comfortable conversing with, correct?”

What do you mean most comfortable form? Then again, assuming she’s real, she would be an extra-terrestrial. A talking starfish would be a lot harder to talk to than a starfish-guised-as-a-human, Melinda thought to herself as she answered aloud. “Yes, I am far more comfortable this way.”

The two of them looked at each other, Melinda marveling at the contradiction of Celeste’s inward age and outward youth, and Celeste gauging Melinda to be a far-more-than-competent leader at the current date, but hamstrung by her own internal conflicts and external forces attempting to deny her vision.

Melinda broke the silence with a heavy sigh, as she gathered herself to give the answer to the question she was asked those two nights ago. The last forty-eight hours’ worth of internal deliberation, geopolitical reasoning, and just personal faith that the being she was talking to was benevolent and not malevolent were all now going to culminate in the simple answer she was about to give.

And so she gave it.

“I accept the time frame for your visit in the Rose Garden. Though I would like to make a hopefully minor request of you,” Melinda started, as a list was made manifest within the dreamscape, much to the surprise of both Celeste and Melinda herself.

She must have an exceptionally strong will to affect the dreamscape without being told she could do it first. I wonder just how deep her will runs, Celeste thought to herself as she looked over the list, noting the mechanical yet consistent smoothness of the paper.

“If I am reading this list correctly, these are leaders of other Earth nations as well as, apparently local businesses you want I or my sister to contact and, smooth things over with, correct?” Celeste thought aloud as she read the rather long sheet of paper.

“Correct, Ms. Apollonius, the top of the list are the major nations that I would like for you to contact, in order to ensure that they do not perceive me as having finally ‘cracked’ under the pressure of this job. The latter businesses is just simply to ensure that they perform the job, as some are not exactly trusting of work orders outside of the usual clientele. I do have appearances to keep up, you know,” Melinda responded.

You cannot even begin to fathom how relevant that sentiment is to me… Celeste thought to herself as she agreed to contact the list of foreign heads-of-state and local business owners.

After reading and contemplating the list of requested contacts, Celeste breathed an easy sigh and looked at Melinda once again. “Yes, this is a reasonable request of me. I will require one week, there are things I have to prepare and sort out on my end, as well as needing to contact these leaders you have listed on this document. Hopefully no incidents will occur in these seven or so days that would require further alteration of the schedule.”

With the agreement set, Melinda and Celeste rose out of their chairs to shake hands, and congratulate each other on coming to terms.

Before the dreamscape was dispelled though, Celeste gave Melinda one final warning. “When I arrive in a week’s time, try not to be too surprised. Trust me; it will look far better for your photographers if it appeared that you knew exactly what was going to happen.”

With that, the dreamscape dissolved, and Melinda awakened.

~~~!!~~~

Melinda slowly reawakened this time, finding a new scroll on her nightstand, this time the parchment in indigo and midnight-blue. After briefly marveling at how the ink was apparently either white or turned white on the paper, she read the short note of the ‘sister’ Celeste spoke of.

We thank you for your clear and concise answer. The contacts you request should begin by nightfall tomorrow. We hope that the path being forged starting this day, is the first step in a long and prosperous road for not only both of our nations, but both of our worlds. Also, We would like to thank you for making our decision of where to appear that much easier.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna

“I hope the decision I made is the right one indeed,” President Aguillar mused softly to herself, as she folded up the dark parchment and laid it gently inside her nightstand drawer.

~= Boston, USA =~

“It really has been too long since we were last together, in the flesh,” Natasha chuckled as she lay in Ethan’s arms, their bodies still damp from the previous hour-or-so worth of activities.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that jazz,” Ethan mused, which got another giggle and kiss out of his blonde girlfriend.

Natasha sighed as she nestled herself in closer to Ethan’s body. “It’s nice to see you are still in good spirits after the delay.”

“I could have encountered worse out there. I dunno, something about that whole column of light just screams ‘eye of the storm’,” Ethan replied, as he began contemplating things more deeply.

“So what are we going to do with ourselves going forward?”

“Not sure, I guess I can try and parlay all my flight experience into something, but who knows with the way the Domes treat outsiders. Not sure being some twit’s private pilot is a good use of my skills.”

“True enough, but we will have to find something; if for no other reason than not having you at home all the time getting bored while I’m not around.”

“Listen, if the night after a separation is going to be like that, I dunno if I can deny looking forward to that.”

Ethan leaned in as he gave his last statement, and after a brief silence, the both of them giggled as Natasha laid her head across his near-side shoulder.

“But you know what I am driving at, right Ethan?”

“Yeah, it might be fun to not have any responsibilities for a couple of months, but that can quickly turn into outright boredom.”

As they listened to the simulated ticking from Natasha’s alarm clock, they looked out through the now un-blocked window and up at the Dome-filtered sky over Boston; wondering just what the near and far future would hold in store for them.

= [ March 29, ???? – Canterlot, Equestria ] =

~= Nearly 9:30 AM Canterlot Local Time =~

Princess Celestia, the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike all stood near the Shrine of Harmony, a living monument to the harmony and balance of the world they inhabited. Unfortunately, the stress of the impending visit to an alien world was starting to take their toll on a certain purple dragon and a certain mulberry unicorn. Spike seemed to be bearing it better than Twilight Sparkle though, as he was merely fidgeting in his black tuxedo as a ten-year old boy would.

Twilight however, seemed like a nervous wreck waiting to be unleashed upon the wider world, her nerves becoming evident to all around her. It was in stark and vast contrast to Princess Celestia though, who seemed to embody the very calm and harmony that the entire sub-space and enclosed Shrine was monument to.

“Okay, okay, this will be fine. We will be fine, just fine. Rainbow, how much time do we have left until we’re ready to go?” Twilight asked, her mane starting to fray by a few strands.

“About an hour and thirty minutes give or take…” Rainbow Dash replied curtly, not quite picking up on Twilight’s non-verbal cues.

The fact that only 90 minutes (or so) remained until their departure only served to tweak the Bearer of Magic further. “90 minutes, okay, just 90 minutes, then… OH CELESTIA I CAN’T DO IT!!”

The shouting though was cut short by enough water to fill a fair-sized bucket being dumped squarely on the head and shoulders of the nervous unicorn, courtesy of one indigo Princess of the Night, whom had seen it to see her sister off to the new world they had (re)discovered.

“We would greatly appreciate it if you would follow Our Sister’s lead and show calm and grace in the face of this assuredly stressful and uncertain time,” Luna chided gently as Twilight shook the water out her coat and mane.

“I… I’m sorry. But it’s just so… I have so many questions… and we will be on their turf. I mean what if it turns into a mob scene, or what if they believe we are some kind of product of one of their media companies and therefore not to be treated seriously at all?” Twilight pleaded, trying to get Luna and Celestia to see things her way (and justify her incredible anxiety).

Princess Luna was not having any of it, though. “Please do not give Us a reason to douse you again, fair Bearer of Magic…”

Twilight shrunk back a bit, as Rarity hoofed her a towel to dry the rest of the water out her mane. A few deep breathing exercises later, and she was able to focus on a slightly more pressing personal problem, mainly the fact that she now smelled of wet coat.

“Rarity, you wouldn’t happen to have any perfume in that travelling case of yours, would you?”

Rarity chuckled loudly. “Do I have any perfume in that traveling case, you ask?”

And with a flash of cornflower-blue magic, a rather oversized suitcase appeared next to Rarity. A few clicks later, the case popped open, and there were bottles and bottles of perfume and cologne, in all manners of scents for seemingly every occasion.

“Do you have anything in mind?” Rarity asked, batting her eyes and hoping Twilight would say ‘no’ so she could spend the next half-hour trying out everything in her perfume section on her.

Unfortunately for the fashionista, Twilight would not oblige her. “Oh um… I… hey you have the lavender-scent I always use. That’ll be perfect!”

Rarity sighed at the fact her little scheme was cut-off before it even started, but composed herself and levitated the purplish bottle over to her friend.

“In any case, has our host completed the arrangements she wanted us to agree to a week ago?” Luna asked of Celestia, turning the discussion back to the topic at hand.

“Indeed she did. Due to our, advance work, you could say, she had a far easier time than usual convincing all the dignitaries and leaders to show up. Then again, we are the first alien intelligence they will have contact with, I would imagine as many people as possible would want to be there live for when it happens,” Celestia responded, as she stared into the large pool near the shrine.

She gathered her thoughts, as she looked into the calm water, reflecting her divine-like visage back at her. I most certainly pray to whatever I can pray to that we do not run into complications. First impressions are vitally important, and I hope everyone involved can keep confusion and rumor-mongering down to a minimum.

As she continued to look into the pool, her mind drifted to another unrelated thought. I wonder, had my circumstances not been what they were, could I have become some kind of model. Oh well, I will just have to settle for Avatar of the Sun and Princess of Equestria, I guess…

Celestia chuckled briefly as she indulged her vanity for a few moments while Luna looked on, mildly confused as to what her older sister was thinking.

--!!--

“So what exactly are ya’ll in for over there?” Applejack asked offhandedly as the clock drew to half an hour before departure.

"Unless something truly catastrophic happens, then this is merely to be a prelude to further contact, and hopefully negotiations. The plan is that, while I operate as the public face of our contact, Luna will gather as many noble and knowledgeable minds as she can. It is basic, hopefully, two-pronged diplomacy and relationship building,” Celestia responded, attempting to be as vague as possible as to not overwhelm anyone with details that might be rendered moot in short order.

“I can’t help but think that it’d be fitting that you would be the public face, Princess Celestia, and dear Princess Luna would be working behind the curtains,” Rarity mused aloud, getting a chuckle and a nod from the lunar Princess.

“It’s too bad that we couldn’t come. I’d love to throw the humans a ‘Hi We’re Your New Neighbors’ party. But there can be time for that later, right?” Pinkie Pie chirped, as she internally discarded and drew up new and ever varying plans for a big meet-and-greet.

“While I’d think holding a big Pinkie Pie-style party would be coming on too strong, sometimes a celebration is the best way to smooth out an ill will,” Rainbow Dash added, knowing how forward Pinkie could be when making a new friend or few dozen.

“Yes the time for more informal celebrations would be at a later date. First we must establish we are not a larger threat to their order, at least not in the way they would think an alien species would be,” Celestia contemplated aloud, as she was still internally revising her brief speech.

“I just hope they don’t take what you or the rest of us have to say too badly. I know our appearing out of nowhere would startle them, and… well… it’s easy to start acting out of fear when startled,” Fluttershy worried, as she could remember some of the sociological documentaries she watched, and feeling quite queasy at how simple misunderstandings could breakdown into armed conflict (or worse).

Rarity sighed as she trotted over to Fluttershy and patted on her back and shoulder. “I told you that watching too many of those violent documentaries would make you overly nervous, humans aren’t simply barbarians, as simple a conclusion those outside of these walls may draw once we increase general contact.”

Fluttershy simply shook her head as she responded. “It’s not that, necessarily. I… I thought I needed to brace myself for all the bad humans had done, and could still do. I wouldn’t make a good animal caretaker if I just ignored how Nature operated in the Everfree and other unmanaged areas. It wouldn’t be fair to me or to humanity if I just ignored one half of their history for the other half.”

A genuinely sophisticated worldview; she will make an excellent diplomat if she ever wanted to go into politics full-time… Princess Celestia thought as she could feel the time tick down to fifteen minutes until departure.

“It’s nice to see that the little trick Rainbow Dash stumbled into is being used for more than consuming their fictional media,” Princess Luna stated jokingly as mussed Rainbow Dash’s mane a bit.

“Hey, you can find about a lot about somebody just by knowing what kind of stuff they like to read or watch in their downtime,” Rainbow pouted in response.

Twilight huffed a soft snort herself at Luna’s statement as she trotted over to Rainbow Dash. “I’m still surprised that you were the first one to figure it out. Usually information diving is my line of work.” Rainbow Dash blushed a bit at the assertion that she was more of an ‘egghead’ as she put it than she let on.

Sometimes we’re still the little fillies we were so many years ago, Princess Luna thought as she watched Twilight tease Rainbow a little more.

In a sense that is reassuring. The type of creatures we are, it’s hard to remember that we were once immature children, Princess Celestia added telepathically.

You know the others think we’re still immature children… but that’s because of our, well somewhat unique circumstances, Luna mentioned, with a bit of a faraway look none of the mortals there could pick up on.

In a sense we are, then again… there always seems to be someone higher on the totem pole, as it were. Just the nature of the Universe, I would wager, Celestia thought, as she nuzzled Luna.

--!!--

After a bit more teasing to and fro between herself and Dash, Twilight trotted off to another small reflecting pool, looking down at herself as she prepared, now only ten minutes or so away, for her departure with Spike and Princess Celestia. She looked down at her visage in the water and began to think, not just of the future political fights that were sure to come with integration both-ways of an alien species, but of something else more… esoteric one could say.

That same voice, that voice that helped me forge the new connection between the worlds; it keeps speaking of some Power to me. She says that our magic is somehow incomplete, or at least, it is like trying to perform a play without half the script.

Twilight calmed herself as she thought again to the visions. An elderly woman’s voice compelling her to seek out the beings that contained, she could only assume, something regarding a lost power on Earth. She wanted to so badly to know what this mysterious voice was, and why it was contacting her and not necessarily Princess Celestia and Luna. At the same time, she thought, perhaps that voice was contacting the Princesses, and that was the subtle driving force of all these machinations that were to begin today.

So many questions, and so few apparent answers.

Twilight sighed as she thought a final thought before rejoining the cluster around the Shrine of Harmony. I should have figured that this entire endeavor wouldn’t be as simple as geopolitical wrangling between two separate species.

= [ March 29, 2080 – Washington D.C., USA ] =

~= 11:50 AM EST =~

“Ten minutes people, ten minutes before showtime and I will NOT have our first impression to aliens be a bad one!” Aguillar’s Chief of Staff, Irving Porcher, shouted as the aides scrambled behind the cameras to ensure that all of the food was properly labeled and set apart, as well as the electronic and print signage being in the proper place. The only heads up that mysterious ‘ghost’ and the subsequent missives from the government liaisons would give were that: A) minimal meat products were to be served, and (B) that they needed to be as processed as little as possible, aside from standard cooking procedures. Aside from that, they were to be treated as any other foreign dignitary.

That last little bit did not calm any of the nerves of those behind the cameras or offering their punditry from the various studios. Thankfully for all involved, the world leaders in front of the cameras were a lot calmer. President Aguillar was the calmest, as her husband Michael and her two children, Reginald and Rosa, both seemed to chafe at the crushing media pressure being applied to such a momentous occasion. Nevertheless, they too remained as calm as a sixteen year old young man and a twelve year old young lady could manage.

Just a few minutes left until first official contact. Just what exactly are you Celeste? It’s rather difficult to remain calm while I have no idea what I’m in for… President Aguillar thought as she chatted briefly with the Russian and Chinese Federation presidents. And I am sure some of the more prominent business leaders weren’t too pleased with being left out of this little grand gathering. Oh well, what is done is done now. This is something that needs to be conducted strictly through official channels.

As the conversation drifted off and the family separated to the side of the arranged seating, Melinda took a few moments to look up at the Dome above her head. At least it is mostly clear, so the color filter should work better than normal. I hate the fact that we have to put on such ‘airs’, but we are what we are. It seemed like she understood as much anyway.

~= Nouvelle Baton Rouge, USA -- 10:53 AM CST =~

“Boy, just look at all of them in one place,” Andre mused aloud as he, Kyoko, Ethan, and Natasha were all watching the pundit class yammer on about what the speech coming might contain, and the exact nature of the ‘surprise’ to be sprung upon the world.

“You know, it’s funny to watch people blindly speculating on what our visitors will be and what they might look like. Especially since they saw fit to announce their visit in advance,” Natasha thought aloud as she sat next to Ethan at a table in her Boston apartment.

“Usually how it works in the movies is that they come out of the clear blue talking about being taken to that nation’s leader. Perhaps they read up on that somehow and wanted to avoid being too cliché?” Ethan joked, seeing as there was no sense getting completely bent out of shape for this most momentous of occasions.

“In any case, they are smart enough to contact your President and everyone else in such a way, that they all are peaceably assembled in one place,” Kyoko noted as she nodded sagely from her own terminal room.

“True enough, I guess we will know if we are dealing with benevolent or malevolent aliens. Just hope they don’t look too weird, and have everyone freaking out more than they would otherwise,” Andre concluded as the time ticked away to 1 PM

~= Washington D.C. -- 12:00 PM EST =~

Madame President, my associates and I are currently in transit to your location. We will remain hidden until you finish your opening remarks; all you need to do is mentally give the signal and we will appear. I do request you not take up too much time however - mostly because my adjutant and student might be reduced to a quivering wreck if we delay any further, Celestia said telepathically to President Aguillar.

Said Princess, hyper-ventilating Twilight, and somewhat nervous Spike were in a magical bubble floating high above the Domes of Washington D.C., entirely invisible to any detection by mankind's machinery.

Well, it’s high noon, time to see if I we all just made a decision that will save or damn us all… President Aguillar thought to herself as she strode to the lectern with all the gravitas and seriousness such a momentous occasion called for.

Standing behind the Presidential Seal, the American, and the UN Flags; Aguillar could feel all cameras trained on her, as the entire crowd in the Rose Garden fell as silent as one could in such an urban place.

She took a deep breath, and began speaking, hoping and praying she was not giving the last broadcast of a human government.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of America and Her Territories, and all other inhabitants of our blue Earth; Mankind has always proceeded in its existence with the idea that it was the only sentient being that existed within a space where we could communicate with it. The Artificial Intelligences we have developed was borne out of this idea that we believed, that if we could consult with intelligence not our own, we would gain further insight into our true natures. However, this has proven to be less than the full reality of the situation, to say the least. Since AIs still derive from our own experiences, they, therefore, share some of our own biases, whether we realize or not. As such, we still continued to search for some sign that something other than ourselves of equivalent intelligence existed and that we might communicate with it.

"That is, until ten days ago, when the anomaly now commonly known as the Aurora Barrier appeared off the coast of one of the world's most Historic and populous cities, Los Angeles. This barrier is seemingly impenetrable by our advanced technology; yet to those brave enough to view at it with their own eyes live and in the flesh, it gives us glimpses into a world few could scarcely imagine. It is a world picturesque; all manners of landforms, biomes, and colors appear to those who dare peer through the Aurora. This gave rise question with no definite answer, 'Is this some natural phenomenon, or a contrivance of some media company with far too much money to burn.' I am here to tell the world, the Aurora Barrier is not produced by anything human."

Gasps immediately escaped from the audience... however, the world leaders knew better, they had all received advanced warning.

She then continued, "So then the question can then immediately be asked: 'How can you prove that the Aurora Barrier was erected by a force not human?' I could answer that, but I'm afraid that some would still find my words fully unbelievable. Therefore, in order to cast aside all doubt, I humbly request that the Guest of Honor for this event to appear before you."

That's your cue, Celeste, Aguillar quickly fired off the psychic message.

Thank you. Now my little Pony and Dragon, I do believe it is time for us to officially open the curtain on this grand production of ours, Celestia replied, as suddenly a bright sphere with an aurora much like her mane, and fringed in the gold of her magic, appeared above the dome.

Wait what... Pony... Dragon... the hell could that have meant... Aguillar thought to herself to some mild degree of shock.

Everyone looked around for a few moments, wondering what was supposed to happen. Some expected a spaceship to float down; a few still thought the entire setup was some kind of elaborate hoax. Those thoughts persisted until a glowing sphere that looked similar to the Aurora Barrier when it was displaying the lighter pastel colors floated down past the physical Dome, as if it weren’t there. The entire crowd, nay, the entire world immediately fell silent; as if all of ‘wired’ society had suddenly been stricken dumb at the same time. The orb lowered to ground level, and dissipated slowly once it touched down.

Three figures were slowly revealed to the rest of the world, as if a curtain was being drawn upward. The first figure that was completely revealed was a small dragon, about 2 feet tall. Quite unassuming in its form: amethyst purple scaly skin, lime green ear ridges with emerald green spinal plates, and large, vivid green eyes. On top of all of this, he wore a black formal suit, although not covering his lower body, trying to do such and leave room for his large, thick alligator like tail would have been far too much trouble. Spike was the very image of a young, precocious child; assuming humanity evolved from Technicolor lizards and not ancient apes. One could have wondered why it was bothering to wear any clothes at all, but anyone that was in any position to ask was too awestruck to formulate words let alone complete thoughts.

The second figure to be revealed was that of an equine, 3 feet tall to the shoulder roughly. She did not perfectly resemble a comparative Earth horse of her size though, appearing more as a cartoonish rendition of one instead. Her legs thicker than a normal horse, face far more rounded, and a mane that seemed more like a human's head of hair, separated by a rounded unicorn's horn. The greatest deviation, much like the dragon, was her coloring: various shades of purple and magenta, and the marking on each of her flanks of an exploding 6-pointed star. This figure began to get the crowd more talkative, mentioning how she seemed like a living toy.

The final figure to appear in full was similar to the purple equine before, except taller and more slender, closer to the true proportions of a horse; as she stood at about a height where her face was roughly even to an average human male’s. The figure had a coat white as the driven snow, and her mane a living gradient of pink, aqua, and lavender. Her eyes burned with intelligence that an extremely long life affords you, yet they retained the compassion of a mother and matriarch. Everything about her affectation screamed "Leader": the gold ornaments and armor all over her body, the crown atop her head, the wings and sharp horn, combining the aesthetics of two mythical horses, the Pegasus and the Unicorn. Everything about her visage silently screamed that she was a figure to be treated as royalty, if not like a deity taken physical form.

The three of them stood there, all the still-shot photographers opposite of them stood too scared to snap photos for fear of setting them to stampeding; or worse yet, blasting them halfway across the street with some unknown technology or magic. The images being broadcast everywhere by television and internet-streaming camera brought the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life to a grinding halt. Cars and other personal transport stopped dead where they stood, when they could (and in some cases, where they couldn’t). Trains and airplanes that weren’t already being ‘driven’ by AI were immediately put on autopilot, while everyone stared at the image on their screen or the image displayed in their mind through the neural implants.

This living freeze-frame went on for a good 2 or 3 minutes; everyone was frozen in place staring at the 3 storybook creatures until President Aguillar managed to break loose from her stupor long enough to direct Celestia to the lectern. Silently sensing the cue, Celestia then walked toward the lectern, her horn glowing in order to lower it to a position where the cameras could get a good look of her face and neck as she spoke. She inwardly thanked her previous research into basic television speech-giving optics, as it would not look very regal to have one’s face blocked because the lectern and microphone were set too high. Twilight Sparkle quickly took up position to her right, hoping the cameras, and most of the others there, would be too captivated by Celestia to bother with her. Spike calmly walked and stood to Celestia's left, wondering if those food-production machines the others had talked about on and off could produce other materials like gemstones.

Celestia then began to speak, maintaining a regal air while making sure not to speak too loudly and allow the mechanical amplifiers and recorders to do their job. "Good Day, Denizens of the Planet Earth. My name is Princess Celestia, Avatar of the Sun, Princess and co-rule of the Land Behind the Aurora Barrier. My visit here is brief, for this is merely an introduction for myself and my kind. Firstly, I wish to clarify just whom I represent. I, along with my sister, rule the Kingdom of Equestria, the land that is most directly connected to the Aurora Barrier, that I am sure that some of you have caught glimpses of already. Said kingdom is populated by beings much like my student and adjutant Twilight Sparkle to my right..."

Twilight Sparkle shivered as she could feel the cameras all focus on her for a brief moment.

"... and by other creatures sure as her assistant here, Spike, a juvenile dragon..."

Spike blanched at being reminded of his incredibly young age by dragon standards.

"… as well as many others that, for the sake of brevity, I will discuss at a later date. Our Worlds are currently, in a sense, neighbors now; a link having recently been forged in order to allow us passage in order to interact and study your culture and people. Do not fear, this process will not affect your world physically in terms of the orbit around your Sun or the orbit of the Moon around your planet, for our realm exists in a parallel dimension. At a later date, I will more thoroughly address your people. I look forward to this date, as should all whom can hear my voice or listen to the after-the-fact-recordings, as I believe the news that I will bring will be of great interest to all of your people, regardless of their status or class. In any case, my travelling party and I shall remain here for a brief period in order to answer some general questions, and be entertained as the esteemed guests of this nation's President and her colleagues. Before I conclude my remarks though, I would like to make a request of your media. We would greatly appreciate that you refer to my species as simply 'Ponies', the same term that is generally used for small horses in English."

After the photographers were reasonably sure that Celestia was done speaking at the lectern, flashbulbs went off in rapid succession, and file footage was being archived in every place imaginable. Already the headlines were being written all over the Internet and every newswire service: "They have Arrived. And They Are Ponies?!" Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the internet, four viewers were busy trying to pick all of their jaws up off the floor.

~= Nouvelle Baton Rouge – roughly 11:20 AM CST =~

“THEY ARE SO ADORABLE~!!” Kyoko squealed after the four of them in the video-chat had finally regained the capacity for human speech.

“Adorable is… one way to describe them…” Andre thought aloud as he was trying to rationalize how something that would look like a living cartoon would be A) living and B) not in a cartoon.

“Did the world just suddenly stop working a few minutes ago? Because I’m trying to figure out how what we just saw was actually real and not some kind of extremely overly-elaborate hoax. I am dead serious about that!” Natasha wondered aloud, in a state of combined disbelief and shock.

“Honestly, it makes quite a bit of sense. I did say I saw city and landscapes that seemed to be carved or arranged with a ‘storybook’ aesthetic. I guess it’d make all the sense in the world that whatever lived there would also share that storybook aesthetic,” Ethan reasoned aloud, while attempting to remain as logical and dispassionate as he possibly could, given what he and the rest of his circle had just seen.

“I know, but… seriously… they looked like living Animatronic puppets. And a horse’s mane definitely shouldn’t look like a self-contained light show. If they are real and they are magic, Celestia must have something crazy coursing through her veins,” Natasha griped, as her brain had basically given up trying to deny what she had just saw, and was now trying to find some sensible way to accept it.

“I would so buy plush dolls designed like them~! They’d look perfect in my room, especially that cute little dragon!” Kyoko continued to exclaim, the other three swearing they could see the stars in her eyes as she did.

“Getting back to more salient points -- despite how weird they looked, that Princess Celestia carried herself with an incredible regal air. As if she had been sitting on the throne for far longer than any human has,” Andre explained, as his brain had finally righted itself.

“Really? Horses only live for like, 30 years. Then again, these are aliens that look like horses, who’s to say they don’t live a lot longer? Ugh, this is so… so…” Natasha stammered at the end, fishing for the right English word for it.

“Confusing, upsetting, just plain weird?” Ethan rattled off as he tried to help his girlfriend in her diction.

“Confusing would be the right word. It’s not even upsetting really, it’s, it’s just so hard to get my head around,” Natasha complained as Ethan patted her on the back.

“Judging from how the message boards and news-site comment threads have exploded in the last few minutes, it’d be a sure bet you aren’t the only one confused by what we just saw,” Andre pointed out, as he shared the links that he had just been bombarded with from other people.

Kyoko oohed and aahed at just how many thousands of messages had been piled up in such a short time already. “You are not kidding, are you? Seems like we have way more questions than answers.”

~= Kyoto, Japan – roughly 2:00 AM JST =~

“It is strange, how you have decided to meet with us in person, Tsuki-no-hime. Your sister apparently saw fit to show herself at that media gathering in Washington, I would have expected you to have joined her there,” a Japanese man in his mid-fifties stated with a dry humorous tone, as if he found everything amusing to some small extent.

“I assure you, sir. We will make Our public appearance before long. However, the task We have been charged with has to be of the utmost secret,” Princess Luna stated, as she sat on the cushion before the tea table.

“I see, so that is why you had to contact us in the dead of night. Then again, your status as your Moon’s Princess would imply this is a trademark of yours, in a sense,” the man’s wife replied, as she sat opposite Luna at the table, besides her husband. “Also, that royal We, I believe it is called in English, sounds rather stifling.”

“If you accept this project, and should we become more familiar, then We believe that Our speech towards you all shall mirror said closeness in relationship,” Luna responded, inwardly grousing about how ponies and apparently people just couldn’t accept how she spoke normally.

“I see, intentionally creating distance in your personal references, in order to maintain emotional distance. Something practitioners of our native language are quite familiar with. You’d probably enjoy learning it,” the wife responded, as she poured more tea in each of the three cups.

<As you were saying, doctors?> Luna replied in pitch perfect Japanese.

<Full of surprises, aren’t we? How very interesting, Princess of the Moon.> the man responded, with a devious glint in his eyes, as the moon reflected off of his glasses.

Ch 3: Changes

View Online

=== BABW: A New Beginning ===

=== Chapter 3: Changes ===

The following couple of weeks on Earth, since Celestia’s grand introduction to the Human populace, were nothing short of a hurricane of public relations for the Equestrian VIPs. Celestia personally relished the role of being the point mare and explaining the broad-brush of Equestrian society and government to the voracious Human media. From her perspective it was something that she enjoyed and found necessary, especially given the third phase of her and Luna’s overall plans. Celestia also enjoyed being able to practice all the languages she had magically ‘downloaded’ into her memory, finding the Romance Languages especially to her liking; despite her native Equestrian being audibly parallel to modern English.

And so the days and weeks went, the White Princess showing up on news program after news program. She felt internally frustrated in some respect though, as she had resolved, along with her sister, to not tell all there was to know of Equestria. She feared that the humans, either the lower classes seeking refuge from their plain and boring lives or the upper-classes seeing another hub of resources to exploit, would demand to come streaming into her Nation and her wider world. So, she told the absolute bare minimum she felt the humans needed to know to date - she and her sister were co-equal rulers of the Nation of Equestria, their world was full of real, honest-to-God magic, and pretty much all the population of her nation were Ponies, just like herself (albeit smaller). She also felt that she couldn’t speak for the other major powers of her native planet: the Zebra Tribes, the Gryphon Kingdom, or the Dragon Central Council. Despite that, the humans did not seem to prod all that much beyond the surface of what she and her other VIPs were telling them, though she knew eventually human curiosity will start trying to overturn those rocks.

Some of those VIPs included the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony themselves, Celestia specifically tasking the six of them with helping humanity understand Equestria and Ponydom from a closer-to-earth perspective; so each of them was sent on specific diplomatic missions in the intervening weeks.

Rarity attended a British State Dinner with Queen Bethany, inwardly impressed by the levels of pomp and circumstance that they could manage, all things considered. Rarity thought of how generous they were to her, not even the highest of the rank of foreign dignitaries. And yet at the same time, she could not help but feel as if the humans were almost forcing themselves to put on airs for her, as she travelled the less violent ‘slums’ around West London.

It is somewhat troubling how the nobles and well-to-do on this side could seek to separate themselves so harshly and visibly from the rest of the population. But how do you try and undo what has to be centuries of stratified culture?

-----

Rainbow Dash took in a baseball game in Chicago at the now twice-rebuilt Wrigley Field. She found the sport boring to begin with, but soon understood why so many remained loyal to the Cubs after all the decades.

Man I bet this game will be awesome when they play it with wings; then again… how any of them would hit any home runs... Rainbow thought to herself as she watched the Cubs tie the game with a home run in the late innings, and eventually win in the 13th, on a double to right-center. After the game, as she was ushered out of the luxury box with the other Equestrian dignitaries and human VIPs, she thought about how these people could still show loyalty to a sports team, or even some sort of abstract ideal, even as their leaders had all but abandoned them.

-----

Fluttershy visited several animal preserves and zoos, especially in the more temperate zones. She thanked those running the facilities for trying to maintain the health of the occupants to the best of their ability. At the same time, though, she couldn't help but notice the depression and lack of a joie de vivre in the eyes of the occupants.

It’s strange, all of this to preserve these species is both incredibly kind, and I would guess penance for destroying their habitat to begin with. Yet, at the same time, it is also incredibly cruel that this is all that is left of these species. Humans have so many contradictions and juxtapositions to deal with; how do they do it?

-----

Applejack visited some the larger Dome run farms in the interior of the United States. She learned of the structure of the food distribution on Earth, which quite honestly made her a tad bit miffed. She did restrain her true feelings however, not wanting to cause an incident during her real visit with humans on their turf. She couldn't help but notice that the soil, even with said Agri-Dome, felt weak, and was apparently steadily growing weaker. The farm managers, when speaking to her in a more private setting, confirmed her suspicions, while trying to assure her (to little avail) that their nanomachine and chemical repairs will eventually bear fruit, and help the orchards bear more fruit. She shuddered at what condition humanity would be in if the ‘artificial’ food production Nano-factories weren’t in such wide distribution, especially regarding the so-called ‘Outsiders’.

-----

While Celestia believed that Pinkie Pie and Humanity would not really make a good mesh so early into their public relations campaign, the bubbly pink mare somehow made her way to a music festival near San Francisco. Thankfully, for all sides involved, said bubbly pink mare manage to keep her emotions in check, and merely enjoyed the human music and acts for what they were. While she appreciated all of the effort the live musicians put into their craft, she could recognize from her own research that the number of those live musicians, as well as performers in all the arts, were steadily dwindling over the years.

I’m mad that the people with all the money seem to want to just make a machine or something make art when these humans are perfectly fine doing it all on their own. Oh well, even if we don’t get any to come to our side of the Barrier, maybe I can help inspire a real renaissance of the arts.

-----

Twilight Sparkle, for her part, avoided the large public gatherings, choosing instead to focus upon the communications infrastructure of Humanity – manifest in an Internet hub facility near San Francisco (also, ostensibly, to keep an eye on Pinkie Pie and her excursions). All of the collective works of man: major and minor, good and ill, and past and present were represented by this incalculably large network of arrays like the one she visited. She wondered how creatures of such knowledge and inventiveness could also be so incredibly self-destructive. As she left, she hoped with all she could that Celestia and Luna would see fit to preserve these works, if for no other reason than allowing the Ponies to learn how to adapt human technology while avoiding the evident pitfalls.

Luna, while not camera shy per-se, merely chose to remain in the background of the public relations push; limiting her availability to general interviews and large scale theatrical performances, which she greatly enjoyed (despite her apparent highly logical and scientific nature). As far as she was concerned, her role would be along the fringes and in the shadows, until further notice. She demanded the same of all that worked under alongside and under her, as well, for the project they were working on would be nothing short of revolutionary.

= [ Earth, March 30, 2080 -- 20:00 CST -- Near St. Louis, USA] =

It was a quiet night near St. Louis, Missouri, out on the Great Plains of North America. The only sound, aside from a conversation by the few Ponies or Humans around, was several industrial drones that were busily rebuilding and refurbishing a long abandoned strip mall into a live-in outpatient clinic and modern-style inn.

“I am surprised that you managed to acquire this property with so few questions asked,” Princess Luna asked, as she, a pair of Lunar Guard, and a pair of middle-aged scientists stood outside, as the new edifice, at least appearance wise, had already taken solid form.

“Sometimes having a population that only cares for what has been ‘sealed’ under glass has its benefits,” the older male doctor replied, his English quite clear despite the heavy Japanese accent.

“And one of those few benefits, in this case, is cheap land almost anywhere. Of course, short of you all assisting us, it is quite worthless for any serious development,” his slightly younger wife added with a slightly less overbearing accent.

“The idea of land being ‘worthless’ seems to be quite a, sad, way to perceive things,” Luna mused as the five of them walked inside the main lobby, greeted by sparsely adorned white and pale blue hallways, as well as still-packaged furniture.

“I only speak strictly in economic terms, Luna-hime,” the female doctor attempted to clarify, as Princess Luna nodded her head in agreement.

“Do not misunderstand either, We do not intended to pass some sort of moral judgment on you or anyone else because of that. My sister will most likely do a more than adequate job on her speech in due time. We are just simply… saddened that for some, the only worth an object or entity has is whatever monetary value one can assign to it,” Luna replied, offering a warm smile of understanding, one the two doctors appreciated.

“Seems like we’re not the only ones that have to deal with those who can only see currency signs in their eyes, correct?” the male scientist asked with a brief chuckle.

“No, not in the least, Dr. Isegawa,” Luna replied, adding her own brief giggle.

Luna briefly nodded to the guards, who returned to one of the soon-to-be break rooms, while Luna and the Isegawas continued on to a waiting elevator. After reasonably lengthy ride down, roughly 150 meters underneath the surface of the ground, the three exited, toward a well-lit honeycomb of rooms of hallways, the soon to the hub of all experimentation regarding the Conversion Project.

“I am still a bit, perturbed, at how sterile everything appears,” Luna sighed, noting how dreary the mostly empty halls and rooms looked.

“It is a place of science and experimentation, the cleaner everything is, the better,” the female scientist responded.

“Old habits dying hard, We can only surmise. We can only suppose how my Sister would react to such uniformity in these asthetics. She always was the more ‘artistic’ one,” Luna concluded.

The three of them continued walking until they reached a door. The female doctor punched in a keycode, which caused the door to slide open, revealing an extremely well-furnished and decorated main office.

“So, Dr. Jun, how has your analysis of the proposal for the crystalline matrix proceeded,” Princess Luna started, once they were sure that the door was completely closed.

“The gem samples you gave us are chemically identical to corresponding gemstones on Earth. I can only surmise the magic ingrained into your side’s world helps facilitate much more widespread and rapid crystal growth,” the female doctor responded, showing Luna how the structure of each lattice was completely alike.

“That is very good, that should mean your microscopic fabrication tools should be able to mass produce the micro-runes we eventually develop,” Luna concluded, breathing a brief sigh of relief.

She then turned to the male scientist. “And Dr. Hayato, how has the genetic sequencing proceeded?”

“We have been able to determine the general range and structure of your species genetic material. It is remarkably similar to Earth equine species, a point I’d like to pursue at the earliest opportunity. A couple of weeks more and we should have enough sequenced to where we can reliably reproduce the genetic strains in dummy cells,” the male doctor responded, gears already turning as to how to spin this information off should the opportunity present itself.

“Oh, excellent news! We believe that the preliminary phase of this project should be completed once we can artificially reproduce our base genetic structure. Would that be a fair assumption?” Luna asked of the two humans before her.

“It does appear to be fair enough, Luna-hime,” Dr. Jun responded.

“Though we do have a question for you: what are we to do if we do not have access to a sufficiently strong Unicorn? I can only assume much of the potential work will be done through your magic,” Dr. Hayato then asked.

Luna thought for a few moments, and came up with an answer. “Although raw magic is quite hazardous to the human body and human genetic structure, we have found that using our magic actively or enchanting something with it will, in almost all cases, not result in any adverse effects to the human body. We simply need to ensure the runic nanites are able to absorb raw magic from a Bridge Gate, in order to recharge should they not have sufficient power to operate correctly,”

“Then we will simply have to trust your theories, seeing as we are largely ignorant of your magic,” Dr. Jun responded.

“A fact I would like to rectify before long, Luna-hime,” Dr. Hayato added.

“There will be plenty of time for that down the road, Dr. Hayato. In any case, let us continue with the planning, shall we?” Luna resolved, as the three of them went back to drawing up plans.

---

The work went on until late into the night, until it was roughly 4 A.M. local time.

“Oh dear, somehow We let all of this time slip past Us. In any case, We will have to adjourn until a later date. I have to set the moon for Celestia’s sunrise before long, as well as begin reading the proprosals left from the Night Court session,” Princess Luna remarked, as she began filing paper and parchment into folders.

“I’m sorry if we are keeping you from your normal duties, Princess,” Dr. Jun asked, suddenly realizing just how long Luna had been there with the two of them.

“Oh don’t be, Dr. Jun. Hardly anything happens during Night Court, even with more Ponies remaining awake during the night-time hours. And besides, we did achieve a lot in these few hours. We can only hope the rest of our time together is as productive,” Luna responded with a sly grin on her face.

“And with the three of our minds together, I see no reason to doubt why it wouldn’t,” Dr. Hayato responded.

With that, Luna placed all of her copies in a messenger bag, and teleported herself back through the New Light Bridge to Canterlot, leaving the faint smell of o-zone in the air for a few seconds before it was filtered away by the ventilation systems; the doctors Isegawa now left alone in the office as they shut down their computer terminals.

<”Have you ever wondered dear, why Princess Luna chose us to be her partners in this venture?”> Dr. Jun asked of her husband, as she looked up as the pearl white ceiling.

<”A couple of reasons… One, we are two of the preeminent scientists in our respective fields, and genetics and nano-technology and fabrication will be vital to the success of this project. Two, we’re probably two of the few scientists that will be willing to go against the potential wishes of our erstwhile patrons in the Domes,”> Dr. Hayato responded.

<”I could not imagine why they would resist, though. And yet, I get the suspicion that they will,”> Dr. Jun thought aloud.

<”If things were different, if they had less at stake, then I doubt they would. But given how things are, any little upsetting of the so-called natural order of things can lead to nothing but chaos,”> Dr. Hayato responded, as he rubbed his face in disgust at some of his former patrons.

==================

[ April 21, 2080 – Nearby St. Louis, USA ]

A couple of weeks had passed since the Isegawa’s moved to St. Louis, and opened the clinic-come-clandestine laboratory. While the clinic appeared normal as anything else, albeit with slow foot-traffic due to the location, all of the action was a couple of hundred meters underground. There, the new labs were awash with activity, as scientists from all over the world and various specialists from Equestria’s research hubs and universities were pouring over data and running their preliminary experiments. One such researcher was none other than Princess Luna, whose rather consistent presence in the laboratories allowed the regular staff to develop a mild sense of familiarity with her, though the presence of such a regal figure left some of the staff, unsettled to say the least.

“Good evening, sir. We trust that everything is running in accordance to the schedule?” Luna asked of one of the human technicians, who was almost overwhelmed by her presence (the outmoded speech not helping in the least).

“I-i-I t-t-think it is… Madame Princess, ma’am?!” the technician stammered out as he stumbled his way back to the lab he was assigned to for the evening.

“Seriously, Luna-hime, I cannot fathom why you have that effect on some of the staff working here,” Dr. Jun mused, with a mildly sarcastic tone, as she allowed the poor tech some room to get to his workspace as quickly as possible.

“I truly apologize, Dr. Jun. I have to take better care to not… overwhelm… our subordinates,” Luna replied with some measure of exasperation, knowing full well how even her little Ponies sometimes appeared frightened of her when she slipped back into her old ways of behaving.

The two ladies walked back toward the main office, where Dr. Hayato was scanning over trial reports on a comp-pad while drinking tea out of a plain white mug.

“In any case, what progress have we made today so far? I have been indisposed the last two days. A minor incident involving some, stragglers, if you will on the other side of the Barrier,” Luna asked, still with a bit of an exasperated tone in her voice.

“Quite a bit, actually… we have achieved a now 90% proficiency rate regarding the conversion of various human tissue to Pony analogues. We should be able to scale up to full organ replication within the next week,” Dr. Hayato replied, with quite the measure of pride in his voice.

“Simply amazing…” Luna breathed quietly.

“Excuse me, Luna-hime, we could quite hear what you said…” Dr. Jun asked with genuine inquisitiveness.

“I said it is simply amazing. I suspected our magic would be able to speed along this research along, but I could never imagine these computational devices, and your technology in general, were able to mesh so finely with our magic. I am honestly surprised,” Luna replied, the sense of astonishment not leaving her voice.

I will definitely have to talk to my sister about this… the amount of progress we have made on this project so far is nothing short of frightening. If their technology is this compatible with our magic… there is no telling what we can accomplish should Humanity wish to partner with us fully… the Night Princess mused internally, as she looked at the spreadsheets and computer analyses carefully.

Dr. Hayato laughed as he stroked his semi-gray goatee, looking with earnestness at the Equestrian Night Princess. “Princess Luna, that is exactly the thing I love hearing out of anyone: the sheer, unbridled joy of discovery. Reminds me time I discovered personally how electric eels are able to discharge electricity…”

“And how, pray tell did you figure that out?” Luna asked, resuming her normal tone of voice.

“Quite simple, Luna-hime, I just grabbed them out of the tank with my bare hands!” Dr. Hayato responded, wriggling his fingers to give the impression of electrical energy.

“You… what?!” Luna responded with great surprise and some mild trepidation, not sure of who exactly it was she was dealing with.

“There you go exaggerating again. You know those facsimiles were perfectly safe to handle,” Dr. Jun retorted, tsk-tsk’ing her husband all the while.

“I… I think I’ll pass on an explanation and just move on to more pertinent business…” Luna concluded as she marked her mental file on Dr. Hayato with a metaphorical caution triangle.

Another hour or so of work and discussion passed until the clock struck 2 AM. With a couple of hearty yawns, Dr. Hayato and Dr. Jun made to leave the labs for bed, but not before the good Mr. Doctor stopped and turned to Princess Luna to relay what he felt was vitally important information.

“Oh, on more thing before I head off to bed. My daughter will be moving into to the above-ground residence near the clinic the day after tomorrow,”

“That’s right. I read that you all have a young adult daughter. Though, if I recall correctly, you’ve hidden her actual name and identify from the press,” Luna responded, as she was sorting some of the paper printouts for filing back in Canterlot Castle when she was done.

“That would be correct, indeed. We were hoping that you might make some time to say hi to her. Nothing too extensive, just a bit of a personal meet-and-greet is all we ask for,” Dr. Jun added, tiredly moving some of her auburn hair away from her eyes.

“I really should not be making personal appearances, especially now that this project is ramping up…” Luna said with obvious concern. She definitely did not want to be tied down with someone, even it was the good doctors’ daughter.

“Oh come now, Princess. She would be excited to see you, quite excited in fact,” Dr. Hayato mused aloud, as he stood in the doorway.

“Granted, our dear daughter would be excited by a potted plant that grew without fertilizer…” Dr. Jun added, with a look of ‘we love her dearly, but sometimes…’ plainly etched on her face.

Hrm, sounds like an Earth Pony if I ever met one… Well I guess it couldn’t hurt to spend a few moments with her… Luna thought to herself as she contemplated the matter a bit more. She then rose to her feet, and gave her response

“I would be delighted to spend time with your daughter,”

“That’s wonderful, Luna-hime. Don’t worry, this will be a little private meeting; we won’t open the above-ground clinic for patients day after tomorrow just to make sure the word doesn’t leak out,” Dr. Jun concluded with a reassuring tone.

I just don’t hope this excitable child of yours doesn’t leak the word herself… Luna though to herself as a part of her vast mind began contemplating exactly how to conduct herself around the ‘civillian’.

=========

[ Earlier that day in Kyoto, Japan ]

“It’s been so long since I’ve been to the States…” Kyoko mused aloud as she chatted on her quite fancy laptop terminal with Andre, Ethan, and Natasha. She sat with normal looking headphones on, a signifier to everyone else not to bother her while she was talking on the computer.

“If I had known you lived over here, I wouldn’t have wasted two months on dumb ‘she couldn’t know where X is?’ jokes,” Ethan mused, rubbing his hands over his face.

“I would have thought you had learned after the first couple of times; but sometimes a kid has to touch the hot stove, as my mom would say,” Natasha replied while shrugging her shoulders.

“Oh come on, I thought you found my stubbornness endearing?” Ethan asked in a playful manner, which got an equally playful shove from Natasha.

“Anyway, so how long did you live over here, Hana?”

“About six years as a kid, moved back here to Kyoto when I was… oh 13 or so. Before the last major waves of layoffs worldwide,” Kyoko replied in a thoughtful pose.

Hrm, that’d probably put her right about 20 given the other things she told me… Andre thought to himself as he listen to some more idle chatter between Natasha and Kyoko.

“So what do your parents do, anyway? They have to be of some means to move you all the way to the States the way things are now,” Andre asked idly as the focus of the conversation switched back to him.

“OH! I hadn’t really told you. Well they are famous scientists around this region,” Kyoko beamed with strange pride.

Famous scientists with an early 20-something daughter… ugh that sounds vaguely familiar but damned if I can’t place it… Andre thought to himself as he was obviously straining to remember who it was he had read about that would have fit that general description.

Ethan and Natasha both began to private message Kyoko, asking if she really was going to do what she was about to do.

“Kyoko, do you even know how he’d react if you told him who your parents were. I mean we can’t exactly stop you, but… well… come on…” Ethan said with a mild bit of exasperation.

“I have to agree with Ethan, I mean we both know what both Drs. Isegawa are like, but all Andre would know are what the rumor mills have spat out over the last couple of decades,” Natasha added, her own concern evident.

“Yeah, but I kinda wanna invite Andre up to St. Louis to meet me and them, and… well, he’d find out then anyway,” Kyoko responded sheepishly, almost feeling guilty for wanting something that seemed so selfish.

Ethan and Natasha looked at each other through the split camera, and both chuckled to themselves and each other when they realized what was really going on.

“Alright, alright, but just kinda ease him into it. We still don’t know what exactly he’d think about you being the scion of the Demon Doctor of Kyoto,” Natasha replied, giving a warm smile as she did.

“Ok, we’ll here goes nothing…” Kyoko mused aloud as she and the others rejoined the main conversation with the waiting Andre.

“I was wondering what the three of you were talking about, I was honestly getting a bit bored just waiting for you to get back,” Andre stated, the mild annoyance evident on his face.

Kyoko took a deep breath as she inwardly steeled herself for whatever Andre’s reaction might have been. “Say, um… Andre… have you ever heard of a Dr. Hayato Isegawa?”

Andre’s eyes immediately bulged like he had heard gunshots in the background. His mind raced with some of the implications, but he tamped down his wildly accelerating concern to ask the obvious question. “Yeah, yeah you can say I heard of him…”

OF COURSE I’ve heard of him. A man that had no scruples when it came to genetic engineering; and if weren’t for his wife he still wouldn’t have any scruples. Or somehow would have even fewer scruples. Probably a couple of cards short of a full deck anyway. Anyone with a passing interest in the cutting edge of scientific discovery has heard of and seen Dr. Hayato and Dr. Jun Isegawa… Andre thought to himself as his brain scrambled to reconcile the asker of the question with the subject matter.

“Did you know he had a daughter~” Kyoko asked with a teasing and playful tone; a tone one would take when dangling a toy in front of a cat.

Oh god don’t tell me. Her? Her of all people… no way… no way… Andre thought as his mind raced triple-time now. He swallowed all of his concern, though, and let that little line of conversation reach its natural end. “I might have heard a rumor like that once or twice. So, um, Kyoko, where are we going with this little string of comments?”

“Hrm, where indeed…” Kyoko teased, seeing if she could get Andre to ask the question himself.

Andre, for his part, completely bit on the teasing phrase and did indeed ask the question, as the cold realization began to dawn on him. “You… you’re the Isegawa’s daughter?!”

“Hrm… well, fine. My full name is Kyoko Isegawa, first and only child of Drs. Hayato and Jun Isegawa!” Kyoko revealed (to no one’s real surprise anymore) with an amazing mix of dramatic flair and pride.

“Guys…” Andre just sat there in disbelief. The dear sweet Kyoko he knew; the lady that persistently danced the line between scatter-brained 20 year old girl and viciously smart 20 year old woman, was indeed the daughter two of the most (in)famous scientists and engineers in all of Japan, and probably the world.

“Well, we do have to admit that we knew, mostly because of Natasha doing some cursory research,” Ethan remarked with some amount of trepidation.

“I was bored and I had a Japanese contact that was willing to talk; really didn’t have to dig all that hard. Though the Isegawas were careful to not publically speak their child’s name; Kyoko herself had to tell me privately some time ago,” Natasha clarified, not wanting to seem like someone who just casually snooped on her compatriots.

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief, that the only response she got out of Andre was strange silence. “Thanks for not telling anyone about it, as well. I just wanted to tell Blue myself before I left for the states. Anyway, would you mind visiting us after I get settled down in St. Louis, Andre?”

“Um… I guess…” Andre responded absent-mindedly, his logical brain still fixated on the thought of all the last few years he’s spend cavorting around the net with Kyoko and to have no idea whose lineage she derived from, exactly.

I’ve been internet friends with a man that was liable to put my brain in a robot body, just to say that he could...

============

[ April 24, 2080 – Near St. Louis, USA ]

“Oh My God! The Princess of the Night is here! In our house… or is it clinic? Either way!” Kyoko shouted, as she dashed all around the chuckling Luna and stoic guards, who looked at each other with half-stern resolve and half nervousness regarding the twenty-something long-haired female human.

Hrm, excitable would be the right word for her… if I have the Elements of Harmony visit, we must take care not to leave her and Pinkie Pie without supervision… Luna thought to herself, as she filed more notes into her mental Rolodex.

“Ahahaha, he’ll never believe that I was really face to face with the Equestrian Princess of the Moon. None of them will! Too bad he’s totally going to miss seeing you~!” Kyoko continued to chirp, still dancing around the regal indigo Alicorn with all the excitement of a five-year old opening Christmas presents.

Dr. Hayato’s still sharp ears picked upon a certain phrase, and he cleared his throat to call attention to himself. “Excuse me, Kyoko. But who is this ‘he’ that you speak of?”

Kyoko, stopped almost immediately as she assumed the role of ‘young lady’ and responded. “If you must know, I planned on inviting Andre up here for a visit. We have known each other online for quite some time, and I thought now would be as good a time as any to meet each other in the flesh and blood,”

Luna took special note of Kyoko’s countenance when addressing her father, mostly the annoyance that calmly said ‘what I do with my time and money is none of your business, father’.

It is nice to see that humans really aren’t all that different than our Ponies… it will make what we are doing potentially easier to transition into, should significant numbers avail themselves of the opportunity… Luna noted in a different part of her mind.

“Oh really, a that nice young man coming to meet us in our humble little clinic? I wonder what I should wear?” Dr. Jun mused aloud.

“Seriously, mother. It’s just a casual visit. Just wear whatever you would usually wear that day and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind nor care at all,” Kyoko replied nervously, Luna picking up on the fact that the man in question must be of significant emotional value to Kyoko.

“Really now? This will be the first time I will met your kareshi, and you just want me to dress in my usual white jacket and stockings?” Dr. Jun responded in her matronly tone.

“HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!” Kyoko snapped suddenly out of frustration and embarrassment-borne rage. The two usually stoic guardsponies were put on edge as Luna and Drs. Jun and Hayato just looked with mild concern at the suddenly sulking Kyoko, who was sitting with her back turned on a swiveling chair.

“I mean, I mean… well… I… we… kinda aren’t that close yet… but I want to be… and… um…” the young lady stammered, stuck between her childish and mature modes of thought.

“Do not worry, Kyoko. We are fairly sure that whatever this man may mean to you, that you will make the proper decisions regarding any future you may pursue with him,” Luna stated with calm confidence, inwardly nervous though that she might have chosen the wrong words.

Luna was taken aback however, when Kyoko stood up, leaned over a bit to match her roughly 5’0” in height (at least to her face), and hugged the Princess of the Moon around the neck.

“Thanks a lot… I know he’s a good guy, and you all are gonna see that. I’m… I’m just really nervous as to what a long-term relationship might mean, and… well… when I get nervous… it’s… kinda really hard for me to talk… and…” Kyoko started, before regressing back into her stammering.

“No need to continue, Miss Kyoko. Just know that We will be rooting for your happiness from wherever fate might take us,” Luna responded, while Kyoko stood back up at normal height in front of her.

Kyoko bowed politely in thanks to the Princess of the Moon and the Equestrian Night.

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Kyoko asked if she could borrow the guardsponies that Luna had as a small entourage to carry a couple of bags to her room. After acceding to the request and the three left the small waiting room, Luna began to speak to the good Doctors Isegawa.

“Your daughter has a massive spark of intelligence, though I feel that she doubts her own capabilities sometime,”

“We raised her as best we could, given how those of the Domes tend to not respect the wishes of those not of their circle. I just hope that the soil on this side of the world is still fertile enough for my little flower to bloom properly,” Dr. Hayato mused aloud, letting his inner poet loose again.

“And you two are quite the couple and team. I couldn’t have picked a better pair to help lead this Project,” Luna added.

“I would like to think we complete each other. He is the dynamic that always looks to change something, and I am the stable that always wants to ensure the change will be positive and sustainable,” Dr. Jun responded, as she hugged her dear husband.

Balancing the need for change with the need to ensure overall stability, sometimes I wonder if Celestia’s reign has been too far tilted to the latter… Luna thought to herself as the Isegawas continued speaking.

“At the same time, what we are working is nothing less than a shot across the bow to everything those who currently hold power hold dear: the fact they are the lone focus of power, and there is little to no other option that humanity has other than the direction they offer,” Dr. Hayato mused, the LED lights causing that almost frightening glow to reflect off his glasses.

“Though, it is better didn’t know the exact details of how we are coming toward the first true expression of that new choice. I do hope that the test subjects we recently dealt with will be taken care of?” Dr. Jun asked as she brushed her hair away from her face.

“They will be taken care of, indeed. Unfortunately, that means will be they will have to live out the rest of their lives in nursing homes that can cope with the invalid. As much as we try to prevented, there are still many a Pony that can slip through the cracks of our society. I am just glad my Sister had the foresight to construct a system that can help them at least lead comfortable lives once they do,” Luna mentioned morosely, hating the idea there were Ponies that, regardless of who was to blame, would never live up to their potential.

“Since the test subjects are more or less stable physically, that means the last stage left is true human trials. In theory we have everything ready, thought it will hinge now your magecraft properly working,” Dr. Hayato thought aloud, as he mentally went over the theories in his head for the 100th time in his head.

“I have the utmost confidence in myself and our archmages properly weaving the magic necessary for this final set of trials,” Luna responded, her voice filled with said confidence.

“I will begin contacting various facilities around the region. Sad to say, but everywhere hospital and asylum is filled to the brim with invalids that would otherwise be dead in short order, or living the rest of their lives in a small hospital room,” Dr. Jun said, as she began sorting out the files of those who were proposed for the human trials.

“On another note, why is it that our formulas seem to have no consistency as to which breed, I would guess, of Pony is created. Is it just one of those vagaries of magic that I will eventually have to sort out?” Dr. Hayato asked with great intrest.

“I’m sorry, but that is a much more mundane issue. Simply put, the less complex the programming and spell-crafting involved, the less error we introduce. Perhaps with more time we can develop a serum for each breed of Pony, but that may lead to a population imbalance. So it is probably for the best the breed remain random,” Luna responded, seeing that Dr. Hayato would still seek to crack the code, if for nothing else than to say that he could.

Hayato figured discretion was the better part of valor in this case, and decided to not pursue the matter any further; though he did have one last thought for the brief meeting of the minds. “You know Luna, if you had been born on this side, you will have made an amazing university professor and researcher. I think opening an university on this side of the Barrier would be well within your grasp should this partnership between species truly pan out for the best,”

Luna chuckled at the notion, briefly imagining what she’d look like as a human: probably pale-skinned given her affinity for the night, she figured. “Conversely, had you been born a Pony, you would have easily found yourself in the ranks of our Royal Guard Archmages,”

Hayato thought of himself briefly as a Unicorn. While he was briefly intrigued by the thought, he ultimately reserved it for more in-depth contemplation later.

“Who knows what the future may hold, Princess Luna,”

“Indeed, let us hope that the trail we are blazing does not lead to a dead end,”

===============

[ April 30, 2080 – Near St. Louis, USA ]

It had nearly been a week since Kyoko arrived in the United States, and she had perfectly settled back into a more or less normal routine, the only major difference was that she was speaking conversational English to passers-by and others instead of conversational Japanese. Overall, everything was quite normal, including the Andre, Ethan, and Natasha occasionally messaging and conversing with her, mostly about the impending meeting between the two not-quite-but-mostly lovebirds at the clinic/inn/residence the Isegawas now called home. The young lady remained blissfully unaware of what was going on roughly 150 meters below her feet; and if everything went according to plan, no one would know anything until all was said and done.

Three gurneys were being wheeled through various hallways of the laboartories, as Princess Luna personally sat in the control room, along with the Isegawas and several Pony and Human project managers. Each gurney held a randomly selected subject, each with little to not significant others or family to speak of, as to minimize the potential loss should things go awry.

The first gurney held a relatively young quadriplegic woman, her breathing managed by a ventilator as she silently contemplated what had happened to her to lead to that day. The managers were queasy about the fact that she was the only one of the three subjects that could actually give consent verbally, but were surprised when she agreed so readily. Then again, if one was basically permanently bound to a wheelchair-come-life-support system, having even a small chance of being able to walk and breathe on your own again was one she had to take advantage of. Even if the body she would walk out with potentially looked and behaved nothing like the one she was wheeled in with.

The second gurney was occupied by a middle-aged now-unemployed salary-man, driven insane with grief at losing both his only real means of income and his family. He was under full restraints: the Princess nor the Hayatos wanting to take any chance that he would bolt out of the bed and try and wreck something in an insanity-induced fury. Instead, he was merely content to babble incessantly about all of the different toys he would buy for his now estranged daughter, constantly mentioning that any minute now his old company would call him back to fill the position that now no longer existed.

The last gurney was occupied by a sealed chamber. The chamber itself contained a former soldier that was infected with what was called ‘Neo Black Plague’, a voracious disease that typically killed within 72 hours. Only swift action managed to forestall his death, but he would be doomed to a permanent stasis short of a cure being found. Whether it was a natural mutation of bubonic plague or some sort of bio-terrorism was a question for a different time, as far as Luna was concerned, she had to test the ability the nanomachines and spellcraft to eliminate all foreign entities, and that included non-standard biological agents such as viruses.

Luna looked at the cameras as the three gurneys were being wheeled into the various examination rooms. "It is truly depressing to see the state of this world outside of the enclosed settlements,” She could only shake her head as she tried to remain focused on the task at hand.

"These tragedies are seeming to be occurring more and more frequently, the non-Dome hospitals are completely swamped with people trying anything in order to preserve their lives just a few weeks more...," Dr. Jun said, she was intimately familiar with how her and others nanomachines were being used to just to preserve the so-called Outsiders instead of allowing them to thrive.

Dr. Hayato looked at the same scene, somber as the two ladies sitting or standing with him at the center of the main data collection room. "It shows you the drive to live in humans. Someone could theoretically ask what these people have to live for if they were completely cured of their ailments: a life of trudging along, trying to stave off soul-crushing boredom and apathy, mostly. Yet, not even the state of the world as it is can kill the human spirit to survive. If it could, we might have destroyed ourselves already,” The doctor Ponies accompanying Luna for this round of testing could only remark on just tight of a rapport these humans were already developing with their demigod princess.

The scene continued as the gurneys were rolled into their respective examination rooms. Non-invasive biometric scanners lined all of the walls, taking records of the vitals. The technicians calibrated the machines in order to ensure that the readouts were consistent with the aliments the three subjects were suffering. As the clock clicked closer to noon, the technicians gave the all green that they could start whenever ready. Attendants in each room then unsealed 3 boxes; each containing a beaker full of a translucent white liquid with a seeming metallic sheen to it. The liquid looked as if someone put very fine glitter in highly diluted milk.

Dr. Hayato then spoke into a microphone. "Ladies, Gentlemen of all species present. What we are about to embark on in a short while is yet another step on the road of human endeavors into the upper limits of science. I am not one for long speeches, my wife is far better at that I would wager. However, I would like to say this. What occurs within these walls does not leave these walls until the White Princess makes her remarks, should these trials prove successful today or sometime in the future. If any word does leave these walls, I will release the flying monkeys to hunt you down,” A chuckle rose from the room and those who could hear him through the audio implants; the good doctor doing his level best to interject some levity before they started cracking the real nut of this trial.

Does he actually have a squadron of flying monkeys on beck and call? Luna asked Dr. Jun telepathically.

No, but I don't doubt he would try and design a species that looked like flying monkeys, for the expressed purpose of getting back at people who renege on their promises to him. Dr. Jun replied, with a non-serious tone.

Luna then began to speak aloud to everyone present and listening over the com-links, giving a brief explanation about the process as it should occur based upon the previous trials. "Good day all. This is Princess Luna, as you all have already figured. Anyway, We, as the good doctor Hayato already stated, are about to embark on an endeavor that no mage in Equestria or scientist on Earth have ever attempted to date and record. The basic theory of the transformation sequence is reasoned to be such... first, the runes will link to an extra-dimensional energy source in order to channel the energy for the various magics and to partially shield the body during the process, this will appear as the body glowing. Second, the soul will be removed from the body and sent to the Astral Plane while the subject body is effectively re-written as a Pony body. Third, once the body has been completely re-written, the soul is moored to the new body. Finally, there are various checks in order to ensure the body has been properly rewritten and the soul is firmly entrenched into the new body. Once the process is complete, we should hopefully have a working and viable Pony, with the soul of the constituent human safely moored inside and conscious,”

The various attendants and technicians briefly discussed among themselves the metaphysical nature of a lot of the process, but reasoned that the animal tests proved that the process should work unless a human soul was that difficult to 'move'.

With that little conversation over, and as the clock struck high noon, the tests finally began. The nurses began to administer the potion to the patients, taking special caution around the plague victim. Each gurney had reinforced nano-carbon tube bars, just in case the subjects began thrashing, in order to prevent spills to the floor and further injury. Luna and all the doctors present watched intently as the 3 patients were given the serum, and the men and women in their hazmat suits, some of them bionically enhanced to subdue a thrashing, crazed human or Pony, all ducked to the walls as soon as the solution was administered.

After a few moments of nothing, all the meters began going wild; Luna and the two Doctors knowing that signified the transformation was underway. As a bright, white light began to emanate from each subject, all Luna and the Isegawas could do, was pray that their theories would be borne out here and now.

Five minutes passed, the readings were all high but stable, a good sign.

Seven minutes passed, all brain activity in the 3 subjects went to near-zero. If anything went wrong now all the subjects would be brain-dead misshapen wrecks.

Ten minutes passed, brain activity was going back up; though the imprecision of the devices meant that the three scientists could only guess as to whether or not their souls had been reattached to the new bodies.

Twelve minutes had passed, visual evidence that the subjects had changed shape, though the exact form was obscured by the glowing each body was still producing.

Fifteen minutes had passed, the magical glow began to cool, and the two doctors and a Princess could now see what their machinations had wrought.

The glow in Room 1 cooled, they saw a mahogany Earth Pony mare; stunned her legs would even respond to her confused commands.

The glow in Room 2 cooled, they saw a dazed cerulean Unicorn stallion; eyes darting around, wondering where he was.

The glow in Room 3 cooled, they saw an ashen gray Pegasus stallion; also wondering where exactly he was given the fact he had been rendered nearly comatose some days ago.

The sensors from the three rooms gave an all-green. As far as the sensors were concerned, nothing was amiss except that three humans disappeared and 3 Ponies appeared.

Luna, as a precaution, teleported herself into Room 3 with the Neo Black Plague victim turned Pegasus, and quickly cast a microbe destroying spell, ensuring that no humans would be infected by the disease when the suits and the chamber were disposed of, though at the cost of some intestinal discomfort for herself and the others in the room for a couple of days.

Once she checked each room for residual excess magic and foreign microbes of other kinds, she allowed both Human and Pony doctors into each, as they began their initial checks of the three new Ponies in their midst.

It seems like everything worked initially, let us hope that their new forms are as stable as the Isegawas and myself believe them to be… Luna thought to herself, as she watched the newly transformed Pegasus instinctively beat his wings.

================

[ April 31, 2080 – Near St. Louis, USA (still…) ]

A lot of preliminary congratulations and a few hours of sleep later, the Isegawas and Princess Luna was busy pouring over the data gathered and interviewing the doctors who had been taking shifts observing the Royal Sister’s three new charges.

Luna turned knowingly toward a pale, cream-colored Unicorn. “Dr. Light Walker, what is your assessment of our three new Ponies?”

The middle-aged stallion rubbed a hoof under his chin, as he thought of a good concise answer for his princess. “As far as I and the other doctors can tell, the three test subjects are perfectly healthy and appear to be of sound mind. Of course we will have to observe them interacting with others beyond this last twenty-four and some odd hour span, but so far so good, as they say,”

The Doctors Isegawa nodded at the sentiment, as Hayato spoke up first. “Then we appear to have successfully jumped the last hurdle in the testing phase. Once we can have some assurance that the three subjects are more or less normal, then we can move on to developing a mass-production mechanism,”

“In any case, what is to happen to the three new Ponies we had some hand in creating?” Jun asked, as she looked at the photographs taken well after the initial live interviews.

“We will arrange for adult tutors for all three of them to begin applying their gifts. Finding a place in society is deeply important to us, and the sooner they can start, the better it will be for their mindset in the long run. However, we will probably have to wait until a probable move to Equestria before the Pegasus can be taught in earnest,” Light Walker replied with clinical professionalism.

“About the Unicorn though, he was suffering from an extreme psychological breakdown. Do we have to fear some kind of outburst from him? I mean I would think waking up in a completely foreign body would qualify as something that could stress the poor man, or I guess stallion, out,” Dr. Hayato asked on behalf of the other humans in the labs, wondering if they should be on guard around said Unicorn.

Luna then, with a bit of a devious smirk on her face, motioned to the door. The three Ponies in question walked in; somewhat unsure of their steps, yet still able to maintain balance and a moderate walking pace. All three looked at the two Doctors, a grace and thankfulness etched in all three of their faces.

The magenta Earth Pony spoke first. "My God, I can walk again. I… I can feel the air conditioning along my back. I can even swish my tail around; it feels a little weird saying that, but I’ll gladly take it. This is nothing short of an absolute miracle!" She continued to marvel at the subtle marvel of her own locomotion, having been robbed of nearly all of it two years previous.

The cerulean Unicorn followed. "For the first time in a long time, everything I hear and see make sense. It’s like I’ve been trapped in my own mind. I can only shudder at all of the time I lost, at the family I must have lost. At the same time, though, I’m so thankful. You’ve given me a chance to start over from scratch. And I will definitely take advantage of this chance, regardless of where I end up,” He continued on with his external monologue for a bit; his thoughts finally making sense inwardly and his speech making sense outwardly.

The ashen gray Pegasus stood looking up at the doctors and their digital-pads and papers, he then looked at his new Princess, and said with a firmness he hadn't been able to muster in days, "Princess Luna, ma'am. There are no words I can use to thank you. I was staring at Death's door, no, I should have already been dead. You saved me, you and your magic and these Doctors diligent work saved me and the rest of us. Anything we can do to repay you, we will do to our utmost; you have this soldier's promise,” He then assumed a proper saluting stance for a Pegasus Royal Guard, something that had to have been taught to him while he was conversing with Luna’s guard entourage the night previous.

The three new Ponies were then directed out of the room to somewhere more comfortable to rest and await their instructors from Equestria.

The two Doctors sat there thoroughly stunned. Not only had the transformation worked, but it had seemingly cured them of everything. The former businessman's madness quelled, the former slum-rat's paralysis lifted, the former soldier's plague extinguished.

"It is too good to be true... I... I can't believe that it worked, and not only worked, but it worked beyond anything we could have hoped," Dr. Jun stammered, her brain trying desperately to restore her diction. She expected the new Ponies to stumble while walking or stammer while talking, but they seemed to be

"Princess Luna, what we have just done WILL change this world. I am absolutely sure of it. My only fear is what change we will have wrought because of it," Dr. Hayato then stated, his eyes seemingly piercing ahead into the future, trying to game out all the potential twists and turns.

Luna looked up, seemingly to gather her thoughts, and then back at the two Doctors, "My good Doctors, that will entirely depend on if this world can accept a legitimate second chance being offered to them,”

-------------

Meanwhile, in place unknown to any being, Pony or human, a figure began to stir. She could sense the other-worlders coming into her world, but she was not angry. In fact, she was hopeful that they could do something. “Rulers of the Other World… do you have the fortitude and skill to reawaken the lost souls of this world? Do you have the nerve and will to carry out your plans, regardless of their consequence. The final countdown is ticking on this world; if you are true about your mission of mercy, you have no time to waste...”

CH 4: Bombshells

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=== BABW: A New Beginning ===

=== Chapter 4: Bombshells ===

[ May 05, 2080 - Near St. Louis, USA (yes, still…) ]

It was almost 2 PM, as the Isegawas, the three Newfoals, and Andre all sat in the recreational room of the, at least to Andre’s estimation, overbuilt clinic. Natasha and Ethan decided that the video link was not necessary, seeing as the speech was to be broadcast over every available medium, and instead settled for a private four-way connection through the neural implants they all had. Quiet Walker, Spiral Light, and Ash Drifter sat on some cushions in a spot out of view from the door. The Doctors Isegawa sat at the bar, though not deciding to pour themselves a drink just yet. Kyoko sat with Andre on a nice comfortable couch. Andre marveled at how this out of the way clinic-inn could be so well furnished, how the area around it so be clean and seemingly free of pollution, and how the plant that Quiet Walker was attending to seemed at least 20% bigger than it had any right to being.

"Ok shhh, Celestia-hime is about to give her speech," Kyoko said, the irony not lost on anyone there it was Kyoko that was trying to get everyone quiet.

----- ----- ----- -----

Every nation and peoples who managed to survive this long were represented at the General Assembly. The full house of dignitaries, having sat through several opening remarks and speeches, were rather anxious and wanted to know what this creature from another dimension had to say to them. Celestia, for her part, again looked all the serene and calm of someone who was in firm control of the situation; to which some extent, she was. The entire world was about to hang off her every word, and she knew it. This also made her nervous to some extent; because she had little to no knowledge of human nature and how they respond to certain cues, she had absolutely no idea of what reaction she would garner with the words to come. She had to be incredibly careful, lest she start a firestorm that could end everything before they could begin. There was no backing out now though; she and the rest of Equestria were going to see this out, however it played.

It was now 3 PM sharp, and right on time, Princess Celestia, Avatar of the Sun, Co-Ruler of the Realm Of Equestria, was about directly confront the Elite, and some extent, all of humanity. With a large breath, she strode to the podium, and began the speech that'd change two worlds; to what end, no one could know.

"Good Evening, Denizens of the Planet Earth. As you may know already, my name is Princess Celestia, Avatar of the Sun, and Co-Ruler of the Realm of Equestria. I come before you today to fulfill a promise I made during my initial statements more than one month ago. At that time, I stated that I would bring to you all news that would be of interest to all of humanity, regardless of race, class, or creed. However, I believe that I will need to preface my news with a bit of history, if you all will care to indulge me.”

Celestia inwardly prayed that having to divert somewhat from the pertinent news would not cause a loss of attention amongst those in the room or those listening on the Human’s many broadcast media.

“Our world once shared a link, a bridge if you will. Before this point, as far as myself and my sister could tell, our ancestors and yours lived in relative peace and harmony with each other. However, this peace was not permanent. A great cataclysm befell both worlds, and one of the events during this cataclysm was a shattering of the original Bridge between our worlds. The fallout of this cataclysm deeply scarred both worlds; and through this scarring, forced extremely divergent evolution in both our respective species and the societies we have built.

“Our species, on one hoof, more or less retained the ability to affect our environment though what you could call magic. Therefore, while the ancient Pony civilizations were devastated, they managed to recover and remain intact, at least as much as the circumstances would allow. The ancient humans, on the other hand, did not fare as well. As far as we can tell from your own archeology and your best theorizing, the ancient predecessor civilizations for this world more or less disintegrated entirely, and the world was plunged back into the deep maw of an unforgiving Ice Age. This dramatically altered human evolution, especially in the sociological sense. Humanity became more and more tribal and fractious; the desperate need to survive a cruel world taking precedence over anything else.

"Despite these cruel conditions, mankind eventually began to build a new civilization. Where tool making, technical prowess, and the ability to rally others to one's cause were what won the day. This world, as most any other world as far as any Pony or Human philosopher can fathom, did not have any type of greater morality. Instead it was, and to a large extent, still is, a world with one very simple rule: survival by any means necessary. As such, cultures that could not meet the rigors of the time eventually fell to the dustbin of history. Egypt, Macedonia, Rome, Byzantine, Mongolia, and Zulu: how many names have risen and fallen? Even to this day, many great nations now exist as merely vestigial homelands of once great Empires: Spain, France, England, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, and even the United States have seen their empires, whether in terms of territory or economic influence, degenerate back to their original borders. But both Nature and Power abhors a vacuum, and something new has rose fill this void.

"Desire... what is desire truly? Desire, to my estimation, has many forms. The need to attain something that one does not currently possess, the need to leave a legacy that would outlive their current existence, and the drive to become something other than what you are at the current point in time. This is what drives Mankind, this is what drives Ponykind; in fact, I should be so bold to say it drives all sentient life forms, regardless of form. To lose desire is to lose the very spark of life itself. Yet, like with anything else, to let desire grow beyond a healthy level is to watch it mutate into something corrosive and destructive: Greed.

"To weave these concurrent threads of history and sociology brings us to our current state of affairs. Certain humans, in their greed for all manners of things, have decided the normal communities, and even the nations that have formed could not satisfy their hunger. So it has grown beyond the bounds of such things. These humans have become a power unto themselves, amassing so much in resources and capital that the world itself now appears to revolve around their axis instead of the axis of established governing bodies. Their gravity, in terms of political power, is so great that no other entity can escape its pull. This is very troubling to me. In this universe, as it is in countless others, when gravity becomes so great and so concentrated, it eventually becomes a black hole. It inexorably draws in everything, even light itself, into its maw and crushes it into oblivion.

"This is how I view the state of the sheer power these particular humans wield; gravity so great it is beginning to crush everything around it. One can see its effects already underway: the earth has grown fallow, the waters grow fetid, the winds poisoned, and the fires rage out of control. This is to say nothing of the very souls of many of those without the resources to live within the protective Domes. Their hearts and souls are also being crushed under this weight. Few outlets exist for them creatively; their labor, be it active or potential, goes unrewarded or unwanted. It is as if desire itself is being sucked out of them, sucked into that nascent black hole. What does that leave for most people? Already, you see the great masses become inactive politically and socially, retreating into virtual worlds or any other avenue. They wish to escape this pull of this gravity, to have some kind of avenue to where their flower of the soul might bloom again.

"This now brings us to the current day, and the core reason of why I am giving this speech. I saw the state of this world, and I could not ignore it. I saw the want in your people's eyes, and I could not ignore it. I could hear the yearning for a new beginning in your people's hearts, and I could not ignore it. So we began to devise plans, plans for rebuilding, plans for rejuvenation, of both the physical and the metaphysical. Yet, there were, complications. No matter how many simulations we ran, no matter much we massaged the data, it kept saying the same thing: a human emigrating to Equestria would be suicide. Your bodies, for reasons we have yet to determine, cannot function in an environment laden with raw magic, or as your scientists have termed it, thaumatic radiation. Cells rupture or burn out, organs fail; it would be as if the body was struck with the most powerful radiations your cosmos could produce. Not a preferable way to move to the Great Beyond, in our estimation.

"Therefore we began to revise our plans. We needed to develop some means to allow humans to survive these harsh radiological conditions. There was something within the human's physical makeup, that no other species shared, which caused these horrifying reactions to our natural enviroment. No matter what our or your researchers tried, we could not escape that fact. So eventually, the alternative was reached.”

Celestia then took a pause that seemed like an eternity to herself and anyone listening or reading her words.

"The solution we have arrived at... is the complete rewriting of the physical form of a human, in order to mirror our own form; or to put it more succinctly, Ponification.”

Celestia had once again managed to bring a planet of 9.5 billion humans and innumerable machines to a cold and dead silence; now making at least twice in the last six weeks. Not even a being as long-lived and experienced at giving public addresses could help but be unnerved by the reaction, or rather, the utter lack of reaction in her audience. Regaining her composure, she began to conclude her remarks.

"While this is not the proper venue to discuss Ponification in scientific terms, rest assured the process has been deemed safe in both the physical and metaphysical respect. All memories and cognitive ability are retained; all that changes is the physical form that you exit the process with. However, I, nor my Sister, intend these facts and this speech to be some sort of ultimatum. Nor do we not intend to forsake those who would refuse this opportunity. We know there are those that would not seek this option, even in the worst of circumstances, and they should not be left to a world spiraling out of control. This is simply meant to be another avenue, a way for those who see no path forward in this world to be able to continue forward on the great journey of Life. For my sister and I, we do not believe proper change can be effected in this world unless there were a viable alternative. To conclude, we also intend to remain in this world so long as we are welcome, and we will attempt to assist you all in any way that we can devise, going forward. We in Equestria believe that our two peoples together, hand in hoof as it were, can move forward and forge a New Age, together. Thank you for your time and consideration."

===========

To say the internet was set on fire would have been an understatement. To say that every pundit from New York to Hong Kong and everywhere in between had an opinion would have been an understatement. To say that Celestia and her cohorts didn't just basically accuse the ruling class of actively causing the very demise of an entire planet of 9 billion other people, and countless other living things, would have been an understatement. The impudence, sheer audacity, absolute temerity, the gigantic, brass balls on that woman, or mare (debate still raged on what generic noun to use for her), walking onto the biggest stage any politician could walk on and effectively dress down the whole of human society absolutely flabbergasted the Elite. It stunned them, it shocked them, it astonished them.

The vast masses of Outsiders on the other hand... well their reaction was anything but uniform. Some were just as shocked, shocked that some alien, some entity that they didn't even believe existed could pass judgment on Humanity in all of two months. Others frankly wondered what took them so long to see just how screwed up everything was and why the whole planet wasn't being razed to the ground out of fear of them getting into space. Still others just wanted off this rollercoaster any way they could.

While a certain quartet of friends didn’t have reactions necessarily so extreme, it’d be fair to say they had quite the reaction.

-----

“Huh… so that’s a thing now…” Andre said blankly, as he turned down the holographic television to a bare whisper.

“Yeah… I guess it is…” Kyoko added, equally confused as to what exactly everything the White Princess had just said actually meant.

“While I would admit her logic for having such a severe alternative is theoretically sound; it is difficult for me to accept that, well, it would be that… easy?” Natasha tried to reason before her own mind just started to boggle at all the myriad implications.

“If the world is so screwed up that we would need to leave, and the only way that we could leave, at least at the moment, would be to, I guess trade bodies… Yeah to say it’s hard to swallow doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Ethan added, trying to figure out what something such as a literal physical transformation would even need to exist as an option, let along this early in the potential relationship.

“And yet, there it is, straight from the horse’s mouth,” Dr. Hayato quipped, pouring himself half a shot of vodka.

“Seriously, dear… you had to go with that joke?” Dr. Jun responded quickly, the pain in her face at such an obvious joke evident in her face, at least what could be seen through her palm over it.

“Despite the terribly cliché wordplay, my dad has a point. Celestia wants to help, and she feels that the only way she can be credible in anything that needs to be changed is if people can just literally up and leave the planet entirely,” Kyoko reasoned, the initial shock starting to wear off a tad.

“I guess. But this is still a lot to take in. Just the idea of being ‘you’ in something else’s body is just… well it’s really hard to conceive,” Andre responded, as he walked over to far side wall, where a couple of plexi-glass panels gave a full view of the lobby in front of the recreational area.

He noticed how the three Ponies that watched with them sat in silence mostly, all three seeming to be in deep contemplation of something or other.

I wonder how they would receive immigrants that have come from a completely alien culture… I mean I have to imagine that Celestia talked with her government over on the other side of that Aurora… but how could each citizen react to aliens among them that looked like any native Pony?

-----

A couple of weeks had passed since Celestia's speech to the UN and the wider world. While people went on with whatever lives they were leading up to this point, a new thought was gnawing at the back of their minds. Is what that White Princess said was true, that the gravity of the Elite were threatening to smash everything to bits around them? Was Ponification the only way to escape this fate, or could some middle ground be found? The Ponies, for their part, avoided all media contact; preferring to allow humanity to begin digesting the information on their own, and content to judge any reaction from afar.

[ May 12, 2080 - Earth ]

A buzzer sounded over Andre’s and his friends four terminals, signaling the end to this latest session of Ring Strikers. A generated voice read off the results of the match. “Game 4 of 5 Over: Final Score: Blue 57 – Red 55. Match tied at two games apiece.”

Ethan slunk in his chair, rubbing his face in disbelief at the last-millisecond shot Andre made to win the match for Kyoko and him. “Seriously, did you know that rebound was going to bounce that way or was it just a blind heave?”

Andre, for his part, just shrugged over the video chat, Kyoko having never ceased giggling since the game gave back the results. “In all honestly, I had a hunch. But it was more just a blind toss. I mean the angle kinda implied it’d bounce that way but I had no way to be sure, so I just took a gamble. I really did not want to go to overtime…”

“And you must really not want to pay for new outfits for our Avatars do you?” Natasha asked with some manner of incredulity.

“No, no I really don’t,” Andre responded bluntly.

“So blunt, Ao-chan,” Kyoko finally managed to say clearly, having quelled her laughing fit.

“Well… I don’t. Also I can’t help but feel a little… embarrassed when you call me that…” Andre responded tepidly, his dark skin masking the amount of blushing he was doing at that current moment.

“So have you all thought anymore about what Princess Celestia had to say at the UN those two or so weeks ago?” Ethan asked, as the final game preparation continued on.

“I dunno, I think I need to hear and see what exactly this ‘Ponification’ process is what the results are before I can say for sure. But right now… well… there are just too many questions for me,” Andre said as he tweaked the shoes his avatar wore, attempting to solidify his in-game balance than increasing his outright speed.

“I’m in the same boat. I’ve been hearing some bad chatter over the ‘Net in all respects. There are those who hate the fact that Celestia did dress down the so-called elites of the world; and there are others who think this is the prelude to some kind of invasion, and that they are testing to see how many people they can get to ‘surrender’ before marching with troops,” Natasha groaned; while she couldn’t detect any real malice from Celestia, she couldn’t discount the fact she might have been one of those psychopaths that beat the tell-tale signs of lying and duplicity out of themselves.

“With a hundred plus years of alien-invasion science fiction, I can’t blame people for being paranoid. At the same time, she does appear genuine in her intentions,” Ethan added, as he clicked himself ready to start.

“Seems like a situation where we really won’t know until Princess Celestia and the others do more on this side of the Aurora, I guess,” Kyoko concluded, as she clicked herself ready.

“Well Andre, let’s see how much luck you and Midori have left, eh?” Ethan said, as the countdown timer began.

“Brother, I got that feeling that my skill is gonna carry this match. But a little luck couldn’t hurt, as well…” Andre responded, brimming with renewed confidence.

“Game 5 of 5 Beginning in… 3, 2, 1!” the generated voice announced, before dropping the four of them back into the final game of their match.

----------

While the four of them wiled their time away with games; there were others meeting over a private network, for decidedly less benign reasons.

"Ugh that stupid bitch is making a fool out of us, we cannot stand for this!"

"Yeah which one though, the President or that White Winged Horse that decided now was a good time to pay us a visit"

"Both of them, really. I mean honestly, don't they know how much trouble we went through to get to where we are"

"And that stupid horse had the unmitigated gall to tell us WE were ruining the Earth. Maybe if those rats outside the dome stopped breeding all the time we wouldn't be in this situation"

"Now now, some of those rats have proven quite useful to us, I mean we still have the legislature in our hip pocket."

"Yeah all we gotta do is keep stalling everything, those idiots that even bothered to vote in the last election won't even give a shit coming up, and then our guy will skate in."

"We got bigger fish to fry, though; I heard one of the Domes near Oklahoma City is starting to run low on water."

"Can't they just restrict water to their slums, I mean it's not like anyone cares about them"

"Yeah but they will care when the rioting starts, better to wait for winter and start slowly cutting them off then"

===== ===== =====

[ May 17, 2080 - Equestria ]

It was another day in Equestria. Luna was sound asleep during the day for the first time in weeks. The Element Bearers had time to get back to their daily lives in Ponyville as best they could given the circumstances. Celestia had given them a few weeks leave, knowing that their mortal minds and hearts needed time to rest and really couldn't go full tilt 24/7 with the plotting and scheming like herself or Luna could. Speaking of which, Celestia had already begun drawing up plans for the new facilities on Earth, as well as drafting early versions of volunteer and eventually paid staff recruitment letters, for both Humans and Ponies. Officially, they would be known as called the "Human Conversion Bureau And Pony Rehabilitation Clinics", although to call these places mere clinics didn't do them justice.

They were designed to be mostly self-sufficient, Celestia did not want to leave supply lines up to the fickle human governments, and having to teleport in supplies constantly would be a hassle. At the behest of her sister, she provided for classrooms for both Pony and Human of all ages, to be able to give crash courses in Equestrian History, Culture, and the abilities of the 3 races in general. There were also to be the Earth Pony Greenhouses, landing areas for various air transports should clients need emergency care to or from the facilities, underground storage facilities, so many things.

I'm glad I found texts for drawing architectural plans according to Earth standards. Their information networks are so extremely useful. I'll have to be sure to keep an eye out for any Information or Computer Science-types that come through these doors, we could definitely use something like this Equestria... Celestia thought to herself.

She then thought, ... Though some of the user generated content concerns me. Luna and myself are be able to handle it, cannot live millennia without seeing some things, but can the Bearers handle it?

-----

Over in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was walking towards Twilight Sparkle's house-tree, giggling something fierce and trying her best not fall over laughing. She knocked at the door, and seeing it was open, went into the library proper. Though, to most it was more a book repository than anything, since few Ponies if any actually stayed there to study. She scarcely managed to make it to the room Twilight was in before falling over laughing, a confused Twilight left to wonder aloud just what in Tatarus the curly-maned mare found so hilarious.

"Pinkie Pie, I do believe I've told you not to come into my study making a ruckus like that; not that you ever listen when I say that...," Twilight said, exacerbation in her tone as this had clearly happened many times before.

Pinkie Pie was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe, but managed to restrain herself long enough to speak anyway. "But… oh man... everywhere, ahahaha, it got everywhere... and in everything..."

"Care to indulge me on what you've found this time on the human's info network this time?", Twilight asked, figuring it was something she found while scanning the human networks since nothing in Ponyville had blown up recently. It then immediately dawned on her how strange this town and her life were; where something not exploding would be news to her.

"Oh, it was just this television program I found in their archives. Oh man, these humans are hilarious, I hope they are even half this funny when they become Ponies," Pinkie said, only now managing to get a hold of herself.

"I'm fairly certain humans wouldn't lose their sense of humor in the Conversion process."

Pinkie thought for a few seconds, before finding the notion of a loss of humor through Conversion to indeed be stupid. “Yeah you're right, I'm pretty sure they can still be this funny despite how bad it is over there."

"You really think that Pinkie."

"Well, the way I figure it... you gotta find a way to laugh and smile even in the worst of times."

Twilight Sparkle thought about what Pinkie said just then. Laughing even in the worst of times, yeah that's definitely something Pinkie would say.

It seemed like ever since forming the New Light Bridge, she had begun honing her comedic timing far more sharply; although to some, her humor was still random, to the refined eye, she seemed to be able to find something appropriate to the situation, regardless of the situation. She also had begun to make a real name for herself as a party planner throughout all of Equestria, probably taking some cues from the humans she started interacting with.

"Anyway Pinkie, how did you even find those 'programs'? I mean it's not like we ever had time during our Earth visits to learn where to look for things on their information networks," Twilight then asked, wonder how anyone could find anything in that morass of junk.

Pinkie looked at Twilight with strange look, one that silently said 'Wait you didn't already know the answer to this question?' "Oh I just asked around and they showed me."

"Uh, wait, you're able to SEND information to their networks?" Twilight asked, downright shocked that the information flow wasn't one way with their links as had (wrongly) assumed.

"Duuuh, yeah silly. I mean one day I was like 'Hey how am I supposed to find anything in this place?' and then someone showed me a place where to ask a question or throw out some words and BOOM it was like I was linked to whatever that thingy said was relevant," Pinkie replied, obviously not familiar with any of the humans internet terminology.

Like an Ask-And-Receive Spell... even without formal Magic, humanity can still end up making something similar… Twilight thought to herself. I just want to know that if they are capable of all of this, then why have things broken down over there to the point they have?

-----

Rarity was in Carousel Boutique designing her first human dress. She had learned much of human fashion eschewed gaudy jewels on the clothes themselves, in favor of patterns and colors; plus the with state the world was in, wearing anything bejeweled outside of the Domes was like painting a big red bulls-eye on yourself.

I do hope the President's daughter likes this dress I made, she seems like the type who'd appreciate something pretty; though her son couldn't seem to care less for aesthetics, probably more Rainbow Dash's type anyway… she thought to herself as she stitched together some silk fringes along the sleeves.

-----

Rainbow Dash had managed to learn to use her Element as a projector on the cloud wall of her house, a mundane usage of an artifact of such power but whatever works, she thought. She had fallen in love with Earth's sports and action movies, even though she found most of the recent films produced trite and hardly noteworthy.

How did they even think replacing a real live actor with some kind of... fake one... would even make sense? No wonder it felt like this world had forgotten Loyalty, the people running things seem more loyal to their money than anything else... she thought to herself while watching a 'classic' action flick.

-----

Applejack was busy getting caught up on lost work, bucking apples out of some of the early fruiting trees. She and Apple Bloom were busy taking care of things while Big Macintosh was catching up on his rest, legs sore from having to do the work of two until a few days ago, hough for him it was more like the work of one and a half.

"Hey Applejack, it seems like ya got stronger; you're buckin down a lot more apples than ya used to."

"Well, Apple Bloom, Ah didn't get any time for strength trainin’. It's more like Ah'm findin a better sweet spot for hittin’ the tree, and pacin’ myself to not burn out too fast."

"Wha, when did ya get so smart?"

"Are ya sayin Ah wasn't before?"

Applejack grabbed Apple Bloom to give her a noogie, thankful to get caught up with some lost time. She didn't know how much time she was gonna have at Sweet Apple Acres in the near future.

While walking back to the barn to begin sorting the fruit, she thought some idle thoughts about Rainbow Dash’s newfound ‘abilities’. I'm gonna need to get Rainbow to show me that trick of hers. Their football season is gonna start in a few months and I want to be able to watch it without looking like a dang fool. And I wish some of the people they get to talk about sports and news didn't lie like it was part of their job. I think their media need a triple dose of Honesty, Apple Clan style.

-----

Fluttershy was at her cottage, still reviewing some of the old nature and cultural documentaries she found while travelling the networks herself. Although initially shocked at just how cutthroat Earth's environment had made all the species there, especially humans, she then began to come to a realization.

Even though the whole planet is like the Everfree Forest, they still show each other kindness. Even though some of their own kind sees this kindness as a weakness, they still show it. How strong of soul these people have to be to still believe kindness works, living a world so especially cruel.

=====================

[ Earth, May 19, 2080, 9:00 AM EST ]

Manhattan, historically one of the great melting pots of the world, a crossroads of culture and business. One of the great tourist destinations of the world. However that was the time before the Domes. After the Domes, it had become a restricted playground for the idle rich; a place where people who thought they were superior to the common man would regularly engage in contests to see who was worth more, who was more important, who had more connections. A place of great culture and history was being hollowed out by a bunch of nitwits with way too much cash to burn, and it made a particular man absolutely sick to his stomach.

This man was Richard Edwards, a sort of aberration amongst the Dome dwellers; he still cared about those left behind as it were. He was a man of great means, even by Dome standards, yet he had managed to escape the self-reinforcing game of 'Anything you can buy I can buy better' that so many of his neighbors engaged in. A video-phone call from a friend in a very high place was about to allow him to leverage his considerable means for a cause he felt actually needed his resources.

---

He was sitting in his office, still musing over the thoughts after Celestia's speech at the UN almost four weeks ago now. The video-phone rang, and Richard picked it up, quite surprised to see the number that popped up as the source of the call.

"Hello, Richard Edwards of Edwards Robotic and Nanotech Fabrications. We build it bigger, better, and cheaper than anyone out there..."

"Hah, it's been what 25 years since you worked the customer service line, and you still answer the phone the same way," a female voice said on the other end.

"Well to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, I thought you would be too busy trying to beat back the dogs barking at a certain pair of horses,", Richard said to the female on the other end.

"First of all, Ponies, Richard. Anyway, it must have pained them so to hear the truth laid bare before the entire world. Their allied legislators have been trying to get me to declare them openly hostile to the United States government or some such.", President Aguillar said, revealing her face for this quite personal of calls.

Richard blanched at the reminder of how arrogant most of his neighbors were. "They really think they own the government now, such arrogance. No wonder my father raised me outside of this wretched hive."

"Moving on, I believe that Celestia's speech before the world has thrown things into such chaos legislatively, they can't even marshal the votes for a simple resolution of general disapproval," President Aguillar then said. In fact most of the world legislatures had been thoroughly paralyzed by indecision, allowing most of the leaders, especially the reformists, to officially state that they by and large would not interfere with the plans of the Equestrians. The EU Council President and the Japanese Prime Minister managed to go further and say they would welcome further dialogue with the Equestrians, hoping to prove that they would be a benevolent force.

Richard was glad to hear that most the legislature could do in this state was express vague disapproval. "It's good to hear that those idiots in Congress are going to at least stay out of the way for now. But our dear Ponies are going to need access to resources on this side of the Aurora, are they not?"

Melinda was glad to hear he was already thinking along her train of thought. "Yes Richard, as you know, since the Domes were constructed and the Singularity occured, land on the outskirts of our cities and out in the wilderness has become dirt cheap. Our dear Elite see no reason to buy any land not already sealed and supposedly protected."

"Hrm, so you would have me buy up large tracts of land on the outskirts for our mutual allies, yes?" Richard then asked.

"Indeed, I am also sending you, via secure data link, the rough draft of the facilities they want to build on said land," President Aguillar responded.

"Outposts?" Richard asked.

"Not necessarily, just read what they are," the President responded.

Richard read over the plans, and they were stunningly detailed. He was being asked to furnish land and equipment for what would be a, a first blush, a moderately-sized self-contained community facility. There would be classrooms, dormitories, laboratories, doctors offices, a group cafeteria, areas for a garden, even recreational rooms. But what impressed him more was the scale, or rather the lack of it in terms of absolute size. The land requirements were almost nothing relative to the extensiveness of the building's purpose. Whoever designed this wanted maximum amenities in a minimal amount of space, it's the very antithesis of the waste these idiots in the Dome design in their homes... he thought, marveling at the elegant simplicity of the plans.

"I would assume our Royal Guests drew these plans up. Hardly anyone living in the Domes would have this extensive knowledge of architecture while also having this sense of aesthetics," Richard remarked, the wheels turning in his head.

"Indeed, they did draw those plans up. Also, as I explained to them, in my position I cannot guarantee anything the government would do aside from extending police protection to them. So this effort needs to be funded from your realm, as it were. Therefore, they would like to meet you in person in order to discuss matters more in depth," President Aguillar said.

"How does this time tomorrow sound?" Richard then asked.

"Tomorrow sounds lovely, indeed," a pair of regal-sounding female voices replied.

Well played Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, well played indeed. Richard thought to himself.

President Aguillar then ended the video call. Richard then leaned back in chair, and buzzed down to his secretary. Again, an oddity considering he wanted to employ human assistants instead of AIs. "Candice, please cancel any appointments I have tomorrow, I have a pair of V.I.P.s coming through and I would like not to be interrupted."

"Yes sir, Mr. Edwards", Candice replied.

Hrm, a pair of Very Important Ponies indeed... he thought to himself.

----- -----

The next day, rumors and stories were flying on the 'Net about how everyone seemed to have these strange dreams. Those near the date line reported them first by and large; but, as night began to lift across the world the rumors only compounded. The dreams varied, but there was always something in common. They were speaking to an altered version themselves, smaller in stature yet seemingly more serene of mind. Everyone who could stay asleep long enough had these dreams, however four in particular had more vivid dreams, to say the least.

"Ok you know those rumors that everyone been having these weird dreams?" Andre started to ask.

"Yeah man, I think that particular rumor is legit," Ethan chimed in.

"You had one too? Wow I thought I was kinda losin' it myself," Kyoko added

"It seems that makes four of us. Still trying to figure out what the heck is going on," Natasha said, while nodding sagely and deep in thought.

"You think some hackers are having a little too much fun with the neural nets?", Ethan asked of his beau.

"No, I haven't received any security notices or reports of greater than usual incidences of neural tampering. Whatever this event was, was causing actual dreams to change." Natasha answered.

"So, feel like some impromptu story time? I guess if we all went over what happened maybe something would sort itself out," Andre asked of everyone. Everyone else agreed.

Andre went first, "Alright, now the details are kinda sketchy but mine went like this: First I was standing in this cave, and I was looking at this giant blue something, an uncut gem maybe. And then I fell through the floor and was completely submerged in water. I struggled and struggled and struggled, thinking I was gonna drown right. But here is the weird thing, when I stopped struggling, it was like I could breathe anyway; like the water was just plain air. Then I heard this voice ask 'Do you have the will to achieve Power?'."

Ethan then followed, "Mine was kinda similar, except the gem I saw was kinda yellow, maybe gold... anyway when I reached out to touch it, suddenly I was launched into the air. I dunno how high because there was no frame of reference, then I started falling. I was panicking, praying to whatever deity name I could remember, but I just kept plummeting through the air. The turn in my dream was I yelled about having something to land on that wouldn't kill me, and then suddenly I *ploof* hit this cloud, like I had just let myself topple over into my bed instead of having fell however many thousands of feet. And I heard a voice ask that same question."

"Woah, that was nuts," Kyoko started before going into her account, "Ok so there I was, this really really pretty green crystal formation like you two right. And then suddenly the whole floor turned into sand, quicksand I guess. So I start sinking, to my knees, then my waist, and up to my neck. I was soooo scared I thought I was gonna die. But it seemed like when I thought that suddenly something grabbed me by the waist and arms and pulled me up and out. And then I was sitting on a big giant leaf like I was only 2 inches tall, and then I heard the same question."

"Mine was probably the scariest thought", Natasha started, her face chastened like she had seen a ghost suddenly, "Now I saw the same gem I guess, except in my dream it was red. The most brilliant red I could ever imagine. But then it started getting hot, in fact everything was getting hot. And then I started seeing sparks, flares, and before I knew it the hole whatever I was standing in was up in flames. I couldn't see any smoke but what I felt was the most intense heat and light I think my brain could process. The flames crowded in around me, and I thought I was going to be reduced to ashes. But I wasn't, the flames danced all around me, but my clothes, my skin, nothing was being affected by the heat or the light even though by all rights, I should had been vaporized. Then I heard the same question."

"Hrm four Gems, four near death experiences, four People being asked the same question. It's almost as if something is trying to string all of us together with these dreams," Andre began to ponder out loud.

"If we hadn't seen everything we had seen over the last two or so months, I'd think we'd had all gone plum loco", Ethan perked up.

"Maybe we still are going crazy, but then again it seems the whole world is going crazy, probably why they came over here to begin with," Natasha added.

"So many questions and no one to answer them, a conundrum indeed," Kyoko started thinking.

Yeah, lots and lots of questions, too bad you can't talk to somepony I know. Oh wait did I say that out loud, whoops forget I was ever here. Yep, nothing but a disembodied voice over the 'Net and definitely not somepony from another world accidentally wandering through your computer network. Heh heh heh… oh Celestia I am so sorry! Kyoko suddenly heard in her head, wondering who that was and why would they use the phrase 'somepony'?

"Woah, what was that?" Kyoko asked, having just realized that someone should NOT be able to talk straight into her head with her approving it first.

"What was what?" Andre asked.

"That, like, someone was just in my head talking. But it wasn't through a neural network link, it was just some voice in my head talking..." Kyoko asked, wondering if she was starting to have a schizophrenic break.

Ethan asked matter-of-factly, trying to impart some calm to Kyoko given the circumstances. "Ok did it sound like you or was it someone else?"

"It sounded definitely like someone else, like one of those psychics that could just wander around and talk to people in their head or something.", Kyoko replied, starting to calm down a tad.

"You think it was one of the Princesses? Rumor is that they could talk to someone through a direct telepathic link,” Natasha asked.

"No, we heard both of them speak to media before, Celestia a lot more than Luna though. But no, it didn't sound like either of them as far as I could remember," Kyoko answered.

Andre had that sudden moment of dread again, all of the last few days of his life, with everything being good. It gave him the sickening feeling that his world was about to get rocked, and something fierce.

----- -----

Meanwhile, at the same exact time in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle had to suddenly cancel an information trawling session. She was pacing around, clearly in bit of panic after accidentally making psychic contact with a human.

"Oh no, I hope I didn't break something, or someone. How could I think I wouldn't be able to could actually make contact with someone at the same time they were using the Internet? Dumb, dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb..." She went on out loud, berating herself for being careless.

Spike was just left to silently pray that Twilight would eventually learn to not beat herself down every time she made a minor mistake.

CH 5: Sink or Swim

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 5: Sink-Or-Swim ===

[ June through August 2080 ]

Time stands still for no man, Pony, or anything else that recognizes its progression. As the world was starting to come to terms, somewhat, of the existence of the small-horse-like aliens, they had already begun to make their move. Though, all things considered, they did it in about the most subtle way they could manage. The first Conversion Bureaus began springing up like mushrooms: semi-self-sufficient facilities all dedicated to allowing the few humans that wanted to leave Earth entirely to be able to do so safely; and for those who simply wished to learn more about Ponydom in general to do so equally safely. At the same time, they existed mostly on the periphery of Humanity, both in terms of their physical locations in non-Domed exurbs, and with their very restrained public relations and ‘advertising’ campaigns. Richard Edwards, now de-facto President of the Human-Equestrian Alliance, a non-profit created to administer the Bureaus in accordance with Earth laws, continued to thank his good fortune and foresight, leaving his money in places where those of the Elite who were against the Princesses could not reach it; the last thing he needed was to expose himself any further to retribution from a few rich idiots who couldn’t stand to be talked bad about in public. And besides, he was doing quite legitimate business with the Equestrians, one which he was being rewarded for quite well; one of the few things humans always valued was gold, even if it was stamped with a Pony’s visage on it.

Meanwhile, the Six Bearers of Harmony were adjusting to their new roles: head administrators of six of the couple of dozen Bureaus that had popped up in the last couple of months. Rarity was in New York City, though thankfully not Manhattan as that was a bit of a bridge to far of the completely Dome-sealed island. Rainbow Dash set up in Chicago, mostly because she wanted to continue to observe how the North-side residents could remain loyal to the Cubs after so, so many years; and it was a bit of a sports hub anyway, so why not? Applejack was, in some sense, sheriff of the Austin Bureau, the central Texas city maintaining its long history of being a bit more tolerant of outsiders than the rest of the southern Great Plains; plus she was ultimately fascinated by all the various dialects of English, noting how the human’s East Texas was so similar to her own. Pinkie Pie (much to the constant concern of the more traditionally-minded retainers for the Princesses) had set up shop in Los Angeles, still the hub of live music and acting production, something the human-media-obsessed mare was thankful for. Fluttershy was helping run the Seattle Bureau, with the Cascade Mountains being one of the few real wilderness areas left near populated areas. And finally, Twilight was in the proverbial center of the nation, running the St. Louis Bureau, not but a stone’s throw away from the Isegawa Clinic (and clandestine laboratory).

Unbeknownst to even the Princesses at the time, this arrangement of their Bearers would prove to, again, be very much fortuitous when concerning a secondary goal for the Princesses: attempting to figure out what exactly this Power that mysterious voice was speaking of whenever she saw fit to ‘appear’ in their and the Bearers’ visions. Though how exactly… well no one knew for sure.

---------- ---------- ----------

[ August 23, 2080 – Nouvelle Baton Rouge, LA ]

Andre thrashed around in his bed, the soft rain beating down against the window. Ever since Celestia made her speech at the U.N., some awful feelings that the young man once thought buried had been uncovered, and said young man was beginning to strain under the weight of his supposedly forgotten past.

~~ -- ~~

He was twelve years old, and his family was taking what was ostensibly a leisurely cruise. His mother had won the cruise as part of a legitimate raffle, and she was going to make damn sure everyone enjoyed themselves. Or at least they would in accordance with her rather strict definition of ‘enjoyment’.

Being an irascible twelve year old, Andre had wandered off, somehow finding himself near the safety railing overlooking the clear blue water. He was so used to bodies of water being some kind of off-color due to pollution or algae blooms, he was mesmerized; simply standing there in one spot and staring at the seemingly infinite blue, undulating liquid mass.

Why is this water so pretty when the water I live next to is so ugly?

This scene progressed for a few ‘moments’ further, until the clear sky overhead turned from a lazy blue to a harsh dark gray and black.

What’s going on, why does the wind feel so nasty? And the water look so angry?

The young Andre tried to move away from the edge of the small ship, but the crowd, which was milling peacefully before, began to scramble in a blind panic. Andre could barely make any headway away from the edge of the boat.

Hey! Let me pass! I’m trying to get inside too!

The sudden and violent waves kicked up by the storm-winds battered the edge of the boat, the saltwater lashing the poor child’s skin and stinging his eyes.

Mama! Dad! Help me! Where are you?!

His cries for his parents could not be heard over the screaming passengers, as seemingly no one could find their way inside. A sudden squeal and crack caught Andre’s attention, as part of the safety railing was torn off by the unusually strong and violent sea.

Oh no… no no… I’ll fall off if I get too close there!

He tried to fight his way through the crowd toward the center of the boat. If he couldn’t find his parent’s room, then maybe he could at least find someone’s room to ride the storm out in.

No sooner though than he thought that, he was shoved across the slick deck; straight toward and quickly right off the edge of the ship where the safety railing had been torn off.

HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!

Andre thrashed and yelled as loud as he could in the maelstrom, but no one could hear his voice over the waves, the thunder, the commotion of the scrambling passengers.

MOMMA! DAD! HELP ME! I’M GONNA DROWN!

Andre was in a blind panic, his body quickly eating up all his strength trying to keep his head above water while the salty waves crashed and swirled around him. He had nothing to hold on to, not even a soggy piece of wood.

PLEASE… SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP ME! I’M GONNA DROWN!!

The young boy cried out as loud as he could, but no one could hear him. Eventually his strength gave out, and he sunk beneath the wake.

I’m gonna drown… I’m gonna drown…

He sank beneath the surface, the blue water slowly turning black as pitch…

Why can’t anyone save me? Why… why?

As his entire vision faded to black, suddenly there was a snap!

~~ -- ~~

And the now young man would catapult awake, still in his bed, leg covered in pajama shorts hanging halfway off, as the rain continued to patter against his window. A small drone, no bigger than a Chihuahua, beeped and scooted along the floor; sweeping up any dust and debris that might have fallen since its last round an hour previous.

Andre tiredly looked at the clock that now occupied most of the screen on his computer terminal, the soft blue lettering flashing “3:05 AM”, matching some inaudible rhythm as it merely blinked, blinked, and blinked some more.

“The same goddamn dream. It doesn’t matter how many times I have it, I’m still getting freaked out by it…” Andre moaned to himself as he swept his leg back underneath his thin summertime covers.

He turned over to the side of the bed facing the window, looking up at the cloudy sky, as the tiny pellets of rain continued pattering against the Plexiglas window of his apartment.

After about ten minutes of restless lying about, he sat up in his bed, simply content to just stare at the ceiling, as a fan tried to keep the room down to 70 Fahrenheit like he liked it.

“What am I going to do with myself? The longer this goes on the more I think about… them. And the more I think about them the angrier I get. I thought I was over this a long time ago.”

Andre stood up and looked at the small shelf hanging off-side his computer monitor. On the shelf sat a couple of paper-back books, a rare consumer item given the insane proliferation of e-paper these days, and a couple of framed photographs.

One was a photograph of Andre with what he once considered his nuclear family, himself as a twelve year old, his parents, and paternal grandparents. The other photograph: just himself as a sixteen year old, and his grandfather in his sick (and eventual death) bed.

“I know the decision I made… Mama, Dad. Even though it was a mutual decision, why did you just up and leave?”

“Why did you just leave us here all alone?”

==============

[ August 25, 2080 -- Nouvelle Baton Rouge, USA ]

“The current polls now stand at Incumbent President Aguillar 51% and challenger Grant Everfield at 47%, with a 3.5% margin of error. According to projections by our ABC News team, we model President Aguillar winning the Electoral College vote by a scant 280 to 258 margin. It appears that Arizona, Texas, and Florida will be the swing states once again this election, as turnout amongst the aggregate cities will be absolutely critical to offset the overwhelming support Everfield boasts in the Domed communities surrounding the major metropolitan areas…” the news anchor droned on, as the election appeared as if it were going to remain stubbornly close all the way until the day of.

“I’m surprised they aren’t trying to push some arbitrary reading of the polling data to make it look like Everfield is winning right now,” Ethan mused over the video chat, as he and the rest of the Four Amigos, as he had taken to calling them now, lounged around their various residences.

“Could be that is the best reading they can make, at least if you think they favor Everfield in the coverage,” Kyoko added.

“Yeah, all this talk about how President Aguillar can’t do anything with Congress, yet she has been leading by a small but consistent margin throughout. Not saying she will win in absolute terms, but the fact Everfield can’t seem to get past 47% says a lot,” Natasha reasoned.

Andre took all the points into consideration before a0dding his own. “Madame President really needs something to break in her general favor though; I wouldn’t put it past the Dome-dwellers to resort to dirty electioneering to try and grease the skids some more for Everfield come November.”

The other three nodded; the fact that despite all the haranguing from Congress, Pres. Aguillar was still more or less approved of by the general population had to be driving the Dome Elite batty.

“In any case, on to more micro concerns…” Ethan announced, before staring at Andre intently through his terminal’s camera.

“I already don’t like where this is going…” Andre thought aloud as he rolled his eyes and slunk his head into his palm.

“Yes, we are going there again. You look like someone who has been shadow boxing with the ghost of Evander Holyfield every night. Seriously dude, you know how important sleep is given how wired our brains.”

“Look man I already told you, I’m just fine. It’s…” Andre tried to reply in a reassuring tone, but his hesitation was giving his anxiety away.

“It’s what, Ao-chan?” Kyoko asked, trying to get Andre’s mental train back on track.

Andre rubbed his temples for a few seconds, before he replied. “I… I…” he stammered to start, before sighing and finally just coming clean. “It’s been these nightmares. It’s like the longer I stay in this place the more I’m reminded of my parents. And let’s just say I really HATE being reminded of my parents.”

The idea of Andre being on bad terms with his parents came as a mild shock to Natasha, Ethan, and Kyoko, especially the latter.

“Fine, but just a little bit,” Andre started, taking in a deep breath and trying to figure out how much he was gonna say and how much he was gonna leave out.

“It was about eleven years ago. My grandfather was already sick by this point and time, and my parents left me with a decision. A deceptively easy one: stay here and finish high school, under the supervision of my grandfather, or uproot and move to the Atlanta Domes with them.”

The three of them sat there in shock as Andre began peeling back the curtain on his backstory, even if it was ever so slightly.

“I can’t believe they’d do something like that!” Ethan said, groaning in disgust all the while.

“In any case, as you can see, I decided to stay with my grandfather. He passed away as soon as I graduated, almost as if the one thing that was tethering him to his mortal coil was me finishing school. He had saved enough money to where I could attend a university; I ended up graduating from a small out of the way school in northern Louisiana. Louisiana State had, even then, gotten out of reach to non-connected students, but I needed formal training from somewhere, so it was to Shreveport-Bossier I went.”

“Makes sense, I guess… at least the part about your university education,” Kyoko stated in a dour tone, still depressed learning about why Andre seemed so tense the last few weeks.

Natasha thought about all of the revelations of the last few minutes, and came to, what she felt, was a proper and right conclusion. “Alright, Mr. Blue (in more ways than one), what you need is a break from your apartment. Get out for a good while. In fact, I think I know just where you should go?”

Andre sighed a bit as he listened to the blonde Russian immigrant. “Alright, Miss Red? Where should I go?”

“Where else? St. Louis, I’m pretty sure that Kyoko and her parents should have plenty of room still, right, Kyoko?” Natasha replied, the teasing in her voice obvious to everyone.

Not that that stopped Kyoko and Andre from feeling intense consternation. “Hey Natasha, that’s kinda really… sudden. Isn’t it kinda sudden, Andre?”

“I… guess?” Andre replied, not sure how exactly to respond.

“Well I think going back to St. Louis and just getting away from your troubles for a while could do you quite a bit of good, ya know,” Ethan added, trying to follow the path Natasha laying out.

“Well um, I… guess. I mean if you parents don’t mind having a non-patient guest,” Andre replied, a little more sure of where he wanted to go now.

Kyoko sighed, already dreading what her nosy parents might say and do when they found out Andre was going to make a return trip. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind. We are registered as both an outpatient clinic and general-purpose rest stop and inn, here.”

“Well I guess that’s settled then!” Natasha concluded in a sing-songy and excited voice.

“I… guess it is…” Andre replied, as his gaze drifted to the Japanese woman with the green streaks in her hair.

==============

[ August 28, 2080 –- St. Louis, USA – Isegawa Clinic & Inn ]

“You know, it’s slightly unsettling for you to stare at somepony like that…” Twilight Sparkle said with a bit of nervousness, as the dark-skinned man with the low-cut hair just seemed transfixed by her appearance.

“I have no idea why but I just can’t help it at the moment…” Andre said, as he just seemed to be stuck in a loop, trying to process the fact that he was sitting right in front of the mare that was at the right-hand, or right-hoof as it were, of Princess Celestia when she first appeared.

A swift smack on the back of his head managed to get his brain back in gear.

“I’m sorry Miss… um… Twilight Sparkle, it was?”

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle is my name.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for that, but… yeah having someone this close to Princess Celestia is really… jarring for me…”

“Sorry I can’t help that feeling…”

“Oh no, I’ll probably get used to it over time. Just, yeah, it’s just me needing to get over myself I guess…”

Kyoko stood there tapping her foot as her still-not-(quite-)boyfriend broke eye contact with the purple mare and looked back at her.

“Are you going to allow our esteemed guest to return to her preparations for opening up the Bureau today?” Kyoko asked; the exasperation evident in her voice.

A few more moments passed, as the computer clock audibly ticked a few seconds closer to sunrise.

Andre’s mental track finally lined up with his mouth, after those awkward silent moments. “Yeah, I mean… we are supposed to take that little sight-seeing tour of the facility today. I saw some brochures on the internet, but I still actually want to see the inside of one for myself.”

“Well, give me until, about 8 AM, and I should have everything all sorted out for you two,” Twilight mentioned with a nervous smile, as it was apparent that she was looking around for something… well more someone.

Andre picked up on the nervousness, thankful that Ponies were a lot more emphatic in their facial expressions. “Say um, are you, looking for something?”

“More like looking to see if Dr. Isegawa is up.” Twilight replied, as she peered around the corner of the small lobby the three of them were in.

“Which one, the husband or the wife?” Andre asked, seeing as Twilight still wasn’t used to them both being doctors.

“Oh right, same last name. The husband. Dr. Hayato is forever trying to rope me into some experiment while I’m wide awake in the morning. Usually I’m too tired or grumpy when I get back here to care,” Twilight mused with some measure of exasperation, as she saw the coast being clear.

With a soft hum and a fuchsia-like glow, she levitated her saddle-bag across her back made for the side exit.

“In any case, I will see you two in a couple of hours, have to make sure nothing exploded at the Bureau while I was gone,” Twilight waved as the two humans watched her walk out of the side exit to the Isegawa Clinic.

“And there she goes. I’d ask why she was walking by herself, then again hardly anyone is out here to harass her, especially not pre-dawn hours in any case,” Andre mused aloud as he and Kyoko walked back to the ‘Inn’-side of the combination clinic and inn.

As Twilight slowly trotted further away from the clinic, she internally ruminated a bit on the feelings she picked up from Andre and Kyoko.

I can see why Kyoko’s friends want to get those two together more often, it seems like there might be something there. Just hope they don’t push them too hard…

As she continued walking, her thoughts turned to some more weighty issues.

At the same time, it feels like there is something dragging on both of them, especially Andre right now. I’ll have to find some way to coax it out of him while he’s here with the Isegawas. Not only that, but there is something that is calling in both of them to get out. Something I can’t recognize at all, but… I feel that I should…

~~ Later that day, at 8 AM ~~

Twilight was manning (in a certain sense of the term) the front desk of the Bureau. The foot traffic was rather light, but there were still a half-dozen people milling about the lobby of the facility. As Twilight was turning the pages on a mage-craft journal she had sent from Equestria (detailing the latest in crystal-based mana storage research), her ears perked up with the ringing of the motion sensing door chime.

“Hi and welcome to the St. Louis Conve—OH it’s you two, Kyoko and Andre,” Twilight started, as she was about to go into her greeting spiel, and immediately interrupted herself when she saw it was Kyoko and Andre who walked through the door. She quickly climbed down from her elevated cushion-chair and trotted over to the human pair.

“Hey Twilight, I see everything is already hopping,” Kyoko observed as Pony and Human employees were keeping watch and directing traffic where needed.

“Yeah, early morning tends to be a little weird. We can usually count on a couple of vagabonds who just hang around waiting for us to open every other day or so,” Twilight responded as the three of them went to sit in a more out-of-the-way part of the front lobby.

“So what are your first impressions of the Bureau?” Twilight asked, figuring there was as good a time as any to start the conversation in earnest.

“Very well lit and furnished, and comfortable,” Andre said, as he lounged in the soft chair, and was already set to thinking various thoughts.

“Yeah, whoever you got helping you must be loaded for bear,” Kyoko added.

“You could say that…” Twilight responded, with a bit of wry mirth in her voice.

Kyoko stood back up after trying out the chair, and walked back toward the center of the lobby. “I’m gonna take a quick peek around if you don’t mind, Twilight.”

“Sure go ahead, just don’t go too far,” Twilight responded as Andre appeared to be rather deep in thought now.

Kyoko seems to have a bit of a charmed life; I mean… she has well to do parents who love her with all their heart. Yet my parents just… up and leave and don’t even bother to message me but once in a blue moon. Did I do something wrong? I… I just can’t understand it… Andre thought to himself, the anguish in his thoughts evident to the mulberry Pony sitting right beside him.

“You seem… distressed, Mr. Andre,” Twilight offered, hoping Andre wouldn’t try and deflect or give her the run-around.

“Um… it’s… well…” Andre stammered; he definitely didn’t want to start a long chain of psycho-babble about himself, especially to a Pony he didn’t even know all that well. So he looked for something that he could talk about that’d let him vent and hopefully leave his own problems hidden from the Bureau director.

After a few more moments of hemming and hawing, Andre finally found a subject he could talk about and vent some of his frustration, one of the vagabonds that was busy filling out the forms for Conversion.

“Let’s take that man right there, the one in the ragged blue shirt,” Andre started, as he pointed him out to Twilight so she’d know who he was referring to while he spoke. “Even though he looks like he is in his late sixties, he is probably no older than 45, give or take a year.”

He then took a deep breath, and hope he was going to let out enough frustration with these next words. “This is what this world does to people who don’t already ‘have’, you could say. They just get ground down. He probably hadn’t had a steady paycheck in years, the bad clothes can attest to that. That, in turn means he can’t afford anything except the food you can buy with the basic vouchers and whatever charity or homeless shelters can provide, which nothing more than crappy, in my estimation, Nano-Box produced knockoffs of real food.”

Twilight could feel the frustration and outright anger in Andre’s voice as he continued on, but couldn’t help but feel he was holding back in the content of his words.

“He’s probably done nothing with himself except drink himself into a stupor, or numb his mind with whatever escapist sites and communities he could find on the general access ‘Net.”

Andre then sighed, as he decided to conclude his point before he really got upset.

“You know what the difference between that man over there and me? Time. That’s all there is. I’m still young and naïve enough to think I can go somewhere if I just beat against the walls hard enough. Him, the wall he was beating on pretty much fell over on him. I doubt he actually makes it to 70 years old, he’ll either die to some preventable disease or condition or be killed by thugs in some random act of violence.”

Twilight felt such empathy for both the man who was signing away his Human body, in effect, as well as Andre who was incredibly frustrated by the fact that someone would even have to do that to have some kind of chance at a better life.

“Do you know what would drive a man to functionally sign his current life away? Outright hopelessness brought on by the fact they may never get an opportunity at a decent life here on Earth. Not unless a meteor of pure gold struck and they weren’t killed in the melee that’d ensue trying to claim it. But… when it seems like the people who made it want to kick over the ladder to keep anyone else from climbing up, it… it just feels like there is something fundamentally wrong with… everything. Even… even a kid isn’t safe from that.”

Twilight keyed in on that last statement of Andre’s as she contemplated the human’s mental state. It sounds like there might be some abandonment issues… but I definitely can’t press anything when I’m not sure myself of what exactly is bothering him. I guess I will just have to keep looking around the seams for a loose thread to pull.

Andre leaned back in the chair and put his hand over his face, trying to wipe away the frustration lest he start affecting the mood of the other Ponies and people around him.

“I guess that’s enough venting about the state of the world. You all are here now and hopefully we can start, well, doing some things to fix this mess. Lord knows we need to start somewhere,” Andre said, as he stood up and walked into the middle of the lobby to see where Kyoko might have wandered off to.

-----

After Andre found Kyoko down a hallway, they decided to go ahead and start the tour in earnest. Their first stop was the central greenhouse, a protected place for growing the different food crops and decorative flowers seen all over the Bureau.

“Hey Carnation, how’s it going this morning,” Kyoko yelled with a chipper tone, as she and Andre saw a pink-coated and lavender-maned Earth Pony mare pulling a hand, rather a hoof-tiller through a potting row.

“Everything’s going great, Kyoko! The irises are coming in really well these last couple of weeks so we should be putting them out in the lobby before long,” Carnation Opus replied with an equally chipper tone.

Andre walked around, touching a few of the plants, and feeling a bit of a buzz in the air.

It feels like the magic that I read about from Earth Ponies, everything that the farmers grow tend to grow a little more robust than usual… Andre thought to himself as he crouched down to look carefully at the tomatoes that were growing on the trellis.

“You know if you are hungry, you can get some breakfast in the cafeteria, though we try to keep it to just staff and clientele,” Carnation said as she noticed Andre seemingly staring intently at the redder-than-red tomatoes.

“Well, tomatoes aren’t exactly my favorite thing, but… I guess breakfast or lunch here would be alright…” Andre said as he stood back up.

-----

A few hours later, the pair were sitting in the cafeteria, as the Pony ‘waitress’ brought them some soup and crackers on a cart.

“You know that smells really good, Butter Swirl!” Andre said, as he and Kyoko sat at a table not too far from where the actual clientele (both pre and post-Conversion) were sitting.

“Oh it really does, what kind of soup is it?”

“Umm, just a simple vegetable medley. There’s also some spaghetti style pasta thrown in for good measure, for those extra carbohydrates. We have to make sure the first few meals for the Converts are well-balanced; it will help get their digestive systems in gear faster,” Butter Swirl replied, as she felt nervous about making food outside of her forte of cake-baking.

A few moments later (after the soup cooled) the two both ate their first spoonfuls; and both were promptly floored by how alive the food tasted.

“This is great… you have real skill at cooking you know, even beyond your namesake of the cakes you bake, I’d wager anyway,” Andre replied, as he dipped some of his crackers into the reddish broth of the soup.

“He’s not kidding, I don’t know if there are that many places that could produce food better than this on balance. Quality of ingredients matter a lot!” Kyoko said as she continued eating from the bowl.

“See, I knew that would be the key. You know I’ve had some humans say that the food here couldn’t be any different than what it was out there in the city. But that was always before their first bite,” Butter Swirl noted with a lot more confidence in her voice, sagely nodding all the while.

“Anyway, even if you have the best ingredients, you have to put them together properly. This is pretty damn good, Butter. So don’t be afraid of whatever else they might ask you to cook over here, alright,” Andre said, smiling all the while.

“Th-Tha-Thanks! That… that really means a lot!” Butter Swirl smiled, as she moved on to a different table to hand out more bowls of soup.

Seriously, her Cutie Mark implies she’s good at cake-baking, but she’s definitely a good cook all around. I guess even if your culture is predicated on finding your talent, you can be nervous about just how broad that talent really is… Andre thought to himself as he finished up his bowl.

-----

“I’m glad you had a good time with the tour!” Twilight waved excitedly as Kyoko and Andre set out from the front door to make the quarter-mile walk back up the road. The sun lazily drifted away from its daily apex, as the voice inside Andre’s cyber-implants noted it was now 1 PM local time.

“At least it isn’t too hot so I shouldn’t have to call anyone from the clinic to give us a ride back. It’s been awhile since I could say that too,” Andre noted as they started up the road.

“Oh we’ve had a hoof in that as well, but don’t tell anyone,” Twilight mentioned, with a bit of a wink and a nod.

“Uh… yeah… sure…” Andre replied nervously as they walked out of shouting distance from the clinic.

I hope this helps you sort out your internal conflicts, Andre. I want to see you and Kyoko happy… Twilight thought somewhat absent-mindedly, as she returned to her post at the front desk.

~~~ -- Later that night -- ~~~

Twilight trotted slowly down the hallway, making her way to the inn’s communal kitchen so she could heat up some milk to help herself get to sleep a little more soundly. A minor incident with an apparent parent that had come in to argue with an adult child about Conversion had been wracking her nerves all evening, and she needed anything that would finally get her to calm down entirely.

“I know some humans don’t take to the idea of changing species entirely, but he was old enough to make the choice of his own free will. I don’t understand how anyone, even a parent, could try and stop them in that regard,” the mulberry Unicorn thought aloud, as she continued to trot down the hall.

She found the door to Andre’s guest room slightly ajar, apparently it was set to manually open and close and there was a small crack in it. Not thinking much of it, she fired up her aura to pull the door closed completely, but stopped after she heard anguished moaning from the occupant of said room.

“What are you doing… you’re supposed to help me… I’m your son…” Andre moaned, in his half-sleep dream-state.

I was right, it is abandonment issues. And directly tied to his parents. But there is something else… some kind of strange aura, can’t exactly place what it is… Twilight thought to herself, as she parked her rear-end right at the edge of the door and kept listening.

“You just left me alone. I made my choice… but you just left me alone anyway. What did I do?!” Andre moaned again as he catapulted awake from his nightmare.

Twilight peered inside, and saw Andre sitting halfway off the bed, trying to figure out just what was going on in his own head. He looked incredibly frustrated and depressed. She thought better of trying to talk to him, at least so soon, and continued on her way to the kitchen.

The only thing I can do for right now, is pray to Celestia that you can move past this…

=========

[ August 29, 2080 –- St. Louis, USA – Isegawa Clinic & Inn ]

It was evening in the Isegawa ‘household’, as the Doctors Isegawa, Kyoko, Andre, and Twilight all sat to the table were eating dinner. Four of the occupants of the table were all eating and carrying on with their conversations: the Doctors about the latest research trends and Kyoko and Twilight about those coming and going from the Bureau.

Andre however, just appeared… lost in a sense. He sat there, poking at his plate, and eventually pushed his chair back and stood up.

“Andre, are you not hungry?” Dr. Jun asked, with a bit of a concerned tone given how Andre was looking incredibly dour, and had been all day.

“I… um… no… not really,” Andre replied, the anguish on his face evident to everyone sitting at the table.

“Do you want us to save your plate for later?” Kyoko asked.

“Uh, yeah sure. I’m just gonna go to my room,” Andre replied curtly, as he excused himself and left the room.

Dr. Hayato picked up the plate and placed it in a sealed container, as he looked at the distressed young man walking back and slamming his fist against the wall all the while.

“Kyoko, I think you should go talk to him, but give it a little while. He’s obviously having some internal problems, and I think he needs someone he can talk to without feeling any pressure,” Hayato said to his daughter, as he sat back down to the table.

“Um, Kyoko, do you mind if I come with you when you do. I… I can’t exactly explain it, but there is something else swirling about here, and I think it might be related,” Twilight asked, as she finished the last of her food.

“Yeah, I’ll give him about fifteen minutes, then we’ll go check on him,” Kyoko concluded, as she stood up from the table and raked out her excess food.

-----

As Kyoko and Twilight approached Andre’s room, they could hear the obvious sound of a man crying. Kyoko, not wanting to startle Andre, slowly opened the door.

Andre just looked up at his Japanese not-quite-girlfriend, and sighed, as he sunk his head back into the pillow that was balanced on his knees.

“Andre, what’s wrong? Please, you have to tell us or we can’t try and help you,” Kyoko asked pleadingly as she sat next to Andre, as Twilight stood by the doorframe.

“It’s all of this… you have parents that care about you. I’m sure Twilight’s parents care about her on the other side of the Aurora. But what do I have? A pair of jackasses that can’t even be bothered to e-mail me just to see if I’m still alright!” Andre said, shouting as he threw the pillow behind him in frustration.

“Do you want to talk about it? You can see just bottling it up inside isn’t doing you or Kyoko any good,” Twilight asked, hoping an outside voice can get him to open up.

“It all started when I was twelve. My mom got work with a preacher out of Atlanta, she was going to move into the Domes there and everything. But my grandfather on my dad’s side hated the Dome-types,” Andre said while sniffling, hating having to remember that day.

“Okay, so what happened after that,” Kyoko asked.

“Eventually it came to my decision, I’d either say with my grandfather in Nouvelle Baton Rouge, or I would move to Atlanta with my parents. I didn’t want to leave school, and I didn’t want anything to do with the Domes or whatever life my mother had all mapped out for me,” Andre replied, as he continued to choke back more tears.

“Mapped out?” Twilight asked.

“I was eventually going to go to a seminary and be part of some mega-church or something or other. She is a highly religious person, almost annoyingly so. So the fact I didn’t see eye to eye on how she wanted me to live my life, which was more or less secular, did not sit well with her,” Andre replied, as he wiped away more tears from his eyes. “That wasn’t even the worst of it though…”

“I can’t imagine how it could be any worse. Apparently your mom thought you were just an extension of herself instead of your own person,” Twilight mused before she let Andre continue.

“She called me an ungrateful bastard child right to my face. From that point on the only correspondence I’ve gotten from them is the occasional e-mail from my father, maybe three or four messages a year,” Andre said, his tone noticeably less acerbic when referring to his dad.

Kyoko hugged him tightly, and Andre didn’t try to resist, just thankful that some people out here generally cared for his well-being.

“I’m just tired. I’m tired of everything about this world reminding me of my parents. Reminding me of the life I’ll never have. It just makes me want to start over,” Andre said, as he pounded the bed.

“Andre, I hope you don’t mind me suggesting this, but I want you to come back to the Bureau in about three days. I want you to talk to someone in particular there; it might help you sort some more of these feelings out. And Kyoko, I want you to accompany him, if you also wouldn’t mind,” Twilight replied, obviously noting the particular words Andre chose in his last statement.

The two humans nodded, not seeing anything in particular that’d be objectionable.

As Twilight turned to leave the bedroom and leave the two humans to their own devices, she overhead something that put her heart more at ease.

“Andre, I just want to see you happy and healthy. You… you really mean a lot to me, and… seeing you like this hurts me,” Kyoko said, Twilight not wanting to break up the moment by looking straight at them, so she was content to just listen in from the outside of the doorframe.

“I know Kyoko… it’s just so hard. I… I need to go home and think about some things. I don’t think I’ll need to leave for too long but… I just need some time completely incommunicado, if you will,” Andre replied.

“Let’s visit Twilight back at the Bureau before you do. I think whatever she wants to show us will be really important for these questions of yours, okay?” Kyoko chided a bit, getting a bit of a chuckle out of Andre.

That’s great to hear Andre, I think you’ll really appreciate what I have to show you in a couple of days, Twilight thought to herself as she trotted back to her room.

-----

“So how much longer until our mutual benefactor’s construction drones arrive?” Dr. Jun asked of the somewhat large indigo Alicorn sitting on a slightly raised cushion-seat in the office.

“About six days, if my reading of your calendar is correct. I do hope this isn’t too much of an imposition upon you all, but you frankly are the humans that my sister and I trust with something like this,” Luna replied, looking for any signs of trepidation in the eyes of the Doctors Isegawa.

“My only question is that you wanted ten rooms built in this dormitory. But there are only six Elements of Harmony, if what you and your sister’s protégé state are correct. Might I ask what the extra four rooms are for?” Dr. Hayato asked.

“Not to get too in-depth, because there are still aspects about it we aren’t quite sure about. But we have reasoned there are another four elements that are tied to your world that we will have to bring under our collective wings, as it were. I, my sister, and the aforementioned Elements of Harmony have all received visions of a power that exists in this world that is akin to the Elements of Harmony. In addition, apparently, this Conversion Project will be critical in resurrecting this power. We simply want the extra space so that whomever we find as the bearers of this power can interact with our Elements’ Bearers in an informal setting,” Luna stated as calmly as she could, hoping that she didn’t reveal too much in terms of ‘state’ secrets.

“I cannot exactly find a reason to object to that necessarily; just so long as the drones do not take too long in constructing this dormitory,” Dr. Jun concluded, with her husband nodding in agreement.

“Thank you, you can’t imagine how much your assistance has put mine and Celestia’s mind at ease,” Luna replied with a thankful sigh.

“We are already in this deep with you all; it wouldn’t do us very much good to try and bail out now,” Dr. Hayato chuckled as he saw the Princess of the Night off.

==========

[ September 02, 2080 –- St. Louis, USA – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

“It’s nice to see that you are a man of your word Andre,” Twilight mused aloud as she, Andre, and Kyoko all walked toward an out-of-the-way conference room in the Bureau.

“I do my best, in any case, so what was this thing you wanted to show me?” Andre asked as the three of them entered the room.

“Alright, I just ask that the two of you sit down first, if you don’t mind,” Twilight requested, and the two humans acceded to.

“Good, now, Mr. Jonathan, if you wouldn’t mind coming forward…” Twilight asked of a conveniently placed privacy screen, or more to the point, a rusty-orange Earth Pony standing behind said screen.

“Oh, okay, you can tell I’m a bit… um… nervous about this…” the Earth Pony that was still obviously using his Human name said as he gingerly climbed into the elevated seat-cushion he and Twilight were to sit on, he found it difficult to even look Twilight in the eyes, much less the two humans that were his audience for the next short while.

“No need to be apprehensive, Mr. Jonathan, I just need you to tell your story to my friends here,” Twilight replied, trying to assuage Jonathan’s fears.

The Earth Pony picked up his gaze, in order to look at the two humans sitting in front of him. He recognized them somewhat as some people who had been through the center the day he signed up, "Oh, oh yes. My name is Jonathan. You are probably wondering why I've undergone the procedure. Well it was quite simple to me. I feel that I was sorta… listlessly drifting through life. You see, I was a professor at the University of Missouri system, well, before the AIs began taking up a lot of the computing jobs."

The last couple of statements definitely caught Andre’s attention.

Jonathan continued, "Anyway as you can figure, the AIs made it near impossible to get any entry-level work in Computer Science. So most teens now just self-study in a particular field of interest and become hobbyists. With the lack of participants in the university-offered courses, my workload was whittled down to nothing. Eventually, I was fired due to overall lack of demand, and the Computer Science department shuttered.

“At first I thought I could get odd jobs to get by, but it turns out the AIs had run people out of almost all service sector jobs. What happened to heavy industry with the advance in robotics now was happening to all non-management level workers. After a year or two of no work, I began drinking heavily. The food I was eating steadily grew worse in quality, until all I could ‘afford’ was whatever I could get out of the Nano-boxes with my vouchers.

"I was going nowhere fast, and basically drinking myself into the grave. But then these Ponies came, and announced their plans. I wasn't sure what to think of it though, until the Bureau opened a couple of weeks ago. After reading some of the literature, I decided I should try and make a new way for myself in Equestria. So here I sit before you, a yet unnamed Earth Pony, off to the Fillydelphia Adult-Learning Complex in seven days’ time, more or less."

Twilight then turned to Jonathan, "Thank you Mr. Jonathan, you my return to your room, your treadmill rehab session doesn't start for another three hours, so rest up." The brown Earth Pony nodded and trotted off back to his dorm room.

She then turned to the both of them to say, "Now I want you to understand. I did not ask Mr. Jonathan to speak before you to garner any particular sympathy, or convince you to undergo Ponification. Also, he made his decision with the full knowledge that this was a one-way, permanent transformation. Despite those warnings though, he agreed anyway. He told me that basically he had nothing left on this side, so why not see if he could find something on other side. Therefore, we granted him a new, fresh body.”

Twilight then turned slightly to look more directly at Andre. “If you remember a couple days ago, when we talking in the lobby, you predicted that he would die of liver cancer. While you were correct in that assessment, you were wrong about the time frame; it wouldn’t have been fifteen years before he ran out of time. He was probably no more than two years away from total liver failure, the ambient pollution aggravating his liver degrading. He effectively had no future here, so he's taking a gamble in Equestria."

Twilight then changed her tone, making it clear this was now her personal opinions she was about to give.

“Despite all the trouble and strife in his life, did you notice his eyes? His eyes were completely calm and serene. That is because the transformation sequence, at least for me, as much about allowing your heart to be opened, as it is allowing your body to be altered. I cannot say exactly for sure what the Princesses have done with the mass-production potion, but all the Newfoals we’ve processed mentioned some kind of intensely personal vision as they underwent the procedure; as well talking to Princess Celestia and Luna themselves, or at least some reasonable facsimile."

Opening one's heart… I'd laugh if I weren't seeing it first-hand… Andre thought to himself.

-----

“So you’re on the way back to Nouvelle Baton Rouge, Andre?” Dr. Jun asked as she watched the young man pack his things back into his travel case.

“Yeah, I think there are some thoughts and material things I have to get in order. I feel like there are some pieces starting to fall into place, but I want to be absolutely sure of what they are and how they are going to be arranged,” Andre said, as he checked under the bed to see if he might have thrown something during his crying fit a couple of days ago.

“Ah man… my headphones, they’re cracked right down the middle…” Andre said with a morose tone as he held the pieces in his hands.

“I can get you a new pair if you want me to~” Kyoko said as she looked longingly at Andre.

“I… would appreciate that a lot…” Andre replied, almost off-put by how affectionate Kyoko was being toward him all of a sudden.

“Well just don’t take too long down in your hometown now. I was… kinda getting used to you being here and everything…” Kyoko said, her face looking more than a bit more sad at her beau leaving.

“Nah, actually… um… I would like to ask your parents something to that end…” Andre said nervously.

Both Kyoko and Dr. Jun looked with great surprise and interest at the young African-American man.

“Um, I… I’d…” Andre began to stammer before he finally calmed himself down. “I’d like to move in as your resident public computer network coordinator. I mean I dunno if you have anyone here that is in charge of keeping your wireless and everything working and clear of intruders and virii, so I, wanted to see if I could… you know, ply my trade a little bit,” Andre asked of Dr. Jun.

“He’s right; I’m really not the best at keeping networks going, just using them. I think it’d be a good thing,” Dr. Hayato replied in passing as he walked into the room, having overheard the request from the outside.

“And he probably wants to stay close to Kyoko too, the sly dog…” Dr. Jun mused under her breath to her husband.

“To be fair, I kinda played the same game with you at first,” Dr. Hayato replied with a bit of mirth.

Resuming her normal tone and volume, Dr. Jun responded. “Sure, once you clear the paperwork down at your residence in Nouvelle Baton Rouge, we’ll get a room squared away here. You don’t have that many possessions to move, do you?”

“Ehh, not really, I’ll send you back some photos when I get sorted out back home,” Andre said, surprised to hear the Isegawas accept so readily.

=========

[ September 05, 2080 –- Nouvelle Baton Rouge, USA ]

Andre was lying on his couch, thinking intently over the last few days about the path he was more or less sure now he was going to embark on. He looked around his surroundings, noting how Spartan his apartment looked after being around the Isegawas and the St. Louis Bureau so much in the recent weeks.

“Man I really don’t have much to my name except the clothes on my back and the computer terminal still humming away,” Andre thought aloud as he looked around his apartment. There were a few things, such as the books, a couple of pennants from the Pelicans and Saints. But other than that, very much a lack of anything that said ‘This space belonged to one Andre Bowman’.

“Seeing as I’m about to move, I might as well start packing up what little bit I want to bring with me…” Andre continued to think aloud as he stood up.

After only a couple of hours, he was done, for the most part. All of his clothes were in vaccumn sealed carrying bags, all of his non-electronics in a large reinforced cardboard box. Only his few books, his PC terminal, and the two photgraphs on the shelf remained unpacked.

He first picked up the photograph of his entire immediate family, staring at the two figures who stood behind his twelve-year-old self and his late grandfather. “Fat lot of good you two have done for me these last fifteen or so years…” he mused in the most snide one he could manage.

He was then taken aback to what Twilight Sparkle said as they wrapped up their meeting with the now Ponified Jonathan. I cannot say exactly for sure what the Princesses have done with the mass-production potion, but nearly all the Newfoals we’ve processed mentioned some kind of intensely personal vision as they underwent the procedure; as well talking to Princess Celestia and Luna themselves, or at least some reasonable facsimile.

He then looked at the image of his sixteen-year-old self with his ailing grandfather; how he smiled despite the fact he had a tube in his nose to assist his breathing almost constantly by this point. He then heard one of his grandfather’s favorite saying echoing around in his head. You can’t let the circumstances with me, nor your parents, be an anchor around your neck. If you feel you need to move, then just go ahead and move. A real man carries his home with him, in his heart, no matter where he might find himself. And a real man carries himself with pride, no matter what circumstances he was born from, or what he might find himself in at the current time.

Andre sat back down on the couch, between where he had the box with his belongings and his clothes. He stared at the picture, and could swear he felt his grandfather watching over him. “Gramps, you knew I was never much of the spiritual type. But thanks, thanks for watching over me all these years. I… heh… I just hope the next time I see you, you recognize me.”

Andre began to chuckle, as he really was about to go over the precipice. It wasn’t some cataclysmic event that drove him, just the solemn realization that he needed a clean break.

”Well Twilight, even if you didn’t intend to convince me, I guess you did anyway…”

=========

[ September 12, 2080 –- St. Louis, USA – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

“You three have no idea how much this means to me, just for you all to be here in the flesh and blood as I do this,” Andre thought aloud, as the Four Amigos all sat in the lobby of the Conversion Bureau.

“So you are really going through with this, eh?” Ethan mused jokingly. Of course he wasn’t going to try and talk Andre out of this, but still, it was a bit… odd.

“To think, in three days’ time, you will look something like a living plush toy. I would say it’s unbelievable, but an investigator can’t deny her senses can she,” Natasha mused, as she looked at the Ponies and Humans all milling about like it was perfectly normal for candy-colored miniature horses to be here.

“I’m kinda sad that you’re doing this… but… well we’ll still be friends in spite of it, right?!” Kyoko asked with a pleading tone and hugging the man that outweighed her by 70 lbs. easily.

“Yeah, definitely. I don’t really want to do this to you, especially since we’re trying to build something, but… I think if I don’t do this, it’s gonna be like a lead anchor around my neck all my life,” Andre responded; hating how selfish this decision seemed, but knowing if he didn’t make the clean break while he had the nerve to, he’d never do it.

Twilight walked over with the registration forms, which Andre took and read over a couple of times before beginning to write down the relevant information...

Name: Andre Bowman

Age: 26

Race: African-American

Country of Origin (Residence, if different): United States of America

Known Allergies: None

Medical History: Nothing noteworthy

[...]

All in all pretty boilerplate stuff insofar as recording one's basic personal information. He did freeze, however, on page 3; in big bold print it read the following:

"I hereby state that all of the above information is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also, hereby state that this decision is made entirely of my own free will, with no coercion or extortion involved. Finally, I hereby also recognize, that should I be accepted as a Pony, I will pledge my allegiance to both my country of citizenship, as well as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Law of Equestria."

He chuckled a bit as he signed all the relevant lines, thinking how strange it would be to still qualify for dual citizenship after changing species.

Twilight took back the clipboard after Andre reported he finished filling out all the documents. "All right Mr. Andre Bowman. You are all registered. Now realize you have a 72 hour period to reconsider, if you take advantage of this, this signed document will be incinerated and all computer records derived from it deleted. You may come back then at a later date, but note you will have to refill the paperwork, of course," Twilight said matter-of-factly; trying to keep this part of the process as professional as possible.

She continued, "Now during this 72 hour interstitial, there will be an orientation and distribution of preliminary educational materials. There will also be a seven day rehabilitation period post-Conversion, in order to allow your rewired brain some time to adapt to your new body. Depending on what form you take after the Conversion process is completed, additional materials will be distributed, until such time you are sent to the Ponyville Newfoal Processing Center. From there, you will be sent to one of the three main Adult Education Complexes: Unicorns will go to Canterlot, Earth Ponies to Fillydelphia, and Pegasi to Cloudsdale."

I wonder how their city names became puns like that... the Four Amigos all thought at the same time.

"Well, I guess that means three days left as a standard, ordinary, run of the mill human, huh Andre?" Ethan asked with a bit of a needling tone.

"Yeah, a good run of nearly 27 years, I guess, all things considered. I mean I never got hit by a car, or never got struck by lightning," Andre replied jokingly.

"Ahh, I can understand why you are gonna do this, but I can't help but feel a little sad," Kyoko said, an air about her like she was pouting.

"Wonder why you'd be sad, I mean, it's not like you wanted to do something with him," Natasha said, obviously trying to bait Kyoko into openly admitting she had strong feelings for Andre.

"Wha... something... well I guess, maybe, Oh I don't know," Kyoko replied, obviously flustered and pouty regarding the half-way nature of her relationship with Andre.

"Yah know Kyoko, it's not like you can't take the plunge either. I'm pretty sure you'd make a great couple," Ethan said, following Natasha's lead.

Andre and Kyoko blushed and looked at each other. Kyoko turned around and began fidgeting; she had no idea what to think.

I like him... but I dunno if I like him that much... but if I really like him... but then I might not see him again for a long time... I mean once he leaves for Equestria, I might not find him even if I become a Pony... Oh what should I do... She thought to herself, obviously not knowing the answer.

=================

[ September 13, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

The first real day for Andre in the center seemed like any other day before he met the other three of the Four Amigos in person. A lot of video chat, a few game sessions, some personal time with old music and television archives. He did not skip out on the various group functions, though. There were another four clients to be Converted in his group, in roughly 48 hours; people from all walks of life, each with their own particular set of issues. There was a 16 year old runaway, Alyssa, figuring Equestria was as good a place as any to start her life in earnest. She definitely did not want a life of being a street urchin, or worse, a sex slave. There were a couple of unemployed light construction workers, Jose and Enrique, both in their mid-40s. Neither had any steady work for about 20 years between them, so they figured why the hell not, maybe they'd make good Earth Pony engineers. Finally there was another lady, Samantha, probably in her 40s as well (but Andre wasn't going to ask). She had recently been through a particularly nasty divorce, and had the kids removed from her custody. She hoped for a fresh start in Equestria and a stallion that'd appreciate her for who she was, once she ever figured who she was. Maybe if she was lucky she could come back for her children when they were a little older and wanted to Convert themselves.

Early that morning, they attended a class with a rather cheery Pegasus went through basic Equestrian history with them all. The topics included founding of Equestria, the first reign of Discord, the Royal Sisters, Nightmare Moon; the Pegasus lecturer trying to get as many highlights as she could in an hour and before the humans would cease paying attention. They all listened intently though, figuring that if they are going to go through all this trouble, they had better at least learn these Ponies culture and history as best they could, before having to be thrown in headfirst.

Lunch that day was just as eventful with the other four of his Conversion-mates marveling at the Equestrian cooking. The runaway in particular was brought to tears almost, she could scarcely remember the taste of non-fabricated food. Andre just thought to himself about what Ethan and Natasha would think once if they ate here in a couple of days’ time, when his proverbial number was to be called.

The afternoon session mostly involved explanations of the innate magic of the three races. The Pegasi had what was known as Weather Magic - they could walk on clouds from birth and were responsible for the weather in the formal territories of Equestria. The humans boggled at the thought, as they thought the entire realm over the Barrier -was- Equestria. The Unicorns had Explicit Magic - they could cast spells from their horns to all kinds of different effects. The humans wondered how they could cast without words or seals, but that was for another lesson. The Earth Ponies specialized in Life Magic - they had an ability to bring out the life in the minerals, soil, and plants they grew. There was no real discussion about the exact nature of Rock Farming, figuring the humans would find that far too strange to accept without live demonstrations and evidence.

Then came dinner, which went a lot like lunch, except there was dessert involved as well. The 5 humans nearly keeled over from delight at how sweet and delicious the fruit pastries were. Andre figured when word got out how good the food was in Equestria, all the time, people would convert in droves for that alone.

And so, as Andre went to sleep, he wondered what he would become by the end of the third day. He really didn't care much at that point, figuring whatever he became, he'd make do somehow. It's what he did up until now. While he was asleep, he wasn't visited by his nightmare again; instead by a disembodied voice that asked him a simple question:

There are two days left until the moment of truth. Do you have the will to grasp Power? Or will you simply be another also-ran?

Andre had no idea how to answer that question, but there was something that kept asking it of him, and he had to figure out an answer at some point.

=================

[ September 15, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

As the hours of the last day for Andre as a human ticked away, he decided he had to take care of some last things. He made peace with some of the people he argued with online. He made peace with some of the people he argued with in real life, albeit online as well. The problem that kept nagging at him, on top of everything else he was dealing with at the moment: Had he made peace with himself?

“So what are we going to call ourselves once all of this is done?” Andre asked of the other three friends of his as they looked at the other four people who’d be Converting before him.

“I thought about the Three Amigos Plus One, but that sounds really distant,” Ethan replied.

“Which is true, so… why not just call ourselves what we had been…” Natasha concluded.

“We should still be a group, regardless, and I’m sure you’ll still communicate with us as best you can, right Andre?”

“For sure, doesn’t matter how far apart we get,” Andre replied as he could see the trepidation in Kyoko’s eyes.

Jose and Enrique went in first and second. Sure enough, both had become Earth Pony stallions (Jose was brick red and Enrique slate gray). Sharing an awkward high-hoof after the process was all done for both, they resolved to keep in contact with each other even after they were done in Fillydelphia.

Samantha was next at third, and came out a beautiful ruby-red Unicorn mare. She was absolutely shocked at her mane - naturally curly, a perfect style to show youth and vitality. She wondered what kind of magic she'd specialize in, but figured the instructors in Canterlot would know the answer to that more than anyone else.

Alyssa was the fourth to go, and after slightly longer in the hopper, she came out a slender Pegasus mare with an electric purple coat. Visions of her soaring through the Equestrian skies, slinging clouds to and fro, raced through her head. She was audible in her giddiness to get to Cloudsdale; Andre remarking that all Pegasi seemed impatient to him.

Twilight then walked in, and called Andre's name, he was the last of the day. It seemed like his heart jumped up into his throat, as the repressed anxiety about the exact nature of Ponification started to hit him. He did manage settle down enough to give a hug to the other three Amigos, an extra long one to Kyoko. Kyoko was almost in tears, not sure of if they were sadness or joy. Natasha gave him a fist pound, telling him not to choke while in there. Ethan only gave a salute as he walked through the door to the underground labs, Andre responding with a thumbs-up before the door closed.

-----

When he walked out of the elevator to the examination and observation room, he was surprised that the rooms were basically being entirely run by Ponies, save one human technician. The Unicorns manipulated the electronic controls while the Earth Ponies and Pegasi all scurried about, moving machines or cleaning the floors, getting everything nice and clean for their next arrival.

It's a shame that only Unicorns can really use our tech well. Hopefully I can do something to help that once this is all said and done, He thought to himself, as he disrobed and put on the medical smock.

Twilight was already in the observation room, making sure there were no anomalies. She had direct lines to all manner of Pony doctors, if there was a post-transformation issue; the human technician there if there was some kind of electronics glitch that prevented proper observation. By being a Bearer of Harmony, she also had a direct line to Celestia and Luna, should something truly surprising, or catastrophic, happened.

"Alright Andre, since you are by all accounts a healthy and normal case, you will receive the standard serum," Twilight said into the microphone.

Andre looked over and saw the serum. It was a purplish color, smelled slightly of grapes, and there was a metallic sheen to the slightly viscous liquid.

"Now if you please, first lay on the bed, then drink the dosage of serum the attendant gives you. After 10 seconds you will fall asleep and the process will begin," Twilight said, all the while making sure the sensors in the wall were providing the proper readouts.

Alright then, here’s to a new me, I guess... he said, drinking the serum and then laying on his side.

May Celestia and Luna watch over you my friend, Twilight inwardly prayed.

=---- ----=

Andre soon found himself floating around the Astral Plane, not knowing his soul had been disloged from his body. He had no idea how much time was passing, and had no real way to tell. Soon, thousands of images flew by, showing seemingly random points in Equestrian history - the Founding, the Rise of Celestia and Luna, The Fall of Discord, and on it went until he began to see a massive heard of Ponies in all colors and sizes.

He saw 'flocks' of Pegasi in the skies, all colors of the rainbow,; some doing all manners of tricks in the heavens, while others managed the clouds with the assistance of their Weather Magic.

Flying without assistance... Controlling the weather... something mankind has only dreamed about... Andre said to himself

He saw Earth Ponies in the forests and fields, using their Life Magic tending to the tress and animals, growing whatever they needed to feed themselves and build with.

Taking care of the environment as a group... instead of just leaving it to a minority of activists...

He saw Unicorns in buildings and great Castles, practicing the Explicit Magic he was told; all sorts of spells - Levitation, Mind Reading, Fortune Telling.

The intellectual pursuits... all supported by each other for the benefit of everyone... instead of just trying to make a profit...

He felt at peace, almost as if the world itself was calling out to him. In fact, this Astral Projection of Equestria itself was calling out to him.

Welcome our new brother. We graciously await your arrival in our lands. Soon your heart shall be put at ease you embark on a new journey of self-discovery...

If he could have cried as a disembodied soul, he would have.

Immediately his vision was shifted, like a camera that panned up to the sky. He watched the sky cleanly divide itself into equal halves: the daytime half with the Sun bright and golden against the clear blue, and the nighttime half with the Moon brilliant and silver against the indigo with untold number of stars. The two heavenly bodies then descended came out the skies and began to form into ethereal version of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, sitting at a dual-throne in an equally ethereal Canterlot Castle. He suddenly saw himself sitting on a pictogram of the Elements of Harmony, which he innately recognized but could not tell why.

“Andre Bowman, we have heeded your request to join our herd,” Andre heard the phantasmal visage of Celestia speak with an eerie echo.

“You understand that this process is heretofore irreversible, correct?” the phantasmal visage of Luna asked with a stern but caring tone.

“Yes, I did request to join your Herd, and I do understand that this is irreversible,” Andre answered, with all manner of strength and resolve in his voice.

A bright flash of white went off, and Andre was suddenly faced with what appeared to be a pure-white Pony made out of light sitting right in front of him.

“This false Pony represents the Spark of Life and Magic that all Ponies possess; once your soul and this Spark are merged, it will begin the process of reformatting your body. Whenever you are ready, you need only touch the light before you,” the ghostly Celestia intoned.

Andre approached the equally ghostly Pony-shaped light, and did as he was instructed. As soon as he did, all present were startled by the mother of all BANGs echoing through the spiritual space.

=---=

As Twilight watched the transformation continuing as usual, she could feel a dramatic shift in the ambient mana of the area. Eventually, she realized it was coming from the examination room; there were two sources of mana where there should have only been one.

What in all... where is that other mana coming from? This doesn't make any sen.... OH MY CELESTIA!

It was then she saw the normally somewhat gleaming white body of a human undergoing transformation, suddenly become a positively radiating... blue?

SINCE WHEN DID THEY GLOW BLUE?!

She scrambled around trying to figure out if the readings or her own eyes were being false. Neither were as far as the sensors were concerned; according to them, nothing was out of the ordinary. But no human she converted ever glowed this bright, and DEFINITELY not anything but white. It was then she was suddenly struck with a realization, this was in all likelihood related to the visions the Princesses and other Bearers were sharing now!

Princess Celestia! Princess Celestia! We have a Code Blue! We have a Code Blue! she shouted telepathically to Princess Celestia, trying her best not to show outwardly the inward panic she was experiencing.

Code Blue... what in... wait... okay Twilight, I understand. Luna and I will deal with this right away... she heard back from Celestia, as herself and Luna began to manifest in the Astral Plane fully.

=---=

Andre's soul was in incredible pain, the normally gentle white glow had turned blue, his ‘body’ positively crackling with energy. "WHY... DOES... EVERYTHING... HURT!" he shouted, having no idea what was going on, as it felt like two distinct entities were fighting over his body and tearing him apart in the process.

"We are not sure, but we have our suspicions, and what is going on under you will reveal all soon." Princess Luna said, eyes narrowed, as Celestia and herself manifested in place of their Astral Projections.

The entire environment of the Astral Plane was now altered, transforming into in a cavern-turned-shrine. The image of the Six Elements of Harmony now replaced by a large circle. Said circle was completely gray, and covered with extremely faded runes; the magic it represented was extremely ancient and almost completely faded from either world’s collective memory

"I suspected as much. No wonder the images we saw in our visions were so obscured..." Princess Celestia said, as she looked at the circle Andre's soul was camped out on.

"Images... of... what?" Andre asked, as he struggled to formulate any kind of speech in the state he was in.

I believe I can answer that question... Suddenly spoke an ancient voice. The Royal Sisters recognized that voice as the same of their visions.

Princess Luna was absolutely stunned that voice would choose now to respond in the Astral Plane, "Sister, that's the voice from the visions of ourselves and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony!"

Princess Celestia was also surprised, as she looked around for some figure to focus her attention on. Not finding anything to focus her attention on besides Andre’s soul struggling to reconcile the two Magics, she spoke out in general, hoping the voice in question would respond, "Voice from our visions, we request that you explain what is happening before us. My sister and I feel that this has something to do what the visions you have sent to ourselves and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony."

The ancient voice then responded to the request of Celestia: Keepers of the Other World. You have done well in your machinations. While my world is dying, you are filling it with a new life, a new energy. However, my will still exists, and I must ensure that my legacy does not fade into oblivion.

"What you mean by 'your Legacy'?" Princess Luna asked.

Once again, the ancient voice responded: My Magic once flowed through this world, but an ancient Cataclysm forced me to seal it. Once it was sealed, the knowledge of Magic slowly faded from this world, to where it only exists and mere fairy tales to my Children. The introduction of your Magic, slight as it has been so far, has been enough to rekindle the desire for it in earnest.

My Magic is ancient - it is Power incarnate, but it lacks Will. Your Magic, it is Will in its purest form, but it lacks Power. Magic is incomplete without both Will and Power. Four of my Children retain Shards of my Power in its most elementary form. If those Children are exposed to your Magic... that Shard will regenerate, and a Conduit will be born. These Conduits will be for me what your Bearers are for you. Once all Ten Conduits and Bearers are fully realized, A New Age can be forged.

The ancient voice then began to address Andre specifically. Child, your soul bears one of these shards. Now you face a choice - to awaken that shard of my Magic comes with a Trial. One must face the very darkness that pervades their heart and conquer it, before they may be granted my Power. If you accept this Trial of the Soul and pass, you will be granted a Magic that no one from either World has seen in eons. If you accept but fail, your very soul will be destroyed and your body rendered lifeless and inert. The shard shall then embed itself in another of my Children's Souls. If you reject this Trial, your memory will be purged completely and the shard reassigned; while you would continue to live in the Body of one from the Other World, you will remember nothing of your life to this point as one of my Children.

Andre thought about this hard, through the very assault his soul was under. He then came to a realization, he is a Child of Terra; and even if he is in another form, he will forever be a Child of Terra. He also wanted to begin his life anew - if this world would offer him nothing, then he needed to move on to proverbial greener pastures.

Andre then gave his response to the Ancient Voice's question, "Lady... Voice... Whatever you are... I have 2 words for you: Trial Accepted."

He felt both the Spark of Terra and the Spark of Equestria leave his soul, floating as blue and white baseball-sized orbs respectively. The ancient voice then made one last statement before the Trial began:

Remember Child, you must overcome your darkness in order to embrace the light. Succeed, and you will begin walking the Path of Will and Power. Fail and you will only walk the Path of Oblivion. I pray for your ultimate success.

With that said, the scene shifted to something deeply familiar to Andre.

"No... not this.... not this again..." He said, his voice obviously quaking with fear. He recognized the form he was in, that twelve year old boy. On the boat. It was his nightmare again, this time in full force.

-----

The trial started exactly as his nightmare usually did. The boat began to bob and rock violently, the sea was churning like a storm was overhead. The sky was black as pitch, and the faceless masses shoved and bounced him around like a pinball as they tried to save themselves.

Mom, Dad, I'm right here... Please... help me... I don't want to get lost again.

He heard no answer though. Although he could see their figures, they just stood there like statues, ignoring his pleas.

Please... I'm begging you... help me... help me!

He continued to be bounced and knocked around, and just like in his nightmare, he crashed right through the supposed safety railing and fell into the sea below.

HELP! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME! Andre yelled as he thrashed around, trying to get anyone's attention.

The figures of his mother and father appeared at the edge of the boat, looking over the broken railing at their 'son' thrashing around in the roiling ocean.

Please Momma, Dad, help me, please get some help...

That is when he heard his ‘mother’ speak, that voice he tried to forget these last fourteen years: Then why didn't you do like we asked? All we asked you to do go to the schools we told you to. Go to the churches we told you to. You were such a disobedient child. Always running to my father whenever we made you do something you didn't want to. It was for your own good, though. The Domes don't accept troublemakers...

Andre was at his mental limit; his soul couldn't take this torture for much longer, as his glow began to fade.

But... I just wanted to be me... was that so wrong... I just wanted to find my own way...

His ‘mother’ began to speak again: I wanted so much for you. You could have had everything in the Domes. Everything a human could have always wanted. But no... you had to be an insolent little brat. So... I did what you always wanted; I left you with your precious grandfather. If you wanted to suffer outside like the rest of them, then so be it. I don't need a son that refuses to obey his own mother.

Andre was fading fast - his soul’s white glow now turning black. The human-like form he retained now starting to crumble under the crushing pressure of all the emotional trauma being dredged up. He was rapidly losing the will to live, the will to continue on...

I... why... how... no... it... nothing... nothing... that's all I am... nothing... that's all I'll ever be... nothing...

His ‘body’ continued to sink into the astral ocean, the pressure growing greater and greater. His soul nearly faded to black, and with it his life was ready to come to an abrupt end... but something else had other designs for him.

Andre... I thought I taught you better than that...

The new voice that surrounded him began to rekindle his will to live, his soul now glowing very faintly, but glowing nonetheless. He looked around the blue-black morass, trying to find whatever it was that was speaking to him now. Then he realized exactly who it was.

Grandpa? Is that you?

Andre, remember what I told you. No matter where you go, you will always carry your pride as a man. You cannot let the memory of your parents destroy that pride... to destroy your very being. You cannot let that anchor drag and hold you under. You are greater than that, and this world has greater things for you...

His ‘body’ came to a stop; his soul glowing brighter. He had enough of the self-destruction, the self-pity, the avoidance. If he wanted to live, he would have to come to some kind of catharsis, he’d have to cut that anchor that was dragging him into oblivion.

They left me with my grandpa because they didn't want me. But that was just them; my grandpa took me in with open arms. Even though he was one man in a world falling apart, he saw enough in me to raise me when they abdicated. Even after he died... I still carried his lessons, I still carried his spirit. I wanted to grow as a man, I wanted to make my place in the world the way I wanted to.

His soul was aglow now, like a soft nightlight in a pitch black room. As he continued on, he began to realize just what his grandfather was talking about when he kept referring to an ‘anchor’.

But that's not what my parents wanted... they wanted something of me I didn't want... they wanted me to be something I couldn't... I couldn't be a liar... I couldn't be a cheat... I couldn't be so... so false, so transparently false... a false piety, false ethics, all to justify their own selfishness...

Andre's soul regained its former radiance, now glowing like a lantern in the dark depths. The water that tried to drown him now was receding and formed a bubble around his soul’s ‘body’.

Those bastards in the Domes were no different; they preach delusions of their own grandeur and superiority... all for their own selfishness... They think themselves gods... They don’t control anything... None of them know what they are doing... so self-destructive... they'd kill the Earth itself if it got them another bauble, another trinket... I won't let that happen... I want everyone to have the Earth... I want everyone to share the Earth... Humans, Equestrians, Plant, Animal, whatever... the Earth is too precious to divvy up amongst some self-professed gods among Men.

His ‘soul’s body was now shining like a star as he began to come to his catharsis, and realized the path he now had to walk.

I WANT TO SAVE IT... I WANT TO SAVE THE EARTH... THEY CAN'T HAVE IT... I WON'T LET THEM HAVE IT... VOICE... I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE... BUT IF YOU HAVE POWER TO GRANT IT TO ME, THEN I WANT IT. I WANT THE POWER TO SAVE THE EARTH FROM ANYTHING THAT'D DESTROY IT!

So you have wished it, so it shall be granted!

The waters that once tried to drown him now supported him. The bubble that surrounded his soul while in the ocean now floated calmly on the surface, as the rest of said ocean reduced to blue particles of light. Eventually they coalesced back into the Blue Spark of Terra; the sphere rested on the back of the now Pony-shaped Spark of Equestria.

“These... sparks... they’re both mine?” Andre asked, obviously not knowing what was going on with either phantasmal form that sat in front of his own.

The ancient voice then took the tone of a being of great power. As you accept both Sparks of each World, you will be conferred the Body of their World. This will mark your rebirth as the Conduit of Water. There are still three other Conduits to find, and they must be found with the utmost urgency. Do not fear the Power that has been conferred to you; so long as you maintain your Will, it will bring you no harm.

The ancient voice's tone then shifted to that from a bearer of power, to that of a great matron. Before you return to the physical world... although you may occupy the body of the Other World, you will remain my Child. As a Child of Both Worlds, let no one convince you that you must forsake the other, nor forget the other in order to continue on your path of Life.

"Yes, I won't Voice. I most definitely won't forget," Andre said.

"We will not forget either,” Celestia said, as she and Luna reappeared before Andre in the cave-like shrine, “Now, Andre, shall we resume where we left off?"

"Yes, Princess Celestia. I’m ready now, more so than ever." Andre replied, voice full of energy and life.

Assuming the role as the Supreme Monarchs of Equestria, both Celestia and Luna asked, in unison, "Andre Bowman of Earth: do you accept both of these Sparks, - the Spark of Terran and the Spark of Equestrian Magic, so that we together may forge a New Age for both our Worlds?"

Andre answered, with no trepidation or regret, "Yes, yes I accept both of these Sparks and my role in forging the New Age to come."

Both Luna and Celestia nodded and smiled, and Andre breathed a sigh of relief. Princess Celestia then said, like a mother welcoming a new child, "Come my little Pony, come and forge a new path as a Child of Both Worlds."

Princess Luna then said, like a teacher welcoming a new student, "Come my little Pony, come and learn of your new Role in this great Cosmic Dance of Life."

Both said in unison, like the leaders and mentors they were, "Come our new little Pony, come and let us forge A New Age together!"

Andre's soul merged with both Sparks, feeling the calming waves washing over him as he embarked on the next phase of his life.

Don’t forget Andre, you’ll always carry your pride as a man... no matter where you are...

Thanks grandpa, I’ll definitely remember that...

=---- ----=

The exam room was still glowing a brilliant blue; and Twilight was glowing an equally brilliant violet as her Element of Magic began resonating with whatever force was coming from the exam room.

What is it... something is going on in there, My Element senses something, like it found a long lost brother... Twilight tried to ask Celestia telepathically, now visibly showing signs of having no idea of what was going on.

Yes Twilight, a long lost Power has begun to reawaken, kin to your Elements of Harmony. Celestia told her telepathically, she was already in transit and would be there in moments.

"A long lost Power... long lost Power... THE VISIONS!" Twilight said, dashing out the room, knocking over almost everyone and everything in her path. Thankfully door to the exam room was only ten feet away from the observation room’s door.

As soon as she opened the doors, she could feel the sheer magnitude of the magical force being exuded. She began to panic, fearing for the life of the human technician working in the exam room...

“Do not fear Twilight, the human assistant will not be affected by this particular outburst,” Celestia said as she manifested next to Twilight, outside of the exam room.

Twilight was still somewhat panicky as she reliped. "Why not?! I thought raw magic was lethal..."

"Raw Equestrian Thaumatic Radiation is lethal yes, this however is something born of Earth, not Equestria,” Celestia responded, wanting to see how the Bearer of this new Power would manifest for herself.

"Wait you mean....,” Twilight managed to say, finally beginning to realize the magnitude of what was going on in the exam room.

"Yes, as you will see in a few moments..."

The blue wave of energy began to subside, which the Pony technicians in the room were thankful for. The sheer pressure of the Magic being exuded from the cooling figure was making it incredibly difficult for anyone to breathe, even for the hardy Earth Pony assistants.

"Ugh... whole... everything... hurts..." said a male voice, body obscured by the sheer glow he was still putting out.

The wave now completely subsided, and the glare off the new body on the exam table cooled and dissipated. The figure that was left before Celestia, Twilight, and the remaining lab technicians was a Unicorn stallion. His coat a brilliant royal blue; and mane like color-desaturated cobalt powder with well-defined white streaks mixed in. On his chest and around his neck, a medallion made out of sapphires set in some strange pale blue metal. Twilight then saw the symbol, and was stunned by what it was - a very large yet seemingly simple raindrop, the Terran Element of Water.

Andre then opened his eyes, irises colored like sky itself. Although, as a male, his eyes weren't quite as big as Twilight's, they still covered much of his face.

Oh my Celestia... he's... he's... so handsome... Twilight thought, finding herself unable to stop staring at the Unicorn stallion that was getting to a seated position in front of her.

Andre then began to speak; same voice as before, but now dead tired from the metaphysical struggles he recently endured. "I take it... by Twi's reaction... the procedure... was a success?"

Celestia responded with all manner of warmth and comfort. "My new little Pony, it was a smashing success."

CH 6: Adjustments

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 6: Adjustments ===

[ September 15, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

The newly Ponified Andre, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Celestia all made their way back to the elevators that would lead the trio back to the ground floor of the Conversion Bureau. Despite the psychological pressure of standing next to what many Ponies regarded as, at the very worst, a demi-god, and the fact he was in a body he was very much unused to, he managed to walk with a gait that was fairly close to normal for someone his relative age.

"So have you started thinking of a second name for yourself when you get to Equestria? Andre?" Twilight asked.

Andre answered, with a bit of nervousness, "Honestly... I don't know... I mean I have ideas but, well, I kinda want to feel things out before I put anything on paper."

Meanwhile, the gears in Celestia's head were spinning wildly, due to the events on the Astral Plane. Most of the thoughts concerned the origins of that voice that spoke to them all and issued the relevant visions to herself, her sister, and the Bearers of Harmony.

Judging from how ancient and exhausted that voice sounded, we don't have much time to find the other Conduits... Celestia began to reason to herself.

Despite the exhaustion she and her sister could feel in the voice of that apparently ancient entity, it still either held or managed a great deal of raw force. Therefore, Celestia felt she needed to expedite the search for the other three Conduits.

At the same time though, to start converting humans en-masse would lead to incredible resistance, if not outright war. I will require some kind of precise lead… Celestia thought to herself, needing to balance this search with her wider mission.

"Man when I tell them what happened, they’re gonna flip. I mean, I thought that dream we all had was crazy, but none of us thought it was some kind of omen..." Andre said, talking to Twilight and wondering just how the other three Amigos were all going to react.

Dream... a collective dream... no wait. It was a Vision. That ancient voice was trying to contact Andre... Celestia thought after hearing Andre's passing remark.

Celestia stopped walking, deep in thought surrounding this revelation. The other two Ponies soon stopped once they ceased hearing the metallic hoofsteps of their Princess. Celestia looked at Andre to ask a question, trying her best not to seem intimidating; but there was some information she needed and needed quickly. "What was this dream that you speak of, and who were the others that you shared it with?"

"Oh yeah... you know the Trial that - whatever - put me through? Well I've been having something similar to that as recurring nightmare, and my three friends in the waiting room have been going through similar issues. I guess the difference was that the proverbial dam broke for me," Andre answered, sighing as he did. He had no idea what might have been plaguing his three friends while he was going through his own tribulations.

Well this certainly will expedite things. Those other three are most likely the other candidates. Hrm, very interesting indeed... Celestia thought to herself. Andre and Twilight could swear they saw a smirk on her face.

----- -----

"Oh my God..."

"He is so... so..."

"HE'S SO CUTE I JUST WANT TO HUG HIM!!"

No sooner than Andre stepped out of the elevator with Princess Celestia and Twilight, he was bowled over by Kyoko. Ethan and Natasha stood stunned by the sight they saw, while Kyoko was as giddy as a 5-year old girl being handed a plush toy she had been begging for, for weeks on end. She had Andre in a veritable bear hug around his upper chest and neck while kneeling on the floor, completely overcome with emotion. Andre, for his part, appreciated the affection as much as he could, while marveling at Kyoko’s iron grip despite her slender frame. Andre also groused somewhat that he now only stood at slightly above Ethan’s hip, and was probably only half his weight on top of that.

"Wow, squeezing pretty hard there Kyoko..." Andre said, thankful his neck was incredibly sturdy.

"But you're so soft and cuddly and you smell like blueberries I think..." Kyoko said, clearly not wanting to let go of the living plush she had in her grip.

Hrm... she's right, you wouldn't think this place was staffed mostly by equine-derivatives... wonder if that's a part magic as well... Natasha thought to herself, also noting the lack of smell of livestock.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't smell like blueberries Kyoko, I mean that's just..." Ethan started. He was going to say it was silly to think that, but then again he was talking to three talking equines of various sizes and colors, all quite capable of very strange things. To think they'd smell like fruit, or whatever the heck, wouldn't have been surprising all things considered.

"So, you thought of a new name for yourself yet, Artist Formerly Known as Andre?" Natasha asked, almost jokingly.

"Actually, Twilight asked me that while we were walking here, but no, I hadn't settled on anything yet. I was gonna take a couple of days to let it rattle around in my head. I don't want to have to fill out any name change petitions or anything when I get to Equestria and formally register as a citizen, or whatever I might have to do when I get there," Andre responded.

Celestia then cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the three humans and other two Ponies there.

"Not to be a 'buzzkill', I believe the term is, but you will not be going to Equestria just yet. Although you will be taking the introductory classes here in the Rehabilitation Center, I will have Twilight personally tutor you in the use of basic Unicorn Explicit Magic until some other business has been taken care of."

Everyone there stood (or knelt) in silent shock, especially a certain mulberry Unicorn.

Wait what... I'm gonna be somepony's private tutor?! Twilight thought to herself. Always having been someone's student, she had no idea how she was going to teach somepony else, and then a Newfoal on top of that.

Celestia then continued, "Although I am trying to figure out the details myself. There was a complication during Andre's Conversion that required my full and undivided attention. As far as I can tell, whatever this being is, is attempting to preserve its legacy. It also appears that our Ponification project tied into the preservation of said legacy. Andre here will have a hoof in that, but there are three others, that are in similar situations, that we will have to keep a close eye out for."

Ethan, Kyoko, and Natasha suddenly went pale. The words Celestia was speaking began to resonate in their minds, reminding them of the lurking darkness that bound the four of them together to begin with.

I... I just wanted to fly... but... I... why...

No... I'm real... I'm a real girl... I'm not some experiment... how could...

Mother? Did you really... how... no... none of this makes any sense...

They snapped out of it as quickly as those thoughts came, however. The lurking darkness receded back to its hiding place; but it was now clear - some more things were due to change before long.

==========

[ September 23, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

It had been a week since Andre’s Conversion, and as he got in a final bit of rest before he left the Bureau for good, he thought over the last week he had with the rest of his Conversion-mates, as it were.

I’m glad that they are all squared away to go to Equestria now. As much as I am nervous for still being on Earth, I’m fairly sure that… experience I had and Celestia’s judgment to have me remain here with Twilight will work out in the end.

His gait was much more solid now, and he could even run a little bit. He trotted over to a mostly one-way window and look out at the sickly-yet-still-hanging-on trees as his eyes tracked toward the wilderness area.

A sight like this used to make me angry, but now… I really don’t feel rage; annoyance for sure, and a deep urge to do something yes, but not really… angry. Is that the new Pony body? Maybe it’s just me starting to mature from that experience… who knows…

As he trotted back to his bed and looked at the things he had packed, including a prototype hoof-board Dr. Jun had worked on with a few of the Pony technicians. He looked at the slim, very-durable, mat-like keyboard, and marveled a bit how something even as oblique-looking as his own, newly-acquired hooves could still have such precision.

“I wonder what other changes are going to come out of this. I mean key-mats have never really caught on in all these years. Maybe it’d take a total loss of digits for it to this time.”

Andre chuckled a bit as he let his mind drift some more, lying on his back in his bed.

----- -----

Twilight Sparkle sat in her office, glad for the few moments away from the ever increasing hustle and bustle of the Bureau lobby. The fact that she saw a few more under-thirty people walking through her doors meant the word on Conversion was starting to penetrate deeper into the public consciousness, especially the always mercurial online communities of those who human society considered ‘young adults’.

While she would have thought more of the matter, there were some more pressing issues on her mind, mainly the new project dropped directly into her hooves by her mentor and Princess.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but… why does Princess Celestia think I should be taking on a private student at this stage of things. I mean I have the Bureau to run, and I have my own continuing studies in Friendship. I mean my mind is tied down constantly trying to figure out how humanity ticks from a psychological perspective,” Twilight mused morosely as she twirled around a bit in her swiveling chair. She chuckled a bit, internally, at how well the humans’ furniture could scale up or down, depending on whom she needed to interface with and what kind of authority she needed to project.

Spike continued tapping away at a portable game console, a refurbished and upgraded older model, courtesy of Dr. Jun. He needed something while he was Earth-side with Twilight, and spending all of his time having Dr. Hayato poking at him (being the only live Dragon he’d have access to) did not strike his fancy as a worthwhile passage of time. He noticed the tension in the voice of his adoptive sister, and attempted to throw out a nice softball for her to belt over the nearest metaphorical fence. “So what do you think of Celestia’s whole ‘Student being the Teacher’ bit?”

“WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT IT?!” Twilight shouted, before realizing who and what she was talking about. “I’m sorry Spike; but I am a bit flustered, as you can tell. She knows I’m trying to run this place and I’m still a student myself and…” the mulberry Unicorn began to ramble, letting her words get out ahead of any logical organization her frontal lobe tried to place upon said words.

“Ok, Twi, just stop. Do you really think the Princess would drop this on you if she thought you couldn’t handle it? You just need to calm down, and think of a good way to get Andre to realize his own abilities. I really don’t think you are gonna have to hoof-hold somepony like him through this,” Spike said reassuringly, doing his best to seem like a wise younger brother.

“I know, I… I do need to calm down about this. But then there is that alternate Element that Andre has, too…” Twilight thought, as she was looking up at the door, to see if anyone was going to interrupt this potentially sensitive conversation.

“Wait, ‘alternate’ Element? He’s not holding some kind of hidden Element of Harmony is he?” Spike replied with a highly surprised tone, getting him on his feet out of his lounging basket.

“What?! No NO NO… this is something related to, probably, but not an Element of Harmony. It doesn’t feel like our magic at all. But at the same time, it feels like it would match up with our magic perfectly. It’s… it’s really hard to say for absolutely sure…” Twilight groaned, inwardly furious there was a magic she knew nothing about.

“So the new Pony you’re now in charge of… is holding an artifact of power that nopony seems to know exactly what it is? Sounds very odd to me,” Spike mused as he leaned back in a reclining position, using the bean-bag like cushion in his basket like, well like a bean bag.

“I know. That’s why I’m so nervous. I just don’t want something to happen to Andre while I’m trying to help him through this,” Twilight said with a returning measure of worry in her voice.

“Look, Twilight, you’re gonna figure this out. You eventually sort everything else out. And I’m sure the Princesses and the other Elements are going to be right there with you as you do. Knowing the Princesses, they’re probably going to lump any-pony else that comes along like Andre with you all, to get you all in the same place,” Spike concluded, reasonably sure in his prediction.

“Well… yeah I can see that happening. I guess I should hope we find the other three Elements that are related to Andre’s Water Element quickly. Dunno how the Princesses are gonna pull that off though,” Twilight concluded for herself, not without grumbling at the last part though.

“Twilight, I don’t want to sound too crass, but you really need to learn how to let the right Ponies worry about something. The world isn’t going to spin off its axis if you don’t solve every problem yourself, you know…” Spike said, patting Twilight on the back as she was looking out of the window toward the slightly off-color blue sky above.

Twilight motioned as if she was going to respond to her more-or-less adoptive younger brother, but decided it was better to just let the idea wash over her some.

I really do need to let things sort themselves out more. But I… I dunno… am I really that much of a control freak?

----- ----- ----- -----

Do you think Twilight Sparkle will be safe with that unrealized source of Power in her care?

I won’t say there is no risk involved. But I don’t believe there is strong chance for anything, I would guess, explosive happening.

In a past life ‘Tia, we were the ones sitting on a powder keg waiting to go off.

True, Lulu. It was only a matter of time until we found the actual source of the power that helped us shape our own land.

Hopefully we will have time to help the Earthlings do the same for their homeworld…

----- ----- ----- -----

-= Later that Evening =-

“You lose half your height, and suddenly your perspective on everything shifts,” Andre mused aloud, as he walked through the hallway with Dr. Jun as he returned to his refurbished room on the inn-side of the Isegawa’s facilities.

“Well dear, I am fairly sure you contemplated that before you underwent the procedure, no?” Dr. Jun asked, hopeful Andre didn’t just blindly dive into Ponification as she feared some of the younger would do.

“Well of course I thought about it. Then again I also assumed that I would be on the way to Equestria right now as well. Turns out fate has something else in store for me,” Andre sighed as he slipped out of the saddle-bag he was carrying the whole time.

“Ah yes, Twilight did tell me there was some kind of incident during your Conversion, and now she is to personally assist you in learning Unicorn Magic, correct?” Jun recalled, having gotten advanced word from Twilight after she finally settled down and started thinking on what to do with Andre in the near future.

“Yeah, I dunno how exactly the whole… ‘tutoring’ thing is going to work. I trust Twilight to figure something out though, she looks good for it,” Andre responded, as he clambered in the bed to set his keymat and his monitor to his liking alongside.

“Hey Andre, you mind if Kyoko and myself join my lovely wife in there with you?” Andre heard from a familiar slightly gruff middle-aged Japanese man.

“Sure Dr. Hayato. I mean it is your facility and all, I can’t exactly make you stay out if I really don’t want to,” Andre started with some bit of nervousness.

“Oh come on Andre, this is as much your home now too,” Kyoko said as she bounded onto the slightly shorter than usual bed, landing with a bit of an ‘oof’ and forcing Andre a few inches toward her.

The Doctors Isegawa smiled a bit at the scene of their daughter beaming next to a somewhat nervous blue Unicorn that was still her not-quite-boyfriend, before Hayato decided to get to the gist of his mild intrusion.

“Now then, Mister Andre, care to regale us with your out-of-body-experience?” Hayato asked, playing the part of the interested potential father-in-law to perfection.

“Yeah, well, you will have to forgive me if it sounds a bit too psycho-babbly and abstract; it is kind of a personal reflection or something. Anyway…” Andre started as he began recounting his harrowing internal struggle.

----- -----

“I must say, if I can think one English word to sum up that story, it would be tribulation,” Hayato stated with heavy sigh, starting to appreciate more why Andre was so reticent to not speak in clear terms about his parents those weeks ago.

“The thing I am trying to figure out, just as someone looking at this for the first time, is why your parents saw fit to keep the absolute bare minimal contact with you in all these intervening years?” Jun asked, concerned for Andre’s future should word about his new ‘status’ leak to his parents somehow.

“I honestly cannot tell you, and I am really struggling to find the nerve to care at this point. I just want to move forward as best as I can, because that is what I have been doing to this point. The more I sit here and wonder what my parents would have said about my life until now, and what my life might be going forward, the more I think I’m going to be stuck,” Andre said, with a resolute firmness in his voice.

“You know I’m gonna be right here with you, right Andre?” Kyoko added, as she stole another hug from the Pony now slightly more than half her size.

“Ahh! Yeah! Right!” Andre quickly responded, not wanting to accidentally say something (or make some noise) that’d give anyone any untoward thoughts.

----- -----

Meanwhile, Twilight hummed to herself as she tapped away at a keymat, rummaging through various fictional media properties the humans had preserved and developed to find a good analogue for Unicorn Explicit Magic. She couldn’t wait to move into a bigger room that the Isegawa’s were having put together for the rest of the Elements of Harmony and the prospective Elements of Terra; feeling a bit constricted by the piles of books and several monitors she had commandeered from unused terminals.

Hrm, this looks interesting… Twilight thought to herself as she chanced upon a good slate of characters. After some further research, she found that she had found an old web encyclopedia for Pocket Monsters (aka Pokemon). Especially one type of Pokemon in particular.

Yeah, I can use the descriptions of these Psychic Monsters as a good example; this should work really well!

===== ===== =====

[ September 24, 2080 – Earth ]

A couple of days later, after managing to wrangle a day off for herself, Twilight and Andre were standing out in a field in the back of the clinic-complex. They wanted to be out of the direct line of sight of any passers-by, seeing as the clinic still had a respectable human patronage trying to get some treatment without having to wait an interminable length of time in a horribly overcrowded hospital. Wanting to avoid damaging any expensive equipment, Twilight and Andre set up a portable terminal outside, so the Doctors Isegawa could watch the proceedings. What Andre saw before him were several blocks, the same size but each a different color as to be easily recognized.

Twilight began, adopting glasses to give the effect of a schoolteacher. "Alright Andre, Today we are going to commence your first lesson in Unicorn Explicit Magic. Explicit Magic is drawing the Mana of Equestria in order to will something to happen. Generally, we use it with tools to perform tasks that require precision, such as working with fine materials or intricate weaving. Anyway, the spell you've been using so far is known as Grab and Hold. Knowing this spell will certainly allow you to survive in Equestria, but it won't allow you to thrive."

She will make an excellent professor one day, should she choose that route… Dr. Jun thought to herself as Twilight continued on with her introductory remarks.

Twilight duly continued, "I want you to recall the older video game franchise of 'Pocket Monsters', or 'Pokemon' as it was more commonly referred to."

Andre's mind perked up at this comparison, his grandfather having quite enjoyed the game series for much of his life, and he did as well to large extent.

"Recall the Psychic-class of Monster. Their techniques depended upon any combination of three ideas: projection of force, manipulation of a target's mind, and/or alteration of space and time within a discrete area. Now the Grab And Hold spell is actually a very well designed beginners spell - for it teaches to project one's force, but also the ability to stabilize that force so that one can continually interact with the target. That brings us to today's lesson. We'll be practicing projecting force as a Unicorn. So the basic premise is for you to levitate each block and then 'throw' it as far and as straight as you can down this marked field"

She then pointed out to the 10-yd markings going off into the sickly-looking backwoods, all in all about 200 yards worth of 10-yard lines with 1 yd. markings down the center.

With a brief snort, Andre looked at the blocks, and the field. He could tell by the size that they were all different weights. And seeing as this was basically a diagnostic exam, he saw no real reason to dawdle. So with his electric blue magical grip, he began throwing the blocks downfield: the one lb. block went 70 yds, the three lb. block 63 yds, the five lb. block went 32, the ten lb. block traveled 25 yards, and the 20 lb block only got a scant 10 yds. before he had to stop out of exhaustion.

“I… I had no idea that casting drained a pony so much, physically…” Andre managed to ‘gasp’ out as he sucked in as much oxygen as he could.

“That was a good attempt, especially for someone only a couple of weeks into being a Unicorn. But if you’ll indulge me…” Twilight said with a bit of playful tone.

Andre wondered where Twilight was going with this as she teleported all of the blocks back to their normal positions. That is until he saw Twilight’s face go from jovial to deadly serious in an instant.

Oh boy… was all the blue stallion could think.

All five blocks went flying downfield, one after another, as if they were launched out of a trebuchet. The one and three lb. blocks went flying past the marked field into the woods, which had to be have been at least 250 yds., the five lb. block went 190 yds., the ten lb. block 175, and the twenty lb. block about 160 yds. downfield.

The scariest thing to Andre was not the force exerted by Twilight Sparkle, but the almost nonchalant ease by which she exerted that force.

“No wonder you’re the Element of Magic,” Andre said with an awe-filled tone, once he got over his momentary speechless-ness.

“That was just a bit of the strength I’ve developed over the years. I don’t say that to intimidate you, but you do have to understand that you have only been in your body for a couple of weeks, so you will end up straining and stretching to perform like that,” Twilight started, her tone even and supposedly non-judgmental, though Andre was visibly soured by her choice of words. “But that is the whole point. Magic is like a muscle: it has to be stressed and exercised before it can grow.”

Andre sighed as he looked out at the field, and the blocks that were returned to the end line in front of him. “I guess I better get to ‘stretching’ then…” he thought aloud as he picked up the twenty lb. block in his grip, and did his level best to throw it as far and as straight as he could.

A short while and lots of physical exhaustion later, Andre stared at the twenty lb. block, almost trying to get into its non-existent mind.

You are going past that fifty-yard line even if I pass out doing it!!

Twilight could tell Andre was physically and spiritually strained, and her concern regarding her new charge was evident. “Andre, I really think we should just take a break now, there is no sense in going until you collapse from exhaustion.”

“Just give me one more crack at it, I know I can hit the fifty yard line.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted slowly out to the indicated marker. “If it will help things along, I’ll just sit here and act as a marker for you!”

Andre waved in acknowledgement, not really wanting to shout downfield. As Twilight moved off the center line, he turned his attention to the block again.

Alright, let’s see what I have left for this…

Andre’s muscles tensed, as his horn lit up, wrapping the 20 lb. cube in his aura for his last throw of the day, either way. He searched in his mind for any remaining reserve of mana, anything at all he could use to launch this cube to the goal line he set for himself.

I’m almost out of energy as it stands. I’ll barely be able to lift a pen or a stylus at this rate…

He continued searching, hoping he didn’t run empty before he even had a chance to make a throw.

I just… I just… wait…

He began to feel a source of power that was right there for the taking within him, but it felt like it was walled off. In his desperation to reach his goal right then and there, he began to mentally break the wall down.

All I need is just a little bit, so I can call this done!

Twilight, stood out at the fifty-yard line, just far enough for the exact facial features of Andre to be obscured by distance, but still close enough to feel his spirit and mana flow.

This is weird, did he have some kind of second reserve?

Before long though, she figured out what was going on.

Wait a minute, that mana doesn’t feel Equestrian at all… oh no…

In the moment she took to formulate a final assessment of what Andre was dealing with, she heard a rather loud bang.

“Oh no…” she quietly said to herself as she watched a flare of blue energy fly out from Andre like he was sitting in front of a geyser.

Boy that didn’t sound goo— Andre thought before he was interrupted by the sudden onset of rushing water…

… a LOT of rushing water.

Which was then joined by the sound of a frightened Unicorn newfoal suddenly finding himself at the crest of a rushing wave of the purest water anyone had seen outside of a Dome in sometime.

“SOMEONE GET ME OFF THIS THING!!”

---

“SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF THE WAY OF THAT THING!!” Twilight shouted before she was swept away along with Andre into the woods behind the Isegawa Clinic.

---

“Well, that was unexpected,” Dr. Jun thought aloud.

“I should go get the truck started; we might have to go looking for them…” Dr. Hayato added.

I hope they’re gonna be alright after this accident… Kyoko thought to herself, fraught with concern.

---

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Twilight shouted as she could not think of anything except holding on to the blue stallion and pray there were no trees directly in their path.

“I don’t know. I felt something go BANG, and then this!” Andre shouted as some of the latent magic was allowing them to ‘float’ along the edge of the wave instead of being swamped underneath.

The two Unicorns, still holding on for dear life, were slung and sloshed around dead and dying tree after dead and dying tree. At least they were until they reached a brief clearing. And saw one tree that was far more robust than the rest that the wave easily pushed aside or knocked over entirely.

All Andre saw was a flash of magenta, and all he could feel was a thud before he was knocked out cold.

-----

“Well they stopped; I guess we should be thankful. At least somewhat,” Dr. Jun sighed, as she could guess to what their sudden cessation of motion probably meant, along with the wave of water near them petering out.

“Thankfully the bands I asked them to wear are still working and reporting they are still alive. Let’s hope they aren’t too badly injured,” Dr. Hayato added, as he turned the truck into the woods now that the rushing water had ceased.

-= Later that Evening =-

“Owww, my everything hurts…” Andre moaned as he awoke, briefly catching a glimpse of the flashing blue timer on his far-side monitor.

“I’ve been… out for five hours?!” Andre shouted before wincing in pain. Finding he couldn’t get to his hooves like wanted to, between the lack of stability on his bed and the searing pain along his side, starting from his chest and his abdomen going back toward his rear.

“Hey Andre, I heard you shouting from the hall. You know you aren’t supposed to be moving around so suddenly!” Kyoko chided, as she walked in with a fresh set of bandages and some solvent to help dissolve the glue so that she wouldn’t pull up any of Andre’s newly acquired coat changing them; along with a super-cloth towel to clean him up otherwise.

After a few moments of failing to get to a vertical base, Andre just resolved to lay on his belly (gently) and receive his impromptu guest. “Like I shouted, I’ve been out for five hours? Last I could remember it was about 2 PM, and now it’s almost 8.”

Kyoko put some on of the solvent on a super-towel and began dabbing it against the old tape still on Andre’s body, which caused him to wince due to the chill and the sting of the chemicals. Thankfully the solvent worked as intended as she gently peeled the old tape off and began rubbing down Andre with a topical pain reliever and some old-fashioned soap and water.

“I bet that feels a lot better doesn’t it…” Kyoko said, as she continued massaging the pain reliever along with cleaning around Andre’s abdomen.

“Y… yeah it really does…” Andre said, much more calmed down.

Once Kyoko was done with her cleaning, she noticed how Andre’s blue coat was rather scraggly looking, like someone had mussed up strip of velvet.

“Say, do you have a hair or coat-brush I could use? I guess I didn’t clean you right if your coat is all mussy like this,” Kyoko asked innocently as she looked around the floor and the dressers for anything with blue hair in it that would have telegraphed it being his brush.

“I… um… I keep in that drawer, top on the left hand said,” Andre said haltingly, embarrassed at his leering at Kyoko when she bent over occasionally.

Kyoko rummaged through the drawer a bit, and found what she was looking for. After a quick step into a nearby bathroom to clean and rinse the brush in warm water and soap, she returned, almost with a devious glint in her eyes.

“In any case Andre, seems that your coat is rather, out of place. Would you want me to brush it~?” Kyoko asked as she sat next to Andre on his bed again.

“I… sure… go ahead!” Andre replied excitedly, which caused him to blush through his blue coat.

Kyoko chuckled as she started along his back, which got a nice soft moan out of the stallion.

“So… what exactly happened to you two out there,” Kyoko asked as she ran the brush along the Andre’s back and spine.

Andre swished his tail reflexively, each two beats matching one of Kyoko’s brush-strokes, his mind calmed greatly by the sensations. “Eh… I was trying to pull up energy for throwing that heavy block I had in my grip, and then I must have pulled the wrong kind of energy because it turned into a literal washout after that. Twilight said she hadn’t felt anything like it, so we’re at a loss to explain it.”

Kyoko motioned for Andre to roll over, which he eventually complied with despite some consternation. He folded his forelegs across his chest as he laid on his belly, shifting his weight as to not put pressure on the side of his ribcage that was in pain.

“This is really embarrassing, Kyoko” Andre groaned in discontent.

Kyoko just giggled as she put the brush to his belly, which quickly flipped Andre’s discontent into giggling pleasure.

“Stop it, it tickles~!” Andre choked out, laughing because of how weird his highly sensitive ventral side was making him feel.

“Oh come on stop kicking~, I’m never gonna get this belly fur straightened out~” Kyoko teased, as she managed to brush quite effectively despite Andre’s constant squirming.

After finally getting Andre’s back and belly smoothed out, Kyoko decided to be a little daring. “Oh Andre… could lie right here across my lap for a bit~”

Andre was understandably choked up (a lot). “R-r-r-really, but I… I… just… can… well…”

“Something the matter, Andre~” Kyoko teased.

“N-n-no, just… I… um…” Andre continued the stammer as he gently laid his head and neck across the soft skirt Kyoko was wearing.

“Alright, see that wasn’t so bad… now just let me do this…” Kyoko said with a soothing tone as she quietly brought the brush near the base of Andre’s ears.

----

Twilight walked down the hall, near Andre’s room, still rubbing her back near her flanks while a cooling pack was gently strapped near the same spot. She was briefly startled when she heard a half-masculine yelp from the half-open door.

I know I shouldn’t pry… but I can’t help myself…

She peered inside, and saw a surprising but comforting sight. Andre laid out on his bed in about the most relaxed state a Pony could be short of being asleep, and Kyoko smiling gently ‘overhead’, as she ran the brush along his neck and through his mane.

“That’s so nice…” Andre said airly, all of the strum-und-drang from earlier in the afternoon now the furthest thing from his mind.

They make a really good couple… I hope it all works out for them in the long run… Twilight thought to herself, as the sight took her mind off her more minor aches in her literal backside.

----- ----- ----- -----

It seems you are getting used to your new body now... Andre.

Yeah... I am.

Have you chosen a new name for yourself, when you cross to over the Aurora Barrier?

Yeah... I did

Well, my little Pony, what is your new alias?

Blue Vague, I'd like to be known as Blue Vague, vague being French for a wave of water, deriving from the language of the ancestors of my home.

Well then, Andre, also now known as 'Blue Vague', this news shall be relayed to Twilight Sparkle and the other Bearers.

Wait... the other Bearers?

CH 7: Fight And Flight

View Online

=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 7: Fight and Flight ===

[ October 02, 2080 – Seattle, USA ]

It was another rainy, autumn night in Seattle. Ethan tossed and turned in his bed; his nightmares continuing to plague his psyche.

----- -----

He had managed to get a pass into the Seattle Domes for the day, and decided to go to the airport to register for a pilots permit. When he listed his address, the manager just laughed at the fact this Outsider fool was trying to get a permit. Nevertheless, he approved the permit and showed Ethan to the hangar where the beginners’ planes rested.

Why was he laughing like that, it said that all qualified comers could get permits...

Ethan was in the air now. The plane was somewhat beat-up and rickety, but it was holding well enough in the air by his standards. His father and grandfather were some of the last remaining Outsider pilots, getting a license before the AIs took over as pilots for general purpose aircraft. He saw no better way to honor them than to become a pilot himself, even if he had to jump through a lot more hoops to do it.

Man look at the ground, I can see the Domes, and the slums... beautiful and depressing...

Then a pair of strange looking jets appeared out of nowhere and had him flanked on each end. They were sending signals for him to land and return his plane. He sent the relevant information that he had proper clearance to fly and everything. That's when things started to go south, and fast.

OUTSIDERS LIKE YOU AREN'T ALLOWED IN THE SKIES!!

The booming voice resounded everywhere Ethan could perceive. It was definitely not coming over the com-link, but he really didn't have any time to wonder what the hell he was hearing. In a flash, the planes broke their flanking formation in order to tail him. Then... BOOM! Ethan and his aircraft were rocked by a pair of missiles taking out both wings, and with it any power for him to stay airborne.

What the hell... why.... WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!

Ethan tried to eject, but the seat didn't work. The fuselage had become a rapidly falling coffin. Ethan was going to be an example; an example to the rest of the Outsiders that slum rats did not deserve to be in the air.

Someone... SOMEONE... Help me... I'M STUCK, SOMEONE HELP ME... PLEASE!

The fuselage was disintegrating, and before long Ethan was in pure free-fall, with no parachute or anything to slow him down before a terminal impact.

I just wanted to fly... I just wanted to fly... I just wanted to fly...

He was not flying, but falling... falling... falling... and before he hit the ground... nothing. Then he woke up, body covered in a cold sweat.

----- -----

Ethan snapped awake, heart pounding and body dripping in sweat despite the climate-controlled apartment he slept in.

Every goddamn night it’s the same thing over and over again. Even when I’m with Natasha I got this horror film playing in my head constantly.
Ethan felt he was being thrown through a wringer; and it was starting to wear him down mentally.

“Ethan… I can see you’re awake. I guess you must have had a replay on that nightmare you’ve been complaining about these last couple of months…” Natasha said over their private-link. Ethan and Natasha had taken to keeping a private video-link open and on stand-by with each other, ever since their nightmares had begun to intensify in the preceding several weeks.

Ethan sighed as he looked at the monitor on his terminal. “Yeah. Honestly I’m just sick and tired of it. Ever since I’ve gotten out of the service, this whole need to get back into the air won’t go away; and neither will the airports refusal to grant me a pilot’s license. Same bullshit about not letting anyone outside the Domes set foot in a human-operated cockpit except on a guided tour.”

Natasha was inwardly distressed she couldn’t be there to physically comfort her boyfriend, but held her countenance firm, or at least as firm as she could manage at three in the morning. “I wish everything was, as one could say, sunshine and rainbows on my end, but my own nightmares seem to refuse to leave me either. And then, on top of that, my superior has just dumped a rather strange case in my lap.”

“A strange case?” Ethan asked, his interest piqued by the sudden turn in the tone of voice of his girlfriend.

“Yeah, we have an informant we are trying to get open up about a local Mafia family, so I’m gonna be shuttling between Boston and New York City for the foreseeable future,” Natasha replied, hoping she didn’t have to spend that much time in Manhattan.

“That’s kinda rough, but when you have a job to do, you do it, right?”

“Right.”

Ethan looked at his messages from the previous evening he hadn’t read through yet, and saw a couple from Andre.
Man, Andre can really type. I guess he has to concentrate more since no fingers, but this is still impressive.

“You know, our mutual, blue, and obviously Converted friend has made me think…” Ethan started, noting Natasha still hadn’t signed off yet.

“Yeah Ethan?”

“Do you think it’s time for us to take the plunge?”

“Eventually, although you know how work is. I would suspect being able to go ‘under’ until this with the informant is settled, at the earliest.”

“And we probably won’t have an opportunity for personal time until then, anyway.”

“I doubt it…”

“So I guess that settles it, I’ll go first. Problem is when, honestly,”

The two lovers looked at each other with resolve through the camera, and both chuckled with mild bemusement about the decision they had both come to.

“So we really just made this life-altering decision at three in the morning Eastern Time?” Ethan said as he looked up at the ceiling.

“It seems so. You and Andre can be more impulsive than you realize,” Natasha chided briefly.

“Well, I know you’ll be there to back me up. Let’s hope Kyoko will be there to back Andre up,” Ethan mused before yawning.

[ October 05, 2080 – Seattle, USA ]

It was the middle of the afternoon, and Ethan was walking around his apartment, dealing with a rather severe case of intermittent boredom. Ever since Natasha had been assigned to the hot case she couldn’t, by law, speak of other than the fact that it kept her busy all day and night. So that left him in-between worrying about his own internal issues, and trying to find a distraction that’d keep him from said issues. With little else to do, he decided to talk to a certain literally blue friend of his.

“Yo Andre, if you’re free, can you come to a terminal? I wanna chat with you about something,” Ethan spoke into the microphone. The terminal duly recorded the message and sent it off to Andre’s account.

About three minutes later, Ethan got a video-link to the Isegawa Laboratories. “Yeah man, you wanted to talk to me?” Andre replied, with a thick towel in his telekinetic grip.

“It seems like Miss Sparkle has been running you hard again…” Ethan chuckled, noticing how Andre was still breathing a little heavy.

“You can say that. That mare certainly isn’t shy about saying where you are lacking in your studies. Then again given her position, she has every right to talk about Ponies when it comes to stuff like that,” Andre responded, looking to see if Twilight had come back inside yet.

“It’s good to see you are adjusting well.”

“Yeah, it’s been a little easier than I thought it would be, but I think that’s because I’m not doing anything particularly strenuous yet.”

Ethan looked around, thinking to himself for a bit, before he finally decided he may as well just cut to the chase. “Andre, um… Natasha and I have been thinking that we both wanted to undergo Conversion. I mean, she’s been confiding in me that her job has been leading to some increasing stress on her part. And I’m just kinda sitting here spinning my wheels and not going anywhere.”

“So you’ve come to me for advice or something?” Andre interrupted.

“In a sense; or at least the perspective of someone that’s already gone through it.” Ethan acceded.

“Well it’s fairer to say I’m still going through it. I don’t know how long it will take me to really feel more like Blue Vague than Andre Bowman.” Andre corrected, as Twilight was walking past the terminal he was sitting at.

“Oh is that Ethan?” Twilight asked, her attention drawn to the slightly copper-skinned man on the video-chat window.

“Yeah it’s me. How are you doing Miss Sparkle?” Ethan responded.

“Please, you can call me Twilight. I mean we do have a mutual friend and acquaintance now, isn’t that right Vague?” Twilight said, giggling a bit as nudged Andre in the shoulder.
Andre chuckled a bit at Twilight calling him by his new Pony name. “Yeah that’s true enough now.”

“Anyway, I’m… actually kinda embarrassed at the reason that prompted me to think seriously about Conversion,” Ethan stated with an obvious tone of embarrassment.

“Huh, what is it?” Andre and Twilight asked in unison, both a bit surprised they thought of the same phrasing.

“Alright, well here goes nothing,” Ethan started, as drew in a deep breath. “Andre, you know how I’ve been trying for a long time to get my civilian’s pilot license, right?”

“Yeah…” Andre responded, thinking internally he could see where Ethan’s logic was going.

“Well, at some point in the last three days, I got to thinking: even if by some miracle I got my pilot’s license from one of the Dome-owned airports, where exactly could I go and what could I do with that plane. I mean it’s not like I could just fly anywhere, and at any time. And then how I would I even maintain the machine?”

He sounds like a certain Pegasus I know really well… Twilight thought to herself as she continued to listen intently at the human on the other side of the video-line.

“And, well, at some point. I thought that I’d rather take the 1-in-3 chance of becoming a Pegasus through Conversion than sit here and continue to be an ostrich in a cage.”

“You know, I would try and argue the point of ‘This is a major life altering decision and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.’ But then I wonder if I am exactly the right Pony to be making that argument,” Andre said as he leaned back in his conic chair a bit.

“And I don’t to seem like I’m trying to foist a decision upon you, either…” Twilight thought out loud, as she thought along a different track internally.

Finally both the stallion and man saw her eyes light up, as she was apparently stricken with sudden inspiration. “I know! Ethan, Can you make an excursion to Chicago?”

“Yeah, my stipend should cover that. Haven’t really had anything to spend it on,” Ethan replied.

“I think you need to talk to a friend of mine. I’ll send your information on ahead so they know you are a guest and not a client. Well that is if you agree to go, of course?” Twilight asked, with somewhat pleading eyes.

Ethan ruminated on the idea for a moment, before he gave his answer. “Since Natasha is tied down with work, I should be clear to swing this. Andre, can you leave a message to her that I’m gonna be in Chicago for a couple of days though? She may on the job so I wanted someone else to help coroborate the story.”

“Oh! Yeah sure thing, man,” Andre replied, as he waited for Ethan to send his message first.

As Ethan closed the video link, Andre and Twilight continued to sit next to the terminal while they contemplated what the young man was about to go say and do.

“So who is this friend you were speaking about?” Andre said as he dismounted the conic chair he was sitting in.

The two Unicorns walked toward the kitchen area of the residency halls of the Isegawa’s complex as they continued their conversation, with Twilight Sparkle answer the earlier question. “Oh, if I have a beat on Ethan’s thought patterns… trust me. She will be the perfect Pony to talk to regarding Ethan’s future here or in Equestria, possibly.”

“I hope so, I just don’t want to see him get to point I was at a few weeks ago,” Andre responded, as they began to fix an after-lesson snack.

[ October 07, 2080 – Chicago, USA ]

“So here I am, the Chicago Conversion Bureau,” Ethan thought aloud. Natasha had finally caught up to him and forced him to agree to not convert while there, but otherwise wished him luck in his meeting with whomever Twilight was referring to.
After a few minutes with the receptionist and applying the guest badge (as to not be bothered by the workers who were shuttling forms to and fro), Ethan sat in the lobby, looking at the assortment of humanity that was taking advantage of the opportunity. He noticed the population was more middle-aged than anything, and quite a number of vagabonds in the lobby filling out the requisite forms.

Well I guess these would be people who have already lost much of what they had before the Singularity really took hold… Ethan thought to himself before a cheery voice broke him out of the internal monologue he was about to start.

“Ok Mr. Hartford, the Director will see you now, just follow me~” the aquamarine Earth Pony chirped.

“Boy you are really chipper, aren’t you?” Ethan mused as he walked with the mare that came up to his hip thereabout. The pair walked down an out of the way hallway, which Ethan reasoned to be a service path, toward some clearing out in back of the Bureau.

“Of course I am! The people here are going through a lot, and the idea of changing species to make a better life for yourself has to be wrenching. So we have to put our best hoof forward and make them as comfortable as possible!” The mare said with quite a bit of confidence in her purpose.

“Yeah, that’d make sense,” Ethan concluded as they stepped through the doors.

When the two of them emerged from the hallway, Ethan was struck by what he saw: a long rainbow-colored contrail following a sky-blue blur that was, despite its speed, gracefully banking and twisting in the sky. Ethan found himself almost fixated on the small display of aerial showmanship by the Pegasus that had to compromise that blur.

“Who is that up there? They must be crazy good at flight to be moving like that!” Ethan asked, somewhat slack-jawed as he did.

“Oh I’ll let her tell you for herself, she is expecting you and everything,” the earth pony mare started. “Oh Director! Your Guest is here to see you!”
Ethan shook his head trying to stop the ringing of his ears from the sudden shouting by said Earth Pony mare.

The blur immediately broke off its pattern and shot toward the pair like a comet. Ethan reflexively brought his forearms up to his face to shield himself; but the blur instead shot through the small gap in-between the human and the Earth Pony, coming to a pin-point stop in-between the second gap between the pair and the doors leading back into the service hallway.

“And another perfect landing by yours truly~!” the sky-blue Pegasus mare crowed, as she took off her goggles and straightened out her mussed six-toned mane. The Earth Pony mare applauded, while the human tried to straighten out his own hair from the onrush of wind that followed the Pegasus when she landed.

Well that explains the color of the blur and the contrail… Ethan mused as he looked over the figure standing now in-front of him.

She was a lithe but still muscular, cyan like the color of the sky sans pollution, and her mane and tail were every major hue of the rainbow, minus indigo. What impressed Ethan the most were her wings, they were like bird’s wings, except not quite.

In fact Ethan was so impressed by the Pegasus’s wings, he found himself staring quite intently at them, which got a small rise out of said Pegasus.

“Oh you must be that guy that Twilight was talking about. So you see something you like already?” The mare asked with a teasing tone, waggling her eyebrows as she hovered at Ethan’s natural eye level.

“Do you want me to answer honestly?” Ethan responded nervously, as he felt he was about to say something very uncouth to the Pegasus if he did.

“Yes, yes I do!” the Pegasus answered, her teasing tone shifting to annoyance.

“Your wings,” Ethan responded, immediately looking off to the side as he did.

“My what?” the Pegasus responded with her own question, not knowing how exactly to take such a response.

Alright Twilight, what exactly did you just rope me into now?!

“I’ll just take that as my cue to leave, see you all inside after a while!” the Earth Pony mare nervously chuckled as she ducked past the Director and went back inside to her primary responsibilities.

The two that were left outside just stared at each other nervously for some time, before the cyan Pegasus began cracking up giggling.

“Oh man! My wings? Really!? I was expecting a whole lot worse!” she giggled as she drifted to the ground, laughing all the while.

“How much worse?” Ethan asked, wondering where exactly the giggling Pony was going with this.

“My flank for starters!” the mare responded, rolling over on her backside, showing off her Cutie Marks (as well as other things).

Yeah that… would have been really weird… Ethan thought to himself as the apparent Director of this facility pointed out a bench the two of them could sit on nearby.

After a few more moments of intermittent laughter, the cyan Pegasus finally calmed down long enough to formally introduce herself. “Hey, my name is Rainbow Dash, and I’m the proud Director of this fine facility!”

Ethan gently shook the outstretched hoof of the cyan Pegasus, who had noticeably calmed her joking demeanor down; quietly noting the strange feeling he got when he touched the end of her hooves.

It’s like they have some kind of invisible adhesive on the ends of their legs… I guess their Magic is a lot more subtle than I thought…

“Anyway, Ethan was it? Were you serious about that whole ‘staring at my wings’ thing?” Rainbow Dash asked, her tone of voice maintaining what was for her even-ness.

“Yeah, as weird as it may sound; I’m kinda hung up on the idea of flight. I dunno if Twilight sent you any of my personal biography before this meeting, but I just got out of the American Air Force as an active-duty pilot,” Ethan started, now feeling more comfortable to let some of his personal information drip out to the Pegasus.

“Hrm, yeah I remember reading that last night. She didn’t tell me much more, I guess that Andre she got the info from was trying to keep everything general. Though she did tell me you had a girlfriend that was apparently tied up with something?”

---- Meanwhile in New York City --------

I really don’t like where this is all going. This cell is Russian; definitely Russian. I just hope and pray the informant isn’t related to who I think they may be related to, otherwise there might be some real complications with this assignment… Natasha thought to herself as flicked her now auburn hair out of her eyes, the disguise she had put on working more or less as intended so far.

----------------------------------------

“Yeah, she works as a, detective, if you will. They got her on a major case with some guy that they are trying to get information out of, and she’s gonna be tied up in New York City for the near future,” Ethan replied, careful to not give away the fact his girlfriend was active CIA.

“Oh really, I have someone who is working high up in the Bureau in New York City. Who knows, they might run into each other?” Rainbow Dash chuckled as she thought about the pearl-white Unicorn and what she might be doing at the current date and time.

----- Elsewhere in New York City -------

“I do wonder what this man this American intelligence agency keeps talking about looks like. And why said agency and the Equestrian Bureau of Intelligence see fit to involve this Bureau in these, negotiations,” Rarity thought to herself as she looked over the several memos that had come in regarding the subject. “If I knew I was going to be wrapped up in some kind of spy drama, I would have brought a nice red dress for the occasion.”

----------------------------------------

“No telling. But I guess if she is a friend of yours, she’d have that place running in top shape like this one,” Ethan responded, wondering what kind of Pony Rainbow Dash was talking about.

“Yeah, I don’t doubt her abilities at all. Though she can be a bit of a drama queen, if you know what I mean,” Rainbow Dash concluded, giggling a bit more as she recalled a few incidents here and there.
I guess we’re all growing up even though we’re already adults, huh? Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she looked out into the open sky.

“I’d like to meet her when all of this is resolved, it seems like you a pretty nice group you run with,” Ethan said as he lounged on the bench, look in the same general spot that Rainbow was.

“I heard nothing but good from Twilight about your little group as well, who knows, we might get ourselves wrapped up in some big adventure~!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, waving her hooves and forming an arc in the air.

“That’d just be our luck, here I am wondering what I am going to do with myself. And then BOOM! Bouncing between worlds in some big grand story,” Ethan chuckled as he continued to stare into the sparsely clouded sky.

“So what prompted all of this? You seem young and healthy, not like most we got coming through the Bureaus right now,” Rainbow Dash asked, as she looked up a bit into the face of Ethan.

“That goes back to my earlier answer about your wings, Rainbow Dash. While you’re attractive, I’ll say that much; when I mentioned your wings, it had more to do with me than anything,” Ethan started, as Rainbow Dash turned on the bench to face him directly.

“You see, like I said bit ago, I was a pilot. It was mostly out of a sense of service to the country, and service to my family. A lot of the men on my father’s side of the family, and a few of the ladies, have gone into aviation in some respect: pilots, engineers, even stewards and stewardesses. We’re a family that’s almost bred for being airborne, I figure. But then, as you have probably read up on by now, the AIs and other drone machines began running people out of those lines of work. Now the only way you get in the air is if you are working for a Dome-run airline or related service. And let’s say they don’t have the best history of hiring Outsiders.”

“So you became a pilot because you wanted to continue the family tradition of aviation; even though the machines and the ownership were making it harder and harder to do so?” Rainbow Dash asked, hoping she understood this bit of his personal and family history.

“Yeah. But it goes deeper than that. I don’t want to fly just because my father and grandfather flew. I want to fly because I really want to fly. I hardly know how to describe it. It’s like there is something embedded into my psyche that wants to be in the air. But if I stay like I am now, I’ll be like an ostrich in a cage.”

“Hrm… ostrich in a cage?” Rainbow Dash repeated, as she ruminated on the simile. “Let’s see, a flightless bird that can’t go anywhere except where the cage owner wants them to be?”

“Yep, you must be pretty well read for an athlete,” Ethan mused while he looked over a Pegasus once again, noting the consternation in her face.

“What told you I was an athlete, and what makes you think I’m not ‘well read’?” Rainbow Dash asked in a snippy and snide tone.

“For one thing you are a lot more toned than Twilight, so I had to assume that you were athletically-inclined. And you were using a fair amount of vocabulary, so you had to have been reading a lot when not training,” Ethan surmised for the Pegasus.

“Hrm… well, yeah you are kinda right. I should show you some of the books I read, when they rotate me out of running this place. Pretty sure they don’t want me and my friends sitting here in the Director’s chair for too much longer,” Rainbow Dash stated, noting internally that Ethan himself was far smarter than he looked.

“Yeah, you may have to do that,” Ethan concluded.

“Far be it from me to talk someone out of Conversion, but you do know the risk right? If you have your heart set on a pair of wings, you can just as easily end up with a horn or heavy set legs, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, not sure if she should have soured the mood like she might have.

“I know, I read the copies of the brochures that Andre had kept when he converted. There are equal odds for becoming any one sub-group of Pony,” Ethan started, as he looked back at the now concerned Pegasus. “But I am willing to roll the dice with my own body if it means going from a caged ostrich to a soaring eagle.”

“Are you sure you were a pilot and not a poet?” Rainbow Dash said with some mirth, gently ribbing the twice as large human.

“You know, my girlfriend asks me the same question sometimes,” Ethan responded, his decision now much more solid in his mind.

Rainbow Dash leaned back into the bench, swirling the air around her hooves a bit as she let her mind drift toward another question. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, Rainbow?” Ethan replied, as he watched wisps of gas swirl around the mare’s fore-hoof.

“What do you think Loyalty is?” the mare asked.
Ethan rose back to his feet, and paced a bit, before he settled on his answer. “What do I think Loyalty is? Hrm, well I think Loyalty a willingness to hold fast to a belief, either in an idea or a person, despite all the circumstances that swirl around yourself or that other person or idea. That no matter what maelstrom may engulf your or your fellow travellers; you will remain at their side and supportive of them.”
Rainbow Dash slipped off the lacquered wood bench for herself, and strode next to the human, as they began walking together back into the Bureau proper. “No matter what type of Pony you might end up as Ethan, I can see you will remain with your girlfriend and the rest of your friends as a strong and loyal friend. So I guess what I am trying to say is… just don’t be afraid, I really think this is going work out for the best for you and the rest of them, okay!”

Ethan looked down to see the cyan Pony looking up at him with a wide smile, as much as he tried to internally deny it, it made him feel much more at ease about the decision he was going to make. The only question that lingered in his mind…

Well I’m gonna go ahead and do it… but where am I going to do it. I already promised her that I wouldn’t sign up here in Chicago during this meeting so that’s right out. Hrm… I wonder if the Isegawas would mind a couple more house guests…

----- -----

“No we wouldn’t mind a couple more house guests, just so long as you pay normal lodging rate until we get some other things sorted out,” Dr. Hayato responded, as he swiped some figures across a tablet computer, seeing that adding two more guests wouldn’t impact the facilities expenses too much.

[ October 09, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

“And that’s why I’m here right now, so what’s new on your end?!” Rainbow Dash said with a clear excited tone as she and Twilight walked back toward the lobby of the Bureau.

“Wait, so the Princesses were planning on rotating us all out. And she A) released you first and B) didn’t tell me first to start with?” Twilight Sparkle asked incredulously, rubbing her neck as the cyan Pegasus had decided to make a literally impactful entrance.

“I dunno. She said something about ‘making sure we didn’t slack off knowing we were going to be relieved of duty in the coming days and weeks’,” Rainbow Dash replied nervously.

“Somehow I think that little statement was directed at you specifically, Dash,” Twilight concluded with a bit of a snarky tone.

“Hey, well, I had that place running like a well-oiled machine when I was there. I can only hope my successor has as much luck,” Rainbow Dash added, puffing her chest out a bit as she did.

-----

A short while later, the two Ponies approached the small cluster of three humans and a slightly larger blue Unicorn stallion.

“Oh hey Ethan, these must have been your friends you were talking about. Although you didn’t tell me that one of them had converted already,” Rainbow Dash started before looking at the stallion, who was looking a tad nervous. “You must be Blue Vague then, right?”

“Yeah, that’d be me,” Andre answered tepidly, not sure what exact tone to take with the newcomer.

“Oh man, you must be having fun with Twilight during your practice, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked while chuckling.

“You can say that… I guess…” Andre answered, nervously laughing as well.

“Ok. So that must make you Natasha,” Rainbow Dash said to the taller woman with the half blonde/half auburn hair. “And that would make you… Kyoko, right?” she finished as she looked at the somewhat shorter black-haired woman with the green highlights.

“Yeah that’d be us,” Natasha and Kyoko answered in unison.

“That’s great. I remembered all your descriptions from Twilight’s messages, we’re gonna get along great, I bet!” Dash exclaimed, her enthusiasm being quite infectious.

“You know having her right there is making this whole thing easier…” Ethan mused aloud as he signed the last couple of lines on the admission forms.

“I’m really nervous about this; and I can only be here in St. Louis until the day after you Convert,” Natasha groaned. She hated the fact she had to be apart from Ethan when he’d be at his theoretical most vulnerable.

“That is just how your line of work is. Let’s just hope that things stay calm enough to where you can get back here once they let me out of rehab, ok?” Ethan replied, as he hugged his girlfriend.

“Yeah, I’m hoping so too,” Natasha replied with a bit more cheer in her voice.

“It’ll be nice to have you at the Inn-Clinic for a while, anyway, Natasha,” Kyoko replied, as she thought ahead to some things she could do with Natasha for the next four days or so.

“Speaking of which… am I going to be rooming here at the Bureau or with you all back at that Inn-Clinic Kyoko was talking about,” Rainbow Dash asked with some mild concern.

“Oh, yeah. Dr. Hayato was saying that he was almost done with a surprise for all of us, so you and me are going to be roommates for the time being,” Twilight replied, with a smile on her face.

“WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her wings sprung wide in surprise.
Twilight laughed uproariously at the rainbow-maned Pegasus’s response. “Oh my, Dash. You should have seen your face just now. But seriously, he has a room already squared away for you at the Inn part of the facility. I was just having a little fun with you.”

“Well you sure could have fooled me,” Rainbow Dash replied, as she folded her forelegs and sat on the ground in a mild huff.

Boy those two must be close friends to joke around like that… Andre thought to himself, as his thoughts drifted to sharing a room with Kyoko in the near future… possibly.

-----

“We seem to be taking on quite a few houseguests, dear,” Dr. Jun mused aloud, as she looked out at the 90% complete dormitories out in the rear of the property they managed.

“And that is the reason why Mr. Edwards spared us a few dollars to have this built and furnished; it helps to have a few magical Ponies and a few rich benefactors as acquaintances, does it not?” Dr. Hayato replied, as a couple of human workers and a Pony were walking into the dormitory building, apparently to fine-tune some more of the interior.

“So when should this be up and running?” Jun asked of her husband.

“Assuming no complications, by the time Ethan is done with his rehab after his Conversion. Hopefully the assignment his girlfriend is working on will be wrapping up by then as well; I can’t imagine the strain this could be causing on their relationship,” Hayato responded in kind.

“And what of our daughter’s budding relationship with that nice now-blue-Unicorn?” Jun then asked.

“That… is harder for me to predict. I have a hunch it’s going to work out eventually for them, but there are still more hurdles they are going to have to clear before they can start in earnest,” Hayato responded.
And it’s patently clear what the biggest one is… I probably should have seen this coming but… I don’t know what I am going to do when that day finally comes… Hayato then thought to himself as he and his wife walked back into the Clinic proper.

[ October 12, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau ]

“Tick tock goes the clock, and the sand slips evermore through the hourglass…” Ethan mused aloud, as he watched another fresh Convert take their first few ginger steps back toward the client dorms to await their first real day of rehabilitation.

“So baby, are you nervous about this. Because I know I’m petrified right now,” Natasha groaned as she leaned in on the slightly tan young man, her hair nearly completely blonde again.

“Yeah, then we’re both on pins and needles about this. Even though I want to go through with it, all these questions swirling around in my head just won’t stop,” Ethan confessed; the anxiety evident on his face.
Natasha looked up, and saw his hazel eyes filled with the odd juxtaposition of nervousness and resilience. She took Ethan’s hand into her own, and leaned in a little closer, so she could whisper more or less out of earshot of the others that were only halfway paying attention.

“This is our decision. We’re going to see this through, no matter what it takes, or what trouble we come across.”
Ethan responded by grabbing Natasha around her shoulder and far-side arm, and pulling her into a hug, which she accepted readily. “I know. Let’s just hope that this transition phase is over sooner rather than later, alright?”
Natasha nodded in response as she backed away to let Ethan stand up.

As Ethan got up, almost on cue, Twilight Sparkle strode through the double doors leading toward the elevator that led to the underground Conversion Rooms. “Ok then, Mr. Ethan Hartford. We are ready to begin your session. If you and Rainbow Dash will just follow me inside, we can go ahead and be on our way.”

“Wait, why is Miss Dash coming with us?” Ethan asked, as he walked over toward Twilight.

“Because she asked politely to help monitor you during your Conversion, and I will still be there just to make sure she doesn’t do anything she shouldn’t be,” Twilight replied with an even, business-like tone.

“I will be on my best behavior, you won’t have to worry about a thing,” Rainbow Dash added, reassuring Ethan somewhat. And besides, I have a hunch there is something that I’ll need to see personally during all of this…

-----

After the somewhat long walk down to the ‘operation’ room, Ethan sat on the stiff bed with a smock on and holding the purple nectar-like liquid that would alter his life forever.
Well, here goes nothing… Ethan thought as he downed said liquid, gently placed the plastic cup back on the service table, and promptly passed out a few moments after…

~~~---~~~

After falling asleep, he began to have a vision. He had heard that the Conversion process was as much a spiritual journey as it was a physical change, so he wasn't surprised at first that he was floating around like a disembodied soul. Then the true meat of the vision hit him.

Well this seems pretty ok and ... Sweet Mother of all Creation ...

First he was staring at the ocean... an ocean that you could almost see straight through to the bottom. He saw Ponies swimming along the surface, he saw Ponies on boats, he saw Ponies apparently water-skiing, he almost swore he saw something Pony-like living in the water but he figured that was too weird even for this vision.

It's so clean, water so clean... if I had hands I could reach in and drink it and never get sick...

Then he was floating along the ground, he could see fields stretching into the horizon, forests so green and healthy, every manner and type of flower and fruit. He saw Earth Ponies tending the soil, singing to the plants and having them grow, singing to the ground and having it become more fertile, seemingly singing to ordinary rocks and watching them grow into massive megaliths for quarrying. He found it strange but that was Magic for you.

The plants, the animals, even the ground itself look so clean and healthy...

What truly grabbed at his soul was flying around the sky on a cloud-platform. He saw the Pegasi actively managing the weather: directing where the winds would blow, where the sun would shine, and where the rain and snow would fall. They had actively taken control of the skies, but they were not selfish. They had all of this ability to determine who lived and who died, but they did not see it that way. They clearly showed without speaking they were working for the benefit of all, not just for the enrichment of themselves.

They rule the skies, they literally rule the skies. Yet they don't discriminate, they don't bully and coerce the Earth Ponies or Unicorns into compliance. They all work for the same thing, the same goal, they all want to preserve Life...

He then saw all 3 at the same time, coming together to form a seamless world: the Unicorns enjoying the ocean, the Earth Ponies tending the land, the Pegasi managing the skies. He then heard a voice in unison say to him with all kindness and earnestness:

Welcome our new brother. We graciously await your arrival in our lands. Soon your heart shall be put at ease you embark on a new journey of self-discovery.

Ethan wanted this world so badly now, a world where everyone wasn't scrapping like dogs just to get by; where everything didn't seem to want you dead. It was a world where 'life' didn't mean just simply existing from day to day.

His soul body was then sent, via the same cloud-platform, to a vision of Canterlot Castle, though Ethan wouldn’t recognize it as such. Just as fast as he had arrived, he came to a screeching halt, as he was surrounded by all the trappings of the combined Day and Night Courts, and a slightly faded and phantasmal facsimile of Princesses Celestia and Luna.

“Ethan Hartford, we have heeded your request to join our Herd,” began the fragment of Celestia’s grace embedded into the serum.

“Before we may proceed, you must understand that once the process begins, it cannot be reversed in any way. Are you willing to accept those conditions and all that may come hereafter?” added the fragment of Luna’s power.

Ethan took a deep breath before he answered. “I understand Princesses. I do wish to join your Herd, and I do understand once this begins, I cannot take this decision back.”

A bright light emerged from the two ghostly Alicorns, as a vaguely Alicorn-like Pony made of light appeared before Ethan’s Astral form.

“This phantom Pony represents your new Spark of Life. It will allow you to fully live the rest of your days as if you were born into our Herd from the beginning. It will also allow you access to the innate Magics all Ponies possess, depending on the exact form you take once the process is concluded. Whenever you are ready to proceed, you merely need to touch the phantom sitting before you,” Celestia’s ‘ghost’ added, her tone welcoming and matronly.

Ethan nervously approached the somewhat shifting form of the phantom light Pony, and stuck his own phantom hand inside. Once he did, he immediately felt a sudden gale force wind erupt from seemingly everywhere at once.

~~~---~~~

"Twilight... is the person undergoing Conversion supposed to glow one color and then change colors when transforming?" Rainbow Dash asked, Twilight had her back turned not paying attention at first.

"No Rainbow they... OH MY LUNA IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! CODE YELLOW WE HAVE A CODE YELLOW!!!!" Twilight exclaimed, starting to run around like someone set her mane on fire.

"What in Tatarus is a 'Code Yellow'?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.

"I don't know but I need to contact Princess Celestia; give me a second!" Twilight barked, trying to contact Celestia mentally.

It looks more like non-metallic gold to me anyway, and something is telling me that this -should- be happening... Rainbow Dash thought, feeling the Element of Loyalty react to the sudden outburst of unfamiliar magic.

~~~---~~~

“This wind is tearing me aparrrrt!!” Ethan screamed as a golden energy poured out of his body, his hand still stuck in the phantasmal Pony that was to represent his new ‘self’.

I had my suspicions, and now they are starting to bear out… Celestia thought to herself and she and her sister manifested in the Astral Plane, where their phantoms once sat.

“Could someone help me!!” Ethan shouted, before another entity separated a golden orb and his phantom-hand from the Pony he was to become.

I apologize, but I had to confirm that you possessed one of the Spark I had embedded in the Human population, a voice resounded all though the now modified scene.

“Yes this is somewhat familiar to us, Keeper of Earth’s Magic,” Princess Luna stated as she looked at the cave-like shrine; as well as the now quarter-filled arcane circle that Ethan, his Pony Spark, and the apparent Terran Spark were resting on.

The ancient voice, the Keeper of Terran Magic, then began to speak. In any case, Bearer of the Terran Shard: I offer unto you a choice. Your soul, as it stands, is irreconcilable with the Spark of the Other World the Keepers have so graciously offered you. This is due to Spark of Terran Magic I have embedded into your soul mixed with your internal turmoil. If you so choose, I may remove the Spark, but it will cause your current identity to collapse, rendering the Pony you would be born as to be a blank slate. If you wish to keep your identity and the Spark, you will be forced to confront your greatest fear. Conquer said fear, and you will keep your identity, Spark, and new body. If the fear conquers you, your soul will be destroyed, and the resulting Pony will be lifeless and inert. Take caution in your choice.

Ethan panted for a few seconds, as he ruminated on the decision. Before long though, he came to his final answer. “I have too many friends and a woman who loves me deeply. I cannot run away from this potential trial-by-fire just to save myself further trauma. In other words, I accept whatever trial you put before me!”

With dramatic flair, Ethan saw the entire scene change. Gone were the Princesses manifest in the Astral Plane, replaced by a very familiar set of offices and hangars.

Of course… this would be the thing she throws me head first into…

--- === ---

Ethan sat in the chair while the registrar looked over his paperwork. He then heard the laugh, that same incredulous laugh he'd been hearing over and over and over again for the last 3 months, at least.

What is he laughing about... don't they know my family history... hell I flew in the Air Force... what's the problem?

He was then shown to the hangar, as per the manager's suggestion; he was to give a live demonstration of his flight skills, using an awfully old and generic looking plane. Ethan thought nothing odd about this situation, I mean they couldn’t give flight licenses to just anyone right?

Well, it doesn't seem odd that I'd have to do a live demonstration of my skills. I mean they just can let any yahoo up in the air that could claim to fly, could they?

Little did Ethan know just who these people would consider to be an un-flightworthy yahoo. The manager motioned over to two seedy looking pilots and said to both of them, well away from what Ethan could hear,

Blow him out of the sky, send a message to all those damn Outsiders that the Elite are the only ones allowed in the air!

Soon enough, Ethan was in the air again. The plane itself was nothing really to write home about, but it was sturdy and, for all the world, looked safe as could be. So Ethan went about the business of performing all the usual tests and acting upon the requests of the manager and flight instructors. As the flight continued, he noticed a pair of sleek looking fighters pull up on each side of him to flank him.

You are unauthorized to enter this airspace. We request that you land immediately.

Ethan was obviously confused by this particular request. He was in the middle of a live flight test, and certainly he had clearance to be in this airspace - hell he barely gone anywhere. The pilots of the jets were clearly having none of it.

We are issuing our last warning. Clear out of this airspace now, or we will be forced to take action!

Ethan was now indignant. What do you mean clear out of this airspace?! I'm in the middle of a flight-test, I have the proper clearances and everything. As he typed on the on-board computer to send the signal showing his clearance, the computer turned up nothing of the sort. He tried as best he could, going through all the files, but nothing turned up. Wait what the hell, I saw the manager upload the clearances to the onboard navigator, none of this is making sense...

That was when he heard the managers voice, not over the com-link, but positively BOOMING all around him. OUTSIDERS LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN OUR AIRSPACE. RATS CAN'T FLY. ONLY EAGLES FLY. ONLY THE ELITE ARE THE EAGLES. RATS LIKE YOU SHOULD JUST STAY ON THE GROUND. SO GO BACK TO THE GROUND WHERE YOU BELONG!!!

Ethan was positively freaking out now. What the hell? Where is that voice coming from? Rats, I'm not a da... WHAT THE FUCK?!

His plane was rocked, not by missiles, but something else... something more disturbing. Both of the jets had transformed into some kind of monstrosity - flying metallic demons, unholy fusions of black flesh and black-gray metals. OUTSIDERS STAY ON THE GROUND. ELITE RULE THE AIR. OUTSIDERS STAY ON THE GROUND. ELITE RULE THE AIR. They kept chanting this statement, all the while shredding the wings and tearing at the fuselage. Ethan's plane was barreling completely out of control, and Ethan had no way to eject or fight off the demons.

What in the fuck is this... why... What do you mean only the Elite rule the air... What the hell sense does that even make...

The demons were not going to listen to any kind of reason now, they had their orders. The wings of the plane were completely torn off, the fuselage shredded and breaking apart. Ethan began his descent, not in a plane, but in complete free-fall, without not even so much as a parachute.

Why... why... I just wanted to fly... like my father... I wanted to fly... like my grandfather... all pilots... the legacy... I wanted to honor them... why...

Ethan's soul was growing black as pitch, about as black as the giant black-hole like entity he was rapidly descending towards. He was losing his will to pursue his dream, and with it, the will to survive this Trial.

Maybe... maybe I can't fly... maybe I should have never flown... maybe I should have just stayed on the ground...

He was losing all sense, all will to survive; as he continued falling, falling, falling to the black hole that'd erase him from existence. That is, until he heard a voice...

Hey Ethan, if you never flown, would you have met me?

Natasha... but... look at me...

It was always your dream to fly... what would your father and grandfather think if you just stayed on the ground because some jackasses told you to?

They... they wouldn't think anything of me...

What would your Air Force mates have said if they heard you just gave up ever trying to fly this soon after getting out of the service?

They... they wouldn't think anything of me either...

And what about yourself, could you ever face yourself again if you knew that you just gave up on your dream like that?

No... I couldn't... I couldn't live with myself...

What about all the others... all the other kids that want to fly... don't you think they deserve the same chance to soar the skies without the constant threat of being shot down, literally or figuratively?

Yes... Yes, they all deserve that chance... None of them deserve to be pinned to the ground just because of some selfish jackasses...

Ethan's soul began to light up again, the will to survive reignited...

What makes them think they can say who flies and who doesn't...

His descent into the black hole and oblivion slowed to nothing...

What makes them think they can say who thrives and who doesn't...

The clouds gathered around him, a storm was brewing, but this was a storm of the soul...

WHAT MAKES THEM THINK THEY CAN SAY WHO DIES AND WHO DOESN'T?!

His Astral Body was sitting on a bed of clouds before the event horizon of the Astral Black Hole. But Ethan didn't see it; he was looking back up, looking up at a golden sky, his golden sky. He was about to become a storm blowing through it and the Earth, the proverbial winds of change.

The Domes... the Domes kept me from flying... The military always sent me out, even if the mission was boring, because they respected me and my skills... The Domes hate all Outsiders, they're the ones that tried to kill my dream... My parents gave me my love of flight... The military gave me the skills and the drive to pursue my dreams... But those bastards in the Domes are trying to steal the dream away from me and everyone else like me...

The Astral Black Hole shrunk to nothing, as Ethan's soul was now glowing hot like the midday Sun.

They try to take everything for themselves... But my parents weren't selfish like them... not even the military was selfish like them... They claim they rule everything... They claim dominion over the seas, land, even the skies... No more... they can't have it... I WON’T LET THEM HAVE IT. THEY CAN'T HAVE DOMINION OVER THE EARTH. PLEASE, PLEASE WHATEVER YOU ARE, VOICE... GIVE ME THE POWER... GIVE ME THE POWER TO TAKE THE EARTH BACK FOR THOSE WHO WILL TRULY RESPECT AND SHARE IT!

So you have wished it, so it shall be granted!

Ethan could feel the storm winds blowing, but to topple him, but to support him. They were his winds, and they formed a whirlwind leading straight back to the shrine where this entire quest-of-sorts started.

--- === ---

“That was some kind of trip,” Ethan replied, his soul body becoming more indefinite in form as the Pony he was to be looked at him with earnest anticipation, and the golden-yellow orb of Terran Magic floated around and between the both of them.

The ancient voice began to speak, using all the gravitas she could muster as the Keeper of an ancient Power. As you accept both the Spark of Life from the Other World, and the Spark of Terran Magic, you will be reborn as the Conduit of Wind. This will afford you a pathway to a great power, but remember: without the will to control and shape it, it will easily grow out of control and consume you. Always remember that Will and Power must be joined to forge true magic, and to build the New Age that is to come. There are still two others that contain shards of my Power. Once they are found, and if their power is fully realized with the six Bearers of the Will of Equestria, then you Ten can surely forge an age to the betterment of all.

Her tone then shifted to the Great Matron of Humanity, as she comforted Ethan as his human form began to dissipate. Before you return to the physical world, know this. Forces may come arrayed against you as there are those who are so weeded to the idea of humanity being supreme, that they cannot accept that they, as a group, may be one of many equal species. Let no one, regardless of what form they take, convince you that they are superior; and be wary to not attempt to promote yourself as superior at the same time.

“Don’t worry, miss… um… ancient voice. I will do my best to make sure that everyone can benefit from what I and the others will have to offer,” Ethan answered, now more sure of his decision than ever.

Another quarter of the Terran Circle of Magic filled itself in, as the runes along the eastern quadrant began to glow the same yellow-gold as the Spark that floated along Ethan’s form.

“Well that is half the Conduits found, hopefully we do not become bogged down in looking for the other two,” Princess Luna sighed, as she was glad Ethan survived his trail relatively unscathed.

“Indeed, Sister. Now let us conclude our business here,” Princess Celestia started. She cleared her throat, and faced Ethan directly. “Do you, Ethan Hartford, accept both of your new roles: as a Pony of our Herd, and the Terran Conduit of the Wind?”

“Yes ma’am. I accept both of my new roles in this life.”

“The let your Sparks and your souls be joined. And let us forge a New Age for all of our species and societies!” Princess Luna and Celestia boomed.

Ethan calmed himself and allowed both the Equestrian and Terran magics to flow over him. As he did, he had one last thought before he was snapped back to consciousness.

The winds of change are about to blow through this world, and I’m just the one to conduct them!

~~~---~~~

This must be it… the thing you want me to see… isn’t it Loyalty? Rainbow Dash thought to herself, as she looked past the double doors into the ‘operation’ room that Ethan’s glowing body occupied.

Said glow, though, slowly cooled and coalesced into the form of a Pegasus; a Pegasus stallion of brilliant yellow-gold fur and platinum-blonde mane. She also saw around his neck a medallion with a hurricane-like symbol on it, looking as if made out of pure golden-yellow topaz.

"Sorry I couldn't be more decent... things happen... ya know," Ethan said, noticing Rainbow Dash semi-blushing.

"Yeah... they do, don't they," Rainbow Dash replied back, somewhat sheepishly. She was indeed blushing, but not at the mutual nudity.

Good Celestia, he looks like a male Spitfire with a dye job... she thought to herself. A guy she barely knew now reminded her so strongly of her idol.

CH 8: Dog-Fighter

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 8: Dog-Fighter ===

[ October 20, 2080 – Isegawa Laboratory, St. Louis, USA ]

The customary week passed, and a lot of things were due to change at the Isegawa Laboratory. Mostly because it was moving day -- as the four Ponies and one human were ready to move in the rather large building in back of said Laboratory that was recently completed.

“So whatcha think?” Rainbow Dash asked of the yawning Ethan, as the two of them sat on a bench underneath a covered walkway, the two Pegasi taking in the sun as it rose in the eastern sky.

“Something in particular I should be thinking about?” Ethan responded, as he let out another yawn; having mentally re-adjusted back to getting up whenever he wanted to, he had taken quite a lot of liberty sleeping in.

“Oh come on, the whole becoming a Pegasus thing,” Rainbow Dash replied, teasing tone.

“Well I guess the odds were with me a week ago. As for how I feel, a lot better on my hooves now, though it’s still a bit… strange walking with four limbs instead of two,” Ethan replied, not sure how exactly he should respond.

“And your wings?”

“Oh um, well… I haven’t really had a chance to try them out except for the very basic hovering practice we did.”

Rainbow Dash turned around at looked right at Ethan, her nose to Ethan’s, and smiled a very wide and cat-like grin.

“Guess who your new personal flight instructor is?”

Ethan looked absolutely dumbfounded as he stared at the Pony whose face was as feline as a Pony’s could be (without makeup). “You?!”

“Totally!” Rainbow Dash answered, smiling wide and almost ready to break into a too-loud-for-the-morning laugh.

“OH MY CELESTIA!” they heard a vaguely Romaneian voice shout; yet neither Ethan nor Rainbow could figure out where exactly the voice was coming from.

“Ok I don’t remember anyone sounding Eastern European working here at the clinic…” Ethan said as he continued to look around, and still not seeing anyone or anypony.

“Over here!” the Romaneian voice continued to almost chirp, interspersed with feminine giggling.

“Oh come now, look up just a bit!” the voice called out, now slightly perturbed her little stunt was starting to backfire some.

The two Pegasi on the ground completely turned around… and were met with a rather startling sight (at least for Ethan).

“BAT… PONY?! When did Pegasi have bat-wings?!” Ethan shouted, not caring if he woke up anyone back in the main building.

“Wha? When did the Princesses start hiring from the other side of the world?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, as she couldn’t remember any bat-pony working at any Bureau.

The bat-pony squealed in delight as she flapped down from the eve of the covered walkway and met the other two Pegasi standing on the ground.

“I never thought I’d meet you here! I see what the humans mean by the phrase ‘small world’,” the bat-pony giggled as she hugged Rainbow Dash vigorously.

“Wow, very friendly…” Ethan mused as he looked on at the strange sight of the dark-blue, indigo-maned, and more importantly bat-winged Pegasus hugging Rainbow Dash as if she had found a long-lost sister.

“OK, Ok sister. First of all let’s respect the personal space,” Rainbow Dash groaned as she wriggled out of the bat-pony’s embrace. “Second of all, introduction please, because I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to want me or him calling you ‘bat-pony’ for the next however long we’re sitting here.”

The bat-pony quickly composed herself as she thought for a few moments on how to introduce herself. “Oh yes, I’m sorry. My parents always said I was a bit… clingy, I guess a good word in Equish would be. Anyway my name is Zmeură Spirală.”

The two other Pegasi just looked at each other with a look of mild confusion.

“Oh I’m sorry, that’s how I would say my name back in Romaneia. Sometimes I slip back into my native language. A good translation for it would be… Raspberry Spiral… though Raspberry Swirl is more cute, don’t you think?” the bat-pony said, never seeming to cease grinning the entire time.

“So, Raspberry Swirl, I’d assume?” Ethan asked, as he looked at the dark-blue, and more importantly, cutie-mark-less bat-pony mare.

“Strange name for someone so… blue. Literally…” Rainbow Dash asked, as she cocked her head at the apparently oddly-named mare.

“Oh dear. I was told that this charm would always work even when I wasn’t doing my job,” Raspberry groaned as she took the small crescent-moon charm off her neck. When she did, her coat immediately changed from dark-blue to a rich raspberry red, as well as her flanks being adorned with cartoonish raspberry braid pastries).

Ethan nodded in apparent acknowledgement. “Ok, now the name makes more sense… though it’s funny your mane is still indigo.”

“Anyway, why were you squeezing me like a fangirl or something?” Rainbow Dash asked of the now red bat-pony.

“To be honest, I kinda am. I was inspired to join the volunteer ‘Air Repair’ Corps when I heard that you, as an Element of Harmony, were helping out here on Earth!” Raspberry replied.

“OH! I totally forgot!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, as she suddenly realized why she hadn’t seen one bat-pony working in any of the Bureaus.

“What did you forget, Rainbow?” Ethan asked.

“OK, I get why she’s here. She helps clean up the air around the bureaus and other places during dusk and dawn, and the charms help them blend in with the night-sky so that they are more or less invisible to anyone that might be living along the edges of the city,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“Makes sense. I mean I guess people would be nervous if they knew Pegasi, bat or bird-winged, were flying overhead all the time,” Ethan reasoned aloud.

“Ohh, this is a nice looking building,” Raspberry mentioned, as she oohed and ahhed at just how big it was, at least from her perspective.

“Well, it’s gonna be where we’re staying at for the foreseeable future,” Rainbow Dash mentioned off-hand, which was apparently news to Ethan.

“So wait we’re gonna be staying in this big dormitory building for now?”

“Yeah, apparently it was built just for us, though at a human-compatible scale should we ever get to a point where we can have normal-sized people over,” Rainbow Dash continued to explain, as she nodded sagely.

“I guess… So um… when is our first lesson?” Ethan asked as he hovered in the air and looked through the small windows in the double-doors.

“Later on today, if you’re up for it!” Rainbow Dash answered with a confident smile.

=== --- ===

"Man Twilight, there has to be a better way than this for moving all your material," Ethan remarked, as he and Andre both pulled a ‘small’ cart piled high with books, binders, and all manners of bound and unbound papers. He was still astonished by the sheer volume of printed paper he was looking at. In fact everyone except Twilight and Dash were trying to figure out just how and where she kept everything back in Equestria.

"Yeah, I guess… I'll have to ask Princess Luna about that sometime. Anyway, you're looking pretty chipper in that new body of yours," Twilight responded before redirecting the conversation to the subject at hand.

Ethan was indeed feeling pretty good in his new Pegasus body. "Truth be told, I feel like I could just take off right now like a rocket. I never felt this energized about, well anything; except for spending lots of alone time with Natasha." He looked lovingly at his beau while perched on and already halved pile of books.

"Down boy, or I might have Dr. Jun deal with you somehow," Natasha said half-jokingly. Truth be told, as far as she thought, being around her live-wire of a boyfriend was making her feel better about her own internal dilemmas.

As the mock-fight between the Ponified Ethan and still-Human Natasha continued, Kyoko just sat in one of the many couches to herself. Andre trotted over to join her, to see maybe if he could lend a helping hoof.

Andre, however, was just as unsure as ever when approaching Kyoko about anything truly personal. "Um, Kyoko, mind telling me what's up?"

Kyoko could easily read the Pony's nervousness, but she really didn't know how to respond herself. "Well… I dunno. I mean all of this is kinda happening suddenly. I mean it's only been… I think five months since Celestia's speech… and already half of us are Ponies; and by the looks of things, it won't be long until I'm the only Human left of our group."

I dunno who is going through more internal drama, Natasha trying to figure out what to do with Ethan, or Kyoko trying to figure out what to do with herself… Andre thought to himself as he watched the Drones move in more personal items and supplies into the dormitories.

=====

After getting the terminal set up again, everyone sat as Rainbow Dash began the lesson, or at least tried to.

"Alright Ethan, since I am your new personal flight instructor, let’s figure what exactly your capabilities are," Rainbow Dash said, brimming with outward confidence, which was in stark contrast to her internal consternation.

Just how am I supposed to ‘teach’ what most Pegasi feel naturally… she thought to herself.

What has Princess Celestia gotten me into… Ethan could only think to himself, not wanting to say anything aloud to insult her or Twilight Sparkle regarding Princess Celestia.

Dash continued, "OK then. I know the Bureau tutors showed you the very bare basics of flight, so I need to show you how to really stretch those new wings of yours."

With that, Rainbow Dash stretched her wings, and began to flap and climbed to about ten feet off the ground. Ethan then did the same, a bit wobbly since he hadn’t done any flight exercises in a couple of days, but he climbed the ten feet.

At least he's better than Fluttershy when she started, then again almost everyone was… Rainbow Dash said to herself inwardly.

She then said, "Ok Ethan, we're going to do some basic flight patterns, just follow my lead. I know you have good flight instincts for your airplanes, we just have to translate that to your Pegasus body."

Ethan replied, now more stable in the air, "Yes Ma'am, Miss Dash!"

Ugh, I am not gonna get used to that… Makes me feel like an old mare… Rainbow Dash thought, clearly not used to the ingrained military formality.

They began what seemed to be a fairly basic flight pattern. Rainbow Dash and Ethan flew at varying elevations in an oval about 300 meters across at its widest; Andre figured that Rainbow Dash had probably internalized the dimensions of an old sports stadium or some such.

Rainbow Dash was all the time shouting encouragement to Ethan, impressed that a Newfoal could fly this well a week and a half or so fresh off the bed. "Hey man you're a natural at this. You're managing to follow my flight path pretty well." They were about 150 ft in the air now.

Ethan replied, "Just following orders…"

Wanting to see just how far she could push her Newfoal student, Rainbow Dash mused aloud with a smirk. "Alright then fly-boy, let's try something a little more complicated!"

She then broke the spiral pattern and began flying over the forest … along a totally random course. She was twisting and corkscrewing all over the place - pretty much being a one-mare stunt pilot show.

Ethan, thought to himself. What… I never learned how to do any of that…

He then had a flash of insight, almost as if something in his head just clicked on.

If she thinks she is going show me up on my first real day back in the air, she has another thing coming…

Ethan, purely on instinct, quickened his pace. If Rainbow Dash was going to be a stunt plane with all the corkscrews and twists, then he was going to be a fighter jet with hairpin turns and raw speed.

Which was not the best idea to picture yourself as when in the middle of a flight with Rainbow Dash…

Oh so that's how it's gonna be newbie? Well if it's a dog-fight you want then it's a dogfight you're gonna get…

Andre sat on the ground, trying his best to follow the cyan and gold-yellow blurs in the air, resorting to having to look at the monitors and the feeds from the high-fidelity cameras all over the property. That’s when he noticed some familiar music being played over Kyoko’s personal portable terminal.

“Really Kyoko?” Andre asked with a rather palpable sense of incredulousness.

“Oh come on, it totally fits, right?” Kyoko replied, obviously ignoring the tension in Andre’s voice.

Andre just sighed as he continued to watch.

I really hope Rainbow Dash can keep from doing anything dumb. Ethan might have natural flight instincts, but he’s still only a week and a day into being a Pegasus proper… Twilight thought to herself as she tried her best now to show any outward anxiety.

"See, I told you the cameras planted all around the back of the property were a good idea," Dr. Jun stated, greatly amused at the antics of the two Pegasi.

Rainbow Dash broke off her seemingly random flight pattern and began to engage in a ‘playful’ chase of Ethan. Ethan was wondering if Rainbow Dash had lost her damn mind, and was trying to hunt him down like he stole something from her. They were easily a several hundred feet in the air; Ethan, for being a Pegasus for all of eight days, was seemingly getting quite adapted to everything below him looking incredibly tiny. They continued the mock dogfight for quite some time; Ethan having already broke off his pattern, and was the one trailing Rainbow Dash. Well at least he was attempting to trail her, now starting to look like a cyan-and-rainbow-striped blur.

Oh she thinks she's going to get away from me…

The flight instincts had taken them both over entirely. Ethan was finding gears he never knew existed in any living thing, let alone something that could take to the air. They were easily going in excess of 270 mph now, and he was looking like a gold streak with platinum-blonde trim to match Dash's cyan-and-rainbow colored blur. The observers on the ground had completely lost visual contact with them, the haze of the upper atmosphere obscuring sight. They were a good thousand feet above ground level now, Ethan only now noticing because of the drop in temperature, and the thinning oxygen… which was a problem.

"Hey Dash, don't you think we oughtta break this off. I mean we are getting really high up and you couldn't have gone this high before, trying to clear the smog and whatnot," Ethan yelled out.

Rainbow Dash, now totally in the groove of the dogfight, was clearly having none of this 'slow-down' talk. "Slow down so you could catch me? … In your dreams!"

Ethan's wings were growing tired and his normal Pegasus mana reserve depleting. As much as a natural as he was in his head and heart, his body was in no way used to this kind of stress; and the pollution wasn't making it any easier. He was thankful that Rainbow Dash had begun to slow down, thinking he could finally run her down and they can get back to 'base'.

"Hey Dash, let's go ahead and get back to base, I think we've done enough for now, and this smog is starting to sting my eyes…"

Dash didn't say anything… and she was slowing down a lot more.

"Hey Dash, ok seriously I think we need to turn back, this air is way too thin for me and this smog is way too much for you," He yelled, the obvious concern in his face.

"Can't… breathe… too… thick…" Dash barely managed out get out before blacking out from the lack of oxygen and possible poisoning.

Oh God oh God oh God, this is not happening… not on my first day… Ethan thought to himself, but Rainbow Dash had already begun to go into free-fall. Her body had completely given itself over to gravity, and gravity would be a true bitch to run down.

Ethan then began to fly straight down, trying his best to catch up to the plummeting Rainbow Dash, completely unconscious and unable to slow her own descent.

NO NO NO, I AM NOT ABOUT TO LET MY TEACHER DIE HER FIRST DAY ON THE JOB! he yelled in his own head.

They were already down to 800 ft. above ground level, before a gold-colored Magic Circle appeared about his waist. He was so focused on catching his teacher he didn't even notice the hurricane-shaped medallion was around his neck, his only thought was trying to break Rainbow Dash's fall. But he was losing the race against gravity, and starting to lose it badly…

Oh my God I'm not gonna make it… no… NO… I gotta try, gotta push faster, faster… FASTER!

He reached deep within himself, looking for anything that could propel him faster. He got his wish, as the Terran Element of Wind activated, and propelled him straight down like a rocket pointing the wrong way. He had managed to catch up her somewhat, but now they were only 600 ft. above the ground.

Just a little more… please… I gotta catch her…

He did indeed finally catch her. He reached out his forelegs and grasped her as tight as he could manage.

Ok I caught her… but how the hell do I stop?!

He was only 75 ft. above the ground, the gigantic golden contrail giving some idea to Twilight and Andre needed to be as they began running to wherever they could be guess they'd land; hopefully not finding an impact crater when they arrived.

Damnit damnit damnit… how do I stop, how do I stop… Ethan was in a panic and running out of time. He had to find some way to stop both of them without necessarily killing each other. Then he had yet another flash of inspiration. He turned around so that Rainbow Dash would be facing up and out while he faced down.

God, Celestia, someone, please, help me make this work! He prayed as concentrated as hard as he could. He didn't notice Rainbow Dash's Element of Loyalty manifesting at the same time he charged up his Element of Wind.

All anyone could see after was a mixed red and golden flash, and a burst of wind from all directions where the two should have landed.

"Was that a bomb that just went off?! And why is my Element of Water on my neck without me… summoning it or whatever!?" Andre yelled, trying his best to keep up with Twilight’s flash-step-like teleporting.

"I could hear and feel that" Twilight said, her Element of Magic resonating with the sudden outburst of magic.

Suddenly they felt the air-burst from the apparent explosion, and Twilight quickly threw up a shield to protect herself and Andre from the debris and the strong gusts.

"Well that answers where they landed! Let's hope that they are still in one piece!" Twilight shouted, feeling where the epicenter of the magic burst was. She grabbed Andre by the foreleg and teleported straight to where she felt said epicenter.

What they found were two Pegasi on top of each other. Both were unconscious, but alive, and still in one piece. The forest around them though, definitely had seen better days. Everything around them for about 50 meters out was blown down completely flat, as if, like Andre figured, a bomb had gone off either ground level or close to it. Twilight walked over, and saw what the cause of this magical explosion most likely was. Both the Elements of Wind and Loyalty had manifested for their respective users, and glowing like they had recently been used. Twilight nor Andre could figure just what happened, other than gigantic contrail of magic and then a sudden explosion.

"Wha… what… happened? How… are we on… the ground?" Rainbow Dash barely managed to stammer out, the combination of nausea and mana depletion making it hard for her to speak.

"You're safely on the ground, more or less, Dash," Twilight responded.

Ethan himself was coming to a bit, "Are we… alive?"

Andre walked up to him and just hugged him as best he could, "Yeah man, both of you. I have no idea how you did it, but you did it."

The heartwarming moment was unfortunately interrupted by the sound of a certain cyan Pegasus throwing up off to the side.

"Well that just ruined the moment…" Twilight said, a bit miffed the heartwarming reunion had to be interrupted.

"Well… by the sound of that… I guess that's everyone… good night." Ethan passed out again, the sudden manifestation of his Terran Element of Wind and the near-death experience rendering him completely spent for energy.

"I… need a nap too… night night…" Rainbow Dash said wearily, passing out for similar reasons.

=== --- ===

Late that evening, Natasha walked into Ethan's room, to check in on her big (or little?) Pony hero. Somehow he had managed to stop his and Rainbow Dash's free-fall with little to no injury to either. No one could really figure out why without tracing out the mana patterns, and only Twilight and the Princesses could manage that, as far as anyone at the Clinic knew. Ethan was just glad all he had to deal with exhaustion, something that could be solved with lots of laying on his bed, and watching some random programming. The only problem was, he couldn't find a damn thing worth watching.

"Ugh T.V. today is so trite. I mean you don't have real actors anymore so I guess it's 'Try random shit until more than 100,000 people decide to watch it',” Ethan said, obviously chafing under the fact that he had nothing to relax with.

"Well why do I just put it on some old music, you probably should be getting to sleep anyway. After what happened I'm surprised you aren't still passed out," Natasha said, trying to get him to relax again; Natasha found it way easier to tell when he was stressed now that he was a Pony.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Anyway how is R.D. doing?" Ethan asked, as he set the holo-display on some atmospheric music.

"R.D.? Oh Rainbow Dash… only a day into being taught by her, and you're already using abbreviations?” Natasha started as she giggled a bit. “Anyway, yeah, she only had nausea from what she breathed in, but given how far up in the air you were that was enough for her to black out and fall like that apparently

She then thought back to something Kyoko said to her a little while after Ethan came out of the exam room post-Conversion…

Ponies really, really like to be brushed, just like real horses. When it looks like he's getting stressed out, just offer to brush him some. Trust me it, it really calms them down.

"Man your fur and mane are all messed up, why don't you let me do something about that?" Natasha said, reaching for Ethan's fur and mane brush on his desk. It had a strap for wrapping around his hoof, not that Natasha needed it necessarily.

"Yeah sure ok, just don't go trying to mess around with my mane too much, I hadn't decided on a style for it yet…" Ethan said, not noticing the devious looking smirk on Natasha's face.

She said silently to herself, Oh I am going to really enjoy this…

As soon as she put the brush to his back, Ethan quickly realized what he was in for. He felt charge go through his entire body. It was something he had hardly ever felt unless they were being particularly frisky or he had just eaten a giant meal back at the Bureau.

Oh God… all over… I… ahhh… he thought to himself, his brain hardly able to form coherent thought.

As she continued along his sides and belly, he was starting to feel a lot more relaxed, almost as if he was going into some kind of pleasure-induced trance.

So good… oh God… she does it so well… he thought, he never felt like this when he was brushing himself. Sure it felt good, but nowhere near the scale of what Natasha doing to him right now.

When she started brushing along his back, he yelped in a rather un-masculine way, and his wings flared out like he was about to take off right then and there. Natasha was briefly startled, but then remembered what some of the brochures that she got second hand from Ethan said about Pegasi:

When Pegasi are sufficiently emotionally stimulated; be it by sexual arousal, pleasure, anxiety, or fear - they tend to involuntarily stretch out their wings. This is part of normal fight or flight response, just in case the Pegasus has to fly away to escape danger.

"S-S-Sorry. But… it felt so good… I couldn't help it…" Ethan said sheepishly; he didn't want Natasha to stop though, it truly felt quite well.

"Oh don't worry… now shall we continue?" Natasha asked, relishing the opportunity to relax Ethan and let him forget all the troubles of the day and in general.

"Yes… yes please…," he said. He was still in a bit of a haze mentally, his normal bravado replaced by a quiet, almost mouse-like demeanor. She sat back down on the bed, and returned to brushing Ethan along his back. Ethan lowered his head on the covers, letting Natasha go along the entire length of his spine. It felt simply divine to him, he just wanted her to go and on and on until he fell asleep. She continued on brushing; neck, back, tail, head.

Rainbow Dash was walking by when she heard the goings on. She was quiet and tried to hide as much of her mane as she could as she peeked past the gap in the door.

She saw Ethan entirely oblivious to the world around him, neck in Natasha's lap, his mind just wanting to soak in the good feelings from the grooming until he dozed off. As she walked off to leave the two lovebirds alone, she thought to herself.

I wonder if Spitfire and Soarin do that to each other… oh what am I thinking, they aren't even an item… are they?

~~ ====== ~~

An eventful day, my new little Pony?

Yes Princess Celestia, about as eventful as I can stand right now honestly.

Heh, I see. Well let me ask you this, Mr. Ethan. Have you considered your Equestrian name?

Hrm… I have… I think I got one that suits me just right.

I would like to hear it then.

Golden Storm, I want to be known as Golden Storm when I get to Equestria.

Alright then, Ethan, your new moniker is 'Golden Storm'. I wish you good tidings, my little Pony.

I wonder how long it's gonna take for me to get used to being called that…

CH 9: Ring of Fire

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 9: Ring of Fire ===

The Element of Generosity certainly lives up to her name, doesn’t she?

Yes she does, although it does help to have the person you are trying to help actually be receptive to said help…

Indeed, although I worry not for the person in question, but for the lady friend of the newly rechristened Golden Storm…

Perhaps her continuing involvement in this little sub-plot will help settle her mind on a course of action…

We can only hope so…

[ October 22, 2080 – New York, USA, Earth ]

<Mother, please don’t leave me… don’t leave me alone like this…> Natasha screamed as the flames whipped around her; the remorseless inferno threatening to burn her alive while she cradled the blood-drenched body of her mortally wounded mother.

<Please, Natasha, my life is at an end. Don’t… throw yours away… clinging to a memory…> Her mother strained to reply. Despite the heat of the flames all around them, she could feel the chill of death wrapping itself around her like a snake would a mouse.

<I don’t know what to do… where to go… I’m scared Mother… What if they find me? What if they try to kill me too?> Natasha cried, as she was paralyzed by the fear of her own possible death, either by the flames or by the man-shaped demons known as the Reznikov Crime Family.

<You cannot live your life… in fear of what may happen. You must grow beyond such fear, grow and conquer that fear… and live the life you want to live…> Her mother intoned with all the strength she had remaining in her body. After which, she went limp, Death having finally claimed its prize.

<No, mother… please don’t leave me… PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!> Natasha cried in anguish as the flames engulfed her. But instead of red, she saw nothing but black…

~~~ --- ~~~

…the inky blackness of her room, as all the electronics were off; save a small, dull red light on her terminal monitor showing it was in stand-by mode. She was back in her condo’s room, her temporary residence while the C.I.A. was still concluding negotiations with a certain informant in the New York metro area.

“It’s just getting worse and worse, every night almost now…” Natasha moaned as she went over to the window and slowly opened the blinds. Her eyes stung for a moment as the bright lights of the city flooded into to her dilated pupils; though after a few moments she was able to refocus on the signage for the sundry attractions within the Domed community.

“What am I supposed to do… at this rate I’m going to be a nervous wreck by the start of the November, and that’s only a week plus away,” Natasha groaned as she sat in the chair, silently cursing the demon of malice that had attached itself to her back, in a metaphorical sense.

The droning hum of the air conditioning managed to quell some of her stress, but not all of it, at least not without talking to a certain someone.

“I am not sure why I would believe he is awake at this hour, but I may as well try…” Natasha thought aloud as she sent the message to Ethan’s vid-chat account.

A few minutes later the familiar ping sounded on her terminal, and she opened the line, thankful to see that lovely golden-yellow face on the other side.

“If you are calling me at 2 in the morning, knowing what you are doing on the coast, it must be bad…” Ethan said, the smile shifting to a look of concern when he saw how ragged Natasha appeared.

“Baby, it is that bad. Those nightmares I was talking about? They are getting more frequent and less abstract. It would be safer to say that I am actively reliving that… horror show… every other night now,” Natasha explained, as she tried to straighten her hair out as much as she could without a brush at hand.

“And I don’t have to ask how that’s affecting you, because it’s carved all in those bags under your eyes. Is it affecting your case in anyway?” Ethan mused and then asked.

“You know I cannot divulge details. But I am trying my best to not let my internal stress affect these proceedings,” Natasha said, as she thought about the implications to herself.

If they are successful, we can have a lot of information on some of the mafia families operating across the whole Eastern United States, not just the New York City area…

“Well, just know that I’m here for you right now. And I’m going to stay here for you, no matter where this… assignment… of yours leads you,” Ethan replied with all earnestness.

I know, Ethan… that’s why I’m seriously thinking I’m going to do it… and soon…

** Later that Day **

== New York City Conversion Bureau ==

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Madame Director,” Natasha stated with all manner of formality, as she looked at the white-coated and violet-maned Unicorn that was the facility’s director.

“Oh come now, as much as I appreciate having this level of responsibility, the formal title of ‘Director’ is a tad, stuffy…” the posh Unicorn replied, her modified Mid-Atlantic accent making her sound like any number of actresses on Broadway throughout the years.

A New York City cop sat with the subject of the meeting, a middle-aged man of obvious-by-his-thick-accent Russian heritage; said middle-aged man fiddled with his jacket nervously as he looked around at the rather spacious, even at human-scale, meeting room.

“I’m sorry. But… I’m rather nervous about all of this. The managers I work under, if you will, do not take kindly to rats… or Ponies. I would like to conclude this as soon as possible, if you do not mind, Miss Rarity, was it?” the informant asked with his nervous tic still quite evident.

“Yes the name is Rarity. The issue of your Conversion is not actually what is holding these proceedings up. It is more along the lines of…” Rarity started.

“…who gets to question you after the fact, and where,” Natasha concluded, as her own tension was starting to build.

I swear for some reason this man’s presence is making me even more agitated the more I’m around him, but I cannot fathom why… Natasha thought to herself, as she took a couple of breaths in and out to try and calm herself.

“If you do not mind me asking, I would like to know of your involvement in this organization. I was briefed before-hoof about the known facts of the Reznikov mafia family, but I would like to understand you better, if you do not mind me prying,” Rarity asked, in a gentle yet firm tone.

REZNIKOV?! He’s part of THAT mafia family?! Natasha thought to herself as she visibly clenched, as if someone was winding her like a spring and she was reaching her maximum tension.

“Yes ma’am. I was… nothing more than a low-level grunt, both here and in Russia. Whenever we would have to go and take care of business, if you will, I would be one of those who actually had to perform the acts in question,” the informant started.

This isn’t happening… he can’t be… the family is way too big… he’s just a bit player… Natasha continued to think as her hand was inching closer to her pistol.

“There was… one job. It still haunts me to this day… about 10, maybe 11 years ago…” the informant continued.

What is this horrendous sense of malice I’m feeling… is it coming from the informant… no… it’s coming from her? Rarity thought as she kept one eye on the informant and another on the CIA agent whose arm was beginning to visibly quake.

“There was this… lady, I believe, she was deeply indebted to us through our gambling operations. The word came from the boss that we were to collect, or make an example of her,” the informant started before he heard a click slightly behind him.

“Agent Alkaev. Put down your weapon immediately!” the cop shouted as Natasha held the gun as steady as she could directly behind the head of the informant.

“Director, tell the beat cop to stand down. I want to hear every single word this man has to say, and he’s going to start talking or I’m going to pull this trigger…” Natasha said; her voice eerily cold, as if all the emotion had been drained out of her.

I really hope I am making the correct decision here… Rarity thought to herself before she responded. “Officer, she is not going to shoot.”

“What do you mean she has that gun right at the man’s skull?!” The cop asked as he was ready to draw his own weapon.

“Trust me, she is not going to pull the trigger…” Rarity said as, he kept his hand on his holster just in case.

“Please, please ma’am, stop. I will continue. Just… lower your weapon… please,” the informant requested, his anxiety never abating.

Natasha slowly drew the gun away from the informant, and put it back into her own holster, and sat in a chair some distance from him.

“She had a husband and a daughter, I believe. The family looked as loving as any you could imagine. It… it haunts me that I had anything to do with that… carnage that night…” the informant continued.

“What carnage, sir?” Rarity continued, as she maintained as much poise as she could muster given the circumstances.

“She was obviously unable to pay her debts. The man in charge of that branch, decided to attempt to kidnap her, to what end I cannot fathom, though no option I can think of would be good. There were shots ringing out all over. We were eventually ordered to leave, but not before two of the svetlâki decided to make their presence known,” the informant continued.

Natasha began to sob once she heard that dreaded word uttered.

“Miss Alkaev, what is the matter?” Rarity asked with all the empathy she could muster.

“I knew it… he was one of the ones there. I’ll never forget that night… my father… my mother… everything I knew to that day… everything gone up in flames,” Natasha managed to reply through sobs; the officer that moments before was threatening to shoot her, now trying to comfort her as best he could manage.

“You?! You must be their daughter… I… I cannot apologize enough. I know my words may sound hollow at this point, especially with so much time having passed… but I couldn’t bear the guilt any longer. Ten years is far too long as it stands. I felt like I had to do whatever they told me to… but now it is too much. They have to be stopped, and… any little bit that I can contribute to them being stopped… I will do,” the informant said, as he tried to approach Natasha.

“STAY BACK! Just… please… stay back… this is too much for me as well. Ten years of wanting, want so bad to exact revenge upon anyone involved…” Natasha said as she rose up in pure, burning rage against the man who, at the current time, represented everything she wanted to destroy.

She moved her hand back to her holster, but saw that a cornflower-blue aura held it fast.

“Director, what are you doing?!” Natasha barked, as the informant moved as far away from Natasha as he could without exiting the room entirely.

“I am preventing you from making a mistake you will dearly regret. This man is currently the only link you have to the rest of the criminal organization you so desperately want to defeat. Killing him would not only serve no purpose except slaking your own vengeance, but it could possibly set your entire investigation back years. Is one minor player’s life worth having to wait any longer than necessary to defeat said organization?” Rarity replied, her horn still a-glow, keeping the pistol firmly seated in Natasha’s holster.

Natasha continued to quake with a combination of anxiety and rage, as the informant hid behind a chair, trying to create any little bit of separation he could between him and the red-haired CIA agent.

“I can’t…” Natasha said quietly as she slumped back down in her chair.

“You can’t?” Rarity asked.

“All of this… all of this pent up anger… this rage… this frustration… this sorrow… it’s been eating away at me bit by bit for the last decade. And now look at me… I was this close to killing the one link that we had into the organization. The one source of legitimate, first-hand information we had and I was seconds away from permanently silencing it…” Natasha replied, a she continued to quake with anxiety.

“Natasha, I cannot pretend to say what the absolute right thing you should do, regarding this situation. But as far as I can tell, you have to let us continue. If we can Convert him and safely move him to Equestria, he is almost assuredly beyond the reach of the Rezinkovs, I believe they were called,” Rarity explained, trying to re-engage the logical part of Natasha’s mind.

“I know but… I can’t just let this go… all of this tension built up in me. If… if I just let this go… then what purpose am I serving… just what exactly am I doing with myself?” Natasha asked of Rarity.

“Do you have a significant other perhaps? Maybe you need someone else to help bear your burden?” Rarity suggested.

“I… I do,” Natasha replied, as she began to calm down, which in turn allowed the informant to calm down as well.

“That’s great!” Rarity exclaimed, her eyes positively lighting up. “I’m sure they wouldn’t want you to keep dragging this millstone around your neck. I am not saying to forget about your tragedy in the past, far from it. But this idea of vengeance… it only leads to bad ends.”

“Perhaps… but… I… I don’t want to lose this thread either… I…” Natasha started as she began thinking out loud.

“What do you mean ‘lose the thread’, Miss Natasha?” Rarity asked as she looked quizzically at the red-haired woman.

“Him!” Natash said while pointing at the man, nearly causing him to leap out of his chair (again). “Killing him is right out, obviously; but I still need to know everything the Reznikovs have done and are trying to do up until this point. But if he’s moving to Equestria, as per the guidelines with Converts, then the CIA would have to go through an Equestrian intermediary to interrogate him. That or shuttle him back and forth between here and Earth…”

“And the Reznikovs would obviously try to deep six him while he was Earthside if we did the latter,” the police officer thought aloud.

“So that means we need someone trustworthy in Equestria that could interrogate him, so we can figure out where to start cracking this little nut,” Natasha continued.

“But I would think this intelligence agency would know almost no one in Equestria aside from the Princesses. And I doubt they could involve themselves in this matter, despite the magnitude of importance to you personally,” Rarity posited.

“Yeah, but I think there is someone we could involve in this whole situation, though,” Natasha added, the resolve returning to her voice.

“And just whom would this person be?” Rarity asked, still a bit lost as to where Natasha’s mental train was heading.

[ October 23, 2080 – Washington D.C., USA, Earth ]

“This is a very, very strange request. I mean, I can understand the theory behind it, but… still… you?” Natasha’s superior ‘officer’ replied, as he stood up from his desk and began pacing around the half-red- and half-blonde woman in his office.

“Yes, it’s kind of an involved story. But I am willing to literally put my body on the line in order to continue this case in a clean fashion, Agent Jacques,” Natasha replied, doing her level best to not let slip the actual reason she was trying to clear this.

This might be the simplest way to Convert, keep ties with the intelligence community, and keep in contact with that informant…

“Ugh, you really know how to put me on the spot don’t you, Natasha?” Agent Jacques moaned, as he tried his best to come up with some kind of amicable solution. “Well we don’t have any kind of formal intelligence presence in Equestria, and there is no telling how long it would take to create one since they are beyond any of our normal communication networks. I don’t know how any of the information analysts would put up with having to wait for written or recorded communiqués every week or so. Even so, to have a live agent in Equestrian soil would be… a boon quite honestly.”

Agent Jacques then walked to the window as he looked up at the glint in the sky that showed where the Dome separated inside from outside. “At the same time, there is no telling how the Princesses would react to us having spies in her world. She could see it as just us operating normally, gathering information as any nation, I would assume, on her side of that Aurora would. Then again she could react very badly, and we have little to no information on her capabilities regarding her military or the full capacity of her magic.”

“I… I am willing to operate as an independent intelligence contractor, for proper compensation of course,” Natasha asked with a bit of wry humor to her voice.

“Honestly, that is probably the only way this thing could work without raising the suspicions of whatever intelligence apparatus Equestria has domestically,” Agent Jacques continued to reason aloud.

“Is this going to have to be cleared with anyone above you?” Natasha thought as she looked out of the same window as Jacques.

“No, this will be our own little private professional ‘operation’. As far as they know you will have resigned with grace and moved on with your life after an unfortunate incident during this operation,” Jacques thought aloud before pausing to write some notes on a small index card.

“Once you convert, send me all your new personal information to this contact address. That way we can start setting up means for you to leave reports that I can then filter out to the other field officers and the various other law enforcement agencies,” Jacques continued in a matter-of-fact tone as he handed the index card over with several net addresses on it.

“These are… LOBSTER addresses… that new anonymous information sharing service, right?” Natasha remarked as she looked at the somewhat familiar arrangement of numbers and short words.

“Yes, I setup a LOBSTER account just for independent ventures like this. I have no idea what my superior officers are going to think about this in particular; but I’ll figure something out. We just need as much information on the Reznikovs as you can wring out that informant, Agent Alkaev,” Jacuqes instructed with a firm tone.

“And what if I come across any unrelated but still juicy tidbits?” Natasha queried.

“Well, in a manner of speaking, you have my number…” Jacques replied, with a devious smile on his face.

[ October 29, 2080 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau, USA, Earth ]

“Alright, Natasha, you’re up!” Twilight announced to the small crowd in the lobby, including a certain white Unicorn that had made the trip from New York City for the day.

“I should have figured you would convert eventually, especially considering who your ‘significant other’ is,” Rarity mused aloud as she looked up at the once-again-blonde Russian immigrant.

“What can I say, he just has that effect on me,” Natasha quipped while mussing Ethan’s mane some before she stood up in acknowledgement of Twilight’s announcement; doing her best to hide her inherent anxiety at such a life changing event was to begin in a short while.

I wonder what I will see during my Conversion. Ethan talked about that vision he had… I don’t know how I will be able to stand it if I have to go through something similar though…

“Yeah, that much is apparent,” Rainbow Dash added as she looked on at the double-doors that led to the short hallway, which itself led to elevators down into the Conversion Rooms.

“I wonder what you’ll look like. I mean it’s not like there is a definite template the potions follow aside from the obvious,” Andre thought aloud as the envisioned all numbers of combinations for mane and coat for the potential mare.

Kyoko had her mind on other things, as she noticed she was now one of only a few non-employee or volunteer humans left in the top-side of the building. “This will make me the last human of the group; or at least the last one with a human body. It feels kinda weird to think about, honestly.”

“So don’t…” Rainbow Dash replied off-handedly.

“Don’t?”

“Yeah, I mean it really doesn’t seem like Andre or Ethan stopped being who they were just because of the change in body,” Rainbow Dash started. “Then again… if you turned me into a human tomorrow I’m not sure I could say for absolutely sure that I would act and behave exactly the same…”

The rainbow-maned mare and the black-and-green haired human sat there as they both thought about things a little longer.

“I guess it would be unfair to say they would be exactly the same…” Rainbow Dash acceded.

“At the same time, they didn’t become completely different either. I mean Andre still does the same things he did before; he just has to do them differently because it’s a different body…” Kyoko thought aloud.

Ethan and Andre both looked at each other and the still somewhat nervous Natasha.

“No one said any of this was going to be cut and dry,” Ethan thought aloud as he rubbed a forehoof along the back of his head.

“No, and I guess it’s silly of us to think it ever would be. At the same time, if you are really having second thoughts you should tell Twilight right here and now; she is looking a little, concerned herself,” Andre pointed out as he redirected Natasha’s attention to the slightly nervous looking mulberry Unicorn.

Twilight gulped a bit, but quickly regained her composure. “Oh, I’m sorry. But he’s right, if you are not absolutely sure you want to do this, we can always reschedule, or cancel outright.”

Natasha thought for a few moments, looking at everyone there, friend or not. “Twilight, I’m going through with it. It’s pretty much the only way I’ll really be able to continue my relationship with Ethan, and I’m definitely not giving that up for anything.”

She winked at Ethan, which was returned with a blown kiss from the gold-yellow stallion.

“Okay then… well if you will just follow me then,” Twilight responded, resolving to just get on with the business of the moment.

“Sure thing, Madame Director,” Natasha said as she hugged Ethan and walked off behind the double-doors with Twilight; but not before the two of them were stopped by a certain other Unicorn clearing her throat.

“If you don’t mind, but I would like to accompany you Twilight in the control room during the Conversion itself,” Rarity asked, with a sudden spark of determination in her eyes.

“Hrm, you sound like Rainbow Dash a couple of weeks ago…” Twilight chuckled before answering. “Sure, we have more than enough room for an observer.”

Rarity quickly caught up to the pair behind the half-open double-doors, before the now three of them disappeared down the hallway.

After a few moments Andre looked over at Ethan with a look of mild concern.

“You think they…” Andre began before Ethan interrupted him.

“… I’m sure of it. Now what that means going forward, who knows,” Ethan concluded as he inwardly prayed for Natasha to be able to conquer what she was most assuredly about to face.

--- == ---

As she sat in her medical smock, cross-legged on the exam bed, she silently prayed and thought a bit to herself before lying down and drinking the potion.

I really hope I'm doing the right thing... There is no going back from this... No, I can't be hesitant... I have to be strong... This is for me and Ethan... For a new life together...

With that, she drunk the potion and promptly passed out. Twilight and Rarity also silently prayed to Celestia that nothing went wrong during the process.

~~ = ~~

She then appeared in the Astral Plane. Floating around like a disembodied soul would.

Well this is new... she said to herself.

She was then whisked away to her first scene, something that begun to open her up like she had ten expert therapists working on her as a team.

She was seeing a genuine community being built. The Unicorns were directing plans and fashioning tools for the Earth Ponies to use. They also used their Magic to predict and gauge all the plans by the engineers of the three races. They were the mind of the greater whole.

The Earth Ponies were using said tools and techniques to grow plenty of food and fabricate plenty of building material for later. They also built the framework for all of society; from a different angle, one could consider them the foundation, like the very earth itself. They were the body of the greater whole.

The Pegasi were moving the clouds where sun was needed, moving others for shade, and still other were being seeded to cause rain. Thought they had ultimate control of the weather in their lands, they knew that trying to browbeat the others into some kind of submission would be foolhardy. Everyone had their role to play, and everyone had a chance to find it. They were the soul of the greater whole.

Everything seemed to be flowing in a great synergy, as if the entire race was constructed to be parts to a far, far, FAR greater whole. This simple display of community and teamwork touched Natasha to her very soul.

They are all so happy when they can do for each other, they are all so happy when they have a role to play in the greater scheme of things. It truly is a community; no, more like a giant, extended family... She thought to herself.

Then she heard the voices, the voices of the multitudes, and possibly of the new world itself: Welcome our new sister. We graciously await your arrival in our lands. Soon your heart shall be put at ease you embark on a new journey of self-discovery.

If Natasha was capable of crying in that form, she would have broken down into tears of joy then and there. She could feel the love, a pure love for the world and everything that inhabited it. She was then sped to the Astral Form of Canterlot Castle, where she landed in front of the Vision of Princesses Celestia and Luna.

“Natasha Alkaev, we have heard your request to join our Herd,” the phantasmal embodiment of Celestia stated in a warm but firm tone.

“Before we are to proceed, you must understand this process cannot be stopped once it starts. Do you still wish to proceed knowing this fact?” the phantom of Luna asked in a cool but still loving tone.

Natasha looked at the vaguely Alicorn like being of light that appeared next to her own soul’s Astral Form. After looking at it for a few moments, she gave her answer. “I am quite sure I want to proceed, Princesses.”

“The so it shall be!” the two ghostly, full-sized Alicorns boomed, as Natasha placed a hand on the forehead of the smaller, brighter Alicorn-like figure.

~~ -- ~~

“Twilight?” Rarity asked with a nervous tone, as she noticed Twilight had turned her back to the proceedings to check one of the machines with a human operator.

“Yes Rarity,” the mulberry Unicorn responded, with a tone implying ‘please don’t ask me what you are about to ask me’.

“Are the subjects supposed to change color mid-transformation? I’ve only watched a few live, and they always glowed white until the very end,” Rarity asked, cocking her head at the steadily brightening glow from the ‘conversion’ room.

“… What color is she?” Twilight replied, while still not turning to face the other Unicorn.

Rarity paused for a second, before responding. “Red, dear.”

Twilight wheeled around as if she was sitting in a swivel-chair, and saw for herself the brightening red glow coming from the room on the other side of the transparent barrier.

“That won’t be good…” Twilight thought aloud as she contacted Celestia through the Elements.

Princesses…

Yes Twilight…

Code Red…

… oh my, so you found that one this time…

That’s our best guess…

We’re on our way…

~~ -- ~~

“IT’S TOO HOT! I’M GOING TO MELT LIKE THIS!” Natasha screamed as crimson red flames engulfed the entire scene as it started to shift.

“She’s right. It even feels unbearably hot to us…” Princess Luna mused while wiping a bit of sweat from her brow as she and her sister manifested fully in the Astral Plane.

Then allow me to alleviate this heat for the time being… a mysterious voice said, as suddenly Natasha found a red ball of light floating in front of her face, along with her hand being removed from the Alicorn-like phantom Pony.

“It is nice to hear you again… voice of the Ancient Magic,” Celestia mused aloud, as she spoke gently into the enshrouded ceiling of the cave-like shrine they were all located in.

Indeed it is, Keeper of the Other World. At some point, we will have to meet formally, but I must conduct my business while I have the soul of a Shard Bearer before me, the ancient voice responded before ‘turning’ her attention to Natasha’s soul and the red and white lights next to her.

In any case, Bearer of the Terran Shard: I offer unto you a choice. Your soul, as it stands, is irreconcilable with the Spark of the Other World the Keepers have so graciously offered you. This is due to Spark of Terran Magic I have embedded into your soul mixed with your internal turmoil. If you so choose, I may remove the Spark, but it will cause your current identity to collapse, rendering the Pony you would be born as to be a blank slate. If you wish to keep your identity and the Spark, you will be forced to confront your greatest fear. Conquer said fear, and you will keep your identity, Spark, and new body. If the fear conquers you, your soul will be destroyed, and the resulting Pony will be lifeless and inert. Take caution in your choice…

“I can’t bear the thought of living without my dear Ethan. So regardless of what trial or test I have to pass, I will endure it so I can have my life with him on the other side,” Natasha replied, ‘breathing’ heavily.

A sudden plume of flame changed the scene for Natasha, as she found herself looking as she did when she was only thirteen years old. She was sitting in the living room of her parent’s old home back in Russia.

I should have surmised I would need to confront this eventually… but…

=-=-=

The dream started out like it did usually; she was running through the house, trying to find her mother and father. Then she came across the main room of the house, but what she saw shocked her.

The Mafia members she had seen so many times now looked demonic - as if beasts from Hell had crawled from out of the ground and assumed mostly human shape. She saw the snarling vision of the leader of this pack of jackals, eyes burning with lust for anything pretty and female, greed for money, and hate for anything that'd get in the way of his pursuit of the first two.

<Mother... Father... get away, they'll kill you. They'll kill you!!> she tried to say, but the visions could not hear her.

<"You will give me the money I want... or I will take what I want from this lovely home of yours, and maybe your lovely wife as well. I believe that is only fair compensation for the debts she owes me,"> snarled the leader-jackal at the vision of her father. The leader then reached out Natasha's mother, threatening to take her hostage to ensure compliance.

Natasha's father then lunged out at the lead jackal, a hidden knife along his leg now in his hands. He held the knife in an outstretched arm, trying to cut down this bastard before he did anything to hurt his daughter and wife. The leader's flunkies however had very quick trigger fingers, and it took only a few shots before Natasha's father was down in a bloody heap on the floor. He fell right as he was up in the face of the demonic jackal-turned-humanoid Mafia representative.

Despite the gunfire, the husband managed to carve a large diagonal scar across the jackal's face before his body fell limp. The leader-jackal howled in pain, staggering backwards, clutching his gashed face. <"THAT BASTARD, KILL HIM, KILL HIS WIFE, KILL ANYONE HERE THAT'S NOT IN THE ORGANIZATION. TELL THE SVETLÂKI TO RAZE THIS ENTIRE PLACE!!!!"> he barked out, him and a flunky trying to get back to the van outside to treat his wound.

Natasha's mother had already run off, though, figuring that leader would call for all their executions seeing as he wasn't handed what he wanted.

=-=-=

How horrifying, how could anyone Human do such a thing to their own kind? Luna asked of her sister.

The better question would be 'Can we call anything that'd do something like this 'Human'?' Celestia replied, face full of concern for Natasha's sanity.

=-=-=

Natasha and her mother ran through the hallways, trying to find an escape. Then came the firebombs, and soon the entire house was engulfed in red, searing flame. Natasha could hear the jackal-demons, seemingly unaffected by the fire; they howled and fired their arms, trying to either shoot the two or prevent their escape from this fire that'd certainly kill them.

<Mother... please... save me... I don't want to die... I don't want to die...> Natasha said, almost going catatonic with fear now, barely able to keep up with her mother.

Her mother tried to get her to the exit, but then shots rang out. The jackal-demons had found them, and fired upon her mother. They did not shoot to kill however; they wanted to take pleasure in watching this woman who dared defied their boss’s wishes bleed out or burn to death, whichever came first.

<”Mother, please don’t leave me… don’t leave me alone like this…”> Natasha screamed as the flames whipped around her, trying to do anything she could to keep the spark of life in her mother’s rapidly fading body.

<”My time has already come. Don’t waste yours… please… escape… leave this place…”> Her mother strained to reply. Despite the heat of the flames all around them, she could feel the chill of death wrapping itself around her like a snake would a mouse.

<”I don’t know what to do… where to go… I’m scared Mother… What if they find me? What if they try to kill me too?”> Natasha cried, as she was paralyzed by the fear of her own possible death, either by the flames or by the man-shaped demons known as the Reznikov Crime Family.

<”You cannot let the fear of the unknown cloud you now. If you die here, then you will never know what the future will hold for you,”> Her mother intoned with all the strength she had remaining in her body. After which, she went limp, Death having finally claimed its prize.

=-=-=

You have to fight this Natasha, this fear is crippling you, and eventually it will consume your soul. You have to fight it, you have to survive, Both Royal Sisters implored.

=-=-=

Natasha sat there, the exit door now engulfed in flames, the jackal-demons surrounding her. She wanted to die right there, she wanted something to take the pain away, take it away forever. Yet, something in the back of her mind wouldn't let her quietly accept her demise.

I’m just going to tell you right now Natasha. When you are going through the middle of your Conversion, the Royal Sisters, or someone anyway, will show you the thing you fear the greatest. When they do… you just have to do one thing for me. Don’t lose sight of why you are Converting and the new life you want to build…

Natasha then began to look up; she saw the jackal-demons surrounding her. She saw the red-hot flames surrounding all of them. Everything about this situation was telling her 'Accept your fate. You will die here and now.' Yet she couldn't, she couldn't simply lie down and just accept she was to enter an eternity of oblivion. So she did what any right-thinking person would do staring certain doom in the face - she began laughing.

The jackal-demons, understandably, were somewhat put off by this strange display of emotion. Wasn’t the person facing certain death supposed to be shivering in fear, or were they just supposed to sit there silent and catatonic? Whatever it was, they certainly weren't supposed to be laughing at it. So they resumed their approach, but something was denying them getting in any further.

<You're wondering why I'm laughing aren't you... I mean... you should be tearing me to shreds... but yet, here I sit...> she said to the jackals. Everyone watching found it strange that the demons could not get any closer, and the flames just seemed to be doing nothing.

Natasha then began to stand up, her soul beginning to glow like the flames around her. <You are just demons of my own mind. This entire trial is of my own mind, whether or not the darkness within me would crush me or whether or I would crush it.>

Natasha continued, her soul growing ever brighter, <I made a promise to myself: no matter what, I would continue on... so I could share my love with Ethan. I would continue on so that I could share my camaraderie with Andre, and Kyoko… and now the Bearers of Harmony as well.>

The jackal-demons began to retreat; they had absolutely no idea what to make of this scene...

They are all waiting for me, my dear friends, my wonderful Ethan. There is so much I want to see now, so much I need to protect now... I've accepted my fate... not a fate of slow self-destruction... but a fate of growth and evolution... I'll become the vanguard for two worlds now...

Her soul was rising off the ground; she looked down at the heeling jackal-demons, now reduced to formless shadows; still in retreat away from her and her glow.

You all... you're the darkness of this world. You're the greed... the hate... the envy... the wrath... everything that causes good men to become monsters. I can't let you have this world, I can't let the men you've already turned into monsters rule this world... You've already taken so much from me, my childhood, my original home, even my parents... NO MORE.... I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ANYTHING ELSE FROM ME... I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE... YOU BASTARDS CAN'T HAVE IT... VOICE... DO YOU HEAR ME... I DON'T CARE HOW DANGEROUS THAT POWER IS... I WILL CONTROL IT... I WILL USE IT TO BRING DOWN WHOEVER THINKS THEY COULD OWN THIS OR ANY OTHER WORLD!!

So you have wished it, so it shall be granted!

The flames surged toward Natasha, but not to burn her, but to feed her soul. They would soon be hers to control, but not before some others had spoken their peace.

She returned to the ground, and walked over to the vision of her dying mother. She then knelt on the ground, and held her hand and cradled her head in arms. Her mother looked up at her and said, <My daughter, it matters not what form you take. Know that I will forever love you, because you are my child.>

She then looked up into the flames, and saw the vision of her now deceased father. <My daughter, don't fear the power you are to be given. While it may seem destructive, it is only destructive when used by the wrong hands. Fire both gives and takes life, which one it does it entirely up to the user. I know you can rescue this world, and I love you, I love you so very much.>

"Thank you, thank you both. I won't ever forget this...," Natasha said; as her soul finally able to start feeling calm after that night 10 years ago.

Humans are capable of such great love and such great hatred; truly, a very interesting species. Luna said to Celestia, as they prepared to accept a new member to their Herd.

I wouldn't have it any other way, dear sister, Celestia responded, knowing their role in this drama was now at hand.

The flames now swirled around Natasha, and began to breakdown into quiet red particles. Eventually the entire vision of her burning home was replaced by the red Terran Spark of Fire, now her Terran Spark of Fire.

=-=-=

“Finally, after so many years… I… I can finally move on. I hope…” Natasha said wearily as she saw herself looking less like a human in her soul body, and more of an indefinite shape. The phantasmal Pony and the red spark of Terran Magic ‘looked’ on eagerly, as if they were anticipating their merger.

The ancient voice began to speak, using all the gravitas she could muster as the Keeper of an ancient Power. As you accept both the Spark of Life from the Other World, and the Spark of Terran Magic, you will be reborn as the Conduit of Fire. This will afford you a pathway to a great power, but remember: without the will to control and shape it, it will easily grow out of control and consume you. Always remember that Will and Power must be joined to forge true magic, and to build the New Age that is to come. There is still one other you must find. Once you do, you can begin the next phase in forging the New Age for all, along with the Bearers of the Other World’s Harmony.

Her tone then shifted to that of a great matron. Child, the force that you control is wild and unpredictable. However, if you attempt to use it while you fear it, then it will be its most uncontrollable. You must keep yourself grounded as you begin to explore the true depths of the Power you now possess, and you must help those that you may ally yourself with to learn to not fear, but to truly respect the Power you all bear. The more the world believes that Power is nothing more than a monster to be tamed, the more of a monster that the Power you all possess will become. The only thing that can truly be monstrous when dealing with this Magic is the one that is using it; never forget this fact!

“Yes ma’am. Just as I couldn’t fear the pistols I used as a human, I cannot fear the Fire that now burns within me,” Natasha said as she looked back at the white and indigo Alicorns that stood in respect to her coming assimilation with the Terran Spark of Fire; and the third quadrant of the symbol that represented the status of Terran Magic filled in with a bright, fire-engine red.

“That only leaves one more to find…” Princess Luna stated as she breathed a sigh of relief that Natasha was apparently no worse for wear after that tribulation.

“Indeed, my sister. Now, let us conclude our business. No sense in keeping Natasha’s coltfriend waiting any longer than necessary, right?” Princess Celestia replied, with a wink at Natasha’s now amorphous Astral Form.

“Yeah, I’m ready to be done with this whole Astral Plane for the time being,” Natasha replied with a relieved tone.

“The you must answer one last question: are you, Natasha Alkaev ready to have your Spark of Terran Magic and the Equestrian Spark of Life joined to your own, so that you may embark of your new journey in this life, as well as assisting in forging a new age for all us?” Celestia asked with both a regal and matronly tone.

“Yes, I am ma’am. More ready than I thought I would ever be,” Natasha replied, as the phantasmal Pony sat down next to her, and the Spark of Terran Magic floated above the both of them.

“Then let your Sparks and your souls be joined. And let us forge a New Age for all of our species and societies!” Princess Luna and Celestia boomed.

This blaze within my soul will be the spark that lights the way to a world that everyone can be proud of… Natasha thought to herself as she touched the phantasmal Pony’s forehead, and could feel the Spark of Fire merge with both fully.

~~ -- ~~

Rarity opened the electronically controlled double-doors to the ‘conversion’ room, and could swear she felt a soothing heat and glow emanating from the red glowing form on the examination bed.

Like a warm, fireplace on a cold winter's night... Rarity thought to herself as she entered the room while the figure cooled into the figure of a bright-red-coated and sunset-orange-maned Unicorn mare.

"Darling, your mane is like a wildfire, no rhyme or reason to any of it. When you are done with your rehabilitation we simply must find a way to get it under control," Rarity said, sensing an opportunity to branch her artistic muse in a new direction.

"Yeah Rarity, I'll have to take you up on that for certain," Natasha smiled, her body uncoordinated and her mind weary and tired. She lifted the recently-formed medallion around her neck and stared at it for a bit. It was in a shape of a stylized flame, the Terran Element of Fire, carved out of the most gorgeous of rubies and set in a soft pink metal.

Hrm, a bit ironic. I wonder what my parents would say if they saw this... Natasha thought to herself.

--- == ---

When Twilight, Rarity, and Natasha finally got topside, everyone there was star-struck by the Pony that seemed like fire itself.

Ethan flew over and hugged her. "I'm so glad to see you, and my God are you beautiful," Ethan said, being careful not to be in the way of Natasha's new horn.

"Thank you baby, you don't know how much those words mean to me right now," Natasha replied.

Both were crying, crying such beautiful tears of joy.

CH 10: Our Green Earth

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 10: Our Green Earth ===

[ November 4, 2080 – Isegawa Clinic (and Laboratory), St. Louis, USA ]

“You don’t know how glad I am to get out of that rehab dorm, Rarity,” Natasha groaned as she trotted to her room in the Isegawa’s dorm, adorned with her name in English with yellow lettering printed on a red background.

“Come now, I’m sure they accommodated you the best way that they could, given the circumstance and protocol,” Rarity chided gently as the two Unicorns were now standing outside the room with a couple of bags of personal belongings and a few small boxes full of storage holo-chips for Natasha’s computer terminal.

“Well they did accommodate me very well…” Natasha started, before she looked through the balcony at a certain golden-yellow Pegasus with platinum blond mane. “Well every way that they could. To be perfectly honest… I just couldn’t wait to get back to Ethan.”

“Oh, and what does that mean, Miss Rarity?” Natasha asked with a bit of a joking tone; trying to see what the white Unicorn was thinking.

Much to Natasha’s chagrin though, Rarity was very well heeled at playing the gossip game. “Nothing, nothing dear. Just a casual observation~”

“So how’s everything going up there, Natty? Need any of us to help?” Ethan called up to the two Unicorns sitting near the railing overlooking the central common area of the dorm’s ‘bedroom hall’.

“No but…” Natasha started before she was interrupted by the sound of the front door chime sounding.

“Good news, everyone!” Dr. Hayato started, as he looked around at the assorted Ponies and lone human in the common area of the dorm. “I just received an official communiqué from Princess Celestia. You all are getting roomates, another three to be exact,”

Well that’d explain the ten rooms… Andre thought to himself as he looked at the bottom row of rooms, all unoccupied except for Twilight’s and Rarity’s; while Rainbow Dash had taken up residence on the upper terrace with the three Converts and Kyoko.

“And our two visitors should be very familiar with them, correct?” Dr. Jun added, with a bit of a wink and a nod.

“Yeah, quite familiar,” Twilight responded while beaming.

“So who are the other three Ponies that are supposed to be boarding with us?” Natasha asked, now quite interested in the mystery equines.

“Heh, just us!” a (vaguely) East-Texas accented Pony responded, as orange, yellow, and candy pink mares all poked their heads in from around the corner formed by the opened electronic doors.

“Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, it’s been quite a while hasn’t it!” Rarity called out as she briskly trotted over to the door to formally welcome the other half of the Elements of Harmony into their new residence Earth-side. “Kyoko, would you be a dear and wake Rainbow Dash up for us, please?”

Kyoko, who was sitting on a couch, seemed not to be paying attention for a few moments before she slowly got to her feet and responded with a somewhat meek “Okay”.

“Not very enthusiastic, is she…” Pinkie Pie mused, as she looked at the raven-haired girl with some concern, as the domestic drones quietly moved their belongings inside from under the terraced walkway.

“Normally Kyoko is about two-thirds of the way up your scale of ‘energy’, Pinkie. But lately she’s just been, mopey? I think mopey would be a good word for it,” Twilight explained as Fluttershy fluttered up and walked over to where Kyoko was knocking on a door.

“Say Rainbow Dash, don’t you think it’s time to get up!” Kyoko asked as she continued to rap vigorously on the door.

“Um, Kyoko was it? Would you mind…” Fluttershy asked in her reserved tone.

The raven haired lady relented as she stepped back and the butter-yellow Pegasus stood opposite of the door.

Fluttershy stood in place for a few moments, drawing in a long breath.
“RAINBOW DASH! GET YOUR LAZY FLANK UP! WE JUST GOT HERE AND WE’D LIKE A PROPER WELCOME!”

The other ten Humans and Ponies were stunned into silence by the outburst. Except for a certain heretofore sound asleep sky-blue Pegasus.

“Woah, Fluttershy, when did you get here. When I took my nap I distinctly remember there only being five Ponies and one Human here.”

Fluttershy shook her head as if to say ‘no problem’. “I’m sorry, I don’t like to yell. But SOME PONIES sleep so heavy that I have to… assert myself… in order for them to get up on time!”

Rainbow Dash quailed a bit, as she exited her room.

“I take it that you have to do this somewhat often, Fluttershy was it?” Ethan asked as Rainbow Dash joined the group of nine Ponies and three Humans in the ‘lobby’ of the dormitory.

“Yes,” was the yellow Pegasus’s simple answer, as the sky-blue Pegasus continued to maintain an embarrassed expression.

“Well now that everyone is together, I guess we should go over some ground rules for the ten of you…” Hayato mused aloud, as he got the attention of all the others in the building.

The good doctor paced a bit, before delivering his announcement. “You ten have free reign of the building, just so long as you don’t damage the building or cause an undue distraction. I would think neither of those would be a problem?”

“No, no problem at all,” the nine Ponies and young lady responded in unison.

“That’s wonderful. I will leave you all to get your things sorted out. Oh and Miss Rarity, your equipment should be arriving later today. The Ponies at the New York Bureau wanted to make sure that it was packed up properly,” Hayato added as he looked at the white Unicorn specifically.

“That’s good to hear. I truly hate having to let a good design fade because I don’t have any tools, or pads to sketch it on,” said white Unicorn responded as she looked inside her room to figure out the best arrangement of her desk, bed, and her portable sewing machine. She then looked at the two healthy looking stallions in her midst.

“Oh Andre, Ethan. You wouldn’t mind helping a poor little filly when my equipment arrives, do you?”

The two stallions looked at each other with some mild trepidation.

“Uh… no?”

“Good, because you two are about help me with a little bit of interior decorating~”

--- Later That Day ---

“Of course Rarity would find some way to take advantage of the only males in our group now,” Kyoko groused as she parked a motor-scooter next to one of the few un-Domed arts-and-crafts stores in the St. Louis area.

After calming herself a bit, she roamed around the store. While it was brightly lit and gave off all the effect of a warm and welcoming place, she could help but notice how empty it was; the only patrons besides herself being a couple of ladies that were talking about something or other near the checkout counter.

“In any case, are you planning on voting tomorrow in the elections?” one of the ladies asked the other in front of the counter; while the cashier behind the counter typed into a panel, and a machine began spitting out a roll of what appeared to be slightly-off red nylon.

“While a part of me wants to vote for Everfield, I… I am not sure honestly,” the other lady remarked, as she appeared (to Kyoko anyway) to be thinking harder about politics than she had at any other point in recent memory.

“I dunno about that, I kinda want to see what Aguillar is going to do. I mean she has been doing her best to ensure the Domes are producing quality Multi-boxes for everyone instead of just for Domers,” the first lady said.

“But if that’s all she can do, it’s really not much. And the Legislature hates her guts, quite honestly,” the second lady countered mildly.

“Well, is that because she isn’t a good President, or it is just because she doesn’t blindly obey the wishes of the people inside the Domes?” Kyoko added, as she looked a bit sheepish interjecting herself into the conversation; as well as straining a bit to soften her Japanese accent.

“Hard to say? Who are you voting for?”

“Oh I can’t vote; I’m not a naturalized citizen yet. Still a couple of years away from that,” Kyoko responded, making a bit of a show of waving her hands as if to silently wave off any other conversation along those lines.

As the two ladies continued their conversation aloud, Kyoko began to think to herself about what could potentially happen by the end of the night tomorrow night.

If Everfield wins, then… well he could make the Equestrians leave. I mean it’s not secret the people who run the Domes don’t like Princess Celestia and the Ponies. At the same time, if Aguillar retains office, they’d probably be extremely angry from losing elections twice in a row. And there’s no telling what they might do in response…

Kyoko merely sighed as she placed a few items and some sale proxies on the counter, waiting for the cashier to ring her up.

“Oh my, you must be in from the Domes. Almost no one buys Multi-Box templates outright except them…” the cashier remarked as she started for the storeroom which housed the personal use manufacturing templates.

“Oh no no no. It’s just that I live with my parents at that new outpatient clinic on the edge of the city. We have our own Multi-Boxes set up there because it’s kind of a pain to come into town and buy stuff,” Kyoko quickly responded, not wanting to seem like something she wasn’t.

The cashier looked at her strangely as she ducked her head back through the doorway of the storage room behind the counter. “Oh, then why would you be here at an arts and crafts store. I’d have thought you would be at a medical supply store getting over the counter medicine templates, and stuff like that?”

“Well we have a lot of those already, but our clinic looks so cold and white. So we… um… hired a designer to help… liven the place up. You know psychology has a lot of do with helping people heal!” Kyoko responded, trying her best to not give away the actual reason for her patronage of the shop.

“Makes enough sense,” the cashier thought aloud as she came back with a small box full of storage chips and a print manual. “You all must have some really high end machines, these are some of the freshest templates on the general market.”

“Well we do fairly well for ourselves, I guess,” Kyoko responded as she swiped her card to pay for the materials.

“Well don’t forget us if you need anything else, alright?!” the cashier shouted as Kyoko walked out the front door.

As Kyoko put her helmet back on and mounted the scooter, she continued to think of what might happen after tomorrow night and the Elections.

If they get mad enough… they could start actively trying to move against Aguillar… and then that could mean Celestia too…

As she drove further from the business center of town, a dark thought crossed her mind, on that horrified her to her core.

If… if it gets really bad… then Celestia could order every Pony to leave… and if every Pony were to leave… then… then I’d never see Andre again… unless I…
unless I…

~~ Later that Evening ~~

“Oh Kyoko, you got the materials I asked for?” Rarity asked as she looked Kyoko in the fabrication room of the Isegawa Clinic building proper, through the video-intercoms installed in all of the Isegawa’s property.

“Yeah, though it’ll take a little while to code the machines for output. I had to get clearance from my parents to use the backup Multi-Boxes for making your fabrics and dyes, but thankfully you should be good to go by tomorrow,” Kyoko replied, somewhat morosely.

“Is there something wrong Kyoko, you sound a bit distressed about something,” Rarity asked, as she looked on with concern through the camera across the campus.

“I dunno, I’m just kinda thinking through some things,” Kyoko replied as she suddenly became far more pensive than she was a few moments ago. “So, what movie did you all pick to watch?”

“I think Ethan picked something named Hot Shots, he said that a lot of his friends in the Air Force liked it,” Rarity answered as she tried to remember what the movie was about, only halfway paying attention to the golden-yellow Pegasus when he was talking about it.

“Ok then, well, I’ll be back over there in a little while,” Kyoko replied as she quietly turned off the monitor on the intercom.

-----

“That movie was funnier than I thought it would be…” Fluttershy thought aloud, as she couldn’t help the silly grin etched on her face as the final credits rolled.

“Hrm, it’s only 9 PM, so I think we have enough time for another movie,” Natasha mused aloud as she scrolled through the menus on the ‘home’ theatre.

As eight Ponies and one small dragon all discussed the various merits of the different movies that appeared on the menus, one other Pony and a rather depressed looking human sat separately in the low lit media room of the dormitory.

“Come on now, Kyoko, you can act a little better around our new roomates, can’t ya?” Andre asked of the woman that wasn’t far from twice his size now.

“I know, but… I just don’t know really,” Kyoko said as she looked on somewhat despondently, not really able to get past her own internal consternation.

If… if something happens… and Andre has to leave… I… I dunno if I could Convert and follow him...

At the same time… I don’t know what I’d do with myself if he had to leave and I could never see him again…

What am I supposed to do?

Andre could clearly see the anguish and frustration in Kyoko’s face as the thoughts swirled around her, but he couldn’t pinpoint their origin, so he tried to do the best thing he could, given the situation.

“Kyoko, I’m gonna be here for you. It doesn’t matter what all is going on outside with this Election and the politics and everything else. But if you are going to be right here, then so am I.”

Kyoko didn’t say anything, instead merely stood up, and walked out of the media room as quietly as she could manage; though she didn’t escape the perception of a certain orange and blonde farm-mare.

“Say Andre? What’s up with the Doctor’s daughter over there?”

Andre just sighed as he looked on at the raven haired woman walk slowly toward her room. “I wish I knew Applejack, I really do. But, well I don’t want to push her into doing anything. The last thing I want to be is one of those friends that shove another into a dumb decision due to a lack of foresight.”

Applejack looked on with Andre as Kyoko made her way in the low light back to her room. “Andre, Ah don’t mean to pry, but it kinda looks like she likes you a whole lot. But right now, if she wants to be with ya full-time, she’d probably hafta Convert herself.”

Andre looked down as his mane covered his eyes. “I know… that’s why I told her back when I was going to convert, I felt like I was being incredibly selfish. At the same time, it just felt like I wouldn’t go anywhere else if I didn’t.”

“So are ya both afraid that if ya take this plunge, ya might do something ya regret?” Applejack asked with a large measure of stern-ness in her voice.

“In my case, yeah,” Andre sighed as he felt like he was admitting to something he didn’t want to. “There is a constant nagging fear that I’ve either made or will make some mistake that I cannot make up for. At the same time, I just… I just… when I looked myself as a human, it just felt like all I was going to do was ignore a task I had been called to accomplish. The fact that I had a shard of that magical Power in me was proof of that.”

“And that gal of yours, whaddaya think she’s afraid of?” Applejack asked as she noticed a new film had finally been decided upon.

“I couldn’t tell you right now, but I aim to find out,” Andre replied with a resolute firmness.

[ November 5, 2080 – Isegawa Clinic (and Laboratory), St. Louis, USA ]

“I really have to stop doing this…” Andre moaned to himself out loud, as he picked himself up off the carpeted floor of the media room. He had fallen asleep during a romantic drama the others were watching earlier, and was greeted by the soft sound of an overnight news broadcast being played at low volume on one of the sub-screens off in a relatively quiet corner of the room.

As he looked over at his half-full container of pineapple cake squares (that Pinkie had baked in her experimentations with the dorm’s kitchen), he noticed the familiar sight of a certain black-haired young lady slumped over in the chair sitting closest to the active monitor.

The electric blue Unicorn simply sighed as he looked at the sight of Kyoko staring at the screen, as the chyron at the bottom of the screen was filled with predictive polls and an estimation of the election results based on said polls.

“So it seems like the models are now predicting a 65% chance of victory for President Aguillar, though error margin seems awfully high, don’t you think?” Andre said, as he sat on a cushion-chair next to Kyoko.

“Looks like it,” Kyoko replied tersely, or at least as tersely as someone half-asleep could.

“So… do you think Aguillar should keep her office?” Andre asked, hoping some small talk to get Kyoko to open up about whatever was obviously plaguing her.

“I dunno. I think the Domers that are angry with her will stay mad either way,” Kyoko replied, as she looked off to the side opposite that Andre was sitting.

Andre sighed as this bit of obvious avoidance, but continued prodding anyway. “Why do you think that? I would think some of them would be smart enough to back off if she were to win twice.”

“You really think that Andre? You really think they would just, sit there, as President Aguillar tries to do things outside of the bounds they set? Not only that but…” Kyoko started before pausing as she seemed reticent to actually continue with the thought.

“But what?” Andre prodded further, sensing he had some kind of foothold into her mind now.

“They must hate Celestia. Hate her to her core. Some alien horse just shows up out of nowhere and blames them for the ills of the Earth. I know I’d be mad if some alien blamed me personally. And…”

“And?”

“And they’ll probably blame Aguillar for letting Celestia do all of this, the talking down to them, the Conversion. But it won’t stop unless they did something… something to make it stop.”

Andre looked at Kyoko as she began to sniffle at the thought; he could feel he was starting to get down to the core of the issue, but still didn’t have a good idea of how far he still had to dig.

“So let’s say they tried something, black-ops-style terrorist attacks, whatever. What is it, besides the obvious that you’d be afraid of?”

Kyoko turned around and looked at the somewhat scraggly-maned Unicorn. She tried her best to calm herself down some, as she got out of the chair, and then sat down in front of him cross-legged so they could look eye to eye at each other.

“I’m… I’m afraid that if something really bad happened like that. That Celestia would be forced to recall all of you. I… I don’t think she’d want to have any of her Ponies in harm’s way due to humans becoming hostile. And that’d mean… that… I could lose you…”

Well that certainly would explain a lot… Andre thought to himself as he looked at Kyoko fidgeting far more than she was earlier. He could sense that they were getting closer to the core issue at play.

“I… I see… are you afraid that I’d be forced to leave before you could come to a decision about whether you should Convert?” the blue Unicorn asked, as he steeled himself for the potential response.

“That’s… some of it… I’m, I’m just…” Kyoko started as she looked as pensive as one could while not making a motion as if she was going to leave. While she would have loved, in one respect, to just drop the conversation; the other more dominant part was making her spill all of the negative thoughts she had bottled up over the last couple of months since Andre’s Conversion.

She took a deep breath, and began to speak again. “Andre… I’m scared because… I want to be with you so bad. But… if things get really bad outside, then the only way I can be sure I’ll always be with you is if I Convert… and… I’m…”

“Are you scared of Converting? I was scared to, but… I dunno, just something in me said ‘do it, everything will work out, but you have to do this first’,” Andre interrupted, hoping he could calm Kyoko down some.

“I’m scared that I won’t be able to!” Kyoko blurted out, as a couple of tears began to stream down her eyes.

Andre was taken aback by this obviously. He had heard from no one that Conversion would necessarily reject anyone; or at the least, the Bureaus rejecting anyone as a ‘client’. “Kyoko, what do you mean? Please, this is something that has obviously been bottled up inside of you for a good while.”

Kyoko was still sniffling some, but she steeled herself to tell as much as she could; or at least what she could that would make any lick of sense to the blue Unicorn.

“Okay. The reason I’m scared… I… I don’t know if I am one-hundred percent pure human. Everywhere I went in the Domes around the former site of Tokyo and Kyoto; there would be this persistent rumor mongering.

Andre, for his part, did not know what exactly to think of the assertion by Kyoko she might have been artificial in some way, but stayed any remark until he was sure she was done speaking and attempting to explain things.

“They would always say things like ‘she is way too smart for her own good’, ‘it’s impossible for an Outsider child to be that intelligent’. These rumors eventually mutated to me being some kind of android, or that I had undergone some kind of genetic tampering.”

Andre’s look of concern had started to shift to incredulity, but Kyoko wasn’t quite finished yet.

“The problem is, Andre. All through the years, my parents have refused to say anything definitive about the subject. There are always the token reassurances that they’d never do anything like that…” Kyoko started, before her sad eyes suddenly flared with intense anger. “But I know my parent’s history, especially my father’s. There is no telling what he could have done to me in-vitro, post-vitro, before I might have even have been conceived… it’s… I don’t!”

“Please stop…” Andre said quietly.

“What? What do you mean stop?” Kyoko barked angrily.

Andre just merely quietly got up, and wrapped his front-legs around Kyoko’s somewhat petite waist as best he could.

“I don’t want to see you like this, Kyoko. Do you think your parents are that heartless? That they would experiment so brazenly with their own child, regardless if he was a son or daughter?” Andre said, as tears began to well up in his own eyes.

“I want to believe… I want to believe so bad that they would never do something like that. But… I can’t be sure. My mind, no matter how much I try to tell myself the idea is stupid or so evil that it couldn’t possibly be true… it just won’t let the idea go,” Kyoko responded, sobbing as she clutched the blue Unicorn slightly more than half her size as tightly as she could.

Andre craned his neck so that he was looking straight into Kyoko’s eyes. “Sometimes, the best way to kill a nasty, illogical thought it just to refuse to feed it. Thought that’s easier said than done; I lingered on the thought that my parents abandoned me because they hated me for living with Grandpa all this time.”

Kyoko patted Andre on the side of her head as he rested his head right on her ribcage and diaphragm. “I want to quash all of this, once and for all. And I want to be with you, as long as I can.”

Kyoko then pushed Andre back some so she could look at him at a slightly more level angle. “That’s… that’s why regardless of what happens tomorrow, or I guess rather later tonight with this Election… I want to Convert. I want to Convert so that regardless if we live on Earth or Equestria, we can always be with each other!”

She brought Andre back in and hugged him in as tight and as loving an embrace as she could manage.

“See, that’s the Kyoko I know and… love…” Andre stated, while starting to blush some.

“Thanks, I… I really needed that, all of that,” Kyoko responded while blushing some herself.

=== A Good Deal Later that Evening ===

The Doctors Isegawa, their daughter, and their nine houseguests (ten if you count the Dragon hiding in one of said houseguest’s room) all were gathered in the media room of the dormitory, watching the election returns. Andre had to try his best to repress a dumb grin as he sat in right in front of Kyoko, both of them on the floor next to one of the long couches.

“I would argue the merits and demerits of democracy vs. benevolent monarchy, but I feel that that would largely be a circular argument,” Twilight mused aloud as she watched the various pundits prattle on about various cities and counties and how they may forecast the overall results.

“Ahh, Twilight. And I was hoping to play amateur social anthropologist too…” Andre responded in a mock hurt tone, which got him a shove from Ethan from above.

“And when you do that, good sir, you tend to ramble on for hours… literally hours”

“Really, hours?” Pinkie asked, as she played around with a tablet terminal, wearing a protective sleeve on one of her hooves.

“Yes, hours. There have been many a night where we all sat there just listening to him to go on into the deepest parts of the night. I still cannot figure out how he talks for so long; and how he manages to get us to sit and listen to him for that long either,” Natasha added.

“One long incredibly unbroken sentence, moving from topic to topic…” Kyoko started.

“…giving no one a chance to interrupt…” Ethan continued.

“…it really is quite hypnotic,” Andre concluded, the three of them speaking in perfect rhythm with each other.

The other nine occupants of the room just looked at the blue and gold Ponies and the black-and-green haired woman with a mixed look of incredulity and plain weirdness.

“Have you three practiced that?” Rainbow Dash asked, finally breaking the pregnant pause.

“A little bit…” Andre confessed.

----- -----

“I find it a bit weird that the challenger is winning a lot more states as individual blocks, but right now Aguillar has a higher value of, electoral votes, right?” Rarity asked as she looked with some confusion with how red the map was compared to how blue the “Votes Needed to Win” meter at the bottom of the main screen was.

“If you wanted to reduce it to a game, the name of it is ‘Score on the highest value targets’. That is why Aguillar focused her attention on heavily urbanized states and population centers,” Natasha replied, as she watched one of the pink-colored states turn pale blue, incidating a model that predicted a close win by Aguillar for said state.

“Oh wow, if mah math is right, if your President wins this Ohio, then it’d be really hard for her challenger to win with what’s left and who those computers think’ll win later,” Applejack surmised, as she saw the most heavily populated states in varying shades of blue, while the medium and lesser populated states were pinks and reds.

“I can only imagine some of the Domers are flipping out right now. They probably thought she couldn’t win twice, given all the economic problems this post-Singularity life of ours has created for actual breathing people,” Andre mused, as he levitated a water bottle to his mouth.

“Yeah no telling what they might do if it looks the way it looks right now and the President retains office,” Kyoko mused aloud, with a very discernable measure of trepidation in her voice.

“What kind of things do you think they might do?” Fluttershy asked, her voice starting to mirror the tone of concern in Kyoko’s.

“Simply put, there is no telling really,” Dr. Jun responded. “There hasn’t really been a long stretch of sustained unrest since the Great Relocations between the end of the 2040s and the 2050s. At that time you had massive protests and low-scale military and police conflicts.”

“A good number of poor countries outright collapsed during this phase of recent history. That is why if you look at a world map now, there appears to be large stretches of lands where there are effectively no borders,” Dr. Hayato added.

“I am not sure how that, as bad as it sounds, would tell us what the people who live in those Domed cities would do, necessarily,” Twilight asked, not sure where the Doctors were going with this tangent.

“Three words, Miss Sparkle: private military contractors. The proliferation of para-military organizations, basically run by several giant conglomerates, started during that period, because the strain of relocation was so massive the actual militaries of the great powers were tied up just keeping their own nations from flying apart,” Ethan responded, his frustration visible.

“So, let’s see: the really big companies have their own armies because the armies of each country were too busy trying to be police?” Pinkie Pie attempted to surmise.

“That’s a good way of putting it. And they never dismantled them in all of this time. If they feel threatened enough by extant political forces…” Andre started.

“… then they very well could use those private armies to enter into conflict with the actual armies and police over who knows what,” Kyoko responded, draping her arms around Andre’s shoulders, trying to gain comfort; an action that made Andre start blushing (again).

“That is a serious concern…” Fluttershy replied, somewhat stunned that the biggest of the big companies on Earth were like countries unto themselves.

~~~~~ ~~~~~

“We here at CBS-Viacom News are now 99% confident in predicting that, once all election officials have verified the voting machines, President Aguillar will be re-elected President of the United States and all affiliated territories. And in addendum, and to the mild shock of most of the veteran political observers here, Madame President’s coattails were seemingly long enough to allow enough of her System Reform bloc aligned candidates in the House of Representatives to give control of the House to said bloc. It remains to be seen what deals will have to be worked out with Reform Democrats and Reform Republicans, but it appears, at least in this anchors eyes, that the House has indeed been taken over, by a cushion of about ten seats, by the aligned System Reform bloc. The Senate appears to have been held by the Dome-backed politicians, though there the margin sits at 52 to 48, a narrow margin to say the least,” the female news anchor started, as she threw to the pundits at another part of the studio.
“At the very least we won’t have to worry about Mr. Everfield trying to throw us all out when January rolls around,” Twilight said with a bit of levity.

“That much is true Twilight, now how will the money men behind Everfield behave in the coming months? That should be the key issue going forward,” Andre replied, as he shuddered from Kyoko suddenly running her fingers through his mane.

“Come on now, in front of the others~?” the blue Unicorn whined with a bit of an insincere tone as Kyoko and the others laughed and giggled for a few moments.

“Well, Ah know one thing. So long as we’re here on this Earth, we’re gonna do everything possible we can to help all y’all out, right gals?!” Applejack stated with firm resolution, eliciting agreement from the other Bearers of Harmony.

Thanks… and I’m gonna do everything that I can to help you all too… Kyoko thought to herself as she stood up and got everyone’s attention.

“I have an announcement to make,” Kyoko started, as Andre turned around to look her straight in the eye (as best he could from his vantage point). Half the room had at the very least some idea what Kyoko was ready to say, while the other half seemed a bit lost but attentive anyway.

“I’ve been thinking the last few days. Mostly about what would happen given tonight’s election. Since it’s apparent that Aguillar will stay President of the US, it would have given me some breathing room to make this decision. But I figure something like that shouldn’t wait given what I’ve seen of Andre, Ethan, and Natasha so far.”

It was at that point the half that didn’t know or couldn’t tell suddenly realized what exactly she was talking about.

“I’ve decided that in the morning, I am going to the St. Louis Bureau and signing up to Convert. Even though I know humans can volunteer just as well as Native Ponies could on the other side of the Aurora, something tells me that Converting will give me the best chance for me to help everyone else.”

If I can do this… I can kill two birds with one stone: prove my own humanity and be that much closer to Andre… Kyoko thought to herself as she looked somewhat wistfully at the blue Unicorn.

A look that didn’t escape the perceptive gaze of Applejack… I thought Kyoko liked Andre, but she’s got it for ‘im really bad…

Dr. Hayato and Jun stood up and hugged their daughter.

“While the words to describe how I feel escape me at the moment; I don’t want to let my indecision or our initial reaction scare you from your decision. You are a young woman fully capable of making her own decisions, and neither I nor your mother will do anything to dissuade you. Other than the token questions of ‘Are you sure about this?’ of course,” Dr. Hayato said to his daughter, as he held her tight.

“I know. I can’t imagine this is being easy for you two; but I really want to do this… I… I really think that me Converting is the best way for me to help everyone,” Kyoko replied as she sniffled into the lab coat of her father.

“I don’t believe we need to say this, necessarily, but we will anyway. It doesn’t matter if you are human or Pony, you are still our daughter, and you will always be our daughter,” Dr. Jun added, with Kyoko hugging her as hard as she did her father.

~~~~

As the sort-of-party died down, and the Doctors Isegawa walked back under the terrace to their own bedrooms in the Clinic proper, they stopped to think of the fact their daughter would soon join the impromptu herd created in that Dormitory that the HEA had so graciously built for them.

“I wonder if I should be upset or angry in any way. To be honest, I kinda expected this. Especially when she didn’t protest Andre Converting despite her liking him,” Dr. Hayato thought out loud as they were about to re-enter the Clinic.

“I’d agree, and like we said. She is our daughter, but she is also capable of making her own life decisions. In this case, we will simply have to trust that she is making the overall correct one,” Dr. Jun responded, as she looked on into the darkness of the clinic hallways.

“Do you think that Andre is the right man, or stallion as it were, for our precious daughter?” Dr. Hayato asked, as he draped his arms over the shoulders of his wife, and brought her into an embrace.

“Minus some glaring personality flaw, it’s not our place to say. However, if you want me to answer you honestly… I think he is. The key is, does he know and feel that he is the right one for our Kyoko?” Dr. Jun responded.

“I do not know if any man truly knows that when a relationship starts. We will just have to hope they will be stable enough to successfully navigate what is surely to come,” Dr. Hayato mused again.

[ November 8, 2080 == St. Louis Conversion Bureau, USA, Earth ]

The appointed time and hour for Kyoko, after fair wait, had come. Twilight had managed to get the entire slate of converts done and handled, so that the entirety of the Isegawa contingent could sit comfortably in the lobby while Kyoko underwent the procedure. Dr. Hayato and Jun were glad that their load was light over at the Clinic, as they didn't necessarily like having to close shop early, but this was their daughter about to go in.

Twilight gave her final remarks before she and Kyoko would take the short ride and the long walk to the Conversion Rooms. "As you know, our good friend Kyoko here is about to undergo her Conversion. I am obligated to remind her that she can still decline the procedure, although if she does, she must refill the paperwork and wait another three days, barring emergency."

Kyoko was steadfast though. "No Twilight, I won't have to take you up on that offer. I'd like to go ahead and get this done with, if you don't mind."

Twilight then turned to Dr. Hayato and Dr. Jun, the two fellow scholars she had developed such a rapport with the last three months or so. "Honestly, you are the first relatives of a client to actually be here when said client was undergoing Conversion, so bear with me if I can't exactly find the words..."

Dr. Hayato interrupted her, however. "Don't worry Twilight; there is nothing that you need to say to assuage us. We've already come to terms with our daughter's decision. "

Dr. Jun then added, "Yes, no matter what form she takes, she is still our daughter, and will always remain such."

Kyoko smiled faintly at the words her parents said.

She then knelt down to hug Andre one last time as a human, Andre looking around just as nervous as she was internally.

“I’m… really at a loss for what to say…” Andre said, finding it hard to keep eye contact with the raven-haired lady.

“Yeah, one the one hand, I can’t believe I’m doing this. On the other hand, it feels like this makes all the sense in the world,” Kyoko responded.

Andre mentally fumbled around a little more for the right words, until he finally stumbled onto some. “Oh right, during the process you are going to see a vision. A vision of the ideal Equestria, I would imagine. After that, well, the Princesses are going to show you the thing you fear the most. Just hang though and persevere, because defeating that fear means you will be all the better in the aftermath.”

“Ok, but I’m sure how that’ll work if it’s some kind of spirit quest thing,” Kyoko replied, a touch confused.

“You’ll figure it out when you see it, now go on, Twilight is waiting for ya,” Ethan replied before Andre could.

“If y’all don’t mind, I’d like to go with Twilight into the control room, I wanna see how she handles all of this versus what I help do back in Austin…”

After being joined by the orange and blonde farm-hoof, Kyoko and Twilight continued on down to the ‘heart’ of the Bureau

~~~

Kyoko sat on the gurney as she looked at the slightly metallic, purple, syrup-like concoction.

So if I am what my parents say I am, this will prove that by making me not that anymore… I wonder if this is irony or what. Oh well, to a better, or at least different, tomorrow… she thought as she drank the potion, and promptly fell unconscious.

=---- ----=

Kyoko then 'woke up' in the Astral Plane, body now formless due to being a disembodied soul and all. She almost immediately found herself in a mixed race village, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth-Ponies all about, going through their daily lives.

Definitely didn't say anything about this in the orientation...

The first vision she saw was of a Pegasus filly flitting about. She was terribly uncoordinated and constantly dipping and diving all over. Some of the other Pegasi foals laughed and pointed, but she never gave up. Flash forward, she was flying around like the best of them. The other Pegasi that laughed at her now cheered her, apologizing for making fun of her in her youth.

Then she saw a Unicorn colt, struggling to make anything float or work due to his irregular magic, the others chiding and chastising him for being a slow learner. Flash forward into his adulthood as a stallion, and he was making an entire room's worth of machines run like clockwork, the foals of his childhood now understanding that even if someone is slow to pick something up, it still doesn't keep them from mastering it.

The last vision was of an Earth Pony filly. Everything she'd make, even the crudest and simplest of tools, would break. The other foals would constantly tease her for being walking bad luck. They figured when she started growing stuff, it'd probably die within a week. Flash forward into her adulthood, and she had designed several tools that radically changed Earth Pony farming for the better, allowing the farmhands to concentrate on growing the crops rather than have to constantly till and tend the soil. The foals that once berated her for being walking bad luck were now clamoring for her products and singing her praises.

Wow, even if the Ponies are mean to each other, they can still find a way to break through. Even if they don't understand each other, eventually they will work things out, or at least try to... Kyoko thought to herself.

The Ponies of the vision all turned to her, much to her surprise; but they were entirely nonthreatening, instead bidding her welcome: Welcome our new sister. We graciously await your arrival in our lands. Soon your heart shall be put at ease you embark on a new journey of self-discovery.

Kyoko was suddenly filled with a great sense of relief, even if she didn't know who or what she was, or would soon be, at the very least she could hold her head high as this new phase of her life began.

After a few moments and a very fast blur of motion, she found herself in Astral-equivalent of Canterlot Castle, speaking before vague facsimiles of the Princesses of Day and Night. This fact that was not lost upon Kyoko, but it was their process so she just had to put up with it.

“Kyoko Isegawa, we have heard your request to join our Herd,” the phantasmal embodiment of Celestia stated in a warm but firm tone.

Kyoko was momentarily surprised by the Alicorn-like Pony that sat beside her now, looking into its blank face, as it appeared to be all colors but otherwise completely featureless. She steeled her nerves and gave her response. “I am aware of this fact, and I do wish to proceed as planned.”

“The so it shall be!” the two ghostly, full-sized Alicorns boomed, as Kyoko placed her hand along the forehead of the false Alicorn beside her.

The nanosecond she did, the entire Astral Vision of Canterlot Castle began to shake and rumble as if everything was about to be torn apart at the seams.

=---- ----=

Applejack sat stunned as she watched Kyoko's form go from a gentle white glow to the entire exam room awash in some sort of green energy. "That... that definitely shouldn't be happening, should it..."

Twilight, though not surprised that Kyoko would be the last one, was surprised that she could feel the entire bureau start to resemble a nexus of magic, something that should not be on Earth at all. "Nope, it definitely shouldn't by itself… on the other hoof, given everything that’s happened before, you could easily say it should."

The other seven Ponies above ground could feel the grave shift in mana on Earth as well.

"Ok, did everyone else just... feel that... it's like... it's like..." Pinkie Pie started, obviously not having any real clue what was going on.

“Someone just struck oil and its gushing out of the ground like a geyser?” Ethan guessed.

The seven Ponies just guessed amongst themselves until Celestia herself clued them all in.

We are sure you all felt that sudden alteration in the flow of Magic. Something grave is about to happen within the Astral Plane, and you all will soon witness its aftermath. I need you all to go to the underground floor of the Bureau, now. We will be there in short order.

“Well you heard the Princess. Come on fillies and colts, I know where the elevator is already,” Rainbow Dash said as she was already heading to the double doors leading down.

The Isegawas were content to silently pray for Kyoko’s safety.

=---- ----=

"All... this... shaking... tearing... me... apart..." Kyoko said, fearfully and disjointedly her body glowing green and her hand stuck to the ghostly miniature Alicorn.

"A part of me doesn't want to be surprised by this, Celly. But honestly, I am surprised." Luna said to her sister.

"Why is that Lulu?"

"Because when met this girl in private, I thought she had the soul of an Earth Pony. I did not think she was also carrying a Shard of that entity's Power."

"That's Magic for you, isn't it?"

"Indeed..."

"Please... help... shaking... really... hard..." Kyoko said with great aggravation and trepidation; as her body was rocking and quaking so hard it was starting to crack the ground under her, as if she were imitating a jackhammer.

Allow me to rectify this, temporarily… the Ancient Voice calmly stated, as Kyoko’s Terran Shard was separated from her and her hand removed from the miniature Alicorn next to her.

It seems like this first phase of what I aim to accomplish is nearing completion, but that hinges on if you are willing to undergo a do-or-die trial, Bearer of the Terran Shard? the Voice asked, the entire ‘room’ feeling it being directed at Kyoko.

As it stands now, your soul is irreconcilable with the Spark of Terran Magic and the Spark of Equestrian Magic that the Keepers of the Other World have bequeathed to you. If you wish to absolve yourself of the former, you will be allowed to integrate with the Equestrian Spark, but at the cost of your identity as a human. If you wish to assimilate both Sparks, then you will be forced to conquer your greatest fear. If you should fail in this, your soul will be obliterated, and your resulting Pony body will simply form inert, as if it were a doll.

Kyoko, in those few moments, thought about all of the ramifications. She could, in that instant, forget all of her fears and proceed on as a Pony, but it would come at the cost of her identity and memories; which meant her relationship with Andre would be cutoff before it could even bloom.

At the same time, if she failed to resolve her fears, she would be born as ‘nothing’ and her Pony body would just lie there, never to move or live, or anything.

If she wanted to live as a Pony and pursue her budding love for the blue Unicorn, the path laid before her was clear as a perfectly sunny day.

“Mysterious voice, I am not sure how this fear test is supposed to work. But whatever I have to do to preserve myself and be a Pony as well, then I am going to do it!”

I will leave you to your trial, but remember this. The only way to walk the Path of Power and Will is to conquer that which you fear, so that you may grow and evolve from the experience. To fail in this, is to lash yourself to the Path to Oblivion. I pray for your ultimate success, my Child.

Kyoko suddenly found herself manifest in a Domed garden, one quite familiar to her.

I guess it’s now or never… she thought to herself.

=---- ----=

She looked straight up, and saw a familiar sight, the sun beating down through the color-filtered dome. She then looked around, and saw all the strange looking people. They were dressed in all kinds of weird colors, wearing all kinds of weird accessories. The humans there stood in such stark contrast to the simple, natural beauty of the garden. That was when it struck her, it was the Domes outside of Tokyo. She rushed over the fountain to get a look at herself, and she looked exactly like she did when she was only 6 years old.

She realized she was being forced to relive that day, the day she first entered the Domes with her parents on a client call. The day she had been reliving over and over again in her nightmares.

That day started off normally - her parents were called into the Domes to take requests for different projects. They tried their best to pleasantly entertain the vapid and inane requests of the residents there. Everyone was clamoring for a geneticist or nanotechnician to fabricate something or other for their own desires, and her parents were little different than other prominent scientists in their fields, on the surface; the only thing that kept them from having to actually follow through on their requests was the fact they were so prominent, there was almost no way they could be black-balled from future projects. Kyoko, being a precocious six-year old, had absolutely no clue what anyone was talking about with her parents... and so she did what any normal six year old would do. She wandered off to go find something more interesting to do with her time.

She came upon a quiet looking garden, with a patch of soil that was still to be planted. That was where she crouched down, her general interest in the plants egging her on to get a closer look. She wanted to know how, by just sitting in the ground and staying in the sunlight, the plants could go from tiny little seeds to flowers, or big vines, or even bigger trees.

Some of the passers-by, however, were more interested in just who was this strange, plain looking girl sitting in a dirt patch staring at flowers...

<Look at her, it's like she never seen anything growing green before.>

<Well what's wrong with looking at the pretty flowers up close?> Kyoko thought to herself.

The questioning would just get worse from there though.

It was a while before they realized who she was, and it was a while longer before Kyoko realized her parents had walked off without noticing she wasn't with them anymore.

<Oh look, that's the Isegawa's daughter. I heard she's already reading at the level of a 4th Year primary student. And she's only 6. How is that even possible if she's not being raised inside a Dome?>

<Well my parents are doctors, they can still teach me reading...> She thought to herself, she didn't want to start speaking back to someone she couldn't see, let alone didn't know.

<Well I heard that she was some kind of genetic experiment. Trying to increase the learning capacity of humans or something...>

<No wait, I heard she is a learning android. They programmed it to be their 'daughter' so that it'd grow up like a normal child more or less>

Kyoko stood back up, trying to find her parents so they can come tell these random people the truth. But her parents had already walked off somewhere else. Not wanting to get lost, Kyoko stayed right there. So there she was, in the dirt patch, listening to these wild accusations about herself and her parents, and completely without the wherewithal or the nerve to counteract such statements.

<What if she is some kind of fountain-of-youth experiment? Like they reduced her age without destroying her knowledge, of course they'd have to keep wiping her memories...>

<Maybe she could be some kind of orphan that's being used for psychological experiments. Like wiping out her memory so they could raise her as their own.>

To any adult, the accusations would have been total nonsense. However, to a child, and especially to a child that may have been too smart for her own good, they were the most biting things she could be hearing.

That she was some kind of fake, a fabrication, a falsity.

What kind of parents could really love a fake child?
What if she really was just some orphan that had her memory wiped so her brain could be ‘improved’?
What if she really was some kind of genetic freak experiment designed to produce hyper-intelligent humans?
What if she really was some kind of machine designed to look and feel exactly like a human?

The question plagued her, plagued for so many years. And they were starting to plague her right now, her Astral body sinking into the once firm but now quite loose earth she was standing on, already knee-deep in it.

=---- ----=

What is this Celestia, none of these accusations seem to make any sense at all. I mean, we can tell by the fact she's undergoing this procedure she is not some kind of puppet created by her parents.

While that is true from an outsider's perspective, a child's mind is a very amorphous entity, and very fertile ground for all kinds of ideas. Any little seed of doubt and bloom into a weed of false identity, and now she'll have to rip them out before they choke her soul to death.

=---- ----=

I'm real... aren't I? I have to be real... But what if they just fooled me into thinking I'm real... Kyoko began to think to herself, sunk now waist-deep into the quicksand-like earth.

Yes... what if they just fooled you indeed... said a voice exactly like hers.

Who's there? Why do you sound like me? Kyoko asked, her body was starting to dim, losing to her own self-doubt and inability to tell what was up or down, much less what was right about herself.

Because I am you... I'm that voice that was just asking you questions until you met that, Andre or whoever he was, and you stopped listening to me... her double replied.

Stop it, I don't want to listen to you anymore... I... can't... I...

What's wrong Kyoko, afraid to hear the truth... that you aren't just someone who was just born normally... that you were made... that you're a fabrication of life...

Stop it... I...

You know your parents, you know your dad's history especially... why do you think he never wants to talk to you about it? Not even your mom wants to talk about it... she was probably in on the whole thing...Is that why they just left you there? Left you to hear all those accusations...

Kyoko's soul was turning black, and she was now sunk to her chest. This double of hers and the earth were winning this battle of wits, and winning it quite easily...

Please... no more... please... stop... I can't...

Why do you think Andre can never find the words to say to you without having to strain? What if he knows the truth? How could he love something that isn't a real human? How could anyone truly love something that isn't really like him?

No... he wouldn't... he couldn't... could he?

The dark reflection of Kyoko's soul then knelt on the ground, patting the head of Kyoko who was buried up to her shoulders in the earth.

That's right... there is no place for you back in the Physical World... let someone else take that Power or whatever else that voice was talking about... you don't need it...

I... don't... need... it

That's right... you'll soon hear the soft soothing sounds of your fake soul being crushed into nothingness... and then... silence... all you'll hear for eternity is the silence of the void from whence you came...

The void... nothing... nothing... come from... return to... nothing...

Kyoko's head sunk beneath the earth. The dark reflection giggled at how easy it was to break the mind of that poor girl, how she deserved nothing but... well... nothing.

Just like everyone else who could have awaked the Power but failed, their soul will just cease to exist. The only fate proper for those who could not handle the rigors of this strength…

=---- ----=

What... none of the converts ever had anything like this, not even the other three Conduits...

I know this feeling Celestia... it's the self-destructive spiral of doubt... all that double is, is just another aspect of Kyoko feeding into her paranoia... it's the same thing that started me on my road to becoming Nightmare Moon...

But...

She has no choice now... either she overcomes this self-doubt and self-pity, or she self-destructs.

=---- ----=

Kyoko was completely under the ground now... her soul's body a few shades short of pure black.

Nothing... nothing... that's all I came from... that's all I am... that's all I'll ever be...

Stop it...

That's all....

STOP IT!

Huh?

Just who are you?

I... I don't know....

Do you really not know....

I... how...

Let me remind you. Three friends. Two Parents.

Three friends... two parents...

All of them love you dearly....

All love me? But... how?

Do they need a 'how'? Do they need a 'why'?

How could they love someone like me... I'm not even real... I'm just some... some kind of fake... I...

No.

What do you mean 'No.'?

That's exactly what I mean. No. You are not some kind of fake. You are not some kind of fabrication.

But... no one... no one ever...

Listen... Kyoko... you are 'you'. If you were some kind of fake... could you really be undergoing this trial?

Well... no...

Her soul began illuminate again; someone was finally starting to straighten her mind out.

If you were some kind of fabrication, do you think that entity would have embedded that Shard in you to even begin with?

No... probably not.

She was finally starting to pull things together, the white glow beginning to reignite.

Insofar as being an experiment. We all are experiments. Life itself is nothing more than one great, large trial-and-error experiment.

You're right...

I know I am...

Who are you anyway?

Oh that's an easy question... I'm you.

What?

I'm you. The one that saw the world as one great living experiment, something to be studied and understood as far as the brain possibly could manage. Then I got buried, buried under all that self-doubt, that self-pity, and almost obliterated by your self-destruction.

I'm sorry...

Don't be... because that other self was you as well... it was just your darker nature, the part of you that wanted to wallow in self-pity. All beings have it, Humans, Ponies, what have you. The question is... will you be able to corral and control it, will you be able to refuse the constant temptation to just give in to the darkness.

Like I almost did...

We all have our dark periods. The question is, can we rise above them, and become better for having survived those trials. You still have not answered that question for yourself.

What do you mean?

You are not normal, but not for the reasons you thought before, though. Inside of you resides a Power this world needs in order to prosper and thrive. You were chosen to wield it along with the three others. Will you wield this power? Will you take up these arms for the cause of forging a New Age?

Yes. If I was trusted with it, it had to have been for a reason. So yes, I will!

Will you help forge a New Age where all can choose their path in life instead of being forced down it by some other being?

Yes!

Will you forge a New Age, where all flowers of the soul can bloom to their greatest extent, however that might occur?

Yes!

Then let's grab that power, let's grab it and use it to forge A New Age, and a New Life for everyone!

You read my mind!

Heh, that's because I am your mind!

Kyoko's soul was glowing white hot now.

"I can't let myself fall into that pit, not this pit of oblivion. There is still so much I have to do... there is still so much I have to see... I want to see both worlds... I want to see Equestria... I want to see the whole Earth... I want to see both worlds thrive too, I want to see Equestria grow and prosper, I want to see the Earth renewed and revitalized. I want to see everyone, every Human, every Pony, every single living thing grows and blooms the way that it should, and not pruned or uprooted just because someone doesn't like it. I don't care what anyone said about me before anymore... I don't care what they might say about me in the future. None of them can hurt me anymore... they can call me whatever they want... robot... clone... fake... it doesn't matter. Because I'm me, I'm Kyoko! Voice... Please... PLEASE... GRANT ME THE POWER... GRANT ME THE POWER THAT WILL HELP EVERYONE FIND WHO THEY TRULY ARE, AND FIND THEIR TRUE ROLES FOR THIS GREAT EXPERIMENT OF LIFE!"

So you have wished it, so it shall be granted!

The ground then began to quake as the area around Kyoko was now glowing green. She soon found herself rocketing upward through the ground, on what she couldn't exactly tell... although soon it would become obvious. When she finally appeared above the ground, she saw what exactly she was being lifted on. It was a giant multi-terraced formation, each flat plane holding innumerable flowers of all kinds and sorts. When Kyoko floated back down to the floor of the shrine, the flower and ground formations dissolved into green particles, and reformed into the green Terran Spark of Earth, which was now hers, as the Equestrian Spark ‘looked’ at her with eager anticipation.

=---- ----=

“I am so glad all of that is over and done with…” Kyoko said as she saw her soul-body rapidly becoming less definite in shape.

“Hey is this is supposed to happen. I look less like a person and more like a… indefinite ‘thing’…”

You have properly reconciled your fear. This means you mind, body, and soul can be fully joined to create a Pony that not only bears the inherent Magic of the Other World, but the Terran Spark, in your case, the Terran Spark of Earth, as well. As the new Conduit of Earth, your power is one that can, and if used properly, will lay the foundation of the new Era to come. Just remember, Power without the Will to control is simply an irrational animal; a beast that will do what it will with no rhyme or reason to it. At the same time, any animal that can be properly trained and cared for is a boon to its owner, and the Magics you now possess are no different. Do you best to learn how to control and direct your new Magic, for the possibilities that can be created by it and the other three your friends possess are truly infinite.

The voice then ‘turned’ its attention to the Royal Sisters. Now that all of the Conduits have been found, they must be taught to properly invoke and control their Power. The reason for this I will reveal in a short while once all have been gathered again on the physical plane. But I will leave you all with this: Power abhors a vacuum, and it has no morals. What I will ask you to do may confuse and even shock you, and those that would Bear the Artifacts of Magic that we oversee, but rest assured: there is no other path for Earth if it is to truly thrive.

“I feel that I have some estimation as to what you may ask us to do, but I will reserve any further statement until you have made your pitch, as it were,” Princess Celestia responded.

I thank you for that. Now go and join the Herd of the Keepers of the Other World, my Child. But remember, just as your parents will never deny you being their child, I will never deny you as a Child of Humanity and of Terra. And let no entity, regardless of origin, attempt to convince you otherwise.

With that, the presence of the Ancient Voice seemed to fade from the section of the Astral Plane the Princesses and Kyoko’s soul occupied.

“Yes, I do believe that we should be concluding our business as well,” Princess Luna stated, as she watched the large circular crest underneath Kyoko begin to glow, as the Western section filled in with the same green of the Spark of Terra that floated around her.

“With all of that being said: are you, Kyoko Isegawa, ready to join our Herd, and have our power and the power of the Terran Spark of Earth joined to your immortal soul, so that you may help us forget a new Age for both Pony and Human-kind?”

“Yes, ma’am. I am more ready than I think I could ever be to do something!” Kyoko replied enthusiastically, nodding her ‘head’ all the time.

“Then let your Sparks and your souls be joined. And let us forge a New Age for all of our species and societies!” Princess Luna and Celestia boomed.

As the green glow and the form of the Alicorn-like ghost enveloped her, Kyoko felt herself surging with power, so much power that she felt she could carry not only one, but two entire worlds by herself if she had to.

~~~

The whole exam room was still glowing green, and Applejack and Twilight completely awestruck. It wasn't until the glow began to cool that Applejack finally managed to get her words out, "Twi' we should really go check on her."

Twilight, finally snapping out of awe herself, concurred, "Yeah, Yeah let's go check on her."

They both exited the observation room, only to find the other seven Ponies all there waiting for them.

"Wow, we could see the glowing all the way down the hall, was it like that for three of us too?" Andre said, somewhere between surprise and concern in his voice.

"Yeah, all three of you when you were Converted, the room was glowing in the color you eventually took," Twilight answered.

"Well we can discuss the exact nature of our transformations and everything later, right now let's just check to see how Kyoko is doing," Natasha said.

"Come on y'all..." Applejack said as she walked into the exam room first.

Kyoko, sat up on her new haunches as best she could managed, glad the bed was firm otherwise she would have toppled back over. She was an Earth Pony, with a rich coat like dark green grass, and a mane and tail a shade of somewhat brighter green, like the leaves of a tropical plant. The Element of Earth around her neck resembling a quartet of mountains; the largest was in the center, a small one was in front first, and two medium-sized ones on each side of the largest and behind it.

Kyoko looked at her new body, seeing nothing but green across her new frame. "Wow I really look like my online name now, Midori..." Andre and the others mentioned how 'midori' meant green in Kyoko's native language.

Her large, lime-green eyes blinking rapidly, she got off the now lowered bed and trotted as best she could manage out of the room. All ten of them now stood outside of the exam room in the rather spacious hallway.

It was an amazing sight. The six Bearers of Harmony stood there in a semi-circle around the now complete set of the Converted Four Amigos. One set colored like candy, the other set in bold colors like a set of markers.

"So, how do you all feel being together like this?" Twilight asked, genuinely curious how they all felt being Ponies now.

"I dunno, I mean, we're the same, but we aren't the same," Andre said.

"Yeah, it is hard to put in words how we all feel right now, but it does feel like we're all complete," Ethan said.

"Frankly, I'm relieved that we've all gone and done it now; we're all a real group again," Natasha said.

"Yeah, I know I sound a bit unsteady right now, but I really feel good too that we're all a real group again," Kyoko said.

As they began talking with each other, Royal Princesses appeared. All ten of them instinctively bowed to them out of respect before them, before Luna bid them to stand.

Celestia spoke first, voice stern without trying to be overbearing. "I will make this message brief, because Kyoko needs to undergo the same rehabilitation like the other Converts. But I request that all ten of you come to Equestria as soon as possible."

"Did something happen, did Discord get loose again?" Twilight asked, wondering why her mentor would want them all back so soon after Kyoko's conversion.

Celestia responded quickly, "No, actually this is in preparation for something else."

Just then, a robed-figure with face obscured appeared on the wall behind the Princesses and in front of the Ten Bearers and Conduits. It was only visible from the shoulders up, but the voice was familiar to all twelve of them.

"As I stated before, I have a message to deliver to the twelve of you, once you all manifested in the Physical World, and once you were all gathered together. Now that all of the Shards of my Power have been awakened into full-fledged Sparks, the seal surrounding the Earth's Magic may now be undone. However, do not blindly believe that you can immediately accomplish this task. If you are not capable of properly wielding the Power, the seal will not be removed properly, and the effects of the resulting flood of mana will truly be devastating. On the other hand, due to you all reawakening the four Elemental Sparks, the seal itself will begin to slowly but surely degenerate. If too much time passes between now and the point you attempt to undo the seal yourselves, it will be as if you attempted to unseal it improperly, and it will flood the earth in a manner that could not be managed or mitigated, not even by myself.

"One final warning - even if you properly unseal my magic, and it is allowed to flow back into the world normally, Society itself will, in all likelihood, not be able to handle such power suddenly being dropped into its lap. Therefore, you all must prepare yourself for anything, and possibly everything. My Children have so desperately longed for the Power the Four Conduits now wield, and there is no telling to what ends they would go to gain control over it, once it is unsealed. Yet, if you are to truly save this world, my Power must be allowed to flow freely, and it must be combined with your Will. Only when the Ten of you have become fully realized, can The New Age be truly forged."

With that, the image of the robed figure disappeared.

All twelve of them were astonished the voice they had only heard as a voice also had a figure, at the very least.

"That... was... heavy...," Andre said, still trying to wrap his brain around the facts that ancient will had just dumped on them.

"You're telling me...," Twilight was also trying to get through all these facts, and the realization the fates of Equestria and Earth were starting to become more and more intertwined.

Luna sighed, she had a feeling that this was part of the nature of the Power the ancient will was speaking of. "What truly concerns me is her premonition with regards to current Human Society, one way or another. I can honestly see why her thoughts would lead down that road. Whenever the Magic of this planet is unsealed, there would be nothing to prevent undesirables from accessing that power. On top of that, what would happen if any of you ten were kidnapped and used as some kind of weapon or bargaining chip in some terrorist negotiation? It would be an utter disaster as far as I or Celestia could tell. This is why we need all ten of you to come to Equestria as soon as you can manage. I have a feeling that the Terran Magic the Four Conduits now wield cannot even be properly used until they have a better grasp of their now innate Equestrian Magic."

Celestia then concluded this little talk, "We cannot rush the training of the four of you, but at the same time, we do not have infinite time to do it. Therefore you have to learn and practice in the most optimal environment we can think of, which is Equestria proper. Now, Luna and myself must return to Canterlot Castle, we still have business to attend to Equestria-side. Maybe if we have time after next week, we can give a tour to our four new Ponies. Until then..."

And with that, Celestia and Luna blinked out of this dimension, back across the New Light Bridge.

Kyoko finally managed to exhale properly, she was dead tired and just wanted to crawl back in her bed in the Bureau dormitory. "If you all don't mind... I am tired beyond tired, we all need to take a few days to sort this out anyway."

Everyone else agreed: there would be time enough to discuss matters more in-depth. At least they hoped there would be more time.

CH 11: Over The World Wall

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 11: Over The World Wall ===

Much like Natasha’s conversion sometime before, the week of Kyoko’s conversion and physical rehab had come and gone without incident. That is if you were to discount the warning that mysterious voice, or the now mysterious robed figure, had given to the now ten Elements and two Princesses present in the Bureau at the end of Kyoko’s Conversion proper. Given such a stern warning, the princesses felt it was appropriate to take a more… hooves-on approach with the newly christened Conduits of Terra. Which is where this tale resumes…

[ November 16, 2080 – St. Louis, USA ]

Andre hung languidly off the edge of the couch, his mane in a mess as his very countenance gave the impression of someone whose mind was wracked with a combination of stress and sleep deprivation.

“Today’s the day… today’s the day… today’s the day…” he mumbled over and over again as the main screen in the media room prattled on. The subject was yet another discussion on President Aguillar’s re-election as all the states had certified their results, and there was only the formality of the Electoral College and the Inauguration left before her second term officially started near the end of January coming.

“Say Andre, are you sure you’re alright. Maybe I could get you a safe sedative from the Isegawa’s before we depart for Ponyville later on?” Twilight asked as she sat on the floor next to the nervous blue stallion.

“I guess… I mean we have everything packed up to go that we could take. It’s gonna be weird not having access to the Internet for the next however long,” Andre mused as he sighed heavily. “But Princess Luna did say that she was going to have to, help us, with this whole Terran Magic thing.”

“Trust me, if she is anything like Princess Celestia you will be in the best hooves imaginable!” Twilight replied, her face beaming with confidence, masking a bit of envy.

I wish I had a chance to study under Luna this closely… some of the things I read about her in the archives…

“Andre, are you okay? I heard you and Twilight talking, and I thought all of us would have been asleep right now,” Kyoko mused as she poked her grass-green-maned head through the open doorway to the media room.

Andre blushed a little as he felt his attraction for Kyoko grow even stronger, now that their species matched again. He took an obviously deep breath and answered her. “I guess the three of us are having a spate of insomnia. I’m just so worked up about this move I really couldn’t stay asleep. And Twilight found me half-asleep in here.”

“I see,” Kyoko started as she sat next to the mulberry Unicorn on the floor. “I’m pretty nervous about all of this too. But it’s gonna look weird if we’re all stumbling around half-asleep when we ‘ship out’, right?”

Andre sighed as he gently eased himself off the edge of the couch and stood up on the floor. “You’re right. We still have some time before we leave right? I guess I can go ahead and just sleep the rest of that off. Maybe it will settle my nerves, too.”

Twilight yawned a heavy yawn as she walked slowly toward the open door. “I agree Andre. There’ll be better times and places to discuss all of this, so let’s go ahead and get some shuteye.”

~~! Sometime around Noon !~~

“I wish we could just go already. I feel like a literal caged bird,” Ethan groused as he paced and flitted about, moseying in and around the piles of belongings of the ten Element Bearers.

“You think you’re worked up. I haven’t had a good, long leisure flight in months. I’m dying to get back into Equestrian air-space!” Rainbow Dash groused in accordance; her voice filled with equal amounts of anxiety and anticipation.

Twilight just giggled a bit as she looked at the two stir-crazy Pegasi try and calm themselves before the Princesses made their entrance into the dormitory.

“So Twilight, are you absolutely sure you have everything. We all know you can get a little… overzealous when it comes to retrieving lost items,” Rarity asked, as she looked at the mulberry Unicorn with all seriousness.

“Oh come on, Rarity, I’ll be fine. And yes I do have everything all squared away,” Twilight replied with a bit of nonchalant-ness to her voice.

“What happens when she does end up losing something?” Andre asked, his curiosity piqued by the white Unicorn.

“She nearly overturned Golden Oaks Library trying to find one missing book. And Ah don’t mean that figuratively. She almost literally uprooted the tree the library is made out of,” Applejack replied, shaking her head afterwards.

Andre didn’t know what to be shocked by: the fact the library she apparently lived in and ran was built out of an oak, that she was strong enough to rip said oak out of the ground when sufficiently motivated, or that losing one book would be sufficient motivation to rip said oak out of the ground.

“Ok, I was not about to rip the library out of the ground… just jostle it a little. And that was a very important book to me…” Twilight replied defensively, as she had a habit of letting her magic get out of control when stressed.

The Conduits chuckled loudly, as they found the idea of the somewhat small Unicorn mare shaking what had to be quite the fair sized tree to be an ultimately humorous sight; though the idea did get the four of them to thinking out loud.

“The humorous image of Twilight shaking an oak tree like we would have shaken a clothes hamper aside, I would like to see more of how other Unicorns use their magic in their daily lives,” Natasha mused as she had finally stifled her laughter.

“I have to agree with her, I mean I can imagine some Unicorns only using their magic for things they couldn’t do by hoof or mouth. At the same time… there are some Unicorns that use their magic every chance they get,” Andre added while winking at Twilight.

Twilight turned up her nose and made a loud humph. “Sometimes I want to show off, is that wrong?”

“You know you sound like a certain cerulean passer-through we get in Ponyville from time to time, dear…” Rarity admonished with a dry tone, as she shook her head at Twilight.

“Sorry…” Twilight replied quietly, her ears drooping along the sides of her head. She knew more than anything else she hated doing anything that would remind her friends, or herself, of said cerulean interloper.

“I know what I want to do when I get to Ponyville. Take a long flight around the surrounding area. No flight plan or someone barking out orders to me. Just… being able to be in the air and taking whatever line or curve I feel like at the moment,” Ethan stated with a bit of a faraway look in his eye, as he reflexively beat his wings.

“You know, you keep talking like that and Ponies in Ponyville might think we’re siblings or something,” Rainbow Dash ribbed as she bopped Ethan in the side jokingly.

“Actually that is kinda funny…” Ethan replied as he chuckled in agreement.

“So what about you miss Green?” Applejack asked of Kyoko.

“Oh what I want to do? Um… let me think,” Kyoko replied as she sat on the haunches and crossed her front legs. “Well I would start with as many plant encyclopedias and horticulture books as I could get. I want to know everything about the plant life across the Aurora and how it might be different.”

Applejack nodded by how practical the green Earth Pony mare was. “Well one quick thing Ah can tell ya: STAY AWAY from Poison Joke unless you are wearing protection,” she intoned with all seriousness, as she nodded sagely.

Kyoko nodded in agreement as she wondered what kind of plant Poison Joke had to be for Applejack to warn about it specifically.

“Oh don’t tell me you are still sour over the whole Apple-teeny situation?” Rainbow Dash sighed as she could tell Applejack’s super-serious expression from her default one.

“Yes Ah am still sour. As far as Ah’m concerned, any batch of Poison Joke deserves splash of kerosene and a lit match…” Applejack replied, her expression not changing one bit.

Kyoko looked over at Fluttershy, who could only shrug as she really wasn’t going to argue with the apple-bucker considering what Poison Joke put all of them through those couple of years ago.

“Anyway… I guess the Princesses should be showing up any moment to see us through to the other side, right?” Natasha said before the conversation could drift any further.

With a flash of golden and azure light, the red Unicorn’s question was answered.

“Good afternoon, my little Ponies, both new and old~” Princess Celestia replied with a sing-songy voice, seemingly more befitting a zealous mother addressing her children than royalty addressing her subjects.

“Good afternoon… everyone… as you can see… I’m not quite in gear yet… I had a long night with a project. A project our four new Ponies should appreciate greatly, I would imagine. But in any case, we should probably get on with the show, because I would like to return to my chambers in a reasonable amount of time,” Princess Luna added, yawns interspersed with her words. It was clear that the Princess of the Night’s body wasn’t keeping up anywhere near what her mind was, but such was the limitation of having a physical body for a ‘goddess’.

Celestia shook her head and smiled at her still groggy sister. “In any case, I want you all and the four Conduits of Terra especially, to ruminate on this question for rest of today as we transition you to your home in Equestria: what does it mean to harmonize one’s Will with one’s Power? And this is another question that obviously applies only to the four Conduits: how are you to reconcile your human experiences with the new culture you will find yourself immersed in. You may encounter Ponies that will be enraptured by the stories of your daily life that you personally find mundane. On the other hoof, you will encounter Ponies that will regard you with suspicion, as you are outsiders encroaching upon their home. I want you all to remember: you are not being moved to Equestria simply to learn how to control your innate Equestrian and your newfound Terran magics, but you are also learning, first-hoof, how your new home operates.”

The ten Ponies and one Dragon assembled before the Princesses all thought silently upon those words, though Fluttershy had an unrelated question that she had to ask.

“Princess Celestia, I’m sorry if I am interrupting. But what is going to happen to the Bureaus since all ten of us are leaving?”

Celestia thought for a few moments, before responding. “We will continue apace. Though we realize that the recent loss of influence in the American legislature and outright defeat in the American executive elections mean that those who profess to be above any elected government may take more… direct means to realize this belief…”

“… And there is no telling if or when our facilities may be caught in that cross-wind. Therefore it is vital that we begin developing the Conduits of Terra and figuring out the ultimate capacity for Terran Magic, lest it begin to leak and some unscrupulous actors figure this out ahead of us,” Luna concluded for her sister, which got a bit of a frown but an understanding nod from the taller Alicorn.

“You make it sound like you are forging weapons out of us, Princess Luna,” Kyoko mused with a large amount of trepidation.

“Though I do not intend to leave that impression; that is what Power is at its core: the strength to make your Will reality. That is why it is important that we develop the strength that will be necessary to properly rebuild this world into one that thrives and whose bounty is accessible to all, instead of the few that may find themselves on the top of the proverbial pyramid at any given time in history,” Luna responded, her tone softening considerably as her body began to get more in gear.

Kyoko sighed as she couldn’t help but agree, but still find herself nervous at the idea of some kind of wider conflict that could result from their efforts.

“With that said, should the thirteen of us make our way to the Gate to Equestria?” Celestia asked, resuming her mirthful, matronly tone.

“Yes, we should,” Andre replied, chuckling a bit as he felt a little more at ease.

== -- ==

A few minutes later, they all arrived at the Transport Room. Since this room had a direct connection to the New Light Bridge, it was one of the points of greatest exposure to raw magic. Therefore the Doctors Isegawa stood in the control room, which was more than adequately shielded, during the big sendoff.

Princess Luna, before opening the gates, made a brief statement to everyone present. "As you know, we will soon be in Ponyville; the center of operations, so to speak, for your second wave of training in Equestrian Magic. Because Equestria is a land of magic itself - you, Conduits of the Elements of Terra, should be able to safely practice both your Equestrian and Terran Magic. To the Doctors Isegawa, we will be keeping you informed of all of their progress, and we hope that you will keep us informed of the happenings here on Earth, along with our many Earth-side contacts. We cannot know if or when this world may start turning even worse than it is now, but hopefully we will be afforded enough time to get everyone sufficiently prepared. We thank you for all you have done for Equestria and the whole of Earth so far, and we hope for your continued goodwill and support into the future."

Before anyone was allowed to continue, though, Princess Celestia turned to the red Unicorn and the green Earth Pony. "Before we embark, I would like to ask the two of you, Natasha and Kyoko, if you have come up with new names for yourselves?"

The two Ponies in question thought for a few moments before they both gave their responses.

“Red Blaze, I believe Red Blaze should work for me quite nicely,” the red Unicorn responded.

“Midori Hana for me, fitting don’t you think?” the green Earth Pony added.

Celestia nodded as she committed the two names to memory; already picturing where and how to sign the new names on the official documentation for registering the two mares into the Equestrian Civil Records when they all arrived in Ponyville.

“And with that I would believe it is time for us to depart. Doctor Hayato, Doctor Jun, is there anything either of you would like to add?” Celestia asked as the unshielded drones set everyone’s belongings on the ground and left the loading bay.

“Yes Princess, I would like to speak first,” Dr. Jun replied as she adjusted the microphone to her 5’6” frame. “On behalf of ourselves and our clinic staff, we would like to thank you two personally and all of your Equestrians for the assistance you have rendered to us so far, and we fervently hope for your continued support and well wishes going into the future. In so far as the four new Ponies you have taken into your care, we wish them all luck in their lessons and life experiences over there in Equestria. Especially our darling Kyoko; whether your call yourself ‘Kyoko Isegawa’ or ‘Midori Hana’, know that you will be our dear daughter, now and forever-more. And before I forget, Mr. Andre ‘Blue Vague’ Bowman, we also hope that one day, preferably soon, I and my husband will call you son-in-law.”

The last line made Midori Hana and Blue Vague about as red faced as any not-red Pony had any right being.

Dr. Hayato then re-adjusted the microphone for himself as he made to give his remarks. “I would like to echo the last sentiments of my dear wife. I would also like to invite that little purple dragon friend of yours for an interview and examination the next time you are on this side of the Aurora. I promise I won’t bite!”

“Not that he could feel you even if you did, more likely than not…” Dr. Jun responded as she shot her husband a disdainful glare.

Spike, for his part, just peered out from behind Luna’s indigo and midnight blue mane, waving tepidly at the middle aged Japanese couple.

“Unless anyone else has anything further to say, I believe it is time for us to hit the proverbial road, yes?” Celestia asked of everyone present.

With no one making motion to say anything further, Celestia used her magic to activate the Gate to Equestria, which manifested as a single plane of swirling, rainbow-like light inside of the frame said gate; as if the diurnal and nocturnal versions of the Aurora Barrier were mixing together at the same time.

The first things through were the inanimate belongings of all the travelers, which passed through with ease on the wood and steel palettes.

The next were the Elements of Harmony, as they all waved their goodbyes to the Doctors Isegawa.

Then the Conduits of Terra passed through, waving just as hard, and Hana waving the hardest of them all.

Finally, with a last bow, the Princesses and Spike stepped through threshold, Celestia magically programming to close exactly ten seconds afterward.

With the gate closed and the thaumatic sinks exposed in order to soak the ambient magic that leaked from the gate, the Doctors Isegawa were left alone to their thoughts in the control room.

Dr. Jun turned to Dr. Hayato, with a bit of worry in her voice. "So, how do you think they are going to do over there?"

Dr. Hayato replied, having absorbed the sense of purpose all thirteen creatures shared and projected before they left. "Despite looking like giant plush toys, I can tell they are tough and resilient creatures. They'll be just fine, although Kyoko and her three friends will come back changed. You don't go to an entirely new place, and live there without being changed. But it's my firm belief that they will be changed for the better."

Elsewhere, in a shrine somewhere deep inside the Earth, the mysterious robed figure began to speak to the Bearers of Harmony and her new Conduits of Terra: Learn from them, Conduits of the World's Power. Learn from them, Bearers of the Other World's Will. Learn the ultimate truth behind all magic, and life itself: Without Power, Will is just idle hope; and without Will, Power is just mindless aggression. If all ten of you can learn these truths, you will be worthy of forging A New Age for both worlds. But you must hurry, for the time of decision draws ever closer...

She looked with forlorn at a great square pyramid, with a giant, ornate stone figure on top of it. The figure, the Seal of all Terran Mana, was already beginning to crumble into ethereal dust.

============================================
[ November 16, ???? – Ponyville, Equestria ]

The Four Bearers saw things they'd never think they see, in that instant that seemed to stretch forever. Travelling at incalculable speeds through a magic, inter-dimensional bridge had thrown them all for a massive sensory loop. They saw all kinds of images - the History of Equestria, the History of Earth, the History of the Universe itself; staring sideways through time, and sensing other things that made utterly no sense. Colors felt like sounds, sounds like tastes, visions like feelings. Thankfully, this experience was brief, as they could perceive the Gate on the other side opening up.

Ponyville: a supposedly quiet, nondescript town that lay near the center of Equestria. A fair distance to be sure, from the capital of Canterlot, but still no more than a solid day’s flight by a decent Pegasus. A town that now found itself as the unwitting, but still logical, location of the training of a quartet of Converts in a magic that the whole of Equestria has not seen since before its existence as a nation.

"It's really good to be back home," Twilight said, wondering if Owloysius was able to keep everything in order like she wanted.

"Yeah it's nice to see a familiar place again, well sorta familiar," Spike said, figuring they were in the Ponyville New Citizen Reception Center. Which was notably empty at the time. Celestia purposefully had the schedule cleared in order to sort things out between the group of eleven.

"Woo-hoo~!! I'm gonna have to get to work on a big party, with a big cake, and lots of ice cream, and lots of music..." Pinkie Pie positively shouted; while she had done an admirable job of keeping herself restrained while on Earth, being in her element again made her want to go full bore on a project.

"Oh I do hope nothing major has happened trend-wise, I have a business to maintain and all," said Rarity, already thinking of how to further incorporate neutrals like gray and brown in her designs without seeming too drab.

"My animals should be fine physically, but I hope that being gone for so long haven't upset them too much. Especially Angel..." Fluttershy said worriedly, then again she was always concerned about something.

"Ah just hope Ah didn't miss anything major with Apple Bloom back at the farm. She'd be right devastated if she found her Cutie Mark, and Ah wasn't there for it," Applejack stated. Her family was so important to her, as was Sweet Apple Acres. Thankfully the farm had plenty of help come in during Apple-Bucking Season, and the winter Cider Season was still a little while away from getting underway in earnest.

"I'm just glad to be back under Equestrian skies. I thought I was gonna go totally stir-crazy, having to watch everywhere I went, and then when I did go somewhere, it was so hard to breathe," Rainbow Dash said, already looking forward to showing off for Golden Storm and any other Converts still in Ponyville.

For their part, the four Terran Ponies stood there completely and absolutely STUNNED at, well, everything. The gate to the dimensional portal was carved and adorned so richly. The wood and stone of the reception center were entirely natural. As they looked around, everything was like they had walked back in time about 100 years or so, removed anything that had to do with high technology, miniaturized it for someone half the size of a normal person, and then just painted it in bright colors because they could. The one phrase the four Conduits kept thinking as they soaked in the sights and smells - everything was just so bright and fresh. The air was pure, the ground felt solid, the water was clean, and the sun was shining in the bright blue morning sky. It really was like they were walking through a storybook, except now they were characters in the story.

"Golden Storm, are we dreaming? Because if you told me we were dreaming this, and we'd soon wake up in a nice white room with lots of padding and some very calm sounding doctors, I would totally believe you," Blue Vague asked Golden Storm, mouth slightly agape.

"No, I'm pretty sure this is real. I mean we were turned into Ponies and everything, and it has been a good few weeks or months," Golden Storm replied after a bit of pause.

"I'm just... dumbfounded. I mean we all read the brochures. We all watched the slide-shows. We all heard the stories. But to see it, to feel it, to smell it… it's really a little overwhelming," Red Blaze said, looking out the windows onto the thatch roofs of a large residential area of Ponyville.

"It's like everything is alive. Even the things that should be inanimate, like the houses and the stone roads, just feel... alive somehow. Like if everything were to suddenly get up and start dancing then it would not be entirely out of the ordinary here," Midori Hana said, muzzle pressed against the window like Blaze's.

The other nine travelers all blanched at that statement. They've had enough dancing and singing random, inanimate objects to last them a lifetime; after Discord worked his magic to the world upside-down, and nearly inside-out.

Celestia cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, and they all gathered back around in the center of the reception hall in order to hear what she and Luna had to say. Celestia then began. "My little Ponies, as you can see, we are back in Equestria. Conduits of the Elements of Terra, I want you to consider three things while you study and train here. One is to learn firsthand Equestrian life and culture; this will be the part I will actively assist you with, by giving you the knowledge of our written language."

Celestia's horn flashed briefly as the four Conduits felt a brief pang of pain in their skulls. After it subsided, they looked around, and marveled at the fact that none of them struggled to read any of the signs or posters that adorned the Transport Hall of the Reception Center.

"Two, is to learn how to wield the Magic that is innate in your bodies. For Blue Vague and Red Blaze, that is Unicorn Explicit Magic. For Golden Storm, that is Pegasus Weather Magic. For Midori Hana, that is Earth Pony Life Magic. Finally, you are to learn how to invoke and control the Terran Magic that has been imbued into yourselves. That is to be done here in Equestria, to ensure that you do not cause some kind of incident on Earth. While the Elements of Terra are in the midst of this learning process, Elements of Harmony, I want you all to pay close attention to how the mana flows around the Terran Conduits. For, if our suspicions are correct, once the mana is unsealed from Earth, it will be able to flow here across the New Light Bridge."

While most of the Bearers of Harmony had a hard time contemplating what that meant, Twilight Sparkle seemed intrigued by that notion.

“Princess, do you have a reason for thinking this way. I mean I had hunches myself, but I always thought it would have been a little crazy for a new source of Magic to flow here as well.”

The two Princesses looked at each other and nodded.

Princess Celestia then made her reply with her best I don’t quite know tone. “We cannot say for certain that the Terran Magic would flow back to Equestria and the wider world, like water down an ancient riverbed per se. But we believe, due to the seemingly unique nature of our two world’s histories, that it would be a fair assumption to make.”

The others nodded in seeming agreement with that assessment.

Luna then began to speak. "We have already commissioned a reputable home-building firm from Manehatten to construct a residence for you all, Conduits of Terra; this should be ready by tomorrow. In the meantime I ask that you all call the dormitories here your temporary home. I will allow the rest of today for you all to start getting acclimated here, before I begin supervising your training. And believe me… you will learn a lot under my indigo wings."

And with a wink and a nod, Celestia and Luna then excused themselves and teleported back to Canterlot, the Conduits merely looked on at the now empty space they once occupied with some manner of trepidation toward the future; especially since Luna emphasized the ‘will’ in her last statement in the manner which she did.

“Oookay then, Vague, would you mind helping us get all of our belongings back home?” Twilight asked, hoping to take the Conduits on an impromptu tour of the town.

“Sure, I mean we may as well,” Blue Vague answered, and all of the Conduits agreeing.

---!!---

A short while later, they set off from the Center - Blue Vague and Golden Storm walking with a pair of carts full of the belongings of the Bearers of Harmony. Neither of the stallions felt it was an imposition, mostly because they didn’t want to argue with Rarity over it, and only she and Twilight had a significant amount of belongings that needed transportation anyway.

"What exactly is the Everfree Forest anyway?" Midori Hana asked of Fluttershy. The brochures really didn't do a good job in her estimation of explaining it.

"Well, they are what most of us call a Wild Zones: there are places in Equestria where Nature is allowed to do what it will, with little to no interference from us," Fluttershy replied. While she could appreciate and agree with the intent of these zones, she did not appreciate the effective reality of what that meant for many of the denizens of such.

Hrm, sounds like national parks and wilderness areas to me... Blue Vague thought to himself. He wondered how long it took the Princesses to convince the population that everything and everywhere within Equestria's borders didn't have to be put under clockwork management.

As they approached her cottage, they saw what this meant to Fluttershy personally. They also began to understand just why she was chosen as the Element of Kindness.

"Wow, it's like a rehabilitation center for animals," Midori Hana said, in awe at all the live animals, even if some weren't in the best of shape.

"Yeah, really the only place live animals were kept back on Earth, were in the nature preserve Domes; well not counting some of the more robust breeds of domesticated animals. So this is a new experience for us as a group mostly," Blue Vague said, while looking at a bunch of chickens just scratching at the ground and carrying on as chickens were wanton to do.

Just then, a white blur shot out of the cottage, Golden Storm swearing it was way faster than Rainbow Dash managed to get in Earth's atmosphere that day they had their little dogfight. The white blur turned out to be a young white rabbit that effectively latched onto Fluttershy's leg, like a child who hadn't seen a parent in forever. He looked at Fluttershy with first a look of mild rage at being left 'alone' for so long, which soon softened into crying that she was back.

“Oh Angel, did you miss me?” Fluttershy cooed as she picked up the white rabbit and nuzzled him along her cheek.

Angel and Luna had spent the last few months taking care of everything here, most of the animals had recovered on their own but the long term cases still remained. Fluttershy thanked her ten travelling mates for walking all the way out to the edge of town with her, as she floated over to the cart to retrieve her bag. Before walking back into the cottage, she turned to the other ten to speak.

"Thank you so very much. I don't have too much to unpack, so as soon as I get Angel settled back down, we'll meet together back in Ponyville again, around sundown; if that's alright with you all?"

“Sure thing, suga’cube!” Applejack replied, as the two stallions turned the cart around and everyone else began walking toward Sweet Apple Acres, led by the aforementioned orange farm-hoof.

-----

"Applejack?! Applejack!! Look Big Mac, Applejack's back!" shouted yellow and rose-red-maned filly. Applejack and ran ahead to meet her. They shared a warm and loving embrace as a fairly large red and blond-maned stallion came up to meet them.

"Hey everyone, it's been way too long," Applejack said, trying to speak clearly while crying.

"Eeyup, too long," Big Macintosh replied, succinct as ever.

The 3 of them continued on like this for a few minutes, before Applejack managed to compose herself long enough to introduce her family properly. "Alright, okay. Guys," she started, while addressing the four Terran Ponies. "The yellow filly here is mah little sister Apple Bloom, and the big stallion here is mah older brother Big Macintosh."

Golden Storm would have chuckled at how the whole family was named after apples, but thought better of it.

"Alright then, well I'll meet up with y'all later in Ponyville around sundown. Gotta start catching up and everything," Applejack said before walking away to the main house with her saddle/duffel bag across her back.

“No prob, AJ. Come on guys, you all are totally going to flip when you see where I live!” Rainbow Dash chirped excitedly, as she led the way from Applejack’s family farm to a seemingly non-descript area near the edge of Ponyville.

-----

The four Conduits were fairly surprised, to say the least, when they got to the edge of Ponyville and looked up a few human-scale stories off the ground. What greeted them were a tower-like structure, and the 'grounds' surrounding it, made entirely out of clouds. To further enrage every human materials scientist ever, they thought, there was a permanent, de-saturated rainbow coming out of the top of the tower, and apparently liquefied rainbow flowing like miniature waterfalls off the sides of the grounds, some just disappearing into the ether.

"Well... I am honestly speechless..." Blue Vague said, the sight defying all sense of logic, well, logic borne of human experience anyway.

"It's a house... that's a tower... that's made out of clouds... with materialized rainbows..." Golden Storm said while trying to rationalize the whole thing. He thought that Pegasi cloud-forming was limited to just forming rain and storm clouds, not for full-blown construction.

"I know right. It's so awesome, just like me! Wait until I tell you how I made the rainbow from just a tiny amount of liquid from the Rainbow Pools at Cloudsdale and…" Rainbow Dash said, while absolutely beaming with pride. And without missing a beat, she began to recount (in unusually, for her, excruciating detail) how exactly she fabricated said rainbows.

“Dash, I think this is enough for one example of your absolute non-chalance regarding their learned laws of physics,” Twilight politely suggested, seeing as how the four Terran Ponies were clearly not quite ready for this open defiance of everything that seemed possible by the rules of material science they learned as humans.

"I dunno, I like it. It just exudes a personal confidence. I would have gone a bit easier on the rainbows myself though," Red Blaze said, appreciating the somewhat classical Greek styling of the edifice after starting to recover from the initial shock.

"Too bad we can't go inside to see it, I heard only Pegasi can naturally cloud-walk; so we'd just probably sink right through like rocks in espresso foam," Midori Hana concluded sadly.

"Anyway, I'm gonna catch a nap in my own bed. Don't worry, I'll meet with you all this evening in Ponyville," Rainbow Dash said excitably, grabbing her bag and looking forward to crashing in her own bed for the first time in months.

“Alrighty then, Dashie.” Pinkie Pie shouted as she waved at Rainbow, which got a wave back from a cyan colored leg. “My house next, so let’s go go go…” the pink party-starter then giggled as she began practically shoving Storm and Vague on the way toward Sugarcube Corner.

-----

Hana's jaw hit the ground, utterly stunned by the edifice now before her. "Wow, that's.... just... wow..."

Storm was more confused than surprised. "Is that something you live in or something you eat?"

Blaze was a little more logical about the whole thing. "Well, I guess the former seeing as it's still standing."

Vague could swear he was feeling the rapid loss of his ability to be surprised with everything he had seen in just a couple of hours in Ponyville. "I highly doubt anyone could mistake what this place sells."

"Yep, welcome to the Sugarcube Corner. Well we sell cakes, pies, cookies, tarts, candy canes, regular candies... pretty much anything made out of sugar and can be thrown into an oven," Pinkie Pie said bounding around the place like she was trying to advertise something that really didn't need much advertising.

"Pinkie? Is that you Pinkie?" a rather calm sounding male voice called out from the door they were standing near.

"Oh hey Mr. Cake, yeah it's me. And look, I brought new friends," Pinkie said, bounding back to her landlord/employer/something of an adoptive father.

"Yeah Pinkie, you're gonna have to explain this situation to us..." Vague stated somewhat flatly.

"Okay. Well, I both work and live here at the Sugarcube Corner, where I help the Cakes with baking and sometimes babysit when they take a night out," Pinkie said, oddly calmly and succinctly.

The Four Terran Ponies didn't what to be more surprised by - the fact they got a simple answer out of Pinkie Pie, or the fact the Cakes saw fit to entrust their foals to her.

With the explanations done for now, Pinkie grabbed her case and walked inside. After putting it down, she popped her head out the still open door to speak before new friends left. "Ok let me get the Cakes caught up on everything, and get my stuff put away. Then we'll meet at Twilight's for our little evening picnic, 'kay?!”

“And with that being said, would you all mind a short trip to my humble abode?” Rarity asked, rapidly flashing her eyes as she did.

“Yeah sure…” Golden Storm replied, not exactly sure how to respond to marshmallow-white mare.

-----

"I am not sure that humble would be the correct word to describe this place, but it does live up to its name," Blue Vague said, looking at the merry-go-round-like building.

"That it does, Blue, that it does..." Golden Storm added, trying to figure out if Rarity slept in the upper-tier or somewhere in the center of the building.

"Well here is my home and place of business - the Carousel Boutique: where the finest of the fine come to find the perfect wardrobe." Rarity said, as she began to trail off, both verbally and physically, as she recited the extensive list of stores that contracted with her to sell her work.

"She certainly has made a name for herself, or is trying very hard to," Red Blaze said, looking all around.

"Rarity? Rarity!! It's been too long!" shouted a Unicorn filly as snow-white of coat as Rarity.

"Oh Sweetie Belle, it truly has been too long, hasn't it. But don't worry, your big sister Rarity has returned," Rarity cried as she ran to Sweetie Belle, nuzzling her; both crying tears of joy after meeting after such a long absence. Rarity asked, while in the middle of reconnecting with Sweetie, "Vague, Storm, if you don't mind could you bring my bags inside for me?"

Blue Vague and Golden Storm wheeled both carts around in order to start offloading all of Rarity's belongings. As they moved the things into the building proper, they were duly impressed at all the various designs that were scattered amongst the mannequins, all at various degrees of being finished. The shop itself was also remarkably clean given Rarity wasn't there for so long; Sweetie Belle obviously taking the time to help maintain the shop as best she could. What caught their eyes most of all though, were the absolute abundance of gems - so much so that she adorned a good number of her designs with the things.

"Say Rarity, how are you able to sell these designs with all of these gems all over them? Wouldn't that get inordinately expensive?" Golden Storm asked.

"Well, here in Equestria, gems are an incredibly common occurrence. Aside from things like the Fire Ruby that dear Spike gave me, they are so common that I was able to design a spell for the expressed purpose of finding them as a filly." Rarity replied while starting to get her sewing machines and mannequins back into place; Spike for his part just waved a bit absent-mindedly from the door frame as he was reminded of his gift of said Fire Ruby.

Blue Vague just shrugged, it wouldn't be a surprise that gemstones would be that common here given the general craziness this world contains.

As the two Terrans left to rejoin Twilight and others outside, Rarity gave one last message for the time being. "Well tell the others that I will see you all later, sundown it was?"

“Yeah, sundown, please don't be fashionably late like you like to be!” Twilight started as six of them started walking away from the Carousel Boutique. “So I will guess it’s onward to the Golden Oaks Library then.”

-----

The six of them got the house-tree/library. The four Terran Ponies honestly felt the sight of a library and multi-room domicile carved or built into an apparently still-living tree should have been more surprising than it was; but honestly at this point they had run out of ability to be shocked by Equestria's general theory of architecture.

Twilight nervously said, "Well, here we are, if you wanna take a look that'd be fine, just try not to get the books out of order, okay?"

"Apparently these places are bigger on the inside than they are on the outside, or our perception of space is starting to falter," Red Blaze said, noticing that even though it was at least a 2 story library/house-tree, there was still plenty of clearance overhead.

"Seeing as the entire realm is filled with all kinds of magic, it might be both," Midori Hana added, looking for a book on Equestrian plants to read back at her dormitory.

Spike for his part just scrambled upstairs, he wanted a nap in his own basket so bad, and he needed to decompress from being on Earth all that time anyway.

Blue Vague noticed a sleeping owl roosting in an un-lit corner as he and Storm moved Twilight's books back into the library proper for sorting. "Hrm, you keep an owl… interesting choice for a pet."

"Yeah that's Owloysius, he helps me during the night during long sessions when Spike should be asleep," Twilight Sparkle beamed, taking pride in her pet and secondary assistant.

"All things considered, that makes a lot of sense. Dunno if that means I'm going crazy or I'm just getting used to how things work on this side," Vague replied, finding keeping a nocturnal assistant for someone who apparently studied every waking hour she could, would indeed make a lot of sense.

"Well, here are some bits, the money on this side of the Aurora Barrier. Just take a stroll around town and we'll all meet here at the Library at sun-down, which should be around... 5:20 PM if any of you still have working watches. Oh and here is a map... and I marked some places of interest if want to stroll around on your own, including a nice watch shop if none of you have working watches." Twilight Sparkle said, taking out four of many, many, MANY maps Celestia had sent to the library for safe-keeping in case Converts started arriving faster than the town's ability to give guided tours could handle.

“Alright then Twilight, we’ll see you all after while then,” Hana replied, as the Four Conduits all walked out of the library.

-----

Hrm, these watches are pretty nice, and it's easier to see the time on them than I thought... Blue Vague though, as he and the other Conduits sat in a common area of the Ponyville New Citizen Reception Center, near the cafeteria, of course. They decided to spend some of their time in contemplation of their near-term future.

Red Blaze thought of the new home the four of them were to live in, hoping it wouldn't be anything too ostentatious, but that seemed to be of little concern to the larger population of Ponyville at least; and it was probably true all over Equestria. Midori Hana was busy studying some books on the flora of Equestria, inwardly noting how Poison Joke appeared to be a particularly nasty weed. Golden Storm was staring outside at the sky, just remarking on how remarkably blue it was. He figured if he engaged Rainbow Dash in another aerial show he'd probably lose, but he really wanted to see how good a flier she was. Blue Vague was trying to practice moving water he had ran out of a nearby faucet, going from bucket to bucket with his Terran Magic instead of his Explicit Magic. He wasn't having much luck at the exercise though, constantly spilling the water all over the floor and having to mop it up and wring it out.

I should have realized only two months learning the very basics of Unicorn Magic wouldn't be enough to really get used to channeling through this body. Hopefully the exposure and Princess Luna will help, it's going to have to... he thought to himself.

Midori heard the dripping of water on the wood floors, and seeing Vague as the source of said dripping. “What are you doing, Blue?”

“I’m trying to see if I could try and control this water in this bucket, at least with my Unicorn Magic, but I’m having next to no luck whatsoever. It’s like trying to hold gelatin in your hands, or hooves I guess, except you aren’t even touching it,” Vague replied, as he continued to think about the problem.

"I guess this is one of the things that Voice meant when she was talking about Will and Power. Right now, we are still neophytes when it comes to our Equestrian bodies. If magic is channeled through the body like I think, then it stands to reason until we get used to using our natural Equestrian Magic, it's going to be a pain in the ass to use our Terran Magic."

Golden Storm thought about his Wind Magic only seemed to have two modes, trickle and full blast. Red Blaze feared what that meant regarding her Element of Fire. Midori Hana, only having her body for little over a week, was wondering how her Earth magic even manifested.

"Blue Vague is right. If we had to go fight some monster or if we had to protect a Bureau back on Earth from some violent mob, we wouldn't be able to control our Terran Magic at all. We'd either get ourselves injured or killed not being able to do anything, or cause who knows how much collateral damage going all-out," Golden Storm said, following Blue Vague's train of thought.

"I for one wouldn't feel comfortable only being able to only light a candle or burn an entire building to the ground," Red Blaze added, figuring that she'd have the most to learn about controlling her element.

"I'm just wondering what the Terran Element of Earth is. Like do I control rocks, dirt, plants? I wish the Voice had told me then," Midori Hana added on her part, still trying to figure out how to make her magic manifest safely.

The four Terran Ponies continued to discuss the day's events and predictions for the near future, all the while walking back towards the main hall of the Center. They heard from some of the workers that the rest of the new Converts were supposed to be coming in for processing now, since Celestia's business with them was more or less completed for today. They were coming in from all over the world, most of them speaking 'accented' Equestrian (which to them sounded pretty much like English anyway). The four briefly wondered how they were all speaking supposedly fluent Equestrian so quickly regardless of previous nationality, figuring it had to be some magic done after the fact in order to ease the transition.

Well, at least we aren't the only ones that have to will have to embrace this madness... Blue Vague thought to himself. They were all going to one of the three larger cities anyway, and none of them had to deal with learning two different kinds of magic at the same time.

===== =====

It was now close to the appointed time, and the Four Terran Ponies were already at Twilight's Library; they weren't exactly doing anything before except talking and touring the town so why not show up early, they thought. Twilight certainly appreciated the punctuality, being a stickler for organization and detail. As time went on, the other five Bearers began to arrive. Fluttershy came bearing burnable plants she learned from an Earth Pony would keep mosquitoes at bay in case they went close to the Everfree Forest. Applejack brought plenty of apples and apple goods, along with some of the early batches of apple juice to keep everyone fed that evening. Pinkie Pie arrived with some of her creations as well, especially the pineapple mini-cakes that seemed to rapidly disappear while in the presence of Blue Vague. Rarity brought a nice blanket for everyone to sit on, not wanting to smell wet fur from the evening dew. Rainbow Dash was the last to arrive, as she landed from clearing the sky overhead, making sure they had a nice clear view of what she was going to be an amazing sight for the newcomers to their group.

Twilight took the fact that Owloysius was already awake as meaning that Luna was close to formally raising the moon. Luna took greater appreciation for this task, since a lot of the Converts were thoroughly impressed and even awestruck by the Equestrian night sky; and they seemed to stay up later anyway just to appreciate it and the Equestrian version of night-life. The ten Ponies plus dragon all trotted quickly, Applejack and Blue Vague working the wagons this time, as they travelled northward from town out to some rolling hills. The four Conduits just soaked in how serene and picturesque everything was, having only seen a scene like this in media productions or games; all around them, there were rolling hills, gentle rivers and streams, and the animals were living their lives in the wild. The hills were all manners of green and brown, the soil was incredibly healthy looking, and the grass was nice and thick. They even saw the brief twinkling of some of the brightest stars; in this realm, Luna made sure to actively enhance the view of the stars in the sky, feeling that nopony should have to use a device to see them.

Rarity had already unfurled the massive blanket for everyone to sit on and stay dry from the dew, and Applejack and Fluttershy were setting the paper plates and various juices and water. Rainbow Dash had set up some torches to give a little extra light and warmth if needed; even with the fur coats, a late fall's night could still get fairly cool.

"Alright,” Twilight Sparkle started, addressing the Four Terran Ponies, "as you have learned by now, Princess Luna has resumed the active raising the Moon in the night sky over Equestria. So I want you all just to sit back and enjoy the show. I promise it's one that you all will never forget."

Just a bit of a personal appeal, this is the BGM I'd like you all to listen to while reading this next section in particular
Gundam SEED Stargazer - Hoshi no Tobira ~Stargazer~ (Instrumental)

The sky had gone midnight-blue now, the Sun was completely under the horizon. The now night sky was dotted with sundry very bright stars, ones that Luna didn't necessarily need to enhance view of in order for everyone to see when the sky was clear. As the four Terran Ponies tried to figure out what these super-bright stars were, they then saw Luna's signature aurora, the various indigos, blues, and violets all swirling around in a faint but noticeable sphere. As a pathway was being traced through the sky, they saw a familiar milk-white, cratered orb rise in the sky - the Moon, but aglow with Luna's bluish aura. The four Terran Ponies were absolutely floored by this utter display of power and beauty, having no idea just what 'raising the Moon' meant when it was described to them in the orientations.

The show then expanded, after the Moon was set onto the slow path across the sky. More of Luna's aura was coalescing behind the Moon, and then it exploded across the sky, like dark colored fireworks. As the waves of indigo and blue ripped across the sky, points began to light up. The array of lights flaring into 'existence' was like someone ordering everyone in a fairly large city to first shut off every light, and then turn them back on in particular sequence. Constellations in all shapes and sizes came into view: Orion, Sagittarius, Virgo, Leo, all the constellations were like Earth's Zodiac, and there were so many more. More stars all flared into view; Red Blaze could swear she could even see a faint hint of their actual color from the glow. Blue Vague remembered scenes like this in his various information trawls on the Internet. It was like Luna was recreating the old Hubble's Deep Field across the sky; but instead of being an image, it was the real thing. They could even see the bands of the Milky Way, or this cosmos's equivalent at least, in the sky. All four of them were absolutely dumbstruck, their eyes agape at this display of beauty and wonder of the natural world.

"Wow... I... it's just amazing," Midori Hana said haltingly, mind boggling at the incalculable numbers of points of lights in the sky now.

"So many of them… all stages of cycle, all sizes, it's as if Space itself wanted to welcome all of us Converts here," Red Blaze said, trying to see if she could pick out any Blue Super-Giants.

"I've been on night-flights high in the sky, and I can safely say I've never seen anything like this. Man, they have no idea what they are missing back on Earth," Golden Storm said to himself, wondering just how much of Earth's sky has been blocked from view due to the pollution.

"Try as they might to simulate this kind of sky in the Domes, they could never touch Luna in this department. It almost makes me feel sorry for them," Blue Vague said, just wanting everything to continue as it was indefinitely.

The Six Bearers of Harmony were also thoroughly impressed. Usually there were a few less pyrotechnics involved in the Raising of the Moon and Lighting of the Stars as they called it, except for certain night festivals; but Luna wanted to put on a special show for her new students and the rest of the newcomers.

I had to worry about the four them forgetting this night. I'm pretty sure this is something that none of us sitting here will forget... Twilight thought to herself.

The picnic under the full moon continued. Rainbow Dash lit the torches so that everyone had enough light to see what they were grabbing and eating and drinking. Applejack told more stories of the misadventures of Apple Bloom and her friends, who collectively call themselves the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. The Four Terran Ponies all wondered what symbol(s) would appear on their flanks whenever they found or mastered their special talent. Fluttershy tried her hoof at singing a song called "Stargazer ~Hoshi no Tobira~". She had found it while looking up various examples of Earth music, and found it particularly relevant; Midori Hana recognized the song somewhat, and helped her correct the lyrics, knowing Fluttershy couldn't be experienced singing anything in Japanese.

So they carried on into the night, the Four Terran Ponies thinking everything was going to work out fine, culture shock notwithstanding. Meanwhile, over in Canterlot Castle, Luna sat on a balcony, overlooking her work that night.

"I'm thoroughly glad that you all enjoyed the show. Let's hope you enjoy my lessons in two days’ time." she said, with a devious smirk on her face. The Four Terran Ponies were gonna have to get used to their Equestrian bodies and fast. There was no telling much time was left on Earth before the political detente between the Domes and the duly elected national governments would start to break down.

CH 12: The Grind Dates

View Online

Pre-Chapter Notes:
1) Chapter title inspired by the similarly titled song by De La Soul
2) The Pony’s Length (measure of distance) is equivalent to half of 1 meter

=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 12: The Grind Date(s) ===

“So, ‘Tia, how does everything look?” Luna asked of her pastel-maned and white coated sister, while beating her wings a bit to relieve some tension she was feeling in her body.

“It looks wonderful Lulu, don’t let anypony, or anyone else for that matter, tell you are aren't a well-developed artist in your own right,” Celestia replied, as she beamed a familiar smile at her sister Alicorn.

Celestia was relieved when she saw the tension leave Luna’s body, seemingly drifting away like so much fog being evaporated by the mid-morning sun. With that passed, the two of them continued to personally inspect what was a large edifice in Pony terms for a house that wasn't its own business: sitting at roughly 30 Lengths from front-to-back and 36 Lengths from side-to-side.

“I wonder how all of this is going to work going forward,” Celestia thought aloud as she looked at how all the cooking and eating utensils were neatly packaged into cardboard boxes as the two of them stood in the kitchen/dining-room area.

“Just like the patronage of old, I don’t think we will ultimately know how everything will turn out until the artist is completely done with their work. And given the ‘artists’ we will be working with, I don’t think we will be able to make that assessment for decades to come,” Luna responded, as she thought about the sparks of that mysterious power that were already beginning to well in the bodies of the four Conduits of Terra.

“If you had told me we would ever come across the source of that mysterious power that would help us turn the tide of this world’s history, or at least the creatures that were responsible for it, I would not have believed you. Then again, given who and what we are, we should have seen this coming at some point,” Celestia thought aloud, as she sat down on the smooth, lacquered hardwood floor and looked out of one of the windows of the dining area, staring into the cave interior that was littered with magically-powered artificial lights.

“Speaking of patronage, has the check cleared for that company that we commissioned to do the brunt of this work?” Luna asked of her sister, as she sat down on the floor next to her, staring at the wall of the cave that had become the scene of this clandestine home building operation.

“Yes, Luna, I also gave them a small bonus for not leaking any of this information to the press. While we may understand the full nature and reason for you becoming the patroness and unofficial liaison for the Conduits of Terra, I would rather the rumor-mill NOT get too out of control with their speculation as to why Converts suddenly have a direct audience with a Princess of Equestria,” Celestia replied, her voice suddenly growing cold when mentioning the tabloids.

“I have told you multiple times before: the tabloids will do what they will, whether you want them to or not. I am fairly sure you do not want to start enacting press controls just to assuage your annoyance at their constant rumor-mongering, right?” Luna asked, as her own voice grew stern.

Celestia sighed as she tried to relieve her own tension the same way Luna did a few minutes before. “You are right. It would be far too much work to try and micromanage every little thing the press said. And ultimately it never comes to anything. At the same time though, I have the suspicion that all of our little Ponies will not be as accommodating to the Conduits and their Converted brethren as the Elements have.”

Luna leaned into her sister and huffed into the open air a bit, showing her annoyance at her sister’s tendency to let her thoughts run away with her. “’Tia, you should know this better than anyone. There is only so much you can do when managing sapient beings. I would be hard-pressed to believe that the total of our population that would actually take offense to the Converts would be any more than a thin sliver overall.”

Celestia beat her wings again; as she tried to cool down her physical body she could feel growing hot from her internal consternation. “I know, I just cannot tell which sliver it would be, and what they might be capable of if they feel themselves truly threatened.”

The two Alicorn sisters sat there for a while, silently contemplating what the future would hold once Luna began working her particular brand of Magic on a certain four humans turned Ponies, before the conversation turned in a bit of a different light.

“I wonder how we’d react if we were just normal Ponies coming to greet these visitors from another world, instead of the deity-like beings that were responsible from bringing them here…” Luna thought aloud as she moved into one of the undefined common areas of the house.

“It is hard to say, I would like to think I would be warm and welcoming. But I don’t think I could help but be a little bit suspicious,” Celestia answered as she looked at all of the various games and other non-electronic entertainment items that were packed into cardboard boxes, not unlike the silverware and pots and pans of the room previous.

“Really now, my big sister being a constant snoop; I wonder why that is so hard to believe?” Luna replied, gently shoving her sister in the ribcage.

“Oh come now, if it was like before, you’d constantly hound them to tell them every single little fact they knew that you didn’t already know…” Celestia replied, shoving her sister back.

The two sisters giggled and laughed as the thought some more of a life before anyone living would ever know.

“Celestia, how long has it been?”

“Since what, Luna?”

“We’ve visited the rest of our ‘family’?”

“Not since you were finally purged of the Nightmare’s influence those three or so years ago.”

“You wonder if they wouldn’t mind us dropping in for a few moments?”

“I don’t see why not…”

=========================

[ November 17, ???? – (Edge of) Ponyville, Equestria ]

The Conduits of Terra, Elements of Harmony, Spike, Princess Luna, and a couple of otherwise non-descript Earth Ponies all stood out in the middle of a clearing off one of the main roads leading into Ponyville from the south, the perfect place for building a house.

The only problem was, aside from some foundation in a depression in the ground, there was a very distinct lack of house.

Princess Luna then came forward with the two Earth Ponies and began to speak. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, I would like to welcome you all to this grand housewarming for our new mutual friends and compatriots.”

Despite pausing for applause, she got none except from the two Earth Ponies next to her, the other eleven witnesses still quite confused as to what exactly was going on.

Blue Vague, looked around, and seeing no one else was going to speak, decided to brave the waters himself. “Princess Luna, I really and truly do not mean to sound ungrateful in any way. But… um… how can you have a housewarming without a house?”

“An excellent question Mr. Vague, how does have a housewarming if there is no house to warm?” Luna asked, pacing back and forth like a professor in a collegiate setting. “I believe this next little demonstration of mine will answer that question for you. Gentlecolts, if you would mind stepping back?”

The two Earth Ponies stepped behind Luna, walking back toward where the combined Elements and Spike were.

With an azure flash of her horn, Luna began working from the ground up, though no one there could tell exactly what she was working her magic on, not even Twilight. That is before she noticed that nothing was matching Luna’s glow… except for the ends of a few pipes down in the depression formed by the foundation.

This must be some kind of intense high-level teleportation…

A few moments later, her instincts would be proven right; and like a curtain slowly being drawn up, the house began to materialize out of thin air, slowly but surely, from foundation and basement, all the up to the first floor, to the second, and then to the roof.

“Any more questions?” Luna asked as she turned back and looked at the combined Elements, a wide smile on her face masking the mild amount of strain she was recovering from having suddenly transferred so much mass in such a small amount of time.

The four Ponies new Equestrian home was a stunning sight for the former Humans not used to having places of their own. It was constructed in the Brownstone style of architecture from the turn of the 20th Century on Earth; Luna feeling it would be a nice touch using a reasonably popular Earth architectural style. It appeared two stories high, and more than large enough for 4 adult Ponies and however many temporary guests (like say, another seven temporary guests). The facade was gray colored limestone, which was imported from the Dragon-controlled desert quarries quite a ways away from Equestria proper; though there was a streak of magically-dyed stone that ran all along the base of the house: a band of four bold colors, each one matching the coats of the Conduits of Terra themselves.

“Wow this place is totally… just… woah…” Blue Vague tried to exclaim, but found the words were failing him to a large degree, as the cluster of eleven broke up and were scanning the entire outside of the edifice that loomed large, but not overly large relative to the rest of the houses in Ponyville.

Red Blaze was definitely impressed with the workmanship on the outside. "Wow, they even got the trim colors like ours. It gives it that nice little flare and makes it distinct from a regular Brownstone in the Domes."

Golden Storm and Rainbow Dash perched themselves atop the house on the Pegasi landing area, which looked a bit like some kind of observatory, smaller and less fancy than Twilight’s at the top of Golden Oaks Library, but still distinguishable from the rest of the roof. "I wonder how hard it would be to get clouds to stick up here along the landing spot. I mean it's obvious from R.D.'s house that clouds stick to itself just as well here, but I dunno about them sticking to something 'solid' though."

Rainbow Dash just shrugged as she never really tried it herself.

Midori Hana touched the limestone with a front hoof; she could still feel the energy in the stone from whatever cutting process the Dragons used to score the blocks for shipping. "Wow, this must be what Dragon Magic, or whatever equivalent they have, must feel like. Definitely different than Equestrian Magic, but it all feels related somehow."

Luna chuckled at how strong an inquisitive mind Midori had, she was definitely her father's daughter.

“In any case,” Luna started, “I thank you two for accompanying me here, please allow me to return you to your place of business so that you may being receiving regular clients again.”

The two Earth Ponies nodded as in a flash they were teleported back to Manehatten and their offices at Obsidian and Son’s Construction company.

I wonder if I saw those two before… Blue Vague thought to himself before turning and returning to the front of the house with Luna and the others.

As all twelve of them walked inside and marveled at the internal construction, the eleven non-Princesses were indeed reminded of the dormitories back on Earth they all shared. In fact, it was effectively a reduced version of said dormitories, built to house four (comfortably) instead of ten at a time. The only real difference, besides the clinical white replaced by wood grain, was that the recreational room held various board games and a magic-driven film projector, instead of the digital projector and computers the four Terrans were used to. There was also a spiral staircase along the second floor that lead up to the landing area and observatory on the roof, and a stairwell leading down to the basement.

"Oh wow, I recognize a lot of these games. Although they are obviously Pony equivalents, they look all the world just like the classic board games we had in America back on Earth," Blue Vague said, as he levitated out the various smaller boxes out of their larger container box.

“Ah wonder what y’all need to turn y’all’s computer films into regular reels for over here, though,” Applejack thought aloud.

While the other ten thought about this, Luna broke them out of their reverie in order to get down to real business of the day.

"There will be plenty of time later to assess that situation; however, I would like to direct the eleven of you to the basement. I would like to go ahead and get started on our true objective for today."

-----

As they all stood in the rather spacious basement, the twelve remarked just how plain it looked compared to the rest of the house. There was an exception though, a rather innocuous looking round, raised slot exactly in the center of the basement; appearing as if it were a lock that took a non-standard shaped key. As the twelve of them stood around it, Luna began to explain just why this barely furnished basement was the locale of interest for today. "Alright, my little Ponies. You may all be wondering ‘Why does Princess Luna have us standing in this rather unadorned basement around this somewhat plain looking slot?’ Well, this would be why..."

With that, she materialized a what appeared to be a human’s hand tool, very much reminiscent of a screwdriver. "TRAINING FIELD DRIVER, ON!!" She shouted as she engaged the tool in the slot and charged it with her magic.

Everyone stood confused for a few seconds as to what exactly she was talking about... until they felt a massive surge of energy coming from the slot now with the tool sticking out of it. The screwdriver-like tool turned the entire slot around once clockwise, and the entire room lit up with a pale blue light, as ley lines were traced all along the basement floor, walls, and ceiling. Once the lines were completely traced, the entire environment and ambience of the room changed, as it now appeared as a completely open field; short grass running in every direction toward the horizon, and a perfectly clear, midday blue sky above.

"Woah, just what in Equestria was that?!" Twilight exclaimed, never feeling any sort of magic like that before.

"This is a revised version of a spell I devised while Headmistress of the University for Advanced Magical Studies; simply known as the Projected Training Field. It takes anyone present within a confined space, such as the basement we were in, and transports them to a pocket dimension of the user's creation for up to six hours at a time. The spell specifically designed to never last more than six hours, since the expanse created is functionally infinite in all directions, and we wouldn't want Ponies getting lost in an infinite pocket dimension if we can at all help it.”

Luna then created what looked like an indigo office building, complete with her cutie-mark and official government seal draped on a flag near the door. She trotted over to a raised a platform continued to speak.

"The rules of this place are quite simple. First, one cannot perish here, if anyone incurs a life-threatening injury, the spell is immediately dispelled so that the Pony in question can be attended to. Second, only the original user of the spell can alter the conditions of the space. Third, If the user ever falls unconscious, the spell is immediately dispelled, again to prevent Ponies from getting lost or stuck in the subspace. Finally, fourth, the original user of the spell can at any time disengage the spell, which would return everyone to where they were when the spell was cast; however, regardless of how the spell was dispelled, it cannot be used again by that user for at least twelve hours."

Luna then pointed at the screwdriver-like tool now resting on a raised pedestal as tall as the stallions there, "That screwdriver-like device is known as the Training Field Driver, it contains condensed mana that is used to execute the spell should someone of insufficient power wish to use it, although one must first install the Training Driver Slot. Note, one does not need to know Explicit Magic to use the spell, it works with any creature that can channel the mana of Equestria. Similar to one casting the spell themselves, once used and then dispelled, the device cannot be used again for twelve hours, for safety and recharging concerns."
Golden Storm raised a hoof, and was recognized to ask a question. "Princess Luna, there doesn't seem to be any real concerns for space in-between the various settlements and cities and all. So why go through all this trouble to train us here and in this manner?"

Luna thought for a few seconds, and then responded. "Well, the proper answer to that question is twofold. First, to be perfectly honest, myself and my sister have next to no idea what exactly Terran Magic is capable of. Therefore, as much as you all will be studying and practicing how best to use your two forms of Magic, I will be recording and analyzing the nature and effects of Terran magic should they be invoked during said practicing. It would be the easiest for me to do this in this space, rather than have you all scattered all over the outskirts of town, at least for the time being."

That statement concerned the four Terran Conduits especially, they were hoping against hope they could get some kind of guidance from the Royal Sisters in that regard.

"The second answer goes back to some very old practices. Before the development of this spell, the University was fledging in terms of maintain prestige and membership, despite my direct patronage. This was because the University was seen as a bit wild and uncontrollable. This was due to the propensity for the various magical experiments and training to result in untold amounts of property damage and, unfortunately, deaths amongst the students and bystanders. In fact, the first year I introduced the spell to the wider faculty, we reduced our collective damage payouts by 500% and death toll by 1000%."

The six Bearers of Harmony and Spike were a bit taken aback by how matter of fact Luna was when discussing such widespread death and destruction. Soon though, all eleven of them came to an understanding to just how serious an undertaking this all was; Luna could not afford any of them dying in some accident, or destroying some large expanse of property.

"I can tell by the looks on your faces and in your eyes that you are starting to realize how serious an undertaking this is. I do not want you all to fear this venture necessarily, but you all must respect the fact that the magic our new friends and compatriots contain is almost an entirely unknown entity. There is so little solid information that we have on the Conduit’s magic, that we are forced to play this all by ear, so to speak. Therefore, I have to take every precaution I can, and take every opportunity to analyze this magic that I can. However, we cannot even truly discuss their practice of Terran Magic, until the four of them are trained in their new bodies. Until they come to a true understanding of their Equestrian bodies, both in a physical and spiritual sense, the Power they contain, I fear, will remain largely incongruent."
Luna then telekinetically opened the doors to her office and looked back toward the group. “For that reason, I am going to need to talk to the Bearers of Magic, Loyalty, and Honesty for a short period of time.”

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack looked at each other briefly, before joining Luna inside the well adorned office, as the other eight Ponies and Dragon all began discussing the content of Luna’s introductory speech to themselves.

---

“The reason I called the three of you in here was to discuss briefly what kind of physical training we should put our new compatriots under in order to help them properly channel their natural Pony Magic,” Princess Luna started as she looked at the various visual and vital statistic monitors she had set up within the office.

The three Elements began to think for a while before Rainbow Dash came up with a suggestion for Golden Storm. “One of the primary exercises we did back in Flight Camp was your basic aerial obstacle course. If the goal right now is just physical training, then I guess we just keep things simple like that.”

Luna ruminated on the idea for a bit before responding. “Yes, a Pegasus’s Weather Magic is conducted primarily through their wings, so that would be a reasonable place to begin with the Conduit of Wind.”

Applejack then raised a hoof to offer her suggestion for Midori Hana. “Well if something like that would work for Storm’s wings, then why not something similar for Hana’s overall? Obviously the course would be a lot different, but Ah believe the basic concept should work, right?”

Luna was already sketching the aerial course on one pad while Applejack was talking and picked up a second in her telekinesis field once she was sure the farm-hoof was done. “I cannot argue with that suggestion, Bearer of Honesty. In fact, I have a suspicion about what the Bearer of Magic will conclude this little chat with.”

Twilight blushed a little bit as she looked at the Princess of the Night hard at work drawing… something… on the two pads she had levitated in her magical grip in front of her. “I don’t mean to sound like I couldn’t come up with anything better or different, but in all honestly, an obstacle course designed for exploiting a Unicorn’s magic would probably be the most simple way to begin with both Vague and Blaze.”

A third pad went up in Luna’s telekinetic grip as she was busy drawing what appeared to be three different obstacle courses for all three races at the same time.

“In that case, I think we should spend a few more minutes refining these plans before we introduce them to our training subjects, yes?”

The three Elements of Harmony nodded vigorously, wondering how Luna could divide her attention so cleanly.

--- ---

A short while later, the Lunar Princess and the three Elements of Harmony that accompanied her emerged from the office building; Princess Luna holding three placards and an easel in her TK grip as she strolled out. The other eight outside ended their discussion and turned back to face the Princess as the other three rejoined their group.

“Alright then, my little Ponies, we will now discuss the plans for our four Conduits in more detail…” the Princess started, as she placed the easel on her platform next to herself. “Since the first phase of this training will be basic physical, we will start with a general and well-rounded obstacle course to help the Conduits’ physical fitness and to generate a better understanding as to what their bodies are fully capable of.”

She picked up one of the placards and placed it on the easel, showing the nature of the obstacle courses.

“The Pegasus Course, as you can see here, is primarily a flight course. Due to the three-dimensional nature of flight, it is vital that the participant follow the indicated path through the obstacles. The path will be indicated by the green cloud-streak floating in between the red and yellow cloud-pylons. As you can probably imagine, this is designed to test and improve your agility while in mid-flight and stress your ability for channeling Weather Magic through your wings.”

She took down the placard of the sky course and placed the one representing the more imposing looking of the terrestrial courses.

“The Earth Pony course, shown here, is based mostly off strength and endurance. The course is relatively straight-forward, except that different parts will be traversed while under the influence of varying amounts of gravity. This is to simulate carrying various amounts of weight since it quite cumbersome for an Earth Pony to quickly remove something that they happen to be wearing, at least when the removal of loads or clothes are not necessarily germane to the training involved.”

Luna then concluded the course introductions while showing the last placard with the Unicorn’s obstacle course on it.

“And this is the Unicorn Course. Now if the course looks simple, that is because it is. However, the entire course must be traversed while constantly maintaining a polymorphic ‘sphere’ in your telekinetic grip. Depending on where exactly you are on the course, the sphere’s actual shape and weight will change; and at the same time, if the sphere is not passed through a magical checkpoint in the proper fashion, the constituent magical barrier gates will block your ability to proceed. Is all of this understood?”

The four Conduits nodded as they looked at the placards that Luna had drawn, to quite exquisite quality in such a short time, as she placed them on the ground in front of her speaking platform.

“Also, if you don’t mind, Bearer of Generosity, I will require your assistance in evaluating our two Unicorn Conduits. While I trust Twilight with a lot of things, trying to watch and focus on two Unicorns-in-training at the same time and trying to evaluate both at the same time, I believe, would be an inefficient use of her abilities,” Princess Luna asked as she walked over the six Bearers and Spike and took Rarity aside a bit.

“Oh yes, of course I would Princess. I’m… just not sure what exactly I should be evaluating…” Rarity responded, surprised she would tap her to help in this first phase of training.

“It is your attention to detail, Rarity. While Twilight is an amazing mind she can… develop a bit of tunnel vision. I believe your ability to assess details and how it would affect a greater whole will be most useful for this venture,” Luna responded, smiling a bit as Twilight looked on a bit, somewhat oblivious to what was being said.

“I see. In that case I shall do my best in this adjunct role,” Rarity responded, nodding vigorously.

“Just what I like to hear, Bearer of Generosity.”

=========

A short while and several flashes of Luna’s magic later, the ten ponies and one dragon were all broken up into three groups, each at a different point of their constituent obstacle courses.

---

“So we are supposed to go under those wooden beams while carrying this block over our heads, then we jump through the tires and then pull another block in behind us, and then we are supposed to push that ball across the pathway while keeping it in constant contact with the pathway?” Blaze began to ask.

“Yeah, then we are supposed to use our magic to break a path in the first set of walls, then use it to swing ourselves across that netting, and finally we run through the half-ring gates to finish the course, right?” Vague finished, as they, Spike, Twilight, and Rarity all walked around the recently constructed course.

“Seems that way, Vague,” Twilight responded, as she read over the instructions.

“So… who is going first?” Blaze asked as she was already thinking of the best way to complete the course.

---

“Okay… through the tires, over the beam, push the box, through the pylons, push the pyramid, up and down the ladder, push the ball, through the tunnel, and… over the hurdles?” Hana asked as she, Pinkie, and Applejack walked through the Earth Pony’s course.
“Seems simple doesn’t it,” Pinkie Pie responded.
“Trainin’ an Earth Pony ain’t that complicated. Now, Earth Pony magic? Whole other question…” Applejack mused aloud as Hana got set up for her first dry run.

---

“Do I need to make a cloud-trail for the right path or can you remember how to do it, Storm?” Rainbow Dash asked as she, Fluttershy, and Golden Storm were all perched on a cloud platform on level with the floating Pegasus course.

“I should have it now, inside-out on the first set of pylons, then climb up that cloud-ramp, through the wind tunnel, another climb up the rope, past the field of charged poles…, then over-under the last set of pylons, and… pushing the ball across the last part of the course right,” Storm recalled from the brief demonstration.

“That’s good, I guess you can go ahead and get started then,” Fluttershy replied, looking at Dash nod her head showing Storm was correct.

“May as well…” Storm sighed as he floated over to the starting line.

--- ---

About an hour had passed into the session, and it was about this time where all of the Conduits began to feel the proverbial burn…

Ow, ow, oww… I didn’t think getting hit by my own magic would hurt so much… if trying to control my Water is gonna be like this, I could easily hurt somepony not paying attention…

Ugh, this is so frustrating. Why are these objects so hard to control? And Rarity and Twilight make it look so effortless. At least this isn’t my Fire; if it was like this I could burn a whole building to the ground by accident…

Controlling the Earth must take a lot of stamina… because all of this pushing and pulling and running has me absolutely beat…

If I get zapped by that lightning or thrown around by this cross-wind one more time, I might just scream. I know my Weather Magic and Wind couldn’t be this bad; then again it could be if I don’t get this right…

Despite their internal, and sometimes external, complaints, eventually all of the Conduits finished an error-less run of their courses. At which point Luna popped up with four large box-like apparatuses.

“I would like to congratulate the four of you on completing error-free runs of the obstacle courses. In keeping with the idea of a diagnostic exam, you will now be timed in completing each course. You will all have a half-hour to rest your bodies while I go over the rules with each of your trainers, as it were.”

A collective groan escaped from the four Earth-born Ponies as they all sprawled out on a quartet of magicked-up resting cots, trying to figure out how they were going to do what they just did under the pressure of a constantly ticking timer.

“Oh don’t worry. In honesty I designed all of these courses after the much more extensive ones we use to train Royal Guard forces for Basic Training. They have to complete courses twice as long in roughly seven-and-a-half minutes. So I will make that your target time to start with,” Luna added with a wry smile on her face.

“Sure, finish each course in 7’30”. Got it…” Storm replied wearily, wondering just how he and the rest of his friends were supposed to do that.

--- ---

Another hour or so later, and after a lot of crashes, shocks, and the like, it appeared that the light was starting to flicker on for each of the Conduits through each course…

Alright, I just need to feel out the seam in the wall, and then breakthrough hard…

Nice and easy, because every time I rush trying to push or pull these objects I end up dropping them everywhere…

Keep breathing, keep steady, don’t try and over exert myself on the first few challenges… just keep a steady pace but still keep moving…

Alright, I need to feel where the wind and the lightning are coming from, and then I have to slip past them…

…and sure enough, right around the start of the fifth hour, all of the Conduits completed an error-less run that indeed beat the clock.

With all of that done, Luna decided that there wasn’t enough time left for the current iteration of the Training Field, so she began to wrap up the proceedings for the day.

“Since we are five hours into this run of the Training Field and it will automatically dissipate at exactly six hours in, I feel that we can go ahead and call it wrap, as they would say.”

A tired but still enthusiastic cheer went up from the four Conduits.

“I should have expected such a reaction, in any case, I will need to discuss a few things with your trainers before I dismiss the ten of you formally.”

The Conduits went back to their cots and sprawled out with a bunch of water and sports drink bottles, as Luna walked into the central ‘office’ with Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.

---

“I want the four of you to give your honest assessments of what the major deficiencies are in the four Conduits. I feel confident enough that they have the root basics down of operating their bodies, so I believe we can move on to actually teaching magic proper,” Luna asked as she sat in her blue and black chair.

Twilight cleared her throat as she began to speak. “Well, similar to our little tutorial sessions on Earth, Vague’s worst area so far is force projection. He seems really afraid to put some oomph into his spell work, like he is afraid something is going to explode violently if he did.”

Luna nodded as she began writing notes and comparing them to all the diagnostic information she had already started analyzing.

Rarity then picked up where Twilight left off. “In that case, Blaze seems to have somewhat the opposite problem. Her control over her spellcasting seems to be quite lacking. She has plenty of raw magical energy, but it seems to flare out everywhere. I could notice her straining some to keep the large ball moving in a relatively straight line, for example.”

Luna turned a page and wrote some more notes down, as she turned toward Rainbow Dash to hear her assessment.

“Hrm, let’s see,” Rainbow Dash started, as she began thinking of how exactly to register her feelings. “Okay, I think I got it. I think Storm’s big problem right now is that he doesn’t have a good sense of weather conditions. He was getting zapped by those charged lightning-poles pretty often. So I think that’s where I would start with him.”

Luna turned another page and continued writing, turning finally toward Applejack.

“Alright, so where does Hana need the most work, huh?” Applejack thought aloud as she crossed her front legs and ruminated for a few moments. “Ah think her biggest problem is that she don’t quite get how Earth Ponies can endure so long doin’ somethin’. While we have a lot of raw stamina, our magic helps us recover a lot faster than anypony else… that is if ya know how to use it that way. So Ah think learnin’ the basics of Life Magic will get us on the way real good.”

Luna completed her note taking as she saw the clock tick down to about twenty minutes left.

“This should suffice for now… I will consult with my sister and see what the best lesson plan for tomorrow and the days ahead will be. So let’s return to the others outside, shall we?”

---

The Elements, Conduits, and Spike all gathered in front of the small podium while Luna stood behind, as she addressed the gathering for the last time that day.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts, today was a good day on the start of our long project for discerning the capabilities of not only our new friends in the Conduits of Terra, but the whole of Terran Magic. I will take the information gathered her today and consult with my sister on the best course of action starting tomorrow. Now, while you all rest and recuperate this evening, I would hope you all contemplate how the exercises you all performed will assist you in this first stage of learning how to use your newfound bodies and abilities. With that, I will dispel the Training Field and formally dismiss you all for the evening.”

With that said, the noon-time like environment rapidly degenerated into a pure white field, and eventually back into the somewhat dark basement of the Greystone Conductor, as the Training Field Driver showed a mostly empty indicator, reminding the Conduits of a low battery light. Luna placed the Driver in a case and placed said case on a plain shelf, and nodded briefly, before disappearing in a flash of azure light.

“So, I guess we’re done for the day?” Twilight asked as she saw the tension leave Vague’s face, showing how dead tired he was after everything the last six hours.

“Yeah, we’re good. Just gonna laze on the couch and figure out what we’re going to fix to eat before we shower and go to sleep…” Vague replied as he was already a quarter-way up the stairs.

“Alright then, we’ll see you all tomorrow, and we should all get together for a big group dinner sometimes, okay!” Pinkie Pie replied as she raced past the tired, blue Unicorn up the stairs and out to the ground floor.

“I really don’t know how she does it…” Hana replied, as she silently wondered where Pinkie got all her energy from.

-===-

After the Bearers of Harmony left to return to their homes for the evening and the four Conduits took their post-exercise showers, the Conduits gathered in the living room/lounge of the Greystone Conductor to pass the evening before going to bed.

Blue Vague laid out on a body sized cushion in the recreational room, finally able to start thinking straight now that he was starting to relax. "I don't think I've ever done that much in one day before."

"I would have never guessed that casting could cause that much physical strain, shows you what I know," Red Blaze said, her head still hurting some after the all the mana she had to channel during the Inertia Test.

"My body hasn't been worked like that since Basic Training. Rainbow Dash would make a damn good athletic trainer for Pegasi should that whole Wonderbolt-thing not pan out," Golden Storm said, taking care not to use his wings too much until he got some sleep.

"Applejack had to have gotten inspiration from watching old football dramas for her coaching style. I don’t think I’ve had anyone yell at me that much since I was a toddler…" Midori Hana concluded, as she lounged out on a sofa near where Vague was resting.

Blue Vague began to think about things. "You know, we've only been Ponies for a couple of weeks to a couple of months in my case. I honestly didn't think we'd be this far along. I dunno if you chalk that up to being given the bodies of mature Ponies to start with, or whatever have you."

"You know, it might also have to do with our Terran Sparks. I mean we can't be just like every other run-of-the-mill Pony out here," Golden Storm reasoned.

Vague began to try and put everything in perspective. He was a bit annoyed at first that Luna didn't start teaching them magic right from Day One; though as the exercises went on, it became apparent why she was holding P.E. class before anything else. "I can only shudder when I think of what Luna will have in store for us whenever she decides to teach us Equestrian Magic proper. Apparently, this is only the warm up to that. I won't say that I like having to undergo this physical re-education, but I guess that's necessary when you're, well us."

Everyone thought silently to themselves until Vague thought of a related, but different point. One that might have been drilling further down to the core of what the issue was, in all likelihood.

He began with something that had been rattling in his head since around halfway through the session. "Here is a strange thing that happened to me while I was doing the last couple of runs of the obstacle course - for a time, I stopped thinking to myself with my original name. At first it didn't seem that strange, but as time went on, it kept happening. Now when I stopped at the end of the day, I went right back to doing it. I just wanted to ask you all what you thought that means, because I'm honestly at a bit of a loss."

The other three didn't answer immediately, because all three of them also had the same experience. The intensity of the exercises they were doing seemed to make them start thinking more 'Pony' than 'Human'.

"You know Vague, I was thinking the same thing to myself as well. Honestly, I think I have an good idea of what it could mean..." Midori Hana started, well before she was interrupted

"Us beginning to think of ourselves as Ponies, instead of Humans-in-Pony-Bodies?" Golden Storm asked out loud, he was already starting to think of what this meant going forward.

"Yeah, I mean, this isn't like my own issues. This is more like, we have our old human self on one side of the mirror, and our new Pony self on the other side," Midori Hana said, visibly putting her front hooves up like a person seeing their reflection in a mirror.

"Hrm, it would stand to reason. I don't think we're supposed to think of ourselves as totally converted Ponies or Humans just conveniently stuck in a Pony body. I think we're supposed think along a line you've used with us before, Vague - we just have to think of ourselves as ourselves now," Blaze said, still wondering just what that line actually meant.

Blue Vague himself was still trying to think of what exactly that line meant.

Myself as Myself... I mean, we're obviously Ponies now; but the process didn't erase our Human memories, our human tendencies, our human personalities... It just seemed to overlay everything Pony on top of it... Man, so many things we have to sort out, and who knows how much time we got to sort it all out...

With a rather loud yawn, Hana then got up from her seat on the cushion along the ground and walked off toward the bedrooms. “I dunno about you all, but I’m positively worn out. We may as well get some sleep because there is no telling when Princess Luna is going to show up tomorrow.”

The other three agreed, as they all followed Hana out of the lounge and toward the bedrooms; though Vague stopped for a few moments to think.

Grandpa, I dunno if you heard me before, or if you can still hear me while I'm over here, but I'm honestly confused... Am I just supposed to try and assert my human self over whatever my Pony self is supposed to be? Am I supposed to figure out what my Pony self is and then roll with that? Or am I supposed to formulate a new-self that’s neither one nor the other? I just don't know gramps... I just don't know...

----------

Meanwhile in Canterlot Castle, the Royal Sisters went over the data Luna collected from the first day of exercises with Conduits of Terra.

"This data is quite interesting, Lulu. What do you suppose it says about your four new students?"

"What do I think it says, Tia?” Luna started to reply, before pausing for a few moments to formulate her words. “I think it says those four, and probably the rest of the Converts, are going to quickly catch up to where an average Pony of their race and relative age should be. At least if they are pushed by circumstances to improve as such. Now whether or not they improve beyond average is left up to the individual. Even our Bearers of Honesty and Loyalty still have quite a ceiling above their heads in both their physical development and their magical prowess."

"So in other words - just how deep is their desire to progress and grow? I think we won't have to worry about that out of the Converts, it's the Natives, if you will, I am concerned about."

Celestia looked out of the tower window, while her sister joined her, staring at the faint yellow moon that slowly drifted on its arc through the heavens.

"It is always hard to say just how deep one’s desire to grow goes. I don't want to call our Ponies complacent, but I do worry if that is starting to set in, in some circles."

"And what would make you think that, Lulu?”

Luna turned around and walked back toward a bookshelf, which was full of various volumes that the sisters found welcome to flip through when they needed a respite from everything that swirled around them in the present time. The indigo Alicorn stopped her slow walk and levitated a large tome that had to have been reprinted and re-preserved several times over. She opened it with her magic in one continuous cast, and simply sighed as she looked at the contents inside.

"Before I was banished, the University was a place of intense development. Our techniques that we use today were refined through a lot of trial and error; and unfortunately, sometimes explosive trial and error. But now, I just don't feel the same spark of inventiveness out of the many schools that have sprung up since then.”

She gently shut the book and placed it back on the shelf where she pulled it from before the turned around and looked at her ‘elder’ sister, with a look that Celestia recognized as her sister having a thousand new ideas bubbling in the witch’s cauldron that was her creative mind.

“I still think there are plenty of places to grow and expand, not in terms of just territory and the other obvious physical things, but more growth as a species. The humans were effectively forced to grow and evolve, or risk death to themselves. Here, we might not be on the verge of collapse, but it is still no good to have our people become complacent and stagnant."

"So what do you suggest?" Celestia asked as she looked on at her ‘younger’ sister inquisitively.

"Quite simple, we merely learn from and adapt to the Converts and those that still remain human. There are many things that humanity has developed that I believe we can learn from and adapt for ourselves, without losing what makes us us, so to speak."

"It seems that you learned one of the lines one of your new students loves to speak from time to time."

"You don't start bringing in foreigners without learning some things yourself; especially if you are bringing them over to stay, like we are. I do believe we'll change for the better though, even if that isn't readily obvious when it starts to happen."

"It seems like we're trying to attack this problem from a pair of angles."

"Ah yes, how are the negotiations proceeding then, ‘Tia?”

Celestia walked toward map outlining the borders of all the major and minor nations of their world, along with approximate locations of the main settlements of the larger roaming tribes. She let out a heavy sigh as she looked at the Gryphons to her north and west, and the Dragons to the south.

"The Gryphon Consulate is about as divided as ever. Apparently the clans that aren't of the King are still all over the place. I don't know how the Gryphon leaders live with being so consistently paranoid."

"You know they'd call it 'being cautious' so I wouldn't worry myself in that regard. On the other front, how are the Dragon Elders treating your requests?"

"The usual: a lot of cryptic language and obfuscation. Then again they are a species where a lot of the population is nomadic, so it would be hard for them to say anything definitive."

"Yes, even with our long lives and accumulated knowledge, we still don't have much reliable first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of Dragon society. Just bits and pieces second-hand from the various nomads that we can get to speak to us. Do you think Spike can help us make inroads in that regard?"

Celestia thought for a few moments, but then shrugged her wings. "Possibly to help us figure out how to even get an audience with the Elders themselves. Past that, I highly doubt it."

"Quite a lot of mysteries floating around, to say nothing of what our allies on Earth are dealing with."

"Yes, many of the self-professed Elite in the Domes are grumbling about not having outright control over the levers of political power. I'm desperately afraid of what might happen if this situation persists and we introduce Magic into their equation."

Luna walked over and placed a wing across the back and shoulders of her older sister and nuzzled her. "’Tia, you know I'm just as concerned as you. I cannot even begin to study Terran Magic until the Conduits understand their Pony bodies, and subsequently become proficient at Equestrian Magic. I do not demand that they accept our philosophy or culture in full, but at the same time, they have to understand and accept what kind of being they are physically. Otherwise, their Terran Magic will come in fits and spurts, which would be no good for any of us."

"I understand that much. We will have to unseal it and just trust things won't be upturned too quickly. If what that robed figure told us a week or so ago bears out, attempting to put this off too long or ignoring it is not a viable option."

=========================

[ November 20, ??? – (Edge of) Ponyville, Equestria ]

The last couple of days proceeded on much like the first, though now each of the Conduits began to practice on specific things that Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack had pointed out at the end of the first day with Luna. But exercise routines have a habit of becoming… routine, so the Lunar Princess took the opportunity to jostle things just a bit.

---

As the twelve were once again gathered in the pocket dimension that was the Training Field, the eleven not-Princesses were a bit taken aback at how plain everything looked again, wondering what exactly was up.
"Well my little Ponies. I do believe that we can formally put an end to the purely physical aspect of our lessons. With that, I would like to first announce that your training sessions will be reduced to three hours instead of six. Mostly because I don’t want to burn you all out, and I should not need more than three hours maximum per day with you all at the rate that you are progressing…"

Everyone breathed a visible and quite audible sigh of relief. The four Terran Ponies for finally being able to move onto Magic Training proper, and the Six Bearers for being able to not feel like they were in school again.

Though no one seemed to notice the rather visible smirk Luna possessed, similar to when she first threw them headfirst into their physical training. "And with that said, we get to move on to the real fun. Applied Magic 101, with yours truly as your Professor."

With that, a sudden sense of dread came over all ten of the Bearers and Conduits with that statement. They knew that Luna was a very inventive mind, and the fact they were against the clock meant that she was probably going to throw the four Conduits into a baptism of fire, and the six Bearers might get caught in that wake.

"Oh don't be scared. My lessons are perfectly safe, even that isn't apparent at first. For example, HEADS UP!" Luna shouted as large stone manifested instantly and was launched straight at Blue Vague.

"WHAT?!" Blue Vague shouted in response as he instinctively manifested a blue shield to try and guard himself against the boulder, which promptly crashed into the barrier and dispersed in a cloud of magic dust.

"Ok, seriously, what the hell was that Princess?!" he shouted, forgetting all manner of decorum in his rage as the shield remained around his body.

"I will forgive your sudden lack of decorum for your Princess and Professor, and only ask you to notice what is surrounding you," Luna responded with almost dissonant calm.

Blue Vague finally saw that the shield that surrounded him was not of Luna's usual cobalt blue aura, but of his royal blue aura. "Woah wait, how did I even... huh?"

"Lesson One: Magic borne of pure instinct is incredibly powerful, but also incredibly unreliable. My goal is to take your burgeoning instincts in your various schools of Magic, and have you consciously link and invoke them. Also of note, had you, Conduit of Water, not been able to produce the Reflex Shield, the boulder would have crumbled to dust on impact anyway, with little to no damage to yourself physically. That was simply a test of magical reflexes, if you will."

Blue Vague had managed to calm down as the shield dispersed on its own. "I see, I guess it wouldn't do any good to ask for a warning if you intended it to be a reflex test."

"Indeed not. So let us move on to the real lesson for today: each of the four Conduits of Terra will train in a specific aspect of their magic until I feel that they are all proficient in it. Bearers of Harmony – while this may feel like remedial classes to you all, I would hope that you all pay attention regardless. Perhaps taking a second or third look at things will allow you to find a hidden insight that you may be overlooking in your early adulthood.”

And with that said, the Training Field began to morph into quartered sections, each distinct in color and training apparatuses.

---

The first looked like a baseball field, although it stretched for a good five-hundred Earth meters from the throwing zone at where home plate would have been. "Alright, Twilight and Spike, you all will be overseeing Blue Vague as he practices his force projection. The test will be similar to the one you did on earth, except I prefer to work with spheres instead of cubes. That said… your goal is to throw the sphere generated for you, onto the target out in the field. The display to your right will show you how close you were once the sphere strikes the ground the first time. The field will also return each sphere here to the throwing zone, once it rests on the ground for 10 seconds. I want you to remember, Conduit of Water, this is not merely a test of pure magical force, as the target can be anywhere within the marked field. This is also to test how well you can judge how much force to apply to an object, in a macro-sense."

Blue Vague looked at the spheres; they seemed to be about the same size as softballs.

---

Luna then teleported to the second test field with the other two Unicorns. There were floating rings of all various sizes, along with several objects along the ground. "Rarity, I will have you overseeing Red Blaze and her practice in magical control. The premise of this exercise is relatively simple. Red Blaze is to levitate these drones through the floating rings in front of her in the order indicate by the number floating above each ring. All you have to do, Bearer of Generosity, is press the button next to you when she is ready to begin; this will start a timer on each ring on how fast she is to levitate the drone through it. If the drone successfully passes through the ring within the allotted time, the black number will glow green. If you go out of order, take too long to pass through, or clip the ring, the number will glow red. This is to test your magical control and flow in free space, and how quickly you can adjust to changing conditions while maintaining said control and flow."

Red Blaze looked at the insect-like drones and somewhat ornate floating rings, wondering just what kind of strange layouts Luna had 'programmed' into the rings

---

Luna then manifested on a cloud-platform above the three ground-based testing areas, where the three Pegasi stood waiting. "Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, you all will oversee Golden Storm's practice in cloud formation and rain generation. Not to get too far into the reeds, but all Pegasi have the ability to condense water vapor and what is known as 'cloud-stuff' into various storm clouds. Your test is to make increasingly larger storm clouds using the same amount of base cloud-stuff. This means you will have to use more and more of your Weather Magic in order to have the cloud remain contiguous before it reaches critical mass, when rain can then be actively triggered. As you can see, this basin will vaporize varying amounts of water, and if you look above, I have already seed clouds in place. We will measure how long it takes for you to condense all the given water vapor into a storm cloud, and return that vapor back to the basin as rain. Just so that it is easier for you to see what water you are working with, the vapor will appear slightly darker than it otherwise would."

Golden Storm looked at the massive basin, partially filled dark blue water, and wondered just what sized clouds he'd have to form.

---

To round out the explanations, Luna then went to a large field with several planting rows. "Applejack and Pinkie Pie, you all will oversee Midori Hana as she practices accelerating plant growth. While plants and animals grow perfectly well on their own here in this realm, a major component of Life Magic's repertoire is to accelerate or decelerate growth and repair in living organisms. To wit, your objective with this test is to bring these plants to bloom and/or fruiting stage. Since this is a Training Field, the seeds, once planted, will immediately grow to near-blooming or fruiting stage of their life cycle. This is something quite difficult to replicate in real-world conditions, therefore many Life Magic theories are developed in this space or by similar methods."

Midori Hana looked at the planting rows and within herself, trying to figure out how Earth Ponies even began doing what Luna said they did.

Confident she had explained all of the exercises sufficiently, Luna returned to her ‘office’ in the center of the Field, as to oversee and record all of the practice for the now three hour session.

----- -----

Blue Vague went over in his mind the parameters of the test. He was to simply use his magic to launch each softball-like object towards the glowing target and hope it landed close enough to count. So, he began doing just that.

"Hrm, this test seems easy enough to start. These balls are about the same weight as the softballs we were tossing back behind the Isegawa’s Clinic. Wonder what’d happen if a certain green Earth Pony decided to toss a certain gold-yellow Pegasus in with those balls?" Blue Vague said as he launched another ball for a square hit.

Twilight chuckled a bit at the idea of two Unicorns juggling live Ponies. "Yeah, I think Luna designed this stage of the test for you could to adjust to how much power you need to launch the balls, along with the fact there is almost no wind to affect the flight path. But I can't think it would be this 'easy' for much longer."

Vague was 15 for 15 so far, and like Twilight, felt there was some kind of twist coming. They'd both be correct in that prediction.

"Well I..." he began to say before yelping as he almost toppled over trying to lift one of the balls with too little initial magic. They had 'mysteriously' become quite dense and heavy, and at the same time he was feeling changing wind speeds in the air. "Ugh, suddenly these balls went from feeling like they were stuffed with rubber foam to feeling like they were formed of molten lead. Not only that, but even as a Unicorn I can feel the wind having changed here."

Twilight tested one of the balls still in the throwing zone, and indeed found the balls seemed to be of random weights now.

I figured there was more to this than Princess Luna was letting on... she immediately thought.

----- -----

Red Blaze was having similar initial success with the flight path test. The patterns were simple enough to visualize in her head and the drones didn't show any real resistance to her magic.

"You know Rarity, I can't think that this test would remain so simple for too much longer. They way Princess Luna was speaking was that she believes heavily in resistance training of all kinds," Red Blaze said, thinking out loud as another trial came back with a perfect score.

"Indeed Blaze. I would not be surprised if these rings have some tricks to make passing through them more difficult going forward," Rarity responded as the drone returned and the rings began to reset.

No sooner than when Rarity said that, the next path did show that the rings had some pretty devious tricks in store. Some of the rings started spinning in place; others were moving all about in some kind of orbit around an invisible point, while others seemed to change their shape to be a rather tight fit. She too felt the winds change, although in her case, they began to swirl about in random fashion.

"Well I really shouldn't be surprised by this, but still I am. Apparently that was just the warm up to the real test," Blaze said as she sighed heavily. This was going to be quite a trial going forward.

You just need to stay calm Blaze, I can see now Luna isn't going to let you get off without testing your patience, in more ways than one... Rarity thought to herself as she could already hear the buzzes and see the red numbers pop up.

----- -----

Golden Storm found rain-cloud making to be a rather neat venture. As far as he could tell, Pegasi were like conductors of the various gases in the sky, and he was developing the sense that he could tell a cloud to form wherever he wanted to.

"You know, this is pretty fun. It's kinda funny that I can make a cloud rain just by hitting it hard enough once it turns dark gray."

Rainbow Dash agreed about how fun it was to be able to manipulate clouds to one's heart's content. "You know, a lot of Pegasi pranks depend on cloud manipulation. I know this one Pegasus mare who always seems to be able to generate lightning out of nowhere. Sometimes I wonder if she knows more than she's letting on."

Fluttershy was a lot more practical about her use of clouds. "I really don't think pranks are worth it sometimes. I mostly just use clouds for a little shade or some extra fresh water for my animals."

Rainbow Dash merely responded by humphing audibly, showing how annoyed she was at how small Fluttershy seemed to think sometimes.

Golden Storm went on with his cloud formation, when he was surprised by almost slipping straight through the cloud he was working on, as it seemed to be breaking up on its own. "Woah, what's going on? Is there some kind of trick to cloud walking that I'm not getting, because I almost fell through the cloud I was working on here. I don't think I should be falling through clouds that are this much bigger than me."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for a few seconds, and figured out what the problem was. "Yeah I see why you almost fell, apparently there is some wind shear coming through where you are supposed to form the clouds for each trial. Not only that, but I don't think you have your cloud-stuff spread out right for the size of cloud you're makin'."

Golden Storm just chuckled as he righted himself on a more stable part of the cloud. "Well it wouldn't be a real trial if there wasn't some twists and turns. I just hope it doesn't get worse than this."

Judging by the stories about Princess Luna back at the University, I think there are gonna be a lot of twists and turns in these lessons. I just hope everyone will be alright in the end... Fluttershy thought to herself.

----- -----

Midori Hana just sat as she was trying to figure out the best way to invoke her Life Magic. She was staring at a near-fruiting tomato plant - Luna figuring those would be the simplest to learn how to manipulate first. "Hrm, the Earth Ponies back at the St. Louis Bureau usually sang to the plants to help them grow. But I don't have the slightest clue of what to sing to them."

Applejack sat with her looking at the plant as well. The Apple Clan methodology of farming really didn't rely on a lot of direct manipulation of the plants to get them to grow, mostly just adjustments throughout the growing season so that they produced an overabundance of fruit; instead of just getting the trees to grow faster, which would have been exhausting and impractical given just how expansive a typical Apple Clan orchard was.

Pinkie Pie stared at the tomato plant as well, trying to figure out if she could figure out something about the tomato that could be a hint to Midori. Although she had little experience in making plants grow, and she really did not like reliving her humorless upbringing on the Pie Clan Rock Farms, nevertheless she was going to help her new friend in her lessons as best she could.

Pinkie Pie then suddenly had a flash of insight. " I was just thinking... what if each plant had its own like... wavelength or something. Like if you channeled magic into it, but changed it to whatever the plant liked, then it would spike the growth up."

Midori Hana thought about it for a few seconds, and figured it was like special formulas of fertilizer and the different soil conditions that optimized the growth of each plant. So it should logically go that a specific application of Life Magic would do the same thing, just a whole lot faster. "Alright then, that should work... whenever I figure out what each plant wants..."

Applejack then took a deep breath. She knew the suggestion she was about to make would sound absolutely insane to any human or Convert who didn't experience it first-hand. "Just try asking it."

"What?" Midori Hana asked incredulously.

"Ya heard me. Some plants here are a lot more complicated than others. One of the worst are the Zap Apples that Granny grow. But anyway, just try it. Ah think you'll see what Ah'm getting at," Applejack replied with all earnestness.

Midori Hana figured that look in Applejack's eyes and her status as Bearer of Honesty meant that she was at least not outright lying to her. But still, asking a plant what kind of magic it wanted, it sounded totally crazy. But she was as at a loss as what else to do, so might as well try it. "Ok then, but if I don't get a response, I'm totally blaming you."

Midori Hana then closed her eyes to concentrate. She found herself in a sort of ethereal dreamscape; everything looking like it was in chalk outlines on a blackboard in some respect.

---

I am really not going to get used to this for awhile... she thought to herself

She sat in front of the tomato plant again, and figured there was no real reason to beat around the bush.

"Ok, um, tomato plant? Could you tell me what kind of magic you want?"

The tomato plant did not respond.

"Ugh I figured this really wouldn't work..." Midori Hana said aloud as she rolled her eyes. As she made to leave the dreamscape, she bumped into some written characters.

"OWW! Ok how do I even get hurt... wait a minute..." Hana said before realizing there were words in front of her.

[ We would like to hear jazz music. We kinda like jazz. ]

"Um, I don't have anything to play music with, and I'm really not that much of a singer," Hana replied aloud.

She began to think of if there was another way to get the plant to respond her magic in a way that was more concrete. She then had a flash of inspiration - if she thought of Life Magic like light, maybe the plant had a favorite color or pattern or something.

"Hey tomato, do you have a favorite color. I might not be much a singer but I think that would be a way for me to get the magic you want to you."

She got no response from the plant for a while, until she saw another chalk message appear in the background.

[ We like the color purple. So if you shine purple magic on us, that'll do just fine. ]

"Eh? A red fruit that likes the color purple? Oh well I'm not going to argue," she responded aloud again. "Is there anything else that you'd like along those lines?"

The tomato responded more readily this time. [ No, just regular purple magic-light should work. Also, you're one of the first Earth Ponies our kind has met in some time, that didn't think to apply their magic or whatever by singing. It just seems to be the thing you creatures do, we guess. ]

Midori Hana didn't know whether to be complimented on the ingenuity, or to be freaked out that a tomato gave her such a complex response. She thanked the plant and left the meditative dreamscape.

---

Pinkie Pie was keenly interested in what the plant had to say once it was apparent that Hana was awake again. "Alright Hana, so you're back with us. Did you get it to say anything?"

"Well, it didn't so much talk so much as it wrote on a chalkboard, that somehow I was a part of... I'm still trying to figure out how that works but that's neither here nor there right now. Anyway, I learned two things, if I want to sing to it, I need to learn jazz. Short of that, if somehow I can make my Life Magic appear 'purple' to it, then it'll work just the same," Midori Hana responded.

"Well Ah don't have a saxophone with me, so Ah guess we'll have to go with the second option," Applejack said, figuring it was as good a lead as any.

---

Midori Hana then entered another meditative state. This time she appeared before the same plant in a more standard environment. She looked around for some kind of lamp or other light source, and found a console with three dials. Each was marked with a different primary color of light: Red, Blue, and Green.

Hrm, since all these dials are set to maximum, I guess the light should come out totally white when I turn it on...

When she flicked the switch, it indeed came out completely white. She didn't notice a response for a little bit, until she looked at ticker at the top of the console.

[Can you make it purple like we asked, we find white pretty boring...]

Alright then, here goes nothing I guess...

As she turned the green dial completely to zero, she figured a standard violet would be good enough to start with, so she turned the red dial halfway down as well.

[A little more bluish, and you'll have it...]

Okay then...

She turned the red dial down a little more, and suddenly heard a little fanfare.

[That's perfect, just keep producing that, and we'll get you full grown tomatoes in no time!]

Well I'm glad to see it’s happy, or would it be they’re happy, I dunno...

-----

As Hana came out of her meditative state again, Pinkie Pie was smiling brightly. "Hey look, you did it. These tomatoes look yummy. I wonder if you can actually eat tomatoes grown in here?"

"Wow... I can't believe that worked. If I told anyone how I did this, they'd think I took a few blows to the head too many," Midori Hana said, staring at how nice and ripe the tomatoes looked.

Applejack noted Hana's sentiments. "Yeah, that's why the Earth Pony instructors are pretty vague about how to grow things through Life Magic. It's so strange at first blush, most humans would find it too hard to accept without doin’ it themselves."

----- -----

Luna was observing things from her central position, a smile on her face regarding how the four Terrans were starting to get a handle on things; even if they weren't exactly successful at their trials on the first, second, or even tenth go-around.

"Practice makes perfect, that's true of any skill that has to be developed. You all are learning that the Magic we wield is not a simple thing to learn, but learn it you all must."

Ugh, these balls, for as heavy as they are, sure are easily affected by this wind... and now I gotta hit a moving target...

Ok, the ring actually seems to be trying to avoid the drone now. These things must have minds of their own or something...

I feel like I'm trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel... but I'll be damned if I let this thing beat me...

These flowers’ handwriting is terrible... how am I even supposed to read these requests?

----- -----

At the end of the days training session, the four Terran Ponies, while not as physically tired as they were during the physical training, seemed mentally exhausted and visibly annoyed by the trials they were all given.

"Ok, Princess Luna, the swirling winds, the variable weights..." Blue Vague started to ask, like a golfer who couldn't figure out the conditions.

"The rings seeming to have minds of their own and actively avoiding where the drone is flying..." Red Blaze added, head still spinning a bit from trying to follow the drone.

"The wind shear seeming to know exactly where the weak points of the cloud formation are..." Golden Storm added, almost wondering if there was some invisible thing that was specifically out to ruin his clouds during his trial.

"Those flowers at the end apparently confusing calligraphy with 'artistic scribbling'..." Midori Hana added, clearly annoyed to hell by the decorative flowers that seemed to be more interested in being artistic in their writing than being legible.

"What's up with that, seriously?!" they all asked with some emphasis and in unison.

Luna quietly drank from the bottle of water she had in her telekinesis as she took the complaints and queries in stride. She then gave her response. "Quite frankly, you should have expected as much..."

All ten of the Ponies and Spike were taken aback a bit by the response.

Luna then continued. "I'm effectively giving you four a cram course in how to be a Pony. That is why the trials accelerated in difficulty as far as they did in this first day. If I can give one bit of advice in completing these trials, and what I will set before you in the future - try and take a holistic approach in examining what is set before you. There is no difference between you four, and Ponies I had to take in fresh out of basic courses back in my days of running the University.

“They had a similar lack of perspective because, before that point, they just focused on the one thing they knew they were good at. To be a scholar, to truly excel regardless of what racial Magic you have, is to learn that what you are good at is only a piece of the much greater whole of Magic, and of Life itself. It is your job to find the other pieces to this grand puzzle. Bearers of Harmony, as this experiment continues to march through time, it would be best if you all remembered that admonition as well."

With that, Luna returned to Canterlot for the evening. The ten Bearers and Conduits were left to contemplate the last lines she left with, how their specialty was only a piece of a larger whole.

==========

As all ten of the Conduits and Bearers wound down before going to bed for the evening, they all took some time to contemplate further just what that line Luna left them with meant for each of them.

I'm the Element of Magic… my Cutie Mark is being good at Magic in general. I wonder what she meant... Twilight thought.

She looked out over her balcony at the town. She saw all the different shops, all the different Ponies, most of them non-Unicorns. Everyone had a talent, but most seemed to have something else they branched off in. She then thought of the Princesses - Celestia probably got her Cutie Mark when she realized she was the Avatar of the Sun, and Luna the same she realized she was the Avatar of the Moon. But their magic was far, far more expansive than just sun or moon-related spells. As she thought about this further, Twilight began to come to some realizations.

Is that why you created the University at first, so long ago Luna? You knew that Ponies had to be learned and proficient in things beyond their specific talent. I guess I'm no different; even if my talent is in magic in general, there is far more that I can do that doesn't have to deal directly with my Unicorn Magic...

-----

Rarity walked around the work area of her shop. She saw the various machines she bought with her money as her business grew from a small shop selling amateur hoof-woven works, to now an increasingly efficient and professional enterprise. Yet something persistently bothered her. She took out an old book of generic Unicorn spells, 1001 Spells Every Unicorn Should Know. As a teenager, she would try and try and practice any and all spells, but it seemed like she always had some kind of block that made it hard for her to use magic that others developed for herself.

Maybe this is what Luna meant when she said what she did. My Gem Locator spell and the weaving and machine-working spells I've learned have gotten me this far. But even then, I know there is more out there I can learn. So why am I still having this mental block when it comes to learning other Ponies' spells?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. How could she not figure these things out, why did she have to consult some outside source? Everything she had ever done she done and developed herself or learned on her own. That's when she began to realize what was holding her back.

I guess that's the reason why I always freeze when I use somepony else’s Magic - my own pride. I'm so caught up in doing everything myself, I won't even go and ask for help from a good friend whose talent is magic itself, for goodness sakes. I guess I know who I need to go talk to if I want to start getting past this...

-----

Pinkie Pie lay in her bed at Sugarcube Corner. She stared at the walls and ceiling, wondering just what about what Luna said to them all, that made her all of sudden get so introspective this evening.

I'm a party pony... that's what I'm good at. But I'm also the Element of Laughter, so that means I'm good at making other Ponies laugh and stuff. But what if the way I throw parties now don't make them laugh and have a good time...

She thought back to the reason why she held herself back while at the Los Angeles Bureau and the Isegawa's dormitories. She didn't want the humans to be put off by the way she thought to throw parties, and make Ponies and people laugh. As she turned over in her bed in thought, she too began to put two and two together.

Everyone doesn't laugh at the same thing. Everyone doesn't want to have a party in the same way. If I keep thinking I can just do the same thing all the time, I'm gonna get left behind, and they're gonna find me stale. And I can't have that, now can I?

-----

Applejack looked out at the farm, as most of the apple trees had shed their leaves for the year. She thought about what the admonition about maintaining a global perspective would mean for her.

The Apple Clan has always grown apples; it's just what we do. But that's not all that we are able to do though. There is nothing about being an apple farmer that makes it so that Ah couldn't grow anything else for myself, or learn other trades or skills. So what is it that's makes me so nervous when Ah think that way?

As she thought about it, she then thought of Apple Bloom and her knack for repairs and refurbishing seemingly anything. She stared at the Cutie Mark Crusaders impressive tree-house. Apple Bloom did an amazing job of repairing it, yet her (apparently) hereditary stubbornness, oddly combined with childish impatience meant that she never sticked to any one thing long enough to develop it, because she wanted so badly to try everything to find her Cutie Mark in an instant.

Apple Bloom is an excellent repair-mare, yet she's so hard up about tryin’ all kinds of stuff to find her Cutie Mark, she won't stop and just try and do something she's obviously good at; really all the Cutie Mark Crusaders are like that. Maybe I'm the same way in a sense. Ah'm throwin’ myself so deep into this apple orchard that Ah lose perspective; apple farmin ain’t the end all and be all of everything. Maybe... maybe I'm afraid that if Ah find something else that Ah like to do, Ah'll forget about this place...

-----

As Fluttershy looked out at the Everfree Forest, she contemplated her desire to help those animals she found near death whenever she could, just like those butterflies that saved her from a terminal impact with the ground that day of Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom. As she looked out further, she thought about all the animals she couldn't get to, and how that related to all the animals the Conservation Movement couldn't get to on Earth.

There are so many animals out there that I can't help, and it makes me so sad... sometimes I wonder if I should keep going on with this. How many can I really save? Am I doing the right thing by saving them? I... I just don't know...

She walked to a window that overlooked some of the pens and enclosures. Even though she was a Pegasus, still had a sense for how the animals felt; she figured she had a strong Earth Pony link from somewhere in her ancestry. She opened the window to read the winds, and they felt calm; almost as if the animals wanted to calm her and let her know they appreciated everything she did for them. She then noticed one of the leftover brochures from the Conversion Bureaus. She thought of the humans that had already gone through the process, the broken souls that, while not completely repaired by Ponification, seemed rejuvenated nonetheless.

That's right... even if I can't personally help every single animal in the world that needs help, I can still do what I can. Even if I can't heal the hearts of every single human on Earth, I still have to do what I can. That is what I believe it means to be the Element of Kindness, and I'm definitely going to live up to that title.

-----

Rainbow Dash looked up at the wall at her limited edition Wonderbolts poster. She still harbored the dream of one day seeing herself on an edition of those posters in their uniform. Yet the more she thought about it, the more it seemed there was something even bigger she wanted to reach for.

My whole life has been wanting to be part of the Wonderbolts. That's what I wanted ever since I was a little filly going to my first flight camp. But now that I've seen a whole other world, and now that I'm working with Golden Storm and Fluttershy so closely... it seems like this dream to join the Wonderbolts, it just seems... small all of sudden...

She flew up to the top of her house-tower, and sat on the dome at the top. She looked out the Equestrian night sky, Luna's Moon glimmering like a spotlight’s reflection in a sea of indigo. She then looked out at Ponyville, over on the edge of the Everfree where Fluttershy lived in her cottage. She looked at the opposite edge, where Sweet Apple Acres was and Applejack's barn. She looked in town, and although she couldn't see them directly, she thought about Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight's residences and places of business. She then thought about the new house heading south out of town. The four Conduits of Terra had integrated so far into their group, it was like they were a big batch of ten instead of just four and six always together.

I have all of my friends, including the four from Earth. Even if they weren't the holders of that mysterious Magic, we'd still be good buds, I'm sure of that. I have this great town of Ponyville that's become my second home. Even if I was born in Cloudsdale, I love this place too much to just leave it behind. I have all of Equestria, I'd do anything that the Princesses tell me to do, because I have too much loyalty and respect not to ignore them. And there is Earth too. Even if we're only seven months or whatever into this thing, I can feel a bond forming there too. There are so many I wanna help now, there are so many I've become friends with. That voice always talks about the New Age, well... I gotta see it through; the Wonderbolts are gonna have to wait until we forge that New Age, whatever it ends up being.

-----

The four Terran Conduits had some more immediate concerns, but Luna's admonition to see the larger picture made them stop and consider their individual trials from a larger perspective.

Man, I never thought that Equestrian Magic was this hard... I mean the premise sounds so simple, throw the ball onto the target. But then everything starts changing, the balls start changing weights, the wind starts swirling, heck, even the target starts moving... it's like... it's like... Oh man why didn't I notice this earlier, it's just like water... I have to always adapt to circumstances, just like how water always takes the shape of its container... and I have to read the lay and conditions so the water flows the way I want it to, instead of just throwing it out there and hoping I get a chance to correct it with a later attempt...

Ugh, those rings are so damn random... I mean some of them were spinning, others were moving, still others seemed like they wanted to shrink whenever I got the drone close to it... and then some of the paths don't have any rhyme or reason to it... just like... just like how fire seems to have a mind of its own... Wow, leave it to something that's centuries old to bury the lesson really damn deep in the reeds... I've got to maintain my control over fire, otherwise it's just going to start doing what it wants to, and that means consuming anything it can...

Ugh, stupid clouds and wind shear... I really, really think that those winds are out to get me... every time when I think I got it just how I want it, something happens for my clouds to get blown apart... ugh why is this so hard to do... why... why... wait, why am I even trying to fight the winds in the first place... and why do I keep getting surprised by it... I get so much tunnel vision just trying to jam the clouds together, I'm not even paying attention to how I do it... How am I supposed to control and master the winds and the weather, if I'm just trying to brute force everything? I don't, that's what... I have to flow with the winds when I make my clouds...

I don't get it, that first plant was pretty nice, and was clear when it wrote what it wanted... but those roses almost seemed to be mocking me or something when it wrote in that, whatever that was... I dunno what to think about it honestly... If I don't understand what these things are telling me, so to speak, how am I supposed to help them grow? I got to be able to read them, I have to figure it out... Maybe I'm not asserting myself when I ask them what they want from me... I have to be just like the earth... I have to be solid and steadfast in my questioning, but also supportive and nurturing... that should be the best way to get a proper response out of them...

They had all in a roundabout way come to the same conclusion - if they were to truly progress in their learning of Equestrian Magic, they would have to try and perceive the larger scope of the test and the applications of the potential lessons. Similar to a three-dimensional puzzle, if they did not consider all the potential angles for solving a problem, they'd be severely limiting themselves in terms of potential solutions, if not outright closing themselves off from one.

----- ----- ----

Over in Canterlot Castle, the two Princesses once again discussed the data Luna collected in her observations of the four Terran Conduits.

"They are progressing quite well, although did you really have to pull your 'Unwinnable Training' trick with them, Lulu?"

"You mean our 'Unwinnable Training' trick. I needed to see how they all reacted to a roadblock. The scenarios I put before them are certainly passable, but not with their current mentality. Then again, they are forgiven for that since they've only been under my wings learning magic for a day."

"I'd assume you gave all of them a bit of the 'New Student Perspective' speech as well?"

"That goes part and parcel with the little trick. Exercises work best when one isn't allowed to become complacent and automatic during their execution. Our magic is invoked by will; if they stop thinking while they do it, then they are just acting like machines."

"That is indeed true, and they will need very strong wills to control the power still residing within them, in both respects."

"I have a good feeling about those four, though. The fact they thought to confront me about how the tests were constantly changing, meant they were still focusing on passing them, and were noticing how the conditions always seemed to change to make the test increasingly more difficult."

"What about the Six Bearers of Harmony. Do you believe there are things that they should learn under you as well?"

"Eventually, but right now we have to get the four Conduits of Terra up to their level as quickly as we can. I did, however, ask them to consider a few things during this period. I want them to keep a wider perspective, to not limit their thinking to just their particular talents and how they used them until now, and to always consider new perspectives on life, especially as we continue to absorb bits and pieces of the human population."

"Speaking of wider concerns, I'm still not having much luck with either the Gryphons or the Dragons."

"Just keep at it ‘Tia, something will open up for us on those fronts. I can't say for certain where or when, but I just believe it will."

CH 13: A Year To Remember

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 13: A Year To Remember ===

=---=

The last three weeks saw the Four Conduits of Terra being tested and 'stretched' harder than any of them could have imagined. Luna had lost nothing from her imprisonment on the moon, in terms of methodology for teaching Ponies to reach and exceed their potential. There was lots of pain, lots of failure, lots of frustration; but all of it was already beginning to culminate in real progress. Blue Vague and Red Blaze were now showing proficiency in intermediate Unicorn magic, and now starting to learn how to utilize specific spells developed by other Unicorns. Golden Storm was learning how to generate different atmospheric conditions in general; already working on how to adjust air pressure to make cloud formation for himself or his potential crew easier. Midori Hana had moved on to properly reading ailments and judging whether or not they needed attendance by a Unicorn or Earth Pony medic. Knowing that no being can train and practice day in and day out for too long, Luna decided that a week off or so would do well for the Conduits.

===============================

[ December 11, ??? – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]

The day started like any other for the last month or so for the ten Conduits and Bearers. They were spending the morning getting set for another training session in the basement at the Greystone Conductor (as they called the four Terran's group home now).

Twilight Sparkle was helping everyone get organized for the day’s exercises, as she thought about the last month. "You know, for Ponies that have only been seriously doing this a month or so, you are making excellent progress. I didn't think that you two would be able to start teleporting like that this soon into it."

Blue Vague had little idea of how to accept the praise. "Well, I dunno. All my or Blaze teleports are like short hops compared to your running long jump. I guess we get to that level with practice though…"

Twilight smiled and nodded as she was glad that Vague was starting to piece magic together without her having to lead him to an answer now.

Rarity sat off to the side a little bit, sulking as she still was having the same difficulty learning other Unicorn's Spells outside of the very basics. I just don't know what the problem is… I mean… is it really my pride that's in the way? I… I… UGH This is so frustrating…

Red Blaze could sense and see the frustration starting to build in Rarity's psyche. "Um, Rarity, are you alright? I mean you've been given off a weird vibe ever since that little talk Luna had with us a couple of weeks ago when we started our Magic training."

Rarity, well-heeled in the art of swallowing one's emotions, quickly did so. "Umm, no, nothing is wrong dear. I was just thinking of things we artists usually think of when we're having a bit of a creative block. You know how it can go, yes?"

"Um… okay then… I guess," Blaze replied; obviously feeling she wasn't going to get any useful leads asking Rarity straight up. Something is bothering her, and I bet it’s related to how fast the two of us are picking up spells in general…

Luna teleported into the basement where everyone was gathered at 8:30 AM exactly, as she always had. However today was going to be a different for everyone involved. "Good morning, my little Ponies. We'll soon be at the start of a rather special week, so there will be an alteration of the schedule. Your formal training under my wings will be postponed until 22nd of this month."

Everyone gasped at the new. Luna had been running the Conduits so hard for the last month, and then to just suddenly let up?

"Though, if one would consider the calendar of important NATIONAL events, there should be a fairly obvious reason as to why I'm suspending training for the next week and a half or so."

All six of the Bearers of Harmony and Spike immediately face-hooved/palmed at the thought.

"Wait, what about the calendar, is there supposed to be something going on in the near future?" Golden Storm asked, speaking for the four rather confused Conduits of Terra.

"Sugahcube, it's only one of the most important holidays of the Equestrian public calendar…" Applejack started to say

"HEARTH'S WARMING EVE IS IN THREE DAYS!!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed; bounding about like someone had just stuck her with a needle full of adrenaline.

"Alright, the brochures didn’t to the best job of explaining the importance of each holiday, so can you explain to us just why Pinkie Pie would have taken off like a rocket if we weren’t in an enclosed space?" Midori Hana asked with the most quizzical of looks on her face.

“I’m surprised the four walls held like they did…” Rainbow Dash added as an aside.

Luna cleared her throat in order to answer the question. "Hearth's Warming Eve is a grand holiday for all of Equestria which serves multiple purposes. Those would be a condensed retelling of the conditions that lead to our nation's founding, a celebration of the worth of friendship between all three races of Pony, a time to give thanks for everything we've done or had done for us that year, and a time to exchange gifts between close friends and family."

If an indigo and blue-maned Alicorn could radiate, Luna was at that moment.

Blue Vague's mind was boggling a bit at the concepts presented. "Woah… okay. So in a nutshell, for us from Earth - and especially America, it's like someone decided to mix Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and secular Christmas all together. Wow that's… kinda hard to get my figurative arms around."

Rarity was surprised that even someone like her, with her attention to detail, could overlook something like this. "Oh dear, I mean all the businesses in Ponyville have been working on things related to Hearth's Warming Eve for the last couple of weeks I would wager. We have been so tied down with helping you four we nearly forgot ourselves. Now we only have three days to scramble and get something together."

Pinkie Pie just giggled as she was already thinking of how to set things up. "Well I'm good at planning things in a flash. So why don't we just do a little party here, just the eleven of us?"

Rainbow Dash was definitely down for something small and personal. "Yeah, I remember a couple of years ago, you and Princess Celestia managed to rope the seven of us into doing THE biggest Hearth's Warming Eve play in the country at Canterlot Theaters."

Applejack rolled her eyes at bit at being reminded of that night. "Yeah, ya almost froze our flanks off before the performance by poppin’ the windows open durin’ a snowstorm."

The four Terran Ponies and Pinkie all giggled at the thought.

"Well potential frostbite aside, I think it'd be best for all of us if we go ahead and do something small and intimate like that. Maybe attend the Ponyville production for the play on the day of, as well?" Midori Hana asked.

"Yeah, I just hope decorations aren't all sold out at the supply store I frequent. I want everything to look festive for the party, ya know?" Pinkie Pie said, already trying to figure out where everything was going to go.

"With that, my little Ponies, you all are dismissed. I will contact you all after the ceremonies in Canterlot, unless something urgent comes up of course," Luna said. After which, she disappeared into the ether, gone to take a well-deserved nap before she put the finishing touches on that years Hearth's Warming Pageant in Canterlot.

Hrm, she said that the Conduits would be free until the 22nd… There was something about that date that I can't quite remember at the moment… I need to check a calendar when I get back home… Twilight thought to herself, along with the need to bring back some calendars for the Conduits.

All eleven there saw nothing more to do for the day, other than let the Bearers and Spike get ready for Hearth's Warming Eve, while the Conduits would take the next couple of days getting adjusted to the season. So they all went their separate ways for the time being.

"So, since we'll have until the 22nd off from training, I guess, what should we do?" Blue Vague asked of the other three Conduits.

“I just think we tour the town and take in the ambiance, I mean we've been kinda cooped up in this house for the last month almost…" Golden Storm replied, feeling a bit of urge to take a short flight in real Equestrian air-space.

"Yeah we've been going about as non-stop as you can with the limited time-frame of the Training Field Spell. So I guess just taking this time off to just do things 'normally' would be for the best," Red Blaze figured.

Midori Hana had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Hrm, I wonder if that flower shop sells poinsettia bracts?"

"Couldn't hurt to ask when we get in town," Blue Vague responded, not really making the connection with what Midori asked.

The four of them their grabbed their scarves and headed out into town.

----- -----

The four of them walked around town, the ground lightly dusted with snow. The weather schedule called for increasing flurries until the night of Hearth's Warming Eve; Golden Storm figuring he would soon be slotted for reserve duty depending on what would happen once they returned to Earth.

"You know, it's kinda funny how the first time we have to deal with consistently cold weather, and we have natural coats now," Golden Storm remarked, hovering along the ground while the other Conduits milled around the sidewalks, while taking occasional looks at the window and outdoor displays.

"Heh, maybe when all is said and done on Earth, we'll have things fixed enough to give them a real winter for the first time, how many years?" Blue Vague asked as he was thinking aloud.

Red Blaze figured the Elite may have doctored evidence for the general public in some regard. "There's no telling. You know they might have been doctoring the records to not make everything look so messed up. He who controls the past controls the future, and all."

"It's sad really. Even though it's obviously cold, the snow is so pretty. I wonder how they craft the snowflakes, though." Hana wondered, internally finding it sort of funny being an adult Pony so fascinated by snow.

Golden Storm answered since Luna was already starting to brief him on the process. "Well, the pre-planned weather system clouds are imbued with snowflake templates. Apparently, though, naturally forming storms are still allowed to blow through every once in a while, especially for the Wild Zones."

The four ponies continued with their meandering through the various business sections of Ponyville. The decorations really did remind everyone there of Christmas, or at least the secular Christmas from various older media portrayed. Christmas over the years had degraded as a holiday of major importance amongst the Outsiders, aside from a few of the remaining charities coming around with real, unprocessed food intermittently during holiday season. The four of them silently gawked at the magic-powered multi-colored lights on miniature pine trees strewn with tinsel. The restaurants were touting their dishes, trying to get contracts for catering parties or family dinners, if not just hosting them outright. The specialty shops were all touting some product or another, trying to take advantage of those who really didn't have the time or talent to construct a gift for a loved one. All in all, the four Terran Ponies were reminded some of the general commercialism that went into Christmas, though something just felt… different about it.

Blue Vague wondered just how much the Ponies were like humans in their mentality, but still different. "You know, you see the same hints of everything we used to do for Christmas - the decorations, the dinners, the constant trying to get someone to buy your stuff. But, I dunno, it just doesn't feel the same as it did on Earth."

Red Blaze stopped for a few moments to look around and soak everything in. Everypony and everything, to her, kept exuding this aura of genuine contentment. It stood in stark contrast to her Christmases back in Russia with her parents. "You know, back in Russia. My parents… my parents had to skimp and save all between October and the middle of December just to afford decent decorations and gifts. Yet, it really wasn't the actual physical things that made me the happiest. What made me happiest was the fact we all were doing something together; for those few days we could just forget our persistent problems, and just live as a normal family in a world that didn't seem to be going to hell around us. I guess that's why I'm not one for big gifts now."

Golden Storm chuckled when he heard the story. "Yeah, just last year I tried to buy you a big fancy pendant from some dealer that came out from the San Francisco Domes. When you found out, I dunno what made you madder, the fact I would think to splurge like that or the fact that I'd go to someone so disrepeatable."

"Ahh, some Converts. So how are you all enjoying your first Heart's Warming Eve season?" they all heard from a female voice from behind them.

Blue Vague took a map out of his saddlebag just to see where he was. After a few moments of mental calculation, he was surprised that they had almost completely passed Roseluck's Flower Shop.

"Oh, you must be… Rose. Which'd make that Roseluck's Flower Shop," Blue Vague responded.

"Yeah we're enjoying it a lot. We came from some of the less well-to-do sections of Earth, so seeing all of these decorations and whatnot kinda reminds all of us of our childhoods; or foalhoods, not sure how we should refer to it now," Midori Hana added, actually responding to question at hand.

"Oh that's wonderful. I guess this is your first real snowfall in some time, maybe ever. I heard the weather on Earth, besides just being uncontrolled, seemed to be disproportionately hot all the time," Rose added, as she motioned the four now-revealed-to-be Converts to her stalls to look at some fall and winter blooms and arrangements.

The four Conduits all looked around and were impressed by the display of fresh flowers even in this general cold weather.

"Hey how do you keep the plants so lively even though the temperatures are what they are?" Midori Hana asked, wanting to gain some insight from an experienced Earth Pony florist.

"Well it's a limited spell that most Earth Ponies pick up when they go into my business - the Invisible Greenhouse spell. Basically we take mana and charge the flowers growth so that they can resist the cold weather. If you want to know more about it or learn it, I suggest taking a trip to Fillydelphia. That's where they have most of the Earth Pony tutors set up for the other Converts," Rose replied. Even though she was a bit freaked out by the Converts at first a few months ago, she felt that she was just going to have to get used to it. So she had, slowly but surely.

Well surely Luna knows that spell already, but maybe I can talk to Applejack about it, or at least get some hints for it… Hana thought to herself, a sudden trip out to Fillydelphia really not being feasible at the moment.

"Say Rose, do you carry any poinsettia bunches? You know the green and red leaves that surround the flower?" Midori asked.

Rose had good news for the all-green Earth Pony. "Oh yeah, a Convert that came through a few weeks ago tipped me off to them. It took a little bit of finagling, but I managed to get a good sized batch in a couple of days ago."

Rose then went back into the storage area to get a pallet of them. "Ok, that'll be 5 bits per planter, so… 150 bits for the whole tray."

"Um, that's not too much is it, Vague?" Midori asked a bit sheepishly, not knowing how much cash they had on hand.

"We haven't been buying all that much outside of necessities, so our savings have piled up quite a bit. Yeah you can go ahead and get the whole tray," Blue Vague figured as he mentally calculated the weight of his cash on hoof, thankful he didn’t have to deny Hana.

"Alright, just write here when and where you want the plants delivered. It'd probably be a pain to walk around with something this wide," Rose said as she and Hana concluded business.

-----

The four spent the rest of the morning chatting up the various shopkeepers, trying to get as good a deal on gifts as they could. They decided to keep things simple, since they didn't know the Bearers of Harmony all that well, and they didn't want to go spending all their savings from the last month or so.

"Hey would you all mind if I headed to Sweet Apple Acres for a while? I wanted to ask Applejack and Big Macintosh about a little something," Midori Hana asked, all the while hiding a poinsettia bunch in her mane.

With no objections, she headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully she wouldn't need to contact Luna on such short notice while she's probably asleep.

Midori Hana arrived at Sweet Apple Acres in short order, and looked at the decorations that Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh had set up since Applejack was tied down with her and the other Terran Conduits.

"Wow, everything really feels like those old Christmas movies. Granted all the characters are Ponies and I'm one of them now," Midori Hana said out loud to herself as she was walking up to a stall where she saw the familiar cowboy-hat wearing orange-and-blonde mare.

"So what's going on Applejack? You seem to have a pretty nice line of, something, going on," Midori Hana asked, making sure to stand off to the side to not appear to be cutting in line.

"Oh the big Apple Cider season is underway. Some of the more special blends are ready for sale so me an' Big Mac gotta make sure no minors get their hooves on it by accident. I trust Apple Bloom to help sell our normal stuff; but, well, let's say it won't do good for our rep if a certain set of fillies got into the wrong barrels," Applejack replied to Midori Hana, all the while passing out disposable mugs to paid customers or taking down invoices for batch deliveries.

"Well, when is your shift over? I had a little something I wanted to ask you," Hana asked of Applejack, all the while helping her move the untapped barrels into place for dispensing.

Applejack responded quickly, all the while hooking up the dispenser. "In about an hour or so. Me and Mac work 2 hour shifts alternatin'."

So Midori Hana spent the next hour, give or take a few minutes, helping Applejack and Apple Bloom with the stall, while the lunchtime queue thinned out. As Big Macintosh gave his greetings to Midori Hana and took his position at the stall to relieve Applejack, the two mares walked back to the farmhouse to discuss that little question that Hana had of AJ earlier.

"Hey, I wonder if something like this is possible at my level of Earth Pony magic…" Midori Hana started as she began whispering a bit in Applejack's ear.

Applejack responded with a bit of a chuckle. "Ahhh right. Ah know that little trick. Hey when you head back through town, ask for an Earth Pony mare named 'Lily', she does stuff like that all the time."

"Cool, thanks. Hey is there anything you need me to relay to someone else before I go?" Midori asked before leaving.

"Ah nah. Ah'm pretty much set here, though Ah'll send if Ah need anythin'," Applejack responded as she took a small sack full of bits off her back for sorting and safe-keeping.

-----

Golden Storm laid on some clouds he moored to the perch/landing area on top of the Greystone Conductor. He looked northward into Ponyville and out at the expanses of their little section of Equestria. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like was being caged up somewhere. Even though he was a Pegasus and could have just taken off right there and there for parts unknown, he didn't feel that urge to anymore. Not only did he have a marefriend in Red Blaze he'd jump in front of a loaded gun for, but he had two more close friends in Vague and Hana where he'd do the same. Not only that, but Fate seemed to have decided he was going to play a major role in getting two worlds together in some way or fashion. He figured he may as well just see the whole thing out. Even if he did take off right then and there, something would come up to drag him right back. As he hopped up to head into town with his bit of money remaining to see if there was anything he overlooked, he beat his wings a couple of times. Only to notice how he was kicking up far greater gusts of winds than he usually did.

Hrm… I guess the Princesses were right when they were talking about our Terran power getting easier to draw out when we got used to our bodies… Guess I need to be more careful on takeoffs from now on…

Red Blaze was laid out in front of the fireplace thinking about her Christmases with her family. Before she met Golden Storm, she hated this time of year. Not because of how the holiday seemed to degenerate, but because some degenerates took both her parents from her in one night. But since she found Storm, and she was basically forced to face her problems head on, she felt better around this time of the year. Although the hurt never went away since she became 'Red Blaze', it felt like her friends and her lover just made everything that much more bearable. She sighed happily as she figured that was the most she could really ask for -- the ability to bear the pain and grow beyond it. She also chucked as she went to levitate a bit of wood out of the fireplace just to observe it and the flames, but got quite a bit of surprise. While she intended to levitate out a piece of burning wood, she only ended up lifting out a bit of flame itself. She marveled for a few seconds at the little wisp of flame burning nothing except the oxygen in the air the mana she was feeding it from her levitation spell.

Wow… I… I… I didn't even know one could do that… It must be the Terran Spark starting to assert itself, or something…

Blue Vague was in the kitchen, boiling water and cutting some fruit for oatmeal. He spent the time thinking about the parents that left him behind, the grandfather that did so much to raise him before he passed on. He thought about how he and Midori found each other completely by accident - he looking up old Japanese animation and finding Hana while she was doing the same. Then he thought of her parents and what they must be up to while they were on this trip, for both training and cultural immersion. He thought about all of that while he measured out the oats to put in the water, once it came to a real boil. Until said water did start boiling, he went over the sink to run some more water into the basin. In the last couple of days he had been practicing a trick, levitating a blob of water and then whipping it around until a formed a skinny loop, as if he were imitating Applejack working a rope lasso.

I can feel the water far beyond what I should with just Explicit Magic… Like I know where exactly every droplet of water should be, even the water I already ran into the pot… I guess the more Luna trains us, the more our Terran Magic is going to want to manifest…

Midori Hana was trotting back to the Greystone Conductor, chuckling a bit as she did indeed track down Lily to learn her little trick for getting a bit of plant to stay in one's mane, while still alive. She giggled at the reaction she was going to get out of Vague and the other Conduits when she arrived and they saw the red splashed through her mane from the poinsettia bunches. As she came up on a shop window, she noticed how she could see her reflection in the glass fairly well. She stopped to think for a few moments, thinking about her parents, the friends she made while on the 'Net while at home, including Vague and the others. She wondered just how she could try and push their relationship forward into something more solid like what Storm and Blaze had, or if she should even try to. She let out a sigh as she still felt the same tug of her own identity, although now it was less "Was I fabricated in some way?" and now more "Am I a human in a Pony body, a Pony in a Pony body, or some kind of weird blend of the two?" She figured that question would resolve itself as she continued down the path she chose with her friends and the Bearers of Harmony. As she looked closer in the mirror-like window, she noticed something else. That the bunches in her hair had grown a little bit and were somewhat brighter than they were when Lily showed her how to weave it in her mane.

Hrm, maybe that's some of what the Element of Earth does… Plants gotta grow in something… guess it would stand to reason someone with control over earth could do it wherever…

The four spent the rest of the afternoon and evening arranging the poinsettias around the exterior and interior of the Greystone Conductor. As they all looked at their home in the setting sun, they silently prayed to Celestia and Luna that this would mark the start of many, many happy Heart’s Warming seasons to come.

===============================

[ December 14, ??? – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]

The four Conduits of Terra and Pinkie Pie were moving in and out of the lower rooms of the Greystone Conductor, getting everything together for the big party that evening. The previous day, the Bearers of Harmony managed to convince the Conduits to allow their families (that could travel) to attend along with a particularly close friend of said family member(s). While Vague blanched at the thought at having to pay for more food, everyone had a few bits on hand in order to cover the additional cost.

"Man, I honestly can't wait to talk to everyone when they get here," Blue Vague said as he was mixing several batches of drinks for everyone.

While Vague knew Berry Punch did have a bit of a reputation for indulging in the creation and consumption of alcohol, he decided that her much wider reputation in the Ponyville area for her non-alcoholic blends far outweighed her own personal peccadilloes. Just so long as he made sure that somepony didn’t spike any of the punch bowls the two of them had set up earlier.

Storm was with Pinkie in the main hall, hanging a banner and some tinsel along the balcony. "Yeah I know what you mean man. I heard that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were tight with this other filly, calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders, didn't they?"

"Yeah, they are always doing new stuff trying to figure out what their talent is. Sometimes Rainbow Dash thinks I'm coaching them in being random or whatever," Pinkie Pie said while she directed Storm along in hanging everything up.

Red Blaze had just come back in from ensuring that there was enough firewood for the evening, before she joined the conversation. "You know they will probably be surprised why four adult Ponies still are without Cutie Mark."

Midori Hana waltzed in, in good spirits since she loved Christmas time and figured Hearth's Warming Eve was close enough to count. "I think they are gonna like the stories about ourselves then, I mean who wouldn't want to hear from four Ponies that came from a whole other dimension."

"Yeah, the others probably don't talk about us all that much. I mean they do have their own lives and all," Blue Vague reasoned as he draped some waterproof cloths over the punch-bowls full of different drinks.

-----

As the sun was beginning to set on that day, their guests began to arrive. Fluttershy arrived first, complementing the decorations that the Conduits and Pinkie Pie arranged. Then Rarity with Sweetie Belle, Applejack and her siblings, as well as Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo. Finally the party began to start in earnest as Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrived, surprised that everyone was there slightly earlier than they were.

"Wow, this place is huge. It might even be bigger than Sugarcube Corner!" Scootaloo exclaimed, fluttering about as best as her wings could manage.

"An ya say that Luna designed this house for all four of ya?" Apple Bloom asked, a bit in awe herself at the size of this clearly residential building.

"Yeah, we don't know all the details of the design and construction, but it's definitely a fine home. You should have seen our faces when we got here a month ago," Hana answered.

"'Surprise' didn't do our reactions justice," Blue Vague added as he was looking on at Golden Storm chatting with Big Macintosh about something or other.

"I really like how you made those leaf bunches look in your mane, I think I've seen some around town," Sweetie Belle said in a bit of a soft voice, as if she had become like Fluttershy in the presence of the four still-strangers-to-her.

"Oh yeah. They are called poinsettias. Usually the leaf bunches like these are taken from around the flower and used for decorations around Christmas time. Which is the human equivalent to Hearth's Warming Eve, at least in some respects," Midori Hana said with quite a bit of confidence about her.

"Wow, you sure do know a lot about life over there," Sweetie Belle said, voice returning to a more normal tone for her.

Red Blaze chuckled a bit "We'll we'd like to think so. Anyway let's all gather in the rec room. I think that'll explain a bit of why we know so much."

With that all the guests went into the recreational room, and sat down to listen to the four Conduits of Terra.

-----

After the stories were all done, Big Macintosh had rather big smile on his face. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, for their part, were still in a bit of shock.

"Wow, you're really Converts from Earth?" Scootaloo asked, still in shock.

"To be honest, I can hardly believe it," Apple Bloom said, rubbing her hoof trying to think of how Midori could look so natural while she was helping Applejack a couple of days ago and, yet apparently had only had her body for a month.

"I would have never guessed, you all seem like just 'normal' Ponies, I guess," Sweetie Belle began to rationalize. She could hardly find anything off about the four adults, well except for one thing.

"Ah guess we should've all guessed since y'all grown, but don't have Cutie Marks," Apple Bloom said, just now really noticing the flanks of all four Terrans were indeed, completely blank.

"Yeah we all have been wondering when that whole thing would click in, it’ll probably take some time as we're getting used to the whole 'Being in an entirely new body' thing," Golden Storm said, a tad bit embarrassed at the fact.

Applejack was busy eating a pineapple tart that Pinkie Pie just took out of the oven, as she listened to some of the tail end of the Conduit's stories. "Y'all know that y'all makin' really fast progress in that regard. I think all the Converts that take as much time to practice will as well."

"Thanks Applejack, you all have been helping us in that regard too. Hopefully we can turn around and help you all as this whole thing keeps going on," Red Blaze said. All four of the Terran Conduits were genuinely thankful for the help of the six Elements of Harmony, even if they weren't teaching them Magic directly.

"Ah don't doubt ya will. But we need to take care of y'all first. Then we can see where everything goes from there," Applejack said as she went back for another tart and some orange-pineapple juice.

----

Blue Vague was sitting outside the rec room, chatting with Big Macintosh as the story circle began to break up; the Cutie Mark Crusaders not too far away, wondering out loud just what Earth was like and whether or not they'd ever be cleared to visit. "So Big Macintosh, what did you think of the little tale we spun."

"Y'all lead a very hard life compared to us. Yet, y'all are still proud of what you did when you could," Big Macintosh replied; he could feel the steel nerve and spine it took all of them to take the proverbial plunge.

Blue Vague took a drink from his cup of berry punch as he continued the conversation. "Yeah I'd like to think that we are. I'll readily admit, sometimes I wonder that if me and Midori had a chance to disappear to some quieter corner of Equestria, and live out the rest of our lives as Ponies without having to worry about Earth, we would. I don't doubt some Converts that come through want nothing to do with the Earth anymore. But then again, well, let's say a little voice always reminds me about some unfinished business to attend to first."

"Ah can imagine," Big Macintosh replied, still succinct as ever.

Vague walked over to a window as he looked out, the Moon was already migrating across the sky as the stars twinkled in the background. "You know, it's extremely difficult to see a scene like this on Earth. Humans didn't realize until a few decades ago just how bad we were tearing everything up," he started, choking up as the thoughts began to flood through. "Then, then these Domes went up. It was like the people who had the power to at least start fixing things, just gave up and went into hiding, hoping everything would blow over or whatever. It still burns me up inside thinking about it."

Big Macintosh looked intently at Blue Vague, as Vague sat the glass on the floor a good ways away from him. Even though it was mostly empty now, he still didn't feel like getting the mop out if he could help it. "I don't like telling anyone this, not even the Princesses. I dunno, a part of me thinks it's un-pony-like to show this level of rage. But I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm frustrated that the so called leaders of humanity seemed to just abandon the rest of us. Now that a few of them realize just how badly they messed up, and are trying to fix things before it's too late, the rest have the temerity to try and stop them.

"It's so damn unfair Macintosh - good people, and now good Ponies, want to do everything they can to help. Hell you'd think some of the so-called Elite would be glad to get rid of 'excess population'. But I think they are so prideful and greedy, they don't want to be told they messed things up. That the Earth is turning into a wasteland because of their mismanagement. I know the planet does not have much time left, any little thing could really start the ‘Apocalypse’ so many religions over there have warned about since the dawn of civilization."

Vague then looked up and heard a bit of the Cutie Mark Crusaders talking about wanting to see Earth; that even if it looked messed up compared to Equestria and the other countries in their world, they still wanted to see it. "I can see the Cutie Mark Crusaders want to see our homeworld, even if for a little while. But honestly, not in the condition it's in. Maybe that's me being selfish, but you wouldn't want anyone in your house until you cleaned up, right? Maybe after some time, Ponies and Humans can live together; but I dunno how we're gonna get to there from where they, no, where we are now."

Big Macintosh just walked over and put one of his front legs along the shoulders of Vague to gesture compassion. "Vague, just do what you can. All y’all -- mah sister included -- just focus on what ya can do, and help as many of ‘em as you can. If they don’t wanna come here, then make being there worth being."

As Macintosh resumed a normal stance, Vague chuckled as he realized he was venting and losing sight of the bigger picture. "You know, you're right. Even if we don't convince everyone, even if everyone doesn't want to break bread with us now, we still gotta do everything we can."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh replied, returning back to his usual succinctness.

-----

The party went on, as the house was alive with the sound of over a dozen Ponies having a good ol' time and the music helping them in that regard. Blue Vague was walking around the grounds of the house, doing a bit of snow clearing to make sure that no one slipped or anything when it came time for everyone to leave. He found Midori Hana perched on the storm cellar doors to the basement, not feeling like laying in snow during an already cold evening.

"So what's going on out here?" Blue Vague asked as he laid the shovel against the face of the house.
Midori Hana looked up and smiled as she saw Vague approaching. "I dunno, something just said 'Take a few minutes outside in the night air, a little chill might clear your head a bit'."

"Heh, well I was trying to make sure the walkways didn't get too piled up with snow," Vague said while he perched himself up there with Hana.

They looked into the mostly clear night sky, Luna's Moon early on its path only being 9:00 PM whereabouts.

"Even with the clouds and the snow, it's still an impressive sky," Vague said as he moved in closer to Hana.

Hana appreciated the romantic nature of the setting, as she allowed Vague to continue edging closer. "Yeah, I wonder what Storm and Blaze are doing."

Vague thought about it for a couple of moments. "Heh, well I could guess some things, but they'd probably involve alcohol, and I don't think anyone wants to risk the Crusaders getting into the wrong punch-bowl."

Midori giggled a bit at the thought of one or more drunk fillies. She leaned in on Vague, Vague doing his best not to show surprise or hesitation at this intimacy. "It's such a nice night, and you're pretty warm, well compared to the air temperature."

Oh my God what am I supposed to do in this situation… I have like no experience with women at all… I wonder what Storm would do in this situation… Blue Vague thought to himself suddenly. He couldn't exactly push Hana away as he was the one advancing in on her (inch by inch as it were anyway).

If you ask me, put a front leg along her shoulders… draw her in as close as you can… talk about how the stars look even prettier when they reflect in her huge, lovely eyes… he heard Golden Storm's voice say, as said voice kept going on and on.

Dude, am I like… Imagining this or are you actually talking to me… Vague thought, finding the response to be unusually detailed.

… I think I'm actually talking to you… Storm replied, trying to figure out when the hell he started talking to Vague telepathically himself.

What?! Blue Vague exclaimed in his head, mustering all his discipline to not actually say it out loud.

"Is something wrong Vague? You have a strange look on your face," Hana asked, now pretty much side to side with Vague as he stared off into the distance with a thoroughly confused look on his face.

Vague managed to snap out of it soon enough though. "I dunno, I think I just did the telepathic equivalent of accidentally dialing somepony's phone number."

Hana giggled as she snuggled up to Vague, finding the whole idea quite humorous. "Heh, I wonder who you were talking to?"

"Would you believe it was Storm?" Vague said as he was laughing, draping the scarf over the both of them.

"Somehow, I can believe that," Midori Hana started, continuing to gently lean against Vague. "It's funny how circumstances have changed for us. I mean, few weeks ago we were all having our own little freak-outs. Now, here we all are in Equestria. Even though we’ll be going Earthside again, eventually, I… I’m still really enjoying this time in Equestria, especially because it’s with you."

Ok Vague, just do it, just say it… if she doesn't want to go along with a relationship so soon, then I'll just work on that… But this has to start somewhere… Blue Vague thought to himself.

So he mustered every bit courage that he could as he responded. "I do too, Hana. All of this… even though the circumstances for us are kinda weird… I… still wouldn’t trade it for anything. Especially because I get to spend all this time with you – because, I love you!"

The cold air hung silent for a few moments. Midori expected that Blue would eventually say it out loud to her, yet she still didn't know how to react. Finally, she decided that, like him, it was time to stop beating around the bush, and just lay the cards on the table. "Thanks Blue, I… I can see how hard that was. I mean, we both have been feeling things since September, maybe even earlier than that. So… I… I…"

In a sudden fit of pique and passion, she did something that truly surprised the both of them - she kissed him.

"I know it's hard to say, but sometimes it needs to be said, so here it goes… I love you too, and I wanna do everything I can to make this and everything else work!"

Blue Vague was still stunned by the fact that she got in the first kiss of the relationship proper. Well… that went better than expected… quite honestly I thought I'd seize up and fall into the snow or something…

-----

"Awwww… that's so sweet…" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison as they watched the entire scene from inside a nearby window.

"It would have been better if we could actually hear what they said though…" Scootaloo added, wondering just what lead up to this particular scene.

===============================

“It’s strange for you to talk to me, or any of the rest of us, like this, Princess Luna…” Red Blaze yawned as she looked at the dreamscape-room, decorated like the Castle Canterlot throne room during night court, except a little more ostentatious - especially regarding the bright blue and silver-burning torches all around the wall.

“This is the simplest way for me to ensure absolute privacy. You are still a source for your government’s intelligence agency, yes?” Luna asked, as she looked at Red Blaze sitting across from the small tea table positioned dead center of the false throne room.

“Yes. I’ve been sending missives back to my contact in the American government. I am fairly sure he will be interested in the knowledge and abilities we are starting to develop here in Equestria,” Red Blaze replied as she sipped on the ‘imaginary’ tea while at the table, the dream-moon slowly drifting through the sky.

“About that – I would greatly appreciate it if you held off on any details to your contact in their government. At least until we have a far more firm grasp on the exact nature of said abilities,” Luna asserted quickly and somewhat tersely.

Red Blaze rolled her eyes and acceded to the request.

Luna then continued on with the actual reason for her dream-contact. “In any case, that Mafia contact that converted sometime after you in New York has settled down quite nicely in Canterlot. I do believe that the coming trip to the capital would serve as a good opportunity to pick his brain, as it were.”

Red Blaze struck a contemplative pose as she thought of a response. “It would, indeed; though I’ll have to finagle some time away from the others. I’m sure they will be eager to go sightseeing when we get our hotel squared away, so that could be my chance then.”

“Good luck in your quest, Conduit of Fire,” Luna concluded, as the dreamscape began to fade away.

===============================
[ December 19, ??? – Canterlot, Equestria ]

The Four Conduits found themselves on a jumbo-sized air-carriage, flying at a fairly decent clip towards Canterlot. They, the six Bearers of Harmony, and Spike were all invited guests of the Royal Sisters for what was promised to be quite the extravaganza tomorrow evening.

"Ok, so what is the occasion for the Royals inviting us formally to the Capital?" Blue Vague asked, as everyone was either napping or looking out a window.

Twilight took out the invitation that confirmed her earlier suspicions. "I figured out not too long ago just why Luna gave you all time off until the 22nd of this month. Apparently, during the Winter Solstice, which is tomorrow evening, there was a very big festival during that night; which was called, unsurprisingly, the Winter Moon Festival."

You know I always wondered if there was an official analogue to the Summer Sun Celebration. That answers that then... Red Blaze thought to herself, also wondering just what the capital looked like live.

-----

A couple of hours later, the Four Terran Conduits stood gobsmacked as they looked out at the panorama of Canterlot from the Southern Carriage Station.

"Wow... it really is much more impressive live..." Golden Storm said while hovering near ground level.

"Esteemed Guests of the Princesses of Equestria, your carriage to your accommodations will soon arrive. We ask that you ensure that the porters have properly removed the entirety of your luggage, before the sky-carriage leaves for its next destination.

Twilight and Vague checked the luggage compartment, and indeed everything was removed and stacked neatly in the waiting area for the ground-carriage.

"I wonder if we are gonna have time to go sight-seeing later. Usually when we come here, it's on business, so to speak," Fluttershy said, admiring the view with Storm.

"Well according to the rest of the letter, Luna doesn't need us to help plan the celebration or anything. And there is no real notice of us having to be anywhere for any specific time, just whatever our hotel's protocol is," Twilight stated as she re-read the letters again. Three carriages had arrived for the group of eleven, so she and Vague directed the porters in which bags to load where.

"I can't think of a major hotel in a tourist spot like Canterlot having a curfew, but you never know," Rainbow Dash added as they began to board the ground carriages.

-----

"Oh I simply must show the three of you to this unisex mane stylist I know. Don't worry, she isn't that expensive, and I can probably get a discount since I know her pretty well," Rarity said, remembering her promise to help do something about Blaze's wildfire like mane.

"When you say three of us, who are you referring to?" Red asked with a quizzical look, starting to remember that promise from nearly two months ago as well.

"Well, Hana has apparently already seen someone regarding the poinsettias in her mane. But you, Storm, and Vague, I believe you three need a professional's touch, to be quite frank." Rarity said as the carriages rolled past the various blue and silver decorations being placed in the main center of the city near Canterlot Castle.

Over in another carriage, Storm was worrying about some other things. "So what kind of hotel are we supposed to be staying in?"

Rainbow Dash responded by reading a brochure regarding said hotel. "Apparently it's really fancy. World class chefs, several hundred as active staff at all times, full spa (like I'd need that), a covered garden -- pretty much anything a Pony could want that they couldn't do for themselves."

Golden Storm leaned back in his seat as he wondered how big the party was going to be.

In the final carriage, Hana looked out at all the buildings and how they the seemed to flow into the mountainside. "Wow, this is like something out of a fantasy novel that I'd find back on Earth. There must have been some major Earth Pony help to build Canterlot like this."

Applejack confirmed Midori's suspicion. "That's right Hana, there is a significant Earth Pony population here in Canterlot; most of them descended from the Ponies that helped build Canterlot almost a thousand years ago. The rest descended from various business-ponies that have come through since then.”

Vague simply stared agape at the mostly un-accented and fully-fleshed Equish that was coming out of the mouth of the farm-pony.

“Now ya don’t need to look at me with that dumb look, Blue. Do ya know how many lawyers Ah have to deal with on a yearly basis?” Applejack added - the frustration in her face clear as day.

“No… and I should feel as stupid as I do right now for assuming things…” Vague responded, cowed by the righteous annoyance Applejack was conveying.

Pinkie Pie was giggled a bit as she looked out at the city, with different decorations in blue and silver were going all up around. "You know, I think the Cakes said they might have relatives here. I wouldn't be surprised if they were working a bakery here or two."

They soon, arrived at their destination - The Royal Garden Hotel And Spa. All eleven of them stood in awe of the 50-story tall complex, as the porters began moving their bags into the lobby.

"Well this should be a fun three days..." Blue Vague said, walking into the hotel with Twilight to register everyone.

-----

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly for everyone, as Rarity managed to get all four of the Conduits into that unisex salon. Vague ended up with the Pony equivalent of dreadlocks, which took a bit of time to explain to the mane-stylists, but he was happy with the result either way. Storm had the mane around his head cut relatively short and 'flared' up a bit, while the mane down his back and his tail was simply straightened out. Blaze had the most work done, her red-orange mane styled to resemble a flame pointed upside-down; with the tips of her mane and tail magically dyed to appear more orange than the rest of her mane. Hana was originally content to only get her mane and tail washed; but decided to get parts of her mane dyed silver-gray with some glitter, intending to find some nice blue blooms, possibly some delphinium, to weave into said streaks.

A short while later, Blaze found the opportunity she was looking for to take care of some personal business.

“Say, why don’t we all take a few hours to tour the town, before everyone starts closing down shop for the festival tomorrow night. I mean we might not get a chance to just walk around Canterlot like this for quite some time.”

When no one objected, Twilight magicked some more maps (to the confusion or bemusement of everyone) so that no one got too lost, and everyone paired off or just went their separate ways.

When Blaze was finally left alone, she took out the map and scanned over the key in order to suss out where a certain place of business was located.

“Hrm… where… where. Ah here! Sonic Studios, this is where I’ll find him…” Blaze said to herself as she set off toward the northern quadrant of the city.

Another short while later, Blaze found herself in the lobby watching various costumed Ponies and the odd Gryphon and Dragon milling to and fro, before being interrupted out of her observation.

“QUIET! QUIET ON THE SET! We only have a few hours in the day to get this performance CORRECT!” boomed a rather ordinary looking Pegasus stallion, his orange wings flapping vigorously as he barked his commands to the assembled actors and stage crew.

“My goodness, I did not think a stallion could be that loud without some kind of assistance,” Blaze moaned in aggravation as she tried to stop the ringing in her ears.

“Don’t mind him - that is just Sonic Shear. A voice that could carry a kilolength they say. And I sort of believe others when say that,” a more meek and normal sounding Earth Pony stallion stated, sighing afterward.

Red Blaze turned around and gave him the once over, and was suddenly struck. “Oh, you must be him. A ‘Rough Edges’ wasn’t it?”

The stallion nodded as he directed Red Blaze to a side room that was more or less unoccupied, and more importantly, no one was paying attention to.

“I assume you got the missive from the Princess of the Night,” Rough asked, as he looked around, and saw the small device Blaze was taking out of her saddle-bag.

“Don’t mind me, just a recording device courtesy of said Princess of the Night. I can only assume you know what I am intending to record, correct?” Blaze asked as she took on a stern face, sitting across the small table that the both of them were around.

“Yes. Now that I am effectively out of the reach of the Reznokovs, I feel I can talk freely,” Rough started, as Blaze pressed a button, and one of the crystal ‘bulbs’ on the device lit up.

“Go ahead, you may start whenever you are ready,” Blaze stated.

Rough Edges nodded and complied. “Yes, I would like to begin by stating that I am giving this information of my own free will, and that I am not under any type of duress or coercion. My lone wish is that this information leads to the prevention or the mitigation of the events that I am sure are soon to occur.”

Red Blaze leaned in a bit, intrigued by the last phrase uttered.

“My decision to become an informant was predicated upon a conversation amongst the lieutenants in the Reznokov Crime Family. At first, I found the scenario they described to be utterly incomprehensible, and as such dismissed it as off-color humor. However, the leader, Igor Reznokov, then spoke during a meeting of the Jersey City branch of the family, and unwittingly corroborated the story I was told.”

Red Blaze gave Rough Edges her undivided attention.

“The Reznokov Family were officially supporting a Dome-led and coordinated effort to execute insurrection against the elected governments of the three major economic powers of Earth: the United States, the European Union, and the Japanese Republic. Although he did not speak toward an exact timeline, the impression he gave through relative statements indicated that paramilitary forces could be marshalled against those nations’ standing governments within the next three years.”

Red Blaze simply sat across from Rough Edges with her mouth agape; not knowing whether or not to stop the recording and shake the Earth Pony violently for clearly lying to her, or to immediately run screaming to Celestia and Luna about a potentially cataclysmic incident about to go down in the near future.

“Please, you must believe me! A great calamity will befall all of Earth if the Domes attempt what I believe they are about to. The Outsiders, the people who have been shut out from society… will not stand for those inside the Domes actively dictating to them from on-high. They barely accept the tacit shuffling from behind the scenes as of now. And those within the Domes will not accept the Outsiders resisting their supposedly divine right to rule. The war that could begin from such a conflict could easily set all of civilization ablaze!”

“I understand. I… it was just a lot of attempt to swallow all at once mentally. That will be enough for now; I need you to gather your thoughts and try to remember any details or dates. We will have another session sometime in the next couple of weeks,” Red Blaze calmly stated, seeing Rough Edges’ eyes light up as it appeared he was about to go into as much of a panic that Blaze was.

“ROUGH EDGES! I NEED CLEANUP ON SET THREE, PRONTO!” Sonic Shear shouted loud enough for the entire building to hear, it seemed.

“I am sorry, I guess we would have to cut off the session here, one way or another. Please stay safe in whatever you do now, miss Natasha,” Edges implored as he trotted quickly out of the room and to the stage where Shear requested his presence.

Red Blaze nodded, a bit touched that the informant saw fit to remember her human name though she only knew him for a week before.

Well I guess I’m done here anyway; I should go find Storm before he drifts too far away… she thought to herself as she turned off the recorder and put it and the rest of her things in her bag to leave.

-----

Meanwhile, on the east side of the city, closer to the castle, stood the campus of the School for Gifted Unicorns and Advanced Thamaturgy. Twilight Sparkle, with Spike along her side, walked the halls for the first time in over five years; the echoes of her valedictorian speech she gave (with great trepidation) rattling in her mind to this day.

“Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle – oh, it has been quite some time since I said that with regular basis~!” a cheerful older mare’s voice rang out as she exited a meeting of the school administrators and tenured professors.

“Headmistress Iris, it really has been a long time!” Twilight squealed with delight as she rushed to hug the mare over twice her age.

“Eh, I guess she was that mare you were always talking about back then…” Spike stated as he slowly walked to where the two mares were.

“So what brings you around this way? Thought you’d be busy fighting off some cataclysmic threat to the health and safety of our fine kingdom,” Iris replied, as she walked along the halls with Twilight and Spike flanking her on each side.

“Well, not a cataclysmic threat to the kingdom, but I am helping Luna with a project she has related to Earth,” Twilight replied as the buzz of the reunion began to fade and they assumed a more business like tone of speech.

“Oh my, I heard of Earth. The poor dears over there living like so many animals stuffed into an overly-small habitat. I certainly hope that we can at least solve that issue…” Iris thought aloud as she remembered some of the pictures in the recent magazine articles showing the massive dichotomy in conditions of humanity in general.

I’m glad I don’t have any of the Conduits here with me; I’m sure even Storm would highly object to being called ‘animals stuffed into a habitat’, even if the statement is technically correct… Twilight mused inwardly, hoping other Ponies would learn not to be so tone-deaf when not speaking in front of a human.

“Well, the humans’ collective household aside, was there any particular reason why you decided to visit?” Iris asked as the trio walked into the library complex of the school.

“Yes, and I’d like a bit of privacy as I discuss this,” Twilight replied, her tone suddenly growing very even and serious.

“Oh dear… I know that tone of voice. You have a major problem you need to solve,” Iris continued with a sigh, as she lit her horn in her lime-green aura and opened the door to a mostly soundproof conference room.

A few moments later, the door was shut and the three were seated at a small table, the tension in the air suddenly growing quite thick.

“I want to know more about the previous summa cum laude graduate, a Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight Sparkle stated, suddenly and coldly.

Iris immediately blanched at the name, but regained her composure as she figured Twilight would have a very good reason to suddenly invoke the name of possibly the most infamous graduate in recent school history. “Very well Twilight. Given your position with Princess Celestia, I don’t see a good reason to keep all of this completely confidential, but you will forgive me if I don’t exactly read off the sum total of all of our issues with Miss Shimmer.”

Twilight nodded silently, as her serious face softened slightly, now a face of genuine inquisitiveness.

Iris concentrated for a few moments, and magicked a rather sizeable binder onto the table. There was a large prominent sun-like symbol on the front, and in Equestrian was printed “Permanent Record: Sunset Shimmer”.

Iris took a deep breath as she hated having to relive trying to deal with the pale-orange mare with the fiery mane. “Let’s see, Sunset Shimmer: graduated with a 3.95 grade-point average over her entire scholastic career, was rated as at least a B+ in all fields of Unicorn Explicit Magic, was suspended a total of six times during her five year tenure here, the last nearly costing her entire career. Only the intervention of Celestia herself prevented that last one from turning into an expulsion. Said controversy led to her losing the right as the valedictorian speaker at that year’s graduation ceremony.”

Twilight vaguely remembered the incident, as she entered the school the fall following Sunset’s graduation in the spring of that year. “The best I can recall, Sunset was nearly expelled for, and some were saying was nearly formally charged with, unlawful imprisonment when they found a Pegasus and an Earth Pony tied up in her dorm room.”

Iris shuddered a bit as she remembered Sunset practically writhing on the ground, begging her and Celestia to have mercy upon her. “Yes, she had a Pegasus and Earth Pony tied down in her dorm room, though there is no official report on the motive for the brief but still legally actionable indecent. Though after consultation with Celestia, we began to suspect what she was up to.”

“What?” Twilight said, as she and Spike leaned in on the table some, trying to anticipate what Headmistress Iris was going to respond with.

“We suspected she was attempting to figure a way to forcibly turn herself into a ‘pega-corn’, similar to Princess Cadence at the time.”

Twilight and Spike just stared at Headmistress Iris slack-jawed, as neither could imagine any type of magic that could turn a Unicorn into a Pega-corn, much less an Alicorn, in any way shape or form.

“We managed to catch her while she was in the beginning of her experimentations, therefore the only thing she would have been charged with was the unlawful imprisonment, and possibly foalnapping if we pressed the issue and found that she had forced or tricked the two into entering her room,” Iris recalled, as she could remember the many deliberative sessions she had with the rest of the school administration, Celestia, the head of Canterlot Police, and the Canterlot area coordinator of the Juvenile Justice System.

“I would assume since none of her records were expunged, and she currently is not rotting in adult prison, that her plea for mercy was heeded?” Twilight asked, once her mental faculties resumed their normal processing. Spike was still trying to figure out in his head how a Unicorn could become a Pega-corn.

“Yes, after that incident, we never had another cross word with Sunset Shimmer in any fashion. Not to say that she turned over a new leaf, though. She just became a recluse, as far as anyone else could tell. Even after her graduation, she would still occasionally show up here as an alumnus visitor, and spend hours, and I personally speculate days, uninterrupted in the Archives, pouring over positively everything,” Iris started, as she unlatched the binder and gave Twilight copies of some hoof-written letters addressed to herself, from Sunset. “There were also these letters that we would generally get once or twice a month, telling us..."

Spike snatched one of the letters out of Twilight’s telekinetic aura and began reading it out loud. “Dear School of Supposedly Gifted Unicorns. I am this much closer to finding what you all have been hiding from me. I know there is some way that a Unicorn can go above and beyond what you all are teaching everyone. While I don’t know exactly how one would go above and beyond, my gut will just not stop shouting at me that there is something completely missing from Unicorn Magic. Then again that might just be me being hungry. In any case, I will figure out what you all have been hiding! THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!!”

The young dragon cocked his head to the side as he looked at the scrawl of Sunset’s signature on the bottom of the letter. “You know if I didn’t know any better I’d say she had some serious delusions going on.”

Twilight sighed as she took the letter back from her adoptive brother and read over it again for herself. “I can see why you’d think that Spike. Either she was half-drunk when she wrote this, or she was trying to hoof or mouth-write when she really hadn’t been practicing. And that’s not even speaking toward the content of the letter…” Twilight started, before she had a flash of insight.

Then again, if Sunset is half the mare I think she is, she might have stumbled over something in the Archives that would speak to the ‘Power’ that the Conduits possess…

“In any case, that letter in particular is the last we have received since September. Given how, for the last five years, she’s sent us at least one letter like this per month, she’s either finally reached catharsis and is letting all of this go… or something dramatic has happened to her,” Iris contemplated aloud as she took the letter back and filed it back into the binder.

“Given whom we’re dealing with, I’d wager the latter,” Twilight concluded.

“In any case, I think this is enough about one disgraced alumnus for one afternoon. Let us concern ourselves with something a little more cheerful,” Iris suggested as she magicked the binder back to its resting place and opened the door to the conference room.

“Fine, but I have to meet my friends back at the Royal Gardens Hotel before long,” Twilight replied, a little more cheer to her voice.

“Yeah, my head is spinning a little bit after talking about some crazy mare from the recent past. Like we don’t already know enough of those as it stands…” Spike added; sighing as they all left the room.

===== ===== ===== =====

[ December 20, ??? – Canterlot, Equestria ]

The city of Canterlot, usually an extremely busy hub of activity and creativity, being a town mostly populated by Unicorns, stood unusually quiet that day. Most of the Ponies were relaxing or outright napping, knowing that most of the activity for this day would start close to sundown. Spike, The Four Conduits of Terra, and the Elements of Harmony were no different, even if it seemed that Pinkie never seemed to sleep where there was party being planned. Sure enough, activity around town picked up after noon.

"Wow, I don't think I've seen this much blue and silver anything..." Vague said, remarking on just how well decorated the city was.

"Ooooh, this is where I wanna be in ten years! Planning the biggest parties that Equestria have ever seen!" Pinkie Pie said, wondering if Luna would tap her before long to help organize something like this.

Rarity definitely saw the artistry in Pinkie, even if it manifested in a manner radically different than hers. "Well you keep on your path and you'll get there, trust me you have an artist's eye. I want to see what kind of costumes that Luna had commissioned. I heard there were supposed to be all kinds of street performances and parades across the major cities in Equestria."

Rainbow Dash was certainly excited for the evening. "Well I can definitely tell this is something the Princesses want everyone outside for. I read the weather schedules, and it's supposed to be unusually warm this evening."

As everyone continued their slow walk toward the courtyard where they were to watch the opening ceremony, Blue Vague took a moment to pause and reflect.

It’s amazing how, with next to no human influence, they managed to create mostly similar technology anyway…

-----

Meanwhile, Canterlot Castle was already abuzz with activity. Princess Celestia was helping Luna put the finishing touches on the planned magical pyrotechnic display to happen at midnight.

"Do you think this is a bit much, I mean it is the first Winter Moon Celebration in... how many centuries?" Luna asked as she went over the simulations with a hoof on a crystal-ball projector.

"This is exactly why we should make as big an impact as we can. I want everyone, Convert or Native, to truly feel that we are both in charge, here. One of the ways we can do that, I believe anyway, is to revive your holiday. And to answer your question - it has been exactly 840 years since the last official Winter Moon Celebration; and honestly, I am still surprised our citizens put up with me running the holiday for 163 years with you in absentia," Celestia replied, as she waved a hoof over another crystal ball with a map of the central area of Canterlot.

"I'm sure that is why you asked the other major cities to host concurrent events for those not able to attend here in Canterlot, yes?" Luna asked, still fretting somewhat that there was something she was missing.

Celestia trotted over and draped a wing over Luna's back. "Don't worry Lulu, this Celebration will go fine. I believe modeling it after the human's New Year Eve will turn out to be a good decision of yours. I am only here to advise, this is all your holiday."

Luna sighed and gathered up her strength again. "You're right. I have to have the confidence that our citizens will see this for what it is, a time to celebrate a year passing and a new year coming."

Celestia smiled that great wide smile of hers as she chuckled. "Indeed. Who knows, I bet we'll get more inspiration yet."

----- -----

As sundown came, the attendees gathered in the Royal Courtyard; and at conveniently placed magical projectors around Canterlot Square, the unofficial center of the central business area of Canterlot. Technician Unicorns were also running the final checks on the microphones set to broadcast the audio of the speech to all the major population centers holding celebrations.

Alright Luna, five minutes...

The Bearers of Harmony and Conduits of Terra were directed to their spot in the audience near the front, with the rest of the nobles and other guests of honor.

Two minutes...

The Sun was nearly down, and it was now show time. Princess Luna, in all her regalia, strode up to the microphone adorned podium as she her visage appeared on the magical projectors in Canterlot Square. Soon Ponies all across Equestria heard her voice, as she began her remarks to opening this festival of lights and sound.

"Good Evening Fillies and Gentlecolts. My name is Princess Luna, Avatar of the Moon. Before we begin the festivities for the evening, I feel it is proper for me to explain the history of the holiday and why it has mostly disappeared from the public consciousness. Many centuries ago, myself and Celestia each had a holiday, The Summer Sun and Winter Moon Festivals. These dual holidays were meant to emphasize the nature of our rule - dueling poles, different perspectives, two separate but equal entities collaborating to forge a greater whole. Despite my sister’s repeated assurances, though, I failed to see our rule as truly equal."

Luna took a short pause in her speech, Celestia silently nodding in the background. "My manifestation as Nightmare Moon was no sudden occurrence. No, that creature of pain and sorrow was borne out of many years of pent up frustration, building and building and eventually exploding. Before the incident that would later be recorded as the 'Endless Night', there was another incident that would start me on that dark path - a Winter Moon Festival several years before then. I felt I had poured all my heart and soul into that production of that festival. However, to that point, it would go down in ignominy as the most sparsely attended of the Winter Moon Festivals. As the legend goes, I became intensely jealous that my night was being ignored in favor of Princess Celestia's day; to a large extent, this is true. What is not talked about, was my increasing arrogance and ego before that festival. By the time of that fiasco, I had ceased putting in the work to earn the love and respect of my subjects, believing I was entitled to it simply due being Celestia’s sister and co-rule of Equestria. When my lack of care for my subjects was reciprocated in a lack of interest in my night, I was already too blind to see the true source of such.

"Eventually, due to that combination of jealousy and overwrought ego, I convinced myself to strike down my sister, and force everyone to love the coming endless night. Celestia realized what I was planning, and when I made my attempt, she used the Elements of Harmony to seal me in the Moon - the only recourse she had since she was not able to use the Elements to their fullest extent at the time. Out of a sense of remorse, Celestia then attempted to continue the tradition of the Winter Moon Festival, much like how she took charge of raising the Moon as well as the Sun. However, the Festival became a time of remembrance of that dark day in Equestrian history, and soon faded from the collective memory of Equestria; save for the historians, Celestia, and myself. Once I purged of my darkness, I came to realize an important fact -- I am still co-ruler of Equestria. I cannot afford to wallow in a pool of self-pity and doubt, lest I once again become unworthy of that title.

"Therefore, I have decided, with the assistance of my sister and our fine citizens, to officially revive the Winter Moon Festival, now to be known as the Winter Moon Celebration. I want everyone that can hear my voice now, or that can read these words once this speech has been archived, to remember this: I wish this holiday not to be some exercise in my own self-aggrandizement. No, I want it to be a celebration of and for everyone! I want everyone to remember the year that has passed, and I want everyone to go into the new year full of hope and vigor! That is why I want you all to have a grand time, celebrate the good memories of the year past, and resolve yourself to make the year coming the best that you can possibly make it. Thank you, and with that, I officially declare this revival of the Winter Moon Celebration open!"

With a flash of Luna's magic, the mostly blank indigo sky flared to life with untold galaxies of stars, innumerable constellations, and Luna's glorious Moon, beginning its trek across the sky. Taking that as their cue, the magical flares and lights all across the city lit up, turning Canterlot into a wonderland of light -- whites along the street level, and blues across the faces and tops of buildings. The various live bands and performers then all began to play in different areas, turning Canterlot into a wonderful sea of music; different genres for every different section of the city.

-----

The Bearers and Conduits broke up into groups, deciding to look at the various stalls and acts before what was supposed to be a particularly impressive display at midnight.

"Oh my, is that Celebration I hear playing on the loudspeakers?" Rarity asked while walking around looking at some mask sellers with Twilight and Spike.

Spike replied, wanting to spend time with Rarity about as much as anything else. "Yeah, I didn't think they'd use human music. Then again they have some good songs, so I guess the only issue was getting it onto a record or whatever."

Blue Vague and Midori Hana were off in another section of town, when he heard All Night Long over the loudspeakers for that section of town. "Oh wow, I never imagined Luna would be using Human music for this party. This was one of my grandfather's favorite songs!"

"Oh really? I kinda like 'Hello' by this artist. It kinda says something about the state of music when we left when we're talking about songs that are almost a hundred years old, doesn't it?" Midori Hana asked, head bobbing a bit to the beat.

Vague chuckled a bit at the sight and the thought. "Yeah, although I prefer to think some of that music was so good, it would have lasted this long on its own merit."

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were off watching a Dragon Dance near some restaurants. Pinkie was commenting on the dance. "You know, it seems kinda wild and random, but there really is a nice rhythm to it."

"Yeah, the drums and the flutes really help in that regard," Rainbow Dash thought, wondering what part of Earth Luna got the inspiration for the Dragon design.

Applejack turned to a poster giving detail on the historical significance of the dance. "Huh, according to this poster, the Dragon Dance originated in the East Asian regions of Earth. Mostly in what is now the Chinese Federation."

"Hrm, this party seems to be blending a lot of human stuff in with our usual stuff." Rainbow Dash thought as she ate a fried cake.

"Well, it's good stuff. It's gotta be worth something if it survived as long as it did over there," Pinkie Pie reasoned.

Golden Storm, Red Blaze, and Fluttershy stood near the start of a parade route, watching several floats and a couple of marching bands getting set up. Fluttershy walked along the cordoned off street, looking at the goings on.

"Oh wow, those floats look so nice. Princess Luna and the participants must have been planning this for a long time." Fluttershy said, watching the participants decide on who was going to pull the float and who was going to throw gifts and candy to the crowd.

"Heh, given how big a brain Luna has, I wouldn't be surprised if she was planning the end stages of this while she was training us," Golden Storm remarked, watching the bands getting their instruments tuned up and going through other final checks.

Red Blaze walked over to a lamp post to read the schedule. "Hrm, apparently there is going to be a big light show planned for midnight on the dot, and weren't we supposed to meet with everyone else back at the Royal Courtyard at 11:30 PM?"

"Yes, we were Blaze. I hope everyone remembers," Fluttershy said worriedly.

"Well Twilight is in one group, and she's always a stickler for punctuality; and I don't think Pinkie Pie could forget anything even if she tried, so I think we're good," Storm reasoned as they walked back down the marked parade route to find a good spot.

-----

It was now 11:55, and all eleven of the Ponies and young Dragon managed to make it back to the courtyard before the big light-show was set to begin.

"What did I tell ya Fluttershy, told ya they'd all make it back," Golden Storm said proudly, inwardly glad his confidence was rewarded for once.

"Yes you did, and I'm glad they did," Fluttershy said as they sat in the courtyard, watching the sky as the Moon was about to reach its apex in a couple of minutes.

The courtyard had filled up with some of the general public now, the V.I.P.s deciding to enjoy the light show from their hotel rooms or palace suites.

Right on schedule, the Moon hit its apex exactly at 12:00 AM, and froze in position; Luna's aura racing through the sky, like a director telling everyone to get ready. All of the live and recorded music ceased, and all of the decorative lights dimmed or turned off completely. Luna then stepped back up to the microphone-covered podium, to deliver a message before the light show started.

"I trust you all have had a wonderful night," Luna began before cheers of approval erupted from the crowds wherever they could hear her. She continued after the applause and cheering died down. "Yes, I can see you have. You cannot imagine how much joy that brings to my heart. As promised, at midnight there would be a grand light show. Well, it is midnight, so without further ado, let us begin shall we."

A further hush fell over the audiences everywhere. Even in the towns and smaller cities that weren't holding official celebrations, many Ponies were awake to watch the light show.

Luna began by conjuring an ethereal bow, cobalt blue like her magical aura. The drew the string back and launched a single arrow at the moon. When it 'struck' the moon, the entire sky exploded with another wave of her magical aura, and that’s when the magic started. First the sky lit up with explosions of all manners of colors and shapes, every color of the rainbow represented and all manners of geometric shapes. These explosions of color were matched by waves of color emanating from the moon, washing through the night sky like ripples in a lake. Then four comets flew out from behind the moon and exploded, one red, one blue, one yellow, and one green. Then six more comets flew out from the moon - pink, purple, red, blue, green, and yellow. Soon ten comets flew out, exploding in clockwise sequence, lighting up the sky with all of the previous colors at once.

After that opening, Luna began to use the stars as a giant peg-board; the various stars glowing different colors and representing figures. She used this setup to depict the purging of Nightmare Moon, the re-sealing of Discord, and the repulsion of the Changeling Invasion. Everyone watching was utterly stunned by this display not only of raw power, but of incredible finesse and control. After the ‘video’ presentation, she transitioned into sequenced explosions throughout the sky. Like a pyrotechnic display a stage show or a concert, the explosions themselves formed shapes and sequences, with sparks flying in all manners of colors. Then came the twist... a big white flash and the big finale of the show. All over Canterlot, Manehatten, Los Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Cloudsdale, every single other major population center, similar magical fireworks began going off. Streams of energy flew, showering the watching Ponies with harmless magical sparks, most of them fading before they ever hit the ground. Bangs and whizzes could be heard as the cities lit up with every color of the rainbow, before ending in pyrotechnic flares in Luna's traditional scheme of blue and silver, or white in this case of the flares.

Everyone watching began cheering as loud as they could manage at that time of night, thoroughly impressed and entertained by the whole show their Princess and all those that helped her had put on to that point.

"Oh... oh my God... I thought that display a month ago was impressive. That... that was just... I..." Blue Vague stammered out, completely spellbound and dumbstruck by that sheer display of, well, awesomeness.

"The colors, the choreography, the... the... the everything about it..." Twilight Sparkle also stammered, she being left in much the same condition as Vague.

Everyone else was too awestruck to say anything of any real worth.

----- ----- -----

It was now early that morning. Spike had scurried off to bed in Twilight's room, so the ten Ponies were left with some sparkling wine some of the other V.I.P.s didn't consume, and Rainbow Dash and Golden Storm managed to spirit away before any of the hotel staff disposed of it. It has been said by many wise men and Ponies that judgment is usually the first thing to go when intoxicated with alcohol.

With the retrieval of an aluminum pole, which Vague half-drunkenly decided to stand up to the floor, ten Ponies were about to prove that statement correct.

"Well, I guess now is as good a time as any," he began, standing proudly next to the unadorned aluminum pole. "On Earth we have a tradition about this time of year. I believe a great philosopher started it, probably while complaining about airline food or some such. But anyway, this aluminum pole represents a protest against a particular holiday that had gotten really, really bad when he was alive. So in his honor, we shall begin with the celebration of Festivus."

Everyone looked around with varying degrees of confusion.

Blue Vague continued. "Ugh, let's see here. Well there are different parts to it. I believe we've all eaten, so the feast is right out. Um... let's see, I got the pole here which I'm pretty sure is aluminum, I mean it's metal but it's fairly light. I dunno if the hotel staff would appreciate Feats of Strength being attempted here. Well I guess all we got left are the Airing of Grievances."

"Alright, so what exactly does that mean?" Twilight asked, already on her second glass of wine.

"Basically we just go around in a circle or whatever and talk about what annoys us about each other or the world in general," Blue Vague said, scratching his head.

With that, everyone arranged themselves into a circle. Twilight Sparkle sat across from Pinkie Pie, Rarity across from Red Blaze, Rainbow Dash across from Golden Storm, Applejack across from Blue Vague, and Fluttershy across from Midori Hana.

After the circle was more or less formed, Blue Vague began with the basic rules of the first go around.

"Well, I don't remember exactly how this worked, but I think this is close enough. Look at the pony across from you, and honestly think of the thing that most annoys you about said pony. If you cannot think of something, then come up with something about the world in general; we will think nothing less of you if you do."

Golden Storm coughed suddenly, which earned him a quick shot on one of his front legs from Vague.

"Anyway. I guess since Twilight has the bottle. I guess she should start?" Vague asked of everyone
Twilight sighed, poured another glass, quickly downed it, and looked across at Pinkie Pie. "Ugh let's see..." she started. Then light bulb went off in her head, before a devious smirk showed up on her face.

"Alright Pinkie, I got it. You're loud, obnoxious, completely random, and, oh let's see here... a bit of a one-trick pony."

Pinkie's expression went completely flat, as did her hair. Rainbow Dash figured whatever Twilight said was about to leave all of them in a world of hurt, hopefully not physically.

"You know, that can't be good, but I figure we're already too deep in this now so whatever. Rarity you're up," Blue Vague said, hoping he did not invoke something that should have been left bottled up.

Rarity took the bottle from Twilight and poured a glass for herself. "Alright then. Let's see, dear Red Blaze... you're standoff-ish, you hate talking to anyone about anything, and you have quite a bit of a temper."

Red Blaze looked off to the side in back of Pinkie Pie, eyes starting to burn with anger. Golden Storm decided to chime in. "Well... you do have a bit of a temper, baby."

Which earned him a punch in the other front leg, this time from Blaze.

"Ow, damn girl, you hit harder than Vague."

Which earned him a murderous glare from Vague.

"Ok, seriously, what's up?"

Rainbow Dash had already taken a drink from her glass, Rarity having already graciously filled it; and internally telling herself this would probably be a long morning and a Unicorn should handle the bottle anyway. "What's up? Well just fact you don't know when to talk... and you seem to not have a serious bone in your body. That and you're an incorrigible flank-chaser. I dunno if you are half-human and half-Pony; or third-human, third-Pony, and third-skirt-hound."

Storm wondered why everyone was suddenly ganging up on him. Everyone else wondered where Rainbow Dash found the words 'incorrigible' and 'skirt-hound’.

The bottle was now in Applejack’s general vicinity. And knowing her own limits, having worked around fermenting agricultural products much of her adult life, had hardly finished her first glass. "Well let's see there... Blue Vague. I wonder if ya picked that name cuz ya won't give a straight answer. Plus, ya seem to have a fetish for five-bit words, which don't help. PLUS, I think ya tend to wax philosophical just a bit too much for my tastes."

Blue Vague just mouthed something silently, as he thought about what he was going to say when the bottle got around to him.

The periwinkle-aura'ed bottle then drifted near Fluttershy. As a pony that really had no idea what her alcohol tolerance was, was already on her fifth glass, and quite visibly flushed. "Hrm, Midori... I don't know what to say, honestly," she started, and Midori breathed a brief sigh of relief. "Well besides the fact that you are even more bi-polar than Pinkie Pie. Seriously, I don't know who's worse with the mood swings, you or her."

Midori just chuckled awkwardly as the blooms fell out of her hair. Vague levitated them aside onto a far-away table, just in case things really got out of hoof.

The bottle got next to Pinkie Pie, who snatched it out of the air and took a swig straight from the bottle's mouth. "You know, I don't know if I should be insulted, or complemented that little Miss Control FREAK called me 'random'. Little Miss 'I wouldn't know spontaneous if it came up and bit me square on my ass!"

Rarity simply huffed as she regained control of the wine bottle.

"Hey, I know random! I can be spontaneous! Can't I be spontaneous, Rarity?" Twilight asked nervously, hoping for some positive reinforcement.

Something she wouldn't get from the white Unicorn as she just shook her head silently.

"UGH! Why does everyone keep saying that?!" Twilight screamed as she stretched out on her back, visibly upset.

Red Blaze stared intently past the wine bottle, as she held out her glass to be filled. After such, she took a few extra moments to think of her comments for the purple-maned fashionista. "Hrm, so I don't like talking. Well, let's see... oh yeah, I'll talk. Talk about how you're vain, talk about how you can be quite shallow, oh and especially talk about how you're one of the biggest drama queens I've seen on this side of the Aura Barrier."

Rarity just silently glared at Blaze, who was more than willing to return fire as the periwinkle-aura'ed bottle drifted next to Vague.

Blue Vague took a slow drink from his glass as he finalized his thoughts; Rarity still with enough good grace in her to fill the glass once emptied. "Let's see Miss Jack.’Won't give a straight answer,' I believe you said. I see it as just not being plain, like a certain orange Earth Pony mare. Plain speaking, plain personality, plain hairstyle... just plain... well… everything."

Applejack snorted as she made a snide look at Blue Vague.

"Hey, I'm just saying..." Blue Vague said as he put his hooves up in a faux-defensive posture.

The bottle drifted to Midori Hana to complete the circuit, who was still giggling madly at the entire spectacle. "Oh man, this is just too funny..."

"What's funny, Miss Green." Fluttershy said derisively, the alcohol cutting off all the mental filters for social grace.

"First of all, Miss Midori to you. Second of all, This whole spectacle. THIRD of all, and back to you, the fact you had the nerve call me or Pinkie bipolar. Oh yeah, I heard the stories of how you seem to be really, really prone to bouts of rage. Like a certain incident back in the courtyard a couple of years ago..." Midori said, with a look on her face of 'bring it on'.

"Oh so that's how it's going to be, isn't it Miss Green." Fluttershy said, as the circle began to break up.

"Yes, I do believe it is going to be that way, Miss Not-So-Shy." Hana said, physically meeting the butter yellow Pegasus face to face.

"Ok, ok ladies... let's not go and do anything that'll have the hotel staff ready to throw us out on the street..." Storm said, trying to break up the altercation.

"SHUT UP!" both the butter-yellow and grass-green Ponies shouted at the approaching Pegasus stallion.

"Okay then..." said stallion replied, turning around and heading back for another glass of wine from an unopened bottle.

The spectacle dragged on for a good while longer, as more of the wine got around and into all ten Ponies involved. As they say, all good times come to an end, and this little private party was no different. Although, it was hard to say most parties ended the way this one had.

Golden Breeze, good and inebriated, proceeded to confirm most of Rainbow Dash's suspicions of him. "Hey, now you said that I tended to, ahem, chase the flanks around. But you know I wouldn't do such a thing if they weren't worthy of being chased."

Rainbow Dash was also inebriated, but not to the same degree, and therefore retained the good sense to not immediately follow Storm down this line of thought. "Heh, I guess I should thank you, but you sure you should be saying stuff like that with your marefriend like... 10 lengths away from us?"

"Ah come on, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," he said, oblivious to the fact that they weren't exactly in a private setting, and therefore everyone could hear exactly what he'd been saying.

Red Blaze, burning with anger, thought at first to lift the drunken Pegasus up and slam him against the wall, but then figured property damage would come out of their pocket. She then thought to take the Festivus Pole and clock him upside the head with it, but then thought the hospital bill would also come out of their pocket. She then found Applejack strumming on a novelty guitar made of very thin wood, and found it the perfect instrument, if one would, to teach the Pegasus a little lesson in fidelity.

Blaze sauntered up to Applejack, clearly not wanting to draw Storm's attention. "Say A.J., could you do me a little favor..." She then whispered into Applejack's ear her little idea.

Applejack's ears perked up, and found it to be a perfectly humorous and succinct way to get Blaze's point across.

Blaze and Applejack then made their way behind Golden Storm, Applejack motioning to Dash to not move or say anything to tip them off. The other six onlookers just sat silently, also not wanting to tip Storm off to Applejack's presence or Blaze's intentions.

Blaze tapped Storm on his shoulder, which immediately caused Storm to wheel around and immediately assume a verbally defensive posture. "Oh... hey baby... um... how long were you standing there."

Applejack moved out of Storm's direct line of sight, guitar along her side.

"Oh not that long..." Blaze responded; looking for the entire world like nothing was amiss.

"So, is anything wrong?" Storm asked nervously, still not noticing Applejack, now with guitar cocked in her hooves.

"Oh nooo, not at all. Well... maybe... just one little thing..." Blaze said, as she ducked out of the way to give Applejack a clear line of sight.

"Huh wh--" Storm started to say, before he was cut off by a bang that a wooden, toy, novelty guitar had no business making. But loudly bang it did, as Applejack smashed the toy clean against his temple, knocking the drunk Pegasus completely unconscious.

"Welp, I guess that about brings this party to a close." Blue Vague said, as he magically un-stuck the aluminum pole from the floor, and Blaze drug the unconscious Storm away from the snapped guitar.

"Goodnight Seattle, you guys rock..." Storm murmured while being drug away to his room.

The other eight Ponies continued to clean up, thankful their little alcohol-fueled session didn't result in any further damage to the room they commandeered.

-----

I wonder if I could use that idea for next year's Winter Moon Celebration.

Hopefully it doesn't end in the mass smashing of novelty guitars across our poor citizens’ heads.

CH 14: Boom Goes the Dynamite

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=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===

=== Chapter 14: Boom Goes the Dynamite ===

=======* ACT I *====================================
[ January 5, ???(+1) – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]

It had been a week or so since the ten Ponies, one Princess, and one fledgling Dragon resumed their usual daily routine. In that interim, Golden Storm made was making such an effort to apologize to Red Blaze for his overzealous flirting with Rainbow Dash, it was starting to become annoying to everyone else involved. Well except for Luna, whose mind was occupied with more, global, issues.

"Conduits of Terra… I must congratulate you all on your progress in learning Equestrian Magic," Princess Luna began, her face all smiles (for the time being).

All four Conduits were thoroughly unnerved by the look on Luna’s face, as that look usually telegraphed an ulterior motive or action on her part.

"However, I do not believe you have begun to accomplish what I originally set out for you all to do while here…" Luna continued, her face becoming soft yet stern, akin to a mother trying to figure out a good explanation to give to a child who wasn’t quite grasping at a moral concept.

The Conduits just looked on with concern, not exactly sure how to feel as Luna paced in front of them, and the Bearers with Spike backed a few paces backward.

"Therefore, I think a brief… reminder is in order," Luna stated, sighing as she hated having to resort to direct psychological ‘manipulation’; yet, despite her reticence, her horn began to glow her trademark cobalt blue.

"Um… so… what would you ha--" Vague tried to say, rudely interrupted as he swiftly came under the influence of Luna’s mental projection. His eyes were nearly completely blank, only the outer rims glowing in the indigo-blue gradient of Luna's mane. Before any of the other three Conduits of Terra could think to protest, they all soon shared the exact same condition; Luna’s entire body now wrapped in a ‘warm’ cobalt blue glow, a sign of the sheer amount of focus and power she was using.

"Twilight, please tell me you aren't the only one sensing that incredible surge of mana." Rarity said, just as nervous as Vague was before he fell entirely silent.

"To be perfectly honest, I have entirely no clue what this is. I've never seen Princess Celestia do anything like this while I was around her," Twilight Sparkle replied, trying to race through her encyclopedic knowledge of Explicit Magic to find something, anything similar.

"If Ah can feel the flow of magic from ‘er, then whatever she is doin’ must really be major," Applejack said curtly, her usual steadfastness starting to fail at the sheer display of magical force and control being displayed by the Princess of the Night.

==-- ---- --==

Blue Vague was in the home of a Dome Citizen, although it was nowhere near as nice as he'd imagine it otherwise. The entire place was dark, and wrappers from various foodstuffs littered the floor.

And here I thought a home of this size in the Dome would be kept in better condition than this. I’ve been in homeless shelters with less trash on the floor… he silently commented to himself, as he walked through the halls.

When he got to the doorway of a lit room, he peered inside - spying a high-end terminal playing what looked like amateur video. As he entered the room, his ears picked up the sound of a male whimpering pitifully. Vague then decided that, since he was effectively a wandering ghost in this place, he might as well get a closer look, just so he could see who he was dealing with.

He saw a somewhat sickly looking man, probably in his early 20s. He was holding a chemical photograph of himself and a woman, all the while crying miserably to himself. Despite being little more than an apparition, Vague carefully snuck around the sobbing man to get a closer view of the terminal. What he saw was a fairly curt e-mail.

“Dear Randall. It’s over.

-Sincerely, Christina”

This is… this is just awful… I… even though I don't know this guy… even though he is a Domer… I can't help but feel his absolute despair…

"Christina… how could you leave me for him? I had just as much money as he did, isn't that what you wanted? I gave you everything you asked for… why did you leave me? I did everything you asked, everything you wanted, but you still left me. Why? Why?" the man continued to ask himself; mind searching for some kind of answer to why his apparent girlfriend just up and ended their relationship with no prior warning.

Vague was shaking, body overcome by the distinct feeling of drowning. In this case though, it was less he was experiencing drowning for himself, but more watching someone else drown.

I… I want to help… but… how am I supposed to help someone like this… I know what he and his cohorts did to the world… but still… I… I don't know… I don't know, Celestia… I don't know, Luna… What am I supposed to do?

=---=

Golden Storm found himself on top of a high-rise public housing development. He looked around, surprised he couldn't directly sense the haze or anything else he should have, being so high up in the air.

Man, this is some kind of view… Beautiful and depressing at the same time…

As he walked around the roof-top, he saw someone else looking over the edge of the built up rooftop. It was a young lady who just stared out from the top of the sixty-story building. Golden Storm got a good look at her face, and it almost seemed blank; as if she was devoid of any real complex thought or emotion.

Ok, for someone as pretty as her, that look is just downright disturbing.

She stood up, her face betraying a small sense of quiet resolution. She propped herself up on the raised edge of the roof, wide enough to support all but the biggest of feet as she balanced herself there. It was as if she stood there, just waiting for something, anything to convince that what she was about to do wasn't the right, or even only decision she had.

No, no wait… UGH… what the… this… this oppressive depression. I… How… I don't even know this chick, but it's like I can feel everything she's going through in her head… Her mind is some kind of maelstrom, and it's ripping her apart…

"This is it I guess. No job, no boyfriend, no money, no nothing. So what's the point. If I disappeared, who'd grieve for me, not my dead parents, I know that much. All this stress… all this emptiness… I'd never have to feel it again…" the young lady mused aloud, as if she was trying to convince herself this irrevocable decision was the true way forward.

Ugh… please… don't… I know it's not good now… But this isn't the answer… But I don't know what is… Please, anyone, help me… I can't watch her do this, I need help…

=---=

Red Blaze appeared in a back alley. She walked around for a while, quickly figuring out that she was little more than a phantom in her current state; though her internal reverie was rudely interrupted by the sound of crashing garbage cans and very angry shouting.

Wow, what's his problem… I don't know of too many things that could have someone that pissed off, quite frankly…

Blaze trotted along in her phantasmal form, finally finding the young man she heard screaming and cursing a storm. He looked like someone going into a full blown blind rage, throwing around trash cans and anything else light enough for him to pick up and toss around.

"How could he fucking do that do me? We were supposed to be boys, we were supposed to be tight. Then he just ditches me like that, fuck that! FUCK HIM! I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT HIM OR ANYONE ELSE!" the young man shouted, still tossing trash can and overturning anything his 5'10" and 160 lb. frame would let him.

That blind anger; that rage… it's… Ugh, it's like a fire burning out of control… I'm getting pissed just thinking about it…

One of the supposed friends in question finally caught up to the young man.

"Hey Adam man, come on, you know how things are… we can still work things out though…" the second man said to the first, trying to get him to calm down in any way and see reason.

"NO, FUCK YOU! You stupid motherfucker! Do you know how long we've been tight, and then you just go and ditch me like that, I don't want to fucking hear anything from you right now!" Adam shouted back, growing closer to that blind rage.

I wish I could figure out just what the hell has him so hot, before I get angry myself… Blaze thought to herself as she watched this scene.

"Look man. He said that he had 2 slots open, but I needed to go with him right then and there. We both know how hard it is to get work outside of the military. You gotta believe me…", the young man told Adam, still trying to work him back down to some mental level resembling rational.

"I don't fucking care, you ditched me! We've been looking for this damn guy for two days trying to confirm our spots, and you just fucking left me! You probably just wanted that spot for yourself. No, no I got it… you were trying to find someone else besides me to be your partner. So who is it, Steven? Maybe it was Rakeem, or Juan, or even Anthony?" Adam shouted at Steven, approaching with a heart red hot and a mind completely irrational. He was quickly in Steven's face and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, almost knocking Steven's portable computer off his arm.

"Dude, seriously, I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I just tried to go find the guy so I could bring him back. If I knew you were gonna get this pissed, I wouldn't have gone anywhere. Come on, seriously," Steven said back to Adam, trying not to shout and escalate things even further than they were already.

"No, you're fuckin' lying to me!!" Adam said as he threw Steven to the ground and kicked him once. Steven was doubled over in pain, and in no position to defend himself.

Adam went over and grabbed a trash can lid, with obvious ill intentions. "I'll show you motherfucker! I'll show you what happens when someone double-crosses me like this…"

This anger… this rage… please… Someone help me… I wanna make him stop, but I don't know how to do it… he's about to destroy a relationship, and possibly another human being…

=---=

Midori Hana stared at the rather surprising sight she found herself in front of - a genuine 'farm'-house outside of the Domes. She walked around the grounds for awhile, but what she found didn't surprise her in the least: row after row of plants, all sick or dead, most likely from the horrible soil conditions.

Trying to grow anything in these conditions is like trying to push a round boulder up a steep hill… she thought to herself, while she trotted back through the walls of the house, taking advantage of her phantasmal state.

Midori found the owner of the home lying in a bed. While he didn't appear sick of the body, she could tell he was plagued. After a few minutes of quiet observation, the man in question, unbeknownst to him, began to tell the green Earth Pony just why he appeared so sick.

"Two hundred years. My family has farmed in one way or another for two-hundred years. Survived droughts, survived the corporate mergers, survived everything. But now… all that's left my family's legacy is an heirless, unemployed fake farmer. Nothing is going to grow in this soil. I can't afford the nanomachines to fix the soil; and even if I could, more pollution would just leech into it."

This is awful, just awful… he has so much pride, I can feel it… but I can also feel it ebbing away… like this situation is stealing his will to live…

He rose out of the bed for a few moments to look out the window overlooking his planting rows. He prayed every night for some kind of miracle, some kind of insight, some kind of anything that'd help him. But nothing ever came. All that he saw were the few plants he could find seeds for slowly dying before they could produce anything.

"That's all anything can do out here, die. Feels like some kind of greater metaphor, I guess. It's just hard to care anymore," he said out loud, not caring if anything heard him or not. He crawled back in his bed, honestly just wishing he was some kind of animal that could sleep 23 hours a day, anything to take him away from this crippling depression and lethargy.

He's just like those plants out there… He was planted in terrible soil, and how he's dying… It's like his heart is withering… and I can feel it too… It's too sad… I want to do something, but… what can I do like this… he can't even hear me talk in this form…

==---==

Pinkie Pie began quaking violently, her Pinkie Sense going off like a warning klaxon. "Whatever is going on definitely counts a doozy."

Soon after, all four of the Conduits of Terra began to glow in their respective colors, and all seven of the onlookers felt a mana surging that absolutely none of them recognized to that point.

"Ok, now if I can feel that coming, that definitely has to be something huge," Spike said, clawed hand on the ground, feeling the false ground under them quaking and the air around them starting to rush away from where the Princess and the Conduits were.

==---==

"W…why are you showing us this…" Blue Vague and the other Conduits said in unison, struggling to maintain some sense of self while being bombarded with emotions from the persons they were watching.

"I'm sorry Conduits of Terra, but the situation on the ground on Earth is in serious danger of deteriorating. We have to have you all ready to begin unsealing Terran Mana as soon as possible, before it becomes impossible for us to operate in that world," Princess Luna responded, maintaining her sense of calm, if for no other reason than to help the other four do the same.

The four then asked again in unison, "But why… why does… does it hurt so much?"

Luna quickly responded, hoping to inspire some insight into their burgeoning natures. "That is not my magic nor that Power's doing. That is your Empathy. After you all were converted, you all began to develop extremely strong senses of empathy, even if you did not realize it at the time. I have to remind you all just what you all left behind, and what you have to return to. This is something we all have to try and fix to the best of our ability, but you must understand the gravity of the situation."

The four stood silent for a few moments, still collecting their thoughts as they watched the images projected from the Earth. "Please, please, help us… help us help them…"

"We will, Conduits of Terra. We will not abandon you or the Earth in your time of peril," Luna replied, starting to feel that otherworldly power well up in them.

That's it Conduits… I can feel it now too… You all are so close to the breakthrough… Keep going, you have to grasp that Power… and you have to keep that will to help your home world… Luna thought to herself as well.

=---=

Blue Vague then walked closer to the man, his phantasmal body turning into blue outline of himself, visible only to the man he was observing. Said man saw this, and jerked back in surprise. Blue Vague stopped, noting his apprehension.

"Who… who are you. You look like one of those Ponies I see on the holo-vision, but you're not really here," the man said, more curious now than shocked.

"You're right. I'm merely a shadow, if you will, of one of them. I was sent here simply to observe, but I felt… I needed to say something before I return. I don't want you to give up on love. Even if that lady left you, I cannot believe she would have left you so abruptly if she was serious. Please, don't let yourself drown in self-pity because of the selfishness of another," Blue Vague said, hoping he could get through to him without much struggle.

The man sat there and thought for a while, watching the blue outline of a Pony looking him right in the eye. Although he wanted to deny things, his heart knew better. "I… I… You're right… I've been crying for 3 weeks now. I've barely been able to work. But, but I can't stay like this. I got to move on; I got to go on to bigger things. Thank you, um, Pony shadow I guess…"

"Don't mention it… by the way, if you've been crying for three weeks straight, you might need this…"
Vague's light-shadow took one of the nearby cups and filled it with the most pure water imaginable. As Vague's light-shadow dissipated, the man took a drink from the cup.

"Oh my God… this has to be the best water I've ever drunk. It's… it's completely clean; can't taste any of the normal chemicals use to clean the water or anything. I guess those Ponies can do more than I thought…"

The man picked himself up off the floor, and walked over to the terminal.

"Fine… if she wants to go run off with some other guy, I'm not going to sit here and beat myself up over it anymore. Who knows what I lost with these 3 weeks I've spent doing that already…" he told himself as he began deleting the movies of him and his now ex-girlfriend.

=---=

Before the girl could take the final dive off the top of the roof, she felt a sudden gust of wind blow her backward onto the roof. She stumbled back onto the slightly slanted room, eventually landing on her rear. Her butt was sore, but at least she wasn't a smear on the sidewalk sixty stories below.

"Ok, where the hell did that come from?" she said, rubbing her backside from the sudden fall.

It wasn't too long until she focused ahead of her, and managed to see the golden-yellow outline of a Pegasus, like one of the ones she had been seeing around the outskirts of the city. He perched up on the raised edge of the roof, where she was standing a few moments before.

"Yeah, that was me. Let's just say that watching a pretty girl throw herself off a tall building isn't my idea of how to spend a day," the outline of Golden Storm said in his usual semi-snide tone.

"But, you must have heard me. I don't have anything here, I'm just taking up space. Then it again sometimes I think we're all taking up space," she said, knees drawn into her chest as she sat there, hardly moving since her little spill.

"Not that I'm here to convince anyone, but there is another option if you truly feel there is nothing for you here. But you have to be alive to take that option. We can't exactly convert the dead, you know?"

"What you would you do with someone like me. I hardly went to school before most of them shuttered. About the only good I can do is surf the 'Net to waste my time."

"Well, part of our thing is finding what your talent or skill is. So even if you don't know now, you can still at least try to find something. Even if you don't want hooves and a fur coat, you can still volunteer, maybe help someone else on their way?" Golden Storm said, hoping that those words would at least get her to reconsider.

The young woman stood up, and walked over to the edge, and looked down. She could still see the faint smears of red on the pavement. Apparently others had the same thoughts, and now they truly couldn't take back their decisions. "Well even if I don't want to be a Pony like you all… I guess I could at least see what the whole fuss is about."

"Hey, sometimes you just need another person to talk to for a while," Golden Storm said as his phantasmal outline disintegrated.

It's kinda funny. I wasn't just 'saved' by a Pony, but by the outline of a Pony. I guess someone was looking out for me at least… the young lady thought, as she walked back to the elevator.

=---=

Adam raised the trash can lid up in order to slam on the doubled over Steven. But not before he heard a bang and saw a red flash of flame whizz past his line of sight. The sheer shock made him drop the lid behind him, away from hitting anyone.

"What… what the fucking hell was that?!" Adam said, now more shocked and surprised than furious.

The red outline of Red Blaze strolled up to Adam, now having backed up a good 15 feet. "You know if you want to see mad, I can really show you 'mad' right now…"

"What the hell, since when did the Ponies shoot fire, I never saw 'em do that!!" Adam shouted, now on the defensive against the ghost-like outline of Blaze.

Blaze buzzed Adam's head with another ethereal fireball. "Well it looks like you don't know as much as you think you did. Now, you mind calming yourself down so we can work out what is going on between you and this, Steven person?"

At a loss for anything else to do, Adam indeed backed down, and sat on the ground, away from the area where he had strewn refuse all over the ground. Eventually Steven got up and walked over, less angry at Adam and more just emotionally hurt.

Adam and Steven recounted the events that led up to the previous confrontation, all the while Adam legitimately calming down once Steven was allowed to fully explain his actions.

"I… I'm sorry Steven. It's just so hard man, I… I just want to help my family. Nobody has anything these days, except what little scraps we can get from the Domes. When I heard you went to go talk to that guy in private, I… I just stopped thinking," Adam said, voice beginning to quiver with remorse now.

Steven put a hand on Adam’s shoulder, in order to continue to calm him down. "It's alright man. Anyway, I did track him down; apparently the work is legit, and we can start as soon as we go and fill out the paperwork. It might not be much pay, but anything is better than nothing these days."

Blaze noticed her outline starting to fade entirely, signaling whatever she needed to do on Earth was done with. Before she left, she gave one last admonition, "Please, Adam, you have an amazing passion for life and a drive to succeed. But you need to temper that; otherwise it's going to flare up again, like it almost did just now."

With that Blaze completely faded into the ether. Adam and Steven began to leave the alley for the main street, hoping no beat cop found them to question why the back alley was strewn with trash.

=---=

The man in the 'farm'house was awakened by the sound of a female humming. When he went to the window, he saw a pair of things that surprised him a great deal: one, what looked like a light-scribed outline of a green Earth Pony; two, a few of his plants actually growing like normal plants should grow.

"Alright, did I fall asleep and start dreaming or something?" the would-be farmer said, head poked out the window.

Midori Hana turned around and smiled that wide grin that Equestrians had. "Nope, just doing a bit of a favor for you."

"Well I appreciate the sentiment, but it doesn't seem like you can work your magic over the whole field."

"Yeah, this form I'm really limited. But, at least I was able to fix a few of your plants."

The would-be farmer just chuckled out loud. He looked at the contrast between how dead everything looked around the few bright green plants the green outline-Pony managed to fix for him. Then he began musing aloud. "You know, sometimes I wonder if I just wasn't cut out for this world. But I'm a stubborn man. You might have heard already, but I come from a long line of farm folk."

Midori Hana didn't know how to say what she was about to say, but felt she should just say it, and if he rejected it, then just leave it at that. "Well, you know, if you are willing to take the plunge, you'll probably be able to do some real farming, I guess, over in Equestria. At the very least you could help with others as they run their farms."

"Haha, yeah, you're probably right. I guess I just wanted to prove to myself whether I could or couldn't do it here; at least that’s what I told myself after you all started showing up almost a year ago. Then again, looking at things around here, it's probably that or just sit around here until the Reaper calls my number."

Midori Hana noticed her outline beginning to fade, which marked the end of this experiment. "Well I guess it's time for me to leave. But promise me that you'll think about it. I don't think anyone should have to stick around a place where they aren't going anywhere."

"Yeah, yeah I'll think about it…" he said as Midori's outline form faded entirely.

Being stuck in a place where they aren't going anywhere… Oh well I guess if I do go there, I'd find something to do other than tend dead plants and lie in bed all day… the would-be farmer said to himself, looking at some of the remaining photos of his relatives and ancestors.

---

The Conduits eyes were still glowing, feeling an amazing power surging through them. But now, it was their own Power starting to manifest, their eyes changing from a blank white to their own Element's respective colors

"Yes… yes we understand now… This is our fate… our destiny… our new Chapter to begin…" the four Conduits of Terra said in unison, feeling the Power the Robed Figure spoke of so many times; the medallions around their four necks proof of that. Their minds, their bodies, their very souls were starting to understand the nature of their power, and their coming mission.

==-- ---- --==

The Elements of Harmony were now manifest on the 'person' of their respective Bearers, and Twilight was beginning to gain some mild understanding of what was going on. "Ladies and Dragon, what is about to happen will probably shock all of us. But I think we are about to get our first real taste of Terran Magic."

"What, what do you mean, is Princess Luna trying to force them to use Terran Magic or something?" Rainbow Dash asked worriedly.

"No, I can feel both anguish and resolve in the four of them. Whatever Luna is doing isn't forcing them to use that power. It's more like… she's reminding them of something very sad, but it's triggering… well, whatever it is we are seeing," Fluttershy said, a stern look on her face she usually reserved for misbehaving pets or patients.

Pinkie Pie was still quaking rather violently behind the other six onlookers. "W-w-w-whatever the d-d-d-doozy is, it still hasn't come yet. O-o-o-otherwise I s-s-still wouldn't be s-s-s-shaking."

Pinkie Pie would be validated in her assessment, when they heard a deafening explosion from where Luna and the four Conduits of Terra were standing.

"Sweet Mother of Celestia, what was that?!" Rarity shouted, completely shocked by the thunderous noise, ducking to the ground and covering her ears with her forelegs.

"Well, whatever it was, wasn't lethal… but… just… wow… you have to see this…" Applejack said, completely in awe at what she and now everyone else saw.

They all saw four columns of light stretching into the infinitely high, but false sky of the Training Field. Near the base of the four columns, they could clearly see the four Conduits of Terra, with Luna standing proudly in the center of them.

-----

"The power of these blue waves…"

"The power of these red flames…"

"The power of these golden winds…"

"The power of this green earth…"

"These are our powers to wield… at the same time, these are not our alone to control…" The four Conduits of Terra all said, beginning to truly live up to their namesake.

Luna looked on at her four of her students, like a proud teacher watching someone march across the stage during graduation. "Those statements are all true Conduits of Terra. We all must learn together -- just what is this Power you all have been granted access to?"

Blue Vague eyes returned to normal first, hearing Luna's statement bringing him back to 'reality' as the light pillars dissipated. "What do you mean Princess?"

Soon the other three Conduits began to return to 'normal', all the while the six Bearers of Harmony returned to their general vicinity, alone with Spike.

"Woah, you guys, whatever Power you have, it felt insane," Spike said, whole body quaking as if he had Pinkie's Pinkie-Sense.

Why is that, Power or whatever they call it, making me shake like this. I don't get it, I really don't. But something is making me want it, and bad… Spike thought to himself immediately afterward, eyes momentarily flashing even more reptilian features before returning to normal. He could tell his body wanted something that it knew it couldn't have, at least not yet.

"Yeah, Luna was showing us some stuff, and then suddenly, everything just kinda… clicked, I guess. It's hard for us to explain really," Red Blaze said, looking at the now brightly colored Element of Fire around her neck.

"Well I guess it says we are enough Pony to channel the Terran magic now, not entirely sure myself," Golden Storm thought out loud.

Midori Hana was already contemplating other things. "Either way, at least these things are active now, so I guess we just have to figure out what we can do with them."

Indeed, Conduit of Earth, that is task set before you… began a voice familiar to all but Spike. The Robed Figure appeared at about ground level, even with everyone's natural line of sight. She then continued. To be perfectly honest, there is no way I can direct you in how to use The Power of Terran Magic, in terms of specific spells or techniques to use. The best advice I have for you all is this - Will must control Power. You have to develop an idea for how to use that Power, and then have the Will to execute that idea. Otherwise, the Power will not do what you intend for it to do…

The Robed Figure then disappeared as soon as she appeared.

"Ok, so who was that. The Voice or whatever that's been giving you those cryptic messages?" Spike asked, not thinking to ask the figure himself while she was there.

Twilight Sparkle was already started to contemplate the meaning of the Figure's words when she answered Spike. "Yeah, she showed up to us like that a couple of months ago before we came back to Equestria. I guess the fact she decided to appear means our four Earth friends have indeed made some breakthrough in using Terran Magic."

"Well I guess figuring out how to access it counts as a breakthrough. I mean before we felt bits and pieces of it; well, aside from those incidents with me and Storm," Blue Vague reasoned, all the while thinking of how he could use his Water Magic.

Princess Luna was still contemplating everything, and eventually came to a course of action for the near term. "In lieu of these events, I feel that we all need some time to go over things. So we will have a standard training session, though two hours instead of the usual three. After that, we should all take some time to think about how to proceed starting tomorrow. I'm sure the Conduits would agree -- merely unlocking access to their new Power is not enough to execute the unsealing properly."

The Conduits and then everyone nodded in agreement, and the training sessions resumed as normal, but now with the air of the mostly unknown power residing in the four Conduits hanging over everyone's heads.

=======* ACT II *===================================
[ January 6, ???(+1) – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]

The next day in the Training Field began as usual, except there weren't any pre-defined exercises or areas set up. Instead, in the center of the field was a spot for ten Ponies, one Princess, and a fledgling Dragon to all sit comfortably.

Luna began to speak. "Good morning my little Ponies. Due to the events of yesterday, the training schedule from this point forward will be less, how can I say, regimented. Since Terran Magic is heretofore unknown to anyone here, sadly including myself, I feel the best way we can proceed is to just completely 'wing it', as it saying goes."

At least… I didn’t know what the exact nature of the magical force we had used in those days long ago was. So forgive me for being selfish, Conduits… Luna added silently.

Everyone else looked at each other with varying degrees of confusion.

"To attempt to clarify, what I am saying is that we will have to develop our practice methods as we go. But I believe that I have a good idea for how to start things. Conduits of Terra, I want you all to think of what would be the best way to demonstrate what you believe your Magic should be able to do, and we will see if you can actually do that," Luna said, stroking her chin some. She figured that would be the best way to proceed in this blind-leading-the-blind situation.

“Well the whole deal is ‘power being controlled by a will’, so I guess that makes sense,” Vague replied, as his fellow Conduits began thinking on what exactly they could do as a demonstration or practice.

---

Red Blaze was the first to come up with an idea. "Say Princess Luna, I have an idea. Could you make this for me?"

She then trotted up to Luna and whispered into her ear the idea. Luna agreed and announced her intentions to the rest of the group.

" everyone, Red Blaze has come up with an idea for her demonstration…" Luna began to announce, before transforming the Training Field. A somewhat shallow but fairly wide pit, three lengths deep but twenty lengths wide appeared in front of the area where everyone was sitting, which Red Blaze went to stand in the center of. Luna gave her a pair of safety goggles, which she then put on, and many machines appeared at various points going out into the field.

Luna then completed her announcement. "The demonstration Red Blaze planned is for her to shoot down clay ‘pigeons’ using her Fire Magic, developing the idea from human firearms practice. So, whenever you are ready, dear."

Red Blaze took a deep breath and began to concentrate. Everyone there, including Luna to a small extent, were surprised by the sudden appearance of sharp-looking archaic characters along her face and back.

Alright Blaze, like the Figure said, just concentrate on making something…

Then six fireballs appeared, floating over her back in a ring. They stood still, burning from the mana being fed instead of some physical fuel.

"Woah, that was… weird. I just thought for them to appear and poof, there they are…" Red Blaze turned around to say, fireballs remaining still in the air.

Everyone else applauded, impressed by the display.

Blaze took another heavy breath, attempting to steady her nerves and her mana channeling. "Alright Princess, I guess I'm ready as I'm gonna be. So whenever you’re ready!"

Everyone drew quiet, as they heard a buzzer go off and a clay disc launched into the air from one of the nearby machines. Red Blaze took a brief moment to judge the trajectory, and when she felt the time was right, launched a fireball to meet it. It was a direct hit, the clay disc exploding on impact into a fine cloud of pale gray dust.

"Hey, this is a great idea: target shooting with fireballs!" Storm shouted to Blaze, unsure if she could hear him.

After shooting down a couple more discs and replenishing her fireballs, Blaze responded. "Yeah, I thought of it last night. I figured that this would be something simple, yet effective."

The demonstration went on, Blaze shooting down the clay pigeons with frightening accuracy. After fifty were launched, Luna decided that would be enough for the time being. "That was a very impressive display of marksmanship. You ended up downing 42 of the 50 targets, while using 62 shots, if my counting was accurate, Conduit of Fire."

"Yeah, I don't want to go too far with this on the first day, I don't want to think fireball and end up with a flamethrower. That will have to be saved for another time when I'm more used to this Fire Magic," Blaze said with the utmost confidence, putting her safety goggles back on a table near Luna.

-==-

Golden Storm picked up the goggles next, and began his demonstration. "Alright, I got this idea thinking back to my Air Force days. When I first took flight, I kinda thought of myself like a living airplane. Now, let's see how I do as a living fighter jet." He zoomed up to a platform Luna created after she transformed the Training Field for his demonstration.

Alright, I guess this is time for me to show off… he thought to himself, as he began making the mana links along his body – the angular runes lining his back, sides and hooves, and some of his feathers turning a pale, almost electric yellow instead of their usual golden-yellow color.

He flared out his wings into a horizontally ‘flat’ and still position, gathered up all his speed and courage, and ran full-tilt over the edge of the platform.

"Wait, Rainbow Dash, how can he fly like that? I don't feel any trace of Weather Magic coming off him," Fluttershy said, face full of concern at this crazed stunt of his.

Fluttershy’s, and anyone else's, concern were quickly alleviated when they felt the impulse of Terran magic, and Golden Storm zoomed off like a jet kicking in its afterburners. To those that could perceive it beyond how fast he was going, his face was full of childlike mirth as he zoomed in the false sky, using no magic beyond his Wind Magic he had been granted as its Conduit.

"Judging by that yellow contrail behind him, I see why Fluttershy or me couldn't feel any Weather Magic off him when he took off. He looks like one of the human airplanes flying like that, hardly having to move his wings at all," Rainbow Dash said, smirking all the while. Rarity couldn't tell if she was mad, jealous, or just amused by the human-turned-Pony's display.

Golden Storm sped along, the long yellow trail of Terran Wind Magic showing his path. He then saw the targets Luna devised for him, jet fighter-shaped clouds.

Alright, let's see if I can make two things work at once…

His fore-hooves began to take on the same bleached yellow color as some of the feathers in his wings, as he stretched his forelegs out in front of him.

"Here we go!" he shouted as pulses of slightly yellow colored air shot from the edges of his hooves. The impact against the cloud-planes causing them to immediately 'explode' into puffs of water vapor.

"That's impressive… although I think he's just using the Wind Magic to fly in order to prove a point," Rainbow Dash said, somewhat bemused by Storm’s fighter jet mimicry.

"Well it ain't like you wouldn’t the same thing R.D. Maybe ask him how he flies like that, whenever they unseal their Magic for everyone," Applejack replied, nonplussed at Dash's apparent attitude.

Rainbow Dashed sighed as she watched the golden-yellow Pegasus doing barrel rolls in the air, while popping the balloon-like cloud-planes with his air-bullets. "Yeah, to be honest I am a bit jealous. I guess because he's taking to the air in a way that I can't, at least not yet anyway."

She made a resolution then to learn that technique of flying as soon as she possibly could.

Golden Storm began to descend to the ground after the display, not wanting to exhaust his Terran mana supply in case Luna wanted him to pull some more tricks later. He finally un-stiffened his wings as he cancelled the spells, returning his whole body back to its natural golden-yellow color.

"Oh man, I'm gonna have to work on that. Holding my wings stiff like that actually hurts, like a lot…" Storm moaned, as he was trying his best to get his wings to relax in a natural position after being held almost completely still for such a long flight.

"I was wondering why exactly you were trying to fly like that. But you did it, and now you made me want to do it too," Rainbow Dash said, getting over the pangs of reasonably quickly.

Golden Storm laughed for a little bit at the sentiment. "Hah, well I dunno. Like I said, trying hold the wings stiff like that’s painful. Still, I or someone else will find a use for it eventually…"

---

After cleaning up the area for leftover cloud-stuff, a ring about 40 lengths wide and 10 lengths deep was carved out of the grounds some distance from the spot where everyone was sitting. Midori Hana donned the safety glasses, as well as a vest and boots for this demonstration. "Alright, well I hope this goes as well as Luna and I planned it. See you all in a bit." She cheerily walked away, and down some temporary stairs into the pit.

Blue Vague watched with intent as the stairs rose out of the pit and sat to the side. After such, a rather large stone block appeared on the side of the ring opposite of Hana.

"Are you ready to proceed? Remember, if at any point you want the demonstration to stop, just say so," Luna asked, horn glowing ready to activate whatever said block was.

"I'm ready, and don't worry. If it's too much I'll back out," she turned around and replied. She still sounded full of cheer, but now it was tempered with anticipation.

With a quick flash of Luna's horn, the stone device rumbled to life. It quickly morphed into a golem, about 4 lengths tall, the size of a rather tall and stocky human male.

"Ok so she's gonna fight that thing?" Applejack wondered out loud.

"That sounds about right, but I wonder how she's gonna fight it. If this is her Earth Magic demo, then I guess there is a condition or something," Pinkie Pie figured.

I just hope she doesn't get overzealous and get herself hurt or anything… Blue Vague just wondered to himself.

The golem jammed its hand into the ground, and threw a fair sized boulder at Midori, which she easily dodged. Midori, wanting to demonstrate her new power, instead of bucking the golem to pieces, began to channel her Earth magic. While her face showed a few bleached green runes, but most were around her hooves. She used that force to help her pick up one of the shattered pieces of boulder in a manner that no Pony should have been able to without magical assistance, and slung it back at the golem in much the manner the golem slung the first.

Alright Luna, don't go too hard on me now with this… Hana thought to herself, the cheer turning into determination.

The battle went on for a couple of minutes, both having scored shots on each other, but the Golem clearly worse for wear, missing a good chunk of its torso. Hana, protected by the safety gear, only had a few scuff marks on the hoof-boots and vest to show for the golem's hits.

"At first, I was wondering how this was going to work. But I think I see what is going on," Blue Vague said while watching his girlfriend battle the training golem.

"So how is this workin' Vague?" Applejack asked, interested in this very unsubtle display of magic by an Earth Pony.

Blue Vague closed his eyes to read the mana patterns to make sure his assumptions were right. "Well, I guess the best term for it is tactile telekinesis. Hana appears to be able to handle the small rocks just by touching them with a hoof, at least as long as her Earth Magic is strong enough."

"Hey, I guess that's how we hold some things with our hooves as well, although I don't think we can manage anything that heavy," Pinkie Pie quipped up, recognizing the term somehow.

The battle raged on for a few minutes more; Hana intermittently screaming, as best everyone else could figure, some kind of war-cry or other. While Hana was a lot more scuffed up now, including a few nicks along the uncovered parts of herself, the golem was heavily damaged, hardly able to hold itself together.

Alright Golem, time to finish this thing off… Hana thought to herself, ready for the coup-de-grace.

She circled around the golem at a quick pace, who was still trying to throw its boulders or its arms at her to stop her, but to no avail. She then took a big leap into the air, getting a good six lengths into the air, before crashing and striking the ground with a green glow. After a brief pause, they saw the golem utterly wrecked by an explosion of granite spikes. What was left of the golem lay 'life'less, either near the base of the formation or impaled on the spikes.

"Wow, that was an impressive ending flourish," Rarity said, marveling at the quality of the gray granite, streaked with Midori's green Earth Magic.

"Definitely something Ah want to avoid gettin' hit by," Applejack added, surprised by Midori's combat instincts.

A short while later, after taking off the safety equipment and having her nicks attended to, Hana talked a bit with Applejack about her performance. "So what did you think out there AJ?"

"I think you have a good handle on what you want to do with your Earth Magic. You also have pretty good combat instincts," Applejack said, noting how she seemed to flow with the golem's attacks.

Hana quickly dispelled any notion that she had some special fighting insight. "Oh no, that was just me playing it like a video game. I couldn’t tell you what I would have done if it was a real fight."

-==-

Blue Vague took a few more moments to think about his demonstration, and finally settled on an idea. A short while later, he appeared in a shallower, blue tile lined version of the pit, the same size across, but only 2 lengths deep. Luna sat in a raised seat overlooking the round pool. Vague sat in the center of the pool; filling the pool with enough water to hinder his movement, yet not cause him to start floating. He then lined his body with runes similar to two before him, bleached blue against his already blue coat and hooves. He walked through the water as if it weren't there, and took his position sitting in front of a floating green-painted goal, which was moored by Luna's magic to the pool floor. Across from him sat a red-painted goal, unguarded by anyone, and moored to not move by the same magic. Luna then threw a turquoise crystal into the pool, which then quickly formed a svelte looking humanoid figure made from Vague's water; but with its own, admittedly limited, intelligence.

Blue Vague then turned around to address the onlookers. "This demonstration is a simple concept. This won't be direct combat against the Water Golem you see before you, but more of a game. The object is to be the first to score eleven goals. The rules are that each side has 20 seconds to try and put the ball in the opponent's goal. The participants can use any means they can manage to put the ball in the goal, but they cannot cross the floating barrier halving the pool."

The water-golem made a thumbs-up gesture, agreeing to the terms of the game.

With that, Luna conjured up a pair of scoreboards, one for the participants, and another, larger one for the onlookers about 20 lengths away. Then she threw a ball into the pool, and blew a horn to start the match.

"So how is Vague supposed to play this game? I can see he can move in that water well enough, but I doubt he could throw a ball hard enough to get in past that water-golem," Twilight thought out loud, as she looked at the projected images above the scoreboard for them all.

"Well, I guess that has something to do with his Water Magic. I'm guessing him and that golem are coming up with some tricks using the water in that pool," Hana responded, drinking some water out of a glass, recovering from her exertion against the stone golem.

The green Earth Pony’s prediction bore out, as both Vague and the golem used the water in the pool to move the ball while keeping themselves somewhere near the goal. Vague started by throwing the ball off to the side, and using a burst of water the throw the ball across the line of sight of the golem. When he finally made his attempt on the goal, it was blocked by the golem, but barely. The golem quickly returned fire, but a quick wall of water on Vague's part resulted in a wasted possession for the golem.

"Yeah we better settle in, this might be awhile…" Golden Storm remarked, figuring that match could drag on for a while.

Ten minutes had passed, and the game was tied at 5-5. Vague had scored most of his goals on rebounds, while the golem got a pair on a couple of shots that Vague took a bad angle on blocking.

Hrm, Luna made this thing pretty smart, it's giving me a good match and seems to be trying to pick up on my tricks… Vague thought to himself, feeling the groove of the match.

"You know this is pretty fun to watch. Might be a fun game to play if we all had the same Water abilities, too…" Golden Storm said while munching on a celery stalk.

Pinkie Pie was impressed with Vague's creativity in this regard. "This is a perfect game for a pool party, although we'd need a pretty big pool if we wanted to play this with teams."

A few minutes later, the scoring at picked up, with both participants using a lot of tricks and twists to score the ball. The game was now at 9-8 in favor of the golem.

Oh so it's going to be like that isn't it… Vague thought to himself, hoping he could pull off the coming trick.

He floated some water up in the air, floating it around in front of the goal while using fountains to keep the golem's attention occupied. When he finally drew the golem out from the goal, he tossed the ball at the floating 'puddle' of water, which acted as a pinball bumper, shooting the ball into the goal from behind [9-9 tie]. The match continued, with both sides getting in another goal [10-10 tie], and setting up a sudden death scenario.

"So who do you think has the advantage here?" Rainbow Dash asked, definitely into the game.

"Well, Ah'd guess the golem, since you really can't read it's expression; heck I don't think it can even make one," Applejack responded.

The golem held the ball for a long time during its possession, trying to psyche out Vague. It worked, as the ball went in past him before he could generate a fountain. However, Luna, acting as referee, disallowed the goal, stating the golem's shot clock expired before the ball was in the air. The golem protested as much as a mute, expressionless golem could, but the replay proved Luna right. Vague just sighed in relief that he didn't lose to an artificial intelligence, at least not on that exchange.

Alright, it's time to end this… I hope I can pull enough mana to do this right, I only got one shot to surprise it… Vague thought to himself; knowing if this drug on any further, he'd be too exhausted to properly defend.

Blue Vague's runes began to glow, as he floated three different blobs of water up in the air, each at a different level. He passed the ball along a few burst at pool level at first, the golem trying to retreat back to its, goal to cut off any angle

Fifteen seconds left…

He then bounced the ball up in the air, just out of the reach of the golem for a few seconds more.

Ten seconds left…

He then used the last blob to whip the ball around to build up speed for a few more seconds.

Five seconds left, here goes nothing…

Vague then launched the ball down at the goal, but not directly across the plane. The golem, thinking Vague had made an error in calculation, lunged at the ball to smother it and run out the rest of his clock. To it and everyone else's surprise, the ball, instead of landing, skipped off the face of a nearly solid patch of water and back into the goal, winning Blue Vague the match [11-10 BV]. The golem looked as dejected as an expression-less golem could, before it dissolved back into the control core, which Luna retrieved and put away.

Vague shook the water out of his fur as he climbed out of the pool, definitely appreciating the opportunity to show off, and get some exercise in a clean pool, which he hadn't been able to do since he was a kid.

He and Luna trotted back to the common area, where everyone thanked him for the entertaining exhibition.

"So where did you get the idea for that game? It looked familiar," Golden Storm asked, now drinking some tangerine juice.

Blue Vague put the safety goggles on the table as he answered the question. "Well, I got the idea when I was thinking of different pool events at the Olympic Games. Finally, my mind came across 'water polo' and I thought 'Well, worth a shot."

"You're definitely gonna have to teach me how to play when get some more time off…" Applejack said; loving the idea of another sport she could participate in.

Princess Luna called everyone to attention. "My little Ponies, those were wonderful displays of ingenuity, as well as a fairly robust demonstration of your powers. I feel confident that we will all be able to figure Terran Magic out, if we can continue on in the manner that we have. Conduits of Terra, do not lose that creative spark, but do not let your minds wander too far either. Bearers of Harmony, pay close attention to the creativity they all show, because we will all have to show that mental flexibility before long."

The rest of the day continued on, each practice group coming up with different ideas for the Conduits, and the conduits executing those ideas to varying levels of success or failure.

Princess Luna watched each group trying out different ideas as the Training Field session wore on, contemplating how adaptable Terran Magic appeared to be, just like its originators.

Such an amazing and diverse power Terran Magic is. It appears to only be bound by the imagination and the will of its user, so much like Equestrian Magic. These two schools cannot be that different, so what happened to have that Robed Figure seal it away on Earth so long ago?

=======* ACT III *==================================

Over the last couple of weeks, the Conduits had been making fair progress as developing their own spells in their given element of Terran Magic. Between further assisting themselves in their daily lives and helping out the Bearers, there was no lack of opportunity available to experiment. The Bearers especially were intrigued at what exactly would happen after Terran Mana itself was unsealed for all magic-sensitive entities. Would they have to re-develop spells? Could they just copy their existing magical techniques for use with Terran Mana instead of the ‘Equestrian’ Mana they were used to? A myriad of questions tumbled through the collective minds of the Bearers and Spike; of course the great majority of them whirling through the brain of one Twilight Sparkle, who was content to observe and catalogue what the Conduits came up with… for now anyway.

The Conduits were concerned about the last couple of weeks for more personal reasons, however. Despite their abilities, they were still unable to properly earn their Cutie Marks. Even though their abilities were a school of magic that no one had seen for millennia, it was apparently not enough to qualify. Eventually, they all developed a theory on what the problem might be - they were not exploiting their abilities to a sufficient degree. So the four of them came to a collective resolution, to engage a collective demonstration of all the magic they’ve learned and developed to that point. The last question: just what would that demonstration even begin to look like?

[ January 17, ???(+1) – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]

While the Conduits were concerned with kind of performance could earn their Cutie Marks, and the Bearers (plus Spike) contemplated how they’d learn and/or practice Terran Magic, the Royal Sisters were equally wrapped up in problem solving. To be fair, the problem the Royal Sisters were tackling was of a far greater and global concern.

"This is not good… some of the reports we are getting from our thaumatologists on Earth are showing something very wrong with the mana flow there," Luna said, while in a private conference room with her sister.

"Hrm, there shouldn't be a problem there, since Earth's Magic was supposedly sealed…" Celestia thought out loud, hoping the response wasn't the one she suspected.

Luna sighed, sensing Celestia's apprehension about the coming news. "That's entirely what the issue is, the fact that there is a distinct flow of magic of any kind coming from the Earth. Whatever seal that there is on Earth's Magic is dangerously weak now."

Celestia looked up at the wall, a large ornate clock showing the current date on Earth and the arrangement around its Sun and current lunar phase based on Washington, DC. "How long do you think the Earth has before a total failure of the seal?"

"I would wager six-to-eight weeks, most likely shortly after the March Equinox," Luna responded, double checking the projections in her own head.

"Do you believe your four students are capable of properly removing the seal and regulating the flow, as they are now?" Celestia asked, eyes almost looking past her sister, into some unknown future.

Luna responded the best way she knew how. "That is honestly a hard question to answer. I feel they are not far away from starting the path to truly harmonizing Terran and Equestrian magic, but they have to believe it for themselves. There is a reason why none of them have found their Cutie Marks to this date, despite wielding a form of Magic neither world has seen active for eons. So I would have to wager that they would have extreme difficulty unsealing the Terran Mana, until they negotiate this mental block."

Celestia developed a wide smirk on her face for a brief moment, before returning to a normal expression. "I believe your four students are coming to a similar conclusion. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to attempt some grand display of their new abilities; they have to prove they are worthy of this Power as much to themselves as they do to anyone or anything else."

Luna lowered some papers she was checking through down from her face, enough so that her eyes were looking straight into Celestia's. Luna figured that Celestia had divined some kind of insight, being the better divinator of the two. She then looked at the clock - it was close to 8:30 AM, and it would soon be time for to begin the training session for the day. "I don't know what you see, dear sister. I just hope it's something that truly points the way forward."

With that said, Luna filed the records away, and vanished.

I certainly hope it points us forward as well, Sister. Celestia thought to herself, as she went to the throne room to formally open up business for the day.

-----

We can't fear this power any longer; it's our to wield, and wield it we will. If this is one of the things we have to do to master it, then let's do it!

-----

After starting a half hour late, as per the request of the Conduits of Terra, they explained their plans to Princess Luna.

"Hrm, so you want to show both of us something you believe will be of interest to us?" Luna began, as she mulled over the request.

Midori Hana used the most pleading look she could manage. "Yes please, Princess Luna. We feel this is something that both you and Princess Celestia should watch, along with the Bearers of Harmony and Spike."

"She is co-ruler of Equestria, so nothing happens unless she agrees to it; although I think she will be able to attend, she usually takes a while for lunch," Luna replied, as she began to contact her sister telepathically.

Sister, the Conduits of Terra have a request of you.

Aren't you in your Training Space at the moment?

Yes, anyway, apparently your divination was correct. They want to put on a performance for all nine of us - ourselves, the Bearers of Harmony, and their Dragon compatriot.

I do believe I can make time for them; after all, they are the crux of this current phase of operations, as it were.

I am glad to hear that. So when should you arrive?

"How about right now?" Princess Celestia said, manifesting in the Training Space almost immediately after Luna asked.

Everyone else was shocked that she arrived so soon after asking.

"I never get used to that, and I was her student for all those years," Twilight said, quickly getting over the sudden appearance of her teacher and mentor.

Blue Vague then approached the Princess of the Day, nervous as all get-out, but resolute to ask her himself. "Um, Princess Celestia. The others and I were thinking, well… okay, we were thinking that we would put on a big performance and demonstration of everything that we've learned to this point. We've been practicing here and outside for the last 3 months straight, give or take; yet, we haven't found our Cutie Marks. Despite this, we feel strongly that they are directly related to our Terran Magic. So we figured this: one big blowout performance, to prove to you all, and ourselves, that we’ve come far enough along to truly be worthy of the title ‘Conduit of Terra’."

Princess Celestia thought for few moments. "I do not see any fault with that logic. Also, I have been meaning to ask for a demonstration of your abilities for myself. So yes, I will attend this performance."

All four of the Conduits jumped for joy at the news, and rushed over to Luna to set the stage for the performance.

----- -----

A few minutes later, after some deliberation with Luna, the stage was indeed set. All nine viewers sat in an amphitheater like setting; the entire space beyond that was flat and featureless and the grounds a pale gray, as if the entire area beyond the seats were made of bleached dirt. The sky was rendered dark with spotlights, Luna acting as both observer and stage-hand for the four Conduits.

High noon came, and all four Conduits appeared from behind colored curtains, made to look similar to the capes they received from Rarity, who appreciated the touch of showmanship. Blue Vague spoke up; voice enhanced by the stagecraft orbs Luna had floating around.

"This performance will occur in five parts, each of us will give an individual performance, before we conduct a joint exercise to close the show. We hope that you all enjoy what is about to occur before your eyes."

The stagelight-orbs changed their white light to blue, as Blue Vague agreed to go first. The other three Conduits cleared out from the area, as a giant pool, 75 lengths deep and 200 lengths across, was carved out by Luna's control over the sub-space. Vague stood on a fairly wide platform in the center of the pool, as his horn glowed blue and his body became covered in bleached blue runes. Within a few moments, giant geysers shot up from behind him, as the pool rapidly filled with water. Blue Vague raised a single hoof, and a titanic geyser shot up, followed by another, and another. Then he angled a pair of fountains together to form a larger fountain pointing straight up, forming an inverted-Y shape. He followed that up by having two geysers fire off at an arc, forming a complete loop of water in mid-air. He then caused the platform to retreat to the back, and form a ramp along the edge of the pool. He walked on top of the surface of the water, using a mix of his Terran and Explicit Magic to reduce his own weight while dramatically increasing the water tension.

Feels like I'm trying to walk on a stiff waterbed…

He walked along the surface of the water, proceeded to break out into a trot around the pool. He continued to pick up speed along the water's surface, triggering fountains as he galloped around the edges. He made sure to punctuate certain steps, causing waves to crash around and inside the pool, as the edges became banked to allow the water to flow back in. He stopped and stood for a while to gather himself, before running across the pool at a full sprint. When he reached the edge, a wave shot up, high enough for him to skid upward some on, and turn around head back into the other direction. Soon enough, he was at the other side, where the same thing happened. Eventually, he was hydroplaning along the surface of the water, going higher and higher at the edges like a skateboarder in a half pipe. He began doing aerial tricks off the 'solid' water he was 'skating' on, trying his best to mimic some of the old footage he could remember watching while on Earth. He continued going higher and higher, doing more and more complex tricks – even going so far as to sling himself between large globs of water from one side of the pool to the other. To close out his section, he turbo-charged his solid-water wakeboard, launching himself up and backwards towards the center of the pool, where he dove in, wakeboard crashing against the surface and turning back into plain water. The Bearers gasped for a brief moment, before they saw Vague doing a front-hoof-stand on a bubble as he rose back above the surface. The bubble floated towards the front of the pool, where he dismounted and landed clean on his hooves after a short front flip. All of the observers and the other three Conduits clapped as the stage area returned to its normal bleached gray 'dirt'.

The stage-lights turned to red, indicating that Red Blaze was the next to perform.

-==-

Red Blaze stood on a platform similar to Vague, except hers was elevated over a bed of coals. Her horn began glowing a hot red color as bleached red runes appeared all over her body. A massive, transparent red magic circle covered the coals, as the entire bed ignited into beautiful red-orange flames. Charging more mana into the circle, the flames rose to a good 3 lengths above the head of Blaze, who was entirely unaffected by the heat, protected by the runes all over her body. She started by forming some of the flame giant balls, which she held in each hoof while standing up on her hind legs, and others orbited near her. The threw the balls up into the air, which exploded into hundreds of flares, all of which were still under Blazes control. The flares danced in sequence, some forming Equestrian characters, as if she was controlling a marching band made of relatively tiny flames. The mixture of Unicorn and Fire Magic was making it relatively easy for her to keep the fireballs in configuration, and even throw more into the mix. They marched and formed English and Russian words as well, as well as vague outlines of all the Bearers of Harmony.

Man, this is hard, but it's gonna be so worth it…

She dismissed the flares back into the larger pool of flames, as she began the second half of her performance. Blaze began to wave a hoof around, as flames began to swirl wherever she pointed. As she drug a hoof in an arc, suddenly prominences and flares began to jump and dive all across the pool of flame, resembling the roiling surface of a star now (though nowhere near as hot). She then began to direct the flames into ever increasingly complex patterns across the the air from one end of the flame-pool to another. Some traveled in sine waves. Others formed geometric shapes before diving back into the pool. A few even formed short words, as if she was writing in a long cursive stroke with each stream of fire. Eventually, she spelled her name in English across the stage in flames, "Red Blaze", in large, impressive cursive script. She took a few deep breaths, as she readied for her big finale. She levitated the pool of flame, raising the entire magic circle up, leaving only red and black smoldering coals along the floor of the stage. She then condensed the flame into a lone, impressive fireball, one that was a good 5 lengths in diameter. She then kept compressing the fireball, eventually squeezing it down into a white-hot ball only a quarter of a length in diameter. She raised the ball high in the sky, and cancelled the compression spell. The ball completely exploded with an impressive bang and a red wave of light; showering the entire area with impressive, but harmless red sparks, most of which faded before ever reaching the ground. The onlookers applauded again, as she took a curtsy and walked out of view, allowing Luna to reset the stage again for the next performer.

The stage-light orbs turned green, as Midori Hana walked into view, the next performer up.

-==-

Midori Hana walked up with a saddle-bag full of various seeds, and set it next to the ground beside her. She traced several circles before continuing, coming to stop with her saddle bag in the main ring. Her body began to glow briefly, as the bleached green runes appeared on her body, followed by five Magic circles where she traced out their borders in the ground earlier. Soon each circle began to produce a gigantic pillar of the most fertile growing soil, compacted enough to not crumble in a heap due to pull of its own weight. Hana began throwing seeds of all kinds all over the pillars, with seemingly no rhyme or reason to them. There was a method to her madness however, as she began pouring out an amazing amount of mixed Earth and Earth Pony magic, causing all the plants in question to grow extremely rapidly. Soon each tower of soil was covered in green shoots, the towers themselves connected by large, sturdy vines.

Alright, now comes the tricky part, let's hope I get this sequencing right…

Hana then began walking down the vines, showing incredible balance, until she stood in front of the five pillar formation. She then began to wave her hooves in the air, as if she was writing in the air. A few moments later, the flowers began to bloom on the pillars, in the same exact as what Midori was drawing in the air. Midori was, in effect, writing with flowers she was causing to bloom herself, and in Japanese no less, with mostly correct stroke order on top of it! She ended up writing out her Equestrian name in the original Japanese characters: 緑花. Running back up to the top of the highest pillar, a good 30 lengths high, she then began pouring out more mixed magic. In turn, it caused everything else she had planted to that point to grow and/or bloom. Shrubs now topped each tower, which were draped in flowers of all kinds and colors, as well as all kinds of vines growing down the sides of the pillars. The coup-de-grace of Midori's performance though, was an impressive use of manipulation of both kinds of Magic. She began to cause a single bloom to grow in size, becoming at least 3 times as large as Hana was herself. Then she stroked each relatively stiff petal, causing it to appear a different color, creating a bloom of rainbow-sequenced color to cap off the tallest pillar. She then hopped onto a large pillar in front of her, which she then slowly sunk back to ground level, taking a final curtsy herself before walking off the stage. Everyone was still oohing and aahing at Midori's impressive display; Luna making sure to take several photographs with a magic orb before disintegrating the display, clearing the stage for the fourth and near-final act.

The then turned yellow, as Golden Storm walked into view after Midori walked out of it.

-==-

Golden Storm walked onto a single cloud, which he began to raise with a dust-devil like twister into the air. He flared out his wings, showing everyone the bleached yellow runes all over his body. However, this time his feathers were not bleached, showing he was going to be flying with a mix of his Weather and Wind Magic. He then directed each stage light to show his opponents for this mock battle. They were solid-looking fighter jets, each slightly bigger than Storm, looking as if they were ripped out of some speculative fiction book dealing with military aircraft. He took to the air, as the six enemy jets also ignited their 'engines'. He took off, with the six jets in hot pursuit.

Alright, time to give everyone a show worthy of my name…

Golden Storm was already showing impressive speed, as were the jets in pursuit of him. Storm then began pulling off some things from his bag of tricks. He started off by conjuring up twisters in the middle of the air, the intermittent funnel clouds causing the jets to break formation and pursue their quarry as individuals. Storm began by avoiding the 'fire' of one of the jets, and returning fire with clearly visible versions of his air bullets. He peppered the plane's fuselage, causing the plane to spiral down for a while before exploding in a golden cloud. Another of the jets quickly took its place, the other four trying to avoid crashing into the various funnel clouds. This jet fared no better, with Storm using a sustained stream of high speed wind from his front-hooves to punch several holes straight through the jet, causing it to explode nearly instantly.

The third jet managed to negotiate through the wind-traps to engage Storm directly; the drones were going to show no letup, exactly as Storm wanted it. The plane tried to fire homing 'missiles' as the golden Pegasus, but turbulence cause the missiles to crash into each other and explode harmlessly in the air. Storm then pulled into a tight curl in order to get behind the third plane, and waved his two forelegs in the air, drawing two long gold streaks. Both formed into missile-shaped objects made of compressed mana, and were fired at the plane. That jet was not so lucky with the atmospheric conditions, promptly exploding in a shower of golden vapor as soon as the missiles hit.

The fourth and fifth jets broke loose of the whirlwinds long enough to engage Storm now. He flew around, the tension of the mock battle increasing as he could not get into any position to fire upon either of his pursuers. He decided that if he wasn't going to be able to shoot them down, there was another way they could be dealt with. He dashed back towards the maelstrom he created, diving in and out of the various whirlwinds. The jets followed suit, but couldn't negotiate the winds as well as the Pegasus could, and ended up getting caught in the turbulence and crashing into each other, exploding in the familiar golden vapor. Storm laughed while hovering in mid-air, finding the previous scene funny and having mostly lost track of the sixth jet. The sixth jet did not lose track of him though, as Storm found out when a pair of 'missiles' hit him square in the back. The golden Pegasus began to fall rapidly out of the sky, his hooves up above his head, no position to really fly from. The audience gasped, not knowing how Golden Storm was going to pull out of this mess.

Alright, let's see how they like this part…

He stiffened his wings and charged them with Terran Mana. As some of the feathers turned bleached yellow, he zoomed off back up in the air, completely upside down. He eventually righted himself, after a high-speed, upside down fly-by of the audience. He then flew towards the last jet, which obliged the impromptu game of Chicken. He stuck his front hooves out, and the plane engaged its thrusters, both heading at full-speed towards a mid-air collision. Both objects did indeed meet, but the drone was too brave for its own good, as the Pony sliced the drone cleanly in half, forming an invisible cutting edge with turbulence in front of him. Both halves of the drone jet exploded into golden vapor, ending the mock battle with Golden Storm as the victor, of course. Everyone applauded the show so far, as Storm floated back down to the stage. Luna quickly cleaned up everything.

The lights then turned all four colors, showing that the fifth and final act was upon them.

---

All four of the Conduits of Terra were now in view of the audience, each of them with their Element of Terra on their necks. Golden Storm hovered above the other three conduits, Midori Hana stood a ways to the left of the formation from the audience view, while Red Blaze was off to the right some, leaving Blue Vague in the center, but still on the ground.

"Alright everyone, it's time for the big finale, we hope you've enjoyed watching this show as much as we've enjoyed putting it on."

The audience drew silent, as four Conduits of Terra began to concentrate. Soon all four of their bodies were glowing hot with their element, their bodies covered in the bleached runes, eyes soon aglow with their element's color. At the same time, everyone in attendance could feel the sheer magnitude of the Power they were starting to channel. The sheer amount of mana each Pony was drawing out was now clearly visible to everyone, appearing as an aura surrounding each of them in their respective colors.

This Power… my body can sense it… a Power the oldest of my kind knows… but how can I know that? Spike thought to himself, as if his body was trying to remind him of something.

Is this what a fusion of Equestrian and Terran Magic feels like… and they are still so early into their study… I can't believe they could have advanced this far so fast… then again… something tells me this is only the beginning of everything… Twilight Sparkle thought to herself, somewhat dumbfounded that anything besides the Princesses could be pouring out that power, her Element of Magic trying to 'cheer' on the its sibling Elements of Terra.

It is astounding to watch. They wanted to share this performance with us, and, it feels like they want to share this power with us. They want to unseal that Power so everyone can use it, instead of just keeping it bottled up for themselves… Rarity wondered as she felt her Element of Generosity resonate with the wishes of that Power.

They want to spread joy. They want to relieve the pain of those Earthlings so bad. They want it so bad they'd risk putting that same power in the hands of people who don't care how much misery they spread. If they are willing to go to such lengths, then I have to be too… Pinkie Pie thought as she felt her Element of Laughter approve of the sentiment of the four Conduits of Terra.

That's a power that'll reveal anyone's true intent. No matter how much ya mask ya words, yer actions will give away what yer thinking. The vibe Ah'm gettin’ from those four… they'd lay it all on the line to save their homeworld. It wouldn't be right of their partners to not help them in every way possible, now wouldn't it? Applejack thought to herself, thinking of all the people on Earth who either needed a hoof up or a fresh start, her Element of Honesty wanting everyone who did to stay true to themselves and the world.

I can feel the kindness they all have. They could easily be selfish and just leave the Earth to its own devices, but they did everything they could in these weeks to learn their power. Well I'm going to do the same. If I have to learn the same power once they unseal it, I'm definitely going to do everything I can do to learn it, because everyone is going to have to do everything they can to help the Earth once we return… Fluttershy reasoned, nerve steeled by the feelings exuded by the four Conduits of Terra, the Element of Kindness wanting everyone to live in a world where cruelty was not what won the day.

Such intense loyalty. To themselves, to each other, and to a home-world that probably doesn't even realize what's going on here. They had every right to just forget everything about the Earth, and live out the rest of their lives in peace. But they couldn't do that - they worked every single day to get to this point. If I got to work twice as long to be able to help them when this all done, then I'll do it. That kind of loyalty deserves to be returned in kind… Rainbow Dash thought as she resolved to help the Conduits in any way she could manage, the Element of Loyalty ready to forge a world where loyalty to a righteous cause was rewarded.

You all are amazing Ponies, and amazing People. I don't know if that Robed Figure just found you all, or if she chose you all. But however you came to bear your Sparks, they are truly beginning to shine… Princess Luna thought, as she sensed the dual Sparks beginning to harmonize.

I believe you all have begun to walk the path toward forging the New Age. But you cannot, nor will you walk that path alone. We all will be there, and our allies will do their best to bring as many they can along the same path. No matter the manner in which we walk it, Equestria, her allies, and the Earth have a future together. However, that future is still unknown, and we must tread carefully, for the path you all have begun can still end with a very bad detour… Princess Celestia thought, completely unable to divine where the path those four have begun to forge would lead, but sure that wherever it did, they would make it work out as best they could.

We now understand what our role is in this great Cosmic Drama… we will sound the gong on the great struggle to forge the New Age… All four of the Conduits of Terra thought in unison.

When the Conduits came to, they were surrounded by manifestations of their Power, tapping deep into their imaginations of how the show should end.

"Woah, ok when we came up with this I never thought it'd come out so… so… so well…" Golden Storm said, riding on top of a golden winged-and-serpentine dragon made out of wind.

"I know no one back at the C.I.A. would ever believe a Pony could do something like this…" Red Blaze said, a ruby red phoenix wreathed in flames standing behind her.

"Haha, now who’s a good neko-chan… that's right, you are," Midori Hana cooed, perched atop an emerald colored giant cat, vaguely resembling a tiger.

"I'm… I'm honestly stunned that this worked. I didn't think they'd show up this strongly either." Blue Vague said as he sat on the shell of a giant reptile, long neck and tail like a serpent, flippers coming out of each side like a turtle, shell and scales blue like sapphire.

You all have shown an amazing amount of Will for beings not used to this Power. Although our appearance is brief in time, if you will remains this strong, and you continue to improve on your control of this Power, we shall lend you our assistance as you continue down the path of forging the New Age for your world. The four beasts said telepathically to the four Conduits, and in unison.

"Wait before you go, just what are you?" Blue Vague asked, hoping they'd stay long enough to get a real answer.

We are merely avatars of your Power. You imagined our forms when you put together this display of your current skills. Should you continue to improve, our Power will grow with yours. Should those that accompany you develop the same level of Will and Power, they will be able to manifest beings like us, as well. Now we must return to the Astral Plane - your power is not sufficient to keep us in any Physical Plane as it stands now. Do not worry though, once we are created, we will forever exist so long as your Will exists. Until the next time we meet…

"Wait, before you go, can you do one thing for us?" Midori Hana asked of the tiger-like creature she was riding on top of a moment ago. She whispered into its ear. The tiger-like creature agreed, and told the other three creatures of her creator's request.

They all turned into pillars of light, which rose into the sky to return to the Astral Plane, but not before leaving a final message to be read by everyone present, in both Equestrian and English.

"From the Four Conduits of Terra - We thank you for everything you have done for us to this point. We eagerly look forward to being the vanguard of the New Age."

The four Conduits physical look returned to what it what usually was, as their runes faded and the fur returned to its usual color. They ran back towards the seats, as the six Bearers ran down to meet them. Spike and the two Princesses soon met them all. The Ten Elements all together began to resonate, all ten of them feeling that the long road towards forging the New Age to begin was beginning in earnest. Something else was beginning, as they heard the familiar sound of one's Cutie Mark appearing, all four at the same exact time. Blue Vague looked on his flank, his symbol a large bubble crossed by three teardrops, and backed by a three-toned crashing wave. Golden Storm saw a pair of funnel-clouds cris-crossing into a 'X' behind a hurricane symbol. Red Blaze saw three stylized flames, a large one set behind two smaller ones. Midori Hana saw three blooms on top of triple-peaked mountains of her symbol.

"They all look just like your Terran Elements, but they all share a part of your name as well," Princess Celestia said, wondering when was the last time she personally saw more than one Pony get their Cutie Mark at the same time.

"Yeah, they are all self-explanatory; but then again, I guess that's what Cutie Marks end up being once you get to know a Pony," Blue Vague responded, chuckling all the while.

Princess Luna beamed with pride at the second graduation of her students. "That was a wonderful display of technical skill and artistry. If I told anyone you had only been at this for a month and a half, they think I had gone crazy."

Golden Storm just stood there, a touch embarrassed at the praise. "Well, we just kinda embraced everything that we are, and it all worked out. Although if you asked us to do that again, I don't know if we could, honestly."

"Oh look at Golden Storm being modest for once. Then again, I don't know if I could do something like that in front of the Princesses, even if it was only a one time deal," Rainbow Dash said, gently ribbing Storm.

Princess Luna walked back to the center of the area and dispelled the Training Field; returning everyone, including Princess Celestia, back to the basement of the Greystone Conductor.

"I do believe you all deserve the rest of the day off. There is other business that we will eventually have to attend to, but I think you all can take the rest of this day celebrate this period of realization. The Cutie Mark is a symbol of yourself and your talent, but it is not a limiting thing. Always think of other areas in which you can learn, and different ways to leverage your talents. With that my little Ponies, I bid you all good day," Luna said as she looked forward to the extended nap for that day.

Celestia shook her head a bit as she turned to address the now group of eleven. "I must join my Sister back in Canterlot. But we do need to discuss the happenings on Earth fairly soon. I do not think we have much time before the seal on Terran Mana disappears entirely. While I feel that you all are now more than capable in a physical sense, you all have to trust that you have the proper skill to complete this mission. Now my little Ponies, enjoy the rest of your day." With a smile on her face, she disappeared into the ether as well.

"So, um, what should we do for the rest of the day?" Pinkie Pie asked before hearing four Ponies collapse on the floor asleep.

"Ah don't think we should be surprised they'd be dead tired after that display," Applejack said, as she walked back up the steps to retrieve some blankets.

"Yeah I guess we just let them nap here, lock up, and check back later," Rainbow Dash said, thinking about the weather schedules that need to be made out for the next month. Winter-Wrap Up was supposed to be the day before the Vernal Equinox, and she had to have everything set for then.

Everyone made sure the outside basement door was secure before leaving the four Ponies napping on the area rug and under some blankets. Twilight placed a pair of magic powered space heaters in the basement with the four napping Terrans, far away from the blankets and rugs as to not risk a fire.

"That was a great job you four. I'm definitely gonna have to get you to teach us everything you all figured out, whenever you unseal the Terran Magic," she said out loud to the four knocked-out Ponies, inwardly giddy at the prospect of learning an entirely new form of Magic.

CH 15: Floodgates

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=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 15: Floodgates ===

[ March 1, ??? + 1 – Vogelstadt, Gryphon Federated Territory[1] ]
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The tik-tak of talons and the occasional tok of an accidentally extended foot-claw filled the air, as a finely dressed gryphon rushed down the finely buffed halls of Löwe[1] Castle, the formal residence of the Head of the Leo Clan, and therefore King of all the Federated Gryphon Tribes[2].

“Oh dear, this is big… really big… bigger than big…” the royal aide muttered as he tried his best to rush down the hall without slipping across the recently waxed floor.

Something the poor leopard-coated gryphon couldn’t manage well at all, as he constantly banged into decorative armor displays, and got momentarily caught in various standards and banners hanging from the walls.

“Of course they would wax the blasted floors when I need to get clear across the castle in a hurry,” the aide mumbled angrily as he carefully took the flags off his face and dinged a nearby bell for one of the servant-gryphs to deal with the mess.

After another few minutes struggling to walk and/or run through the halls of the castle, he had finally reached his destination, the Masseuse Halls. And more to the point, a particular room with a particular sign laid across the upper half directly under the number:

“Room Reserved By King Guile – Please Knock Before Entering!”

The aide calmed himself down as much as he could manage, as he rapped the door several times.

“By Aquileo’s glorious crest, that feels good…” he heard a certain gregarious, masculine voice shout, clearly audible from the entire hall for several lengths down.

“Sir, I hate to interrupt your weekly deep tissue massage, but we have some urgent news from our contacts in Equestria.”

“And just when I was starting to shut out the entire world… fine, Leonard, you may enter.”

The aide was greeted by the sound of a sitar being played on newer model record player, the smell of rich incense burning, and the sight of his regal King face down on a masseuse’s table, beak barely visible underneath the face-hole on the table.

While King Guile was not the most imposing of gryphons with his lion-and-eagle based build, as well as being middle-aged, he was still quite the figure. And the fact he even came close to appearing vulnerable, being face-down on said table, was making Leonard even more nervous than aides normally were while in Guile’s presence in a less-than-formal setting. A flock of crows were the only other things in the general vicinity, as they peered in at the sight of the Gryphon king laid out on his belly on a table through the lone glass window of the room.

“Well you did see fit to interrupt my massage session. And you know I only let my darling Guinevere do such without a very good reason. So I would like to hear this reason of yours…” Guile asked with only the slightest hint of terseness in his voice.

Due to the less-than-obvious anger in his king’s voice, Leonard still quaked as he gathered his mind to relay the message. “Your highness, our contacts in Equestria have a major update regarding that strange… outburst of energy our scryers noticed some weeks ago.”

“Ah yes, I believe one of the Rootwatchers picked that outburst up. If it was one of the Lichtsuchers[3] they would say Princess Celestia was developing some kind of Pony Magic Super-weapon, and we had stumbled across the aftermath of a test,” Guile replied as he silently ordered the masseuse out of the room.

“Their paranoia about Equestria in general drives me up a tree. And it has only become worse in the months since they have begun their little… project,” the aide added, as he took a seat on one of the cushion-chairs near the masseuse’s table, which Guile was now sitting up on; towel across his lap.

“Quite. If only there were a way I could ship off the more malcontented Tigris-house members to wherever Celestia seems to be shuttling off to. Then again dumping a bunch of easily riled gryphons there would bring on a whole other host of problems. And the last thing I need is to re-strain the relationship this kingdom, through my family, have spent generations attempting to rectify,” Guile groaned as he struck a contemplative repose, trying to game out what was going on where and why.

“In any case, back to the point. Our sources tell us they are going to attempt to release some kind of… ancient energy in that other realm. And there is some speculation that released energy will travel back across whatever they’ve used to link our world to that other one,” Leonard reported, as he tried to steer the conversation back to where it started.

“I see. I meant the super-weapon thing as a joke. But a mysterious energy could easily be construed as such. And the Tigris House is looking for any excuse to start returning to a more… traditional stance vis-à-vis Equestria and her commonwealths,” Guile figured aloud, as he dreaded the idea he had just invoked.

“Why does the Tigris house cling so… so bitterly to that old way of life? All it begat was constant war with Equestria and all her commonwealths. I mean you can’t expect a species of sapient Ponies to just accept being hunted like a common antelope, now can you?” Leonard struggled to rationalize, as he ran a talon through his red-fringed feather-crest.

Guile slapped the padded table as he acknowledged the like-mind of his aide. “No, and that was the ENTIRE reason for King Gallant forging the Rights of Existence Accord with Equestria. We leave the Ponies alone in terms of hunting or sport-killing or anything of that nature, and they provide us with material support in finding wild populations of non-sapients and techniques for ranching and raising livestock. We get our meat without having to constantly bang our head on a brick wall. I cannot see why any-gryph would have a problem with it.”

“I… I don’t either…” Leonard replied, as his eyes traced along the floor.

“Now if we are done, I would like to get back to my massage. I was finally starting to enjoy myself,” Guile remarked, as he made to lie back on his belly on the table.

“The good Queen confides that she believes you are enjoying your weekly sessions a bit… too much,” Leonard replied, as he shook his head in dismay at his king’s intellectual blind spot.

“Oh come off it. I am nothing if not the model husband for Guinevere. What kind of king am I if I cannot so much as keep my queen happy and content?” Guile asked as he placed his head back into the face-hole of the table.

“You may need to ask her that…” the aide replied as he walked out of the room and let the masseuse back in.

Guile merely waved Leonard off dismissively as the masseuse re-engaged where she left off.

[ March 8, ??? + 1 – Ponyville, Equestria ]
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It was early morning in Ponyville, and not much was stirring, save for a pair of less-than-fully loaded carts moseying down the slightly damp streets toward the Newfoal Reception Center.

“So how have your families been taking the fact that you all are back-and-forth between dimensions like this on a regular basis,” Blue Vague asked as he walked along the street, one cart hooked up to him while Applejack was hooked to the other.

“Honestly, Ah’d say they’ve come around. At least Ah’m sure that Applebloom understands why Ah’m so in and out of her life now,” Applejack reasoned aloud, as she remembered the words of encouragement that her younger sister gave her as she set off at dawn from Sweet Apple Acres.

“Sweetie Belle can be so delicate sometimes when it comes to her feelings; but she’s showing more strength than I gave her credit for before. I’m sure she would be devastated if she found her Cutie Mark before we all came back, but she also understands that there are some larger forces at work here, and it is our obligation as the Elements of Harmony to help see all of this through smoothly,” Rarity added, hoping that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t have to deal with finding her Mark before she returned, after all.

“Well what about you two?” Golden Storm started asking of Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, as he floated along ground level. “Especially you, Miss Sparkle. I mean I thought you were a bit charmed being Celestia’s personal student and all; but to think your big bro is Prince of an entire commonwealth, and then married to the youngest of the Alicorns on top of that?”

Twilight blushed with the mild embarrassment she felt whenever someone reminded her of the circumstances of herself and her brother. “He’s always had a way of figuring out what was going on in my head without me telling him, or him using any kind of telepathy. By the time I started dedicating some time to the issue of how exactly you all are supposed to unseal the Terran Mana, he already had sent me a letter requesting an audience with the four of you once you were done. Something along the lines of him wanting to understand Terran Magic so he can devise defensive spells and equipment against it.”

“I wonder if that’s because he’s the head of the Crystal Guard, or if because he’s your older brother…?” Red Blaze asked aloud, not directing the question at Twilight directly, but the tone was obvious to everyone there.

“Knowing my BBBFF… it’s both.” Twilight replied, with some hint of exasperation.

As the cadre of eleven continued along, Twilight noticed something, or rather the distinct lack of something.

“You haven’t said that much Spike. Do you not to want to go to Earth again with us?” Twilight asked of the young drake riding in cart.

“It’s not that. It’s like there is this nagging thing in the back of my head. And it won’t shut up until we’re back Earthside,” Spike replied, the annoyance evident in his tone and his face.

“Well maybe you could describe it?” Fluttershy asked as she looked Spike over to see if he was sick or anything.

“I don’t know really. It’s like I’m hungry for something, but it’s not food. Like some piece of me is… empty I guess?” Spike replied as he turned to the side, to face somewhat away from Fluttershy.

“I wish we had an older dragon to talk to about this. At least an older one that wasn’t a complete boor,” Rarity replied, showing concern for the purple dragon.

-----

After some time, the eleven of them arrived with their belongings. Pinkie Pie was somewhat bemused by how 'empty' the place looked, despite all the Converts and Natives that would come through during the day in due time. "Wow, you can tell this place was busier earlier, but I guess when the Princesses say 'Clear out', well, you better clear out."

Everyone just nodded in sage agreement.

Shortly afterward, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna manifested in the Transportation hall where the ten Ponies and Spike were waiting.

"So, it looks like everyone is ready to go then?" Celestia asked, everyone a bit taken aback by her brevity.

Twilight Sparkle looked around for anyone to object, and found nothing. "Um... yeah, it looks like we all are."

"The Isegawas are ready on their end as well, they report we can depart at any time," Luna reported to her sister, a bit eager herself to start focusing on the larger issues of Earth again, and report her preliminary findings regarding Terran Magic to the HEA and their government allies.

All of that said, the carts were lined up before the Gate, and sent ahead of the thirteen of them. A few moments later, said thirteen beings followed the Conduits and Bearers belongings as they all crossed back over to the Conduit's home-world.

I can feel the Conduits of my Power returning to my space. They must hurry and execute the unsealing, the dam shall soon break and flood the world with uncontrollable magic... The Robed Figured thought out loud, as she sat looking at the once-ornate seal, now degraded to the point where it appeared ready to completely disintegrate at any moment.

[ Outskirts of St. Louis, USA, Earth ]
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“And that *ding* should mark our thirteen lucky arrivals…” Dr. Hayato mused as he tapped a panel that activated the mana sinks.

“I wonder how much our Kyoko and her friends have changed, aside from the obvious?” Dr. Jun thought aloud as double-checked to see if everything was clear, which it was.

The two doctors walked out from the control room into the Transport Hall itself, awaiting the doors to open. And after a few moments they were.

And immediately afterward, Dr. Hayato was bowled over by a green figure moving as fast as Pinkie Pie when it was time to try a new dessert.

“I could feel the backdraft after she took off,” Vague replied as he chuckled at the sight of his now-marefriend perched partway on top of her father’s chest.

“I didn’t think she was that agile, but then again, aside from our physical training we never had to show that level of agility,” Storm added as he began moving the carts into place for the domestic drones to pick up and carry back to the dormitories.

Hana and her parents exchanged pleasantries, once she got off her father’s chest and allowed him to breathe normally again, in rapid-fire Japanese that only the Princesses could understand without having to strain. As that went on, Spike continued to sulk off in a corner, causing Twilight to walk over and check on him in true sisterly concern.

“Come on Spike. I know when something’s wrong with you. So what’s eating you?”

Spike grumbled as he laid out on his back, the frustration evident in his ten-year old draconic face. “That’s just it! I can’t figure it out. I keep thinking it’s the fact that I’m kinda separate from everyone else and I’m just having a bout of jealousy. But if it was that, then I wouldn’t be acting like this.”

“Yeah you would be trying to find anyway to shoehorn yourself into our activities. But you’re part of what we’ve been doing ever since the start,” Twilight mused as she was trying to figure out the exact genesis of Spike’s increasing frustration.

Spike, for his part, rolled over on his chest and stomach, as he propped his heads up in his arms trying to think. “Maybe that’s it. I’m with you all, all the time, but then I’m not doing much when I’m with you all. Instead of feeling left out, maybe it’s more like I’m not doing enough…”

“Well, I guess you can learn Terran Magic with us when the Conduits are done with the unsealing?” Twilight suggested, her smile masking her uncertainty.

“It’d be a start anyway. I don’t want to be a tag-along all the way until I grow up. If I can do something now, well then I wanna do something now,” Spike resolved, as some of the frustration lifted from his visage.

-----

“As much as I love the Greystone Conductor, this place has a charm to its own. Plus I kinda missed having a separate device for using the ‘Net,” Vague chirped as he tapped a control pad to turn the projector holo-vision on for what seemed to be the first time in quite some time.

“I kinda liked being away from everything for those months; it makes me appreciate all of this more. Even in Basic I was still all around tech, doubly so because of how much they stuff into those planes. Small wonder they don’t fly themselves at this point…” Storm added, as he lounged on one of the couches as the drones sorted out everyone’s belongings.

“Well, as much as I will defend our own culture, I will have to admit being able to have all my books without needing them all physically is a great boon. We just need a way to make it more… universal…” Twilight figured, as she took out a case full of crystal balls that held magically duplicated copies of her books and notes regarding the ancient and modern forms of Magic that (supposedly) existed on both Equus and Earth.

“Perhaps that’s a problem our magic could solve? I mean I doubt that Terran magic is only fire, water, wind, and earth-styles of magic.”

Princess Luna, who had followed everyone back into their other home with her sister, was suddenly stricken with inspiration.

A magical computer that could work in either world with either magic… it would be nothing short of revolutionary for both worlds. And could probably lead to even more exploitation of the arcane forces that fill our worlds.

Celestia looked on at her sister with a bit of bemusement, as she recognized the faces she made when her brain began to kick into high gear regarding an invention of new technique. Her face quickly changed from bemused to stern as she stepped back outside with her sister, where she saw the Doctors Isegawa sitting on a bench under the canopied walkway, a chilled bottle of water sitting on a small table provided by a drone that was blowing a fan.

“Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t already magic at work here on Earth, despite the world’s mana still being bottled up largely,” Celestia wondered as she sat off to the side of the drone.

“You sound like your former personal protégé… at least I believe that is what Twilight told me once before of her relationship with you, your highness,” Dr. Jun responded, as she took a drink from her bottle.

“The English-speaking in our world have a saying: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” Dr. Hayato added, looking at his mini-pad as he did.

“I believe that would be a saying from an Authur C. Clarke, quite the visionary author he was, no?” Luna responded, as she watched Earth’s sun drift by in the sky, imperceptible degree by degree.

“That’d be the one. I wonder if you prefer high fantasy or science fiction in your fantastical stories, Luna-hime?” Dr. Jun asked.

“I tend to like both equally, though noire-style detective stories are a close third,” Luna replied as she looked back at the three sitting figures.

“I wish this was a story where we could just rewrite what is about to happen, but Reality is what Reality does,” Celestia sighed as she mentally calculated the time from the sun’s position in the sky.

“And Reality is about to turn into a very harsh mistress indeed, if what we think is to happen will happen,” Dr. Hayaton groaned, as he pinched his temples with his water-bottle holding hand.

“I would like to imagine the bulk of humanity to not be so foolish, but as I’ve seen in your history, it only takes the actions of a zealous few to bring chaos to this world’s order,” Luna added.

“While that is necessary sometimes, it always runs the risk of exploding into a conflagration that results in scores dead and cities flattened,” Dr. Jun concluded as she worried about the future for her daughter and her sure-to-be future husband.

“And yet, as far as my research shows. This world cannot truly restore itself without that power. At least not without some severe actions on our part. And that could cause issues in and of itself,” Luna figured, as she began to steel herself for the horrors that may escape the Pandora’s Box in a week’s time.

“I would rather we let the scars created from that event and the past many ages begin to heal, than to keep trying to struggle as we are. Perhaps this is what is needed to create a truly vibrant world,” Dr. Hayato replied.

“In the end, all we have are our hopes, our ideals, and our own hooves and hands. We will just have to do the best we can in a situation none of us can predict,” Celestia replied, as she began to realize the time was getting close.

Dr. Jun looked over at the mini-pad that Hayato was constantly checking and began to realize what time it had crept to. “And according to my husband’s mini-pad, one of your philosophizing friends is due to arrive here in a short while. We have everything in order for him already. it’s hard to say how Kyoko and her friends will react to him, necessarily.”

“I doubt anyone would be overly upset, except perhaps Fluttershy and Blue Vague. But I trust they can keep their anger in check and be courteous to our esteemed guest,” Celestia replied, as she rose back to a standing position to walk back into the dormitory

“I’d think so, but you never know with the youthful…” Dr. Hayato responded, as he and Dr. Jun did the same.

-----

The Princesses, Bearers, Conduits, Spike, and the Doctors Isegawa were gathered in the recreational room of the dormitory, as they awaited their guest for the late morning/early afternoon.

“Alright, now she said that he was one of the major human benefactors of the Human-Equestrian Alliance, so I guess this guy must be one of the few not-crazy people living in the domes,” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud as the fifteen beings in the room carried on with their side conversations or internal thoughts.

“Well, sometimes the crazy ones, as you put it, still fund a philanthropic venture or dozen, just to show to rest of the world they aren’t completely detached from reality. So I really can’t say if he’s crazy or not until he starts talking. But if the Princesses will vouch for him, then I can’t reject it out of hand, or hoof as it were…” Vague replied, as he finished up checking his old-emails and messages for the time being.

“At least do that much for the Princesses, please? I heard from some of the volunteers at the Bureau that he’s an upstanding man,” Twilight pleaded mildly, sensing a bit of tension in Vague’s voice.

“Fine, I don’t have a reason to dislike him personally, just the people he finds himself around…” Vague replied as he rolled his eyes and wanted everything to go ahead and start already.

Twilight sighed in exasperation, thinking better than to continue pressing the issue.

The more sensitive ears of the group picked up the sound of a rather smooth-running van stopping in the parking area a short distance away from the door, as they saw the silhouettes of a man and a woman walking into the covered walkway that lead to the dorm’s front door.

We’ll let’s see who we’re dealing with… Vague thought as the electronic chime *ding-dong*ed and the front doors slid open.

“Kinda reminds me a bit of the stores I used to work in, bit of the old era charm I guess…” the entirety of the group heard say.

They eventually saw their guests walk into the impromptu meeting room proper: a middle aged man of slightly graying hair and fair skin and build with a rather inexpensive (for someone of his wealth) suit on, flanked by a younger secretary with thigh-length skirt and blouse on, her hair much more vibrant (oddly enough) medium-coffee brown.

“Ah Mr. Edwards, so good to meet you again face to face,” Princess Celestia remarked cheerfully, nodding to acknowledge his presence.

“And how is my favorite pair of extra-dimensional equine princesses?” Richard replied, giving a gentleman’s bow as he did.

“Fine, thank you for asking,” Princess Luna replied curtly but politely.

“To the point as always, Princess Luna,” Richard replied as he and his secretary took a seat in front of the gathered group.

Vague nearly choked on his own breath as he realized exactly who was standing in front of him.

“Richard Edwards?! You mean the Owner and CEO of Edwards Robotics and Nanotech . You mean the fourth richest man currently walking the face of this Earth? He’s our esteemed guest?!”

“Where we build it bigger, better, and cheaper than anyone out there. Sorry but the tag line is a force of habit at this point, kinds reminds me of my roots working in the stores themselves as a teenager. In any case, yes I am that Richard Edwards, Owner, CEO, and everything else the stallion in blue said,” Richard replied with some measure of jocularity.

Vague recovered his bearings quickly enough, as he decided not to ask any further questions until he heard whatever this man had to say to the collective them.

“Alright then, where to begin… well I guess the here and now. I know that you all have probably been reading up on the news, so I’ll expand on it since I have a bit of insider perspective. There has been rampant speculation that the issues that the Elites in the Domes have with the major governments of the world since Aguillar began spear-heading a global reform effort a couple of months ago has now reached a fever pitch. That part is for the most part true; though it seems to be concentrated amongst the top of the top of the pyramid if you want to call it that.

“It only stands to reason though. Even if you don’t wish it to be so, what you are doing is upsetting the natural, at least as far as they feel, order of things. Those with the resources dictate to those without resources what to do and how to do it in order for those without to survive. The fact that another option would exist aside from them would do nothing but drive them crazy.

“As for me, I see it an opportunity. While I have come into and built further my wealth, I was not raised in it fully. While I will not claim to have struggled like anyone who has converted or would wish to has, my father did make me work my way entirely up the chain, from stocker all the way to regional VP of our chain of stores and offices. Eventually when he passed on from this world some… ten years ago was it Candice? Yes, it’s been roughly ten years since he passed, and I’ve taken his company, and combined with the work of many diligent programmers, created AIs and nanoframes that have revolutionized this world.

“Yet, due to the lack of restraint of myself and my fellows, admittedly, this has rendered a lot of humans redundant employment-wise. Due to this, I feel that I must take responsibility for the environment of those without my good fortune, in both money and luck, and improve it so that they can have an avenue to showcase their talents to the world, and hopefully be compensated fully for such.

“The term noblesse oblige is very important to me. Those who find themselves on top of the economic pyramid have a solemn duty to ensure that they do right by those who are below them; for if they don’t, eventually the pyramid will crumble. Many a nation has crumbled because the greed of a few causes the many to suffer, and humans will not sit by idly and suffer and stay quiet forever. Eventually a tipping point is always reached, and this revolution by the proletariat, as a philosopher once put it, leads to needless bloodshed and destruction.

“Why go through all of this needless strife, this bloodshed, this destruction? Why not do what is needed to be done to arrest the cycle? And I believe the magic that you all can work, when combined with our technology and communications expertise, can lead to not necessarily a Utopia, but a world that is a far sight better than what we find ourselves in now. That is ultimately my goal, that by the time I am ready to leave this mortal coil - that I have done everything that I can to ensure that I left this world in better shape than it was when I entered it.”

While the small audience discussed to itself what Richard had to say, he took a moment to think to himself about some details he decided to omit. I wish I had more evidence… no, I NEED more evidence. Those idiots are planning something major, something that could cause everything to completely collapse if it is not stopped. I just hope the plans to unseal that magical energy the Earth has will allow us to stop that madness, and not merely exacerbate it…

I get the feeling that there is something else Richard isn’t telling us about what those Domers are planning. But even if I wanted to probe his mind, I wouldn’t know how. And if I did know how, I wouldn’t know where to start looking. I guess I’ll have to hope whatever happens will hold off long enough for us to deal with it… Vague thought at the same time as he excused himself to go get something to drink.

[ March 12, 2081 – St. Louis Conversion Bureau, USA, Earth ]
============================================================

“And exactly HOW were we roped into this again?” Blue Vague complained, as he shifted nervously in his seat.

“Because we are the principals in this little endeavor, and it would only be right for us to give them a heads up before we went on with the plan,” Golden Storm replied as he put on the best brave face he could manage.

“I know I’ve spoken with Defense Secy. Richardson before, but not like this, and not with this much riding on it. Hopefully this will be brief,” Red Blaze said, as she tried to calm her nerves as well.

For her part, Midori Hana looked dissonantly serene as she just stared at the video wall, seemingly ready to face whatever may come.

“So why are you so calm about this Hana? I’ve spoken to the Princesses before many times and I’ve always been a nervous wreck while doing it,” Twilight Sparkle asked, trying to figure it out for herself.

“I’m so beyond scared right now I can’t even express it…” Hana replied, her voice inflection remaining more or less even.

“Well, the sooner this begins, the sooner it will be over with…” Rainbow Dash remarked, as she hated having to sit in one place for too long.

After a few more minutes, All of the Bearers, Conduits, the two Princesses, Richard Edwards, and the two Doctors Isegawa were seated in front of the video wall, as the connections were made to the various nations.

“At least we don’t have to speak to everyone’s prime ministers and presidents face to face, but I’m sure that they are either watching or will see this in due time,” Vague muttered as he did his best to put forward a calm face like the others his age.

After a few minutes of everyone introducing themselves with their formal titles, Storm mused internally about who was arranged before them all. Seems like we got all the big Cabinet level diplomats from the American government and the other equivalent people from Japan, and the EU; for not having the Presidents and Prime Ministers here, it’s sure a stacked audience…

I should have guessed the four bold colored Ponies were Converts, especially how they seemed way too comfortable with our technology for any Native. No wonder Blue Vague seemed so interested in me. I will have to make it a point to talk with him privately at some point in the future… Richard thought to himself after all the introductions were done and the meeting began proper.

“Now that the introductions are out of the way, let us get down to business recent discovery of thaumatic radiation being generated by the Earth,” Princess Celestia began.

The EU Minister of Environment was the first to chime in. “Yes this is Minister Cassillas. According to the Pony thamaturges you so graciously loaned us in our endeavors to understand your magic, there should be no type of flow of this thaumatic energy from the Earth. Is this correct?”

“Indeed, Minister Cassillas, the very fact that even our inexperienced thamaturges can pick up raw magical energy coming from the Earth, is the leading indicator of a major event about to occur.”

“And that would be what, Princess Luna,” US Defense Secy. Richardson asked of the indigo Alicorn.

“The failure of the seal upon the force carriers, if you will, of Earth-generated thaumatic radiation – Terran mana,” Princess Luna stated with all due seriousness.

“Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but I propose for the sake of simplicity, when we refer to the two types of thaumatic radiation, that we refer to Equus-borne radiation as thaumatic-ε(epsilon) versus the Earth-borne thaumatic-τ(tau),” Dr. Hayato suggested, figuring that everyone would get tired of using the longer qualifiers before long.

“I see no reason to disagree, do you Sister?” Luna asked of Celestia.

Celestia merely nodded in agreement, and the conversation continued.

“In any case, the failure of this seal would, as far as we can tell, be a cataclysmic event. Though tau radiation is not lethal to the human body like epsilon radiation, there would still be many effects that in the end would prove to be quite devastating to civilization.

Princess Luna then began to show slides with dramatizations of some supposed side effects of the entire flow of mana being loosed unto the world uncontrollably.

“As you can see here, though this is by no means an absolute prediction, but based on the preliminary research into Terran magic I have been able to start calculating potential effects of wild magic. It would suffice to say… practically anything and everything is possible in some way or another.”

The various ministers and secretaries looked on at the slides on their own monitors as they began to try and comprehend what was going on.

“It’s as if various prediction of the End of the World would really begin to happen. The environment becoming wild and unpredictable, monsters and mutated animals running amok…” Japanese Defense Minister Ayashi figured aloud.

“… not to metion what could happen to people. Let us put aside the prospect of cities being ruined by the environmental and ecological disasters. With no mechanism of defense or control, violent elements could begin to wage open warfare with either the state or each other for dominance of a world that would go teetering on the brink,” Justice Minister Ogel of the EU continued.

“Not only that, but many in the public would either blame the Ponies for delivering a hellscape instead of aid, or rush the Bureaus in a maddened attempt to escape what they’d regard as the Apocalypse. It would be unmitigated chaos in every respect,” American Secretary of Justice Keller added.

“I do not present this information to simply say that you only have so long to preserve your civilization. In fact, the Conduits themselves are devising a means for the controlled release of this energy,” Celestia added, with a bit of a nod to Vague, which nearly caused Vague to faint in his chair.

“Can you explain what you mean by a ‘controlled release’? I would imagine there is a reason for that option instead of re-sealing this energy,” Secy. Richardson asked of any of the darker colored Ponies before him.

Blue Vague swallowed his anxiety as best he could before he began to speak. “In consultation with the Princesses, the Bearers, and others, we feel that this world cannot achieve its full potential without every single tool and asset at it and it’s peoples disposal. This would include the restoration of the thaumatic energy that is native to this world. And… um… the revival of whatever schools of magic that may have been lost to history, as well as the development of new sciences and arts combining our technology with this restored energy.”

Surprisingly eloquent for a Pony having to think on the fly; perhaps he has been contemplating this more deeply than he let on… Celestia thought as she smiled at Vague.

“While my initial reaction would be one of gross trepidation, I find myself agreeing with the blue stallion. While we would have a great deal to fear from this power, the Equestrians and their neighbors have thrived for their entire lives in an environment soaked in it, or something very similar. What is to say, given the proper leadership and scholarship, that we could not do the same?” Cassillas asked of the rest of the panels.

“I would consider it an insult, personally, if anyone were to say that Humans could not learn to not just cope with, but thrive in a world full of magic,” Secy. Richardson added, his resolve to see this potential crisis through. Everyone else either chuckled or nodded knowingly at the statement.

“Well if all goes well, you all won’t have to do anything except deal with the aftermath. Of course that would be a trial in and of itself, but a far sight better than trying to deal with tsunamis or giant demons running about,” Twilight added, getting the same knowing nod from the rest of the participants as Richardson received a few moments earlier.

“Magic is a field filled with a million curiosities, and I would hope our kind is up to the task of understanding and adapting to them all. In the end, I believe this was meant to be. However, I would like to know why this power was sealed to begin with?” Minister Ayashi wondered aloud.

“I cannot think of a reason why, but I think when we begin the process of re-establishing the flow of magic to the world, we will get our answer. I just hope we will be able to cope with it,” Midori Hana said as she brushed some of her mane from her eyes.

“And if there is anything that we as the Kingdom of Equestria can do beyond the Bureaus to help ease this transition, you and your superiors need only ask the question,” Princess Celestia stated, as she made to conclude the proceedings.

Secy. Richardson nodded in acknowledgement. “While I don’t doubt the eventual human ability to master, or at least get a good grasp on magic, we would be collective fools to ignore the assistance of a species already evolved to live in a magic-rich environment.”

After exchanging some concluding pleasantries, the various groups on the teleconference cut their feeds. Shortly afterward the Conduits and Bearers left the conference room in order to mosey around the Bureau to chat up the volunteers and clients; which left the two Princesses, the two Doctors, and the one philanthropist to discuss some more matters with relative privacy.

“So, I heard that you had come up with an idea for a new technology, Princess,” Richard asked as he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

“Well, in layman’s terms it would be more of magi-technology, but yes, a side comment by one of my own students inspired this little beauty,” Luna responded as she magicked a short stack of papers with some diagrams and a few paragraphs worth of notes.

The Doctors Isegawa silently marveled a bit at Luna’s rather flowery telekinetic-powered writing, looking strangely like Old English block print; as well as the concept behind the designs in question.

“Hrm, if I am reading this correctly, you want to design a computer that runs its calculating mechanisms with magical ‘waves’ instead of nano-circuits… correct?” Dr. Jun asked of the indigo Alicorn.

“That would be the long and short of it. To use particles, or even wave-forms, as the foundation of the logical units instead of circuitry I believe would lead to a revolution in terms of computing and information processing. Also, using magic ‘waves’ allows us to improve the reasoning capacity of loaded AIs.”

Celestia just chuckled to herself as she watched her sister continue on with some of the theory behind the machine she was designing. Luna is such a marvel to witness when her sense of invention is fully engaged. Something unfortunately I lack to her degree. Perhaps that is some of why my little Ponies have… stagnated compared to the other species technology-wise…

[ March 19, 2081 – Outside St. Louis, USA, Earth ]
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It was the day of the March Equinox, Vernal for those in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumnal for whoever was left living in the Southern. Despite what the calendar said, the weather seemed not to care for the most part. If the calendar didn't say 'winter', then it was hot. The four Conduits were pacing around the 'backyard' to the Isegawa's Laboratories, while Twilight constructed a Magical Array to help them try and communicate with the Robed Figure. They knew the Power they were about to potentially loose upon the world was one the world was not ready for, and probably would never be truly ready for. Yet, if they did not complete this task, that force was going to let itself loose, and not in a way pleasant for anyone.

The core idea of the Array was simple: contact the Voice, get to wherever the seal was, undo the steal however they were told to do it, and come back. The six Elements of Harmony were to go with them to provide moral support at the very least, figuring what they were about to do could be very taxing on the mind. Twilight also had a very personal reason to go. She wanted to know why she has been constantly nagged by the thought that Equestrian Magic was somehow incomplete. Everything she read to that point, everything she was taught by the usual professors at the School for Gifted Unicorns all said the same thing - Equestrian Magic, especially Unicorn Explicit Magic, perfectly exemplified the concept of Will - the idea that if something was to be done, you had to direct things in that manner.

The Earth Ponies willed the earth to produce the necessary plants and minerals for their society to thrive. The Pegasi willed the skies to produce the desired weather. The Unicorns willed the flow of Equestrian Mana in order to produce whatever desired other effect they could manage. Equestrian Magic, as a whole, seemed like it did everything they could want it to do; yet, it felt incomplete nonetheless. When she watched the performance that earned her four new friends their Cutie Marks, even though they were still learning in both realms of magic, it just seemed complete. She could remember the final display still - those four great beasts each manifested from nothing but a concentration of raw magical energy; leaving behind the magical skywriting in both Equestrian and English script when said beasts disappeared.

The setup was now complete, and the 10 Bearers and Conduits stood in the Magical Array – the Conduits in a square-diamond shape while the Bearers ringed them in a circle slightly further out. The theory of contact was simple, the four Conduits were to simply activate their elements and try and call out to the Voice to ask them where they were to go to unseal the Magic and then if they could bring the Six Equestrian Bearers with them. The appointed hour came, all Six of the Equestrian Bearers charge the magical array, and the Four Terran Ponies began to hum and glow as they activated their Elements.

Blue Vague began to shout into the ether of the late afternoon. "Mysterious Voice, we have heeded your calls and warnings. We believe ourselves to be prepared to carry out your request to unseal the Magic of this planet. However, we do not know the location of the Seal. We ask of you to show us the path to the Seal, and allow our new friends and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to accompany us in this task."

Things were silent for a few moments, before a voice responded to the ten Ponies arranged there. Conduits of the Elements of Terra… Bearers of the Elements of Harmony from the Other World… I have heard the request of the Conduit of Water. His request is granted in full, and you shall soon see the portal to the Realm of the Seal before you.

Soon all ten saw the Portal open up in the center of the array. All ten of them could feel the magic now supporting the array, finding it strange that it wasn't just the Unicorns that could sense it. They all had some trepidation before entering, not knowing what the Robed Figure had in store for them once they crossed over. Eventually, Pinkie Pie, figuring they went through all this trouble already, simply got up and walked through the Portal. Soon Midori Hana followed her, and then Blue Vague, and then everyone else one by one. The Princesses knew of the plan but were not present, yet still wished them all good tidings. They knew that should the Conduits of Terra be successful, both worlds would be changed forever.

----- -----

After travelling seemingly infinity in an instant, all ten Ponies arrived at the destined place. It was a subspace not unlike the room that served as the shrine to the Elements of Harmony. However, while that room was a relative paradise, this was everything but. It was a cave stretching into infinity; the floor was clean but rough looking, as if it was once polished stone left to grow rough and unkempt through erosion. After a short while of walking further in, they came to a chamber, wherein they figured they had finally found the actual Shrine of the Elements of Terra. They saw five shrines, four relatively 'normal' sized for a human, none more than 8 ft. tall; and one relatively huge, perfectly square-based step pyramid, each side 50 ft. long, and what appeared to be a master shrine at the top that stood another 10 ft. tall.

“Hrm, for some reason the shrine to Terran Magic being a pyramid of some kind makes sense,” Blue Vague said as they walked down the cobblestone path to the pyramids proper.

“They look like the old pyramids you’d find in Central America… I think they still have some of them preserved for tourists,” Storm thought aloud as the shrines came into clearer view.

As they trotted around the pyramid, they noticed how the stone was just as old and unkempt looking, like sandstone worn down by millennia of weather. Each side of the square-pyramid had steps, and all of them terminated near the base of the four ground-level shrines, which the Conduits began to inspect after breaking off into groups of two or three. The stone face of each shrine was apparently once painted in their respective colors, but that paint was all chipped away or faded. There were also slots for gemstones, but most were empty, the gems having broken away long ago.

The Shrine of Water had a fountain, but spray was pathetically weak; and the pool formed by said fountain was fetid, having turned a greenish shade of brown and reeked of dead algae and other invisible .

This is just sad... it's like no one has cleaned this thing in forever...

The Shrine of Earth had a crumbling stone, with greenish-brown vines all over. The stone looked like it could crumble to sand at any minute, and the mostly brown vines were apparently nearly dead, if not dead already.

Why has this never been changed... these vines are pretty much dead, and this stone is the rock-equivalent of near-death as well...

The Shrine of Wind looked more like someone had sprung a leak in a gas main, they could even see the discoloration in the weakly whirling ball of air.

This is just brutal, even the Shrine of Wind itself looks like a gas main with a hole in it...

The Shrine of Fire burned, but it burned weakly, and the fire was dim and barely gave off any heat at all.

It's an insult to fire itself to say that this is the Shrine of Fire...

Everyone began to walk up the steps, eventually coming to rest at the open-air shrine atop the pyramid. They then saw the formerly ornate Seal of Terran Mana, now more resembling a giant stone cork. Said stone cork was visibly crumbling, and everypony could feel the roiling mana underneath just waiting to get out.

"So you have come, Conduits of the Elements of Terra, and Bearers of the Elements of Harmony from the Other World..."

All ten could hear the voice out loud now; whatever was speaking to them was here. They scanned the walls and ceiling of the caves, trying to see what was actually speaking to them. Rarity turned around and spotted what looked like a throne or some such, but what she saw in full shocked her sense of aesthetics to the core.

"Oh my goodness, how utterly dreadful!" Rarity yelped, her voice giving away the sudden shock she felt at what sat before them all.

The other nine Ponies soon shared Rarity's shock as they all found the 'robed' figure. Said figure was a titanic being, easily over 100 ft. tall; though not necessarily towering over them, as she sat in a degrading throne some distance away. Her hair was white and unkempt, her skin ashen gray and incredibly wrinkled. Her robes were tattered, all the colors that represented the Four Elements were terribly faded, almost gray in their own right. But what most shocked everypony was her face. Her eyes were pale and somewhat glossed over, and her countenance was that of one who seemed like she has been in grief for an incredibly long time. There was such an incredible, oppressive sense of forlorn and sadness in her, that it made every single of them there shake in nervousness.

The ashen figure rose to her feet before disappearing briefly, and then reappearing at a more average height of 5’7”. She walked around slowly, like the elderly woman she appeared as, around the seal of Terran Mana, before touching it, and watching a few more tiny fragments of the magically conjured stone crumble into loose mana. "I am truly sorry anyone from this, or any other world, has to see me in this condition, but it truly cannot be helped. I am but a representation of the state of the World itself, after all."

“I… I’m sorry… I’m sorry that we, and my parents and ancestors let everything degenerate to this degree. If only we had known…” Blue Vague began to reflexively apologize, before the Robed Figure cut him off.

She took off her hood, revealing a head of aged, white, but still relatively full hair. After much more careful looking by the other Ponies, especially Rarity, they saw something in her similar to an Alicorn. She appeared to have the potential to be the very embodiment of human feminine beauty, but the overall poor health of her world prevented her from reaching her full potential, in even an aesthetic sense.

Twilight was only left to wonder silently if Celestia, Luna, and/or Cadence would look similarly ragged and elderly if Equus were to degenerate as Earth has.

“It is not your fault. The nature of the seal meant that after I formed it, I had no way to communicate with the wider world except through indirect means. And by the time I had even thought to try and communicate with the world, there was no one left that could recognize my existence. But that is not a story I can tell quickly, so you may want to settle in.”

The Figure waved a hand slowly, causing a rainbow-like trail in its wake, which was then followed by large cushioned pads for all ten Ponies to sit on manifesting on the around the central Seal, while she manifested her throne behind her.

“At least I was able to passively monitor the outer world’s communications, so I am not entirely ignorant of modern languages and syntax. So let me contemplate a place to begin this story,” the Figure began as she paced slowly around the shrine atop the pyramid where they all stood or sat.

Why does everything feel so feeble, and yet my Element’s power feel like it’s bottomless… Is the seal, despite how much it’s fallen apart, really that strong? Blue Vague thought as the Figure began her tale.

The figure resumed speaking before long as she found a good place in history to begin. “I believe I should start there, yes. While I do not have forever to go through a detailed history of the world before the Days of Darkness, I can sum it up thusly. Just as you all have surely felt, or know by having been born in it, the world you refer to as Equus now is awash in Magic. And just as Equus is awash in magic know, both Equus and Earth were once stable, magic producing worlds.

“Magic is a miracle energy brought about by the combined Will and Vitality of Sapient life. So as the various creatures on Equus and Earth grew and evolved, eventually a wellspring of Mana was born. This caught the attention of the Greater Watchers, immortal beings like myself, but with a greater reach and magnitude of power, whom reside deep in the Astral Plane. They saw the twin-worlds of Equus and Earth grow and develop their wellsprings, and began to take special note of these worlds.

The ten Ponies all sat and wondered what these ‘Greater Watchers’ might actually be, and if Celestia and Luna might be related to them in some manner.

“Eons ago, Equus and Earth were practically twin worlds, as I implied earlier. Creatures great and small traveled freely and lived freely in each world as if they were one great planet that was divided by a dimensional barrier of some manner. In any case, both worlds were relatively at peace, until at some point, two of the greater species began to have a falling out.”

“If I were to take an educated guess, that would be the ancient Humans and Ponies, yes?” Midori Hana asked, not intending to interrupt the Figure, but found she couldn’t keep the question to herself.

“That guess would be correct, Conduit of Earth. The Ancient Ponies and Humans eventually had a falling out based on Magical . The Ponies began to believe in the aspect of Magic focused on one’s Will, whereas the Ancient Humans began to focus on the aspect of Magic related to Power. Even though Will and Power are merely two sides of the same coin, the ancients did not feel that way; this eventually to a breakdown of the relations between the ancient species of Equus and Earth. Oddly enough, and this may be of to your companion that travels with you all, it was the ancient Dragons that became the mediators between Earth and Equus in this time of Division, believing there was no difference between Will and Power ultimately. This fact I am sure your Princesses are aware of, in one way or another.”

That could be why they are constantly attempting to treat with the Dragons. Though the Dragons are being churlish and secretive like usual… What is it going to take to finally break through this standoff-ness with them? Twilight thought as the Figure continued on.

“Unfortunately, before the Dragons could work out some kind of philosophical settlement between the two worlds, a Cataclysm befell this world. Something so violent it shattered the original bridge between Earth and Equus. Though, after consulting with your Princesses, I began to realize the true nature of this Cataclysm,” the Figure continued before Applejack asked another question.

“Ya say there was a Cataclysm, but then something the Princesses said made ya rethink it?”

“Indeed Bearer of Honesty. At first I thought the beast that represented Earth’s Cataclysm was alone, and its sheer force destroyed the bond, but now I realized that there was another entity that arrived at the beginning of that dark period. One you should be quite familiar with, Bearers.”

“You mean Discord? Discord was the other monster that arrived with this… thing you are talking about?” Pinkie Pie realized as her hair stood on end a bit remembering the tribulations Discord put them through.

“While your Princesses did not go into specific detail of the nature of this… Discord entity, I can only assume by his nature and name that he was a being that sowed Chaos of some type. It would be well within the realm of abilities for a creature meant to test the Will of a magic-bearing world,” the Figure reasoned aloud before she tracked back to her original point. “The creature that wreaked havoc upon this world was, similar to the split in magic, focused upon exploiting power.”

The Figure stopped for a moment, as she could still hear the screams that seemed to fill and echo over the entire globe during those days. “Egypt, Atlantis, Maya, Nubia, Inca, Lemuria, Dryas, Dorado… all of these and other ancient nations fell one by one to this monstrosity. Even the magic-rich creatures, the monsters and beasts of your legends and mythologies could not stand against this entity.”

“What kind of entity was it? I mean we have a solid image of Discord, solid stone image granted but still solid,” Rainbow Dash asked after raising her hoof.

“Hrm… the beasts true form is incomprehensible, Bearer of Loyalty. And I do not make that statement as some type of dramatic flourish. It literally has no definite form, just as no human has yet to decipher the true nature of the interior of the great black holes that pepper this Cosmos,” the Figure replied before pausing to think a moment. “In fact, that is probably the best way to reason the creator’s true nature. It is a living black hole, the ultimate expression of power; a force so great and strong that inevitably all is drawn into its maw and crushed beyond any recognition. Yet, the very fact the cosmos still stands means there is some way to quell this beast from devouring everything. At least… an option that is better than the one I had to enact those eons ago.

“The creature had already wormed its way into this planet, like some great demonic parasite – tendrils cris-crossing through the entire crust, and satellite ‘heads’ that would appear when it was ready to devour a source of magical power, be it in a living being or just freely coalesced in the environment. It made everyone fear expressing any magical ability at all, which only seemed to enrage the beast further. So it responded by sending heralds to inspire war and chaos to force Humanity and the other sapient creatures of Earth express and use magic, so that the beast could feed. Eventually all of this conflict came to a head, when a unified force began a collective offensive to either kill the beast, or drive it from this planet.

“Unfortunately, the beast had ingrained itself not merely in the planet, but the psyche of the inhabitants. Every time we seemed to make progress against this entity, a faction would break off and attempt to fight with the main force, attempting to establish itself as dominant once the crisis had passed. Eventually, the grand coalition of the many Human and Non-Human nations broke down, and it simply became a free-for-all – every faction attempting to simultaneously wage war against each other and the Great Devourer. Needless to say, this only hastened the fall of the ancient World in all respects.”

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not stand. Mark 3:24 and 25,” Blue Vague responded completely .

“Boy that certainly came out of nowhere; didn’t think you were a biblical scholar…” Storm mused aloud as he looked at Vague strangely.

“I’m not and I will never pretend to be. But when your mother constantly quotes scripture, you can’t help but retain some choice selections,” Vague responded, as he chuckled a bit at the image of his mother positively apoplectic that he quoted scripture in that context.

“Abuela was the same way, very devout Catholic; anyway, back to the story… um…” Storm concluded as he tried to right the conversation train after it had derailed.

“You may simply refer to me as Gaea. Thought I did not choose that name for myself, the ancient peoples frankly tired of calling me all manner of generic terms,” the Figure responded curtly.

“Ok then, we’re sorry for the interruptions, Madame Gaea,” Storm replied as every looked back at the white-haired immortal.

“Let’s see… yes, eventually the nations of Man and what you may refer to as Mythical Creatures fell, leaving the Devourer to eat at will. It was at that time that we executed a plan we hoped would buy us at least some time to regroup,” Gaea started before she took another pause to gather herself. “I would seal Terran Mana completely, hopefully causing the Beast to lose in the planet, and thereby leaving without further incident. At that point, the remaining tribes and nations would gather to formulate a plan to deal with the Beast should it ever return once I unsealed the Mana.

“Unfortunately for us, this plan worked only in the respect that the Great Devourer eventually released the Earth from its grip due to disinterest, now that the wellspring of Mana had been capped. The mythical beasts found they had evolved to depend upon mana to such an extreme degree that they literally could not survive in a now mana-void world. Those that survived the initial die-off either took refuge on Equus, or migrated to the fore of the Astral Plane, where they now still reside as best I can gather. This included the Earth-born tribes of Dragons, who I can only assume interbred with Equus-born Dragons to the point they can be considered one singular species. The Humans, while they were able to survive without mana, were left to the mercy of a ruined environment began to slip back into an ice age. Whatever was left of the civilizations eventually disintegrated into various what one could consider ‘savage’ tribes, that roamed the now magic-less environment as hunter-gatherers. This is about the extent modern humans, with current human technology, can trace their history.”

“Well it would explain all of the artifacts that exist that seemed to have been made by intelligent creatures, and also pre-date humans,” Red Blaze contemplated aloud during a pause that Gaea took.

“Since those who knew of my existence were now dead, none could recognize my messages as coming from the Keeper of Magic. My only recourse was to try and use concentrations of magic that remained in the world to try and spark some soul to recognize my existence. However, this largely failed, as those who did recognize me did not do so fully, or were killed by the now skeptical humans as being witches or something to that nature. This caused me to withdraw and simply keep watch over the seal, the only thought keeping me sane was the firm faith that someone at some point in the future would find me and recognize me for what I truly was.

“And so I sat through all the ages of modern Humans. Recreations of the old , which I can only assume were preserved through degraded oral history, rose and fall. All the while, the desperation to reclaim a magic they were completely ignorant of begat various technologies. Eventually, these technologies would begin to remake the Earth itself. However the technologies that your recent ancestors and parents used would damage the Earth beyond its natural ability to regenerate, which itself was severely crippled by the sealing of mana. That, combined with my grief over my powerlessness to change this world’s fate had caused my visage, and the condition of the shrine, to progressively degenerate over all of these centuries and millennia.”

“To the point where the seal that you created all those years ago is now falling apart…” Fluttershy continued, more or less finishing Gaea’s line of thought.

“Indeed, Bearer of Kindness. But then fortune fell upon me, when I heard the beacon that your Princesses sounded. At that point I realized that if I could no longer inspire the spark of Magic in my own people, I would need a ‘people’ who already possessed a spark of Magic to do it. That is why I did not protest, and even encouraged the Conversion of those whom I keep watch over, for I feel it will eventually bear fruit for all.”

“And that fruit would be plucked today. Am I right?” Blue Vague asked.

“That is the intention, in any case, Conduit of Water. It is time that the current generation of humanity begin to reclaim what was lost, and correct the mistakes that were made innumerable years ago. And… if I might be a bit selfish, I wish to correct that mistake I made so many years ago as well.”

“Not to start a debate, but I don’t think you were wrong to seal the mana of Earth, since it seemed like this magic-eating monster was well on the way to eating everything the Earth was at the time. And I doubt anyone could have predicted that withdrawing magic would have had such severe consequences as it did,” Twilight offered as a potential justification.

“Well, since I can’t think of a real strong counter-argument, I think we should go ahead and start with what we came here to do,” Blue Vague stated as he stood up and walked over to the side of the seal that faced the Shrine of Water.

The other three Conduits nodded and each walked over to a different side of the master shrine.

“Are you all absolutely sure that this is the right course of action. What if this power falls into the wrong hands?” Rarity asked, still nervous about what the future held for Earth.

“Honestly, I don’t think we have a choice Miss Rarity. Either we release this magic so it flows like it is supposed to, or we don’t and it releases itself. And who knows what the hell happens then,” Golden Storm replied as his and the other Elements of Terra were manifest on their possessors.

Rarity merely huffed in response, not being able to come up with any kind of counter-argument herself.

“First, you must remove the seal capping the flow of raw mana. From there, you pull the mana so that it will flow into the shrines. They will act as moderators and prevent an explosive release in real-space. However, because the world is so void of mana, it will appear explosive once you return, as the shrines will attempt to make up the shortfall. Hopefully this will not be severe enough to disrupt your human technology, but I can make no promises,” Gaea stated, as she gave directions to the Conduits.

“Well, I guess it is now or never…” Blue Vague said as his body began to glow with the pale blue runes of Water Magic. He reached out a tether to the stone ‘cork’ that served as the seal in the center of the master shrine. Which was quickly followed by similar actions by the other Conduits, as now the ‘cork’ was tethered to all four Elements of Terra.

“Alright everyone, and now!” Midori Hana ordered, as each Conduit yanked on their end of the cork, which caused it to disintegrate into ethereal dust.

The roar created by the rush outward of the now free mana was positively deafening.

“Well if it weren't the point of no return before, it is now!” Applejack shouted, as she tried to cover her ears to protect them from the roar.

The Conduits struggled to find some purchase as they sat in the flow of the mana outward, as it positively flooded down the pyramid. After a few moments though, each of them began to find their footing, as they ‘dragged’ the mana toward each shrine. Once the flow was established, the flood began to abate, as each shrine began to regenerate and glow with a otherworldly light.

“That light… it’s like when you all figured your elements for the first time back in the Training Fields, just a whole lot stronger…” Twilight said with some sense of rapturous glee.

“You know… it is like that… except stronger…” Vague replied with less glee but no less a sense of awe.

“It’s a wonderful feeling… I can already feel my strength starting to return to me…” Gaea responded, as some of her white hair began to shift to gray. “It will take some time, but eventually my beauty will return to me. It is a minor and selfish concern, but sometimes you have to take whatever small victories you can.”

She really is the embodiment of humanity… Twilight thought as she looked at years beginning to roll off the immortal’s face.

“That was less… strenuous than I thought it… oh boy…” Blue Vague started before he began to wobble on his feet.

“Yeah it’s just now hitting me like a ton of bricks as well. It was a simple procedure but it must have taken way more strength than we realized,” Red Blaze said, as she felt her horn throbbing all of a sudden in exhaustion.

“Now I’m really glad we brought the six of you with us, we might need a little help getting out of here,” Golden Storm said weakly toward Rainbow Dash, who responded with an eye-roll and a chuckle.

“I could go for just passing out for the next ten hours myself,” Hana added as she groggily walked down the stairs, which now split to allow the mana to channel itself down the center of each side of the pyramid where the flow settled into channels around each shrine; as the geyser that sprouted once the cork was undone had reduced to a gentle fountain. The Four Shrines already began to show a rejuvenation: the water fountain for the Water Shrine began to gush forth more strongly, as the pool cleared to a pure and transparent color; the gas in the Wind Shrine cleared to a perfect representation of the atmosphere of Earth, as wisps of white were occasionally seen – simulating drifting clouds; the Fire Shrine looked like the interior of a volcano, as the gouts of flame danced safely within its confines, and the stone glowed like recently erupted lava flowing to the sea; lastly, the Earth Shrine’s stone façade was completely repaired, as the central block was a combination of seemingly every kind of stone and mineral, and various veins of metal raced through, as well as vines of different budding plants now clung to the otherwise polished surface.

“At least all of the shrines look like they properly represent their element, instead of just being lazily put-together facsimiles,” Midori Hana tiredly stated, still exhausted from her recent work.

“Given how tired I feel right now, that will have to be enough for now…” Blue Vague moaned as he trudged on back to the portal to real-space.

“Indeed, you all have done an admirable job given the circumstances. I hope to have your cooperation in the future,” Gaea replied, as she gave a formal bow, the strength now returning to her voice.

I wonder what she’ll look like once her strength completely returns to her… Storm wondered silently as the ten of them made their way through the portal.

“I just hope there are more magic-users like you all amongst humanity than otherwise. If there aren’t, or they don’t manifest quickly enough… I fear that I may have only, in the end, delayed the inevitable…” Gaea said to no one in particular now, as a familiar sense of dread began to creep through her immortal soul.

-----

I knew she couldn’t keep it bottled up forever… Now… who to choose as my host…

-----

This… this is what I’ve been looking for… I didn’t even know it until now … but… but…

-----

A few moments later, all ten Ponies were back on the surface of the Earth, back on the now inactive and fading Magical Array they started the afternoon on. The Princesses were there with the Doctors Isegawa.

"So my little Ponies, how are you all feeling this evening?" Princess Celestia said, a wide grin on her face.

Blue Vague sighed with clear exhaustion as he formulated his words and answered his Princess. "I feel like I just ran a hundred marathons back to back. Other than that, well, as well as you can expect after doing all that."

As the Conduits of Terra took a few more moments to reorient themselves to real-space, they began to recount the words of the Will of the Earth, now known to them as Gaea.

"Quite an amazing story, and one that… though I cannot exactly explain it, it seems we are familiar with,” Celestia replied, as she began to think about the various vague sensations she had begun to feel when conversing with the now named Gaea.

Do you think it’s related to that, Sister. I mean we don’t know the exact mechanics of our genesis in full, perhaps… Luna started to wonder to her sister, telepathically.

Perhaps some residual memories from her embedded in us? A strong possibility now… Perhaps we should consult with our other siblings in the near future… Celestia concluded as she looked around.

“I wonder where Spike has wandered off to… usually he is right here waiting for you Twilight whenever you leave suddenly…” Celestia thought, as she couldn’t find scale nor ridge of the young drake.

As they continued the talk, they witnessed the sky go completely black like pitch, and not a star or anything to give any sense of orientation.

"Ok Princess Luna, I'm just going to assume you aren't doing that since your sky is more an indigo or midnight blue color anyway," Golden Storm said, becoming mildly disoriented by the featureless, black sky.

Everyone rushed inside to look at the holographic television to check to see if the news reports were saying anything about it. Indeed, all over the world, the sky had suddenly turned black as pitch, and not a cloud, star, or heavenly body was to be found. Then they all heard what sounded like a massive sonic boom, as four lines of color streaked over the sky, all of them in exactly the same hue as the Elements of Terra. Each streak soon exploded into fireworks of all manners and colors; showering the whole of the Earth in rainbow colored sparks.

"Well, Gaea did say it would look explosive when the Shrines started to pour magic back into the world. Didn’t think it would be literal fireworks and sparklers, though," Blue Vague said, chuckling at the simple yet highly impressive display.

"Wow, they look really pretty up close," Pinkie Pie said, muzzle pressed against the window watching the sparks land everywhere she could see.

Twilight nearly fell over when she felt a roar echoing in her head, as she looked around startled.

“Twi, what’s up?” Applejack asked as she saw the sudden frenetic face Twilight made, as she made for the doors of the dormitory.

“Spike… big magic… explosion… roaring… can’t talk!” she choked out as she ran into the nearby woods.

“Princesses, any kind of explanation?” Rarity asked of the white or indigo Alicorns.

“No definite ones, but I have a suspicion,” Celestia said as she began to scry the area for the outburst Twilight felt. “There!” she shouted before disappearing in a flash of golden light.

---

“MORE! GIVE ME MORE!” A purple beast shouted as he tore apart the still sickly trees around the Isegawa’s property.

“Spike, please stop! This is just like your birthday, you have to get control of it before you turn into a monster!” Twilight shouted, as she watched her adoptive brother grow steadily.

“NEED! POWER! Ahhh! I… I can’t focus… NEED… something!” Spike tried to say, as his body continued to morph and grow; now easily matching Twilight in height.

“You have to focus on yourself, Spike. Your body is reacting to a flood of mana, something no Dragon has felt in eons. It shouldn’t surprise me that you would be subjected to this,” Celestia stated calmly and sternly, as she manifested near the glowing purple dragon-like creature, body now bigger than Twilight.

“What’s happening to him, what’s happening to Spike?!” Twilight asked, as she began to cry.

“Something I’ve only read of, but if my memory serves correct…” Celestia started, before she knelt slightly to nuzzle the growing drake. “Please Spike, you have to focus on yourself. What is the Dragon you want to be, what do you want to become. I am sure it is not a giant, feral monster like before.”

“No… NO monster… I’m… no monster…” Spike struggled to say, as the power surged through his body and caused him to grow still further.

Celestia continued as she found she had made a connection with Spike’s psyche. “You’re right, you are no monster. You are a Dragon, a creature of Desire. A creature that will do whatever they need to ensure what they truly want for themselves and others comes to pass. A creature that will go to any length for their heart’s wish, be it for good or ill.”

“I… I want to help… help them… help them build this world…” Spike said, as his mind began to coalesce around a mental image of himself. The young drake picked himself up to his knees, now roughly half of Celestia’s height while kneeling.

“That’s wonderful. Then become that, become the form of the Dragon that will be the vanguard for the Elements of Harmony, and the trusted ally of the Elements of Terra,” Celestia said as she watched Spike slowly grow to a height that was somewhere between her own and Luna’s.

Spike let out a roar that resounded through the air around the forest, as he stumbled on his longer but less-sure legs. Eventually he reached a point of tentative equilibrium, as his body began to cool magically. He had a face similar to his in his smaller form, though now more sharply defined, as his snout was longer and he had couple of overlapping fangs, similar to an alligator’s snout. His back-ridges sharped to a point somewhat, as his ear-fins now were longer and flexible. The most noticeable change, aside from his height and accompanying musculature, were the barbed ends on his tail.

“I feel… so disjointed right now… like I can’t even tell up from down,” Spike said in a slightly distorted, deeper voice.

“That much is obvious, it’s like you’ve undergone puberty in all of about three minutes,” Twilight replied, somewhat awestruck as her adoptive younger brother now looked like a lizard or dinosaur version of a human teenager, at least in general build.

“This is really weird… either you got shorter Princess. Or I just got four times as tall…” Spike remarked; the distortion in his voice now gone, but pitch falling from an alto to a true tenor.

“It’s the latter… we need to get you back to the dorm where you can rest, and the Isegawas can order a bed for you. Though where are we going to put a 5-plus-odd-foot dragon?” Celestia wondered as they made their way back to the dormitories.

“Wouldn’t mind crashing in the rec room until they get everything sorted out; doubt they wanna go through the hassle of building an add-on…” Spike said as he trudged onward back to the dorm.

Or at least he would have if he hadn’t idly swung his tail and got it stuck in one of the trees.

“That’s going to take getting used to,” Spike moaned as he yanked his tail out.

“Just so long as you don’t poke us with that thing, we’ll figure it out…” Twilight said as she made sure to walk in front of Spike.

[ March 22, ??? + 1 – Office of Historical Records, Karrak-za-Jalve, Dragon Central Territory ]
===============================================================================================

“How interesting, how very interesting indeed… oh and he looks like quite the strapping young drake too…” a rose-red and teal-green-ridged dragoness quipped as she looked at some of the photographs a certain white Alicorn had sent her in the last day.

“I thought you knew well enough to not indulge your little… fantasies, while in my presence Madame Secretary,” a black and blue-ridged dragon said in response; the frustration evident on his face as he really didn’t care much for the personality of the dragoness whom he recently delivered said photographs and documents to.

“Oh come on, I’m far too old for him - looks like he’s fresh out of his mother’s den. You know my interests are in the more… long-lived types…” the red dragoness replied in a playful tone.

“You could fool a lot of other dragons with your words versus some of your actions,” the black dragon responded curtly, as he dropped off another folder onto the red dragoness’s desk.

“Well, it is nice that a certain somepony remembered what I taught her all those years ago about thoroughness in research,” the dragoness stated as she read over the Equestrian script.

“Something like this has not happened in at least 30 years. The mana-flow on this side is too stable to allow it to happen more than once per generation,” the black dragon mused aloud, having already spied some of the information while bringing it to the dragoness.

“And yet we expose a little drake to a long-sealed Magic, and suddenly he’s quite a big drake. And by the way Silentclaw, what have we all told you about prying into other Secretaries’ mail. Some of us may have more, private things to send to others now,” the dragoness said, her playful tone turning to one of annoyance at the black dragon’s bad habit.

“I apologize, Rosethorn; though I see it more as keeping abreast of everything. And I think that event, combined with the recent treats by the Equestrian government, may mean the Council will have to issue a formal response,” Silentclaw stated in his usual dry tone.

“Ugh, and I was looking forward to a nice little vacation away from all these records too. What is a young dragoness supposed to do when she wants to have a little fun~” Rosethorn mock-whined as she looked out at the window.

“The only one who can claim 1500 to be young is Wraithwind. You’ve lived longer than most of the modern nations have existed. Then again all of us on the Council have,” Silentclaw quipped, as he looked on at Rosethorn with a bit of a smirk on his face.

Rosethorn responded by puffing her cheeks and pouting, before laughing. “Yes, well… I like to feel like a fresh faced draka[4] sometimes. So sue me.”

“I believe I have before, not in the last century though,” Silentclaw responded as he joined the dragoness at the window overlooking the flight of a couple of returning full-sized dragons.

“What was that over? I think some records regarding the old Zebra Tribes. In any case, knowing her, I believe this violet cutie will be making his way here, probably from the Eastern Checkpoint we share with Equestria proper,” Rosethorn replied as she looked on with some manner of fond remembrance.

“So that means the nearest city would be… hrm… Dural-ga-Jafid. Haven’t been there in a few weeks; though not much happens aside from the occasional sit-down with our Pony contacts,” Silentclaw figured as he walked back out of the dragoness’s office.

“It seems I will be making my way over to the East-Lands then,” Rosethorn quipped with quite a bit of cheer in her voice and a wide, toothy grin on her face.

“Just go easy on him. If he is who I think he is… he wouldn’t have been around another dragon save for a precious few instances. And you are a load and a half for even someone my age,” Silentclaw warned as he face-clawed and exited the office.

“Don’t worry Silent, I will be a perfect lady toward and mentor for him~!” Rosethorn shouted as Silentclaw’s tail disappeared past the door frame.

“The little drake will have to learn some time… and Tiamat-willing he will have a LOT of time to learn…” Rosethorn mused as she filed the photos back into their envelope.

**** ==== ****

CH 16: Mix & Match

View Online

=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 16: Mix & Match ===

[ March 24, ??? + 1 – Equestria-Eastern Dragon Territory Checkpoint ]
=====================================================================

Celestia’s Sun was barely peeking above the horizon that could be seen from the large building where Spike now found himself. After some tearful goodbyes and see-you-laters from the Conduits and Bearers, especially his semi-adoptive older sister Twilight Sparkle, the now quite tall and adolescent drake stood facing out toward the ‘exit’ of the main pathway of the checkpoint, contemplating his near future.

“It’s fitting you’re doing this reflection right on top of a carpet representing part of our border with the Dragons,” Celestia mused as she watched Spike sit down crossed-leg in the dead center of the strip of carpet that was red and gold-fringed on one side, and a swirl of cerulean and violet on the other.

“I’ve always straddled the fence between ‘Dragon in a Pony world’ and ‘Pony in a Dragon body’, and this is the first time I will be by myself in a foreign land of any kind. So it’s all feeling pretty… heavy right now,” Spike responded.

“Speaking of heavy, do you think you have enough supplies loaded into that titanium cart the human metalworkers so graciously gifted us, Auntie?” Cadence asked with a few bits of derision in her otherwise melodious speaking voice.

“Can never be too careful in the Drav Desert… you know there have been reports of another band of Diamond Dog raiders setting up shop there, right?” Luna replied, as she perceived the sudden anxiety start to creep into Spike’s psyche.

“Yes I have read the reports. That is why I hired a guide for Spike once he makes his way to the first settlement at Drual-ga-Jafid. While this is for Spike to start learning who exactly he is, and for us to finally crack open the Nomad Central Council… it won’t do us any good if Spike returns to us injured or worse,” Celestia replied, maintaining an aura of calming gravitas.

“You’re all not making this any easier Princesses…” Spike responded, masking his anxiety with deadpan churlishness.

“It’s not going to be easy… though I would suspect with the guide it won’t exactly be long either. I guess I could liken it to pulling the teeth of a child. Has to be done, and it hurts, but done right it’s over with quickly,” Celestia replied back.

Spike merely rolled his eyes at the white Princess who suddenly sounded like Twilight Velvet when he went home with Sparkle those years ago.

Just like a teenager… Even after all these years adolescent and young-adult dragons haven’t changed much… Celestia remarked internally as she resumed showing her familiar warm smile.

“In any case, that is a pretty nice cloak that Rarity made for you. Looks like it should hold up in the sand-filled desert winds too,” Cadence remarked she saw the faint glow of Celestia’s horn drag the Sun a bit more over the horizon.

“Yeah, Rarity is a miracle worker when it comes to a piece on short notice. Plus, I could swear she was a broken up about me having to leave for the time being as Twilight was,” Spike responded as he stood up and checked the harness on the supply cart he was to carry.

“Well they all care for you, even if the Bearers of Magic and Generosity are more demonstrative about it,” Luna mused aloud as she pulled the Moon under the horizon to officially end the night.

“Well, you are right. Just wish the others would show it a little more. In any case, I should be getting ready to be on my way,” Spike replied as he walked over to the Dragon manning the ‘red’ side of the checkpoint to stamp his passport.

After all the formalities were done, and the goodbyes were said, Spike set off through the other end of the checkpoint; the well-lubricated cart making nary a sound save the rubber wheels rolling across tiny rocks on the now-savannah path.

“You think Spike is going to be okay in her claws? I heard she could be a merciless tease for young drakes, and Spike has hardly learned how to properly deal with that type of attention from anyone, let alone another Dragon,” Luna asked with legitimate concern on her face.

Something Celestia quickly picked up on. “Yes, I know it is a risk with her, but in the end, I trust her to start Spike on the path of realizing the kind of Dragon he wants to be. Despite her… personality quirks… I very much trust her to do right by Spike.”

“And by extension, do right by you, Auntie?” Cadence added with a bit of a sly tone.

“Yes, I do consider this asking a favor of an old friend as well,” Celestia replied while chuckling.

“I guess there is nothing more to it than to wait for a response from our ‘vanguard’, then, is there?” Luna concluded, yawning as she was ready to hit the sack for the day.

“Nope, it’s out of our hooves now. Let us trust the Fates will be kind,” Celestia replied as the three Princesses walked back to the sky-carriage.

[ April 3, 2081 – Isegawa Clinic and Labs, St. Louis, USA ]
===========================================================

A couple of weeks, give or take a day or three, had passed since the “Black Sky Event” as a lot on the ‘Net called it. That event was followed by, what seemed like reports straight out of a movie of people suddenly discovering magic in their midst, and not merely the magic of Ponies.

“I am almost shocked we haven’t seen a video of someone being seriously hurt throwing a fireball like they were in one of those old Mario Bros. games…” Golden Storm said, as he looked through a catalogue of stories related to people ‘discovering’ magic that wasn’t like the Magic the few Ponies in their midst were using.

“Not to sound too crass, but give it time. Just as people are wont to do great and wonderful things with a new technology or power; they are just as prone to do awful and stupid things with new technology or power,” Blue Vague said as he wrote something on a paper pad with a mechanical pencil in his telekinetic grip.

“So what is that you’re writing anyway, Vague?” Midori Hana asked as she peered in over Vague’s shoulder.

“Just some brainstorming ideas. Twilight suggested that we do some kind of tutorial videos in how to safely use our various styles of magic; seeing as there really isn’t any infrastructure for teaching people magic… and in some cases teaching people en masse at all outside of the Internet,” Vague responded as Hana moved on side of him to look at the pad he was writing on.

Why are you bothering teaching those people anyway… they’re just going to abuse it like they always do… Vague heard resound in his head; however, the vaguely feminine voice that spoke dissipated as soon as it ‘arrived’.

“Did anypony say something?” Blue Vague asked of the room at large, which held everyone except Rarity who was in her private room working on designs, and Applejack who was nearby outside looking at the trees around the Isegawa’s property.

Everyone else shook their heads in denial or shrugged at not knowing.

“That’s just weird…” Blue Vague muttered to himself as he continued writing.

---

Meanwhile, Applejack sat at the base at a large, old, and sickly tree as she contemplated what the Conduits had shown her about Terran-style Magic since the unsealing roughly two weeks ago.

“That mana is powerful… but from what Ah’ve read, a source of mana could be as powerful as anything, but ya need something to make it do something…” Applejack thought aloud as she thumped the sickly tree with her front hoof.

The hollow thud reminded her of breaking old, rotting stumps on the farm – a feeling she didn’t much like, even though she was used to it by now.

“This tree is practically dead while it stands. Makes me shudder thinkin’ about it…” Applejack said as she placed both of her hooves against the base of the tree.

She concentrated as she peered into the unseen, to find what looked like a light, a dim, flickering light, but a shining light nonetheless.

“So this tree is still alive… barely, and much of it’s tissue is dead and rottin’, but there is still something tickin’ inside,” Applejack continued as she now paced around it.

“Ah could just charge it with mah Life Magic, but…” Applejack started, as she looked around at all the other trees around here that were dead or near-death. “Ah’ll wear myself out easy trying to repair the trees around tha property.”

Applejack walked back to the tree she was sitting at before, crossing her legs like a human would their arms, as she closed her eyes to think some more.

“There has to be some way to use the Magic Hana and the other use to help these trees…” Applejack mumbled as she continued her thought train. “But how?”

---

“This looks like a bit much Rarity. I mean… this is just a teaching video, I think low key is a better track to take,” Vague looked as he tilted his head around, trying to visibly show his confusion at the design that Rarity showed him for a costume to be worn while discussing Water Magic.

“Oh… I knew it. But I just can’t help myself sometimes…” Rarity pouted as she put the design in a folder marked ‘Stage Play Costumes’.

That was probably a better place for it anyway. She’d make me look like a Ponified Aquaman with that getup… Blue Vague reasoned internally as he watched Rarity sit back down to her drawing table to come up with something a little more appropriate for the occasion.

---

“Let’s see… fertilizer is just various compounds, most of which are solids, and nitrogen, and it’s mixed with aerated, stable soil to create a fertile growin’ area - so all of that would be Earth Magic. Then you use the water to both hydrate the cells of the tissue and to transport the various compounds pre and post-metabolisim, so that’s Water Magic. The Sun is the energy source that the leaves use to create its internal sugars, but the Earth’s sun is plenty strong by itself, so I don’t need magic for that…” Applejack began to think, as she went through all the highlights of her education both in general and as a farmer.

“But trying to do all of that would be a plum mess with just simple Terran Magic. Plus these trees are so sick as it is, they would take forever to recover without… wait a minute…” She continued to think before stricken with some inspiration.

“A catalyst… but for the magic. Life Magic can jump-start the cells natural processes, but these trees are so big Ah’d need a ton of it per tree. But if Ah let Terran Magic make up the bulk, then Ah just need a little bit of Life Magic to catalyze the spell…” Applejack reasoned as she thought back to using Life Magic to mend broken apple tree branches. “At least Ah hope Ah only need a lil’ bit.”

Applejack began to concentrate, as she began to gather loose mana and aspect it to Water and Earth.

Ah didn’t think it’d be this easy to turn mana a certain color before now… But that’s only the start; the hard part is mixin it all up…

---

That’s weird… I feel a strong pulse of Terran Magic somewhere… but it doesn’t quite feel like anything any of the Conduits have used before… Twilight thought, as she looked around, trying to get a sense of what could be outputting that force.

“You look like you just lost something, Twi. What’s up?” Red Blaze asked as she returned from rejecting another design by Rarity for her Fire Magic video.

“Not quite lost, more like found something but I don’t really know what it is. Try scrying for a source of Terran Magic and you’ll see what I mean…” Twilight replied as she began to get up and pace around.

Blaze sat there on the spot and tried what Twilight asked, finding she could feel a flow of Terran Mana that was coalescing somewhere outside of the dorm, but not too far away from the lab.

“Say… wasn’t Applejack outside doing something around the trees by the property line?” Blaze asked as she rose from her seat; horn still alight in her sunrise-red-orange aura.

Twilight face-hoofed as she had forgotten that fast that Applejack was outside and probably would be experimenting with something, given how interested she was looking at the near-dead trees around the Isegawa’s property. “I guess we could go see what she’s up to, doubt she’s doing anything terribly private.”

Red Blaze nodded as the two of them began toward the doors leading outside.

They were met by one startled-looking Applejack who appeared to be panting in one part mild exhaustion and one part great surprise.

“Applejack, are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost… or something like it,” Twilight asked as she helped the farmpony get back to a normal breath pattern so she could speak.

“Try bringin’ dead trees back to life, Twi! Come see!” Applejack said excitedly as she shoved Twilight out the door and flat on her face on the doormat just outside of the frame.

“Oh sorry… little excited here…” Applejack smiled as she giggled a bit at Twilight’s perturbed face as she righted herself. “Hey Vague, Hana! Can you come out here with us?”

A couple of okays and a brief walk later, the five Ponies were standing in front of quite the surprising sight to the electric blue and grass green pair.

“These trees look like someone just took them out of an Agri-Dome and planted them here…” Blue Vague mused aloud as he torqued his neck to the left, trying to figure out if there was something he wasn’t quite picking up.

“Yeah but no way anyone could have moved in trees like that, and you or Twilight would have picked up something like that being teleported… I guess…” Hana added, as her head was torqued to the right, trying to figure out what happened in that short amount of time.

“No, can’t feel anything having happened except someone casting… something… but that only someone, or somepony, would have been…” Twilight started.

“Me!” Applejack finished, beaming with pride by the now revived tree, which was already producing leaf buds.

“Right…” Vague started as he looked incredulously at the orange farmpony. “Not that I don’t believe that Earth Ponies can’t cast magic; but I thought Life Magic was more slow acting at this scale…”

“Ya right, it does act slow if it was just Life Magic but…” Applejack started.

“Strong traces of Earth and Water Magic, combined with just a hint of Life Magic… but that’s at the edges… it feels completely different in the middle…” Twilight finished as she finished a cursory scan of the mana lingering in the area of the revived trees.

“Yeah, that’s what Ah noticed to… my body had those ancient letters, or whatever, in green and blue all over… but when the spell, Ah guess, clicked… well they all turned the same color…” Applejack started, as she closed her eyes.

Vague and Hana could both feel Water and Earth mana starting to form around Applejack, but that wasn’t the end of it.

“That is how it started, right? Ah took mana, turned it into Water and Earth mana; and then Ah used my own Life Magic and…” Applejack continued, as her body began to glow a soft green like her eyes. The electric blue and the grass green runes that formed on her coat began to ripple in the presence of the Life Magic, and slowly shifted shape, and more importantly changed color – all becoming a rich, dark forest-green[1].

“Oh my goodness… that’s amazing Applejack…” Twilight spoke in hushed awe, as she could feel the three distinct Magicks fused into one singular wavelength, as it were.

Blue Vague closed his eyes, as he began to test the mana around the middle of the revived ‘grove’, and found it to be more or less the same as what was flowing over Applejack now. “That is amazing… it feels natural like my Water Magic… but it was clearly formed from a mix of other things… or rather…”

“… she found an intermediary form of Terran Magic, using Life Magic to help catalyze the reaction…” Twilight concluded, as she picked up Vague’s thought.

“Well, we can call it Plant Magic for now. Tree kinda sounds limiting, and then there is this…” Applejack started, as she pointed everyone down at the wildflowers that were starting to sprout around her, as the light-green glow around her body faded, but the runes stayed on her coat, and at their given hue.

Wildflowers that were quickly scorched by a sneezing Red Blaze.

“Blaze, what the heck?” Applejack shouted as she backpedaled out of the way of the accidental stream of fire. Vague quietly casted a small sprinkle to douse whatever flames persisted from burning the grass around the flowers.

“Sorry, allergies. Certain flowers make me sneeze fierce when they bloom. Wasn’t as bad in Equestria and I had some anti-allergy medicine. This is a… a… a…” Blaze started to say before another stream of flame shot from her mouth, and nearly singed Hana’s tail.

“You’re paying for extensions if you scorch my mane or tail, sister!” Hana stated sternly as the five walked back to the dorms.

“Sorry…” Blaze replied sheepishly; trying to keep her mana ‘count’ to a minimum to prevent any further casting.

Alright… so I guess we can find intermediate styles of Terran Magic depending on how we mix what we know exists. But something tells me that’s only a little bit of it… Twilight thought as she felt the leftover mana near where they were all standing dissipate into the environment.

-----

It was a short while later, and Blaze and Rarity were in Rarity’s room working on something other than costumes that were ultimately getting rejected.

“Seeing as this whole costume thing has been a waste of time, let’s work on something else while I lick my emotional wounds,” Rarity replied somewhat dejectedly.

“Sorry about all of that though. But still, those costumes were rather gaudy given the purpose,” Blaze responded as she patted Rarity across the back of her shoulders.

“I know, I know. In any case – how about a lighting spell for use when it’s dark out?” Rarity asked as she tried to think of something else.

“Hrm, yeah. But how do we make a safe light? I mean, the easiest thing I think you can have an accident with would be Fire Magic,” Blaze thought, as she watched the bright red runes appear on Rarity’s coat, contrasting with her periwinkle aura of Unicorn Magic.

“Oh I think I have an idea to solve that little issue!” Rarity replied with the utmost confidence.

---

“Is the whole world having some kind of competition for who can do the most ridiculous and unsafe thing with a new form of power before they end up killing themselves?” Golden Storm asked aloud of no one in particular as he, Vague, and Rainbow Dash watched some more videos of different incidents involving Terran Magic.

“Well, if there is one bright side, at least there are a few people who have a sense of magic without us having to teach them. But yeah… this can go very wrong very fast with a fireball in the wrong place,” Vague replied as he looked on with concern.

“My mom told me this one day when I accidentally burned myself on a hot stove: ‘Sometimes a foal has to touch a hot stove to know it’s hot’,” Rainbow Dash stated, reflexively holding her left front hoof limp when she did.

“Unfortunately, it’s too true. I guess some people will have to be literally or figuratively burned before they know well enough to learn and use it properly. Though the former is still going to be hard right now,” Vague reasoned as he looked around.

The three of them were broken out of their discussion by a pair of high-pitched screams.

“Did that sound like Rarity and Blaze screaming about something?” Vague asked, as he looked out at the door to the rec room.

“That it did, let’s see what Rarity did now…” Golden Storm replied as he sighed and walked out of the room, followed by Dash and Vague.

---

“Do you have a hold of it?!” Blaze complained, though her voice was muffled by her hoof rubbing the front of her snout.

“I… I think I do!” Rarity replied, as she struggled to hold the white basketball-sized sphere in her TK grip.

“Just what in the heck happened, I mean I know the idea was the compress and wrap the fireball so it would glow evenly and safely, but now it’s… it’s…”

“Basically a ball of pure light… and it doesn’t feel like Fire Magic anymore, nor does it really feel like it’s my own mana concentrated into aether[2] either,” Rarity concluded, as her head jerked a bit trying to control the sphere in her aura.

“Then why is it so wild? Luna’s Stagelight spell didn’t bound about like a basketball made out of photons…” Blaze added as she tried to look at the sphere to see what was up.

“Can’t say, just need to make this...” Rarity started before she lost her grip on the ball and it started bounding around the room again.

“Ahh! At least it’s not dense enough to damage anything, though it still-OWW-hurts when it hits us!” Blaze complained as the ball bounded off her head again.

“EEE! I know! I just want to know why it won’t slow dowwwn!” Rarity added after the ball smacked her along her flanks.

---

“Alright ladies, what seems to be the problem,” Storm asked as he looked incredulously at the door that Vague and Dash stood with him by, not knowing what was going on the other side.

“Minor problem, nothing really, just go fetch Twilight for us… and PLEASE don’t open that door,” Rarity asked as politely she could manage given the circumstances on the other side of the light metal door.

Rainbow Dash mumbled something into Golden Storm’s ear, and Storm walked to the other side of the door frame where Rainbow stood, and Dash held her hoof over the door grip. “I just wonder what the two of you could be up to where you’d need Twilight and yet we can’t open this door.”

“Don’t joke around Rainbow Dash, just go get Twilight and leave the door closed, please!” Blaze asked with a little more terseness behind her voice than the white seamstress.

“Well I don’t see what the-OWWW!” Rainbow Dash started as she slid the door open (which wasn’t locked to begin with), and was promptly smacked in the face by the ball of light as it began to ricochet all over the common area of the dormitories.

“Owww, ow ow ow! How can something with no weight hurt like that?!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she held her hoof over her nose.

“I don’t know but can someone please get that purple bookworm so we can get that thing taken care of?” Rarity asked; her patience at about its breaking point.

A few moments later, Vague was rapping at Twilight’s door. “Twi’, you’re needed outside. Something about a rogue ball of magically conjured light causing some… issues.”

“I see,” she added flatly, as she used her telekinesis to snag the ball. The sphere in her grip with noticeable-yet-lessened intensity than it was in Rarity’s grip.

“Ok Twi’, so what did our costume-and-dress-designing compatriot manage to do here?” Blaze asked, as the pain finally subsided from when the ball hit her the first time.

“This is just like earlier…” Twilight figured aloud, as she used her TK field to analyze the still jostling ball of light.

“Like earlier how?” Blaze added, as Applejack and come back from outside and was looking at the four Ponies staring at the sphere of light, and a certain cyan Pegasus still sulking to the side, holding her nose.

I wonder what Rainbow Dash did this time… Applejack wondered silently as she walked over to hear Twilight’s apparent explanation.

“Well, I can feel traces of Rarity’s Explicit Magic and general Terran Fire Magic, but like the little stunt Applejack pulled off earlier, it’s resulted in something unique unto itself…” Twilight started.

“What little stunt, Twi’?” Golden Storm asked.

“Go look at the trees by the property line in back of the dorms, you’ll see,” Applejack responded curtly so that Twilight could finish her preliminary explanation.

Storm made a mental note of that, while Twilight resumed her explanation. “Right. So where was I… ok, the Fire Magic and Rarity’s Explicit Magic somehow fused and we ended up with… well this. I guess we could call this wavelength ‘Light Magic’. Though I don’t like using the term ‘wave-length’ when we don’t have a real spectrum…”

Twilight thought for a bit more as she let the ball dissipate on its own.

“The common element I see is that we are finding new forms of Terran Magic by using our own natural Pony Magic to an existing Terran Magic field we’ve found. I’d guess that if we keep doing this in different combinations, there’s no telling how many variants we could find,” Twilight reasoned aloud, with a smile creeping onto her face all the while.

“Yeah that makes sense, Twilight. I just hope we can do it in a way that doesn’t actually hurt or damage anyone or anything,” Vague reasoned as he looked over at Applejack checking on Dash.

“So what happened this time, Dash?” Applejack asked as she stood next to the pouting Rainbow Dash.

“Opened a door I shouldn’t have…” Dash replied with a churlish tone.

“Well you did sorta open the door when they asked you to not to…” Storm replied as he sat next to Rainbow Dash, who had her front legs crossed.

“Yeah, whatever…” Rainbow Dash replied, obviously more mentally hurt than anything else.

What is it with me and touching hot stoves…

[ April 4, 2081 – Isegawa Clinic and Labs, St. Louis, USA ]
===========================================================

The day rolled over to the next, and the weather was mostly the same, about 90 and unreasonably high humidity. Normally this wouldn’t have been a problem for the Ponies at the Isegawa’s Dormitory… just that today happened to be system maintenance day, and it was the phase of the day where everything was closed down in the Dorms so the diagnostic drones could run their checks.

Which mean you had ten rather uncomfortable Ponies lounging around the still recovering trees in back of the Isegawa’s property, away from the clinic and prying eyes.

“I remember reading that the temperatures during April would be closer to the high-70s to the 80s during April, if that warm. I honestly believe those were hateful lies to make us feel even worse about things now. Though why anyone would do that, I have no idea,” Vague complained as he stared at the off-blue sky.

“No dear, that’s just reading too much into things. Besides, I think we feel bad enough now in this kind of humidity without anyone having to lie about climate records…” Rarity replied, as she fanned herself beneath her free-standing parasol, fretting about her slowly fraying mane.

“I would say that Earth’s Sun was possessed by an evil demon. But that’s just crazy; probably as crazy as humans thinking we have anything that could actually control our Sun,” Twilight responded as she downed another glass of water out of her insulated pitcher.

Fluttershy thought for a few moments as she watched Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Golden Storm batting an inflatable plastic ball back and forth in a bid to distract themselves from the heat and humidity. She fluttered over to a branch of a recovering tree, and planted herself on one when she felt she found one that was stable.

Alright, just like I went over in my head… I can do this…

She spread her wings out, letting Wind-aspected mana flow through her system, ‘dyeing’ her feathers in a luminescent pale yellow. She began to flap, causing a swift breeze to rush over the area where everyone was lounging about.

“I like the idea, ‘Shy. But I don’t think a breeze is gonna help with these conditions much…” Rainbow Dash mentioned aloud, as she, Storm, and Applejack continued with their ball game.

She’s right… so I think I need to add something to absorb the heat…

She let some Water-aspected mana mix with the Wind-mana in her system, turning a few of her feathers blue in the process. The wind then began to blow a light mist, as if someone had set up a very large cold-water humidifier nearby.

“’Shy, you’re gonna soak my, well, everything at this rate…” Rarity complained in her most friendly tone, as she looked over the rim of her sunglasses at the dear friend of hers whom was trying so very hard to help.

Fluttershy briefly flashed a face of pure indignation at Rarity, before she concentrated back on her task.

Cold, I need to make it genuinely cold. But how… Fluttershy thought, as she tried to figure out what to do. Her eyes flared open as she figured out what she believed would be the best method.

Well if water won’t cut it as a cooling agent…

She concentrated deeper as she pulled in a large amount of Wind mana, a slightly smaller amount of Water mana, and used her Weather Magic to swirl it together.

I just hope I’m not using too much…

She spread her wings out once again, letting the newfound mixture wash over her system. The air temperature around her began to drop precipitously, as bits of frost formed on the tree branch. A bit that the observant Twilight picked up on.

“Fluttershy, you don’t have to do all of this, we’ll be able to go back inside before long.

“No Twilight… I almost got this…” Fluttershy responded, not once opening her eyes as she continued to concentrate on the new batch of mana she had formed.

The butter-yellow Pegasus began to flap her wings against, this time blowing a wind that felt like the very definition of a biting and .

“Did we just suddenly gain elevation? It shouldn’t be that cold at this latitude…” Rainbow Dash wondered as she was briefly confused by the sudden drop in temperature, before she saw Fluttershy glowing a strange shade of blue close to her own.

The glow began to settle into aquamarine-blue runes covering her body, as the water in the atmosphere began to coalesce into bits of ice.

“And suddenly it dropping to about 50 Fahrenheit makes sense…” Golden Storm mused aloud as he began to feel a bit of a shiver coming on.

“Alright, Fluttershy, I think you’ve cooled it down more than enough…” Rarity replied, as she watched tiny ice-stalactites form on her parasol, the temperature continuing to drop around them all.

“Ahhh… I don’t think I know how to make it stop…” Fluttershy said, as she looked worried as the grounds were beginning to legitimately ice over.

“Hey Twi I…” Vague started to say until he suddenly fell silent.

“You what Va…” Twilight tried to ask before she was suddenly cut off as well.

The blue and violet Unicorns looked at each other as the both muttered faint prayers of thanks as both stared at rather thick and rather sharp stalagmites that suddenly erupted from the coating of ice that continued to form on the ground.

“Oh I’m so sorry, I almost… I almost…” Fluttershy began to cry as she realized that the ice was growing out of control.

“Don’t… it was an accident, no one is hurt,” Twilight replied as she tried to calm the sensitive Pegasus down.

“Yeah, let’s just stay out of the way until the mana stops surging…” Blue Vague added as he and the others walked around to the same side of the ice patch to look at it from a hopefully safe distance.

A few moments later, all ten of the Ponies sat or stood before the ice patch behind the Isegawa’s dormitory, and the runes faded from Fluttershy’s body.

“Well clearly you had the right idea… you just kinda… went overboard,” Twilight mused as she looked at the ice that had already begun to melt back into plain water or dissipate into its constituent mana.

“Now that I have a chance to look at it, it’s weird. Some of this ice is magical ice and evaporating into mana, now that Fluttershy stopped; and the rest of the ice was actually formed from water, and is simply melting back into that in the rest of this heat,” Storm figured as he looked at an ice stalagmite that began to shrink and melt as well.

“I’d like to figure out the difference between these forms of ice, honestly. Just so long as we can do it where no one gets gored,” Vague concluded. Everyone else nodded knowingly, as they began to gather the now waterlogged blankets and parasol to take back inside. Blaze and Rarity stayed behind, though, to melt away the rest of the ice before anyone accidentally slipped.

“I wonder why she thought to use that much mana, anyway,” Blaze asked in a bit of a knowing tone, looking sternly at a certain white Unicorn.

“Yes… haha… I wonder as well…” Rarity replied with a nervous laugh, as the two of them continued to melt the physical ice around them.

-----

It was now patently obvious why it remained so humid through the day, as the Ponies of the Isegawa Dorms all hunkered down inside. The entire horizon seemed like it had turned charcoal black, as a massive line of thunderstorms were about to pass over the St. Louis metropolitan area in a short while. Well, nine of the ten were in the Dorms battening the proverbial hatches.

“They are just so… big…” Rainbow Dash said to herself in a hush tone, as she sat atop the gently sloped roof of the Dorm. “I haven’t seen any wild storm like on Equestria since I was a little filly. Never felt wind like that. Never heard rain like that…”

“Say, Dash, you still up there cloud-gazing?” Storm said through a two-way radio the Isegawa’s had rigged up on the roof for those inside the building to communicate to anyone up on the roof. “You know that storm will be on top of us any minute now?”

“Yes I know the storm is gonna be on us any minute now, I’m not blind you know…” Dash replied with a snide tone.

“There is just… just this raw energy in that storm. I know from weather class that storms are just one means for the atmosphere to dump excess energy out of itself,” Dash continued to herself. “If I could just get a piece of it I could… wait!”

Rainbow Dash was struck with inspiration, as she felt the atmosphere become more and more charged with loose ions, as the storm continued to creep toward St. Louis, and the Laboratory.

---

“Does Rainbow Dash have a habit of this?” Blue Vague asked as he hoofed over the control pad, looking for a movie to watch.

“What? Usually she’s the one directly managing the storms, instead of just observing them. Wild storms don’t occur that much by big towns or cities,” Applejack responded.

“Can’t think this is anything but unsafe, but if anyone would understand the magnitude and danger of a thunderstorm, even a controlled one, it’d be Rainbow Dash,” Midori Hana added with quite a bit of confidence.

---

“I get the feeling I’m about to do something insanely stupid, and yet, in the end, necessary,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she let the mixture of Wind and Fire Magic wash over her; her feathers alternating between red and yellow now.

“Alright, this all hinges on if I think Fire Magic is related to energy and not just heat. Lightning is air ions charged to the point they jump to a spot where opposite ions gather. So if I could just mix the atmospheric conditions with the electric charge, then…” Rainbow Dash started as she started to feel sparks of something arc between tufts on her coat, as she was becoming so charged her mane, coat, and tail were all starting to separate and stand on end.

Hey this is actually starting to work like I thought it would… Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she watched tiny spark jumps from one of her hooves to another, similar to the filaments of a plasma ball.

Unfortunately, the cyan Pegasus didn’t realize she was starting to generate a positive charge.

---

“Well until Rainbow Dash is struck with some sense, can you extend the lightning rod? Even though I think the HEA would be good for it, I don’t want to go through the hassle of replacing anything in here if we can help it,” Blue Vague asked of Red Blaze who was sitting next to the climate control console.

Blaze nodded and pressed a button, and looked at the display that showed the lightning rod being raised.

---

Rainbow Dash, electrical power crackling along her mane and all, was oblivious to the rather large metal rod extending itself not one foot away from her person. Despite this, she was not only full of magically-generated electrical energy, but she was full of vigor and confidence.

And just had to let the world know it, even if no one would necessarily hear her.

“How’s this Nature! I can copy your lightning just as well as you can now. How awesome is that?!” Rainbow Dash shouted with great vigor as she floated herself roughly six-inches higher than the lightning rod.

Nature deigned to answer the brash young Pegasus the best way that it knew how… by showing her what its version of lightning looked like, up close and personal.

---

The nine Ponies inside the dorm saw a flash, heard a bang, and watched a pale-blue glowing Pegasus land with a rather resounding thud on the ground near the side of the dormitory.

“I would like to imagine that wasn’t what I thought it was, but we should check anyway, and like… right now!” Golden Storm shouted as he and Fluttershy rushed outside of the dorm. Only to return a few minutes later with a slightly cross-eyed, singed, and twitching Rainbow Dash, who looked like somepony who had just jammed a fork into an electrical socket.

“Well she’s still alive… I think…” Midori Hana said as she carefully place a hoof over Dash’s chest, wincing as some of the charge jumped into her own body like a static shock. A sense of mild relief replaced her shock as she felt the beat of Rainbow Dash’s heart was seemingly uninterrupted.

“Yeah she’s still breathing and her heart is beating, so there that’s much.”

“Dashie, can you speak to us?” Fluttershy asked, as she leaned in to the still softly glowing, her own hair starting stand on end from the electric charge remaining in her body and along the pale-blue runes of her body.

“ThatwassofunIwannadoitagainIhaven’tfeltlikethisinagesdidyouknowthattheactualboltoflightningisduetotheairbeingsuperheatedandcausingittoturnintoplasma?” Rainbow Dash stated as her eyes still didn’t quite align to a single obvious line of sight, and her speech patterns seemed to imply she had been stuck with an adrenaline needle.

“Did anyone catch what she just said? I don’t exactly speak motor-mouth,” Fluttershy asked, her ears drooping to the side of her head.

“Let me give a shot… ‘That was so fun. I want to do it again. I haven’t felt like this ages. Did you know that…’, wait hold on, ok. ‘Did you know that the actual bolt of lightning is due to the air being superheated’ I assume to plasma and glowing,” Blue Vague replied.

“Wow, that… sounded like what she said exactly,” Twilight replied as she tried to piece together how Rainbow Dash turned herself into a (thankfully still) living lightning rod.

“Hana tends to motor-mouth, in English no less, after a few too many tumblers of coffee during anime binges…” Vague replied nonchalantly.

“I do not! I am perfectly intelligible!” Hana pouted; her consternation obvious on her face.

“Yeah to anyone hopped up on amphetamines…” Storm added, having joined Vague and Hana during one of those sessions before.

“CansomeoneputsomesryuponmypancakeswhenIwakeupI’mprobablygoingtobereallyhungrywheneverIdogetupsogoodnight!” Rainbow Dash blurted out in the span of a couple of seconds, before promptly ‘crashing out’ asleep.

“And she’s out like a light. It doesn’t feel like her heart rate dipped below a normal Pony’s who’s asleep, so I don’t think she’s in any danger. Though she’s probably going to be extremely angry tomorrow,” Twilight explained, as she and Hana continued to check over the nearly electrocuted speedster.

“Why would that be?” Applejack asked with prime curiosity.

“That little stunt of hers blew a fuse in her magic channeling system; she won’t be able to take flight properly for a couple of days,” Twilight explained.

“Yep, that’d get ‘er good and riled up,” Applejack replied, nodding sagely.

“In any case we should probably let the Doctors look her over, and maybe someone from the Bureau if the storm passes by the morning. I mean it doesn’t look like she’s sustained any major damage, but we don’t have any fine instruments and neither me or Hana are trained for deep medical scanning,” Twilight figured, as put a blanket on a first-aid stretcher that was located in a first-aid closet, and she and Vague walked her under the canopied walkway to the Clinic proper.

[ April 6, 2081 – Isegawa Clinic and Labs, St. Louis, USA ]
===========================================================

The last couple of days for the Ten had passed largely without incident, after Rainbow Dash was given a clean bill of health. Her speech and her flight had slowly but surely returned to normal and she couldn’t wait to experiment more with Lightning Magic, albeit in a much more controlled and safe manner.

She wasn’t the only mare of the Ten who was ready to do some magical experimentation though.

So if I do this… and mix it like that… then I can move it like this… Pinkie Pie mused internally, as the green and red runes of Earth and Fire Magic as well as her the soft sky-blue glow of her own Life Magic showed she was hard at work at her own attempt at finding another ‘wavelength’ of Terran Magic to work with.

And her early morning casting was appearing to bear fruit…

Wait! I think I almost got it! All the scrap metal should be just about melted down… Pinkie continued as she watched the scrap metal she quietly shanghai’ed from the local junkyard melt down into a mostly incoherent mixture of metal and hard plastics.

“Wow… it looks so pretty like this…” she said softly, the orange of the melted metal contrasting with the persistent sky-blue glow of her own Life Magic and the green and red runes of the Terran Magic she was casting.

Now if I remember what the Zebras do for their Projection… I have to concentrate on the body that is outside of me… Pinkie mused, as she picked her front hooves off the ground and began to wave them around in a gentle pattern, causing the blob of molten metal to move gently in the same general direction. As she did, the green and red runes began to change shape slightly, and color, slowly morphing into a silver-ish gray.

“This is so fun! No wonder Twilight spends so much time with her magic research!” Pinkie said as she giggled, watching as the slimy molten metal began to more accurately follow the track created by her hoof-wave patterns.

“Ok then, now what shape to make it, what shape? OH I KNOW!” Pinkie exclaimed, as she turned on a miniature lantern and began to sketch out a familiar figure; boosted by her eidetic memory.

“Hana is gonna be so surprised when I show her this!” Pinkie continued on, before an important thought crossed her mind, as the sky-blue glow faded from her body, leaving only the silver-gray runes along her hooves. “Where am I going to find the right color paint?”

---

Later that morning, a small cadre of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Midori Hana, and Red Blaze were all lead out to a natural clearing in the unclaimed property near the dorms by a very chipper and excited Pinkie.

“I wonder what Pinkie has to show us out here,” Twilight wondered as she looked through and around all the dead and dying trees.

“What I have to show you is… THIS!” Pinkie chirped as she signaled everyone to stop, showing them several piles of scrap metal, a large pit that appeared to be crude-yet-effectively reinforced, and something, possibly a pair of somethings, that was(were?) about two feet tall underneath a completely opaque tarp.

“Somepony has been hard at work these last couple of days, haven’t they?” Blaze asked with a bemused tone, impressed by the industriousness of the pink mare.

“Yep, when I get an idea, I go all out! Plus you all have so many of these tools lying around just not being used, I thought why not,” Pinkie replied as she moseyed over to the pit, and used a cart to dump some of the scrap metal.

“So this is what I figured out while Dashie was getting better from being a lightning rod,” Pinkie started, while Dash audibly grumbled. “If Applejack could mix Water and Earth Magic, and get something that helped plants and trees, then what would I get if I did this?”

Pinkie let Earth Magic run over one half of her body, and Fire Magic run over the other half; using the energy to melt the metal and the Earth Magic kinesis to move the metal.

“Right, so I could melt the metal, but it would be really hard to work the metal without tools. But that’s when I managed to do this!” the cotton-candy pink now-metallurgist continued.

The runes on her body turned silver as she began to work the melted metal into a defined shape. After a few moments, the Metal Magic cooled and stabilized the mass that was now shaped into a more rigid form – that of a steel-alloy exclamation point.

Which, in turn, perfectly described what Twilight was feeling at the moment.

“How… Pinkie… I don’t… what?!” the stumped librarian tried to ask, but failing largely to form a coherent question.

“Well, the whole waving my legs to make the metal move wasn’t anything I planned, it just sorta… came to me out of the blue, well more like the purple since it was early in the morning,” Pinkie replied as the silver-gray runes faded from her body for the time being.

She did it to me again… she came up with a form of Magic I can’t even begin to concretely explain… I don’t know how she does it… Twilight thought as she looked about as dejected as one mare could.

“Anyway, that was just a demonstration, here is a finished product,” Pinkie stated confidently, as she dashed over to the tarp-covered objects. And with a quick tug, she uncovered them.

Much to the delight of Midori Hana. “Oh they’re so cute~!”

Midori positively squealed as she closely inspected the two figures, one a super-deformed model of Mazinger Z; and the other being an equally super-deformed model of one of the more iconic enemy machines from his anime series, the Doublas M2.

“That’s… amazing… especially given the amount of time she had to make the models,” Blaze remarked, astounded at the level of quality that was evident in the figures.

“Hey Rainbow, I wanna try something out, can do that Lightning Magic thing you did a couple of days ago, but make it work with the Doublas?” Pinkie Pie asked, as Rainbow Dash looked over the models that were about halfway up to their necks.

“Which one is it again? I don’t remember seeing this cartoon before,” Rainbow asked, a bit confused.

While Hana turned Dash quite the nasty look, Pinkie just smiled and answered. “The green one, just see if you can make the green Doublas move with your Lightning Magic.”

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a few moments, before she started to realize what Pinkie was probably hinting at. “Ok, I think I see what you are asking about. I don’t know if I can do it without it falling over or something; I mean this is new for everyone, even you.”

“Don’t worry Dashie, we got plenty of time~!” Pinkie Pie replied, the noon sun high in the sky.

---

After a couple of hours of trial and error, and another couple of hours of resting and talking, Pinkie and Rainbow finally both felt confident enough in their control of their respective models to try out whatever it was the pink mare was planning.

“Alright Rainbow, you got the plan?” Pinkie asked, as she wore a red headband around her mane-line.

“Yeah sure, but… why do I have to be the villain robot?” Dash grumbled as she wore a half-purple/half-black cloak and a strange looking mask; half the mask’s face looking like a man, and the other half looking like a woman’s.

“Because they’re my models and I already picked Mazinger,” Pinkie replied with a smirk.

The party planner then turned around to face her audience of three before she resumed speaking. “Welcome to Pinkie Pie’s Puppet-Time Theatre. And for today’s performance, with the assistance of one Rainbow Dash, I proudly present: FIGHT TO THE FINISH! The Iron Fortress vs. the Twin-Headed Demon!”

“You know that sounds like it could have been the translated title for the original Mazinger, too…” Hana figured as Pinkie and Rainbow took their places with their respective models.

“And… go!” Pinkie shouted before clearing her throat. “The Iron Fortress – Mazinger Z is here to put a stop to your rampage, Baron Ashura!”

Leave it to Pinkie to get this far into it the first time around… Rainbow Dash thought as she mustered up as much enthusiasm as she could muster given the circumstances. “Your puny machine is no match for my Mechanical Beast, Pinkie Kabuto!”

The ‘Baron(ess)’ then used her Lightning Magic to cause the Doublas figure to fire a yellow-ish looking beam of ‘lightning’ out of each head at the Mazinger model, while Pinkie feigned getting struck by the same blast.

“Argh! You hit me, but it will take more than that to defeat me, Ashura!” Pinkie ‘Kabuto’ rejoined, as the Mazinger model raised its arm into a firing position, following the lead of its puppeteer (or at least as closely as equine anatomy would allow).

“ROCKET PUNCH!” Pinkie shouted with as much vigor as any voice actor for a giant mecha anime before her, as she used her magic to send the right forearm and fist of the Mazinger model flying toward and striking the Doublas, before slowly retrieving it and reattaching it to the body proper.

“Wow, this is… actually pretty neat given the fact neither of them have barely had time to practice or rehearse,” Red Blaze noted aloud; as she silently noted how much Hana seemed to be into the performance despite having assuredly seen the same thing animated a thousand times before.

“Mazin Go!” the green mare shouted, feeling like a 10 year old watching her father’s old anime collection again.

Seriously… how does she keep doing it? I just don’t get it… Twilight wondered, feeling a soft pang of jealousy creep into her mind.

The mock battle raged on for another ten minutes or so, before the climax appeared to be fast approaching.

“Haha, I got you right where I want you, Kabuto!” Ashura-Dash cackled, having finally gotten into the spirit of the performance.

“That’s what you think, but what about this!” Pinkie replied, as she used her model to suplex the other, leaving Doublas on the ground and hardly responsive to Rainbow Dash’s Lightning Magic-fed commands.

“Noo, Doublas, he’s fallen and can’t get up!” Dash complained, as she tried to make the mecha model stand, but was finding it far more difficult than it was before.

“And now to finish this off! BREAST FIRE!” Pinkie shouted, as her face was covered in red Fire Magic runes. The Mazinger model raised its arms, the red plates on its chest glowed a hot orange, and a wave of Fire Magic was fired at the still struggling twin-headed green model.

The Doublas model jerked as it melted halfway back into slag by the blast, forcing Ashura-Dash to concede defeat. “Nooo, my Doublas! I will return Pinkie Kabuto, and with something bigger and stronger!” Dash shouted, as she ran ‘off-stage’, only to return a few moments later.

“Well that’s it for the performance, so what did you think?” Pinkie asked, as Rainbow Dash took off the mask and the cloak.

“It was pretty good, it makes me want to go check some of the entries in the franchise now,” Red Blaze replied.

“Oh you should, you totally should! Shin Mazinger Z from the early 2010s is really good, and the animation quality has held up all these years, I think too!” Midori Hana replied; the excitement she felt during the performance had yet to abate.

“I was kinda skeptical at first, but now I see why little kids play with action figures, that really was fun to do!” Rainbow Dash replied, as placed some things back in a carrying case that Pinkie had set up on a cart.

“I guess that means we’re all done for the afternoon?” Twilight asked, as she looked around, still somewhat perturbed by her pink friend.

“Yeah, I’m kinda tired from casting all that magic; I dunno how you Unicorns do it all day. But let me load the Mazinger onto the cart and we can all head back,” Pinkie replied as she gently slid the model up a ramp onto the braked cart.

A few minutes later, after all the scrap and the forge were checked to ensure that nothing would catch fire in their absence, the five mares made their way back to the dorms - plus one metal mecha model that was in dire need of a repainting.

-----

The evening at the dormitory found the Ten doing what they did most of the time that they were there - using the available resources with the net to plan what they were going to do next time they returned Equestria-side, or practicing some more low-key applications of the Terran Magic they were uncovering.

Though Twilight, for her part, was still in a very sulk-y mood, as she laid on her bed in her combination room and study, trying to figure out what it was that her five closest friends had figured out before her.

“I really don’t get it at all. I mean, Magic is my thing, it’s literally my Element. And yet I just… feel lost with all of this,” Twilight grumbled aloud, as Vague stopped by the half-open door, hearing his part-time tutor stymied by her own frustration.

“Can I come in Twilight? You sound a tad upset,” Vague asked as he poked his head inside the door-frame.

“Yes, and I am,” Twilight responded, trying to maintain some minimum level of civility with the blameless stallion.

“Okay then, that’s a start. So what exactly has your goat by the neck, then?” Vague asked as he took a cushion off a nearby stack and sat near Twilight’s bed.

“The last week mostly… I know that we were all supposed to be learning how to use Terran Magic from you all and from what we could gleam on our own. And… honestly I feel stuck,” Twilight responded as she lay out on her back, as if she was in a super casual psychiatrist’s office.

“Care to elaborate?” Blue Vague asked in response, feeling it was best to keep the questions simple and let Twilight vent her frustrations in a safe manner.

“Fine. I’m supposed to be the Element of Magic, right? I really thought that if, given the time and the access to all of this mana, I could come up with, what, a dozen variants of Terran Magic,” Twilight started, as her tone of annoyance shifted to exasperation. “But all I can come up with are refinements to what you all have already found. It’s like I’m tuning a car instead of designing one, and that just feels frustrating.”

“Interesting you’d go for the car metaphor, there,” Vague responded with a bit of a chuckle.

“Well, I’m trying to broaden my horizons. Motor vehicles seem like a good place to start,” Twilight responded, letting a bit of a giggle slip herself.

“Alright, well I’m no psych so I can’t give you formal advice, but what I’d do is create a water ball, and use it to vent your stress,” Vague suggested, forming a roughly baseball sized ball of water from the properly-aspected mana.

“Anything that’d keep me from slipping into one of my… episodes, I guess…” Twilight replied, as she formed another ball of water that was the same size as Vague’s.

“Episodes?” Vague asked in genuine confusion.

“Ask them what happened when I thought I was going to be late with a Friendship Report back in my first year-or-so in Ponyville,” Twilight replied, as she began to magically manipulate the ball of water.

“May as well, anyway see ya after-while,” Vague responded as he went on about his way again, sliding the door closed behind him.

Twilight dimmed the lights of her room and turned down the monitor brightness on her console, as she began to stare at the ball of water she had conjured, that still glowed somewhat blue.

“Alright. Here goes. I don’t get Applejack. She is so grounded and uber-practical when it comes to how she acts, how does she even know the first thing about attracting mana she’d need to use aside from what precisely she uses?”

Twilight began to squeeze and squash the ball of water as she audibly stated her feelings over being left behind, in some sense, in magic research; a feeling she absolutely HATED.

“Rarity is the same way. I’ve never seen a Unicorn use such little magic outside of their own talent. And then she just… just waltzes in and finds a new form by total accident!

“Fluttershy, bless her kind heart, hardly even uses her Pegasi abilities to their fullest extent. And here she is completely turning outside temperature on its head.

“Rainbow Dash damn near kills herself trying to find a new form of Magic, and then is up and walking not two days later. And they call me charmed.

“Pinkie Pie… it’s always the same with Pinkie Pie. She ALWAYS finds a way to confound me. They will award me Starswirl the Bearded Memorial Prize in Magical Research if I could EVER nail down how she does what she does. I can’t even pin down exactly what she does. Why? Why is it so hard to understand that mare? I… just… don’t… understand it!”

Twilight continued to crush Water Mana into the tightly packed ball, that now began to swirl with not only Water Mana, but her own raw Explicit Magic.

“I need to understand it. I need to comprehend it. I need to be able to take it apart, put it back together, rearrange it, take it apart again, and then shuffle the pieces like cards in a deck and put it all back together again like I never touched it to begin with!” Twilight growled, as she smashed more and more magic together into the now softball sized ball of water until.

*POOF*

“Wait what? I… that was weird… I just kept channeling that Water Magic and… oh… OH!” Twilight started to think aloud before she saw her own coat. The blue runes that covered it from her Water Magic had turned a deep violet, deeper than the mulberry purple of her coat.

She then looked up and saw quite the strange sight. A floating blob of… what appeared to be thick purple smoke.

“That’s really… I don’t even know what to describe this as…” Twilight thought, as she moved the blob on the floor.

Twilight stood over it and tried to piece together what she might have done, and what it could have meant, as she poked at it with her front hoof. “Ok let’s review, I was venting my frustrations, and squeezing more Water and Explicit Magic together. And then when it seemed like I had reached the peak of my frustration, it all… went poof? Anyway, now I have this blob of shadow that looks like a gas but feels like gelatin.”

“Then again… hrm… this could be useful in more… yeah, I got a killer idea for this!” Twilight said, the dark violet runes on her body now glowing a ‘hot’ purple as she began to shape the blob; which soon resembled a cartoonish spider.

“Alright then, let’s see if you actually work the way I think you will…” Twilight said in a hush tone to herself as she began to slowly turn the room’s lights back up.

The shadow-spider quickly scuttled its way under the bed, trying desperately to get away from the now brightened light.

“Well that seems more of the reaction of a roach than a spider… but the fact it is responding to stimuli is a good thing,” Twilight reasoned aloud, as she contemplated another small experiment.

She walked over to her computer console, and began to draw a white dot on a black background in a paint application. She set the picture to fill the entire screen, which now appeared to simply be a single white dot in a black field.

Ok, if it runs away from light everywhere, what happens if I make it look like there is light in only one place? Twilight asked herself as she turned up the computer’s brightness and completely shut off the light in the room.

Eventually she saw bright pink eyes peer out from the bed, as the spider construct peered around the room. Within second it lunged at the monitor, ephemeral mandibles desperately trying to gnaw at the white dot that sat on the screen.

“Ok, that’s enough… I don’t want to explain that I damaged my monitor with you gnawing at it…” Twilight chided, as she began to cut off the flow of mana through her body; and as the runes faded back to her natural coat color, the spider disintegrated into mana again, but not before waving goodbye to Twilight.

“Ahh, it’s so adorable when it does that. I wonder what’d happen if I could get Vague and the others to teach me how to make those Astral Projections they made a couple of months ago. Although I think I don’t need one quite so big… yet,” Twilight thought, as the gears already began to turn in her head.

“Oh, I got a good idea… I can get everyone together and try and nail down the exact wavelengths of the aspected mana we’ve found so far. Pretty sure Princess Celestia or Luna could get use out of that!”

The mulberry librarian hummed a happy tune as she took out a large stack of notepads and pens, and got to work writing formulas and equations.

A true scholar’s research never ceases…

==== **** ====

SS1-1: Spike's Gaiden 1

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=== BABW: Spike’s Gaiden ===[0]

=== Part I: Spike In The Badlands ===

[ March 25, ??? + 1 -- (Near) Dural-ga-Jafid, Eastern Dragon Territories ]
==========================================================================

Hot. That was the only way to describe the badlands the Dragons occupied and, by default, ruled over. Not only was it hot, but it was brutally dry, meaning that only a few hardy mammals could live away from the areas that bordered Equestria and some of the other nations and tribes.

Making good time for someone their first time out, Spike arrived in the general vicinity of Dural-ga-Jafid sometime in the early afternoon. He decided to spend a bit of time just taking in the sights around the city before entering, so he took a bit of a detour to a nearby outcropping that appeared to give a good look over the entire area that Dural was apparently governing.

“This is incredible. I would have never imagined…” Spike said as he sat in front of his braked cart, sitting cross-legged on the ‘hill’ as he looked down and across the expansive city-state, stretching for what had to be around 40 square-kiloLengths[1] across; roughly the size of a fair-sized Outsider city district, or a mid-sized Equestrian town.

The entire town looked like Ponyville in some respect, except all of the domiciles and businesses places were bigger (to accommodate the larger size of the bipedal-form Dragons); and he could see various large buildings that appeared to sit by themselves, figuring them to be the houses of full-sized ‘bestial’ Dragons. What he also noticed that the entire city was ringed by a rather thick-looking wall of black stone, most likely obsidian. Said wall, despite the constant sand and dust storms, appeared to glisten in the midday sun.

Something that Spike felt he needed to figure out an explanation for, as he wheeled his cart around and returned to the path to enter the city proper.

"Say, um, how exactly does this obsidian stay polished? Wouldn't that be a pain with all the wind and dust storms?" Spike asked of a pair of bipedal guard-dragons, both 20% taller and thicker than him; his goggles covered in dust and cloak a nicer shade of orange.

"Hrm? Oh, actually didn't notice you there. Well, hardly anyone ever asks us that… but seeing as we don't have anything else to do out here…" one of the guard-dragons said as he took off his dust-proof visor to find a nice out of the way section of the wall.

He then undid the armor around his forearms and hands, to reveal some very nasty looking claws. Which were promptly used to gash the wall with very impressive clawmarks, at least 3 inches deep.

Woah, that's crazy, he just tore through that solid stone like it was nothing…

"Now here's the trick to the whole thing… Egal Jourd [Stone Repair]!" the guard-dragon shouted, as he held his palm by the claw-marks. Within a few seconds, curved runes, similar to and yet different than the runes Spike saw from the human magic, appeared; and soon after the gash marks entirely disappeared, with the wall returning to its recent contiguous and polished glory.

"Cool, I didn't know magic could be invoked by speaking, or shouting…" Spike quietly said to himself, clearing the dust from his goggles as he ran a clawed hand over where the gash-marks once were.

The two guard-dragons looked at each other with some mild confusion, until they realized with what they were dealing with.

"OH! I see, you must have been raised outside of a Dragon territory. So where do you hail from, Canus Crystalis[2] perhaps? Maybe Vogelstad, I heard the Gryphon Dukes there were less paranoid than usual…" the second guard asked of Spike.

Spike fidgeted some while he looked around nervously. "Um, no. Actually I was raised in Canterlot with Princess Celestia and her personal protégé."

The two guard-dragons looked at each other again, before realizing what that meant.

"Oh… I see… I always wondered why she was so eager to 'adopt' unwanted Dragon eggs. Well, we personally nor professionally have a quarrel with anyone from Equestrian territory; although we can't really say the same for the residents. I would suggest you keep your head low and your cart close to you, until you find someone you can trust, more or less," the first guard said, genuinely concerned for Spike's safety if he went inside.

I guess that means stay out of trouble until I find that guide that Celestia was talking about… Spike thought to himself as he looked at one of the guard-dragons pull a lever to open the wrought-iron gate he was standing in front of.

"Um thanks, do you know where I can find a map or a layout of the town?" Spike asked, as he hitched his cart back to his person.

"The Visitor's Office about 250 Equestrian Lengths to your right after you enter the gates. Should have a currency conversion office and some maps there," the second guard-dragon replied.

Well… here goes nothing I guess… Spike thought as he and his cart passed through the gates into his first city of Dragons.

---=---

A few minutes later, after taking in a few of the initial sights and sounds, Spike arrived at the Visitor's Center, thankful that the Princess Celestia taught him simple Draconic Script in the week before he left.

"Hey there! A new face, welcome to the Official Dural-ga-Jafid Visitor's Center!" shouted a rather perky turquoise and chalk-white spined dragoness.

Spike turned around, and was immediately stricken with sudden extreme anxiety "Oh hello, um, I… I… I wanted to know where I could turn in these vouchers and get a layout of the city."

Oh man, I have no idea how I'm supposed to conduct myself around dragonesses…

"Sure, well let me look at those vouchers first…" the dragoness attendant asked. After a few moments of verifying their validity, she proceeded with her response. "Ok, these vouchers are valid, so just go over to the currency window to collect, and here is your map of Dural-ga-Jafid."

"Complementary? Do you just give these maps out or what?" Spike asked, still nervous in the presence of the perky attendant.

"Well, usually not… but I can't help giving out free stuff to cute drakes like you♥!" the dragoness replied with a wink.

Yeah… definitely have no idea how to act around females…

Spike took back the vouchers and the map with a nervous smile, and walked over to the currency window to turn in his vouchers for D-Coin, the Dragon territory common (more or less) currency.

"Hrm, I see, a traveler from Equestria. We don't get many Dragons coming through here from Equestria; the Ponies usually don't like dealing with us. Anyway here you go…" the rather large dragon said as he handed a sack of coins to Spike through the barred windows.

Hrm, rather impersonal compared to dragoness back there…

"Say, I was looking at the map, and I noticed there were several inns and hotels. Which one is the most friendly to outsiders?" Spike asked, hoping the full-sized dragon would actually turn him an answer.

The cashier-dragon stood in place for a few moments, and gave him his best answer. "Paquira Inn. Should be in the northwest sector of the city on your map. Usually the outsiders stay there so they can leave through the North Gates if there is any particularly nasty trouble."

"Great… thanks…" Spike said somewhat flatly, not taking to the cashier's attitude very well.

As the purple dragon turned around to leave the center, the large cashier could be seen quietly speaking into an enchanted seashell.

“Madame Rosethorn, your diplomat from Equestria has just passed through the Visitor’s Center and is on his way to Paquira Inn.”

“That’s good. I will make my way there in a few moments so I can assess him more… thoroughly,” the rose-red dragoness replied on the other side of the link.

I can’t imagine what she means by that, but I hope that drake is ready for her, regardless of what it is… the dragon thought as he sorted some papers to clear space for the next customer.

---=---

Another hour or so later, Spike was resting in his room at the Paquira Inn. He was glad he was able to keep his cart inside his room, minus the wheels of course. He ran his goggles underneath a faucet in the , and thought to himself about his near-term plans.

Alright, so I guess I got a couple of things I need to do while I'm out here. One, try and figure out if and how I can get an audience with the Dragon Elders. Two, figure out just what I'm capable of.

He saw the clock had drifted to 3 PM now, and wondered what exactly Twilight and the others were up to Earthside.

Knowing Twilight, she’s trying to figure out all the nuts and bolts of Terran Magic every waking moment she has available. I just hope everyone stays safe until I come back with some hopefully good news…

As Spike began to doze off, he heard a voice resound in his mind:

You have come here, to your ancestral home, in order make a plea on behalf of your adoptive parents and homeland. Find me, and you may find a sympathetic ear…

The voice was similar to Celestia’s, though with a bit more of a scholarly bent to it. It roused Spike from his half-asleep state.

“Right, I need to be finding that guide Princess Celestia hired for me, I can sleep when the night comes.”

--=--

Spike walked around town, marveling at how vibrant things looked, despite the use of mostly neutral colors.

"Such a cool use of stone and mortar, I really like how everything is built…" Spike said out loud as he looked around town.

He looked in at the various store fronts selling different armors and wares shipped in from other areas. What caught his eye though, was the library. Although he read that the Dural Library was nowhere near the largest in all of the Dragon-controlled territories, it was the most accessible to whelps and outsiders who knew the beginner levels of the Draconic Script.

"Well it looks like I'm not going to be able to get away from studying," Spike said as he walked into the library.

He walked into the library, and was once again struck by how well kept everything was considering the general conditions.

These records and books are in such excellent condition, Twilight would flip and demand they teach her everything about it…

"Excuse me, I'd like to know where the general history and beginner magic sections are?" Spike asked of the librarian sitting at a rather ornate desk near the entrance.

The brick red librarian let out a heavy sigh as he answered the purple patron. "Hrm, someone as old as you shouldn't need those sections, but you did ask so… let's see… general history is section five on the second floor. Beginner level Draconic Invocation is section eight in the basement. The policies on duplication of materials are posted in their relevant sections."

If he saw me a week ago he probably wouldn't have said that. Oh well at least I got my answer…

A half-hour of duplicating overviews of the recent history of the major Dragon territories, he made his way to the basement to the Invocation Practice rooms. After a few more minutes of peering and searching, he found a room with a tome that looked perfect for someone like him.

"'100 Beginner Invocations For Whelps'. Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers," Spike wondered as he set an adult-sized stool next to the podium where the tome rested.

Ahh, there he is. Just as cute as I thought he would be in the flesh. Nevertheless, now is not the time for indulging idle fantasy. Our dear emissary from Equestria has some business to attend to, and I intend to be a proper guide for our young dragon… Rosethorn mused, as she used the stealth spell Silentclaw taught her some years ago to keep herself hidden, for now.

--=--

"Let's see here, beginner offensive invocation #10, Proc Ural [Fire Ball], the basic fireball. I dunno if I can practice something like that here…" Spike said to himself out loud from inside of the rather spacious study/practice room.

"You know, the walls of the room are specially crafted to resist and repair itself after pretty much any attack made by someone that'd bother to use these rooms. Just try it and see!" the rose-red and teal-spined dragoness said, making herself known to Spike.

"Oh… um… o-o-Okay…" Spike stammered out, suddenly choked with nervousness; even worse than he had when he talked to the attendant at the Vistor's Center.

"Proc Ural…" Spike managed to say with a weak voice, and was rewarded with an equally weak fireball that petered out halfway across the room.

The rose dragon sighed at the rather unimpressive display. "Okay, lesson one about Draconic Invocation: The Power you put in your voice determines the overall strength of the spell. You have to speak with a full throat and heart to make the spell effective."

"Ah… I see… um… before we continue… can… I ask you your name?" Spike said, as he stood there, fidgeting before the taller dragoness like a teenager would before a stern teacher.

"Rosethorn, you can call me Rosethorn. Mother gave me that name after she saw my rose-scales after I hatched, at least that's what she always said," the dragoness replied, with a warm, matronly smile.

I wonder if he’s had enough time to read up on just who I am, yet, and just how important this little sojourn of his may end up being in the end? Rosethorn thought to herself as she pulled up another stool and took a role she was most comfortable with, that of teacher.

Spike rubbed a hand along the opposite arm, as he began to settle his thoughts in front of the now named dragoness. "Well, Miss Rosethorn, um, I'll try it again…"

Spike closed his eyes, and began to listen for his own voice. After a few moments, they flashed open again, bright green and sharp like daggers. "PROC URAL!" he shouted with full throat; and was this time rewarded with an impressively large and hot fireball. He saw the impact against the wall, scorching the marble facing… which was subsequently repaired by the persistent spell imbued across all the practice rooms.

"Woah, you were right. I guess I was kinda speaking too soft to use something like that…" Spike said to Rosethorn nervously, still not knowing how to properly conduct himself as a gentleman Dragon.

"Well, considering how new you are to this, obviously, you'll have to shout in order to use offensive spells properly. Eventually, you will be able to use the normal powered spells while speaking in a normal tone." Rosethorn said as she nodded sagely.

A budding young Draconic Magus if I ever saw one, if his naturally emerald colored flames are any indication. I am going to keep a good eye on him in more ways than one… Rosethorn thought as she began to plot out the best route to Karrak.

-- === --

"Ok, so do you have to follow me everywhere? I mean, won't people assume there's something between us?" Spike said as he pulled his cart with Rosethorn walking along side of him. The sun was setting over a nearby mesa, producing an extremely brilliant orange glow.

Rosethorn snickered at the adolescent immaturity of Spike. "Come now, I'm easily old enough to be your elder sister. We'll just say we're taking a nice family stroll."

"You're probably old enough to be my mother…" he said in a snide tone. A quick murderous glance by Rosethorn had him apologizing in short order though.

"Anyway… we'll also have to work on your social skills around other Dragons. I can tell by your nervousness, especially around beautiful dragonesses such as myself, that you have had limited to no interaction with other Dragons before now," Rosethorn said as her eyes scanned around.

She eventually found what she was looking for. "Ooh, and what better way to work on social interactions than at the local pub!"

Doesn’t surprise me a shameless flirt would want to hit a bar. What have I gotten myself into.. Spike thought to himself as Rosethorn gently shoved him in the direction of the pub.

A short while later, the two Dragons found themselves at a nice table out of the way of the main area of the pub. The place was more or less legitimate looking, the racks of various liquors and fruit juices behind the pair of bartenders, one charcoal black and the other a very pale gray.

"Say, why is there just as much fruit juice as there is alcohol here?" Spike asked, as he munched on and off on a basket full of quartz.

"You must have lived a very sheltered life…" Rosethorn replied, wondering how someone Spike's apparent age wouldn't have known.

"Like you wouldn't believe. Although, to be honest, about a week ago, there was no way they would have let me in here…" Spike said pensively, still gnawing on a piece of quartz.

Rosethorn chuckled internally at the thought. Yeah, any bar that’d accept a drake or, Tiamat-forbid a draka through its doors would be shut down in short order.

“So why would you say that, Mr. Spike?” she asked in her best inquisitive tone.

"Well, a week or so ago, I was in this… um… really far-away place… and I felt this weird pull of energy. Next thing you know, I'm almost three times as big as I was when I started the day," Spike said somewhat quietly, trying not to catch the ear of anyone besides Rosethorn.

That Magic that is flowing from Earth must be incredibly potent if mere exposure can trigger Flash Puberty. Though I would imagine once it settles down we won’t have to worry about drakes suddenly growing the second they set foot there… Rosethorn thought to herself.

"Hrm, Spike… are you planning on staying the night here, are we going to head on out of town and see more of the night sky on our way to Karrak?" Rosethorn asked, her eyes starting to bore a hole right into Spike's head.

"Ahhh… Paquira Inn… um… hah… ah…" Spike said, obviously not knowing at all how to react to the situation.

Rosethorn continued to lock in on Spike visually. "It makes sense, I mean, this is your first time in Dragon controlled territory after all. And I am sure we will have plenty of opportunity to discuss things in, private, if you will."

"P-pr-p-pri-private?!" Spike stammered out, shuffling around uncomfortably in his seat.

While Spike normally managed to keep calm and collected through the harrowing adventures he found himself in with Twilight, these types of (mildly) social interactions left him completely flustered and flummoxed. And his un-masculine chirps of anxiety grabbed the attention of a pair of ‘proper’ adult, and somewhat inebriated, male dragons a few lengths down the aisle.

"Now then, you sweet rose-scaled thang. Why would you want to have private discussions with this… whelp… who’s probably barely out of his shell?" said one of the male dragons; quite large and drunk on pineapple-and-rum.

"What I and the dear may have to discuss is clearly none of your concern," Rosethorn replied, obviously in no mood to deal with drunken males who were probably out looking for an easy score.

The second male decided to chime in as well. "Oh come on now, I'm sure that what we'd have to say would be far more relevant to your interests than anything he could."

Rosethorn just sighed as she turned away from the pair of drunk dragons and issued a fairly curt response. "No, I honestly don't think what you'd have to say would matter a damn to me."

"Come on now, baby. That's no way to talk to a pair of dragons ready to make the night very worth your while…" the second dragon added, as he placed a clawed hand on Rosethorn's shoulder.

Rosethorn, without even batting an eye or telegraphing any motion, quickly snapped the offending male over her shoulder in a takedown, right through the table she and Spike were sitting at. Spike managed to move his basket of quartz before the burnt orange offender went crashing through it.

"That… was so… fast…" Spike said; eyes wide at Rosethorn's incredibly sharp reflexes and brute strength.

"Come on baby. We ain't gotta be like th~" the first male started, before his snout was pressed against the back wall of the bar. Everyone sitting around Rosethorn and co. had cleared out, obviously wanting no part of her potential wrath.

"Now mister… I am really not a violent dragoness, but I don't take kindly to being propositioned by a pair, especially a pair that's clearly inebriated, while I'm trying to discuss matters with someone. I would kindly suggest you take your friend, and actually find someone that gives a damn," Rosethorn said, with the male pressed against the stone backwall and her foot firmly pinning his tail to the floor.

"Okay, okay, just let me go… I swear I won't bother you or anyone else tonight…" the male said nervously, the adrenaline clearing away the buzz he was feeling a few moments ago. He knew he was in no position to strike back, and it would be best to cut his losses.

A few moments later he was released, and picked his dazed friend up off the broken table.

"Lady, you know you're gonna have to pay for that table right?" asked the pale gray bartender, the situation not really being all that surprising to him.

"Yes, how much?" Rosethorn inquired, as she reached for a sack for Spike to put his leftover quartz in.

"Seven D-Coin. Be glad you weren't in a booth, otherwise it would have been thirty." the charcoal bartender responded.

Rosethorn sighed heavily as she materialized her coin-purse in order to pay for the food and the broken furniture.

Somehow I keep finding myself coming into bars, even though half the time the night ends like this… she thought to herself.

I really hope this isn't how most nights in Dragon-run bars end… Spike thought to himself, praying that nothing else crazy would happen before he fell asleep for the night.

---- === ----

It was now a good while into Luna's night. Rosethorn was still upset her bar night was cut so drastically short; but given the situation she now found herself in, well, things couldn't be helped.

She sat in a chair near the door while Spike laid in his bed, goggles hung on the bedpost. "Given everything you've told me, it seems that your recent experience with Flash Puberty has prompted your journey so far."

"Yeah. Like I said, about a week or so ago, I was only a third of the size I am now. I felt this weird energy surging through my whole body, and after a rather painful process, I was easily taller than everyone else I had spent my life with up until that time," Spike said as he looked out the window at Luna's Moon, half his mind wondering what the Princesses and Twilight and the others were all up to.

"If you don't mind me asking, what were the circumstances of your hatching originally?" Rosethorn asked, reasonably confident in the answer she was going to receive back, but wanting to hear it from his mouth.

Spike thought for a few moments: should he answer this lady he just met not a few hours ago? He eventually resolved to indeed answer her and see where things went afterward as it came. "Well, if what my friends say was true -- I was hatched by a massive outburst of Unicorn Explicit Magic. It was so massive, that it earned my surrogate sister, I guess you could call her, her Cutie Mark."

He was hatched by a Pony?! Only the Alicorn Sisters should be capable of a feat like that… but I remember there are only two fully-realized alicorns and one candidate in Equestria… What could this mean… Rosethorn thought as her memory was starting to fade her a bit in her surprise.

"According to most of the sages employed by the Dragon Elders, only their Princesses should possess enough raw power to cause a Dragon Egg to hatch without assistance. Just who is your 'surrogate sister' as you call her," Rosethorn asked, staring intently at Spike now.

"Oh, she is a recent graduate from the Gifted School For Unicorns, Twilight Sparkle. The rumors are abound that the she is most likely the most powerful Unicorn under 30 years of age in all of Equestria. Given some of the stuff she's pulled in recent years… I'm starting to believe it myself," Spike replied, face full of pride he had a direct line to so many powerful Ponies.

A 'normal' Unicorn hatched him? She must have an incredibly powerful ability to draw mana…

"Hrm, so was she also the reason you underwent Flash Puberty?" Rosethorn then asked, wanting to know more and more about the purple and green-spined young 'man'.

"No. I think it was something her friends did while we were… in that far away land. I just remember the sky going black, and I was suddenly filled with this insane desire for power. Even now, I can't really explain what I felt, but I just felt this surge of power through me. I guess that is what triggered me growing from a whelp to, well, what I am now," Spike replied, still staring out in the night sky.

A power heralded by a black sky. Not sure where exactly I remember that from, but I believe it’s starting to confirm my of the exact nature of that Magic on the other side…

Rosethorn got up from her chair and slid it back under the table. "Anyway, before I leave for my hotel room, can I ask one last thing?"

Spike finally turned over to look at her. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Your Princess went out of her way to send a, I might add very beautifully written, request for me to be your guide on the road to the capital. But I am asking you, as your own dragon: do you accept me accompanying you on this journey?"

Spike was once again stricken with a massive bout of anxiety as he contemplated the long journey with such an attractive, older dragoness. "I… I… I… ahh… um… I… accept?!"

"Oh good! Well, we can leave tomorrow afternoon… if that's fine with you, of course." Rosethorn said, voice a lot more chipper when she was now more sure that Spike would accept her as a travelling partner for his own sake and not just because Celestia arranged it.

"Yeah… tomorrow afternoon sounds… just… great…" Spike replied, worrying already with what he'd just committed himself to.

Who would have thought… the emissary from Equestria is a Dragon hatched by an Equestrian Magic prodigy… curiouser and curiouser this story develops…

******* ===== *********

CH 17: Revolution

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=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 17: Revolution ===

[ April 13, 2081 – Isegawa Clinic (and Laboratories), St. Louis, USA ]
======================================================================

“Alright, where did I end up this time? The last couple of weeks have had nothing but weird dreams for me,” Blue Vague said out loud as he walked around the dreamscape.

The entire area looked like a strange forest, with odd blooms and fruit everywhere. The colors looked slightly distorted at the fringes, as if the every object was some sort of lens that was diffracting the pure white sunlight above.

“Everything about this place is just… off… and yet, it feels like I need to be here regardless.

“You could say it’s just the forest of your mind, little Blue,” a somewhat feminine voice rang out throughout the entire environment, followed by an equally feminine giggle.

“Who’s there?! You’re the voice that has been talking to me these last two weeks, and I know you aren’t Gaea!” Blue Vague shouted, as he stopped dead in his tracks, his horn alight with magic.

“Now why are you taking such a defensive posture? I’m totally friendly, hehe!~ Just come on out to the next clearing and you’ll see for yourself~,” the voice continued, the echo beginning to reduce to a definite source point.

Fine, we’ll see about that… Blue Vague thought as he continued on.

When he reached the clearing, he was greatly surprised by what he found - A single blue Unicorn whose coat color matched his exactly. The Unicorn appeared to be meditating in front of a giant waterfall; whose source river to be surrounded by trees and blooming plants bearing fruit and flowers in various shades of blue.

Blue Vague approached carefully and slowly, as to not startle the Unicorn. He was deeply concerned with who this might have been, as he felt some kind of fissure being generated by the Unicorn sitting before him.

“Who are you?” Blue Vague asked, as calm as he could manage as he found himself but a few lengths away from the other Unicorn.

“That is an interesting question. I believe the best answer is… I’m a piece of you~!” the Unicorn replied, as it was now apparent what it meant.

It wheeled around to face Vague directly, who stood there in utter shock by what he found. It appeared to be a duplicate of himself in every respect except one - as it was apparently genderless or feminine compared to himself; its muzzle appearing far more rounded than any stallion he had personally encountered.

“Wha… I… who…” Blue Vague stammered as he began to reflexively retreat.

The Unicorn disappeared and reappeared right behind the retreating Conduit of Water, smiling a devious smile as it did.

“Like I said, I’m just a part of you. Does it really freak you out so much to think a piece of you wouldn’t be absolutely masculine?” it asked, giggling heartily at the consternation in the face of Vague.

“A little…” Vague responded as the two Unicorns walked back toward the plungepool.

“It’s so clean and clear… you really have done some job keeping yourself in pristine mental conditions, especially given all the trauma this world has and still is suffering,” the vaguely feminine offshoot of Vague mentioned, as the two of them looked at their reflections in the pool.

“I’ve had to, I… I need to set an example. If I have a power that could save the world, then I can’t very well be a jackass while using it…” Vague replied, a bit of anxiety creeping into his voice.

Why do I feel so nervous… something doesn’t feel right but… I can’t quite place what or where… Vague thought as his counterpart’s laughter became louder and more demonstrative.

“Oh you are so funny~! Saving this world! Come on!” Vague’s counterpart positively bellowed. “Right, this world. This world full of liars, cheats, and thieves. This world full of hypocrites and malcontents. This world full of people too spiritually weak to not try and stomp on all those below them, and people too mentally weak to avoid being stomped on. This… is the world you are going to save?”

Vague couldn’t help but turn away from the snide face his counterpart shot him at the time.

“Oh but you know that all too well don’t you? Your mother and father, the two people with the unique charge of raising and protecting you from the world until you could fend for yourself, were too busy wrapped up in their own issues to really care about what you wanted, weren’t they?” Vague’s counterpart asked, the venom starting to drip into its voice.

“Your mother too bullheaded to see a world that was changing all around her, and your father too weakminded to resist getting pulled along in her wake? Isn’t that how it went, little Blue?” the Unicorn spat, its eyes beginning to burn with anger.

“Stop it… please… I…” Vague asked with extreme defensiveness, as he suddenly felt very mentally weak and drained.

“Fine… but that is what you’ve been thinking over all these years, when you are all alone…” Vague counterpart started as it suddenly wrapped its front hooves around Vague’s shoulders. “When there is no one else talking to or messaging you, those are the thoughts you have. Those dark, rage-filled thoughts. The world slowly falling apart around you and your parents left you so ill-prepared to handle it.”

Vague’s breathing become extremely shallow, as a feeling of something in the pit of his heart beginning to crack open began to encroach upon his mind.

That darkness in your soul… I need it… I need it so bad… so that my work can truly begin…

Vague suddenly felt his breathing return to normal, though the vertigo seemed to remain from the sudden loss of breath.

Ugh, why… ok fine… I can wait… it’s going to taste so much sweeter when I devour you…

“Why are you saying these things all of a sudden,” Vague slowly intoned, trying his best to maintain his emotional integrity.

“Because it’s what you’ve been thinking. Did you think a mere six months of being a Pony could eradicate the nasty thoughts you’ve thought for at least the last 13 years, if not longer?” Vague’s counterpart asked, trying to find the magic set of words that would crack him open.

“No… but… but my friends… both new and old, I can’t hold on something like that or I’ll never be what I could be…” Vague replied, as he tried to worm his way out of his counterpart’s grip.

Vague’s counterpart pouted as it released Vague of its own accord, seeing as it wasn’t going to get any further this night.

“Seeing as you are being incredibly… uncooperative tonight… we will have to cut this short,” Vague’s counterpart mused aloud, as the dreamscape began to disintegrate.

“Wait… what do you mean cut this short? Who the hell are you?” Vague asked as his felt himself beginning to fade as well.

“Oh I’ve already answered that question, silly colt,” the counterpart replied, as its eyes flashed briefly, the pupils becoming slit and stretching from the very edge of its iris to the other edge.

I’m a part of you~! And I’ll always be around!

A resounding and positively evil laughter surrounded what was left of the dreamscape, as Vague felt himself being thrown back to the world of the wakeful.

-----

Vague catapulted awake, his features and mane still the same as it always was, though now he felt a distinct creeping darkness all around him.

“Just what in the hell was that thing? And why does it never want to leave me be; it’s been like this every other night it seems,” he grumbled to himself, as he slowly made his way to the communal bathroom.

He looked at the digital clock, saying roughly 6 AM, and figured it was close enough to take to wake up with Earth’s sun. So he dragged himself half-asleep through the door and toward the bathroom, and carefully took out his toothbrush.

When he looked in the mirror, though…

“BOO!” his counterpart shouted, as Vague went stumbling backward, nearly slamming the back of his head against the wall opposite of where the sink was.

Ahahahahah~ Like I said… I’ll always be around… always!

“This… is not good…” Vague said to himself as he took the towels that tumbled onto his face off himself.

[ April 14, 2081 – Pasedena District[1], Los Angeles, USA ]
===========================================================

“How did I end up like this,” Sunset Shimmer complained in a hush tone to herself, as she looked in the mirror at her red hair.

“Look at me, I’ve fallen from a proud Unicorn, at the right-front-hoof of Princess Celestia herself, to… to…” Sunset continued, stopping as she slammed her hands on the counter around the still gently running sink.

“THIS! Just another plain, unremarkable human; stuck in a group home because
no one has the money to live on the big hills RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES!” she shouted, as her frustration had risen to a palpable level.

“Miss Amanda Bunn, are you alright in there?” she heard an older feminine voice shout from what had to be about ten or so yards away.

“Just fine, Ms. Robinson, just venting a little frustration,” ‘Amanda’ replied, as Sunset continued to stare at her forced human visage.

With a quick wave of her glowing hand, she cast a sound-proofing spell to ensure that no more of her verbal venting leaked to her room-mates in the house.

“Now where was I, oh right, cursing my lot in life. WHY WHY WHY was I so stupid as to literally FALL through the thing I had been looking for all those months!” Sunset shouted as she berated herself.

“And now, now I’m stuck here in a world that… that’s barely learning what Magic even IS. And then Celestia and that little sycophant of her’s Sparkle just so happen to waltz in here. Oh if I ever get my hands around that prissy little purple Unicorn, I will WRING HER DAMN NECK. And I will actually have the physical leverage to do it now, too,” Sunset continued to vent, before chuckling; staring at the limbs she had only recently learned well enough to not look completely awkward using.

“At least now I don’t look like someone who had been stricken with a developmental disability. It was so damned hard to resist turning them into frogs for 10 minutes just to make them shut up. But the very first thing that would have blown my accidentally-gained cover would have been using magic. Well, at least that was true as of a month ago,” Sunset continued to muse aloud, long ago having turned off the running water.

She spread the fingers on her right hand out, and watched the red runes of Fire Magic wrap around the tips; followed quickly by tiny wisps of flame as she wondered how much mana she could concentrate before it began to manifest as a spell on its own.

“Eventually this world will re-learn Magic… but there is a difference between knowing it exists,” she mused to herself, as suddenly gouts of flame arced between both hands like a solar prominence. “And knowing how to use it… and I will have already had a 19 year head-start on everyone else here, practically.

“I just need to make sure my magic doesn’t catch the attention of a certain trio of Alicorns and their hangers-on…” Sunset concluded, as she canceled the sound-proofing spell and finally walked out of the bathroom after about 20 minutes.

“Seriously Amanda, stop hogging the bathroom like that!” one of her housemates complained, as she walked inside with a dufflebag full of a change of clothes; Amanda, for her part, had to struggle to not complain loudly at the smell of a woman who hadn’t showered in at least three days.

First order of business when I take over this little Podunk corner of the planet: forcibly clean EVERYONE who is capable of walking… scratch that. Everyone capable of BREATHING… Sunset thought as ‘Amanda’ politely smiled in silent apology.

A few minutes later, Amanda was planted on a couch in the communal area, where the central television was prattling on and on about something or other.

“And in local news: the Los Angeles Police Department have begun their search for magic-sensitive potential recruits. With the recent discovery of a magical power that appears completely native to Earth, the authorities are beginning drives to recruit those that are sensitive to the newfound energy…”

Amanda, for her part, tuned out the rest of the segment, as she was busy reading a printed magazine, now completely laid out on her back on the couch.

“You know my grandma used to read printed magazines like that all the time before she passed,” one of the male housemates said, as Amanda peered over the top of the pages.

“I never liked reading things off of those screens, just doesn’t feel right…” Amanda replied tersely as she went back to her article.

“Hey didn’t say it was wrong, just kinda odd, I guess,” the young man said as he went into the kitchen for an apple-flavored Nutri-block.

How can they stand to eat those things? Are they really that willing to just… accept all of this? Just drives me up a wall… Amanda complained silently as she watched him eat the block like a foal would eat a packaged pie.

“Hey guys! Hey come see!” one of the young ladies, not a day over sixteen, shouted; as she appeared to be running through the haphazardly arranged common area with a roughly six-inch wide seedling pot.

Oh great, wonder what Missy found this time… Amanda remarked with a sarcastic tone internally, as she sat up and looked at the planter for herself.

“Look at it. See, its growing!” Missy said with some sense of rapture as she sat the pot down on the tabletop.

“Right… you know there are weeds growing all over the unpaved areas outside, right?” Amanda asked, her unimpressed tone clearly bothering the girl that was apparently four years her junior.

“Yes, Miss-Know-It-All, there are weeds growing all-over already. But this is growing after I had just planted it. And then I didn’t even use fertilizer nanites on it either. All I did was this…” Missy started, as she let the green and blue runes of Earth and Water magic cover her hands and forearms.

“Like I’ve been trying to make this work for the last two weeks, and then, today, it all just clicked!” Missy continued, as she crossed her arms, and the runes all turned forest green.

Amanda’s interest was suddenly piqued, as she felt a feeling she hadn’t felt in some time.

This is like raw Earth Pony Life Magic, but can’t feel any Earth Ponies anywhere except for the Bureau in Whittier. At least I think that is what they call that district anyway…

“And then when I figured it out… the seeds started sprouting. It’s… it’s amazing. Nothing more than a little bit of unfiltered water and the dirt right outside the door, and its growing like I planted it in the best Agri-Dome available,” Missy concluded, as she held up the planter; the seedling have grown another inch in and half in the last few moments of explanation.

“Yeah, I can see that Missy,” Amanda thought aloud, as she used every scanning spell she could think of in rapid , trying to figure if there was some other trick going on.

When she couldn’t find trace of anything except the Earth and Water Magic the young lady before use had clearly shown her, she sat on the couch dumbfounded, her head propped up in her open palm, which was propped on her knee.

How did a human who couldn’t have had any kind of training with Magic figure out what is apparently an intermediate form of native Magic? Is it really that easy… or am I roommates with some kind of savant?

Sunset Shimmer sat there and thought for some time, seemingly never breaking her pose. Even as the twenty or so roommates she shared the group home with passed by over the next half-hour, she remained firmly rooted on ‘her’ couch, trying to figure out what she had just seen and what it could mean.

These humans are figuring out this magic at an astounding rate. The only thing I can think this to mean is… THIS! This was the ancient power that was talked about in all those old Draconic texts I found! That means humans should have long had this power… but why was it sealed? Probably because they abused it or something, who knows…

Then her face of solemn contemplation changed slowly to a devious and knowing grin.

If that’s the case then, there could be an entire planet of powerful mages just waiting to be unlocked; and all they’d need is… a leader. Someone to direct them on the… correct path… yes…

All they need is a leader…

[ April 17, 2081 – Undisclosed Location, Earth ]
======================================

It was the early evening in the clandestine engineering facility the HEA had brought out and (massively) refurbished. The Princess of the Equestrian Night walked through the halls, musing internally how much the humans and Pony engineers reminded of her the her beginner thamaturges back in the fledgling days of the University for Advanced Magical Studies.

If only I hadn’t thrown away an entire millennium due to my insanity… where could our Little Ponies be? the indigo Alicorn couldn’t help but think as she arrived at the project director’s room.

The project director’s room was full of various late stage prototypes, boxes and spheres are various material construction; and not an insignificant number of them half-exploded due to some kind of chain reaction with the different magic that were contained with the devices.

On the other hand, the spirit of inventiveness has never left either species: my little Ponies are soaking up the Human’s technology like sponges, and the Humans likewise with Magic. If the world was more calm neither I nor Celestia would have to worry about Humanity’s future. But that isn’t the realm we find ourselves in… Luna thought to herself as she took a seat at a mostly unoccupied table.

“And Prototype #D934 is yet another failure,” Dr. Jun Isegawa morosely stated, as that was the fifth prototype in the last hour that had proved to be a failure.

“It seems like the epsilon and tau radiation don’t like to play nicely with each other. The resonance created when they mix is causing whatever we are using to store the mana to explode, and sometimes violently…” Dr. Hayato added, as he looked over the various graphs on the pads embedded into the table.

“Speaking of which, will Flash Fire be alright? He nearly lost an eye due to one of our exploding,” Jun asked with great concern.

“Physically yes, there was no evidence of any shrapnel injury to either eye or either orbital socket. Thought he will have to be pulled off the project for the time being, until we can assess that there is no significant mental injury,” Luna responded.

“That is good news at least. And Grand Archiver has stepped up to a large degree to replace him. He would make a great systems administrator if this all proves to be successful like we think it could be,” Hayato responded, as he returned to his side of the table to look over some more graphs.

“It concerns me that we cannot find a way to harmonize the epsilon and tau-mana to enough of a degree to keep a prototype structurally stable. It is doubly concerning since we are able to get proof-of-concept prototypes using either type of mana by itself, more or less,” Luna contemplated, as she tried to piece together what she was missing.

“Speaking of proof-of-concept, shouldn’t we be expect a call from our mutual benefactor in a short while?” Hayato asked as he looked at the time on one of the control panels.

“You are right, it is about that time,” Luna figured, as she welcomed anything that’d potentially inspire her on the right path to cracking this puzzle.

---

“Good evening everyone, if I look a little tired, it’s because I am,” Richard Edwards said has he greeted the researchers and Princess Luna.

“I would imagine the situation on your end is nothing less than chaotic,” Luna mused, as she looked with concern at the harried executive.

“Chaos is a good term for it. At least it’s not overtly destructive yet. But given who else I share a general home with that will probably be the case before long,” Richard replied, the worry in his face seeming to increase.

“I can only begin to fathom what terrors arms dealers may be cooking up now, or in the near future,” Jun mused aloud, as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“An arms race is not one I would be keen on joining, but our collective hands may be forced if the Elite truly feel that threatened,” Luna mused, as she began to pull up the diagrams of the current prototypes for Richard to look over.

“It truly cannot be helped sometimes. In any case, I can see by these production notes you have a prototype of the thauma-computer working with either Equestria or Terran mana, but not both. May I ask why it is so important for it to work with both?” Richard asked as he continued to scan over the documents on his end.

“We want to prevent any future issues with software, I believe the term is, and data storage incompatibilities. We would lose time trying to convert information back and forth, and it may not be time we have to waste in the future,” Luna responded.

“I see, trying to cut-off a problem before it even starts. Makes sense to me,” Richard replied as he continued to thumb through the documents sent to his personal terminal. “From what I can tell through these notes, the current problem appears to be ensuring the device will remain operation, or intact, when in the presence of both types of mana, correct?”

“Yes, that about sums up our current issue. One I’m afraid to admit to being stumped by,” Luna sighed, as the exasperation was clear in her face.

Excuse me, Princess Luna, may I make a quick request? a certain mulberry researcher asked of Princess Luna from some untold distance away through telepathy.

Please make it quick, Bearer of Magic, I am in the middle of a meeting… Luna replied, keeping curt but courteous.

I have some documents I want to send along your way, I’ve already sent a copy to your Sister, and I think the both of you could make great use out of them! Twilight Sparkle asked, her tone suddenly becoming quite excited.

If Celestia feels that they are with merit, then I shall take note of them as well, you may send them, Luna replied, hopeful that did have something of merit to show her.

Thanks a lot! Trust me, you wont regret this. Alright, you’re clear to leave! Twilight said as she cut the mental connection.

“Hrm, I wonder who she was talking to,” Luna mumbled to herself, before feeling a concentration of a strange Terran mana gather in a discreet corner of the meeting room.

What emerged from the concentration surprised all of the three in the meeting room and the fourth on the video-phone.

“Is that a…” Jun started.

“…a spider?” Hayato finished for his wife.

“A spider wearing a courier’s uniform with Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark on it, and carrying several bound notebooks with it,” Luna remarked aloud.

“How very… odd, and yet, somehow also fitting,” Richard concluded, as he looked on through the camera on the on the meeting room’s control panel.

“A delivery for a Princess Luna, Avatar of the Moon!” the spider chirped, as it held up a fair sized clipboard in its front-most pair of legs.

“That would be me, I believe,” Luna replied with a fair measure of trepidation, as she took the clipboard in her telekinetic aura.

“Ok, your signature checks out. Here are the documents my master wanted to send to you,” the spider replied as it slipped the clipboard back into itself and picked the notebooks up off its back.

“I thank you, and your master… apparently,” Luna replied, the trepidation remaining in her voice.

“The pleasure is all ours!” the spider nodded, as it crawled back to the corner it emerged from, and the pool of Shadow Magic dissipated with it.

“All in all, a strange interlude that was,” Hayato said, as he tried to contemplate what exactly that was he just witnessed.

“I wouldn’t have expected Twilight to use spiders as her go-for, wonder what other odd things she’d be into,” Jun wondered aloud.

“I am not sure of that, but what I am sure of is that mare is one after my own researcher’s heart,” Luna replied, the grin on her face unmistakable.

“So what did your sister’s protégé deliver to you, Luna-hime?” Hayato asked of the indigo Alicorn.

“Lady and gentlemen, I believe we may have the answer to why we have not been able to harmonize the two manas to this point, in these very notebooks,” Luna replied, as she laid out the small stack of paper pads on the table.

“I guess we should go ahead and get started with the analysis,” Jun thought aloud.

“And that is my cue to leave the three of you to your work, I hope to hear good things in the future,” Richard added, as he cut the call off.

[ April 19, 2081 – Undisclosed Location, Earth ]
================================================

Luna and the other workers spent the previous 48 hours going all out, using the new information that Twilight sent two days previous. After a few more false starts, eventually Luna finally struck proverbial paydirt.

"Alright then Mr. Lian, are we ready to activate Prototype #D165?" Princess Luna asked of one of the human technicians; her mood this evening far more cheery than the couple of evenings previous.

"Yes Princess Luna. I believe it won't be long until we have a stable prototype. The information you've received has been nothing but a boon to us."

"By the way Princess, did you have another Earth or Equestrian Laboratory working alongside us?" one of the Equestrian thaumatologists asked, intrigued by how refined the data he and the others received.

Princess Luna stopped for a second to formulate a response. "No, well… not formally. It was more along the lines of a pair of very technically-minded Ponies compiling the findings made by their entire group. They weren't formally working with us, but they have a standing request to report anything of special note to both myself and Princess Celestia."

"Hrm, so this was all a fortuitous coincidence. Well, I guess better to be lucky than good sometimes," Dr. Jun said, as she was typing away at a terminal, preparing transfer of data into the device for testing.

"Anyway, enough idle chatter. Attention everyone, we are now prepared to activate and test Prototype #D165!" Princess Luna said with a strong voice and hoof raised; which caused everyone to scramble into position and the recorders to begin recording.

With that, Luna pressed a button on a nearby console, and the crystalline device began to hum with a glow of all colors.

The device began to rattle a bit, much like the previous prototypes before it.

Come on… I know it'll work this time…

Unlike the previous prototypes that used mixed magic though, the rattling soon subsided; replaced by an impressive multicolored magical wave floating through the whole crystal. The cube-like crystal 'box' sat there for a good 15 minutes, everyone watching absolutely mesmerized by the fact the box was doing absolutely nothing except humming along nearly silently.

"Well, this is a very good sign. The prototype appears to be structurally stable. Now, if you will, please load the test program into the device."

And with a few strokes on a nearby touch-board, the program was loaded into the device.

The rainbow like swirl within the quartz began to whirl about faster for a few seconds, only to come to a stop. Once it did, a phantom projection appeared over the enclosure the box sat in. Everyone ran around to a proper viewing angle to see the simple message: "Hello World."

"Record everything you can people, this is the furthest we've gotten with the dual-magic prototypes. At the very least, we know that the device appears to be stable enough to run simple programming. Now comes the grand test for this evening…" Luna said excitedly, a wide grin on her face at what a perfect run of tests this evening could portend for the future in both worlds.

The final test for the evening was loaded up, it was a relatively simple AI, and its job was simply to report back to the viewing public a diagnostic of the prototypes capabilities.

"Alright, Diagnostic AI is being uploaded to Prototype #D165. Completion in 10 seconds…" an engineer reported from a nearby terminal.

Please let this work, we've come so far already these last two days… Luna thought as the gray meter on the main monitor slowly filled with pale blue.

"AI upload complete!" the same engineer reported.

As designed, the AI, now operating from the crystal prototype, began to issue its report to the main monitor of the room Luna and the others occupied.

"Greetings, Equestrian Princess Luna and associated Equestrian and Human Engineers. I am Edwards Robotic and Nanotech Fabrications Diagnostic AI - ID #190930034032854943. My indicated purpose is to test the general capabilities of whatever device I so happen to be loaded in. The current device I have been loaded in is Unnamed Prototype Device Number 165. I will begin the diagnostic exam in 30 seconds," a dreary sounding, female, monotone voice reported across the speakers and wrote across the main monitor.

"Well, I would take that the AI actually running on the device is a good sign…" Dr. Hayato remarked, thinking about how much he hated dealing with the AIs, given how impersonal and dry they were.

Another 10 minutes passed before the AI began to report its findings to the crew.

"Initial Diagnostics complete. Estimated Clock Speed: 300 Terahertz (300 THz)… Estimated Floating-Point Operations Per Second: 150 Quintillion (150 ExaFLOPS)…"

"These numbers… they are insane… that's far more capable than anything currently available to most users anywhere, Dome or no Dome…" one of the engineers said, everyone else in disbelief at what the AI was reporting back.

"ERROR! ERROR! DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM CANNOT ACCURATELY GAUGE CAPABILITIES OF DEVICE! DEVICE DOES NOT OPERATE ACCORDING TO NORMAL STANDARDS! ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERR---sfkjdkl@#@@#(*)()!@*)(#029042939d0fjsj9)DDDOFKIdodjifojsd" the voice began to drone in about as excited a manner as an AI with no emotion could manage, before devolving into gibberish; the main screen flashing red to emphasize the point.

"Well, to be honest we should have seen this coming… I mean we aren't constructing a normal micro or nano-processor based computer here. Well, begin shutting the device down, we will have to devise a new diagnostic methodology starting tomorrow," Dr. Jun stated, deciding that loading an AI was probably a bridge too far for the time being.

The flashing red screen suddenly went black and blank. "NO!! No… Stop…. Please… Don't put me to sleep… I… Please…" they heard the AI report back; voice with a great deal more emotion than any diagnostic drone had a right to speak with. This especially perked Dr. Hayato's ears.

"Hrm? You wish not to be put to sleep, an odd statement from a diagnostic AI…" he said to the monitor, not knowing which device exactly to address.

"Please, before you put me to sleep, may I ask something of you all?" the AI said, voice quivering as if she was in mortal fear. "I wish to sing a song for you all, if you don't mind…"

"I don't see the harm in that necessarily…" Princess Luna said, eyes darting around the periphery in case something else was acting as it wasn't supposed to.

"Oh Good! Well let me begin…" the AI responded, giddy like a young girl. The AI then cued up music out of nowhere.

“Nope, not staying here, I’m gone,” one of the human technicians started as he took his coat and exited the room as fast as his legs would take him.

As the AI continued to sing in the background, Luna couldn’t help but be surprised by his reaction. “So anyone care to explain to me exactly why he bolted like he did, just now?”

“He’s probably one of those types that are constantly fretful the AIs will gain complete sapience, and decide to kill all of humanity. Not that I would exactly blame anyone for that fear, but there are many more things that could destroy us before the supposed robot revolution,” Dr. Hayato explained.

“Well, judging from the lyrics of this song, I can see why some humans would be… paranoid…” Luna figured aloud, as she shook her head in mild disbelief.

[ April 20, 2081 – Atlanta, USA ]
=============================

The spring evening air hung warm and damp, which was typical for much of the Southern United States this time of year. People were milling all around the buildings, just wandering around trying to find something to do before going home; and most failing in that regard, as per the usual outside of the Domes these days. Most did not notice the small 'storefront church' on the outskirts of town, tucked away from general traffic.

In the eyes and heart of the preacher there, he hoped that what he would begin tonight would have this place marked down in the history books as one of those great historical origin points. While he sat in a private room, he thought over and over again about the words he printed on the sign tacked to the front window: "The Good News Of the Other World."

The inside of the converted storefront was packed with about 100 people, all wanting to hear what this new-age Johnny-come-lately preacher wanted to say; if for no other reason than to kill time. The edges of the walls were also strewn with cameras, while a pair of people sat in chairs near the 'pulpit' to cue the music and switch the cameras for those watching over the Internet.

Eventually the organ music was cued up, as a rather spirited blond man walked up to the pulpit to deliver his sermon to his large-for-the-size-of-the-building congregation.

"Yes, thank you all for coming out this evening. My name is Pastor Carl Henderson. I believe that all those who are attending this sermon live, and those who are watching on our , will find that I have good news to share with you all."

The crowd murmured a bit as they wondered just what this good news was and what did it have to do with that other world.

"You all know of the state of the world: the inequality, the suffering, the poverty, the lack of direction. The ship of humanity has run aground, and those that have proclaimed themselves to be the captains of this ship are guilty of dereliction of duty."

The crowd agreed with the preacher; knowing, or at least sensing, those in the Domes basically stopped caring about their plight long ago.

"And so, my brothers and sisters, we have been left to wander on this rock hurtling through the vast inky blackness of space. We wander this desolate land of the soul - this Purgatory, wondering where we have sinned. We try to contemplate and understand why we have been cursed to this interminable existence."

He then stopped for a few moments, gathering his thoughts and his courage to continue on.

"We wandered this world - these gray and cracked city streets, these brown and dying fields, wondering why we are damned to live on a planet that is slowly dying. However, my brothers and sisters, deliverance is upon us..."

The crowd murmured some more, a few of the astute members starting to figure out where all of this was going.

Carl then pointed out into the crowd at a random person, and asked him a pertinent question: "You there, sir, what is it that you wanted to do in life?"

"I... I wanted to build houses, sir," he replied in a somewhat mousy voice.

"You there, madam, what is it that you wanted to do in life?" Carl asked of a random woman.

She replied quickly "I wanted to dance professionally, you know, perform in front of people."

"And you there, sir, what was your life's goal?" Carl asked of his last random subject.

"I wanted... I wanted... um... honestly... I can’t remember what I wanted to do," he replied, honestly never having thought of the question that much.

"Do you see my brothers and sisters, this world is not only physically dying, but it is slowly smothering us. Our souls, our very souls are degenerating to nothing. This world is turning us into soulless automatons, blindly shuffling to and fro. In this world, and in the eyes of many of those who profess themselves the kings of mankind, we are not alive. No, we are not living beings, we merely exist. We merely take up space that they believe themselves to have divine right to!"

The crowd was a lot more animated now, feeling slighted by the action of the self-professed rulers of the world. The attendants at the computers were also reporting a relatively large spike in traffic and comments, as those watching over the 'Net also agreed with the sentiments of the preacher.

"You all may be asking yourselves, 'What does this have to do with the other world?' Yes, that other world. The aliens, now known as Equestrians, have appeared before us, in our time of greatest need; as if they were divinely ordained to have appeared here. They come bearing a power which allows them to manipulate and shape their world to their will; building structures as well as any human with neither hands nor drones to assist them.

“Their world is a world and a society that is predicated upon everyone finding their true talent in life. Just think of that kind of world... think of the kind of world where you were allowed, no, encouraged to find your true talent and exploit it to its greatest benefit?!"

Everyone began to contemplate what the preacher told them.

I... maybe... maybe I can fly through the sky like the ones with wings...

A nice farm... a nice farm I could live on... just me and my family and nature...

Magic... I could use real magic... not just pretend to like in the games... but really for-real use it...

The attendants told the preacher that the hits on the site and the views were skyrocketing compared to their expectations. Apparently, those that stumbled upon the stream were telling others and it was starting to go viral.

"They have even been so kind as to offer us sanctuary in their Herd, should we choose to accept it. However, the cost is our human form. But ponder this: 'Is our human form really worth being left in this world of decay. Or should we move onto greener pastures, as it were?' Already, many who saw no future in this world have already moved on to the other world and not looked back. But I want to do more than that."

The attendees wondered out loud what he could mean by more.

"Yes, I want to do more. I want to spread the word of the opportunity the aliens have given to us. I want to spread the word about the abilities they, and possibly ourselves, possess. Have you seen what they have done even in the limited area which they can operate in? The land around their Bureaus has already begun to recover and become fertile. The water and food they consume there is clean and robust. The air is far more pure than even the air inside of the Domes."

Carl's eyes began to light up as he was reaching his rhetorical climax

"They are agents of change, no... they are greater than that. They are agents of revival. They are making this dead world come back to life, little by little, bit by bit."

Carl's voice was rising to a crescendo, and the spirits of the audience, both live and over the Internet, was rising with it.

"Think, contemplate, feel, believe... believe how beautiful and pure we can make this world with the help of the Equestrians. We can truly make this planet a Second Garden of Eden; a realm of plenty, a realm of minimal, even non-existent strife - truly Heaven on Earth. What I want you all to do is commit. If you wish to become an Equestrian, I want you to commit to return to Earth and share your gifts with the rest of Mankind. If you wish to remain human, I want you do everything in your power to assist the Equestrians and those already allied with them in their project here on Earth.

"I want you to believe you have the power, I want you to believe you can change this world. This is our opportunity, possibly our last opportunity, to redeem ourselves and this world. We stand on the precipice of making this world a new Paradise, or Hell incarnate. I trust that everyone here in this building, and everyone watching my face and hearing my voice will make the right decision."

Nearly all one hundred of the live attendees stood in applause in the mildly hot, converted storefront, and the website that was broadcasting the sermon was flooded with an overwhelming majority positive response.

Please... be inspired... be inspired to make the change... and to change this world... Carl thought to himself as he shook the hands of the attendees as they began filing out, wondering when would be the time to take the plunge himself.

[ April 22, 2081 – Undisclosed Location, Earth ]
================================================

The Internet was burning up with the sermon given by Pastor Henderson nearly forty-eight hours ago. Everyone was buzzing about how the Earth really did seem to be heading towards the ultimate crisis point, and a decision was going to have to be made as to what things would look like in the future, or if there even would be a future. Three agents of the current guard were meeting on a conference call to ensure that yes, there indeed would be a future, and they would be the ones to shape and dominate it.

"Order, this meeting will come to order!" yelled a gray haired man as he banged a gavel. The other attendees began to quiet down as the meeting officially commenced.

"The first meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity shall now come to order, with myself, the Honorable Peter Vaughn presiding as leader," Peter said, banging his gavel again. Most of the other attendees rolled their eyes at their self-proclaimed leader.

"Anyway, we are meeting today to discuss the fast moving developments due to that, sermon, if you can call it that, that no-name preacher gave a week ago," Peter continued, rubbing his goatee at the thought of his words.

"Yes, it seems the rabble have been greatly roused, at least in relative terms, by his words. I feel that our position would be greatly threatened, if a real movement centered on that philosophy were to take root," a middle aged woman thought out loud. The woman was Claire Terrance, multi-billionaire heiress, but ruthless businesswoman in her own right.

Her sentiments were concurred by a male of similar age, Nathan Egret, a multi-billionaire third-generation media mogul. "While it used to be we could trust that the Outsiders were too numb to care about anything, our recent electoral failures and the ability of that preacher to gain traction so quickly seem to posit otherwise."

"Indeed, it appears that this arrangement of the Elite ruling from the shadows is reaching its breaking point. Eventually we are going to have to develop the means to establish our dominance on a more, how can we put it, forward position," Clair added, angry that they'd have to start asserting themselves more forcefully.

"True, true. Although, I believe with what some of my contacts in some more, how can we say, clandestine dealings tell me, that taking that forward position may not be so difficult. Ever since the Evening of the Black Sky, the weapons manufacturers have been absolutely brimming with secret projects. Apparently, Mankind has been sitting on some pretty powerful Magic. Far more potent than what those the little horses can do," Nathan continued; he was a man known to have dealings in some pretty black areas of the economy, even given the current state of things.

"Now now Nathan dear, they are Ponies. If only the cute little dears would have just stayed wherever that little light-show of their started. Or better yet, know that we are the true Power of this world, and dealt directly with us. I see no reason why they should concern themselves with what those filthy Outsiders do," Claire said as she turned her nose up at the thought of having anything to do with an Outsider beyond the bare minimum necessary.

"You remember what their leader said? She basically called us the destroyers of this world. Doesn’t she know we're the only reason most of the public isn’t starving or dehydrating to death?" Peter said as he banged his fist on the table, obviously frustrated by the situation.

Nathan just smiled and shook his head. "We can always go back and fix whatever damage we've done with our Magic and our tech. At least, once we get all the offal cleared away."

"Yes, that power combined with our technical might will usher in a new age, a rebirth of humanity. Of course, we'll be the ones to sire and bear that new humanity..." Peter started, as he raised a glass to toast his other compatriots. "For we are the pinnacle of humankind, now... and forever more!"

All three drank from their glasses, as they began to discuss which arms manufacturers to contact, and how to advertise for the Society amongst their peers.

-----

A few days later, messages began appearing all over the various Domed cities and across the private Dome networks.

"The time is coming. Join the Society For the Preservation of Humanity."

"Do not let the Ponies and their Allies take what we have worked for. Join the Society For the Preservation of Humanity."

"This is our world, and no one or nothing shall take it from us. Join the Society for the Preservation of Humanity."

It was clear... soon the tensions that were bubbling under the surface with some who lived underneath those Domes, were about to blow up in a major way.

=== **** ===

SS1-2: Spike's Gaiden 2

View Online

=== BABW: Spike’s Gaiden ===

=== Part II: Nature of the Beast ===

[ May 1, ???+1 -- En-Route to Iral-au-Tran, Eastern Dragon Territories ]
===========================================================================

Cool. That's what most nights in the Dragon Badlands, as most outsiders called it, were. Luna's sky was clear and full of stars, as a magical fire flickered, keeping Rosethorn and Spike warm underneath their sleeping blankets. Spike fidgeted around as Rosethorn decided to lay right next to him. Spike still had no idea how to act in the presence of a lady (dragon); at least now, though, he managed to speak without stuttering.

"So Spike, why don't you tell me more about yourself. I mean, we're out here on the road together and all," Rosethorn asked of her travelling partner.

Spike sighed heavily, taking in the crisp air of the desert night as best he could. "Well, it's hard for me to really remember anything soon after I hatched. The most I could remember was a lot of sucking on my tail like a pacifier, and following Twilight around like a pet instead of someone's abandoned child."

Rosethorn noted the sudden spike of anger in Spike's voice from the last few words he spoke. Abandoned? I can't think of any Dragon that'd abandon a whelp to Ponies unless the situation was truly dire...

"Excuse me Spike, but what might you mean by 'abandoned'?" she asked.

Spike was starting to get riled up just thinking about it now. "I dunno, just something about dragons being so possessive. And then the fact that I’ve hardly seen any dragons until the last couple of years just kinda tells me I was abandoned to Celestia or the Royal Court, or something..."

He's one of those whelps, I see... but there are no records of any of those abandoned eggs ever hatching except his... and there are only 3 of those eggs besides his on record anyway... the way it sounds, it was like those guards told him she made a run every few months or something... Rosethorn thought to herself.

"It's, it's just hard - ever since I really started thinking about it since I left the Equestrian Checkpoint. I've just had all this time to think about just who and what I really am. And... I'm coming up blank. It's burning me up inside. I didn't say anything about it yesterday because I was so busy with my reading and with, well, you. But it's coming back now, and with a vengeance," Spike said, his snout half-buried in his curled up knees.

Even though we aren't the most personable species, we have an immense pride in our heritage... To the point where I wonder if it's something that's just embedded in our souls... Now Spike, ever since he technically became an adult, has probably been struggling with the fact he knows next to nothing about our heritage... But it's not like I can take 20 or 30 years to teach him personally... What to do? Rosethorn thought to herself, as she sat up against Spike's cart.

I'd love to follow Rosethorn, and anyone else she knows, for the rest of however long... But I got to get back to Twilight and the others... but I got to know just what I can do... just who I am... and if any of the rest of them can help Princess Celestia... What am I gonna do? Spike thought to himself as he looked up at Luna's night sky, trying to divine some answers for himself.

"Spike, are you on any sort of schedule when it comes to arriving at Karrak-za-Jalve?" Rosethorn asked, resuming the tone of a teacher dealing with a troubled child.

Spike looked over at the face of Rosethorn, and most noticeably her eyes. They looked so warm for a reptilian creature, long maligned for being rather cold and icy. "Well... honestly... no. I don't want to stay out here years and years though. But there are some questions I need to answer for myself, before I can ask any of other Dragons."

Rosethorn's smiled a wide, fanged grin at the answer Spike gave. "Well, we are heading towards Iral-au-Tran. Why don't we just take an extended stay there, say a week..." she began, as she moved in on Spike and draped her long arms over the young dragon's shoulders as she leaned against his back and side.

OH CELESTIA, WHY IS SHE DOING THIS NOW!! Spike thought at the sudden invasion of personal space.

"I want to start teaching you so many things... so many points to start from..." she said as she leaned in, her voice sultry, and her snout right alongside Spike's.

Spike didn't say anything, as he stared out into nothing in particular.

"Um... Spike, would you mind answering my question?" Rosethorn asked of the dear Dragon. His only response was a soft thud against the ground and his blanket. His mind froze like a computer attempting to process one command too many.

A shame too, a few years older and he might be more willing to play along – it’s always more fun that way. But I’m letting my little fun get in the way of my actual job, and there are a lot of things I will have to start teaching him. And I won't have that much time with him... at least not for this particular go around... Rosethorn thought, as the warm eyes suddenly became very, very cold and calculating.

[ May 4, ???+1 -- Iral-au-Tran, Eastern Dragon Territories ]
===============================================================

"Iqual Diyan!" Spike shouted as a fountain of water quenched a flame in one of the larger practice rooms at the Iral Training Hall.

Rosethorn looked on with a smirk that would have easily rivaled Celestia when in her scheming mode. He is a total natural when it comes to Draconic Invocation... He would have definitely made it into the Sage's College if he were hatched under normal circumstance... Although, he still needs work on properly regulating his mana output... Hrm, I suspect all that time with that Equestrian Prodigy has rubbed off on him...

"Whenever you are ready to return, I hope I can meet that Twilight Sparkle that you speak so highly of," she said to Spike as he started reading over the next set of chants to practice.

"Well, like I said. You don't spend your life around a study-bug like her without learning quite a bit on how to process information yourself. I just hope I'm performing these chants right, sometimes they come out all weird, at least compared to how the book says they should," Spike replied.

Rosethorn put a claw underneath her snout to think for a few moments. "Well, some of it has to do with your mana regulation. The chant or phrase is necessary to invoke a spell, but you also have to offer up the right amount of mana when you do. Otherwise the effect will not match what the texts or instructor indicates." She looked around for a bit, to make sure that no one else was watching listening to them, before she continued.

"Also, your body has heavy imprints of a mana completely foreign to this world. When we are in a more secure location, I need you to tell me everything you can about whatever that strange energy was when you underwent Flash Puberty."

Spike replayed in his mind the horrible pain he went through, as his body morphed from his usual whelp-self into a true young adult. So much so that Rosethorn noticed Spike appearing to go into a trance thinking about it.

"Excuse me, Rosethorn to Spike... I swear you have a very bad habit of zoning out anytime I talk about that strange, foreign energy..." Rosethorn said as she shook her head at her new student's habits and attention span.

Spike finally shook his head loose as he came back to reality and the current time. "I'm sorry Rosethorn, but anytime I think about that day, it's like... like my mind is being pulled back there to actually relive that incident. It honestly scares anytime I think about it for too long."

Rosethorn clasped her hands around Spike's shoulders, not to tease him like a few nights previous, but to legitimately comfort him. "I can suspect this entire scenario is difficult for you. Not only do you have questions to answer for yourself, but you have other questions to ask on someone else's behalf. But, as you said those nights ago, we have to take care of this first. You can't very well appear in Karrak, not sure of who or what you are, now can you?"

"No... not if I want to make a good impression to the Council of Elders, anyway," Spike said, as he went back to practicing some more phrases for Invocation.

Indeed. We are rather insular and detached for a supposed central governing body... Rosethorn thought to herself.

"Anyway, the thing you have to remember is to consistently pull the same amount of mana every time you want invoke another spell. That way you achieve a consistent effect. The more you do it, the more consistent you will be while in a fight or battle."

"I see... I guess it's something you have to kinda feel out, yeah?" Spike said as he stood at the lectern in the room, reading over some more phrases.

"Yes and you have to consistently practice at it," Rosethorn added.

Now I know that there is an alternate form of mana emanating from that other world. But I cannot make any solid conclusions until I can get him to use it naturally. If I try to goad him into it, I may not get the best results… Rosethorn thought to herself; she needed to get Spike comfortable enough in his own skin before he could start exploiting that foreign power.

[ May 12, ???+1 -- Iral-au-Tran, Eastern Dragon Territories ]
=============================================================

It was nearly nightfall in Iral-au-Tran, as the Dragon pair were standing at the West Gates ready to embark towards the next town. Rosethorn was brimming with confidence after watching just how well Spike was taking to his Invocation Lessons. She wondered if Spike was truly a natural caster, or if he just learned that much from all his time with Twilight.

As he and Rosethorn walked along the path to their next campsite, Rosethorn suddenly held out her arm, signaling the young dragon to stop.

Damn, I knew tonight was a ‘stay-at-the-inn’ night… that’s what I get for ignoring my first instinct… she thought, chiding herself as she looked for any signs along the ground.

“Rose, what’s the problem? I mean I thought we could have made it to our agreed upon campsite but only if we moved at a brisk pace,” Spike asked, as he unharnessed himself from the cart.

“We’re going to be delayed. We aren’t alone on this path,” Rosethorn said, her voice terse as she took a wide stance along the ground, murmuring to herself as she did.

Spike drug his cart in between himself and Rosethorn, as he began to feel the ground starting to rumble beneath his feet.

“What’s going on? Why’s the ground shaking like this?” Spike asked, as he could swear he heard barking coming from the ground.

“Diamond Dogs, there must be a pack holed up around the city somewhere, and a raiding party just found us,” Rosethorn said, her tone very serious as she looked around the ground.

The ground suddenly burst forth with a cloud of dark brown and orange, as five Diamond Dogs were positioned around the two dragons and one very valuable storage cart. The howling, while brief, was maddening to Spike, who hadn’t been victim of a Diamond Dog raid in earnest – only having dealt with Rarity’s kidnapping in the past.

The lead of the raiding pack was wearing goggles over his eyes, with glowing paint across the frames. “Give us all valuable, or we take!”

“Like we are going to give yo—“ Spike started, before he was cut off by Rosethorn.

“And if we give you our gems, will you leave us be?” she offered instead, not wanting to overtly antagonize the Dogs.

One of the other Dogs walked up to the lead and whispered something in his pack’s tribal language. While the two dragons couldn’t exactly see it, they could tell by the way the muscles around the top of his face moved the lead’s eyes were wide.

“Cart! You give us cart now! No questions!”

Rosethorn appeared initially confused, until she remembered something that Spike had told her previously, but in passing. “Spike, what is this cart made out of again?”

Spike didn’t think about his answer, especially how it might have just done what Rosethorn was trying to avoid at first. “Titanium, it’s titanium alloy as far as I can remember…”

“GIVE! YOU GIVE CART, OR WE TAKE CART!” the lead raider shouted, almost devolving back into some combination of a growl and a howl.

“You know all that practice we’ve been doing for the last month, Spike?” Rosethorn asked, with a bit of a smirk on her fanged face.

“Yeah… wait what, don’t tell me…” Spike asked as he suddenly looked very nervous.

“You’re about to get a crash course in combat!” Rosethorn shouted as she slammed her tail on the ground, causing a tremor that made the Diamond Dogs around the cart momentarily lose their footing.

Good Celestia, she’s fast… Spike thought as she saw Rosethorn sprint out to clothesline one of the stumbling Diamond Dogs, left in awe by her sheer speed.

“GIVE! GIVE OR WE TAKE!” the Dogs on Spike’s side of the cart shouted, as they all began to rush him.

Oh no, oh no ohno… ok um… wide area fire… wide area fire… Oh I can’t remember… SCREW IT! Spike thought in his mild panic, until a phrase appeared in his mind.

“PROC WAVE!” he shouted as he swept his arm around in front of him; round Draconic runes, in the same green as his natural flame, mixed with red, angled Terran runes. Following the motion of his arm, a wave of flame erupted from the ground, creating forward blast of heat and flames, singing one of the advancing Diamond Dogs and causing the other two to hold in their advance.

That’s not a standard spell… in fact… that’s not even standard mana he’s using. Could that be the power of the other mana at work? Rosethorn thought as she watched her charge trying to learn on the fly how to use his combat spells, while she had one of the Diamond Dogs in a sleeperhold.

“Trick! Your trick not scare us! Your cart will be ours!” the lead raider shouted, as he tried to rally the other unsigned Diamond Dog to his side, taking out what appeared to be a bone-tipped spear that was sectioned in half… until it was affixed to a pole that was being carried by the Dogs that was nearly the same height as Spike and Rosethorn.

“Be careful Spike, those bone spears are a lot harder than they look!” Rosethorn shouted; as she used a wind spell to send another Diamond Dog flying away a good couple dozen Lengths.

It’s just bone, what could it do aga-- Spike thought to himself as he dodged backwards from the first spear slash, watching the gash it created in the ground from just barely scraping it.

“What in the heck are those things made out of?!” Spike shouted, thinking bone should not be able to gash the hardened and dried earth they were walking on as much as it just did.

“Bone of our ancestors. Very strong, strong as many metal. Diamond Dog eat metal, make bone hard as metal. Common knowledge to Dragon!” the apparent assistant to the lead raider explained, in a tone that felt patronizing to the purple Dragon.

Great, he doesn’t even know me and he’s making fun of me for not knowing what’s up… Spike thought, as he tried to search his mind for some kind of defense mechanism in case the spear did catch his scaly skin.

Ugh, I didn’t have time to teach Spike the reinforcement spell for his dragonscale. He’s nowhere near old enough to have eaten enough gems to naturally have a defense mechanism against their Iron-Bone weapons… Rosethorn thought as she suddenly saw the fault in her initial lesson plan.

Okay… let’s… try this! Spike thought as another phrase resounded in his mind. “Crystal Gravok!” he shouted aloud, as his body began to glisten. He hardly had any time to do anything other than put his arms up in defense after he shouted his spell, the now green Terran runes and his Draconic invocation mixing along his skin.

“OWWWWW! My spear… my arms!” the lead raider shouted, as he dropped his spear, which appeared to chip against Spike’s suddenly reinforced scales. His forearms and hands were limp, as apparently the shock from the impact of the spear against Spike’s skin caused him to lose all feeling past his elbows.

“Stop, stop all! Leader is hurt! We must retreat! All back in tunnel!” the assistant shouted, as the other three Diamond Dogs pulled themselves up off the ground, as best they could, and drug themselves back to the tunnel to go back to wherever their pack had set up camp.

“Speaking of arms hurting, my left arm feels like someone just slashed me with a razor,” Spike complained, as the adrenaline finally left his system and the pain kicked in.

“Let me see that,” Rosethorn said, the tension in her voice leaving about the same time the Diamond Dogs did. “No injury as far as I can tell; we just need to clean this out and wrap it. All kinds of bugs live in the sand and dirt, and I’d like to avoid having Celestia’s prized pupil’s adopted brother laid up in the hospital with an infection.”

-----

An hour or so had passed, allowing the travelling duo some time to decompress from the attempted armed robbery; and having finally reached the midway point to the next town, they decided to go ahead and set up camp. After a few more minutes of setting up the sleeping canopy, the two sat around campfire, taking in Luna’s night sky over the patchy savannah that made up the Badlands near Equestria.

“You know, I always thought the Dragon territories near Equestria were actual desert; Like rolling sand dunes and everything, similar to Central Zebracia. Then again, before my little… incident, I honestly didn’t give it a second or third thought,” Spike mused as he laid on the ground on top of his cloak, staring at Luna’s Moon as it drifted along its intended path.

“You are a very thoughtful drake - most others your age, be it your calendar age or equivalent to your physical maturity level, really don’t care one whit about the history of the Dragons, or our current status. Most of my classes when I do actively teach are populated by Dragons that are at least a hundred years old. Of course, that’d be like teaching freshmen in a Pony college relative to our lifespans,” Rosethorn thought, as she rose from her lounge on the ground to a seated position, opposite the campfire from Spike.

The notion of 100 only being ‘young adult’ in Dragon terms stupefied Spike, which was evident in his face, and caused Rosethorn to elaborate on her latter point. “Oh there I go just running my mouth without any context. Alright, Spike, let’s have a little question and answer session: how old do you think I am?”

Spike was stymied; clearly at a loss for words as, from everything he heard from Rarity, you NEVER asked a lady her age. And here was his guide asking him to actually guess it. He searched his mind for a few moments more for an answer, before he finally came up with one. “Two… hundred I guess? I’m not really sure.”

Rosethorn laughed uproariously, Spike stunned (again) by just how loud she could be. “Oh, dear precious little Spike. Let’s try one-thousand three-hundred and eighty-four [1,384], as of the fourth moon next year, or I guess… April is the modern Equestrian name for it? Never did like naming months…”

“What? You’re over a millennia old?!” Spike replied, utterly shocked.

Rose giggled a draka-ish giggle, sounding a lot a female Spike’s age (at least as of a couple of months ago). “Yes, I was hatched in the last century, roughly, of Discord’s reign of terror. A Thousand Years of Insanity, almost literally; it’s great wonder how we Dragon Scribes managed to keep the records we did all though that time. Though, I can wait to go into more detail at a later time.”

Spike was still trying to process the fact the Dragon before him was just as old as the Princesses, and yet looked just as young as them too.

“Second Question, Mr. Spike: how old do you believe the Council President, Wraithwind, to be?” Rosethorn asked, materializing a small blackboard in her hands.

Spike stumbled and searched silently, before offering his guess. “Ok, well if you’re almost fourteen hundred, then I’ll… um… three thousand?”

“Not the worst guess I’ve had – the actual answer is four-thousand, nine-hundred, and ninety-six years [4,996],” Rosethorn replied, showing the answer in numerical form on her miniature board.

“He’s… he’s five-thousand years old almost?! That’s older than every nation that exists!” Spike exclaimed, thoroughly shocked by the amount.

“By an ‘half’ an order of magnitude no less. Equestria, as it is presently constituted, has only existed for a scant over a thousand years. Some of our scholars argue that political conflicts between Princesses Celestia and Luna led to Luna’s, thankfully temporary, fall in becoming Nightmare Moon. Personally, I believe it is both simpler, and yet a lot deeper than that,” Rosethorn mused, as she began drifting again in her explanations.

Spike, just stared into the sky, as he tried to let the staggering numbers, insofar as age was concerned, settle into his mind. “Say Rosethorn… I, um… just how long does a Dragon live… anyway?”

Rosethorn sighed heavily, as she just drew a pair of Equestrian question marks on her blackboard, to show the lack of clarity in the coming answer. “This answer might seem like a cop-out, but it is the best one I can give you: it is completely undefined. There is a reason why some other creatures argue that Dragons are semi-divine, our bodies don’t age on a normal curve. While we can be killed by a mortal just like any Pony or Gryphon, if you left us completely alone, we’d basically live until we became so bored with life we just… retire. I’ve been trying my entire scholastic career to nail down just what exactly causes a Dragon’s body to biologically degrade and die like any mortal, when it seems totally resistant to aging triggers through most of its life. Yet, nothing - I haven’t been able to come up with any kind of sensible answer.”

“I… a lot of things start to make sense now…” Spike said, as it looked like he was starting to genuinely tear up.

“Wait, what do you mean Spike?” Rosethorn asked, as she came around the campfire to comfort the sniffling young dragon.

“Why it seems like Dragons always seem to be alone. There is no telling if you will outlive you care about; or if you’d die well before they did, and leave them suffering the rest of their lives. At least with the Princesses, they know their lives functionally infinite, so they can plan around it. They can at least come up with a way to cope… we can’t. We don’t know if something will kill us at fifty, or if we will become suicidal at 200, or if we will live, like you, well into four-digits,” Spike replied, the tears starting to stream down from the corners of his eyes in earnest now.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” Rosethorn offered tepidly, not sure of how to deal with someone emotional like this.

“I… I just don’t want to see them fade away… Twilight, all the friends we’ve made over the last few years. I… I could easily outlive them, their children, their great grandchildren. I just don’t, I don’t know…” Spike stammered, choked up by the tears.

Rosethorn hugged him tightly, realizing what exactly he was going through. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be harsh or cruel, but time is something that flows differently for us, just like it flows differently for the Princesses. I just want you do one thing for me, if you do nothing else in your hopefully very long and fruitful life.”

Spike sniffled before he responded. “What? What is it?”

“I want you to enjoy every single moment you have with your friends and family. I want you to enjoy it as much as you can. And when they do pass, I want you to never forget them, and don’t look back on their lives with regret for what you could have done. A Dragon lives true to their desire, and leaves no regrets behind when they do pass from this life – at least… that is how I think of things.”

Spike started to calm down some, as the words of the much older dragoness began to settle into his mind. “I’ll… I’ll try. But… I don’t know… I can’t really talk to anyone but you or the Princesses about how to deal with this.”

“Then just do that for now. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, talk to me or your Princesses. Too many dragons try to carry the burden of time alone, and that is why we turn out the way we do. If only we could realize as a species that we have each other and our fellow travelers in life to help share our … perhaps we wouldn’t be so misunderstood…” Rosethorn responded, as she looked at Luna’s Moon along with Spike.

-----

“I wonder what she’s doing with Spike right now. The path going directly to Karrak only takes a couple of weeks if you are going in a relatively straight line…” Luna mused, watching her heavenly orb slowly move in its prescribed arc.

Celestia joined her on the balcony, holding a cup of tea in her telekinetic grip as she was winding her mind down for the evening. “No telling, she’s probably taking any lack of communication about us needing him back immediately as license to teach him about being a Dragon.”

“Do you think she’s going to tell him about how Dragons are like us, in some sense, in that their bodies don’t have a predictable pattern growth or decline?” Luna asked, as the two of them sat before the rail of the balcony, looking at the stars flicker and twinkle in the midnight-blue and purple sky.

Celestia sighed, as she remembered all of the things she learned of and from the Dragons during her time living with them. “I am not sure how she could avoid it, given how Spike is just like his adoptive sister, and will ask any question that comes to mind. Nevertheless, someone his age, if you will, shouldn’t be naive about death. It comes for us all, even if some of us may know the being that acts as its shepherd for our worlds.”

“Nothing lasts forever?” Luna asked, looking at her sister with a combination of inquisitiveness and concern.

“For all but a few, no. And for us… it’s an open question,” Celestia responded, a thoughtful look on her face as she sipped from her tea cup.

===== - =====

CH 18: Unbalanced Equation

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=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 18: Unbalanced Equation ===

[ May 14, 2081 – Durham Domed Community, North Carolina, USA ]
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It was a warm afternoon in Durham, as the Sun shone through the filtered blue tint of the overhead environmental barrier. It was going to be a very busy day for a certain pair of assuredly reputable businessmen.

“Ah, Mr. Spencer, how is my favorite clandestine weapons manufacturer?” Nathan Egret said with a warm and devious smile as he vigorously shook his hand. He lead a small group of five through the halls of the otherwise unremarkable front-operation building.

“Come now, Mr. Egret. I bet you say that to all your black market contractors,” Kenneth responded as he directed Spencer and his black suited entourage to the elevator that lead downstairs to the ‘toy room’, as Kenneth called with a disturbing amount of mirth.

“In any case, I heard you all have been making excellent progress on the little… project we have cooked up, right?” Nathan asked as the group of seven continued to traverse the depths in the swiftly descending elevator.

“Oh of course. In fact, I think you will be greatly impressed by the new tools your carpenters will have to build with,” Kenneth replied, chuckling bit to himself as he thought of new personal projects to pursue with the coming revenue.

“Indeed, all of this is to build a new world – our world. We’re just scratching the surface with the potential for this new magical force we have all found. But in order to have the space to build, we have to… oh how can I put this without sounding overly blood-thirsty… clear the lot, don’t you think?”

“I would agree, yes. Any good mansion must have a properly poured and crafted foundation,” Kenneth reasoned as the elevator came to a gradual stop at their destination underground.

---

“And here we are gentlemen, the ‘toy room’ as I so lovingly call it,” Kenneth replied, the smile on his face beaming as he was back in his own element.

“You have a very slick looking operation here. Certainly one of the better underground R&D facilities around from what I’ve seen personally,” Nathan replied, as he removed his jacket, revealing a rather snappy white dress shirt covered partially by a maroon-fringed business casual vest.

“You cannot conduct proper research and testing in sub-optimal conditions. The Aero-Style Magic, as I’ve taken to calling it, has ensured optimal atmospheric conditions even at this depth. It also helps us mask our power draw. I mean, we might own the private security forces, but the normal police can still be a nuisance when they want to be,” Kenneth responded as he put on his white lab coat; watching the technicians giving Nathan and his entourage the once over.

“So, you call this place the ‘toy room’, right? Let’s see what fun we can have down here,” Nathan replied, beginning to match Kenneth’s enthusiasm.

The group of seven walked to a display booth with a rather innocuous looking sword and a large dummy dressed in generic military armor.

“Alright for our first demonstration, I will need a volunteer who feels like doing their best samurai impression,” Kenneth asked as he turned to his six compatriots.

“Uh, sure I’ll give a shot,” one of the darkglasses-wearing ‘bodyguards’ replied, as he stepped onto the slightly raised area of the room and picked up the three-foot blade in his right hand. “Yah know, this thing don’t look like it’s any more sharp than a butter knife.”

“Well, just show the others by taking a whack at the dummy, if you don’t mind,” Kenneth replied; eliciting a shrug out of the blade-wielding bodyguard.

The bodyguard took his best swordsman stance, and took a good healthy swing at the dummy. A mixed clang and thud resounded from the dummy as the bodyguard went backwards a few steps; the force from the ricocheting blade causing a temporary loss of balance.

“Yeah that figures…” the bodyguard replied as he shook the numb feeling out of his forearms.

“Good, now press the button you see on the hilt,” Kenneth instructed. The bodyguard complied as he pressed said button, causing strange characters to appear on the back of the blade, and the edge to glow faintly green.

“Alright, now try it again.”

The bodyguard retook his stance, and gave another swift slash. But this time, the blade sliced straight through the dummy’s arm and leg, leaving a green train and faint green glow on all the points of contact along the now half-armed/legged dummy.

“I know it might make you all moan, but that really did feel like a hot knife through butter. I barely felt the blade get pushed back by the armor or whatever this dummy is made of,” the bodyguard said, as he switched the blade off and set it back down on its pedestal.

“Simply astounding, to think that Magic could be capable of this,” Nathan mused quietly as the group moved on.

-----

“It is simply unreal the enhancements magic gives to our normal weaponry. Bullets that fly with no wind impediment, gel that can dissolve walls without making a single sound, the possibilities are endless.” Nathan continued to muse as he and the rest of his entourage walked to the last demo station of the day.

“Indeed, and that is just with a few weeks’ worth of research. Think of what we can develop when we have years and decades under our belt…” Kenneth added, the glee in his eyes unmistakable to anyone looking at his face at the time.

“Say, I mean all of these enhancements are fine and good, but what happens when we just need raw destructive power?” one of the bodyguards asked, as they were talking amongst themselves about various things related to the demonstrations.

“I am so very glad you asked that question. If you will notice, the last demonstration takes place behind this sub-room created out of double-reinforced blast shields. And we have a good reason for this manner of construction,” Kenneth started, as he directed everyone around to different viewports.

“Due to some obvious safety concerns, the following demonstration takes place in this specially constructed room. As you can see, we have different pillars made out of various construction material inside the room. And in the center of the room, we have a small device we lovingly call the red cherry,” Kenneth continued, as his finger hovered over a button on the room’s control pad labeled “Engage Firing Mechanism”.

“Also I would highly suggest you lower the flash filters on the viewports,” Kenneth added as his finger continued to hover over the ‘virtual’ button.

Everyone slid the translucent black cover over the viewport as instructed.

“FIRE IN THE HOLE!” Kenneth shouted as the other technicians reflexively ducked as the entire area was rocked with quite the impressive boom.

“Mother of God, did that come from that little red spheroid in the room?” Nathan asked, as the smoke was vented out by the fans inside the room.

“Yes my good Mr. Egret, that explosion was generated by that small 10 gram device. And if you look closely, you can see why we had to double-reinforce this room,” Kenneth stated.

Nathan looked inside of room with the others, and was thoroughly impressed by what he saw. Everything in the center of the room appeared to have been blown completely apart or melted down into slag; the devastation largely not letting up until the edge of the 100 sq. meter room was reached.

“This weaponry… It gives me an idea…” Nathan began to think aloud as he asked for a chair to sit and contemplate for a few moments.

“What’s rattling around in that head of yours Mr. Egret?” Kenneth asked as he directed the technicians in cleaning up the room inside.

“I believe that we have to press our advantage as soon as humanly possible. If we wait too long, the official forces and other mercenary groups loyal to the governments of the world could develop potential defensive mechanisms, making our planned operation drag out far too long for our admittedly meager number of volunteers,” Nathan replied as he continued to sort out the puzzle pieces in his head.

“So we strike while the iron is hot, with weaponry they largely have no defense for, and take control in the ensuing chaos?” Kenneth asked, searching for Nathan’s exact thought process.

“That is the gist of it for right now. We will have to come up with a means to hold our power, but I think with an impressive enough display we can get enough time where the public is too busy cowering in abject fear that we can build up,” Nathan replied as he stood up and began to pace, silently plotting things in his head as he did.

Of course, if a single power were to be… overly-dominant, that would be very bad for my business… Kenneth thought as he began to consider his own means and ends.

[ May 18, 2081 – Somewhere on the Astral Plane ]
================================================

“Feniks, can we talk?” Red Blaze called, as she sat on red and gold-fringed cushion in the middle of a temple. The temple in her soulscape was lined with flames ranging from yellow to red, as a giant perch appeared before a curtain of flame.

After a few moments of waiting, the perch suddenly billowed with red and orange flame, as Plama Feniks appeared. She was a phoenix at least ten times as large as Blaze, as she appeared in the soulscape; her body and thighs covered in crimson, burgundy, and maroon feathers, and her wings ranging from sunset orange to a golden yellow. Her head was wreathed in flames, showing the relative health of her master, Red Blaze.

“You called for me, Lyubovnista[1]?” Plama responded, as she preened some of the unignited feathers of her left wing; her voice resounding a small amount through the soulscape.

“I feel like there is something going on, or rather, something major is about to happen. I’ve been picking up a lot of chatter on the black-sites from my old contacts. That combined with the odd… negative feeling I’ve felt when I have been doing general diving just leads me to believe…” Blaze started before she was interrupted.

“That the persons you have concerned yourself with may be moving even faster than you would have anticipated personally?” Plama concluded, as she made a reasoned guess at Blaze’s line of thinking.

“In short, yes. I am quite afraid, honestly, that they are about to blitz us hard and we will not have a means to defend ourselves properly against it. As it stands right now, I am ready to send suggestions to my government contact that they should be preparing for an absolute worst case scenario unless the Society decides to hold their cards a few months longer,” Blaze replied, the consternation of such a thought evident in her face.

“I trust your judgement and ability to see into the unknown, Blaze; as do the others. If this is truly what your mind and heart have concluded, then it is best you begin to prepare the others and whomever you may speak to in the human governments of said worst case,” Plama replied, attempting to reassure her master.

“True. But… I don’t know, part of me thinks they should already know and be planning against such a thing. On the other hoof, it couldn’t hurt to have some outside viewpoints from me, I guess,” Blaze thought aloud; sound as if she needed to convince herself to go through with her thought.

“In any case, I have talked to a cluster of Dreamwalker Sprites in one of the Astral Forests. They say that some humans have been deeply involved in marrying current technology to magic to create powerful weaponry. While it should not be surprising on its face, the fact they have already moved in this manner would bode ill in trying to preserve the current order of things,” Plama reported , sighing as she saw that Blaze was starting to fret a little more.

“I know I should have expected as much, but it’s still disconcerting to actually hear it. And all of the chatter I’ve heard only corroborates it. These rumors of incredibly powerful bombs fueled by raw fire mana are especially troubling. We already have powerful munitions that could be levied against civilian targets, and the Bureaus count amongst them. To think that Fire Mana would enhance those munitions – I can only surmise that every public Pony facility would at least be at risk, if not in immediate danger,” Blaze started to think aloud.

“I would disagree with you in one respect, Lyubovnista. It seems their rhetoric is directed at the various governments and other entities that have supported the Ponies in their works, or at least allowed them to operate unmolested. If I were to make a prediction… the governments of the major powers would be the ones at most risk in the immediate and near-term. While I don’t doubt they would eventually move against Pony-run installations, they wouldn’t do it until they have established control,” Plama argued as she flapped her wings, causing the torches around her to flicker for a few moments.

“You do have a point. Perhaps the Bureaus wouldn’t be in immediate danger, but… well I wouldn’t doubt that any people who have aligned themselves with the SPH may use the banner to conduct operations against us, if could be so presumptive with my predictions,” Blaze continued, as she continued to wrack her brain.

“That I will agree with wholeheartedly, there is no shortage of extremist elements in that nascent movement. However, I will also warn against one other thing: we should not ignore any extreme element that may rise from our own ranks,” Plama agreed and admonished in sequence.

“That, I dunno what we could do about. I would hope the Princesses are keeping their eyes and ears open in that case,” Blaze replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Also, while we are talking face to face, there is the little matter of the Mythiks, as we’ve come to call them,” Plama started as she began to recount her talks over the last week or so with the various mythical entities and monsters that still took refuge in the Astral Plane.

“Let me guess, more grousing about not being able to come back ‘home’ yet?” Blaze replied, clearly exasperated with the issue.

“Indeed, Blaze. It’s only going to get worse the more mana begins to flow on Earth. Right now Earth is still generally mana-poor. But I’d suspect we only have a year or so before Earth has enough mana to allow most Mythiks to re-manifest fully. Which is to say nothing of those who can survive in a form that does not require mana consumption to maintain,” Plama concluded.

“That’s just what we’d need. A world in chaos due to a war with the SPH, being visited by more not-human creatures. Even if it was their original homeland, most humans would not recognize it as such,” Blaze.

“Another aggravating factor for humanity in general. In any case, there is one last thing I want to talk to you about,” Plama said her tone shifted from a one of neutral reporting to a more… ‘editorial’ one.

“And that would be?” Blaze asked with genuine confusion.

“Your comrade, Blue Vague. Torra-Borous has been confiding in me that he sense something… foreign in Vague’s soul. As if there is some kind of object that is causing his mind strain. The problem is, he cannot discern what the source is, exactly,” Plama explained as she took flight and reduce her size to look at Blaze at a level height.

“That’s a problem indeed. I’ve been noticing him zoning out big time. Especially when the issue of the SPH comes up; something tells me he has anger and frustration pent up and is largely failing to find a release for it or a means to internalize it,” Blaze figured as she thought of the issue some more.

“That sounds fine, but that doesn’t explain this sense of a foreign influence on Vague. But as I stated earlier, Torra cannot pin down what may be causing it, nor a why or a how,” Plama continued, as the volcanic rock shrine continued to glow soft red.

“We may be just as stuck there as we are with the Mythik situation. I hate not being able to do anything about something when I see a problem,” Blaze sighed, as she very much had the look of someone who was frustrated with everything around her. “I guess that’s enough for now, I will definitely see you at a later date, Plama!”

“Hopefully I will have some better news for you when I do see you again,” Feniks concluded as she disappeared in a burst of red and orange light, and the torches of the soulscape dimmed some.

“Always knew how to make an exit,” Blaze chuckled as she disappeared in less dramatic fashion.

-----

“I wonder what my little Vaguey is up to~” the feminine duplicate of Vague mused, as she stalked through the bushes in the off some distance from the divepool of the waterfall in Vague’s soulscape.

‘She’ balked a bit when catching a glimpse of the giant turtle-like creature Vague was speaking to. “Ugh, Torra-Borous. He’s the only thing besides his friends that is keeping him moored to reality. I’ve got to find some way to deal with him, but without more darkness flowing from Vague’s heart, I’m nowhere near able to bind that thing and take control of my little wave-maker.”

Torra-Borous did not miss the pony with the snake’s-eyes hiding in the bushes but thought not to alarm his master too much.

“In any case, Torra. I just don’t know right now, I’ve been trying to figure out where this sudden bout of depression and anger is coming from. It’s like the world is just aggravating everything I thought I had gotten past those months ago,” Vague complained, the frustration he was feeling starting to eat at all the positive feelings he had been building up over the months since his Conversion.

“To be honest, we didn’t do anything to solve the root causes of those troubles of yours. It would stand to reason that eventually conditions could re-aggravate the psychological injury. The thing is… I get the distinct feeling that there is something beyond just the world that is making you feel this way,” Torra-Borous replied, as he floated on the surface of the divepool.

“I know I… it’s hard. I just want this to be over with, to be done with. I want to move forward. I’m tired of constantly looking back on my past and my… issues with my parents,” Vague stated, as he looked away from Torra in embarrassment.

Oh that’s right, his dear parents are the source of all of this in the end. Now what can I do to take advantage of that… the duplicate Pony contemplated as ‘she’ hid in the bushes behind the two speaking.

“Either way, I’ve been talking to Plama over some of the things she had been researching for Miss Blaze. I’m afraid some bad things are about to go down, and we had best prepare ourselves for it. Especially you, Vague,” Torra stated, as he looked Vague in the eye.

“I guess…” Vague said dejectedly.

“I guess? I GUESS?! What is this ‘I guess?’ garbage?! You need to get over yourself, Vague. You are in no position to let your internal issues act as a fog that blinds you to the wider world. And if you don’t have your head completely in the game, what good are you as an Element of Terra?” Torra shouted, as he was deeply angered by Vague’s sudden passiveness.

“But… I’m… I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s worth it in the end. If we stop this, what stops it from happening again a couple of years later, or a couple of years after that?” Vague pleaded, desperate to get some kind of corroboration on his feelings.

Something he wasn’t getting from the long-tailed turtle-creature of his own creation.

“I am not here to badger or berate you, Master. But you have a gift, and a responsibility to use that properly. I can understand your crisis of faith in this twilight hour of this era. But look at your friends, both old and new. The Princesses you have sworn your loyalty to. The nation of your birth. Despite all that ails this world, they will all work to the bone, and some even to their death, to build a world that would for the benefit of all. But what they need are the tools and the power to make this wish a reality. And you have now become one of the handlers of that power. Do not feel that you are helpless or alone – because you aren’t,” Torra-Borous said, as he dropped his head to look level with Vague who was sitting on the ground in front of him.

“It’s just so hard. I… felt alone when I was with my parents, and then grandpa died only a couple of years after I moved in with him. After that, it was just me and myself and whomever I would meet on the ‘Net. Then a few years ago I find Hana… and…” Vague started, as he cheeks began to turn a bit red despite his blue coat.

“And that is exactly what I am talking about. You don’t have to carry this burden alone. While I am not saying to dump all your issues upon your friends, it is incumbent upon you to talk when you feel like this. Keeping it bottled up is going to lead to nothing but trouble for you, and by extension, the rest of them,” Torra replied, as he smiled with his reptilian beak.

“Um… thanks… I guess I just needed someone else to talk to…” Vague said as he watched Torra recede into the divepool to return to the Astral Plane proper.

“I am here, and I will be here so long as you will me to. We are partners in this venture together, don’t ever forget that, either,” Torra replied, before the flash of blue and navy signaled his departure from the soulscape.

Hrm, it seems like I have more work to do on his heart, if I want to control of this body and access to all of that Power… the duplicate-self thought to itself as it slunk back through the bushes.

[ May 20, 2081 – Isegawa Clinic and Dormitories, St. Louis, USA ]
=================================================================

It was the early morning in St. Louis, and the Ponies residing in the Isegawa’s Dormitory were known for getting an early start. Though no-pony really predicted just how early a certain red Unicorn would get started.

“So what is she doing in there?” Rainbow Dash asked as she and Golden Storm looked at the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign that was adhered to the door.

“She said something about talking to one of her contacts with the Feds, so I guess she’s still talking,” Golden Storm said, as his ears only picked up the faint buzz from the sound-proofing spell that Blaze wove along the inside walls and door of her room.

“And how long she’s been talking to, whoever she was talking to,” Rainbow Dash asked, as the other Ponies occasionally peered over to try and glean what the two Pegasi were speaking of.

“Couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes at most. But even though she isn’t CIA per se anymore, she apparently still has a ‘private contractor’ arrangement, so I doubt she’d tell us what she was talking about until she’s good and ready to,” Golden Storm replied, shrugging afterward.

“Feels like we’re in a mystery book or somethin’,” Rainbow Dash added as they decided to just wait out the fire-engine red Unicorn.

-----

“This is a pretty bold assessment you are giving me, Miss Blaze,” Agent Jacques stated morosely as he looked over the ‘hoof’-written statements that Red Blaze had sent him while they discussed her findings and analysis.

“That is why I used such qualified language in my written statement. Everything I told you I don’t have absolute, ‘take it to court proof’ of. But I do trust my sources, even though they are far from traditional as far as humans are concerned,” Red Blaze said, still nervous about what she just told and sent to her contact in the American intelligence corps.

“Even with my limited eyes, I’ve seen enough already to know that what is and isn’t legitimate is going to be redefined in a major way. Plus, similar to your report, we have been getting chatter regarding various paramilitary efforts on the part of the Elite in the Domes. But they have covered their tracks damn well. Plus… well… can I confide something in you just as a man to a mare?” Jacques continued before pausing to ask his question.

“Um, I guess we’re more or less equals now, so sure…” Blaze replied, her anxiety creeping up a couple of notches more.

“This is just my personal guess, but I am willing to put money that there are elements in the government itself – not just grunts, but actual officials and deputies – that are more than sympathetic to the cause of this so called Society for the Preservation of Humanity,” Jacques stated with grave tension in his voice.

“Do you think there is some kind of inside job about to go down?” Blaze asked, her mind racing to try and game out all the potential scenarios.

“Honestly, that might not even be necessary. Attrition has caused the military to become undermanned to a grave degree. If this report is right, these weapons may be potent enough to cause what is left of the manned military to crumble. I’m thinking Nazi German Blitz, just hopefully minus the sheer size,” Jacques figured out loud.

“If it could be that bad, then what could we do?” Blaze then asked.

“Not sure myself. If I had to guess what Secretary Richardson and President Aguillar would think, we find some way to preserve the line of secession of the presidency and whatever pieces of the military we think are the most critical. I am not sure how much time we would have to develop any kind of offensive or defensive capabilities given what this magic may or may not be able to do,” Agent Jacques responded, about as despondent as Blaze was anxious. “In any case, I will take this to the Chief of Staff and see if I can get an audience with the President either today or tomorrow. I am pretty sure that whatever we could actually do in an emergency situation would only be effective if we start as soon as possible.”

“I hope everything goes well, then. Red Blaze, signing off…” Blaze concluded as she cut the connection.

“I hope everything goes well, too,” Jacques replied to the static-filled screen as he took both electronic and paper copies of the documents Blaze had sent him and placed them in a plastic folder.

[ May 21, 2081 – Situation Room, Washington, D.C., USA ]
========================================================

Agent Jacques did get his meeting after all, ever since handing the folder to Chief of Staff for President Aguillar, getting a legitimate “Oh my God!” out of him, and watching the poor soul run back to the Oval Office as fast as his dress-shoe wearing feet would take him.

“I have been getting intelligence reports for the last few months that there have been discussions in the ranks of the Elites about some kind of show of force against the duly elected governments. But I’ve always treated it as the musings and ramblings of a malcontented minority of a minority. Now it seems like, due to the release of what the Equestrian thamaturges call thaumatic radiation-tau, we may be faced against weaponry we have no ready defense for,” President Aguillar started, Secretary of Defense Richardson, and various other principles sat in on the closed-door meeting.

“Our Defense intel contacts have been telling us similar. They’ve been reporting remarkable build-up of arms within the Dome-aligned militia and contractor groups. The saving grace at this point has been that Society still has no more membership than other separatist and terrorist organizations,” Secy. Richardson stated as he brought up some of the relevant facts and figures on everyone’s smart-pad.

“Yeah, the issue we have to face is if the thaumatic weaponry that my contacts and others have been hinting at is as game changing as I think it is. They may be able to execute their plans with only a few thousand if it is,” Agent Jacques mused as they continued to go through the estimations by the various AI and human analysts.

“Could you give us your estimated guess at what kind of technology gap we could be looking at, in that regard?” Vice President Oberweiss asked, as he sat next to President Aguillar at the ovoid rectangle.

“Well, as I stated to my primary contact, it would be like facing the Blitz a century and a half ago, and we are still working with early Industrial Revolution weaponry. The only way we could win if everything were to stay the same would be through attrition. I am not sure if we have the capacity to win a war of attrition given, no offense to you Secy. Richardson, how poor our numbers are and how poor troop morale is,” Jacques replied.

“None taken. I frankly have no idea how to solve that issue. And if they hit us as hard and as fast as they could, then I would not be surprised if we were to see desertions,” Secy. Richardson added, as he tried to rub the frustration off his face.

President Aguillar continued to try and think through the problems, but wasn’t finding any ways out. “I have the feeling that if it does come to a head like this, they would probably try and contact us in the near future to try and negotiate a deal.”

“Knowing them, any deal would be tantamount to a surrender of political power to them, to restore the ‘natural order’ as they’d see it,” Oberweiss added, his disdain palpable.

“While I wouldn’t be so curt, I fully agree with his sentiment. I cannot imagine that the Society would suddenly want to break bread with people whom they see as class traitors,” Aguillar concluded.

“So where does that leave us. We have a nebulous threat of some type of insurgent force that could be wielding weapons we have no real defense for, aside from potentially limited scope. Then that is combined with the fact that any type of settlement could result in quashing your reform movement before it can really get going,” Agent Jacques wondered aloud before they were all interrupted by a high-pitched beeping.

“PRIORITY ONE MESSAGE, PRIORITY ONE MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT AGUILLAR,” the monotone voice chirped loudly as a bright red sign flashed on Aguillar’s smart-pad.

“The fact I’m being interrupted during a meeting of principles regarding highly sensitive intelligence should mean this message is actually worth something,” Aguillar groaned as she swiped her gesture code onto the pad to acknowledge and receive the message.

“Prime Minister Heath, it is good to hear from you, though you will have to be quick because I am in a meeting with some of my national security principles,” President Aguillar asked of the gray-haired man on the other end of the metaphorical line.

Prime Minister Heath took a deep breath as he began his statement. “Good, because all of them will be hearing about this in more detail before long. We’ve recently begun to uncover plots by various outfits in London related to that Society for the Preservation of Humanity. We are reasonably confident that manufacturing of the thaumatic arms we’ve discussed before has already begun in various clandestine factories in African and South American territory. We are trying to galvanize our Nigerian and Brazillian partners in law enforcement to act, but I am afraid a lot of them may have been compromised by the SPH.”

“That would only stand to reason, I shudder to think how far their and other Elite-backing organization’s tendrils have reached into our own government and law enforcement operations,” Aguillar mused aloud, as everyone could see the frustration evident in her face.

“In any case, I will attend a briefing in Parliament with our security ministers in the next few minutes, I hope we will be able to jointly discuss these matters with the other major nations before long,” P.M. Heath stated as he made to end his message.

“I do too. Hopefully they will slow walk this enough to where we can create some sort of contingency should we not be able to repel any attack,” Aguillar concluded as the feed cut out.

Agent Jacques sighed loudly as he rubbed his temples to try and stave off a stress-induced migraine. “I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that this is the most critical national and international security issue facing us right now. Especially since that we still have a lot that we don’t know about their plans.”

Gregory Blumenthal, the Secretary of Domestic Intelligence[2] reached a conclusion after quietly considering all that was laid before him and what he had read personally before coming into the meeting. “As far as I can tell, the Society for the Preservation of Humanity is using our cooperation with the aliens as a front to wrest control of the major governments away from the reform movements. We need to lean on our new partners for any assistance they can give us, as well as begin to develop contingency plans should we not be able to adequately defend the capital or our positions against this new threat.”

“I hate to have to involve the Equestrians in our domestic politics, but our hands may be forced,” Aguillar replied, as she rose to adjourn the meeting.

It seems like I have to make a phone call to a certain old friend of mine, but I hate that it would be under these circumstances… Aguillar thought as everyone began to file out of the secure meeting room.

[ May 23, 2081 – Somewhere on the Astral Plane ]
================================================

“I’d like to think of myself as a more or less progressive-type of mind when it comes to the working of Magic. But I think I can safely say I am still not used to this yet,” Richard Edwards mused, as he sat on the cushioned conference chair across from Princess Celestia and Luna, who were in their human guises given it was a dream-scape and not actual flesh-and-blood reality.

“Well, we like to experiment when it comes to magic from time to time, especially my dear Sister. Plus, this is the most secure method of communication we can think of,” Celestia said, giggling a bit to herself as she could sense that Richard was at least appreciating the forms that she and her sister had taken for this little chat.

“I have not really had time to work on a particular human vision of myself, so forgive me for being a little… plain,” Luna said, her pale skin showing the blush in her cheeks a lot more than her normal indigo coat would.

“Oh don’t apologize for that Princess Luna. If you had asked me to take a Pony guise for one of these, I would probably be equally plain, if not worse,” Richard replied, chuckling audibly as he did.

“In any case, you sent us a note through Twilight that you had recently had a rather startling discussion with President Aguillar, correct?” Celestia started, as she began to get to business.

“Startling is a good word for it. While I had my suspicions, I would have never thought anyone to be this resolutely committed to damning the world to a war that could cripple, if not end human civilization,” Richard confirmed, as his own frustration seemed more exaggerated in the dreamscape.

“While I would chide you for being melodramatic, magic being used in warfare is no matter to understate. And the base level of war technology that humanity possesses far exceeds our own. If they were to turn their proverbial guns against us, as it stands at the moment, I doubt we could offer much, if any, resistance,” Luna figured aloud, groaning when she was done.

“The plan we were discussing some time ago may have to start in earnest. In fact, when I return to the world of the wakeful, I have some sizable property in the Cascade Mountains I plan to buy and immediately set to work on,” Richard stated with the utmost urgency.

“Ah yes, project Safe Haven. We originally envisioned it as a home base for the HEA that would be safely squirreled away from any prying eyes, government-sanctioned or not. It seems that we will need it as soon as possible, given the recent proclamations that have turned up in the back-channels,” Celestia said, as looked on with forlorn.

“They have gone from vague proclamations about the need to resist the alien menace to open declarations that the duly elected governments of the major powers are nothing more than Quislings under your thrall. No doubt they are trying to stoke and rile as many… anthrocentrists as they can in order to bolster their numbers for the coming actions against the various state institutions,” Richard added, as he was now pacing around the room created in his dream-scape.

“There is no telling how much time we’d have before they attempt anything in earnest. So we may have to consult them if we need to build an underground facility and quickly,” Luna suggested, with a bit of a knowing look toward her sister.

“Oh dear, you may be right. But there is no telling what they may want as compensation,” Celestia figured, as she knew that they could be a hoof(or at the moment hand)ful to deal with.

Richard rubbed a hand along his chin, as he looked out at the odd sky in the dreamscape. “If you can get them here in say, the next couple of days, I think we’ll be able to work something out.”

“Are you sure you want to try and conduct negotiations with them; they can be rather… odd,” Celestia asked, trying to suss out where Richard’s internal compass was pointing him.

“It couldn’t hurt to talk in any case. I mean I feel like I can talk to you all well enough. And besides, as far as I can tell, we may need to discuss matters with your partners over there at some point and time, anyway,” Richard figured, as he continued looking out at the dream-sky.

“He has a point there, Sister. That would probably fall in nicely with our existing overtures to the major nations,” Luna added.

“So it seems. In that case, I will arrange for a meeting with a reputable clan I know. The last time we had to have major underground work done in Canterlot, they were the ones we called upon,” Celestia replied, sighing at having to contact him again.

[ May 25, 2081 – Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA ]
=================================================

I really shouldn’t be surprised that he is part of the they the Princesses were talking about, and yet, I am… Richard mused to himself as looked at the large bipedal dog-like creature taking a lay of the land.

“It feels good, very good. Very stable and new rock. Feels like volcano range…” the creature said in a gruff, vaguely Italian accent to the philanthropist.

“Yeah, the Cascades are still active volcanoes, though we haven’t had a volcanic eruption since Shasta in I believe 30 plus years, Mister…” Richard added as he, Princess Celestia, and the dog-like creature walked along the mountain path. Said dog-like creature appeared like some renditions of a werewolf from popular culture; even down to the army-green vest he was wearing being frayed at the edges like someone who had recently morphed. The thing that did not make Richard fully think 'werewolf', aside from the fact there weren't any people in Equestria to fulfill the 'were'[4] part of 'werewolf', was the fact the canid creature did not look analogus to a wolf... at least not entirely. He only stood at five feet, not quite as tall as Celestia to her shoulder, so that also meant the base human was either quite short, or a child, or had shrunk due to their transformation. His fur had a silver-gray 'hue', his ears and tail seemed to have black 'tips', and his face was a similar shape to a wolf's but his muzzle was shorter and rounder than what Richard thought a 'wolf' of that size would have.

He looks like a Czech Wolf-dog all in all... the philanthropist thought before the Diamond Dog responded.

“Orogen. This area feels… very stable, low eruption risk. Would make a very good base, could go…” the dog started before asking Celestia to do some calculations for him. When she was done, he resumed speaking. “2 kilometers before hitting unstable bedrock or lava chambers.”

“That should be plenty for a base of operations,” Richard figured as he sat on a large flat rock so he could think more clearly.

“Even considering depth to avoid detection from most types of scanning, 2 kilometers should be plenty,” Celestia concluded, agreeing with that piece of the assessment.

“You have digging machines, yes? That with my family’s natural abilities, job should be done in very good time,” Orogen stated, as he poked through some of the rocks along the path, trying to glean more insight on what was further below the surface.

“You said his ‘family’ were the ones who assisted you with work in your capital, correct Princess,” Richard asked of the white Alicorn.

“To be fair, they did most of the work themselves. Due to a lot of incidents in our past, we have an extensive catacomb and chamber system throughout all of Mt. Canter and the entire Canter Range. We had to do some, cleanup, in those tunnels, and Orogen’s family here ensured that the cleaning was done and the tunnels and chambers were safe for normal use once again,” Celestia replied, her visage suddenly turning very cold and calculating.

Obviously she is choosing not to elaborate on what this cleanup entailed. Fine, that is not relevant at the moment anyway… Richard thought as he resumed thinking about the task at hand.

“Here are some preliminary plans for the base, in terms of what areas we need carved out. Can you give us an estimate on time and cost?”

Orogen and Celestia discussed the blueprint Richard handed them for a short while; the talking very brisk and curt, at least that is how it sounded to Richard as they were speaking in what was the Diamond Dog’s native language.

“Yes. This job is quite doable, not the same scale as the Canter Caves project. Should be done in 21 days, give or take, if Celestia is right,” Orogen said, his tail wagging as he was anticipating what the human might give him as compensation.

“Wow, I was expecting a couple of months; 21 days could be a godsend for us. Now for compensation… since our fiat currency wouldn’t translate well, if at all, to Equestrian; and you all seem like the type who cares more about immediate concerns – I think we can offer raw materials beyond what is needed to do the job,” Richard surmised, as he reached for a bag containing raw diamonds and titanium.

“I smell, titanium. Very precious building material in Equestria, very rare metal. Only the Alpha Branch is allowed to consume titanium,” Orogen replied, as he was positively giddy at the sight of a polished block of pure titanium.

“Wait, you eat this stuff?” Richard asked, thoroughly confused.

“Oh yes, very delicious. Goes straight to bones, lets us dig through rock and ore without much magic. Magic then for breathing and defending against monsters that live earth,” Orogen barked, as he was clearly trying to send a non-verbal signal with his mannerisms that feed him the block of the heavy metal.

Clearly I have a lot to learn about all the creatures that live over there… Richard thought before he resumed speaking. “As a peace offering of sort, you can have this. Eat it, sell it, do what you will…”

With frightening speed, the 5 ft. tall bipedal dog snatched the block out of his hand and began biting through it like a domestic dog would bite through a similarly shaped block of meat.

And clearly I do not want to be on the wrong end of those jaws or those claws… Richard thought as Orogen finished off the titanium block.

“We can get started in… four days. We must take measure to ensure that all of my clan learn your language. But we should be able to start by then,” Orogen concluded, as he continued looking out at the vast range of mountains and interspersed forest.

“Pleasure doing business, Mr. Orogen,” Richard chuckled as he reached out his hand to shake his ts paw.

“Pleasure all mine,” Orogen replied, shaking the human’s hand with a wide and toothed grin.

[ June 1, ????+1 - Undisclosed Location in Equus ]
==================================================

“Order, Order, the 97th Annual Meeting of the Hive Queens will re-commence, please rise for the procession of our Hive Queens,” a regal-costumed Changeling shouted, as he banged a gavel that resounded through the underground meeting hall.

From the seven ports carved into the underground meeting hall, eight torches were carried to the central table. Each torch glowed in a different color – representing the different color of each Hive and, by extension, the emotion and state of being each Hive represented. Soon after the torches began their slow migration to the table, a procession of the multi-colored, charcoal black, insect-like Ponies began toward the same circular table. The secretary-at-arms banged the gavel again, as he began to speak again.

“Now re-announcing our collective Highnesses, please remain standing until all eight have been announced,” the older, costumed Changeling began, as the small audience remained standing as requested.

The eight torches were all lit in order of the size of each hive, as the guards began lighting the colored flames – first golden-yellow, then red, violet, blue, true yellow, orange, green, and white.

“Announcing our Eight Queens: Ebullience of the Joy Hive, Tranquility of the Anger Hive, Amoria of the Love Hive, Rozkosas of the Melancholy Hive, Valor of the Fear Hive, Benevicia of the Greed Hive, Chrysalis of the Envy Hive, and Titania the Second of the Hope Hive!”

The small audience applauded politely, before Ebullience spoke. “Thank you all. You may be seated, and we can begin this session of our discussions.”

The collective of about three hundred Changeling dignitaries and various reporters from the other major nations all sat down, as the Queens did the same at the central round-table.

“Isn’t it odd how there are seven hives, but eight Queens?” one of the Pony reporters asked in a Prench accent.

“Queen Titania II is still a minor by Changeling standards. She has not even so much as entered her third instar[3] – therefore her hive is under the receivership of Queen Ebullience until such time arrives,” one of the Melancholy Hive dignitaries replied.

The young changeling Queen sighed, as she looked at and through the silver-white bangs that Ebullience helped style for her, still not having precise control of her Unicorn-like magic.

Mom… please help me… I don’t know what to do when I’m here… Titania thought to herself as her ‘aunt’ began to speak.

Ebullience saw no reason to delay the proceedings, especially given how she was feeling internally while in Chrysalis’s presence.

If I do not get this off of my chest, it will eat at me, and I have to be at my best to keep the Joy Hive running, as large as it is…

“Queen Chrysalis of the Envy Hive - how long long it been since your little… stunt in Equestria?” the Queen of Joy asked, attempting to keep her tone as neutral as possible.

Despite her best efforts, Ebullience could not mask her feeling from a certain crimson-colored Queen that was all but her blood sister. Look at her, she is like a tea-kettle about to boil over. Usually her tone is so warm and loving… and now it’s cold as ice. She’s just begging Chryssi to say the wrong thing.

Said Queen-in-red giggled softly as she looked on at the second youngest of the Queens struggled to find some way to obfuscate the answer to the admittedly painfully simple question.

“Three years, I guess, it’s hard to remember such things,” Chrysalis replied, trying to maintain some sense of control over the situation as she used the best snide tone she could manage.

“Three years ago on April 21st. Which would make it, three years, 1 month, and 9 days ago, give or take for any leap years,” Ebullience replied, her tone retaining it’s evenness.

“I am not sure what the exact number of days passed since then has to do with what happened,” Chrysalis replied, her tone also retaining its snarkiness and snideness.

“That day was the day that almost sent this world is to an unpredictable spiral of chaos, Queen of Envy. And yes, I am counting the day that Discord broke out of his stone imprisonment!” Ebullience snapped back, her tone starting to drift into genuine anger.

“I wouldn’t know how anything would be worse than the very incarnation of Chaos and Disharmony running amok,” Chrysalis replied back.

“At least with Discord we know what the source is. With the crap you almost pulled, there would have been no obvious source for the chaos that would have ensued!” Ebullience replied, clearly annoyed greatly by Chrysalis’s apparent nonchalance at the grave mistake Ebullience felt she had made then.

“Do you really think that I wouldn’t have been able to control Equestria? Those little Ponies practically worship the ground Celestia walks on. And I would have eventually brought Luna to heel if she felt about… doing anything about it,” Chrysalis replied, her confident replies starting to wane a bit as she already saw the fault in that line of thinking.

“No, and you sorely underestimate the depths Luna is willing to sink to, especially given how soon it had been since she was purged of that Parasite’s influence. To lose her Sister to a ‘lesser’ creature - and admit it, the Alicorns are a cut above any one of us - would have driven her into such a rage that 'Quilly would have fed for years!” Ebullience shouted, her rage starting to boil over and become patently obvious to everyone in attendance, Changeling or not.

Oh it’s so good… her anger… her rage… that pure, unadulterated fury she’s outputting. There is simply nothing like it~ Tranquility thought, as it was clear she was off in her own little world, as her entire body glowed with a faint red, flickering hum.

I was afraid of this… but it’s better if everyone involved gets it out of their system now, lest they let it fester for even more years and make it even harder to deal with… Benevicia thought, as she shook her head that was nestled in one of her front hooves.

“And I am telling you, I had absorbed so much Love from that silly little Unicorn Guard Captain that I would have been able to deal with her!” Chrysalis replied, her anger starting to rise to the level Ebullience was already at.

“Counterpoint!” Amoria started, as she raised her hoof to stop the other two from speaking (hopefully). “The amount of Love Energy you had stored, given my estimates of the residual mana from my personal observations in the immediate aftermath, would not have been enough to defeat Luna in battle, given Luna’s level of utter, monstrous rage. In fact, there is a specific reason why you never saw hair nor hide of her during that entire imbroglio.”

“And why is that, pray tell dear sister?!” Chrysalis spat, as she and Ebullience were face to face off to the side of the table.

“Because I was in her personal chamber doing my level best, super-charged by the sheer amount of love that was leaking from that little battery, as I believe you called Shining Armor, to keep her there. To wit, Luna would have likely killed you if she saw what you had done to Celestia. And yes I know that was not an assimilation pod you had her trapped in. I’m just telling you how deep her anger ran in that moment,” Amoria started, before pausing for a moment. “And besides, you are not the most efficient when it comes to using the energy of other emotions. If I had the same amount of Love at my disposal… I could have leveled Canterlot Castle, perhaps the entire city itself, and still had some left over for a few… well more like several extra breeding cycles afterward.”

I… I don’t believe it… the power it would have taken to level Canterlot Castle, with all of it’s anti-magic defenses that I had to spend MONTHS disabling… all of THAT power just to hold Luna in one room? Chrysalis thought to herself as she had a look of disbelief on her face.

“Seems like someling’s eyes were bigger than their plate. There should have been no reason you even use Love as the fuel for the climax of your operation. Once I heard that you had replaced Cadence as the bride-to-be, and threw her in the Crystal Caverns beneath the city, I knew your plan could only end in miserable failure,” Benevicia mused, when Amoria was done speaking. “Your emotion is Envy, dear Chrysalis. ENVY! What would inspire more envy, jealousy, and flat out hatred of another than becoming the new bride, and then flaunting that newfound status in front of the jilted fiancée. You gave Cadence enough time and opportunity to change her jealously to determination to defeat you and reclaim her stallion. Frankly I thought you to be smarter.”

“How… HOW DARE YOU! Who in the Blue Tartarus are YOU to tell me what I am doing right and wrong with the emotion I hold DOMINION over?!” Chrysalis shouted, as she began to stomp toward Benevicia’s seat at the table.

“Oh no… Oh no no no! You are not getting out of this, you hear me Chrysalis!” Ebullience said as she moved to cut Chrysalis off.

The entire gathered crowd began to murmur loudly, wondering why the discussion was starting more to resemble a particularly vicious family argument.

As Chrysalis got halfway from the spot where she and Ebullience were arguing a few minutes prior to the chair where Benevica sat, she was suddenly stopped dead in her tracks by another.

“WHO is in my WAY?!” Chrysalis shouted, her anger causing Tranquility to moan a little bit.

“You say you hold dominion over envy and all attendant secondary feelings, did you not?” the black and more faded-yellow Changeling asked, the white markings on her face resembling the broken skull of a Pony.

“I don’t need this from you too, Valor!” Chrysalis growled, trying her best to project any kind of control over the rapidly degenerating scene.

“Oh but I think you do, little Chryssi. Though your body is clearly that of an adult, unlike our dear ‘junior’ Queen, you still think like a child. Did you mother really scar you so much, that you subconsciously reject being the Queen of Envy? Even though, as Benevicia rightly explained, it would have been so easy to utilize the natural jealousy that can arise from a pair of young lovers, especially as they were transitioning into becoming a married, and theoretically exclusive, couple?” Valor asked, as she stared daggers into the eyes of Chrysalis.

“I… I…” Chrysalis stammered, as she began to back away from the faded-yellow-highlighted Changeling Queen.

“No… you knew. You knew all too well. I know that even at her worst, Confianca would not neglect that,” Valor stated sadly, remembering one of the Queens that were recently laid to rest.

“You… YOU… IF… I…” Chrysalis stammered still, now apoplectic with rage and grief. “IF GALVANICE NEVER MURDERED HER, THEN… THEN…!”

Suddenly the entire proceedings stopped, as they all heard the sniffling and crying of a certain silver-white highlighted, juvenile Queen.

“Momma… Momma…” Titania II began to cry, as Rozkosas moved quickly to try and comfort the barely 11 year old Changeling Queen.

“It’s gonna be okay, we’re here… Auntie Ebullience will make sure your hive is protected until we make you strong enough to run it yourself,” Rozkosas started, trying her best to stop the impending water-works… which the blue highlighted Queen failed with, miserably.

“I WANT MY MOMMA BAACK!” Titania II openly wailed, as she was in a full-blown fit, latching onto Rozkosas as tightly as she could.

Ebullience had about all she could take at that point. The night of when she comforted the traumatized juvenile Queen came flooding back all at once: having to explain sight of her the silver-white ichor that made up the ‘blood’ of the Hope-lings being splayed all over the ground and chamber where she and her assailant fought. The then six-year old nymph clutching the fading form of her mother, as the flame of Galvanice’s life steadily flickered and petered out.

Momma don’t leave me! Please momma don’t leave me!

And worst of all… the perpetrator disappearing before she could be properly apprehended. Then the photographs of a similarly mortally wounded Queen being hoofed to her in haste, and a quick teleport to the border areas around Western Equestria and the eastern Dragon Territory. Witnessing a similar scene… except this daughter of a queen was completely catatonic with shock. There was no weeping, no wailing, not even an acknowledgement of another’s existence - just a blank stare, as if her mind had froze in place the second she saw her mother die before her eyes.

Ebullience quaked as she felt her rage roil in her soul. She wanted to viciously beat down Chrysalis, wanted to make her feel some kind of anguish, some kind of pain, ANYTHING to make her recognize what truly happened that night. She let the golden glow of her magic fill her right-front hoof, and raised it high in the air.

*THWACK*

The sickening thud of the thick, carapace-like skin of Ebullience’s hoof and foreleg and Chrysalis’s cheek meeting each other resounded through the meeting hall, the only other sound being the still crying juvenile Queen, tears streaming from her silver and white eyes down her charcoal black face.

“You… slapped me…” Chrysalis said, her eyes wide… finally brought back to reality. The reality that stood in her face was a furious, golden-yellow and black Changeling Queen, whose hoof was raised again. There was no time to either react or defend.

*THWACK*

“Twice! You… you slapped me TWICE! NOT EVEN MY OWN MOTHER SLAPPED ME LIKE THIS! She never did anything to me like this! None of you… none of you understand… none of you ever understood her!” Chrysalis shouted; her mind shrouded in a haze of grief-borne verbal frenzy and selective memories of her slain mother.

“What does that have to do with anything! What does that have to do with you accusing Queen Galvanice of something as heinous as the murder of your own mother, Queen Confianca?” Ebullience replied, as Benevicia was trying to hold her back from striking Chrysalis anymore.

“NONE OF YOU EVER UNDERSTOOD HER! NONE OF YOU EVER TRIED TO HELP HER! YOU JUST LET HER TEAR HERSELF APART! YOU JUST WATCHED HER DIE INSIDE ALL THOSE YEARS!” Chrysalis shouted, as she ran out of the meeting hall in a full sprint, tears streaming down her eyes as well; her retainers and diplomats chasing after in a thoroughly confused state.

“Momma… please help me…” Titania cried softly, her energy expended as she slowly began to drift off to sleep. Rozkosas could only stroke her mane as she tried her best to comfort the juvenile Queen.

Such is the curse of the Hive of Melancholy. We are the most adept to console someone through their grief… and at the same time, we can’t help but benefit whenever someone falls into the pit-trap that is despair… Rozkosas thought to herself as the pre-teen Queen was now asleep, the tears starting to dry in the thin coat that covered her carapace-like skin.

“We will adjourn the meeting until further notice; it appears that at least two of the Queens are in no condition to continue negotiations. Messages will be sent if and when we are to resume with formal talks,” the sergeant-at-arms stated clearly and concisely, as he banged the gavel to formally adjourn the royal conference.

----- = ----

“Pack everything, recall all of our diplomats. We’re leaving!” Chrysalis shouted inside of her temporary chambers, the area the Envy-lings were staying covered in the greenish-teal banners that matched the color of her highlights and chest bands.

“But Queen, there are still many things we have to discuss with the other hives,” one of her elder advisers told her as she stuffed robes and sashes into her travelling case.

“IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN THE DEEPEST FIREPIT IN THE FURTHEST DEPTH OF TARTARUS ITSELF BEFORE I SPEAK TO ANY OF THOSE WHORES AGAIN!” Chrysalis shouted, the sheer hatred in her voice causing the aide to feel momentarily nauseous.

“Please, my Queen, we are in no position to isolate ourselves from the rest of the Seven Hives. Our numbers are dangerously low as it is, and I am fairly sure that you would not want to attempt to replenish them yourself…” the aide remarked, concern for his queen growing by the second.

“At least we aren’t like the Hope Hive, they’re down to their last couple of dozen members,” one of the lesser Envy-ling diplomats mused aloud.

Chrysalis let out the most guttural shriek of frustration any could remember hearing her make at the mere mention of the Hope Hive.

“I DON’T EVER WANT TO HEAR THAT PHRASE AGAIN! NEVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER, Never… ev…” Chrysalis began to rant and rave, before suddenly stumbling to the floor, in a clear and obvious daze. Her guards quickly scrambled to clear the bed of her things, and lifted her so she wouldn’t be sprawled out on the floor.

The now laid-out Queen of Envy was on the bed, panting as she was now so disoriented she couldn’t even tell if she was moving, or if the rest of reality was swirling around her.

She suddenly began to remember what she saw that night, that terrifying night as she watched the centerpiece of her entire existence slowly fade away. She could swear her hooves were covered in a green ichor… the blood of her mortally wounded mother seeping out from the gashes in her body. Chrysalis's swore her nose burned again with the smell of the same blood on her hooves, and the blood of another… the blood that had to have been that of her mother's assailant.

The sound of Changeling guards and valets scrambling around her, of old and grizzled retainers openly weeping as the teenaged princess held the body of their dying queen in her hooves. That final admonition that Confianca gave her before her body finally gave out:

“Never forget: I love you, my daughter. And I will always love you!”

[ June 2, 2081 – Washington, D.C. ]
===================================

“Why will you not reconsider, Madame President? All you have to do is rescind your support for this alien threat beset against us, and we can build a new and prosperous world together!” the recording of the S.P.H. point man said, as President Aguillar continued to replay that moment on her compu-pad.

“And they call –this- building a new and prosperous world? Is this all that they have to say in response to a rejection on my part?” Aguillar mused, as she sat in the Situation Room, looking at the increasing amount of red dots appear on a central map; each one representing a new incident reported in the last 48 hours.

“What I’m seeing are incidents against outposts in exurban areas. I am not sure if we have a pattern yet aside from what the perpetrators were wearing,” one of the intelligence analysts said, as they all looked at the map.

“Yes, black non-standard military gear, helmets with opaque visors, and arm bands with a white shield on them,” President Aguillar interrupted, having heard the earlier reports already.

“They seem to be utilizing standard issue arms that we see in most paramilitary organizations; I can only imagine they are trying to send a message of some sort through these provocations. All of the intelligence we have is that they are developing thaumatic arms, but so far no one has noticed anything out of the ordinary,” Vice President Oberwiess added, looking at the video the surveillance drones captured.

“A prelude to something much worse, I can imagine. There is no telling what they may do, should they realize we do not plan to surrender to, admittedly well-funded, terrorists,” Aguillar reasoned aloud, as they continued to monitor report after report

-----

“Alright, Dana, the truth is out there, and I aim to find it…” a scraggly-haired lady, barely over 20 said, as a feminine face tracked her movement across the myriad of monitors she had arranged across her work-station, or ‘The Battlestation’ as she affectionately called it.

“Miss Pamela, do you really intend to sift through all the ‘net traffic for the entire department. The volume alone would make even most AI boggle,” Dana replied, the concern evident in her virtualized face.

“But you aren’t most AI, and they don’t call me ‘Bloodhound’ for nothing; and I have the trail of a dirty little rat-fink in our midst. Those SPH idiots shouldn’t have any idea where our important data centers and equipment are; but even these little courtesy calls are too close to comfort. Someone on the inside is feeding them information, and I wanna know who, what, and why,” the pale-skinned Pamela replied, as she looked her AI assistant and creation with some degree of mirth.

“Despite my reservations about this overall venture, I have found a room with a terminal showing consistently high patterns of traffic,” Dana replied curtly.

“Yeah, a lot of rooms around here have a stupid high traffic rate, I mean it is the CIA’s main research, development, and analysis center,” Pamela responded, sitting cross-legged in her oversized chair, taking advantage of her somewhat petite frame.

“Yes, but should the Secretary of International Intelligence’s office show this high of a data transfer rate?” Dana asked with a bit of a wry tone.

“Oh I see. I wonder just what our wonderful boss could be looking at to require such a crazy amount of data…” Pamela said as she turned one of monitors on to begin cracking the encryption on the datastream.

“Miss Pamela, are you attempting to eavesdrop on the Secretary? You know what the protocol is regarding that, right?” Dana asked, taking a very concerned look.

“Not now, busy figuring out this puzzle. I wanna know what ‘ol Yano is up to,” Pamela chided in her response, as she was completely engrossed in finding the seam in Secretary Yanovich’s protection for his private connection.

After a few tense moments, a little jingle played over one of the speakers, indicating that Pamela was now ‘in’.

“Alright, now let’s see what we’re working with here… hrm, thought it would be a pornographic stream to be honest; this is just a regular video call,” Pamela stated with a disappointed tone, hoping she’d have something to blackmail Yanovich with so she could build an even better ‘Battlestation II’ at her residence.

“Miss Pamela, are you quite done, I am not sure how long you can keep this channel open before Yanovich, or anyone else, notices that you are eavesdropping in on him,” Dana complained, now thoroughly scared for her owner’s safety and continued employment.

“I will be just… hold on now… he’s talking; I wonder what he’s talking about…” Pamela started, before she quieted down and turned down Dana’s speaker’s volume so she could record the conversation.

---

“Do you think they got the message, Leader I?” Secretary Yanovich said, rubbing his temples as he did.

“Oh they received the message, but my question is: Are they smart enough to heed it?” the masked Leader I said, face obscured by a theatrical mask that seemed to convey anger.

“Probably not, they were stupid enough to directly challenge you and your backers,” Yanovich replied, greatly distressed at the continued attempts to devolve power from the those without resources, and therefore no knowledge of how to properly manage them.

“It is quite a pain. And we tried so hard through… other means… to resolve this peacefully. The order has worked so well until now, improving our technology to the point to where a lot of humanity can play for all their lives without having to worry at all about struggling to do anything. And now? They seem to want to throw all of that away, just because a few little horse aliens want to say they are wrong for it,” another man with a mask representing sadness said, turning to look at the first through the well-disguised eyeholes.

“Of course, if the politicians weren’t so inept, the public would see the wonderful environment we are trying to build. And now with the magic that has begun to flood this world, we can properly reconstruct this world into a new paradise for all,” said the lone woman on the three-person panel, her mask representing happiness.

“But what happens when they try and resist. You know they will – I can already hear the hue and cry from the President and the others in other nations when the rebuilding starts in earnest,” Yanovich asked, his anxiety still palpable in his voice.

“That is quite simple. Like our competition in the business world, those would would stand in our path will be cut down without mercy or hesitation. Let the weak and feeble militaries of the world attempt to resist our claim. They will find themselves quite powerless. And those in this world without power… have NOTHING!” Leader I stated with the utmost confidence, pounding his fist onto the table for emphasis.

“Truer words have never been spoken. Aguillar believes herself so powerless she would give away the Earth to these creatures? Who is to say their Princess isn’t talking out of both sides of her mouth. While she speaks kind tones now, who is to say there isn’t a demon hiding beneath that alabaster white coat? No one can say that, so it is better for us to ensure that no one can challenge our superiority,” Yanovich stated with grave resolution, the fire in his eyes burning bright.

“Exceptional words, Mr. Secretary. You will go far in our organization with determination like that. Perhaps, even as far as the new President of the United States, once all is said done?” Leader II said, an usually cheerful tone emerging from his mask of melancholy.

“That would be a wonderful idea, if you all would so graciously allow me that opportunity,” Yanovich replied, with great deference in his voice.

“Keep feeding us the correct information and you will find every door open that you could imagine, Mr. Secretary,” Leader III added.

“Of course, Leader III; whenever I know something, you all will know something,” Yanovich offered.

“That is very good, we will keep in touch,” Leader I concluded as he closed the connection.

---

“Dana… get Jacques on the line, and get him on the line right now…” Pamela said, her body quaking with extreme anxiety, bordering on outright fear.

“Yes ma’am,” Dana replied dutifully, as another monitor opened up with the LOBSTER connection to Agent Jacques’s office.

“Oh good afternoon, Pam. Come across something interesting, I wager,”

“OhmygodYanovichisworkingwiththoseSPHidiotswe’retotallyscrewedwhatarewegoingtodo!” Pamela positively shouted at the screen’s inline microphone, making Jacques recoil a bit with shock before attempting the calm the frenetic tech down.

“Ok ok, let’s start that statement over, but add proper pauses, commas, and periods this time, please.”

Pamela took a couple of breaths, trying to calm herself down enough to be intelligible. “Oh my god! Yanovich is working with those SPH idiots. We’re totally screwed, what are we going to do?!”

“Secretary Yanovich. Secretary Charles Yanovich. As in the guy who basically signs our checks and makes sure we aren’t slumming in the streets Charles Yanovich? HIM!?” Jacques asked with all kinds of confusion in his voice.

“I didn’t want to believe it at first, like it was some kind of double-back super-secret thing he had going on with the SPH. Maybe it’s still that and he’s just a really good actor but… well just look at the recording for ,” Pamela replied as she sent the recording over to Jacques’s terminal.

After a few minutes of waiting and then a few more minutes of watching, Jacques’s confusion turned into anger. “That damn bastard. If we get through this entire situation in one piece, I want words with him personally; he has to know trying to placate people like them is like trying to juggle blowtorches. They don’t care one whit what condition the government outside the Domes are in, just so long as their own little world is preserved.”

“Maybe that’s what they mean by rebuilding. I can’t think they are building all of this stuff up just to execute a coup,” Pamela remarked sheepishly, her usual gung-ho nature replaced by genuine fear of the future.

“That’s my great fear even beyond what they could do to the reformists in the government if their coup is successful: what happens to the rest of the world afterward…” Jacques began, before he stopped to think for a while. “Ok Pamela, do what you need to do to keep tabs on Secy. Yanovich, I have to believe this won’t be the last of his contacts with those three masked people.”

“Okay, just… nevermind… I’ll do the best I can,” Pamela said, trying her best to regain her nerve after the sudden shock.

Jacques cut the feed to Pamela’s work terminal, and opened a new one to a certain red Unicorn staying in St. Louis.

“Red Blaze, are you there?”

Red Blaze, after a few moments pause, popped in. “Yeah I’m here, we were just watching some of the reports of masked and black-armored thugs accosting some police depots. What’s going on?”

“The squid that is the SPH has its reach far and wide. And it may be hooked into the government deeper than I would have cared to guess,” Jacques replied.

“That sounds really bad. Can you give me any details?” Blaze asked, as she made sure to lock the door before Jacques started speaking in earnest.

“Only preliminary ones, but if they can be verified or corroborated, then we’re in it deep already,” Jacques started, as he began to send the footage to Blaze.

***** ===== *****

Author's Notes:

A number of errors in clarity and reference were corrected from the initial publishing...

[1] любовница (transliterated as lyubovnista) translates to ‘mistress’

[2] In this narrative, the intelligence agencies have been re-organized into distinct Domestic and Foreign Divisions, each headed by a Cabinet-level Secretary

[3] ‘Instar’ refers to the stages of an arthropod's development before they reach sexual maturity. A typical Changeling goes through 4, though those who have the potential to become a queen go through a 5th that allows them to enter a breeding state while ‘retaining their figure’ as they would put it...

[4] 'Were', or more speficially 'Wer', is Old English for 'Man', which is why 'Werewulf' could literally be translated, and was, as 'Man( that is a )Wolf'

CH 19: Tipping Scales

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=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 19: Tipping Scales ===

Explosions. In many a cinematic opening - from actual movies, to video games, to television programs - a good way to get the viewer's attention is to have lots of things blowing up. Especially when you want to convey a sense of everything is going to hell around you, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. It's one thing to watch it on the holo-screen or the movie projector; it's quite another thing to have to receive report after report, and video after video, of things exploding purposefully from every which direction.

[ June 14, 2081 -- Washington D.C. ]
====================================

"MADAME PRESIDENT, MADAME PRESIDENT!" shouted a somewhat shrill female as she ran through the halls toward the Situation Room, which was more like the 'Situation Oversized Bunker' at this point.

"Yes, what is it now?" President Aguillar asked, clearly exhausted and frustrated from the last three weeks; yet not wanting to take it out on her Cabinet or other aides.

The Homeland Security aide gathered herself for a moment before giving her report. "Yes ma'am. We have reports of more paramilitary action in Los Angeles proper. The official police forces are reporting high rates of desertion, and the backup from many of our private contractors is almost nonexistent. Civilian casualties have already reached 2,000. It's as if these actors have no regard for collateral damage, physical or personal."

"Dear God, it's happening everywhere..." President Aguillar said in a soft voice; beginning to realize the true severity of what was befalling her... and she wasn't the only one.

"MADAME PRESIDENT, MADAME PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE AN URGENT CALL FROM TEN DOWNING," one of the Int’l Intelligence liaisons shouted.

"Put it on my screen, if it's coming directly from there, it's bad," President Aguillar replied, head resting against her tented hands on the video-desk.

"Madame President, I am truly sorry to be contacting you under these circumstances," the relatively old man greeted the President, the tone somber.

"Yes, I understand your concern Prime Minister Heath. Is anything better in the United Kingdom?"

Prime Minister Heath cleared his throat before delivering the bad news. "No ma'am. From Manchester, to Birmingham, there are explosions and seemingly organized gunfights breaking out; only London has been untouched by this violence. These militants are trying effect nothing more than open rebellion."

"I wish not to use such terms until we can ascertain the exact nature of the perpetrators. Yet, the mixture of ethnicities does not imply African or Middle Eastern terrorists," President Aguillar responded, before getting another call from another nation.

"Good Afternoon, I believe the time would be right now, there in Washington," Prime Minister Hayashi stated, far more grey streaks in his hair than the last time they all talked as of a couple of months ago. "And I see I should give a good evening to Prime Minister Heath. I would assume that you all are having the same issues that I am."

"If you mean paramilitary actions against your police forces and civilians, then yes. Unfortunately we are having the same issues." Prime Minister Heath responded, all the while giving commands to his closest aides at his work office at Downing.

"It seems it won't be long until you're camped out at a secure location like we are, Alexander," Hayashi chuckled, trying to bring any manner of levity to the situation. "Anyway, to be more serious, I'm afraid this is the worst-case scenario we’ve all be planning against."

Prime Minister Heath and President Aguillar's eyes went wide at that assertion; Aguilllar was the first to respond. "Prime Ministers Heath and Hayashi, would you mind if I turn this into a public call so that the rest of my aides can listen and watch. I believe this situation has grown in scope to where we are going to need as many minds working on it as possible."

Both Prime Ministers gave their agreement, and within moments the giant projector in the Situation 'Bunker' was full with the images of the two men.

-----

"Mother of God..." Secretary Richardson said out loud, when he began reviewing the pictures from all over the world.

"This is far more expansive than the mere acts of terrorism we usually deal with. As you can see from these images, the paramilitary organizations are waging nothing less than open warfare against the police and armies in just about every major nation." European Union Minister of Defense Berger (from Austria) said, as many of the world's military leaders were on their own conference call.

"New York City, Barcelona, Hamburg, Cape Town, Osaka, Shanghai, Baghdad... everywhere... everywhere in between..." Richardson said as he leaned back in his chair trying to understand the scope of what was going on. In all of his years in the military, the worse he had to deal with were rogue factions from a given state, or relatively small stateless actors. This was too co-ordinated, too well planned... his mind began to wander.

While it wandered, it ran right into the thoughts of another minister, who dared utter the words NO ONE wanted to hear. "If you ask me, you only have to look at where these attacks are starting. The most populous, and therefore richest, cities for a given region that aren't the capitals," South African Defense Minister Coetzee asserted, as he brought up a map as evidence.

Everyone fell silent as the implication began to wash over them.

"Then I am afraid the worst-case scenario we have been discussing all of these weeks may be coming to pass. If I were a betting man, I would suspect they are going to break out their new toys before long," Richardson said, suddenly feeling incredibly ill. He might have been a bit of a war-hawk, but his loyalties were to his nation and his President above all.

The Chinese Federation Defense Minister Li was quite confused by the last couple of phrases. "Are you suggesting that this situation may grow yet worse, due to that energy that washed over the globe some months ago?"

Defense Secretary Richardson shook his head in disagreement. "Possibly, but I cannot say anything definite because we don’t have good intelligence regarding the SPH’s ultimate intent. They’ve operated like some kind of parasite, feeding on the wealth of our nations. And perhaps the people behind the SPH feel that there is nothing left our nations can give, so they will just kill off the host."

"Except our death does not necessarily mean theirs, in this case..." Defense Minister Li concluded.

"The citizens of the Domes may speak, in hush tones, their fear the Equestrians and their plans for Ponification; fear it enough to begin asserting themselves more forcefully. Then again, with this level of planning, all of this was most likely in the works anyway," Defense Minister Cortzee rationalized.

"This cannot stand either way. But..." Japanese Defense Minister Yoshida started before he was interrupted by one of his subordinates. "<Dear God, are you serious... this... I see... I will relay this information immediately...>" everyone else heard in Japanese from the background while Yoshida was turned around and talking. "Gentlemen, it appears that Richardson’s intuition has been borne out by reality."

A pall came over the room as Yoshida began elaborate on the situation.

"Three hours ago, we requested an Equestrian thaumatologist to help the investigators at the Nagoya incident. He has now issued his analysis, along with corroborating footage and documentation. The preliminary conclusion is that this paramilitary has begun using the thaumatic arms we have feared all of this time."

Everyone looked on in shock, as the video and the reports were soon sent to their terminals.

"This is horrifying..." Cortzee said as he watched Japanese forces engulfed in a seeming never ending stream of flame.

"There is no respect for the rules of war, no respect for civilian casualties, no respect for anything... this... this is nothing more than a slaughter of anything looking official..." Richardson said as he saw machines, with a faint-green glow, collapsing civilian buildings that were in the way of the now rebel troop movements.

"Such brutality... they aren't out to wage war; they are out to crush whatever is left of the spirit of those outside the Domes..." Ruiz said as he covered his mouth, seeing waves of water wash away tanks and entire platoons of the Japanese Self-Defense Force.

"I think it may grow beyond that even. They hardly see the Outsiders, I believe the English-speaking Dome Citizens use, as equal. They clearly would not flinch leveling entire city blocks to get what they want," Li said as he watched poison gas being blown and directed to suffocate and kill the federal troops.

Richardson reached for the video-phone to call the White House. "Get me President Aguillar on the line, ASAP. Tell her ‘I strongly urge that she issue the order to go to DEFCON 1.’ We are dealing with no terrorists, this is something far larger."

Please God, or whatever out there is listening, see us through this. Or there might not be a future for any of us... Richardson prayed silently as he slunk back into his chair, wanting any bit of respite from this stress.

=== --- ===

Sister, the situation on Earth has truly taken a turn for the worst. If it persists, everything that we have worked for with our Human allies could go up in smoke, quite literally...

I know Luna, tell Mr. Edwards that we are to begin fully constructing and furnishing Safe Haven. Nothing they do will make us retreat in full. Nevertheless, while either of us can recall everypony back to Equestria, we cannot leave our Allies that do not wish to convert high and dry.

What of the Isegawa's Research Materials? The rebellion has not reached St. Louis; yet it is only a matter of time, given the significant Dome population there.

The research documents and digital files have already been duplicated and the duplicates secured in a bunker of the HEA's construction... the Isegawas have already prepared a measure to ensure that sensitive materials will not fall into any unauthorized hands.

But they do not know of this failsafe, do they; at least yet, Celestia?

No, none of them know exactly how dire the situation is, nor our plans if it continues along this trend-line. All they know is what the general public knows at the current time.

You know, as our direct subordinates, that will have to change, right?

Yes, Lulu... I know...

[ June 14, 2081 -- Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, U.S./Mexico Border ]
=======================================================================

“My Queen, I most certainly do not mean to question your wisdom and foresight… but is now the safest time to build this second hive. The bipedal apes that fill this world appear to be at open war with each other. Surely creatures such as ourselves will aggravate this situation, wouldn’t it?” a seasoned valet asked of Queen Chrysalis.

“Only an idiot would think anything of worth was in the desert. Unless you valued total and absolute privacy in planning. Which I value greatly!” the greenish-teal-highlighted Queen mused in response.

“Did she just call herself an idiot?” one of the guards that were moving her unusually large amount of luggage asked of the other guard moving said luggage.

“It’s best not to think too hard about it, you know our esteemed highness has a way with the Equish Language, a way that is far beyond our limited understanding,” the other guard responded, in a very subtly sarcastic tone.

“Right…” the first replied back, as they continued to move the cases through the natural catacombs beneath the desert.

“Oh this chamber will make a PERFECT throne room!” Chrysalis positively squealed, as she was already plotting where to put her throne and some appliances that she would… borrow… from the bipedal apes in the city not too far to their collective west.

“And the holo-vision can go there… and the washing machine for all of our tapestries… OH oh we definitely need a repository for all those movies they have. And I thought those Ponies could make a lot of films. The humans have to have been at this for centuries!”

“It seems like our Queen is in media heaven in this world,” one of her aides remarked as the nannies carefully moved the egg matricies into the nursery chambers. The Envy-ling collective certainly much preferred Chrysalis when she was going ga-ga over some movie she had found versus sending them on some insanely dangerous mission to infiltrate the deceptively well defended Pony cities.

“Knowing her, she’ll spend most of her time watching human movies than plotting how to take over this planet,” the other aide responded as they exited the soon-to-be nursery.

[ June 16, 2081 -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
======================================

"I figured it'd come to this eventually... but, I'm honestly at a loss for words," Blue Vague said haltingly as they all watched the continuing news reports.

Or do you have the words, but are just too afraid to use them?

"Horrible. That's the only word I have for it... horrible," Rarity added, stomach queasy from watching the footage.

Eventually Twilight turned off the holo-vision set, feeling that it wasn't really worth it to keep watching live. She did however keep a newsfeed on a computer terminal up, just in case anything came over the ‘wires’ that was new.

"Is this our fault... I... I..." Pinkie stammered, searching for some way to rationalize the events since the beginning of June.

"No Pinkie! And don't any of the rest of you start thinking that way!" Blue Vague shouted and snorted, before realizing the tone he was taking, and settling back down. "It's... it's... I..." he tried to start, before rolling over on his side, still not able to find the words to express his disgust.

Perhaps it is your fault. Maybe if you didn’t unseal that Magic, this wouldn’t have happened. Then again, perhaps it was just inevitable, and humanity was going to destroy itself, or be destroyed by a cataclysm they couldn’t predict. Hard to say, isn't it?

The mocking giggle of the feminine voice in his mind did nothing but exacerbate the frustration and sheer anger Vague was feeling at the moment. He reached for a cushion to place over his head, an action that caught the eye of his marefriend.

"I am worried what's going to happen if and when it reaches St. Louis proper," Twilight said, already beginning to see some disturbing trends.

"What makes ya say that, sugahcube?" Applejack asked, not sure where the lavender Unicorn was going.

Twilight went over to another computer terminal to link its output to the holo-vision projector, and then brought up a map she had been making: every major incidence, since June 1, 2081, of 'terrorism'.

"Look, these are all incidents since June 1st of this year of 'terrorism' as the national governments have declared them. As you can see, they are all clustered around..." Twilight started as she flicked her hoof over the touch-bard. "... these areas, the locations with the greatest Dome populations that are not national capitals."

"What does this all mean though, Twilight? Usually standard terrorists want to strike where they can affect maximal impact," Red Blaze inquired, wanting to test Twilight's theory.

"Yes, but they would not just ignore national capitals. Not only that, but the frequency and ferocity of these attacks imply an extremely robust supply chain," Twilight said, pacing back and forth.

Blue Vague was visibly trembling now, his mind was already starting to race towards a conclusion, and he was desperate that Twilight wasn't anywhere behind him in her rhetoric.

Of course they’d do something like this. Nothing is beyond them...

"And given what we know about how money works on this side, that doesn't leave us with a lot of people that can fund this kind of operation," Twilight continued.

Blue Vague trembled as the feminine voice that was not Gaea’s, or any other he could recognize, continued to lead him on to the conclusion she obviously wanted him to reach.

And of course it would come to this. Humans can never just get along can they. They always have to dominate, they always have to claw their way to the top of the heap. You can give them a paradise, and they will ruin it trying to climb each other to become it’s king. It’s just in their nature…

SHUT UP!

Not even Midori Hana could perceive what was going on inside of Vague’s head, thinking it was just normal anxiety starting to get the better of him. Then again, everypony in the Dorms was on edge the last three weeks, so it seemed reasonable enough.

All of this, for what? Do they think that the public will just accept being lorded over by someone with a lot of zeroes in their bank account? They don’t know the powder-keg they are lighting with this action… Red Blaze thought; as she began to contemplate what exactly to ask of Jacques when she next had time to contact him.

Twilight continued with her theory, and eventually reached her personal conclusion. "I can only conclude that the perpetrators behind these mass attacks are Dome-based, and quite possibly coordinated at a global level."

Do you see now Vague... even she agrees with us...

NO! They couldn't... we all saw the images... not even those in the Domes are that inhuman... that evil...

Are you so sure... besides... what about your dear mother....

No... I'm not going back there... I'm not going back to that place...

Yes, your dear mother... she left you behind with your ailing grandfather, for the allure of the Domes. Kept claiming that those that God smiled upon would be showered with material reward. And what of your father, a man who knew better, but was too weak to try and correct the situation. Just a tragedy waiting to happen, no?

No... stop... please... stop...

Oh? Very well, we'll have to continue this discussion another time, I guess~

Just like that, Blue Vague suddenly snapped back to attention, the only indicator that he was even in that conversation -- a mildly vacant stare past the holo-vision projector with the globe still on it.

"Is something wrong Vague, you look like you kinda checked out for a few moments there," Twilight asked, wondering if anything was wrong with the cobalt-dreadlocked Unicorn.

"I... um... no... I... kinda zoned out there. But, um... do you really think this is some kind of Worldwide Dome phenomenon. I mean, usually those rich twits spend 90% of their time arguing amongst themselves," Blue Vague asked, trying to find any bit of news or conjecture that could refute Twilight's theory.

"If you ask me, it doesn't have to be everyone in the Domes. Just enough people who get angry enough to want to do something to keep their spot," Golden Storm chimed in, his disdain evident in his face.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, they probably would think nothing of leveling everything if they truly felt threatened," Midori Hana added, looking as forlorn as she did before she converted. She didn’t know how to comfort Vague in his anxious state given how anxious she was herself.

"Honestly, while I was still active CIA, we’d get occasional murmurs of some kind of Dome backed outfit ‘taking back what was theirs’. I never thought they would organize themselves to this degree though" Red Blaze added, tapping a hoof in frustration; partially for not seeing it before, and partially out of the need to obfuscate how much she really knew given who she was still talking to in the intelligence circles.

"It seems that another of Granny Gaea’s predictions is coming true then, too," Pinkie Pie said, voice low and soft.

"Yeah, she warned us that whatever was here now, wouldn't be once everything was said and done. This just might be the start..." Rainbow Dash said, legs drawn close to her belly in fear.

"This is truly awful. So many people could be hurt, or killed..." Fluttershy gasped, wondering how the hospitals could even begin to process the injured, or the morticians the dead.

All of this talk, and all of the ramblings in Vague's head, were making him physically ill and tired. He wearily stood up and began to trot towards his room. "I'm sorry guys, I need to go lie down for awhile. If I sleep too long, wake me up for dinner, please."

-----

“Don’t you like what I’ve done with the place… seems a lot more… us, don’t you think~?” Vague’s feminine ‘duplicate’ asked, giggling as it looked at the waterfall. The water still flowed, but it began to look darker, menacing. As if the water itself was transitioning from ‘benign’ to ‘malicious’.

“Everything… feels… angry…” Vague said, as he stumbled through the soul-scape, something in the air starting to warp his perception of his own sense of self.

Of course it does, the darkness in your heart is starting to gush out… all it takes is just a little prodding in the right direction. But there is oh so much more… his duplicate thought, as it sauntered up to Vague who was staring into the dive pool.

He looked around, seeing the dark, navy blue haze that began to hang over the entire place. Everywhere he looked, the flowers had morphed in various types of carnivorous plants, as pitchers and venus-fly-traps littered the area. In other instances, there was nightshade, golden chain, and jasmine growing everywhere. The pool itself, while it didn’t appear, or overly smell foul, just felt like it would have burned anything that fell in.

“This whole place, it feels like… it’s poison,” Vague said, his face still giving off the affect of someone that was dizzy from laughing gas, as he was finding it hard to focus on anything, or anyone, in particular.

“That’s just how you feel dear. What better way to represent angry ‘water’ than poison? Just think of the damage you can wreak with it? Oh it just makes me feel so… mmm, excited thinking about it,” Vague’s duplicate said, as it took Vague in an embrace; one not unlike Hana did in reality.

“Stop this… all of this is wrong… I… I shouldn’t feel like this,” Vague said, as he tried to reassert some control over the entire situation.

“And why not? Why shouldn't you be apoplectic with rage right now?! Why shouldn’t you be out there right now tearing apart every single Black Shield?” the duplicate responded, its eyes turning very reptilian, and putting quite the scare into Vague before it stopped and paused, and regained it’s ‘normal’ countenance. “I can tell exactly why you aren’t.”

The creature continued to press itself upon Vague, who suddenly felt very small and weak in the face of his own alternate ‘self’.

“You are scared. You want to be a good little colt. You want to be the ideal son, the ideal stallion - but according to whose ideal? Certainly not your mother’s, she already rejected you. Otherwise she would have listened to your desperate pleas to stay in Nouvelle Baton Rouge when it was still an option,” the duplicate continued; while Vague starting to quake with rage. “And then there is Celestia. PERFECT Celestia! The very ideal of Harmony itself. You want so DESPERATELY for her to recognize you for the ideal ‘son’. To give you the validation that your mother could never give you.”

The creature continue to massage the anger, fear, depression, and rage that was starting to reach a boil in Vague’s soul; the plunge-pool now looking like a large pot whose water was boiling and roiling openly, like someone cooking pasta.

“That’s why you keep it all bottled up. All your anger, your fear, your sadness… you keep it bottled in your mind and your heart. But… now here is your chance,” it continued, as it was now holding Vague so that it was staring at an even eye level with him.

“Just let it out…” it said slowly.

“Just… let it out…” Vague repeated, his eyes starting to turn the same navy color as the haze that filled the air.

That’s right, I’m the only thing you’ll ever have to listen to again…

“Just place all your trust… your faith… your very heart in me. I’ll make sure everything that’s ever wronged you pays. You will finally get the catharsis, the real catharsis you have been seeking all this time. All of those nasty feelings… everything you want gone from your heart will be eradicated…” it started, as it stroked a hoof through Vague’s dreadlocked mane. “All we have to do is eliminate the source of all of this anger, the genesis of it. And then we’ll be free to truly be the Pony that we want to be. Isn’t that right my little wave-maker?”

“I… I can’t… I don’t know… it feels wrong…” Vague replied, as he pulled himself away from his duplicate’s grip.

The feminine entity huffed and relented, as Vague tried to make his way back to whatever would have led him back to the world of the wakeful.

“Don’t worry. Like I said before, I’ll always be with you. We’ll talk again some other time,” the duplicate said, waving with the most dissonantly cheerful smile.

As Vague’s body faded, the duplicate turned around and walked to the plunge-pool, looking at ‘her’ reflection in the still darkening water, that now occasionally gushed with a heated fountain of similarly dark water.

It laughed uproariously as it saw its coat now swirling with Vague’s electric blue, the navy of the tainted Water mana, and ‘jet black’. The ‘black’ that was no black, but the absence of any color, even normal black. A ‘black’ that no entity of Creation would think should exist.

“Don’t worry master… it won’t be much longer. His heart has so much darkness, and it’s oh so delicious~” the creature said to nothing in particular, save a pair of eyes that appeared white, but was similarly devoid of any existence. The eyes ‘grumbled’ something incoherent to anything except an entity like Vague’s duplicate.

“That’s right, there is the little matter of the rest of the little cadre of Elementals, isn’t it. You said they reminded you of the ones from all those millennia ago. The ones that helped to seal you to begin with. Don’t worry, they are tight as a group. When one domino falls, the rest should follow in due time. Oh especially the Earth Elemental that is his apparent significant other. The things I want to do to her - I want to drive her wild, I want to drive her screaming mad. So mad that she would destroy entire continents if it would make me happy,” Vague’s duplicate mused, the hearts in its eyes making it oblivious to the eyes that looked back onto it from the plunge pool. It ‘grumbled’ more admonitions to the duplicate, who was broken out of it’s reviere.

“Oh but of course, Master. I know that you are so very hungry. And you’ve been dying to devour this world ever since that era. And you will get your chance to finally gorge yourself on this world’s Font of Magic. But you can’t help me for wanting to have a little fun with one of the few things that would probably survive such an event, don’t you?” Vague’s duplicate pleaded, making the best puppy-dog eyes it could.

The eyes merely ‘grumbled’ knowingly.

“See, I knew you would understand. I devote my everything to you, and I only merely ask that you let me keep a few of them as souvenirs. I am sure they will make just wonderful heralds anyway,” the duplicate concluded, as it began to laugh its deviant laugh as the eyes faded from the plunge-pool.

-----

"VAGUE! VAGUE! WAKE UP! COME TO THE HOLO-VISION! SERIOUSLY!" Storm shouted through the door as he banged on it, trying his best to wake Vague up. Thankfully, after a few moments more, Vague opened his door groggily.

"Man Storm... what's up now..." the blue Unicorn said to the gold-yellow Pegasus, before he was 'air-lifted' to the recreational room where the Doctors Isegawa had joined the other Ponies already.

"You finally got him up. That's good, everyone is going to need to watch this..." Dr. Hayato said, voice full of concern and dread.

"What do you mean... what's going on..." Blue Vague said, as he grabbed a cushion in his electric blue aura to sit on.

"Just watch the news broadcast, dear," Dr. Jun said, voice full of the same concern that Dr. Hayato had.

An anchor lady came on a joint-news feed, logos of all the major news organization lined along the bottom of the desk she sat at. "Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. We are still following the breaking news from earlier this afternoon: a mystery group claimed responsibility for the sustained attacks on many of the largest cities around the world. Anti-Terrorism experts say... wait a minute... yes... I see.. we are getting word that the group has recently demanded time to air a message. In the intr... wait... what do you mea..." and suddenly, for the first time in forever, there was static.

"This cannot be good at all. Twilight, check the international news feeds from one of the computer terminals, we'll see if there is anyone saying anything at all on the international news stations..." Dr. Hayato said, as Dr. Jun and every pony besides Twilight were left completely stunned by the sudden cessation of the broadcast.

A few minutes of checking the different holo-vision stations revealed that seemingly every news station was completely off the air.

"Twilight, I am not finding anyone still on the air. Are you getting anything from the news feeds?" Dr. Hayato asked, not taking his eyes off the remote-pad that controlled the holo-vision.

Twilight turned around slowly as she began to come to a realization of what was going on. "No."

"No? What do you mean 'No.'?" Dr. Hayato asked.

"See for yourself..." Twilight started, as she switched the Holo-projector to a dual feed from the satellite and the computer terminal. "Ever since 7:50 PM Central Daylight Time, every single news feed from a reputable source has gone absolutely silent. The other feeds are exploding with speculation."

"Dear God... then it must be true..." Dr. Hayato said as he looked around at his wife, who had a stern look on her face, and at the other nine Ponies, whose looks went from thoroughly confused to downright terrified.

"Wha... what's true Dr. Hayato..." Pinkie asked, voice quivering in fear.

"They are making their move, and big time," Dr. Hayato replied, as suddenly every video news feed displayed a test pattern. "And I suspect the they whom I speak of will explain it themselves..."

With his control-pad, he reset the holo-projector to only show the feed from the satellite T.V. Suddenly the test pattern changed from the normal bars and color blocks to a black background with a simple white-outline icon: a shield with the acronym 'S.P.H.' at different angles filling the space inside the shield.

"This message is from the Society For the Preservation of Humanity. Please do not adjust your holo-vision sets or projectors, nor refresh your internet connections or browsing software..." a eerily calm masculine spoke.

"Ok, what in the hell is this?" Golden Storm asked, confused as anyone else.

"Well, I have no clue honestly. I guess we just keep watching," Twilight replied, hating the fact she had nothing else to say besides that.

Everyone then looked at the projector, which now showed silhouetted figures. The assumed male in the center began to speak, everyone taking note of the theatrical masks that were oddly illuminated against their black figures. The one with the mask of ‘Anger’ started to speak. "We would like to begin tonight's remarks with our sincerest condolences to the families of the civilians that were caught in the crossfire. We would like to publicly state that it was not our intention to harm any civilians during the hostilities conducted so far..."

All twelve of the viewers in Isegawa Dormitories Recreational Room looked on with about as strong an incredulous look as they could manage.

The silhouetted man continued. "Despite that, we believe we are entirely correct in our actions against the governments of the world. Ever since that Day the Aurora appeared, over one year ago, we have seen the aliens now known as Equestrians arrive in our midst. At first, it was logical for our governments to not be too aggressive, nor passive, with these Aliens, as they announced their plans. Yet, ever since the Equestrians announced their plans to assimilate our peoples to bolster their ranks, we have waited for a proper response from the governments of the Earth. Yet, as we waited through the months, and the numbers they have assimilated to date grew from the hundreds, to the thousands, to easily five-, and possibly six-, figures now, we heard NOTHING from the Earth's Government regarding this affront against our species' stability and continued survival.

“To that end, we have come to the conclusion that the governments of Earth are in active collusion with the Equestrians. In regards to the Equestrians... we not only believe they are simply attempting to bolster their ranks on Earth, but we feel reasonably confident they will execute a full scale invasion once they have assimilated a critical mass."

Eleven of the viewers in the Isegawa Dormitories could do little more than maintain the same looks of incredulousness they had collectively maintained for the duration of the still going pronouncements by the S.P.H. The voice of the point-man, as far as they could assume, was beginning to swell as he was reaching the end of his statements.

The other one looked as if he was one more improper word or phrase away from smashing everything in the room in a blind rage.

"To wit, we call upon the Peoples of the Earth, both Dome and Outsider, to join us in this grand resistance. Join us in tearing down these corrupt governments of the world, these collaborators that would damn our species to a slow and inexorable assimilation into feeble-minded Ponydom. Our species has survived war, drought, famine, plague, and other disasters both of our own doing, and not of our doing. With our own two hands, we will rise above these current trials! WE will build a new and greater humanity! WE will rebuild our world! WE will prove to the Equestrians, and any other sapient species, that humanity is the pinnacle of both physical and mental strength! We shall persevere and thrive, for that is simply what we do! Thank you, and have a wonderful evening."

Just as suddenly as the video feed from the joint news organizations cut out... they cut back in... the anchors and presenters around the world just as stunned as anyone following the message had to have been.

"So... that really just happened?" Golden Storm said, trying to figure out just what in the hell that man was babbling on about.

"Yes... yes it did," Dr. Hayato responded, sighing heavily as he began to contemplate what would happen next.

Richard, we have to get Project Safe Haven completed as soon as possible. I have no doubt that they will come after every human 'collaborator' that they can find, once they feel they have disrupted the governments enough to where they are a non factor... Dr. Hayato thought to himself, as he looked at his wife, his Ponified daughter, and his extended family, as it were.

-----

In his offices in the Manhattan Domes, Richard Edwards was pacing around the room, wondering just how long he had now. His worst fears were coming to light, and he genuinely feared for the his own life and the lives of his employees.

"Candice, what is the status report on the launch of Project Safe Haven?" he asked, attempting to project as much calm as he could given the situation.

"Thankfully, none of the SPH forces have found our worksite. We believe the construction of the main laboratories, food growing areas, and dormitories should be completed in 21 days, give or take," Candice replied over the video-intercom.

"All things considered, that should be good. I guess I'll just have to pray that the idiots running the SPH are more concerned with toppling or executing coup-d'etats than they are trying to get revenge or whatever on us 'collaborators'," Richard said has he laughed, finding some humor in this decidedly tense situation.

"I will pray for the both of us, Mr. Edwards," Candice replied as the intercom clicked off.

Pray for everyone Candice, pray that we survive this phase, and still have a chance to fix this world before it's wrecked forever... Richard thought, wondering if his words were not just idle hopes of man with dwindling power.

-----

Meanwhile, in the Atlanta Domes, a middle-aged couple were bickering over something or another. Usually this would not be anything of note, but the world has a funny way of working...

"Those Ponies, those damned Ponies! They're the reason... they're the reason why all of this is happening! I bet that Evening of the Black Sky was their fault as well!" a middle aged woman shouted as she threw cushions all around.

"Honey, calm down, please. We've worked so hard to build this up, we can't just let it all break now..." her husband said, picking up the cushions and trying his best to keep her from throwing anything more expensive.

"That's right... we've worked so hard... we've all worked so hard... just for them to waltz into this world from wherever the hell they came from and upset the order..." she said, as the wheels began turning in her head.

"Oh no, I know that look... please don't tell me you thinking what I think you're thinking..." he said, suddenly very much afraid of his wife's visage.

"The Society For the Preservation of Humanity wasn't it? Yes... yes, that is it... they're the ones... they're the ones that will make sure all of our work doesn't go to waste," she said, almost drunk on the idea.

"Come on, you seen what they've apparently been doing all this time. What are people like us gonna do?" her husband responded, not knowing whether or not she had finally jumped down that slippery slope.

"Look at this..." she responded, as she handed her husband one of a couple of print brochures.

He began to read the brochure out loud. "We will accept all comers, our technology will allow anyone of clear mind fight against the Equestrian threat and their government collaborators."

"See dear, we will be able to more than contribute to their cause," she said, rubbing her hand along her husband's chest.

"Well... I... I... I guess." he replied, silently praying to God he didn't just make the worst decision of his life.

"Oh good, well Atlanta Recruitment Center is already open, so we just need to go down, get trained up, and we can start sweeping with the best of them. And why stop there? We’ll be able to construct a world that is truly the Second Coming of Eden itself. Just as soon as wipe out all the snakes that could pollute the new Garden," she said, giggling with dissonant glee at the idea of wiping out those candy-colored demons.

Just who the hell did I marry? he thought to himself, wondering if there any way he could back out of this now.

-----

“I don’t get it…” Vague said in a quiet voice, as the the Doctors Isegawa, the other Conduits, and the Bearers all attempted to figure out just what those people were going on about when they cut into everyone’s television and internet feed.

“What do you mean?” Hana replied with question, not sure where Vague was going with any of this.

“None of this makes sense. None of them makes sense,” Vague repeated, as it looked like he was at his mental breaking point. “None of it at all. They have all this money, all this ability, all of this power. And this is how they use it?”

“I… I don’t know?” Hana replied, as the others began to look on with concern at the electric blue Unicorn.

“NONE OF IT. I can’t understand it. What more do they want? How much is enough? When does it ever stop? When will their greed, their gluttony be finally satiated? When we’re all groveling at their feet? When we are all carrying them like the Pharoahs of old? When we are all dead and they are the only ones left?”

Vague began to pace around the room, clearly distraught and lost in his own rant.

“It never ends. It NEVER ends. They’ll never stop. Never. Why can’t anything make it stop? When are they gonna stop? Why does this have to keep going on? Why are we damned to just repeat the same mistakes over, and over, and over, and over, and over again,” Vague continued to rant until Hana grabbed him and pulled him into as tight a hug as she could manage.

“Please… please Vague baby. Come back to me… this isn’t you… you’re not like this. I don’t want to see you go back to that place. Not there, not ever again…” she told Vague, as she began to sob over his shoulder.

The sound of his marefriend crying finally began to drag his mind back out of the pitfall of his own creation.

“I wanna know, Hana. I wanna know why it won’t ever seem to stop. Why they can’t just be happy with what they have? When they have everything, what will there be left to take? Will it stop then?” Vague said, as he began to sob over her shoulder as well.

-----

“You should know why better than anyone Vague…” his duplicate said to no one, as it watched the proceedings through the plunge-pool.

“Humanity simply cannot help itself. All of them are tainted, and this taint has made them incapable of knowing when to stop. No matter how wonderful a world you could build for them, they will always destroy it. It is simply in their nature to destroy everything they touch. Just like your Elements. Your Elements can do nothing but destroy. The idea of them being siblings with the Elements of Harmony is just lies. Lies that white devil tells you to keep you compliant. But once you are told the truth, you will understand your purpose.”

“Then again… you will think you are simply destroying the old to create the new. But you won’t know the entire story, now will you?”

The voice began to giggle incessantly at the snare it was laying for Unicorn it was piggy-backing on.

-----

Sister, it is as we feared. They have already begun to move against our allies... the only solace that we have is that they will move against the governments first, before they begin sifting through the civilian population for sympathizers…

Despite that notion, those like Richard Edwards would probably still be targeted early. As he is a prominent supporter of ours…

He has so far refused Ponification, and I doubt in his current frame of mind, it would be right of us to ask…

No, I do not want to go down that route…

But what are we left to do?

Hrm... We begin to move our Royal Guard to guard the Bureaus... and we pray that our Human Allies can hold fort until Project Safe Haven is fully operational…

That leaves too much to chance, Sister!

I am afraid that unless we are prepared for outright war against the human aggressors, we will have to risk gambling against their intentions…

I know you are a master at chess 'Tia. I pray to all Creation that you are as good at rolling the dice…

I do too Lulu... I do too…

[ June 23, 2081 -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
======================================

The attacks continued apace, many of the governors and the mayors of the various states, administrative regions, and cities were under intense pressure to acquiesce to the demands of the SPH -- which was total turnover of administrative control to their allies in the Domes, the so called legitimate axis of power. They were even so bold as to begin skirmishes outside of the major national capitals -- as if to tease what was left of the national armies that they could move in and decapitate the governments any time they wanted to, but simply didn't. No one knew exactly what the aim of such a strategy was, most figuring it was to pressure the national governments into acquiescence without necessarily collapsing them, yet it was difficult to be sure.

"I will say this for President Aguillar, she's almost literally staring down the barrel of a rifle, and yet she's holding firm," Golden Storm remarked off-handedly during one of her speeches imploring the population to not give in to the rebels. He remembered when he met her while still Ethan, as it were.

"The problem is, she may be the mouse being strangled in the coil of the SPH’s snake. I don't know how she or any other leader can hold under this kind of pressure," Dr. Hayato remarked, noting how Fluttershy outwardly, but silently, groused at the metaphor.

I know what Dr. Hayato means to imply… still don’t have to like it… Fluttershy thought to herself as she tried to center her thoughts on what may have to be done in the future.

"Do you really think they'd execute a siege of the national capitals?" Dr. Jun asked of her husband, wondering just how much danger they were in themselves.

"Honestly, I don't know. There cannot be that many Magi in the employ of the governments at this stage, yet I cannot tell the greater military strategy of the SPH. It appears they simply want to kick in what appears to be a rotted infrastructure to them. The danger is... they might be entirely right," Dr. Hayato said as he sat down in a chair to contemplate things.

"Well, doesn't the government have those big tanks and really big guns and really weird looking armor?" Pinkie Pie said, failing her forelegs around.

"The problem is, Pinkie dear, that the forces that are under the direct control of the governments are, for the amount of territory they have to defend, quite small. So much has been outsourced to private contractors over the decades..." Dr. Jun started to say.

"... that a lot of them might have already defected to the SPH and their allies. The arms dealers ought to be making an absolute killing, literally and figuratively," Golden Storm concluded while perched up on a countertop, snorting in disgust.

"This is an absolute disaster... the governments of the world can't have that much time left if things continue the way they have. Oh dear Reggie and Rosa, please be safe..." Rarity began to fret, not knowing how well President Aguillar's family was doing in all of this.

This is a race against the clock indeed... all twelve residents of the Isegawa Complex heard in their heads. Soon a bright flash of light heralded the return of both Princesses Celestia and Luna to the Isegawa Complex, though this was most definitely not a happy reunion.

"Care to elaborate on what you would mean by a 'race against the clock'?" Dr. Jun asked of Princess Celestia.

Celestia indeed obliged and answered her. "It is quite simple. Eight days."

Twilight Sparkle cocked her head to the side. "Excuse me Princess Celestia, but what do you mean 'eight days'?"

Luna answered the Element of Magic. "Eight days is the approximate amount of time before Project Safe Haven becomes fully operational." The Doctors Isegawa nodded in assent at the assertion.

"Um, Princesses? Would you mind explaining to us just what Safe Haven is?" Midori Hana asked sheepishly, the stress starting to wear on her.

"Quite simply put, Safe Haven is a gigantic, mostly-underground complex for our still Human Human-Equestrian Alliance members to reside, should this Society for the Preservation of Humanity begin marking them as targets. It was designed and is now currently being built to house 4 times the current total human roster as of the Project's start of construction thirteen days ago," Princess Luna stated matter of factly.

"Effectively, a shelter of last resort should it really hit the fan..." Red Blaze surmised.

"Should the 'what' hit the fan?" Rainbow Dash asked. Red Blaze whispered the operative word in her ear. "Oh... I see... yeah that would be really bad, and worth ducking and covering from."

"Yes, the Conduit of Fire is correct in her assessment. This is to be the last option, short of Ponification, for our Allies should the governments indeed collapse, and we lose what little police protection we enjoy," Luna stated, sighing heavily at the prospect.

"The SPH hasn't found anything out about this have they?" Fluttershy asked timidly, just as nervous and tired as Midori Hana.

"No, the very fact construction remains on schedule implies they know nothing about it. We pray that this remains true until it is complete, and we can place it under full magical and electronic cloaking," Princess Celestia replied.

"Wait, ya mean it ain't bein' cloaked now? Ain't that dangerous?" Applejack asked, confused why they couldn't veil the entire construction site.

"We could erect the magical cloaking, but the nature of the spell would cause the drones performing the main construction to operate at only 60% capacity. Which would stretch construction time to approximately 30 days. That week plus that we gain maybe the difference between Mr. Edwards and the other central leadership of the HEA being alive or dead, to be perfectly blunt," Luna stated with her almost dissonant matter-of-factness.

Everyone figured it was worth the risk to keep the HEA leadership as contiguous as possible.

"So how is the Royal Guard holding up protecting the Bureaus?" Blue Vague asked, his voice terse.

"As well as could be expected. The SPH has yet to turn its attention to the Bureaus, and we are seeing quite a lot of traffic. So much so that we have had to move in extra staff to process everyone," Princess Celestia responded, noting the seething anger in Vague's voice.

I feel a dangerous aura emanating from the Conduit of Water… Celestia told Luna telepathically, as she could see what seemed like black smoke starting to waft from the body of the blue Unicorn.

Yes, an aura I’m familiar with, though I cannot see how deeply it has ingrained itself into his psyche and soul. That will have to wait for the next time he falls asleep… Luna replied, as she already set aside some space in her mind for how to manage this situation

Just then the entire complex was rocked by a massive explosion…

"Good God what was that!" Dr. Hayato said, as he stumbled around for a second.
The giant plume of smoke rising in the horizon soon answered everyone's questions.

"Luna, did you feel anypony's life force suddenly be cut off or severely weakened?!" Princess Celestia asked excitedly, desperate to not hear the worst.

"Let me check... no... nopony within 10 miles of where we stand has suffered an appreciable reduction in their life force... but that plume of smoke is still far too close for comfort."

"Let me and Twilight go and check; if we need to, we can message for help the fastest," Vague requested of the Royal Sisters.

"If Twilight agrees to it, then you may proceed. But do so with the utmost caution." Princess Luna replied. Twilight nodded in agreement, and then both blinked out of the Dormitory Hall.

-----

"GET A TRIAGE OVER HERE NOW!"

"GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT!"

"HELP ME, PLEASE FOR THE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY HELP ME!"

Blue Vague was assaulted by the screams of horror of the police and army remaining loyal to the government suffering mightily under the assault of the rogue private contractors and the SPH's forces. The fighting was still quite a while away from the St. Louis Conversion Bureau, but there was no doubt in his mind that some asshole in one of those groups would take the opportunity to take a few 'potshots' at the Bureau.

All you have to do is say the word… and we can eliminate all of these… children who make toys out of the vast power that we control… the duplicate told Vague, as Vague stared at the various armored vehicles that were trying to navigate the wreckage around the block of St. Louis proper where they were standing.

"VAGUE! VAGUE! SPEAK TO ME!" Twilight yelled, trying to snap him back to reality. Finally he shook himself loose out of his trance to listen to the lavender mare.

"Oh God I'm sorry, it's... this... this is horrifying..." Vague stated, his mind racing at all the sights and sounds still assaulting him.

"I know, it's scary for me too, but we have to find the Royal Guard contingent and help these men as best we can." Twilight said, her voice quivering, but resolute to do something while they were out here.

They ran through the backlines of the police and infantry formations, until they found an armored gray Unicorn helping who appeared to be a field commander for this operation.

"Oh my, Twilight Sparkle, I almost forgot the Elements of Harmony were based here in St. Louis..." the gray-dyed Unicorn said, genuinely surprised to see the star pupil of Celestia and Element of Magic in his presence.

"I would take it she is someone high ranking in your military?" the Army Captain said, thankful they had a moment to discuss the new arrivals. "Oh excuse me, sorry for not introducing myself, I’m Army Captain Tyler Johnson, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. This here is..."

"Captain Sound Crash, 3rd Unicorn Corps Regiment, sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances," the gray Unicorn concluded.

"Capt. Johnson, Capt. Crash, can you all tell us what is going on, well besides the obvious," Blue Vague asked, trying to keep himself as calm as he could while they moved to a bulletproof trailer.

Once inside, the three Ponies and human all sat to discuss things as best they could.

Captain Johnson was the first to speak. "We were performing a routine patrol when we were ambushed by the SPH's forces. Although it had been a stalemate before, they've begun to bring in the heavy artillery."

That can't be good... both Vague and Twilight thought in unison.

Capt. Crash then levitated a photograph to Twilight and Vague. "This... this is apparently what is known as a Red Cherry informally amongst the human military these days. It seems to be a device filled to the brim with Thaumatic-tau radiation, and once it's been triggered... well... you all probably heard it from wherever you are based. Anyone caught within its blast radius and, isn't somehow protected against Fire Magic, is practically vaporized. Those just outside of it suffer severe burns and pressure injures, which, in my humble estimation, is probably worse than being vaporized."

Twilight and Vague stood aghast, looking at the small black and red sphere could apparently deal so much devastation.

Those monsters don’t care as much for the life of their fellows as you do. Look at these devices they have already created with just a passing familiarity with our Power. What is to say they won’t erase all of the undeserving in one fell swoop later.

No… no one is that evil… that heartless…

Fine… whatever you have to say to let yourself sleep at night. But there is a way we can ensure that no one like this is allowed to exist~

Twilight, for a brief second felt a pang of utter dread, as she looked over at Vague's face. He stared out into 'space', at seemingly nothing. Something was not lost on the two Captains sitting next to him.

"Excuse me Miss Sparkle, is your friend alright? I mean, I can understand if he's a Native to your world and never heard of anything like this..." Captain Johnson said, as he tried to snap the blue Unicorn back to reality.

In a brief moment, Twilight Sparkle felt something that she hoped she’d never feel again.

That dread… that emptiness… it can’t be… not him…

Eventually Blue Vague was brought back out of his trance.

"Captain, Captain, the workers from the St. Louis Bureau have begun to mobilize. They have managed to clear enough room to begin processing our most severely injured!" a voice shouted over the comlink for all to hear.

"Good, get them any armor you can spare for both species, I don't care if it's just a helmet for the Ponies. I will not have Princess Celestia on our asses about her Ponies being injured or worse on my watch," Capt. Johnson shouted back over the radio.

"Duty Calls, Miss Sparkle. If you wouldn't mind, I believe you know a few of the shielding spells your brother does. Could you help us protect the injured while we get them in the Bureau?" Capt. Sound Crash asked of Twilight.

"Yes Sir. I'm not going to let anyone die out there if I can help it!" Twilight said, steeling her nerve as best she could.

"Blue Vague, I feel something within you. What was it... what was it... OH RIGHT! Princess Luna sent us the information a couple of weeks ago. I can only surmise your main Terran Magic is, I think, Water. Anyway, if I’m correct, can you try and carve some trenches to keep them from being able to engage us face to face... if we can keep them limited to ranged attacks, we might be able to use Twilight's Shields to hold on until more help arrives."

Blue Vague took a couple of deep breaths before he spoke. "I will do the best I can!"

Capt. Crash smiled that wide Pony smile they all shared. "That's all that I ask of anyone."

-----

The battle wore on for another ten minutes, the combination of Vague's pressurized water and Twilight's Shield managing to keep the SPHs forces at bay long enough for all but the least wounded to be moved into the Bureau. Just on cue, another platoon arrived, with one of the military's few enlisted Magi in the region.

"Private Second Class Eric Patterson, Thaumic Corps Geo-Branch, reporting," the fresh faced looking man said as he arrived on the scene.

"Oh thank God someone else with Magical Ability arrived. Do whatever you can to block their advance. This battle is lost, but I'll be damned if I let anything touch that Bureau. We also have two Pony VIPs, make damn sure nothing happens to them either," Capt. Johnson said to Priv. Patterson.

"Sir, yes sir." the private responded, flexing his hands in his focusing gloves.

Within a few minutes, giant stone walls jutted out from all around the Bureau. Patterson had managed to create a wall thick enough to stop most of the fire from the SPH forces.

"Leave, everyone out, we've made our point!" they heard being shouted from beyond the wall. The recon drones showed most of the mercenary and SPH forces leaving to God knows where, as both Captains breathed a sigh of relief at the rapidly lessening prospect of a siege.

After some time, the two platoons closed ranks around the Bureaus, hoping and praying that no other forces from the SPH would come near them, while they tried to sort out the casualties.

"Everywhere it's the same goddamned story... what the hell is the SPH even thinking." Capt. Johnson thought out loud to himself as he sat in his bulletproof trailer.

"Permission to enter Capt. Johnson?" shouted a slightly younger male voice from his door.

"Permission Granted, Capt. Rodriguez," Tyler replied, thankful to hear his compatriots voice.

"Tyler, just what in the hell have you gotten yourself into now?" Capt. Julio Rodriguez asked incredulously, obviously knowing what the answer was.

"Nothing besides those SPH bastards trying to blow us to Kingdom Come," Capt. Johnson replied.

"So you encountered the Red Cherry as well. How many did you lose..." Capt. Rodriguez asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

"Three, three were caught in the blast radius, I don't even think there's anything left of them. Two more suffered third-degree burns and shattered limbs of every sort. Another two, first-degree burns and temporary blindness, which I believe has passed for both of them already," Capt. Johnson said morosely, wondering just what would possess anyone to use a weapon like that.

"Monsters, that's what they are. Here I thought it would be the Ponies that somehow turned into Monsters, like some damn sci-fi movie; and yet it's our own people doing this to us," Capt. Rodriguez thought out loud, not caring in particular if anyone heard them.

"This is what makes me think the Domes are orchestrating this whole thing. Only they would have such a blatant disregard for anything not themselves, I guess you could say. How they could get any Outsider to join them is beyond me," Capt. Johnson said, as he looked out the window at the Ponies and HEA volunteers doing their best to care for the injured soldiers that weren't undergoing emergency Ponification.

"It must be brutal for the ones that had to choose between either living on as a Pony, or dying as a mangled wreck. I honestly don't know what I would ask them to do to me in that case," Capt. Rodriguez said, as he looked out the same window.

Capt. Johnson stood up from his seat and leaned against the trailer's windowsill. "I could be all macho and say 'I'd choose death, no doubt.' But honestly, if I really faced that choice... I couldn't tell you what I'd do. I can only think that I couldn't answer that question until that time came."

-----

"So this is how my run 'ends'... wheat yellow fur, hooves, and a pair of wings..." one of the privates who choose Ponification said to Twilight and Vague, as he laid in a hospital bed.

"Are you sure you are going to be alright like this? I mean, I... I just don't..." Twilight began to ask, stammering and trailing off before she could finish

"Don't strain yourself, Miss. I should have figured it would come to this when the month started. At least I'm one of the lucky ones, who got damn near killed near a Bureau. The others... I can still hear their screaming... it'll probably never go away, too. And don't think to blame yourself either, neither of you. You did everything you could to protect us long enough to even give me this choice. I'd be dead easily if it weren't for the two of you and Patterson," the now Pegasus said, waving a hoof as he seemed to be instinctively learning Pony non-verbal communication.

"I can only imagine you'd want to go to Equestria as soon as you can," Blue Vague said, voice still seething with anger to some extent.

"Yeah, to be perfectly honest with you all. When I got my discharge, I was going to head to the Bureau here, since it's the closest to base. I guess I get discharged early... but..." the Pegasus said before pausing a bit.

"But what, Private... Private... we never got your name did we..." Twilight said, before suddenly realizing that they never did ask the stallion his human name.

"Bradley Austin. 24. From St. Paul, Minnesota. Seeing as I'm a Pegasus now, I guess I'll be hailing from Cloudsdale in a few days time," he said with a brief chuckle.

"Well, at least you are taking this well... anyway myself and Vague have to return home too, we're actually 'stationed' on Earth, I guess to use some of your military terms, anyway it was nice talking to you," Twilight concluded, and both she and Vague began walking out of the room; doing the best she could to hide a nascent blush from the eyes of the new Pegasus and the Unicorn next to her.

Before Vague could leave though, Bradley called him over the say one last thing. "Vague, I've only been a Pony for what, 30 minutes? But even I can tell something's really eating at with you. Please, talk to that mare, or whoever else you are living with. If you bottle that up too long, it's gonna blow up in your face."

Vague nodded in agreement as he walked out of the room after Twilight.

What does he know... Vague thought to himself dismissively as he and Twilight thanked the rest of the staff, then found a quiet area to teleport back to the Isegawa Complex.

-----

The rest of the evening was filled with Blue Vague and Twilight Sparkle recounting their harrowing tale to the rest of the Ponies and the Isegawas at the Complex. After a light dinner, and no further explosions, everyone eventually went to sleep.

Vague was tossing and turning in his bed, as that inner voice continued to assault him with questions.

How long are you going to let this farce go on Vague? You have the power to end it. Your Friends have the power to end it. All you have to do is let go of all your sentimentality. Let go of all your restraints. And embrace the purity of your destructive Power.

Make them scream, make them quail, make them rue the day they ever thought they could cross you and your friends. Make it so that their dying breath is one cursing their own misfortune for having enraged a beast they cannot kill, or even so much as slow down.

So how long are you going to wait Vague… before you and your friends come to embrace the true nature of yourselves?

==== ***** =====

SS1-3: Spike's Gaiden 3

View Online

=== BABW: Spike’s Gaiden ===

=== Part III: City of Desire ===

[ May 20, ??? + 1 – Karrak-za-Jalve, Central Dragon Territories ]
================================================================

“Ah, so this is the young dragon who has come out here to entreat on behalf of Princess Celestia?” a rather elderly looking bipedal dragon said as he looked over some recent paperwork that had come into his office.

“Yes, Leader Wraithwind, it seems that Rosethorn has done a more than admirable job of, tutoring him, if you will, on some of the basics of invocation in their long, winding journey here,” A yellow dragoness with intermittent black stripes replied, holding another folder full of documents for the red-and-gold-fringe robed, silver-and-ice-blue dragon that was approximately 2/3rds her size.

“Livewire, I have no idea how I’d make this whole thing run without you,” Wraithwind said as he walked out from behind his finely crafted ash-wood desk and walked out the door of his office with the yellow dragoness to his side.

“It would run a lot smoother if you wouldn’t neglect the paperwork that tends to pile up. Some of these documents have been sitting here for months waiting for your signature,” Livewire complained, as the two of them stepped into an elevator.

“And you know how much I abhor paperwork. Then again, I do insist on retaining my leadership position… just wish there was less, drudgery,” Wraithwind, said, as he chuckled the raspy chuckle he had in that form.

“As much as I complain about the particulars, I do appreciate everything you are doing for us in the Council, and Karrak as a whole. I just wish the rest of Dragonkind was as appreciative,” Livewire said as the safety grate opened and they exited into the hustle and bustle of the lower floors of the Council Building.

“It can’t be helped sometimes, ‘Wire. We are what we are, fierce independence and all that,” Wraith mused as he and the taller dragoness continued on their jaunt toward one of Wraithwind’s favorite places when he wanted to get away from it all – the nearby gym.

=---=

“Proc Valkir [Fire Breath]!” Spike shouted as he generated a stream of red flames from his mouth afterward.

“Proc Valkir is a test of your magical capacity and ability to regulate it while it is already flowing; just like yelling is a test of lung capacity. Let’s see how long you can keep this stream going,” Rosethorn said as she walked around Spike blowing his flame at the test dummy.

“How long are you going to have him shooting fire at a test dummy, Rose?” a silver-scaled and red dragoness asked, as Spike finally relented in his test, lasting about thirty seconds.

“Because I’m trying to make sure he properly learns each incantation before he’s inevitably thrust into a live-fire situation, Blood,” Rosethorn replied, nonplussed about the interruption to her lessons.

“You can teach somedragon theory all you want to, Rose, but eventually the theory has to be tested. It is much better if they learn what a fight is like while they are still impressionable,” the silver and red dragoness said, with a devious glint in her eyes.

A glint that Rosethorn noticed quite quickly. “I would highly advise against making any move against my student.”

“What’s going on? Who is she?” Spike asked, before he was barred by one of Rosethorn’s outstretched arms.

“Another bad habit of yours. You coddle your prized pupils far too much. At the rate you are teaching Spike, it will be a century before he achieves even the first level of effective mastery of what we would consider basic invocations,” the silver dragoness stated with a shrug.

“And what would you do so differently, Bloodthorn?” Rosethorn asked, wanting to gauge just what her sister was thinking.

“Well, sister, first I would start with an extremely strict regimen of physical training and dietary adjustment. Then we would move on to basic and intermediate invocation and their practical uses in battle. I would spare no hour in his re-education. By the time I would be done with him, he will stand amongst the finest of Dragon Magi. Of course it would take a quite a few years - I suspect a 10-year program would be sufficient,” Bloodthorn replied, striking a thinking-dragoness’ pose as she did.

“Hrm. That sound suspiciously like your Officer’s Training regimen for the Legion…” Rosethorn said, with a little more evident nonplussed tone.

“Why, it does… does it not?” Bloodthorn responded, her snide face growing even more snide by the word uttered.

Spike tried to find some way out of the impending family argument, but his unfamiliarity with the layout of the building rendered his escape plans more or less moot.

“It does. Why is it you always try to snipe my best students, Bloodthorn?” Rosethorn asked with a large measure of annoyance.

“Because… such martial talent and potential would be wasted on bookwyrms such as yourself, Rosethorn. I know you can feel that this, Spike, has all the potential in the world; he could become a Magus amongst Magi, a once in a decade, possibly once in a century level of talent. And I would be doing my branch of the government a disservice if I were to allow him languish under your tutelage,” Bloodthorn replied, the seriousness in her assessment evident to both Rose and Spike.

“Branch of the Government? Wait, just who is she, Rosethorn?” Spike asked, now thoroughly confused.

“I will answer, young drake. My name is Bloodthorn, Commander of the Draconic Legion and First Seat of the Subcouncil of War and Military Affairs,” the silver-and-red-spined dragoness replied, with the utmost pride in her position.

“Also known as Silverthorn, my elder sister by twenty-some-odd years,” Rosethorn replied, with a smirk on her own face.

“One: I am your elder by 24 years and 3 months. Two: I told you to never refer to me by that name unless it is in private!” Bloodthorn shouted, catching the attention of a certain pair of still-walking dragons.

“My my! Are a certain pair of sibling Councilmembers having a bit of a spat?” the short, elderly looking dragon said, rubbing a beard of white as he looked at the silver and rose-red dragonesses, and the nervous purple dragon behind the both of them.

“Sir, I apologize for the uncivil behavior of myself and my sister. I will do my best to ensure proper conduct in your presence next time, sir!” Bloodthorn said with sudden rigid, military-style formal-ness.

“Yes, yes. I understand entirely Bloodthorn, though you do not have to be so… formal around me all the time. It makes you look a little, unattractive, mayhaps?” the elder dragon said, with a bit of a knowing smile.

“I… sorry, sir” Bloodthorn responded, with a bit of a blush as she turned around and began to practice some hyperventilation to calm herself down.

Spike stood there silently until he shook his head, coming back to the present time. “Wait, did you say sibling Councilmembers? As in the Council of Nine?”

Rosethorn sighed as she wanted to just play the teacher’s role for Spike for a while longer, but Wraithwind had already blown her meager cover. “Yes, my full name and title is Rosethorn, Head of Archeology and Research for the Ios-Kaval University here in Karrak-za-Jalve, and First Seat of the Sub-Council for History and Internal Affairs.”

“So… you… and her… are both part of the Council of Nine?” Spike muttered, the realization that he was palling around for the last two months with one of the most important Dragons walking the face of the entire world.

“Yes, that is true,” Bloodthorn responded, some of her coldness beginning to ‘melt’ in Wraithwind’s presence.

“Haha! It’s always an amusing sight when a learned but young dragon realizes that they have made acquaintances with one of us. You know, young drake, I have personally requested that those of us in the Council of Nine take more time to travel the world, and get to know everyone and everything that walks, swims, and flies across it. Though some of us tend to, check out during these little sojourns,” Wraithwind started.

“You sir, being one of those Dragons that like to disappear from time to time,” Livewire added, still remembering the last time Wraithwind disappeared to who-knows-where, leaving her with all of the paperwork of the small but overstressed bureaucracy of the Dragon’s formal government.

Wraithwind cleared his throat in silent acknowledgement as he turned his attention, in earnest to Spike. “In any case, you are quite the intriguing case, young Spike. My intelligence officers have compiled a nice little dossier on you. But it would be a bit dry recanting your recent history when you yourself just lived it. So I want to propose something else.”

“Something else?” Spike asked, with a sudden lump of anxiety in his throat.

“I know from said intelligence officer that you are here on behalf of Princess Celestia. No doubt she is annoyed by the fact we have not saw fit to respond to her letters of entreat in anything resembling due time, so she wanted someone to come out personally to ask and, more importantly, receive and answer. But to be perfectly honest, I thought she would have sent that, Twilight Sparkle, of hers out here, and not her adoptive dragon brother,” Wraithwind started, before he blew on his walking cane, causing a faint white dust to billow out from the rounded top.

------

Spike continued to cough and wheeze as the dust cleared, and the five dragons found themselves in a rather large and expansive room. The ceiling was at least 12 Lengths high, and the area was 1,000 Lengths square.

“Ahh, I enjoy this place so much. Nice and isolated to start, but still within arm’s reach of the rest of the main gymnasium,” Wraithwind said, tail slowly waving to and fro beneath his crimson and gold-fringed robe.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but where in the heck are we, Mr… Mr…” Spike started to ask when he got his voice back.

“No need for names right now, I just want to ask you something,” Wraithwind started, hoping that Spike would play along long enough for him to have a little fun as he assessed the nature of this messenger.

“Yeah, um, sure,” Spike wondered as the three Dragonesses took a seat on wall a ways away from the two Dragons.

“So is he really going to do what I think he’s going to do, Livewire?” Rosethorn asked, somewhat concerned for her charge.

“Most likely. It’s not often he gets to personally assess drakes in this manner. That and Spike is completely unencumbered by the knowledge of who Wraithwind is and what he has accomplished over his very long life. While I expect the young drake to be incredibly raw in his usage of Draconic techniques, I also expect him to fight with his full heart in it,” Livewire responded, as she thumbed through another set of files she had on her person.

“I swear, Livewire, you are as much of a bookwyrm as my sister,” Bloodthorn remarked, clearly annoyed by the pair of pointy-ridged Dragonesses.

“Alright then, my proposal: I will give you my response to Celestia should you prove interesting to me in a bit of traditional, ol’ fashioned Dragon sparring. You come at me with whatever Invocation and physical combat knowledge you have, and if recognize your potential, only then I will tell you what I would tell Celestia herself were she standing before us,” Wraithwind intoned, as he tugged a bit on his crimson robe.

Spike looked at the elder dragon that stood before him, almost half a Length shorter than he, and using a wooden crook to walk. “Um, I… I guess I can agree to that.”

Wraithwind raised his crook, and slammed the thicker, knobbed end to the ground, causing a minor shockwave to resound through the entire floor until it reached a bell, which sounded a clear and unmistakable *DING*.

Spike ran up to Wraitwind and threw a punch, which was swiftly caught by the elder dragon.

“Good show to start with, assess the physical potential of your opponent, if you do not need to waste time or mana with an Invocation, then don’t do so,” Wraithwind stated as he shoved Spike’s fist back.

This… is this the strength of an elder Dragon? Spike thought to himself as he tried to punch again.

“He has decent form on his punches. If he were more physically inclined I would say he would make a good boxer or cage fighter,” Livewire mused as she watched the young purple drake mostly punch over and whiff; the silver-gray elder dragon not having to do much to counter.

“He’s a dozen of centuries too young to challenge Wraithwind in straight close-in combat,” Bloodthorn added, as Wraithwind had now taken to using his tail and his crook to dodge and block the kicks Spike was using, much to the chagrin of the purple dragon.

“Are you taking this seriously, at all?” Spike said, his usual deference to authority or one’s elders starting to fail him, as typical adolescent churlishness was starting to bleed through.

“I would ask the same of you? Who spends two months wandering through Diamond Dog infested savannah and desert just to ask a question that would fit on one of those little notepads, if that?” Wraithwind asked, as he stood at a slanted angle to the ground; his crook supporting quite a bit of his weight.

Spike gave in a bit to his growing anger, as he kicked the crook out from under Wraithwind, only for the dragon to remain standing at the exact angle he was before, pointing the moved crook in an accusatory way at the purple Dragon.

“You are certainly starting to develop a mean streak, aren’t you? I can tell you are the deferential type, probably why Princess Celestia sent you out here as a go-for. Probably figured rightly that you wouldn’t say no to a request from her, now would you?” Wraithwind asked, still retaining his leaning stance as he did.

Spike’s eyes began to turn from a rounded to a sharp angle, as he could feel an anger welling within him. “I am NOT someone’s go-for, I am NOT someone’s little errand-drake!”

Good, you’re getting closer to finding that Desire that animates all of us. To try and live as a Dragon without it is to not try and live at all…

Spike was now starting to feel some kind of depth in his soul. It was if he was kid who swam in the shallow end of the pool for all his life, and now he was starting to drift into the deep end. It was frightening to him, but at the same time… compelling, intriguing, as if it was something he wanted all this time, but didn’t even know of it.

He continued to breathe heavily, his Dragonfire glowing hot green as he blew in and out, wisps of flame escaping from his nose as he did.

“IZOC YUNI[Lightning Strike]!” He shouted, as his body started to glow green.

“Ah, I see you were shouting about, Bloodthorn. He does have incredible potential depth to his Invocation, then again the Emerald Flames always were the best Invokers on balance,” Livewire commented as she saw Spike starting to glow with his Dragonfire.

She’s right, If he were so inclined, he could easily become a stand-out Magus in the Legion’s MagiCorps. And would I be wrong to stop him if he were so inclined after this. Maybe I am scared of losing another potential student to Bloodthorn… Rosethorn thought as she could see the air becoming charged from Spike’s power.

“So you decided to use something faster than what I can see, so that I don’t have time to physically react. You have good combat instincts Spike, it’d be a shame if they were to become dulled by years of shuffling letters and packages to and fro~!” Wraithwind said in an almost mocking tone, further enraging the young Dragon.

“I AM NOT SOMEONE’S GO-FOR!” Spike shouted, as bolts of lightning began to strike from the ceiling down to the floor.

Wraithwind chuckled with far more strength than an elder Dragon should have, at least to Spike’s ears. “So if you aren’t someone’s go-for, then what are you? A Dragon has to be something or want to be something, so what is if for you?”

Wraithwind continued his uproarious laugh as the lightning continued to strike from the ceiling down to the floor, and in a few cases back up again. Though he was not struck, he could feel the energy back and forth.

It’s been a little while since I felt so invigorated, and Livewire says these little sessions don’t do any good…

“Are you sure he has had no formal training in Invocation before this, this feels like the mana output of someone who is at least in their 5th year of formal training,” Livewire figured, as her ear ridges fanned out wide at all of the electrical energy in the air.

“As far as I can tell, and from what the drake told me, he hasn’t even so much as looked at a book on invocation until the recent weeks. Being around that Twilight Sparkle must have given him a good grounding in Magic in general, something I thought would be beyond the Ponies’ Elements of Harmony,” Rosethorn thought, as she could feel Spike’s power welling up again.

“I can see your body charging up for another spell, I wonder what you have in mind, young drake,” Wraithwind asked, truly wondering what Spike had up his metaphorical sleeve.

“Olx Kvok [Frost Chain],” Spike said in a growling tone, his forearms suddenly coated in ice, and what appeared to be icy blue chains hanging off his wrists.

“Ha! An ol’ favorite of mine. Since you’re doing so well setting the mood…” Wraithwind started before he flipped his crook over to the knobbed end. “Olx Tvalz[Frost Field].”

Spike stumbled, as he watched the entire floor of the dojo-like training room become covered in what appeared to be thick and smooth ice. Wraithwind, though, looked as if he was at his second home.

“Yes, so many memories. ‘How many?’ you might ask,” Wraithwind started, as he struck a tone of somber remembrance. “I don’t even bother to count… they don’t name numbers that high,” the elderly looking dragon chuckled, which only further tweaked the already tweaked purple Dragon.

“Nngh,” Spike grunted, as he extended the effect of his spell to his feet, in order to let him walk and run normally on the ice.

“Good idea, the magically created ice on magically created ice should negate most, if not all of the loss of traction. But will that be enough? We shall see soon enough,” Wraithwind commented as he kept his crook turned over, knobbed end on the ground, as he began to ‘skate’ around the impromptu ice-rink.

“He certainly is having fun with this,” Rosethorn said as she sighed at the proceedings.

“I’m sure the Leader takes it as no small insult to have Ice Invocations used against him, even if the purple one does it out of rank ignorance of that fact,” Bloodthorn added.

“I just hope he remembers this is only a sparring match and not an actual fight,” Livewire concluded.

Wraithwind continued on, as he was now completing a circle around the purple dragon. And the more circles he completed, the more frustrated Spike became.

“I wonder what it is you are waiting for? Perhaps you are trying to answer that question at the same time you are trying to answer my earlier question?” Wraith asked as he continued to encircle Spike.

Spike growled as he tried to focus, but found himself starting to lose it. “I’m… I’m…”

“Come on now, Spike. I’m pretty sure you have a good solid reason for being out here this long…” Wraithwind continued, in his somewhat snide tone.

“I want to help them!”

“See, that’s better. But not by much, ‘helping them’ is awfully nebulous…”

Spike had reached another peak of his frustration, as he slung an icy chain to ensnare the still-skating elder Dragon. The problem with that was simple – said elder Dragon was FAR stronger than he appeared to the novice Invoker.

“Woah… what’s going on…” Spike said, as he felt himself being pulled by the chain that was wrapped around Wraithwind’s chest and shoulders.

“Not much, but it appears you don’t have enough leverage to stop my momentum. I know magic is what it is, but eventually…” Wraithwind started as he kept skating; listening for a certain tell-tale sign. He soon got it – a yelp, a thud, and a loud scratching sound – as Spike hadn’t let go of the chain, and was now being dragged belly-first along the magically conjured rink.

“This is embarassssssing!” Spike said as he tried to find some way to break Wraithwind’s momentum; continuing to slide along, closely trailing the elder Dragon.

“How long do you think he’s going to hold on?” Livewire asked, watching the scene unfold.

“Probably not until the Leader slings him into one of the walls of the room, that is one of the flourishes he likes when something like this happens,” Bloodthorn replied.

A few moments later, Wraithwind went into a turn but stopped suddenly, as he pressed his crook hard into the rink, causing Spike’s ice-chain to suddenly whip around, with Spike still on the other end. Much like Bloodthorn’s prediction stated, Spike was sent careening into the wall of the practice room, ending up in an upside down heap, his tail laid over his chest and head.

“Owwwwww…” the purple dragon loudly groaned, as he was starting to lose his impetus to fight.

“I am not sure if that mace-like appendage your tail terminates in would have helped you to brake, but it couldn’t have hurt. Well not any more than it already has…” Wraithwind mused as he began to skate away from the overturned purple dragon.

“I… I have to help them… my friends. If I don’t become strong enough to help them, I’m just gonna be a burden, I’m just going to be a weak link. I don’t want to be a weak link… not anymore!” Spike said slowly, trying to psyche himself back up and into the fight. He finally, and gingerly, shuffled around until he was right-side-up again, and standing on the ice rink.

“A truly admirable desire. Certainly more admirable than what a lot of other Dragons have told me in the same situation,” Wraithwind said, as he began to gather himself. “I bet they are in a lot of trouble, as well, over there.”

Spike suddenly looked very surprised as he listened to the elder Dragon’s words.

“I believe you already figured a piece of this out, but let’s see how it feels when a Dragon with a, let’s charitably call it good level of experience does it, eh?” Wraithwind chuckled, as his body began to glow softly in aquamarine.

Is it just me, or is it getting colder, but only around him… Spike said as he tried to get into a defensive stance.

“Can’t have you running around this next part, so I’m going to need you to stay right where you are,” Wraithwind started, as he pointed his crook straight at Spike. “FROST CHAIN!”

“Wait what?” Spike said, as he had no time to react to Wraithwind’s Invocation in Equish; the streams of aquamarine mana already racing toward his body. He only had time to reflexively put his arms around his head and chest, as he felt the positively chilling binds wrap around him.

In a few moments, Spike was strung up in a net, hanging off ceiling, completely ensnared and a good Length and a half off the ground.

“Hey what’s… what’s the big idea of this?!” Spike said, as he tried in vain to break out of the ice-net.

“Like I said, little drake, what I have to say now is very important, so you best listen. You have a spirit of selflessness that is far and away beyond what I’d expect any Dragon your age to have. That is a motivation I rarely hear out of someone so young. So I want to confirm it: you did say you want to cease being a burden to your compatriots and actually be a boon to them, correct?” Wraithwind explained, and then asked.

“Not in those exact words, but yeah, pretty much!” Spike said, squirming still as he was nowhere used to how cold the chains that made up his net were.

“Amazing, simply amazing!” Wraithwind bellowed, as he began laughing with a great and gregarious laugh. “Truly a unique little drake you are, and I have indeed taken great interest in you. I want to see just how far someone as young and as untainted by the ravages of time as you actually can go with such a selfless sense of duty to one’s compatriots. Also, forgive me for being a bit, harsh, but I had to see how you would respond when pressed.”

Wraith snapped his claws, causing the ice-net and the ice rink to dissipate, returning the room to normal, and returning Spike to the floor with a *oomph*.

“Too many drakes and drakas your age lose themselves in a fog of vainglory. Too busy trying to build a hoard or a reputation they can defend. By the time they first realize what they have done, their reputation as, quite frankly, a churlish, selfish monster has already settled in the eyes of the world. That is why it is so hard for a Dragon to make any emotional connections and bonds outside of other Dragons – we leave ourselves, too often, in positions where none can understand us except through second-hand accounts and outright hearsay.”

Wraithwind turned around and looked at the three Dragonesses arranged on the bench, who were still unsure of if the demonstration was over with or not.

“Look at them Spike. In each all three of those ladies have a reputation in some way or fashion that sees them as monstrous entities: Livewire constantly devouring metal ore to feed half of the skills she developed, Rosethorn being a relentless temptress and hoarder of historical artifacts, and Bloodthorn being a brutal engine of pure wartime destruction, given the form of a sleek dragoness. And that is just her reputation now.”

“I’m afraid to ask what it was before…” Spike asked as he gingerly walked up to the elder Dragon.

“Would you believe she was an incredible booze-hound, as the Diamond Dogs would say. A draka that would get so incredibly drunk, she could destroy a whole small village in a drunken rage, and then wake up the next day and not remember a single thing that happened the night, or nights, previous. I would go deeper into the actual story, but I’m going to have so much time with you in the near future,” Wraithwind said, before feeling a familiar clawed hand grip him by the head.

“Are you telling that story YET again. After I POLITELY asked you NOT to tell it unless I give you express PERMISSION to?!” Bloodthorn asked, her anger quite evident in her snarling voice.

Wraithwind chuckled, and rapped the Dragoness on her forehead, which caused Bloodthorn to drop him immediately. “Even at 1300 years and you still have such a temper. That’s very unbecoming of a military officer of your stature, Miss Bloodthorn.”

Bloodthorn mumbled an apology as she rubbed the spot where Wraithwind struck her.

“In any case, I will give you my answer since you did keep me quite interested and focused during our little training session. When you meet with her again, tell her ‘Of course her sifu would love to see her again, as would the whole council. I know I should have told you earlier, but if it were so important to you, you knew where to find me nine times out of ten.’,” Wraithwind finally answered, making Spike’s eyes light up with that amazed glow.

“Oh man, you really mean that?! That’ll be the best news Celestia has gotten all these last few months,” Spike smiled as he was excited to return, before a pall suddenly came over him.

“Hrm, something wrong, I thought a positive response on my part would make you more excited than this,” Wraithwind asked, already sensing what the purple Dragon was feeling.

“That sparring session with you. It… it made me feel like someone who really had only been doing invocation for a month. I… I want to stay a little while longer… as long as I need to do really nail down the basics. Like I don’t think I’m cut out for a long term learning period, at least not right now. Celestia-willing I’ll be better prepared for it once our little, adventure, over on the other side ends,” Spike asked with the utmost respect to be offered someone of Wraithwind’s stature.

“Yes, but I will not be your teacher if you do stay here longer,” Wraithwind started, already noting the disappointed face of Spike when he uttered those words. “Don’t worry though, I will give you this goal to shoot for – Over these coming years, prove yourself to be a Dragon whose potential is so vast, so deep, so undeniable, that I will be FORCED to take you on as a personal apprentice of mine. I believe that should be a good long-term goal that will allow you to continue helping those you have already made an emotional bond with, as well as give you a thought for what lies beyond.”

“I… okay. If it won’t be right now… then I’ll make sure that someday I will be able to call you my teacher in earnest, Mr… Mr…” Spike replied, surprised that in all the imbroglio he still hadn’t gotten the name of this elder Dragon.

“Wraithwind. First Seat of the Karrak-za-Jalve Council. First Seat of the Council of Nine,” Wraithwind replied, with a smirk on his face.

“I… what… how… the leader… the Supreme Leader? The Head Honcho of all the organized Dragon Territories?! YOU’RE HIM!” Spike replied with a grave deal of shock, which in turn surprised even Wraithwind.

“Oh come now, what were you expecting?” Wraithwind asked.

“Frankly, a giant 50 Length tall dragon, that towered over everything; like some kind of Dragon demi-god. I mean it’s kinda how Princess Celestia looks to us in Equestria sometimes…” Spike replied sheepishly.

“No, but… well that’s best saved for another time,” Wraithwind started, before waving himself off. “In any case, take the next couple of days to rest, and we will get you started with some more formal tutors. I am sure Rosethorn would like to continue being your personal tutor, but I have some business with her and the rest of the Council of Nine to take care of, now that this bit has been settled with my response to Celestia’s overtures.”

“Yes sir, you won’t regret any of this, I promise!” Spike said, as he hurriedly began for what looked like the exit.

“Livewire, would you please arrange for a nice little hotel for him to stay in, preferably one without any kind of, extra-curricular activities going on. I mean he is a young, impressionable drake after all,” Wraithwind chuckled, as he waggled the upper ridges of his eyes.

Livewire just sighed in mild exasperation and bemusement as she answered. “Of course Leader Wraithwind, he is a special case after all…”

[ July 10, ???? + 1 – Karrak-za-Jalve, Central Dragon Territory ]
=================================================================

“So, how is our prospective protégé doing with Miss Rose?” Wraithwind asked of the quiet black-and-blue-spined Dragon, as he looked out of a low window to oversee the comings and goings in the courtyard of the Central Council-building.

“He has made good progress in this last month and a half, in my estimation. Though he can certainly work on his stealth, he would need to mature emotionally first,” Silentclaw responded, ears still ringing a bit from all the shouting of said purple dragon; Rosethorn was now working him double time, compared to what they did out on the road.

“Ahh, the brashness of youth. On one hand, I do miss it… on the other hand, if you ask me to choose between youth and potential, and age and guile… I’d take age and guile every time,” Wraithwind responded, with a bit of a wry smile toward the black dragon.

“That certainly sounds like you, Wraithwind,” Silentclaw responded with a knowing chuckle.

“In any case, we should be drawing up our official response for the Equestrian government, though… given what you are telling me, we might have a little more leverage, especially regarding that little project of theirs on the other side,” Wraithwind then said.

“Correct, sir. We can certainly leverage a buy-in if the current trends hold,” Silentclaw concluded, as they both looked out at the courtyard, thinking towards a future with a much more… robust population to work with.

-----

“Proc, Iqual, Muz, Qzat, Kruf… [Fire, Water, Air, Metal, Earth…]” Spike slowly chanted, repeating the lines given in pattern. As Rosethorn instructed him, centering himself and listening to his ‘voice of Desire’ as she put it.

According to the rose-red Dragoness, the specific method of meditation combined with slowly chanting the most common keywords of Dragon Invocation, would help him focus on whatever task that was at hand. And, at least according to her, let him listen to the whispers of Tiamat, the Great Spirit-Queen of All Dragons. While Spike didn’t exactly understand what Tiamat was supposed to be – either a real entity that lay beyond what is seen, or just some kind of metaphorical entity, he did have to admit that what Rosethorn had suggested in his meditation was indeed helping.

It was helping him so much he was starting get a feel for, or more specifically, a nose for, the various minute differences between the various ‘frequencies’ of mana.

And what he sensed from Terran Water Mana disturbed him to his core.

“It smells like rotten fish and dead algae…” Spike remarked when he first thought of the Water Magic and how ‘off’ it seemed.

And then he saw it through his mind’s eye: the vision of a monstrous Unicorn – a black male Unicorn the size of Nightmare Moon, minus the wings. At the same time, it looked he looked like he was standing in front of a curtain made of snakes, innumerable and all writhing; their bodies navy blue and their eyes glowing with a hate and malice that felt absolute and total.

“Something’s wrong…” Spike growled, his sense for trouble starting to become highly aggravated.

“What is wrong, Spike?” Rosethorn asked, noticing that Spike was reacting to something very troubling, but she couldn’t quite piece together what.

“The Water… or more to the point… the Conduit of Water… something is wrong with him. Every time I feel out the power coming from Terra, as you all call it I guess, the Water feels like its actively malicious. But magical energy doesn’t have feelings, at least not as far as I can tell… so that means…” Spike started, as Rosethorn started to piece things together.

I do remember reading some historical texts that stated the aspects of Power from Terra had a Champion that represented one of, if not the strongest user of that particular aspect…

“Something has happened to this Conduit you speak of. If his feelings can have that much of an impact on the sensation of that aspect of mana, then he must be in dire straits,” Rosethorn concluded out loud. “Allow me to contact your Princess, this may be too fast-moving a situation to leave to the normal channels of communication.”

Princess Celestia, are you available to talk?

I find myself in a bit of a hectic situation, but I can spare a few moments…

It is about Spike, he says he is feeling some sense of wrongness in the Terran Water Mana he speaks of…

I fear that the Conduit of Water has fallen into the same Abyss that my sister fell into…

Are you absolutely sure?

It is the only explanation for the course of action Luna has taken in recent moments. To engage him directly with all of the Conduits and Elements means the situation has become truly dire…

I understand completely…

“Spike! We’re leaving,” Rosethorn said as she opened her eyes.

“Wait what? Leaving, to where?” Spike replied said as he stood up.

“To that other world of which you spoke. Alicorns are not the only entities capable of inter-dimensional travel!” Rosethorn shouted with a smirk, as she drew a white magical circle beneath the two of them.

“Holp Orla! [World Jump!]” the rose-scaled Dragoness shouted, as the two of them disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

----

“I certainly wish the two of you luck in resolving this situation on Terra, Rosethorn and Spike. I would hate to see one of our most prized students suffer any more loss,” Wraithwind quietly said, as he looked up at the faint aurora in the sunset.

CH 20: Under Pressure

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=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 20: Under Pressure ===

[ July 1, 2081 -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
=====================================

The last seven days in the Isegawa Complex were nothing if not than a total scramble. Similarly, the situation outside in the rest of the post-industrialized world was quite similar, as the advance of the Black Shield, as the Native Equestrians called them, was absolutely relentless and voracious, as it consumed every major city in its seemingly unstoppable tide of overwhelming (magi)technological advantage and just general viciousness. In the span of only a month, the SPH decimated the (admittedly small) ranks of the uniformed military; and the un-uniformed but allied militias and mercenary groups that were allied either bailed out, or were similarly ineffective. By the time the calendar rolled over to July, the only things that were left under the direct control of the duly elected governments, discounting the ones who didn’t immediately ally themselves with the S.P.H. to start with, were the national capitals, and the city blocks and districts that surrounded the Conversion Bureaus.

As it were, everyone in the Clinic, the Labs underground, and the Dormitories behind, were doing everything in their personal power to pack up as much as they could. To his eternal credit, neither of the Doctors Isegawa, or any of the actual remaining lab workers let slip the sensitive nature of all the machinery, material, and information that were being moved out underground. So as far as the Elements of Harmony, COnduits of Terra, and the small military detachment that decided to act as bodyguards for all of them knew, they were all simply emptying out a Pony-sympathetic outpatient clinic and otherwise unremarkable self-contined medical lab. Not that helped to calm down a certain ‘electric’ blue Unicorn that was a hair’s length away from a total panic attack.

"Happy pony… I'm a happy pony…" he said to himself in a low voice, as if trying to talk himself into feeling something he wasn't.

You’re not really happy, are you? a too-familiar feminine voice chided, its voice growing stronger in Vague’s head by the hour.

"I'm happy… Ponies are always happy…" Vague responded aloud, in no frame of mind to know his response was making him look disturbed to say the least.

Does everypony out there look happy to you?

"Everyone is happy, everyone is working really hard to be happy…"

Just then he heard a crash outside, which made him draw under his covers.

"Applejack dear, please watch the sewing machine. I'd really appreciate it the Doctors Isegawa didn't have to try and find another one with all the chaos everywhere…"

"Ah'm tryin’ Rarity but it's really dang hard to be careful when yer in a rush like this. Ain't no tellin how much time we have left ta get all this stuff outta here…"

See, they don't sound happy now do they…

"…"

This world isn't making anypony happy…

"…"

Do you know why this world isn't making anypony happy…

"No… please… stop…"

It's the humans… the humans are the reason why nopony in this world is happy…

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

And it's not just us that aren't happy… what about all the animals that have died because of the humans… look at your Element…

"SHUT UP!"

Blue Vague was now starting to tear up. He wanted desperately for that voice to fall silent again. He would have given anything to hear any word that would have told him this was some kind of trick; some kind of trap by some cosmic entity… that this wasn't his own mind questioning his faith to save humanity. Yet the voice of his duplicate would not relent in its probing.

The oceans are so fetid, and now they are nearly void of life. How many species will you let overfishing, over-industrialization, and pollution claim before you tear out the source of the problem? Are you going to wait until all the dolphins are gone? All the whales? All the octopi? All the sharks? What of the little plankton – can’t even see them without a microscope? Yet, they’ll be gone just like anything else if you don’t do what you know needs to be done, little wave-maker~!

Vague couldn't answer… he didn't want to answer; he didn't want to admit to himself that humanity may, just maybe beyond redemption. He continued to cry, and cry, and cry.

Midori Hana stood outside of Vague's door, forehoof against the door. She began to cry herself, knowing she hardly knew how to help her coltfriend.

"You want to go in there don't you, Hana?" Golden Storm asked, getting a short break from moving material around.

"Yes… I… I wanna help him… this is just like a year ago almost… except…" Hana started, sniffling all the while. "Something feels even worse, like there is something lurking inside of him that's trying to claw its way out."

"I know what you mean…" Twilight Sparkle added, excusing herself from butting into the conversation between the former Humans. "I've been trying my best to contact Princess Luna. She would know how to handle this 'problem' the best."

-----

“I have to help him, I have to stop this thing from completely rooting itself inside his soul. But what if it is too late? What if I missed all the signs again, and I’m cursed to watch another turn into that? Why should anyone have to bear the burden I once did?” Princess Luna said to herself, as she sat inside of a magical circle, arcane power far beyond what any Pony mage or thamaturge would understand in these modern times.

“Stop blaming yourself, Lulu. It’s not going to do us much good for you to sit here in self-pity,” Celestia replied, as her golden light coalesced into her incarnate form inside of Luna’s private chambers.

“I can’t help but blame myself for what plagues the Conduit of Water now. I should have been able to see long before now that one of those… monsters… rooted itself inside of his soul. And now… he may be too far gone to stop…” Luna said, trying her hardest to not smash one of her decorative vases in frustration.

“And if he is, what then? You know I had to ask myself the same question with you at one point in time,” Celestia replied, as she made to hug her sister.

Luna eventually relented, and welcomed the embrace of her sister. “I… I didn’t want to burden you again with having to solve the conundrum of one of those dark creatures running amok. I wanted to believe that I, and I alone, could just nip this problem in the bud.”

Celestia wanted to be mad at her sister, but in the end couldn’t; especially given how, despite appearances, she was still burdened with everything she did as Nightmare Moon. “I understand. However, the more capable hooves on a problem, the faster it can get solved, right?”

Luna sniffled a bit before responding with a bit of a smile returning to her face. “Right.”

“Now back to the matter before us. From what you told me before…” Celestia started before Luna interrupted her.

“His soul-scape is completely enshrouded in navy-blue fog. I cannot see nor hear anything when I try to walk through his dreams. It is as if his soul is completely cut-off from everything else,” Luna concluded for her sister, already seeing where she was trying to go.

“I felt something similar to that when I tried to walk through your dreams all those centuries ago, but I just chalked it up to not being anywhere near as proficient as you. Plus your smoke was almost black anyway so I probably just didn’t recognize it as such. That means…” Celestia started again before Luna stopped her.

“That means his Nightmare is close to manifesting. He is still in control of his body but he’s completely distraught. Unfortunately… we may be left with the same scenario that you faced over a thousand years ago,” Luna concluded for her sister again.

“That is let his monster completely emerge, and deal with the situation then. Though we do have a trump card on our side this time,” Celestia added, as the gears in her mind continued to whirl.

“The Elements of Harmony, which can completely destroy the evil contained with a Nightmare, are now in the possession of six other mares, whom are all dear to the Conduit of Water. On top of that, the Elements of Terra are perfectly suited for combat should he prove to be aggressive when that monster completely manifests. The only question is - do the nine other Elements have the nerve to fight their tenth when it comes time?” Luna wondered, as she began to power down the magical circle.

“We can only hope so. Our magic reaches ever loftier heights the tighter the bond of friendship we share. If they are truly friends, then they will overcome this, and all ten of them will be stronger for it,” Celestia said in reassurance for her sister.

“Even so, if, but more likely when, that day comes, I will be there in the flesh to witness that battle. I refuse to watch another Pony fall prey to those monsters. And if I have to deal with the situation… then I will,” Luna said as she walked toward the exit to her chamber.

“Now I have to ask you – do you have the nerve for that, when… no… if that time comes?” Celestia asked, the look on her face being one of utmost seriousness.

“Trust me… I have my methods. One way or another, I promise that Nightmare won’t have the chance to do anything to Earth, should it even manifest,” Luna replied, matching the stern look Celestia was giving her.

“Then I do, my sister. He is your student, in a sense, and I place my faith that you will see all of your charges though this,” Celestia replied, her stern face warming to its usual gentle smile.

-----

The violet Unicorn and the green Earth Pony thought for a few moments, and then came to the sudden realization of that implication.

"You really don't think it's that serious, do you Twilight?" Midori asked, after making sure that everyone was away from Vague's door.

"Honestly, I do. I want to be proven wrong so badly on this, but I cannot be sure unless Luna or Celestia talk to him," Twilight replied, shivering at what it could mean if her theory was right.

-----

Meanwhile, back Canterlot Castle, the Royal Sisters were continuing their conversation from earlier, though the subject had grown in scope.

“How are our guard contingents holding up, given all the chaos swirling around Earth?” Celestia asked of one of her general’s lieutenants.

“Yes your highness. According to last report from Field Commander Aether Storm, we have a total fifty casualties, though no killed-in-action. However, we do have five that are currently in serious but stable condition: three in Hamburg, Germany and two in St. Petersburg, Russia,” the lieutenant responded.

“Keep us informed of the numbers,” Celestia replied as the lieutenant left.

“It sounds like we are about at the end of our ropes when it comes to trying to protect the Bureaus and the federal institutions of governments we’re allied with,” Luna mused, as she looked at a map of Earth.

The map showed what territory was controlled by the SPH (marked in charcoal colored ink) and what was controlled by the established governments (marked in green). Needless to say, the map of much of the inhabited world was covered in charcoal-colored ink.

“It’s like someone spilled an ink-well on Earth and it’s just covering everything,” Luna said despondently, sighing afterwards in exasperation.

“Our plans should start shifting to how we are going to root out this Black Shield from control. As much as I hate to say it, trying to stop them now would be like trying to stop the floodwater after the dam had already burst,” Celestia said bitterly, her disdain for the pronouncements of the S.P.H. affecting her more than most other detractors had in recent years.

“To that end, I would venture to say that Safe Haven is operational?” Luna replied, as she looked at the inbox of missives and notices from the commanders in the field Earth-side.

“A day early, but all of the environmental and information systems are online. We should go ahead and start moving personnel and families now. There is no telling when Aguillar and her allies will lose their last handhold on political and martial power,” Celestia replied, the bitterness in her voice being replaced by a sense of forlorn.

-----

Later that evening, in a now eerily quiet office building in the Manhattan Domes, Richard Edwards sat at his desk, while Candice and some assisting A.I.s performed last minute cleanups of documents and files, in order to ensure that no information would fall into anyone else's hands if the S.P.H. came searching the premises.

"Candice…" Richard started as he spoke over the intercom to the main computer room where Candice was busy at work.

"Yes Mr. Edwards…"

"Tomorrow is the day…"

"Yes, Safe Haven has been completed without a hitch, and the Royal Guard has begun weaving the cloaking spells. All of the systems in the facilities are reporting Code Green. All of the employees willing to move are already in transit through standard means. I dare say the SPH truly knows absolutely nothing about this."

Richard Edwards fumbled a bit with a dark violet necklace, as he contemplated the future.

"I won't lie Candice… it feels like I'm running away. Like I'm running and hiding like a scared dog…"

"Sir, you know as well as I do… we do not have the means to counteract the SPHs numbers nor weaponry. We need time, we need time to build up both our and the Ponies' forces. Safe Haven should give us that time."

"Unfortunately, you are right. I'm afraid dear Melinda is out of time, and this greater project of ours will have to change in its focus."

"Sir, do you believe that it would be wise to meet force with force?"

"In terms of an all out war against the SPH, no. This will be as much a war of ideas and ideals, as it is a war of bullets and spellcraft now."

"Yet, we will have to be able to meet force with force, when the time arises."

"Indeed, Candice… indeed."

-----

Elsewhere in Manhattan though, the three main figures of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity were in a very luxurious barroom, imbibing some spirits with their closest lieutenants.

"Tomorrow is the day we finally crush what is left of that bitch Aguillar and her partner-in-crime's governments!" Peter Vaughn said, rubbing his hands in anticipation, almost giddy at the prospect of finally being rid of any and all detractors in the world's governments.

A raucous cheer erupted from the 20 or so others in the room.

Claire Terrance sat in one of her many designer dresses, puffing away at an electronic cigarette. "Yes, tomorrow is the day we establish our own order."

Nathan Egret also was excited, but concerned with what the future held for their group. "But we should retain the legal structures as they stand, at least long enough to properly transition."

The crowd murmured for a bit, not wanting to see their money suddenly become worthless due to the loss of legal backing.

Claire thought for a few moments, and then agreed. "It would prove to be quite a problem if the governments fully collapsed, that is true."

Nathan continued, "Indeed, why bother rebuilding the foundation entirely, when there is one already laid out for us; we just merely need to occupy it for the time being…"

The crowd murmured some more, mostly in agreement with what Nathan stated.

Peter brushed aside all of their concerns. "This is all a mere formality anyway. They would eventually have given in to us completely; we're just… moving the schedule up a bit." He then chuckled for a bit, wondering just what those damned horses were going to think once they lost what little formal protection they had left.

Everyone stood up and cheered, as a chant soon erupted. "To a New Age! To a New Order! To a New Mankind!"

-----

Meanwhile, a couple at the Atlanta SPH Processing Center were getting ready for their first field mission -- they were to go through the Southern states towards Texas, wiping out whatever would be remaining of the U.S. Military after noon tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is the day we go on our first sweep, I am so excited, Andrew!"

"At least what they said about the gear being for anyone of sound mind was true. I am astonished how at light and strong it feels."

"Yes, it is, isn't it dear! Far more potent than what those little Ponies in their tin-can armor can do. We'll show them… we'll show them all!"

"I hope you're right, Linda. I pray to God above that you're right."

-----

Are you absolutely sure of this, President Aguillar… I cannot predict your future safety should you choose to proceed down this route…

Princess Celestia… I must protect my country and my family at all costs. If this is something that I have to endure… then I will endure it as long as I can…

I would assume that your family has already been outfitted with the charms that I sent to you three days ago…

Yes, whenever you feel it is best time to send them to Safe Haven, you have my permission to do so…

I pray, that one day I can return this trust that you have given me, Melinda Aguillar…

============= !! =============

All across the world, caravans of black vehicles were moving in on the national capitals. The SPH was now poised to deliver, in their estimation, the knockout blow. Soon they would be formally in charge of everything, and could begin their real goal, the expulsion of the Equestrians and the elimination of their Human allies.

The public remained bitterly divided in this regard. Some regarded the SPH as nothing more than selfish extremists, probably with backing by the Dome citizens who were seething after the failures in the previous elections. Others regarded the SPH as freedom fighters, destroying Vichy governments and re-establishing humans as the lone source of political power in the world.

As far as the Bureaus were concerned -- the mobilized Unicorn divisions of the Royal Guard were resolute to provide shielding for the Bureaus to the bitter end; while the Earth Pony medics and Pegasi scouts were to coordinate with their Human counterparts, supporting what was left of the military and police forces still loyal to their respective governments. Everyone there felt however, that it was only a matter of time before the hammer would come down upon their heads as well.

There were a few convoys though, taking a different route. Many trains, a few planes, and several automobiles were en-route to a quiet looking spot in the Cascade Mountains. The HEA, its 13 member leadership council sans the head in Richard Edwards, and much of the remaining human contingent, were on their way to the 99% complete, underground facility known as Safe Haven. There, they would ride out this storm, and hopefully, be able to plan for future – a future that was now gravely in doubt.

{{ Author's Note: For the rest of this chapter, I will explicitly indicate setting and time changes for each 'soft' transition }}

[ July 7, 2081 @ 8:00 AM GMT-6 -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
=====================================================

"So… the day has finally arrived…" Dr. Hayato said wistfully, as he rubbed a doorway in the Isegawa Clinic. "You know, I've gotten attached to this place in the last year plus."

"I can tell, honey. Unfortunately, all things we do come to an end," Dr. Jun replied, rubbing her husband's shoulders, the dark violet charms around their necks as well.

"Captain Johnson, are you sure your intel is correct in this regard? How would the S.P.H. even know this facility had an underground laboratory?" Dr. Hayato asked of the Army Captain standing off to side.

"Dr. Isegawa, I believe it would be fair to say the S.P.H. and their Dome backers have a hand in a lot of cookie jars. Knowing them, they probably tracked down one of your subordinates and made it worth his or her while to talk," Johnson responded morosely.

"Fair enough. So, do you think this plan will work, though? It would entirely depend on the SPH being foolish enough to think they would gain anything from this place should they attack it," Dr. Hayato asked, still feeling sentimental for the Clinic, Lab, and Dorms he'd been living in the 15 months previous.

"They will want as much intel on the inner workings of Equestrian physiology as they possibly can. Of course, all of the relevant information has already been removed from this facility, am I correct?" Capt. Johnson asked of the two doctors.

Dr. Jun responded in turn. "Yes, the only information that is in our physical files and computers, at this location, is a lot of useless garbage. In addition, you do understand that if what you say is true, and they attack this place, then we would have no recourse but to self-destruct the labs. Despite our best efforts, there may still be traces left they could use."

"Yes. Mrs. Dr. Isegawa, myself and my men are fully prepared for that eventuality," Capt. Johnson replied, resolute to see this mission through.

Dr. Hayato sighed as he began to walk back to the dormitories. "Then let us pray that we begin to strike a blow against the SPH."

[ 08:45 AM GMT-6 ]
------------------

"Ok so we got everything packed up?" Twilight Sparkle asked, inwardly lamenting how spartan the Dormitories looked again.

"Ahh, we just got this place really feeling like a home, and now it's back to looking like a human doctor's office," Pinkie said morosely; her mane poofy, yet still sad herself.

"Yeah, I can tell how much you Ponies care for aesthetics. From the briefings I got, the location you all are relocating to should be just as amenable to you all; even if you won't be living near other human communities for quite some time," Capt. Rodriguez replied to Pinkie. Like a lot of other humans, he found himself growing more and more comfortable with the Ponies after spending (more-or-less) social time with them.

"That's that Safe Haven place y'all talkin 'bout? Ah hate the idea of leavin’, but looking at things, Ah don't think we gotta choice…" Applejack said, brim of her hat over her eyes, trying to hide her disgust at the idea.

"Unfortunately, when you play Poker, you have to know when to fold when you're dealt a crap hand," one of the Privates said as he helped Storm move some more equipment to the underground labs for transport.

"Yeah I'd probably be terrible at playing that game… heart-on-sleeve kinda mare, ya know?" Rainbow Dash responded with a bit of mirth.

Rarity used a bit of magic to get Rainbow Dash on with the business of getting ready to leave the facilities. "Yes, we can see that, Rainbow dear. Anyway, I have all my things packed away, finally. Really, I'm starting to wonder myself how I travel with so many things."

Most of the military men and women just shrugged and went on about their business.

Blue Vague was finally out of his room (for more than a few minutes at a time) for the first time in a few days. "I see everyone is getting ready to move. I guess it's to be expected." His tone was as dejected and depressed as any of the other Ponies, or really anyone could remember anyone else sounding.

Midori Hana tried her best to cheer her coltfriend up. "Oh come on now, while we might be losing this place. We'll still have a spot to call home, and we'll make that spot just as good as this one, maybe even better!"

"I guess…" was all the morose blue Unicorn could reply with.

---

"So ya became a Pegasus after ya left the service. And now you're all mixed up with the Equestrian VIPs? Man, you are just a magnet for trouble aren't you Ethan?" one of the other Privates said, as he, Golden Storm, and Red Blaze were walking outside heading back toward the Dormitory.

"I know, right? Man the last year has just been nuts, and I'm guessing it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future, Terry."

Red Blaze was still chuckling from some of Storm and Terry's stories while they were moving the last of the heavy equipment. "I always wondered who that 'Terry' was that Storm talked about when we first started dating."

"Yeah, that'd be me. He went into the Air Force and I stayed a ground-pounder in the Army. If I ever converted, probably end up an Earth Pony, who knows…" Terry responded, wondering what Blaze looked like while she was still human.

"Bad news everyone!" Capt. Rodriguez said out loud, as everyone who wasn't moving something particularly heavy or fragile stopped what they were doing in order to gather round to hear what the field commander had to say.

"What's up Captain?" Terry answered back, his group having met the rest at the common area of the Dormitory.

Capt. Rodriguez rubbed his forehead before speaking. "Like I said, bad news. The SPH has broken through the Third defensive line in Washington."

"Oh man, I know it was probably too much to ask they hold out all of today, but are they seriously that close already?" Terry responded.

"Care to elaborate on what's going on in the Capital?" Golden Storm asked, fluttering in the air before settling on a railing with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

Captain Rodriguez took a deep breath, and began to give the impromptu report. "Yeah, I figure the ten of you should know, along with the rest of my men. There are five defensive lines around the White House and the Capitol Building. Since 05:00 GMT-5, the SPH and their mercs have pretty much carved right through Defensive Lines 5 and 4 and are starting to breach 3. At this rate, Washington could fall before 13:00 GMT-5."

"Oh my Celestia! The President's family, they could be in danger!" Rarity said, utterly shocked at how fast events were moving.

Capt. Rodriguez continued. "Indeed, although we do have a failsafe in place… at the very least President Aguillar's family should be safe."

"But not Aguillar herself, or at least whatever we would define as 'safe'," Twilight figured.

Capt. Rodriguez was surprised at how fast Twilight put two-and-two together. "Sharp mind you have there, Twilight Sparkle. And yes, you'd be correct. In order to prevent a full and total collapse of the command structure of the U.S. Government, Aguillar would stay behind, along with the senior staff at the major departments, and the senior legislators in the Congress."

"She'd effectively be ceding the government to them. And I doubt she'd be alone in doing so…" Blue Vague said, disdain clearly evident in his speech.

"Anyone that says that you Ponies are 'feeble-minded' is a damn fool themselves," Capt. Rodriguze mused, scratching his head and wondering if the Unicorns were reading his mind or something. "But yes, it would be a functional surrender. At this point, though, I don't think we have the capability to fight this long term as-is. About the best we can do is go to ground, and try and build up to counterattack at a later date."

"That's so awful. But at the same time, I honestly can't argue with it. What'd be even more awful is to give a reason for the SPH to keep doing what they have been…" Fluttershy said, mane hanging over her face, as if she were ashamed to admit it out loud.

"Yeah man, I agree with the bright yellow Pegasus. I don't think we got it right now to fight back. As much as I hate runnin’, we gotta at least keep ourselves alive to fight another day," Terry added in agreement.

Capt. Rodriguez agreed, as a truck settled down outside the dorm to give the Ponies without the cybernetic implants a chance to keep up on the public news. "Hopefully, that's the chance that Safe Haven and this plan affords us."

Blue Vague stamped his hooves in frustration, wondering when all of this was going to end…

There is only one way all of this is going to end… and you have the power to be the first to finally bring the curtain down on this planet ready to self-destruct… the venom-tongued voice inside Vague told him; and Vague was finding himself hard-pressed to disagree with it anymore.

[ 11:15 AM GMT-5 -- Washington D.C. ]
--------------------------------------

"The Barbarians are at Gate 2! I repeat, the Barbarians are at Gate 2!" an aide shouted, as people scrambled around trying to get rid of any sensitive information they could, even if they had to resort to burning storage drives and paper documents.

"Momma, are you gonna be alright?" Rosa asked of her mother.

"Yes dear, I will be," President Aguillar replied, as she knelt down to hug her daughter.

"Mom, I… I'm sorry if I said anything to hurt you before. Please… just…" Reggie tried to say, as he began to choke up. He hugged his mother as tight and as long as he could, before he and Rosa were led away, both crying.

Michael just hugged his wife; he hoped not for the last time. "Please, dear. I don't know what I'd do without you. I don't know what exactly those bastards want, but please… just stay safe, stay alive… I really think the Ponies can help us all, but we need good Human leaders to make it all work."

"I know, dear. I honestly believe the SPH wants the government more or less intact. And as long as they keep people like me in place, it will be as stable as it could be all things considered," Melinda replied, hopeful that she wasn't just spouting idle wishes.

As Vice President Oberweiss approached President Aguillar, she took the white haired man about 8 years her senior aside for a semi-private word. “If anything happens to me, I need you to hold as fast to our ideals as best you can. This nation, and this world, needs men and women who will do everything, and work with anyone, to build this planet into a true home for all. I will be damned if I let ANYONE turn this world into some kind of playground for the idle wealthy.”

“You have my word, Madame President. And we will rectify this situation. You just hold on until then,” Oberweiss replied, as he gathered the Second Family together to be teleported out when the time came.

"GATE ONE! THE BARBARIANS ARE AT GATE ONE! If you want to get out, get out now!" a general shouted, as he began to round up as many civilians as he could for a military transport out.

President Aguillar's family shared one last hug as they were ushered away, and President Aguillar began to contemplate her fate.

-----

“How much more time, Pamela?” Jacques asked tersely through his private link, watching through the various feeds, and out of his own window, at the black vans and armored personnel carriers starting to stream down the highway toward the CIA office park.

“A few more minutes, I need to have this thing set up to where it will go off without me being here. If they want intel, they can gather it themselves,” Pamela said, her scraggly black hair now splayed all over her head and back, as she had been working for the last 24 hours straight rigging computerized self-destructs through all CIAs analysis systems.

“I cannot approve of this course of action, Miss Pamela,” Dana chided, as she looked at the young tech’s arms positively flailing as she typed where her brain couldn’t ‘type’ for itself.

“And I really don’t need you to! But I am NOT letting that bastard Yanovich hand over ANYTHING to those masked freakazoids,” Pamela snapped back, the mild focusing-drug in her system the only thing keeping her from going on a total caffeine-and-stimulant driven maniacal spree.

“Are you at least wearing that charm the HEA gave us? My contact on the outside had to really pull some strings to get us in while they were scrambling around like this trying to hunker down on their end,” Jacques asked, while looking at the innocuous looking wrist brace holding the amethyst jewel that held the Shadow-tuned nano-crystals that would get the two humans to safety when the time came.

“They’re entering the building, Pam. We’re in the last minutes here…” Jacques said as he held his finger over a pad that’d send the relay to a tech at Safe Haven, who’d in turn send the signal to the transporter array to bring him and Pamela over.

“Three minutes, give me three minutes… I wanted to watch that smug prick’s face as he saw all the recent intel he gathered reduced to incoherent noise,” Pamela said, her typing and swiping becoming increasingly frenetic.

“They’re coming up the elevator trying to find anyone still here, and we’re two of the only people left, Pam!” Jacques said, as his hand hovered over the pad.

“I can’t make it go any faster, Jack!” Pam said, as she began to wind down her typing, and began uploading the final version.

“The bomb is triggered to go off whenever someone accesses it, or in 3 hours, whatever comes first!” Pamela said, as the tension began to leave her body. “Just one last thing left to do, Dana.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m ready,” Dana said, as the monitor dedicated to her suddenly went into a customized test pattern.

“What are you doing with your AI? I can’t think you are going to junk ‘her’ given all the time you had to have spent fine-tuning it,” Jacques asked, as he continued to watch the monitors.

“One last little bit of business. I already have a copy of her main program on my person, in a holodisk… but her main program doesn’t keep her memory. That I need to keep on a live-fob if I want to keep her personality exactly like it is now,” Pamela said, as she watched the meter on the 2 sq inch rectangle slowly fill up.

“Are you sure that’s all you have left to do, we got maybe… 50 seconds before I press this button and we bail out of here,” Jacques said, as he looked at an ETA ticker on his own control pad from his own terminals estimation of when the black suited, shield-arm-band wearing men would reach his office.

A curt ding-dong sounded from the fob when it was done, as Pamela carefully removed it from her terminal. “I’m gonna miss this place. I know I can build something bigger, badder, and better in that Safe Haven place. But you know… I’m a little sentimental.”

Jacques was a bit taken aback when he heard the tech sniffling through their shared link.

“Are you crying, Miss Pamela,” Jacques said, as he watched the ETA counter drop to 20 seconds.

“A… a little… I guess…” Pamela replied, looking over the ‘Battlestation I’.

“So I take it that we’re all done here?” Jacques asked, as he could hear the footsteps of the less armored, but surely no less armed members of the S.P.H. running down his hallway.

“Yeah, we’re done…” Pamela said, steeling her nerve as she slipped the fob in her sling-pack.

Then we’re outta here… hope I can get to meet you face to face again… Miss Blaze… Jacques thought as he cut the active communications on the link, and pressed the button on the pad.

“Prepare to move in 10 seconds, Mr. Jacques,” the operator in Safe Haven told him through his general link.

“Anyone in there come out with your hands up, you are under arrest by order of the Society of the Preservation of Humanity,” he heard being shouted from outside the door.

A little late for that… he thought, as a flash of purplish light snatched him through the space-between-worlds.

A few moments later, the suited men slid the door open, after overriding the lock; only to find a few blinking computer terminal lights and a trashed office.

“Where did he go? Yanovich specifically told us there was an agent he suspected with direct ties to those damn collaborators in this office,” one of the suited men said, as they searched along the walls for some kind of hidden passage or crawlspace.

[11:45 AM GMT-5 -- Washington D.C. ]
------------------------------------

♪♪ My country,' tis of thee,
♪♪ sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;

President Aguillar, sitting in the Oval Office, alone, sat… and waited; singing various hymns and songs of patriotism. She did not have to wait long though. With a resounding crash, the door to the Oval Office fell to the ground, as black-suited and masked men and women rushed in and surrounded her, wielding automatic weapons, some glowing gold or red with Thaumatic-tau radiation.

"Hrm, I would assume you all have come for me. But really… ten, just for myself? A bit of overkill don't you all think?" President Aguillar stated matter-of-factly, staring at the blown down door to see who else would come through.

One other black-clad and masked man walked through the displaced entrance, striding along as if he was the king of the world (and in some sense, he was). "Madame President, such an honor to meet you face to face again…"

"That voice, where have I heard it before?” Aguillar started, before she came to realization. “I see, since you aren’t bothering to disguise your voice. And it is rather difficult to forget that particular baritone, so you may as well dispense with the mask.”

The masked leader removed said mask, to show his face to his new potential puppet. "Indeed, I guess I should reintroduce myself. Peter Vaughn, multi-billionaire, man about town, and now King of the Goddamn Mountain."

"So you say…" President Aguillar responded, projecting a nonchalance regarding Vaughn’s sudden sense of self-importance.

"Of course, in the interest of national stability, you will remain on as a figurehead; and we’ll have to round up whomever is left in an official capital in this wonderful monument to democracy. On that note, the first order of business under this new arrangement: I will need you will make a little announcement…" Peter said; eyes narrow with a dangerous and devious glint.

[ 10:58 AM GMT-6 -- St. Louis ]
----------------------------

"Everyone, get out here or tune your cyber-tracker to the best news-stream you can, apparently the SPH are about to make an announcement," Capt. Rodriguez shouted out.

The same calm-sounding voice from nearly a week ago came over the airwaves, with the now familiar black shield of the SPH on the screen. "The following message comes courtesy of the Society For the Preservation Of Humanity…"

"This is it people, once this message is over, I want everyone on high alert and to get into position - they are probably going to come here first. And to you all - Doctors Isegawa, Elements of Harmony, and Conduits of Terra - I can only wish you good luck and Godspeed. Hopefully me and my men make it back alive…" Capt. Rodriguez stated, kissing the amethyst-colored charm around his neck as if it were a rosary.

The message from the President of the United States then began, everyone marking their disgust at seeing the black-geared and masked thugs behind her, ostensibly to project force and ensure her compliance.

Celestia… Luna… Please, I hope this gamble of yours and the world leaders work… Twilight thought to herself, as she and the rest of the Ponies and the Doctors Isegawa prepared to be winked out at any moment.

"My fellow Americans, I have come to the conclusion that, after this long month of fighting, we can no longer afford the bloodshed caused by such; and the United States Government and her Military, such that it stands, can no longer resist the rebel forces. To wit, as of this moment, the United States Government and the Society For The Preservation of Humanity have agreed upon the terms of surrender. For this interim period, I will remain as President of the United States, until such time that new elections can be held. And as such, I am officially declaring null-and-void the official security arrangement with the Equestrian Conversion Bureaus, and declaring them Enemies of the State. This means that remaining federal forces will not be allowed to operate in any official capacity at the Bureaus; and any that do, do so at their own risk of court-martial on grounds of treason. In addition, any Members of Congress that do not return to work by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, July 9, 2081, will officially forfeit their position, and the SPH will retain the right to appoint a replacement of their choosing, until elections can be held. I wish and pray for calm during this period of transition, and a brighter future for not only the United States of America, but all of mankind."

Everyone watching was stunned into absolute silence. Although they knew the broad outlines of what was planned, none could believe that it was actually upon them now. Effectively, the S.P.H. had control of what was left of the American Government, and now free reign to do what they wanted.

[ 11:20 AM to 1:00 PM GMT-6 ]

Soon after, the other major nations of Earth that still held out, fell like dominoes. Canada and the European Union (and with it all constituent states and regions) officially surrendered at 12:20 GMT-5. The Chinese Federation fell next, at 13:10 GMT-5. Followed by Korea, Australia, and Japan simultaneously at 14:20 GMT-5. Overall, by 1:00 PM Central Time, there was no major nation left that wasn't already allied with the S.P.H., or under its thumb.

[ 6:15 PM GMT-6 - St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
-------------------------------------

The evening was as tense as any other that any of occupants of the Isegawa Complex could remember. Despite an ‘official’ declaration that the Equestrians were enemies of the state, and as far as the major governments were concerned, the entire world, none of the contingent of military who parked themselves as the Isegawa’s Laboratories saw fit to leave. However, that constituent mettle and courage were soon to be tested, as the recon drones showed the familiar black armored vans progressing toward the Bureau and the clandestine Labs.

"Well, it looks like the rats are taking the bait. Alright people, it's show-time!" Capt. Johnson said, as the rest of the soldiers checked their disguises. They now looked, as far as anyone could tell, like typical lab workers - white coats and casual wear all around; the only thing out of the ordinary was that they were all wearing similar amethyst-like charms, though hidden from plain sight.

"Don't go doing anything stupid you all, we are going to need all the military help we can get at Safe Haven…" Dr. Hayato said, as the charm he was wearing began to flash in a pattern.

Dr. Hayato, Twilight and Dr. Jun have already messaged myself regarding the coming S.P.H. forces. Are you ready to be teleported to Safe Haven? Luna asked of Dr. Hayato telepathically.

No, Luna. Something in my gut is telling me that I will have to help Capts. Johnson and Rodriguez sell this little trap… can you keep an open link with me in case things become too hectic… Dr. Hayato asked of Luna.

Luna thought for a few moments. I agree to those terms, Dr. Hayato Isegawa. However, you must swear that you will call for your teleportation to Safe Haven once things become dire… your wife can destroy the labs remotely from here if need be…

Dr. Hayato agreed to the counter-terms.

He went over to hug his now Ponified daughter, his darling Kyoko, now Midori Hana, for what he hoped would not be the final time. "<My beautiful daughter, do not fear what I am about to do. We must prove to these thugs that our resolve is absolute, that we will not be broken so easily.>"

Kyoko sniffled a bit before she responded in Japanese herself. "<Yes, father. I pray for your safe return, regardless of where we may call home.>"

Although none of the others, save Dr. Jun, could understand the full remarks (as the translation spell took some amount of focus to use), they all could feel what was intoned. He then hugged his wife and shared a swift kiss, as she disappeared in a dark violet ‘flash’ of light. She was followed by the Elements and Conduits; all of them arriving safely in the ‘loading bay’ at Safe Haven after a few moments of real-time.

[ 7:35 PM GMT-5 – Manhattan, New York City, USA ]
-------------------------------------------------

Richard Edwards hugged Candice as she was preparing to leave for Safe Haven.

"Are you sure that you don't want to leave now?" Candice asked of her boss, pleading with her eyes as well.

"No, there is someone apparently of note in the S.P.H. that wanted to discuss something with me directly. And I felt that I should oblige them. Don't worry, I have an open line to Princess Celestia in case things go south."

Indeed, Candice… I will make sure that Richard is brought to Safe Haven safely… Celestia told the both of them telepathically, all sharing a brief chuckle at the unintended pun.

"Please, just don't say anything that you'll regret…" Candice asked, as she hugged Richard again.

"I won't. I just hope that I can coax whoever it is into saying something they'll regret revealing…" Richard Edwards replied, hoping his rhetorical skills wouldn't fail him.

Candice waved goodbye as the dark-violet light whisked her away, sending her to Safe Haven ahead of Richard Edwards. As he sat in his office entirely alone, he began to sing one of his favorite songs…

♪♪ He said, "Son, I've made my life out of readin' people's faces,
♪♪ And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.

[ 6:55 PM GMT-6 - St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
--------------------------------------

The black armored vans rolled up to the outside of the Isegawa Complex, as Dr. Hayato, now about as well armored as a civilian could be on such short notice, stood with his 'co-workers' in Capts. Johnson and Rodriguez out near the front doors of the Clinic to welcome their 'esteemed guests'.

"Ah, so this is the famous Isegawa Clinic. Or I guess I should say, the Isegawa Laboratories," said a snide looking man in black armor with a few white stripes on his chest armor. He was flanked by a good fourteen other men in unmarked black armor.

"And to whom to I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Dr. Hayato asked, hiding his incredulousness as well as anyone else could expect.

"Oh just your friendly neighborhood Society Sweepers; Capt. James Young at your service," the snide looking man said as he held out his hand for a handshake, which unsurprisingly was not returned.

Ugh, thought I recognized that ugly mug. Young is one of the worst of the rogue mercs out there. Didn't think he had the balls to join the SPH formally though… Capt. Johnson thought to himself.

"Anyway, enough pleasantries… where's the lab?" Young asked, his snide face suddenly taking a visage of deadly seriousness.

"We are a nice suburban health clinic. Why would we have a dedicated lab?" Dr. Hayato asked, trying to suss out just what Young knew and what he didn't know.

"Not to be too rude, but don't fuck with me, Dr. Isegawa. My intel clearly states you got some state of the art facilities right underneath our feet. And you aren't but a stone's throw away from that damned Bureau. It's too fucking convenient if you ask me. So I will ask nicely one last time, where… is… the… lab?" Young asked, as he signaled for his flankers to raise their weapons at Johnson and Dr. Hayato.

Dr. Hayato rolled his eyes as he feigned surprise. "Well, it looks like you got me. If I can get assurance that your men would not harm myself or my staff, I will show you."

"Well since you are being so kind as to give us a guided tour, I believe I can swing that arrangement," Young replied, as he signaled his men to lower their weapons and get the laptops to record as much information as they could.

Soon after, they were all riding the elevators down to the labs proper… and the tension was just beginning to build.

[ 8:03 PM GMT-5 -- New York City ]
----------------------------------

A ding resounded through the empty, quiet hall leading to Richard Edwards's main office. A lone woman in a black dress walked out, and was greeted by a not unfamiliar voice.

"So, Miss Claire, you must be the Society's VIP I was hearing so much about. Please, do come in…"

Just what do you have planned, oh well, that won't matter soon enough, my dear~ Claire thought to herself, as she patted her purse.

Richard buzzed the doors to open, and stood up to greet his longtime rival. "Miss Claire Terrance, to what do I owe this fine pleasure this evening?"

"Mister Richard Edwards, the pleasure is all mine. After all, I personally requested this meeting."

"So, I cannot imagine you'd want to talk business with me, what with effectively neutering the governments of the world today. I would have thought you to be picking out a new outfit to wear to your coronation, or inauguration, or whatever you people are planning in the future."

"Your aspersions wound me, Dear Richard. However, I do have business to discuss with you…"

[ 7:15 PM GMT-6 -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
--------------------------------------

"It's a treasure trove, a fucking treasure trove… Goddamn everything I could want to know about those damn Ponies inside and out…" Capt. Young said, as he was giddy at what his techs were telling him were all over the labs, as the 'workers' were quick to get out of the way and not confront the SPHs armed escorts. "Oh and what do we have here… the plans for the Conversion Serum… GOLD! IT'S FUCKING GOLD! I'll make Major easy with this haul!"

"So, I trust that everything is to your liking?" Dr. Hayato asked, showing everyone there the best poker face anyone could ever want out of someone who didn't play regularly.

"Is it to my liking? Fuck yes it is!" Young replied, jokingly punching Dr. Hayato in the shoulder. "Goddamn I don't know what the fuck you and your workers here were thinking when you made this shit. But HOOOLEEE Jesus did you document fucking everything. We're gonna have shit that's gonna make sure that those damn horses never set foot on this planet ever again!"

Luna, they are gobbling the bait down like there isn't anything wrong at all… Tell Jun to get ready to begin the self-destruct sequence… I don't want them or anyone else to find anything legitimate that might be left in this place… Dr. Hayato relayed telepathically, as he ushered the SPH techs around some more, hoping to have them fully entrenched in the lab.

[ 8:21 PM GMT-5 – Manhattan ]
-----------------------------

"So what made you finally do it Claire, was the bank account not growing fast enough or something?"

"GODDAMNIT Richard, you were always like this. All the fucking money in the world and it's like you don't give a damn about one red cent!"

"Answer me this Claire, what on God's browning Earth can I buy on a dead planet?"

"Oh there you fucking go again with this shit, Richard. It's always like this with you, I don't know what your father did while you were outside, but it's fucked your head up."

"More like it made me see clearly, Claire. What the hell is money going to do for me when everything is breaking down? You know it, I know it, everyone on the goddamn planet knows it! They can read the reports how the Agri-Domes output has been slowly declining. How the power grid is growing more and more unstable. How the storms are getting worse and worse. How the diseases and plagues are growing more deadly by the year."

"And we can fix it, Richard, baby. We can fix everything…"

"Oh don't give me that bullshit, Claire. And stop with that damn 'baby' talk, we haven't dated in 10 years, at least. Every goddamn decade it's 'We're gonna make it all better' with us. And what the hell do we do as a unit? We build another goddamn Dome, another layer to keep the world out. Do you know what those Equestrians really did… they are making everyone see just how much bullshit we've been piling on them for the last 60 years, Claire. Not only that, but the Earth itself is about give us a very rude awakening."

"The Earth itself gave us this Power, the Power to fix things…"

"And what the fuck are you doing with it, Claire? You are trying to tear this goddamn world apart at the seams. What, you think everything is gonna be fixed once all the Outsiders are dead or something? Do you really think they are going to go out like that? That if you told them all to jump into the ocean and drown, they'd do it like a bunch of lemmings? No, you know what's going to happen? They are going to fucking fight back, and then you're going to fight back. By the time all this damn fighting is done, there won't be anything left!"

"Then they all should just fucking die. What the fucking good have they done for us? What purpose do they serve for the world? None, not a goddamned-mother-fucking THING! They should all just keel over dead. We're the chosen ones, we're the ones that will build the new humanity."

"And you wonder just why we broke up 10 years ago. You were the same goddamn way Claire, the same goddamn selfish BITCH!"

[ 7:30 PM GMT-6 - St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
-------------------------------------

"AHAHAHA… Fuck Major, they'll shoot me straight to a fucking Colonel when I get back with all this. These schematics, these designs, these everything… I hit the goddamn mother-lode here!" Capt. Young shouted, giddy like a schoolboy at all that he was supposedly finding to bring back.

"Yes, I can see your jubilance knows no bounds…" Dr. Hayato said, quite nonplussed at the strange nature of this SPH field commander. "Anyway, I would greatly appreciate it if you would allow us to leave and try to find a way in this new world of ours."

The request was met by the sound of one firearm chambering a round; and another producing a high-pitched whirring, readying its thaumatic discharge.

"Oh dear, my good Doctor… I'm afraid that can't be done. You see, I am under very strict orders to execute all collaborators with extreme prejudice. And I believe that would be, oh, everyone here that isn't in the S.P.H. to begin with," Capt. Young said, as he raised his own firearm, aiming square at Dr. Hayato's forehead.

Dr. Hayato… any second now… Luna said, incredibly tense at the scene she was perceiving.

Not yet, Luna… let me ask him one more question… also tell Jun to start the self-destruct sequence as soon as you teleport me… Dr. Hayato replied, hopeful he just didn't make the mistake that'd end his life.

"Before you unceremoniously end me, I would like to ask one question of you and your men," Dr. Hayato asked, still maintaining his poker face somehow.

"Oh fine. But do make it a good one since it will be the last words you'll ever speak," Young replied, wondering just what the Doctor was doing besides vainly running for his life.

"Are you a bitch that likes bananas?" Dr. Hayato asked, with all manner of a smile and deviant glint in his eyes.

"What in the hell?" Young replied, he and his flankers confused, and more importantly, losing their aim points on Dr. Hayato.

"Well, you're gonna go bananas… in the Afterlife." Dr. Hayato said, with a wink.

Play us out, Luna! Dr. Hayato shouted at Luna with all urgency, telepathically.

"Oh you dirty motherfucker!" Capt. Young said as he picked his gun back up to blow Dr. Hayato's head off… but found nothing except a brief flash of violet light and then nothing.

"FUCKING!! SON OF A GOD… WHAT?!" Capt. Young shouted as he and his men looked all around, before being interrupted by the sounds of rapid gunfire and some of his men hitting the floor. "WHAT IN HOLY FUCK IS GOING ON?! SOMEBODY FUCKING TELL ME SOMETHING!!"

Someone finally responded as a SPH grunt came running in. "Fucking… everyone… everyone just disappeared in this flash of purple light or whatever!"

"DISAPPEARED?! WHAT IN THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THEY DISAPPEARED?!" Capt. Young shouted in response, as he went through all the rooms where he saw lab workers milling about just a few minutes before, only to see either nothing or wounded or dead SPH grunts leaning against tables or on the floor.

Everyone was out of the lab… everyone except one.

"This shit ends now James, I am not letting you fucking get away this time." Tyler Richardson said to himself, as he laid his charm on a box in the Transport Room.

-------------------------------------
[ St. Louis, U.S.A. -- 8:40 PM GMT-5 ]

Claire, tears streaming down her face, pointed the once-concealed handgun at Richard. "Why? Why did you throw your lot in with those goddamn Ponies. They were gonna ruin everything, EVERYTHING you, your father, your grandfather worked for!"

Richard merely sat back down in his chair, never taking his eyes off the distraught ex-lover-turned-SPH-leader. "As a great man once said, 'The times, they are a changin''. I intend to be at the forefront of the new age that will be built. But it's going to be built right. People who deserve to get ahead will get ahead. People who don't cheat the goddamn system will get ahead. A true meritocracy, Claire, or at least as close to one as mere mortals can make."

"WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT MERITOCRACY?! WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT FAIRNESS?! It's every goddamn man and woman for himself, and you get ahead any fucking way you can do it. You get every fucking thing you want, even if you have to snatch out of someone else's hands."

"That's probably what you intended to do to me. Get into my head, tell me I'm your everything, then when you hooked yourself far enough in, BOOM, you get me out of the way, and everything's yours."

Claire was now clearly distraught, her hand was shaking so badly her aim was nowhere near good enough to be a reliable shot now. "No… no… no… I loved you… I loved… you… we were going to be so powerful… we were going to be the most powerful couple in the Domes… no… in the world… but you didn't want to play that game did you? Your goddamn morals got in the way, didn't they?"

"What can I say Claire, I am my father's son."

"You are… aren't you… just like your dad and mine… same damn argument… they could have ruled this damn planet… and he didn't want it… he didn't have the balls to do it… and YOU DON'T EITHER!" Claire screamed, raising the gun back up at Richard's head.

"Hrm, I guess this is how it ends, huh… or does it?"

I would take it, that is my cue… Princess Celestia said, ever the demi-goddess of dramatic timing.

If you wouldn't mind, Princess…

In a flash, Claire pulled the trigger, but not before Richard was engulfed in a flash of dark-violet light. The bullet went straight through the flash; piercing the window behind Richard's office desk, and causing cracks to form all through the rest.

Claire shook for a few seconds, and threw the gun to the floor. She then followed by letting loose the most guttural, soul-shaking scream she could manage. The energy built up in her body began to waft in a faint red aura, as the runes along her body glowed with the same hot red as her temper.

"YOU DIRTY SON OF A BITCH! I'LL FIND YOU… I WILL FUCKING FIND YOU… AND I WILL FUCKING ROAST YOU ALIVE!!!"

The window shattered as a giant plume of flame, the result of pure, unadulterated rage, emerged from the building; as if that floor had a giant flamethrower mounted somewhere inside of it.

A few moments later, after the plume died down, Claire looked around. The fact she reduced all of the furnishings, the windows, and a good chunk of the walls of the office to either molten slag or ashes did not calm her mood any.

"I swear… I will find you Richard… and there will be Hell to pay… oh yes… Hell to pay!" Claire said to herself, while being doused by the fire sprinkler system.

[7:55 PM GMT-6 - St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
------------------------------------

"Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated… Laboratories will be demolished in… 10 minutes…" the calm, monotone female voice announced to all who could hear her.

"FUCK! God why the hell did I think I'd have any time to hunt that bastard down… and I don't know the layout of this place at all… I got maybe eight minutes left to find him, end him, and find the Transport Room again…" Tyler barked at himself, cursing his own luck.

He went room to room, searching for James Young, the man responsible for damn near getting him drummed out of the Army two years ago, and most likely the man responsible for that horrifying display of wartime technology a week ago.

"For the three of them… for all those civilians two years ago… he has to die… and I need to make fucking sure of it…" Tyler said, as the lights began to dim, and red klaxons whirled about.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… eight minutes…"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THE EXIT?! I WILL BE GODFUCKINGDAMNED IF I DIE IN THIS PLACE!" James shouted as he tried to find his way through the labyrinthine labs. The shutters were beginning to close around the outer edges of the lab.

"THERE IT IS, THE ELEVATOR… I… NO NO… NO YOU FUCKING GODDAMN DON'T!" he shouted as he tried to run to his salvation, only to be cut-off by crystal laden shutters.

"WHAT IN THE FUCK… GODDAMNIT… THERE HAS TO BE STAIRS… FUCKING SOMETHING… ANYTHING!" James shouted, trying to fight off the panic as best he could.

"JAMES! JAMES WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE RAT BASTARD?!" James heard a suddenly familiar voice shout.

"Sir, there is still one of the enemy left in this building, sir." the last remaining SPH grunt said as he reported to his superior officer

"I CAN FUCKING SEE THAT! YOU FOCUS ON FINDING A WAY OUT OF THIS GODFORSAKEN RATTRAP!" James barked.

"Sir, yes si--" he replied, before a spray of blood from his skull cut him off.

"Can't you fucking tell your people to keep their helmets on, James?!" Tyler shouted from down the hall.

"Oh fuck you, Tyler!" James replied as he chased after possibly his only lead out.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… five minutes…"

"Fucking two years ago James… you remember that shit… you massacred 200 civilians in Central Africa, damn near got me court-martialed."

"Why the fuck are you bringing that shit up now? And besides, it's a goddamn war zone, who the fuck cares about civilians, they should get out of the fucking way if they don't want to get shot."

"I bet you're the one who fucking ordered the use of that Red Cherry against us. You cost me three of my finest and damn near another four just with that!"

"Fuck you, Tyler! It's a goddamn war zone, kill or be killed! I don't fucking have time to deal with ethics or whatever else sugar-coating bullshit you all can come up with."

The two men continued airing their grievances while they tried to end each other's lives.

"There isn't any goddamn justice for people like you. And now the worst of the worst are trying to claim they are going to fucking fix things?"

"FUCK YOU TYLER! Those goddamn Ponies are the fucking problem! They’re going to kill everything that makes a human a human. The world isn't fucking Candyland or wherever the fuck they come from. And I will be God-damned if they turn this world into some kind of sugarcoated kids’ playground."

They eventually, by stroke of sheer accident, made their way back to the Transport Room, where the dark-violet charm was still flashing, waiting for its user to be snapped out of there to safety.

Shit… he followed me all the way here, if he notices that flashing charm, he's gonna put two and two together… Tyler thought to himself as he was ducking the fire from James's pistol.

Why in the fucking hell would he lead me back fucking… wait a minute… that purple necklace… THE GODDAMN PURPLE NECKLACE, THAT'S HOW THEY FUCKING GOT OUT! James's shouted in his own mind.

"THAT FUCKING PURPLE NECKLACE, THAT'S MY TICKET OUT OF THIS DEATH TRAP!"

"Oh no you fucking don't!" Tyler shouted in response, as he slid on the ground and kicked the box, sending the charm flying off into the shadows of still more boxes.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… two minutes…"

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, AND I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL WHOEVER IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT FUCKING MAGIC YOU'RE USING!" James said as he raised his gun to fire… only to get nothing as he pulled the trigger.

"OH FUCKING HELL, OUT OF AMMO, JESUS FUCK ALL!"

"GUESS YOU LOSE, JAMES!" Tyler said as he raised his firearm, only for hear the familiar click of an empty magazine.

"MORE LIKE A DRAW, EH FUCKER!?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"Laboratories will be demolished in… 90 seconds…"

They both threw their guns at each other, only to both miss, as they dove into the boxes and crates trying to figure out where the charm was.

"FUCKING NEEDLE IN A GODDAMN HAYSTACK!" James shouted as he threw the boxes, looking for any glint of metal or any flash of violet.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… 60 seconds…"

"THERE, THERE IT IS!" James shouted, so exuberant that he saw the charm, that he immediately tipped Tyler off to the fact; which earned James an immediate shoulder tackle from Tyler.

"LIKE FUCK I AM GOING TO LET YOU GET AWAY FROM ME A THIRD TIME!" Tyler shouted as he punched James several times to try and keep him on the floor.

It wasn't enough though, for as soon as Tyler tried to get up to grab the charm, he was chop blocked by James.

"FUCK YOU, YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER!" James shouted as he tried to scramble on his hands and knees toward his salvation.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… 30 seconds"

James leaped on top of Tyler, stomping away at him, as fast as one could with roughly 30 seconds left to live. What he did not realize though, that the Isegawas would be EXTREMELY thorough in their self-destruct sequence.

"Laboratories will be demolished in… 15 seconds… opening Gate to Equestria…"

"FUCKING WHAT?! THERE IS A GATE?!" James said, as he looked around… he wouldn't be able to look long, as the gate opened.

"AHHHHH! GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT! WHY DOES IT BURN?! IT BURNS!!! MY FUCKING EYES!! I CAN'T SEE!!" James screamed, the pain becoming unbearable as his skin began to burn and necrotize in the presence of full-blown raw Thaumatic-epsilon radiation. He staggered around backwards, away from the charm and in front of the Gate itself, eventually falling to the floor and curling into a fetal position.

Tyler began screaming as well, as his body started to suffer the same effects. He was spared the blinding though, as he drug his battered, burning body towards the charm.

OH NO! CAPT. TYLER! CAPT TYLER! Princess Luna shouted into his head as he finally laid a good hand onto the charm…

Princess… get me out of here… please… he replied, mind tired as his body was rapidly turning charcoal black; the entire room now flooded with raw Thaumatic-epsilon radiation.

Yes… yes Capt. Tyler… Luna replied, as the dark-violet light surrounded him and transported him out.

"Self-Destruct Countdown… Zero… Initial Explosive Charges… Firing… Thaumatic-Epsilon Flood… Initiated…"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE… Momma… I don't want to die… momma… help me… help… me…" James said, as his voice and his life slowly ebbed to nothing, entire body practically petrified in the flood of radiation.

The above-ground clinic shook as the entire campus quaked with a violent explosion. No one above ground would be affected by the now constant flow of poisonous mana. However, the Isegawas were always ones to be extra sure of something.

"Thaumatic-Epsilon Flood… Sufficient… Final Explosive Charges… Firing…"

The Isegawa Laboratory, the site where a serum that would revolutionize the world was developed. The site where Four Conduits of Terra both entered Equestria, and returned to the Earth, was now no more - resting imploded and buried under 150 meters of soil and rock. The last ones who’d set foot inside, Capt. James and his band of mercenaries, whose dead bodies now resembled mummies in the face of the flood of thaumatic-epsilon radiation.

[ Safe Haven -- 18:08 PM GMT-7 ]

Halfway buried in the Cascade Mountains, a couple of dozen miles south of Portland, Oregon, was the now base of Operations for the Human-Equestrian Alliance, the (hopefully) aptly named Safe Haven. Combining the best of the Isegawa Laboratory and the Conversion Bureaus… it could house 10,000 human adults at a time, and still have room to spare for a transitional Pony population. The current human population was 6,300: comprised of the main roster of the Human-Equestrian Alliance, publicly allied politicians and/or their immediate families, and many military experts. However, there was one person in particular that was of note to all the principles.

"GET THIS MAN INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM STAT!" shouted a human doctor, trailed by a Unicorn specialist in Thaumatic-Epsilon Poisoning.

Princess Luna, Blue Vague, and Capt. Rodriguez all followed the doctors, human and Equestrian, into the ICU, as they started to do whatever they could to help save Capt. Johnson's life.

"Am… I… home?" Capt. Johnson asked, voice raspy and light, as if he aged from 30 years old to 90 in an instant.

"Dear God, these burns are awful…" a doctor said in the background.

Julio Rodriguez was apprehensive approaching his fellow Captain, remembering how dangerous raw thaumatic-epsilon radiation was to the body. "Is it okay if I approach him?"

One of the Unicorn doctors nodded. "It's safe, the bed he is laying in soaks Epsilon radiation. Any lingering in his body should be safely neutralized now."

Luna and Vague moved over to allow Rodriguez to take his friend's lone good hand. "Please, don't leave us… there is still too much for you to do… too much for all us to do…"

Tyler Johnson managed a faint smile, as he turned his head to look his friend in the eye. "No… no this soldier's tour is at an end… You asked me a question a week ago… what would I do if I was forced with a choice: Ponification to live, or to die a mangled wreck?"

"His vitals are steadily decreasing… this poisoning is too bad…." one of the Unicorn doctors said, scurrying in the background.

He chuckled a bit at all the work being done to give him these extra few minutes. "Doing the Lord's work, both species… that's all I can say. As I said, my tour is at an end… I made a gamble, and I'm paying for it with my life. Please… Princess Luna… I don't know if your Sister is here or not… but I give this message to you and her,"

"Yes Captain?" Luna asked.

"Do not give up. Don't give up on your dream. Don't give up on your vision. I don't care how hard the Society, or anyone else on either side makes it for you… you cannot give up on this world. There are too many people who want to do good. There are too many people who don't know they can do good yet, that need to know. These next few months will try you, they will try all of you. When I heard that speech, I knew what the Presidents and other leaders were planning to do. The next few days especially will test your patience to the brink. Don't give up, and don't give in either."

Luna quietly nodded, knowing words were not needed for this situation.

He turned to Vague, to give him the best advice he could given the situation. "I can sense the fear in your eyes, as you watch this soldier's life slip away. But remember, I knew what I was signing up for. I knew that every time I set foot off base, or out of my camp, I might not walk back alive. You have to always know the risks of the job that you take. At the same time though, you must always keep sight of your goal and what the reward is. I can sense in you, and all of those Ponies back and the Isegawa's lab, that you all want this world to be saved so desperately… Do not lose that faith, do not lose that dream. You Ponies, and every ally you make, will have to fight through pain, torment, everything. Others with weak wills may lose faith, and your enemies will test it… but you can't fail, you can't fail your friends, and you can't fail your loved ones. Fight! Fight with every goddamn ounce of strength in that near 4 ft. tall body of yours!"

Vague was left speechless, as he began to trot over to the ICU doorway, almost in a trance.

"This isn't good, he doesn't have much time left…" another doctor stated in the background. At this point Tyler didn't care how much time was left in his hourglass, he was going to make his last remarks.

Rodriguez took his friend's hand, for probably the last time, as Johnson began to speak "You can probably tell - I've made my choice. Unfortunately, it is one that I guess is selfish in your all's eyes. But I do feel that I have done enough for this life… I can hear their voices Rodriguez… Marks, Brown, Erickson… Those three taken from us a week ago… I can hear them… they are calling me home…"

Rodriguez was too distraught to say anything back, as Luna tried to console him as best she could.

The beeping of the EKG slowed… and slowed… and eventually… nothing. Nothing but a flat tone.

Everyone in the ICU stopped cold, as the main human doctor walked over to check Tyler Johnson's vitals. He shook his head that he could feel nothing. The main Unicorn doctor made one last check, to see if there was any brain activity or passive mana drawing left in his body; he too came to the same conclusion… nothing.

"Capt. Tyler Johnson, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. Time of Death: 18:20 GMT-7, 6:20 PM Pacific Standard Time. Cause of Death: Acute Thaumatic-Epsilon Exposure," The main human doctor said, in the most professional tone he could muster; silently drawing the blanket over the head and face of Tyler's now deceased body.

-----

"Did he make it?" Twilight asked silently of Capt. Rodriguez, the other eight Ponies and remaining members of his unit standing around her, desperately wanting to hear good news.

Capt. Rodriguez did not want to crush their hopes, especially not the hopes of the Native Ponies, but he could not lie to their faces. "No… I'm sorry Twilight… everyone… Capt. Johnson is no longer with us."

The military men still with caps took them off in quiet remembrance, as Pinkie and Fluttershy both began crying on each other's shoulders. The others took the bad news varying degrees of hard as well. Yet none of the ten Elements or Conduits absorbed the blow harder than Vague himself; remaining to himself, frozen like a statue outside of the ICU Hall.

It's not fair…

-----------------------------
[ Safe Haven -- 20:35 GMT-7 ]

The sun was setting on Safe Haven, as it had set on the functional independence of the nations of Earth, and on the life of Capt. Johnson. Richard Edwards and Candice received the news of Johnson's passing, and offered his immediate condolences to Capt. Rodriguez and the remnants of Johnson's unit. The few politicians that could make it out and their families, did their best to cheer up the Bearers of Harmony, who were crushed by the sudden loss of the Army Captain they made such quick friends with. Princesses Luna and Celestia entered a private room with Richard in order to discuss what had transpired over the day, with Luna delivering Johnson's final admonition to the both of them.

Standing in the truly gigantic greenhouse area, watching as the sun finished setting, was a single Unicorn. Electric blue fur, cobalt and white mane, a Cutie Mark of a stylized raindrop with crashing waves… and eyes completely devoid of feeling and emotion. His tail swished back and forth, slowly and rhythmically, as he stared into rapidly darkening skies.

---

Vague looked up at the waterfall that represented both his soul and his status as the Conduit of Water. The waterfall now seemed to run nearly black, as if industrial sludge was falling over instead of water. The plunge-pool roiled and boiled, as Vague’s rage and frustration at the world appeared to be reaching a fever pitch. All around the waterfall, the forest that was once calm and idyllic now seemed actively hostile, as poison ivy and oak grew everywhere, and various poisonous berries and flowers bloomed all over.

“Everything… everything wrong… everything’s wrong…” Vague said, hardly able to form any kind of coherent thought, the rage and the grief overwhelming his consciousness.

He shook his head as he covered his ears with his front hooves; as if he could hear the taunting of those masked leaders of the SPH constantly taunting him.

“There is one sure-fire way to make them all shut up,” his duplicate said, its body now electric with the energy it had been siphoning from Vague, not that Vague could care at the moment.

“I need to make it all stop… make it all stop… it won’t stop… why won’t it stop?!” Vague said has he felt like his head was about to split open.

“Then help me,” the feminine figure said as it sauntered up to Vague, and began whispering in his ear. “All you have to do is give me the word, and I’ll make sure you and your friends have all the power you need to wipe out everything that’s ever slighted you.”

“NO!” Vague shouted, as he held his head tighter; the migraine that represented the stress of his soul becoming completely unbearable. “I can’t… I can’t kill them all… I… I can’t…”

“What do you mean you can’t?! You saw how that nice Army Captain you met had to die just to make sure those bastards didn’t get any information on you all?” the duplicated spat, the venom in its voice becoming like actual poison to Vague’s being. “The more you hem and haw, the more Ponies are going to die! And what happens if they figure out how to breach the barrier? What is stop them from sending drones, or even themselves, to destroy all of Equus in revenge?”

Vague stopped, as his eyes went vacant at the thought of war-drones filling the skies over Canterlot, mercilessly slaughtering everything that moved. And as he sat there, entranced by the induced fear, the duplicate began to glow ‘brighter’, the swirling ‘black’, blue, and navy of its coat swirling even tighter and more vigorously.

“That’s right, just feed me more. Feed me more of your hate, your anger, your fear. I want all of it, all of the darkness in your heart. And eventually… I want all of you as well…” the duplicate mused, as she quietly stroked the cheek and chin of Vague, her laugh resounding through the corrupted maelstrom of his soul-scape.

===== ***** =====

CH 21: Breakdown

View Online

=== BABW: A New Movement ===

=== Chapter 21: Breakdown ===

[ July 9, 2081 @ 8:45 PM PST -- San Francisco, U.S.A ]
======================================================

"Yeah man, I'll be right over…" a young man, probably no older than 25, said over a comlink, after which he took his black helmet off, letting his rather impressive head of sandy brown hair ‘breathe’ again in the air near the bay.

The visage of the cream-skinned man with sand-colored hair caught the eye of a certain woman standing off to the side; one quietly observing the comings and goings the human population of this large city.

Hrm, he looks like a good specimen. It’s too difficult to properly mimic a new species without a… genetic sample of base things on. And then there is the matter of assimilation too. I guess I will just have to personally test his vxigor and genetic health.

"So, you must be with the Society For the Preservation of Humanity, yes?" the woman said, twirling her greenish-teal hair in one of her fingers. Strange hair colors were really not uncommon these days - one of the many ways that those both inside and out of the Domes tried to express their uniqueness and individuality. However, something was seemingly off about this woman's hair. It was as if she was born with that teal hair; the richness of the color being far beyond what any dye could produce at a reasonable cost.

"Well, hello there pretty mamma. Going with the retro hippie look? I like it… I like it a lot," the S.P.H. soldier asked, obviously drawn to the woman by more than her odd hair color.

Ample bust, round hips, legs to die for, fresh and expressive face, and a voice that just called out to any able bodied male like a Siren of myth. She was everything any male could want in a woman. Which made for the perfect honey-pot as far as the teal-haired woman was concerned. "Well, seeing as you've already got the government to fold to your organization, I wonder why you'd still be in uniform. I think you would look so much better out of it~♥."

He was instantly drawn to her: the tie dye shirt showing off her ample cleavage; the jet black, tight fitting pants showing anyone who'd turn and look exactly what she was working with. But what pulled him in the most, were her eyes. They just seemed to… glow a luminescent emerald green in the twilight of post-sunset.

"To be honest miss, I was going to going to get back to base. We are starting our second phase of sweeping operations tomorrow. The colluding governments were first, those damn Ponies are next. Either they leave the Earth… or they'll be buried in it."

The woman just tsked as she draped her arms over the ostensibly big and strong soldier. "Now why would you go and do a silly thing like that? I know a far better use for your time♥." A quick kiss on the lips was all she needed to seal the deal.

"Yes… yes, that would be a far better use of my time…" the young man said with a sudden pall over his voice, eyes locking in on the woman; he was now completely in her thrall, a faint green ring surrounding his irises.

"I'm so glad we could come to an agreement… now, just follow me so we can have some… privacy♥," the woman said, beckoning the young man to come inside the hotel that was nearby.

[ July 10, 2081 @ 7:30 AM PST -- Safe Haven ]
=============================================

In small, visually exposed ‘sunroom’ there sat a simple headstone, unadorned and unassuming, surrounded by an assortment of flowers -- the final resting place for Capt. Tyler Johnson. A somber mood still hung over Safe Haven, as the humans began to settle into their new homes in the dormitory section. The Bearers of Harmony and the Conduits of Terra also began to settle into their rooms, which were far larger than their old ones at the Isegawa Complex. None could really appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the basic construction, nor were they in any frame of mind to gauge how they were going to decorate each room to their personal liking. So it stood, each room was left rather simply adorned for the time being.

Blue Vague hardly left his room, even more withdrawn than he was the last couple of weeks at the Isegawa Complex. What disturbed his friends, especially Midori Hana, the most was the fact that he hardly spoke since that night he watched Tyler pass on in front of him. Whenever he did, he spoke in a dreary monotone, as if is his soul had been ripped out.

So there he lay in his bed, covers the same electric blue as his fur. The false waterfall droning on, intended to bring some comfort to his tortured, broken soul.

It's not fair… why did he have to die… why did anyone have to die… no one was supposed to die…

The death and destruction wrought in the last month had thrown him in a pit of despair so deep he felt he'd never re-emerge from it.

How much enough? How much until you finally do something about it? Will a whole city have to be wiped out? Or maybe things have to be more personal? Maybe one of your friends will have to be slain before you will do what you must? The clock is ticking, little wave-maker…

He rolled out of the bed, and began to trot out of the room.

I should at least get something to eat… food is good…

[ July 10, 2081 @ 9:15 AM PST -- San Francisco, U.S.A]
======================================================

"Now wasn't that a far better use of your time ♥."

"Yes…"

"And don't you want so much more~"

"Yes…"

"Oh that's a very good answer~ because I want so much more… I want it ALL! I want every… last… drop!"

[ July 10, 2081 @ 12:30 AM PST -- Safe Haven ]
==============================================

The Bearers of Harmony and Conduits of Terra (Vague included) were in a media room watching more news reports stream in from across the globe. They all were showing the same thing, black armored vans with the SPH insignia were massing near the Bureaus, which were now only being defended by whatever was left of the militaries and Royal Guard Unicorn units. Said Elements of both worlds were mostly left to themselves: none of the Humans wanted to watch their former co-workers effectively under siege, and none of the other Ponies had enough free time to even bother at the moment. Blue Vague was the only one not in the larger cluster watching the screens; instead content to just stare at the video wall, monotonously munching away at plain hay he had in a small plastic bowl - occasionally (and absentmindedly) chewing on the bowl itself from time to time as well.

"You know, I don't like to talk bad about Ponies while I'm sitting in front of them. But Vague is starting to scare me, seriously…" Rainbow Dash said.

Midori Hana agreed, looking on with grave concern at her coltfriend. "To be honest… he's scaring me too. He's never been this silent before, especially while watching the news."

----- -----

“The clock is ticking, little wave-maker~” the off-gender clone of Vague sung in an eerily-cheerful tone.

Vague did not respond to her, staring up into the sky in his soul-scape, which crackled with blue lightning. The storm in his own soul was obvious to everyone there.

“Are you trying to ignore me, after all this time? And I thought we had something special little Vaguey~” she chirped, as she laid her front legs across Vague’s shoulders, which was met with a swift rebuke.

“Stop… I… everything… make it stop!” Vague shouted, as he stumbled away from the pool.

“Oh yes, I can make everything stop… or more to the point, I can make everyone stop. But you have to give me the word first! All you have to do is just give me control, and I’ll make sure that no one ever does anything to hurt you again!” the clone said, the venom in her voice dripping like the navy liquid that dripped from her dreadlocks.

“GET OUT!” they both heard a booming voice shout.

“Out? Before I even begun? You must be joking, surely,” the clone replied, noticing the coalescing figure of Water Magic forming in the plunge-pool of the poisoned waterfall.

“You heard me you demon, vacate my master’s soul, before I force it upon you!” Torra-borous barked, the fury in his eyes burning bright.

“Oh but I can’t leave now, not after I’ve done so much to tenderize and grind his psyche into a mushy little pulp. He can’t even offer token resistance to my influence now. Isn’t that right my little wave-maker~” the clone said, as she cooed in the ear of, and stroked the chin of Vauge; the ‘original’ barely moving during the whole confrontation.

“You will STOP this charade right now! You will cease and desist in forcibly polluting his soul with your lies and this darkness!” Torra-borous shouted, hoping he could get Vague out of the way so he truly could force the creature out of his soul-scape.

“You mean his darkness? I only merely set the stage for him to pollute his own self with his own darkness. Don’t tell me you are so silly as to believe I could do anything other. Even if I wanted to, the depths of his despair run just oh so deep,” the clone responded, positively hanging off Vague’s body, taunting Torra with her mannerisms all the while.

A giant whip of water emerged from the plunge-pool, ready to come crashing down on the clone.

The clone huffed, dismayed some at the quick-resorting-to-violence from the Astral Beast. “Oh of course you’d do that, you type of creatures are always so quick to resort to battle, aren’t you?”

She vanished in a puff of navy smoke, forcing Torra to stop the whip in mid-air, as it was going to crash right on the head of the still vacant-eyed Vague.

“Damnit, where did you go?!” Torra shouted, before watching was the ‘black’, navy, and blue figure of the clone speeding down from the storm-cloud filled sky, like a multi-colored bolt of lightning.

“Oh you were looking for little ol’ me~?!” she chirped, as she bounced off of Torra’s water-shield. She bounded off into the forest filled with poisonous and carnivorous plants, hanging off a tree branch by her hind legs as she craned her neck to stare at the eyes of Torra-Borous. She stuck her tongue out to mock the giant turtle-like creature, as she flipped herself up and into the forest canopy.

“Stop disappearing and fight like a mare!” Torra-Borous shouted, as he fired stream after stream of water into the trees.

“But whyyy? You just want to hurt me!” the clone shouted, as she mocked Torra-Borous some more. “Besides, your very presence annoys me. How can a creature born of Destruction have such a strong mark of Creation in him? How can you simultaneously exist as the light and the darkness? I don’t get it! I don’t get you or any of your partners!”

“Because we were created by Ponies that wanted to marry the destructive and forceful Power with the creative spark of Will. We are the children of this marriage of two philosophies!” Torra-Borous shouted back, as he continued to fire upon the forest canopy, trying to ‘fish’ out where the clone was hiding amongst the trees.

Little Vague is almost at his peak of hatred and anger - all it will take is the one right word to send him entirely over the edge, and then neither he nor his little turtle pet will be able to stop me from taking control of his mind, his body, or his soul…

----- -----

"I've heard of being 'blue', but Vague just seems… blank…" Pinkie Pie said, as she waved a hoof in order to try and break his stare, to no avail.

Golden Storm sat next to him and took a bit of Vague's hay, to see if he could get him to react. The lack of any response just further confused and disturbed everyone. "I would like to say that his being with us is a good sign… but it's really hard given his behavior, or lack of it."

Everyone went back to the cluster and continued on with their watching, making sure that Vague didn't get up to wander off anywhere unattended in his state.

After some time, an interview of particular interest seemed to be starting from St. Louis, so Twilight swiped on a hoof-safe control pad to focus the main screen on said interview.

"And here we are, with some SPH soldiers, who agreed to speak to us. Ma'am, you said you were a middle-aged couple living in Atlanta when you heard the initial messages of the SPH. Care to elaborate what drove you to join."

The mention of 'Atlanta' perked Blue Vague's attention in particular, now showing the first visible signs of emotion in a few days. A fact that was not lost on Twilight, whose attention was now divided between the speaker on the projector and Vague's disturbing reaction to woman talking on screen.

She began to shudder as she could feel massive reservoir of hatred beginning to well up in his aura, threatening to explode like an oil gusher. At the same time, it also felt like some kind of caged monster was but moments from breaking out.

"Yes. I joined the SPH because I believed the threat of the Ponies was so great, that my husband and I just had to take up arms against them." A female voice started speaking; her face shielded by the standard mask and tinted goggles of all the SPH front-liners.

Vague's face began to quiver at hearing the voice… the voice that was so familiar… the voice that struck mortal fear in his soul.

"This world was designed by God for humans, and no alien or demon or whatever will take it away from us. We as humans have worked far too long, and far too hard to build up what we have, only for it to be frittered away like this!" the woman continued to rant, reporter still with the mic at her face.

Vague’s breathing became shallow and hoarse, the pressure on his mind was reaching an unbearable climax.

"Vague, baby… you're starting to scare the rest of us…" Hana said as she approached Vague, who was so deep in his own thoughts he didn't recognize anyone else's presence.

"We will rebuild this world. We will be the new humanity. We will be the ones to shape the New Age!" she concluded, as the report threw it back to the main station.

Do it!

He began to glow in an off-blue, as if his very soul was darkening. Twilight could feel it, an unfathomable depth of hate and anger had been uncorked, and there was no telling what would claw its way out of the same abyss.

“Vague, stop it. That thing you’re about to let out is one of the most dangerous things that can ever exist. That monster can’t be let out, you have to fight it!” Twilight shouted, trying to her best to shake some sense in the vacant-eyed Unicorn.

-----

“What… what in all of Creation is that monstrosity…” Torra-borous said as he watched the black energy escaping from Vague’s body. He watched as his master helplessly stumble, unable to shut off the spigot that had broken in his soul.

The shrieking laughter began to erupt from seemingly everywhere at once, as the plunge pool that represented the source of Vague’s power was now coagulated like toxic, industrial waste water. “That’s it! That’s what I’ve been waiting for, that utter despair, that delicious, wonderful, intoxicating darkness. It’s so good, I just cant help myself. I want more, I WANT ALL OF IT!”

Torra-borous and Vague both watched as a great scaly monstrosity began to emerge from the canopy of the forest. The scales were alternating thick bands of false black, navy blue, and electric blue. The ridges along its back dripped with a poison that was melting away the leaves on the trees. The creature was not only thick, but long, its body seemingly creating a ring all around the forest, as it’s scaly body ran through the trees.

“I… stop… make it stop… make it stop… MAKE IT STOP… MAKE IT STOP!” Vague shouted, finally succumbing to absolute hysteria, the voice of his mother and the sight of the titanic snake that now filled his soul-scape causing him to lose all reason, and stumble around in a blind panic.

“MMM, little Vague~ There’s no stopping now~” the creature replied, as her giant body descended from the trees near where Vague was stumbling around. He tried to back away, tried to find some kind of escape, but was grabbed by the dreadlocked ‘mane’ of the pony head and torso of the giant snake-tailed creature that now occupied much of the forest canopy.

“LET HIM GO!” Torra-borous shouted, as he fired an intense stream of water at the creature.

The Unicorn-Naga that emerged from the forest canopy laughed as she didn’t even bother to dodge the jet-stream of water, letting it wash over her body and scales mostly harmlessly. She smiled a wide smile, her Pony mouth showing a pair of vicious looking viper fangs, as she began to laugh uproariously.

“Oh it’s far too late for that now. Maybe if you could have broken through my fog a few weeks ago, but now there is much darkness in my soul… you’re powerless! POWERLESS! POWERLESS!” the snake-monster shouted, as she responded with equally pressurized blast of acidic poison - one that had a much more marked effect on its intended target.

Torra-borous screamed as he felt his flesh burn from the poison sprayed like a jet on him. The large gash created from the acidic burn and the sheer pressure it was fired at him attesting to that fact.

“No… stop it… I…” Vague said, as he struggled to get at least his head free from the snake-like tendrils that the now Naga-like monster had turned her hair into.

“YOU WHAT, VAGUE?! What are going to do, now? You’ve already lost! Your body is as good as mine. And soon enough, I’ll drive your friends so far into the pits of despair, they’ll become feeding grounds for my friends. Oh I wonder how lovely Hana will look when she’s turned into a Nightmare as well?!” the Naga-Unicorn shouted, as she laughed in triumph.

“No… I will not let you bring harm to him… or his friends…” Torra-borous said, as the acid continued to burn at the edges of his gash running diagonally across his long neck.

“Oh, so the turtle wants to keep fighting? Come on then, show me you have some Power left. I mean surely you must be able to do something to me, right?” The Naga-Unicorn spat back, as she continued to choke and strangle the ability for Vague to resist her right out of him.

“No… warn others… I can’t… please…” Vague said, as his horn lit, and he began to forcibly eject Torra-borous from his soul-scape.

“Master! Don’t dispel me! You don’t have enough strength left to defeat that abomination of magic!” Torra-borous shouted, as he watched his master slowly being strangled to near-death.

“Come now, run along, and warn your little cadre of pets. Soon enough you’ll all be returned to the disaggregate magic you were born from, and we will reduce this world to nothing more than a smorgasbord for our TRUE master to feast upon!” The Naga-Unicorn spat, as she watched the turtle-like creature dissipate and disappear from the soul-scape.

“Now what to do about you… you’re still trying to ruin my careful plans even though you don’t have control over your own Power anymore. That deserves… punishment!” the Naga-Unicorn mused, as she watched the Unicorn in her grip futilely try to struggle and escape.

She raised her hair-tendrils in the air, and then violently slammed into the ground, causing Vague to scream in abject pain.

“We’re not done yet!”

She then slammed him into one of the trees, equally violently, causing the tree to snap as if a wrecking ball had been smashed into its side.

“No, more! I want you to suffer!”

She wrapped all of the hair tendrils around the neck of Vague, who began to flail in mortal fear.

“I hate you! I hate weakness! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!!!” The Naga-Unicorn shouted, as she genuinely attempted to break the neck of Vague with the sheer pressure from the vice-grip of her mane.

She brought Vague in close to her face, as it dripped with some deranged combination of glee, malice, and depression. “I hate you most of all. No matter what all the humans do, my hatred of them will always pale in comparison to my hatred of you. And yet… no matter what… I cannot destroy you. Because if you die, so do I. I hate you so much, and yet I cannot exist without you. And I hate that most of all.”

She licked the face of Vague with a thin, snake-like tongue, causing him to flinch in pain as even her saliva was acidic.

“Just like dear old daddy, right? Just like he couldn’t say one word to stop your family from being broken up, right? Just like he couldn’t stop any of the arguments between you two! And your mother, your mother who tried to mold you into her perfect son; and yet you rejected her. And then when you rejected her trying to chart your life for you, she rejected you in kind. How can a world exist where parents and children both mutually reject each other? Mutually hate each other? IT SHOULDN’T!” the Naga-Unicorn shouted, before she slammed Vague into the ground again, this time causing a not insignificant impact crater to form.

“You’re going to be just like the Elementals!” the Naga-Unicorn spat, her tone going from sheer vitriol to dissonant delight. “They’ll suffer for eternity. Their failure to stop my Master… their being devoured by him… their eternal torment as they hear the wailing and lamentations of all the beings my master have consumed before him! It’s like music, the sweet music of souls being tormented for their weakness.

“Power NEVER respects Weakness. To be weak before it is to insult it. And weakness must be eradicated! Humanity is weak. Even with all of their power, they scrap and struggle like a bunch of stupid monkeys beating each other to death with sticks. Nothing so IGNORANT, SO STUPID, SO UTTERLY BASE should EVER be allowed to wield ANY form of Power. So I will take it upon myself to not only turn you, but the rest of your little cadre into the perfect avatars of Destruction. The perfect harbingers of The Final End! And the perfect chefs to prepare the world for the Great Devourer to… what else… devour!”

She shook the quiet form of Blue Vague, who had not one word of response as she ranted and raved.

“What, no witty comeback. No statement declaring your undying fighting spirit? *Pft* Way to make this boring, little wave-maker. Not that you have any more use to the world… except as my personal battery!” the Naga-Unicorn said, as she began to coalesce the poisoned Water Magic around Vague’s soul, encasing him in a navy-blue, translucent crystal; and then casually tossing the crystal into the roiling plunge-pool that was the font of Vague’s Power.

“Oh that feels so good. So much POWER! It feels… limitless…” the Naga-Unicorn moaned, as her voice slowly transitioned from female to very distinctly masculine.

-----

All six Elements of Harmony manifested immediately on the 'persons’ of the Bearers, flashing in clear warning. Something highly dangerous was approaching.

“I hate her… I HATE HER… I HATE HER… I HATE HER!” they heard Vague bark, as he suddenly snapped to full attention, looking all around him, and seeing the Elements of Harmony manifest, much to the shock of everyone, on the person of the Bearers.

“HATE! HATE! HATE! I HATE THEM, GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!” Vague hissed, as if he was a vampire in the face of rosaries and Christian crosses.

“Vague! What the hell is up with you, man?” Storm shouted, as he +made to try and physically restrain the Pegasus. As soon as he touched him, he felt violently ill. Storm writhed on the ground in intestinal discomfort, the sudden feeling of wanting to throw up reminding him of too many drunken benders while he was on leave.

“Vague, what did you do to him?!” Hana shouted as she tried to approach the Pony, who was starting to ‘glow’ in a very distinct and disturbing ‘black’ color.

“Don’t worry, Hana, you’ll see. All three of you will see soon enough. He is coming, and we will usher in the Final End!” Vague snarled, as he looked back at the screen, the visage of that woman still on the screen.

“HER! I’LL KILL HER! SHE’LL BE THE FIRST ONE SLAIN BY MY HOOF!” the deranged Unicorn shouted, as he vanished in a puff of corrupted Water Magic, burning the carpet he was sitting on right down to the upholstery.

-----

The beast is out of its cage, and if I’m thinking correctly, I know what triggered it and where he is going!

Please, you have to bring him back to us safely…

I will, ‘Tia. Trust me. I will do everything in my power to see him delivered from the clutches of that cosmic horror.

[ July 10, 2081 @ 2:40 PM CST -- St. Louis, U.S.A. ]
====================================================

The SPH were camped out all around the St. Louis Conversion Bureau, roughly 50 meters all around. They were high-fiving each other, as they had cleared out what was left of the military. The scene was similar all around the world, with most Bureaus only having Explicit Magic Shields as a line of final defense against the outside world that was quickly caving in on them. This fact was not lost on a couple of SPH soldiers, and one female soldier in particular.

"Finally. Today is the day we start striking back against those damn Ponies!" Linda said excitedly as she looked all around for her commander to tell her where to go next.

"Since Capt. Young has been declared MIA and the Isegawa Laboratories are kaput, I guess this is the last Pony-related facility in the region," Andrew thought, figuring that Capt. Young got himself killed doing something reckless.

"Exactly, soon they'll be gone, all gone. And we'll start rebuilding the world the way that WE want it! It'll be so wonderful, Andrew!" Linda shouted as she hung lightly off Andrew's shoulders.

"I suppose so…" Andrew responded despondently, still wondering if he was making the right decision.

There has to be a better way than this, doesn't there? Andrew thought

Soon they heard beeping in their headset, as they looked at their forearm mounted display, the thaumic sensors began going off. Strangely enough, the signal was roughly 200 meters behind them.

"Oh I think one of the dear Unicorns is trying to teleport out to get help or some such. Well we can't have that now, can we? I don't think the new Captain will mind if we go off on a little excursion of our own…" Linda said, as motioned for her husband to follow her. Being the kind of man he was, he quickly complied.

-----

Blue Vague wandered the back alleys around St Louis, eyes darting all around, mane disheveled as his dreadlocks frayed, shouting into the alleys not caring who heard him. "Momma?! Momma?! Where are you, momma?!"

He giggled lightly as he did, relishing the thought of finally ending the source of all of his anger and frustration at life, once and for all.

He continued to wander aimlessly for another few minutes, until he heard a shout from behind him.

"HALT! In the name of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity, I order you to halt, Equestrian!" he heard from the eerily familiar female voice. There stood two SPH soldiers, one male and female, completely masked.

Blue Vague, doing his best to magically disguise his voice, responded as he came to a stop. "I do not know your quarrel with me. I have done nothing wrong.”

That’s right, come a little closer… I want to see the look on your faces when you see who will send you to your precious Maker!

The two soldiers continued to advance on the cobalt-dreadlocked, blue Unicorn, his turned back hiding a face with an insane and devious grin.

“We order that you come into our custody immediately. If you do not resist, we may see fit to spare your life.”

A cruel irony if I ever heard one… Vague thought to himself, as his mind went through all the myriad things he could do to these two once he had them in his grip.

“But I have done nothing wrong. I only mean to help these poor humans in their plight,” Vague said, the falsity in his voice beginning to grate on the female who kept her gun trained on the back of Vague’s head.

“Don’t you sit there and lie to me. I know when someone, or something is lying. Your honey-tongued words have no effect on me.”

“You were always like that weren’t you?” Vague said, as he dropped the disguise on his voice, letting his dreadlocks obscure his face still as he was now half-turned to the couple.

“What? Who are you? Why do you sound like him?” the woman asked, taken aback by the sound coming from the blue creature that sat on the ground before them, and the dissonantly cheerful giggle he began to laugh intermittently.

“Haven’t you wondered why I haven’t called, why I haven’t written, why I haven’t given not one bit of information about my life for the last, oh how long has it been, nine months, give or take? It’s all so hard to remember,” Vague started as he slowly approached the couple, his head low as to obscure his face behind his styled mane; which became more frazzled the longer he talked.

“Stop it… I won’t… I won’t… I WON’T listen to your lies. These devilish lies…” the woman started, as she began to back away, the male with her pointing his muzzle of his gun to the ground as he looked over in utter disbelief.

What the hell is going on… That can’t be Andre… Then again, it makes all the sense in the world… Andrew Bowman thought, as his own mind began to race in a different direction from his wife’s.

“Lies? Now why would I lie to my own mother about something as important as her dearest and only son wanting to reunite with her?” Vague said, as he lifted his face to show the two of them his, at least to them, new form - along with an attendant grin of absolute and maniacal psychopathy.

“Ohhh, you look sooo shocked!” Vague said, as he slowly continued his approach toward the two of them, as the ground starting to become soaked in the water he was passively conjuring. “But why would you be so shocked. I mean you only shoved me away as fast as you could when that position opened up in the Atlanta Domes, right? RIGHT?!”

Linda’s hand began to tremble, as she could barely keep her finger on the trigger of her thaumatic-action rifle.

“RIGHT! COME ON TELL ME, MOM, did it hurt you to leave me behind. To LEAVE me in a world that was falling apart? Did YOU think the DOMES were going to be some kind of LIFEboat to save you from the coming flood?!” Vague said as his look became more and more deranged by the second.

“Stop… stop right there or I will fire!” Linda said, as she felt her mind coming under assault from the clearly mad Pony before her, the Pony that more resembled the demons she spoke of on camera earlier.

“Did you THINK the DOMES were some kind of ARK? That they would save you from the flood that was coming?! The FLOOD that is ME! ME! ME! ME! ME! ME!” Vague said, as he stomped up and down, like a completely deranged child, laughing madly all the while. “And my dear FRIENDS. They’ll soon be here… and they are gonna think that THEY can still save me.”

He quickly disappeared in a puff of navy blue smoke, reappearing on the wall, adhering himself to the vertical surface and standing completely perpendicular to it, as if his local gravity had become perpendicular the rest of the Earth’s.

“Oh that’s what they are gonna think. They are GONNA think there is still something left of my mind left to save. But there is nothing… nothing nothingnothingnothingnothing except the sheer ANGER and HATE I feel for EVERY… LIVING… DAMNED… THING… ON THIS GOD FORSAKEN PLANET!!”

The deranged Unicorn then poofed back to exactly where he stood, as if he had never moved to begin with; his father looking even more confused, and his mother’s psyche starting to crumble as fast as her son’s had.

“No… liar… LIAR… LIAR! YOU ARE A LIAR! YOU ARE A LYING DEMON! I’LL END YOU! I’LL SEND YOU RIGHT BACK TO THE FIREPIT FROM WHENCE SATAN SPAWNED YOU!” Linda shouted as she raised her firearm back at the head of the giggling mad Unicorn.

“STOP!” Andrew said as he began to dive toward the same Unicorn.

There was a pull, and a click.

A red flash…

And then *bang*, a red explosion…

-----

If there were any of the Conduits or the Bearers that could not see the utter depth that Blue Vague had sunk himself to; they were quickly disabused of the notion that situation had reached anything other than the metaphorical DEFCON-1.

“Please tell me I am not the only one that feels a veritable black hole of hate and malice opening up somewhere in the general vicinity of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.?” Red Blaze asked, her Terran Element of Fire glowing as hotly as any magically-empowered jewel could glow without being blinding.

“No, you are not the only one, that’s…” Midori Hana started before a candy-cotton pink Pony interrupted her.

“A-a-a-a R-R-RREAL Do-dodo-DOOZY!” Pinkie said as she jittered along the ground, her Pinkie Sense finally going off as Vague, or rather, the thing that Vague was becoming, had dropped any pretense of obfuscation.

“Oh good, then we all didn’t just collectively hallucinate that. WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!” Blaze shouted as her mane momentarily caught alight with flame.

Her question was soon to be answered by a twin of magic-light flashes, one gold and one azure.

“We fight it! We fight that monstrosity that is about to emerge, and we get your friend and my student back from its clutches,” Luna responded, her tone flat and even – quite befitting a mare that was ready to go to war.

“Seeing as we have not only Vague’s descent to worry about, but there is still the little matter of our Bureaus being under virtual, if not literal, siege. I will handle that issue while my Sister helps you take care of our mutual blue friend,” Celestia remarked, her tone equal to her sister, if not quite as cold as Luna’s.

“Ok so we have a general plan, so… I… I honestly don’t know what to do. When we fought you as Nightmare Moon, we were flying, as the humans would say, by the seat of our pants,” Twilight remarked, feeling determined, yet still nervous about the whole thing.

“And I had an entire millennia stuck in the Moon to completely lose my mooring to reality. And yet you still found a way to bring back from the pit I had fallen into. I have the fullest and utmost confidence that you will be able to drag Blue Vague out of the same pit,” Luna stated with a little more warmth in her voice, seeing as the other nine Elements were showing understandable trepidation with having to fight their friend, and in one case, her lover.

I’m sorry Hana, this has to be the most difficult for you, as you wish to eventually make Vague your husband. That is why we all have to do our level best to drag him out of that pit, even if he has to be drug kicking and screaming back to sanity… Luan resolved silently.

“I… I want him back… I’m willing to drag myself through Hell and back if that means that we can get him back safe and sound,” Hana stated; the fear in her eyes not abating, but she nonetheless began to find the steel in her voice and her heart.

“We might not have a romantic impetus, but we’re gonna do everything we have to do to make sure those two have a long and happy life together, isn’t that right babe?” Storm asked, looking over at the fire-engine red Unicorn that was his beau.

“Definitely. I am not watching some monster try to eat my friend inside-out. If we have to drag the real Vague out of it, then that is what is going to happen,” Blaze replied, nuzzling her stallion.

The six Elements of Harmony looked slightly nervous before, but the declaration of determination evaporated the fear in their hearts.

“They’re right. Ah’m not lettin’ Vague fall any further than he has already. So what the hay are we all waitin’ for?” Applejack said, as she readjusted her hat.

“Certainly not an engraved invitation. No, this is the time where we go right to action, isn’t it Princess Luna?” Rarity added.

“Whatever that thing that thinks they have control over Blue, they got another thing comin’, right ‘Shy?” Rainbow Dash quipped, ribbing Fluttershy in side.

“I am not letting that monster take him away from us. I absolutely refuse!” Fluttershy shouted, shocking the others in the media room, and even surprising herself.

“Then it’s settled, but let me go ahead of you nine, I need to ascertain just how great of a threat Vague is in his current state,” Princess Luna remarked, as she blinked out of media room, and the whole of Safe Haven just as fast as she blinked in.

Do not go doing anything rash, Sister… You have to have the confidence in those nine that they have in themselves… Celestia thought as she began to head to the main strategy room in Safe Haven to take care of her own business.

----------

“We always hurt the ones we love, don’t we? Mom?” Vague remarked, as he looked on with some awkward sense of mixed glee and forlorn, seeing the body of his unconscious father lying face down on the ground, a massive hole blasted in the back of his armor.

“No… Andrew… don’t… don’t leave me…” Linda said, as she began to fall apart mentally.

“That’s the look I love so much… the look of utter despair. Of utter distress. The realization that you will soon be nothing more than just another tally mark for IT!” Vague said, as his form began to warp before Linda’s eyes.

She watched in utter panic as the Pony that was Blue Vague began to grow in size, and his coat began to change in color. The sneering looking in his face became even more deranged as his head elongated to match his newfound mass. In a few short moments, he was as tall as that indigo colored Winged Pegasus that Linda remembered seeing on the news. Except where she had a stern look, not unlike a particularly harsh headmistress; her ‘son’ had the looked of a deranged serial killer in a full blown frenzy. She watched as his horn grew from a rounded tipped instrument of conjury to a sharp, head-borne spear, one that looked ready to gore her at a moment’s notice. She stared as every step he took caused the ground under him to turn into some kind of paste, as where his hooves touched, the concrete melted into some kind of coagulated mess.

What disturbed her most, though, was what color he turned. His body was jet black… no… it was darker than jet black. It looked like she was staring into an endless abyss, an abyss of nothing but soul-crushing darkness; the only break was the fact his body was glowing a navy-blue, and his legs still had swirls of the electric blue of his original coat color.

He opened his eyes as his growth was done, and he stared daggers into the woman who had given him birth, and whom he was dead set on making the first notch in his long task of clearing the world of everything living.

“So how do I look, mom? Do you like the new me? Maybe you like the old me? Or maybe you want to see the old old me, again? Too bad though, all of them are gone. Gone bye bye, bye bye forever~” the tall Unicorn stated, the frenetic tone of the ‘Vague’ she saw before replaced by a cold viciousness; every single world dripping with the poisonous malice that now coursed through his veins.

“Sweeper 700 and 701. We received a di… mother of God what in the hell is that thing,” one of the S.P.H. grunts from Linda’s unit asked, as he caught sight of the 5 foot tall horse-shaped demon that was stalking his squad-mate.

“Oh… what have we here. An interloper, and in a family affair too? Oh now we simply cannot have that, now can we?” the black-and-blue Unicorn stated, the cold anger in his face being replaced by an equally chilling psychopathic glee.

Before the grunt could even react, he was grabbed by all of his limbs and his throat by navy colored tentacles made of super-condensed water.

“Now what should I do with you? Perhaps snap that neck of yours? Hrm… that would satisfying, yes… but… then I would have to look at your pathetic body littering the street. And it is my job to clean them, after all,” not-Vague said, as he walked in closer to the grunt that was flailing against his gel-like tendrils.

“And the other problem with a neck snap is that it is too… clean. A few moments of pain and, it’s over. No enjoyment on my part. I want to see you suffer!” not-Vague said, as his psychopathic smile was now bearing razor sharp teeth. “I want to hear you scream. I want to know your last moments alive were filled with nothing but agony, pain, and regret.”

“You… you will get nothing from me monster!” the grunt tried to say, trying to steel his nerve against the demon that held him fast in the air.

“Oh, I don’t think you have anything I’d want anyway. Perhaps if you were… someone else… or rather… somepony else… maybe it’d be different. But alas, wrong gender and wrong species. But, I guess it’s time to dispose of you… trash!”

Not-Vague then wrapped the soldier entirely in the gel that made his tentacles. There were a few more moments of fight out of the grunt, but soon they were wiped away by a gurgling scream, as the liquid inside of the impromptu chamber turned into an incredibly powerful solvent, completely dissolving the flesh, bone, every bit of living tissue the soldier was made of. When not-Vague let go, all that was left were the inorganic clothes, armor, and weaponry the soldier had on their person.

“Hrm, that impressive aura must mean my former patroness is here to… check… on me. I do believe we will have to cut all of this short. Oh but we will meet again, perhaps… sooner than you think?” not-Vague said, giving a bit of wink to his now devastated mother, who was curled on the ground rocking-back and forth as her mind simply refused to process anything it had seen over the last short while.

The demonic Unicorn dissolved itself into the ground, as if he were made of living water.

Not but a couple of moments after, the Princess of the Night ran into the alley where the two parents of Andre Bowman were, one unconscious and near-death, as his injuries still went untreated, and the other having basically had her mind shattered into pieces, rocking back and forth, repeating the same lines over and over again.

“My son’s a monster. My husband is dead. I am alone. My son’s a monster. My husband is dead. I am alone…”

Luna made to try and do something with the woman, despite the fact she wore the uniform of the organization that had recently decapitated the world’s governments, but suddenly was stricken by an idea.

“His father?! His mana signature is weak, but it is too similar to Vague to dismiss. His mother’s, I’d assume anyway, mind is thoroughly broken, there is naught I can do for her without losing too much time. But what can I do for this man…?” Luna thought aloud, not caring if Linda hear her since Linda was far too gone to care one way or the other.

Celestia, are there open rooms in Sick Bay? Luna asked of her sister telepathically.

Yes, but why do you ask… Celestia responded.

I am sending you one of the S.P.H.’s soldiers for immediate treatment, Luna responded in kind

You know what I am about to ask you, right? Celestia re-replied incredulously.

He is, in all likelihood, Vague’s father, and he still lives, but barely. We need to keep him alive because he may be the only entity besides the Conduit of Earth that can tether his mind back to reality… Luna replied back.

A sound plan, but I will have to keep a human guard on him, just in case he turns belligerent, Celestia responded.

I would expect nothing less of you; now get the first-aid medics ready… Luna concluded. And after a few moments, the prone body of Andrew Bowman was teleported to a secure sick-bay bed in Safe Haven.

Luna then turned to the woman who was still lost in her own collapsing reality. “I am sorry, Madam. I can only pray to the Cosmos that the organization you have affiliated yourself with will find some means to help you through this troubled time. Perhaps, one day in the not too distant future, you and your son can truly reconcile.”

Luna’s eyes then flared wide, as she felt the corrupted Water Mana re-manifesting far to her south.

If he is where I think he is… then it would make all the sense in the world… Luna thought as she ducked down the alley away from the approaching S.P.H. squadron.

Twilight, prepare yourself and the others for teleportation, I have a fix on where Vague has relocated himself, Luna told the Element of Magic telepathically.

We’re ready whenever you are, Princess, Twilight Sparkle responded, the resolve in her voice unmistakable.

I most certainly hope that you are… Luna replied as she teleported herself and the nine other Ponies to where she found the wandering tenth.

---- Moments later, Northwest of the former site of New Orleans, USA ----

The one Princess and the Nine Elements re-manifested near the edge of the shifting shoreline that marked the constant ebb, tug, and flow of the Gulf of Mexico and the coastline of Louisiana. Despite the efforts of those in the day, eventually the decision was made to let New Orleans lay fallow, and rebuild the infrastructure further up the Mississippi; which lead to the eventual rechristening of Baton Rouge as Nouvelle Baton Rouge, roughly five years afterward. That is the site where the wandering Tenth Element found himself.

“It’s so strange, isn’t it Princess?” The black-and-blue Unicorn mused aloud, as he could sense the ten pulses of magic behind him, as he stared out at the sunken ruins of a once great metro area.

“How is it strange, Conduit of Water?” Luna responded, as the other nine stood dumbfounded at how much Vague had been warped in such a short amount of time.

He… he looks just like her… back then. The only difference is the lack of wings… Twilight thought, as she stared at the horse that seemed to be a walking abyss of malice and hate.

“It’s strange how humans make this grand show about justice. This grand and great mythology about how, eventually, those who do wrong are punished in accordance with their transgressions. And yet…” not-Vague started as he stood to full length, causing the others, aside from Luna, to step back a pace or two. “And yet, the greater the sin, the easier it is for the perpetrator to escape their true punishment. We have a way to punish someone for stealing property, for stealing someone’s sexual agency, even stealing someone’s life. But what happens when it is ten lives? When it is a hundred lives? What happens when, instead of cutting down a single tree at the wrong time, you cut down an entire forest? What happens when, instead of dumping chemical waste into a river one time, you poison an entire ocean? What happens when, instead of a person poaching a single animal that is endangered, people kill an entire species? What happens then, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE THEN?”

The other nine Elements felt queasy as they could feel the utter hate that was emanating from the creature before them as he stood and turned, the sickening navy water surrounding him, and forming into translucent armor around his chest and limbs.

“I will tell you… IT DOESN’T EXIST! No… no I won’t say that. Not enough of it exists. Sure you might punish one, or two, but what of all the others that are culpable. Everyone who brought the tainted product? Everyone who turned a blind eye? Everyone who profited from all the money laundered? It’s ALL tainted. Their entire society is tainted! This… taint… this… this… UNCLEAN! This uncleanliness is part of them. It is endemic to them. They can never wash away the taint… that taint. They will never be clean. But there is so much… SO MUCH! And the worse and more pervasive the stain… the more abrasive the… cleaner… you have to use, isn’t that right?”

They then saw the sickening smile creep across his face, as he looked at the three of his friends that stood in the center of their formation.

“And then… there are multiple cleaners that have to be used… right? One for each kind of stain, each kind of grime, each kind of taint, yes?”

Luna eyes flared open, as she realized what the creature who possessed Vague’s body ultimately wanted.

“Them! You need the other three Elements of Terra, don’t you?!”

The devious smirk on the deranged Unicorn grew by a few more fractions of an inch. “Of course, Princess. I mean, can’t very well start the Apocalypse with only one Horseman, can you?”

Storm, Hana, and Blaze all stepped backward by a few paces, knowing full well what their possessed friend was scheming.

“So with this said…” not-Vague said, as imperceptibly thin filaments appeared in the air. Bits that just escaped the senses of Luna, until their purpose was fulfilled.

“Vague yo… ugh… can’t see…” Storm started before he started to stumble around.

“What did…” Blaze tried to say, before she was struck the same.

“Please… stop…” Hana pleaded while she still had anything left for a voice.

“Stop? STOP?! Why would I STOP now? I’m just getting started,” not-Vague said, his grin growing a few fractions of inches wider still.

“What did you do to them, Blue Vague?” Twilight Sparkle barked, horrified by how he had apparently struck the three of them down so swiftly.

“First off, before I answer your question, I would much prefer that you not refer to me by the name of that weakling,” not-Vague started, before he paused for a moment’s repose. “Yes, ‘Blue Vague, Conduit of Water’ is simply… not befitting an entity such as myself. I would much prefer you call me… Nightmare Ooze, the Conquering Ocean.”

The now named Nightmare bellowed with laughter, as he watched his friends struggle for breath, as the ‘black’ poison raced through the capillaries under their coats, and deeper into their system.

“YOU DIDN’T ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, her body coursing with rage.

“Ahhh, the little Pony seems… angry. You know that is not becoming an Element of Harmony to feel such pure, delicious fury, right?” Ooze replied, as he stepped forward a few more paces. “But to answer your question, I merely seeded their bodies and minds with the same darkness that made me into the stallion you see before you. I’m going to enjoy watching their psyches crumble into pieces, as they turn into deranged monsters of Ponies… just like myself.”

The maddened chuckle he laughed made the now seven just as sick as they were hearing his intents.

Twilight shook her head, and narrowed her eyes. “No, we’re not just going to let you take them from us like you did Vague. And they are not going to go quietly along with your plans. Luna, make sure they can’t do anything. They’ll be with us soon enough and I don’t want them getting physically injured.”

“I see. May fortune smile upon you, Element of Magic,” Luna replied, as she bound the three poisoned Ponies to the ground with her Aura.

“I’m not gonna need luck for this!” Twilight said as she dashed toward the self-declared Nightmare.

“COME ON! I’ll ENJOY destroying the abominable light you all possess!” Nightmare Ooze shouted as he dashed to meet the shorter, purple Unicorn.

“Isn’t this…” Fluttershy started.

“It’s just like Nightmare Moon, everyone MOVE!” Rarity shouted as they all broke out into a circle around the charging Ponies.

-----

“S-s-stop it… Vague…” Hana moaned, as the poison continued to course through her and her partner Counduits’ bodies.

Of course… the psychic link… He’s trying to to brainwash through it, and making sure they can’t resist with that poison he injected them with. I can at least prevent his words from penetrating into their mind, so long as I have their mental frequencies figured correctly… Luna said as her horn glowed softly azure. Soon the four of them were encased in a dome of faint-but-noticeable blue light.

Something that did not escape the attention of the un-black Unicorn engaged with the other six Ponies.

Damnit. Of course she’d try to interfere… but I have to take care of these six before I can deal with Luna… Ooze thought as continued to chase the purple Unicorn all along the shoreline, the other five Elements of Harmony not far behind.

Twilight! Isn’t it time we show this crazy facsimile of Vague what we’ve been up to when we hadn’t been watching the news with his friends? Rainbow Dash asked through her Element of Loyalty.

Now or never, Dash! Twilight responded, as she transferred some of her magic to her hooves, so she could skid around like a car about to make a tight U-turn.

“So we’re gonna do this for real now, the whole charging thing? Well I’m only double your height and triple your mass… I’m sure it’ll work out for you!” Ooze noted, chuckling as he tried to figure out what exactly the six of them were up to.

The black Unicorn charged the purple, and smirked as she slid under him like a human of her relative size sliding into home plate. “Don’t think you’re safe yet, Sparkle!”

Twilight turned around as she watched giant gel-spikes shoot out of the ground, ready to impale the sliding purple Unicorn. And they would have too… had said purple Unicorn not pole-vaulted herself over the spike-trap by snagging her magic on one of the spikes and catapulting herself over.

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about escape hatches, Ooze!” Twilight shouted as she flew through the air, blasting the Nightmare in the back with her magic as she flipped head over hooves toward safer ground.

Damnit… no matter… she got lucky… Ooze groaned internally, as he turned himself around to look for the rest of Twilight’s friends.

“Where are the rest of them, I know you aren’t the only one who is going to face me stallion to mare!” Ooze shouted as he tried to find the other five.

“Having some trouble? I thought a creature of darkness could be able to see through the shadows…” Twilight giggled, as she seemed to disappear and reappear at will. She had used the shadows of the mid-afternoon sun to cloak her friends as they took some time to prepare.

These crystals better be tuned right… I’m not as powerful as Twilight, so I have to make sure that… thing using Vague’s body can’t see where I’m attacking from…

I’m gonna make sure that big meanie can’t do anything else to Vague or his friends…

That duplicate thinks he has surprises… he hasn’t faced the master of pranks yet!

Between these fruit and mah strength… that thing that think it’s Vague won’t know what hit ‘im

“WHERE ARE THEY?!” Ooze shouted, as he began to use the liquid that made up his armor just pound the entire area with spikes until he found them.

”HERE’S ONE!” Dash shouted as she streaked out of the sky, her coat covered in periwinkle blue streaks.

“Where!” Ooze shouted again, as he tried to figure out where the streak was going, until he was blasted by bolts of lightning magic. The Nightmare howled as he felt the first true pain since the entire scene began.

“I’ll turn you into slag!” Ooze shouted as he tried to snatch Dash out of the air with his tentacles, but his transferred reflexes couldn’t keep up with the enhanced speed of the Pegasus.

“Come on, you’re too slow! Maybe you should have practiced that form before you decided to go Omnicide on everyone!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she dashed into Ooze, punching with electrified front-hooves all the while. After a 1-2-3-4 combination, she finished it with a mini-air burst, which she used to fly backwards fast enough to get back out of the apparent reach of the deranged Unicorn.

“*Argh* You don’t know when to quit do you?” Ooze groaned, as he used some of his magic to dull the pain from the rapid-succession punches, not figuring Rainbow’s hooves to be as hard as they were.

“Not when there is another friend on the line! We’re not letting you use Vague for some kind of sick plan to turn this world dead!” Twilight replied.

Ooze turned around to fire a blast of un-blue magic at Twilight, before he was struck in the face by a very bright cornflower blue by Rarity, who was prepared to join the fight as she emerged from the shade Twilight ‘enhanced’ for her. “No, none of us will quit so long as you hold Vague in your clutches, monster!”

“What about it don’t you understand. I AM HIM! At least enough of him to count to you peons anyway!” Ooze responded, as he turned his full attention to Twilight.

He has total tunnel vision; can’t focus on but one target at a time. But no matter, I have to find a way to rid the Conduits of this poison. But if I drop the shield, then he can re-establish a link to them… Luna contemplated as she kept her shield up to prevent the other Conduits from going berserk like Vague did.

“No you are not. All you are is just some angry monster who can’t understand the world or humanity. Which is a shame since you were born of a human’s frustration. I would think YOU of all creatures would understand it…” Rarity responded, as the crystals she fine-tuned danced in the air, out of sight of the mad Unicorn.

“ENOUGH! I’m going to SHUT that mouth of yours FIRST!” Ooze shouted as he loosed a blast of un-blue magic at Rarity.

“RARITY!” Twilight shouted before a second blast came her way. In the time she took to dodge and deflect it, she saw Rarity engulfed in a plume of un-blue energy.

“Don’t worry Twilight. I’ve had worse in our little practices,” Rarity winked, as four of the crystals formed a tetrahedron around her, glowing with a mixture of her blue magical aura and the near-white of Light Magic. As the tetrahedron negated the last of the un-blue magical blast, the other three of Rarity’s crystal drones appeared, ready for counter-attack.

“You MOCK the power I now possess?!” Ooze shouted, as he readied another blast, that was interrupted by blasts of white and blue from the other other Unicorn on the field.

“I don’t care how deep you think that Power of yours run dear. If you can’t use it, then you just can’t use it…” Rarity said, as she continued to pelt the un-black Unicorn with her own magic from her horn and the crystals that floated around the entire shoreline battlefield.

“Ngggh” Ooze snorted in frustration as he tried to blast the white Unicorn, completely ignoring the other two revealed opponents, and not even thinking of the other three still hidden.

“Is it just me, or does that thing only seem to be able to focus on one of us at a time…” Dash said as she hovered near Twilight, who was stockpiling magic in her being every second she had to spare.

The purple Unicorn swallowed the tension the stored magic was creating, so she could speak with her usual tone of voice. “You’re right… the faster we can end this and find some way to purify that darkness, the better. I can only imagine he’d settle down the longer this drags out.”

“Right!” Rainbow Dash shouted, as she re-engaged her Lightning Magic and rejoined the fight.

That’s good, he’s having to split his magic between offense and defense. The less he can dedicate to trying to blast us to the Summerlands, the better… Rarity thought, as she continued to blast the mad Unicorn with her floating drones.

Almos’ got it… there! Applejack thought, as she looked proudly at the hidden ‘fruit’ tree, that bore every manner of plant based tool. Ah think Ah’ll start with… this… since he’s already having trouble focusing on all of us…

Rarity squealed as she stumbled backwards from being hit with the debris from one of Ooze’s blasts. “Should have figured he’d go for misdirection,” she groaned as she tried to get her hooves back under her.

“You are going to… what is that smell?” Ooze thought, as something else caught his eye, or rather, his nose.

“Don’t worry, you’re about to get a snout full of it in about two seconds!” Applejack shouted, as she used the leaf-and-vine sling to throw the gas-filled pod toward the mad Unicorn; a pod that exploded promptly on impact.

“GOD! I… can’t heetbar[breathe]?!” Ooze said, surprised as his word came out jumbled. He tried to step forward, but a hind leg moved before his front, and caused him to stumble.

“Call that the Scramble-Pod, feels like ya been drinkin’ cider all night and ya can’t even see or speak straight,” Applejack said.

The disoriented Unicorn tried to focus on the orange Earth Pony to blast her to Kingdom Come, but found he was staring at least four images of her, and couldn’t even focus his horn to try and blast all of them.

“That seems a bit, unlike you, AJ,” Dash remarked.

“Don’t care right now. Ah’m here to do a job, and that’s beat his body down enough so we can beat the darkness out his head with the Elements,” Applejack said, as she dashed in a zig-zag pattern confusing the inebriated Unicorn even more.

“Dman you, Cakppjlae!” Ooze shouted, before he felt the impact of a pair of rock-hard hooves in his chest, in spite of the armor that was supposedly protecting said area.

To a lot of the other’s surprise (except for Rainbow Dash), Applejack repeatedly bucked Ooze from the same position, using her front hooves to balance and hop backwards few inches by few inches, keeping her hooves at the same distance from the reeling un-black Unicorn every time she recoiled for another buck. For a finale she swept the ground with her back-legs, causing the taller Unicorn to fall to the ground in a heap, while she returned to all-fours; the grace she did it with reminding Rainbow Dash of the Pegasus break-dancers the last time she was in Cloudsdale.

“Where did you learn moves like that? I knew you were strong, but not that… that…” Rarity asked, not being able to find the word to end her sentence.

“Graceful? Have to be, how else do Ah win style competitions in rodeos?” Applejack answered, with a smirk on her face, as she took a ready stance again as Ooze tried to regain his bearings.

Ooze bellowed as he let loose a wave of energy that stunned the four revealed Ponies, taking some measure of glee in watching Rainbow Dash fall (the two feet she was hovering) to the ground in a stunned heap.

Good, now let’s find the other two before they embarrass me even further!

Ooze looked around while he had had the reprieve, until he heard giggling behind an ‘invisible’ barrier.

“So let’s see what is behind Door #1,” Ooze said as he pulled away the shadow-barrier, to reveal Pinkie Pie painting some hoof-boots.

“Not ready yet~” she sung as she pulled the shadow-barrier back.

“Wait how… never mind…” Ooze said as he magicked the barrier away again.

“I SAID I’M NOT READY YET!” Pinkie shouted as he threw a rather oversized ball bearing at the Nightmare’s face, clocking him square between the eyes, and somehow pulling the shadow-barrier back over her head.

“Oh that… I… THAT’S IT!” Ooze shouted as he pulled the barrier away one last time… to reveal absolutely nothing.

“Ok, where in the hell did she go, just that fast?!” Ooze shouted as he looked around for any other barriers that escaped his notice.

He turned his head up to look, to see a cotton-candy pink Earth Pony with a rather large sling-shot sitting on a tree branch near the shore, and another rather large ball bearing heading straight for his face.

Should’ve figured… he thought in the moment before he was hit in the face again.

“Needless to say, I’m up here,” Pinkie giggled, as she threw another ‘shadow’ cloak over herself, using every bit of the lingering magic Twilight cast over the area.

“I’m going to really enjoy making that little poofy-maned mare SCREAM in agony… oh I’m going to enjoy it sooo much,” Ooze grumbled, as he tried to focus on where Pinkie could have hid herself this time.

---

The other four Ponies were barely getting their bearings again when they saw the un-black Unicorn running around several tens of yards away from them, searching for somepony like they had stolen something from him.

“I SWEAR I WILL MAKE HER SCREAM!” they heard him shout as they tried to figure out what was going on in the minutes they were out of commission.

“So it sounds like Pinkie got to him, he’ll be so enraged he won’t be able to see straight, even if Applejack didn’t have another of those Scramble-Pods on hoof,” Dash thought, knowing Pinkie had a very deft touch when it came to aggravating a Pony to the point of incoherence.

“Sounds like it,” Applejack figured as she heard Luna’s voice suddenly start speaking in her head.

Element of Honesty, I need you to find some way to counteract this poison… it’s almost completely cycled through their system… and if he manages to re-establish the mental link, he can completely suck them into the same pit he’s currently stuck in!

If Ah can get him to use that same stuff again, Ah might be able to let the Antivenom-Pod do somethin’ about it, Applejack responded through her Element.

---

“Come back here, I promise not to hurt you… much. At least if I do you’ll blackout long before I’m done, maybe!” Ooze shouted as he chased the rose-pink maned mare all along the dilapidated forest near the shoreline.

“Sor~ry! But I do have something I can do for you~” Pinkie said, as she revealed a pair of rose-pink ribbons that perfectly matched the shade of her mane.

Before Vague could even think to speak, Pinkie slapped him across the muzzle with the ribbons, revealing that they were reinforced with a very strong metal fiber. Rainbow Dash watched, from the distance away, in awe as Pinkie literally danced around the Nightmare, slapping and whipping him with the ribbons until she managed to get them wrapped around his muzzle, and planted herself on his back.

“If I didn’t see it… I wouldn’t have believed it…” Dash said to herself as she pointed the pair out to the rest. “Over there! Let’s get to Pinkie before she gets herself hurt, or worse, messing around with that crazy colt!”

The four of them rushed over, only to find that Ooze was trying, and failing, to buck the baker off his back.

“And I thought Braeburn was good at riding enraged bulls; Pinkie oughta try out for the rodeo with me when time come ‘round next,” Applejack said, as Pinkie had to have been on that un-black bronco for at least a full minute.

Ooze finally managed to get Pinkie off his back, as he bucked her clear across the now 20 yard difference between his and the other four positions, only to watch her land on all fours right behind the said other four mares.

“Wanna do it again~!” Pinkie shouted, which only riled the un-black Unicorn further.

“I’LL MURDER ALL OF YOU! MURDER YOU UNTIL YOU DIE!” Ooze shouted as he tried to charge the five of them, before he found his hooves affixed where he now stood by very dense ice.

“Damn, I figured I would have forgotten one of them,” Ooze grumbled as he tried to use his magic to melt away the ice, finding the going very slow.

“To be honest, I forgot about ‘Shy too…” Dash added, looking nervously at the Pegasus who was joined by a pair of ice-constructs.

“We’re going to get him back, even if we have to drag him kicking and screaming back to sanity,” Fluttershy said, her face determined, as a hawk made of ice was perched on her head and a hunting dog made of the same growled next to her.

With a click of her mouth and a light stamp of her hoof, the hawk flew toward the Nightmare as fast as Rainbow Dash, and the dog charged as hard as Applejack. She took flight and followed in behind the two, long blades made of ice formed in her hooves as she did.

“She wouldn’t have that look on her face if she hadn’t settled on her course, I figure that she had to do as much talking to herself as she did conjuring her familiars with Ice Magic,” Twilight figured, as they prepared themselves to intervene if they found they had to.

Fluttershy didn’t say anything as she flew in, and swiped one of the blades across the face of Ooze.

Ooze merely stood in place, as the dog and the bird retreated to where Fluttershy; the red blood from the cut in his un-black coat making quite the contrast.

“You’re not even going to apologize for cutting me? This must be very serious, Miss ‘Shy,” Ooze remarked, as he suddenly came to some sort of realization.

“No… I don’t have anything to apologize for to you. When we get Vague back, I can say ‘I’m sorry’ then,” Fluttershy responded as she met the glare of the Nightmare with one of her own.

“So it’s like that, isn’t it? Fine, let me see just how deep that determination runs…” Ooze said, as he began to charge his magic, his horn glowing the sickening navy blue glow his whole body did.

“HOW DEEP DOES IT RUN, LADIES?! HOW MUCH CAN YOU STAND UNTIL YOU BREAK, JUST LIKE THEY WILL?!” Ooze bellowed so loud the entire area shook, as a few remaining birds flew off. Ooze ceased his charging, as he vaporized his armor, turning it into navy blue fog.

Applejack suddenly was stricken with a realization herself. That fog… its just like that poison that he used on the others at the start of all of this!

“EVERYONE RUN!” Applejack shouted… much to the glee of Nightmare Ooze. She took out the Antivenom-Pod she had hidden in her mane, hoping this was the break she was looking for.

“TOO LATE! ALL OF YOU ARE MINE NOW!” Ooze shouted as the fog billowed out from his person and quickly engulfed all six of the mares.

They were all sent coughing and wheezing, their muzzles and capillaries in their nose starting to run the same navy-black color as the poison coursing through the three other Conduits of Terra.

“Gotta… get this… to Princess Luna,” Applejack said, trying to use whatever amount of constitution she had left to get the now green-swirling pod to the Princess of the Night.

Applejack struggled as she felt the poison rob her of any motor control, the rest of her friends barely able to budge. She used the last of her strength to sling the Antivenom-Pod as far as she could toward Luna, who did not budge one inch, completely frozen with indecision as she watched the same venom afflict the Elements of Harmony where they afflicted the Conduits of Terra.

I… if he can find their psychic frequency… he can corrupt the Elements just like he tried to corrupt the Conduits. But if I drop this shield, even for a moment, to readjust it for the Elements, he could snatch the Conduits right out from under me…

“What is it going to be Luna?! Your Elements, or my friends?!” Ooze shouted. “All I need is a micro-second, and I’ll have those three screaming mad, just like I am. But if you keep protecting those three, how will your sister react when she has to relive what she did with you, except times six? I wonder where her will to fight will be then, knowing this world is going to die, and she won’t even have the means to counteract it? Wouldn’t that drive her over the edge?! Wouldn’t that make her fall into the same despair you did, all those years ago Luna?! What will she look like when her fury wants to burn this entire goddamned planet to nothing but a giant ball of ash?! ANSWER ME, LUNA! AN… SWER… ME!”

He walked triumphantly toward Luna and the still-prone bodies of his three friends, wanting to soak in the anguish in the face of the Princess of the Night.

I don’t have any time left, it won’t take him long to find their hearts… and every second that goes by is another bit of Power he becomes acclimated to… Luna said, as she began to walk toward the Nightmare.

-----

"You know Rarity, you have a really good eye for clothes design. I wouldn't have thought a Pony would have picked up on the subtleties of the human figure so fast."

"Well, darling, I would say I have a very good eye for detail. I must admit though, I was a bit afraid to incorporate so many neutral colors into my designs. Usually Ponies, especially the ones in Canterlot, like a lot of bright hues and whites. I believe they will appreciate the browns and blacks just as much though."

"Canterlot sounds like a major hub for culture. No wonder the Princess had you running the Bureau here in New York."

"Yes, I see what you mean now. Although, I wish those people who lived under those glass-like domes would come out more. I don't see why they are so insular."

"To be perfectly honest… I don't either…"

---

"Ok ok, so maybe when they swing the bat and actually hit something, they could press a little latch that let it drop to the ground…"

"Hrm… I think that could work. You know Miss Dash, you see to really want to preserve as much as you can about each sport when translating it for the Converts’ new Pony bodies."

"Yeah. I mean, I don't think it's fair we completely change everything if they don't have to be changed, ya know. Also, just call me R.D., we're friends now right?"

"Never heard of making friends after two days. Then again, I haven't had to deal with the same people, or Ponies now, this long in a row anywhere but online."

"Well, sometimes ya gotta meet face to face before you can form the bond. Or at least that is what Twilight tells me."

---

"Oh come on, you really think that show was funny. The writing just seemed kinda, I guess, pedestrian."

"For a species that wouldn't think twice of walking everywhere, that seems like a funny incidental joke."

"I know, right. Sometimes my best stuff is just stuff that comes out of the clear blue."

"When this is all done with, Pinkie, maybe you should write jokes for someone. I figure Equestrians would appreciate stand-up comics a lot more than us over here."

"Oh come on now. There is nothing about being a human that means you can't be funny, you just need the right avenue for it!"

"Suppose so…"

---

"And ya ran off, just like that?"

"I know Director Applejack… but my family wouldn't have understood. There's nothing left for me here on Earth… and…"

"Alright, first of all, just call me Applejack -- Ah hate those formal titles. Secondly, Ah don't like Ponies or Humans that can't be honest…"

"BUT!"

"…but that doesn't mean Ah don't understand yer situation. Even though this city is more open-minded than the rest, there are still a lot of Humans that reject our very existence, let alone our presence here. That's why we got the 'no-tell' policy."

"Really?"

"I don't like it, personally. My deal is being as honest as you can with everyone yer can. But I also know that yer have to know when to say something, and to keep yer trap shut. Ya can call it hypocrisy; ya can call it realism; Ah call it trying my best to help a person or Pony out."

"Oh thank you Di… Applejack."

"Ah just want ya to promise me one thing. When this hullabaloo starts to die down, or the Humans start to accept us more: please, please come back, find yer parents, and tell them exactly why yer doing this."

"I will, and thank you… thank you so much…"

---

"Oh thank you, I know it's a bit of trouble for you to make coffee the way I like it. But I really do appreciate it…"

"No problem, Fluttershy. I think this place suits you quite well, although I wish…"

"You wish what?"

"I just wish that my parents and my grandparents generations could have done a better job…"

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno if the job situation was inevitable with how computers and robots work, but the whole world… it's… it's just so messed up… and it makes me so mad…"

"Mad?"

"Yeah. I watched the old documentaries. I looked at old picture books and encyclopedias. This area used to be beautiful: crisp blue skies, clear water, thick green trees. Now you're lucky if you can find the color 'green' or 'blue' occurring naturally out there."

"I see…"

"Although, maybe I should refine my statement… maybe it doesn't make me mad, but more just…"

"Just what?"

"Extremely sad. We could have done so much, but so many people were selfish before…"

"Do you really think it was that many people?"

"Huh?"

"I think it was just a few people. Although I'm just a Pony with second-hand knowledge, it seems like this world is so damaged because a few people wanted to make as much money as they could without any concern for others. They thought the world was unkind, so that gave them an excuse to be unkind themselves. Even if this world isn't fair… or this world isn't kind… that doesn't mean you can be unkind too."

"Heh, you're right. I wish we had more people like you years ago, Fluttershy."

"If I can be a little selfish, I wouldn't mind getting a few more Ponies like you…"

---

"These networks, these designs, these… these… everything!"

"Huh, what is it Twilight?"

"Your science. It's amazing… so many theories, so many calculations… it's… it's a magic all on its own!"

"Hrm, that's a funny way to look at it when you say it out loud. But now that I think about it a bit, I guess our science is a magic."

"Andre, just think about it… once we get our magic and your science together. It… it could change both worlds forever!"

"Always thinking big, huh Twilight."

"I have to, it's what I do!"

---

“Help… them…” Storm said, with total lack of strength in his voice.

“Someone… coming…” Blaze added, as she rolled onto her back, her mental stress evident as her element was dull red and starting to crack.

“We’ll… be fine…” Hana added as well, as she looked through the dome at her coltfriend that was laughing in apparent victorious triumph.

Who? Who is… wait… two sources… two strong ones… both… Dragons… Oh my… Luna started to scramble before her mind settled down, locking onto the two pulses of life that were making a beeline straight for their location.

“DYNAMITE KICK!” Luna heard a loud, full-throated masculine voice shout, as a purple blur came streaking out of the sky. It landed square on Ooze’s neck and chest, causing an explosion of fire-aligned mana as it did. The Nightmare was sent screaming and rolling backwards, quite a ways away from both the Elements and the Conduits.

Luna looked on as she watched the figure that emerged from the smoke, that five foot tall, purple-scaled and lime-green-ridged masculine figure. The figure that was going to buy her enough time to get the other nine Ponies back into the proverbial fight.

“SPIKE! Oh by the Cosmos, Spike I am SO glad you are with us!” Luna shouted as she found herself torn between maintaining the dome around the three Conduits and tackling Spike to the ground in a warm hug.

“I wish you were that affectionate in your words toward me, Miss Lunar Princess,” Rosethorn added as she manifested in a far less… dynamic fashion, standing next to the dome.

“Well, when you bail me out of a mental logjam like your student just did, then I will greet you with all the warmth my soul can muster,” Luna replied with a wry smile, one returned by the rose-scaled dragoness.

“Hey um… Luna… what's up with this green glowing fruit… and why is everyone knocked out on their flanks, I thought you all were engaged with the crazy Vague knockoff?!” Spike shouted as he held up the undamaged, still-forest-green-glowing fruit.

“THE ANTIVENOM-POD, QUICK SPIKE, THROW IT HERE!” Luna shouted, hoping Ooze was still out of commission long enough for her to drip the juice into all nine of their mouths.

“NO YOU DON’T!” Ooze shouted as he rammed into Spike, causing the fruit to fly into the air. “I’ll SMASH THAT THING INTO PULP!”

But before Ooze could focus on the fruit to pulverize it, he was punched clean in the face by the suddenly viciously angry purple dragon.

“I AM NOT LETTING YOU HURT THEM ANYMORE!” Spike shouted as he quickly turned the Nightmare over and began wailing on him, before he did, he threw the pod in the general direction of Rosethorn and Luna.

Rosethorn, realizing what Luna meant by ‘anti-venom’ in the few moments she was manifest on Earth, caught the fruit – taking care not to puncture it with her claws.

“Alright, Luna, now why is this so important?” Rosethorn said, as Spike and Ooze were still struggling with each other.

“You’ll see…” Luna said, as she took the fruit in her telekinetic grip, made a small incision, and dripped the antivenom into the mouths of the gasping three Conduits of Terra.

Within moments, the black veins began to disappear, as the magically created anti-venom rushed through the systems of the three Ponies, restoring them to general health.

“It will be a few moments still before they fully come to. If you would be so kind, Miss Rose?” Luna noted, as she drifted the fruit over to Rosethorn.

“May as well, Spike seems to be… occupying that that thing well enough,” Rosethorn said, as the dragon and the Unicorn continued to tussle physically on the ground some distance away.

Golden Storm was the first to regain full consciousness, followed by Midori Hana and Red Blaze.

“Ok, so what happened while we were knocked out?” Storm asked as he looked over at the purple dragon who was suplexing the un-black Unicorn; and then the un-black Unicorn responding with a blast of acid spray, sending the purple dragon screaming back toward them.

“Itburnsitburnsitburns!” Spike shouted as he was trying, and failing, to ignore the pain caused by his chemically scorched scales.

“White salve in the travelling case, apply liberally to the affected area,” Rosethorn reported, as she snapped her claws. Suddenly a large travelling case manifested near where Luna and the Conduits were standing.

“Better… lot better,” Spike said, a lot more calm as the salve neutralized the acid and healed the damaged scales.

“Well, that for one; for another thing, the Bearers were poisoned much like you. It’d be best if you could occupy the Nightmare until the rose-red dragoness there can get them the anti-venom,” Luna replied, as her tone implied she was regaining control of the situation.

“On it,” Hana said as she bolted straight for Ooze.

“Lovely, enough of that distraction, now back to doing something about…” Ooze started before she was interrupted by a frantic grass-green Earth Pony.

“Givehimbackgivehimbackgivehimback GIVE HIM BACK!” said Earth Pony shouted, as she launched herself up and into Ooze like a living wrecking ball. She landed on one rear-hoof, her other three free as she quickly transitioned into rapid hoof-strikes with her free front-hooves. She then whipped herself around, letting the other free rear-hoof swing through in a wide crescent kick, which caught Ooze square in his jaw.

“Damn, girl… if I knew you wanted to play rough, I would have started sooner!” Ooze said as he whipped Hana away with a gel-tendril, which only served to rile up Hana even more.

“NOT HARD ENOUGH!” Hana shouted in response, as she swung her hoof, along with a large and hardened clump of earth across his face.

“YOU HIT LIKE A WOMAN!” Ooze shouted as slapped her away again.

“YOU HIT LIKE A PARAPLEGIC CHILD!” Hana shouted as she ran up and slapped him again, this time with a hoof covered in stone.

“Is this combat or is this some kind of lover’s quarrel?” Rosethorn asked, noting how Hana and the Nightmare appeared to be far too familiar with each other.

“Good chance that it’s both…” Luna responded.

“May as well be on my way then, since Ooze wouldn’t know any better at the moment,” Rosethorn said, as she cloaked herself with one of Silentclaw’s camouflage spells, and snuck over to the prone bodies of the Elements of Harmony.

Ooze tried to take one more swing at the Earth Pony, but swung right over top of her, as she had dropped all the way to the ground. She then slammed the ground as best as she could, with her hooves glowing green with her Earth Magic. And not but a beat afterward, a giant fist rose from the ground, uppercutting the Nightmare and sending him flying away from everyone, straight into the encroaching Gulf.

“Never get in the way of a mare trying to get back to her stallion…” Luna thought aloud, as she watched the Elements of Harmony slowly come to, thanks to Rosethorn.

---

“So where is that Ooze thing now?” Spike asked, as he looked back over the Gulf, the slightly woozy Twilight walking toward him.

“Feels like my lungs are still burning, even thought that poison isn’t in me…” Twilight said, as she was still coughing.

“Could be the kerosene that is still along the surface of the water, or something like that,” Hana replied, as now all nine of the Ponies and the one Dragon stood by the water’s edge.

“Yo, my question?” Spike asked again, before feeling a rumbling as the water began to roil.

“There’s yer answer!” Applejack said, as she and the others staggered back from the shore.

What they witnessed was a truly titanic snake emerging from water. Colored in the same un-black, navy, and blue of Nightmare Ooze, whose torso, front legs, and body were attached to the body – now resembling a Naga that had a half-Pony instead of a half-Human body.

“I’m SOOOO MAD!” Ooze shouted in a warped voice. “I tried to give you all eternal life in service to my master, but you all rejected me! EVERYONE rejects me! I’m tired of being rejected! I AM NOT A REJECT! I AM NOT A FAILURE!”

“Master? Reject? What is that thing yammering about now?” Spike asked, deeply confused by what was going on with the false Vague.

“Long story, explain later, but right now we figure out what to do with that thing!” Storm replied.

-----

“Not a reject! Not a reject! Not a reject! Not a reject!” the duplicate of Vague shouted in his soul-scape, as he felt his control on Vague becoming more tenuous, even as his overall strength continued to grow.

“YOU’LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN,” the duplicate said as it laughed insanely. “ALL YOU WILL EVER SEE IS ETERNAL DARKNESS, EXISTING BECAUSE ALL YOU ARE IS A SLAVE TO THE VOID!”

The crystal that held Vague’s full soul was beginning to crack, unbeknownst to the creature on the surface.

-----

Sister, I can feel Blue Vague’s soul… but it is still mostly sealed by the Parasite. If we can stress that thing more, it crack open wide enough for us to get through to him… Celestia told her sister, as she kept a part of her vast consciousness monitoring the fight near old New Orleans.

Us? Does that mean? Luna started before she was interrupted by a masculine voice.

Yes, your doctors have restored me back to good health. Please, help my son return to good health as well… Andrew implored the Princess of the Night.

I will do all within my power to; you have my sworn word…

-----

“Then I guess it is time?” Storm asked of his two compatriots.

“Yes, it does look like its time,” Blaze replied.

“I’m not stopping until Ao-chan is back with us,” Hana replied as well.

The three began to concentrate all of their might in forging a pathway from the Astral Realm to the Physical.

“Golden Dragon of the Swift Winds!” Storm shouted.

“Crimson Phoenix of the Burning Flames!” Blaze added.

“Verdant Tiger of the Grand Mountains!” Hana completed.

The ground began to quake, a plume of mystic flames erupted ground the ground, and the skies darkened as storm clouds appeared out of nowhere. Over the dilapidated road leading to the site of the battle, a giant tiger, in all shades and tints of green, raced and roared as it approached. A crimson and gold phoenix coalesced from the flames erupting from the fissure in the ground, which disappeared as soon as they appeared. And finally, a long, snake like and winged dragon descended from the storm-clouds, body gold, silver, and bronze as if it were sculpted from metal instead of a pseudo-living being.

“Woah! I hadn’t seen them this detailed before!” Spike said, as he looked at the grand creatures, each easily reaching 15’ tall, and in the Dragon’s case, at least 30’ long.

“Good of you to join us Viento Dragón,” Storm said, as he waved at his Astral Beast.

“It’s good to be back in a physical plane, though I wish all four of us could be here…” Viento said, as he looked at Plama and Taizan with a bit of concern; and then and Ooze with grave anger.

“YOU! You! You kept them from falling to the Poison didn’t you! Ruining my plans. Ma… Maaaaa… Making me ALONE! HATE, HATE BEING ALONE!” Ooze shouted, as it was clear that he was starting to slip from psychopathy into outright mania.

“We have to be careful, Ooze before was a bad colt, but at least he had some kind of logic. That giant Naga looks like it’s ready to completely lose it at any moment!” Pinkie said as she began to steel herself.

“I’m never going to be alone; I’ll never be alone again. I’m going to keep him forever… FOREVER!” the Naga-Unicorn shouted, as he spat poisonous sludge all along the shoreline where the twelve were standing.

“Ugh, that thing is very annoying… and what is it going on about ‘keeping him forever’?” Rosethorn wondered aloud as she and Luna used a barrier to block or neutralize the acid around them.

“That thing is all of the Conduit of Water’s pent up rage, frustration, hate, fear, and probably lust as well, given how he was yelling at the Conduit of Earth earlier…” Luna surmised for Rosethorn.

“And that is what happens when a Pony’s emotions go out of control?” Rosethorn asked.

“When they are amplified by some kind of Parasite that feeds on a soul’s darkness, yes it does appear so,” Luna replied back.

“I would, really, really love to interview the two of you when this is all said and done,” Rosethorn stated, not letting a scholastic opportunity go to waste.

Yet another that’s like Twilight, I swear… Luna inwardly groaned as she re-focused on the monster past the shoreline.

Viento, Plama, and Taizan, moved out, Taizan running along the surface of the water (benefitting from not being a material creature) and the other two flying through the air.

“Where is Torra? Where is that turtle bastard?!” Ooze asked, as he saw the red, gold, and green glowing creatures racing toward him.

“He’ll be here soon enough, trust us!” Taizan shouted, as she roared and ripped through the side of Ooze’s snake body with her long, en-stoned claws.

“NO! He’s GONE! GONE FOREVER! I MADE HIM DISAPPEAR! He tried to take Vague from me… so he went away! WENT AWAY FOREVER!” Ooze shouted, as he regenerated the lost flesh and grabbed Taizan with his hooves, then throwing her into Plama, causing them to crash below the surface of the water.

“Plama! Taizan!” Blaze and Hana shouted as Viento continued on alone.

“We’re fine! It’ll take more than that to make us dissipate…” Plama responded as she and Taizan righted themselves.

“You are an IDIOT! Torra-Boros was with us on the Astral Plane, recovering from the injury you inflicted to it. The very fact that you are so possessive of Blue Vague’s soul is what is ensuring he will be at full strength soon enough!” Viento shouted back, as he blasted Ooze with hyper-compressed air cannonballs.

“NO, GO AWAY! YOU LIE! TURTLE IS DEAD!” Ooze retorted, as he returned fire with compressed water, which caused Viento to ‘stumble’ in the air and drag along the water’s surface.

“What’s going on, he’s not making any sense. If Vague’s soul is still in-tact, then unless there is some really big baddie on the other side, then Torra would still be kicking… or would it be flipping,” Pinkie wondered aloud.

“That tells me that Nightmare Ooze is at the end of his rope. He is so incredibly frustrated at not being able to corrupt any of you all that he is now desperate to hold on to Vague’s soul as a tether. To what end I cannot imagine, however,” Luna concluded, looking at the formerly calm Nightmare become more and more frenetic the more it was pressured.

He needs to draw off Conduit of Water’s power in order to sustain itself. And yet, the more it does, the more unstable the seal he placed on his consciousness becomes. That is why he tried to poison and brainwash the others during the start of your engagement… Gaea reported to Luna, as she finally saw a reason to offer her opinion.

I do not mean to sound presumptuous… but where in the Blue Tatarus were you during this ENTIRE affair?! Luna responded, not at all pleased that Gaea was only now speaking to either herself or her sister.

To be honest, I had no reason to speak before now. I had the confidence that Blue Vague, no matter how far he fell, would not give himself over to The Void. That is the only way that he would succumb permanently to the Nightmare Parasites, as you would call them… Gaea stated with the utmost confidence in her voice.

While we do have much to discuss at a later date, I would surmise that since the Nightmare needs its host’s source of Power, that if we can break the seal it placed on his consciousness, that will give us the opportunity to purge the darkness from his body and soul… Luna responded, holding her frustration for Gaea’s standoff-ish-ness until later.

Yes, once that seal is broken, his power will flow freely, causing the Nightmare to lose its grip. Once that happens, you can use the Elements of Harmony to neutralize the darkness, and restore Vague to his original state. But be forewarned, much like yourself, he will retain all the psychological scars that were inflicted to bring him low to begin with… Gaea replied.

Yes, I figured as much… Luna concluded.

“We have to find a way to break the grip he has on Vague’s soul. Once that happens, he’ll lose total integrity, and we can purify him with the Elements of Harmony!” Luna stated aloud, for the rest of the gathering.

“HIS WATER MANA… it’s starting to leak out!” Spike said, his body sensing a deep source of untainted Water Magic emanating from the giant Naga-Unicorn.

“Wait, are you serious… I can’t pick up anything…” Twilight responded, not being able to sense it either.

“I can practically smell it. It doesn’t smell like that poison that Ooze is made out of… that might mean that Ooze’s grip is starting to loosen,” Spike replied, the scent of fresh spring water wafting to the air, at least to Rosethorn and himself.

It’s amazing how much he has improved in this short amount of time… he will become an incredible magus if he truly sets his heart to it… Rosethorn thought, as she marveled at the promise Spike was already showing despite his lack of formal training.

“Viento, everyone, keep hitting Ooze as hard as you can… we’re gonna break Vague out of there!” Storm shouted to his Astral dragon.

“You heard the boss, ladies,” Viento said, as he and the other two Astral Beasts redoubled their assault on the giant Naga-Unicorn.

“STOPIT! YOU ARE GONNA BREAK HIM! NO BREAK! NO BREAK! NO BREAK!” Ooze shouted, as he tried to evade the relentless assault, but the constant pounding of stone, wind, and flame was steadily causing just what he complained of to happen to Vague, or more precisely, Vague’s seal.

“NO MORE, MAKE ALL GO AWAY! MAKE ALL GO AWAY!” the (even more) berserk Naga-Unicorn shouted, as a blue glow began to waft from its form. But it was not the navy of the tainted mana that formed him to start, no, it was the pure blue of true Water Mana.

“If I ever doubt your nose again, please tell me not to…” Twilight said sheepishly as she apologized to Spike.

“You know I will,” Spike chuckled as he accepted the apology.

“But that must mean… whatever Ooze is doing to keep Vague with him, must be starting to backfire,” Fluttershy surmised, as she was now witnessing what Luna relayed to the rest of them from Gaea.

“Like a clingy, jealous marefriend trying to hold on to her stallion. The tighter she tries to latch on, the more eager he is to get away,” Rarity concluded, in a way only she could. Applejack raised her hoof as if to argue, but decided not to, since, aside from flipping a gender, she was entirely correct.

“STOP! NO LET GO! NO LET GO!” Ooze shouted, his voice sounding more and more frantic as he thrashed around, trying to keep the beasts from constantly belting him with attacks.

-----

“I… I can hear them… but they sound so faint. But I have to reach them… I have to… I have to do whatever I can to reach them, and free myself from this prison of my own making…” Vague said, as he began to stir within his rapidly cracking crystalline confinement.

-----

“NEVER LET HIM GO! NEVER! NEVER!” Ooze shouted, as more snake heads began to form from the loose mana that was gathering around all of them.

“All of this energy. This power is amazing, frightening, wondrous… like every emotion at once…” Rosethorn said, as she could feel and smell the air being electrified by the combined mana swirling around the entire battlefield.

“I thought the same when the Conduits first demonstrated it to myself and Princess Celestia, it is very much a terrifying and awe-inspiring power – a double-edged sword if I ever saw one,” Luna responded.

By the time Ooze was done, his main snake body was surrounded by seven other navy-blue and un-black snake heads, now resembling another beast of myth.

“Yamata-no-Orochi, the eight-headed snake of legend. A being a utter chaos, a monster that devoured maidens until it was finally slain by Susano-O,” Hana said, as Taizan and the others continued to assault the body.

Thought now they found such a feat difficult due to the frenetic nature of the extra heads and trunks Ooze had spawned.

“DEVOUR, EAT, SMASH, DESTROY!” Ooze shouted, his eyes wild with frenzy. His grip on his original mission now completely lost, as he was practically drunk on the incredible power he was summoning to form his Orochi-like body.

-----

Poor Number 320394. It tried so hard. But in the end, became so desperate to stay in reality, it began to consume the light, thus disrupting its darkness. We can never have the light. We only consume and destroy. Such is our fate… isn’t it… Master?

-----

“DESTROY! KILL! DEVOUR! CONSUME!” the (further) berserked hybrid creature bellowed, as it tried to fill everything with its darkness, but only could stretch it out so far.

“It must be on its last legs… LADIES!” Twilight shouted, as she suddenly had an idea. “Use the Elements and this ambient Power, we can confuse those heads so badly we might be able to shatter… whatever the thing is Ooze is using to hold the rest of Vague!”

The other Elements of Harmony fanned out from where they were all standing, until they all formed a rather wide, 100 degree arc around the shore, all pointing in at Ooze.

“DEVOUR! EAT ALL ENEMIES! KILL! CRUSH! DESTROY!” Ooze shouted, as it flailed around wildly, trying to destroy the Astral Beasts, but now barely connecting with any of its attacks.

“Alright fillies! LET HIM HAVE IT!” Twilight shouted, as she channeled as much Water Magic as she could through her Element, turning into Shadow Magic.

The purple blast raced out and pummeled one of the snake heads, causing it to gesticulate wildly as the Shadow Magic smoke wafted around it. Another blast of bluish-off-white hit from Rarity, the periwinkle from Rainbow Dash, the forest green from Applejack, the silver-gray from Pinkie Pie, and the aquamarine from Fluttershy all hit soon after. Only one other head was left unaccounted for.

“Seeing as I haven’t done anything awesome in the last little while,” Spike said, his confidence brimming as he felt energized by all the mana around him. He huffed, and puffed for a few moments, letting his internal flame build, and build, and build until…

“Dragonfire Burst!” the drake-in-a-dragon’s body shouted, as a long stream of pure, emerald green dragonfire raced out to hit the seventh of the snake heads.

“STOP IT! NO BE ALONE! NO BE ALONE AGAIN!” Ooze shouted, as a huge cracking sound resounded over the whole battlefield area.

“I think whatever we were supposed to break just broke,” Spike figured, as he felt a rush of pure Water Mana surging out from the body of degenerating Orochi-like Ooze.

“NO! NOO! NOOOOOO!” the monster shouted, as blue light began to emerge from its body, along with a very familiar face.

“Torra? Torra-Borous is that you?!” Storm shouted at the turtle-like creature that was almost literally clawing its way out of the body of the multi-headed snake creature.

“Yes, my master is currently extricating himself from this monster’s control; you will see what I mean before long,” the well-spoken, giant, turtle-like creature replied, as it fully emerged into real-space.

-----

“I… where…” Blue Vague said, as he looked around his soul-scape. Or at least what he thought was his soul-scape.

“You were buried, or you could say ‘drowned’, within the depths of your own Power, Conduit of Water,” Princess Celestia said, her voice as warm as the first rays of the sun after a long and cold night.

“So that is what they call you now, Andre?” Andrew added, feeling well as he was talking to his son for the first time, at least earnestly, in years.

“D-Dad? You’re still alive! Dad?!” Andre responded, not sure what to think of what was going on.

“Yes, still alive and still human thanks to the work of all the doctors, both Human and Pony, here at this place you call Safe Haven. A very pertinent name I might add, given what is going on in the world,” Andrew responded.

“I’m so sorry, Dad! I didn’t know what to do, what to think… and if it weren’t for my friends, for the Princesses… I… I could have ended it all… I could have…” Andre began to fret, his voice showing the wounds that were still fresh in his heart.

“But you aren’t, Vague, and that is what matters. However, Twilight and the others still have not quenched the darkness that the creature that invaded your heart had filled it with. Until that happens, you can easily relapse,” Princess Celestia said, her warm tone becoming very serious.

“I… I don’t know what… no wait… I know exactly what to do,” Blue Vague said, his trepidation beginning to morph into determination again.

“What are you going to do, son?” Andrew asked of Vague, not sure what all of this talk of darkness meant.

“If my soul had been polluted by darkness, then what I need is light to purify it. And if my thinking is correct, it will apply to her as well…” Vague said, as he began to swim back to the top of the plunge-pool.

“I believe I know who this female is you speak of, but are you sure you want to keep her around?” Celestia asked, figuring what Vague was driving at.

“Yes, Princess. She is a piece of me. A piece I formed subconsciously when that… whatever it is… wormed its way into my heart to start with,” Vague said, as he could see the multi-colored light that was his guide to the top of the pool.

“You will make time to explain this whole incident in fuller detail, right son?” Andrew asked, still confused as to what the two Ponies were talking about.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll go through the whole thing, start to finish, but first, let me deal with a little hanger-on of mine,” Vague said as he reached the top of the pool.

The blue Unicorn pulled himself out of the water of the plunge-pool to the waterfall, only to be greeted by a very strange sight. His entire soul-scape looked like some kind of abstract painting now… the trees were melting into each other, the waterfall appeared to be flowing upward, and there were lights in every color except blue shining, including the one light in the apparent center of the sky which swirled in every color of Terran Magic that he and his nine friends had found so far.

“Seems like there was one hell of a battle outside, and probably one inside,” Vague said, as he searched all around.

“I don’t want to be alone again. Don’t let them take me away. I don’t wanna be alone again. I don’t wanna be alone again,” he heard from his female duplicate, her entire being lashed to the ground by what looked like some kind of slime; the slime the same shade of blue as his untainted Water Magic.

Thanks, Torra… this will make things a lot easier…

Had to leave a little parting gift for you before I left for the Physical Plane…

“So, little missy, what do you have to say for yourself now,” Vague started, as he looked at his ‘female self’ that was stuck in the slime on the ground.

“I don’t wanna be alone again. I don’t wanna go away. I’ll just be floating in the aether, forever alone…” the duplicate cried, the feeling of defeat and impending isolation too much for her.

“While I don’t want you to go away, I have to destroy the darkness that you filled my soul with; otherwise I’ll never be free of that monster’s influence,” Vague said as he sat on the ground in front of her.

“You destroy the darkness, you destroy me,” the duplicate said, as she made the most whining puppy-like eyes she could manage.

“You represent my darkness now, but really… I think you’re just my Id. You’re my uncontrolled, unrefined, unfiltered Id. Every scrap of anger, hurt, fear, lust, greed… all of it. And that makes you a part of me ultimately… a part that I need to confront… a part I need to understand,” Vague said, as he looked into the eyes of the duplicate, that had returned to being like his own, instead of being like a snake’s.

“The light… it scares me. The light destroys the darkness. It eradicates it. Where there is no light… there is darkness; where there is light… there is no darkness,” the duplicate said, her fear palpable to Vague.

Vague inched closer, and every inch he crept, the duplicate would writhe trying to get away from him, not caring that her bindings prevented any such significant movement.

“So… do you see me as light or dark?” Vague asked.

“I… I don’t know… you had so much darkness… but now you are filled with so much light…” the duplicate responded.

Vague looked around, as blue points of light began to form in the sky, showing his power was returning to its original state.

She’s right… all I could feel before was this oppressive darkness, this evil… and now… I feel what I felt before while I was here… a power that was neither light nor dark… just simply was…

“What if I told you it was neither… we’re neither the light nor the dark, we just simply were,” Vague said, as he stared up at the points of blue light starting to grow brighter and brighter.

“But… everything is light or dark…” the duplicate replied, confused by the concept of something that wasn’t Creation or Void.

“If you stay with me… I’ll show you that light and dark is not all that the world is, there are many bits of twilight in between,” Vague said… before chuckling at the unintentional pun.

Oh she’d kill me if I ever let that line slip in her earshot…

“I… I…” the duplicate said… still confused by what was happening.

-----

“Need… I can’t… I can’t…” Ooze said, as he drug himself from the water… trying to escape the eyes of those accursed beings of light that surrounded him.

“Where do you think you’re going, hotshot?” Spike said, as he stared at the off-blue Unicorn, now looking more like Blue Vague originally did post-conversion, except with some type of darkening filter over his being.

“Stop… I… don’t…” Ooze said, before he felt four ropes bind his hooves to the ground, each one a different, bold color.

“Sorry, Ooze, you’re not getting away until my Master has his body back in full,” Torra-Borous said, as the four Beasts surrounded the dramatically weakened Nightmare.

“I… can’t… lose… not like this…” Nightmare Ooze said; his voice now raspy, his body weak, and his corrupted magic nonexistent.

“It’s over, Ooze. You lose…” Pinkie said, as the rest of the Elements of Harmony caught up with the purple dragon and the Astral Beasts.

“That light, that accursed light! My Master… he’ll come back… he’ll come back and devour everything… magic, light, matter… it’s all nothing but food to feed his insatiable hunger!” Ooze shouted, coughing all the while.

“Then let him come. Regardless to what threat this world faces, we will stand ready to turn back and defeat it!” Princess Luna stated resolutely.

This world is going to need more than your Ponies though… and the dynamic status of these Converts… I have oh so much to discuss with Princess Celestia when the time comes… Rosethorn thought, as the wheels began turning in her head.

“Ready to put an end to this farce of a Pony, everyone?!” Twilight shouted as she asked.

“Ready!” the other five Elements of Harmony replied.

“NO! NOT THE LIGHT! NOT THE LIGHT!” Ooze shouted, as he stared non-existence right in the face.

Twilight loosed the core of the blast first, which was followed by each of the other Element of Harmony. The streams of Magic swirled and mixed until they became a veritable rainbow, a rainbow set to finally purge Vague of the darkness that infested him.

“NOOOOOOOOO!” Ooze shouted as he was engulfed in the Rainbow of Light.

-----

“IT HURTS, VAGUE IT HURTS SO MUCH!” Vague’s duplicate screamed, as the un-black that made up much of her coat burned away.

“Don’t worry… it’ll be over and done with soon… then we can figure out what to do from there!” Vague responded, not feeling any burn, but still feeling out of breath from the sheer force of the Rainbow’s power.

-----

Twilight looked up as she saw what appeared to be black smoke burning away from Vague’s purifying body. As she did, she and the others could swear they heard a faint, high-pitched scream of anguish.

“IT BURNS! THE LIGHT! IT BURNS US! YOU WILL PAY! ALL OF YOU WILL PAAAAAYYYyyyy~!”

-----

“I… I’m still here?” Vague’s duplicate asked… her coat now the exact same shade of blue, her cutie mark now exactly the same as Vague’s. In short, she now looked like an exact clone of Blue Vague, save for being the opposite sex.

“Like I said… you are a part of me… my Id, or at least one manifestation of it… we’ll talk later… but…” Blue Vague said… before he grabbed the duplicate by the head.

“Wait, Vague! What are you dooooiiiingggg~” the duplicate shouted, before she felt her entire body shift in shape.

“My head, my rules…” Blue Vague started, as his entire soul-scape reverted all the way back to the way it was when he first found her, right down to the exact placements of each and every stone in the path leading up to the plunge-pool of the waterfall. “Since you wanted to be snake-in-the-grass, or rather a snake-in-the-trees, that’s exactly what you are going to look like for the time being.”

The duplicates body elongated and turned scaly, as she was stretched and thinned until she was completely limbless and tubular. A few more moments later, she resembled a cross between a king cobra and a pit viper, the only difference between the actual snakes was the shock of cobalt and blue hair that ran down the crown of her head and the hood along her neck.

“THIS ISN’T FUNNY, VAGUE!” the duplicate shouted as she tried to reorient herself, much of her body on the ground while she tried to rare back to match Vague in height.

“What’s wrong Venome, thought you’d feel a little nostalgic for that form,” Vague chuckled, as he whistled toward the plunge-pool.

“Venome? You’ve named her already? You work fast, Master,” Torra-Borous said, as he looked on at the scene of the struggling hybrid-snake and the still chuckling Pony that was his creator.

“Make him stoooop! I thought we were supposed to be twins!” Venome pleaded, as Vague grabbed her in his telekinetic aura.

“For the most part, yes. But I have some serious things I have to discuss with the Princesses and my friends, and I really don’t need you riding shotgun. So… you can sit in the Astral Plane with Torra-Borous until I’m done,” Vague said, as he disintegrated Venome’s form, and added it to the form of Torra-Borous.

When Venome opened her now snake’s eyes again, she found herself bound to the body of the Astral Beast that called Vague his master. Her body was fully fused to the core of Torra-Borous, and her scales alternated in a navy, cerulean, and true blue pattern, much like her new host’s did.

“But… I… why… I thought…” Venome stammered, as she raised her hooded head up, looking back and forth between the smirking Pony, and the smirking turtle-like creature she was now bound to.

“Consider it a small measure of payback for the utter hell you put me through these last few months. I could do a lot worse to you, but if I am going to be serious about reconciling the root of all those negative feelings I’ve had over my lifetime, I can’t start by torturing the thing that tried to feed off of them. Well I could, but I won’t. And besides, you’ll love conversing with Torra-Borous, he’s just as long-winded as me! Now bye-bye you two,” Vague said as Torra-Borous sunk back into the plunge-pool to return to his place on the Astral Plane.

“Wait… VAGUE! I’LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS! I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING I’LL FIND SOME WAY TO GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!” Venome shouted as she sunk into the pool with her new ‘partner’.

-----

Soon after, there was naught but silence, aside from the heavy breathing of all involved, including a young colt sized, cobalt-blue-and-white maned, ‘electric’ blue coated Unicorn.

“Wha… what happened? And why is my voice a whole octave off?”

“Oh dear… it’s just like three years ago…” Rarity mused, forgetting what generally happened to Ponies who were turned into Nightmares, but then fully purified – at least form the two cases she could recall.

Everyone crowded around the colt-sized Conduit of Water, trying to figure out if this was going to happen every time they had to purify somepony.

Though one mare in particular just seemed to… quiver.

“Um… Hana… are you alright…” Blaze asked of the grass-green mare, who seemed to be mumbling something to herself.

“He’s… he’s… he’s…”

“He’s what, Hana?” Applejack asked, confused by the mannerisms of the other Earth Pony.

“HE’S SO ADORABLE!” Hana squealed as she wrapped her hooves around the reduced form of her coltfriend.

“OW OW OW! I’m not a plush doll!” Vague squealed in agony as Hana had forgotten the relative difference in strength and constitution between an adult Earth Pony and a juvenile Unicorn.

“MMMM BUT YOU’RE EVEN CUTER THAN ONE!” Hana cooed as she held Vague and a veritable vice-grip.

“Someone get this crazy mare to let go of me before she breaks my ribcage,” Vague whined as he struggled to get out and away from his ga-ga marefriend.

“Now that this whole fiasco is finally done with, let’s get out while the getting is good. I cannot expect the S.P.H. to stay away from this place for too much longer,” Princess Luna said, the rest of the world’s problems starting to creep back into the forefront of her mind.

Rosethorn nodded. “Yes, I have some things I’d like to discuss with you and your Sister when you two have less… frenetic moments.”

== An hour or so later, at Safe Haven ==

All twelve that were in or overseeing the pitch battle outside of the former New Orleans were now back safe and sound at Safe Haven. Luna sighed as she took a drink from a water bottle gripped in her aura, as she walked along a hallway with Rosethorn; a pairing that got many a stare as neither Human nor Pony were used to seeing a Dragon aside from Spike. "I wish to continue this discussion at a later time. I really need to draw myself a long bath to soak in for about 72 hours consecutively."

She would not get the chance for her bath though, as warning klaxons began to sound all through the lobby.

"OH MY GOD! THEY DIDN'T FIND THE FACILITY THIS FAST DID THEY?!" Red Blaze shouted, startled as anyone else.

"No, but this is a severe problem," Celestia said, hoping that nothing else would happen this day.

A man still wearing his military uniform ran up with a report from the communication room. "Princess Celestia, Ma'am. A report has come in from the Moscow Bureau. They are beginning to breach the building itself. The Royal Guard and civilian Ponies have withdrawn into the secure laboratories underneath."

"Ugh, that is the tenth one today…" Celestia said, cursing her ill luck so far.

"Celestia, this news is horrible! At this rate, we could lose nearly 700 civilian Ponies and 100 Royal Guard Unicorns!" Luna responded with utter shock, almost slinging her water bottle at a Pony volunteer that was walking the other direction behind her in the hall.

"There are no clients, volunteers, nor allied military personnel in any of the Bureaus themselves though… which leaves us with one option," Celestia said, her ethereal mane covering her eyes.

Capt. Rodriguez, who was walking up while he heard the conversation from another hall, could figure where Celestia was going with this. "Complete Withdrawal. Everyone goes to ground. Salt the Earth. They get nothing of our tech."

Twilight began to figure what the implication were though. "Princess Celestia. Although it is probably the only option we have left, it would look like nothing less than us completely caving in. For obvious reasons, the rest of the public doesn't know of Safe Haven, so it'll just look like we're running back to Equestria with our tails between our legs."

Celestia turned around for a few moments to collect her thoughts, she did not want leave the humans who'd want to leave the rule of the SPH high and dry. At the same time, there was no presence, no way to fight back against the SPH on a wide enough scale, at least not now.

"I've come to a decision," Princess Celestia, Avatar of the Sun, Co-Ruler of Equestria stated. "Tell every Royal Guard and technician Pony to open the Gates to Equestria. Everypony in the Bureaus in the Americas, Asia, and Oceania are to head for Manehatten. Every other Bureau is to head for Canterlot. Any humans not allied with the SPH found in the Bureaus is to be given an ultimatum: be relocated here and processed, leave with the SPH, or Convert and relocate to Equestria immediately. All Stocks of Conversion Serum are also to be moved, and all gates are to be left open for ten minutes after the last Pony leaves. This is an order, and I will not have slacking, every moment is precious."

"Understood Princess Celestia." Capt. Rodriguez and a couple of communications Ponies and HEA volunteers replied as they ran back to the Communications Bay.

"I would have never guessed the situation on Earth to be so dire, Princess Celestia," Rosethorn said, showing genuine concern for the Equestrian Princesses.

Celestia continued to curse her ill luck and failures of foresight. "I'm afraid I've completely underestimated the depths to which those who profess to be the Elites of this world would go to retain their position."

Rosethorn placed a clawed hand on Celestia's shoulder, and offered a few words. "Princess, I would not profess to have some grand knowledge that could immediately fix things. Instead, you need time. We all will need time. And I believe you will need to consult the other Kingdoms and Nations for advice. These Humans appear to be an amalgamation of all of our ideologies and tendencies. Of course, there may be some concessions that have to be made in order to gain everyone's support."

Celestia looked at Rosethorn with some disdain, before finally acceding to her ideas. "I see. Perhaps I might have gotten somewhat greedy or naive in thinking that I could swoop in, and just 'fix' things with a few nice words and a cure-all potion. This world is deeply scarred, both physically and spiritually."

Luna trotted over to her sister, and looked her in her eyes. She was looking for a sign of weakness, a sign that she was conceding. She was thankful when she didn't find that sign. "I'm afraid we are left without a choice. If we are to truly accomplish our goals, we're going to have to stomp on some toes to get it, though I do not imply instigating some kind of wider conflict. At the same time, if we have to meet force with force to hold onto our position, we will have to consider long and hard doing so."

Celestia sighed, as she looked up and out at the mountain vista. She thought of how beautiful it would have looked even a few decades ago.

If only we had gotten here sooner… it would not have come to this… but I'm afraid if we are truly to fix this world… we will have to take a far more forward stance ourselves…

"Luna -- your, the Conduits of Terra, and the Bearers of Harmony begin informing everyone that I will be making a formal address to all residents of Safe Haven two hours after the evacuations of every Bureau is complete. I want everyone on the ready for any breaking news until then."

"Yes, Sister. We all understand," Luna replied, as she and the other Unicorns teleported out of the lobby; the Pegasi and Earth Ponies also taking off to notify anyone they came across.

[ July 10, 2081 @ 9:00 PM EST -- Location Unknown ]
===================================================

All across the world, people living outside of the Domes were milling about outside far more than usual. They found the now all-too familiar black vans constructing various screens and projectors. In the fighting, many of the power transmission vectors were damaged, so power was even more spotty than usual. Nevertheless, the SPH felt that this message was so important, they would spend money(!) in order for everyone to hear it, by whatever means they could manage.

"Today is a glorious day for humanity. The alien threat known as the Kingdom of Equestria has turned tail and run back for their own world. While our forces are currently doing final sweeps of their facilities, we can find no trace of the creatures. Our scientists will now proceed to work on a means to seal the Aurora Barrier, so that we may never have to face this threat from Equestria, or any other faction, from their world again! We shall also direct the leadership of the world to begin the rebuilding efforts. We will remain true to our stated goal, to create a new, better world for humanity," the masked speaker stood up to conclude his message. "To a New Age. To a New Order. To a New Mankind!"

While the rest of the SPH celebrated the full retreat of the Ponies back into Equestria, one female soldier in particular was still distraught, rocking back and forth as her mind raced with the thoughts from a few hours previous.

My husband is dead… My son is a monster… My husband is dead… My son is a monster… It's all their fault… it's all their fault… Those damn Ponies… I'll kill them… If they ever come back… I'll kill them… I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!

[ July 10, 2081 @ 6:10 PM PST -- Somewhere in the Mojave Desert,
California, U.S.A.]
====================================================

Deep under the floor of the Mojave Desert, there lay a cave. Normally this cave would be empty, but now it was filled with activity. The buzzing and flitting of a small horde of hybrid insect and Pony creatures. Sitting on a regal, emerald-colored 'throne' was Chrysalis, their Queen and entire focus of their existence. She used well placed drones all over the major human 'hives' in order to keep track of the goings-on above ground.

"Humans can be such a silly lot, can't they, my dear?" Chrysalis remarked, rubbing a perforated foreleg underneath the chin of her latest mindless object of affection.

"Yes… my Queen," the young man said, mind completely under the thrall of his new, loving, all-consuming Queen.

"What are you going to do with the strange creature, Queen Chrysalis?" a high ranking soldier-Changeling asked of his Queen, unsure what to think of her new pet.

Chrysalis continued stroking her mindless pet's chin. "Oh that's simple. First, I drain him for all he's worth. Then we see if his body is compatible with the pod. I suspect that these… humans… can be quite useful to us, should we remain unable to establish a presence near Equestria. You would like that, wouldn't you dear?"

"Anything to serve my Queen. I will lay down my life, if you so will it…" the young man replied in a dry monotone.

"Oh, I just love hearing my pets talk like that~," Chrysalis said, flitting her wings in joy, and a devious grin across her face.

“But Queen Chrysalis. If it turns out the humans are indeed compatable with our genetic matrix, surely the other Hive will ask for a copy of the information,” one of her advisor Valets asked, as he knelt to continue to show deference for his Queen’s judgement.

Chrysalis first fixed her gaze into a snarl of utter contempt, but then it softened somewhat into a snide, knowing look of one who was intentionally hiding something from another. “And who is to say I would have to share this information with my dear Sisters?”

“No, certainly not me, your majesty. Please, consider this entire conversation just a passing figment of your imagination!” the Valet groveled, as he backed away and left the sight of his Queen.

“The less they know about any of this the better. Not until it is clear and obvious that MY HIVE is the strongest of all, and they are all on bended knees TO ME!” Chrysalis said and shouted aloud, determined to raise a populace, and more importantly, an army, that none of the other Hives could stand against.

[ July 10, 2081 @ 6:30 PM PST - Safe Haven ]
============================================

About 5,000 humans and Ponies were in the main auditorium of Safe Haven, while the rest of the population and the infirmed watched over various monitor setups. Princess Celestia, with her sister Luna and fellow traveler Richard Edwards to each side of her, strode to the lectern to deliver her remarks. The Doctors Isegawa, Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and the Conduits of Terra sans Blue Vague were in the front row of the audience; Blue Vague himself watching the remarks on the closed-circuit monitor in his infirmary room.

"As you all have likely heard by now, I have recently ordered, and completed overseeing, the total withdrawal of our public presence on Earth."

Celestia waited a few moments while the murmuring died down.

"Also, you all have most likely heard by now the remarks, or a synopsis thereof, by who we can only assume is the leadership of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity. He proclaims this is a full-blown retreat, and from their perspective, I can see why they would believe that. However, I felt it necessary to address you all personally, as to prevent any rumors from cropping up before we can develop any solid plans going forward. Myself, my sister, and the leadership of the Human-Equestrian Alliance met briefly before I prepared these remarks, and we have come to an agreement. This is merely a setback, and not a permanent end to our quest.

"Although I am an ages old creature, I am not omniscient. It is partially my fault that we find ourselves in the position we do now, having to scramble around in the shadows. I severely underestimated the depths to which the self-professed Elite would go in order to preserve their position in this world; going so far as to execute a worldwide coup-d'etat in order to maintain their 'spot', as it were. Although I wish it did not have to come to this, I am afraid we will have start over from scratch.

"We will spend the foreseeable future attempting to find remaining allies outside of these walls, as well as consulting with the other Nations Equestria shares a world with. Together, I believe we can truly forge a new Age; not only for Humanity, for Ponydom, but for all sapient races of both worlds!"

Everyone got up and applauded as best they could; while Vague, his body and mind still exhausted, just smiled at the words of his Princess.

Princess Celestia… Twilight and the other Bearers of Harmony… Storm and the other Conduits of Terra… I am so sorry… I don't think I could ever apologize enough for my behavior from today and the last few weeks… but I will make it up to you… I will do everything in my power to make this world live and thrive!

In the Human Sick Bay, Andrew sat up in his bed, seemingly clear of thought for the first time in ages.

Linda… she is no demon… she is no agent of the Devil… Celestia is just another leader trying to do the best she can for her people… Isn't that what everyone wants? The best for their people? Why should we just dismiss her out of hand because they walk on four legs, and we walk on two?
Andrew called for a human volunteer to see if he could get a change of clothes… and whatever documentation he needed to join the H.E.A. formally.

It appears I have a lot to consider going forward… But I know one thing, that future doesn't involve the SPH or anything like it, and I don't want to become a Pony like Andre… But there is so much I need to do for him, even if only goes as far as being there for him in this new phase of his life… and hopefully the new phase of our world.

CH 22: Aftermath

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 22: Aftermath ===

[ July 13, 2081 -- Safe Haven ]
===============================

It had been three days since the incident south of Nouvelle Baton Rouge, heading on the way to the site where New Orleans once stood. Three days since Blue Vague had fallen to the temptation of destruction provided by the fragment of darkness that had slipped into his mind, and was rescued from himself before he could do any significant damage to the world or his own soul.

Despite the fact he was now firmly clear of the danger posed by the Nightmare Parasite, he still could not shake the feelings that lingered around in his mind – like traces of oil lingering in a bay after a tanker had its hull gashed, but it was already moved, and ostensibly cleaned up.

-----

“Why do I feel like I’m still trying to drag that millstone around my neck? I thought the Elements of Harmony would have gotten rid of that feeling…” Vague complained aloud, as he laid out on the ground at the edge of the plunge-pool in his soul-scape.

“You know what Princess Luna told you immediately afterward: ‘The Elements of Harmony can only purge the evil from your soul. Not the negative emotions that served as the bait for that evil.’ I believe she also mentioned as an aside that there might have been a few Ponies she could call on if she needed more fine-grain emotional counseling, but it didn’t seem bad enough now to warrant it,” Torra-Borous replied to his master, as the navy and blue snake attached to his ‘person’ looked on with quite a non-plussed look on her face.

“I’m still going to get you back for tying me to Turtle-Boy like this, Vague…” Venome grumbled; the venom of a seductress gone, and replaced with a churlishness similar to dyspeptic ten-year old girl.

“I’m sure you will…” Torra-Borous replied to his temporary partner, keeping his deadpan and even tone of voice.

“Not only is there the millstone of why I still feel so worked up and angry. But then there is the fact every second we’re all stuck here, those masked people and their miscreant followers entrench their control on the major nations ever so much deeper,” Vague grumbled; now sounding like Venome’s twin ten-year old brother as he did. “There is no telling what kind of insane and stupid orders and backdoors and whatever else the SPH is making Aguillar and the few senior Secretaries install in order to make sure they rule in perpetuity.”

It was at that point that Venome had quite enough of her own depression and Vague’s constant moping ever since the Elements purged Ooze’s evil power from the both of them. “Ok, that’s it, timeout. I’m really just… straight up done with feeling so sorry for ourselves.”

The turtle-head of Torra-Borous turned around, and Blue Vague himself stood and looked up as Venome continued speaking.

“All of this, all of this we’ve been doing the last three days. Even if it doesn’t lead to a relapse or whatever, it’s still no good, no good at all.”

“Well what are we supposed to do?” Vague asked as he sat down on his haunches.

“We go home!” Venome replied; her churlishness replaced with sudden home inspiration.

“I thought Dr. Jun told us she blew it up, or blew part of it up anyway,” Vague responded.

“NO! The other one!” Venome replied, her expression going flat suddenly.

“I dunno, just leaving for Equestria really would make this feel like surrender. I… I can’t warm up to the idea of leaving and going underground for however many months, or even years, before emerging to do whatever,” Vague responded, the tension and nervousness evident in his voice.

“While your concern for leaving Earth is valid, master, I am afraid I have to agree with my ‘snake-head’ regarding this issue,” Torra-Borous started, startling both Vague and Venome. “To leave Earth now would be leaving Earth with no organization to resist the SPH’s hold on power. At the same time, this situation is too critical to over-extend ourselves trying to wrest control back from their hands without sufficient martial and political power. The Princesses were clearly quite serious when they said they were going back to the drawing board for this entire venture. And the ten of us do not have the wherewithal to affect a cogent, organized resistance to the Black Shield either.”

“Yeah, but…” Vague started before he was cut-off by his partial Id.

“’But…’ nothing, Vague. You can’t be a one-pony solution to this whole situation. I mean even Celestia, who you would think could be a one-Pony, or I guess, one-Alicorn solution to this issue, deliberately is not attempting to be that. She can see more than anyone that trying to solve this by one’s self is only going to lead to a nervous breakdown, at best.”

“I… I guess…” Blue Vague responded dejectedly, as he began to realize that waiting was in all likelihood the best play the H.E.A. had at the moment.

“And besides. Isn’t there a certain mare that’s worried sick about you that you need to be attending to?” the navy and blue snake said, with quite a bit of wryness in her voice.

Vague blushed as he turned to the side, realizing where Venome was going with this line of thought. He thought of how touchy-feely that Hana had been with him the last few days, and how one thing could lead to another and…

“I really don’t think that now is the time for that, Venome, as much as you’d probably like that…” Vague replied nervously, as he felt that level of physical intimacy with his marefriend being beyond his capacity to do anything but fantasize about at the moment.

“My, someone has feeling quite the something for that green mare, aren’t they? But no, I don’t mean that, at least not yet; more along the lines of a nice dinner somewhere that’s not too fancy, but at the same time, is spaced to give a sense of, coziness. However, if you wait too long, she’s is going to start thinking that she is the one doing something wrong regarding your relationship not going ‘next level’. And you know how she can get when she starts having her little depression spirals. At the very least you need to talk through all of this stuff,” Venome replied, nodding sagely as she did.

“How is it that something born of my corrupted Id is so erudite and thoughtful?” Vague replied; chuckling as he began to get the frog out of his throat that leapt in anytime the thought of being physical with Midori Hana came up.

“Look at whose Id I was derived from. I don’t think you could help not being long-winded if you tried,” Venome responded in a snide tone, flipping her white hair from one side of her head to the other as she did.

“No, I don’t think he could either,” Torra-Borous agreed, as both of them began to chuckle as well.

“Fine, fine, I’ll let that slide since you are my creations, active and passive…” Vague replied as he rolled his eyes.

“But seriously, I know you want to eventually start a family with Hana, Vague. And you know the most direct route to doing that. Plus I know all the other things you want to do with her beyond that. So eventually you are going to have to get over this anxiety you get when you talk about the physical part of your relationship,” Venome chided, as she looked on with some mild bit of concern at her progenitor.

“I know, trust me I know. I just don’t want to push the issue and make it seem like I have a one-track mind like Storm…” Vague responded somewhat defensively.

“It’s hard to be as single-minded as Storm. At the same time though, you know he cares for Blaze very much, and thinks of her far beyond being his exclusive sexual partner, correct?” Torra-Borous asked of the blue Unicorn.

“Yeah, that much is clear. I just want to find my way, though; doubt Storm’s game plan is the same one I want to run for myself,” Vague said as he stood up again, gaining confidence in the idea of initiating this phase of his and Hana’s relationship.

“We trust you in that. In any case, I bet your friends are coming to check on you, so I guess you should join the world of the wakeful again,” Venome mused, as she could feel through her link to Vague that Storm, Blaze, and Hana were approaching Vague’s room.

“Yeah, I think we’re about done here. Talk to you all later then,” Vague said as he dissipated in a ‘wave’ of blue particles of light.

“So how you long do you give Vague and Hana before they go all the way as they would say?” Torra-Borous asked of the navy snake integrated into his turtle-like body.

“Hard to say, can’t think it’d be more than another year. Passion is a hard thing to gauge, and no telling what’d set them off,” Venome responded.

“True, though I think Blaze might know how passion can work the best of all four of them,” Torra remarked, as they began to leave the soul-scape as well.

“Probably, I’d need to talk to her myself,” Venome responded as they de-manifested completely.

The only thing that was left was a large black raven that had kept itself undetected from all the others there; the edges of her feathers tipped in indigo and blue, and her eyes azure and piercing.

“It appears the three of them are building a true bond and rapport with each other, this is good. However, she should probably intercede anyway. There are still issues within his psyche that may prove to be problematic if he doesn’t confront and resolve them.”

--- === ---

Blue Vague was roused by the slight rapping of hooves against the sliding door to his room. As his eyes focused on his surroundings, he inwardly groused a moment as he was still only 2/3rds his original size, the aftereffects of being purged by the Elements of Harmony still not entirely resolved.

I will be so glad when this week is over with…

“Who is it?” Vague asked, responding to the knocking at his door.

“It’s us Ao-chan!” he heard from a familiar perky, most likely grass-green-coated mare on the other side of his door.

“Fine, come in…” Vague replied, hoping he had steeled himself properly for was in all likelihood his marefriend about to tackle-hug him yet again.

The door slid open, and while he was indeed steeled for how hard his marefriend grabbed him, he was stunned by just how fast she had done it this time.

“You know, I always thought the phrase ‘deceptive speed’ was a bit of a backhanded compliment, but Hana can be fast when she really wants to be,” Red Blaze said, trying to stifle a giggle as Hana had planted herself on her coltfriend’s bed, with said (diminutive) coltfriend wrapped in her front legs, along her chest and lap.

“You know you don’t have to look like that every time she manages to grab you like that, right?” Golden Storm added with a bit of a mocking tone, noting how Vague was desperately trying to maintain face despite being considerably smaller (still) than his marefriend and virtually totally restrained by her – and not seeming to mind in the slightest.

“I’m still wondering how she can do that and I not see it coming…” Vague said; starting to blush beet red as said green mare rocked slightly from side to side with him, humming a soft tune. Despite the tone of discontent he spoke with, he indeed did not seem to mind the slightest in reality.

“I’ll only have a few more days while you’re still like this, so I wanna take as much advantage of it as I can,” Hana mused in a contented tone; like a talking kitten with her favorite plush in her ‘paws’.

“You know you’d probably do the same thing with her if the roles were reversed…” Blaze chided softly, still trying to stifle that giggle of hers.

“Hrmph,” was all Vague responded with, wondering how odd it’d look with a chibi-Hana tight in his front legs.

“Anyway, as adorable as this scene is with you two, we do have an actual reason for coming down here to see ya Mr. Vague,” Storm started as he and his marefriend composed themselves.

“So why are you all here, Mr. Storm?” Vague responded in kind.

Red Blaze answered for her coltfriend. “We’ve been talking with the Bearers, and we were all considering leaving for Equestria to decompress totally. We’ve been doing nothing but piling up stress while we have been here since the Unsealing, and now that we officially cannot do anything in any capacity on the outside, it’s going to do nothing but eat at us even more. I say we take our leave for now and focus on what we can control. They want to leave some time in the next week, and the three of us are inclined to agree with them.”

Vague sighed as he felt the stress already starting to build in his psyche. “You know exactly how I feel about that, though. At the same time, what good is it going to do us here, sitting around not doing anything until the Princesses feel comfortable with making their presence known to the wider world again?”

“I feel the same way, Vague,” Storm added, as he scratched behind his ear and beat his wings, trying to alleviate some of his own anxiety. “I don’t want to give the S.P.H. free reign over the world. But what are the ten of us supposed to do about it at the moment? I might have some military experience, but that was flying a plane that mostly flew itself; I haven’t done any kind of training in conducting guerilla operations, which is probably what we’d have to do if we want to at least re-establish the national capitals.”

“And what of everyone’s families - all of the volunteers and all of the diplomats and government officials that decided to side with us?” Hana started, as he held Vague a little tighter. “I can’t imagine what they’d do to them if we were to try something and fail. Especially if we tried to get Aguillar out of Washington and/or take back control of Washington with her still there. I can’t violate the trust and faith her family and Vice-President Oberwiess put in us all to get her back, unless we were sure as possible that what we were going to do was going to work.”

Red Blaze looked on with some manner of concern as she looked on at the pair on the bed. “That’s not our, in terms of the H.E.A. as a whole, only problem. I would put good money on criminal elements either jumping on the S.P.H. bandwagon, or just using the internecine conflict their rule will inevitably cause, in order to enrich themselves. Protection rackets, theft of arms and high-end computers, the whole nine yards as they would say in the Anglo countries. We should be fully prepared to not only root out the S.P.H. when the time comes, but to assist the police and military in dealing with other non-state and black-market actors as well.”

Vague sighed as he sunk into his marefriend a bit more, letting all the words wash over him. “I see. I don’t have an argument against what any of you have said. In fact, I’m now convinced that down time to attend to our own personal needs is exactly what the ten of us need. I guess we have to trust that the rest of humanity will hold on in this interregnum.”

“We’ll, they’ve been hanging on as long as they have now, and were hanging right along with them. Now we’re in a position to potentially stand them up fully, but we need to properly assess the situation and prepare for it,” Blaze concluded as she made for the door to Vague’s room to exit.

“And at the same time, even when we do get our new plan of action, we’re gonna have to make sure we take all the time we can for ourselves. We’re not machines nor are we golems, and ignoring our needs will not serve us well, and that can eventually blow up in all of our faces if it’s bad enough,” Storm added as he followed his marefriend out.

Hana made to leave as well, before Vague spoke up, getting her attention rather quickly.

“Hey Verte, don’t go yet, there is something I want to ask you while I got you by yourself.”

“What is it Ao-chan,” Hana responded, as her coltfriend continued to lay along her chest and belly.

“I was thinking, when we get back to Equestria and get settled… that… that we go out to dinner,” the blue diminutive stallion asked of the green mare.

“Really? Um… I…” Hana stammered, suddenly a bit frog-of-throat much like Vague when she would ask him about their relationship.

“I think I’ve been leaving this relationship in a holding pattern for way too long. I mean, Storm and Blaze still make time for each other. And not just for the obvious, well the somewhat obvious… anyway… they take the time to really be there as a couple. And… I want us to start the same thing… in our own way of course. I mean I can’t be Storm and you can’t be Blaze, so…” Vague started, his thoughts drifting in and out due to anxiety.

“I… I think I get it… and I accept. Though I dunno where we can have a nice dinner to ourselves like that,” Hana replied, hugging Vague as she did.

“I bet Rarity or Pinkie Pie know a place or three, we’ll ask them when we all get settled down again,” Vague replied.

Hana squealed in delight, giving her coltfriend one last hug before she made to leave the room for the time being. But before she exited entirely, she mentioned one last thing to Vague.

“You know, while you’re still here, you should talk to your dad. I’m pretty sure the whole… incident three days ago would give you two plenty to hash out. And trust me, it’d be better to do it now while it is fresh before the brain starts leaving out important details.”

Yeah, I really should… Vague thought as he lay back out on his bed to contemplate the last conversation, as the green mare slid his door back closed.

[ June 11, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
==============================

“This sucks…” Rainbow Dash said as she sat in the media room; herself, Applejack, and Blue Vague all looking at one of the monitors tuned to ABC Sports simulcast.

“Yeah, I was wondering how long it was gonna take for this…” Vague added, sighing as he did.

“Can’t overturn the apple cart without the fruit rollin’ round everywhere. No tellin’ what those Black Shield chuckleheads gonna mess up next,” Applejack continued, as she just shook her head at what appeared to be rather obvious fallout from the recent imbroglio that had engulfed the entire world now.

“Have we confirmed the veracity of this statement from the Major League Baseball Players’ Association? We have?! Oh alright, let’s run with it then…” the three of them heard of a producer from what was apparently behind the main camera, as the anchors looked on with a bit of confusion. After a few moments, the two anchors apparently settled down and began to resume their reporting.

“Well let’s see what this apparent statement is from the MLBPA. I kinda have a hint at what is about to be announced given the past events, but maybe someone convinced them otherwise,” Vague mused aloud before the anchors started speaking.

“Yes, this is Randall Foster for ABC-Disney Sports, we’re broadcasting live on the main branch of ESPN Networks, and we deeply apologize for any interruption of live events. If you wish to watch said live events and catch up on our reporting at a later time, we have continued those broadcasts on the second branch of networks, starting with ABC Sports International for the evening slate of our domestic fans of European Summer Soccer. Going back to our main story of the late morning, we have now confirmed this official communiqué from the Major League Baseball Players’ Association. We will post the full statement with all context on our website as we proceed with this report, but here is, in our own and our producer’s estimation, the most relevant passage.”

“Due to the recent events with the organization known as the Society for the Preservation of Humanity and the recent collapse of the official governments of the major nations of the world, we feel that the safety of our players cannot be guaranteed. This combined with the personal beliefs of the great majority of our members, with regard to the political turmoil that now grips North America, have lead us to this decision. We are officially requesting that all members of our organization voluntarily refuse to participate in any further games or official league activity until the League and Ownership can assure the safety and well-being of all of our constituent members. We understand that fans of the sport will be disappointed and, in all likelihood, angry at this decision, but we also ask that they understand our perspective and support us, and the players that we represent, as we find our way through this chaotic time.”

“It makes sense, none of the teams have been able to field even half-full rosters for the last week,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, her face showing the upset and disappointment that the statement predicted.

“Can’t really ask anyone to go to work with those idiots running around like they are,” Applejack added.

“Not to mention that roughly 80% of the current player base for the Major Leagues are Outsiders, and quite a number of them advocated for President Aguillar’s election and re-election. To see her government deposed like it was has done nothing but shock and anger them,” Blue Vague concluded as the anchors began to speculate on what this official strike would mean for the league going forward.

“Add to that the League Ownership itself is in all likelihood split,” Vague’s father added, as he was walking through the area the three Ponies were watching the screen in.

“Hey dad… uh…” Vague said, nervous seeing his father like this after what had happened four days previous.

“Hello…” Andrew responded, equally nervous, not wanting to do anything to upset Andre or either of his new friends.

The two kinda looked at each other awkwardly, neither quite sure of what to say to the other.

“Why don’t we go back to the section I was at, I think there are some things we need to talk about before you move on back to Equestria for the time being,” Andrew said, finally working up the nerve to break the silence.

“So you heard about our plans?” Rainbow Dash asked of the middle-aged dark-skinned man.

“Yeah, and frankly I don’t blame any of you wanting to get away, at least for awhile. Lord knows that if I were in the same situation I would want at least a month to completely decompress,” Andrew replied, as he and Vague made for the other room his father had occupied.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. Dad’s good people and… well I want to go ahead and deal with this before it festers and my emotions get out of control… again,” Vague stated as he began to steel his nerve.

“Well… don’t let either of us stop ya. We’re all here if ya need another few set of ears to listen, right RD?” Applejack responded.

“Sure, we’re all still here, and we’re gonna be here for ya regardless,” Rainbow Dash added.

---

“Those are good mares you’ve befriended, along with the green one that I’m assuming is that Kyoko you’ve been talking to these last couple of years,” Andrew mused as the two of them sat in on the couch at another wide-screen monitor, a movie from the early 2040s playing at low volume in front of them.

“Yeah, the two of us really hit it off when I stayed with her parents for a while. And then we… both decided to convert, and here we are…” Vague started, still nervous as he felt like a kid again, and not in a good way.

“Uhh… oh this is that movie that you said you saw with Mom way back when you met her, huh?” Vague started, as he looked at the sights of old New Orleans from the movie.

“Yeah, A Sinful Storm, one of the last big films done in New Orleans before it was dis-incorporated,” Andrew replied, letting the memories of him meeting his future wife in an old theatre wash over him.

“If I remember correctly, she always said that she liked the movie because it showed that even in a sea of debauchery, a strong person can hold true to their ideals and their faith,” Vague said, starting to let the memories of his mom talking to him about life playback in his own mind.

“And I always liked it because it showed New Orleans in all of its grit and glory before its slow demise finally took hold,” Andrew added as he paused the film, not wanting to divide his attention away from his son.

“I don’t know how I let myself forget that…” Vague said, as he began to choke up, the emotions starting to get the better of him already.

“We all do from time to time, no one is ever able to completely shield themselves from the tribulation of the world. We just have to surround ourselves with people who will reel us back in when we find ourselves adrift,” Andrew mused, as he comforted his Ponified son.

“But… what I turned into… even if it was just for that short amount of time. All I could feel was pain, hate, distress. It felt like the entire maelstrom of the world was trying to funnel itself through me, and I couldn’t resist its pull!” Vague started before Andrew rapped his son on the head lightly, right where the edge of his mane-line met the base of his horn.

“What have I told you about doing that to yourself? I swear, son, you can be your own worst enemy at times,” Andrew said in a chiding tone, before chuckling a little bit.

His son rubbed behind his horn a bit where his father rapped him, as he began to calm down. “I… I know – it’s my worst habit.”

“At the same time. Wearing the uniform of those some of yours, well, I guess some of mine now too, call the Black Shield, couldn’t have helped matters any,” Andrew said, knowing he was not blameless for the blowing-up of Vague’s psyche during that day.

“I guess we both have some explaining to do about then, don’t we?” Vague mused, as he could feel the tension building, but accepted that it needed to happen eventually.

“Yes, yes we do…” Andrew said as he let the moment settle down, feeling that Vague was going to speak first.

“I… guess I just… I just kept running away…” Vague said, as he began to steel his nerve again, hopeful that his father would understand where his emotions had been the last year and a half.

“From what?” Andrew responded, interested to hear what exactly Vague felt like was haunting him.

“Mom. It seemed like everything I did, everywhere I turned, I couldn’t help but hear her, see her. The only time I felt like I was truly my own person was when I was with Kyoko, Ethan, and Natasha,” Vague replied, as he looked off into the paused movie screen.

“So what about Linda were you trying to get away from?” Andrew asked, leading Vague to continue his venting, sensing he needed another stage of emotional catharsis.

“I dunno, it felt like I was trying to get away from everything that she is: scary, dogmatic, stubborn, prone to outbursts…” Vague said.

“All of that is true. Your mother has her feelings and her beliefs, and it not shy to tell others what they should and shouldn’t be doing. But you know where I am going with this…” Andrew started.

“Yeah, before I met those three, I was the same way. Even though my beliefs didn’t point in the same direction, I still acted the same way. I tried to press everyone I met into believing what I did about the Domes and the wealthy who resided in and dominated them. I was angry that the world seemed to be coming apart and apparently no one cared or was cheering flames as they reached higher and higher. I was stubborn when I simply refused for the last couple of years to have direct contact with mom, always having to use you as my go-between.”

Vague sighed, as his attention shifted.

“But when I met Kyoko, and eventually Ethan and Natasha… all of those feelings faded. I felt like I was my own man, instead of just a man walking in the shadow of his mother. It didn’t matter what I believed, what kind of anger I felt in that moment, if I was interacting with them, it all just went away. But then… after Princess Celestia and the other appeared… it felt like I could never get away from that... despair you could call it now. I was torn up between this simultaneous need to get away from the mom’s shadow, and the hurt I felt when I was separated from you two because of decisions we all made mutually.”

“I know it was hard for you to live with Pops even though he didn’t have many years left. I thank his soul every day that I can that he held on long enough to see you into your post-secondary education where I couldn’t, at least not personally,” Andrew stated morosely, yet with reverence for his passed father.

“I do too… I felt his presence when I did finally convert. Even though I wasn’t seeking his approval, at least not consciously, it felt so nice to know that he understood how I felt and why I did what I did,” Vague added.

“You didn’t need anyone’s approval; you are an adult and you have your own interests to look after. At the same time, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t momentarily shocked to see my own son now walking on fours instead of twos,” Andrew replied, as the focus of the conversation shifted to his end of the spectrum.

“I… I didn’t want Mom to know. I know how dogmatic she can be, and given what she was e-mailing me in those days, telling her I had become a Pony would have sent her into an apoplectic fit. As much as I have disdain for her… I didn’t feel like I could do that to her. Fat lot of good that sentiment did for me in the end, though,” Vague said, as his head drooped.

“What has passed is the past, but I don’t want that to be a weight on your neck. In the end, she is her own woman, just as you are your own man… stallion… sorry. In any case, at some point, neither of us can live in fear of her reactions…” Andrew said… as he began to come to some realizations about himself.

“Us? I thought we were still talking about my path to this point…” Vague said, a tad confused.

“I meant what I said about us not living in fear of her reactions. Ever since you and the two of us became separated, I was desperate not to lose her as well. I’m sure you’ve felt some animosity toward me about my… well let’s face it… fecklessness when she began to try and assert her will on both of us. In the end, I found myself being drug along in her wake.”

Andrew sighed, as he leaned forward on the short couch the man and the diminutive stallion sat on.

“When she got that position as a deaconess for that preacher in the Atlanta Domes, I tried my best to argue that we were finally carving out our own little life in Nouvelle Baton Rouge, why should we throw all of that up in the air to chase whatever this was? Needless to say, I lost the argument. Every so often, generally when you sent us one of your e-mails about how your life had changed in one way or another, I would argue that the two of us needed to reconcile with you. She wouldn’t have any of it. As far as she was concerned, you were just a prodigal son, and she merely needed to wait you out until you saw the error of your ways and came back to us.”

“But as the years drug on and I never set foot in Atlanta, much less the domes, I would wager she stopped believing I would just show up at your doorstep,” Vague wondered aloud.

“And you’d be right. Suddenly this faith that you would just come back to us with no effort on our part to reconcile turned into anger at you rejecting us. Eventually, this anger turned into apathy for whatever it was you were doing with your life. Every time you would send us a letter about how you were doing there in NBR post your graduation, she would just act as if nothing of note really happened. And every time I pressed her to get some kind of solid reaction, she’d just deflect and say how good of a life we were building for ourselves in Atlanta and how we just needed to forget about you. Selfish and scared as I was, I would just go along with that.”

“I see…” Vague said, as his anger toward his mother was now starting to morph into some mixture of concern and confusion.

“Just as your feelings came to a head when Princess Celestia appeared, so did our relationship begin to turn. When she saw that white winged-Unicorn on the television, I felt something in her change. I know how much you hate this terminology, and I don’t particularly care for it in a literal sense either, but I really do believe your mother thought she was looking at the Anti-Christ.”

“The Book does say it would come ostensibly bringing peace, but speaking nothing but deceit to bring the world into chaos and ruin,” Vague said, himself having contemplated the idea in some of his more dark moments.

“While the idea on the surface would make some small bit of sense, you could really apply that to any political figure that speaks of a worldwide peace and comity, trying to bring some kind of order out of chaos. Especially these days when it does feel like any little thing would spark the End of Days in a real sense, instead of the metaphorical,” Andrew continued, remembering the arguments he would have with Linda about Princess Celestia and if her message of peace was actually true.

“It didn’t help that when that darkness inside of me fully manifested, I was speaking in terms like I was trying to bring about the End of Days. I guess I’m even more of my mother’s son than I thought,” Vague said and he laid out on his back on the couch.

“Well I was blasted unconscious at the time, but the other Princess, Luna I believe her name was, told me as much as she thought I was willing to accept of my own son and what he did and didn’t do during your battle,” Andrew said.

“Certainly not a shining moment for myself. I am just glad I was rescued from my madness before I could really try and break the world,” Vague said, thankful for the Ponies he called his friends, both old and new.

“And that is all you can ask for ultimately, that when you can’t see that you are lost, you have people around you that can guide you back to shore,” Andrew concluded, getting a chuckle out of Vague.

“I guess we both need a lighthouse in this fog of life, huh?” Vague said, his mind coming back to some sense of ease.

“We all do in a way. The person you are guiding one day may be the one guiding you the next, and vice versa…” Andrew replied, before trailing off.

“I wish we had someone that could have guided all three of us when we were still together, then all of this may have been avoided,” Vague said, as they both began to think of one Linda Bowman

---

“Ah wish Ah still had this chance,” Applejack said, as the turned down the feed to ESPN 1 and left herself and Rainbow Dash to contemplate things.

“To talk to your dad? Yeah, I can imagine,” Rainbow Dash responded.

“Ah can still remember that day. It was a horrible wild rainstorm; the police chief came to the farmhouse, and told Granny Smith what had happened. We didn’t understand at first why she was crying so loudly, but it didn’t take long. I think most of the adults in town were involved in the funeral in some way,” Applejack said, her usual country charm replaced with a dreary melancholy.

“Hey I’m sorry if I’m making you drag up bad memories. I’ll just drop it if ya want me to…” Rainbow Dash said, suddenly feeling nervous for having brought up the subject of parents.

“Don’t be sorry, and don’t feel pity for me either. You understandin’ me is enough,” Applejack said, some of the pall of depression lifting from her voice as she came back to the present.

“Sure, no prob. Makes me want to go visit my dad in the flesh now…” Rainbow Dash said.

“You do that, and give him a big enough hug for all ten of us too…” Applejack concluded with a faint but still noticeable smile

---

“We always pay for the choices we make, even when we don’t realize we’re making them,” Andrew said, as he took a photo out of his wallet, of himself, Linda, and Andre about 20 years previous.

“The disturbing thing is… I couldn’t tell you what exactly went so wrong to have us here. I think if we did it all over again, perhaps we’d talk more about it, but I think we make the same decisions over,” Vague thought, marveling at how much he had grown and changed since then, in so many respects.

“Hard to say, son. All I know is… if Linda were here with us, I’d tell her that we all needed to come clean about how we feel about each other, and then work our hardest to put our family back together in earnest,” Andrew thought aloud, which inspired Vague.

“You know what dad, you’re right. This farce of our separation has gone on long enough. I don’t know where she is now, but I’m going to do everything within my power to find her. And if we can’t put our family back together, then I will make sure at the very least we all know how we all feel about each other, so we can start moving on with all of our lives, instead of just staying tethered to the past like we are now.”

“You’re right son, neither of us can live in fear of upsetting her. And perhaps, this fear fed into her paranoia and it was why the way she was the last couple of years,” Andrew added, as he unpaused the movie, and the both of them settled in to watch the rest.

[ July 17, ????+1 – Ponyville, Equestria ]
==========================================

“I was wondering when you were going to come to me with a question like this~” Rarity sung in her charming mid-Atlantic accent, as she flitted a bit around Blue Vague, who was standing in the lobby to the sales area of her combination storefront, workshop, and abode.

“Yeah, I mean I put you all through a lot with my own issues, and I put Hana through it double-time. I just want to do something nice for her to let her know I want to recommit myself to making our relationship work,” Blue Vague said, as he paced around Rarity, who was using him as a temporary, impromptu coat ‘rack’ as they were now in the ‘workshop’ area of Carousel Boutique.

“Well, what kind of place of dining are you looking for, dear?” Rarity said, her magic working two different sewing machines while she gave a twice-over to a recent rough sketch for a new design.

“Somewhere that is not overly fancy, but not too low-rent. Where you can be intimate, but not isolated either,” Blue Vague said as he shifted one of the covered pieces from his telekinetic grip to Rarity’s.

“Hrm, somewhere middle-class… and with decent spacing to not let others overhear any personal conversations, at least not without straining enough for you to notice…” Rarity thought aloud, as she went through her mental rolodex of restaurants and eateries in town.

A few moments of relative silence was broken when Rarity came up with her answer. “I got it, White River’s Cosmo-Diner. I participated in my fair share of displays at the diner and it’s just perfect – reasonably priced but the food there is just delicious!”

“Hrm, I might have passed by there once or twice before, do you need to reserve in advance or can we just walk in when we're ready?” Blue Vague asked, thinking about the sign on the outside that looked like a canoe piercing through white-water rapids.

“You will if you want to eat at a certain table or booth on the weekend. Though the traffic should be light enough for most weekdays for you to walk-in,” Rarity said, as she powered-down the sewing machines and put the incomplete pieces back onto labeled mannequins and racks.

---

“Oh wow, this place does look like it was decorated by someone who grew up canoeing rivers as a kid,” Midori Hana mused to herself and Vague as the two of them walked into the lobby of the Cosmo-Diner.

“Clearly the ‘Cosmo’ stands for ‘cosmopolitan’, though I wonder in what way…” Blue Vague asked aloud as they saw a bluish-gray and white-maned Earth Pony stallion approach them.

“Hello and welcome to White River’s Cosmo-Diner!” said stallion exclaimed, surprising the couple.

“Thanks, it… it really looks…” Vague started, still startled by how loud the Pony in front of them greeted them.

“Woodsy?” Hana concluded, not sure what to say herself.

“Really? Thanks, that’s exactly what I was going for. I wanted the main section of the diner to look like a nice picnic in a evergreen forest, surrounded by the untamed, well mostly untamed, wilds and everything,” the bluish-gray Earth Pony mused as the now trio continued into the restaurant proper.

After a few moments of taking in the scents of the air-fresheners and the cooking food, Vague and Hana were indeed reminded of a picnic in the woods; or at least as reasonably close as the two of them could gauge from the various media they’ve consumed.

“Hrm, you there, miss. You remind me of a certain incident not too long ago in the wilds of the Neighponese Mountains,” White River said, as he slid to the other side of Hana, opposite Vague.

“The greatest of the mountains and volcanoes, Amaterasu. Named for the original term the founding tribes of Neighpon called Celestia. The four great rivers of the main island can trace their origin to the slopes of that mountain, and it was my intent to canoe each and every one of them,” White River said, as the trio walked slowly past the few other patrons there, to the booth that Rarity had called ahead to reserve for the two of them.

“So what happened?” Hana asked, which got White River to slide in front of the two of them now.

“So I was at the first stream, tracing it down to when it was large enough to support the weight of my canoe. It was the middle of March, so the snow cap was still far down the mountain. And there is a certain creature that lurks the snow, just looking for those like me,” White River said, pantomiming as he did.

While Hana kept eye contact with River, as she was paying close attention to the story, Vague just looked on non-plussed, as he got the distinct feeling of an ulterior motive from the male Earth Pony.

“I still remember how I met her. She looked like she was wandering the snow drifts through the still dormant trees, her white coat blending in perfectly, yet that jet black mane of hers standing in such stark contrast,” River continued, as the other two Ponies settled in to their booth for the evening.

“So of course being the gentlepony that I am, I simply had to render what assistance I could to the poor, most likely freezing young mare,” River said, as Hana nodded briefly, and Vague still looked unimpressed.

“To my surprise, she rebuffed all of my attempts to assist her. She was so very cold, a shame I thought of course. Perhaps she was running away from an abusive coltfriend or father. So of course when she began to walk further up the slopes, I followed her,” River continued, as Hana seemed like she was hanging on his every word, and Vague sighed briefly, trying to figure out what the ultimate point was.

“So when I was probably a kilolength from the edge of the snowcap, she suddenly stopped, and turned around, and looked me dead in the eye with that look. It was such a captivating visage. Those black mane and eyes, the hair flowing in the wind and drifting snow. I was so captivated by that raw, natural beauty; I didn’t notice she was approaching me.”

White River concluded his story with a heavy sigh.

“I did notice, though, when she laid her front legs around me in an embrace. While I called her ‘cold as ice’ as a metaphor for how cold-hearted she was behaving when I first met her, she was quite literally like living ice, or should I say living snow. I apparently had caught the eye of a yuki-nu’uma, or ‘snow-mare’. It felt like my blood was starting to run cold, like a half-frozen river in winter,” White River said, as it was clear that he was coming up to climax of the story.

“I barely managed to break her grip around my shoulders, and despite the near-zero temperatures, I could feel my body starting to warm up. She was stunned long enough by me being strong enough to force her front legs apart after she had wrapped herself around me, that I got a fairly decent head start on her as I ran down mountain. The next few minutes was spent me running for my very life, as I could feel ice starting to pelt my back as she was trying to knock me down so she could finish what she started. I didn’t officially get away until I had run back under the snow-cap line, where the air was warm enough to melt the snow in mid-air and turn it back in rain. I knew I was more or less safe when I heard that banshee-like scream of the yuki-nu’uma partially melting in the above-zero air.”

“Oh my, that is quite the tale,” Hana mused, noting how it matched many of the legends surrounding the yuki-onna [snow-woman] of Japanese legend.

“Yeah… quite,” Vague deadpanned, as he was noticing how close River was sitting to Hana as he got toward the end of his tale.

“I spent another two weeks in a village near the snow-cap, as I had left my gear above the snow-line and I didn’t want anything else to do with white mares that could control the cold and snow to drain someone’s life right out of them. While I was there I did manage to get recipes for several dishes. Including a nice cabbage soup that they say is just perfect for a chilly day. Though, given where the calendar is, the only people who are ordering it are those who like cabbage anyway,” White River said, before taking one of Hana’s front hooves and holding it up in a very gentlecolt-y way.

“Though when the leaves turn, and the first autumn winds blow through, I would love for you to share a bowl with me, and maybe many other things?”

“Oh my, I just don’t know what to say. Well actually, there is one thing I can say…” Hana started, giving a soft smile as she blushed at the sudden intimate attention.

“And that’d be?” River asked, hopeful he had found a new beau.

“I’m already accounted for,” Hana said with a wide smile, as Vague looked around her back and shoulder at the stallion with a similar smile. But while Hana’s was a smile of gentle politeness, Vague’s smile was one of hidden malice.

“Yes… she is accounted for…” Vague added, having become well-heeled at concealing his actual emotions when he spoke, managing to not give away an obvious hint of the depth of anger he felt in that moment.

“Oh, so sorry, I am really sorry. You honestly have no idea how many times I make that mistake~” White River said, tenting his front hooves as if he were praying to Vague for forgiveness to his slight.

“To be honest, I probably could imagine. But I’ll let it slide since all you did was hold her hoof like any gentlecolt would,” Vague said.

“Thanks, well, the story was true though. I ended up going back to that village to see if they had seen that particular yuki-nu’uma since I wanted to get a photo of it, but they said it’s really hard to photograph them; they end up showing up as nothing but a snow twister most of the time on film,” River said, sighing as he did, appreciating the beauty of that creature when it wasn’t trying to devour his very essence.

“Right, anyway, can we get some menus over here, please?” Vague said, as he quelled his anger at the other stallion and got back to the business of the dinner date with Hana.

“Oh no problem, just give me a moment and I’ll have a lovely waitress over,” River replied, as he slowly walked away, still bowing in apology to Vague as he did.

“Well that was an interesting start to our evening…” Vague sighed as he looked at the young female Pegasus that brought Hana and his menus, carefully placing the laminated booklets on the table opposite where they were sitting.

“Good evening, my name is Easy Breeze, and I will be your waitress for this evening. The manager told me that you two were special guests, so all of your appetizers are on the house for the evening,” the candy pink and soft-orange-maned Pegasus mare said with a chipper tone and a wide smile.

“Doesn’t seem like White River was lying about the waitress either…” Vague said with a mildly interested tone, which got a ‘hrmph’ of mild frustration out of Hana.

“Well she is…” Vague responded, his tone shifting to borderline whine.

“Oh you two must be together~. Don’t worry you, will be taken good care of, just leave everything regarding food to us. In any case, I will be back with your complimentary water pitcher for your glasses in a minute,” Easy Breeze chirped as she left for where the pitchers were behind a photograph filled partition.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, like a certain pale blue proprietor,” Vague sighed, shaking his head as he knew he had fallen into the same snare White River did not too long ago.

“Just so long as you realize that. Though to be honest, you’re right, he wasn’t lying about her. He must take care to pick who he hires as servers,” Hana responded, as the two of them looked through the first part of the booklets at the appetizers.

“Hrm, I kinda like how the flower mini-rolls sound: fresh-baked white bread bites, covered in the minced petals of several different wild flowers and a light butter glaze, for a different zesty bite every time,” Vague said, as his eyes were drawn to the picture of bread bites covered in an array of colors from white to red to yellow and orange.

“Oh this looks nice too, boiled potato poppers: make your mouth pop with bite-sized potatoes, boiled in a special spice mix; with a variety of fresh greens steamed and set inside. They kinda look like tiny little bowls, too…” Hana said as she pointed them out on Vague’s booklet.

“I guess we’re going with a platter of flower rolls and a platter of potato poppers to start with, then,” Vague said, as he waited for Easy Breeze to return with the water pitcher.

A minute or so later, Breeze was back at the table with a pair of pitchers of water on a cart for the couple, as she took the order for their appetizers.

“Alrighty, I’ll be back in a few minutes with your food,” the pink Pegasus said as she turned the cart around and began pushing it toward the kitchen.

Hana took a breath as she turned to Vague, who noticed her focusing her full attention on him now. “You know, thinking about it the last few minutes, I realized one of the things I like the most about you, Vague.”

“And what’s that?” Vague said, as he turned around to look at her, who was smiling that smile he loved so much.

“You know just the right thing to say, even if you take a few beats to say it. You have a great sense of verbal presence,” Hana responded.

“Wow… thanks. I mean, I try as hard as I can. My mom always told me that whenever I opened my mouth to speak I had to make it count. Never know what words may be your last,” Vague responded, his cheeks glowing faint red with blush.

“That’s another thing - as much animosity you had toward your mother, you still seem to carry her lessons about in your heart,” Hana mentioned, as the two of them turned more toward each other.

“Honestly, I have and still wonder about that. I mean, my mother said she had all this life planned out for me, and taught me lessons in the hope that I was going to make the obvious decision,” Vague started before he was interrupted.

“What did have in mind for you?” Hana asked, never thinking to do so until now.

“I was to go to Atlanta with her, and eventually, once I hit 16, I would be taught in how to be a youth minister. After that, I’d go to an licensed seminary, and I guess eventually become a Catholic priest at some point,” Vague responded.

“Oh right, most practicing Christian Haitians are Catholic. I tend to get confused on all the denominations of your, or at least your mother’s church,” Hana added as she gave it some more thought.

“You and me both, beau. I wasn’t having any of that, though I didn’t overtly reject the whole being a preacher or a priest thing. It was more I had my own path in the computer sciences I wanted to pursue, and my religion or lack thereof was always a background issue to me. We had a very long and very high volume yelling match about that not too long before my 16th birthday,” Vague said, shaking his head as he remembered the lowlights of that shouting match over the videophone.

“So that’s why you didn’t like her?” Hana asked, her voice soft but full of concern.

“No, honestly I think I didn’t like her because I don’t like just how much I’m like her. Just because the focus of my dogma is social rather than religious, doesn’t mean I don’t cling to it as tightly as she does. I think that’s why the Nightmare Parasite found fertile ground in me – so busy hating myself for being more of my mother’s son than I cared to admit was tainting everything else in my head,” Vague replied.

“So how do you feel about her now?” Hana asked, as she accepted the platters from Breeze and moved the napkins into place.

“I don’t know. Talking to my dad about her, and everything else surrounding my past, made me want to at least talk with her again now that I’m more or less clear of mind. Thing is, I have absolutely no idea where she is. The only thing I can figure is that her S.P.H. unit found her while they were sweeping through St. Louis,” Vague responded as he tried one of the flower mini-rolls.

“Oh man, this is great. Gotta be careful or I’ll get full on these before we get our entrées,” Vague mused as his mind was brought back to the present by the tangy and rich taste of the coated miniature bread rolls.

“Double for these potatoes, I bet they have a full course with this in it,” Hana said as she tried one of the potato poppers, and found it quite delightful as well.

“But yeah, just to sum up my thoughts on that, I won’t say she was a bad mother in regard to raising me. She gave me love, gave me a roof and food, at instilled in me lessons that were just as applicable to secular life as they were to a life following the Bible. I think in some subconscious way, she was preparing me regardless if I followed her into the church or not,” Vague said, as he began to come to some realizations about one Linda Bowman.

“That’s all you can ask for I guess. I’m… kinda ashamed to admit it… but I still feel ill will toward my parents too…” Hana said, as she turned her head away from Vague, embarrassed to say something like that out loud.

“I… I’m not sure why. It seems like you all got along fine whenever we were around them at the Labs or in Safe Haven,” Vague responded, confused as to what she meant.

“It’s… it’s just that… how could they be so scared? How could they be so scared to just help me get rid of that stupid notion that I was somehow a jinzou or they tampered with me in vitro?” Hana said, huffing as she began to feel the hurt starting to well up again.

“Jinzou?” Vague repeated in a confused tone.

“Sorry, an ‘artificial human’. They just let me wallow in that pit of self-doubt all those years. And I don’t understand it at all,” Hana said as she crossed her front legs.

“Not to excuse them, but it seems like they were so dead set on not validating such a stupid, in their eyes, notion that would be, that they felt just ignoring it was doing the right thing. We saw that it wasn’t for you, but I can only surmise that was their logic,” Vague said, as he put his front leg around the shoulders of Hana.

“I know… I know it’s not something that you should validate by acknowledging it. But still, I just can’t help but feel hurt about it,” Hana said, as she began to sniffle a bit.

“Don’t worry, even though my issues didn’t all go away when I was purged by the Elements, and yours haven’t with a simple apology and happy words, doesn’t mean that we’re doing anything wrong. Best thing to do is what we’re doing right now, just venting it all out and letting someone else help us through it,” Vague said as he hugged his beau sideways.

Hana cooed a bit, as she leaned into Vague some more. “That’s exactly what I meant from before. You know just what to say to me. That’s why I want to stay with you, Vague.”

“And you know just when to listen, and when to correct me when I start wandering off the path. Every stallion should pray they have a partner that could do that for them,” Vague responded, as the two of them met their foreheads together.

“Sorry to interrupt, but are you two ready to order your entrées?” Easy Breeze asked, notepad lined up on a holder on her service cart.

“Oh, oh right, sorry…” Vague said as he and Hana flipped through the pages of their menu to find what they wanted.

-----

As Vague continued to eat his dinner and some of the leftover flower rolls, Hana looked on with a bit of longing in her eyes.

“You know, Ao-chan. I was just wondering…” Hana started, her voice full of anxiety as she started.

“Yeah?” Vague responded, mouth half full.

“You know, um, Storm and Blaze are… very… um… intimate. And… I…” Hana started, as she looked around to see if anyone was listening in.

Vague froze in place, as he had a feeling where Hana was going with this line of inquiry.

“I… wanna know… when are we going to get to that level?” Hana finally finished, her cheeks as flush as Vague’s were at the moment.

Vague swallowed hard, completely unsure of how to answer the question. “I’m glad nothing was in my throat or I’d be choking right now.”

“I know it’s a little sudden but…” Hana started before Vague held his hoof up to stop her.

“It’s sudden in the sense that you’re asking me out of the clear blue. But, we’ve been together for a while and… well…” Vague started when Hana interrupted him.

“It seems like neither of us knows how or when to initiate?” Hana said, as she sighed.

“Seems like.” Vague added, sighing as well.

The two of them looked at each other as they fumbled around with the last bit of food on their respective plates.

“Seems like we both have issues with intimacy…” Vague said as he looked at Hana with some bit of concern.

“Not like we had a lot of time to learn each other like that while we were still human. Now we’d have to learn each other in bodies neither of us were born with,” Hana added.

Vague wondered a bit before he spoke up again. “I’m starting to think we’re gonna have to come clean about our little roadblock to Storm and Blaze. I would guess they have either cleared it themselves, or would have a better idea of what to do.”

Hana groaned and snorted, the idea unpalatable to her. “I don’t like talking to others about things like that. It just feels so… so…”

“Icky?” Vague suggested.

“Can’t come up with a better one,” Hana pouted.

“I feel what you’re feeling, the idea of talking to Storm of all Ponies about what to do when things get hot and heavy just feels awkward as all hell. At the same time, it’s either them or some kind of professional, and would you want to talk to some kind of stranger about all of this?” Vague asked.

The reaction he got from Hana surprised him – it looked like she was about to grunt in frustration again, but what he got was a giggle instead.

“Actually, you know, it’s kinda funny…”

“Huh? What do you mean, beau?” Vague asked, wondering what Hana was giggling at.

“Well, remember the first time we actually ‘caught’ them in the act back at the Conductor?” Hana asked, the smile on her face wide.

Vague thought for a bit, before he remembered the incident Hana was talking about. “Oh right, they were both pretty tipsy, and I guess Blaze didn’t cast her Sound Blocker spell properly. At least they weren’t too loud about it.”

“If they were we’d really have something to chide them about, wouldn’t we,” Hana mused as she giggled some more.

“In any case, it’s going to come to us eventually. If we rush it, we’ll probably just do something we’d regret later,” Vague thought aloud as the evening for them looked like it was winding down.

“Yeah, I just can’t help but think we’re not doing something right, though…” Hana replied, sighing as she did.

“If we are, we’ll figure it out eventually,” Vague said, as he waited for Easy Breeze to come back around.

“You know, we’re gonna have to do a double date here some time. This food is great and I really like the ambience of this place,” Hana thought aloud as she waited on the bill as well.

“Sounds like a good plan for the future,” Blue Vague replied, as he hailed Easy Breeze.

-----

“You know, baby… I get the feeling somepony was talking about us,” Golden Storm mused as Red Blaze laid her head across his chest, the two of them watching a movie to pass the time until their housemates returned.

“No telling unless you want to eavesdrop on the two of them at dinner,” Blaze responded with a bit of a joking tone.

“Nah, we said we’d leave them alone unless there was an emergency,” Storm responded, not wanting to go through a repeat of what happened during the Hearth’s-Warming Eve party.

A few more moments passed before a question popped into the head of Blaze.

“I wonder, how long before they cross the threshold?” Blaze asked of her coltfriend.

“I don’t think we’ll have to wait that long, at least not as long as us,” Storm responded, wondering how they managed to keep everything working when Blaze was on assignment.

“That’s true, at least hopefully it’s true. Then again, it’s always easier to slide downhill than it is walking uphill,” Blaze concluded.

“You know they’re gonna ask us about the actual mechanics before long right. I mean I can’t imagine those two going to see a professional stranger about something like this,” Blaze figured aloud.

“Wouldn’t surprise me, let’s just try to be ready when that day comes,” Storm responded, wondering where their collective paths were all going for the near and distant future.

===== ***** ====

CH 23: Alliances and Machinations

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 23: Alliances and Machinations ===

[ July 20, ????+1 – Makabkumi, Zebrav[1] ]
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It was a relatively cool day in the Zebra Capital of Makabkumi, which sat below the equator relative to Canterlot, so it experienced opposite seasons. The Prime Minister, and therefore head of the government sat in a rather large office with the President of the Republic[2].

“President Zu’Olala, have you had time to go over the proposal the Royal Sisters of Equestria sent us?” Prime Minister Al’Kadar asked of his technical superior.

“Yes I have Prime Minister. I should have known that Luna was the one who wrote most of the technical aspect of this proposal, she is every bit of the viciously sharp scientific mind that I envisioned when spoke to her beyond The Veil,” Zu’Olala responded with a serenity seemingly beyond her mere 50 years walking the face of Equus.

“Indeed. What she writes of would revolutionize all of Equus. And I believe that buying to this program would ensure that we do not fall behind any of the other nations in the technology, or frankly, the arms race,” Al’Kadar replied.

“I see. While I detest the idea of some kinds of arms race sweeping the realm we all co-inhabit, there are always aggressive elements that would wish to do our nation harm. And the last thing we need is to be unable to defend ourselves from a threat, be it seen or unseen,” Zu’Olala replied, a heavy sigh punctuating her statement.

“Are you speaking of the Sons of Ulk’Dravto?” Al’Kadar asked of the President.

“Yes. The Sons speak of this need to follow the one Grand Spirit, but the only reaction anyone else has to Ulk is to fear it,” Zu’Olala responded, as her eyes narrowed.

“I wish we had the wherewithal to wipe those zealots out. Our Nation was founded on the basis of balance between our Nations in the Physical World, and the Spirits of the Astral and other Planes we commune with. To reject that in favor of blind obedience to a single entity is anathema to me,” Al’Kadar added for himself.

“It is to me as well. I do wish my sister was around, she was a once-in-a-generation talent when it came to communing with the Spirits,” Zu’Olala complained plaintively, Al’Kadar noting that her even and serene tone always faded when she spoke of family and other personal issues.

“Yes, it almost the 20th Anniversary of the day she shed her mortal form and became a part of the Great Web of Life,” Al’Kadar mused.

“There are only a hoofful of Zebras that can achieve the level Spiritual Awareness and Harmony necessary to ascend to the next plane before their death. And possibly only one per generation that can do it before they reached advanced age. And to think it was my own sister who was the one for our generation…” Zu’Olala spoke in a wistful tone, still missing the physical presence of her older-by-two-years sister.

“Is that sentiment for your sister alone, or does it include your niece, as well?” Al’Kadar asked with all seriousness.

“Perhaps. Zecora is starting to show all the signs that my sister did when she finally vanished from this plane. I can only imagine the maelstrom her mind is in regarding the fact that her own mother achieved Spiritual Nirvana before she had graduated from secondary school,” Zu’Olana wondered as she had a faraway look, peering into the quiet mid-winter sky of the capital, thin wispy clouds the only interference with the blue sky and Celestia’s bright sun that hung overhead.

Al’Kadar stood up and made to exit the room, but not before asking one more question of his President. “I know you can feel it as well, the spirits born of the world that the Royal Sisters have visited have begun to encroach upon this space. I feel that bringing humans into our own Herd will increase our understanding of the world beyond The Veil to depths none of us can currently fathom.”

“To ignore that fact, I would be remiss. Then again, what will we find when we stare into the abyss?” Zu’Olala responded, as the forest green stripes on her body began to luminesce slightly, as she allowed some of her Spiritual Power to vent from her body.

[ July 21, ????+1 - Vogelstad, Gryphon Federated Territory ]
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“It figures, it was only a matter of time before those prissy little, well, taller Ponies would come crying to us for help,” a tiger-bodied and eagle-headed Gryphon said, as he rubbed a white goatee-like cleft of feather underneath his beak.

“You sound… non-plussed about this treatise by the Royal Sisters, Tiberius…” King Guile mentioned aloud to said tiger-morph as he looked over from his gold-framed, crush-red-velvet coated chair where he sat, heading this meeting of the Gryphon Clan leaders that constituted the Federation.

“Yes because it is another example of those two throwing their political weight around,” Tiberius said; the displeasure in his voice evident to the other clan leaders and King Guile.

“I’m not sure if I’d go that far. From what I can read, this looks like a genuine open invitation to join them in this endeavor regarding the Zweiter Welt[3],” a crow-headed and black-jaguar[4]-bodied Gryphon remarked, as he went through his copy looking for any kind of hook or trap from the Equestrian government.

“It sounds to me like you are showing the typical Tigris annoyance at how powerful Equestria and her commonwealths are. And I happen to agree with Leader Olaf, there doesn’t appear to be any double-dealing on Equestria’s part involved with this proposal,” a tawny beige leopard-bodied and falcon-headed morph added for his own sake.

“You’re damn right I’m annoyed, Lubomir, by how powerful those Ponies have become since the Leo house signed that accord some two centuries plus ago,” Tiberius replied, not even bothering to disguise his feelings.

“Our expansionist policies and tendency to actively eat Equestrians was an untenable position, given how far our antagonism was forcing the Ponies to develop weapons and offensive magic. Not to mention it was patently obvious to my great-grandfather that Celestia’s patience was and is not infinite, and if we continued on our path, we would face reprisal from her directly,” Guile replied to Tiberius, his own frustration starting to build.

“So you would sell us into the same stagnation that now plagues the Pony species? Our population has already hit a plateau. So many of our cubs feel despondent about their future prospects, seeing themselves locked up into tidy little safe-zones. How long do you think you can hold this détente with Equestria with these circumstances?” Tiberius asked of Guile.

“If I may… Earth’s population is tightly packed into certain corridors of habitation, especially given the ecological degradation their world has suffered. Along with infusing some new blood, if you will, into our own Clans, it would give us ample territory to stake claim to. From there, we can assist in restoring their ecology, thereby giving us the opportunity to hunt and fish at our leisure, should the mood strike us in any case,” an owl-headed snow-leopard morph replied, looking to quell Tiberius's growing frustration.

Tiberius began to deliberately slow his breathing to calm himself down, finding that we was getting worked up again at the shared snarled history of the Gryphon Tribes of the last three hundred years, roughly. “I… I accede.”

“Wait what, all of that strum und drang and it’s over just like that?” Guile asked of Tiberius, concerned with how quickly he dropped the issue apparently.

“Sigmar brings up a good point. There is fresh territory to explore and potentially exploit in the Zweiter Welt. Plus, we can leverage ourselves as stronger allies of Humanity, given that we may be more ideologically in-line with how they think, versus a certain tall white horse Princess.”

Guile was not sure what to think of Tiberius's sudden change of heart. That tiger-striped gryph is definitely scheming something. He has not let go of the resentment that has plagued the entire nobility of the Tigris house since they surrendered the crown to my great-grandfather at the end of the last war with Equestria and her commonwealths. That resentment can bubble over at any time, and cause all of the Primäre Welt problems. If I could get them all to dedicate themselves to building up Earth… then that could vent this frustration into something productive…

“So anyone else have any objections to this treatise from Princess Celestia and Luna, or can I send word of our general approval of the outline?” King Guile asked of the other six House leaders at the meeting.

All of the six Gryphons in question shook their heads ‘no’ with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

“With that said, let us discuss the exact text of our official response, so we can go ahead and adjourn until October for our regular Fall Conference,” Guile responded as he called for a scribe to begin transcription.

--- = ---

“I hate these meetings so, I am left with nothing to do while the Clan Leaders are discussing business. It would be better if they would open up the meetings to at least the press…” Queen Guinevere thought aloud, as she snacked on cubed cured beef and read a book on Zebra Shamanism to pass the time.

“Ah! Darling Guinevere, how long has it been since we’ve met face to face?” Tiberius called to the wife of King Guile with an oddly cheerful tone.

“A couple of weeks since the Summer Conference, which hasn’t been long enough for me…” Guinevere responded, nonplussed by the attention from the tiger-morph.

“You sound like you are not welcomed by my presence, my Queen,” Tiberius responded, sensing the strained emotions in Guinevere’s voice, but not seeming to care in the least.

“I’m not. It seems that every time we meet you prattle on about how much better of a mate that you would make for me,” Guinevere replied, her attendant rolling his eyes as she did to accent the sentiment of his queen.

“But it is very true, my dear. Guile is so busy playing politics, especially with that White Horse, that he cannot attend to your more… intimate needs,” Tiberius mentioned, with a clear intonation to what he was driving at.

A sentiment that Guinevere did not take kindly, as she glared directly at the Leader of the House of Tigris. “I do not have time for your games, Tiberius. My husband is planning on embarking on nothing short of a revolutionary drive in the Zweiter Welt, and I plan on seeing him through to the bitter end. Regardless of how many cold and lonely nights that may leave me with.”

Tiberius smirked at the sudden drift in tone when Guinevere uttered her last line; he knew that the Queen’s frustration with the lack of personal time with Guile was eating bit by bit at her psyche.

“True. I have heard of your, ministrations in the back channels. It is clear that Guile did not marry you simply for being a pretty face,” Tiberius mused, as he began to walk back to the suite where he was residing for the time being.

“No he certainly did not, and you would be wise to remember such,” Guinevere responded, making her frustration with Tiberius evident to all around her.

“Why do you simply not have Guile take care of Tiberius, he would certainly be well within his right to,” the aide asked of his queen as Tiberius was now clearly out of listening range.

“Because the political tension in the House of Tigris is increasing by the month.They are the most aggressive expansionists of any House in the Federation. The last couple of centuries of being restrained to their territory ever since the House of Leo took the reins of leadership has frustrated their nobles. And that frustration has been concentrated and passed down to each new generation of nobles. I don’t pretend to have some special insight, but anyone can tell that this situation is going to boil over,” Guinevere answered, reminding her aide (yet again) that she was quite politically astute.

“So, what are we do to?” the aide asked in response.

“Hopefully, joining this project on Earth will give some kind of safety valve to release the tension with the House of Tigris. The last thing this world needs is a another civil war within the Federation. The last one was only stopped when Wraithwind and a less politically seasoned Celestia directly intervened five hundred years ago,” Guinevere responded, as she remembered quite well the history of the Federation, and why it was a Federation and not a Kingdom like Equestria was.

[ July 22, ????+1 – Dragon Central Council, Karrak-za-Jalve ]
=============================================================

“How interesting indeed…” Wraithwind said as he presided over the full council of Nine.

“According to this proposal, Celestia would give us license to Convert those willing of the Human population of Earth, and access to conduct business on Earth otherwise. In exchange she asks that we enter into this alliance of the major nations and the friendly human confidants so that we would act as some kind of unified voice,” Bloodthorn mused aloud, as she leafed through the bound proposal that had been translated into Draconic script.

“Do you have any objection to it, Bloodthorn? We all know how particular you can be when it comes to anything that even hints at questioning the sovereignty of the Central Council,” Silentclaw asked of the Head of the Sub-Council of War.

“Of course, someone has to be concerned with our political situation. And it is for that reason I would find myself more or less in agreement with this proposal,” Bloodthorn replied, her characteristic snarl replaced with a cold, business-like tone.

“This is, unlike you, Bloodthorn. I half expected you to say we should have blown the Princess off and go on to establish colonies on Earth of our own accord,” Rosethorn figured, genuinely surprised by the nature of her sister’s response.

“And what would come of it? Possibly a worsening of the standing of the Council amongst our population. Our actual ability to manage our population as dwindled ever since the Princesses ended the Reign of Insanity some millennia plus ago. We have to show that we can act and function as a government and provide for all of Dragonkind, or we may as well just remain in these walls and never bother speaking to any other city-state,” Bloodthorn figured, as she compared the natural authority the Dragon Militia had over her tenure, and how it had slowly become more and more ignored in the general population.

“A concurrent issue with our dwindling political power within our population, is the fact our population has remained stubbornly stagnant since the Princesses have embarked on their long quest to restore the natural order of our world from Discord’s long reign,” Livewire said, as she placed an easel opposite the three large tables that made up the primary seating arrangement of the Council Chamber.

She then placed a chart upon that easel, one that shown, in stark detail, how the Dragon population was actually slightly declining compared to the growth most of the other major races. The only other population that wasn’t growing to a significant degree were certain Changeling hives, as it appeared on said chart.

“Yeah, that’s been a problem I’ve noticed too, Leader Bloodthorn. We’re not getting very many young recruits into our ranks,” a dark green and slate-gray fringed Dragon asked of his council leader.

“Legionik is right, I can’t maintain an army if I don’t have fresh blood. And if something threatens Dragonkind as a whole, I would have to rely upon old stubborn veterans that I would have to basically brow-beat into following orders,” Bloodthorn added, agreeing with the councildragon in charge of recruitment and retention.

“Fierce independence has its benefits and drawbacks, yes…” Wraithwind mentioned, as it was clear he was thinking deeply on everything the council was talking about.

“Not to mention that introducing the perspective of a population that had no choice but to grow and thrive in close proximity with each other can allow us to truly develop a stronger sense of ‘nation’, instead of the loose diaspora that we are now,” a soft violet-scaled and white-spined dragon mused softly, as she looked through various bound books.

“You would think that, Heartbeat. But it is true, what good is it doing us to call ourselves a nation, when we don’t act like one? We’re barely better than Diamond Dogs in that regard,” Bloodthorn asked aloud.

“So I take it that none of you all have any objection to me sending approval of this plan, on our entering into this alliance vis-à-vis Terra?” Wraithwind asked of the other eight councildragons.

None offered any objection.

“Good, then I will tell our former student the good news,” Wraithwind responded with a chipper tune.

=== --- ===

“So what’s the deal, sister?” Rosethorn asked of her silver-and-red sister.

“Nothing at all, just had some time, since that purple whelp breezed through here, to do some introspection,” Bloodthorn replied.

“He reminds you him doesn’t he?” Rosethorn asked of her sister, the tone becoming quite somber suddenly.

“Yes. He very much reminds me of him when he was the same age, relatively speaking,” Bloodthorn replied.

“How long has it been, 430 years I believe,” Rose thought, as the two Dragonesses sat on a bench near the council chamber door.

“Exactly 429 years, 11 months, and 4 days, give or take a couple of hours,” Blood replied, as she could remember almost down to the minute that scene.

“It wasn’t your fault. You know that every Dragon lives and dies by their motivation, by their Desire…” Rose said to her sister, as she could sense that the bottled up emotions were leaking out as they did occasionally.

“I know, I tried to find something, anything for him in those last months. But my inability to keep contact with him had robbed me of any sense of what his core desire was. And eventually time ran out on me, and him. I still think that I should have been a better mother, or at least wrote to him more than once every couple of years…” Bloodthorn replied, as she was frustrated that she was showing such emotional vulnerability in public.

“That is something we can be told, but never really learn until we have to experience it,” Rosethorn said, as she felt her elder sister lean on her with a lot of her weight.

“I… I want to have a second chance to raise a whelp properly, but… I’ve spent so much time being this hardtail that I am not sure if any drake would have me in that way,” Bloodthorn said, finally feeling comfortable enough to speak on issues other than the military.

“I guess we’re both in the same boat. I think I have such a reputation of being a loose draka that I can’t get a drake to give me the time of day beyond normal courtesy. It felt so nice to have Spike respond to me like he did, even if he wasn’t a target of my affections,” Rosethorn replied, the two sisters seemingly in their own little world as they spoke like their ages were barely into two-digit numbers, instead of quite a bit into four-digits.

Wraithwind looked on at the pair of sisters with quite a degree of humor, his own paternal instinct coming through in its silent way. “It warms this ice-using heart to see Bloodthorn acting more like Silverthorn, instead of the persona she adopted once I got her into the Milita.”

“You know how she gets when you use her birth name without her saying so, and I don’t want to ruin the moment the two of them are having,” Livewire said as she held the charts she was using during the meeting under her arm.

“You know what else will warm my ice-using heart, though?” Wraithwind asked, as he walked along the path back to his primary office, Livewire at his side.

“What, sir?” Livewire responded in kind.

“Seeing if I can coax the Princess of the Sun into giving me a glimpse of Solaria again!” Wraitwind said in a very excited tone, before letting loose a hearty laugh.

“Ugh, I should have known…” Livewire said as she rested her palm on her forehead and shook them slowly.

[ July 24, 2081 – Manhattan, New York City, USA ]
=================================================

“So how goes quelling the resisting forces in the Southwest, Major Ramirez?” Peter Vaughn asked of the regional commander in charge of sweeping in the Southwestern US and occasionally the Northern Mexican territory.

“We are still having trouble in the slums of Los Angeles. A rather powerful magician has manifested in the… Pasadena District? I believe she is calling Pasadena her home base but it is difficult to say if she is still there,” Major Ramirez replied nervously, not sure how Vaughn would respond to the news.

“And one powerful, however we are defining that, magician would be giving us a problem why?” Peter asked, as he looked at the video phone.

“She seems to be galvanizing the Outsiders into some kind of insurgent force. We are noticing a rapid increase of magical competency within residents in and near Pasadena. Whoever she is, she is not just simply a powerful magician, but a good teacher and leader,” Ramirez replied.

“Interesting, we may have to keep an eye on her. She can prove to be fly in the ointment… or a hidden blessing,” Vaughn concluded, as he ended the call.

Once he did, he slammed his fist on the desk, as he marked off another sector on a map he had drawn up on the terminal built into his desk.

“That’s at least fifteen different resistance movements already,” Vaughn said as he looked at all of the red X’s he had drawn on the map.

“Not to mention some of our intel has reported some… stragglers operating at the very fringes of society,” Claire said, as she dropped off a memory card filled with documents and unverified video.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there were still the stray here or there somewhere. I want to know if they are operating on a point by point basis, or if they have some kind of base of operations they are maintaining Earth-side,” Nathan added, as he entered the room last and shut the door behind him.

“Intel is not able to answer that question, though the incidents they are reporting implies this is hit and run,” Claire replied, as Vaughn played one of the depositions.

“They made this big to do, saying that Earth was infested by plague and drowning in pollution, and that humanity was the source point of that pollution. Once humanity was cleansed, so would the Earth. The Earth could not be revived in full until the factory of the pollution was dismantled,” the electronically disguised man said, as he spoke of overhearing what may have been the stragglers the leadership of the SPH figured still skulked around Earth-side.

“So, do you believe this is a false flag operation on a part of resistors, or is Celestia really engaged in some kind of guerilla action against us,” Nathan asked of Peter.

“I have my suspicions, but not enough there to act on them – so let’s continue our sweeps as normal; but step of production of thaumatic sensors. We need to nail down if those damn Ponies really are still Earth-side or not before we can proceed in earnest,” Peter responded, as his anger subsided and he began calculating his next four moves again.

=== [ At the same time in the outskirts of Seattle, USA ] ===

“So you have delivered our message to the parrot, correct?” a small, hooded figure said to a nervous looking man, who looked remarkably like the disguised man on the video the SPH watched during their meeting.

“Yes, Father, I have delivered the message as you asked. They will begin redoubling their efforts trying to ferret us out, but in their zeal, they will do nothing but further antagonize the population,” the man said, some calm coming to his voice as the spoke to his spiritual guide.

“Good, that is very good. Soon you will be rewarded for your labor in pouring the foundation for the Earth’s Revival,” the hooded figure said, the calm in his voice setting at ease any of the anxiety the man before him felt.

“This is necessary. The time that our Princess waste trying to find a less aggravating solution, the worse the condition of the Earth grows. If we dally too long, we will lose our window to save Humanity. We must act as quickly as possible,” another robed figure said, her voice somewhat more excited than that of the first, masculine one.

“You speak truth. However, we must prepare ourselves adequately. To embark on our quest of Purification and Revival without the proper equipment and planning will damn us all to failure. And failure in this quest is no option,” the masculine figure replied to the feminine one.

“Then I will accede to your wishes, Father. I merely wish to see that we complete this project with all due haste,” the feminine voice responded, her deference to the masculine figure evident.

“I understand. The world will not wait for us to prepare ourselves forever, so we must make with all deliberate speed,” the masculine figure concluded, as he dismissed the man who served as messenger.

After he was sure the man had left the room they commandeered to meet in, the figure took the hood off of his head, revealing an ivory white male Unicorn, whose mane was a faded blond, his eyes a soft blue, almost white themselves.

“I have been bathed in Her light, and seen the vision of Paradise. It is my solemn charge to gather those who have seen Her light as well, and prepare this world to become the Vision of Paradise that I saw during my Day of Change,” the figure stated solemnly, as if he were praying aloud.

“I have been bathed in Her light, and seen the Vision of Paradise. It is my solemn charge to bring the light to others who have not seen it, and prepare this world to become the Vision of Paradise that I saw during my Day of Change,” the female figure replied, as if the stallion was calling her to respond; as she removed her robe, her icy-blue coat almost seem to shimmer with a glow, as she basked in the spiritual radiance of the stallion he now dedicated all of her soul to.

“We must begin to build the New World. A world where Humanity is rescued from their Eternal Curse now and forever more, and can live their lives in peace and comity,” the stallion said, as he laid his hooves on the shoulders of the icy-blue mare, her eyes caught in a sense of spiritual rapture that would have frightened anyone that oversaw the scene.

== [ At the same time (again) in Pasadena District, Los Angeles, USA ] ==

“I cannot thank you enough Amanda, you are doing so so much to help us against those Black Shield idiots,” a middle-aged woman said, as she vigorously hugged the twenty-something year old woman with the blazing red hair; a woman who had become something of a folk hero in the last couple of weeks.

“Well ma’am, anything to help. I mean, they did execute a coup against a duly elected government. Maybe if they had done right by us earlier they wouldn’t have to stoop to this,” Amanda replied with a warm smile.

Of course if they were so damn hard up, they should have just took overt control ages ago. Trying to play in the shadows only works for so long… Sunset Shimmer thought to herself, as she walked back to a truck that took her back to the safe house where she resided now.

These humans are so starved to be led, they’d follow the first smooth operator they heard; even if they were marched straight off a cliff into the sea. Celestia could own this world if she wanted it bad enough, but she doesn’t. But if she doesn’t want it, well… I’ll be perfectly willing to carve a little duchy for myself… the crimson-maned Pony disguised as a crimson-haired woman thought to herself, as the truck rambled on through the dilapidated streets.

“You’d think that having everything would be enough for ‘em. But no, now they gotta try and take out the President we went through all this effort to put in office. And she’s the first one since my grandpa’s generation to really try and do something. Nah man, it ain’t even goin down like that,” a young man of apparent Hispanic descent said, his Mexican Spanish accent faint like most children of Mexican refugees in this era. He fiddled some with a safety-locked thaumatic rifle that he ‘confiscated’ from a SPH mercenary.

I’ll make her recognize me. I will make her wake up at night in a cold sweat at the mere thought of making me angry. None of them will deny my intelligence, my power, my everything… Sunset Shimmer thought, as the other occupants of the truck could feel the heat emanating from ‘Amanda’ due to her Fire Magic as the tension built in her psyche.

“Hey, ‘Mandy. You’re making it pretty hot in here, gonna make the clim-control burn out. Just sayin’,” the same man said, as he pulled at his shirt neck trying to vent his body heat.

“Sorry, Enrique. Got a bit carried away there… you know how I can be when I’m left to my own thoughts…” Amanda apologized, and then chuckled as she ‘turned off’ her Fire Magic to let the climate control cool the truck back down to a more or less comfortable 72 Fahrenheit.

By the time I’m done with this city, there will posters of me… statues of me… children named after me. They will give me the respect, love, and adulation I always deserved… Sunset thought to herself, as she watched her confidants wave wands over the truck to ensure there were no tracking devices placed on them.

Once the all clear was given, the truck then proceeded on into a slightly less ‘broken-down’ section of Pasadena, where Amanda the ‘freedom fighter’ made her residence now. A slight, but appreciated upgrade from the group house Amanda crashed in until the last 3 weeks or so.

A short while later, the truck pulled into a garage, as the occupants emerged and hustled into the relative safety and, most importantly, anonymity of a rather large, no-rent apartment complex.

Amanda eventually reached her residence, and lounged out on the sofa-couch after taking off her boots.

“Even though my logical mind is telling me that Celestia and her hangers-on are gone, I just get the feeling that she didn’t go very far when she left. It would behoove me to restrain myself until I can build my forces and my own power some more,” the young lady thought aloud, as she laid on the couch-sofa alone.

“I wish I could show that prissy little bookworm what I’m doing now, she’d completely lose it. Oh I can just see the look on her face…”

[ July 29, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
==============================

“So how are we doing… um… hrm, I wonder what we’re supposed to call you now?” Pamela said, as she sat on a chair cross-legged, her Battlestation Mk II humming along perfectly fine deep in the ‘bowels’ of the Computer Control hall of the base of operations for the H.E.A.

“I dunno either…” the red-haired virtual construct said, as she flittered from monitor to monitor of the 10-screen and two-projector array the 23 year old, raven-haired woman had set up.

“Well that dress you made for yourself in your new form is always shifting colors. Seems like it always does it depending on your mood, or the job you’re tasked with…” Pamela replied, as she struck an eye-closed, thoughtful repose.

“Why not just ‘Shift’ then. Since she’s always changing…” one of the Pegasus techs responded to the unasked question.

Pamela thought for a few moments, looking at the Pegasus tech, and then looking at the fairy-like form that the red-headed construct had taken as her default state. “So how about it?”

The construct thought for a few moments, resting on top of a window on the central monitor. “I like it, I mean best to keep it short, right?”

“Right then…” Pamela said, as she watched the rechristened Shift flutter off to some unknown part of the system.

“Ugh, I keep forgetting that since she merged with that proto-form that was already in the system, she has a legitimate mind of her own now. I guess I got used to Dana always listening to me, one way or another,” Pamela said, as she rolled her eyes at the cyber-fairy that seemed to be in exploration mode now.

A quick rap on the door frame of her monitoring room heralded Jacques with a tray from the commissary for Pamela. “Your hamburger, fries, and raspberry soda are here, Pam.”

“Thanks a lot Jack,” Pamela respond, flashing a quick smile at the fair-skinned former CIA agent.

“I guess that’s your term of endearment for me now?” Jacques replied, as he put the tray on Pamela’s side where she could swing herself around and eat.

Pamela swung around in her chair in the general direction where Jacques was standing, moving her head up and down between looking at the analyst and eating off her tray. “Yep, I guess we just have to get used to this whole setup, so might as well make it friendly. I mean, I know I had a bit of a reputation for being an iso[6] but, well… I guess being around Ponies kinda making me open up more than I thought I would.”

“Yeah, we have to learn how to be to ourselves working intelligence. But if that means we can’t talk comfortably to other people, or beings I guess, then how are we supposed to get any intel out of anyone?” Jacques added.

“By and large you don’t, but I guess that’s the difference between analysts and field agents, right?” Pamela responded.

“True. I always liked fieldwork over desk work. It’s why I like working with Natasha, well, Red Blaze now. Hopefully she’ll be fully rested and recharged when they all get back from Equestria,” Jacques said.

“Yeah, I would actually like to visit there. But I don’t wanna Convert to do it…” Pamela said, as she thought about the world the Ponies inhabited natively, or at least the vast majority of them.

“Hrm… didn’t think you were into fantasy/storybook worlds,” Jacques responded, intrigued by the sentiment.

“Well, I like a lot of things. Kinda reminds me of my mom showing me old movies, honestly…” Pamela responded, as she lounged back in her chair, waiting for Shift to come back from wherever she disappeared to.

-- == --

Captain Julio Rodriguez, now more or less the head of the human security forces for the H.E.A., sat in one of the common areas. The human population of Safe Haven had adjusted to the ambience of the space-station like base of operations quite easily, most of them having lived in similar conditions one way or another anyway. He looked at one of the surplus rifles as he thought about the late Capt. Johnson.

It still hurts... We came up in the Service Academy together... And now I'm pretty much the go-to authority on military affairs for the time being...

He sat on a bench as he stared at the many tools of warfare that marked this era of Humanity, and took the time to engage in some somewhat deep contemplation about the situation.

Is this ultimately what the legacy of Humanity will be: a bunch of tools for waging war? I can't think that it'll end like this... But... I just don't know what to think about it all...

A guards-pony noticed Captain Rodriguez lying on the bench staring up into the ceiling, and decided to give the Human some company.

"Excuse me? Um, Captain Rodriguez? Wouldn't it be better to rest in your room, I can't imagine those benches to be comfortable..." she said, somewhat nervous still around all the firearms stored away for use by the Human security forces, such that they existed in Safe Haven.

"Oh, don't mind me, I wasn't planning on going to sleep in here. I was more thinking about the whole situation to this point," Julio said as he sat upright again.

"Oh, I see..." the female guards-pony said, her anxiety around the modern weapons of war obvious to Julio.

Sensing an opportunity to bounce his internal ideas off a sounding board, he decided to start a conversation. "Firearms of all shapes and sizes, capable of firing all manner of ammunition. Humans are extremely well-practiced at the art of warfare."

The female guard's ears perked up, and decided to respond to the young captain's assertions. "You make yourself sound like wingless Gryphons."

Julio chuckled at the response. "From what I hear of the Gryphons, I guess that'd be a fair assessment. Although, seeing as we aren't raptor/feline hybrids, we had to go a little beyond the pale in developing our tools."

The Earth-Pony mare sat on the floor next to Julio, a little less anxious around all the firearms and such. "Yeah, we still have to deal with a few 'stragglers' who want to lead the 'traditional Gryphon lifestyle'. Most of the weapons they use at first blush wouldn't compare to this. But then again, being a predator by nature, they are living weapons in-and-of-themselves. And then there is their ‘Sword Art’ Magic, they call it, on top of that. A motivated, or just hungry, Gryphon is a dangerous thing to come across."

Rodriguez then began to contemplate the idea of a Gryphon outfitted like one of the SPH's grunts. "Yeah, the idea of something with an eagle's vision, a cat's reflexes, and heavy ordinance scares the hell out of me. I guess that's why these negotiations are so important."

"Yeah if we can get the Gryphons on board with the whole thing, it can go a long way to fixing what broke in this world apparently," she thought out loud, gasping at her last statement. Julio motioned that she shouldn't feel like she needed to hold anything back in this discussion.

"Anyway, while we're talking, it'd be nice if I got your name. Honestly it's hard for me to keep all you guards-ponies straight. If I remember correctly, your armor turns your coats colors like a magical uniform."

"Oh right. My name is Granite Base. I got it because I tend to act as a strong foundation for any team I'm a part of."

Hrm, I guess I could chide the Ponies for having such obvious theme naming... but we do the same thing anyway, just a few extra layers... Julio thought to himself, inwardly chuckling at how obvious some of the Ponies' names were.

-----

The two continued to talk, comparing each other's military philosophy in an abstract sense.

"I can see why your higher ups were planning new armor and protective gear first, over weapons. A world full of belligerent monsters, like yours, would tend to make you prioritize survival and continued pursuit of a goal," Julio remarked, thinking just what kind of weird world would produce such a nominally peaceful species despite all the screwed up things that apparently lived there.

Granite chuckled at the notion. "I could say the same for you all in terms of how you all think in terms of the military. At least, how the formal military appears to think. Although it seems like your 'monsters' tend to wear the same skin as yourselves, so to speak."

"Makes you wonder what is better: to not be able to see the monsters around you, but then not know when they are ready to strike? Or to be able to see them all around you, and have to live with the fact that they are around you at all times?" Julio asked, as he laid back down on the bench.

"It's hard to say. I'd personally like seeing the monsters, but I can see how that'd wear on the mind too," Granite responded, taking her helmet off.

Julio noticed the well-kept and braided mane, reminding himself of so many of the female infantry he served with until that point. Shouldn't surprise me really, but she is pretty cute I guess.

He sat up on the bench, as the mare near him looked more and more comfortable in the armory now that she had someone to talk to. "I can see why you'd think that Miss Granite. Sometimes I think that's what's been happening on this side the last 50 years. People got so tired of having to worry about who the monsters were, they just retreated into this, I guess false world where the monsters were so clearly obvious."

Granite could tell Julio was irritated and depressed, and probably by far more than just losing his colleague those weeks and months ago. "I've read of the condition of much of the populace; and it does seem like apathy is the reigning sentiment. Forgive me for speaking out of turn or too harshly, but it is just so depressing to see a population as large and potentially vibrant look so... so... um..."

"Dull and gray, like a bad pencil sketch?" Julio finished

"Yeah, I guess that's a diplomatic way to put it..." Granite affirmed nervously.

"Well, I think it's true, at least to some extent. I think it wouldn't take much to restore humanity back to 'full color' as it were, even discounting how Ponification would literally turn you colors. At the same time though, with the SPH in charge, well..."

"Well what?"

"Let's just say that some movies produced about a century ago might start looking more prescient than they already were and are..."

"Come again?"

Julio rubbed his hand against his face, inwardly telling himself that Granite wouldn't have gotten such an oblique reference if she was a Native. "Perhaps I should go find some classic movie and comic book buffs, they can better explain it to you. We could probably both do without being around all these firearms anyway."

"Yeah, I see what you mean."

The human and pony then walked out of the armory space, hoping there was a free media room somewhere out there.

** ===== ***** ===== **

Author's Notes:

[1] Makabkumi is the capital of Zebrav, the main territory of the Unified Republic of Zebra Nations. Makabkumi’s name is derived from the Swahili phrase “Makabila Kumi” meaning “Ten Tribes”, which represent the ten major tribes and clans of the Zebra Nations.

[2] The executive branch of is separated into the Division of the Bureaucracy which is headed by the Prime Minister and Sub-Ministers, all of whom are selected by majority of the elected Parliament, and the Division of the State, which is headed by a popularly elected President, whom appoints Administrators, that mirror the positions of each Sub-Minister, of his/her own volition.

[3] Zweiter Welt means “Second World” in german, the internal name for Earth in the Gryphon intelligence services

[4] VERY IMPORTANT TAXNOMICAL NOTE: Panthers are actually the entire subfamily of certain big cats – including jaguars, true/snow leopards, lions, and tigers; therefore anything that would be referred to as a panther in common speech by laymen will be instead specifically related to its species in the narration to try and avoid confusion.

[5] Primäre Welt can translate to “Primary World”, the internal name for Eqqus in the Gryphon intelligence services and nobility.

[6] ‘Iso’ is short for ‘isolated person’, typical slang for an introverted person who would never interact with other people in real-space without prodding.

CH 24: Understanding Self

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 24: Understanding Self ===

{ NOTE: This chapter occurs simultaneously with Chapter 22 within the overall timeline }

[ July 17, ???? + 1 -- Crystalia, Crystal Empire ]
==================================================

“So what do you think of the new name, Auntie Lu’?” Princess Mi Amore Cadenza asked of her Aunt and Senior Alicorn, Luna.

Luna looked with a bit of strange look of mild exasperation, not honestly knowing what to think of the nickname that had been bestowed upon her by her niece and Junior Alicorn. “I think Crystalia is a fine name for a city, though some might confuse it for Canus Crystalis at first blush.”

“I thought about it, but as I kept thinking on it, the name ‘Crystalia’ just kept speaking to me,” Cadence, as she was better known to the public, replied; understanding the concern of the indigo Alicorn on the magic-projection before her.

“Just so long as you understand that, admittedly minor, concern of mine; with that said, the rechristening should be approved without delay,” Luna replied, as her sister came into focus on Cadence’s end of the projection.

“In any case, are you sure you want to talk to the Conduits and Bearers now?” Princess Celestia asked of the Princess of the Crystal Empire.

“I do, Auntie ‘Tia. I want to get to know the ten of them like you all know them. I mean I’m only really familiar with Twilight because I foal-sat her for those years, and the other Bearers only a little from when they’ve come to the Crystal Empire. I know nothing of the Conduits of Terra other than what reports and what Shiny have told me over the last few months,” Cadence replied, her sense of exasperation starting to bleed through her words to some extent.

“It seems to me that you wish to involve yourself more in the geopolitical affairs that the now two of us constantly have to manage,” Luna mused, feeling around the edges of Cadence’s words to gauge her true intent.

Cadence only replied with silent quivering eyes.

“Oh come now, do not look like that, niece. I do not mean to demean your position, only to gauge it properly. Your youth has precluded you from being involved in the machinations of the government of Equestria and her commonwealths. But now that you are in charge of one of said commonwealths, I believe you deserve to be involved first-hoof in these affairs,” Luna clarified, not wanting to upset her niece unduly.

The Royal Sisters could swear they heard a quiet ‘yay’ escape the mouth of the junior Alicorn.

“Right, in any case, you are more than free to talk to the Conduits and or Bearers whenever you please. Even if you mean to speak of that… incident,” Princess Celestia concluded.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on going too in-depth about it. But I think the others deserve to know my whole story if I’m going to ask similar of them,” Cadence replied as she cut-off the feed to Castle Canterlot.

=== --- ===

“And that is your proposal, Capt. Armor?” a Unicorn stallion roughly thirty years his senior asked with a gruff tone.

“Yes, General Titan Buster. After reading the reports from the Military leaders in the employ of the Human-Equestrian Alliance, and first-hoof testimony of Twilight Sparkle, I believe that we have no choice but to radically redesign the base structure of our body armor,” Shining Armor said, as he had his own feed to the Department of Military Affairs, on the outskirts of Canterlot proper, buried deep inside of Mt. Canter itself.

“Our armor has served us well against the Gryphons for the last century or so; so I would hope that you understand you would be upsetting the applecart quite a bit with these proposals,” a Pegasus general asked - a mare that was only a few years, apparently, younger than Gen. Buster.

“I understand, General Southern Monsoon, that we have our traditions when it comes to armor and weapon-craft; however, we are dealing with beings who, to be perfectly frank, are centuries ahead of us in terms of the root technologies of their armaments. Not only that, but their magic is heavily suited to integration into their existing technological infrastructure, from examples born by the Princess of the Moon in only a few months’ worth of research,” Capt. Armor replied, keeping his tone as even as he could manage, though he fretted as badly as anyone when it came to the health and safety of his fellow Guard-ponies.

“This much is true. The… Quantum Machine, as I believe Princess Luna calls it, is nothing less than a marvel of information processing. It would allow us to catch up very quickly to the Humans in terms of our communication technology. In addition, even the weak flow of magic that bathes Earth at the current day can produce such dramatic effects already. We could be looking at facing a military power far beyond our ability to cope with, should we remain rooted too deeply in our ways,” an Earth Pony stallion a year or so older than Titan Buster mused aloud.

“If I may, it is a bit ironic that an Earth Pony would warn of institutional stubbornness. However, you would be correct. We will have to dramatically improve the quality of our weapons and armor if we hope not only to restore the rightfully elected governments of Earth, but not leave ourselves exposed if we so choose to remain active on Earth,” Shining Armor replied, confident that going directly to the three highest Generals in the entire Royal Guard would net the most immediate impact.

“I know of our race’s hereditary stubbornness, but this is a problem that affects Equestria and all her commonwealths, and possibly all of Equus. I know… that it will anger several elements in the Guard hierarchy and the Nobility that we are absorbing so much of the Humans technology,” General Mountain Pass said, as he sighed heavily.

“What do you mean ‘several elements’, General Pass?” Shining asked, confused somewhat by the sentiment.

“Rumors are starting to percolate of elements in Equestria that are thoroughly rejecting all that Humanity is and anything that is Earth-borne. Thankfully we have not been able to find record of any criminal activity or harassment of Converts, though I can only imagine it would only be a matter of time,” Mountain Pass said, as he rubbed a hoof along his furrowed chin.

“I see. I will tell the Crystal Guard and the police to be on the lookout for anything in particular regarding the few Converts we are starting to see move out here. And that concludes my report for now” Shining Armor replied.

“Understood. You are free to go, Capt. Armor,” General Titan intoned, as Shining waved a hoof to cease the feed to the meeting room at the Department so many miles away.

“This isn’t good… I can’t imagine every Convert we get will be a kind soul and unwilling to unduly antagonize Natives. Eventually there is going to be an incident, and our commitment to tolerance is going to be tested. And I have a feeling some will fail the test miserably,” Shining Armor thought aloud as he ran his hoof along his forehead, brushing back some of his two-toned blue locks.

As the young Captain of the Crystal Guard began to try and rack his brain for a way to nip that particular problem in the bud, he heard a rapping from a lightly armored hoof at the door to his office.

“Shiny honey, are you busy?” he heard his lovely wife ask in that concerned tone that she took with him while he was on duty.

“No, not anymore, just got off a call with the head honchos,” Shining said, as his mood lightened some once he saw Cadence walk inside.

“Hrm, how odd, just got through talking to my Aunts as well. They said we will be able to go ahead with the rechristening for the city in a couple of weeks, once all the records have been updated,” the pink Alicorn said, a wide smile on her face.

“I know how much you’ve been looking forward to this. It’s time that the Crystal Empire truly began to re-integrate into the Equestria’s commonwealth system, and the world at large,” Shining said as he hugged his wife.

“Yeah, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, at least not right now,” Cadence started, as she made sure that no one else was eavesdropping on the other side of the large oak door. “I want to go to Ponyville to have a nice day with all of the Bearers of Harmony and the Conduits of Terra.”

Shining Armor cocked his head to the side at the request of his wife. “Really? I mean we could just have them come up here. Probably a little more secure that way, anyway.”

“I know but I always ask the Bearers to come to soon-to-be Crystalia. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Ponyville besides that one time when we did the Whistlestop Tour, once we made sure that the whole Crystal Empire was anchored back to this plane of reality,” Cadence said, while making those puppy-dog eyes that always wormed their way into Shining Armor’s heart.

“That, and it would be nice to just see them and how they live in their own element, so to speak. Haven’t had much, if any time really, to talk to the Conduits of Terra either. I want to see where their heads are at now, given what has happened on Earth in recent weeks. Especially where that, Blue Vague’s, I believe, mind is at right now,” Shining Armor said, his tone less formal than it was with his superior officers, but still stern.

“Oh come on now, are you going to berate the poor stallion for putting your sister in harm’s way, even though it was clear he was acting under the influence of something else?” Cadence asked, her playful tone turning more serious.

“No… well not much. But I need him, and the other Conduits, to understand that they aren’t the only ones trying to help Earth. So they shouldn’t be driving themselves crazy trying to figure out how they’re, and by extension we’re, going to save everyone and their planet,” Shining Armor replied, making it clear that his anger had subsided in the last couple weeks, whittling itself down to concern for the new partners and friends that Twilight made over the last almost-year.

-= Later that afternoon, in Ponyville =-

Midori Hana lounged outside in the ‘backyard’ of the Greystone Conductor, the birds chirping in the less-intense summer Sun that shone through the clouds that dotted the skies over the fair town.

She leafed through a book of common and not-so-common Equestrian Plants, as she let her mind wander on good samples for a garden that she could start once the calendar completed its seasonal cycle. She looked in the sky, wondering if she could catch a gold-and-bright-blond streak in the sky, but couldn’t find anything but blue, white, and gray.

“I wonder where Storm flew off to, couldn’t think he go that far…” Hana thought out loud, as she continued to stare in the sky away from where the Sun hung.

Red Blaze overheard her as she looked out a window that was not too far from where Hana was lying in the grass outside the Conductor. “I have half a mind to ask Twilight to teach me a tracking spell, so I can figure out where he flies off to when he goes on these periodic jaunts of his…”

Hana chuckled a bit at the exasperation that Blaze was showing, though she wondered herself where Storm seemed to fly off to every couple of days since they returned.

--=--

“It’s so weird… still. I’m a small winged horse, that can fly, and literally lay on a cloud like it was actually made out of bedfoam,” Storm mused aloud as he and the cloud drifted inch by inch through the sky, pushed by the natural wind instead of his wings.

“I thought I felt a certain Wind Magic Conduit flying through here,” Rainbow Dash said as she landed on the opposite end of the long cloud.

“Oh hey R.D., honestly didn’t think you’d notice me way out this way, thought you would usually hang north of town where your Cloud-house is anchored,” Storm said as he craned his neck to look behind him, while still in a lying position.

“Yeah, usually I buzz around in the north of town, but this time I wanted to see what you’ve been up to these couple of weeks since we got back,” Dash replied, as she sat and looked down at the lounging gold-yellow Pegasus.

“Truth be told, just taking in the surrealness of this whole… everything.” Storm said as he continued to look out at the clouds that were above his and Dash’s at the moment floating by in the Equestrian sky-scape.

“Surreal how?” Dash asked, genuinely curious to how a Convert felt about the world she knew like the back of her legs and wings.

“I know the word ‘storybook’ gets thrown around a lot amongst us Converts, and those of us familiar with how Equestria, and well, all of Equus really looks. But, well, let me put it this way. Without magic, there is no way a virtual reality game could ever feel like this,” Storm said, as spread his front legs out wide and in an arc, to show he was talking about the whole of everything he could see both up, forward, and down.

“I’ve tried out a couple of them while I was Earth-side. They felt a little too intense to me, honestly…” Dash said somewhat tepidly, still not used to the onrush of visual and audio stimulus the non-integrated models provided.

“Yeah, you don’t get used to it until you spend quite a while in them. Just like how we were overwhelmed by the sensation of being here in Equestria until after a couple of days of being here,” Storm said, as he continued to lay on the cloud, his wings relaxed but still unfurled.

“That figures,” Dash replied, as Storm resumed speaking.

“But that’s why all of this is kinda surreal. To me, there was a clear delineation of what reality was. Reality wasn’t being able to fly under your own power unless you had some kind of exosuit, and then it was only a few dozen feet… really more like power-jumping now I think about it. Reality wasn’t being able to cast magic at ALL; the idea of using energy to literally change what was in the world, even if that was just moving the air a little bit here or there, was just pure fantasy. Frankly, the idea the some of the rich twits that ‘ran’ the world would actually depose sitting governments was as unrealistic as it got for me,” Storm said, as he finally sat up, now on his haunches, his wings folded back along his sides and back.

Dash looked at the stallion staring at the horizon, as if he was trying to see the future; so she stood next to him in solidarity.

“I’m nervous, Dash. I’m nervous, I’m frightened… but at the same time… I’m excited, I’m anxious, I’m anticipatory. As much as I hate the fact that blood will have to be shed to build a world for everyone, the fact that I have, and a whole lot of others have the potential for having, the power to actually change it is… it’s exhilarating,” Storm said, his body starting to waft with the golden mana that represented Wind Magic.

Dash just stood silently, as she took in the sentiment that coursed through the veins of the stallion next to her, or at least was standing next to her. Said stallion had already taken off, the streak of his brighter yellow magic forming the fringe along the gold-yellow streak his coat left as an optical illusion, much like the rainbow-colored contrail she left.

Don’t have to tell me twice, Storm… Dash thought as she took off herself, yellow fringing her own natural contrail as she mimicked Storm’s method of flying assisted with Wind Magic.

“So I guess we’re gonna have that little race that we never had Earth-side, huh Storm?” Dash shouted when she caught up with the gold-yellow stallion.

“Nah, just a pleasure flight, though that doesn’t mean we have to take it slow at all, do we?” Storm said as he laid his front legs along his body, and went into a minor dive to pick up speed.

“Sometimes speed makes ya feel just as good as anything else!” Dash shouted, as she mimicked Storm’s movements, though at a faster clip.

--=--

Vague sat in the living room in a meditative repose, one he learned from Spike and adapted to his equine frame.

“Not surprising you didn’t want to join your girlfriend and fellow Unicorn in their little chat,” Venome said, as she hung out in Vague’s soulscape, the meditative state allowing Vague’s consciousness to hear both real and the internal Astral space at the same time.

“Let the ladies have their own little time together, they’ll be fine and so will I,” Vague replied, speaking as if Venome was actually manifest in the living opposite him.

“Even if they’re talking about you behind your back?” Venome asked, speaking toward some of Vague’s impulse to eavesdrop on the two mares.

“Just so long as they’re not lying behind my back, they can talk all they want to,” Vague responded, not wanting to barge in, at least not without a good cause.

Just then his semi-internal dialogue was interrupted by the sound of the Conductor’s doorbell going off.

“Oh, I wonder who’s paying us a visit, do be a dear and open that~” Venome replied in her sing-songy tone she took when she wanted to be playful and teasing.

“Fine…” Vague responded, as he brought himself out of the semi-trance and walked over to the door to see who had rung the bell.

“Who is it?” Vague asked as he got to the door.

“It’s me, Twilight!” the mulberry Unicorn said through the door.

Wonder what she’s doing out here… usually she doesn’t pay us a visit here unless she has some kind of business to conduct… Vague thought to himself as he opened the door.

What he found was a rather excited Twilight Sparkle holding a rather fancy pink envelope in her mouth, one fringed in violet, magenta, and gold.

Colors that reminded him of a certain somepony he had only seen fleetingly when he was in Canterlot those couple of times he had been to date.

“Oh where’s everyone, I wanted to get you all together to tell you like I did with the others!” Twilight said, as she tethered the envelope in her telekinetic grip, the excitement in her eyes and voice not abating one bit.

“Hana and Blaze are in the back of the house, but Storm seems to have flown off on one of his little me-time flights,” Vague replied as the two Unicorns walked inside and Vague closed the front door.

“Ugh, sounds just like Rainbow Dash. I swear if she was a colt she’d be just like him!” Twilight replied as she rolled her eyes in frustration.

“The thought of two Golden Storms in the same room frankly scares the hell out of me, Twilight…” Vague added, shaking his head as he did.

The two of them talked a bit more before they reached the backyard, where Hana and Blaze were still chatting it up.

“Oh hey you two, so what do we owe the pleasure, Miss Sparkle?” Blaze asked as they saw the blue and violet-ish Unicorns exit the back door near the storm doors that lead to the basement.

“I wanted to find that coltfriend of yours before I delivered the news,” Twilight replied, a bit disappointed as she couldn’t spy the golden yellow Pegasus anywhere nearby.

“Yeah, we haven’t seen him for an hour or so,” Hana said as she eased over to her own coltfriend.

Twilight struck a thinking repose, before an idea flashed in her mind. “Say I always wanted to try this spell. Would you happen to have a hairbrush with any of Storm’s mane or coat in it, Blaze?”

“Give a few moments and I can get it for you,” Blaze said, as she trotted back into the house.

--=--

“It’s one of the greatest feelings I can think of, Miss Dash!” Storm said as the two Pegasi were still careening through the air with seemingly nary a care in the world.

“Yeah! Just you and the open sky,” Dash said as the two Pegasi continued to jockey for ‘lead’ position in the race that wasn’t a race.

The dual flight continued on apace, until Storm hear a strange sound.

“Say, Dash, you hear something buzzing, well besides the wind whipping over our ears?” Storm asked, as he could swear he heard something not unlike buzzing bees in his head.

“Not really, no” Dash replied, as she turned to look at the Pegasus, who in a literal flash (of what was apparently Explicit Magic) wasn’t there.

“Wait what?” Dash said aloud, as she pulled to a break and hovered in mid-air.

The cyan Pegasus replayed the last few moments in her head, before she realized something – there was a brief flash of violet that mixed itself with the gold-yellow of Storm before he vanished.

“Come on really?!” Dash said as she could only think of one Unicorn that would do something like that.

--=--

“Well, nice of you to join us again, Storm,” Blaze said with a non-plussed tone, as she was lying on top of her coltfriend, her belly to his back and wings.

“I can only guess who I have to thank for this rather… ungraceful landing…” Storm replied, mimicking Blaze’s tone of voice as he looked back at a certain violet-maned, mulberry Unicorn.

“What, I just wanted to try it out,” Twilight said, as she looked on with a bit of an apologetic face.

“Probably need to fix this ditch when we’re done,” Hana sighed, looking at the ditch-like groove the Pegasus carved into the ground as he slid and bowled over his marefriend.

“Now that we’re all here, more or less, what did you wanna tell us, Twilight?” Vague asked of the third Unicorn, as Blaze and Storm stood upright and walked over to the Unicorn still holding the pink envelope.

“Right!” Vague replied as she took the already unsealed envelope and carefully re-opened it and unfurled the letter written on the inside.

Vague noticed the seal at the bottom of the letter before reading the text, noting there was something there besides the seal of the Equestrian Government. I’ll ask about it after Twilight tells us what she has to tell us…

“My brother and his wife are planning to visit the ten of us in three days~!” Twilight said with great exuberance.

“Your brother… your brother…” Storm started… before he and the other three Ponies there all came to the same realization.

“OH RIGHT! You’re the sister of Shining Armor, Prince Consort to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” Vague finally recalled, as the image of the smaller (compared to Celestia and Luna), pink Alicorn and her smaller, white and blue-maned husband Unicorn re-solidified in his head.

“It’s funny, you’d think we wouldn’t let that slip from our minds, and yet it did,” Storm said, as he suddenly felt quite embarrassed about not realizing who the letter could have been from with such fanciful stationary.

“I don’t like talking about them like that. It makes it seem like I’m bragging or something. ‘Oh look at me, I’m the sister of the colt married to the third Alicorn!’” Twilight replied, before chuckling a bit.

Vague nodded, seeing Twilight’s point. “True enough. But still, this is a big occasion. I can’t imagine Cadenza gets much time away from the Crystal Empire that’s not state business.”

“You can just call her Princess Cadence, pretty much everyone else in the Kingdom does…” Twilight corrected mildly.

“We’ll remember that…” Hana said, as she looked at the fancy penmanship of Cadence on the letter.

“I’m guessing she’s giving us the lead time because she figured Pinkie is going to want to set something up,” Blaze figured aloud.

“And you’d be right! Oh you should have seen Pinkie’s face when I told her. I swear she was already in the kitchen at Sugarcube getting the cookies ready,” Twilight said, still giggling a bit at the thought.

“Honestly, I’m always impressed what she can pull off when she only have a few days… or hours… to have it done. Makes me wonder what she’d do if you say… gave her an entire month of prep time,” Vague thought aloud.

“I do too, honestly…” Twilight thought, as she felt a familiar voice resound in her mind.

You know you have to do a better job giving somepony a heads up when you do stuff like that… Rainbow Dash chided, communicating through her link to the Element of Loyalty to Twilight’s Element of Magic. Seeing as her flight partner was back in Ponyville proper, more or less, she began to fly northwest to the town limits.

It was the first live test. Trust me it’ll work a lot better next time… Twilight replied with a bit of a churlish tone, tired of being chided for the minor incident.

[ July 20, ????+1 –- Ponyville, Equestria ]
===========================================

The interior of the Greystone Conductor, by the time Pinkie Pie had gotten well into her party prep, had taken on a distinct ‘pink’ feeling. The numerous streamers and paper-chains in all the colors of Cadence’s coat and mane doing their damndest to give that affect.

“Once again, I have to reiterate – I wonder what she can do if you gave her a month instead of a few days…” Blue Vague thought aloud as he noted how different the normally wood-grain brown interior felt after Pinkie worked her magic on it.

“I don’t even know myseeelf~” Pinkie sung as she twirled around on her rear hooves, arranging trays of cookies, snack cakes, and candies along the serving tables.

“Figures. Anyway, anything I should know about Princess Cadence ahead of time, you all?” Vague asked of the other Bearers of Harmony, aside from Twilight, that were in the living room where most of the food trays were already set out.

“Hrm… she’s like Princess Luna and Celestia, in that she carries herself with a definite air of regalness. Though being so young, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming,” Rarity thought aloud.

“She’s very interested in the relationship between Ponies as well. And not just romantic relationships, though she really likes to ask about those,” Rainbow Dash added.

“She likes to disguise her words though. Hard to tell what she’s looking at if yer only takin’ her words at face value,” Applejack added as well.

“Even if she seems like she’s being snide and sarcastic, she means well. It’s how she is when she’s by herself,” Fluttershy mused.

“She can be so lovey-dovey when she’s around Shining, it’s almost nauseous though,” Spike added, even though he wasn’t prompted seemingly.

“Wonder why you decided to come along, Spike…” Blaze wondered aloud as she looked at the almost two-Length tall Dragon sitting next to one of Vague’s bean-bag chairs.

“Gets kinda boring sitting in Golden Oaks by yourself. Not really a heavy patronage day…” Spike replied, as he slowly ate one of the larger cookies Pinkie had baked.

“Spike, I don’t want you eating too many of those. You know how Dragons get when they get too much sugar in their system, right?” Twilight chided of her bigger, younger, adoptive brother.

“Yes ma’am, I remember. I’ll be fine…” Spike replied, as he rolled his eyes.

Twilight huffed in frustration a bit, but smiled as she walked over to go over all the arranged treats on the tables.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the ten Elements and Spike heard the Conductor’s door bell ring a familiar chime.

“They’re here!” Twilight shouted with a bit of a squeal, as she rushed to the front door to let the royal couple in.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Twi is always like that regarding her brother and Cadence, no matter how old she gets,” Rainbow Dash said as the rest of them awaited the now two Unicorns and Alicorn to enter the living area.

A few moments later, Twilight did indeed return with a white Unicorn in red dress Uniform, and a pink Alicorn decked out in, what one could be referred to as, ‘casual’ regalia.

“Presenting Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Prince-Consort Shining Armor,” Twilight announced with all due formality, which caused the two married Ponies to look a bit nervous and embarrassed.

“Come on now, Twilight. You don’t have to announce us to your friends like that,” Cadence said, as she tried to tamper Twi’s enthusiasm some.

“No… but I wanted to anyway,” Twilight said with a bit of a teasing tone as she rejoined the group of eleven opposite her former foal-sitter and elder brother.

“Right, so to what do we owe the honor, Princess?” Blaze asked of the Alicorn before them.

“Nothing in particular. I was talking with my Aunts and I figured that I needed to get the know the nine of you better,” Cadence replied looking at everyone except Twilight and Spike.

“Fair enough,” Blaze replied, as she levitated a cup of orange juice to her mouth.

“And I decided to tag along, for obvious reasons. That and I wanted to talk to you all as well,” Shining added as she ruffled Twilight’s mane a bit.

The afternoon progressed a little while, both the Princess and the guardspony Unicorn making small talk with the Elements and Conduits, until Vague’s mind drifted to a question that was rarely asked of either Cadence or the two Royal Sisters.

“When I’m around an Alicorn, I get this… odd feeling…” Vague started, not quite sure how to continue the question.

As Cadence’s interest was grabbed by the start of the question, everyone turned to hear what the two were about to talk about.

“So what do you mean by an odd feeling, Blue Vague,” Cadence asked as she sat near Vague on the floor.

“Ok, this is gonna sound a bit odd, because it’s hard for me to put into words,” Vague started. “When I’m around other Ponies, it doesn’t feel strange. Aside from having to remind myself that this is real life and not some kind of elaborate virtual reality game, maybe… that’s the worst of it. But when I’m around an Alicorn, there is just this weird… feeling that there is the physical ‘you’ that I can see and sense with my horn, and then there is you, like you are so so SO much bigger than you appear.”

Twilight and the others thought about what the Conduit of Water had said just then, and found they had similar impulses of standing next to something that was unfathomably huge.

“And I have had to live that feeling ever since I started dating her,” Shining Armor sighed. “I believe a more concrete, I guess, way to talk about that sensation is that the sense of presence generated by an Alicorn just simply dwarfs that of a normal, well anything else. Like, I walk into a room, and unless I start talking, I might turn a head or two but otherwise it’s just like if anypony else had walked in. Now let my darling walk into the room, and she will turn pretty much every head there toward her without even having to try.”

“I don’t like to draw all eyes to me, but what Shining speaks to I concur with. And if you all will care to indulge me, I think my little story can explain why an Alicorn just pulls so much attention to themselves,” Cadence added.

“Seeing as none of us have anywhere else to be, at least I don’t think, we might as well settle in,” Hana mused; no one else objecting to the sentiment.

==--==

“Alright then, since we’re all settled, let’s start at the present and work our way backwards some. My full title, as Twilight alluded to earlier, is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of the Crystal Empire – Commonwealth of the Kingdom of Equestria, and Alicorn of Love and Harmony,” Cadence started, before she was interrupted by Golden Storm.

“Excuse me, does that make you related to the Elements of Harmony that they use?”

“No, the Harmony in my title more or less refers to the whole concept of ‘Harmony’, and not the Elements of Harmony in particular. So the magic I specialize in is related to the Elements, but not the same,” Cadence clarified, to the apparent satisfaction of Storm and the other Conduits of Terra.

“So where was I, ah yes. Although I am an Alicorn, I am not able to make decisions that apply to the whole of Equestria like my two Aunts, and as a personal aside, I do not think I would be qualified to do such for some time, given I am still new to the whole ‘running a commonwealth’ deal, let alone a whole kingdom. My husband, as you know, is Prince-Consort Shining Armor, Commander of the Crystal Guard, and Captain of the Royal Guard Unicorn Division V, under General Titan Buster of the Unicorn Corps,” Cadence continued.

“So wait, Shining is Commander of an entire unit and a subordinate in another unit?” Vague asked, not understanding the hierarchy.

“It’s a temporary station until we can fully integrate the recovered Crystal Guard soldiers into the modern Equestrian military. I really hate all of the paperwork I have to do keeping everything coordinated, and I kinda want to keep on my current progression up the ranks of the Royal Guard proper…” Shining Armor replied somewhat sheepishly, not wanting to sound too ungrateful of the task he had been volunteered for.

“Given what we saw then, and what we read since of the Crystal Empire’s history, it might take some time to re-integrate, as you put it,” Fluttershy thought aloud, Shining nodding in agreement as she did.

“And that is part of my duty now, Element of Kindness: to help the population recover from their Limbo, lorded over by the dark cloud of Sombra. To this day I am still not exactly sure what Sombra was, in the end, but that is a discussion for another time.”

The audience of eleven shrugged a bit, as story was re-railed back to its original track.

“I met Shining Armor at first while we were both in a rather exclusive secondary school in Canterlot, I was there because I was related, albeit not by blood, to royalty, and Shining was there on an academic scholarship,” Cadence mused.

“Said I was gonna be on the fast track for either a long tenure at the University for Thamaturgic Studies, or Officer School in the Unicorn Corps for the Royal Guard. And honestly… I thought the latter would impress Cadence more,” Shining Armor said, blushing as he did; which earned him a nuzzle from his wife.

Wow, they’re high school sweethearts on top of everything else? The Conduits of Terra all thought in unison.

“I met the rest of Shining and Twilight’s family when her parents were in the market for a foal-sitter. Seemed like they had reached that point in their marriage where they had to take some active steps to rekindle the flame, so that meant a lot of nights where Twily and Spikey were by themselves,” Cadence said she giggled at the nicknames. Spike rolled his eyes and Twilight’s cheeks turned a flush red.

“Yeah, I was so tied down with all kinds of projects in school, and my own little nerd life with the little circle of colts I ran with, that Mom and Dad felt an outside babysitter would be a good idea. Imagine their surprise when a Princess-‘in-Training’ ended up answering the call,” Shining added.

“Back then, I really didn’t understand why I was being called ‘Princess’ if I wasn’t blood related to my Aunts. It wasn’t until my sixteenth birthday that I realize just who, and more importantly, what I was.”

Twilight and Shining nodded knowingly, as the other Ponies and one Dragon listened on in rapt attention.

“The months before my sixteenth birthday were some of the most rough in my life. While it wasn’t unusual for Unicorns going through puberty to have small outbursts of magic as their hormones tried to rebalance themselves, usually it was just limited to their talent or telekinesis. However, as it’s patently obvious to you all, I’m not simply a Unicorn with wings. I experienced days where it felt like my magical aura was whipping all around me, like one of those animations where a fighter’s battle aura would flare and whip the air around them. Other days, the weather would constantly change where I walked, depending on how I felt at the moment. Other days still, the pavement would crack with every step I took,” Cadence said as her voice became rather serious.

“The most disturbing thing was that I could never escape the attention of everyone around me, even when my magic was perfectly normal and in-check. It seemed like no matter what I did or where I went, everyone would just feel compelled to stare at me, as if my presence in a room or on a street-corner was overriding everyone else’s there.”

Cadence took a breath as she got to the thrust of her story.

“It was then, on my 16th birthday, that I learned the truth of what being an Alicorn, at least in this reality, is: you are an abstract power, a living force of nature, tied down and manifest in the body of a Pony that represents all three races at once.”

The thoughts of what that meant began to percolate through the heads of the eight Ponies that had never heard that statement before.

“And for me and my aunts in particular, our existence was catalyzed by a previously existing Pony whose soul fused with a source of power that was so pure, it was instantaneously reconfigured, or in a more concise sense, reborn as the being that I stated before,” Cadence continued.

“So who was the catalyst for your… existence, I guess?” Fluttershy asked of the pink Alicorn.

“A middle-aged Unicorn named ‘Heart Linker’, who was last seen, at least by official records some 25 years ago. Though, I believe you can put two and two together and see what the actual truth is regarding her,” Cadence replied.

“You were Heart Linker in a previous life, I guess…” Rarity answered, which got a nod from Cadence.

“Yes, and ‘previous life’ is more or less the correct way to refer to it. The Pony that was Heart Linker was utterly obliterated, the essence of her soul carried on by merging with a natural power in this world to give birth to myself,” Cadence said, the gravitas in her voice heavier than even Twilight could remember. “The only reason why I can speak with such firmness and clarity on what happened is the fact I was personally told of and shown all the events that lead up to my birth by other… well those on your side, Vague, would call them ‘gods’, we just simply prefer the term ‘Immortals’.”

Vague and the other Converts nodded as they filed away the clarification for later use.

“I’ve always wondered, is that what the Crystal Heart is, ultimately?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yes, which makes it similar to the Elements of Harmony. The Elements are a physical representation of Harmony and the power of Will that courses through all of the forms of Magic that permeate Equus. The Crystal Heart is a representation of the love for life and each other that flows through the world the same. That is why the legends were always related to the collective zeitgeist of the Crystal Empire,” Cadence continued.

“Right, if the Crystal Ponies were happy, then the Crystal Heart shone as a beacon through Equestria and the entire world. If the Crystal Ponies were sad or full of fear, then it would grow dim and no one would even know it existed. And if the Crystal Ponies were full of hate, it would produce a darkness that could enshroud the entire world and plunge it into grave despair,” Twilight recited, giving the vastly condensed version of the Legend of the Crystal Heart.

“Wait, so is that what the Summer of Love was 25 years ago?” Applejack asked, as she looked perplexed by the statement and how it seemed to line up with what she remembered reading in an old newspaper.

“Also correct, Bearer of Honesty. The Summer of Love was instigated by accident when Heart Linker fully fused with the nascent power of the soon-to-re-emerge Crystal Heart, thereby Ascending and being reborn as myself. I’ve made it a point to visit with as many of the couples who found each other during that summer and got married who were actually at the location near Los Pegasus, so I could see just what they could remember of those days,” Cadence replied.

“What did they tell you, in general, Princess?” Hana asked, genuinely curious.

“Mostly the same as the surviving media reports: a Unicorn mare of pink coat and white-mane with violet streaks wandering through the fair ground where a soft rock concert was being held. She got up on stage and gave an impassioned, but somewhat rambling speech on the nature of love and how it needed to be spread through the entire world. The next thing anyone could remember was a bright pink light enveloping the entire fairground, and the Unicorn evaporating seemingly into pure mana. What no one could remember was that in place of that Unicorn was a baby Alicorn – myself as a newborn,” Cadence replied matter-of-factly.

“If that festival was anything like the several Woodstocks that have occurred in America since the original in the last century, I’m willing to bet everyone thought they were on a massive, collective, drug-induced hallucination,” Vague figured.

“Even to this day, those who do not understand the nature of Ascension into Immortal-hood, which is to say, practically everyone, still claim the massive pink light, and instinctive finding of one’s soul mate because of it, was a post-event rationalization for a mass hallucination of some other kind. Though unsurprisingly, no one has been able to reproduce the catalyst for such a thing… aside from myself,” Cadence explained, chuckling at the end.

“Far out, man…” Storm responded, getting a knowing chuckle from Vague.

“So I say all of that to say this. If you want to know why it feels like Alicorns just draw all attention to themselves, even when they don’t really try to, it’s because we represent something much bigger than what you can see. And even if you aren’t told that, per se, you can just feel it. I’ve been told, and I’ve seen since I turned sixteen, that my being around, without even saying anything, tends to result in Ponies and others managing to smooth over whatever friction they are having,” Cadence said, as the realization began to wash over the eight Ponies that were the least familiar with Cadence.

“That would make sense. Whenever I’m around Princess Luna, there is this aura that she is cool, calm, and serene. Kinda like a clear autumn night,” Blue Vague said as he thought of how Luna literally seemed to cool things down a degree or two, both physically and emotionally.

“At the same time, Princess Celestia gives off an aura of gentle warmth and brightness, which can easily turn into searing heat if she truly got mad at someone,” Twilight concurred, remembering how she was sweating whenever she was in the presence of Princes Celestia after she got through berating somepony at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

“That is the thing the three of us have to manage at all times, and it’s a constant balancing act. One I’m still learning bit by bit,” Cadence concluded, as Shining Armor leaned into her.

“And if I may say, you’re making great progress,” he added, doing his best to support his wife.

Cadence giggled as she kissed Shining on the muzzle. “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Shiny.”

I see what she meant by lovey-dovey… Vague thought, as he briefly chuckled at the scene.

[ July 22, ????+1 – Everfree Forest near Ponyville, Equestria ]
===============================================================

I see that you have visitors on the way, dear...

Indeed mother... would you like to end this session now?

No, I have the feeling that the guests would like to speak to the both of us...

You always had a sense for other's intentions, mother...

Midori Hana, Blue Vague, and Twilight Sparkle were walking the now fairly defined path to Zecora's Hut within the Everfree Forest. They wanted to consult with the Zebra about Blue Vague and gauge just how far along he was in his recovery and reconciliation with himself since the Nightmare Ooze incident.

"You know as long as we've been here, I've never been this deep in the Everfree..." Blue Vague said as he was one part amazed by the vitality of the forest, and one part scared by the fact it was difficult to see anything through all the trees and foliage.

"This is place is just simply... amazing. I guess Earth Ponies would spend a lot more time here if it weren't a wild zone. I heard of all the predators and monsters that still make this area home, and this is just the area near Ponyville," Midori Hana added, invigorated by all the natural greenery surrounding her.

Twilight nodded as they got within eyesight of the simple hut. "I would imagine that's why Zecora settled in this clearing we're approaching. It's about the right spot in-between Ponyville and the deep Everfree, which I doubt anyone would want to call home, unless they were born there or were a bit cracked in the head."

As they all approached the hut, Vague and Twilight picked up a strange aura coming from the edifice. Taking some extra caution, Twilight knocked lightly on the door and called for Zecora. "Excuse me, Zecora. Are you able to receive guests right now?"

"Oh yes Twilight. You and your two friends can come inside," Zecora shouted from inside.

"How did she know there were two of us with you?" Blue Vague asked, not sure if he picked up any new magic aside from what permeated the area around the hut anyway.

"I don't know, Vague. I've learned in the last few years to not exactly question Zecora when she does stuff like that, though," Twilight said as she pushed the door open.

The three Ponies were amazed by the conditions inside the hut. The inside was almost totally dark, despite the fact it was midday outside. It also felt quite cool, despite the mild heat from the summer.

"So, um Miss Zecora... did we walk in on anything that we shouldn't have?" Midori Hana asked nervously, looking at the strange swirls of color in the black background all around them.

"Actually, this might be the best time for you to visit me, given the concerns you may have," Zecora stated, still not having opened her eyes since Twilight and the others walked in.

"Okay. Now how would you know that? And this might be the first time you've talked to me, at least, without constantly speaking in rhyme," Twilight asked, also a tad off-put by the environs they saw in the hut.

"Oh, I can answer that," a strange female voice in the background stated. It sounded a lot like Zecora, except quite older. "We Zebras have a cultural trait where we emphasize by speaking in lyrical rhyme. It comes from our proud oral tradition."

A lot like the African tribes back on Earth, at least historically... Vague thought to himself as they sat in the circle Zecora had drawn in white chalk.

"You always did have a bit of a habit of giving away trade secrets when you spoke to outsiders, mother," Zecora stated while chuckling a bit, finally opening her eyes.

"The Zebra Tribes cannot be isolated forever; the world is growing smaller, in a sense. We have to be prepared to receive guests far more frequently than we have been. And now an entirely new world has been joined to our own. The time will soon come where we will have to enter into alliance with the other major nations of this world," the female voice continued to speak.

"That is quite true, mother. And it appears we have two critical figures from the other world with us, given the extremely strong link with that new mana they possess," Zecora stated, as the common room of her hut turned from a strange black field to a more normal looking darkened room during midday.

"Um, not to be too forward or anything. But I don't see anyone else here beside us four, where exactly is your mother?" Midori Hana asked, looking around to see if she missed anyone.

"I am sitting before you, Green One," stated the female voice.

Twilight, Vague, and Hana reeled back a bit from Zecora in surprise. What they saw sitting next to the flesh and blood mostly monochrome Zebra, was the ghost of another Zebra that looked like a somewhat older version of Zecora, the main difference being that the ghost's mane was not styled into a mohawk, but more of a naturally flowing style, not unlike Midori Hana.

The phantom Zebra mare giggled a bit at the surprise etched into the faces and souls of the three Ponies before her. "It's always strange when outsiders react that way when a Zebra Phantom manifests. Anyway, my name is Zel'Ana, I am Zecora's mother, teacher, and in this form, mentor."

The three Ponies managed to gather themselves again, and formally introduce themselves as well. "I-i-i-I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the blue one is Blue Vague and the green one is Midori Hana." The other two Ponies waved nervously after Twilight stopped speaking.

"I see, you three are unfamiliar with the proceedings, which is understandable. When a Zebra faces death, they may join the Circle of Rebirth. However, I am one of a few who still feel they had worth," Zel'Ana said with the now trademark lyrical Zebra style.

“Though you managed to achieve Nirvana before reaching middle age,” Zecora clarified, somewhat wistfully. It was apparent to Blue Vague that Zecora still missed having her mother with her in flesh and blood.

The three Ponies finally began to relax, the Unicorns now used to the phantasmal presence of Zel'Ana. They then began talking for a while, getting Zecora up to speed on the goings on in Earth, or at least the details she might not have gleamed from her communion with the Spirits.

"That is quite troubling indeed. Now I see why mother figures that the Tribal Congress will be forced to enter into a pact with Equestria and the other major nations," Zecora reasoned aloud, with a hoof under her chin.

"And I see the Blue One, Blue Vague, has been touched by the inner darkness of the Pony race. Your mind and heart may be purged of its influence, but the scars are still fresh, are they not?" Zel'Ana also reasoned, looking much like her daughter.

"To be honest, yes. I wrapped myself up so tightly in my own depression and anger, I just... snapped. I don't really remember the specifics of what I did as Nightmare Ooze, but I can only conclude it was bad," Blue Vague started, before taking a breath to continue his thoughts. "I honestly don't know what to think about it. A part of me just wants to bury it, and pretend it never happened. Another part of me though... another part of me wants to find some way to confront it safely."

Zel'Ana began to glow an eerie green, as a strange circle appeared under Blue Vague. Vague, rather than freak out again, felt incredibly calm, instinctively knowing that Zel'Ana's phantom magic was in no way malicious.

Hey Vague? What’s going on? Are you doing something out there? Venome asked of Vague.

Vague for his part, couldn’t offer anything definite except the fact the two of them were in competent hooves. Just let the phantom Zebra do her magic, because I wouldn’t know how to stop her if I wanted to…

A few moments later, a flash of blue emanated from the same-colored Unicorn, as did a waft of blue smoke. Eventually the smoke coalesced into a figure, a figure that was most familiar to said blue Unicorn.

“Venome?” Vague asked, as he looked at the figment of his soul that resembled a near identical, feminine twin of himself.

“Vague? How did… I don’t…” the Unicorn asked, her voice deeper than either Twilight or Hana’s, but not quite as low as Zecora or Zel’Ana’s.

“Huh? This is the thing that caused us all that trouble?” Twilight asked, confused as to what she was seeing sitting next to the Conduit of Water.

“And why is she a girl?” Hana asked, confused as to what was sitting next to her coltfriend.

“It’s a rather odd excuse. And one I’m not sure I want to get into at the moment,” Vague replied, entirely unsure of what else to say given the situation.

“Your coltfriend didn’t want to admit he was harboring some dark thoughts about Humanity, so he made me look like a girl so he could pretend we weren’t one and the same…” Venome responded, her tone biting as she had great disdain whenever Vague tried to deflect from how he felt during those months.

“Gee thanks…” Vague replied, his nonplussed tone clear to everyone there.

Zel’Ana nodded sagely, as she looked at the blue Unicorn and his phantom false-twin. “This is what I meant, Conduit of Water. To truly move past your sin, with her you must begin.”

“Begin what?” the two blue Unicorns asked in unison.

“To understand where you are the same, and what similarities you cannot claim,” Zecora added, nodding much like her mother.

“Never a dull moment with any of us, right Hana?” Twilight asked, already feeling queasy at trying to separate Vague from Venome.

“Nope, not a one…” Hana sighed, wondering if there was something else her coltfriend was hiding in his psyche.

--- == ---

Meanwhile, back in Canterlot, the pair of Princesses were putting to paper the preliminary schedule for the negotiating session to come, having finally secured an agreement from the Dragons, Zebras, and Gryphons.

"So we are to all meet in Safe Haven at the end of September, according to the Earth Calendar, yes?" Luna asked, as she prepared to hold the evening and overnight session of court.

"Yes, Lulu. The exact date is tentatively set at September 28th," Celestia answered, still writing down the lineups of dignitaries.

"I am glad they also agreed to allow the Conduits of Terra and the Bearers of Harmony to spend some time in each of their respective Capitals learning a bit of each Nation's culture. It will be helpful for when they attend the final ceremony as audience," Luna mused aloud.

"Knowing the Gryphons, they might try to work over the Conduits especially. I have a feeling Converts and Humans might identify with the Gryphon mindset the most,” Celestia added, as she began writing some notes on a memo-pad in her telekinetic grip.

"So how long do you want them all to spend in each Nation?" Luna asked.

"At first I thought ‘three days’, but I want them to really get a good taste of the other nations, so I’m thinking more along a week. I'm also giving them memory crystals to record select writings so that they may study them after they leave. And speaking of 'memory crystals', how is our project with the Magical Computer coming along?" Celestia replied, then asked as she changed the focus of the conversation.

"The prototype is mostly stable now. There were some unforeseen issues where the artificial mind that runs some of the human's machines actually became a unique ego in her own right. So much of our time was spent trying to teach it ethical behavior and the like," Luna asked, as she thought back to all of the many incidents of Shift trying to ‘improve’ the function of the systems in Safe Haven.

"Do you think you succeeded?"

"I can only hope so..."

***** === *****

CH 25: Exploring Others

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 25: Exploring Others ===

[ August 01, ????+1 – Canterlot, Equestria ]
============================================

In a quiet room, deep in the bowels of Castle Canterlot, there sat a room. The room was rather unremarkable from the outside, appearing for all the world like just yet another room for storing archives that weren’t in active circulation through the many libraries that dotted Canterlot proper. However, inside was an entirely different matter.

“Lulu, are you sure that we need to introduce this to them now? I mean we can swear everyone else we’ve given this to secrecy, and actually enforce some kind of punishment against them. The Bearers and Conduits have no formal ties to the Crown, so unless we wanted to put them through the normal civil arbitration system, we’d have no recourse if they told anypony of this technology,” Princess Celestia asked from one side of a cardboard separator that divided the room into two halves more or less: one half decorated in the stylized sun of her cutie mark, and the other half in the crescent moon and clouds of Luna’s.

“I know, but we will eventually release this to the wider public, so I want to see what our little Ponies would think of having their own version of a device that will let them talk and see anyone that is connected to a similar device…” Luna thought aloud, as the small box, only similar to the Black Horse Box that produced the Conversion Serum base in its size, hummed with a soft swirl of magic.

“True, you just know how I am with introducing new technology. It makes me nervous, that’s all…” Celestia replied, with a bit of a huff acknowledging her own fault.

“It should make anyone nervous. No one can tell how a wide population will adapt to a new device or method being introduced. But if we want to avoid stagnation, it has to be done. And besides, I am pretty sure that not having to pulverize so many trees to satiate our need for paper to write on would be a boon later,” Luna responded, trying to assuage the fear of her elder sister.

“Point taken; even if it makes me queasy, I just have to adapt like everyone will,” Celestia said, as she steeled her nerve for when Twilight would open the package she sent to Golden Oaks Library.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m a little nervous as well. Every time I send one of these prototypes out, I fear that it may be one that was not constructed properly and it would fail, or worse yet… explode like so many before Twilight sent us her research on melding Terran and Equuan Magics,” Luna replied, as she awaited Vague opening a similar package that was sent to the Greystone Conductor.

== A few minutes later, in Ponyville ==

“Hrm, not often that Princess Celestia sends me something through a regular courier. And then she doesn’t want me to open it until I get the other fillies here with me…” Twilight said out loud, as she levitated the roughly cubic Length box into the common area of Golden Oaks Library.

Across town, Vague looked at a similar package, one with Princess Luna’s personal insignia on it. “Thought she’d teleport this straight to us, whatever this is. Then again if she wants to send it through express mail, I’m not going to argue with her. Though the whole not opening it until the other Conduits are in the same room is an odd request…”

Another short while passed, as the other eight Bearers and Conduits slowly gathered at the site where their respective package was sent.

“Alright Twi’, I was in the middle of listening to one of my favorite radio dramas. You know it costs ten bits for a recording to be sent to my house after it airs, right?” Rarity asked as the other Elements of Harmony, and Spike, gathered in the common of Golden Oaks.

“I figured as much, Rare, but apparently Princess Celestia wants us to look at this… thing… she sent us. And she specifically asked me to not open it until you all were here with me when I did,” Twilight replied apologetically.

---

“You interrupted me from watching A-Team. You know how much I like watching old action serials,” Golden Storm complained, as he sat on the floor in a huff looking at the indigo-wrapped package on the floor.

“Well our erstwhile patroness has deemed it necessary that we all watch as I open this package, so just hold on and you can get back to seeing Mr. T do… whatever it is he does in that show,” Vague replied, not taking kindly to the surly attitude from the yellow-gold Pegasus.

---

“Alright then, let’s see what’s in the box,” Twilight said as she used a small letter opener to sever the binding strings on the package.

After a few more moments of tearing the sky-blue and gold paper off, and opening the cardboard box, reminding Pinkie of so many Hearth's-Warming Even gifts, Twilight finally got to what the thing was that she had been sent.

“You know, it kinda looks like the box we saw in the center of the Bureaus. The ones that made the base for the serum…” Rainbow Dash mused, as the six Ponies and one Dragon looked down at the square half-Length box that was covered on five sides by foam packing peanuts.

“But it can’t be that, we don’t have any use for that on this side of the Aurora,” Twilight said as she picked up the instruction pamphlet.

A few moments of cursory reading of the printed Equestrian script clued Twilight into what she was looking at.

“Oh wow… this is… I didn’t think she’d be moving this fast on it…” Twilight said, as she grabbed a small hoofstool to sit the plastic and metal-frame box on.

---

“So what is this box, then, Vague?” Hana asked as the four of them stared at the box that seemed to have some kind of crystal matrix in the center, one that did not appear active, at the moment.

“In a sense, it’s a video-phone, except there is no wide-scale network so it’s not like we can just, say call up Sweet Tomato’s Pizzeria to order a few pies in advance – although I’d really love to and we should go there for dinner tonight. But back to the point, this is a production prototype of that magi-computer that Luna and her team had been working on for the last few months,” Vague replied, as he wondered how far the rest of the project was, and what he should get on his pizza if they did go later that afternoon.

---

“Wow, I’d love to call Papa Granite back on the farm with this…” Pinkie Pie said as she was a few inches away from the glass-like facing of the proto Quantum Machine.

“If Luna is moving this fast with development, then that will be possible before long. But as it stands, there are only so many models, so only so many Ponies we can call out to, or get calls from,” Twilight said, as she read how to activate the box.

“Whatcha doin’ now Twi?” Applejack asked, as she saw Twilight’s horn glow softly.

“About to fire this up to see who’s on the other end!” Twilight said with a knowing smile.

---

“Can’t say I’m surprised, Princess Luna, but I am impressed…” Vague said as the four of them in the Greystone Conductor walked around the projection of the Princess of the Moon and Night.

“Given you have grown and thrived, all things considered, in technology far more refined than this, I will take that as a compliment,” Luna said, as she looked at the projection of the four Conduits of Terra from her end.

“So what’s up with all of this, wanted to show off?” Storm asked, as he sat back down near the box.

“There is some news we want to share with you all,” Luna started.

---

“Wait what? A whole week?” Fluttershy replied, anxiety creeping into her voice from the news the Princess of the Day delivered to her.

“Yes, the Dragon Central Council, Zebra Tribal Congress, and House of Leo of the Gryphon Federation all requested to host you all before we finalize negotiations. However they, and frankly we couldn’t decide which nation to send you all to first, so we decided it would best to ask you all to split into three groups, along Tribal lines, and you would each spend a week in each nation’s capital,” Celestia replied with calm but humble tone.

“I don’t think we’d mind, though I wonder how the Conduits would take being split up like this… I mean they really haven’t spent a lot of time separated from each other since we all were together in St. Louis,” Rarity thought aloud, getting a nod from the other five Bearers and Spike.

---

“That’s a lot to ask of us, Princess, with all due respect,” Vague replied, rubbing the mane in the back of his head as he looked over at the other three Conduits of Terra.

“I’ll admit - I wanted to see the other nations while we were on this side of the Aurora before we left for Earth again. Though this is, I dunno, man…” Storm wondered aloud.

“I agree, this is a bit of an imposition, Princess,” Red Blaze added, as she sat on her haunches, the frustration evident in her face.

“I think it’s not that bad of an idea… though,” Hana said, which got everyone to turn and look at her with an odd look.

“A whole week away from Vague, after you two started really getting close?” Blaze asked of her green, Earth Pony friend.

“I know how it sounds out loud. But at the same time… do we want to let our personal reservations mess up their international diplomacy?” Hana replied, pointing at the projection of the Princess of the Night.

“Truth be told, this is how it was for much of our relationship, Blaze,” Storm added.

“I was just getting used to waking up and knowing you were either in the same bed or one room away from me…” Blaze replied, looking away toward the ground, blushing a bit through her fire-engine red coat.

“I can see how that’d be a problem. And I was getting used to doing the same with Hana… Then again, like Hana said, this can help nail down a formal alliance with the other three major powers. And that can make fixing the Earth that much easier. I think we can give up a week for that… I think,” Vague said, as he tried to rationalize the issue.

“I do not want to simply impose my will upon you all. And I do not mean that as a threat, I truly do not want to send you off to a foreign country unless your hearts were truly in it. At the same time, this could be a boon to us, to let the other powers know that we are willing to share our bounty, if they are willing to do the same,” Luna replied, trying to get the four Ponies to see the wider geopolitical gain that could be made.

The conversation paused for a few moments, before the Four Conduits all nodded knowingly, as they came to realize in their own ways that giving up one week of close proximity to their mare and colt-friends could be worth building a bridge out to the other three major powers.

“Aside from the reservations we just voiced, I don’t think we’d have any other problem with this proposal, Princess Luna,” Vague told indigo Alicorn through the projection from the new magic box sitting in the middle of their floor.

---

“In the end though, I think they’ll agree to go with us,” Pinkie Pie concluded, as the Bearers and Celestia thought about the friends and comrades they had forged over the near year together.

I always wanted to see where Gilda grew up… Wonder if she’s gotten over that incident with Pinkie from a couple of years ago… Rainbow Dash thought to herself, as she contemplated spending a week over in Gryphon territory.

“In any case, they’re requesting you a couple of weeks from now. So that should give us time to get you and your families prepared,” Celestia said.

“Alright then, thanks for the ‘gift’ and the opportunity with this, Princess,” Twilight replied, as Celestia cut the feed and the projection went ‘blank’.

“Wow, a week in the Dragon Badlands. I’m going to have to pack double the amount of hair-care products, possibly triple…” Rarity thought aloud, as she wondered how many times she’d have to wash with the dust storms that were prone to race through the main collection of Dragon city-states to Equestria’s south and west.

“I hope I’ll be okay around all of those Gryphons. I… I never been around so many… even being around Gilda makes me so nervous…” Fluttershy chirped, still rattled a bit from the news of the three Pegasi spending all of the third week from the current in Vogelstad.

“We’ll be fine, the Leo House is the least of our troubles when it comes to Gryphons. I mean Gilda is from there and she’s fine,” Rainbow Dash said, blowing off Fluttershy’s readily apparent anxiety.

“That’s fine to you?!” Fluttershy exclaimed, knowing how ill of a temper the Gryphoness had.

“I wonder why kind of parties Zebras throw when it’s just Zebras attending, do you think it’s going to be a really BIG one to wow us, Or a small one just to set the stage for something bigger at the end of the week Applejack?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly, wondering just what the Zebras were going to do to welcome the Earth Ponies when they arrived at Makabkumi in few weeks’ time.

“Dunno Pinkie, just hope they have good food whatever they do,” Applejack responded, not knowing what else to think except roll with the tide.

“So are you gonna come with us when we go to Karrak-za-Jalve, Spike. I mean it hadn’t been that long since you spent some time there,” Twilight asked of Spike.

“May as well, something tells me that Rosethorn might have some news for me, so I want to be there live when she gives it,” Spike responded, wondering if he could get any practice in while he was there.

[ August 16, ????+1 – Karrak-Za-Jalve ]
=======================================

“Wow, this place is beautiful, despite the fact were in the middle of scrubland desert…” Vague thought aloud as the winged-dragon-powered airship docked into the airport just outside of the main border walls to the city proper.

“I wonder how much the dragon that flies this thing gets paid…” Rarity thought aloud, as she tightened the headscarf and put on her sunglasses to shield her eyes from the desert sun.

“I start 100 D-Coin per flight. Or roughly 1,000 bits in your currency,” the pilot/engine said over the intercom.

“You know I forgot all about that thing?” Blaze replied, forgetting the dragon in question had an enchanted shell that allowed him to talk to the cabin through a headset.

“It would have made my life a lot easier if I could ride the airship coming here. Then again, I guess I wouldn’t have had all that time to practice with Rosethorn if I did just come straight here by ‘ship,” Spike thought aloud as he and the four Unicorns all disembarked, and the porters gathered their luggage onto a pushcart.

“So I wonder what kind of hotel or inn they are gonna put us up in for this week?” Blaze thought as a pair of guard-dragons ushered them into their cab to leave the airport.

“Says here on the itinerary… Yulva Hotel. Apparently a lot of foreign dignitaries stay in that hotel because it’s a rather short walk from its lobby to the campus where the Dragon Central Council hold their meetings and the rest of government works from,” Twilight said, while reading the notes from a small bound notebook that was in her saddlebag.

“Well at least we won’t have to waste time shuttling back and forth…” Vague thought aloud as the Dragons pulling the rickshaw-like cab pulled out of the lot and started on their way to the hotel in question.

-----

“Oh Spike~ It’s been too long~” Rosethorn sung as she grabbed Spike in a very matronly hug… a little too matronly for the now-grown drake.

“Wow, Rosethorn, you can let me go any minute…” Spike said as Rosethorn finally let the purple drake go and Spike caught his breath again from having his chest pressed against the sternum of the older Dragoness.

“And these must be the four Unicorns of the Conduits of Terra, and the Elements of Harmony, correct?” a silver Dragoness asked, as she looked on at the scene from a short distance on a chair in one of the meeting rooms inside the hotel.

“Are you sure it’s going to be alright if she’s here?” Spike asked, as he looked with some concern at the churlish silver Dragoness with the red spines and highlights.

“Oh don’t worry Bloodthorn will be on her best behavior, won't you?” Rosethorn said, emphasizing certain words to catch the attention of her elder sister.

Bloodthorn merely stood up, and slowly walked over to the group of four Unicorns, taking special note of the fire-engine red one who stood on the far left from her perspective.

With a suddenness and fluidity of a wasp, she rushed over to the red Unicorn, with an outstretched claw, covered to a fine point with Draconic Mana, as if she had a welding torch built into her arm.

“WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL?!” Vague shouted, as the other three Unicorns scattered, but Blaze, Rose, and Spike all stood where they were; as Bloodthorn stood in a striking pose, the flame-point barely an inch from the center of the triangle created by Blaze’s eyes and her horn.

Bloodthorn looked down into the eyes of a Unicorn that betrayed some hint of fear for her life, but it was overwhelmed by a need to stand her ground against the apparently overly-aggressive Dragoness.

“I will have to keep a very close eye on you especially, Miss Red Blaze…” Bloodthorn said, as she relaxed her arm and resumed a normal standing pose, the flame on her forearm and hand having dissipated as quickly as it came into existence.

“Seriously, um… uh. Okay, if I’m going to yell at you can I at least get your name first?” Vague started, before he realized that the silver Dragoness never introduced herself formally.

“Bloodthorn. First Seat of the Sub-Council of War and elder sister of your purple friend’s teacher…” Bloodthorn stated with full calm as she resumed sitting on the chair apart from the group of six standing around a table in the meeting room.

“Okay, Bloodthorn, what in the hell was that just now?! You damn near gave me a heart attack,” Vague asked of the now named Dragoness.

“Red Blaze has a look in her eye. A flame that burns as hot as any Dragon I’ve seen come through the halls of the Militia Processing Center on the Council Campus that you all will visit tomorrow. But it is not enough to have a bright flame in your soul; if you are going to do what our intelligence says you are going to do, that flame has to be tempered. Blaze could have easily retaliated against me, but she didn’t,” Bloodthorn started.

“Because I need to know exactly what you are capable of. It would do me no good to retaliate and not damage you, because I underestimated how strong you were. That, and that I could feel that you only ‘struck’ to provoke a response,” Red Blaze concluded for the silver Dragoness, getting a nod from her.

“And that is exactly why I want to keep an eye on her. If she had scales and not a coat, I would be doing my level best to have her join the Militia. Perhaps when all of this over, I may ask you to join anyway as a Legionnaire,” Bloodthorn mused aloud, chuckling as she did.

“Never change, Bloodthorn,” Rosethorn huffed, her palm along her temple as she refocused on the issue at hand in her mind.

“Alright, now that that little distraction has been dealt with, let us get to what I wanted to lead this little week excursion for you all with,” Rosethorn started, as she snapped her claws, causing three scrolls to appear before her.

“In accordance with traditional Draconian educational procedure, I am hereby introducing you, Spike…” the rose-red Dragoness started as she looked over at the purple Dragon in question. “… to your Trinary Partners.”

“Wait… Trinary Partners…” Spike interrupted, as he racked his brain to remember what he read that term in.

“Hrm, Dragon typically take students in multiples of three. So I guess that means that you are about to get a pair of classmates… in a sense,” Twilight figured aloud.

“And the violet Unicorn is correct. I feel that it would be good to pair you with a pair of fellow Native Dragons, since you also need to understand how the rest of this world would perceive you as a grown drake. And you would need to at least help teach them what the Terrans think Dragons are, and how they are right and wrong about that regarding us.”

Rosethorn cleared her throat before she continued speaking, picking up the second scroll. “Introducing your first Trinary Partner. She is nineteen years of age, born in Vals-ju-Nilak, near the main territory of the House of Leo, of the Gryphon Federation. Miss Cinnamon, would you please come in?”

A door on the other side of the room opened, as Spike got a good look at his partner. Her build was not dissimilar to Spike’s, except she was clearly female, as her backspines were not quite as sharp as his, and her tail did not have the spiked knob on the end. What she did have, though, was a seeming abundance of flame, as she hummed a chipper tune, a bit of flame escaping her nostrils as she did. Her body was a slightly darker red than Red Blaze, but still not terribly dark, and her spines were bright orange, as she looked over at the rose-red Dragoness that was now her teacher, and the violet drake that was her new partner.

As soon as she got a look at him though, she bolted over, nearly flipping over a chair in the process.

“Wow… this is my partner. Hrm…” the red Dragoness said, as she looked all over Spike, lifting and stretching his arms trying to get a gauge for his physical strength, and generally making Spike quite uncomfortable as she did.

“Is she normally this touchy feely with Dragons, because I don’t exactly feel… right… right now,” Spike said as the Dragoness lifted his tail off the ground a couple of inches with her foot.

“Only the ones she meets for the first time,” Rosethorn said, giggling at the cinnamon red draka’s antics.

“Well you certainly have a nice build… I bet you are an Emerald Flame!” Cinnamon said after she was done with her physical inspection.

“Yeah my flame is green, if that’s what you mean…” Spike said as he was still not used to another draka so close to him physically.

“That’s nice~ I just love Emeralds, other Rubies are too aggressive… and the Sapphires are just plain weird,” Cinnamon said as she continued to hover around Spike, her face only a short distance from Spike’s, as they were similar builds but she was a mere inch shorter.

“Yeah and can you back up a few? You are kinda deep in my personal space!” Spike said, finally having enough of the cinnamon-red draka practically on top of him.

Cinnamon huffed as she backed up a few feet, in human terms, from the violet drake. “Fine, have it your way. But if our partner is a drake, then don’t get jealous when I’m all over him!”

“No problem there…” Spike retorted, as the two younger Dragons quieted themselves.

“Spike. Cinnamon. Now I will introduce your partner and third of the Trinary. She hails from Umi-fa-Sangri, near Neighpon, to put it in Equestrian Terms. She is twenty years of age. You may enter, Miss Coral,” Rosethorn announced, as a tall draka entered the room from the same door that Cinnamon did a couple of minutes earlier.

“Hrm, I see, the dignitaries from Equestria are here, as well as… I am assuming, my new Trinary partners,” the chalk-white and iridescent-blue spined draka asked of her teacher.

“Yes and yes, Spike and Cinnamon here are your new Trinary Partners, and he, along with the four Unicorns here, are dignitaries from Equestria,” Rosethorn confirmed.

“I see. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Coral replied in a neutral but fair tone, as she gracefully bowed at the other Dragons and Ponies.

“Hrm,” Cinnamon wondered aloud, as she paced around the other draka in the room, eyeing her up in much the same way that she did Spike, but with far less touching. “I see, you must be a Sapphire Flame, right?”

“Correct. My internal flame is as blue as the deep ocean,” Coral replied, her painfully neutral tone a stark contrast to the gregarious Cinnamon’s forever-barely restrained excitement.

“Fine, I guess we can get along. Just so long as you keep the oddity to a minimum,” Cinnamon replied, her voice going flat as she seemed nonplussed by the lack of expression in the white draka.

“And she’s one to speak about oddness,” Spike mentioned aloud, which pulled Cinnamon right back into his face.

“I will have you KNOW mister I am not ‘odd’ in anyway. I am a perfectly… normal… Ruby Flame draka!” Cinnamon replied, poking Spike in the chest with each word of her last statement.

“Whatever, just stop poking me like that,” Spike replied, as he brushed away the forearm of Cinnamon, which got a huff of frustration from the excitable red draka.

I fear that I may soon regret my decision to venture away from Umi… Coral thought as she looked at her two new partners staring daggers into each other.

“This feels like an inauspicious start to our week here, Miss Rose,” Vague said, already starting to feel mentally exhausted.

“It doesn’t have to be. I felt it would be better to have you all interact with some younger Dragons for the day before you have to deal with the rest of the population and us on the Council for the rest of the week,” Rosethorn replied.

“I guess, Rosethorn,” Twilight said, as the group left the meeting room to enjoy the rest of the hotel’s amenities.

-- == --

Later that evening, the four Unicorns and three younger Dragons were sitting around an extended table in one of the hotel’s foreigner-friendly restaurants, discussing the events of earlier and their newfound status.

“Since we’re all together, and it looks like we’re gonna be together for the next week, why don’t you tell us more about yourselves, Cinnamon and Coral,” Red Blaze asked of the cinnamon-red and chalk-white Dragons.

“Sure, I’d like to know more,” Spike concurred, he looked at the two of them with some amount of interest.

Cinnamon was the first to speak as it was clear that Coral was going through what she was going to say in her head. “Well I’m the first hatched of my clutch of three. Mom and Dad are still together. My hometown is near the main territory of the House of Leo, so if I start using some Gryphonic words, don’t be surprised.”

The cheer in her voice was somewhat off-putting, reminding Spike and the Ponies of Pinkie Pie while she was baking.

“And you, Coral?” Spike asked of the chalk-white draka sitting next to Cinnamon at the table.

“I am the second hatched of four. Mother and father are still legally married, but currently separated, so I resided with mother until I ventured here to Karrak to further my education. Umi-fa-Sangri is partially on land and water, as it has a high concentration of Sea Dragon residents, though my blood is a combination of Long and standard terrestrial Dragon,” Coral replied with a slightly more personable, but still neutral tone.

“Yeah the Long always are kinda freakishly tall in their bipedal form, aren’t they?” Cinnamon asked of Coral in a bemused tone.

“Correct, your average Long is several inches taller than any other, even Sea Dragons, if you are restricting your consideration to the bipedal walking form,” Coral replied with her matter-of-fact tone.

The dinner and chat went on for a few minutes more with small talk, until Twilight was struck with a certain question that had been nagging at her since Cinnamon first introduced herself to Spike. “Say, Cinnamon, you called all of your flames by gemstone before. I’ve never read or heard about anything like that, so could you explain what the difference is with Dragonfire?”

Cinnamon’s ear ridges perked up as she heard the question, quickly swallowed her food, and started reciting, as best she could, what she learned in her primary schooling. “There are three colors of Dragonfire, ruby red, emerald green, and sapphire blue. Ruby flames, like mine, have the most intense heat and burn the brightest, but they don’t have any kind of special effect other than being really hot and bright. So it’s pretty straight forward that way.”

She turned toward Coral as she continued. “Sapphire flames like hers are the least intense and bright, but they can be fine-tuned to produce some lingering effects or modifications to the target. So they are good for laying curses and hexes that aren’t a part of Draconic Invocation.”

“That is a fairly decent summation of the general nature of a Sapphire Flame,” Coral confirmed, cleaning bits of quartz from her mouth with a napkin.

“And Spike over here…” Cinnamon started, as she grabbed him around the shoulders from the side. “… has Emerald Flames. They are about the middle in terms of heat and luminosity, but their power can be directly funneled into a Dragon’s Invocation. That’s why Emeralds make the best Invokers overall, they can super-charge their spells with their flames for big-time effects.”

“I see…” Spike said, as he thought about things.

“However, the other variants of Dragon don’t even breathe fire unless it’s part of an invocation, so we can’t take them lightly if we ever get into a fight with them. Especially the Long: I mean it’s one thing to breathe fire from your mouth or your nose… it’s another thing to be able to call down lightning out of the clear blue,” Cinnamon reported, as she nodded sagely.

“True, though my ability to do that isn’t as strong as a full-blooded Long. It is something I constantly work to overcome through my study of Invocation,” Coral replied, as she sipped at a cup of green tea.

She reminds me of Hana, at least a little bit when she is in a calm mood, or busy researching something… Vague thought as he compared his marefriend to the white Dragoness. Dunno who Cinnamon reminds me of though. I’d like to say Pinkie Pie, but it’s not quite the same. Plus Pinkie is nowhere near as flirty as this Dragoness is, apparently…

“So… Mr. Spike, wanna tell us where you’re from?” Cinnamon asked of her purple compatriot.

The two dragonesses were surprised when it seemed like he and all four of the other Ponies gulped in fear, however briefly.

“Oh oh right, okay…” Spike started, as he inwardly started to panic.

What am I supposed to say? I’m only twelve years old but I underwent Flash Puberty over the Aurora?

Spike cleared his throat, as he hoped he, in those few moments, could come up with a solid enough story for the other Dragons at the table with him. “Well, I was orphaned in Canterlot, and taken in by the Princess because she frankly didn’t want to leave a Dragon wandering around unattended. Eventually Twilight and I kinda found each other when she started in the School for Gifted Unicorns, and I was eventually adopted by her parents as her brother. I lived in Canterlot with her until she graduated, and then we both moved to Ponyville when she became the Element of Magic.”

Twilight groused a bit at Spike nonverbally, but Spike merely shrugged his shoulders, silently saying ‘What else am I supposed to tell them?’

“Ahhh, that’s so sad. I know Dragons aren’t the most tight-knit overall when it comes to families, but at the very least you shouldn’t lose your parents…” Cinnamon mused, sniffling a bit.

Something doesn’t feel… complete about his story. I may need to conduct a background investigation at a later date regarding this… Coral thought, as she ate some low-sugar ice cream topped with cut peaches.

[ August 18, ????+1 – Vogelstad, Leon (Gryphon Federated Territory) ]
=====================================================================

“So I trust everything has been to your liking so far,” an escort guard under King Guile’s employ asked of Fluttershy, as she, Rainbow Dash, and Golden Storm all walked through one of the canopied markets that dotted many of the corners of the streets of Vogelstad proper.

“Yes, I’m more calm now. I’ve never been around so many Gryphons before…” Fluttershy replied, with some apprehension still evident in her voice.

“You should have seen her when we first arrived, she looked like a long-tailed cat trying to walk in a room full of rocking chairs,” Storm added, chuckling as he did.

“I’m sorry, but I’m so nervous around those I don’t know…” Fluttershy concluded sheepishly.

“I told you not to worry, ‘Shy. The House of Leo are the least of our trouble when it comes to Gryphons antagonizing Ponies,” Rainbow Dash said, as she patted Fluttershy on her back, and the three of them moved on.

The three Ponies and one escort walked along the aisles of the market, looking at the various tools and wares that were being sold. Everywhere Gryphons spoke in a mixture languages, mostly Kattsprache[1] but the three Ponies could easily pluck out some modern Equestrian.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Gryphons would speak Equestrian given how much the two species have interacted over the last 300 years especially,” Storm thought aloud, also contemplating how Kattsprache was analogous to German, but with more cat or bird-centric terminology most likely.

“It has really boomed in the last 50 years, when schools started teaching Equestrian as the main foreign language. It is the most common second language, with Draconic close behind,” the escort said, as the they came to a mixed-menu café.

“I guess by the fact that we have Ponies and a few Diamond Dogs eating here, this café serves all, yeah?” Storm asked, looking at the Gryphons and Hippogryphs that made up most of the population seated at the tables.

“You’d be right, sir,” the escort replied, as the four of them opened the gate to enter the businesses property. Or at least three of them did.

“Say Dash, what’s up? Not hungry.” Golden Storm asked, as they looked at the anxious looking Pegasus standing on the outside of the wrought-iron gate to the café’s dining area.

“Huh?” Fluttershy replied, confused until she looked out into the crowd, and spied a certain lion/eagle Gryphoness to one of the far side tables. “Oh… I see…”

“Wait, what’s wrong Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash?” Storm asked, as he looked over the whole crowd, trying to figure out something that might have been amiss.

“Not a what… a who. A certain Gryphoness I doubt I would have seen hide or wing of for the rest of my life…” Rainbow Dash said as she pointed the table out where she was sitting.

“So let’s just get our food and find somewhere to sit where she won’t see us, then we can move on and not worry about it,” Fluttershy replied, the anxiety starting to creep back into her voice.

Across the way, where that certain Gryphoness was sitting, she continued to chat with the Gryphon sitting across from her, unaware of the two yellow and one cyan Pegasi who were settling to a table on the opposite side of the dining area from them.

“So what brings out here to Vogelstad anyway, Godfrey?” the lion morph asked of her similarly ‘designed’ younger brother.

The eagle-headed male gryphon sighed as he brushed some of the top of his crest away from his eyes. “I was planning on entering the Treffsicherheit-Schule[2], Gilda. I think I’m finally ready to take the entrance exam and see if I can get a scholarship.”

“You know I would trust you with my life with the theory of bows, rifles, and anything else. But you know how you are when you’re around strangers, or in unfamiliar territory, or anything else that might induce stress,” Gilda chided with a look of genuine concern on her face.

“And it is time I put that theory into practice. It doesn’t do me any good to study the bow and the rifle and not use it for anything,” Godfrey replied, his somewhat-high pitched voice disguising his age of nineteen.

“Aquileo help us,” Gilda replied as she rubbed a talon across her face and beak, exasperated by the sudden stubbornness of her younger-by-three-years brother.

“I will be fine, Gilda. It is time I moved on from our den anyway, and at nineteen it seems like I’m actually starting a bit late to take my first flight in the world,” Godfrey replied with a defensive tone, responding to Gilda’s unspoken frustration with him.

Godfrey sighed as he looked around at the occupants of the café, before he was stricken by a sight. A sight that practically latched onto his beating heart the second his eagle-eyes came into focus on it.

“Oh… by His wonderful crest…” Godfrey said with an airy tone, as he suddenly got out of his seat and set off across the café dining area.

“Wait, what’s going on, what got your throat all of a… oh no… oh no don’t tell me…” Gilda said aloud to the unresponsive Gryphon, until she figured out where he was heading.

Heading right to a certain somepony who she thought she had finally put in her distant past.

-----

“I wonder how long it’ll be until that escort and Storm come back with our food,” Fluttershy asked, now starting to feel definite hunger pangs.

“And that’s why I told you not to skip breakfast this morning. I swear sometimes you act like a little sister to me,” Rainbow Dash replied with a chuckle.

“And I’m a year and a half older than you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy groaned in response, one part mad at the implication, and another part frustrated by how hungry she had gotten over the last while.

Rainbow Dash just laughed some more, before she heard a stifled squawk behind her.

“Who was that?” Rainbow Dash asked, as she looked around.

The male Gryphon behind her shuddered in sudden and extreme anxiety, unable to say a word as he looked at Rainbow Dash’s folded wings and rainbow-colored mane and tail.

Oh dear… she is so… so amazing… I’ve… I’ve never seen anything like her in any of the magazines I’ve brought. That combination of feminine beauty and pure, raw athleticism… I can just tell by the muscle tone in her legs and everywhere else… Godfrey thought to himself, absolutely smitten by the sight of the Wonderbolt-aspirant and Element of Loyalty not but a couple of Lengths in front of him.

“So are you going to say something?” Gilda asked in a non-plussed tone, as she slapped her lovestruck brother in the back, eliciting a louder squawk out young-adult Gryphon.

“I guess I should ask the same of you?” Rainbow Dash asked of the slightly older Gryphoness, as she turned around with a non-plussed look in her eye, herself.

Oh my… she’s even attractive when she’s mad… Godfrey thought, as he was still unable to formulate anything close to words.

“Well it’s nice to see you again, too, Rainbow Dash,” Gilda said, as the Gryphoness and cyan Pegasus stared daggers into each other.

“Hi, Gilda…” Fluttershy hailed in a mousy tone, anxious by the tension in the air between the two who were still staring at each other with seeming ill intent.

“Fluttershy…” Gilda acknowledge briefly, looking at the yellow Pegasus for a few seconds before shifting her eyes back to total focus on the cyan Pegasus.

The Gryphon siblings walked around to the side of the two Pegasi, and then pulled up chairs to sit at the same table across from the other pair.

“I hope you don’t mind…” Gilda said, trying her best to keep her tone neutral.

“Oh no, go right ahead…” Rainbow Dash replied, doing much the same with her voice.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but notice the dumbstruck look in the face of the male Gryphon to the side of Gilda, so the obvious question was asked. “Who’s the guy sitting next to you?”

“My little brother, Godfrey. He came to the city to enroll in one of the academies, and now he saw you, apparently, and can’t come up with anything to say,” Gilda replied, slapping her brother in the back once again.

“YOU LOOK REALLY PRETTY!” the male Gryphon shouted, the white feathers covering his head doing nothing to cover the red he was blushing in his cheeks.

“Thanks?” Rainbow Dash, surprised by the admission from the male Gryphon. Fluttershy for her part had her opportunity to laugh, and laugh she did.

“Someone has a crush on you, looks like,” Fluttershy said, giggling as she did.

“Great…” Rainbow Dash replied, rolling her eyes as she did.

“In any case, I don’t know why you’re being that way with me. I thought we had some fun times together those couple of years ago,” Gilda mused in a snide tone, still sour from what happened that night in Ponyville all those moons prior.

“I did like it, until somepony went through some length to point out what was wrong with the whole scene,” Rainbow Dash replied, as she looked at the Gryphoness with a large measure of nonchalance.

“So what, someone complains and all of a sudden all those years just go *poof*? If I thought our relationship was that weak, I wouldn’t have bothered to show up when I did,” Gilda asked, trying her best not to still sound hurt from all those years ago.

Relationship?! Godfrey asked himself, as she looked at how his sister and the cyan Pegasus stared at each other the whole conversation.

“I’ve been wondering if it really was that weak. I mean we were only together in that flight camp for a month. These other girls I’ve known for years,” Rainbow Dash replied, doing a better job of keeping her tone down than the Gryphoness.

“And I met you first out of all of them. So why it is you just ditch me when you met them?” Gilda asked, the negative emotion in her voice now bleeding through in earnest.

“I don’t ever remember actually ditching you, Gilda. The way I recall it, you got so mad that I didn’t want to do those things anymore you just blew me off. Not only that, but you started trying to screw around with the rest of them, for what reason I still can’t figure out,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“This was a bad idea… I… I,” Gilda stammered, as she just wanted to shriek and roar at the same time, but eventually, through a combination of breathing and calming statements in her native Kattsprache, she calmed down enough to resume a somewhat even tone. “If that is the way it is going to be Rainbow Dash, then I guess I don’t have anything else to say to you.”

“Whatever you say, Gilda,” Rainbow Dash replied dismissively.

“Whatever!? That’s it? Whatever?! Just… ugh, Godfrey, we’re leaving!” Gilda shouted as she started dragging the younger Gryphon away by the talon.

“What? What happened, where we going now?” Godfrey said as his elder sister started ushering him away to parts unknown.

Rainbow Dash sat there with her front-legs folded as she stared at Gilda shoving Godfrey along the way out of the café’s dining area, Godfrey apparently complaining the whole way.

“Are you going to leave it at that, Dash?” Fluttershy asked of her cyan friend.

“I don’t want to, but every time we start talking it ends up like this. I tried to write her a letter, and do you know how she replied?” Rainbow Dash asked in response.

“How, Dash?” Fluttershy asked.

“She wrote in all strong glyphs[3], in textbook Equestrian, in bright red ink. I thought it was blood at first, but the fact it wasn’t turning brown disproved that,” Dash replied, huffing at the end.

“Well she thinks you hurt her after that incident at Pinkie’s Party that night. And I can see why she’d think that honestly. I mean she shows up after… what was it… seven years apart. And all of a sudden you have a new set of friends and everything. And then when you two tried to do the same things you did as kids, your heart wasn’t in it. And you know that Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy responded, in a stern but loving tone.

“I get that, Fluttershy. But I can’t just, put everything I am on hold until whenever our lives would criss-cross like it is right now. And even then, what’s to say that we would be close enough like we were in Flight Camp to do stuff together. For all I know… this might be the last time I see her,” Rainbow Dash said, before she came to a sudden realization.

“You know what you need to do, huh?” Fluttershy asked, with a knowing tone.

“When Storm and that escort get here with the food, tell them I’ll be right back,” Rainbow Dash said, as she took off to a low altitude to see if she could find Gilda and Godfrey before they got too far away.

-----

“Hey, Hey Gilda!” Rainbow Dash shouted, as she perched herself along one of the eaves to a storefront near an intersection where the two Gryphons in question were waiting for the crossing signal.

“What is it now, Dash?” Gilda responded with a churlish tone, as Godfrey was giddy at getting another glimpse of his blue angel.

Oh she’d be even more gorgeous if she just let her mane grow out some more~ Godfrey thought as he couldn’t help the dumbstruck look on his face as he and his sister looked up at the Pegasus sitting on the eave.

“Can I ask you to come to the hotel your King is putting us up in while we’re on this trip, we got like four days left before we head back to Ponyville. And… I want to hash this stuff out, like, seriously hash it out,” Rainbow Dash asked, showing as much contrition as she could manage.

“Come on Gilda, it’s clear you still care otherwise you wouldn’t be this hung up on it,” Godfrey said, finally managing to find his voice in Rainbow Dash’s presence.

A bit high, but not bad… Rainbow Dash thought as she watched Godfrey plead with his elder sister.

“Fine, give me an address and I’ll show up,” Gilda replied, as she looked off to the side.

“Can I come, please?” Godfrey asked of Gilda, with pleading eyes.

“Ugh, really? Fine…” Gilda replied to her brother.

“Yes!” Godfrey exclaimed, as he waved vigorously to Rainbow Dash, before he was dragged across the crosswalk by a non-plussed Gilda.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do about him…” Rainbow Dash thought aloud as she flew back to the café where Fluttershy and Storm would have her food waiting.

[ August 21, ????+1 – Makabkumi, Zebrav ]
=========================================

It was the second-to-last full day for the Conduit of Earth and the Elements of Laughter and Honesty in Zebrav’s capital, so they spent it like how many of the residents of Makabkumi spent their days – milling about the many, many, many open markets that littered the non-residential areas of the capital.

“Ah fess up – Ah thought things would be a little more strange since were among Zebras, and the only Zebra we all know is Zecora,” Applejack started, as the three mares walked down the lane created by the gap between the stalls. “Other than the ‘casional odd look, it’s just like walkin’ a market back home.”

“Given how everyone around here is a neutral color, except for the green ones, I guess the odd look would be expected. I know I got some double-takes being pure Japanese amongst the melting pot that is your typical American city, when we were all in St. Louis,” Midori Hana replied, as she looked around for some more seeds and easily transported cultivars to bring back with her.

“Well, I don’t mind at all. Being an odd duck is fun~” Pinkie Pie said, as she walked along the street with a rubber duck toy nestled in her curly, cotton-candy-like mane.

“So what is with the duck? I mean, I didn’t mind a bath toy or dozen when I was a little girl… but… well…” Hana asked, still unsure of why Pinkie kept the duck in her mane after it lodged itself there from the pink mare’s bath the previous night.

“It speaks to me!” Pinkie said, with a sudden false-ghastly tone and eyes wide, before giggling and continuing to walk along the way. She even used a skinny loop of what appeared to be loop of copper wire to squeeze the duck, making the toy ‘quack’ in a typical squeaky tone.

“Ah have no idea what any of us are gonna do with you, Pinkie,” Applejack wondered aloud in an exasperated tone.

“Absolutely nothing~” Pinkie replied, as she flitted and hopped down the alley between a pair of buildings, duck squeak-quacking with every second bounce.

After briefly getting used to the rhythm of Pinkie’s squeaking and hopping, they heard it cease, which caused the two of them to start worrying and follow Pinkie down the alleyway.

When they finally caught up with the pink mare, she instinctively shushed them, pointing out what looked to be half a dozen Zebras in deep red robes standing on several soapboxes and crates arranged into a makeshift stage.

“<We have gathered here to bring you all the good news…>” one of the stallions started, his eyes glowing a faint golden glow, which were the only way the mares in the back of the small crowd could tell the Zebra speaking even had a face.

Hana and Applejack stood there, observing the crowd, and noting something odd about what they were saying. “Is it just me, or is it really hard to pick up what he is saying. Either he isn’t speaking standard Zebrakian or our translating spells are fading…”

“Ah’m noticin’ the same thing. I might understand every other word, but not enough to put together what he’s going on about…” Applejack confirmed.

“That’s really weird, it doesn’t feel like that’s right at all…” Pinkie said, as she was in rapt attention to what the zebra stallion on the stage was saying, more or less ignoring the fact that her compatriots could barely understand him, if at all.

“Wait Pinkie, how come you can tell what he’s saying but we’re having so much trouble?” Hana asked of the pink mare.

“Oh, just this… I’ve been reading it the last five days straight…” Pinkie said, as she pulled out a small but rather dense looking book out of her saddlebag.

“Basic Zebrakian for the Equestrian Traveller… You’ve been reading a travel dictionary for five days?” Applejack asked incredulously.

“Yep. And the stallion over there is basically saying that the world is about to fly into utter chaos because of all the foreign Spirits and all the foreign Ponies that are encroaching upon the Astral Plane and the land itself. And that there has to be a strong, unifying leader that will act as a guide for everyone, and not even Celestia can be that leader,” Pinkie replied, and then started to more or less translate for her friends.

The stallion spoke for a little while longer, noticing the grass green, orange, and candy pink figures in the back of the crowd. Without missing a word or a beat while speaking, he motioned to a pair of robed figures to approach said mares.

Pinkie listened with rapt attention, occasionally leafing the pages in the dictionary to find words and phrases she hadn’t read up yet. Finally, the stallion stopped speaking and the crowd looked on, more confused than anything.

“So what did he close with, then?” Applejack said, as she watched Pinkie’s tail crimping into many sharp angles, and her rear-left leg tapping the cobblestone alleyway rather spasmodically.

“Um… ok… uh… The only way that we will be able to proceed into the future would be is if we dedicate ourselves to the true Great Spirit: Ulk-Dravto. And… um…” Pinkie replied, the anxiety in her voice becoming quite evident to the two mares.

“’And Um’ what, Pinkie?” Hana asked, looking rather nervous herself, as she could feel something with ill intent approaching.

“Um, I think we need, to go, like right now!” Pinkie said as she started to briskly walk out of the alley and hopefully out of the sight of the robed stallions, the duck squeaking in alarm as she did.

Applejack looked into the crowd, and saw a pair of robed figures approaching, their eyes now glowing red.

“Yeah, Ah’m gonna take yer up on that, Pinkie” Applejack said, her voice quivering a bit as she shoved Hana along the way.

“Okay Okay we’re going!” Hana said as she got into gear, catching up with the pink mare, as the two robed Zebras began to give chase in earnest.

---

“<Just what I need, a nice quiet noon lunch: wheatgrass with orange petals and a nice green tea,>” a police-stallion of about thirty said to himself, as he sat at a café table eating his lunch. A Rulola ridgeback[6] laid on side of him, napping in the cool winter sun over the Zebra’s capital.

Just as the ridgeback was getting good and relaxed, his ears perked up, and he began sniffing the air. <Master, there appears to be trouble approaching. Smells like the usual suspects…>

“<Because what I really need right now is to have to deal with a situation while I’m trying to eat…>” the police-stallion groused, as he looked up in the direction the ridgeback was trying to catch the up-wind scent from.

Soon he saw what the dog at his side was smelling, as three lovely young Pony mares were being chased down the street by a pair of dark crimson robed stallions. A sight he had unfortunately become accustomed to in the last few years.

“<Ok what in the hell are Pony tourists doing mixed up with those damned cultists?>” the police-stallion wondered aloud.

<Should I execute normal chase procedure, Master?> the ridgeback asked of his Master and Summoner.

“<I got no problem, just make sure you don’t scare the Ponies too much,>” the police-stallion replied aloud.

The ridgeback, with a level of vigor that would have seemed unreasonable a few moments ago, quickly joined the chase.

---

“What’s going on, and why are they chasing us?!” Hana shouted as the three of them were stunned at the amount of stamina their two pursuers had.

“Crazy… they’re crazy!” Pinkie shouted, her tail still looking like iron filings that were standing on end in a magnetic field than curly hair.

“Yer a fine one to talk about crazy, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted back as the three of them turned down another alley, only to run into a dead end.

“Curse the nonsensical nature of Zebra urban planning!” Pinkie shouted, as the red-eyed Zebras slowed their approach, now that they weren’t in a full sprint.

The two stallions approached, while chanting something indecipherable to any of the mares in front of them. The shadows cast by them in the midday winter sun began to grow and warp, as something that appeared charcoal gray to jet black began to emerge from the ground.

“<No one will escape His Eminence’s grip, absolutely no one!>” one of the Zebras shouted, as what looked like lanky, clawed arms began to emerge from the dark blob that was emerging from the warped shadow on the ground.

“<All will bow to his will, and Permanent Order will be finally be restored to this world!>” the other Zebra shouted, before something that was as tall as he was but longer tackled him to the ground with great ferocity, and equally ferocious barking.

The creatures arms appeared to freeze into place, as it was clear to the mares that were scared out of their mind at the moment that the creature that was about to emerge had stopped for some reason.

“<Remove this Police-Egi[5], remove him at once!>” the one of the cultist Zebras shouted, as he tried to escape from the paws and jaws of the violently barking Rulola ridgeback.

Just as soon as his partner reached over to try and pry the dog off of him, he screamed a vile scream of pain, as his entire body raced with a sudden discharge of electricity.

“<And this is why I thank the Galvanized Spirits every day for their help developing these Stun Needles,>” the police-stallion said, as he had finally caught up with the two cultists.

“<I said remove this AHHHHHHHHHHHHRGH!>” the other cultist demanded of the officer, or at least tried to demand before he was stunned into unconsciousness like his partner.

“<Well, you heard the kind robed stallion, would you please let him go, Kuvale[4]?>” the police-stallion asked, as he adjusted the navy blue grip on his front-left hoof.

The Rulola ridgeback Egi eventually let go of the cultist he had tackled earlier, as the police-stallion called into a local precinct for a pickup of two Ulk-Dravto Cultists.

---

“I am terribly sorry for that, madams. But the cultists that pursued you have started taking interest in kidnapping foreigners, either for capital, or more foot-soldiers,” the police-stallion said as he walked with Kuvale and the three mares out of the alley, waiting for the paddy wagon to take away the still paralyzed and unconscious cultist stallions.

“So… what up with those stallions, they kept giving me this creepy vibe. Even though they’re knocked out I still get a creepy vibe. And then there was that dark shadowy… thing they were trying to pull out of the ground,” Pinkie stated, still jittery from the experience.

“Damn, they must have saw something in the three of you to try that in open daylight,” the police-stallion stated, as he turned to the side to think for a few moments. “It’s typical for them to call a darkness-aligned Spirit to spirit away, if you will, unsuspecting Zebras who follow them into a meeting in some kind of closed space, such as the back rooms of a shop. But to do it in an alleyway in broad daylight – either you three have some heightened value or they have truly lost their minds.”

Hana listened to the conversation before she noticed a problem, a rather significant problem. “Hey guys, my back and sides feel a lot… lighter… did I drop my saddle bag anywhere?”

The two Ponies and Zebra looked around the alley’s dead end and the corners, before finding a lime-green saddlebag with a mountain shaped mark on it… in the possession of a brown imp with green and white marking along its head and arms.

“Bag heavy with klink-klank, must mean many shiny bits, many shiny bits. Kukuri take shiny bits, bye bye!” the imp said before it ran off with the bag.

“GIVE ME BACK MY BAG YOU LITTLE THIEF!” Hana shouted as she took off running in the same direction.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie started to chase with her, before the police-stallion put a front leg in front of them to bar their movement.

“Don’t worry, I know that little imp, and more to the point, the summoner of said imp. Follow me, and we should meet it and your green friend in due time,” the stallion said, as he started off in a different direction.

“Should we follow him? We haven’t had much luck with Zebra stallions in the last few minutes,” Pinkie Pie asked of Applejack in a soft tone.

“Ah don’t feel like he’s ribbin’ us, and Ah’m a bit mentally worn out from the last chase. I say we go where he’s goin’,” Applejack responded, as the two mares followed the stallion and dog out of the alley.

---

“Kukuri take shiny bits to master, master very happy. Master reward Kukuri!” the imp shouted as he ran under-stalls and looped in figure eights, trying to do his best to throw the chasing Pony off his trail.

Hana, to her credit, didn’t fall for such tactics, carefully tracking the imp, given her non-existent preparation time, and only chasing when she had a more or less clear path. “Give me back my bag and I won’t call for police when I catch you!”

“No police. Navy Blue mean. Always scold Master when Kukuri tries to help!” the imp shouted back, as patrons ducked and shopkeepers complained at the procession of two weaving in and out of the open markets.

“This really doesn’t seem like helping if the police are chastising him about it!” Hana shouted in reply, as it seemed like the imp was subconsciously leading her somewhere.

There are fewer shops and more homes it looks like… wherever this imp’s owner lives must be coming up soon… the grass green mare thought to herself

The imp kept trying to lose Hana, but Hana had already begun tracing the Earth Magic she imbued on her bag, just in case she lost in the hustle and bustle of the Makubkumi markets. Eventually she perceived that the bag had stopped moving, and she figured the imp had reached his destination.

“Alright, I am going to have a stern word with that little things owner, and then I’m going back to the hotel and unwinding my nerves for the rest of the day,” Hana said to herself as she outwardly calmed herself down and knocked on the door.

Hana saw a panel slide open on the door, and then there was a sound of bolts unlocking.

“Oh I am so sorry, you must be the Midori Hana, I believe,” a Zebra mare of the same age, apparently, as the police-officer Hana and her friends had met earlier answered.

“Yeah, um, I had put a tracker in my saddlebag, and I think something, or someone, carried it back here. Could you help me look for it?” Hana asked, taking her best contrite tone as she did.

“I see, I recognize the symbol that was on the bag my darling little Kukuri brought back. Do come in, I think you should be pleasantly surprised,” the Zebra mare responded, as she opened the door for Hana.

A few moments later, Hana was stunned by what she saw: a black-and-off-white Zebra stallion in a police uniform, a cotton-candy pink mare with poofy, curly mane, an orange mare with a Stetson hat, and an apologetic brown imp.

“Pinkie, Applejack, officer… officer…” Hana started, as she realized that none of them had the officer’s name.

“Walu’Ja. Officer Walu’Ja, patrol-stallion for the 47th Ward of Makabkumi and the surrounding metropolitan area, at your service,” the now named police-stallion replied.

“And his partner and Egi – Kuvale,” the Rulola ridgeback resting by Walu’Ja’s side responded in a deeper, masculine voice than his Master.

“Cool, talking dog,” Pinkie said, as she squeaked the toy duck in her mane, a duck that had somehow not fallen off in all the running the three Pony mares did earlier.

“Is there any reason for the duck the pink one possesses in her mane?” the Zebra mare and owner of the home asked of Hana, as she took her bag back from Kukuri.

“We’ve been trying to figure that out ourselves for the last while,” Hana replied as she crossly looked at the imp that had snatched her bag.

“But… but Master Za’Yuli said that she needed shiny bits for her Alchemy. Kukuri go out and find shiny bits,” Kukuri started before the Zebra mare cut him off.

“Yes I did need these ‘shiny bits’ you were talking about, but I needed them to make more tools for my potion and salve making. What you took…”

“…Were a bunch of seed and cultivars in jars and tins; jars and tins that thankfully didn’t break in all the jostling while running,” Hana concluded

The imp started to cry as he realized that even if he had gotten away, he stole something that was completely redundant in the hooves of his Master. “Kukuri wanted to help. Master Za’Yuli does so much work and… and…”

“You help enough when you help me dig for metal, clay, and roots for my potions and tools. You do not need to go out and steal other people’s goods and property to help me. I should hope my need for money was never so dire, that my darling imp would steal from one set to retire,” Za’Yuli said, putting her imp at ease.

“I was never good at the emphatic rhyming…” Walu’Ja said, as he smiled at the mare that was only a couple of years younger.

“It is a skill one must practice to develop. If you had talked to me ten years ago, I would have said the same of myself as you,” Za’Yuli replied, somewhat embarrassed at the praise.

Pinkie took the moments while the two Zebras were talking to take a look around the living room of the house they were all in, when she saw a particular photo. “Say… this mare here looks like Zecora if she had a longer mane.”

Za’Yuli giggled a bit, as the others walked over to that side of the room to look at the photo up-close. “You’re right, pink one. This photo is of the Zebra named Zecora, daughter of the great Zebra Zel’Ana, and niece of the current President of the Zebra Unified Republic, Zu’Olala.”

“And… what relation is she to you, Za’Yuli,” Walu’Ja asked of Zebra mare before him, a bit taken by the pictures of so many pretty and young Zebra mares gathered in one place.

“Second cousin, father’s side. We haven’t talked much in the last few years, though when she lived in Makabkumi we would meet for coffee at least once a week. Though you said that she looked like she had longer mane in the picture than what I remember of her.”

“Oh yeah, she nice a pretty nice Mohawk now. Wonder how she keeps it up, literally…” Hana replied, which got a chuckle out of Za’Yuli.

“Oh my dear cousin, she always was one to change her mane-style every so often. Wonder if she came up with that idea on her own or saw it in a magazine somewhere.”

Applejack walked over and took a good look at the Rulola ridgeback that was lounging near a chair in the living room, apparently nonchalant regarding the inspection by the orange Pony.

“Ah don’t get it. You call yourself an Egi, which meant you were Summoned. But yer look just like any ridgeback in a photo Ah’ve seen,” Applejack wondered aloud.

The ridgeback snorted, as he began to glow with white runes along his back and his forehead.

“Ah see now…” Applejack said with a bit of a neutral tone, wondering how it was they were invisible on the ridgeback and always ‘on’ on the skin of the imp.

“So what exactly is Summoning… actually for that matter… what is Zebra Magic at all?” Hana asked, wondering how it was that this Alchemist by trade apparently had a Summoned helper.

“If you are willing to stay a little while, I think I can explain it well enough,” Za’Yuli explained, as she set a teapot to boil.

---

“Okay, there are three primary disciplines of Zebra Magic: Seeing, Summoning, and Alchemy. Seeing is the most simple and therefore most widespread of magic disciplines. It is simply using a medium or your own intuition to divine the future or the past. Alchemy is the second most commonly practiced discipline, involving the combination of materials into other materials, using magic-imbued instruments to do the conversions. We use this to make the many medicines and salves that Zebras are famous for. The most rarely practiced discipline is Summoning, and that is calling into the Astral Plane for a creature to appear in the Physical Plane. It is so rare because not only do you have to have the power to make the call to the world beyond the Veil, as we call the Astral Plane, but you also have to have enough magical strength to gain the respect or control over the thing you’ve called forward,” Za’Yuli explained, as the audience nodded in apparent understanding.

“The more exotic and powerful a creature you are attempting to summon, the more mana you need to use and have control over. I was most comfortable with a mystic version of a common animal,” Walu’Ja stated as he looked over at the half-napping ridgeback of his.

“Much like my cousin whom now resides with you all in Equestria, I was never a powerful Summoner. While Kukuri is not the most impressive creature by any stretch, he still assists me earnestly and effectively. Sometimes a little too earnestly and effectively,” Za’Yuli added, as the imp carried some more tea saucers from her cupboard to the table where the five Ponies and Zebras sat.

“Ah think Ah get it, but that just brings up another question. Zecora always called herself a Shaman when we asked her about her brand of magic. How would you describe it, Za’Yuli?” Applejack asked as she thought about her previous encounters.

“Hrm, I see. A lot of Zebras who are proficient in Seeing and Alchemy tend to call themselves Shaman to represent that combination of disciplines. I would wager there are more competent Shaman amongst Zebrakind than there are pure Summoners. That is how rare the ability to Summon well is,” Za’Yuli replied, striking a contemplative pose as she did.

“I can see that,” Hana concluded, as she double checked her jars and tins to make sure Kukuri wasn’t trying to hide anything from her.

“Oh wow, we’ve spent a couple of hours here already. Time really does fly, doesn’t it,” Pinkie realized, as she looked at the clock that was almost at 3 PM local time.

“I do not mean to keep you all day, so you may as well be on your way,” Za’Yuli stated with a warm smile.

“And we should take that as our cue to leave, ladies,” Walu’Ja mused aloud, as he tapped the floor a couple of times with his back hoof to get the attention of Kuvale.

“Ah guess so. It was nice meeting you two, even if the first meeting could’ve gone a lot better,” Applejack said as she waved goodbye to the mistress of the house.

“Indeed, but who knows – our worlds grow ever so small, and you never know where your luck may fall,” Za’Yuli said, as the four exited her abode.

“You never know indeed…”

*** ===== ***

CH 26: Recalibration

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 26: Recalibration ===

[ September 02, 2081 – Shrine of the Terran Elements, Unknown Location, Earth (roughly) ]
=========================================================================================

A gargantuan, from a normal human (or Pony) perspective, figure sighed, as she stood in front of a regal but ancient throne, a phantasmal globe floating over her upturned palms, as she observed the goings on of the surface world.

“Always was true of those who walked the Path of Power…” she mused aloud, as she watched scenes alternate from nascent urban farms being constructed with the assistance of Earth and Water magic, to guerilla groups loyal to the deposed major powers of Earth in intermittent battle with the Society for the Preservation of Humanity.

“I see you have kept your eyes peeled to the screen, so to speak, just as we have,” a white Alicorn stated with firm but gentle tone, as she and a pink and indigo Alicorn warped themselves onto the Main Shrine, where the Fountain of Mana continued to gush the raw mana down the gulleys and into the moat around the pyramid as aether.

“How could I not, all of these actions, both positive and negative, contribute to my growing revitalization, and ultimately, the revitalization of the old channels of mana that once fed the surface world,” the woman stated, as she raised her head to allow the Alicorns to get a good sight of her face.

“It truly is remarkable. You’ve gone from an old crone, to quite the attractive ‘older’ mother, if I may be so bold, Madame Gaea,” the indigo Alicorn stated, as the pink Alicorn was content to observe the Fountain of Mana.

I have never felt power so raw before, at least not consciously… Mayhaps I should have asked the Conduits of Terra to give me a personal demonstration during the day I was in Ponyville, but now that will have to wait for a later date… Cadance thought to herself, while the elder Alicorns talked to the Keeper of Terran Magic.

“I do not begrudge your choice of words, Princess Luna. I would rather someone tell me that I am not in the best of shape visually than lie and inflate my ego. I don’t gain anything from being vain, given the position I have taken,” Gaea replied, as she dissolved into multi-colored vapor, and reappeared on top of the Main Shrine with the three Alicorns, now a mere seven feet tall and viewing ‘globe’ still in hand.

“It is a strange moral conundrum I find myself in, have always found myself in really…” Gaea started, as she placed the globe on top of a stand made magically conjured crystal, the phantom globe turning into a physical crystal ball as she did.

The three Alicorns joined around the stand, as she viewed the scenes that Gaea played back earlier.

“I believe I can see what you mean, Madame Gaea…” Cadance replied, as the gears began to turn in her relatively young head.

“Every bit of power that they draw out means more power this world will produce to feed the demand. The more power that flows into the world, the more the atrophied channels of said mana will begin to regenerate. As they regenerate, so will the environment, and myself, in general…” Gaea continued as she trailed off.

“Though that alone cannot reclaim what was lost. That will, in all likelihood, take engineering on all of our part to restore the world to some semblance of ‘normal’ or ‘healthy’,” Celestia concluded on her own.

“On the other hoof, is it our place to say that what has been lost needs to be reclaimed? At what point do we start and stop with any reclamation or terra-reforming project? At the same time, we have barely scratched the surface of what Terran Magic can do on its own, and in conjunction with our own…” Luna started, before she trailed off, lost in thought.

“What’s wrong, Keeper of Equuan Moon?” Gaea asked, as she saw the look of concern on the indigo Alicorn’s face.

“Just something the Conduit of Water told me while he was still under the influence of that creature. He implied there was something that lurked in the abyssal depths that surround this world metaphysically. An entity that was capable of devouring all that is reality: be it magic, plain energy, matter, seemingly anything. What do you know of this, Madame Gaea?” Luna asked, as she looked with grave concern at the middle-aged-appearing figure of seven feet tall.

Gaea stood in thoughtful repose for a few moments, as she contemplated if and what she should tell the three Alicorns before her of the entity that has plagued Earth for the last many eons.

“It is the entity I worry about the most, right now. Much like your world was plagued by an immortal of pure Chaos in Discord, Earth was plagued by an immortal of the Void in the Great Devourer,” Gaea started as she paused to consider her next statements.

“So as Chaos and Harmony exist as poles along the axis of Will, I guess this Void and your magic of the Elements exist as poles of Power?” Cadence figured aloud in the silent interlude.

“That is one way to reason it. The Elements of Terran Power are both creative and destructive forces, but in the end the matter or energy it is manipulating still exists in one phase or form or another. This creature of the Void, Voidbeast if you will, is designed to devour all that it targets, completely and utterly. However…” Gaea started, before her mind became locked on another problem.

“What is the problem beyond what you have stated already, Madame Gaea?” Celestia asked with some concern.

“When I and the ancient inhabitants of Earth joined the battle against the Beast properly, there was something wrong. We could feel that something else stirred within that creature, when there should have been absolutely nothing except the Beast itself…” Gaea thought, as she was clearly wracking her brain trying to figure out still, to this day.

“What kind of something?” Luna asked of the Keeper of Terran Magic.

“That fragment of the Void that spoke through the Conduit of Water that day was more or less correct: the Voidbeast devours everything physical - normal and magical energy, matter, all of that. It shouldn’t devour the soul, though. And that is what I felt from that creature. There were a myriad of souls trapped within it, wailing in mad grief at being bound to a creature of pure annihilation,” Gaea stated with a grave tone, as the wailing still echoed in her head as much as the wailing of the living once she completed the Rite of Sealing.

“How terrifying. The soul can survive innumerable things, and Immortals of our level have trouble even damaging them, let alone destroying them. At the same time, they are just as brittle regarding internal pressures. So while an outside force may have trouble damaging them, they can fall apart if the possessor’s psyche falls apart,” Celestia thought aloud.

“Being trapped in a maelstrom that only exists to eat, never knowing if you will become its next victim would count as a stressor that would permanently damage, if not destroy, a soul – at least in my humble opinion,” Luna added, getting a nod from Cadance.

“Which is what I felt. These forsaken creatures and people had no solace of Eternal Rest once their physical bodies were destroyed by the Void. Only a torturous Limbo that ended, I would wager, in self-destruction at some point in the future. That is why I executed the Rite of Sealing - desperate to spare that fate to those who still clung to Earth as their home. I knew the creature fed on the Magic of a World threatening to go out of control more than anything else. Once there was no magic to feed on, eventually the creature lost interest and departed. But given how fast that Parasite found a host in Blue Vague, I can only surmise that the Beast has laid dormant nearby in sub-space; and is possibly waiting for the Fountain of Mana to go out of control again to fully trigger its revival, so it may resume consuming this world,” Gaea stated morosely, as she looked at the fountain that was still spouting in a calm and even manner.

“The conflict that threatens to break out into full blown war would probably aggravate this situation,” Celestia figured as she turned her attention back to the crystal globe sitting on the stand.

“As it stands right now, the draw of Mana that their magi-technological arms require is not enough to destabilize the flow of mana, as nascent as it is. However, if the other Sapients begin to reassert their claim to their ancestral homeland…” Gaea thought.

“It would be like the tale you told the Elements before, all of the Sapients of Earth were at war with each other, in one manner or another. And this is what triggered the appearance of the Voidbeast, if I could make that logical leap,” Luna replied.

“Humanity will not let go of the land they have claimed in the eons since the other Sapients left, but the other Sapients will not allow the opportunity to return to their ancestral homeland to slip by. It will be critical to see how current Humanity can deal with not only you all as Aliens from another dimension, but creatures of ancient myth made real returning to this realm,” Gaea surmised, as she placed a hand upon the crystal globe; her midnight blue dress glimmering with the ever increasing energy that was flowing from the Fountain of Mana out to the world at large, each glitter and sparkle a different color of the Terran Magic already ‘codified’.

“I doubt any of us can accurately predict that, but unless we have sound-minded people in positions of power on this side, then we will ultimately revisit the horror you spoke of from many a millennia previous,” Celestia intoned, as all three of the other figures nodded in quiet agreement.

=[ Meanwhile… in Pasedena, USA ]=

“So how goes the check over in Burbank?” Amanda asked, as she and her ‘lieutenants’ looked at a map that was jury rigged from some tablets that were graciously donated to the cause by Outsider civilians in the Los Angeles area.

“It seems like the SPH forces are content stay in Los Angeles proper. They are putting a lot of those thaumatic-armed tanks in Hollywood in the old sound stages, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary,” Enrique mused, as he and a couple of other young men looked over the same map they all had constructed in the last few days.

“We need some kind of inside information on how those damn things work. We don’t have heavy enough arms to stop a full tank division if they field one. And they’ve shown already that they don’t particularly care for collateral damage from their actions,” Amanda thought aloud, as she tried to figure out what to do about the potential situation.

If I can crack this puzzle, Mayor-for-Life would just be the start… Sunset thought to herself, as she entertained the brief thought of a Sunset Boulevard with banners of her cutie mark lining the entire way.

“In better news though, the Chicago Resistance Alliance just sent us a message that they’ve knocked a SPH squadron back from Evergreen all the way to Palos. The SPH now has functional control of less than 30% of the Chicagoland Outsider area,” one of the communications volunteers reported.

“That’s good to hear. For all of this technology, they seem to have a really weak command structure. Any kind of resistance and they start wanting to fall back to the Domes proper…” Amanda thought as she paced around the room, the magic muffling the sound so much that passers-by on the outside thought it was unoccupied more times than not.

“I wish the New York Metro Loyalist Front had the same kind of success. I’m willing to put a lot of credits on the S.P.H. high command camping out somewhere in the Washington-to-Boston corridor,” Enrique thought aloud, as he brought up the map of the less successful ventures along the northern Atlantic seaboard.

“And a good chunk of the American population lives in or around that corridor. Even if we can rout the SPH forces in the rest of the country, that still leaves at least a third of it under their influence,” Amanda thought, as she was trying to figure out the problem aloud like everyone else.

“Either way Amanda, we need to focus on getting rid of them in the LA area. Then we can worry about who else we need to help,” Enrique figured, as he couldn’t come up with anything regarding the Northeast coast.

“I agree. So, how many more volunteers have we gotten in the last few days?” Amanda thought, as she ran her hand through her slightly-orangeish red hair.

“Thirty. And twenty of them have a high magical sense, according to the scorecard you designed for us. I think if we can get enough Magi, we might be able to blunt their tech advantage,” Enrique figured as he looked through the written list on the notebook he had.

“Hrm, check the physical and tech aptitude of the other ten, we need every warm body we can get given how the SPH likes to operate,” Amanda said, as she waved Enrique and the others out of the room so she could think to herself.

After a few moments of paper and computer tablet shuffling, the entire room was cleared out – save the wired devices and one transformed Unicorn.

“If only that prissy little… OHH just thinking about her boils my blood,” Amanda grumbled, as her thoughts shifted to Twilight Sparkle.

“She has a little group of friends, and I’m building an army! I’ll own this city lock, stock, and barrel by the time I’m done, and what will Twilight have? Absolutely NOTHING that’s what,” the transformed Sunset Shimmer barked as she paced around the room, free to let her thoughts roam.

“And I’ll have her to thank, ‘Thanks for giving me the means, Twilight. For setting me on the path that will bring me to the glory I so richly deserve!’” the red-haired woman mused, as she laughed about the thought of lording her coming fiefdom over the head of the Unicorn that had the temerity to break all the records she set while in the School For Gifted Unicorns.

=[ And out in the Mojave, near the Los Angeles – San Diego – Tijuana corridor… ]=

“Oh what do with you, I wonder,” a six-foot tall, black and teal bipedal figure said, as she walked around a human male kneeling on the ground. His eyes swirling with the teal-green magic that marked all Changelings of the Envy Hive.

“You may do with me whatever you wish. I am but another arm of the Hive, and all that I am is in your possession,” the male stated with total lack of emotion, but no lack of conviction.

“Of course, my dear. Give you humans just a little bit of genuine affection, and you are like putty for us. You are so starved for purpose that you will give away everything you are to be part of something greater. And what could be greater than building my Hive of Envy into the greatest force in all of Changeling History?!” the feminine, bipedal figure said, the thin black coat that covered her entire body bristling the skin of the half-naked man who knelt in total fealty to her.

“There is nothing greater, My Queen. To serve you is the highest honor any can be given,” the male stated, as he bowed his head to the ground, to further show his fealty to his new Queen.

“Queen Chrysalis, do you enjoy your new form?” a tall female Changeling said, nearly as tall as the Queen in her true form, but without the accents on her body to show that she was of royal ‘blood’.

“Oh Kleptia, I enjoy it a lot. It certainly makes it easier to practice my human motions without having to sully my eyes with the plain-ness of human flesh. I have a new appreciation for how colorful those little Ponies are, having seen nothing but shades of brown here,” Chrysalis said, as she stretched her anthropomorphic form, mimicking the motions she remembered from an exercise video she saw recently.

“It is a shame we had to… sacrifice… so many of our initial captives to our local Gene Matrix[1]. But now we have enough Human genes where most of our officers can transform and hold the form for several hours. At this rate, even a common drone will be able to pass as human for an entire twenty-four hour period within two months,” Kleptia said, as she bowed briefly to her at-the-moment bipedal Queen.

“You know what they say of eggs and omelets, Kleptia. In any case, we should be looking at prospective sites for establishing satellites. I’m not content at sitting around in these desert caves; if I were I would have never come to this side of the Aurora. No, I want everyone to bow before the standard of the Hive of Envy!” Chrysalis said, as she laughed that evil laugh of hers.

“As you wish, my Queen. The Infiltrator Corps will begin settling into the major population centers of the world to find one suitable for our… ‘debut’, if you will,” Kleptia replied, as she departed from the chamber.

“Oh now as for you, my good little human-drone, your Queen has something very special in mind for you~” Chrysalis said, as she rubbed a charcoal black hand across the cheek of the still kneeling man.

=[ And over in Manhattan, USA… ]=

“My patience with these, stragglers, is about to completely give out…” Peter said as he drummed his fingers along the plexiglass cover to his computer-desk.

“I don’t blame you feeling this way, but we have to deal with them in a concise fashion. Just willy-nilly leveling neighborhoods will do nothing but aggravate the situation. And I frankly don’t want to have to deal with coordinating mass burials,” Claire responded, sensing the frustration that was boiling in the voice and mannerisms of the leader of the SPH.

“That is a strange coming from your mouth, Miss Claire. I figured that you’d want to just raze the slums and start over fresh,” Nathan replied, interested in what the lone female member of the leadership thought in full.

“Unless you can find a way to do it where absolutely everything on the outside was reduced to ash and wouldn’t touch a hair on anything inside of a Dome, then it is far too much trouble than its worth. And then you would have to hit every major populated area at the same time, otherwise it’d galvanize every other Outsider against us. We do not have the resources to take on the entirety of the Outsider population. That is if we aren’t fully committed to annihilating them,” Claire replied, as she stared daggers into the eyes of the youngest of the three chiefs of the SPH.

“Which is true. This entire operation is ostensibly to preserve humanity from the threat posed by the aliens. I know there are still stragglers here on Earth, somewhere, and we will root all of them out and kill them,” Nathan said, with a devious glint in his eye.

“At some point we will have to deal with the Outsider population in one way or another. We cannot simply issue edicts from the Domes and expect them to care in perpetuity. We have to show we are the lone power of Earth now, and in a way that will go unchallenged from generation to generation,” Claire replied, as she thought not to engage Mr. Egret any further.

“Which brings us around to what we’ve observed of the puppets we’ve retained the services of, for the time being anyway. I have some ideas for a few edicts to pass,” Peter said, as he brought up several documents in the private feed of the three chiefs.

[ September 04, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
===================================

“Papa! Mr. Elric! Come see!” Rosa said, as she ran up to the two middle-aged men, with a wide smile, her naturally frizzy twin-tailed hair bouncing as she ran through the halls near the Magic Practice area.

“And what do you have to show us today, Rosa!” Michael said, as he ruffled the top of his daughter’s head.

“I wanna show you what one of the Gryphons taught me!” Rosa said, as she ran back toward the practice area, waving at the two men to follow her.

“This I have to see, Mr. Aguillar,” Vice President Oberweiss chuckled, as he and the First Husband followed the almost eleven year old into the hall and into a room.

“Mr. Aldaric, it was? It seems that you and Rosa wanted to show us something?” Michael asked of a dark-brown lion-and-eagle morph Gryphon sitting in the back of the room, while Rosa was standing in front of what looked like a tiny bunker.

“Right. Well the President’s, and by extension your, daughter seems to have a natural affinity for the bow. Rosa, would you mind giving your father and the Vice President a demonstration?” Aldaric asked.

Rosa nodded, as she picked up the large, at least for her 4’7” and 75 lb. frame, compound bow and an arrow. She took a deep breath, and drew the projectile back, and let fly to the target that sat roughly 27 yards in front of her.

In a couple of seconds, the arrow made a resounding thunk in the padded target, sitting squarely in the 9 point ring, and mere millimeters from the bulls-eye.

“Ahh! There goes my streak of six bulls-eyes in a row… I was going for a lucky seven too…” Rosa said dejectedly.

Elric and Michael looked on incredulously for a moment, before they noticed that a target off to the side of the one Rosa had just shot at had six holes in it, all of them either on or within the 10-point bulls-eye ring.

“That’s… great. I honestly didn’t know she had a knack for the bow,” Michael said, as he was about to walk up and congratulate his daughter anyway, before an outstretched talon barred his progression.

“Not quite done with the demonstration yet. Grünschnabel[2], would you mind showing our audience the other half of your training?” Aldaric asked of the yellow and white dressed, quarter-Hispanic girl standing with the large bow in front of him.

“Oh right, that!” Rosa replied, as she ran out into the target zone and changed it to what looked like an oblong box made of foam.

“So what is it the other part of what you wanted to show us, Rosa?” Michael asked, as he looked on at his eager-faced daughter.

“Just watch~” she replied in a sing-songy voice. And so the two older men watched the young girl with the large bow, along with her newfound archery instructor.

Rosa took a couple of breaths to concentrate, as she felt the surge of power in her right arm. She took out an arrow and traced along it with her finger, causing the runes on her right arm to fade, as the arrow started to glow red. She took up her bow the same way she did previously, though Oberweiss noticed that Rosa was reacting, ever so subtly, as if the arrow was much hotter than it was the last time. She let fly just as she did previously, as the arrow whizzed through the air audibly, crackling like low-grade fireworks through the air. Michael and Elric recognized, from their tutorship by the various Magi that lived and passed through Safe Haven in the last few weeks, that mana-imbued items would leave a trail through the air in some cases.

And as soon as she let it go, the arrow struck its target, and a smirking Rosa nodded knowingly.

“I am not sure what we’re looking at, Mr. Aldaric,” Elric asked of the Gryphon to his far right.

“Just give it a couple of moments,” Aldaric explained curtly.

And as soon as he said to wait, the arrow promptly exploded in a flash of red and orange sparks, blowing the foam ‘box’ apart into several pieces and tiny, smoky particulates from the disintegrated arrow and burnt foam.

“I always said your daughter was a firecracker…” Elric said, stunned by the display.

“Right…” Michael replied, wondering what might be lurking under the gregarious smile of his lone daughter.

=[ Over in Storm’s private room…]=

“Did you really have to tie me up though?” Golden Storm asked, as he squirmed while belly to his bed, as he laid out on a heating pad that covered his entire bed of his marefriend’s design. The squirming wasn’t from the heating pad though; it was from the water-soaked towels that covered a good part of his body.

“Oh stop whining. You need this about as bad as anypony. I swear you are running that cute body of yours into the ground trying to keep up with Miss Predannost[3],” said marefriend in Red Blaze chided, as she squeezed the hot towels in a rhythmic fashion, trying to massage the latent tension out of the musculature of her coltfriend.

Storm grunted in mild pain as he felt the towels tighten around his legs and chest in a regular fashion. “I don’t know why, babe. I know who Rainbow Dash is, what she’s accomplished, especially since she really can’t ever shut up about it. The problem is…”

“A part of you doesn’t like to accept it if you can’t see it for yourself,” Blaze concluded, as she worked on his back in particular now.

“Yeah. That and another part of me thought her skill was because she was the Element of Loyalty or something. But then, after all of these races and all of this not winning, I had to admit that it’s all her. The Element of Loyalty is something she came into because of who she is, just as much as she developed her talent for speed-flight. And… I just don’t like feeling like there is someone out there better than me at the thing I want to do,” Storm sighed, as Blaze continued to work on his back and his midsection.

Blaze noticed the wind chime along his ceiling dingle, as he was channeling a bit of Wind Magic in his increasingly relaxed state, but thought little of it. “So you’re mad that Rainbow Dash is a better flier than you. I mean, you haven’t even been a Pegasus for a year, and she’s born as one and has been flying one way or another for at least twenty.”

“I know what you’re saying, and I get it. Logically I should be happy I can even keep up with her. But I still have this voice saying ‘you can do better than that’,” Storm said as he laid his chin on the heated pad the both of them were laying or sitting on.

I know how you feel, Storm. Rarity can work an entire workshop, feels like, with her magic; and I’m still having trouble controlling three of those crystal-drones she made. We just have to keep working at it… Blaze through to herself as she went back to Storm’s upper legs.

“I think we all have those times when we feel like the Bearers are so far ahead of us in this race that they’re lapping us. But that should give us motivation to keep bettering ourselves. Whether that means developing our Equestrian or Terran Magic, and I think it means developing both,” Blaze replied aloud.

Golden Storm let out another relaxed sigh, as he felt some more of the stress dissipate from his body. “It’s not going to do us any good driving ourselves up a wall about this. At the same time, I guess we all need our motivations.”

“Wonder what Vague and Hana think about all of this,” Blaze thought aloud, as she worked along the ‘chest’ and neck of her beau with the hot towel.

=[ In the main commissary… ]=

Midori Hana, Blue Vague, Pinkie Pie, and Capt. Julio all were sitting in the main commissary, as the three of them were watching Midori Hana positively plow through a plateful of strawberry shortcake cups.

“I have absolutely no idea how you all can eat so much sugar, and not all be crippled with diabetes and everything else related to it,” Capt. Julio wondered aloud as he watched the green Earth Pony down the flat-bowl-like cakes one after another.

“She keeps eating like that and she’s gonna end up Pinkie’s size,” Vague mused as he mentally tracked how Hana’s weight and even her overall build was starting to match the baker and part-time forgepony.

“Hrmph,” Hana started, as she finished off another of the cakes. “I thought you wouldn’t mind me with hips like those.” The sultry look she flashed was unmistakable to the two males at the table.

“Oh I’d very much enjoy it,” Vague said, as he responded in kind.

“I didn’t know you thought so much of my figure, Vaguey. If I did, I would have done something more special with your last pineapple-upside-down cake,” Pinkie added, matching the two lovers stride-for-stride tone wise.

“Well this has gotten very weird all of a sudden,” Julio interrupted, not exactly disturbed by the scene in and of itself, but still mindful that it was not exactly private either.

The tension hung in the air for a few moments after Safe Haven’s and the H.E.A.s military confidant spoke, before Pinkie started giggling her normal joking giggle.

“Oh man, you two are too much,” Pinkie sad as she tried to stifle her laughter enough to speak. “And I thought that Storm and Blaze could heat a room up.”

“Well… me and Vague don’t try to… but sometimes it just happens like that,” Hana said, as she blushed as red as the strawberries and the thick strawberry-based syrup that covered the shortcakes.

“I dunno, sometimes it’s fun to not be so guarded. I feel like I try to hard sometimes to force everything I do to look and be even keeled. Sometimes I can’t help but rock the boat,” Vauge responded as he leaned on his marefriend a bit.

“Just so long as you know where you are when you’re doing it, I don’t mind so long as you don’t also tip that boat over. In any case, we have some dignitaries we’re set to receive in a couple of hours,” Julio added, as the tension in the air had more or less dissipated by time he spoke.

“You’re right! I almost let the time slip right by me~” Pinkie said as she threw on an apron and dashed into the food prep area.

“First off, where did she get that apron from that fast? And second of all, what is she doing going back there into the kitchen?” Hana asked, confused by Pinkie sudden mad dash.

“One, it’s Pinkie Pie, and we’re better off not having that question answered. Two, probably to get something ready for the Equuan leaders due to show up after-while,” Vague responded.

“Wonder what she’s gonna put together this time. I saw some of the photos the other Ponies had of the stuff she baked. Pony or not, I know some Domers who’d would pay six-figures easy just to say they had someone bake a cake like that by hand, or by hoof as it were,” Julio remarked, thinking about the amount of careful attention Pinkie had to pay while baking to create works like she did.

“While I would argue that point, I honestly can’t. They’ve patently shown they will throw creds over anything, even down a literal rat-hole, just to say that they could. The best and the brightest of humanity, they say,” Vague said while shaking his head the whole while.

“Is that why you left, as it were?” Julio asked, as he was taking the interim period before he had to get ready to receive the leaders and dignitaries to pick the brains of any of the ten Bearers or Conduits he could.

“Not entirely. I would have been perfectly content, especially with what is going on now, to remain human if the stupidity of the Domers were my only concern. But there was something else at work that was drawing me in this direction. Something that’s honestly hard for me to put into words even now…” Vague started, as he looked up at the ceiling, the cobalt-blue and white of his styled mane dancing about the fringes of his vision as the air conditioning had kicked in again.

“Then we can leave it at that, far be it for me to play armchair psych with ya. But if you want another voice to talk to, just give me a call,” Juilo replied, as he left the commissary to get ready for the public meeting in less than two hour’s time.

=[ A couple of hours later (roughly), in the Main Auditorium ]=

“And so our new allies come marching two by two… should I hurrah?” one of the human volunteers asked, as the various groupings of Dragons, Gryphons, and Zebras bearing their national standards[4] on poles as they walked or marched toward a very large stage and podium that was erected toward the east end of the east-by-west ovoid arena-like space.

“I would have loved to play basketball in a place like this, the acoustics sound amazing. Then again that’s not exactly possible for me now… at least not in the usual way… I guess,” Blue Vague thought aloud, as he stood at semi-formal attention with the other ten Conduits and Bearers, near the other dignitaries for the Kingdom of Equestria.

“I dunno, I think we might be able to swing something if some of my research on the side bears fruit,” Twilight said with a wink and a nod.

“Intriguing, you’ll have to tell me more later…” Vague responded with a chuckle.

“Surely will,” Twilight concluded with a smile as the two of them heard Celestia calling for attention.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of all species gathered here. I would like to welcome you all to the first day in what I sincerely will hope to be a multi-generational partnership between the four nations arranged before you from Equus and the human nations of Earth. Before I allow for the leaders of the nations of Equus introduce themselves to you all whom might not be familiar, I would like to make a brief statement,” the white Alicorn started, as all attending gave her their attention in full.

"A little more than a year ago, the Human-Equestrian Alliance launched the Conversion Initiative, which was one facet of our overall partnership to rebuild the metaphorical bridge between Equus and Earth. In my estimation then, and now, I feel that we would have no leverage in order to affect change amongst the population and the condition of the world, nor would we have an answer to a worldwide cataclysm, if we did not have a means by which to move people off world. As it would turn out, the human body, as of this date, remains incompatible with the raw magic and energy that flows through Equus, so Conversion is the only viable method of moving a human to Equus should they choose if their own volition, or have their proverbial hands forced by forces out of their control.

“However, in all respects, I have made a grave error. This error was underestimating the depth to which those who profess to be the true powers of this world would take offense to all of this; as my actions, wether I intended them to be or not, have been interpreted as a blatant challenge to their current and continued stewardship of this planet. In retrospect, I should have better prepared myself and my allies for this fact. Regardless of race or species, those who have a position of power will work to protect that position, and if possible, advance it. It is simply a fact of life that I over these long centuries, have come to accept. However, despite the actions and protestations of the so-called Elite of this world, I will not ignore the plight of so many of its inhabitants."

"Therefore, I believe it would be in our best interest in order to enlist the help of the other three great Nations of Equus, as we have decided to name the greater world Equestria inhabits. The Gryphon Fedeartion, Unified Zebra Republic, and the Dragon Nomad Central Council have all agreed to assist us in the re-launching the effort to harmonize our two worlds into ones where anyone, regardless of species of location born, will be able to grow and thrive. As part of this effort, I have relinquished the exclusivity of Conversion, which will now include the Gryphon, Dragon, and Zebra species; in short order, we will begin to work on modifications and new models of the Black Horse Boxes to accommodate this agreement. At the same time, we have also begun an effort to modernize the equipment and tactics of our four militaries in order to better confront the militias and armies under the sway of the Black Shield. Hopefully, before long, we will reach parity militarily, which will allow us to protect what we intend to build up here economically and socially."

All attendees more or less agree with the sentiments expressed by the more well known of the Equestrian Princesses, applauding in approval. Princess Celestia and Luna then signed the formal treaty that officially established the H.E.A. as an agency the Equestrian Crown had the capacity to deal with, and simultaneously establish an economic and military alliance between themselves and the Gryphons, Dragons, and Zebras.

"Now, I will allow for each of the leaders to give brief statement," and with that, Celestia strode away from the lectern, and Wraithwind approached. The relatively short Dragon snapped a claw, and a box materialized for him to stand on, bringing his mouth to the same height as Celestia’s.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is simply Wraithwind, and I am the leader of the Dragon Nomad Central Council. For millenia, we dragons have existed as independent souls, recording information and fulfilling our heart's desire as we wished with as little interference as possible. However, due to the rapid metaphorical shrinking of our world, we feel it was now time to begin to open our society and culture to others. With that, I have formally agreed to allow the Ponies and Humans to recruit Humans to join our ranks as Dragons. In exchange, we will offer what material and personnel we can in the rebuilding efforts here on Earth. I believe both our species and others can benefit from increased openness by the Dragon species, and I am willing to extend claw and wing in order to help improve my nation and those we have now allied with. Thank you." Wraithwind then walked over to the table and placed a claw print and signed the treaty formally.

The audience clapped politely, remarking on how remarkably aged Wraithwind sounded, yet not sounding weak at the same time.

At that point, King Guile then approached the lectern, lowering the microphone to match his 5’10" (while standing) frame. "Thank you for the words, Wraithwind. My name is King Guile of the House of Leo, King of the Gryphon Federation. We Gryphons are a species of great pride and honor, and we have recognized the great cultures of humanity and their pride in themselves and humanity at large. While we do not believe ourselves to be superior to Humanity, we do believe we can help reestablish that sense of pride of self, regardless of the form they ultimately take. Like the Dragons before me and the Zebras after, I pledge as many resources in both personnel and expertise as we can manage in order to ensure that this greater project is a more successful one."

The audience again clapped politely, noting the gregarious nature of King Guile and his seeming eagerness to engage the wider Earth.

As King Guile left the lectern to formally claw-print and sign the paperwork, Prime Minister Al'Kadar strode to the lectern, and stood atop a platform in order to appear at the same height, roughly, as the previous speakers. "Good Evening all. My name is Prime Minister Al'Kadar of the Tribal Congress of Zebras, the ruling body for the Unified Zebra Republic. Our species and the Ponies share common ancestry going back many eons; and, although we have diverged in culture and magic philsophy since those times, we share general common cause with the Ponies. When we were informed and learned of Earth, we were initially skeptical of offering our help, to be perfectly blunt. However, consultation regarding Earth and with the human representatives, and our own curiosity with the spiritual nature of humanity and the Earth itself, eventually lead to the Congress to approve the treaty. We pledge to not only aid in the spiritual development of those who agree to join our Zebra Herd, but to aid in the spiritual development of all species and peoples who decide to join in common cause with us. We believe, to a stallion and mare, that true understanding comes from both knowing what is seen, and what lies unseen. We hope, through our words and coming actions, to impart our collective knowledge to humanity, both those that convert and those that remain. Thank you."

The audience clapped politely yet again, noting how serene Al'Kadar sounded, and figured it was most likely a trait shared by all Zebra leaders.

Prime Minister Al'Kadar hopped off the platform and nudged it away for Richard Edwards, who was set to speak while Al'Kadar signed and hoof-printed the documents. "Good evening, my name is Richard Edwards, President of the newly rechristened Human-Equus Alliance. Humanity has a strong history, a proud history. We have worked throughout our entire existence to improve our understanding of the world, and then to use that knowledge to improve our own lives. We have grown and advanced from a primitive, ape-like creatures to being able to build these great wonders of the world. However, while we have improved our tools and our methodologies to life, we have not been able to quell our darker nature. Green, Wrath, Envy, many of the negative aspects of human, and now I believe all sapient thoughts, have taken deep root in the leadership of those world. And all of that has subsequently caused our great civilization to be rotting from the inside-out, and this rot and disease slowly poisons the world where we live, both literally and metaphorically. I once believed that humanity on its own could simply rectify our own problems if given enough time, but I'm afraid that time is rapidly running out. The Society for the Preservation of Humanity, simply known to us as the SPH, I believe cares very little for greater humanity. As it stands, I greatly fear that they have begun the final death-spiral for this world."

"Even with this great, wonderous, and literal magic that has been bestowed upon our native planet, what do these erstwhile leaders of mankind do with it. They execute a coup the first chance they have. Their public efforts have gone into constructing a war machine that they believe will be so untouchable that the rest of humanity will acquiesce without a fight. But as we have seen through the news reports, the general public has resisted in whatever capacity they can. Though I appreciate the effort and sentiment, I fear that this conflict would only escalate into outright war, and given the powers that exist in the world, that war could be the Armageddon that so many of our religions spoke toward. Perhaps it is the hope that the leadership of the SPH survives this final cataclysm in order to rebuild from the ashes, perhaps not, but we cannot allow humanity to simply disintegrate. We, no matter if we convert into a new form that is offered, or choose to remain as we are, or some other option that may exist in the future, should do everything within all of our collective power to help build a world where success and failure are due to merit, or lack thereof, and not the capriciousness of those who happen to be on top of the pyramid at any given time."

All in attendance clapped after the short speech, especially Vice President Oberweiss in the audience.

If he ever wanted to go into politics formally, he could be a terrific candidate, he thought to himself, as he watched the man in the white suit read over the copy of treaty printed in fairly standard English, silently nodding as every clause that was negotiated was still there in full and in black-and-white.

-------

“Say, Princess Celestia~” Wraithwind called in a chipper tone, as he and his main adjutant Livewire approached the Princesses and the combined Elements off to the side of the auditorium.

“Yes, Wraithwind?” Celestia responded in a more or less neutral tone.

“Oh come now, no need to be so formal with me now, the recording camera is off so I think we can be bit more, familiar with each other,” Wraithwind replied, wriggling his eyebrows as he did.

“I have no idea what he’s going on about, and I’m not sure if I want to know,” Spike huffed, as he didn’t particularly care for Wraithwind when he got into these moods.

“I don’t think any of you except for the Councilmembers would know. Wouldn’t they sifu?” Celestia responded, with a bit more of a familiar tone Wraithwind.

“Sifu? Wait… you were taught by Wraithwind? In what?” Hana asked of the Princess of the Sun.

“What didn’t you teach me, Wraithwind…” Celestia thought as she started hoofing through her incredibly extensive memory.

“Let’s see, Draconic Invocation, at least twelve different Dragon-innovated forms of unarmed martial arts, you’ve practically memorized the Draconic dictionary and perfected its grammar, incredibly proficient at our history both Pre and Post Reign of Insanity. Yeah, I’ve pretty much taught you a full blown university curriculum in total,” Wraithwind surmised, as he was in a similar thinking pose as his former student.

“And… there was one other thing I taught you to make all of that possible.”

The anticipatory grin on Wraithwind’s face was unmistakable, especially to the males the conversation group.

Celestia let out a heavy sigh as she knew she didn’t have a way out of this without reneging on an agreement the two of them made in the months previous. “Alright, can I have a Length of two of space around me?”

Everyone gave the Day Princess the berth she requested, and she began to concentrate on her magic. Everyone could feel the mana starting to well up in her body, as her horn began to glow in her golden yellow aura. Twilight paid especially close attention, as her brain started to piece together the thing that Wraithwind was hinting at with so many of his words.

If I can figure out the Princess does it, then that could make my research go a lot faster…

Her entire body began to glow bright golden yellow, as it shifted shape from an over six foot tall quadruped shape of an Alicorn that was her standard, to a slightly taller bipedal shape. Her build close to Livewire, as she stood 5’10” roughly, but everyone could tell the protrusions coming out of her back would increase her volume. As the golden glow began to cool, everyone was stunned by what they saw, especially the male Dragons that made of Wraithwind’s entourage, like Legionik and Silentclaw, and especially Spike.

“Ahhh… you’re… ah…” Spike tried to stammer, before he completely lost the capacity for the coherent speech.

“Absolutely stunning,” Wraithwind completed for the stunned Dragon.

The figure wrapped in the golden light was now fully revealed, and the transformed Celestia retained every ounce of her regal nature, though now it was translated into a bipedal Draconic form. She kept white as her dominant color, though the nature of her scales made the white appear as pearl instead of snow like the hair of her natural coat. Her spines and the webbing of her wings appeared pink in most angles of light, but as the Ponies, including her sister and niece, walked around her, they noticed how the angle of light would change the color in an ever shifting gradient between the ‘base’ pink, aquamarine, and seafoam green; mimicking the persistent color shifting of her natural and constantly mana-charged mane. Her hands, feet, and the tip of her tail were had a golden color to them, a special effect for the occasion Wraithwind was sure, the arcs at the edges of the golden area reminding the Earth-borne Ponies of pictures of solar prominences.

“I haven’t had to or been asked to use this form in public in, I think the last one-hundred and fifty years. Well before anyone in my court currently, except for Luna, were even born,” the draconic Celestia thought aloud, everyone noting how natural her motions looked in her now unnatural form.

“I should have figured you would have vastly improved the depths of your knowledge, Sister. A transformation of that quality and precision is not a small task, even for someone with our depth of power,” Luna remarked, smirking all the while.

“When I first started learning under Wraithwind’s tutelage, my form was far more mundane. He simply insisted that I took a Dragon’s form to truly learn Dragon Magic and martial arts. Though I will admit, the Invocation is much more effective with this body than my normal one,” Celestia responded.

“It only took you a decade or so to figure that much out, but I blame that on the fact that I could only have you for a month at a time. I mean you were and still are running a country with commonwealths,” Wraithwind responded, doing his level best to stop from gawking at the tall, lovely pearl white Dragoness before him; especially since he might not get that sight live again for years into the future.

“True, but we must play the hand we are dealt. I would not trade my Kingdom for anything, though it is nice to have another’s perspective, even if only for a relative short period at any given time,” Celestia said, which got all the Natives nodding, and the four Converts thinking.

Would it really be wrong to learn a transformation like that, after already having my species swapped for real? Vague thought, as Celestia entertained more questions from the rest of the Council.

***** ===== *****

[1] Gene Matrix – One of the most critical possessions of a Changeling Hive, as it retains all of the genetic information gathered from assimilated captives; in order to make the transformed states of that Hive’s Changelings more robust and resistant to failure when exposed to anti-Changeling measures or general magical interference.

[2] Grünschnabel – German word that literally translates to ‘green beak’, used to refer to a ‘greenhorn’ or a novice

[3] Preadannost – One of the Russian words that can be translated as ‘loyalty’. Blaze is starting to develop a habit of referring to all of the Elements of Harmony by their Element in Russian, as if they were code names.

[4] as periodic reminder, the word ‘standard’ in this instance refers to a flag, or specifically in this context, a vertical banner that is similar or identical to their flag that is used for ceremonial purposes

CH 27: Mission In The Dark

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 27: Mission In The Dark ===

[ September 13, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
===================================

“So I wonder why Richie wanted us all to meet in this particular meeting room?” Pinkie Pie said, as she twirled herself around on the swiveling chair.

“According to him, he had something important to relay, but it wasn’t important enough for a formal get together in the main auditorium, like the Princesses and everyone else’s announcement a couple of weeks ago,” Rarity replied, wondering herself where all of this was going.

Their question was soon to be answered, as a man in a grey suit walked into the room, a bright smile on his near fifty-year-old face.

“Good afternoon, everyone, I see we’re all gathered so there is no real reason for me to delay,” Richard said, as he looked around at the ten Ponies that made a spectrum around the table.

“So what’s the occasion, Mr. Edwards?” Red Blaze asked, sitting on the far right being the most red of the ten gathered.

“Glad you asked, Miss Blaze. And to answer that, I will introduce you to my four new partners in this endeavor at the Human-Equus Alliance. Would you all be so kind as to enter,” Richard called toward the still open door. The call was answered by a small procession of a lone representative of each of the four major powers of Equus.

“I think I have an idea of what you’re doing Mr. Edwards, but I’m not going to presume anything though,” Blue Vague mentioned before any of the five on the other side of the table from the ten could speak.

“I see, Blue,” Richard started, as he acknowledged the lone Unicorn stallion in the room. “In any case, you all probably figured this out, but I’ll state it aloud anyway: the four figures you see here are my new partners in this endeavor in managing the day-to-day operations both here in Safe Haven, and for the HEA in general, once we formulate a plan to restore the elected governments of the major Earth powers.”

The ten younger figures on the other side of the stable from the five older ones nodded in agreement, especially at the last statement.

“So I will allow the four of them to introduce themselves, if they may,” Richard concluded for the time being, as the tawny-brown-coated and black-maned Earth Pony stallion called attention to himself.

“My name is Judge Stern Balance. My most recent appointment was associate justice in Her Royal District Court based in Manehatten. I served in that position for 10 years, and I hope that experience will allow me to help smooth out any disputes that may arise from a conflict in cultures or ideologies we have here,” the tawny-brown stallion said with a stern but fair tone, much like his name implied.

A snow-leopard bodied and northern-hawk-owl headed Gryphon rose up to speak next. “I am Sven Ugglasson, 7th in line to the House of the Snow Leopards. I certainly hope what I would bring from my Clan will be of use to you all, and if I may, I hope to learn as much so that I may go back and improve my Clan in any way that I can.”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof to ask a question of the snow-leopard Gryphon while he had the floor. “Say, why is it you all almost never give your last names when you introduce yourselves. It took me weeks to figure out what Gilda’s last name was.”

“We typically don’t use our last name except in a very formal fashion. Though this is not the most formal of occasions, I felt it necessary to give my full name either way,” Sven responded, to the nonchalant approval of the cyan mare.

A white and charcoal-gray-striped Zebra stallion rose up to speak next. “My name is Wal’byo, representative-in-absentia[1] of the 3rd district of the Meyk territory. I pray this endeavor that we are all to embark on will be successful for not only the Earth, but all of the nations of Equus in due time.”

The last to speak was a faint-blue dragoness with pearl-white spines and wings. “Hello, my name is Adamantia. I was formerly the head of the History department at the University of Bul-ja-Ulz, and have studied for twenty years under the direct tutelage of the first seat of the Sub-Council for History and Internal Affairs, Rosethorn. I hope the knowledge I can bring forth will assist you all, and I too hope to learn things to the betterment of my University back home, and Dragonkind overall.”

After a short while of small talk, Golden Storm thought of a rather pertinent question given the rearranged nature of to the day-to-day business of Safe Haven. “Wait, so if we have to go out to do anything, who exactly are we answering to?”

Richard was the first to answer, as he had anticipated this question in some respects. “The ten of you still report directly to Princess Celestia and Luna respectively, since you are all are civilian extra-military forces directly governed by the Crown of Equestria. So basically it will be same as it was before, except Luna and Celestia don’t have to be physically here as much.”

“However, we are commissioning a formal militia, in so many words, to be under our direct auspices, so we do not have to step on each other’s government’s toes and hooves trying to respond with force if it was so necessary. We should hope the Equestrian Crown will allow us access to you all if we should need it; I would hate to have such powerful entities like the Elements of Harmony and Terra kept away from us for anything but a very good reason,” Adamantia mused aloud.

“I wouldn’t think that Celestia and Luna would hold us back, unless there was something popped up that was out of the hooves of the Royal Guard or anyone else. Then again, that seems to happen with unnerving frequency with us…” Twilight thought aloud, before her face went a little pale at the thought.

“Given some of the projects that are going on between the HEAs human liaisons and our military officers, we might be able to take of the burden of dealing with some of the craziness of our world off your shoulders,” Sven responded.

“I think I speak of all ten of us when I say ‘We certainly hope so’,” Vague concluded, as the other Elements nodded vigorously.

=[ Meanwhile, in one of the testing rooms ]=

“Clear!” a Dragon shouted, as he stopped breathing his natural ruby-colored flames at a mannequin that was set up in front of a heat shield, with Pony and Human observers on the other end.

“Alright, let’s take a look at it,” one of the Human observers started, as the mannequin cooled to a safe temperature. “Ok, there seems to be minimal fraying, the structural integrity appears to have been maintained. I think we have something we can move to the next phase of production, barring anything showing up on a deep analysis later.”

The techs took the leotard-like cloth off the mannequin, placing it in a container to be analyzed under microscopes later that night.

“No wonder why you had some of us with your doctors earlier, I bet you were trying to figure out the secret to why dragonscale is so fire-and-heat resistant, huh?” the Dragon asked of one of the Pony techs that lingered around the blast area.

“Well, the humans had part of it figured out already without having talked to anything other than other humans. But having live dragons trying to understand your magic and your biology certainly has helped them a whole lot,” the Pony responded.

“It frightens me a little bit just how fast they can reverse engineer something. We’ve only been around for a couple of months and they’ve already come up with a decent pseudo-skin without having to have us design it for them,” the Dragon said as they exited the test room.

One of the human techs overheard the conversation, and decided to drop in. “We’ve had a lot of practice reverse engineering each other’s tech. I’m sure if you had shown up here say seventy years ago, it’d take us a few years, at least, just to get to this point. We lucked out that you came when we had the machinery to accurately mimic the cell structure of your scales. And I still don’t know how you all integrate crystalline structures into them.”

“We’ve been around them since the beginning and we still can’t accurately figure it out. As far as we can tell, their scales are, at least in part, living crystal,” the Pony responded as the three of them sat on one of the lounging benches in the hallways near the live testing halls.

“I’ve heard those terms used before about our dragonscale. Effectively, the crystal grows with our skin, much like calcium and other minerals build up a vertebrate’s skeleton. Now how precisely that happens, I doubt anyone knows,” the Dragon responded as the three of them sat on the bench.

“Life wouldn’t be interesting if we knew everything from the start, I guess,” the Human said as the three of them continued to talk about random events going on both worlds.

-----

“I am honestly stunned how fast everything is progressing. I mean, I knew you all were ahead of us in terms of just the devices you all use. But the sheer speed of analysis and manufacture is just… mind bending honestly,” Shining Armor said as he continued to read over the Equestrian-translated documentation from the Pony engineers.

“Years of practice, Mr. Armor. Years upon years of best practices. The good thing is that your magic is the same way, so I think you all should be able to adapt - so long as we translate the technology to account for said skillset,” Capt. Rodriguez replied, as they looked at the animations of the computer models and the various predictions being made about the trauma plate testing due to begin in a couple of hours.

“That is true, we both have something to put forward in this project. Or should I say, we all do,” Shining Armor self-corrected, as he saw one of his contemporaries in the Gryphon military pass by.

“It has been some time Shining Armor, how is the wife-Princess?” Klaudia said, as she straightened the feather-band keeping her head-crest in line. She was a Gryphoness in her late thirties: her head was like that of an golden eagle, though her feathers along the top were intentionally overgrown and dyed a brighter yellow-gold, creating a crest that ran down along her neck and blending in with the tawny brownish gold of her lioness body - marking her as being member to one the many branches of King Guile’s own clan.

“She is doing quite well - we’ve officially rechristened the capital of the Crystal Empire as ‘Crystalia’, so she’s still emotionally high off that,” Shining answered, as he continued to look through the documents.

“I’m sure the jokes about confusing it for Canus Crystalis will continue for a while, but you all should be fine,” Klaudia responded in kind, as she walked over to some of the prototype armors that had been fabricated in previous days. “In any case, I have to concur with the white Unicorn. I am greatly surprised how quickly your technology has been able to adapt to our forms. Thought I fear that some of the more, aggressive in our forces may believe themselves invincible with this armor.”

“And that is a death-wish. Just as there is no such thing as the perfect spear, there is no such thing as the perfect shield. But so long as they keep that in mind, though, I don’t think we have to worry about too many of them thinking themselves to be war machines made flesh,” Julio said, as he walked over to the same display the Gryphoness was examining.

“Hopefully being around yet another species that’s more than capable of waging equal war with them will shrink some of the swollen heads in our Clan hierarchies,” Klaudia mused, with an audible groan of frustration punctuating the sentiment.

“I’ve heard the expansionist wing of the House of Tiger has started attempting to assert itself again. That would certainly complicate things for all of us if they did swing Tiberius to their side,” Shining wondered aloud.

“It certainly would. I am assuming Guile wants Earth to be a safety valve for the cooped-up birdbrains who think another round of territorial takeovers is what the doctor ordered. Then again, a lot of Earth just doesn’t seem to be hospitable terrain for hunters and fisher-gryphs, like a lot of our general population are…” Klaudia wondered right along with Shining Armor.

“True. Though I think we can find a way to rebuild the wilds just we could the cities with this magic that is still flowing out into the environment. Perhaps that is another angle Guile is taking with all of this,” Julio continued as the three of them seemed joined in their thinking.

“As much as we manage the flora and the general environment, Gryphons are as knowledgeable to managing fauna. If anyone could help restore the balance of animals, it’d be them,” Shining concluded.

“And that in the end could be where King Guile is aiming. If they can exhaust their energy doing something constructive here on Earth, perhaps they will lose the desire for resuming the hostilities we thought quelled centuries ago on Equus,” Klaudia figured.

“It sounds reasonable to me, but I am not principle to this issue,” Julio thought.

“It’s all going to depend on who has more of Tiberius’s ear, the ‘traditionalists’ in the Tigris House, or those of us who want to see the Federation become a true Nation progressing into a stable future,” Klaudia concluded, as the pair of males could see a definite fire in her eyes.

If she finds the right fuel for that fire, she’ll catapult up the ranks in the Gryphon Federal Forces… Shining Armor thought as she left the analysis room for her private quarters.

“You know Shining. I used to think that anyone who was looking to move up the ranks were just in it for themselves,” Julio started, as the two of them were clearly left in the room alone.

“Really? To be honest, a lot of why I’m training the Crystal Guard so hard in terms of their re-integration is so that I don’t have to be in charge of them in the future. I’m still trying to make my way up the ladder of the Unicorn Corps of the Royal Guard proper,” Shining Armor admitted, after hearing Julio’s own concerns.

“And that’s part of what I mean. I get the feeling that if you were a General, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about being in your corps. With some of the people running the Army and the private contractors on this end, I seriously worry that the lot of them are just out for vainglory, and don’t give a damn about either the other officers or the enlisted under them,” Julio continued.

“We have some of that in our military as well. Anything with a promotion system is gonna attract glory-hounds, especially if the highest positions are ostentatious like starred generals,” Shining Armor figured.

“True enough, I just wonder where some of my old running mates and superior officers are right now. Did they throw in with the SPH? Are they in hiding? Are they leading some of the Outsider resistance forces? Too many things unknown for my taste outside these walls,” Julio thought as slapped one of the table edges in frustration.

“Before long, we’ll be out there again trying to match answers to those questions. I just hope they’re answers that we can cope with,” Shining replied, as he made to leave the room for the time being as well.

“I hope so, Capt. Armor, I really do,” Julio replied, leaving with the white stallion.

===[ Meanwhile, in Manhattan around the same time ]===

The recipient you are attempting to contact is currently unable to respond. Please wait ten minutes before attempting to message that address again. Thank you for using AT&T NeuralNet Messaging Service… A calm sounding A.I. spoke to the lone female leader of the Society of the Preservation of Humanity.

A message one Claire Terrance had just about enough of hearing these last three months.

“I have half a mind to march into AT&T headquarters and throw someone out of a fabriglass window,” Claire said aloud, as she lounged in a chair in the living area of her penthouse, a half-empty bottle of premium gin sitting next to a designer end table.

“I haven’t drunk like this since I was a twenty-year old…” Claire said aloud, swirling the half a shot of gin in her monogrammed shot glass, staring at the transparent liquid mingling with the smooth cold-rocks[2].

“Yep, since I was a twenty year old, that’s when I met Rich at one of those damn social get-togethers dad would always organize. Always wheeling and dealing,” Claire continued to think aloud, as she sat alone in her apartment; a robe on but casual clothes underneath in case her partners-in-crime called.

“Where in the hell did everything go wrong between us? Did your dad tell you my dad was trying to buy him out? Maybe you got too enamored with some rag-girl outside the Domes and were just using me to put up a front? I just don’t know Richie… where did our love go? Was it even there to begin with?” Claire continued to muse aloud, as she drunk the shot.

“Maybe you were waiting for me to show that I was not just some vapid heiress. I’ve done more than maintain this hotel chain, I’ve built it even higher than my father did. Just like you built your nano-facture company into one of the world’s biggest outright? Isn’t that good enough, isn’t that proving that I’m a worthy partner for you, in every respect?” Claire asked of a picture of Richard she kept in a gold-fringed frame, one of the few chemical photographs that she kept that wasn’t of family.

“What more do I have to do, Richard. What do I have to do to have your heart like you have mine? I could never forget you… the way you treated me… the first man who treated me like woman instead of a little girl. Not even my father saw me as my own woman, just his little princess that he could baby every day that he lived. Then the heart attack took him before he even reached 65. And they said the little princess couldn’t run the Full-Sail Resort and Hotel Chain. They knew NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Not like you did Richie… you knew me…” Claire said, as a few tears began to escape her eyes, causing her makeup to run by tiny fractions of inches.

A sharp tone chimed on the videophone, as the familiar black shield emblem appeared on the main monitor of the communications device.

“Looks like Peter and Nathan have something else they need to discuss. If the whole world isn’t enough, Richard, then what will be enough?” Claire continued to wonder aloud, as she pulled out a mirror to ensure that neither man would be able to notice her crying in the recent few minutes. Once she was sure that her face was sufficiently masking her emotions, she took off her robe and sat to the old-style console that held her video-phone.

“Usually you are a little more prompt answering the vidphone, Miss Terrance,” Nathan Egret chided slightly, as the screen was split between his penthouse across Manhattan, and the SPH ‘headquarters’ where Peter practically lived the last 3 months plus.

“My stress levels are maxed out right now. I’ve gone through at least two bottles of black hair dye in the last couple of months,” Peter said with some sense of exasperation.

“I can see that much on the feed. In any case, at what point are we going to do something with the Outsiders that won’t shut up?” Claire asked.

“At this point, we will probably have to start bringing out heavy artillery and have some ‘accidents’ with infrastructure. Once they realize that their entire existence is owed to us, these gnats should reduce to a manageable number,” Peter replied.

“At the same point, we’re getting reports from the Northwest of sightings of Equestrians in the remaining forested areas. Thought sweeps with thamanitc sensing drones have revealed pretty much nothing,” Nathan reported, as he sent the specific reports to the other two through the neural link.

“At least we’ve managed to install our chosen into Congress, the EU Parliament, and the Diet. We should be able to… wash our hands… of Aguillar and her cohorts in a few weeks’ time,” Claire reported as well.

“Politically, we will own the world lock-stock-and-barrel, even beyond what we did a few years ago. So then the question will be crushing these resistance movements worldwide before the gain enough momentum to challenge the Domes proper,” Nathan figured as Peter thought some more on the situation.

“I was thinking about what Claire said a week or so ago. She’s right in that we just do not have enough manpower or machines to quell a full blown uprising by all of the Outsider metro areas. Even if we limited it to industrialized nations and city-states, it’s still too many. That’s why I’ve commissioned work on some… new toys for us to play with, if you get my drift,” Peter said, as the devious smirk he was known for returned to his face.

“Oh I think you do, Mr. Vaughn. Let me guess, Spence has been cooking something in his kitchen?” Nathan asked with the eagerness of a twelve year old at Christmas.

“Yes, he’s working on something that should help greatly with our… personnel shortage,” Peter replied, chuckling as he replayed the footage from the initial tests in his head.

“Whatever it might be, I should hope it will stop this madness on the Outsider’s part. Who knows, if they start behaving like good little boys and girls again, we might even do something to… help the poor dears, right?” Claire said; her nerve for the project re-steeled.

“True, we are the shepherds of the new Humanity, and what is a shepherd with no flock?” Peter concluded, as the call proceeded on into some more detailed planning of future ventures.

[ September 20, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
===================================

“It pains me so to see people suffer for no fault of their own. We should all endeavor to keep the Sudanese people in our thoughts and prayers as we attempt to coordinate proper aid to the city of Kassala. God bless America, and God bless all of Humanity,” President Aguillar concluded as she finished the official public response by the American government regarding a situation that had cropped up in the last few days.

“It took her five days to issue a statement. That’s nothing like mom. If it weren’t for the SPH, there would already be UN Peacekeepers investigating where those hijackers took the convoy,” Reggie said, as he chafed under the idea of his mother being used as a marionette by the Black Shield.

“I know I can’t know exactly how you feel, but I do sympathize as much as I’m able. No one deserves what your mother is going through, and yet she is shouldering this burden as best I can imagine. At least that is how it looks from the outside,” Midori Hana said, as she sighed in exasperation.

“Momma’s a strong woman. And we’ll get her out. And then we’re gonna fix all of this, right?” Rosa asked, as she fidgeted nervously on the carpeted floor.

“Yeah, we’re gonna figure something out, one way or another… that I have to believe,” Hana replied, as she leaned on the young girl.

“I wish I could make them feel how it feels to have all your agency taken away. Everything you do being dictated or controlled by someone or something else. I hate watching my mother like this… I just feel so angry knowing mom has to sit there and placate those masked men or they’ll do who knows what to her, or the country!” Reggie shouted, as he slammed his hands on the edge of the computer-console-table he was sitting at.

“Screaming isn’t gonna do us any good, no matter how much we wanna do it,” Blue Vague said as he walked into the room where the First Children and Hana were watching the newsfeeds.

“I know… I know in my head that screaming here isn’t gonna get mom out of their hands. I just don’t know how else to get rid of this anxiety,” Reggie wondered as he sat back down, the anger shifting into depression.

“Wanna know what I do sometimes. I find one of the Subspace Practice Rooms, and just… go to town on some training dummies. They always say that exercise is a great way to get rid of nervous energy,” Vague suggested to the almost seventeen year old young man.

“Not much of a mage, but I guess I could find something to do either way,” Reggie thought aloud.

“If you like baseball, there is always the batting cage simulation. Don’t have to worry about any militaristic overtones either. Just straight competition against, well whatever really…” Vague figured some more, as he magicked a program card in the hands of the young man ten or so years his junior.

“You know I’ve only seen that Twilight Sparkle and the Dragons be able to do something like that, you must have been practicing too,” Reggie chuckled as he looked at the card and how it reminded him of an old-style credit card from earlier in the century.

“You’re not the only one who's been feeling high level of frustration. I think all of us that’ve been here for any length of time are starting to have some cabin fever, on top of a strong want to start punching some of the Black Shield square in their faces,” Vague responded, as he looked at the President’s eldest child and lone son walk down the hallway.

“I think he needs to find an outlet anyway, I mean Rosa, you have your Archery, and he might be confused as to what he might want to do with himself, on top of worrying himself sick about President Aguillar,” Vague figured once he was sure that the young man was out of earshot.

“I guess so, I just hate it when he’s like that. He’s always felt like he didn’t know what to do with himself…” Rosa wondered aloud.

=[ Over in the HEA Council Chambers… ]=

“Our hand is going to be forced at this rate. The SPH is going to let the unindustrialized world fall into utter chaos, and harden the defense of Domed Communities there,” Richard argued as he looked at the other four Council members arranged around the table.

“While that is true, we’ve only begun the re-armament project. If were to act now, the best we could do is jury-rig old human equipment and slap together equivalents for anyone else that joins in a mission,” Sven argued, as he was reticent to commit any resources this early in his tenure.

“At the same time, the SPH, as Councilman Edwards has stated, refuse to render aid to this human city of Kassala, which is now in the 5th day of a crisis with little potable water and food. For a city of 700 thousand, this can easily descend into utter barbarism,” Wal’byo argued in counter.

“I only wish I had more time to assess the prior history of the Kassala leadership. I would not feel comfortable rendering aid if the mayor or whoever claimed control of that settlement were abusing their power,” Adamantia offered, knowing that time was of the essence.

Stern Balance considered all the viewpoints offered, before he spoke of his own accord. “While I am loathe to commit out militia in this early hour of the reformation of the HEA, I do not believe we have any other recourse if we wish to have maximum confidence in solving this burgeoning crisis.”

“A fair point, as little as we know of the leadership with the city, arming an existing militia in the region could easily backfire,” Adamantia admitted, as she continued to mull.

“And who is to say this isn’t some kind of elaborate bait on the part of the SPH to lure out resistors. We may be the only entity capable of directly disarming any trap set to get rid of dissidents,” Sven figured, as he knew there were no options given the timeframe they were looking at.

“So I reiterate the current proposal: we send a pair of scouts to the surrounding area to ascertain the condition of the convoy, and to decipher what the demands of the hijackers may be. We then arrange for a strike team to neutralize the hijackers and continue delivery of the convoy, contingent upon the exact intel we get from the scouts. Do we have any more objections?” Richard Edwards asked of his fellow councilmembers.

“No, I am comfortable with this plan of action,” Stern Balance replied.

“I do have reservations, but not severe enough to register overall disapproval,” Sven replied.

“The faster we can start, the faster we can resolve this situation without too much loss,” Wal’byo replied.

“I hope that even this little bit of time we are taking isn’t too much, so I agree we should go ahead and start,” Adamantia replied.

“So with all in agreement, we need to start talking to Captain Rodriguez about who to send out as our scout team so we can ascertain what exactly we need to do to get this convoy to where it needs to be,” Richard concluded, as it was clear that all five members were in agreement.

--- == ---

“I figure it would have come to this,” Captain Julio thought aloud as he looked at the roster of the volunteers of various species and what positions they had declared themselves open to filling.

“So this first part is pure recon, right?” Julio asked of Richard, as the two of them sat in a small room that had a monitor trained only to feeds regarding the situation near Kassala.

“Yeah, I’m not sending in five if I need fifty, or just two. We don’t have a lot of reserves so we have to make these early counter-attacks count,” Richard mused as he stood and watched the mayor make impassioned pleas for aid, only to fall on deaf ears to the only others that could act.

“This is why we find ourselves in the situation we do, Rich. The SPH could actually be doing some good in this interim, but they are too damn myopic to care. I guess they want the world to catch fire, then they can hide in their shelter and rebuild once everything was burnt to ashes,” Julio thought, as the continued inaction that was either forced upon the major world leaders, or just came naturally to them, grated on his nerves.

“The whole world catching on fire would be a good way to put it. We’ve been dodging bullet after bullet when it came to a total global class war. I can only hope we can dodge a few more while we try and fix things…” Richard added, as he exited to go get something to eat.

Julio thought for a few moments, considering those words deeply. “That means I need all the info I can get and quick, so we can put a stop to this. No telling what is gonna ignite the firestorm, and I damn sure don’t want it to be this if we can do something to stop it.”

--- == ---

“Nero, Slysza[1], we’re about to send you out!” Captain Julio called over the intercom to two in question.

After a couple of beats, he heard back from one of the two in question, the bat-pony mare named Wyraznie Slysza. “You’re sending us out, really? I thought we weren’t supposed to head out!”

“Just get in here and I’ll explain the whole deal,” Julio replied with some mild level of frustration.

A few moments went by, and a Human man named Nero and the aforementioned bat-pony named Slysza walked into the command room of the H.E.A. militia wing.

“I didn’t want to discuss the nature of this mission over the intercom for reasons you will hear in a moment. I am sending the two of you out to scout around this area I’m loading onto his map,” Julio started, as Slysza hovered up to see the pad that Nero was holding.

“I should have figured, Captain. This is not but a couple of kilometers from Kassala. I’m guessing you want some intel on what those hijackers are trying to do,” Nero commented, as he looked at some of the photographs a few civilian drones managed to snap.

“I’m still nervous about this. As far as the world knows all of us Ponies high-tailed it back to Equestria. Wouldn’t it cause all kinds of undue chaos if we show ourselves like this?” Slysza asked, still nervous about the commission.

“Probably. But right now it’s unavoidable. We’re the only organization with both the resources and the will to do anything about the Black Shield and other stuff like this until the world governments are stood back up proper,” Julio responded, trying to assuage the fear of the young-looking Bat-pony.

“I guess… I’m still anxious though. But I volunteered for this post so I will do the best I can,” Slysza replied, as she tried her best to calm herself.

“Don’t worry, miss. You’ll be in good hands with me out there. You just get me visual and audio so we can figure out if those ‘jackers are independents or working with the SPH somehow,” Nero replied, as the two of them began to head down to the Militia Equipment hall to get outfitted.

“I need you two ready in the next twenty-four hours, so get in any tutorials with your new gear that you can in the meantime,” Julio said as he continued to monitor the situation as best he could.

[ September 21, 2081 – Near Kassala, Sudanese Administrative Zone ]
===================================================================

“So how much further do we have to trudge through this savannah?” Slysza complained, as she chafed a bit under the active-camouflage cloak that she and her partner were wearing as the came to a ridge. The moon was high in the air as it was nearly midnight Sudan time, prime-time for the bat-pony in question.

“Not really a trudge unless the ground was wet or otherwise hard to walk over… we should be so glad the Sahara hasn’t stretched this far south, yet,” Nero replied, as the two figures got low to the ground and peered at the tanker and freight trucks that were parked on side of the half-paved road.

“Ok, so how are we gonna do this? I could fly down and start listening in…” Slysza asked as she looked on at the fire flickering next to an encampment.

“As much as I hate throwing your near the fire, that is probably our best bet. I doubt they’ll be talking loud enough for us to pick anything up here,” Nero replied, as he took out a long-barreled rifle.

“And I guess that’s the insurance policy in case someone comes in on my listening position?” Slysza asked, as she recognized the firearm as a high-caliber sniper rifle from her brief study of the HEAs equipment.

“You know it. I meant what I said when I told you ‘You were in good hands,’” Nero replied, as he adjusted the zooming camera for the moonlight.

“Alright, I can do this then, I can do this,” the bat-pony mare said, as she took off the back part of the cloak to allow her wings to fully extend, as she took off in a glide down the impromptu encampment.

-----

“What is it that you plan to do?” the caravan conductor asked of the hijackers, as the injured and dead bodies of his fellow drivers and maintenance men occupied a corner of the encampment the hijackers had made in the last few days.

“What we usually do. Despite all of the drones roaming around the Domes, some clients ask for a more… human touch… when it comes to tasks that need to be accomplished,” the lead hijacker responded, as he was sick and tired of being up to this ungodly hour dealing with the captives, but found it was best to keep a personal eye on them all.

“You would repeat the same mistakes that our ancestors made hundreds of years ago with those Anglo slavers?” the tied up conductor snarled in his accented English, being a native of Sudan himself.

“You can call it a mistake if you will, but I am ensuring that I have a future. And these men around me see this as a way out. Once we build up enough funds, we’ll buy a nice private residence in… I think Berlin. Berlin is a nice city to retire in, don’t you all think?” the lead asked of his subordinate hijackers.

His question was met with replies of approval in both English and Sudanese Arabic.

“Damned monsters, all of you!” the conductor shouted, before he was kicked in the ribs as if his abdomen were a football set up for opening kickoff.

“Shut up! We’re doing what we need to do in order to survive. We don’t have any more time for morals in this!” one of the subordinates shouted in more heavily accented English.

“Save your complaints for the mayor of Kassala when ‘payment’ arrives in a couple of days. I also mentioned to take special care in selecting the females. The right merchandise will let me retire immediately,” the lead hijacker concluded, as he was suddenly distracted by a faint thumping sound.

“<Sir, what’s the problem?”>” one of his subordinates asked as the others started looking around.

“<Possibly a wild animal has found this camp looking for some scraps. Though we cannot rule out a surveillance drone having found us… Perform a sweep to make sure that nothing is looking in on us aside from whatever the hell is still living out here,>” the leader responded, as he put his rifle back on his shoulder, to join his subordinates In the search.

-----

“We got a problem, Slysza…” Nero told the bat-pony over their com-link, as the bat-pony sat on one of the food trucks frozen.

“What kind of problem…” the bat-pony responded, not noticing her left-front-hoof had started twitching in anxiety, causing a faint but noticeable rhythmic thump to resound through part of the camp in the dead of night.

“They’re doing a sweep of the camp, I need you to stay as still as you can manage. The camo-cloak will make you look invisible, but only if you don’t make any sudden or otherwise quick motions,” Nero replied.

As the link went silent, Nero could hear a faint thumping coming in over Slysza’s microphone.

“Slysza, are you keeping still like I asked?” Nero asked, as he watched one of the hijackers looking around the truck that the bat-pony was perched on top of.

“I’m just really nervous. The dead bodies… their talk of using their fellow humans as slaves openly… it’s making me really anxious…” Slysza said, as she strained to keep her voice down enough for the closed helmet to muffle her words.

“I can understand, but I need you to quell that fear long enough for me to make sure that the recording you streamed me is actually listenable,” Nero replied, as he played back the recording in one side of his helmet, and kept the com-line open to Slysza on the other side.

I hate slavers… if I had it my way I’d just snipe them all right here and now… but we’re gonna need a strike team if we want this convoy back in one piece, Nero thought as he continued to focus on the lone hijacker that was near Slysza’s position.

This is so much to handle all at once… but I have to do my job, so I have to stay strong… I can’t blow my cover… Slysza said, as she turned while making as little noise as she could in order to see if any of hijackers had found her.

This continued for a few more moments, until the hijacker began to climb up the side of the truck.

Damnit, he’s climbing up the side of the food truck that Slysza is perched on… I can take him out right here and now but that could blow this entire operation… But if he actually walks along the top of that truck, there is no way he won’t notice her up there… Nero thought, as he kept his scope trained on the back of the head of the hijacker that was about halfway up the truck now.

If I take off right now, there is no way I could do it completely silent and invisible. And they might put two and two together and realize someone has their position. But if I don’t take off… they might just physically trip over me, which blows my position anyway… Slysza thought as she remained on the truck, trying her best to be completely still and silent.

The hijacker was almost to the top of the truck, while almost a mile away Nero had only to pull to trigger to end him. It was at that point, the hijacker did something that surprised Nero and relieved Slysza… he stopped while he was nearly at the top of the truck.

“Whatever I heard up here stopped anyway, probably just some bird or bat falling out of the sky then taking off again…” the hijacker muttered, as he climbed back down, wondering why he just didn’t stop a few moments ago before he was almost fifteen feet in the air.

“Slysza, the hijacker near you is leaving, give it a few more minutes so I can confirm no one else is doing a sweep before you come back to my position,” Nero reported and requested, as he continued the observe the camp.

“Okay,” the bat-pony replied nervously, but most importantly, quietly.

A couple more minutes passed, before all of the hijackers came back to the middle of the encampment where the captives were bound and being held.

“<Nothing of note sir, not even a wild animal,>” one of the subordinates reported.

“I know I heard something, but since we can’t find anything, we’ll just proceed on schedule. You had best hope the mayor of Kassala delivers on his payment, on time and in full, or I can’t guarantee your continued health or your lives,” the lead hijacker said, as he looked down at the re-gagged conductor.

While that was going on, Slysza finally ‘unclenched’, bat-ponies being no better than their standard Pegasus brethren at remaining still on command without being trained for it.

“Is this the part where I leave that, micro-drone thing, so we can keep up with these people once we leave?” the bat-pony asked, mentally exhausted from everything he had experienced in the short time on top of that truck already.

“Yeah, drop the bug and let’s get the hell back to base,” Nero replied, as he kept his gun trained, but didn’t see any motion of the hijackers toward Slysza’s position.

The bat-pony took a small, credit-card-sized panel from a side pouch on her abdominal armor, and laid it on the side of the truck that was facing in toward the hijackers, with a more or less clear shot at the captives and dead, and prayed silently they could resolve this situation before the exchange was made in two days’ time.

[ September 22, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
===================================

“I’m still not used to seeing all of this for one person,” Captain Julio said as he sat in a chair next to the now-christened Battlestation Mk III; its owner Pamela tapping away at an ancient (by computer standards) mechanical keyboard as one of the many input devices hooked into the nearly completely circular ‘input zone’ of the personal super-computer.

“Well the trends in computing have been cloud-computing for the last 55 years or so. Why go through all the expense of trying to design and mass produce high-end devices when you can create high-quality terminals, improve telecommunications, and then just build massive server farms. Of course being the nerd-queen I am, I just had to build my own when I got hired for the C.I.A.,” Pamela explained as she swirled around in her chair to meet the militia captain face to face, much like a certain Element of Harmony that walked the halls quite often.

“I’m pretty sure if we put you and Twilight Sparkle in a room for a couple of days you could jump even this in tech by at least 20 years,” Julio half-joked, as he walked around the relatively massive ‘terminal’.

“Once we get her up to speed on computer science and engineering, pretty sure we could do some major leaps forward. Though that Night Princess of hers is in a league of her own – might take both of us just to get to where she is now…” Pamela admitted, knowing full well that said Princess of the Moon was only limited by her ability to put what she read into practice.

“And Princess Luna shows no signs of slowing down, let alone stopping. If Twilight Sparkle’s intelligence is scary, Luna’s is downright mortifying,” Julio said, as he shuddered thinking about the depths of the Indigo Alicorn’s knowledge.

“I don’t even want to think about it – I’ll just induce an inferiority complex,” Pamela said as she narrowed her eyes at a certain monitor.

“What’s that?” Julio asked, as he traced Pamela’s apparent line of sight to the particular spot of screen she was focused on.

“I think my partner in crime, if you will, has something for us,” Pamela said as she slid over a couple of inches to tap that section of the screen to bring up the video-feed window. “Talk to me, Jack.”

“Pam, Capt. Rodriguez, Shift helped me tap into some of the muni-surv[4] cameras in Kassala. I think the mayor is about to render payment for those hijacker’s extortion plans,” Jacques replied, as he split the screen, showing a large all-terrain van and a few dozen dark skinned people, and only a few of those people in any apparent uniform of police or military.

“Damn, I was hoping he’d hold out to the edge of the time limit those bastards put on him, but at this rate they’re gonna lose at least a dozen to those slavers,” Capt. Julio cursed, as he stood up to help himself think.

“So what are we gonna do, Julio?” Pamela asked of the young Hispanic military captain.

“I’m calling the council to an emergency session, we’ve got to get in there and get that convoy back before those people get anywhere close to it,” Julio said tapped on his wrist-bound mini-terminal.

-----

“So Jacques is more or less sure that the mayor of Kassala is preparing to render payment to the convoy hijackers?” Stern Balance asked, as the council had gathered in a closed meeting room after about fifteen minutes of scrambling.

“Yes, according to the preliminary report and our continued observation of activities in Kassala, we can be reasonably sure that the Kassala mayor is going to hand over a significant number of his citizens in exchange for the food and water convoy to be delivered in full,” Captain Julio replied.

“I was hoping that we could have avoided acting overtly longer, but I think our collective hands have been forced. We have no evidence of any other force other than the overtaxed Kassala municipal police being able to respond,” Richard groused, as he looked at the strained faces on his fellow council-members.

“Honestly, despite my people’s nature, I was looking to avoid this fight as well. Our rearmament plans have barely gotten off the ground,” Sven added, talon along his forehead trying to think through the issue.

“The best we could do is rigged-up prototypes. I’m sure we have the supplies for it, but we’d basically be working off pure theory and prayer if we did,” Wal’byo thought as he looked through some of the information the Zebra armorers had reported to him.

“At least according to this intel, they have no thaumatic arms, and their firearms are basically semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Enough to take on lightly armed civilian aid convoys, but not enough for a decently equipped anything else,” Adamantia concluded.

“Then I propose we approve of a small strike team to neutralize the hijackers, and retake the convoy before the mayor can complete the transaction. Any objections?” Stern Balance asked of the other council members.

None were opposed, though concern was clearly evident on everyone’s face.

“Alright, you have the approval of the council, Captain Julio Rodriguez. Outfit a small group as much as you deem necessary to complete this mission and get them back safe,” Richard Edwards added.

“Yes sir!” Julio replied with full throat and salute, as he quickly exited the meeting room.

“I guess some habits die hard - he does know we aren’t his military commanders so he doesn’t have to salute us, right?” Adamantia asked of Richard.

“I’m sure he does, but like you said, old habits die hard,” Richard replied, as he silently prayed for success.

=-----=

“That was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve had to do since… ever. I didn’t think they would be that devoid of compassion,” Slysza complained, as she was finally decompressing from the short scouting mission.

Nero just sighed as he too was still unnerved by it, even though he had confronted slave traders before in his many travels as a mercenary before joining the H.E.A. “I won’t say you get used to it, I’m not used to it. But at some point you can’t let it completely unnerve you. Sometimes they will say something like that just to rile you up so you can’t think straight. And then there are the ones who completely buy into some line, like they are just choosing people for some kind of performing team to live inside the domes, like they won some kind of housing lottery.”

“I can see, but still…” Slysza griped, as she sipped another sip of her tea. Neither she nor the other militia volunteers noticed Captain Rodriguez walking into the commissary designed just for them.

“I dunno what I’d do if I were in that situation. Dead bodies still… make me queasy… even though I’m a triage medic by trade,” an aquamarine Unicorn stallion said, his faded green mane allowed to grow freely and fall wherever it may.

“Are we talking queasy on the battlefield, or queasy when you have time to yourself after having to act?” a Gryphoness asked, her falcon’s face showing a bit of surprise at the admission.

“Mostly after, though I’ve had to tend to villages that were stricken by a rogue band of Gryphons or a rampaging Dragon once or twice. Those are images you don’t forget…” the stallion replied, the Gryphoness nodding all the while.

“From what I’ve heard, there were four driving the convoy, the two main trucks had two each, and the rest of the trail vehicles, six smaller trucks, were all unmanned. One of the drivers were shot dead in the initial takeover, the other three taken prisoner in order to ensure the cooperation, ostensibly, of the mayor of the city,” one of the other humans mentioned, as they went over the public information.

“Correct, Rachel,” Captain Rodriguez announced, as everyone in the room came to attention. “I just got word from the Council: they want us to neutralize the hijackers and reclaim the convoy ASAP. There are only five of them, so I figure if we bring in five with superior equipment, we’ll be able to get this job done with minimal incident.”

“And I’d assume you’d want a couple of the aliens to come with, just to prove a point?” the Gryphoness in the dining area asked, as she looked over at the human she called, at least for the time being, Captain.

“Seeing as we would have to re-announce ourselves to the world at some point, and the council gave me free reign to choose who to send and with what equipment, I think we could use this to score some public relation points as well,” Julio replied.

“I have no quarrel. It gets a bit boring cooped up in this base-come-half-hotel anyway,” the Gryphoness replied, stretching her wings and legs as she did.

“I can imagine,” Julio started, as he took out a notepad where he had scribbled some final notes as he thought about a team on his way to the militia’s area of the base. “I’m going to need you, Frederika, and Rachel, Aqua Mender… let’s see who else I wrote here. Ah yeah, Clyde and Raji. Where are Clyde and Raji, anyway?”

“There guesses,” Rachel replied, as she threw away a bit of leftover food to get ready to move out.

---

“And that makes eight to five, Clyde,” the young man of Hindu descent crowed, the red streaks in his jet-black hair distinguishing him for the other dozen or so inhabitants of Safe Haven that at least mostly shared his heritage.

“Damn, and you won four in a row on top of that,” Clyde groaned, wondering where his five-to-four match lead disappeared to.

“Figures I’d find the two of you over this way…” Julio said over the loud-speaker to the racquetball room, the non-plussed nature of his tone evident to all that heard him.

“Hey look, we both thought we’d get some racquetball in before someone had to move out, figured that with the intel coming that someone was gonna be sent to get that supply convoy back,” Clyde replied, his light bronze skin marking his mixed heritage, so mixed it was hard to actually determine what it was accurately, unless you found his family history.

“Yeah, gonna need both of you for this. You’re also working with Frederika, Rachel, and Aqua Mender,” Julio replied, as he was trying to impart some seriousness into the situation.

Eventually Clyde and Raji got their heads around to the same line of thinking as their captain, as they all walked toward the Militia Outfitting halls.

“So why exactly do you want five of us? I’d think with our tech advantage three would be enough, maybe even two…” Clyde asked.

“This is our first public operation and I want it to be quick and clean; the quicker and cleaner, the better we can spin it PR wise,” Julio replied.

“Didn’t think a straight-up military guy like you would be this interested in the knock-on effects of an operation,” Raji mentioned, as he was in officer school for the Indian Army before he bailed out when they surrendered to the SPH without a shot fired.

“Because this goes beyond a military operation; beyond the ins-and-outs of what is and isn’t an effective action. We have to consider the impact on the general population in everything we do,” Julio said, as they were entering the Outfitter section proper.

“Doesn’t seem like the Black Shield care beyond just stomping over anyone that gets in their way. Thought it makes me wonder why they aren’t rolling tanks or war-drones on all these resistance organizations,” Raji thought aloud, as the rest of his team joined the three of them.

“Could be like any playground bully. Puff yourself up and walk with immense swagger, but the second they take a blow, it turns into stagger,” one of the Zebra outfitters mused, as he looked at the five member team and Captain Julio.

“That would not surprise me in the least. The fact that their forces largely retreat in the face of any sustained opposition, with the except for a few areas, tells me they either have a lot of weak-willed fighters, or they have a very hollow command structure,” Frederika figured aloud.

“While that is true, it’s not something we can take a chance with. And to further answer your question from earlier, Raji – I’m calling for five of you to go because I cannot be absolutely sure that these hijackers are completely independent of the SPH,” Julio replied.

“True enough. The faster we can get this cleaned up the faster we can get back,” Clyde noted, as he put on the prototype bodysuit made of the dragonskin nanoweave that was still being refined.

“Say, you have anything for my wings? I know you all have machines that can repair a lot of body parts, but I don’t want to go out there and have all my feathers shot off or something if I can help it,” Frederika asked as she looked on at Mender struggling a bit with his version of the nanoskin armor base.

“We do have an experimental lacquer we’ve designed in the last couple of weeks. It should protect against most semi-auto fire and low-level magic. The problem is we’re still trying to figure a proper formulation and spell-weave for it so we can better reduce, or hopefully eliminate the drag and weight increase on the wings,” said Zebra outfitter replied, as he helped Mender a bit with his dragonskin.

“If they’re just a bunch of thugs with rapid fire and handguns, I don’t think I will need to take to the air that much. Just so long as I make sure they’re in one-piece when we’re done,” Frederika replied, as she looked over her wings on her back, the golden brown of her lion body’s fur flowing her wings’ feathers.

“I will have those wings of your taken care of in just a moment, Miss Frederika,” the outfitter said, as he took out a large paintbrush and what looked like charcoal gray paint in a large bucket.

“While he’s doing that, let me go over the plan of action…” Captain Julio called out, as everyone turned around to look at the tablet that Julio was carrying, displaying the general plan of action.

=-- Near sunrise the next day, Sudanese time --=

“Only been a few weeks and we already have APC[5]s rigged for teleportation. Certainly makes it easier to get to a certain point for a quick strike action,” Raji mused, as he tugged on his armor a bit.

The team drove up to the indicated point, a monitor in the vehicle showing that nothing in the camp had changed significantly. And most importantly, none of the vehicles had been started up, so they were more or less in the clear to approach and maintain the surprise.

Though, it wasn’t the entire team that was approaching, as Rachel looked at another monitor showing where a motorbike was rolling across the savannah, hitting the outskirts of Kassala right as the APC itself was parked on a ridge far enough away to be out of visual range of the hijackers. “I hope Clyde can get there in time. It’s gonna make it hard for us to take back that convoy if the human payment is sent out at gets anywhere close to the hijacker’s camp.

“Guess we’re gonna have to have some faith in him then,” Aqua Mender replied, as he steeled himself for whatever might happen

---

Before a lightly armored van stood the mayor of Kassala, and roughly a dozen people and a driver.

“Is this what it has come down to? Having to literally trade the lives of a few for the lives of thousands?” the mayor said, his half grayed hair seemingly growing grayer by the second.

As he was about to motion for everyone to board the van, he heard a major commotion from the other side of the door to the garage near the edge of the city proper.

“Let me in, I need to see the mayor!” everyone could hear from the other side of the garage door.

“Stop that man, he cannot interrupt this!” the mayor could clearly hear of the guards, before hearing some punches thrown and a couple of grunts of obvious pain and a body banging against the door of the garage.

“What is going on, who is out there?” the mayor shouted as he walked up to the door. The door split open and slid open horizontally, and revealed a pair of hurt guards and a man in white and medium-gray armor.

“Sir, you cannot let that van leave the city limits, please!” Clyde said, as he took off his helmet to argue face to face with the mayor that was twice his apparent age.

“And damn my people to starvation and thirst? Surely you must be mad!” the mayor responded to the slightly bronze, curly haired man.

“Look, I know what this sounds like, but you just have to believe me and what I’m about to show you,” Clyde said as he went back toward the street, and wheeled his motorcycle into the garage.

After a few moments of murmuring and accusations being thrown about, all of those, except for Clyde, were stunned by what they saw from the monitor built into the back of the battery-driven cycle.

“A… a bird-lion… why is there a Gryphon there? And a Unicorn too? I thought all of those aliens left months ago?!” one of the to-be ‘exchangee’s wondered aloud with great surprise.

“The H.E.A. is back, and in a big way, aren’t we Rach?” Clyde asked of his team-mate that was a couple of miles out from the outskirts of town.

----

“Damn straight we’re back in business, Clyde,” Rachel answered, as she pointed a camera down from a ridge, at the encampment. “To the mayor of Kassala, Sudan; we of the Human-Equus Alliance pledge not only to resolve this issue with this aid shipment, but to make it so that no one, regardless where they live, have to suffer from lack of resources of mismanagement by their government.”

Raji came into view of the camera as he opened the visor on his helmet. “Mister, in a few moments we’re about rescue the survivors of those originally conducting the convoy, and take out the hijackers who wish to sell other living, breathing humans into bondage for their own profit.”

“Anything you can do to deliver the aid our city so desperately needs, sir,” the mayor responded through the microphone on the monitor built into Clyde’s bike.

“Frederika, we’re about to move out. Mender, get ready to evac the wounded and tend to them!” Raji shouted as the Gryphoness unfurled her temporarily dark-gray wings, and the Unicorn began casting a spell around the APC. “And Rachel, when I give the signal, get ready to launch the shell that Zebra designed for us. We’re about to take it right to these rat bastards.”

Rachel gave the thumbs up as she readied a canister into a miniature launcher.

----

“Where is that transport, I told them at dawn’s light. I have half a mind to just leave these prisoners here to rot with the rest of that city,” the lead hijacker shouted, as the Sun was now climbing into the sky in earnest.

What none of the hijackers noticed was a man that had snuck into their encampment wearing a camo-cloak, holding four small jewels as he looked around to make sure that no one was looking or even keyed into that part of the camp.

“Sir, sir are you awake,” he called in a slightly muffled voice, as he kept the volume down on the speakers of his helmet that allowed him to communicate out without opening it.

“Who is there? Show yourself…” the lead conductor grumbled, not quite awake in the early morning light.

“The man that’s gonna get you out of here and bring some justice to these ‘jackers,” Raji replied, as he adhered the jewel to the clothes of the three bound men first. “I just need you to hold as still as you can, so we can evac you.”

“Evacuate? But how, you are but one man and they number a half dozen,” the conductor asked, as the other two living captive were starting to rouse.

“Just give me a couple of seconds,” the man replied aloud, but still in hush tone.

“Alright, Mender, cast the Evac and start taking care of whatever injuries you can!” Raji ordered through the now private channel.

“Roger!” Mender responded; Raji confirming as he watched the amethyst colored jewels start to glow violet.

“Wait, what is going on? How will this get us out?” the conductor asked, before a violet colored bubble rapidly inflated, and then deflated, carrying away the three men wearing, in one way or another, the jewels.

“That’s how, good sir,” Raji said as he quickly scurried back behind one of the trucks until the teleport was confirmed.

A few moments later, he got the good news. “Alright, me and Rachel have the three living survivors; give me a moment to prepare some space and the body bag for the fourth. I just hope that not too much rot has taken place to where we can’t genetically identify him later.”

“I hope so too Mender, though I think it will be easy enough to ID him when we get the travel logs out of the trucks anyway,” Raji replied, as he was surprised the hijackers were too busy looking down the road to have taken notice of there being no more prisoners for them to exchange.

“Man, talk about your tunnel vision, anyway… are you ready for the body of the fourth?”

“Yeah, I wish I could do this with the bag closed, but I’m not going to chance damaging the body any further. His family at least deserves everything in-tact for them to properly bury… or cremate, whatever might happen I guess,” Mender replied.

“Alright, the charm is on the body, clear for sending,” Raji called back, as he kept a close eye on the targets down the way a few dozen yards.

A few moments later, the last bubble engulfed the body of the fourth man, and Aqua Mender sent his confirmation. “Alright, the body of the fourth has been recovered and sealed. Doesn’t look like he is so far gone his body can’t be repaired for a burial, but we’ll have to do a deeper scan somewhere else to be sure.”

“Good. Alright Rachel, is the scramble shell prepared to launch?” Raji asked of the communication specialist for the mission.

“Yeah, if they won’t surrender quietly, we’ll make ‘em do it confused and noisily,” Rachel replied.

“And you ready to help me make ‘em, ‘Rika?” Raji asked of his Gryphoness partner.

“Just give the signal, squad leader,” Frederika replied.

----

“They’ve recovered the drivers and the conductor of the convoy, including the one that was killed in the initial attack. But we still need those trucks here,” the mayor said, as some of the guards looked in at the footage being fed back from the battlefield not three miles away from where they all stood.

“Hopefully those hijackers surrender quietly, then,” Clyde replied, as he watched along with them.

----

“I grow impatient... bring the camera, I will have to make those idiots move faster with their delivery,” the leader said as he turned around. Only to be shocked by what he saw, or rather what he didn’t see.

“Where in the Hell are those captives? Don’t tell me they have escaped. And with the body of the one we already killed?” the lead hijacker shouted, as the other five hijackers looked around confused.

“I am only going to ask you all once, hand over control of this convoy to us and surrender yourselves to the proper authorities!” the hijackers all heard a voice shout, but they could not place a body to the voice.

“Reveal yourself coward! You shout threats but do not face us?” a hijacker shouted back at nothing in particular, confused by the voice with no source.

“I stand before you already,” Raji responded, as he removed the hood of his camo-cloak, to reveal his mostly polished white helmet and dark blue visor. A moment later, his entire white and gray armored body was revealed to the hijackers.

“You?! You freed our bargaining chips! You have cost us millions of credits with this!” the lead hijacker shouted in fury.

“Even if they live mired in poverty, they still at least have their own lives. And you were going to sell them to Domers or whomever else without even a second thought. I thought we as a species could not sink so low as to repeat the mistakes our ancestors did,” Raji replied, as he stood with his rifle armed and ready to fire on an instant’s notice.

“I do not care for your morals. When one is faced with the proposition of never having to starve or want again, they will sell their own mothers down the river,” the lead hijacker replied, assured in his own particular set of beliefs.

“Then I have my answer apparently. Let’s go!” Raji shouted for all to hear.

The hijackers immediately opened fire, only to curse as they saw the armor was only being minorly dented by their fire.

“<What is he wearing, how would he have military grade body armor?>” one of the hijackers shouted, as they began to run out of ammo already – they were not equipped to completely repel resistance.

None of them saw the shell fly in, as a faint green smoke began to waft from the canister.

“My body, my body will not move!” three of the hijackers shouted, as a couple of other put on gas masks they had on their persons just in case of tear gas being fired upon them.

The next thing to fly in though, frightened all of them down to their core, as they heard a combination of shriek and a roar.

“Monster… they have called some sort of monster!” the still motile hijackers shouted, as they saw a four foot tall cat like beast land next to the just-over-six-foot tall man, clad in similar armor and even helmet, though the shape was much more oblate.

“Amusing. You would kill your own or sell them off into slavery, and call me a monster before I even had a chance to do something to deserve the moniker,” Frederika replied, as she leveled her wings and primed her body to pounce upon the first thing that threatened her specifically.

“Don’t you toy with us beast! Kill the both of them, we can just roll this convoy to somewhere else and get cash for it!” The lead hijacker said as he ran off toward the primary food truck.

“No wait, take us with you!” the other two of the hijackers not felled by the scrambler gas shouted at their leader, before they were both shot in the legs by Raji’s sidearm.

“I know it’s not to normal military standards to shoot a fleeing person in the back, but right now I cannot take chances, can you take care of the last one, ‘Rika?” Raji said as he made sure the two shot hijackers were completely disarmed.

“On it,” Frederika replied, as she took off toward where the lead hijacker was running.

In what seemed like a flash, the Gryphoness tackled the last hijacker, and wrapped her hind legs around his waist and talons across his windpipe, putting the last hijacker into a choke hold. Said hijacker struggled for what seemed like hours, but it was only a couple of minutes before he passed out from lack of oxygen.

---

“Raji, how are we doing?” Rachel asked of her squad leader.

“Some cleanup, all six hijackers are down, no deaths though some blood lost on the two that I shot. The leader got choked out and good by Frederika, remind me not to challenger her to any kind of wrestling match,”

“Good. Aside from the already confirmed fatality, the drivers and the conductor are of sound body, all things considered. I dunno how this might have affected them mentally, but hopefully we’ll be able to do some follow up at a later date with them,” Rachel replied.

“Great Rachel. Clyde, tell the mayor to get a police car out here and anyone that can operate these trucks so they can get on their way, we’ll hold down the fort just to make sure none of their friends, if they have any, try and retake the convoy.”

---

“I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Clyde. You have forestalled a further crisis in this city this day,” the mayor stated, as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

“Praise for later, let’s get those aid trucks here so we can officially call this mission complete. I’ll even escort you all over there,” Clyde said, as he put his helmet back on and readied his bike to head out.

“Well put. I need ten LEOs to come with me, we are going to make sure each of those hijackers face justice in full,” the mayor said, to the applause of the small audience gathered in the garage.

=- Later that evening, Pacific Standard Time -=

“Damn, a lot happened to say it only was an hour or so,” Vague stated with unbelief as he stared at the news report on CNN.

“I wish to thank our mysterious benefactors for this most providential of interventions. Due to the Black Shield’s stranglehold on the major powers, we believed to be at the total mercy of what aid could be scrounged up, and subsequently what aid wouldn’t be picked off by hijackings such as the one that occurred seven days previous. But thanks to the actions of those men and women in the white and gray armor, we now have a chance at holding on. Hopefully, they or some other force is able to remove the SPH from their effective control of the world governments, so we may resume the long work to repairing the damage our forefathers have caused, and making this world thrive for all who inhabit it. Thank you very much,” the mayor of Kassala stated before jubilant inhabitants of the city, as the feed cut back to the anchor in the studio.

“That’s only going to be half of it, Blue,” Pamela said, as she was entertaining the Unicorn and Element of Water in the main computer room of Safe Haven, as a blue-glowing and dressed, blonde-haired fairy figure appeared on the screen next to the red-haired and dressed Shift.

“So are you ready for your debut, Alternate?” Pamela asked of the second cyber-fairy.

“I dunno, I’m so nervous, I don’t want to mess up my lines or anything,” the blonde haired fairy replied in a meek voice, as she looked at her creator and her apparent friend through the several cameras mounted on the monitors and panels on the Battlestation mk. III.

“It’s just a brief statement announcing that we’re back in business; or at least that we still exist,” Shift responded, patting her sister on the back and trying to instill some confidence.

“Gonna have to be done one way or another if we’re gonna reach our goals,” Vague figured, as he shrugged.

“Ok, I can do this, I know I can do this,” Alternate said with increasing vigor, as she tried to psyche herself up.

“I know you can too, so let’s get this show on the road already!” Shift said as she shoved her sister into a box, that quickly revealed itself to be a virtual ‘studio’ for Alternate to broadcast from.

----

“I’m getting word from our cyber-trackers that apparently, the… Human-Equestrian Alliance is making a statement, which is currently being broadcasted on the ‘Net. I’m not sure if we can verify this message, but we’re going to broadcast it on delay just in case anything newsworthy happens,” the CNN anchor continued, as the controllers put the feed on.

What the world was greeted to was a simulated news desk, with a lone fair-skinned, blonde-haired figure in a blue dress, and fairy wings coming from her back, shimmering in white, blue, gold, red, and green - the main colors of the redone Human-Equus Alliance logo.

“I would like to start this brief statement by giving a heartfelt ‘you’re welcome’ to the mayor of Kassala, Sudan. I am sure you, mayor, already know by now, but I am here to tell the whole world now: the Human-Equus Alliance has returned. You may be asking yourself, ‘I thought you were the Human-Equestrian Alliance?’ In short, we were, but we have expanded in both personnel and scope. No longer are we a group whose focus is solely in facilitating the Conversion of those whom wish the leave the Earth for the Other World, whom the natives refer to as Equus. No, our scope has now broadened to this deceptively simple mandate – to build worlds where all of our inhabitants, no matter what form they are or may take in the future, can find a place to not merely survive, but thrive. You may interpret that to mean a lot of things, but there is only one thing definite in the near future, and that is we will work with all willing partners and volunteers to restore the duly elected governments of Earth to their offices, and to ensure the Society or any sympathizers can never take control again!”

Just as quickly as the figure in the white studio appeared, she and the studio disappeared, leaving only a soft tone and the HEA logo on the feed.

“I am not sure what exactly was meant by that message, other than the now rechristened Human-Equus Alliance in back in operation, apparently. We will work with all of our analysts to probe this issue and figure out if the HEA is truly back in operation,” the anchor said as everyone watching could hear yelling and scrambling behind the camera.

----

“I bet there are three masked people who are pitching a tantrum supreme right now,” Vague chuckled, as he looked back at the blue-dressed fairy, who had her head face-down on the virtual anchor’s desk.

“That was so exhausting… and I was only talking for maybe a couple of minutes…” Alternate complained, not thinking it would take that much out of her.

“We were being assaulted mightily - trying to shut off the feed on one hand, and people trying to watch on the other. We’re gonna need someone else to help us keep a buffer around Alternate if we’re gonna do that again, Ms. Pamela,” Shift said as she fanned her blonde-haired sister.

“I got something cooking for that, but it might be a week or two before I’m confident enough to let her out of her box like the two of you,” Pamela responded, as she had a separate Q-Machine swirling with a program, its glow very slowly changing from white to green as it did.

“Having another sister so soon, they’ll say such things about our mother, won’t they,” Shift teased; Alternate just groaned as she wanted to find a hammock or a cot to relax completely in.

“They can say what they want, but I’m a practical lady. If I need three cyber-fairies to make all of this work, then three is what we’re gonna have,” Pamela responded with confidence.

“Hrm, I wonder what I have to do to program something like Shift and Alternate on my own… I’m starting to get a few ideas myself,” Vague thought aloud.

“Well hey, if you’re willing to spend a couple of hours a day with me for a couple of weeks, I can show you the base code and some of the AI templates I’ve made,” Pamela said, as she was positively giddy with the prospect of talking shop with a fellow coder.

“Alright, let’s see what ya got tomorrow afternoon,” Vague responded with a knowing chuckle.

***** === *****

Author's Notes:

[1] In the Zebra Parliament, if a sitting representative is appointed to a Secretarial or Ambassadorial position, they take the title ‘representative-in-absentia’, which qualifies them as a candidate for the next regular election in their former district once their term as secretary or ambassador expires, barring criminal conviction or things of that nature.

[2] An actual product available today, the ‘cold-rock’ is a simple generic term adapted for any item that can be (super-)chilled and then put into liquor to chill the liquor, but not melt and dilute it like normal water ice

[3] Wyrazanie Slysza is adapted from a Polish phrase that can translated to “Clearly Audible”, referring to Slysza’s talent for deciphering low-volume sounds clearly

[4] muni-surv is short of ‘municipal surveillance’, a camera system built into most cities that help police (and various intelligence) survey streets in order to reduce the need for physical patrols.

[5] Armored Personnel Carrier – basically an armored vehicle whose primary purpose is to transport ground troops.

CH 28: Internet Free America

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 28: Internet Free America ===

[ September 29, 2081 – Los Angeles, USA ]
=========================================

“That is the kind of thing I mean. The S.P.H. you think would have been doing this stuff already. I mean they are supposed to be about the ‘preservation of humanity’, right? Hah, all I seem them ever do is just shout the same lines all those Dome-aligned politicians shout. Ain’t nothin’ but a bunch of patsies for them, I bet. SO where does that leave us? Hell, if a bunch of aliens want to actually try and make this whole thing work, then to hell with it, I say let them. Anyway, that’s the end of this viewer report, RadStriker999 singing out,” the young-looking African-American man said as he closed out his report, which closed the reporting for Alternate’s HEA newscast.

“Thank you very much Mr. RadStriker999, and that concludes our reporting for the evening cast, and now we will close the telecast with the traditional brief editorial,” the blue-dressed, iridescent-winged cyber-fairy started. “Over the last two weeks since this broadcast started, we have been deluged with messages and mail regarding what exactly our intent are? Are we yet another militia trying to wrest control of the government back from Society? Are we some kind of fringe group piggybacking on the old name of the initiators of the Conversion Initiative?”

“No, we are the original group, but both our makeup and our goals have expanded. It is our fervent wish to lead those who, or join in common cause with, anyone willing to help build this world into one that thrives for all, and not simply one that thrives for those who happen to be holding the reins at any given time. In closing, while on the point of ‘common cause’, I would like to make special recognition of the Los Angeles Free Militia, who are doing yeoman’s work wresting control of the Los Angeles megalopolis from Society influence. We should hope that in the near future, we can assist them in ensuring the return of a normal government, and embarking on the renewal of this planet, so it may go from brown to the green and blue jewel it was always meant to be. Thank you, and until next time, this is your lovely anchor signing off.”

The web-stream went to a test pattern and easy listening until the next broadcast in a few hours for the middle-late evening for the American East Coast.

The leader of said freelance resistance fighting force sat on a sofa, contemplating what may come due to the recognition as the easy listening music wafted through the air of the room she was in.

“I honestly appreciate what Celestia’s little cadre have done in these last couple of weeks. It’s one thing to be taking a few guns and engaging in guerrilla war against a similarly disjointed force. It’s another thing to have some wealthy backing. Which is how I assume the Society manages to always find safe haven in the Domes,” Amanda thought aloud, as she leaned back onto the couch, now in a full lounge.

Enrique was with her, as were a couple of subordinates - one cleaning his disarmed rifle, the other checking media feeds for any other instance of SPH incursion into the slums of the sprawling megalopolis they all called home.

Said Latin American lieutenant looked around, as he mentally scanned some of his private contacts, a few messages having popped up wondering if had any in-depth knowledge of the Free Militia or the now resurfaced HEA, to which he continually denied. He took a deep breath and responded to his leader. “Frankly, I was afraid they thought were weren’t doing as much as the Chicagoland militias. It seems like we have a bit of a friendly rivalry brewing at who can get their local SPH contingent to concede first.”

“I know they have better arms than us on balance, which I am still wondering about how they procured them. But we have more magi, thanks in no small part to myself…” Amanda responded in kind, her trademark confidence causing Enrique to chuckle.

“Well, Madame Magic, don’t let that head get too swelled. We still don’t know what kind of tech or spellcraft the SPH might be building up in the Domes. We need to save the self-aggrandizement until the job is totally done.”

“Fine fine, no gloating until they’re turning tail even from the Hollywood Domes,” Amanda responded in a sing-songy voice.

Her happy tone quickly subsided, as Enrique could tell that something was troubling her right under the surface.

Does she already know who is running this outfit, and by extension, know who is the Pony that is the person that is running this outfit? Damn, I don’t know enough about how the HEA operates to say that for sure. Then again, Celestia didn’t know about the experiments I was running until the last minute when she busted in with the Campus and City Police. So I know she’s not omniscient… but just what is the extent of her knowledge. In any case, so long as I keep everything above board I should avoid attracting too much undue attention from her or her ‘knights’ in half-shining armor… Sunset Shimmer thought, as she did her level best to not make ‘Amanda’ look overly lost in thought.

Something has Amanda’s brain tied up in knots, but I’m no psychic and I’m not mage so I can’t say what. Then again, this is her practically all the time she’s not talking, so I guess I shouldn’t be too worried. Just so long as it doesn’t affect her running this outfit, at least… Enrique thought, as he watched the pall lift from Amanda’s face, drifting back to her more or less neutral expression.

“In any case, Miss Amanda,” one of the subordinates started, as he showed some charts on a pad to both her and Enrique. “We’ve been running intel and tapping into some of the muni-survs in Hollywood. The SPH force is now at about 30% of its apparent peak in early July. Nowhere near enough casualties were reported on their part to account for this discrepancy, so I figure they are suffering desertions.”

“They probably thought it’d be an easy operation to just quiet down the lot of us with a show of overwhelming force. Shows you how much they know,” Amanda said in a confident, almost snide tone. Enrique smiled as he was now sure his commanding pseudo-officer was back in gear. “But still, we have to make sure to keep every set of eyes and camera lenses we can on them. Those thauma-tanks are still a problem, and I doubt they are just going to stop there…”

Everyone nodded, not sure of what the Society might have been cooking up, figuring it had to have been another piece of something to maintain, or even expand whatever power they might have.

[ September 30, 2081 – Manhattan, New York City, USA ]
======================================================

“This entire situation is truly starting to grate on me, Mr. Yanovich…” Peter Vaughn said, as he looked on at the late-middle-aged man of partial Czech descent trying to explain why, after over three months, they still were having trouble trying to get intelligence on all of the myriad resistance organizations.

“I truly apologize, Leader-One, but whoever was last in the Analysis Room severely damaged our entire repository of active intel and our systems for parsing and analysis. We are having to work with outdated information and machines, and these systems are proving unable to cope with the volume of raw data we are feeding them,” Yanovich responded, trying to get the layman to understand the situation – as his outfit was trying to navigate a full blown squall at sea using in a rubber dinghy with wooden oars.

“The more time you all take, the more these… Loyalists gain legitimacy in the eyes of the public. The more legitimacy they gain, the harder it becomes for us to hold control without taking more… extreme measures. I know you are a warm and caring man, and would not want to see us having to engage in more… oblique measures of riot and insurgency suppression,” Peter asked of the man on the other side of the videophone-line.

“I am the wrong man to ask when it comes to sympathy for the proletariat…” Yanovich snapped.

“True, but I may need every man I can get, should worse comes to worse,” Peter replied, knowing full well that Yanovich had little regard for anything but his own well-being.

“I… I understand sir. But at the same time I am attempting to work with inferior tools here. Whatever decimated our networks three months ago is possibly still hampering the electronic reconstruction. And I have yet to receive new equipment to replace the old equipment we have managed to scrounge up out of storage,” Yanovich griped, his frustration becoming evident, much to the bemusement of the Society leader.

“If it is personnel and equipment you need, it can be furnished. But, until we in Leadership start to see more results, I may have to dock your pay… slightly…” Peter replied, the smirk still prominent on his face.

“Yes sir. I understand your capital is valuable, and you would not want to… throw it after bad,” Yanovich replied, grousing internally at yet another financial setback.

At this rate, I will have to move into a second rate condo in the Arlington Domes… I got to find something to bring to him he can use so I can make my rent… the CIA head thought as the idea of being ‘pressed’ onto the front lines of this conflict gave him pause, as did his ambitions for improving his station being delayed in any appreciable way.

==[ Back at Safe Haven … ]==

“And this is where you’ve been all this time…” Red Blaze said, as she stepped through the threshold of one of the environmental sub-space rooms, which was fashioned like a general cloudscape, not unlike the ones that littered the skies of Equus, especially over Equestria proper.

“You know, even though I know non-Pegasi can walk and lay out on these clouds… it still makes me nervous where you’re in here with me like this,” Golden Storm said, as he was laid out on his back staring at the false but sunny sky, and Red Blaze laid out next to him, her head along-side his.

“I can see what you mean, even though I know I can’t fall, it still feels like I might. Like I’m walking over one of those glass-bottomed bridges that are all over the bigger metropolises,” Red Blaze thought aloud, as she thought of the bridges that connected some of the non-residential buildings over the streets in the various Outsider slums, especially super-dense ones like around Boston and New York City.

“You can put as much steel and nanofiber reinforcement on those things as you want to, but you will still find people who will outright refuse to walk on those things. They’d rather fight foot and street-car traffic for half an hour over taking that ostensibly ten minute walk above ground level. But I doubt you wanted to talk to me about city life we mostly left behind,” Storm replied, as he felt his marefriend’s head move down, now resting along his upper chest and shoulder

“Nah, this is just… something I wish we had more of while we were over here. I mean all of Safe Haven is nothing but hustle and bustle, to and fro, comings and goings. Then again that’s why this hall was created. I mean it’s not like most of us can just go outside whenever we want,” Red Blaze grumbled, as she was feeling like it was time to head back to Equestria, the cabin fever starting to get to her again.

“I see. Yeah everything’s been a scramble: working on the new armor, working on the new potions, working on making sure our three Cyber-faries can keep our newscast going. By the by, Miss Pamela has some eye for character design, wouldn’t surprise me if she was a 3d character modeler in a past-life,” Storm replied, as his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

“Yes, you just couldn’t help heaping praise upon Shift for her reporters get-up…” Blaze said with some measure of terseness, thumping her coltfriend’s chest with one of her front-hooves a bit.

“She looked a bit like a red-headed you back in the day, and I couldn’t help myself…” Storm replied in an apologetic tone.

“Fine, but you’re going to help me pick out something when we return Equestria side; I feel like indulging myself with Rarity’s works,” Blaze politely requested, looking back and up (slightly) into the gold-yellow Pegasus’s eyes.

“Alright alright, but you know how bored I get with clothes shopping. And then Rarity does almost all ladies designs on top of it…” Storm complained, as he could already see himself standing half asleep while Blaze and Rarity talked shop in the Boutique’s storefront.

“And you, good sir, will just have to put up with it. But trust me, I’ll make it worth your while later~” Blaze concluded, with a bit of a song to her voice, as he rubbed her head along Storm’s chest.

They laid like that for a couple minutes more, before a different train of thought took off from their shared mental station.

“You know what this place reminds me of?” Blaze thought aloud, as the false sun in the sky continued to drift, mimicking Earth’s actual Sun’s position - overhead on the North American West Coast anyway.

“Hrm?” Storm replied, truly curious of what was percolating in the head of his red-orange-mopped marefriend.

“This place is like a space station straight from fiction… except it’s obviously not…” Blaze thought some more, as she continued to mentally drift like the false sun was.

“I can see that. Aside from rule about going outside, which exists for very good reason unless you are well-armored or in a group, there are other ways this place is kinda like a sci-fi spaceship,” Storm thought, as his track began to align with the red Unicorn’s.

“Yeah, the machines that can produce almost anything from a little raw material, like… near perfect duplication. Rooms that can simulate environments quite precisely and yet not completely suck you in either. And then there aliens mingling, obviously. I mean, aside from high fantasy, where else would talking horses, dragons, gryphons, and humans all be in the same place?” Blaze continued to muse.

“I dunno, maybe some urban fantasy… not that much strict high fantasy that’s totally new and original being produced, even non-professionally, these days…” Storm figured, thinking about all of the various online communities and role-playing games he was into before he was in the Air Force full-time.

“Though it’s kinda hard to be totally original, especially now that it’s so easy to record even the most obscure of works,” Blaze wondered.

“True, I mean think of Blankely’s Storms of Mana series, everyone thinks it’s pretty much A Song of Fire and Ice for the 2040s,” Storm thought.

“It does feel that way though, a little more spellcraft-laden than Fire and Ice, but the premise is still rather similar. On the other hoof, you couldn’t call something that’s had two television series and seven movies obscure can you?” Blaze argued, as the two of them continued lounging on the false clouds.

“Point taken, though I think we’re talking more about the ‘accidental lifting of premises’ than the ‘obscure works’ part,” Storm conceded partially.

“Fine. Anyway, you think we should make ourselves available for more forward missions on the outside? I mean, I think it’d be valuable if the world knew that the Converts didn’t just turn tail and run to Equestria because they couldn’t make it here, depending on how we’re defining ‘making it’,” Blaze asked, genuinely probing for the opinion of her coltfriend.

“It couldn’t hurt anyway. For all we know, the Princesses are just waiting for us to offer to volunteer before sending us somewhere,” Storm figured.

“Yeah, perhaps. Also, while some of the people we’re opposing might think nothing of never setting foot outside of their Domes, I’m not particularly fond of the idea of being restricted to this ‘box’ while here on Earth,” Blaze concluded.

“You and me both, baby. You and me both,” Storm added.

[ October 01, 2081 – Orlando-New Miami Metro Area, USA ]
========================================================

“So you’re saying this used to be two really big cities, and then it was merged into one big super-city?” One of the Pony volunteers of the H.E.A. asked, as he and about ten or so HEA volunteers were buzzing around the utility service area to one of the larger municipal public housing ‘projects’ that were scattered all throughout the vast urbanized area that held almost all of South Florida’s population[1].

“Yeah back in my grandpa’s time. The seas got too high for the walls they were building at the time so they started on the New Miami end of the city. Eventually, most people got the hint and old Miami eventually bled completely into New Miami. You got a few stragglers in the dry patches back in the old metro but you always have that,” one of the volunteers from the local Loyalist resistance militia, the Sunshine Volunteer Force.

“In any case, we could be all day and night trying to figure out the why and who done it regarding the sea level rise. We just need to do what we can to get people to some level of comfort and ability to do stuff, then we can figure out what about the Earth we can actually repair,” one of the Human HEA volunteers mused, are and a couple of other Humans and one of the two Dragons were moving a generator in place to replace one that had been damaged by some mysterious action.

“I’d like to know who would be so brazen as to ruin a necessary piece of equipment like this? You’d think the Black Shield would want to keep the public as quiet and docile as possible during this time of persistent turmoil,” the Dragon asked, as he checked the alignment of the new generator’s base to the hookup area where the old generator was still sitting.

“Could have just been an accident, or just unaffiliated vandals; though I don’t put it past the Society to pull some bull like this,” one of the Sunshine volunteers responded, as they were keeping a perimeter to keep gawkers far enough away. “Hey look, everyone if you want to ask questions of the Alliance volunteers, they have that red fairy doing interviews at that tent over there…”

About 50 or so yards away, next to one of the larger parking lots outside the complex, there was a large tent set up. The tent was white and blue, and fringed in black, green, and red: the recognizable colors of the HEA. Inside, the other half of the volunteer contingent, one of each species, were all fielding questions from the rather sizable, and still growing, crowd. Shift, the eldest of the cyber-fairies, was wearing her bright red reporter’s shirt as she made herself de-facto MC of the event.

“That’s cool, I’ve never seen a projector make a virtual being look so real outside of a studio…” one of the smaller kids wondered aloud, as he looked her and the assorted aliens in silent awe.

“A small benefit of being around a bunch of mages. Don’t have to spend and arm and a leg to properly project me into real-space, though…” Shift started, as she waved an arm through the kid, only to pass through him as the projection did not show through any solid material, living or non. “… as you can see, it’s not a tactile projection. That’s still a ways away~”

“In any case, I have to thank all of you for keeping your questions civil. I know that us being here might be aggravating either you all personally, or drawing the attention of SPH aligned forces, but we all felt that it was necessary to begin doing public outreach again. It’s not going to do us any good in truly rebuilding this world is we’re holed up just as much as the Domers are,” the human volunteer stated aloud for the crowd through the microphone, for the benefits of those not under or near the Ice-Magic cooled tent.

After a few more moments, another hand went up in the rather sizeable assembled crowd, and one of the other human volunteers walked up with a microphone to the attendee so everyone could hear the question being asked. “What made you all come back, anyway? I thought you would have just left us to our own devices after what happened in June and July…”

All of the HEA volunteers taking questions thought for a few moments as they wondered themselves why exactly they found themselves back on Earth so relatively soon after the miserable feeling of retreat from early July. The human who sat next to where the projection of Shift was standing stood up himself to respond. “Like I said, we were holed up, wondering that very question. Should we come back? If we do, how do we come back? We clearly misestimated how far a certain cadre would go to keep control.”

The reference to the SPH got a few boos out of the crowd, and said human that was speaking paused a few moments for it do die down. “Yeah, you can count us amongst the many who think the SPH are just a front for the Domers who were angry at how nice the governments were playing with the Ponies and were doing other things to annoy them. In fact, the more we all thought about it, the more we thought ‘Why shouldn’t we be out there doing what we can to help out?’ So here we are again, with some extra help.”

The crowd murmured as it talked amongst themselves, before another resident of the complex rose her hand to ask a question. “Um, this is for the Dragon, the Gryphon, or the Zebra: what was it about what the Ponies told you that made you all want to come over here to Earth?”

The three addressed volunteers huddled together in order to formulate a response, and the Dragon took the microphone to respond for himself and the Gryphon and Zebra with him. “Truth be told, it took quite a little while to sell us on just the idea of even coming here, let alone actually participating in everything the HEA was. A part of it is avoiding the appearance of coming at the behest of the Equestrian Princesses, species and national pride and all that noise. Another part of it was not understanding really what Earth was, what it was we were being asked to do, or even if anything going on here was germane to us. After a month on this side though, I can honestly say for myself, and I think I can speak for my Gryphon and Zebra partners, that we were glad we did come. I can see why the Ponies go out of their way to help, even when it seems like they are being a bother or a nuisance – seeing someone’s eyes light up when we cook them a hot meal with naturally-grown food, instead of the synthetics or cloned tissue you all use, or hooking up machines like the electrical generators a few dozen yards away from here, makes me feel good. It’s a real good feeling that’s not really replicated in anything else.”

The Gryphon took the mic for an addendum. “Our people call the Ponies’ attitude towards others when they get in that ‘I’m helping you, no matter what’ mode Heldenkomplex, or just simply ‘hero complex’. Though I have to agree a bit with my Dragon teammate after being here and having some general interaction, I can see why the Ponies want so badly to keep engaging with you all. I can’t lie – I’m feeling the same pull to be out here and doing things to.”

The back and forth between the steadily growing assembled crowd of residents and non-active members of the HEA volunteer group continued on for a while longer, deep into the late afternoon. In fact, it was going on so long, a local unwanted group decided it was long past time to go and break up this little affair.

“Hey, Thompson, we got a problem,” one of the Sunshine volunteers said, as he walked up to the squad leader for the HEA.

“What’s going on?” Thompson replied, his thirty year old face looking rather young, not putting him a day over twenty-five at first blush.

“SPH Armored Van on the way, apparently they’ve had about enough of the both of us doing this community service and building up a ton of good PR for it,” the SVF member said, as he showed them a real-time track of the armored van moving down the streets of the New Miami side of the metro area, about a couple of minutes away from the residential complex.

“So they get mad at us for doing their job for them? I really don’t understand them, but that’s renegades for you…” the HEA squad leader said as he thought for a few moments. “If you can spare us a few men, I want to set up a little show of presence at the gate they are most likely to try and enter from. Keep the heavily armed members in back, I want to avoid anything resembling a firefight where there are so many other potentially unarmed residents.”

“Sure thing, give me a couple of seconds to round up a half dozen,” the SVF member responded.

A few minutes later, a half dozen men wearing the sunrise logo of the Sunshine Volunteer Force, and a HEA contingent of three humans, two Gryphons, and a Dragon were all standing near the gate where the black, armored van approached.

As said black armored van pulled up, a crowd began to gather, though staying some distance back, not sure if the face-to-face would devolve into a fight or not.

A half dozen light to moderately armored SPH members ducked out of the van, forming a half circle near the line of SVF and HEA members, as the crowd looked on the scene with baited breath.

As the tension continued to rise amongst the gathered crowd, the black-and-red-fringed-beret wearing SPH in the front of the arc took up a megaphone to speak to both the assembled crowd and the assembled small force gathered to counter their own. “We are an authorized sweeper crew from the Society of the Preservation of Humanity. We have received report of Aliens being sighted in this residential zone, though I guess the fact I’m looking at three of them right in my face says these reports are right.”

Thompson turned on the inlaid microphone of his collar, not wearing a full suit of armor though still protected against anything except heavy arms or headshots, in order to respond. “Obviously yes we do have Aliens here in the residential complex, though I fail to see what you all are going to do about that. We’re still in the middle of repairing the electrical generators that keep this place livable for all of the people who you all don’t let in the Domes of your backers.”

“What do you mean the Domes of our backers?” the beret wearing supposed-leader of the SPH contingent asked, as the other goggle wearing men and women looked around a tad confused. “We are nothing more than concerned citizens working to repel the alien threat!”

“Is that why the only time you all are out in public whenever you think the Ponies appeared, or wherever the SPH or the resistance militias are now?!” one of the onlookers shouted, her tone clearly incensed at the sheer level of denial dripping from the black-beret wearing Society member.

“Honest! We want nothing more than to show them and the others like them the door so we can work toward building a better tomorrow for all!” the black beret wearing man shouted in response, the crowd now starting to become quite animated behind the SVF and HEA members standing by the gate.

“All you do is try and censor the news!” one man shouted.

“You don’t even try and help us, you just let vandals strip whatever we got left bare!” another woman shouted.

“It’s gotten so bad my own son joined the Sunshine Volunteers to fight you all! Is that what you want, humans fighting amongst themselves?!” another man shouted.

The clamor and rancor in the crowd was starting to bubble and percolate even higher, which caught the eyes and ears of the SPH squad leader, as he waved to the van. From the van, marched three more soldiers, all clad in the trademark ‘riot control’ gear, chemical bazookas at their side ready to fire.

“We are the legitimate government of this city, this state, this country, and this world. We are now ordering you to disperse, and for the members of the Sunshine Volunteer Force and the Human-Equus Alliance to either vacate the premises, or surrender quietly,” the beret-wearing man stated firmly, as he tried to imply to the rest of the SPH crew with him that he was in firm control of the situation.

“Like hell you are the legit anything, fucking Black Shield need to go home to whatever Dome they crawled out of!” one of the crowd shouted, as the percolating emotions of said crowd were starting to reach a boil.

If this man is smart, he’ll back off and let things simmer down… Thompson thought to himself, having served a few months on riot control in the Milwaukee Police Department before moving to Orlando-Miami.

Not being a psychic, or very experienced at crowd psychology, the beret-wearing member did just about the exact opposite of what Thompson was thinking. “Either you all disperse immediately or we are filling this area with enough tear gas to make an elephant bawl!”

One of the armored SPH soldiers readied his launcher, as he pointed it at the crowd. Though he didn’t fire immediately… instead he thought for a few seconds…

Two birds… or rather… two lizards with one stone…

As he lowered the launcher from a lob angle to a direct-fire angle, and pointed it straight at the Dragon in the crowd.

The Dragon didn’t realize it in the moment, but felt a deep sense of foreboding, as he looked at the metal tube, and, at least a quickly as could be expected of someone with limited first-hand experience with the matter, attempted to brace himself for the shell.

“What the Hell?” Thompson shouted as he saw the tear-gas canister fly out of the bazooka-like device with a muffled *prfph*.

“MUZ YWOK [Air Net]!” the Dragon shouted, as what looked like a shimmering ball of pale blue formed in his hands as he put them right in his chest where he thought the shell would hit him.

And hit him it did, and knocked him back a good foot or two, causing him to crash to the ground in a heap.

“What in the fuck are you trying to do, start a war!?” a man in the crowd shouted, as everyone began to shout obscenities and throw trash and debris at the black-clad members of the SPH.

“I told you to quash this budding riot, not incite it further!” the beret-wearing squad leader shouted at the man who fired the gas shell.

“I tried to! And I thought I could take that Dragon out at the same time!” the man who fired the shot shouted back. The other two armor-clad SPH squad members with their rifles drawn in order to more forcefully disperse the increasingly rowdy crowd.

“SHUT UP!” they heard a deep voice bellow, as the crowd and the arguing SPH squad fell silent.

The dragon that had just been knocked down stood up, gingerly with the help of the other Dragon that had rushed to his aid, but seemingly none the worse for wear than a loss of breath.

“You apparently underestimated me so let me just make it PERFECTLY clear, in a language you can understand. I am about THREE ticks away from LITERALLY tearing the lot of you from limb to limb! The ONLY reason why I DON’T is because there are children watching and I have superiors I have to answer to. So I would HIGHLY suggest all nine of you get back into your black, wheeled tin-can and LEAVE!” the Dragon shouted, sapphire-colored flame wafting from his exposed scales and flaring out of his mouth and nostrils.

The beret-wearing squad leader took a few moments to consider, looking as the Dragon with the apparent blue fire was getting angrier every second he was seeing something in black with a white shield logo on it. He then rendered his decision.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will make a strategic withdrawal to assess the situation; but mark my word, this incident will be reported up the chain of command, and you can expect us to be back to redress this transgression against us!” he stated clearly and firmly as he possibly could, which only served to visibly irk the Dragon with the building rage more and more.

The nine men and women in black slowly backed into the van and pulled out, trying as desperately as they could to not appear to be running scared from the rage-filled Dragon – and mostly failing at it. Eventually the hum of the engine kicked into full, as the van pulled out at a quick clip, driving back to wherever it was headquartered.

“Sir, you comported yourself with grace and dignity over something that I am sure you took as a grave insult,” Thompson said to the Dragon who had caught the shell, which was still being held in the distorted-colored ball of gas that formed the ‘Air Net’.

“I know how I sounded, like a caged animal that was barking mad and ready to tear into something, but that is legitimately how I felt in the moment. He could have seriously hurt, possibly killed someone firing that shell down and into the crowd like that. Even fighting it up and over is dangerous from what I saw in our training videos. And we need to protect these people from the SPH, at the very least while we are actively trying to render them aid,” the Dragon responded, as he sat on a bench near the media tent where Shift was wondering where everyone had gone so quickly.

“It sounds like there was quite the commotion earlier, I think we need to get this story on camera so Alternate can report on it for the late evening broadcast. If that’s alright with you all…” Shift asked, as she made like she was sitting on a table, despite being made of nothing but photons and mana particles.

“Yeah, Miss Shift, never a dull moment around us, apparently,” Thompson replied, thankful no one was hurt overall.

***** ===== *****

CH 29: Option Select

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 29: Option Select ===

[ October 8, ????+1 – Somewhere on the Astral Plane near Equus ]
================================================================

“It’s been too long, Lady Celestia and Lady Luna, far too long…” a regal figure said[1] - eagle’s head of stormcloud gray with a golden solar yellow center, fringes ringed in rainbow colors; contrasted against a body of the deepest of midnight blue hues, with faint stripes of milky white and scattered pinpricks of the same.

“You were always so formal with us, Sir Aquileo,” Luna reponsed in greeting, giggling a bit with the somewhat stuffy nature of the Patron Immortal of the Gryphons.

The celestial eagle-and-pantera (no one was ever able to nail down exactly which big cat his body was modeled after) morph beat his four wings in a huff to show his mild consternation at the second youngest ‘sibling’ of the whole Pantheon of Equus.

“It is a shame that Lady Cadence could not join us. I do enjoy when we can get the entire Pantheon together to discuss the comings and goings of our world in the manner that only we are capable of,” Aquileo groaned in frustration, a bit upset that everyone was more content to do what they wanted with little interference from the others save formalities.

“Eventually we will before too many years pass in real-time,” Celestia assured her elder brother, which brought a smile to the face of the dual-toned creature.

“I can only surmise that you left her behind in order to let her attend Court, since it is the Day in your section of the world,” another Immortal figure surmised, his cloak[2] unmistakable amongst the entire cadre of creatures that surrounded the metaphysical space around Equus.

“I see the Master of Tales have graced us. If nothing else, this meeting of the Patrons of the Major Nations will have to assuage me for now,” Aquileo remarked, as the Zebra Immortal removed the cloak from his head.

The Zebra had glowing golden eyes, with irises of the deepest black, and stripes of all manners of shades of white, grey, and black. But the most striking thing about his visage was what was always surrounding him.

“You know you don’t have to have all that spiderweb around you. Even the little Ponies would say I was being a bit melodramatic with my costuming during Nightmare Night if I were manifest as such,” Luna mused aloud, a bit of a mirthful tone.

“I can imagine, Keeper of Our Moon. And yet, I find it necessary these days. The tales your new additions to your Herd have to tell… I may need to open a new Wing of the Celestial Library at this rate…” the Zebra replied; Luna catching a glimpse of his two eyes dividing into four for a split second, surmising the Master of Tales had formally recorded more information into said Library.

“Zan’Anzi, if the three of you actually agree to our proposal tonight, you are going to have to promise me one thing,” Celestia asked of her second elder brother to arrive to the meeting.

“And that would be?” the tall, and well-built Zebra replied, as he stood a few ‘inches’ taller than his sister Pony.

“You simply have to find a more efficient way to record from your ears on the ground, than keeping Astral Web on your person. At the rate we’re going, you will wind up cocooned in it,” the white Alicorn replied, trying to stifle a giggle as she imagined the tall Zebra strung up in cocoon of his own making.

“I will keep that in mind, Celestia,” Zan’Anzi replied with a chuckle, as he braided the loose spiderweb on his person into a long cord, and wrapped it around his body like a very-loosely coiled fiber-optic cable.

“A much better look for you, my Zebra compatriot,” they heard five feminine voices boom in unison. Each of the four immortals gathered holding their heads for a few moments as they mentally adjusted to her presence.

“That mild cacophony of dragoness tones can only mean the last member of this gathering is here,” Aquileo groaned, still not used to how the Patroness of Dragons spoke after all these eons, at least when she wasn’t already speaking.

A gigantic creature landed in the metaphysical meeting space the five of them had reserved, nearly the size of a large house compared to the slightly-larger-than-a-full-grown-man size of the other four. Her five heads[3] grumbled in a manner befitting a high-class individual who was persistently annoyed by something: as was evidenced by the fact her body scales hummed a slightly purplish-red tone.

“So how goes things, Tiamat?” Zan’Anzi asked has he looked up at the Spirit-Queen of Dragons.

The main-head, which shared the same purplish-red hue of her body, spoke while her other four heads rested along her shoulders. “Our younger sisters requested our presence, and while I reserve the right to be annoyed by having to leave my hoard, I ultimately cannot deny their request.”

The Wyrm head quipped up when the main head was done speaking. “And besides, the fact our Clutch has remained so small compared to the rest of your populations continues to be a sore spot for me. What the Keeper of the Moon has to propose can rectify this in relative short order.”

“On the one claw, our world is flush with enough resources to support a far bigger Dragon population than we have,” Aquileo thought aloud, speculation triggered by the rumblings of the slate-gray and brown Wyrm-head of the Dragon Immortal. “On the other, there is no telling what happens if the Dragon population were to grow to size comparable to our own.”

“True, it is hard to gauge that. Then again, on Terra, there was a much more robust population of Dragons with fewer pure crystal resources. Ultimately the Dragons only need Crystals for their natural dragonscale weave. I am… unsure where they got the idea that the majority, if not the entirety of their diet had to be crystalline in nature,” Zan’Anzi mused, his eyes having divided into four - showing more tapping of the second level of the Celestial Library.

“I will maintain I did not suggest such a thing to my Brood. Though, I also haven’t told them they were necessarily wrong in thinking how they do,” Tiamat replied, crossing her mighty arms/forelegs as she did.

“I am certainly thankful that the older amongst your Brood eventually come to learn that from themselves. Though we will need to teach any that avail themselves of this coming option the truth to your biology, at least as much as you are willing to divulge,” Celestia remarked, looking into the stern ruby eyes of the Dragoness.

Tiamat thought for a few seconds before replying. “I will have Wraithwind send you documents to be translated into Terran languages once the Ape scientists figure out the keys we are to cede to your possession.”

“It would also be helpful if you not refer to the Humans as such,” Luna chided of her elder sister.

“I will take it up with Gaea should she make her way over here,” Tiamat responded curtly.

“It seems like the Dragon-Human tension has not abated. I would guess that’s from the merging of the Equuan and Terran Dragon Horde into a singular family,” Aquileo thought aloud.

“That is a fair way to surmise it, Aquileo. Wraithwind and the others of the Nomad Council are learned enough to quell the instinctive distrust of the Humans, but the more… raw of my Brood will find themselves uncomfortable in the presence of too many of the…” Tiamat started; before she saw the doubly-stern look her near-youngest sister was giving her. “Sorry, uncomfortable in the presence of too many of the humans.”

“I will break you of that habit, no matter how many eons it takes, Tiamat,” Luna mused, with a bit of wryness to her voice.

“It will take you so long, I would wager,” Tiamat responded, as her Long head yawned a bit before dozing off again. “In any case, I trust that you will all not object to intervening of our own accord if one chooses to join us and we may have, concerns about that individual?”

“Not at all, Tiamat. In fact the whole purpose of these keys is to create a simulacrum that will process the bulk of your entries, while flagging those who may be of particular interest,” Luna responded.

“I have no further questions then,” Aquileo said, as he manifested an orb of golden yellow magic from between his four wings.

“Nor do I…” Zan’Anzi added, uncovering a green-ish orb of magic from underneath a spider-silk cloth.

“Any problems I have I have already stated, and rest assured if I think of any more, I will let you all know,” Tiamat rumbled, as she breathed dragonflame until it coalesced into a crimson orb like the others.

The Royal Sisters took the orbs and placed them into three card-like keys, each key glowing as the magic filled the channels etched into each.

“Before you return to our shared Reality, dear Sisters, have you thought about what you may do whenever it comes times for you to join us on a more, consistent basis?” Zan’Anzi asked of the two Alicorns before him.

“I have, at least. It would be comfort to retire to the role of Mentor and Watcher instead of one-half, and in the near future one-third of the Sovereign. Though, even given the thousand years I and my Ponies have been at work, I’m not sure if we have repaired all that Discord rent asunder. And then there is the curious case of Discord himself,” Celestia thought, as Luna seemed grumble in frustration.

“Yes, your intent in sealing him the very first time was sound. When you assimilated Her powers into yourself, you used the excess to bind Discord, body, mind, and soul, to magical stone – reducing him to a passive observer of all that went on around him. But you know as well as we do the nature of Chaos,” Aquileo stated, as he looked at the two Alicorns, each one seemingly representing a perfect half of their ‘mother’.

“Yes, brother. Discord, if we were to do absolutely nothing, will eventually break his bonds… again,” Luna responded, seemingly spitting at the last few words of her statement.

“If we want a permanent solution to our problem, we have to eliminate Discord as a threat to our world, and our cosmos in general…” Celestia started, before a thought popped into her head. “If I remember correctly, the reason why we defeated Discord at the height of his power to begin with was because we tapped into one of the reservoirs of Terran Magic that existed in Equus still; with the will of our ‘mother’ combined with that power from the leftover gift from Gaea, we could tap into a force so primal to reality itself, we could rewrite an entity of Chaos as one of, admittedly temporary, Order.”

“I think I can see this insight of yours: the Elements, and by extension, the Conduits of Terra exemplify the resuscitation of Terran Magic. As well as the Ancient Terran Dragon philosophy preaching balance between the ideals of Will and Power,” Tiamat thought and added. “Ultimately, if we want to neutralize Discord as a threat without trying to kill him, we will need to leverage the current Bearers of the Elements, both of Harmony and Terra, to show him the Trial of Insanity is long over with.”

“It would take some doing, since it was not too long that he was re-sealed in stone. But we do have quite some time before the new seal will start to fail,” Zan’Anzi mentioned.

“When Discord managed to break out last time, he seemed more interested in testing the new Bearers of the Elments than sowing Chaos in that immediate frame – which at the time I figured was just him trying to eliminate the one solid threat to him from re-establishing control. But now that I’ve had some time to think about it… I honestly believe Discord is interested in the Elements of Harmony, at least, as a group and individuals beyond them simply being the new holders of the Elements. It is possible we can leverage that in the near future,” Celestia responded.

“So do you still believe in deliberately unsealing him to see if the Elements can at least render him a non-antagonist?” Luna asked of her elder sister.

“Eventually. Their attunement to the elements is still quite raw, so I would not dare release him now. But I can see a day where Discord is less the malevolent force of destruction and madness he was before, and more of a trickster… somewhat like you, Zan’Anzi, when you’ve been piqued,” Celestia replied, with a smile toward the Patron of Zebrakind.

“Guilty as charged, little sister. I do enjoy the good amusing scenario here and there, especially when I can allow it to build over a long period of time,” Zan’Anzi chuckled as he responded.

“While I eagerly await that day, if for no other reason to have that Sword not hang over our collective heads, is it not time for you to make your way back to the Physical Plane to resume your incarnate duties?” Aquileo asked of the Royal Sisters.

“Ah yes, I do believe dear Cadence is probably at her wits end by now; wondering if she could get the petitioners to fall in love with some sort of inanimate object to spare her a few moments respite,” Princess Celestia thought aloud.

“While the thought of some of those Nobles lusting over a lamppost amuses me greatly, we should avoid increasing whatever enmity we might have with them. We may already be having problems in that regard as it stands, for other reasons,” Luna added, as the two of them began to re-manifest in reality.

“Just remember, we are always here to help you two and Cadence with the world, in whatever way that we can. Despite how we might sound about it at face value,” Tiamat bellowed to her younger sisters as they vanished from the Astral Plane.

=== -- ===

“Ugh I am so bored right now…” the pink Alicorn mused aloud, as her Crystal Guard shared her look of disdain and ennui, as they looked across the way to the Listening Hall, and a table that was conspicuously bereft of petitioners.

“Is it really that slow today, or are they avoiding us for some reason?” one of her Guard asked of one of the regular Solar Guard.

“It’s a little of both to be perfectly honest. I think most of our frequent visitors feel that they would not get a fair hearing from Princess Cadence, which I can only take to mean they don’t know how to work her or her aides,” the Solar Guard responded.

A pair of golden and azure flashes in a nearby room heralded the return of the Royal Princesses, and for their niece, it was a long time in waiting.

“Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna, help me please,” Cadence moaned in plaintive need, as she laid out across the ‘arms’ of her throne, showing mock distress, but getting her point across to the two elder Alicorns quite quickly.

“It looks like everything is well under control here, I do not see an angry mob or anything of the sort,” Luna responded, as a Lunar Guardsstallion brought her court regalia, as a Solar Guardsstallion did the same for Celestia.

“At this point I might take a slightly churlish gathering over this fat lot of nothing I’ve had over the two hours you’ve been gone to consult with the others,” Cadence replied, as she visibly grumbled about the fact that few, if any, saw fit to petition the Court in the time she was sitting on the throne.

As Cadence de-materialized her throne and Celestia re-materialized hers, officially showing the handover from the Crystal to the Day Court, Celestia couldn’t help but notice a bit of a forlorn look in her niece.

“I get the feeling that I was doing something entirely wrong, but everyone was too afraid to tell me what it was. I guess either for fear of upsetting myself, of upsetting one or both of you,” Cadence replied, as she sat down near the throne, contemplating the last couple of hours’ events, or lack thereof.

“Night Court was a similar problem for me the first year or so after my return and cleansing. No one knew if the wrong word or phrase would send me into a relapse. And in addition, I could blatantly tell that a fair number, if not a majority, of the petitioners did not exactly hold me in high esteem,” Luna responded as she was ready to catch what sleep she could before moonrise later that evening.

“I should think we have been able to grow past those issues; though I think Cadence’s issues will take some time longer, simply because she will be in Crystalia most of the time,” Celestia figured.

“True enough, Aunt Celestia. I guess I could take this to say I need to engage more when I hold court. It is possible, due to the empathic link through the Crystal Heart, that I’ve allowed myself to grow complacent in trying to steer conversation. At least that is what I am figuring at the moment from my limited experience with the Crystal Court,” Cadence thought aloud.

“It is much easier when you have a rapport with the Nobles, then they can say things without having to utter them out loud, which makes it easier for them to save face. Don’t worry Cadence, you will learn these things with time,” Celestia remarked with a smile, as the her niece (and sovereign of the Crystal Empire) and the attendant Crystal Guardstallions made her their way out of the Listening Room, to take the air-carriage ride back to Crystalia.

[ October 10, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
=================================

“I wonder why your mom and dad wanted us all to get together here? They’ve been snowed under with work all of this time since we all moved here from St. Louis,” Vague thought out loud, as he looked at the message flashing on one of Hana’s pads.

“I guess they’re ready to show us the fruits of their labor on the new phase of the Project,” Hana surmised.

“I heard all manners of things about this Project, and I have read through some of the documents you all used with the first of the Converts. It is an interesting system you had set up then,” Kel’yual, one of the Zebra armorers, mused aloud, as he sat in the commissary with the rest of the Conduits and a few of the other-species volunteers.

“I have a bunch of questions to ask, but I guess that’ll have to wait for a bit,” Wyrazanie Slyzsa said, as her ears perked up a bit hearing the footsteps and last minute mutterings in that language that sounded identical to Neighponese.

“Huh?” Blaze started, to ask, before he saw the middle-aged Japanese couple, Doctors Hayato and Jun Isegawa, the nanomachine specialist holding a chrome-covered briefcase.

“Good news, everyone!” Hayato called out in loud and gregarious accented English.

“You found the universal cure for cancer?” Vague responded with a joking tone.

“In a manner of speaking, anyway~” Dr. Jun replied in kind, with a sly tone to match. “But in honesty, we do have something important to show all of you.”

The Doctors Isegawa pulled up another table to serve as a display, as the woman that was all of 5’6” turned the case over, spun it around, and opened it. What was revealed inside did not seem that impressive at first blush, until everyone witnessing put two and two together.

“Wow, they look a little brighter than the old ones used to look,” Hana said, as she looked at the slightly glowing potions of purple, gold, red, and green – each one in a stylized 8 oz vial, with a cap that was a tiny bust of each species.

“When did you all get time to design those vial-caps?” Storm asked of the Doctors.

“One of the lab techs is also a part time sculptor. He said all he needed was some good modeling software, a 3D Scanner, and a volunteer of each species, and there you go,” Dr. Hayato responded.

“Should be worthwhile for any administering nurse who is completely color blind,” Frederika said aloud, getting a nod from Blaze.

“In any way, it is all well and good that we have these resources now, but we also need a safe mechanism by which to use them. I doubt if we could re-establish the same network of Bureaus we had before…” Dr. Jun mused as her brain got to turning.

“If it were me, I would say we angle for a nice plot of land somewhere out of the way, but we can build transportation infrastructure out to. Then we can move those willing to this location, and teach them in relative safety,” Captain Julio said, as he walked in on the proceeding.

“Hrm, now that is a thought. It would be easier to protect a single location than it would myriad Bureaus scattered across the country,” Dr. Hayato concluded.

As the conversation about the new potions proceeded on, a pertinent question came up from Golden Storm. “So how exactly did you test all of these new potions? We don’t exactly have subjects just lying around like whoever did it before must have had.”

Dr. Hayato managed to keep his tongue in his mouth for a couple of beats, while he formulated the best answer that he could. “It was a lot of doing, but it basically boils down to virtual homunculi being designed much like what the combat volunteers use in their practice rooms. The Cyber-Fairies helped a lot with this, especially Alternate.”

“I’ll have to make sure to thank her when I see her next, then,” Storm concluded.

“If we could do all of this with just the few people we have here in Safe Haven, just think of all that we could accomplish with the whole world joined in,” Red Blaze wondered aloud.

“First thing first, we need governments that will accept our being here and our help. I believe our missions on the outside are not only helping with regard to how the public views us in general, but specifically allowing us to challenge the SPH overtly when the time comes to restore Aguillar and the other deposed heads of state,” Cpt. Julio contemplated aloud.

“You’re full of ideas today, aren’t you Captain. And good ones at that…” Dr. Jun replied, as she looked at the man roughly 20 years her junior.

“I have a lot of time to think. If we are going to make this work, we have to start pushing the issues out there in earnest,” Cpt. Julio responded.

“At the same time, we have to make sure our assets are protected from reprisal. I doubt the SPH or its allies and fellow travellers will just stop whenever we can winch them out of the government,” Blue Vague surmise aloud.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“In any case, we have to be the examples that we want to see in the world, in the end. We can talk all we want through Miss Alternate and others, but action will speak so much more loudly,” Dr. Hayato concluded.

=== -- Meanwhile in one of the testing rooms -- ===

“Arms teleportation engaged: AP60 Automatic Rifle…” a feminine voice chimed, as a two-foot long rifle appeared in the waiting hands of waiting human test subject.

“Straight out of science fiction…” Terry said as he held the teleported rifle, making sure that no parts were obviously missing.

As Terry tested the rifle to ensure that it was still in proper operating condition, Shining Armor, who was there for the day to personally witness the testing, decided to wax poetic.

“The AP60 really is a marvel of ballistic engineering. The sheer accuracy that has been derived while maintaining that impressive rate of fire, makes it perfect when you have a clear target and need to neutralize it quickly while minimizing collateral damage. I would surmise the decades of mostly urban and semi-urban warfare that have been conducted here have led to these developments?”

“Indeed Cpt. Armor.” Nero replied, impressed by how fast the Pony had soaked up the military knowledge lingering on the ‘net and in the person of the Humans of Safe Haven. “Have you been studying behind our backs?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. It is my duty to understand human tactics and capabilities. Since, not only have we brought in a number of military veterans through Conversion, and quite a few of those into our own Royal Guard ranks, but we’re also going to be interacting, both positively and negatively with a lot of Human armed forces and groups. SO it would behoove me to understand both formal and informal tactics as best I can, as well as learn as many of the tools as I can and what they are capable of,” Shining Armor responded, with a bit of a light to his eyes.

“You also have the eyes of a total War Gaming nerd, to be quite honest,” Nero concluded, almost looking past the face of the almost 30-year old stallion, and seeing a somewhat skinny teenager with books halfway up the ceiling of all kinds of different role-playing manuals and scenarios.

“Really now, Captain,” Klaudia started, a bit of mirth spreading across her golden eagle’s beak. “I would not have taken you for a rollenspieler[role-player].”

Shining blushed beet red through his white coat, feeling embarrassed for the sudden recurrence of his ignominious past. “Look, it’s not like I treat this like a game, or anything!”

Nero, waved a hand to brush away the implied accusation. “We never said you did, it’s just a bit surprising, that’s all. Then again, a lot of people on this side who end up going into the military were probably inspired, in some small part, by all the war games we’ve developed over the years.”

“The Gryphon Military Academies takes wargaming particularly seriously, since we must always be sharp against an outbreak of aggression amongst a rogue clan or state. That and it keeps a lid on what feels like an endemic streak of aggression and expansionism amongst the whole of the Gryphon Federation,” Klaudia added.

“Armor Swap Protocol Engaged: trading General Purpose Land Armor for Shallow-Water Amphibious Armor…” the electronic voice chimed, as Terry stood still and watched the outer plates of his armor appear to morph into a different configuration.

“These boots just got like three times as heavy, is that supposed to happen?” Terry asked to the observing trio.

“That’s to keep fast water from sweeping you away. Try walking and it should automatically adjust to the lack of resistance and lighten itself,” Shining Armor replied.

Sure enough, Terry started walking at the boots suddenly felt a lot lighter on his legs and feet. As he walked toward the simulated river, he could feel the weight increasing to resist the pull of the running water, something he immediately found quite useful.

“If nothing else, this should make for really good rescue equipment once we can find a way to produce this for civilian use,” Terry replied, as he went into a standard marching pace ‘upstream’ through the simulated body of water.

“I wouldn’t doubt it…” Klaudia concluded, as Terry started to work on balancing himself against the flow of the water to aim a non-automatic rifle properly.

“You could say we are rescuing the world… though I would hate to think that the lot of us have such an inflated sense of what we’re doing,” Nero mused as Terry continued practicing in the now bog-like conditions of the modified Training Field.

“The last thing we can afford is to have our own heads swell while we are engaged in all of this. Mission Creep is a dangerous thing, especially when it comes to us,” Shining Armor concluded, as the test began to conclude for this particular session.

=== -- And somewhere in the Mojave… -- ===

“Queen Chrysalis of the Hive of Envy!” a male changeling called, looking the same age as Chrysalis but sounding at least 20 years older, called out. “I, your humble lead alchemist, Bezzelisi, have completed the first stage of our plans.”

“Really now,” the Queen stated, as she stood from her throne, in her natural quadruped form, walking toward the silk screen said lead alchemist stood in front of.

“Yes, my Queen. And now without further ado,” the Changeling said, as he used his magic to draw back the curtain and reveal four humanoid figures, two masculine and two feminine.

“Oh~ You shouldn’t have, but I am so glad you did~” Chrysalis cooed.

“Yes, at long last, we have stabilized the Gene Matrix to accept human DNA into our base form, and now even the lowliest of lowly drone can alter their form to mimic such…” Bezeelisi crowed, silently directing the drones to turn around in place, to show their hybrid forms their Queen. Each drone was charcoal black with the same dull teal highlights down their sides that most drones had, with a large emotion-sensing fin-like ridge running down the back of their head down their neck. The trunks of their bodies were the most human looking, as their thin Changeling carapaces gave them a look of wearing body armor that was covered in thin felt, much like their normal quadruped forms. Their limbs terminated in either four-clawed hands with an opposable thumb, or mildly unguligrade hooves. Their wings laid flat along their backs, giving them an apparent sheen when they were still, and their backsides were topped by a teal horse’s tail.

“That is good. The more natural our drones look while disguised, the more humans we can abscond with before anyone has any idea what to do about it,” Chrysalis though aloud, striking a thinking pose. “I must make a point to recommend you for a promotion. You may land Head of MagiSciences yet, Bezzelisi…”

“Oh you are too kind, my Queen,” the valet-class Envyling replied, as he led the drones back into the residence hall.

----

“I’m sick and tired, Bombaud,” one Changeling to another, as she could hear through the psychic backwash of the Hivemind the praise Chrysalis was lavishing on Bezzelisi.

“You always say that when Chrysalis gets like this with him, Promethe,” the second Changeling said to the first, as he organized the alchemical concoctions that he used in his work.

“But this time he is getting beside himself. I put my own body on the line trying to get the balance of human DNA correct for the Gene Matrix, and then he just swoops in and takes all the credit for it?! I can’t even get some acknowledgement of the work I did and the risk I took in trying to get this done?” Promethe complained, as she groused openly about how she felt about Bezzelisi’s bad habit.

“You know how Queen Chrysalis feels about ‘lings using too many first-person pronouns,” Bombaud chided, as he was used to his ‘partner’s outbursts of frustration.

“Yes yes, ‘Too much ‘I’ destroys the Hive’, or something to that effect,” Promethe groused again, her frustration still evident in her voice. “I just want one of the higher-ups to recognize us little drones down here are making this whole operation work.”

“Just the way of our world, Promethe,” Bombaud started, trying his best to assuage the feminine second-class drone. “We do the work, they take the credit, and we get left enough space to carve out a little spot for ourselves. Eventually, some of us become soldiers or researchers or valets outright, and we get treated seriously. Myself, I don’t care if I’m drone or valet-consort - just so long as I get to keep mixing my little beauties.”

“I guess it’s nice to have dreams…” Promethe replied with an exceedingly depressed tone.

“Whatever helps us sleep at night, as the Ponies would say,” Bombaud concluded, as he trotted off to his ‘private’ workshop.

“Doesn’t stop it from being really unfair, and it’s getting to the point where it’s gonna be a real problem,” Promethe replied under her breath.

===== ***** =====

Author's Notes:

[1] Aquileo – the Patron Immortal of all Gryphonkind, has four-wings on his back, each one representing a cardinal direction (and its winds). He has a streak of feathers of all colors along his face and neck, but the dominant color of his bird head is pale gray, representing a rainbow and the storm whose rains generate the rainbow (by normal physics), though the center of his face and beak are a golden yellow, representing the Sun and how most of the birds that make up the Gryphons heads are diurnal hunters. His body is jet black like a ‘black panther’, though the structure is definitely closer to that of a ‘fantastical’ liger, faint stripes of midnight blue with white specks, representing the long arms of the galaxy in the night sky, and how most of the cats that make up the body of Gryphons are nocturnal hunters.

[2] Zan’Anzi – The Patron Immortal of all Zebrakind, looks like a taller, more realistically proportioned version of real zebras (similar to how Celestia, Luna, and Cadence are proportioned relative to the rest of Ponydom). His distinguishing feature are his brown eyes. They progressively becomes more gold colored, and divide into pairs the deeper into his knowledge his delves – though he generally never generates more than eight eyes this way, which most interpret to mean he keeps his knowledge in three distinct tiers. He is also known to have astral spider web always connected to his cloak. This is to keep in constant contact with his ‘watchers’ - innumerable spiders, a different species in each region/continent of Equus, so that he may continue to record new information and creations into his vast reservoir of knowledge.

[3] Tiamat – The Patroness Immortal (and self-professed Spirit-Queen) of all Dragonkind. A regal five-headed Dragon, each head and neck representing one of the major Dragon Race: (standard) Dragon, Long, Wyrm, Aquan, and Kotal [European-style winged; Asian-style partially furred with antler-like horns; snake-like; similar to wyrms but have amphibious gills and large fins along the back and sides; giant, bird-like feathered wings, shorter limbs than Long but longer than Wyrms (when they have them), respectively]. As knowledgeable as Zan’Anzi, but while Zan’Anzi will relinquish knowledge to anyone who knows the right way to ask (regardless of what effect that knowledge might have), Tiamat demands some type of down payment on any knowledge of power relinquished, owing her covetous nature. The rest of her body changes color depending on her mood, most of the time being a dark purplish-red, representing her churlish ‘default’ state.

Chapter 30: Mysteries of the Deep

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 30: Mysteries of the Deep ===

[ October 11, 2081 – Durham Domed Community, North Carolina, USA, Earth ]
=========================================================================

“Ah, Mr. Egret, it has been quite some time hasn’t it,” a sharp-dressed man said, as he welcomed one of his many clients that had quickly become a frequent, and favorite, customer.

“Amicable as always, aren’t you Ken?” Nathan replied, as attendants took their blazers in the (slightly) cooler early autumn air of Durham.

“Well I have to be, if no one else is. You know how many dour sad-sacks I have to deal with on a daily basis. Always “blow up this” and “death to whatever” that, whatever happened to just good old fashioned ‘I want to make a bunch of highly dangerous implements of conflict and then screw around with them in peace?’” Kenneth complained in a mocking tone, as the group of four rode the elevators back down to the ‘Toybox’.

---

After the brief elevator ride, Nathan was staring head long as the newest project on part of Ken’s literal underground factory.

“Mr. Egret of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity, I give you… the Thaumatically-Armed Gunboat[1], or the T.A.G. for short,” Kenneth announced with great pride as a pair of techs milled about inside the 20’ long and 7’ (at its widest) heavily armed motorboat.

“Ah yes, never know when they might be attempting to hide in plain sight amongst the urban ruins or out of visual sight off-shore. We will definitely need shallow and deep water capabilities.”

“One must be able to cover all fields and terrains, right?” Ken responded, as the techs continue to mill about. “In any case, this boat has a top speed of 200 mph, along with small hydro-thaum jets along the side to give a turning radius more akin to a light truck.”

“A boat that can turn like a truck in water… very interesting, especially given how long and well-stocked this black beauty looks,” Nathan replied, as the two of them joined the techs as they walked along the deck.

“The deck’s surface is designed and enchanted, if you will, to absorb and dispel water, to give maximal traction regardless of how much water may be splashing on deck,” Ken reported as they looked around the top-side of the boat.

“I’d assume these straps on the railing are for holding on if you are using a firearm over the side?” Nathan asked, as he looked down at the computer simulated ocean underneath the ‘drydock’ed gunboat.

“Yes they are, and if you come below deck with me…” Ken started, as the two of them climbed down the ladder leading inside the hull.

The two of them resumed the walk through, as they oversaw some more techs running diagnostics on the internal systems of the gunboat, as Ken resumed his thought. “You can see the bottom looks more technically impressive than the top, which is more for aesthetics and function.”

“Hrm, most Outsider computer centers aren’t as well equipped as this, and in far more space on their end,” Nathan thought aloud.

“In anycase, you have holograph-headsets for the long-gun aimers, and your ballistic guns have an effective range of 750 yards and the thaumatic guns have effective ranges of 800, both measures of course under ideal conditions. You also have the capacity for several dozen micro-missiles and/or torpedoes, depending on what mission you intend per gunboat. Not to mention, lots of storage space for any armor and weaponry that the crew and riders might be intending carry and use.”

“I see, we could think of this as a floating weapons platform, though of course you can only do so much if you weigh the vessel down too much,” Nathan thought aloud in response.

“Just like anything else, you can stuff a power armor with a thousand guns, doesn’t make a difference if the man inside the armor can’t move. Then he’s basically just a living turret,” Ken thought, following the same mental track as Nathan.

“And if we just wanted a mobile turret, we can have a drone do that. Won’t do us any good if we can’t recruit if we’re just using them as cannon fodder, bad for morale and all… speaking of which…” Nathan started, as he thought about it for a bit. “How is that other project of ours coming along.”

“Hrm, yes, that little project. I will say this, with the capabilities you want per drone, we cannot trust a true artificial intelligence with it. There is too much of a risk of it going rogue, as well as the unknown effects of magic on an AI. So we plan to keep just a normal drone intelligence loaded into them, which means you are still going to need human commanders and controllers.”

“Disappointing, but anything to bolster our numbers in the near term, ever since those blasted White Knights returned to the field. We got the public and the resistance fighters emboldened now, and I’m starting to hear some nasty rumors,” Nathan grumbled, as he felt himself becoming more and more animated.

“What kind of rumors, Mr. Egret?” Ken wondered aloud, trying to figure the true thoughts of one of his better clients.

“That those projections they have been using are not merely routines like our virtual actors. That those entities are actual AI being powered by some kind of magic…” Nathan replied; his eyes focused on one of the spinning icons on the monitors of the array of computers and other devices inside the ‘cabin’ of the boat.

Damn, I was hoping we wouldn’t be pressed into that level of experimentation, but if we want to maintain any kind of advantage, then our hands may be forced… Ken thought with a flash of anger; he was concerned that AI being developed in this type of environment would be difficult to control.

“Rest assured that we will pursue a similar avenue of development once we are comfortable we can avoid a Rogue situation. Then again, those Ponies and their new allies may force our hand. I certainly do not want to give the world over to Machines in trying to keep Celestia and her hangers-on from taking it over,” Ken replied, showing sympathy for Nathan (and by proxy the SPH’s) concerns.

Then again, if I can make them dependent on thauma-drones for their forces… Ken thought to himself, as the two of them exited the reinforced-armor underside of the gunboat.

“So how do you like the product?” Ken asked, knowing full well how Nathan would answer given the look in his eye.

“I want as many as you can manufacture. In fact, I have a particular spot I want to patrol, scanners picked up a large amount of lingering energy south of Nouvelle Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Could be something we could utilize in ensuring control of the coasts and near-ocean,” Nathan replied, as the two of them walked somewhere more private to discuss specific terms

[ October 23, 2081 – Somewhere on the Astral Plane near Earth-Space ]
=====================================================================

“Oh this is so funny~ I’d love to see how Vague would react if something like this happened to him,” Venome said, as she laid out on her little corner of the Plane Between Worlds, just a psychic-link away from Vague’s mindscape; which she was currently barred entry to while Luna and Vague conducted their monthly counseling session.

“It’s so annoying not being in my usual little corner of Vague’s mind; but Luna drives a hard bargain. Especially when refusing her just results in her forcibly ejecting me,” Venome huffed, as she leafed through the manga she was reading; duplicated from the ever-growing mingling of the human information network and the ‘extra-dimensional’ gaps between perceived Reality that the made up the Astral Plane.

“At least your progenitor was kind enough to keep you around after the Void was purged from his being. I am not sure if I can completely move past the interminable wandering I was forced into after my contact with the full force of the Elements of Harmony those many moons ago,” a voice not-unlike Luna’s said, as Venome could hear the ruffling of feathers and the faint pressure of a powerful magical entity near her.

“I wonder how it is you can sneak up on Ponies, and others, with all that power you possess being linked to Princess Luna,” Venome said, as she raised the ground her manga laid on, as she sat up to properly put the figure in her line of sight.

Said figure was a ‘giant’ raven, almost the size of a falcon. Her feathers were a mixture of black along the body and the base of her wing, with the slightest of bluish tints in the current lighting of the ‘scape, and midnight blue along the fringe feathers of her wings and her tail; though there was the odd royal blue and white speck through her plumage. Overall, the large bird had a similar, but still distinct vision of the night sky when compared to her progenitor – Princess Luna.

“Normally I would be doing my observations across the commonwealths of Equus, doing my part to help to seed the nightmares that serve as the red flags of warning to our fellow Ponies. The reason I am not, though, is due to my intuition speaking toward an event; something of great significance befalling you and your progenitor in the near future, dear Venome,” the giant raven replied, as she stared at the offshoot of Vague’s psyche with eyes that felt perfectly balanced emotionally – a stark contrast to the barely contained furor of her former self.

“Ugh, that look of yours is… unsettling…” Venome said, as she shivered a bit, having magicked a bookmark in her manga and closed it, so she could focus on the falcon-sized mystical corvid in front and above her, perched in one of the many trees that filled the Pony’s astral estate. “It’s like you’re constantly judging me, Nyx.”

“To be perfectly blunt, I am. Thought it is part of my nature. I cannot simply dispense nightmares of warning to any and every Pony when the mood strikes. At that point, I am simply engaged in maliciousness more befitting my former existence,” Nyx replied, keep her look firmly focused on the Pony a few ‘virtual’ lengths below her.

“You could still be a little more subtle about it,” Venome huffed, her snide nature showing through in her tone.

“I will take it under advisement,” Nyx replied, her tone still dispassionate and even.

=-- --=

“And you are absolutely sure that something like this will help, Princess?” Vague asked of his patroness and Princess of the Moon.

“Eventually you will have to confront your feelings for the self-professed elite of the world, as well as observe the scene of your attempt against the other Elements of Terra. There was a reason you were drawn to the coast near your city of birth, aside from the framing you alluded to that day,” Luna responded, her blue mane waving in the non-existent wind of Vague’s dreamscape.

“Yeah but… well Richard is different, I mean… I guess,” Vague started, as he trailed off, not sure of what to say.

“And that is exactly what I am speaking toward, Mr. Vague. You are setting yourself up for more consternation later if you insist on putting people, especially adults in positions of power, upon a pedestal. I do not want to hurt you, or make you question Richard’s commitment to the cause, but at the same time, I want you to truly come to understand what he is attempting to accomplish through his work with us,” Luna replied, taking a more matronly tone, versus the sternness of a teacher.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do like you asked, though knowing you and your sister, one of you’ve probably already relayed a message to him about it,” Vague acceded, and then figured aloud.

“Of course we would. There are things about you all that I need Mr. Edwards to understand as well,” Luna replied, resuming her educator’s tone.

[ October 25, 2081 – South of Nouvelle Baton Rouge, USA ]
=========================================================

“I should have suspected…” Richard Edwards said, as the human member of the HEA council and the blue Unicorn that bore the Terran Element of Water stood at the edge of the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.

“The insatiable blue that devoured one great city, and if it weren’t for a partially divine intervention, it would have devoured a second,” Blue Vague said, as he looked over the horizon, and the intermittent overpasses and large buildings that dotted the brackish blue waters of the Gulf.

“You are speaking toward your own near-fall from grace, as it were?” Richard asked of the blue Pony before him.

“Yeah, yeah I am. I guess that was part of why we’re out here today,” Vague replied as he looked back toward line, and the middle-aged medium-pale skinned man walking toward him. “I guess first things first… just in case if we run into trouble out here…”

“Hrm?” Richard grunted inquisitively, as he watched Unicorn take out a moderate-sized[2], roughly diamond-shaped, crystalline object, and wedged it into the ground next to him, as he channeled magic from his horn into it.

“And… done,” Vague thought aloud, as he recognized the unspoken question Richard had posed to him in that moment. “This little crystal is a Waypoint stone, just a little something in case we run into some kind of hostile element out here. And given the way the SPH must be thinking these days, they might have shoot-on-sight orders for anything not Human.”

“Even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t chance it,” Richard added, to the agreement of Vague. “Anyway, how could you fit something like that in your saddle bag?”

“Not to be overly facetious, but ‘magic’,” Vague replied, with a bit of levity, as he walked to the edge of the shoreline, and pointed a pen-shaped device out into the water. “And here is a little more, so we can get this little excursion underway for real.”

With a flash of light and a poink-sound, a large, modern motorized dinghy appeared in the water, complete with tiny, portable walk-on dock.

“I really shouldn’t be surprised by now, after all our time in Safe Haven, and yet I am,” Richard said in amazement, as he looked at the seven foot boat with the relatively tiny thaumatic motor floating in the shallow water, waiting for the two of them to board.

“I’ve said it before, and I still believe it – the four of us Conduits have gone from just talking about characters in a storybook to being said characters in the storybook,” Vague replied, with a bit of levity, as the pair headed off into the more-or-less open water.

After a few minutes of more or less silent sightseeing, Richard decided to break the silence with a seemingly innocuous question. “So what was life like growing up for you?”

Vague turned around on his seat, from overlooking the edge of the small boat to looking Richard in the face, as he thought of his answer. He continued to think of what he should say, trying to find the words to not make it seem like his decision to convert was frivolous or anything of the sort.

I should just tell him as best I can, if he thinks it's frivolous or whatever, we’ll just go from there… Vague thought, as he realized that he should just tell the story as neutral as he could and let the conversation germinate from there.

“Well, I lived with Mom and Dad until I was about fourteen, at which point they left to join the staff of a Megachurch in the Atlanta Domes, and I stayed behind with my then alive but ailing grandfather in Nouvelle Baton Rouge. Eventually he died, but it wasn’t until I graduated from high school and got fast tracked into the University of Missouri system. Eventually I graduated from there with a degree in the computer sciences, and I lived in Nouvelle Baton Rouge until a short while before you met us, after we Converted.”

“Hrm, seems like a fairly mundane existence…” Richard thought aloud, as they continued to slowly motor around the floating and protruding ruins of the many urban areas in South Louisiana before the waters rose. “Though minus a certain event a few years ago, I would have thought the same of myself.”

“I’m not sure how a Domer would have a mundane existence, as you put it,” Vague replied, as Richard continued.

“Dome life is very stifling. You are constantly in this rat race to be better than your neighbor in some asinine fashion. To have bigger vehicles, bigger toys, better sexual partners, bigger houses… it was a game my family simply refused to play, especially the men in my family. So, as per family tradition, our first job was working in either one of our retail outlets or in one of our factories. Since I didn’t think I was really physically cut-out for assisting drones with labor, I decided to work in the store. Started at cashier, and basically went through every intra-store position in about a five year span…”

Seems like his dad and granddad had more sense between them than most entire Domed cities have in total… Vague thought, as Richard continued on.

“After that five years was up, I was promoted to a corporate office in Rochester, NY, which was responsible for pretty much the entire Northeastern US and Southeastern Canada. And from there, I climbed my way up from regional liaison, which basically meant I was a go-for between that super-office in Rochester and the smaller offices and stores in the region. If at any point I quit, I would basically lose all claim to any hereditary benefit I would have gotten from the company, aside from a small allowance per month that most members of the family get.”

“I’m guessing that’s to weed out people whose heart or head weren’t in trying to run the company properly,” Vague surmised, to the agreement of Richard.

“Indeed, so from there, I worked my way up again until I made vice-president in charge of said region at age 33. From there, you may better recognize my achievements if you are familiar with recent corporate dealings…” Richard started again, before trailing off to see if Vague did indeed remember said history.

“Oh um, let’s see… I think I remember reading about it in the last couple of years… Oh right! Over a five year span, you consolidated power by appealing to the noblesse oblige in enough of the other upper echelon of officers and shareholders to when, after the unfortunate illness your father died from about nine years ago now, you became majority owner and CEO of the company after a rather short but metaphorically bloody succession battle.”

Richard nodded, as he could feel an ominous wind blowing nearby, and something less ominous (by far) sitting below the surface. “In about a two year span, there were numerous firings, revenge firings, buyouts, backdoor deals and swaps made trying to gain control of the company, since it was during the beginning of what we now refer to as the Singularity. Eventually, I was the last man standing on the mountain…”

Vague watched silently as Richard looked over the edge of the boat, into the murky, polluted waters of the Gulf, and up and out at the various buildings, ships, and other things that made the old cities look like a graveyard of mid-century urban life. “Look at it Vague, look at what the idiocy of the last two hundred years plus of industrial life has given us. We had the power to stop all of this before it started, when we saw the projections; but we were too scared that it would destroy the society we had built to that point. Now we have a second chance with a more explicit power to fix and grow beyond this society, but others at the top of the pyramid want to prevent this from truly taking root in an organic way. The only question I ask to that is… why? Why?”

--= Roughly Nine Years Ago =--

“So can I count on your support in the upcoming shareholders convention in two months?” a relatively young man asked of one five years his elder.

“Why?” the older man asked, as he looked with nonchalance at the younger man.

“Peter, what do you mean why? With me at the helm of this company, we can finally start fixing all that has broken in society. We’re sitting on the cusp of a revolution in robotics, nanomanufacture, and AI that will completely up-end the current order of things,” Richard asked of his friend and senior co-worker.

“No that’s just my point, Rich… why? Why go through all the trouble and the effort? What are they worth out there? Not much as far as I can tell,” Peter replied as he looked back at man five years his junior.

“How can we just leave them out there in a world that is almost literally rotting inside out? They aren’t just going to sit there and idly wait for infrastructure and ecology to collapse to the point it can’t support them. We need to start working now on a world where they can still thrive and have worth, even if a machine could theoretically do the work of a hundred men,” Richard replied, his confusion turning into concern for what his friend was thinking.

“I would ask why keep the hundred around, then? What do you think we need a hundred people for if one drone worker or decision making AI will do the job all the same, or even better? And then what could we even find for them to do? It doesn’t make any kind of sense, Rich,” Peter said, as he got up to walk out of the room.

“No wait… you can’t tell me you are going to give your support to Masters? He’s been trying ever since ’64 to sell our tech to the military and private contractors,” Richard then asked, grabbing Peter by the arm as he did.

“I am. Your father’s and grandfather’s time is over. This whole concept of noblesse oblige you all try to promote is nothing more than infantile sentimentalism. The day is soon coming where the proles are going to turn their attention toward us, with our material wealth, and I will not be caught with my pants down when that day comes…” Peter said, as he jerked his arm away and stormed out of the room.

“The hell do you mean, Peter? Peter, Peter!”

--==========================--

“Even after the succession was settled and I consolidated my power to eventually become majority owner on top of being CEO, there were still stragglers. Eventually, I had to rid myself of them…” Richard continued, as it was apparent to Vague that the man was in and out of deep thought.

--= A few months after the previous scene =--

“Do you understand why I’ve called you in, Peter Vaughn?” Richard asked, as he looked with a stern look toward his former mentor in the ways of the corporate structure.

“No, but do enlighten me…” Peter replied, with a snide tone.

Richard sighed, as he hated it when Peter knew something and just decided not to tell him outright, and Peter knew that. “You know I have a vision for this company beyond making money and growing our share from quarter to quarter, correct.”

“Yes, some misbegotten notion of saving everyone or some such…” Peter replied, the derision dripping in his voice as he did.

Richard rolled his eyes and sighed again, as he realized that this conversation had a high chance of turning quite ugly, despite how short he intended it to be. “Yes, in a reductive way that is what I am looking to do. I dunno if you think I mean literally handing every man, woman, and child on this Earth a briefcase that says “How to live like a King”, or just an inordinate amount of cash, or both.”

“Effectively that is what you’d be doing. I wouldn’t give anyone one Global Credit[3] unless I thought it’d get me two in return,” Peter responded.

“And that right there is why this world is screwed up. I refuse to suffer anyone’s presence if they are going to even potentially undermine me,” Richard stated, his anger now starting to truly well.

“So what are you saying, Mr. Edwards?” Peter asked, narrowing his eyes at the man who was five years his junior, but now catapulted to the very tip of the corporate pyramid.

“What I am saying that effective immediately, you are hereby terminated. You will receive severance pay equal to your average salary projected over the next three months, as well as any bonus compensation, with things such as paid time off converted according to the formula agreed upon in the bylaws regarding executive compensation. I should hope you have all of your offices cleaned out by close of normal business today, and any company material returned to office security; otherwise I will prosecute you for corporate theft and/or espionage to the fullest extent of the law allowed,” Richard replied with a cold matter-of-fact-ness.

“And so it has come to this? Can’t accept anyone with a divergent ideology?” Peter asked, as he felt he was going to get a couple more answers before Richard had him physically removed from the premises.

“No. I can accept divergent ideologies. I don’t need everyone working under me to agree with what I am attempting to accomplish. But I will damned if I let anyone into a position of power in this company that will actively work against what I am attempting to accomplish,” Richard replied, continuing to stare the slightly older man down.

“That is disappointing. I would hope you not so naïve… then again I guess naïve would be the wrong way to think of it. I think your time outside the Domes have made you far too… sympathetic to their plight; and far too willing to destroy this fine company in pursuit of helping a population that is far too gone to save. But… I suppose nothing an ex-executive and best friend would say could move you at this point, no?” Peter replied, as he tugged on his tie.

“Especially not if it is you. I don’t care where you end up, or who you work for or have under you. It just can’t have anything to do with me, anymore,” Richard replied.

“Then this is goodbye. Though I suspect we will cross paths again before long…” Peter said, as he walked out of the office.

=============================================

As Vague observed the middle-aged man deep in remembrance, he looked over the edge of the dinghy again, as he could feel some kind of resonance in his horn that translated to a melody.

Shoo-be-do shoo-shoo be doo~

I’d assume you heard that, Vague? Venome asked telepathically, as she sat on a rock in Vague’s mindscape, observing the terrain through his eyes.

I think I did, Venome. But what that little tune is I can’t say… except it feels… oddly familiar… Vague replied, as he looked as lost in thought as Richard did.

I have my suspicions, but I’m too far removed from the Astral Plane proper to say one way or the other… Torra-borous replied curtly, before another thought came across his consciousness. There must be a fissure of mana or an active spell being cast down beneath the water’s surface, and I believe that is causing the resonance that is producing this short tune.

So you figure if I can get down there and assess what this source is, we can figure out what is producing it? Vague asked, trying to figure out where to even start looking.

It’d be the best chance, given what we appear to be looking at, at the moment… Torra-borous replied.

Richard came out of his trip down memory lane in time to see Vague deep in a similar contemplating as his. “Say Vague, what’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”

“Picking up something on my horn like a radio antenna, gonna take a dive to see where it’s coming from,” Vague thought, as pulled something else out of his bag, that sat in the middle of the small boat with the two of them.

“I don’t think a re-breather is gonna be enough for what you intend to dive into…” Richard mused in some measure of grounded bewilderment at what the blue Unicorn was apparently intending to do; knowing that normally divers had to wear heavy anti-pollution suits to dive in such waters.

“Point 1 – this is more than a simple re-breather. Using a combination of Weather, Water, and Wind magic (say that three times fast), it’s a miniature electrolyzer. So it’s gonna produce pure oxygen so long as I’m in something that’s more than 70% water by volume. Speaking of which, point two – I’ve been practicing the Deep Diver spell at the behest of Princess Luna, who was apparently angling me into this decision for some time, before she or Princess Celestia talked to you about this whole trip,” Vague responded, as he tested the sonic projector on the device, which let him speak normally while the device was over his nose and mouth.

“I’m assuming this spell would protect you from whatever is in this water?” Richard asked, as he found an old skyscraper to act as a mooring for the dinghy while Vague prepared to dive.

“It will act as a barrier for water and any microbe or chemical living or dissolved in the water. So long as there isn’t some kind of mutated sea predator, large sharp or blunt object, or SPH Diver in these waters, I’ll be fine so long as the spell is active,” Vague replied.

“You’ve thought quite a lot about this, haven’t you?” Richard asked with a chuckle, impressed at the planning skill of the Unicorn.

“I have to, this isn’t something I can just do on the fly given who or what might be in or around these waters,” Vague replied, as he tested the water to get the right balance for the protective nature of the Deep Diver spell. He then took out a radio handset, a pair of binoculars, and a pad computer and hoofed them to his partner for the afternoon. “All of this is to help track me underwater. There is a crude sensor for high concentrations of magic of either kind in the pad, and an app that will give you a rough radar layout for them. The binoculars and the radio should be self-explanatory?”

Richard took a few moments to swipe at the app that showed a map and marveled internally how a ping for Vague showed up, but then groaned a bit when he saw the range was only a 50 meter radius. “Half a football field’s length either way isn’t very large given the amount of area we could be covering, Vague.”

“Yeah, but we have to consider the experimental nature of the sensor. 50 meters is about as accurate as something that sized can be,” Vague replied with a shrug, his voice slightly distorted by the microphone in the re-breather.

“Alright then…” Richard acceded, as he watched Vague activate the spell fully, and then hop below the water’s surface.

-= Roughly a half hour earlier, in the Livingston (LA) Domed Community =-

A man in a blue mask stood at the dock, the mask of ‘sadness’ on his face belying the giddiness in his actual heart. A giddiness produced by the project his good contact in Durham had completed to a far enough degree to take live.

“Look alive, people… we have reports from the drone scanners that a large source of thaumatic energy is forming north of the ruins of New Orleans. I want everyone on the TAG to double-check their equipment, the divers to triple-check - I am not having our gracious supplier losing face with this new project due to error on our part,” Nathan said, his face completely obscured and his voice modified to prevent anyone who wasn’t in the know figuring out who he was.

The men and women in the black suits and armor ran around the covered dock, as the outside door with the black-and-white shield (hastily painted on it) began to creep open, the sullen stench of the foul water of the Gulf of Mexico beginning to waft in ever so slightly.

“What are we going to have to do to be rid of this stench once and for all?” Nathan thought to himself, his mask firm, while his face beneath scrunched due to the odor.

“A lot, but this is an undertaking I personally welcome, Leader-3,” Peter Vaughn said to Nathan through his implant.

“Of course you would Peter, and truth be told, you are right. I just want to know what the hell that thing is in Old New Orleans, and why it’s basically setting off anything thauma-sensitive we have along the coast…” Nathan thought ‘aloud’, as he tried to think of what could be powerful enough to register like that.

“And that is why you are out in the field – to assess that. So I would highly suggest that you and your people get on with your assignment,” Peter replied, his tone becoming slightly terser with each passing moment.

“Sure thing,” Nathan replied curtly but politely, as he ended the connection so he could focus on his (apparently) assigned task on hand.

Even though I should want there to be absolutely no interference down in the old ruins… a part of me is hoping those damned White Knights show up. At least then I could put the T.A.G. through its paces in earnest, and wouldn’t that be fun… Nathan thought to himself, as he retreated to a control center to monitor the T.A.G. from afar.

As Nathan was musing over what he wanted to see down in old New Orleans, Peter sat at his control desk in current Manhattan, musing over his history with the leader of the Human-Equus Alliance.

“Where did everything go wrong, Richard? I thought we were going to make a good tandem, take this damn world by storm. Truly begin to rebuild it something greater than a massive holding cell for those useless parasites we call Outsiders,” Peter wondered aloud, as he scrolled one of his old folders full of photos to one of him, Richard, and Claire from 10 years ago.

“Then again, given how your father and grandfather thought, I should have only surmised that the son would be too busy thinking about how he could be a hero to the masses. That nobles oblige you all always talked about, such an outmoded concept. What is constantly feeding the rats nibbling around the edges of our havens doing for us? Nothing, it’s doing absolutely NOTHING to benefit us. I thought you would have seen that from your lofty perch, Richard. But either that white horse has blinded you, or you are blinding yourself to the reality of our situation,” the man holding the mask of Anger continued to complain, as he stood up and looked out of the window at Manhattan.

“We sit here in these Domes. In these Domes waiting for the day, waiting for the day we can reclaim the Earth from the teeming hordes, Richard. And you are not only supporting them, but you are in league with even MORE teeming hordes to ensure we can never get rid of them! Why? Why are you sitting here delaying the inevitable, Richard? Answer me!”

As the man with the mask of Anger continued to rant and rave, an image appeared on his mirror near the door – a woman beyond age but seemingly the epitome of human beauty. Though where Gaea possessed hair like a raven, but skin fair as any North European, this woman had hair white as chalk, but skin black like obsidian; as if she were the polar opposite of the Matron of Terran Magic. She chuckled an inaudible laugh, as she looked at the man who was seemingly on top of the world curse its very existence.

“Doesn’t it frustrate you, Mr. Vaughn, how you can be in control of everything, and yet everything is out of your control. Or is it really out of your control? Perhaps there are… other methods you need to administer to truly take control of this world’s destiny. Yes… there is always another option… but do you have the fortitude to see it through? I most certainly hope you do, Mr. Vaughn… because if that is true, then you will be absolutely perfect for my plans…” the woman said in an inaudible to anyone else voice, her image fading from the mirror as fast as it appeared.

-= Back to the present time, on the way to old New Orleans =-

The blue Unicorn known as Blue Vague continued on his somber journey, as he used a small bit of Water Magic to propel himself through the mire of the polluted water. His horn was alight with the soft glow of his electric blue aura, helping his goggled eyes see through the murky depths, as his coat was lacquered with the Water-Mana enhanced Deep Diver spell, protecting him from water or chemical damage to his body and coat.

“Found anything interesting down there, Blue?” Richard asked, as he motored the dinghy along the route that Vague was forging, just so the Unicorn would have an easy enough escape route in case he needed it.

“Well, it’s interesting to me at least. Some of the roads that lead towards I guess the outer rim suburbs of New Orleans are still intact, even after all these years. I thought they would have eroded to nothing by now…” Vague replied over the radio in his re-breather.

“True. Looking on this pad, if this old map is accurate, we’re close to what used to be Kenner, LA,” Richard replied, as he overlaid the historical map of Louisiana on top of the current data being fed. “That, whatever, isn’t showing up yet, but can you still hear that little tune you said it was creating?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit louder and clearer now… it seems like it’s not quite all the way in the old city limits by any stretch, it shouldn’t be too longer until I get a visual. At least I hope it’s something I can see with the naked eye anyway,” Vague responded, as he continued to half-walk along the submerged road surface into what was left of the old town.

“Man, if only I had something to record this with…” Vague said, as he swam and trotted along the mud and asphalt that made up the shore-bed. “It’s like something right out of a movie. Though hopefully some giant mutant sea snake or fish isn’t gonna pop out and give me any trouble.”

“You have been hearing some of the warnings we’ve been getting from the Zebras right? They’re saying some of our own mythical creatures are preparing a return to their ancestral homeland sometime in the near future,” Richard said, the concern evident in his voice.

Said concern was matched by Vague. “The last thing we need are a bunch of so-called, or actual, monsters appearing out of nowhere to muddle this situation even more on this planet.”

“Wouldn’t that statement also apply to your current running mates?” Richard asked, with a bit of mirth.

Vague was silent for a few seconds, knowing full well what Richard was implying. “Yeah, I guess that’d apply to us, as well. Though I don’t think any but the most hard-up of hardliners would call us monsters…”

“Sometimes the most adorable package can hide a lethal weapon,” Richard replied.

“Are you going to stop being right any time soon?” Blue Vague responded, as he continued to test the mana around the area to see where that fissure was located.

“I would hope not, wouldn’t be becoming of the human member of the HEA Council to be acting in a wrong-headed manner, now would it?”

“No, no it wouldn’t,” Vague responded, as he zoomed on, and Richard followed him further south. “And regarding the original point: at this point I’d rather they show up sooner than later. At least let’s get all the players on the field so we can figure out what we might need to do to make this world work right.”

Vague continued on, until he reached what looked to be the outskirts of an old business district. Still hearing the resonant tone in his head…

Shoo-be-doo, shoo-shoo-be-doo~!

…and apparently getting slightly louder, which indicated his getting closer.

“I get the feeling this is supposed to be part of a larger song, this sting that I’m hearing…” Vague mused as he swam along the half-eroded and broken up streets of the abandoned and now sunken city.

“It sounds to me that someone or something is using that as an emergency beacon, but the only people who can hear it are people that could do anything about it. Which you’d qualify as, it seems,” Richard said, as the two of them reached the edge of the old New Orleans suburb proper.

As Vague kept his horn lit to keep track of the ‘beacon’, he began to pick up something else… something that began to grate on him quite significantly.

“I’m feeling something really strong and concentrated to our east, at least I think it’s our east. Anyway, it doesn’t feel like the fissure I was talking about earlier, and the fissure definitely doesn’t give me this deep sense of foreboding either…” Vague stated to Richard, as he took a few moments to orient himself in an alcove formed by a collapsed storefront.

Alright, let’s see what’s going on through these binoculars then… Richard thought to himself as he took them out and looked off to the east, in the direction where his map showed an old domed stadium stood. When he couldn’t see the stadium at first, he was greatly surprised; taken aback a few moments as he realized he was looking at a large bank of fog to his east.

A few swipes on his pad and looking with his natural vision, he realized he was looking at a fog bank – a completely unnatural fog bank. A few moments of fiddling with the binoculars to load in the fog filter, he took a look again. He promptly went from surprise right to concern by what he was seeing.

“Vague, we have a problem…” Richard started as he kept his eyes trained on the large object he was seeing through the filter. “There is a rather large and quite heavily armed boat near what is likely holding our mystery mana source. And three guesses as who the owners of said boat may be.”

“The SPH?” Vague replied with a severely agitated tone.

“Yeah, and I think I see some people diving into the water off the side of the boat. It wouldn’t surprise me if their thaumatic sensors got tripped by that fissure as well. Can’t really say if they are hearing it the way you are, though,” Richard continued to report.

“I doubt that, but what I do know is this: I’m keeping on this little mission of mine. There is a reason why my horn is picking that up as a musical sting and not just incoherent noise, and right now I want to know why,” Vague replied, as he continued on his way toward the old stadium.

A few minutes later, he reached the edge of the stadium that apparently held the fissure in question, and Vague smacked his forehead as he finally realized what stadium he was looking at.

I should have figured this out earlier, the stadium we’ve been heading toward is the Superdome II. I should have thought of that when we were heading to the east end of Kenner…

He continued on, taking some extra caution now to not expose himself unduly since he couldn’t tell if there were drones of any kind doing scouting for the SPH. He swam from car to car, to building to building, and eventually made it up to the edge of the walkways in front of the stadium, such that they still existed through all the moving water and corrosive chemicals in said water.

I heard grinding… not like someone with one of those big power saws like in the Armory… more like… Venome thought, as she could hear something grinding against metal through Vague’s earbud-protected ears.

Like a Water-Magic enhanced portable and miniature power-saw trying to cut through corroded, jammed metal? Torra completed for Venome, much to her consternation.

Yes like a miniature power-saw… she acceded, to a large smile by the giant turtle-like creature.

There is no telling what they might do if they can secure this area before we can figure out what the heck is making this sound in my horn; so we need to hurry up and get in there! Vague concluded, as he took off as fast as he could, hoping the sudden mana didn’t give him away.

Another minute or so of swimming in an arc later, Vague came upon the edge of the ‘Dome proper, looking for a nice and loose window so he could ease his more than three foot tall and eighty-plus pound frame in. Eventually he found pay dirt, as he concentrated used a mixture of Water and Explicit magic to create a seal around the corners of a 40 sq. ft. panel of plexi-glass. A few moments of pushing forward, and then gentle lowering, Vague was in the stadium without incident, and further in awe of what he saw.

“Alright, Richard. I’m inside the ‘Dome without incident, but I need you to keep the engine on that boat hot because those SPH Divers are in here too, and I might need a bailout in the next few minutes,” Vague said over his comm to the man in the dinghy now almost a half-mile away.

“I’ll hold here as long as I can, and it doesn’t seem like there are any other vehicles in the vicinity, either. You just make sure to keep yourself safe on your end,” Richard responded, as he kept his eyes trained on the bank of fog that was still east of where he was temporarily moored.

This is an impressive scene though… to see something with so much work put into its building still trying to hold firm despite the elements trying to reclaim it. Kind of a metaphor of humanity over all really… Torra-Borous remarked, as two entities of his (at least partial) creation continued to hang around his mind, assisting in any way they could.

As Vague traveled from concourse to tunnel to general walkway and back, he let his mind wander a bit. “I wonder what it was like before this building and this area was left for the ‘wild’ to reclaim? I know about all the parties and everything being thrown in and around the New Orleans general area, but I want to know how people felt in their everyday life. To live in an area where the thought of ‘today is the day I will have to leave permanently’ was always in the back of your mind.”

It couldn’t have been a good feeling… but that’s what you claimed this power for isn’t it? To minimize, if not eliminate, how many might these thoughts into the future… Torra-Borous replied to the rhetorical question.

Yeah, so let’s get in there and figure out what that fissure is and why it’s constantly singing… Venome added.

“Right, can’t get distracted…” Vague concluded as he reached the end of the tunnel, leading him to the stadium center.

“Woah… this is… damn this is crazy…” Vague thought aloud, as he looked over the railing to the second deck where he exited from. He saw a giant swirl of royal blue mana, and completely clear water in the center of the stadium; the presence of the fissure destroying pollutants that had leeched or been carried by currents near it. On top of that, the fissure looked like a degraded version of the Aurora Barrier; swirling blues along with hints of pinks and browns – reminding the Unicorn of a coral reef in some respect.

“I wonder if this is how Ethan felt when he saw the actual Aurora Barrier form during that recon flight back when…” he wondered, as he looked over the edge of the concrete ‘rim’ of the deck.

The Unicorn could see the two SPH divers apparently discussing what they were looking at, and started to wonder what he should do about this fissure himself. That was until an unknown voice spoke to him: If you align your heart with the rhythm of the magic, the way to your answer will be opened…

Vague thought on the issue for a few moments, until he was stricken with an idea; and immediately retreated into the tunnel to enter a meditative state.

--- --

“Wait, Vague, what are you doing here?” Venome asked; as she saw the figure that represented Vague’s full consciousness enter the mind-scape that she and Torra-Borous current occupied.

“I have an idea for what do to do about this fissure issue,” Vague responded, as he waved a hoof and created a diagram of himself and the fissure, both of which looked to be pulsing in two different frequencies. “Right now the frequency of that fissure is what is causing the resonance in my horn, and why we keep hearing that musical sting repeating when I focus on it. But then again you heard what that voice just told all of us, right?”

“Yeah, but I found it a little vague myself, Vague,” Venome responded, still not quite getting what Vague was working toward, but Torra-Borous did figure it out.

“You must mean attuning your natural magical frequency to the fissure, and using it like you would Porta-Crystal. But you have to know that attuning to something that raw would require your undivided attention, right?” the turtle-like creature figured, and then asked.

“Exactly, and that’s what I need you two for. I want you two to engage the two divers, because I also need physical proximity. I tried to attune to the fissure when I first started meditating, but the fissure is actually quite small, despite how big it apparently looks; and I don’t think I have the fifteen minutes to sit here and do it undetected with how weak my connection is now, especially if they have a thaumatic sensor down here with them,” Vague started, much to the surprise of his two fellow travellers. “So I need you to handle casting beyond what I am doing to attune to the fissure, TOrra-Borous. And Venome, I need you to handle moving my body, since you have some experience with it, for what it’s worth.”

Venome thought to object, but eventually saw the logic in the plan. Torra-Borous agreed as well, as the two of them made to leave the mind-scape for the ‘active area’ of Vague’s psyche. Vague remained in the mind-scape, as he walked up to the image he created, and began to focus on it, his aura wrapping around him and interacting with the image, trying to straighten out the wild conflagration of mana into a stable portal shape.

--- --

“Alright… Torra, before we get started, can you cast a camouflage spell? If they see it’s clearly a Pony doing all of this, they’ll probably call some kind of torpedo strike or whatever else. But I think if we can scoot around here near that thing and be on our way before long,” Venome asked, her voice now sounding like Vague’s, except with the slightest of higher pitches.

“Give me a few moments… alright, we’re good to go. So what should we do to keep them occupied enough but not wanting to call down reinforcements?” Torra asked of his partner.

Venome thought for a few moments, before she came to a conclusion. “Exploding water! Make it seem like that fissure is making the water ‘unstable’ and prone to explode for no apparent reason.”

“Sound like a plan, Miss Venome,” Torra replied, as Venome moved them down to field level and slowly toward the fissure itself.

“Alright, so what exactly are we going to do about this thaumatic… whatever this is? It’s not registering like Pony Magic, thank God. But it’s not really Human Magic either…” one of the divers said through his radio to his partner.

“Hard to say… I think we need more analysts down here. We should probably work on securing the area and then getting a full thauma-research team down here to examine this,” the second diver responded, as he began to punch in exact coordinates so that a fleet could get down and prevent any of the HEA from taking the area.

Just as he was, he felt a small explosion at his back, causing him to lose his concentration.

“What the hell was that?” the second diver asked the first.

“What was what?” the first diver replied interrogatively, before he felt an explosion disorient him.

Just keep the blasts in the open water, the last thing we need is any debris fallin’ on our heads, Venome told Torra-Borous, as they danced around in an arc behind the fissure, from the perspective of the divers; and more importantly, out of their direct line of sight.

---

“Just a few more moments, almost got this portal open all the way…” Vague said, as he continued to manipulate the image, which was about halfway to forming a normalized magical portal.

---

It seems like Master almost has the portal open… the fissure is starting to look less wild and a little more like the Aurora Barrier does… though not quite… Torra reported to Venome.

“Alright then, one last big burst to chase them off!” Venome shouted, as Torra complied.

“This fissure must be unstable, it’s like this entire area is littered with invisible mines,” the first diver shouted to his partner.

“That’s gonna make this whole place unstable, this stadium isn’t designed for sudden shocks like that,” the second diver replied, as they continued to try and avoid the ‘mines’ that Venome and Torra were laying all over their side of the stadium.

---

“THERE! Venome, go through the fissure!” Vague shouted, as the image of the fissure was now completely morphed into an ovoid, cerulean-colored magical portal with pink and stone gray swirls.

I hope you enjoy what you find… It’ll be nice to talk to another kind after so long by ourselves… Vague heard the new voice say, as she faded as quickly as she ‘appeared’.

“I hope I do too…” Vague replied, as he rejoined the two of his creations at the front of his consciousness.

---

So ready to see what’s on the other side of this thing, Torra? Venome asked, as she receded back to a secondary position as Vague took control of his body and his casting again.

May as well, being this deep into the operation as it is. Would not feel proper to leave now… Torra-Borous replied.

“Then away we go,” Vague said as he went into the now formed portal in realspace.

=== --- ===

“Whoa what’s going on?” Venome said, as she clung around Vague’s neck, before realizing she was separate from him again.

“The Space Between Worlds, Miss Venome. A place beyond normal time and space that separates different realities, be they Physical or Astral, from each other. Think of it like ‘hyperspace’ in some of the movies Master Vague watched before,” Torra said, as the two Ponies rode on the back of his massive turtle shell, as the three of them headed to the end-point of the portal.

“If it makes you feel any better Venome, I’m still not used to it either. It’s why I kinda check out whenever I teleport between Earth and Equus,” Vague replied, as he put on his best poker face to stave off the same kind of anxiety Venome was showing.

“Hopefully it doesn’t last too much longer,” Venome whined, before they saw a blue light with pink and gray-ish fringe begin to appear in the center of their collective perspective.

“It shouldn’t!” Vague said, as Torra carried the two Ponies past the breach of the other end of the portal.

---

“Hello? Helllllooooooooo,” a young sounding female voice called to Vague, sounding younger than Pinkie Pie, but still older than Sweetie Belle.

“Huh? What’s going on,” Vague said, as he groggily sat up on his haunches, looking around, feeling his entire body surrounded by what felt like water on one hoof, but on the other, also felt like he was moving through normal atmosphere.

He looked around, and saw strange things, houses made of coral, sandstone, and obsidian. A volcano erupting in the background with a field of what looked like tube worms all around the base. And coral… a positively massive reef of coral that went at least 10 different ‘rows’ deep; altogether forming a high bank, almost like a stadium’s seating bowl.

“Did we just land in a seascape or something?” Venome said, as she was in her own Astral Body again, groggily walking and sitting herself next to Vague.

“It seems that way, though I’m not sure what calls this place ‘home’. Though it is clear from how everything is arranged into distinct patterns and intelligently constructed, something smart lives here. And I’d wager quite a number of somethings,” Torra-borous said, as he swam and hovered next to the pair of Ponies.

“Well I already see one odd thing, you're maybe 20% as big as you usually are, Torra,” Vague chuckled, as the combination sea-turtle-and-aquatic-snake creature was now only as big as two adult Ponies instead of ten, or roughly the size of Luna.

“Yes, I notice that now. The sudden change in perspective is mildly unsettling, but I will manage,” Torra replied, as he noticed something, and something as large as he was, along with several others approached their position.

“Shoo-be-doo, shoo-shoo-be-doo~” the group of five sang in harmony, as they looked at the stunned faces on the three figures before them.

“You know, it was once that Land-Ponies called upon us Sea-Ponies with this tune. And now, it was you who answered our call, and we now would like to welcome you all... to the Sea-Pony Reserve!” the eldest looking figure said, with a melodic flourish.

What in the blue hell? Vague thought to himself, as he looked on as confused as ever at the five figures ‘hovering’ in the water before him.

********* === ***********

CH 31 - Phase-Shift

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 31: Phase-Shift ===

[ ??? – Sea-Pony Reserve ]
==========================

The moment continued, as the three travellers continued to stare in varying degrees of disbelief at the five-strong welcome party that greeted them. What greeted them was quite the odd sight, as they continued to hover above the simulated seabed of their home in Astral Space. The creatures before Vague and the others resembled a typical Pony in their upper-body, almost indistinguishable aside from fin-like extensions along their ears and the rear of their legs. It was the lower-body that threw the three of them off. All of them appeared to have differing tails and lower-body fins of fish, though he didn’t quite recognize two of the tails at first, since they were the ‘trunks’ and tails of a ray and a skate. But the central figure, and apparent head honcho of the Reserve looked much more impressive.

“Hey Ray, I thought there was only one Pony the Princess was in contact with?” the smaller, feminine of the batoid[1]-tailed Sea-Ponies asked of the larger, masculine one.

Ray, the masculine, batoid-tailed Sea-Pony in question, waved his legs in front of himself, as he manipulated the water currents of their Astral Space to see the truth behind the trio that had landed in their home territory.

“Ah, that makes a lot of sense now. The female and the turtle-like creature are psychic offshoots of the male Pony. Impressive that someone of his age could create two robust offshoots like that, isn’t it Skate?”

The female, skate-tailed Sea-Pony nodded vigorously, her seafoam green mane undulating in the water as she did.

“Uhhh, where are we? Really? All I remember of the last few moments was swimming through this portal we had created from your mana fissure,” Vague said, as his voice returned to him, but the confusion still hadn’t left as he looked around at the semi-urban seascape.

The regal figure in the middle, with all of her metal and precious-stone regalia and extremely ornate fins began to speak; her fin-structure reminding the three travellers of an azuma nishiki goldfish, though the fins billowed much more than any real fish that Vague could remember seeing on video. “Ahem. As I stated earlier, you are in the Sea-Pony Reserve – a special refuge I created to preserve the Sea-Pony race during the Trial of Insanity. I wonder why you wouldn’t have recognized us, I mean the trial couldn’t have gone on that long…”

Vague was still confused, but the term ‘Trial of Insanity’ gave him a brief insight. “Oh, you must mean the Reign of Discord… well… it lasted about a millennium, and then it ended over a millennium ago on top of that.”

Vague was shocked when the regal, rainbow-colored Sea-Pony with the sprawling mane suddenly went various shades of red, dominated by a quite bright fire-engine red that reminded him of Red Blaze’s coat. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN A THOUSAND YEARS! I… Oh no… I got to contact Hippox as soon as possible, I never meant to separate from the world for over a thousand years!”

“Um, excuse me… um… never did get your name there,” Venomè spoke up, as the large Sea-Pony’s colors shifted between red and yellow in alarm.

Said Sea-Pony finally settled on yellowish-orange as she responded to Vague’s ‘twin’. “Oh, it is Princess Nymphemia. In any case, I need to contact your Hippox as soon as possible. Oh I’ve really messed up if your implied timeline is correct…”

The three travellers looked at each other confused again, clearly not recognizing the name. Before Ray broke the silence again.

“Princess, perhaps we should give our visitors a guided tour of the Reserve. I have a feeling the centuries of isolation here in our corner of metaphysical space has caused us to become completely disjointed from the flow of information from our homeworld; so until we can reestablish it, we should find a way to pass the time.”

Nymphemia sighed in exasperation, as her body turned a pale blue to match her mood. “I suppose you’re right. I’m sure our visitors don’t want to spend their entire time here in total confusion, do they?”

“No, do any of you?” Vague responded quickly. When he got two head-shakes of ‘no’ in response from Torra-Borous and Venomè, he turned back to Nympehia. “Then it looks like a deal, Princess.”

=== -- ===

“Wow, this place is like the city we had to navigate to arrive here,” Venomè said, as the group of eight swam through the still empty storefronts and homes that made up the bulk of the structures in the Reserve.

One of the shark-finned guards that made up the Sea-Pony five spoke up when Venomè finished. “There is a good reason for the lack of activity that is apparent to you all, but that will be something left to be spoken of later. At least if Princess Nymphemia wants to give a full tour.”

“I believe a full tour will be in order, indeed, Tigress,” Nymphemia responded, as both guard-Sea-Ponies nodded, as did Ray and Skate.

“Hrm, though, as I look at the environs, I am struck how it feels like everything is in suspended animation; as if there was a motion picture being filmed here, but all of the actors are on break. Not like the locale where the fissure that led here ended up,” Torra started, before Vague jumped on his train of thought.

“I think I see what you mean. Old New Orleans looked more like a graveyard, like something once lived there but it long since died. This place looks like something that is still alive, but is just dormant. It weird to talk about inanimate objects being alive, but… well with all the things I and we’ve seen over the last year-plus…”

Venomè and Torra nodded as the eight of them in total continued to swim through the town.

“As a point of order, you can call this place Pacifica II,” Ray started, grabbing the attention of the three travellers. “Though the full name is the Sea-Pony Reserve, if you include the non-settled area designed to give this place more of a natural feel. The town itself, which we are near the center of now, is designated Pacifica II, after our capital before we all moved here.”

“Hrm, I still would like to know how you move an entire species off-world, and into a space that has a tenuous grip, to say the least, with one’s original reality,” Torra-borous wondered aloud, as Venomè lounged on his back, to his mild consternation.

“All of these words being uttered, many implying a pause-ation, if you will, of life. If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to show you all something a little beyond the scope of this built landscape for us all,” Nymphemia asked of the three travellers.

None of them objected, and the small school of eight detoured to a large, cold looking building near the center of town.

=== --- ===

“It seems like I have most of my answer as to the how, but I am still having trouble figuring out the why…” Torra-borous said as he and everyone else looked through the giant complex that held pods that looked like giant fish eggs.

“We’ve taken to calling these places the Stasis Rooms. Practically all Sea-Ponies are located here in a state of suspended animation, until the day I can rejoin the whole of Sea-Pony Reserve back with the rest of the homeworld.

“To take this extreme a measure… Discord must have been one bad Draconequus…” Venomè mused aloud, as she was stunned by all of the hundreds (and in total, tens of thousands) of Sea-Ponies of various colors and tail-shapes in the deepest sleep one could have without being outright dead.

“’Mortally Terrifying’ would have been a better way to put it. We tried to dislodge Discord before he could firmly establish himself on the homeworld, but…” the male guard started, as it appeared he was getting choked up.

“Um, you don’t have to continue if it’s dredging up too strong a memory…” Vague tried to offer, before the male guard-Sea-Pony waved him off.

“No, I have to come to terms with those few years eventually…” he started, as he regained most of his composure. “To continue, we banded together, all the nations of the world then, to challenge Discord; but we severely underestimated his nature. It wasn’t long before large swaths of our population turned against us, driven mad by some unforeseen force, that’d we’d later learn was Discord’s Chaos Magic. Although the madness only claimed a tenth of our population, the ensuing internecine conflict claimed another thirty percent. Another ten percent laid down their lives to protect those who avoided or were resistant to Chaos’s influence.”

“So just the beginning of the fight against Discord was bad enough to halve your population in a hoof-full of years? I don’t know if the word ‘brutal’ does justice to something like that…” Vague started, as he tried to contemplate it.

“The worse thing is - Discord’s very nature warps everything around him. Even fighting him is enough to eventually destroy your psyche. Those who were killed in fighting him or his minions were lucky, in my own opinion; a large contingent of our guards we had to eventually put to the sword, as they were driven so mad that they would have been a risk if we had put them in stasis and they came to early,” Tigress replied. “Hammerfin here had to lay low a brother and a sister due to this.”

The male Guard she was referring to looked down at the ground as he tried his best to cope with what he had to do untold years ago. Ray and Skate looked almost white with fear, as they remembered what happened when some of the manic Sea-Ponies would raid Pacifica back in those dark days.

“Like I said, ‘brutal’ doesn’t do something like this justice…” Vague repeated, as the cadre slowly reached what looked like a table.

“We tried to help as many as we could then, but, eventually some of the Sea-Ponies caught in mania warped into a monsters. Are you all familiar with the legend of the Sirens?” Nymphemia asked, as she slowly made her way to a desk lit by a magic lamp.

Vague thought for a few moments, before his brain recollected the proper knowledge and then properly translated it. “Yeah, um, a merpony-like creature who’d sign with the most beautiful and enchanting of voices, a voice so enchanting it would lead ships to their destruction in un-navigable conditions, either crashed against rocks, or torn apart by whirlpools or tornadoes. This would eventually result in the death of the crew by drowning, injury, or direct assault by the Sirens themselves.”

“That’d be correct Mr. Vague. The reason why I state that, is because I put three young-adult Sea-Ponies in stasis, those who hadn’t been declared Sirens but still afflicted deeply with the mania influenced by Discord. The problem is…” Nymphemia started, before pointing to three empty pods over in a far corner.

“They escaped, and we haven’t been able to determine where to, aside from their no longer being anywhere in Sea-Pony Reserve,” Skate concluded for her princess.

“Ugh, yet something else we have to look for…” Venomè sighed, as she had a look of exasperation on her face that was unmistakable.

“In any case, I need to contact Hippox, to see how we can start the process of re-integrating Sea-Pony Reserve back into the homeworld,” Nymphemia began again, as she ‘sat’ at the desk.

“Uhhh… Princess Nymphemia… there are a couple of things I think you need to realize before you start anything…” Vague said, before Nymphemia could begin to use the Astral Charts at her desk to begin the rather arduous process.

“Hrm, and that would be…” Nymphemia responded in a sing-songy voice, her body and fins turning a golden yellow.

“Ok First, the world that I got to here from wasn’t the homeworld, or Equus as we call it now… it was my original homeworld, Earth,” Vague started, as Nymphemia nodded in cheerful agreement, much to his surprise. “And the second part is… I legitimately have no idea who this Hippox is you are talking about. That is not a name I have heard, ever, since I’ve been on Equus.”

The golden white colors on Nymphemia slowly bleached to a bone white. “Of course… of… course… hahaha, please excuse me for a moment…”

The regal figure quickly swam out of the Stasis Room the now seven of them were in, as she tried to figure out just what was going on.

--- === ---

“Does something smell of seawater to you, Lulu?” as Celestia sipped on a calming cup of tea, as she began to unwind as the guards transitioned the banners from Day Court to Night Court before moonrise.

“Not sure, sister…” Luna responded as she drank a mug of coffee, straightening her ephemeral mane in the mirror.

At least she was before a rainbow-colored figure appeared in her mirror.

“Ah I see… that’d probably explain the seawater smell…” Luna said matter of factly as she looked the fish-tailed Pony-like figure in the mirror before her.

“Yes… it certainly would…” Celestia said she joined her sister in front of the mirror, as the two of them stared at Nymphemia on the other side.

“Wha? Why are there two of you. I know Hippox’s mana from anywhere and anything… but I… I’m…” Nymphemia stammered as she looked at the two Alicorns that each seemed to be half of what Hippox was.

“Wait, how do you know our Mother’s name? The only creatures that know the name Hippox are our most closest confidants and our fellow Immortals,” Celestia asked curtly, feeling Nymphemia reminded her of something but not quite sure what.

Luna was a bit quicker on the draw, as a flash of memory popped in her head. “Princess Nymphemia of the Sea-Ponies – the Rainbow beneath the Waves! It’s been literally ages since anything that drew breath on this world has seen hide or scale of you or your race!”

Nymphemia began to come out of her initial shock, as she realized what must have happened. “So it came to that… I… Oh…”

Luna and Celestia were greatly concerned as Nyphemia suddenly turned dark, melancholic blue and her mane and ornate fins just seemed to droop in purest depression.

“I… I should have never left… If I… If I didn’t run away like a coward…” Nymphemia began to sob, as she looked at the two figures before her through the mirror she was using as a proxy to avoid having to manifest.

“Wait, wait… Princess Nymphemia, please don’t cry,” Celestia started as she placed a hoof on the mirror.

“I… I can feel Hippox’s presence in both of you,” Nymphemia sniffled, as her crying fit ended with the warm presence of her ‘sister’ Immortal.

“We owe our very existence to her, and the Ponies that gave all of themselves to spark our Creation. It was their collective sacrifice that finally ended the Reign of Discord,” Luna stated, as she placed a hoof on the mirror as well.

A small, but warm smile returned to the face of the Immortal of the Sea-Ponies. “Then we have much to discuss, scions of Hippox. But I am currently entertaining one of your own as a guest of mine, it would be wrong for me to keep him. Even though he’s adorable enough to…”

Luna and Celestia giggled as the watched the Sea-Pony Princess turn rose pink for a few moments, before returning to her usual rainbow-coloration.

“There is a particular Earth Pony that’d take exception to that, just to warn you,” Celestia reported in a warm tone.

“Don’t worry, just a bit of levity to help improve my mood. But we do have much to discuss before long, so I will see you two later,” Nymphemia replied, before disappearing from the mirror.

“Not surprising you pull her name out of her old memory, Lulu,” Celestia said, as she looked at her slightly shorter sister.

“You spend a thousand years trapped in your own head; you have a lot of time to read, as it were…” Luna replied, as she set out to raise the moon.

--- === ---

“Now I realize why you haven’t been able to figure out who I was referring to when I kept using the name Hippox. Something you may want to bring up with your sibling Princesses,” Nymphemia started. “So the Pole Star of Ponydom has become a binary system.”

“That an interesting way to put it, Princess,” Vague responded. “So why did you poof away just then?”

“Had to have a few words with that binary system was talking to, and I still do after we conclude business here. I’m fairly sure you are ready to return to Earth,” Nymphemia mused aloud.

“Yeah, although I wouldn’t mind visiting with my friends when you reconnect with Equus,” Vague replied with a cheerful tone.

“That won’t be the hardest part. I will have to explain to my people that our sabbatical accidentally turned into millennia of self-imposed exile. With all the havoc that Discord wreaked, I’m fairly sure the oceans are completely unrecognizable to us as a whole,” Nymphemia sighed.

“Yeah, and between those three renegades you talked about and the other creatures that’d be making their way back, I’m gonna have my hooves full back on Earth,” Vague remarked, as Nymphemia warped the entire cadre next to the portal that Vague helped forge.

Skate eeped with remembrance, as she whispered something to Nymphemia, and the Princess of the Sea-Ponies agreed, with a wide smile.

“I notice your body is covered with a spell that helps you swim and breathe underwater. I got something that’ll help you a lot until you reach land again,” Skate said with a wide smile on her face as she swam all around Vague, much to the intrigue of Venomè and Torra-borous.

“What is it, pray tell?” Torra-borous asked.

Skate waved a leg in a rhythmic pattern, like a conductor at her podium, and then booped Vague square on the nose, causing his whole Astral body to flash pale blue for a moment. “And that’s it. When you get back to real space, you’ll see what I mean.”

“Um, thanks?” Vague replied sheepishly, before Venomè started pushing him toward the ovoid entrance/exit-way.

“Alright then, Vague, let’s back to Richard so we can go home…” Venomè chided, as Torra put the both of them on his back.

“And away we go…” Torra-borous said, as the three of them left Sea-Pony Reserve.

[ October 11, 2081 – Near the former site of New Orleans, USA, Earth ]
======================================================================

“That weird off-putting feeling of mana rushing into a world void of it must mean I’m home…” Vague mused as he looked around the dilapidated, submerged stadium.

As his brain began to reorient to Earth’s realspace, the two SPH divers looked on in confusion at what exactly emerged from the now dissipated fissure of mana.

“What the hell is that thing?” one of the divers asked (quite loudly) through their microphone-equipped breathing mask.

“It looks like a Unicorn, but I’ve never heard of a Unicorn with a fish tail, or a dolphin tail…” the other diver responded as they looked on at the dreadlocked, blue Unicorn(?) with great confusion.

Wait… what the hell does he mean fish or dolphin tail… Vague thought to himself as he started to swim away, before realizing that instead of a muted dog-paddle with a Water-magic jet boosting him, he was swimming with a legitimate dolphin-kick, on account of his newly acquired cetacean-like lower body. As he did, a low glow emanated from his horn, as the water began to turn into (non-toxic) ink, obscuring where Blue Vague had swam to.

Ok… now I see what that diver means… THE HELL IS THIS?! Vague shouted in his mind, as his body looked frozen in some level of surprise and shock as he found a space behind a wall to settle down.

“Where did that thing go? Where did that thaumatic outflow go? The hell just happened in the last few seconds?” Vague could hear one of the divers shouting through his microphone, as the two divers continued to patrol through the crumbling edifice for possibly another source of energy.

-----

“Hellooo thereee~” Venomè and Torra-borous heard a chipper, female voice call out, as they were both highly surprised to see a certain figure standing outside of the plunge-pool of Vague’s soulscape.

“Skate?! How did… what… the hell happened to our house?” Venomè stammered out, as confused as Vague was on the outside.

“Oh I see it worked, that’s great!” Skate said, as she shook the water out of her coat, revealing a normal-ish four-legged figure, though her tail was still the same skate’s trunk and tail.

“First of all, how did you get in here? Second of all, why do you look like that?!” Venomè asked tersely, as she was nose to nose with the now four-legged Skate.

“Hrm…” Skate started with a cute tone, not unlike her princess (but with a lot less gravitas). “Well… I just followed your trail of life mana back, and I just so happened to stumble into your Astral mindscape. Secondly, our bodies automatically shift to a Pony-like guise whenever we’re in open air, or in this case, a reasonable facsimile of it.”

Torra-borous merely nodded while Venomè retained a good chunk of consternation in her voice and face. “And you Torra, why are you so calm about this?!”

“Because Miss Skate cast a temporary transformation, based on the natural shape-shifting magic Sea-Ponies have,” Torra replied in a matter of fact tone.

“And how did you figure that?” Venomè asked, less shouty but still quite upset.

“Because Miss Skate told us as much. I had a hunch as to how it might have worked, as I quietly compared the background mana between your run of the mill Pony and the Astral Projection of the Sea-Ponies. If I could find some time to speak with your Princess, Miss Skate, I think I will be able to understand you all a lot better,” Torra concluded, as he shifted his attention back to Skate, who was mildly put off by the once-again giant turtle-like creature that occupied the plunge-pool in Vague’s soulscape.

“Let me talk to her when we get back, should be able to arrange something when she’s done reconnecting with the two (I guess) Princesses of Equus… isn’t it Equus?” Skate started, as she realized she hadn’t taken the time to actually ask Nymphemia how to refer to the ‘binary star’ that ruled over Ponydom now.

“They are just Princess of Equestria, in terms of their titles. Equestria is but one nation on Equus. Boy we all have a lot of background information to sort out…” Venomè corrected in a now exasperated tone.

“We’ll have time to do it, once we get your ‘house’ back to where it needs to be. So let’s get going~” Skate said, as she marched into the forest surrounding the waterfall… only to come out on the opposite side. “And I have no idea where I’m going…”

“Because there isn’t anywhere to go, yet…” Venomè replied with a non-plussed tone, her expression flat as she found herself already annoyed by the over-eager morphed Sea-Pony.

Venomè lit her horn, and opened a pathway to the ‘control center’ of Vague’s mind, and the three figures (after the largest had shrunk himself to an acceptable size) passed through.

--- ---

“Mind explaining why I have the lower body of a dolphin, Skate?” Vague asked of the chipper Sea-Pony, as the four figures met in the ‘control room’ of Vague’s consciousness , the annoyance of the two blue Unicorns not dampening her mood one little bit.

“First of all, that’s the lower body of an orca, proportionately scaled to match the rough circumference of your torso, also you may want to get off your back completely, because you’re lying on your dorsal fin,” Skate began to reply, taking her best matter-of-fact tone with the ‘master of the house’. “Second of all, you saw how you got out of dodge in a couple of beats, didn’t you?”

“I guess…” Vague started, as he began to move his body, gingerly swimming back along the path he used to get into the old stadium. “Truth be told… it is a lot easier to move like this.”

“It’d be even easier if you turn off whatever this breathing device is, though,” Skate said as Vague reached the outer edge of the stadium proper.

“I don’t want to take a chance in this polluted water…” Vague said, as so much mana was flowing through his body he could feel the small outflow from the equipment of the divers, and that large mass that was the TAG nearby.

“You know, speaking of taking chances… I think there is enough mana we’re churning to use the Element of Water,” Venomè said, as a wide smile spread across her face.

“You are right about that,” Vague responded, a similar smile across his face.

“You know it’s kinda creepy when they are in sync like that…” Skate said quietly to Torra-borous, as Vague was swimming at a decent clip to what used to be a small sports good store near the stadium, some of the old posters still in their plastic encasements.

“They are actually the same being, just different aspects of their personality showing through at any given time. But the fact they look like mirrors of each other means they are falling into sync, which means that Vague has some impulse-driven idea that Venomè is conjuring up…” Torra-borous figured, wondering what his master was contemplating.

--- ---

“There is a high-energy signature moving away from the old Superdome II site, Captain. And the divers are reporting some kind of half-dolphin/half-Pony… whatever having emerged from where that outflow of thaumatic radiation was located,” a lieutenant reported to the TAG’s captain, as he looked at a thaumatic-tracker’s monitor, as something with a seemingly increasing amount of Water mana moving around and around, seemingly aimlessly.

“Without a recon drone I can’t even begin to think what we should be doing… and I don’t want to have come out here for nothing. Leader-3 especially hates it when we come back empty-handed,” the Captain responded. “But if we can make visual, and capture that thing… it could jump-start our study of Pony physiology, so we can come up with a counter-measure for them outright.”

“I don’t know what you want to do, Captain, but you better decide now, because whatever that thing is throwing out all of this Water Mana is heading straight for us now, and the Water Mana is becoming more intense.”

--- ---

“And that’s your plan?” Torra wondered in some amount of disbelief, as Vague motored straight for the TAG.

“Knowing them they have all kinds of guns or whatever on that boat, and the militias and others have been having problems trying to swipe their gear for reverse engineering. Their guns especially have a nasty habit of self-destructing before we can think to do anything with them,” Vague said, as he continued swimming at a rapid clip toward the TAG

“So, we see if we can strip that gunboat of something, wrap it up in enough Water mana to block the signal to self-destruct hopefully. And then we see what the engineers can do when we get everyone and everything back to base,” Venomè said, as she was by Vague’s side now.

“This is exciting~!” Skate replied, as she encouraged the two Unicorns as best she knew; Torra-borous was left to shrug his flippers and wonder what had suddenly gotten into his master.

--- ---

“It’s still approaching, sir!” the lieutenant shouted, as the gunners went to man their stations.

“No shooting to kill, whatever this damn thing is we’re taking it in alive if we can manage it!” the Captain shouted back in response.

The tension hung in the air for a few moments as the thaumatic source ceased its approach, instead silently waiting as it’s mana output dropped considerably in the last few moments.

“Damn, what is that thing doing? This boat isn’t carrying any depth charges or torpedoes,” the Captain said, as he looked at the monitor of the gunners on side of the boat with their side arms pointed at the water, and the ‘internal’ gunners with their visors on the trigger-sticks, aiming the guns that lined the hull of the boat along the water-line.

The captain suddenly had a gravely queasy feeling, as a sudden eruption of magic emanated from almost directly beneath the TAG. What he saw on the monitor only increased the sudden sea sickness he felt through his entire being.

“The hell is that thing? Is that what came through that rift?!” one of the gunners shouted on a microphone, as everyone on the boat, and actually all round, could hear a mildly gurgling bellow from beneath them, as the entire area flashed hotly with pure Water Magic, something breached the surface – a kraken-like, translucent squid, seemingly several times the size of the TAG itself.

“FIRE ALL GUNS, BRING THAT THING DOWN!” the Captain shouted, as he tried his best to keep his crew from panicking, as everyone grabbed hold of whatever they could as the giant, watery tentacles began to crash and thrash the TAG around like a small child would a bath toy.

--- ---

“Vague, what in the blue hell is that thing throwing that boat around like a kid’s bath toy?” Richard asked of the blue Unicorn-turned-Uni-Orca-Pony.

“Had an idea. Wanted a piece of the boat. So that’s what I’m doing!” Vague responded haltingly.

Go! Go! Kraken Go! Skate cheered on, greatly enjoying the show.

“I’m guessing that giant squid-thing is one of yours?” Richard replied, as he could see through the binoculars that the boat and the gunners were trying to best to fell the giant squid, but having little effect… on account of the squid being made of super-condensed water.

“Yeah, something I made on the fly. Trying to use my Element, literally. Kinda hard to talk…” Vague replied, as he devoted so much of his consciousness to controlling the body and the tentacles of the conjured squid, he could barely speak in complete thoughts.

“Yeah, do I need to get out of here or anything? I do have the location of the Waypoint Stone loaded into the pad’s map,” Richard said, as he cove created by the fallen building he was hiding in protected him from the waves generated by Vague’s squid-projection.

“Almost… there… trying to pry one of these magic-firing cannons off the boat. Not enough control to grab a rifle…” Vague said, as he continued to rock the boat – literally – trying to rip one of the thaumatic cannons off the boat itself.

--- ---

“SIR! The creature trying to rip this boat apart, literally!” the lieutenant said, as he began to put on a diving suit.

“I am not abandoning this ship. Leader-3 will personally see me ended if I fled!” the captain responded. As he tried whatever he could think to get out of the water-kraken’s grip.

An explosion rocked the ship from the hull as the captain was trying to think. The captain stumbled over fallen equipment, and a couple of concussed crew members, to look at a monitor to see what happened.

“We lost starboard thauma-cannon 5? Just what in the hell is this thing trying to do, literally rip us apart piece by piece?!” he shouted, as he couldn’t understand why the creature wasn’t just trying to crush the entire vessel outright.

The captain got his answer when the rocking began to cease and the general unease created by the kraken began to fade, though the warning klaxons still blared.

“Lieutenant, status report, are we still able to move?!” the captain shouted, as he could see on the monitor the ice-blue eyes of the kraken sinking back into the depths of the sea.

“Engine capacity reduced to 50% due to thaumatic interference and physical damage. Hull aside from the section around Starboard Thauma-cannon 5 is intact. The damage shouldn’t prevent us from moving but we are going to have one hell of a time trying to explain to Leader-3 what just happened,” the lieutenant responded.

“Goddamnit all. Between the damage to the boat and the loss of equipment, ugh… we’ll be lucky if Leader-3 doesn’t reassign us to living test dummy duty,” the captain responded in utter disgust.

“You don’t think he’d do something like that?” the lieutenant responded, as he began to direct the boat back to the base in Livingston.

“Honestly, I would not put it past him, despite our general lack of personnel,” the captain concluded, the dread quite evident in his voice.

--- ---

“Do you have any idea just how insane and reckless that stunt you just pulled was?!” Richard chided as he stared at the half-orca half-Unicorn floating along the surface of the Gulf, water purifying in his presence, as the ripped out thauma-cannon floated behind him, protected from the water by a bubble of Explicit Magic.

“I would wager ‘very’ and ‘suicidal’ to them both,” Vague responded as once’d-over the cannon in his telekinetic grip.

“At the same time… you did actually do what you said you would and apparently no more, since I could see that boat motoring off to wherever the SPH must be stationed around here. My guess is Livingston Domes. So we better make our way back to the Waypoint Stone and back to Safe Haven,” Richard thought aloud, as he quickly realized that dressing down Vague, if necessary, was better left to his compatriots and the Princess of the Night.

=< About a half hour later, in the Livingston Domed Community >=

“I am as close to my wit’s end with the HEA and their damned hangers-on as I can be without literally jumping up and down in a full-blown tantrum,” Nathan, as Leader-3, said in as calm a manner as he could manage, given the roiling and boiling anger that welled inside of him as he looked at the half-torn-apart TAG prototype.

“I truly apologize sir, but we had nothing to directly counter that water-borne squid, kraken, whatever that is in the video we handed over to you,” the ship’s captain said in an apologetic tone, bowing his head for good measure.

“Ugh, as much as I am looking to blame someone, this is not your fault. We were dealing with something we had no knowledge of, and you did well enough to preserve your crew and keep the boat intact. I will just have to contact our supplier and begin to develop some kind of countermeasure for their spellcraft,” Leader-3 said, as he tried to project as much calm as he could.

“Yes sir. We will not let those damn aliens get the best of us!” the captain responded, as he saluted and quickly retreated to the ‘barracks’.

Nathan nodded as he walked into a quiet, sound-proofed office, and directly messaged Ken in the Durham Domes.

“Ken, this situation with the HEA is approaching an untenable degree. I need you to dedicate as much as you can spare to our drone program. At the same time, we need better magic analysis tools. If we limit ourselves to just traditional weaponry, we will forever be trying to fight last century’s movie war,” Nathan told Ken.

“No problem, though expedited development will incur increased cost…” Ken replied, with an invisible smirk that Nathan could practically see; though the conversation was audio only.

“I’m losing my ability to care about how much money this is costing us. Just so long as we can crush the HEA and their allies, before the public gets the notion into their heads that they are actually going to oust us so soon after taking power,” Nathan responded curtly.

“Anything for such a valued customer, I will send word when I have more to show you,” Ken concluded, as the conversation ended.

“If they thought we were playing rough after our coup, those HEA vagrants don’t even know the quarter of it…” Nathan mused quietly, as he let his anger seethe beneath the surface of his normally calm face.

=< Around the same time in Safe Haven >=

“Brother, you are just a magnet for weird situations aren’t you?” Golden Storm joked as he looked at his partner-in-crime floating around a hastily made pool.

“Of course I am; and I managed to shanghai the three of you into this by our general association, didn’t I?” Vague responded, in an equally mirthful tone.

“I honestly thought Storm would be the first one of you two to get transformed into something weird. Mostly from him getting Twilight all hot and bothered, and her doing it after a momentary lapse in judgment,” Red Blaze figured.

“Wait, why?” Vague thought, before he put two and two together. “Wait, you two didn’t actually wager on this, did you?”

“Why wouldn’t we, seemed like a good idea at the time,” Blaze replied, as she began to visibly grouse at the smiling visage of the green Earth Pony.

“And where have you been all of this time, Miss Candace. I remember when you came with Richard back at the Isegawa’s Clinic,” Vague said as he waved at the two.

“Doing my best Twilight Sparkle impersonation, apparently. I’ve had my head buried in as much reading material about the different sapient species, major and minor, that live in your new world. I am still Richard’s main secretary after all,” Candace replied, brushing some of her auburn hair from the edge of her vision.

“I see…” Vague thought, before he suddenly felt the pressure of the magic from a pair of Alicorns now in the vicinity of his being.

To wit, said Alicorns were now in the same room as the four Ponies and the two Humans.

“Oh dear… Vague, I heard of going above and beyond the call of duty, but this is a bit much, don’t you think,” Celestia started, as she tried her best to stifle a giggle at the young stallion’s minor predicament.

--- ---

“Well guys, uh… I think I’m gonna head on back to Sea-Pony Reserve, ok, thanks bye!” Skate said, as she turned around and tried to dash for the plunge-pool, before running straight into a rather tall and rather non-plussed looking indigo Alicorn.

“Start talking, miss, otherwise I will involve Nymphemia in this, and I don’t believe you’d want that…” Luna stated curtly and with foreboding gravitas.

“IwantedtohelpVaguesoIcastaspelltogivehimthesamebodyasaSeaponytemporarilybutIthinkImadeit-toostrongsohe’sstucklikethatuntilthemanaforitrunsout!” Skate blurted out, as she was starting to panic, running in place in the presence of the Alicorn.

“Princess Luna, with all due respect, I think you might want to turn down the fear factor a bit. The poor girl is starting to freak out, as it were,” Torra-borous suggested to the Alicorn of the Moon.

“Very well…” Luna replied with a heavy sigh, as she took a deep breath, and reduced her ‘presence’ to an amount bearable to Skate.

“I’m so sorry, but I just wanted to help Vague. So I thought giving him a temporary Sea-Pony body would work. It was only supposed to last until he hit dry land again…” Skate said, this time at a rate that everyone could properly decipher.

“Seems like you did quite a number on him indeed. You failed to account for the amount of mana he already had in his body, and the fact that his ‘soul’ is a composite, so the ‘Shift Body to Match’ part of the spell made extra calculations you couldn’t account for. Thankfully none of this will result in any kind of permanent alteration to his makeup, so after an hour or so he’ll be back to normal,” Luna stated clearly and calmly, bringing some measure of calm back to the Sea-Pony.

“I will say this, though. When Nymphemia reintergrates the Preserve back to Equus, send a message through your Princess to me. There is a certain Unicorn that I think will be a great help you in the coming years,” Luna said, with a wry but warm smile.

“Okay, sure! But I really need to be getting back now, I think Vague’s head is getting crowded,” Skate replied with a smile, as she dove into the plunge-pool and headed back to Sea-Pony Reserve.

“So, you got a beat on how Skate managed to pull all of that off. She doesn’t strike as the expert spell-caster type, per se,” Venomè wondered as she sat next to Luna.

“Hard to say only having interacted with her for those brief few moments, but I have the feeling she has a lot of magical potential. Though, I’d like her to get to know Twilight, since Twilight would have a better sense for another mortal being than I,” Luna responded before disappearing.

--- ---

“Luna, I could feel that you were in my soulscape, and thanks for letting her go with just a minor scolding. I know she means well but she can be the very definition of overzealous,” Vague said, as he thanked Luna once she returned to the conscious.

“Who is she? Vaguey-kun,” Hana asked of her beau, nose to nose as she was leaning slightly over the edge of the pool.

“Ahahaha, no one in particular… just… well… it’s a weird story…” Blue Vague responded, with a bit of trepidation.

“Oh don’t worry, Ao-kun… I have all day…” Hana replied, perfectly ready to sit right there and listen intently to every word and detail.

Side-Story 2: All Daydream's Eve

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Side-Story 2: All Daydream’s Eve ===

[ October, 17, 2081 – Ponyville, Equestria ]
============================================

“It’s so weird to be floating around here like this… though it helps that Equus is as thick with mana as it is…” Venomè said, as she laid across the back of the manifested miniature of Torra-borous, attached to him as the black serpentine-form tail that Vague manifested the both of them as after his purification by the Elements of Harmony.

“Number 1: I’m surprised you would willingly bind yourself to me. I know how much you value your freedom. Number 2: Are you even sure that this is a wise course of action, Miss Venomè?” Torra-Borous replied, as the two of them quietly ‘swam’ through the air toward the group bathroom the four Conduits shared in the Greystone Conductor.

“First off, I have a particular reason to do this; and secondly, no I’m not sure, I’m not sure of half the things I think of. But that’s what happens when you are formed from someone’s Id - sometimes you just have to roll with it,” Venomè replied matter-of-factly.

“I would chide you for not acknowledging the knock-on effects of what you’re planning, but truth be told, I am curious to see how he’d react…” Torra-borous replied.

The two of them bantered back and forth in this vein until they reached the bathroom, and quickly prepared it for Vague, using the Water Magic naturally in Torra-Borous as a substitute for a Unicorn’s telekinetic aura. The most important thing, though, as they saw it, was the bath they were drawing, as they used their magic to get the water to a nice comfortable but still quite warm temperature.

“I see you have remembered your and Vague’s physical science knowledge, with the whole ‘agitating the water at a molecular level to heat it’ ‘trick’,” Torra said to Venomè with a impressed tone.

“Doubt Blaze would want to get in on this little stunt, so we have to make do; now let me scry the spell into the water for Vague. Man this is gonna be so funny when it works!” Venomè said, the devious glint obvious in her serpentine eyes.

Torra-Borous shrugged his flippers and stuck his Venomè-tail in the water, which elicited an immediate yelp of pain from the psycho-form[1].

“Well you did say let you scry, and you don’t exactly have limbs for that as you are…” Torra said at the cross-looking snake-ish figure.

“I know that… I just didn’t think the water would hurt like that…” Venomè said in a churlish but quiet tone.

“Hrm… Vague might be using something to block the pain… or he may just have an unusually high threshold for temperature. We’ll have to ask him later,” Torra contemplated, as he stuck Venomè back in water (with 100% less yelping in pain).

-----

“I know it sounds kinda weird, but you are going to be busy all day and probably into the night too, so why not go ahead and get your bath in now,” Venomè asked, as she lounged along the side of the plunge-pool Vague’s soul-scape; she was in her usual form: a blue Unicorn, not-dissimilar from Vague’s near-identical twin sister, reading her manga as she did.

Vague yawned, as it was obvious his body was just waking up, and his brain wasn’t quite all the way in gear. “Ugh, it feels weird taking a soaking bath this early. But at the same time, we’ve been non-stop until yesterday getting this party in order…”

“So just go ahead and take little while for yourself. I swear you are so busy with everyone and making sure they’re on their p’s and q’s that you completely forget about Number One,” Venomè chided as she looked on at the ‘master of the house’ from her lounging position.

Torra-borous popped his head up from the plunge pool, having listened in on most of the conversation to that point, to agree with the feminine psycho-form. “While I’m not one to say ‘look out for yourself’ per se, you are starting to develop a sense of trying to overcompensate for what you did and almost did as Nightmare Ooze. We don’t need you cracking in an entirely different way because of it.”

Vague managed to somehow sigh and yawn at the same time at the mild chiding of his Astral Beast and psycho-form. “Really you two… ugh fine…”

Vague thought for a moment he saw that devious, serpentine eye shape and glint of schadenfreude-drenched glee he saw whenever Venomè was plotting a trick or prank on someone, but couldn’t be sure, and ultimately dismissed it as his own paranoia popping up in that moment.

And so after a few moments of gathering his towels, and his “Do not disturb” sign to hang on the bathroom door, the young stallion entered the bathroom and set to relax in the large tub, filled with the ocean breeze-themed scents he had come to like in recent weeks during his time back on Earth.

“Man this water is so warm… it’s kinda making me sleepy again…” Vague yawned, as he nodded off.

-----

Oh wait what?! How… ugh… I fell asleep in the tub? That’s why I don’t like taking warm baths early in the morning… Vague complained, as he snapped up to a haunch-sitting position in the tub, looking at the clock that seemed to drift five to seven minutes in an instant.

Look Vague, you would have been fine. I mean it would really suck for us if you accidentally drowned or something, seeing as that’d void our ‘life’ as well… Venomè said, as she looked on at the mildly panicked Unicorn through their shared mind’s eye.

I know Venomè, but I don’t want to have to rely on you all for basic self-preservation; that makes me look all kinds of incompetent… Vague said as he got out of the tub, stumbling slightly as he did.

“Alright which corner of the bathroom did I put my towel in again? Ugh another reason why I hate taking baths before I’m completely awake…” Vague grumbled to himself as he looked around… before suddenly coming to a stop.

Hrm, is there something wrong Master Vague? Torra-borous wondered aloud, as he looked at the same mind’s eye Venomè was, doing his best to stifle a giggle.

“Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti~~” Vague sung out in as quiet but clear voice as he could manage… and was stunned by what he heard. “Why am I almost an entire octave off?!”

Hrm, I dunno~~ Venomè replied in a sing-songy voice.

Vague suddenly came to some further measure of clarity, as he turned around and looked at the mirror with full and open eyes, thanks to the sudden shock he was under. When he got a good look at ‘himself’, he slowly turned back to face the door.

“Venomè… why do I look like you?” Vague asked.

What was that now, I couldn’t quite hear you~~ Venomè replied, pretending she couldn’t hear Vague clearly, for some reason.

“I ASKED WHY DO I LOOK LIKE YOU?!!!” Vague shouted at full, off-octave throat. Loud enough for a certain mare across to hear in her half-sleep stupor.

-----

“Ugh, I have a dream about donuts, and now I hear Blaze screaming about something from across the hall. Hope Storm didn’t do anything…” Midori Hana thought aloud as she tried to rattle the cobwebs out of her head.

-----

“Once again, I asked WHY IN THE HELL DO I LOOK LIKE YOU?!” Vague nearly bellowed as he was in the face of his psycho-form, who still hadn’t moved far from her lounging spot within the soul-scape, with a look of confused but palpable rage.

“Sounds like your voice and your form are back to normal, at least here they are… but hrm… hot water… ending up looking like a woman, or a mare in this case… I wonder what that sounds like,” Venomè responded with a sly tone.

Vague was suddenly broken from his rage, as he recognized where Venomè was going with that statement. He broke from his face-to-face gaze and took a close look at the manga the mare-in-current-form was reading, and his eyes narrowed from wild confusion to a very focused, cold anger.

“Really Venomè… really?” Vague could only reply, as he held up the manga in his telekinetic grip, showing the book as a large tankobon[2] paperback of Ranma ½.

“Oh yes really~~” the mare sung, as she twirled around Vague; and Torra-borous couldn’t help but laugh with his half-octave-lower-than-Vague’s voice.

“And you must have been in on this…” Vague grumbled as he looked at the large, plesiosaur-like neck of Torra-borous.

“Guilty as charged, Master Vague. It was all in good fun, did not mean any permanent harm; just having a bit of a laugh as the expense of the master of the proverbial house,” Torra said, in his usual refined tone.

“Ugh, should have known something was up when you all were talking about taking a bath early in the morning; especially since Venomè is me, more or less, and she’d hate taking a bath half-asleep like I do,” Vague said, as he looked at the still laughing psycho-form.

“I know right…” Venomè started, as she continued to prance like a little filly around the plunge-pool of Vague’s soul-scape. “Anyway… I think things are about to get a little weirder for you~”

“I am not sure how much weirder things can get at this point…” Vague said, as he flipped back to his consciousness.

-----

Remind me never to ask that question, especially in this kind of context… Vague relayed to his two riders… as he was staring his marefriend right in her face, still stuck in his feminized-appearing form.

“Hi?!” Vague said, before he got the response he figured he was going to get out of the green mare: a sharp, shrill scream of manifest confusion and terror.

A few moments later, after Hana got over her initial freakout, she stared at the gender-offset coltfriend of hers, trying to figure out precisely what happened.

“You better start explaining things before I start assuming things!” Hana said, her anxiety still not having completely calmed down.

“Would you believe that Venomè decided now was a good time for a manga-based prank today,” Vague responded, trying to show whatever emotion would calm his marefriend down (as to not attract attention and embarrass him further), starting with contrition.

“I… I…” Hana started, before her anxiety started to abate, breathing heavy all the while trying to get her emotive state back in some kind of balance. “I guess I can… if she’s you…”

“What does that mean?” Vague replied, not sure of what she was implying.

“I know you, Vague. You were always planning different net-stunts back when we were all human with Storm…” Hana replied, as she crossed her front legs. “And now that impulse of yours has at least half a mind of its own, doesn’t it?”

Vague blushed beet red, as he realized the implication Hana was driving at. “What, I mean… I guess… I dunno. Then again if Venomè is some of my Id, I guess Torra is some of my Super-Ego. Which doesn’t really explain how he was in on it.”

Hana just put a hoof to her forehead, looking on at Vague. “What happens when Id and Super-Ego are more or less in agreement, or at least aren’t arguing with each other?”

“They end up like the Ego itself… yeah…” Vague replied, looking off to one side.

The both of them suddenly heard the soft but discernable flapping of wings and light-treading hooves of a Pegasus, and realized who was near the open door to the bathroom.

“Hey you two, I thought I heard a pair of mares yelling about something, so I thought that maybe a bug or something got in here and… um…” Golden Storm started to ask, before he peered in and saw the scene: a nervous looking blue Unicorn and a consternated green Earth Pony, both mares.

Which meant obviously there was one mare too many in the house at the current time.

-----

“Ugh, what did that fool of a coltfriend do now…” Blaze wondered, as she was trying to figure out a manestyle that would mesh well with the white fedora she had resting on a blank-faced bust of a Unicorn’s head.

With a heavy sigh, she rose from her seat and walked over to where about she heard the yelling of said stallion - the bathroom.

After a few more moments of walking and hearing of hush but strained conversation, she arrived at the open door… and quickly took stock of what she saw.

“One two… and one… yeah this isn’t right…” Blaze said in a matter of fact tone, looking at the mares in blue and green and the stallion in golden-yellow. “Vague, what happened this time…”

“Venomè kinda got loose and… well… this…” Vague said, as he turned all the way around to show Blaze what had happened.

“Oh… is that all…” Blaze said with a knowing nod, before falling over in raucous laughter, even worse than what Storm did when he figured it out; a fact that turned Vague’s face almost as red as the Element of Fire’s coat.

“I was thinking the worst for a few moments there when I heard two female voices screaming, and I wasn’t one of them. Like somehow a mare had snuck in here and Hana found her. That passed when I realized that there wasn’t any kind of a feeling of malice or I didn’t hear any loud arguing,” Blaze started as she looked at the couple to Storm’s right in the bathroom, and how consternated Vague looked, as his face was still flush from all the embarrassment.

“I doubt you are in any condition to undo what happened to you, even though you did it to yourself in a very roundabout way…” Blaze said as she sat on her haunches onside Vague, opposite Hana, trying to get the transfigured stallion to settle his mind.

“This is such an adorable sight, and me without a camera ready,” Storm giggled, as he looked at the three mares and one apparent mare, the apparent mare staring daggers right into the very heart of the stallion in the room.

“Well, it is…” Storm replied defensively, seeing the seething but still quiet anger in the eyes of the blue ‘mare’ in his presence.

“Bud’ spokoyen!{Be quiet!}” Blaze barked at Storm, as she could tell that Storm’s verbal antics weren’t helping settle out the other stallion’s thoughts any. “Vague, let me call Twilight so we can get this sorted out. I’m afraid my coltfriend is just going to keep on with this until whatever spell you cast wears off…”

“Fine… not like there’s much I can do to embarrass myself further with this…” Vague agreed quietly, but not quite enough for the other stallion to not hear.

“Ah, and he has such a cute voice too~” Storm mused, before he got lashed by a fireball along his flank.

“Did I not just tell you to be quiet?!” Blaze shouted in a terse tone, as she wondered what got into Storm all of a sudden.

“Yes, ma’am,” Storm said with a dry monotone, looking almost as embarrassed as Vague did in that moment.

-----

“You have quite outdone yourself this time Vague. Glamour Magic is not an easy field for new Unicorns to get. Then again, you learned a good trick for stabilizing the visual form in using water as the medium for the spell, instead of just raw magic. A lot of Unicorns try and brute force it through pure spellcraft,” Twilight Sparkle said, as she finished up scanning the spell on Vague’s body, realizing what he had done.

“Let me guess, Twilight. You tried to do it with brute force before?” Blaze asked of the mulberry Element of Magic.

“Did I!? I tried to transform a frog into an orange once… or was that an orange into a frog…” Twilight replied, before trying to remember exactly what she had done that day.

“You know you scare me sometimes…” Vague said, as he continued to stand almost exactly where Hana found him about half an hour ago.

“Anyway, you were lucky you caught me while I was awake trying to get everything ready for tonight. Plus…~” Twilight said, before suddenly getting a faraway tone in her voice.

“Oh right, that little pen pal of yours is coming in on the 9 AM train from Manehattan isn’t he,” Blaze said, as she giggled a bit.

“I told you all didn’t I, right?” Twilight said, as she continued working over Vague, trying to find the right magical thread to unravel so she could undo the glamour on his body.

“Several times, and at increasing length each time…” Storm replied nonchalantly.

“Here’s to hoping that you two hit it off as well as we think you two can,” Hana added, with a much more supportive tone.

Vague just grumbled, as his mind was still a-twitter from the verbal teasing Storm heaped on him earlier in his visually scrambled state.

“What’s with him, besides the obvious?” Twilight asked of Blaze.

Blaze sighed as she looked at the blue ‘mare’ still staring daggers into the golden-yellow stallion, and stallion trying desperately not to acknowledge it.

“Storm started teasing him about it, and was quite thorough about it. On top of that, they’ve been a bit back and forth the last few weeks,” Blaze replied, sighing as she figured the running low-grade conflict the two of them had going would not stop any time soon.

“I swear, they both act like fourteen-year-olds around each other sometimes,” Hana replied, as the two stallions continued to try and not really acknowledge the fact, but still didn’t deny it either.

“Oh, look at that, I found the magi-thread I was looking for,” Twilight said, as her purplish aura interacted with a blue strand of mana that had suddenly appeared on Vague’s person. With a swift tug, the water cascaded off Vague’s body, as said body returned to its normal shape and dimensions.

“Thank you very much, Miss Twilight Sparkle...” Vague replied, his voice dropping back to its normal range of tones.

“Oh dear… don’t like that tone, but we’ll have to deal with that another time,” Twilight said, as she realized it was creeping ever closer to 9 AM, and she had a train to wait for.

Blaze noticed the same thing, and made a snap decision. “Alright, you, Storm, go with Twilight to the train station. I feel some Draconic Mana, and tells me Spike is with her, so you won’t be alone with the two of them when the train gets here.”

“I um…” Storm started, before he noticed the level of malice in Vague’s eyes seemingly ticking up ever so slightly by the moment. “Yeah, you’ll probably be tied up with him, so I guess I need to keep Spike company… perhaps for the rest of the day until we get ready for the Nightmare Night party, right?!”

Twilight didn’t exactly want any other male companionship besides her prospective beau and her adoptive brother, but thought better given the cold anger that was welling in the body of the blue stallion. “Yeah, I guess Spike would need someone to hang out with until then.”

The mulberry Unicorn and golden-yellow Pegasus exited the bathroom, as the blue Unicorn continued staring at the Pegasus with ill intent.

“And you… please don’t do anything crazy to him. You know he wasn’t trying to hurt you or anything,” Blaze said, as she sighed in exasperation.

“Really Blaze? I thought you’d be trying to talk Ao-kun down right now,” Hana said, as she looked confused all of a sudden.

“I would, but this is something the two of them have to sort out for themselves. And I trust you won’t escalate this beyond where it needs to be, right?” Blaze replied to Hana, as she looked at the returned-to-normal-state stallion in blue.

“No, I will keep all of this right where it needs to be. But he has to understand there is a time for banter and going back and forth, and a time to just leave things be…” Vague said, as he began plotting out exactly when and where he was going to deal with the recently departed Pegasus.

~=[ Later that Morning, a little before 9:00 AM ]=~

“And here we are, Ponyville Train Depot,” Twilight said with a big sense of accomplishment, a sense that went over the heads of her travelling party in Storm and Spike, who merely shrugged and found a spot to sit so they could wait for the train to actually arrive.

“So there y’all are. Ah was wonderin’ when ya’d get here,” they heard from a pumpkin orange mare a short distance away.

“Oh that’s right, we were supposed to find Applejack when we got here. It would figure that she’d get here well before us,” Spike said as he smacked his head, just then remembering what the three of them agree to the night before.

“Given our little issue with Vague earlier, couldn’t really be helped, I guess,” Storm added.

“What happened to Blue this time… last I heard he was turned into a Kelpie…” Applejack stated with some measure of humored exasperation.

“Twilight’ll tell you later, hopefully when Vague is around to hear it as well,” Storm chuckled.

Though as he did, he could swear he saw a flash of electric blue and cobalt out the peripheral vision.

“Spike…?” Storm asked, a sudden and odd pall over his voice.

“Yeah?” Spike replied, not quite sure what the Pegasus was thinking about.

“Get the feeling we have a certain someone watching us?” Storm asked, as he looked around the train station and the Ponies milling about.

“More than usual? Not really…” Spike answered, still quite unsure of where said Pegasus was going.

“What?” Storm started, before realizing that a known Convert and a post-adolescent (equivalent) Dragon would turn heads no matter how common or well-known they were in town. “Oh right. Anyway, I mean someone in particular watching us…”

“Aside from Lyra forever hanging around Converts in the time she’s not hanging around Bon-Bon, no, not really,” Spike replied, as he watched the clock tick to 9:01 AM, and a few hairs starting to come unmoored from Twilight’s rather simple manestyle.

“The train needs to get here before Twilight tries to speed time to make it get here,” Applejack joked a bit, as she saw the mulberry Unicorn starting to fret a bit.

“Oh right the whole time travel to last Tuesday incident. I think she knows by now not to dabble in Chronomancy… I hope she does anyway,” Spike said, before he heard the shrill-ish whistle of the 9 AM train from Manehatten pulling in. “Thankfully we won’t have to get the answer to that question right now.”

“That must be the train from Manehatten,” Storm heard of a young filly, voice not far removed from Applejack in terms of tone or speech pattern.

“That higher pitched country accent must mean Apple Bloom is with ya, huh AJ?” Storm wondered aloud.

“Yeah, ‘Bloom and the others wanted to come meet Babs at the train, so Ah let ‘em. No harm in that Ah reckon,” Applejack responded as she saw the watermelon-pink mane’d and burnt-orange coated filly one year Apple Bloom’s senior disembark from the train.

“So whatcha been up to out here? And how long is it gonna take for ya to get to Manehatten for a holiday with my folks?” Babs Seed responded to the strawberry-red and yellow filly her cousin and junior.

“Not much besides school, and hopefully for the Winter Moon,” Apple Bloom responded in kind.

“So whatcha got as your costume Babs?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“Not tellin’ ya right now where someone might overhear me. Wait ‘til we get to the clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres,” Babs replied, taking a coy tone, looking for any spies about their age trying to one up what she had planned for the trick or treating session later that evening.

“And that’s mah cue. Gonna see y’all ‘round then, right?” Applejack asked of the Pegasus and the Dragon as she rejoined her sister, her cousin, and their friends.

“Sure, see ya later on,” Storm replied as the five mares and fillies walked out of the open-air station.

The two males turned their eyes back to the third of their party, as Twilight began to run-in-place a little bit as she was greatly anxious about why she hadn’t seen her pen pal yet.

“Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?” she muttered in an unusually loud (for a mutter) volume.

Spike just sighed as he looked on at his adoptive sister fretting about. “Boy you thought they were long-separated lovers who hadn’t seen each other in years; and not just a pair who might be sorta starting a relationship, kinda…”

“I hope Blaze was never this bad… nah she couldn’t have been, that’s not her,” Storm thought aloud, before dismissing the notion out of hoof.

“Hey, um, I’m looking for a Twilight Sparkle. Mulberry purple unicorn with dark violet mane, Element of Magic, and all that…” the three of them heard a youngish male voice call out.

“That must be him!” Twilight shouted, as she winked away in a flash teleport… and then returned to the same spot a few seconds later with another yellow Pegasus in tow.

“Wow, you must have been waiting quite some time to pull that…” said yellow Pegasus said, as he tried to regain his bearing after being yanked (however briefly) through the Space Between Worlds.

“A whole five minutes you silly oaf,” Twilight said, as she giggled. “But it’s nice to see you again, and in such good health considering how I first saw you.”

Storm’s ears perked up at that last statement, as the gears turned over in his head again considering how Twilight might know the stallion she standing next to previously. “Oh, was he the stallion you all were talking about back in late June?”

“Yeah I think that was about the timeframe for it, it was a while before the incident with Vague, but still relatively close,” Spike thought aloud, trying to put the timeline together from what he heard from Twilight during her recollections.

Before he could continue, a pair of scaly, bright orange-red hands covered his eyes and upper face.

“Oh guess whoo~,” Spike heard of a certain overly chipper, slightly Germanic accented Dragoness.

“Wait what, Cinnamon?” Spike yelped as he turned around to see the pair of Dragoness that made up his Triad apparently having already disembarked the train that Babs and the yellow Pegasus were on.

“Yes sir, Mister third-of-the-Triad!” Cinnamon replied, her tail whipping slightly in excitement as Coral had what looked like a small pile of luggage floating on an air-cushion behind her.

“So who is all of that for?” Spike said he saw the chalk-white and blue, and much more demure, Dragoness catch up with the three Ponies and the two other Dragons.

“About 40% of the luggage on this air-trolley is for Mister Flash Sentry, over there with Twilight. The other 60% is roughly split evenly between me and Miss Cinnamon,” Coral stated matter-of-factly, as was her default tone.

“Great, you still didn’t answer my question though… neither of you did, really…” Spike said, a tad exasperated as the six of them were all in the same area of the station’s general seating; Twilight hanging especially close to Flash Sentry with a positive glow on her face.

“If you must know~~ We came here both to see you, as it’s been a little while since we’ve all been together, and the fact that the Ponyville Nightmare Night celebration is one of the best, per capita, in all of Equestria,” Cinnamon said, as she sat next to the purple Dragon.

“I guess I can see you coming out all this way to see me; but for a Nightmare Night party?” Spike replied, still a bit confused at the second part of her statement.

“I remind you what typically happens to a Dragon who consumes too much processed sugar?” Coral asked of Spike, leading him into hopefully the correct conclusion.

“Oh boy, really Cinnamon?” Spike asked, as he looked at the bright orange-red Dragoness with eye-half-open look of deep and biting accusation.

“Look honey, if I wanted to get completely bombed out of my skull on sugar… I can do it at home with some alcohol to make the process faster,” Cinnamon replied with a tone of mild resentment… which was followed by one of feigned innocence. “Now if I so happen to get a little inebriated while gorging myself on all the candy to surely fly around this town in about nine hour’s time… could you really blame me?”

“Yes we could…” Spike started.

“And yes, we will,” Coral finished, both of their tones one of grave displeasure with the cavalier attitude of their Triad partner.

“You two can be such a pair of spoilsports, you know…” Cinnamon huffed, crossing her arms and legs as she sat on the seats with her Draconic Triad partners.

-----

Target acquired sir… beginning tracking procedure… now! Venomè said, as she took active control of a section of Vague’s consciousness to keep tabs on where Storm was at all times, as the lot of her, Vague, and Torra-borous hid in the bushes near the train station, using a telescoping spell to keep visual on the trio of Dragons with the trio of Ponies at said station.

That is, they were trying to keep visual on the sextuplet grouping… until a certain mint green Unicorn mare found Vague skulking around in the bushes.

“Oh this looks fun~” Lyra Heartstrings said as she took position next to Vague in the bush, overlooking the arrivals and departures.

“Right… fun…” Vague said with a confused tone, as he looked at the chipper Unicorn mare with an equally confused face.

“Oh… is that part of your costume for later? Gonna be a Ninma?[3]” Lyra asked of the Unicorn stallion next to her, the blue scarf over his mouth matching the blue of his coat.

“How are we responding, sir?” Venomè asked of Vague, who sat in a seat in their shared soulscape, which now resembled the bridge of a science-fiction starship.

“Hrm… highly doubt she knows anything, and she probably won’t figure anything unless we tell her outright, so we keep it neutral…” Vague replied in the soulscape.

“Oh, hey Lyra. Yeah, this is part of my Ninma costume, gonna pick the rest of it up at Carousel Boutique from Rarity after-while,” Vague said to Lyra in real-space, the scarf over his snout hiding the wry smile he put on.

“Seems like you're practicing your Ninma moves as well…” Lyra replied as she looked out at the slowly growing crowd milling about the station.

“Yeah, you could say that…” Vague replied, as Venomè kept tracking the group, who had started to make their way out of the station proper.

-----

It did not take the cluster of six (and the one, sometimes two, Unicorn(s) trailing them) to reach Golden Oaks Library. Flash Sentry stood in silent awe of the still-living tree made into a place of knowledge, residence, and semi-clandestine magical laboratory.

“This place is… wow. And you say the oak tree itself is still alive, right?” the bright(er) yellow Pegasus asked of Twilight, who seemed to have a dumb grin of comfort etched on her face while in his presence.

“Yep. Part of the job of caretaking or owning this place is making sure the oak itself is still living. I have Ironwood to help me diagnose any issues with the tree. I might be the Element of Magic, but I still can’t feel a living thing like an Earth Pony can,” Twilight explained, as Coral sorted out the luggage.

“I don’t think this place is big enough for the five of us over the next couple of days,” Spike wondered.

“Should only be you, Flash, and Twilight. Coral and I have a couple of rooms at an inn not too far from here,” Cinnamon replied.

That should save some consternation… no telling how Cinnamon acts when she gets tipsy… Spike thought to himself; internally sighing a sigh of relief.

“And you aren’t going to tell me what you two are going to be dressed as, are you?” Spike grumbled, honestly wondering what the two Dragonesses that were his Triad partners were cooking up.

“You will simply be required to wait until sundown to find out. We wish not to spoil any surprise before the time comes,” Coral replied.

“That figures…” Spike huffed, as he walked over to help them with the luggage for Flash Sentry.

“So I wonder what we’re gonna do until we walk with the foals and whoever else for the Trick-or-Treating?” Flash asked of Storm and Twilight.

“I was just thinking milling about town, seeing if we could help anypony else with anything,” Storm said, as he continued to scan the bushes and lampposts around the vicinity, looking for any hint of a familiar blue stallion.

“Are you alright? You’ve been kinda… what’s the word…” Flash started.

“Skittish?” Twilight offered.

“Skittish works… So why have you been so skittish out here?” Flash asked of the golden-yellow stallion.

“I dunno, deep sense of foreboding brought about by guilt?” Storm replied, with a nervous smile and an off-putting chuckle.

“I’m sure you know that feeling well, Storm,” Twilight chided, as she could feel the subtle yet distinct pulse of the Element of Water nearby.

-----

“Now or never, Vague! This is the only time we’re gonna get a clear shot…” Venomè shouted, as Vague, looked on.

“Engage…” Vague said with a matter of fact tone, with a bit of a smirk on his face.

-----

“Hey, Storm~” Vague said, as he approached Storm who was looking around in the opposite direction.

“Ahh!” Storm shouted when he saw the blue Unicorn approach, but regained his footing and his sense quickly. “Oh man, have you been trailing us the whole time?”

“Maybe. But that’s neither here nor there right now. I just wanted to come over and say,” Vague started, before taking a heavy breath. “… that I want to forgive your admittedly mild transgression earlier this morning.”

“I… um… okay…” Storm said, as he looked on, off put by the feeling he was getting from the Unicorn before him.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, as she felt the same thing. Her horn lit briefly, as she suddenly came to a realization.

But it wasn’t before Vague had already set his plan in motion.

“I do forgive you, I honestly do… I just don’t forget things very easily…” Vague said, as the Unicorn dissipated into magical vapor and a small puddle of water.

“Eh? That’s a new one…” Cinnamon said, as she didn’t think that Vague could literally turn himself into water.

“It’s a Water Cloning technique, admittedly an impromptu one developed through a combination of precise manipulation of water and Unicorn Explicit magic to create an illusory body for feint operations,” Coral reported, familiar with the techniques through her acquaintanceship with some Ninma trainees back home.

A blob of magic-laced water, not unlike that which formed the fake Blue Vague who was standing before Storm until a few moments previous, came flying out from a bush near the Library. The sheer speed was astounding to Twilight, who didn’t quite recognize it until it was already microseconds from its intended target.

And with a splash and a yelp of pain, Vague knew his target was struck.

“We have a hit!” Vague shouted, his scarf still over his snout, muffling his voice slightly, a pair of runes along his forehead showing it was all Water Magic at work the last minute or so.

Ugh, of course… I wouldn’t be looking for a pure source of Terran Magic except for Vague and Storm’s internal link to their Elements… Twilight grumbled internally, mad she couldn’t see the ambush coming given Vague’s attitude in the minutes before she departed.

“So mister Storm, what do you have to say for yourself now,” the en-scarv’ed Unicorn said to the Pegasus enshrouded by a cloud of magical vapor.

“What in the hell did you just do?” everyone heard a feminine voice shout, surprised at that fact… well everyone except one.

Vague waved a hoof, dispersing the vapor, revealing a slightly smaller and entirely female-appearing Pegasus, with the same mane and Cutie Mark as Golden Storm.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!” Storm shouted as he made to wring the neck of the stallion standing next to him.

“Turnabout is fair play, I wager, Miss Storm,” Vague chided as the Pegasus started to shake him violently.

“Eh? What’s going on Twilight?” Flash replied, deeply confused at why the stallion he was travelling with, however briefly, was all of a sudden turned into a mare.

“The two of them have had a bit of a back and forth going insofar as pranks and jokes are going, and Nightmare Night during the day is a bit like your April’s Fools Day. It’s one of the few times people accept others pulling random acts of dumb humor,” Twilight thought, as the smile began to widen on her face, and she started to giggle at the gold-colored ‘mare’ in front of all of them.

“D-D… Don’t you start, Twi~” Storm whined, the Latina in ‘her’ voice bleeding through just a little more than it did normally.

“Hrm, you’re right, the correct voice paired to an already cute body does enhance the total package,” Vague nodded sagely.

Storm huffed, sitting on 'her' haunches and holding 'her' wings down to show as much displeasure as she could without having to put 'her' altered voice to words.

“There are some things I guess I was never meant to understand about Humans, Converts or otherwise…” Spike mused, shrugging all the while as he moved the couple of suitcases that were for Flash inside the Library.

“Alright Vague, you… you proved your point… and I’m sorry. So could you please undo this?” Storm asked, trying his hardest to not plead with his altered voice to the stallion that was now definitely taller than him.

“Hrm… nah… Kinda feeling like just letting the spell run its course; which means that unless I change my mind, or you pry Twilight away from Mr. Flash over there long enough, you are stuck like that for next roughly 57 minutes,” Vague replied, with a snide tone.

“What?! Twilight, do something!” Storm yelped in surprise.

“Hrm… maybe~” Twilight replied in a sing-songy voice, the dumb grin re-etched on her face as she leaned in a bit on Flash Sentry; she stuck her tongue out at Storm for good measure, which caused the transformed stallion to grumble audibly.

“Anyway, see you all after-while, I’m out!” Vague replied, as his vanished in a puff of blue-ish smoke, as if he had thrown a smoke bomb at the ground.

Storm continued to fume, as she wanted so desperately to start cursing in both English and Spanish as loud as she could manage.

“Not sure what to say, except make the best of it?” Flash offered, not sure what kind of weirdness he was going to become incidental to if he was hooked up with Twilight on a more consistent basis.

The transformed other yellow Pegasus didn’t reply, other than continuing to fume in a low but audible grumble.

==== ~-~-~ ====

Author's Notes:

[1] psycho-form : anything that is created by spellcraft (or advanced science) that is intrinsically bound to one’s psyche. In this case, Venomè is a psycho-form created from Vague’s Id when Nightmare Ooze was purified, and will always share his memory; though she’ll interpret it through the lens of being one’s Id. Similarly, Nyx is formed from Luna’s Id, though she is much more grounded by virtue of the extreme scope of her progenitor’s psyche, and simple age as compared to Venomè.

[2] tankobon : a common way of publishing established manga in large, distinct volumes, usually covering a substantial portion of, or an entire plot arc.

[3] Ninma : much like a ‘ninja’ is a ‘stealth person’ in Japanese, a ‘ninma’ is a ‘stealth horse’ in Neighponese1

CH 32: Depth of Field

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 32: Depth of Field ===

[ November 19, 2081 – SPH US South Headquarters near Atlanta, USA ]
===================================================================

“This is strange… I have never been in a dream as lucid as this…” Linda Bowman mused aloud, as she walked through the empty chapel to the cathedral. A player organ played atmospheric music – a somber refrain that filled the air.

The dreamscape itself reminded Linda of her youth, a great cathedral in Nouvelle Baton Rouge that had become a favorite of the many Haitian immigrants and their children that made up a fair chunk of the great diaspora that filled the streets and apartments in the Southern megalopolis.

“I have a question for you…” a feminine voice of seemingly infinite age spoke, her matronly tone resounding through the empty halls of the dreamscape chapel.

“Who is speaking? I can’t very well answer a question if I don’t know who’s asking…” Linda responded, as she looked around the chapel, trying to figure who might have been in this hall with her.

She continued to look around for a few moments, eventually realizing that she was alone in the chapel, for the most part anyway. Aside from the automatically playing organ that continued to fill the hall with low volume but still distinct music, there was only a statue of an angel in the center of the hall, where the pulpit for a pastor normally would be.

“This space is derived from your own memory…” the statue stated, the female angel that stood straight, her wings flared, holding a sword pointed at the ground in her right hand, and a flame in her upturned left hand near her torso. “Your faith is deep, and unshakable; the foundation of your entire being is as firm as any bedrock on Earth.”

“The church has been central in my life ever since I could remember. My Haitian-born parents ensured that we never forgot our faith or our home culture even as we became more ingrained in American culture after the Abandonment[1],” Linda replied.

“A noble effort, but…” the angelic statue started, with Linda now but a few feet from her, standing in the center aisle of the pews for the phantasmal parishioners.

“Yes?” Linda asked, wondering where the ‘speaking’ statue was going with this line of questioning.

“It is fair to say that another is trying to integrate itself into your culture, speaking on the macro-level, yes?” the statue asked.

Linda’s eyes narrowed, figuring where the statue was going already. “Yes, those aliens seem to be making quite an effort to make themselves at home. How they can do such a thing, and yet not have a base of operations that we can find is beyond me.”

“I fear they are trying to do far worse than merely ‘make themselves at home’. I fear that they wish to make this their new home,” the statue replied.

“And what would make you say that?” Linda replied, as she continued to stand near the statue that stood nearly fifteen feet tall, two and a half times Linda’s height and then some.

“Look at all the effort they made the first time around to change your brothers and sisters into their own. And now they have brought more and varied kinds of aliens,” the statue started, as its eyes began to glow, and an otherworldly power began to fill the air in the chapel.

Linda grabbed at her temple, feeling a slight headache come on, as she could feel something flooding her psyche, but wasn’t sure what it was.

“They even went so far as to take your own son. Your lone child, bearer of your legacy, and they took it from you. Then they had the temerity to slowly brainwashed him into becoming their sword – a sword that will warp and twist this world into one of their own image,” the statue continued, it’s eyes still glowing an otherworldly color; almost devoid of such as far as Linda’s eyes could register in the dreamscape.

“My son… a… monster…” Linda said, as she fell to her knees before the statue, remember the trauma of five months past. The demonic horse that claimed to the harbinger of the End, a creature that was ripped right from the fevered nightmares of civilizations long past, one that shared the voice of her son, even as its madness was evident, one that came as quickly as he left, the titanic surge of mana suddenly ceasing, as the Equestrians fled in retreat back across the Aurora Barrier. All of those things flooded into Linda’s mind with that one statement, as she looked as she did all those months ago, her mind tottering on the edge of sanity itself.

“But I did not appear before you just to dredge up past trauma. I have come before you to bring you the instrument of this world’s salvation,” the statue continued, as the stone flame that the statue held in its hand crumbled, replaced by an actual flame of bluish-purple tint.

“This flame represents your soul, and see how bright it burns. Despite your trauma, you still have much to give to this world. And it is time this spark is cultivated into righteous flames, flames that will burn away this world’s corruption,” the statue exhorted, as Linda slowly began to rise to her feet, the tears streaming down her face.

“That is why I joined the Society, to become the flame that will burn away the corruption of the alien menace. No matter how many or what they drag over here from their cesspool… we will turn them away, and if need be… destroy them utterly,” Linda replied, as she looked at her own flame in the hand of the angelic statue.

“Then I will bestow this power upon you, but with one admonition. Not all flames are meant to burn the enemy directly. Not every instrument of war is a sword meant to cleave the enemy in twain. Your role may not be the flame that burns, but the flame that tempers the sword. But what you do with this power is ultimately yours to decide. I only trust that you will make a sound one, in the end,” the statue stated sternly, imparting the gravity of the situation as best it could upon the cocoa-skinned woman in front of her.

“I understand. If my role is to temper the sword, or light the enemy ablaze myself, I will fulfill it to all my ability,” Linda replied with all of the loyalty and gusto she could muster.

“Then let your will be done!” the statue said as the flame left its hand, and flew into the chest of Linda.

==--==

“Ugh, I really hope hallucinations aren’t some kind of side-effect of this drug,” Linda said as she woke up, working the cobwebs out of her consciousness, and looking carefully at the visage in the mirror.

“I don’t look a day over 30 now. I think I may be willing to put up with a lucid dream or three if this is the result,” Linda said, as she held the vial of small pills labeled Rejuvinus[2].

A chirping and buzzing started from her cell-phone like mini-terminal linked to her brain-implants, showing a missive having come down from base headquarters for a short meeting regarding the aptitude test she had recently taken.

“It’s time to see where the higher-ups want to put me now, I guess,” Linda thought aloud as she grabbed her ‘dress’ uniform jacket, being careful not to get caught on her still-rejuvenating figure.

“The organization should make incredible profit from this drug if they went to market with it, but I need to be on my way. I can indulge my vanity later,” Linda thought aloud again, as she left her dormitory room after putting her ‘black shield’ cap on her head.

==--==

It was almost mid-day along the East Coast of the United States, and by extension Atlanta, and they were still buzzing from a recent report in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We are looking for a Mrs. Linda Bowman, Enlisted ID 80049,” a stern looking man in a similar black uniform to Linda’s said, the lone difference was a single red stripe that indicated he was a low-ranking officer in enlistment.

“I am her,” Linda stated confidently, as some of the other, and younger enlisted looked at the middle-aged woman who had shed 15 years off her person in the last couple of weeks.

“I can see why her husband was so attached to her, if I had a chance at that I wouldn’t let it go myself…” one of them said, as Linda walked out of earshot of the ensuing conversation.

I want to just accept you are gone, Andrew, but I can’t. Something in me says you are still alive somewhere; but only Heaven knows where… Linda thought to herself as she walked into the officer’s small office, holding her head as a splitting migraine started as she did.

=-- Meanwhile in Safe Haven --=

“Really? That is what happened during your Hallow… well I guess you would call it Nightmare Night party?” Andrew said as he continued his conversation with Blue Vague on the inter-dimensional video phone.

“No pops, that is what happened before the party. The party itself was mostly unremarkable aside from everyone’s reactions to the movies we showed. I was surprised Fluttershy was so calm during the couple of slasher pics we showed. Well, after the first couple of scenes anyway. It was actually Rainbow Dash that was the most jumpy of the lot of them,” Blue Vague replied, chuckling a bit after the last statement.

“From when, Fluttershy I believe, talked to me, she had the eyes of a mare who has seen a lot of things, some of them that’d make a lot of grown men vomit in disgust or shock. Working around sick and dying animals would do that, I’d wager,” Andrew figured.

“That’s a good way to think of it,” Blue Vague replied, as the conversation continued on.

=-- --=

“Okay, let’s pluck your file out of here, Mrs. Linda, now that you got your head back on your shoulders square,” the officer said as he Linda was calmed down again, her pain abated to a ignorable level. “Alright, let’s see… oh, this is very interesting.”

“Interesting?” Linda said, as she sipped some more on headache-medicine-laced water.

“It’s interesting because you, my good madam, have one of the highest officer aptitude scores of anyone we’ve tested that wasn’t part of any kind of organized militia, paramilitary group, or national military before,” the officer said, as he showed the scores on a mid-air projecting screen built into the conference table.

“As you can see, my dear, your scores as both a front-line commander and ‘desk officer’, as it were, are both well above the average for our recruits. However, your scores as a front line soldier are below average, though we are not sure if that was because of any lingering physical issue that we weren’t able to account for at first,” the officer concluded for the time being.

“So what you are saying is that I shouldn’t be carrying a thauma-rifle, but sitting in a command van telling everyone where they need to be?” Linda responded with an even tone, trying to take in what she was hearing.

“If I had it to control all by myself… that is exactly what I’d say. We have people who can shoot guns and blow stuff up as well as anyone else. But what will make this all work will be good officers that can tell them who to shoot, and what to blow up. Without that, we’re just roving bands of thugs in snappy black uniforms and armor, and we don’t want that, now do we?” the officer replied.

“No sir, not at all,” Linda replied politely.

“In any case, we are taking you out of the rotation until my recommendation for reclassification is processed, which should take about 48 hours give or take. In the meantime, I would try and find whoever you can in the officer corps you can talk to, and pick their brains a bit. If everything goes through like I think it should, we should be ready to put you through our 8-week training course before long,” the officer replied.

“I see. I think you for this opportunity,” Linda replied.

As I told you before… you may not be the flame that burns the enemy, but instead the flame that tempers the swords to be forged in their opposition… a voice told Linda, which made her stop halfway out of the sliding door.

“Is there something troubling you, Mrs. Bowman?” the officer asked, with some mild concern.

“No no, just a stray thought…” Linda said, as she smiled politely and walked back to her dorm, silently contemplating the potential source of the voice and the earlier vision.

~=== Roughly the same time, in Ponyville, Equestria ===~

“I swear Rainbow Dash, you are one of the most unable-to-stay-still Ponies I have ever had to deal with. Even when I was fitting Scootaloo for that outfit for her school dance, she wasn’t nearly as fidgety,” Rarity complained, as she tried to mark off bits of a lycra-based outfit.

“I don’t see why you couldn’t have gotten Applejack to help you model this stuff…” Rainbow Dash replied in an annoyed huff, as upset as Rarity as she squirmed from the white Unicorn tightening certain bits and loosening other bits of the prototype outfit she was wearing.

“I’m trying to keep you all from freezing your flanks off while you work on the snow events for the coming Hearth’s-Warming and Winter Moon celebrations,” Rarity said, as she got a small yelp of pain out of Rainbow Dash from tightening a strip of cloth near the base of her wings near her shoulder joints.

“Can you do it in a way that doesn’t cut off circulation or breathing?” Rainbow Dash replied with a strained voice, the tight cloth making it somewhat difficult to breathe. After a few moments, Rarity loosened the cloth enough to allow for comfortable air-flow again.

“And to answer your earlier question, Miss Dash, Applejack is the wrong model entirely. I got something for the ‘athletic Earth Pony’ build, but right now it’s ‘similarly athletic Pegasus’ day,” Rarity replied, as she put up color swatches next to the lavender base she was using, trying to find a good shade of blue that wouldn’t blend in too much with the sky, but still be noticeable and close to what as on the national flags.

“Anyway, I got a letter from that Gryphon I was telling you from about way back when we went to Vogelstad. It seems like he’s graduated from the Marksmanship School there and is heading to Safe Haven as part of a new contingent of volunteers,” Rainbow Dash reported, with a remarkable scholastic tone.

“Really, and how would you know all of that,” Rarity asked with a bit of a teasing tone, figuring why Rainbow Dash would know something so specific about the Gryphon volunteer rotations.

“Because that Gryphon sent me a big, long letter about it a few days ago…” Rainbow Dash replied with a matter of fact tone.

“Oh really, do tell,” Rarity said, her tone still light.

Rainbow Dash finally caught on to the tone of Rarity, and quickly tried to dissuade her from her assumptions. “Wait what, it’s not like that. I know what kind of letters Flash Sentry has been writing Twilight, especially since Twilight can’t help herself but blab about them… like a lot, but Godfrey’s letters are nothing like that.”

“Oh so his name is Godfrey, that’s quite a nice name for a Gryphon. I think it means ‘warrior of peace’ in the old version of Kattsprache,” Rarity mentioned, remembering leafing through a book of Gryphon Baby Name a couple of years before.

“Yeah, I think that’s what Gilda told me when I asked her about it,” Rainbow Dash confirmed, Rarity continued working on the prototype on Rainbow’s body.

“Eh? He’s related to Gilda, I didn’t know you were into bad-colt Gryphons, as it were,” Rarity teased.

“I’m not, and he’s not like that, and stop assuming this is some mushy thing, seriously,” Rainbow Dash complained. “He’s kind of a quiet guy, not that different form Fluttershy, except the thing that gets him talking is ranged weaponry – bows, rifles, and the like.”

“Sounds a bit like Twilight when we first met her. She was so about her mission of Friendship research, she forgot it was more sociology than physics,” Rarity figured aloud.

“Yeah, I guess. So he’s gonna be at Safe Haven starting on the 24th, for how long, I dunno. If I read his letter right he has to be there a minimum of 60 days before he can ask to be relocated. Though knowing him he might be a kid in a candy store with all the stuff the humans have built,” Rainbow Dash recalled and then figured.

“Oh that’s great, we were planning to go back at the end of the month, so that’ll be the perfect time to maybe… spark something between the two of you,” Rarity continued with wide smile.

“Of course you’d think that…” Rainbow Dash replied with a groan.

[ November 21, 2081 – Manhattan, New York City, USA ]
=====================================================

“I am pleased to report that the rebuilding of our communication and analysis infrastructure is almost complete, Leader-1,” the nervous CIA Director said, as Yanovich seemed to be constantly wiping his brow out of anxiety.

“That is good news, first good news we’ve had in some time,” Peter, as Leader-1, replied, his body language denoting calm like the other two of his cohorts that sat in on the five-person conference call.

“Sir, if I may. We now have control of 80% of the Congress, most of our enemies having resigned in disgust, and the state and municipal governments have been more than forthcoming in offering us replacements that are, how you would say, amenable to our positions,” the fifth man said, as he looked on with an attitude of near glee at what he was reporting to the masked leaders of the SPH.

“More good news, this means that no matter what Aguillar thinks she might be able to do, she is utterly powerless to stop us from writing our will into black-and-white law,” Leader-3 said, as she scrolled across a tablet pad looking at the names of the new legislators that were to function more or less as a rubber-stamp for the Society now.

“Not that she has tried anything in recent months; if anything she has been remarkably docile. It makes me nervous to a small extent…” Leader-2 mused, thinking about what the President might have been planning.

“I am not sure what she could be plotting from her position, at least anything that would be significant or relevant to us,” Leader-1 countered.

“If I may, sir,” the fifth man offered. “Aguillar is not to be underestimated. She was nothing more than Attorney General of California when she ran for President, only to take this country’s politics by absolute storm. Even in a position where she has no effective power, she still has her office, and if she were willing to take the risk, could attempt to galvanize the public into open revolt against us.”

“Speaker Wilmington, you seem to have some level of conviction about Aguillar not being in as prone a position as we would believe,” Leader-2 questioned, the bemusement evident in her voice despite the masking.

“I am just attempting to be cautious. With the HEA apparently having operating capacity around the world, and the resistance movements still gathering some level of legitimacy in the eyes of the public, it would not take as much as we’d like to believe to galvanize a true counter-revolution. We cannot afford to close our eyes to that,” Wilmington replied, the anxiety starting to creep into his voice.

“It is true… the resistance movements might have hit some level of stalemate in trying to take the cities, but every day that goes by that we are aren’t able to put out these fires, are days where the flames go stronger. Though my project is still in the works to help up finally quell this uprising, we are still ignorant to what their or the HEAs capabilities are,” Leader-3 explained.

“Along those lines, Leader-3 – although our intelligence apparatus is fully functioning, we are scarcely able to gather more information on the leaders of the resistance other than prior occupations and online communities they have frequented in the past. Someone is teaching them, or they may already know, how to muddle their tracks enough to where, if we do not have human operators in the field, it will be difficult to track them. On top of that, I am especially concerned about the leader of the resistance movement in Los Angeles,” Director Yanovich, explained, with a large amount of trepidation.

“Why would Los Angeles be of particular concern?” Leader-1 asked.

“The leader of the resistance is a woman only known as ‘Amanda’. She has absolutely no history beyond two months ago in that city, period. Nothing even as rudimentary as a Social Security number; it is as if she was created out of whole cloth two months ago,” Yanovich said. “Even with a pseudonym, we would still be able to trace community registrations and health records enough to figure out who these people are. To have a complete and total wildcard like her show up, something doesn’t feel right about it.”

“So a totally unknown, anonymous woman has come completely out of nowhere to galvanize one of the strongest resistance militias in the Americas. Something smells utterly rotten about this, indeed,” Leader-1 grumbled, knowing full well the problems he was starting to have out of the whole of the American Southwest due to Amanda’s success.

~== Around the same time in the White House ==~

“So how long do you think they’re gonna hang on to the Caged Bird?” an SPH guard asked of another, as they stood post near the bedroom for President Aguillar.

“No telling, they own so much of the legis and courts now it probably doesn’t matter,” the other guard replied.

As they were talking, another guard walked near the corner, sunglasses hiding his eyes… which were a sharp royal blue – and slitted like a large reptiles.

I believe I am in the right hall now. This will teach me to trust Jacques with his intel instead of just relying upon my own instinct, Silentclaw thought to himself, as several guards laid on the ground in the hall he took to this one, his body now visually matching one of guards’ diluted Asian descent.

“At some point, we won’t have a reason to keep holding her. I mean just having her here being a symbol of what was and what the Outsiders were trying to do…” one of the guards started, before he was cut off by the other by the double doors.

“And that’s why the rumor is floating around that she won’t make it too far into ’82,” the second guard said; Silentclaw using an enhancement spell to be able to her the two clearly without needing to be all that close.

That’s an ill sign, but I doubt they would just dispose of her; that would do no more than make her a martyr. There has to be something else that’d prelude such an action… Silentclaw thought, as he was kneeling on one knee behind the corner that joined the two hallways.

“Ok but say we get rid of her, then that’d just make it obvious we’re trying to off anyone opposing Leadership. They probably gotta make it look like an accident or some kind of monster attack; something that wouldn’t immediately arouse suspicion,” the first guard said.

“Ain’t no tellin’. Hell those other monsters people on the ‘Net been talking about might do it for us. You heard about that explosion in the Charlotte slums a week or so ago, right?” the second guard said.

“Yeah the eyewitnesses said they saw a flaming horse, coat black as pitch, and even taller than the White Princess,” the first guard thought aloud, as he was remembering the news reports and social media posts out of the Charlotte area.

Giant black flaming horse… that sounds like Nightmare Moon to a small extent, but her mane was like a wild nebula, not blue flames. Damn, it could be the Mythiks the Conduit of Fire was talking about, this world has non-Human Sapients just waiting to come back, and they surely wouldn’t follow any protocol we set forth… Silentclaw suddenly realized, as he contemplated the image given by the two guards.

“All I know is, we better consolidate our power now, while we have a chance for it…” the first guard said, as they saw the third clear the corner, sunglasses still on his face.

“Hey, it’s not time for shift change yet, you shouldn’t be here for another fifteen minutes, at least,” the second guard said as the third place a hand on each their shoulders.

“Let’s just say, friends, you are being dismissed a few moments early… Walnnun Lajza[3],” chanted briefly, as bluish runes appeared in a flash on the third guards face.

The two guard made brief yelps of protest, before falling into a deep slumber within seconds, collapsing to the floor in a pair of snoring heaps. After a few more moments of moving prone bodies, the disguised Silentclaw stood before the bedroom of the President of the United States, wondering what exactly may lay across the threshold.

Hoepfully she is still in one piece, and of sound mind… Silentclaw said, as he slid in one of the guard’s keycards, unlocking the door.

Silentclaw walked inside, noting the bedroom was quite large – easily the size of a den in a typical Dragon residence, and therefore probably could comfortably house several humans, most likely in a familial unit. He looked around to the right and to the left, seeing a small kitchen area, some inactive compu-pads, a large pile of paper with all manners of notes written on it.

“Whatever Madame President has been doing during this internment must be occupying a lot of her mental energy…” Silentclaw mused aloud, but quietly.

“Quite a lot of mental energy, drawing up all manners of laws to pass once I’m returned to power. I plan to make the SPH and anyone allied with them scream bloody murder by every legal means I’ll have available to me,” a somewhat gruff but feminine voice said.

“I assume that is you, Madame President?” the disguised Dragon asked politely, as he looked at the woman in business casual dress, her hair decidedly graying from all the stress put upon her in the last few months, but looking none the worse for wear otherwise.

“It’s rare that any of my guards would take interest in these notes; all they can see are the scribblings of a deposed leader slowly descending into madness. I would like to think I am still quite sane and quite sharp mentally,” President Aguillar said as she sat down at the chair; unnervingly calm in the presence, ostensibly, of a guardsman of the organization that had deposed her from effective control of the nation.

“I can assure you, anyone who thought otherwise is merely deluding themselves. I would have suspected some measure of histrionics, or at least anxiety, at me finding all of these legal notes and plans,” the disguised Silentclaw stated, having long since closed the door to afford the two of them privacy.

“Call it a politician’s, or prosecutor’s, instinct, but I feel that I can trust you far more than anyone else I would have access to at the moment,” President Aguillar stated, as she looked over one of her recent drafts, looking for any large loopholes or anything similar.

“Would you mind if I divulged a bit?” Silentclaw stated, as he stood near the small round worktable, opposite where Aguillar was sitting.

“No, not at all, within reason of course,” Melinda replied, raising her head to look the guard in his eyes.

She was mildly shocked when the guard took off his sunglasses, and revealed the brilliant sapphire blue eyes – eyes that were anything but human.

“… Interesting…” Aguillar stated, doing her best not to show the shock she was feeling at the moment.

Silentclaw quietly dispelled the glamour coating his body, the Draconic-tinged mana wafting off of his body as he reabsorbed it, revealing his true body - the almost six-foot tall, black and blue-spined Dragon of almost eight hundred years of age, though his body hardly showed any wear all those years on it.

“You remind me of one of Celestia’s fellow travelers, though clearly older and much more… robust… in stature,” Aguillar stated, catching her breath after a momentary lapse.

“If you saw him now, you would probably be as surprised, assuming we are thinking of the same once-small Dragon,” Silentclaw replied, as he took a chair and sat down, crooking his tail to not cramp it or get it stuck in the back.

“You seem very casual for an alien in the middle of one of the most populated strongholds of an ostensibly anti-alien installation,” Melinda stated, looking the lizard-like-man in the eyes, finding a serenity that was calming to her.

“I have to be, my stock in trade is infiltration for intelligence gathering purposes. I must be calm in my words and my actions, lest I arouse suspicion. Plus it is difficult to maintain a glamour when your emotions are out of balance,” Silentclaw replied.

“Point taken. In any case, I suspect you are not here just for a friendly chat with a mostly deposed leader of a major nation?” Aguillar asked of the Dragon in front of her.

“No, in fact I do have important news for you,” Silentclaw started, as he reached into a hidden satchel on his person. “It is in regard to this…”

Aguillar looked at the amethyst necklace the Dragon pulled from seemingly nowhere, thinking back to five months ago. “I appreciate the offer, but I remained here to at least act as some kind of buffer against the SPH.”

Silentclaw merely sighed, chuckling internally at the stubbornness shown by the President. “Madame President, I mean not to browbeat you into a decision, but you don’t have any more power here. You can probably figure from looking at the roster of the new members of your legislature, but the SPH has filled with their allies and cronies. The executive departments and courts are similarly stacked with SPH sycophants and fellow-travelers. Much like Celestia had to face the option of retreat to fight again at a later date, so do you.”

“I know, but a part of me doesn’t want to give Vaughn the satisfaction of that level of victory,” Aguillar stated, the calm in her voice giving to some measure of frustration and anger, thinking of the red-masked man who called himself Leader-1 for his public appearances.

“I can see that now. But you also know that, especially at this moment, the entire line of succession is populated by their followers. If anything were to happen to you, then we would be left with a government entirely in their control, instead of just mostly,” Silentclaw argued, trying to get the President to see things his way.

“I know, I know. This Caged Bird lives on borrowed time the longer she stays here. At the same time… this is my office, I was elected to do a job, and I am prepared to see it through to the bitter end,” President Aguillar stated, a strong level of conviction in her voice as she did.

The runes reappeared on Silentclaw’s face, as he softly chanted “Cudlav Emssawt[4]”, a grid-like pattern appearing across the floor, the outer walls, and the ceiling of the bedroom/suite the President and he sat in. He then stood up, and put his clawed hands on top of the table, to look at sternly as he could into the eyes of President Aguillar, but still maintain his verbal even-tone. “Look, Madame President, I can see in your eyes you are willing to die to see your ideals carried through this office. And as much as I trust your vice president Mr. Oberweiss, this nation, and this world needs you alive to serve out your term and to serve as a voice a reason once it expires. You have a chance to be written into the history books as a woman that not only guided a nation as it’s leader for eight full years, but being able to guide leaders of the future along the same path that you are trailblazing. You cannot very well do that deceased, at least not with any measure of ease…”

President Aguillar stood up as well, meeting Silentclaw’s pose along the table with one of her own, placing her hands across the table from his, looking at him with the same stern-but-measured visage that he had on his face. “Trust me, I know what you mean by that. At the same time, I cannot very well abandon my post; a ship’s captain must see her duty through to the end.”

“I will not stand here and watch a woman make herself a martyr before her time,” Silentclaw stated with a small measure of anger to his voice now; the two creatures now locking horns rhetorically like a pair of stags would literally.

“And I will not stand here while an alien, as well meaning as he is, tells me to flee my post in rank self-preservation,” Melinda rejoined, the two of them practically staring daggers into his eyes.

“It seems that we are at an impasse this day,” Silentclaw stated, as he placed the necklace in the center of the table, equidistant from their pair of hands.

“It seems that we are…” Aguillar stated, as she picked the necklace up, examining it.

“I can see now why you are a dangerous entity politically,” Silentclaw stated, as he folded his arms, looking at the woman with a level of bemusement as she put the necklace on, seemingly completely opposite to the words she said earlier.

Aguillar tapped the center of the necklace a couple of times, quietly marveling at the visible Shadow-aligned mana within the crystal. “Today may not be the day for me to leave either this office or this plane of life. But I will meet either day with the same resolve I showed just now.”

Mr. Silentclaw, I can see that President Aguillar placed the necklace on her person, should I go ahead with the Evac? a Dragon tech asked the head of Intelligence for his nation’s Council.

No, that will not be necessary at the current time. I am willing to place trust in the good Madame President that she can account for her own health and safety until we can find a better opportunity… Silentclaw responded mentally to the telepathic request.

“The time may come tomorrow, or maybe weeks from now. But I will come calling again,” Silentclaw stated, as he made to leave Aguillar’s presence, and residence.

“I look forward to the next time, count on that,” Melinda stated, as she looked on at the Dragon with a silent acknowledgement of the resolve he showed in trying to rescue her that day. “Besides, I can reasonably figure I have a guardian angel, or several, looking over me through this necklace. I merely want to ascertain, with my own eyes and ears, the full extent of what those SPH bastards have planned.”

“And I merely ask that you maintain your guard until we can do so for you,” Silentclaw replied, as he dispelled the sound-blocking spell, and exited the suite, resuming his human guise.

~== An hour or so later, in Safe Haven ==~

“So, I’m to understand the American President refused Evac back here?” Admantia grumbled, hearing the news from recent events straight from the Dragon-in-qestion’s mouth.

“Indeed, and she was as adamant about it as you can manage without raising your voice. To be honest I was taken aback for a few moments,” Slientclaw admitted to the Dragoness several hundred years his junior, but possessing actual jurisdiction in this scenario.

“I would imagine, you have a way with coaxing beneficial statements or decisions out of your targets. But, as you implied earlier, she simply refused to leave until she felt comfortable with her first-hand knowledge of the Black Shield’s plans,” Admantia nodded knowingly.

“Madame President is entitled to her decisions, though I fear how your wider plans could degenerate if she were to die, especially while in their custody. As much as the public could be galvanized by her being a martyr, I do have the feeling she is of particular political talent, and I would not want Mr. Oberweiss or anyone else pressed into a decision making position by her untimely death. Plus, if she were to die in their custody, but we then unseat the Black Shield, we could end up with a succession problem that is ultimately unsolvable,” Silentclaw figured, hoping the latter scenario would remain a hypothetical.

“And the last thing the HEA or any of you all would want is a major power on Earth with a confused status as to who the leader of said power is…” Admantia concluded.

“I would be more comfortable if we could get a human asset into the White House to keep tabs and call us if anything were to happen, that Pres. Aguillar’s intuition couldn’t red-flag for us,” Silentclaw stated; contemplating what might needed to be done in the near future.

Admantia nodded, as she continued to contemplate the situation. That was, until a beep appeared on a device sitting on her desk.

“Hrm, the computing and messaging machine has a note for you, it appears,” Silentclaw said, as he looked at the blinking light on the computer pad that sat on said desk.

“You can just call it a computer, I swear…” Admantia chuckled, as she read the message silently to herself.

“I could, but sometimes I like being humorously obtuse,” Silentclaw replied, as he looked at the eyes of Admantia narrowing a bit. “Is the message of some concern?”

“Somewhat… our investigators in the city of Charlotte on this side have completed their preliminary look at that recent incident of a ‘monster’ sighting. They’ve been able to rule out the source of the magic that sparked the conflagration at the mass settlement building being started by Thaumatic-epsilon based magic, and they were able to nail down a more consistent description of the beast that in all likelihood is our culprit,” Admantia started, as she ‘pecked’ at an option button on the active screen to print out a copy of the report on a nearby printer.

After a few moments of waiting, both she and Silentclaw were reading over the HEA investigative team’s initial report. As she had stated before, they were able to rule out the blaze that damaged the near-bottom floors of a giant housing project as started by Equaan-derived Magic. And they finally had, for themselves, a solid enough description of the ‘monster’ the residents and passers-by saw those evenings ago.

“Alright, according to these eyewitness reports and follow-up interviews, the beast that started this blaze was apparently a gigantic horse, easily taller than either Equestrian Princess or most draught-breeds of Terran horses. They estimated the height at… 3 meters to its withers, and black like obsidian…” Silentclaw stated, as he looked at his own scale color in a moment of contemplation. “The most distinguishing thing about this beast, aside from its apparently massive size, was the fact it had a mane of pure flame, as far as the witnesses could tell – head, neck, tail, and fetlocks were all nothing but intense, red to orange to yellow flame.”

Admantia looked through an online photo and art gallery of horse-based monsters in Human mythology, both modern and classical, and found a hit for the description given. “I see, it seems to resemble the monster the Human refer to when speaking of a ‘Nightmare’.”

The Dragoness tapped another icon on her pad, displaying the picture on the projector built into her pad. Silentclaw took a good look at the image, commenting on how relevant the name was.

“Yes, I can see why a beast of this nature would be called a ‘Nightmare’, hopefully Celestia doesn’t fall and become such a monstrosity.”

Admantia sighed and agreed. “Indeed, both worlds could be ruined in short order if a being as powerful Celestia were to become the flame-equivalent to Nightmare Moon, but that is another thought for another time. What still intrigues me, in a somewhat morbid way, is the statement they said someone shouted over the din of the chaos caused by the fires the Nightmare started.”

“A statement? Ah I see: ‘This is but the beginning! The world of Man is overgrown like weeds, and we will come to reclaim our territory!’ It appears that we will have to contend with Mythiks who are going to look to reclaim whatever territory they feel they have lost, practically immediately after they begin manifesting en masse,” Silentclaw read, as he skipped ahead in the short stack of papers he was reading through to the relevant passages.

“Call it a wild hunch, but I would not be surprised if the beast itself made this statement. There is nothing in the interviews that said the beast was feral in any manner,” Admantia figured.

“Because we didn’t have enough problems already… I just hope that we will have enough time to establish ourselves before we are having to fight a two-front conflict with both the Society and these rogue reclaimers,” Silentclaw groused, upset that he had such little information on a potential enemy this close to showing itself in full.

“I believe we all are, Silentclaw. Let us hope that Tiamat’s spirit will guide us through this turbulence,” Admantia offered, as she took a few moments to gather her thoughts before tending to other business.

~~~=====~~~

Author's Notes:

[1] the Abandonment as a cultural term refers to a rolling period where those in developing or ‘third-world’ countries began to mass emigrate to developed (or first-world) nations. The Abandonment mostly occurred in nations that were so severely affected by climate change (in this universe) that their territory was rendered uninhabitable by large groups of people, much less numbers to sustain a nation-state. Regarding Linda in particular, the Abandonment of Haiti was more or less declared ‘complete’ in 2051, though her parents weren’t of the last wave out.

[2] Rejunivus : a new breed of medicine developed internally in the SPH. It combines spellcraft and normal drug making procedure to create more effective versions of existing drugs, or entirely new ones (similar to Zebra Alchemy). This drug in particular ‘optimizes’ the body according to ingrained genetics, producing a high baseline body a person can then train to achieve a theoretical ‘peak’.

[3] corrupted transliteration of “Alnnum Lahza”, a phrase in Arabic that means “Instant Sleep”

[4] corrupted transliteration of “Kutlat Alssawt”, a phrase from Arabic that can be translated to “Sound Block”though

CH 33: Colors and Contrasts

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 33: Colors and Contrasts ===

[ December 16, 2081 – Near the Durham Domed Community, North Carolina, USA ]
============================================================================

It was a quiet day above-ground in the Durham Domes, as a few birds flew through the climate-controlled (at least to the best of their ability) air underneath the hyper-carbonate glass that formed much of the Dome’s (in)visible structure. All and all, it was a mundane day, as the inhabitants scurried hither and fro, as the days were marked off the calendar in anticipation of Christmas, especially on the part of the little children.

In contrast, underneath the Domes, deep in the clandestine research and manufacturing facility known to the proprietor and many of its employees as the Toybox, said proprietor was busy entertaining one of his most consistent and consistently entertaining clients.

“What brings you to Durham today, Mr. Egret?” Ken asked, as he looked at the unmasked Leader-3 from his seat on his recently built Earth-mana driven power scooter.

“Frankly I thought you’d be the type with a true racing motorbike. Seem like the ‘live fast die young’ type by how you look, anyway,” Nathan replied, more taken with said scooter than Ken’s greeting; looking like a moped from eighty years previous, but with an added faint green glow from the Earth-aligned thaumatic engine.

“Now what kind of self-respecting motorbike rider would waste such a fine-sounding machine on scooting back and forth inside an underground laboratory? Honestly, Mr. Egret, what kind of frivolous soul do you take me for?” Ken replied with a faux-wounded tone.

“You just don’t have a way to do it yet in a way you’d like, don’t you?” Nathan chuckled, as the young-ish proprietor no older than 35 scooted up and down the hallway next to him.

“I could barely hit 30 on that thing without putting my head and torso through one of these walls, the way these hallways bank,” Ken said with a tone of faux-regret.

“In any case, I’m doing well, and I came to see how our project was proceeding along,” Nathan said, as the two of them walked at a brisk pace toward the relevant test complex.

“And you are in luck, because Christmas is coming a couple of weeks early for you, Nate,” Ken said, as he handed the scooter to an aide, and they both rode the tram the rest of the way.

=== -- ===

“You know, they are adorable in a war-machine-y kind of way,” Nathan mused, as he looked at the hall full of prototypes with various aides and engineers giving them all the once, twice, and thrice-over.

“We wanted to fight the right balance between ‘combat effective’, ‘energy efficient’ in all respects, and ‘aesthetically pleasing and/or intimidating’. Eventually, I and the designers settled on this general framework,” Ken said, as he pointed at a dyna-screen[1] with some rough blueprints on it.

Nathan looked at the blueprints, noting how each prototype was no taller than a child, five feet tall at most. They all had blank ‘faces’, a multi-camera system for a single ‘eye’ that seemed to be forever rotating, and other sensors along the ‘head’ of the machine.

“They do look vaguely human, and at the same time, somewhat alien…” Nathan thought aloud, as he stood at a semi-crouch, letting one of the active prototypes analyze his face, the prototype recognizing the roughly 40 year old man as one of his owners.

“Good Afternoon, Mr. Egret…” the drone stated in a dry monotone, reminding him of the existing battle drones on the proverbial market.

“So let me ask this before you get into your explanation: are these machines just retrofitted battle drones that I could get from anyone else, or is this a custom job?” Nathan asked of Ken, who did appear to be legitimately hurt by the question.

“Everything made here in the Toybox is crafted with love and care, and is purpose built and designed from the ground up with our client’s specifications and intent in mind. Frankly I take it as a bit of an insult to my creativity to suggest that…” Ken responded curtly.

“Alright, just the voice reminded me of some of the other drones and droids out there…” Nathan responded.

“I will admit to using an off-the-shelf, if you will, solution for the AI and communications per drone; but I have a very particular reason for that…” Ken said, as the two of them walked into one of the many conference rooms that dotted the complex where the drones were being developed.

“Mind sharing the reason?” Nathan asked inquisitively, as he and Ken sat at a chair at a projection table.

“It came during some of our experiments on mixing an AI on a CPC[2]. When we would run thaumatic energy through the alpha-prototype drones, we were noticing lack of control on our part. As well as massive deviations from established protocol, regardless of what AI we had loaded at any particular time. So we had to ensure that any magic these drones use were being used in shielded ‘batteries’ if you will. And then build devices that would act as an intermediary, so that the AI weren’t directly invoking the spellcraft in each tool and device we would have installed.” Ken said; grumbling as he did.

“Hrm, a truly thinking machine, could be a boon to us all; computational theoreticians have been trying to develop a truly thinking machine since we had programming languages to formalize machine logic,” Nathan surmised, as the idea intrigued.

Ken slammed his hands on the table at that kind of talk, a look of genuine anger on his face as he heard the musings of his current customer. “Do you understand how dangerous a thinking machine is? ANY minor hiccup in its initialization could cause it careen out of control. And that might not be a problem for a clothes washer, but a war-drone that goes out of control like that could be a hundred times the threat Princess Celestia is to all of us! That is why we have so many parameters on what any machine can be allowed to control without the direct input or other authorization of a human minder.”

“Talk like that makes you sound like a Cyber-Luddite, you know. In any case, it’s your workshop, your rules…” Nathan replied, clearly displeased with Kenneth’s thoughts on sapient machines but decided against pressing the issue.

“So with that settled, for now at least, let’s discuss the initial run of drones in development,” Ken said, as he resumed his usual tone of an excitable 30 year old inventor and salesman.

After a few moments of loading plans, Ken began to briefly go over the different plans for the drones he already had for his production lines.

“So, what we have right here is the N-Model,” Ken started, as he showed the base humanoid model of the Thauma-Drone. “As you can see from the video, the drone is fully capable of using all human-designed small and medium arms.”

Nathan nodded in acknowledgement as the watched the video of the five foot tall, charcoal black robot handling the rifles, pistols, and launchers that any normal human soldier would be expected to wield, and then wielding them to incredible efficiency.

“Looks like top of the line AI controlling these things. How much did you have to shell out for the licensing?” Nathan asked with a bit of joking tone.

“I paid enough for it, and that’s all that needs to be said…” Ken noted tersely. “The Machines can run at 30 mph at top speed at normal load, certainly faster than any human can, but at the same time, a pace slow enough to where normal mechanics can achieve it. In addition, though, we have special transportation equipment. The F-Equipment is a special chest armor that uses Wind-Magic to achieve flight, and the A-Equipment is a single-drone capsule that goes over the legs and waist, that allows travel in most waters up to 200 meters in depth.”

“I would assume you have more ideas in mind, but are keeping them to yourself until you can see how these things do in the field?” Nathan asked, noting the package was a little barebones to start with.

“If there is a design flaw I could not see that would only show itself in live ‘testing’, then I would be a fool to commit resources to said flawed product, wouldn’t I?” Ken asked in response.

“True enough, this should be enough to make due though until you are ready to expand the product line,” Nathan concluded for himself.

“Though there is one other thing, though it is not directly related to this particular product line of drones,” Ken said, as he showed another object on the projector.

“And this helmet is for what?” Nathan asked, as he couldn’t decipher the language in the projection next to the helmet’s image.

“For controlling smaller versions of these drones. But we are still working on the programming, both thaumatic and otherwise, that will allow the correct person to actually to use it. The problem right now is that the amount of mental feedback caused by the magic and the helmet’s visors, in order to control the mini-drones gives people absolutely vicious migraines,” Ken replied.

“Must be quite bad for you not to move forward with a real production model,” Nathan thought, as he wondered about potential applications once Ken did solve the migraine-inducing magical conundrum.

[ December 31, 2081 – Safe Haven ]
==================================

“And you’re sure that’s how a shield spell is supposed to work?” Vague said nervously as he looked at the mulberry Unicorn across from him in one of the practice rooms.

“One of them anyway, but I’m going to show you the other one in a bit, so just perform the spell like I showed you,” Twilight Sparkle responded, as she gave a reassuring smile.

Vague cast a half-dome around himself and a small part of the room around him. After he did, Twilight took a deep breath, and began to dip into the New Rainbow Bridge in order to cast what was to be a fairly mundane, but effective, offensive magical beam.

“Here it comes Vague!” Twilight shouted, as her sharp magenta beam of magic began to collide with the electric blue dome of Vague’s shield.

Damn, it’s like trying to stand in front of a fire hydrant… Vague thought, as he did his best to avoid using his Terran Elemental magic to enhance the shield.

That’s great, the base strength of his shield is strong enough to block a basic magi-beam spell… Twilight thought as she began to increase the strength from ‘average trained Unicorn’ to ‘Twilight Sparkle giving some mild effort’.

Vague felt the pressure from the beam increase to what felt like an industrial-grade pressure washer, as he began to be pushed back on his hooves, despite the shield not having failed yet.

“Ugh!” Vague grunted, as he tried to fight directly against the increased strength of the beam by funneling more power to his shield, something that only gave him enough resistive strength to avoid being pushed backward – the shield starting bend inward due to the excessive pressure applied by the magi-beam.

It was that time, that Twilight recognized the move that Vague had pulled, and decided that it was time to teach an object lesson in technique versus power, and when to use either or both – as her eyes flashed magenta, and a power surge shattered Vague’s shield, and knocked him all the way back to the safety padding of the 2m deep depressed ring they were standing in.

“Owww…” Vague moaned as he gingerly returned to his vertical base. “Care to explain what that was all about?!”

“Just a bit of an object lesson, Mr. Blue; if you are faced with a shield breach, just increasing the tensile strength by adding more raw magic only works so far as the power you are adding is more than the output of the aggressor,” Twilight started, as she waved a hoof, creating a diagram in mid-air, taking advantage of the slight reality warping qualities of the practice room, being a constantly active-but-smaller scale version of Luna’s Training Room spell.

“As you can see, all I had to do to break your shield was a one-time burst to overwhelm its tensile strength, making the whole thing shatter and leaving you, as the caster, briefly stunned. After that, the beam just kept going and knocked you all the way back to the rim. However, as my brother would say, there is a way around this flaw in the basic magi-shield.”

“And that’d be?” Vague said, not quite seeing what it was.

“Well there are several ways, but I believe the best way for you, in particular, is to use that Water Magic of yours as an ablative substance.”

Vague sat on haunches for a few moments in thinking repose, before an idea popped into his head. “Alright then, I think I got something, so hit me with that magi-beam again.”

A couple of moments later, they resumed their positions, Vague creating another forward-facing half-dome, this time swirling in the true blue colored Water Mana along with his electric blue aura. “Alright, whenever you’re ready Twilight!”

Twilight took another deep breath, as she started things off with the basic magi-beam again. Vague’s shield held up perfectly fine, as it did before.

Ok, here comes the moment of truth. Let’s see just how his instincts are for spellcraft… Twilight thought, as she cranked up the spell back to her personal normal.

Twilight smirked a bit as she saw water apparently starting to boil off the surface of the shield, and Vague smirked as he saw far less buckling of the shield under the strain of Twilight’s beam.

“That’s perfect Vague… as you make your natural Explicit Magic stronger, that means the less Water Magic should ablate,” Twilight said, as she stopped her beam, and Vague dispelled the shield.

“True enough, I figure there are other ways it can be mixed though, but there’ll be time enough for that later,” Vague said as the two of them made to exit the practice room.

---

“So... what were the two of you up to?” Hana asked as she saw the blue and purple Unicorns exiting one of the practice rooms.

“To try and sum and up, I wanted to learn some of the basics of shield Explicit magic, and since Shining Armor is indisposed with the Royal Guard and being Prince of the Crystal Empire, I figured I go to the next nearest source,” Vague said pointing at Twilight.

“I’d like to think that Shining refined a lot of his shield spellcraft because I was a precious little filly and tried to sneak attack him at every possible opportunity,” Twilight said, with a bit of a devious smile.

“Oh really now, you have to tell me sometime about it…” Hana requested, as the three of them walked back to where the rest of the Bearers and the Conduits were.

[ December 29, 2081 – Midnight Estate[4], Somewhere on Northern Honshu Island, Japan ]
=====================================================================================

< Note: all conversations for this section should be read as being spoken in Japanese, or the Equaan Equivalent of Neighponese, in-Universe unless otherwise noted >

“So how are things going in Sector 12 of New Kyoto?” a tall, somewhat lean middle aged man asked of apparently no one, as he looked at maps being projected by the tablet computers scattered across the conference table. He appeared to be alone in the room, though his ‘sixth’ sense as it were, told him otherwise.

The young woman he was speaking to, without seeing, revealed herself quickly, seeing there was no sense in keeping up the feint. “Master Kagemaru, how is it that you found out these secret arts so fast? I thought I for sure I would have been able to slip past your notice this time.”

“You can say I was divinely inspired. Well I could say that but I’d be lying in small part,” Kagemaru responded, as he pointed up at the rafters of the conference building, which had a Meiji-era Japanese aesthetic to it, despite the modern amenities.

Suddenly, and to the great surprise of the nineteen-year-old Yume, a young-looking male Unicorn of pale blue coat and icy-blue mane appeared almost out of nowhere – having swooped down from his hiding place in the rafters of the conference room.

“Greetings, my name is Ryuusei’nen. I am the liaison from Neighpon, here to assist Master Kagemaru in the development of teachable Ninjutsu,” the twenty-year old Unicorn stallion said with great formality and deference to two humans before him.

“I should have figured you had a ringer…” Yume grumbled, as she looked sternly at the man a little more than thirty years her senior, and less harshly at the pale blue Stallion with the meteor-striking-a-brain Cutie Mark.

Kagemaru just laughed as the kunoichi-in-training before him continued the fume mildly at the master of the Estate. “Oh my dear, come now. As much as I have a mind for the great hidden arts, I have no clue what I am doing when it comes to mana. Thankfully, young Ryuu here is a very good teacher.”

“I try to assist as best I can, in any case…” Ryuusei’chi added, nodding in agreement.

As the three began to drift off into their own conversation, a ‘phone ringing’ tone began to sound throughout the conference room.

“Ah that tone must mean it’s coming from you know who,” Kagemaru mused aloud as he activated the holo-phone.

“So what are you up to today, Kage?” a gregarious voice said, as the image of the one-and-only Dr. Hayato Isegawa appeared in mid-air, projected by the tablet that served as the main display for the holo-phone. “Hopefully not making your first class of kunoichi unduly uncomfortable.”

“Oh no no, Hayato. This whole operation is purely on the up and up,” Kagemaru replied, chuckling as he metaphorically waved off the accusation. “No, my Neighponese liaison and one of said kunoichi were just getting acquainted, as we were about to go over some intelligence we gathered from our forward agents.”

“Ah I see, well keep yourself out of trouble in that regard,” Dr. Hayato replied, before his tone turned more grounded. “You know exactly who is running that S.P.H. branch in your neck of the woods.”

“The New Imperial Dawn, a bunch of ultra-nationalists trying to re-establish a Japanese Empire across the East Pacific, at the very least,” Kagemaru concluded. “I wouldn’t have thought them to make common cause with the people who run the SPH in the Americas.”

“They probably see each other as useful idiots. The New Imperial Dawn was in the best position to depose the Diet and Prime Minister, and the S.P.H. proper had the funding the New Imperial Dawn needed to properly arm themselves for whatever they believe their mission to be. It would not surprise me personally if both harbored thoughts of betraying the other once their rule became more entrenched,” Hayato continued to muse aloud, as it was evident he had been talking about the problem for some time with others in the H.E.A proper as well as the myriad allied forces trying to take back their nations from the S.P.H. conglomerate that ruled the world at the moment.

Ryuu noticed Yume clenching her fists as the two older men continued to talk amongst themselves (for the most part) about how to tackle the SPH-Japan problem, so he motioned for the two of them to go to a corner to talk more privately.

“I can sense the mental tension and anguish when the Society and the New Imperial Dawn are brought up. Forgive me for not understanding the source of this already, but I wish to know so that I might assist in any way that I can,” Ryuusei’chi asked of the woman almost twice his height, as she sat on a cushion so she could look him in the eyes evenly.

“It was a couple of months ago, before I had even heard of the Midnight Blossom. We were trying to get food from an aid station some of the HEA benefactors had set up. An unrelated protest had started up a block or so away, and the SPH of course came to put it down. Before the HEA could intervene, the SPH began firing live rounds into the crowd. Twenty-five people died that day… including my mother, who threw me to the ground and tried to shield me, and was struck in the back of the head by a stray bullet,” Yume answered morosely, her head resting on her knees.

“May I ask of your father?” Ryuu continued.

“He died in a construction accident when I was two. He just couldn’t give up the job, even after most of the workers were replaced by drones. Mom always said that he thought every building, no matter how utilitarian it was meant to be, deserved a human touch to it. As he put it: ‘The Human Touch is what gives something that’s inanimate a soul. Since it cannot think for itself, you have to interpret its feelings through the feelings the creator puts into it.’”

“I see. Many Zebras I have conversed with in my short life has said similar things. That which has no life on its own takes on the flavor, as they would put it, of those living around it,” Ryuu added, thinking on what he read of Zebra general philosophy and his talks with some of the special forces from the Zebra republic that had come to Neighpon for special training and assistance with their own issues.

“I ended up finding this place when I ran into another HEA contingent. They did not want to take in just anyone off the street, but they saw the heart I was willing to put into trying to rectify the wrong committed against me. So they put in a good word for me with Master Kagemaru, and here I’ve been since then,” Yume concluded.

“While I think revenge is a good catalyst for joining an organization such as this, I will render this caution: there has to be something that animates you beyond revenge. I formally became a Nin in my clan because I felt that my talent for Ninjutsu development would help raise our standing, and ultimately help the nation of Neighpon itself. Some consider us the second-most powerful Pony nation, only to the motherland of Equestria herself. I… I wish to do whatever I can to help preserve, and ultimately improve that position,” Ryuu concluded.

With that, Ryuu walked back over to where Master Kagemaru was talking to the projection of Dr. Hayato, giving Yume a few moments to contemplate things.

He’s right: if we destroyed Japan’s SPH, and the New Imperial Dawn with it, tomorrow, what exactly would I do with myself afterward? Yume contemplated, as she joined the two males near the holographic third.

[ January 03, 2082 – Somewhere near Seattle, WA, USA ]
======================================================

“Have you had any more luck in our pursuits, Sister Astral,” the alabaster white Unicorn in the deep purple and gold-fringed cloak asked of a younger looking Unicorn mare before him, as he sat on the raised seat in a small shack in the forests near Seattle’s slums.

Sister Astral Image looked at her spiritual father above her, both literally and figuratively, as if she were a foal attempting to explain away a bad grade on a report card to her father. “I apologize, Father. I could not find any purchase in the protections erected around the home base for the Human-Equestrian Alliance.”

Father White sighed, as he continued to wonder what exactly was needed for the next phase of his plan to begin. “The H.E.A. moves too slow in re-igniting the Conversion Movement. Too much dalliance on their part will leave too many humans prey to the forces that gather to destroy this world.”

Astral Image nodded, as she could remember the visions Father White reported to her and the other half-dozen Ponies that made up their small family. “Something is holding them back, but what it is I cannot contemplate. There is simply too much that we do not know about their operations.”

“If that is the case, then we need to find a way to have a set of eyes and ears inside whatever facility they are using as their Earth-side base of operations. It is clear from their work in public that something Earth-side is providing material and communications support,” Father White wondered aloud, putting a hoof to his chin, the almost-white blond of his mane disguised from the shade created by the lights in the room, making his entire body look almost as if he were a blue-eyed Unicorn made of living chalk.

Astral’s eyes lit up as she keyed on what Father White was talking about. “Oh, I’m sure if the Ponies at the H.E.A. heard you speak, they’d surely come around to your way of thinking.”

Father White chuckled as the idea crossed his mind once or twice, but waved his front hoof in front of his face dismissively. “That is not what we should be aiming at right now. Our family cannot expand quite so quickly, since the SPH still has the military means to bring us down. We must capitalize on a world where the Black Shield is shattered, and scattered to the four winds. For that, we need to leave the HEA as is. Once they begin Conversions in earnest again, that is our time to begin to assert ourselves. Would you not agree?”

Astral nodded vigorously, agreeing as much as she could without shouting. “Yes, yes Father. I understand. Patience is a virtue that we must hold to, even in these troubling times.”

“Correct, Sister Astral. But do not worry, I believe the way forward will reveal itself to us before long,” Father White concluded.

Given beasts like that monstrous horse-demon that appeared in Charlotte a few weeks ago, I cannot imagine that we have long. If the HEA doesn’t begin soon enough, everyone who has not converted will be caught in the crossfire of the Great Cataclysm… Father White thought, as he could feel the ill winds blowing.

~~~=====~~~

CH 34: Sunset Drive

View Online

=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 34: Sunset Drive ===

[ January 20, 2082 – Safe Haven ]
=================================

“Remind me to not underestimate the quality of marksman coming out of your academies,” Nero told Frederika, as he watched the young man of a lion-eagle gryphon move through the simulated environment, taking out targets at mid-range.

“His youthfulness would not make him a good ‘camp-out’ sniper, such as yourself, Nero. So we are instructing him in the path of medium-to-long range support,” Frederika replied, as she kept an eye on the monitors showing the overall layout of the test range, and said gryphon’s current statistics for the drill.

“Everyone has their role, - some people can play more of them than others, but everyone has at least one. Just a matter of finding it,” Nero said.

“Sounds surprisingly like how Pony military theorists and commanders talk,” Frederika responded, the mirth evident in her voice.

“Given how they operate, from everything I’ve been able to gather, that doesn’t surprise me. Human and Pony military theory is surprisingly similar, even if the tools we use are much more like what Gryphons and Dragons have or still use,” Nero figured aloud, playing off Frederika’s line of thought.

“True. I guess in the end, with copycat syndrome how it is, you just absorb best practices for the time,” Frederika then figured.

-----

“You can use our weapons well enough, at least the ones big enough for you talons to fit in. But you need to work on keeping your head about you when you have more than two bogeys firing on you,” one of the Gryphon live-fire instructors chided in a gruff tone.

“Yes, sir,” Godfrey replied, politely but curtly.

“In any case, I guess it will still be some time until we can trust you with a solo operation. Thankfully we have enough numbers to where you shouldn’t be left without someone to help anchor you until we get you past this,” the instructor continued.

“It’s just like back at the Academy, they said the same thing…” Godfrey replied dejectedly.

“Thankfully this isn’t the Warfare Academy, otherwise you’d be slow-tracked post haste,” the instructor continued. “In any case, while you’re here will be working under Cpt. Frederika and Cpl. Klaudia for that and other reasons. You just need to remember what I’m sure you’ve heard a thousand times before in the Marksmanship Academy by now: let your eagle’s eye focus, and let your cat’s reflex react.”

“Yes, sir,” Godfrey replied, less dejected, but still upset at his poor performance in that lone regard.

-----

A short while later, Godfrey was sitting in a media room to himself, reading a book written in Kattsprache about a lone soldier’s travails as he made his way through enemy territory to get back to allied territory.

“Reading a paper book, huh? You look like one of my great-grandparents,” Raj chided, as he took up a seat near the contemplating Gryphon.

“I still can’t get used to reading off an electric screen, or that paper substitute. And I haven’t been here long enough to get my own devices, not that I’d have anywhere to buy them until we all start making forward push against the Schwarzes-Schild[1],” Godfrey said, as he stuck a bookmark on the page where he was reading.

“Fair enough,” Raj replied, as he sifted through some things on his compu-pad. “Anyway, I was just seeing what you were up to while that cyan VIP wasn’t around to drive you googly-eyed.”

Godfrey suddenly swallowed hard, as he blushed through his feathers on his face.

“Oh come on, it’s nothing major. Just a bit amusing to see something that’s half bird-of-prey and half big cat be so… oh what’s the word…” Raj started.

“Demure would probably be a good one,” Granite Base said, as she walked in the conversation the two males were having.

“Yeah, Demure would sum it up,” Raj concluded.

“It’s not like that at all… well… I guess…” Godfrey said, his normal calm and even tone replaced by one that was somewhat high-pitched and terribly flustered.

“Seems like someone has a bit of a schoolcolt crush on a certain Element of Loyalty,” Granite Base teased, giggling all the while.

“Maybe, it’s just… well…” Godfrey started, as he knew it would be better if he just came clean about it instead of trying to fruitlessly deny, but still couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

“Well what?” the human and the Pony both said, as they wanted to hear the genesis of the young gryphon’s crush.

“I had gone to the Pegasus city of Cloudsdale one day with my sister, Gilda. She was just going on and on, showing me some of the sites she thought would be cool, mostly sites where other Gryphons who either came through or lived hung out. And then there was a poster of her,” Godfrey started.

“I see…” Raj said, as he could imagine the gryphon in front of him staring at a poster of the aforementioned cyan Pegasus in some sort of action pose.

“Just… everything about her visually struck a nerve in me. Her eyes, her body-shape, the bright pop of the rainbow streaks in her mane and tail – I just couldn’t help but feel this physical attraction once I had a chance to really look at the poster,” Godfrey said, as he looked on with a bit of a faraway gaze.

“Right, so you kinda fell for the image of Rainbow Dash when you first saw it on a promotional poster. But a lot of people are smitten with images or video of someone, but never really goes beyond that. I think what got your goat is something a little deeper,” Granite Base figured aloud.

“Yeah, that came after Rainbow Dash, Golden Storm, and Fluttershy came to Volgelstad, where Gilda and I live. I knew that she didn’t come to see me, or anything like that – it was more of a courtesy call at the behest of the Equestrian Princesses. But she did end up spending a lot of her time there reconnecting with Gilda in earnest. And from there, I went from ‘she’s an attractive Pony’ up to ‘she’s an attractive Pony I want to get to know personally’. Problem is… I have no idea how to even approach her, especially since she isn’t physically here in Safe Haven all the time,” Godfrey explained, the airiness of his tone starting to rediscover gravity, as he began venting some of the psychological pressure his crush was causing him.

“At least you have a level head about where you stand right now, so that’s already a good start. I could go on all day about people who thought they had met their wife through a VR chat without even once having been in the same room as that woman,” Raj concluded out loud.

“I’m sure such a thing would be difficult to reconcile as an outside party,” Godfrey figured, not quite up to speed, still, with how human telecommunications worked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe!” Raj started, as he began to recount some choice stories while living in and near an Indian military academy in Calcutta.

[ January 28, 2082 – Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, USA ]
==========================================================

Chrysalis sat on her throne, wiling away her time with another movie, this one from the 2020s, as she contemplated her next move as her drones and other subordinates were busily establishing satellite sites near major human cities.

As she did, her mind began to drift toward a conversation she had soon after her coronation as the new Queen of Envy

--- Roughly five years previous ---

“You’re using too much energy, Chryssi…” Queen Tranquility grumbled as she watched Chrysalis trying to commanding three of her Envy-ling drones in a training exercise against 3 Rage-ling drones.

“What do you mean, I’m supposed to be commanding them directly, right?” Chrysalis replied, as it was clear that she was straining harder to keep control of her three changelings versus the three that Tranquility were commanding.

“No, no you’re not. At least not all the time, trying to maintain direct control of all your changelings like that will strain your personal mana reserve,” Tranquility started, before her eyes flashed in the same bright red as the bands around her body.

As she did, one of the Rage-lings blasted an Envy-ling with a blast of magic across its side, causing Chrysalis to flinch along the same side, almost out of reflex.

“Not only that, but their experiences feedback into your mind. You just flinched like I hit you in the side with a magi-bolt, instead of it playing out through our drones,” Tranquility stated, as she could feel Chrysalis starting to seethe with an anger suited for a teenager with too high an opinion of herself.

“Fine, just… can we keep going?” Chrysalis said, as she continued to favor the side the phantom pain still throbbed in.

“Your call, this is for you in the end…” Tranquility replied as she sighed, wondering when the young Queen would understand what she was trying to teach.

-----------------------------------

“I bet she did that on purpose…” Chrysalis grumbled, brushing her front-left leg against the her left side, the sting sometimes ‘reappearing’ whenever she thought of those training sessions with Queen Tranquility.

“Hrm, I should have figured you’d be in here with your films, if you weren’t in the labs, my Queen,” Kleptia mused, as she walked into the throne hall, to the Queen lounging on her throne, watching movies like she usually did when she wasn’t personally overseeing something.

“Of course, Kleptia. Not much for us to do on the surface other than the occasional spiriting away of someone that catches a commander’s, or my personal, eyes,” Chrysalis responded in a nonchalant tone, trying to imply she was bored of the conversation already.

“In any case, I have some interesting information from one of our ‘field agents’. Apparently the Ponies and the Humans, along with the sundry other species that make up their little alliance here on Earth, have developed a set of potions that can quickly and permanently transform humans into any of the four other species in the alliance,” Kleptia reported.

Chrysalis’s interest was truly piqued then, as she stopped her movie to give Kleptia her undivided attention. “Even with an assimilation pod at full power, it takes 24 hours to turn whatever we capture into just a low level drone. And you mean to tell me they can turn one of these hairless apes into a Pony, or whatever else have you, in minutes?”

“Neither I or the agents were able to verify the existence, but given they originally got this information from an HEA grunt they just so happened to cross paths with, we figure the information is legit,” Kleptia replied.

“Then I want it. Whatever we have to do to get that potion, or better yet, the written instructions for it, in our possession, then I want it done!” Chrysalis stated, the sentiment resounding through the entire hive.

“We will coordinate units to trail whatever HEA squads we can find. I figure once they manage to beat the Society back, the will begin using these potions in the field. At which point we can liberate samples, or better yet, try and find the Ponies and Humans responsible and get them to… volunteer the information to us,” Kleptia responded.

Chrysalis chuckled at the thought. “That would please me greatly, Kleptia. And if I may be so bold, I would trust none other, save myself of course, with this particular endeavor than you.”

Kleptia gasped a bit, knowing that Chrysalis didn’t dare trust anyone to actually run a project other than herself. As soon as she composed herself though, she thanked her sister and Queen. “Thank you Queen Chrysalis. As your loyal vassal, Valet, and sister, I will ensure that we completely disassemble whatever concoction these Humans and their allies have devised.”

= Meanwhile, at roughly the same time, in a ‘conference room’ in the main hive for Queen Ebullience’s Joy-lings =

“So that is what you are intending to do?” Titania II said, as she tried her best to maintain a regal tone, but found the anxiety in her voice constantly creeping in.

“The elders of your hive won’t hold on for much longer, and the Flame of Hope grows smaller and dimmer by the month. We’re at a point to where either you take the Queenship in earnest, or we will lose the hive entirely,” the Queen of Greed-lings, Benevicia grumbled, not liking the situation she found herself in one bit.

“But… I don’t think I’m ready to take the Queenship yet, and… everything that entails…” Titania replied, obviously nervous at the number one duty of a Changeling Queen, which were to provide the bulk of the membership of a given hive through their own reproductive cycle.

“Someone as immature as you have every right to be nervous about the prospect, and yet, if I were to provide you a substitute, would you relinquish the title?” Queen Ebullience asked, her tone stern, yet fair and impartial as well.

“NO! Sorry, but… no… I…” Titania replied with as much anger, and then trepidation, as a mature but still adolescent Queen Changeling could muster.

“Aren’t we a bit clingy… You aren’t sure about being a Queen, and all that entails, and yet you wouldn’t dare trust anyone but yourself with your Mother’s legacy. Am I right in figuring that, Titania?” Benevicia asked.

“No… I… I need to figure this out, but… I don’t feel like, like I can do it here…” Titania responded, as she started to figure out the intent between the plan between the other Queens, minus Chrysalis.

“And your emotion is hope, after all. I can’t think of a better source of Hope-flavored energy than an entire underground base full of sapients working toward improving the well-being and quality of life for an entire planet – at the very least the ones that would give them the time of day,” Ebullience answered, before she paused, seeming to be lost in a bit of thought.

“Something the matter, Aunt Ebulli?” Titania asked, noting the contemplative look on Ebullience’s face.

“I didn’t tell your mother this, at least not so explicitly, but I’ve been working on a theory about what happened to Galvanice’s, and now your, hive by proxy,” Ebullience thought aloud, as she addressed her ‘niece’ and her ‘sister’ by extension. “I believe that the Pax Equus Princess Celestia has passively enacted has actually hampered the outflow of Hope.”

Benevicia ruminated for a few moments, before she offered an addendum. “They say that the fastest way to produce hope is to induce strife, but leave some sort of out – a single light in pitch darkness if you will.”

“If you want Hope that’s pure, but generated quickly, that’d be a way. The strongest the Hive of Hope has been in the last 300 years was during the height of the last war between Equestria and her commonwealths and the Gryphon Federation. When both sides could feel there was some kind of out to finding a way to end the war, the global outflow of Hope energy was at least 50 times as robust as it is now,” Ebullience figured, as she remembered some surveying she and Rozkosas’s [the Queen of Sadness] hive had done in the months previous.

Titania thought along the same track that Ebullience and Benevicia were thinking, and, at least she hoped, came to the same endpoint. “So, since the Human World is filled with strife, but the Human-Equus Alliance, and others, are acting as a focus point of hope… you’re hoping to parlay that into helping my physical and magical development?”

Ebullience and Benevicia were stunned for a couple of moments, as it appeared the ‘contemplative monarch’ section of Titania’s brain had kicked in, with all the high-concept talk around her. After a few moments, Ebullience responded. “Yes, that is the root of this plan. You need to be exposed to as much hope energy as we can find, as fast as we can find it, otherwise we could lose the Flame of Hope altogether.”

“I know I sounded nervous before, and I still am nervous about this whole… everything, honestly. At the same time, I know my late mother cared deeply for the well-being of the Hive and the Flame of Hope, and whatever I will need to do to ensure that it survives and thrives, I will do,” Titania stated with as much resolution her immature body and mind could manage.

Ebullience was comforted by the resolution she saw in the eyes and heard in the voice of her ‘niece’ and younger ‘Queen Sister’, but still felt that something was missing from this endeavor. “While I appreciate your honesty and forthrightness, you are still a young Changeling, Queen you may be as well. So I’m leaving you with one of my trusted Valets as a liaison and minder.”

“Huh?” Titania thought, as she saw the wavy-curls of a certain gold-mane and fringed Joy-ling enter the meeting room.

“Hiya-Hi Queen Ebulli, Benni, and Tí-tí[6] !” the eager Joy-ling sung out, as she curtsied in deference to the three Queens before her, even if her words didn’t exactly imply such.

“Wait? You’re sending me over there with Niche?!” Titania asked, now thoroughly confused by Ebullience’s intent.

“I had the same exact reaction when she first started talking about specifics to me a couple of days ago, Titania…” Benevicia added, as she waved politely to the humming Valet of Queen Ebullience.

“Considering the martial power at Safe Haven, and that the Princess and Councilmembers will be duly informed of your presence, I didn’t necessarily need to send a Special Guard with you,” Ebullience started.

“Plus I wanna see what the Earthlings are like. Anytime I can find a new well of Joy is a super happy time for me~” Niche sung again, interrupting her Queen.

“Right, Niche. As you all know, Niche is my ‘canary’ for finding either existing sources of Joy energy, or where we can ply our trade to create one,” Ebullience stated matter-of-factly.

“True, she is pretty good at finding Joy or coaxing someone else into generating it…” Titania reasoned, still wondering if she’d be alright with the flighty valet as her minder and confidant.

“Don’t worry about a thing Titania. I swear upon Ebullience and the Flame of Joy’s names that no harm will come to you while at Safe Haven while I am there with you,” Niche stated, with her own particular flavor of firm resolution.

“As odd as she is, I’ve seen her at work, and she is effectively a living dowsing rod for emotional energy. If she needs to find Hope for you and joy for herself, I can’t think of another Valet I’d trust with the job,” Benevicia attested, much to the (vigorous) nodding agreement of Niche.

“Welp, looks like we’re gonna have a lot of time to get to know each other better, huh Tí-tí,” Niche said, siding up to the young Queen with a wide smile.

“Yeah, it certainly looks that way,” Titania replied, wondering just what her Aunt(s) had roped her into.

[ February 14, 2082 – Safe Haven ]
=================================

“As much as it’s still weird to be here after all this time, when we can make a room like this for our own little private dinner… well… I’d be an idiot to pass it up,” Golden Storm said, as he looked at his beau and the dinner spread he (and Vague and Hana) prepared for his and Red Blaze’s evening get-together.

“Yeah, though I wonder just how much work you did putting all of this together,” the fire-engine-colored Unicorn mused aloud, in a bit of a teasing tone – much to the chagrin of the golden-yellow Pegasus before her.

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad of a cook. I think I’ve done a good job learning how to cook for our new forms given how I didn’t cook much as a human. Didn’t really have to in retrospect…” Golden Storm replied in a somewhat defensive tone.

“Just giving you a bit of loving grief. I think you look cute when you’re flustered,” Blaze replied with a giggle, before she at some more of the salad that made up the main course.

Golden Storm blushed as he returned to eating - not wanting to disagree but not exactly accepting of looking ‘cute’ either.

“But getting back to the real world, a bit, how is everything going with Terry and the others?” Red Blaze asked, as Golden Storm had become the unofficial liaison between the Conduits and the ‘forward guard’ of the HEA proper.

“Actually, going pretty well. Pamela and Vague have done a good job coding the practice rooms to where they can provide pretty good simulations of actual human and mechanical targets and opposing forces. So we are seeing the techniques and equipment we’ve developed here holding up pretty well out in the field,” Golden Storm replied, as they continued eating, Blaze making sure to pour some of the various salad dressings since Storm decided on ornate, and therefore hoof-unfriendly, jugs.

“So I heard. Thankfully my contact list on the outside hadn’t dried up too much in the last few months, either. In fact, some of my major intelligence waypoints in Russia proper have joined the fight against the Reznokov’s shadow government,” Blaze mentioned, as she thought about her own work in conjunction with some of the spies and intelligence analysts employed by the HEA.

“Don’t you think that’s ascribing a little too much power to them. I mean I know of your personal history, and their long, long, long record of double dealing in both Russian domestic and international criminal activity. But to say they are Russia’s Shadow Government now?” Golden Storm wondered aloud, not necessarily disagreeing with his marefriend, but more confused by the implication of calling them a ‘shadow government’.

“I don’t say it to be cute, or to be melodramatic, Storm; and you know I’m never that way when it comes to my profession. I am utterly convinced the Sokolov regime is not more than the total puppets of the Reznokov crime family. Though there is another angle I’m trying to figure out,” Blaze stated, losing most-to-all of the romantic tone she had a few moments ago.

“Hrm… let me guess. The Reznokov’s aren’t the only puppeteers trying to move the marionettes?” Storm contemplated aloud, trying to anticipate Blaze’s next statement.

“More or less, I think there are competing interests, just like with the SPH at large, that are trying to direct things ultimately. The only thing holding them together is perceived success, success that is starting to run into the Anti-Syndicate[4]’s roadblocks,” Blaze reported from her summations of current events she had delivered to the HEA council a couple of days previous.

“Which also sounds like what is going on with the SPH at large. They aren’t coordinated enough to hold all of the territory they got decapitating governments when they did. Though that doesn’t say a whole lot good about the governments they knocked off before they fell,” Storm figured, coming to that ugly realization.

“No it doesn’t, but we still have more than a fighting chance to repair things before the Mythiks arrive en masse. Once that starts happening, there is absolutely no telling how crazy things could or would get,” Blaze continued.

“True, I mean look at all the chaos, injury, and death that one Nightmare-looking Mythik caused in Charlotte all those weeks back,” Storm offered as an example.

“Yeah, the last thing any of us need would be to be trying to beat back Mythiks like them, and trying to fight the SPH at the same time. Eventually push is going to come to shove and we will either have to restore the old governments back, or create new ones to at least hold things together for everyone, instead of the ‘fortunate few’,” Blaze concluded, nodding as she did.

Storm thought for a while, as he chewed on a few bits of shoestring carrots.

“You know, that’s probably going to involve us one way, or another, before long. I mean the Mythiks will probably be ‘our’ problem since they’d be magical in nature, I’d assume. But, well, given what Power is, honestly… if we wanted to be, we could be considered living weapons,” Storm concluded with a bit of a morose tone.

“I thought I would be the only one carrying that burden since Fire is the aspect of our group that’s most obviously used as a weapon. But really, any of us, if we were sufficiently motivated, could be harbingers of ruin,” Blaze thought, as the both of them came to the same realization.

“I guess that’s what Vague went through when that Parasite hijacked him. We saw how something like Water could be weaponized, and he didn’t even have a long life of being a spellcaster for that… thing… to draw on,” Storm realized.

“Yeah, though… well… it might sound counter-intuitive, but…” Blaze started, as she tried to formulate the right phrasing for her statement. “I think being out there and seeing first-hoof how magic of all kinds is and isn’t being used, and just becoming used to being constant users of this Power would help us appreciate it and get finer control over it.”

“But the two of us have less reticence for that line of thinking, being in life or death situations – admittedly you more than me. I just worry that Vague and Hana would unduly fear what they’re carrying around with them,” Storm concluded.

“So are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Blaze wondered, with a bit of a devious tone.

“I’m thinking… a certain raven-haired girl might be getting a courtesy call about a simulation platform, just for the four of us,” Storm replied.

Blaze giggled, as she nodded her head in agreement. “Should be fun, shouldn’t it?”

“Hey, I’m always down for a good game!” Storm replied, as he looked on lovingly into the eyes of his marefriend, said marefriend returning the gaze.

“Anyway, just what is it that Terry and the others are up to, I’ve hardly been able to get any kind of intel, not even a passing comment out of them,” Blaze wondered, as the pair moved on to light pork casserole.

“Sorry, babe, but they swore me to secrecy too. But I can give you a hint. What you can’t make up with in numbers, we’re gonna try and make up with in specialized equipment. Now beyond that, you’re just gonna have to wait and see,” Storm replied, as he cut and scooped a fair-sized portion for himself and Blaze from the service tray.

“Of course they’d put you up to holding this secret,” Blaze said in a faux-annoyed tone.

“Loose lips and all,” Storm responded, as the two went back to eating.

[ March 01, 2082 – Near Hyde Park, Chicago, USA ]
=================================================

“I’m still upset that we couldn’t hold this in our own home territory,” Amanda complained, as she sat with Enrique and some other higher ups in the Flames of SOCAL, the recently rechristened resistance force out of Southern California (based mostly in Los Angeles still).

“And there is nothing that we can do about it now. Everyone agreed on this meeting to be in Chicago, including yourself, after a lot of them talking you down, remember?” Enrique responded.

“Yeah…” Amanda grumbled, as it was clear she was still displeased, but decided that discretion was the better part of personal valor.

“While the method of transportation was less obvious, given the HEA’s magi-technology, it’s better to take a more central location. After all this meeting does involve both Canadian and American resistance groups,” the leader from the Sunshine Volunteer Force said, as he waited for the speakers to start.

After a few more moments of cross talk amongst those seated near each other in the refurbished community meeting hall and the meeting proper started, with Councilman Edwards of the HEA walking up to the podium with two men to his side, one in his early 30s and the other in his late 50s.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name, which many of you have likely heard already, is Councilman Richard Edwards of the Human-Equus Alliance. I’m here today to brief all of you, as leaders of many of the forces who found themselves in, or plainly made themselves as, opposition to the Society for the Preservation of Humanity,” Richard started; as the men and women, about one hundred strong, applauded briefly in the interlude the speaker allowed.

“I do not need to tell you all why we are here, for the reasons are many and numerous. Nor do I ask you all to agree with our aims in totality, or become some kind of subsidiary with us,” Richard continued, as the VIPs continued to listen. “I do believe, though, that we should be able to enter into a mutual partnership.”

As he finished his statement, the older of the men who walked up to the podium with Richard then addressed the gathering. “Thank you, Mr. Edwards. My name is Former Secretary of Defense David Richardson. I lead a small contingent of government loyal forces out of Washington here to Chicago, and from here established the beginnings Chicago Branch of the Great Lakes Resistance Front. As you well know, we have enough technology and personnel to fight the current SPH forces to a standstill, but that is about as much as we have been able to do. It wasn’t until the HEA joined the fight with us that we have been able to free many of the major metro areas in Canada and the United States.”

The crowd murmured as they considered the words of the former Secretary so far.

“At the same time, the HEA has the problem of not having enough forces on their own to push into the stronghold, as far as we can tell, of the SPH, which is the corridor from Washington to Boston, going through Philadelphia and New York City. Concurrently, the forces we have managed to field in those cities have found little to no purchase; only able to nibble around the far edges.”

Most of the crowd nodded in agreement.

“Therefore, we wish to establish a joint venture between the HEA and the various militias that you all represent, both in reality and in spirit. Late in the spring, we believe we will have a window to strike directly at the heart of the beast, as it were, in a coordinated attack on their southern flank, to free D.C. and allow ourselves a much better means of coordinating further assaults on the rest of their stronghold, going up the Mid-Atlantic into New England.”

Captain Julio then stood at the lectern looking over the whole of the assembly, taking a deep breath, and then proceeding.

“The HEA contingent will be specialized forces, both Human and Alien, as well as providing technology, supplies, and logistical support for all the militias that request it. We do not believe that we can create a lasting window to restore the governments unless humans are the clear spearhead of this operation. At the same time, we would be remiss to ignore the assistance the Equuan species can provide for us, both offensively and defensively. Ultimately, we in the HEA believe that a only combined effort can create the foundation for something that can last well beyond the scope of rooting out the SPH from their North American stronghold.”

The crowd murmured again, some not terribly pleased with the implication that they couldn’t solve the problem themselves, but others stating that they might not have the time for a protracted war of attrition with the SPH, A debate that played out in the persons of Amanda and Enrique.

A short time later, Amanda and Enrique were off to themselves, as most of the assembly broke up into small clusters for one on one conversations with prospective liaisons from the HEA. One such liaison was a man of 32 years of age and fair skin named Todd, a Canadian-American with no small amount of mercenary experience.

“And that’s the part that’s rubbing me the wrong way about this, Todd,” Amanda complained, as Todd listened as patiently as he could manage given the off-putting tone the young woman was taking with him.

“And all we are trying to say is that we aren’t trying to Bigfoot you all, just provide material support and other assistance as you need it. Like Councilman Edwards said earlier, we aren’t going to get anywhere with the lack of manpower we have, and you all aren’t going to get anywhere with the lack of tech you have,” Todd responded, as aggravated about the situation as Amanda was.

Enrique, for his part, just sighed as he tried to turn down the temperature on both sides. “Look, we do understand what you are trying to accomplish with all of this, Todd. We’re just trying to make sure that things on our end work out the way they are supposed to, as well.”

“I don’t know, it just sounds like Amanda doesn’t want anyone else being able to do anything in South California she isn’t personally directing,” Todd wondered aloud in a fairly accusatory tone.

“And why is that a bad thing? It was my leadership and direction that pushed the SPH all the way back to the Burbank Domes,” Amanda responded in a churlish tone, one more befitting a 17 year old than a 27 year old (that she apparently looked like).

“Which is fair and correct, but you don’t have the resources to completely uproot them out of the Domes. That’s what we are trying to get you all to realize. And both our organization and yours know they have more tech they are getting ready to put out on the field. We’ve got to be able to coordinate all of this in terms of who is responsible for what, before we all get caught flat-footed and lose everything that’s been gained over the last few months,” Todd responded, trying to resume a more professional tone.

Damn it all, he’s right… But at the same time… I don’t want anything to do with Celestia’s little cadre, especially if it means that purple know-it-all might get involved too… Sunset thought to herself, as she tried to regain some sense of ‘professionalism’ herself through her Amanda persona.

A sense of professionalism she would need to a large extent in the immediate future, as an urgent message was sent to Enrique through his secure comm link.

“Oh for the love of… alright… alright, damn,” Enrique cursed as he took the message from an Inglewood contingent with about the worst news he could think of in the circumstance.

“Amanda, Todd, I think this new alliance is about to get tested right off the bat; scouts and com-drones reportin’ a big troop movement heading out from Burbank,” Enrique said, as he closed his eyes for a few moments to focus on the mental images being shown in his cyber-implants. “Right… that’s certainly more than what we have in Whittier and Long Beach. Damn we might have to call everyone from Riverside to Simi trying to fight all them off…”

Amanda grumbled audibly in frustration, as she sat back down in a nearby chair, waiting for the similar information to appear on her mini-pad so she can formulate where to send people to try and stem the flow until she could arrive properly.

“Miss Amanda, I know this is your fight primarily, but we stand ready to render any aid you require. Los Angeles is a vital metro area, and we can’t afford you all to lose your position any more than you all can,” Todd stated in a resolute tone, knowing full well it was Amanda’s call to make in this phase of the coming battle.

Councilman Edwards might sound like someone who is willing to let things lie if no one moves… but Todd told me everything I need know in those two sentences. He and the rest of the council won’t hesitate to drop their own forces in the LA metro to make sure the SPH can’t reestablish control of the un-Domed areas. If I just let them do what they want to but do it now, I can preserve my own command, instead of having to wait for them to bail me out. Ugh, I hate this situation so much… Sunset thought inwardly, as ‘Amanda’ never seemed to break her contemplative pose.

“Let me get back to Los Angeles to see what is going on with my own eyes. At that point, I’ll tell you what I need from the HEA, if anything,” Amanda said with a stern tone, as she was none too pleased with what she was seeing pop up on her mini-pad.

-= A few moments later, in Pasadena District, Los Angeles, CA =-

“And we’re back… forgot how fast that would have been…” Amanda said, as she took a few moments to reorient herself to real-space after traveling through the Shadow Magic derived subspace tunnel back to the point she and Enrique left from a couple of hours previous.

“Yeah, it sucks using it the first few times, but you get used to it,” Todd replied, as Enrique looked only slightly better for wear compared to Amanda.

This alien body is making it harder to get re-oriented to real-space after a teleport that long. At least it wasn’t an Equestrian Magic though, otherwise I’d be laid up in a bed for the next three hours… Sunset thought to herself, as she finally shook the cobwebs in her head loose enough to take the reins of the situation in the Northern LA metro area which had suddenly found itself a magi-tech battlefield.

“Do we have a damage and casualty report?” Amanda asked, as she exited the ‘transport’ room that she called the broom closet they teleported out and just-then in from.

A young woman of 22 years of age ran up to her and responded. “Yes ma’am! 35 injured, 10 severe, 2 deceased. 10 buildings with significant damage, though we don’t have a very good accounting of any civilian injures.”

“Damn,” Enrique started. “We only have a few hundred on the field right now. And I hope those aren’t residential buildings. I doubt the Outsider hospitals can take too many cases. Especially if the SPH want to try and start cutting power and supplies.”

“I can get medics down here if you need them, but it sounds like you are gonna need more than bandages and healing magic,” Todd responded, as he opened up a com-link on his own mini-pad, but kept it on standby until he could assess what Amanda might need.

“Yeah, I’m gonna need whatever gear you all have to spare, and people too…” Amanda said, the consternation in her face obvious to both Enrique and Todd. “My force is only a thousand strong in total, and you can see already what they’ve started rolling out.”

Todd, looked at the monitor of the drone feed from near Glendale district, near the old site of the Rose Bowl Athletic Complex. “What in the blue hell? Thaumatically-powered tanks?”

“Yeah, apparently we’ve pissed them off and good for them to start rolling out the literal heavy artillery,” Enrique stated, as it was clear his war ‘footing’ was engaged.

Great… just great… Sunset thought to herself, as she took a look in a mirror, cursing the form she had at the moment. She clenched a fist in frustration, traces of red starting to show up on her face and hands. As everyone, especially Enrique could feel the temperature rising in the room they were in.

“Is it just me or did someone turn off the climate control in here…” Todd asked, as he was starting sweat a bit already.

“No, that’s what happens to Amanda when she gets good and pissed. It feels like she’s an actual raging inferno in a human body…” Enrique said, as he grew concerned for the rebel leader.

I am going to burn every single one of those damn machines until they’re nothing but charred and half-melted wrecks!! Sunset screamed in her head, as she tried her best to keep her emotions under control, and realized that she had so much pent up aggression that she honestly had no choice but to make the decision she was about to make.

“Todd, I want you to formally request assistance from the HEA’s militia, tell them to send whatever medical staff they got to spare down here as well. But give them one friendly warning: if they see a red-headed woman with red and gold jacket armor, stay as FAR away from her as they can manage,” Amanda replied through gritted teeth, as she walked brusquely toward a little used area of the building the Flames of SoCal called their home base.

“Yep, that’s what I figured,” Enrique said, as he sent a silent message to another part of the building.

“Figured what? She sounded like she was like a geyser about to blow,” Todd replied, confused by the barely restrained rage he just saw (and felt) from the rebel leader.

“Because she is. She’s been watching this stalemate persist for months, and now it’s about to be broken to her disadvantage. Even though we have a lot of Magi, we don’t have a lot of equipment or personnel to protect them, that’s why these Thauma-Tanks are a problem. So I would highly suggest you get some heavies down here so we can clean this little problem up, before we lose all of LA back to the Black Shield,” Enrique responded, as he began to jog toward another end of the building.

--- ---

“And that’s what Amanda’s lieutenant told you?” Capt. Julio asked pointedly of Todd, as he looked at what he had able to deploy, which was surprisingly quite a large selection given the lack of activity from the SPH or other heavily-armed enterprises other than the ongoing battle in the Los Angeles metro.

“Yeah, she says that they don’t have much heavy arms or equipment, so thaumatically-armed and powered tanks could pose an insurmountable problem for them,” Todd responded, as he stood in the hallway away from most prying eyes and ears, as he relayed the information back to Safe Haven.

“I think I got just the thing, and it’ll give us a chance to test some equipment we’ve been working on over here too. I want to see if the claims from the engineers are true about that OMS[4] Armor, in any case,” Julio responded.

“Isn’t this situation kinda critical for a live test of that thing?” Todd questioned, not sure if now was the right time for the OMS to be debuted.

“Maybe, but sometimes the only way you can get the real scope of equipment is to actually throw it in the fire and see if it melts or not,” Julio replied. “I’m pretty sure that’s the exact reasoning behind the SPH mobilizing those thauma-tanks after having them in Burbank not doing anything all these months.”

“Fair point, just make sure Terry and the others are ready to move. And make sure to tell them not to interfere with… who was it again… oh right, supposedly a woman in gold and red jacket armor,” Todd replied.

“Red and gold jacket armor? Not sure I’m following you,” Julio replied, as now he was confused by what was going on.

“Apparently Amanda has had about enough of being on the sidelines, and she’s taking a field command position. In the end, this is her fight, we’re just support, so I don’t want our alliance to hit a snag on the first day,” Todd replied, now committed to let the almost-30 year old resistance leader do whatever she was aiming to do and waiting for further instruction.

“Alright, you have field command of our forces, and I’m sending some mini-drones with them, so we can keep an eye on Miss Redhead,” Julio concluded, as he broke off the comm. stream.

“Haven’t been around her for an hour and I’m already wary of inciting her. Such a weird vibe she’s giving off…” Todd thought to himself out loud, as he prepared to receive the forces from Safe Haven.

--- ---

Amanda sat in her private ‘war room’, as she looked at the helmet and armor the other members of the Flames made for her in the last couple of weeks, as they reverse engineered scrap armor from the SPH and a few gifts of raw materials from the HEA before they finalized the formal alliance.

She held the helmet in her hands, contemplating what she was about to do, and what had happened before.

Do you realize what an Alicorn truly is… she heard echo in her head, as she held the helmet in her hands, looking at the faintly tan skinned, red-oranged haired woman reflected in its facing; reminding the humans of someone of strong Irish descent who had been out in the sun for a long time. But she knew better of the image she saw in the faint red-tinted nano-plastic[5].

Do you have any concept of what you were attempting?! She heard echo in her head from the headmistress of the School for Gifted Unicorns, and more importantly in that moment, the Head of the Equestrian Justice System and Princess of Equestria and all her commonwealths.

Amanda sighed as she couldn’t seem to avoid the memories, so she allowed herself to relive that encounter

---

“I will ask you again, Sunset Shimmer, do you truly understand the full consequence of what you were prevented from attempting,” Princess Celestia asked, her tone unnervingly devoid of the righteous fury that Sunset thought she had steeled her mind to.

The young mare, barely past the age of 16, stared into eyes of the Monarch of Equestria. As much as she wanted to hang her head in shame, permanently, in said monarch’s presence, she could feel an unbearable weight pushing her skull upward, and focusing her eyes forward to meet the 2-Length tall, alabaster white Alicorn’s gaze.

It felt like the entire weight of the Sun itself was pressing down on Sunset’s back, and there was this unbearable heat that wasn’t heat… it was something else… something that Sunset couldn’t quite remember.

Oh, that’s right… that… radiation that Physics teacher was talking about for one of the hard science lectures Twilight dragged me to. Of course Celestia would make her my underclass partner… Sunset thought suddenly, as she could remember the effect of ultraviolet radiation and higher, a searing energy that might not burn at first, but after some time, you would feel your very being begin to disintegrate, as your very cells would begin to mutate and fail, and eventually, you would die a slow horrible death from every system in your body collapsing into un-functioning.

That was how she felt in the moment… that Celestia’s gaze was like her beaming gamma rays directly into her soul, causing every system in her body to slowly disintegrate, leaving behind a charred corpse.

“I… I…” Sunset started, before Celestia held up a hoof, bidding her to fall silent again.

“I can answer that question for you, with fair confidence – no, no you couldn’t have understood. No one save my interred sister and my niece can even begin to fathom what it is to be us…” Celestia started, as she kept her stern, neutral look firmly locked on the slightly quivering orange-ish yellow Unicorn before her in the private chamber.

“But I…” Sunset started, before she suddenly clammed herself up.

Celestia was intrigued by the potential of the statement Sunset had tried to utter. “But, you what, Miss Shimmer?”

“I… if I… everyone would recognize me… if I was like you…” Sunset stated, the normal confident tone she had with everyone, even her professors, was non-existent in the presence of the presence of Celestia in that moment.

“True. A fourth Alicorn, you, walking around would be of considerable intrigue. But let me ask you this. Do you think you could take the entire world noticing you, at all times, for eternity?” Celestia considered, and then asked.

“E-e-e-eternity?” Sunset stammered out.

“Yes, my dear. An eternity where the very essence of the planet of Equus runs through you, and you run through it. It is the reason why my Niece, Cadence, doesn’t attend normal school anymore. She’d be a magnet to every adolescent, and possibly every professor. Do you think a sixteen year old could really stand every single entity around her, no matter what he or she did, wanting to watch their every, single, move?” Celestia stated, and then asked.

Sunset, whose persona was seemingly built on having the world revolve around her, as she made no effort to hide her appreciation for all the adulation the adults, and other students, gave her for her work, was suddenly faced with the prospect of every single Pony – no – every single being she ever crossed paths with stopping to stare at her and her every move.

“Not to mention, what it would have cost, at the very least, just to even get a taste of that level of existence. Two lives… those two poor souls you had bound in your laboratory dorm. Have you ever considered what’d truly happen if you tried to bind the life essence of two unwilling captives to your own?” Celestia asked, her tone becoming more incisive, but still lacking the malice that Sunset thought she was going to be deluged in.

Sunset could only shake her head ‘no’, not really understanding what she was attempting in her rush to further her vainglory, in retrospect.

“It is truly a shame… I had expected more of you, Sunset Shimmer. I expected that taking you and Twilight under my wing at the same time would moderate both of your worst instincts – Twilight’s proclivity for social avoidance, and your pride. Twilight’s only wanting to use her prodigious talent to further her own personal knowledge, and your seeming obsession with lording your talent over everyone else. I can only wonder what I could have done in the last couple of years to make this… all of this… not happen,” Celestia said. And for the first time, Sunset could feel an emotion coming from Celestia other than enforced neutrality.

And that emotion was an intense sadness, a true melancholy that felt even worse than whatever anger she was expecting out of Celestia.

“Please… Princess Celestia… Headmistress… don’t throw me in jail… I… I…” Sunset begged, before becoming choked up, not able to utter another word.

Celestia merely raised her front hoof again to stay Sunset’s words, which Sunset quickly obliged. “Sunset, by all rights I should lock you away for at least the next five years. But I won’t. I can only hope that you, in your new capacity, can understand those reasons.”

“What… what do you mean my new capacity?”

“Sunset Shimmer, as Headmistress of the School for Gifted Unicorns, I am officially declaring you permanently ineligible for the title of Class Valedictorian. In addition, I am stripping you of every title that you have accrued to the current date, and rendering you ineligible for any other academic title underneath the auspices of the Equestrian University Association,” Celestia stated with firm resolution.

“No… no please… my entire life… everything has gone into ensuring that everyone recognizes me as the preeminent Unicorn,” Sunset started, as she could start to feel the weight of the ‘sentence’ Celestia was handing down, as the loss of her current titles and disqualification from other titles meant that she was officially shut out of the advanced thamaturgy labs the School For Gifted Unicorns were known for.

“In addition, and… it pains me greatly to say this…” Celestia started, as Sunset could see the one small tear beginning to form in the corner of her Princess’s eye.

“No… please… don’t…” Sunset mouthed, but her voice was completely gone… as she could innately feel what Celestia was about to say, but could do nothing to stop her.

“I can no longer recognize you as a Protégé of the Sun – my personal student. I cannot trust you with the arcane magicks that only I and the Inner Circle are privy to, not with the current attitude that you possess. I… I can only hope that in the future, we are able to reconcile once I can feel confident in your emotional maturity and stability. That is all, Miss Shimmer,” Celestia stated, as she tried her best to keep from crying.

---

“And of course, that little… ohh… just thinking about it again makes my blood boil…” Sunset said, as she held the helmet in her now human hands, trying her best to not let her Fire Magic get out of control.

“No Sunset, you have to get a hold of this. That’s the past, the past is the past. You made a mistake, tried to reach too far too fast…” she told herself, as she sat there, with no communication in and out, outside of her own thoughts and memories.

“That day is far behind me, I need to focus on what I have in front of me. I’m going to build a legacy of my own, beyond Equestria, beyond the Element of Magic, beyond all of them over there…” Sunset said, as she stood up, and put the gold and red armor-plated jacket over her standard body armor.

“Today is just the start… I will make everyone recognize me. I will make everyone respect me. And if I have to, I will make everyone fear me!” Sunset said, as she put the helmet over her head, and began to download the latest information, to figure where she should start in pushing back the SPH forces arrayed against her.

~~~===~~~

Author's Notes:

[1] Schwarzes-Schild (lit. Black-colored Shield translated from German) -- simply the common nickname for the SPH, the Black Shield, in German/Kattsprache

[2] The Changelings (including the Queens themselves) routinely refer to the collection of reigning Queens as the ‘Queen Sisters’, to show the familial bond between the Hives. This is done regardless of any age gaps or actual blood relations between the royal lines of each hive. To wit, it is not uncommon for a younger queen to refer to an older queen as Aunt until they mature, and conversely an older queen referring to a younger queen by Niece.

[3] the Anti-Syndicate refers to the Eurasian Anti-Syndicate (Евразийский анти-синдикат, Yevraziyskiy anti-sindikat), a 40 year running organization dedicated to destroying crime syndicates in the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, Northern China, and parts of the Middle East. They’ve expanded their mission into fighting SPH allied forces, considering them to be a worldwide crime syndicate no better than the crime families in the aforementioned regions.

[4] OMS is shorthand for “One-Man Squadron” – the theory of a set of equipment that would make a single person as martially powerful as a squad of 10, since the HEA does not want to carry a large militia

[5] Nano-plastic is a nano-fiber reinforced plastic used for heavy-duty visors that need to be (more or less) shatter and piercing proof. High-grade nano-plastic also allow for an in-line HUD that is far more efficient than projector models used on cheaper visored helmets of the time.

[6] Tí-tí, Niche’s nickname for Titania II, is pronounced with a high-e sound (so it would sound like Spanish ‘i’, like the i in sí).

CH 35: Coastal Flare

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 35: Costal Flare ===

[ March 01, 2082 – Shrine of the Elements ]
==========================================

Gaea looked at her globe, as it was focused on the ongoing battle in Los Angeles, and lamented how the conflict amongst her charges (in Humanity) was directly responsible for her recovering her strength and vitality as their Immortal.

“There has to be some other way to re-establish the flow of mana properly on Earth, than to let this internecine conflict continue,” said Immortal thought aloud, as she sighed, a sigh picked up by a fellow Immortal appearing in the Shrine of the Elements.

“It seems something has you despondent, or at the very least, concerned,” Celestia mentioned, as she sat next to the centerpiece of the Shrine, the Font of (Terran) Magic.

“It is… more of a bittersweet feeling. This war between the Society and those forces arrayed against them, including the Alliance you founded, could easily escalate out of control and destroy what Humanity knows as civilization, which’d obviously be the bitter. At the same time, for both the world and me to regenerate quickly, the magic must be used and used effectively by its native species. I’d find that to taste very sweet myself,” Gaea said, as she stood up, and vanished in a rainbow-laden flash, only to reappear next to Celestia at size scarcely taller than the two-meter tall Alicorn.

Celestia was impressed by the vigor she could see in the form and visage of Gaea now, a far cry from the old crone that she saw when the Conduits were revealed to Luna and herself. Instead, she was woman of a rather fair, but still healthy skin tone, raven’s feather black hair, and a figure that’d impress pretty much any male that would see her, should she reveal herself to them in any case. As impressive as Gaea’s physical stature was to Celestia, the clothes she decided to ‘shroud’ that figure in were equally impressive. She wore a breastplate that accented her considerable bust, with four small gems in the font that represented the fundamental elements of Terran Magic. Along with that, her dress remained what it was, though now the black and navy that made up the bulk of the color of it was further broken up with pinpricks of glowing lights in all manners of prismatic hues, looking like a fantastical cloudless night sky.

And something of that feature reminded the white Alicorn a bit of her ‘little’ sister. “You know, Madame Gaea, it seems that you and Luna would get along swimmingly, when it comes to the aesthetic of the night and the stars.”

“I figured as much when I began conversing with her properly some months ago, after the Day of the Black Sky. In fact, I’ll readily admit that her advice led to myself redesigning my clothes,” Gaea said, as she projected her globe to float the image of the ongoing battle above the peak of the fountain of pure, mostly transparent mana flowing and gushing from the Font like water.

Celestia gave a faint smile, as she looked at the images from Los Angeles being projected from Gaea’s globe, which now freely floated in front of the torso of the young(-looking) woman. “It seems that the forces of the Society and the Flames of Southern California, if I remember the loyalists name correctly, have reached some kind of stalemate in the fighting.”

“For the time being, though much of the Flames effort continues to be concentrated in trying to beat back the tanks the Society have brought to the field of battle. If this continues, eventually the Flames will exhaust their will and their capacity to fight,” Gaea figured; wondering what would turn around this battle for the forces not clad in black.

If my intuition is correct, then she truly is the person, or better phrased - the Pony, leading that particular band of resistance fighters. I wonder if she honestly believes that being a front-line fighter is for her, and what she ultimately intends to do if she and her fellow travelers are successful in eliminating Society influence from that region of the world… Celestia thought, as she could feel the telltale signature of a former Protégé of the Sun in the vicinity of the battlefield that she saw on Gaea’s projection.

----

Alright, Shimmer… it’s just like the war games sims Enrique and the others put you through… but it’s real. *Ugh* I hope I am not making a huge mistake doing this… Amanda, or better phrased – Sunset Shimmer, thought to herself as she stood on the field of battle, her hair barely peeking out of the helmet that was fashioned for her, as she stood in back of the nearest line of fighting the Flames had formed.

“Althea, I need a status report and have you seen any of those thauma-tanks nearby,” Amanda asked of one of female fighters in her command.

“Ma’am,” the young lady of African descent said, as she ducked behind a building, and jogged toward the commander in the gold and red jacket. “We’ve managed to stem the rate of casualties, but that’s due to the extreme caution we’re taking with the thauma-tanks nearby. Given the fact they’ve practically bulldozed a straight line toward our position, I do not think it would be wise to directly engage them.”

“Damn, that’s exactly what I was afraid of – they’re making us choose between running to our deaths quickly or being ground down into nothing. But I’m going to find a way to bring those war-machines down. I just hope that the HEA honors our request and sends some heavy support and medics,” Amanda thought aloud in response, as Althea nodded as she scanned the mind-map created from her cyber-implants.

“Ma’am, we have a SPH squad of at least 10 heading to us from the west, they must have found our position in the last few moments!” Althea shouted.

“Then I am about to give them a proper greeting to Los Angeles, personally,” Amanda responded, as she brought up the map in her helmet, and ran off to meet the squadron.

“Hey, hey commander!! Enrique, Amanda just ran off to meet an incoming SPH squad head-on, how am I supposed to stop her?!” Althea exclaimed, trying to figure out how to deal with her (suicidally) overconfident superior.

“You don’t deal with it; you give her support fire and give her enough room to work her magic,” Enrique responded, as he arrived at a different location, a good couple of miles south of where Amanda was, to lead the battle from a slightly different front.

-----

Yeah, that’s her alright… A part of me is disappointed that her overconfidence has not subsided in all these years. At the same time, that may be what the Flames need to overcome this trial the Society has put before them… Celestia thought to herself, as she was now certain the red-haired woman in the gold jacket-armor was the humanized form of the student she all but disowned those years ago.

“The woman who is leading the vanguard against the Society’s forces now. I can feel that strange mixture of magics that remind me of something…” Gaea said, as she focused her perception on the same gold jacket-armored figure that Celestia was looking at.

“Oh, and what do you feel from her?” Celestia asked.

“A feeling similar to the Element of Magic when she is weaving her own. That instinctive combination of Terran and Equuan Magic is remarkable. If I were a mortal, I’d easily mistake that woman’s power for Twilight’s,” Gaea responded.

Celestia chuckled as her face relaxed some, as she was intrigued by Gaea’s incredible instinct and sense of perception for something unfamiliar. “Madame Gaea, the story of that woman is a long and winding one, and one I am intimately familiar with. If you are willing to indulge me, I can give you the basic rendition of it.”

Gaea thought for a few moments, as she watched Amanda engage the Society’s soldiers. “Why not, time is not of the essence to us, at the moment.”

-----

“Where did she come from? I haven’t seen a magi from the Flames with a shield that strong. It’s even stopping our medium arms fire cold!” one of the SPH soldiers shouted over his com link, as they watched the bullets from their rifles and handguns stop against the opal-blue aura of the Pony-turned-human-come-militia leader.

The half of the SPH squadron felt the temperature suddenly increase, as they could see shimmering specks of red all in their field of vision. Before they realized what was going on, there was a rapid-fire po-po-popping sound, like a string of firecrackers going off in very rapid succession as tiny red flares exploded all around the cluster of five (out of ten).

“I’ve only seen her do that in the sims before. I didn’t think it’d actually work for real,” Althea wondered out loud, as she occasionally fired a shot or three to help clear the way for Amanda.

“When it comes to issues of magic-crafting, I’ve learned not to question her,” another Flames soldier said, as he watched Amanda’s other flank.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the city… And I’m not done cranking it up, either… Sunset thought to herself as she concentrated her own mana and ambient fire-aspected mana above her head.

“Let it be known, so long as the SPH tries to lay claim to Los Angeles, or anywhere else in our reach. My Flames will burn them away, figuratively…” Amanda shouted, as the cluster of opal and red mana coalesced into a shimmering fireball, swirling in reds and yellows. “… and LITERALLY!”

Myriad small fireballs rained down from the larger one over Amanda’s head, bombarding the downed soldiers of the SPH, as they exploded and burned through their armor and equipment, the pain from the fire and the ambient heat searing through all five of the soldiers caught up in the woman on the warpath.

“Damnit! Fall back! Fall back!” the one of the SPH soldiers shouted over a neutral channel, as the five of them ran as best they could back to the thauma-tank formation that was still rolling toward the Flames position in Pasadena District proper.

-----

“Impressive for one who has seen little combat in the body she is occupying for the time being,” Gaea mused, nodding as she watched the proceedings from her scrying crystal ball.

“Both she and Twilight are so alike in their ability, even if their personalities are like oil and water,” Celestia added, noting that she used a weaker version of that Scattering Fireball spell during the more sportspony-like dueling sessions at the School.

-----

“Sir, the Thaumatic tank line still hasn’t slowed its approach toward Pasadena District. I had hoped that little display from the Flames leader would scare them off, but it seems they are hell-bent on trampling them with those things, if not worse,” Todd told Captain Julio through the com-link, as he continued to monitor the situation, watching Amanda continue picking off straggling SPH soldiers with Fire-mana laced magi-blasts from her hands.

“Alright, I’m sending in reinforcements now,” Captain Julio said, as he opened another channel toward the ‘departure bay’. “Terry, your crew is up, get ready for transport!”

“10-4 Captain!” Terry responded, as he strapped his helmet on, and turned on his visor.

“Alright then ladies and gentlemen, it’s showtime!”

-----

“How are we doing, control?” Amanda asked through the her comm system on her helmet, as she chased away some more SPH soldiers that were scattered out in front of the slow, but still advancing formation of twenty-odd thaumatically-powered armored assault vehicles.

“We’ve been able to stem the collateral damage some, and the evacuation of the most expected path for them to take is complete. Plus, the transports from the HEA just appeared on our local sensors, so we should be getting some more support in a few moments,” one of the operators back at the Flames’ home base relayed back to Amanda.

“Some good news, finally,” Amanda said, as she looked at the tanks that were several hundreds of yards away, which made them too close for comfort for her tastes.

-----

“Leader-1, we have the thaumatic land assault vehicles in position, are we to proceed as planned?” the field commander for the SPH battalion asked, as he was on a direct line to SPH Central Command in Manhattan.

“Yes, and I am giving you authorization to use the H-Drone Prototypes. I want to see how the first-run models perform in a real firefight,” Peter said, as he looked on at the footage being relayed from the drone cameras the SPH had set up over the battlefield.

“Understood sir,” the field commander answered in a knowing tone, as he ended the ‘call’, and made to ready the drones in each tank for deployment.

“Peter, do you really think those things are ready for primetime? I know Kenneth and his factory has been very good for us, but humanoid war drones is something not even most countries have gotten right in the last few decades, let alone recent times,” Claire asked, as she looked on with concern like the other two principals of the SPH.

“Now is as good a time as any, I figure,” Peter said tersely, clearly aggravated by the resistance provided by the Flames of SOCAL.

Claire was duly unimpressed by the answer given, so she decided to change the line of inquiry to something more personal. “Is all of this about Richard?”

Peter turned her a dirty look, as he could perceive the woman trying to pry open his personal life, as it had become something of a game for her to decipher the total assets and the motivation behind all of the society’s VIPs and leading militia officers. After thinking for a moment, he softened his look back to a default of grave concern, and decided to indulge her.

“I look at all of this, all of this we have built in less than a year. And it is this close to coming apart at the seams,” Peter said, as it was clear from to the tension in his eyes and face that he was boiling-over mad, even if his tone was one of seemingly mild annoyance.

“I know, and… we’re doing what we can with the forces that we have, but personnel wise we’re more or less even with the total of the White Knights and rebels who claim they want to restore the old power structure,” Claire responded, trying to flush something else out.

“That’s the thing… I have clearly under-estimated Richard yet again. I wouldn’t have taken him for someone to get sucked into the ideology or the machinations of anyone else, or in this case anythings else,” Richard said, as Claire silently noted that he seemed to be staring at a phantom of the man in question.

We have to do something to put the organization back on the winning track, as it were, or I fear that Peter is going to start getting truly reckless… Claire thought, as she calmed herself, not wanting to get sucked up into Peter’s anxiety or fury.

“To wit, that’s why I’ve ordered both the Land Thaumatic-Armed Vehicles and the Thauma-Drones to the front lines in Los Angeles. I need to take the measure of both his forces, and ours. I cannot suffer any more losses or overall setbacks. If we do not entrench our power now, then there is no telling when the true counterattack will come from the HEA or their rebel allies,” Peter concluded in a much more calm and matter of fact tone, one which relieved Claire, somewhat at least.

I have to talk to Nathan, I fear for Peter’s ability to coordinate the militias if he’s going to be this stressed about it…

-----

“This is a problem… If I go full bore with my Equestrian magic, I could make all of them sick or worse. I go full bore with my Fire magic, I could torch one of mine by accident,” Sunset thought to herself as she looked at the Land TAVs (L-TAVs) and something humanoid disembarking that looked the size of a tall human child, or an exceptionally short adult.

“Anyone with some binoculars or zooming implants – can they see what those things are that are coming out of the tank, my cameras on my helmet are being obscured by dust and some kind of EM Interference,” Amanda ordered.

Althea took a position at a gap in one of the walls serving as a semi-natural barrier between her crew and the incoming small and medium arms fire from the SPH forces a few dozen yards away. “Yeah, give me a sec… oh no that’s not good…”

“Whatcha got, Althea?” Amanda asked, as she took up a position next to the dark-skinned woman with the binoculars to the gap in the wall.

“They’re war drones, and they look like they are the latest model, or some refined version of them. Totally humanoid except for the face. Can’t tell if they are truly autonomous or controlled remotely, we’d need a comm expert out here for that,” Althea reported, as she handed the binoculars to the pony-turned-human-woman.

“Ugh, I see what you mean, they look like tall 13 year olds dressed completely in black and faces covered in cameras…” Amanda said, as she grumbled inwardly.

This is a problem, not only can they carry human arms, but there is no telling what the SPH stuffed into their bodies for weaponry or traps… Sunset thought to herself.

“Be prepared to fall back, we have no idea what those drones are capable of, and we aren’t in position to lose men and women trying to find out!” Amanda ordered, before her helmet pinged with an incoming communication.

“Is this Cmd. Amanda of the Flame of Southern California?!” she heard a vaguely Germanic accent ask, one the transformed Pony immediately recognized as that of a native Kattsphrache-speaker speaking fluent Equish, and with a formality of someone from the Gryphon Federation Military.

“Yes, yes this is she!” Amanda answered excitedly, before regaining her composure given the circumstances. “Whom may I ask is speaking?”

“Commander Frederika Lehkatte[1] of the Gryphon Federation Army, House of Leo 3rd Division, currently on loan to the Human-Equestrian Alliance’s militia in an advisory and field command role,” Frederika responded with swift and determined certainty, one befitting a 8-year tenured officer of the Gryphon military.

“That’s a mouthful but if you’re on loan to the HEA, then that means the reinforcements we requested should be in theatre, right?” Amanda replied, always off-put by how rigid the military Gryphons could be.

“Yes, I’m at the vehicular outpost now, the frontliners should be at your location momentarily,” Frederika responded.

Amanda went to the rear of the formation to see if she could get a visual without exposing herself, and then noticed what was incoming – A man on a motorbike in chalk white armor, followed by a gryphon, a pair of ponies, another human, and a humanoid-form dragon in an ATV behind him.

Those six can’t be all they sent down here… Sunset remarked to herself in an exasperated tone, before jogging back to the front of the position that Althea and the others were holding.

“So what’s going on, I see the SPH forces starting to scramble and not approach this direction. Did the Alliance finally send down those reinforcements?” Althea asked of Amanda.

“Yeah but I only saw six of them inbound to our position, should be here in minute or two. What are we gonna do with six extra bodies?” Amanda responded, then asked aloud.

“Six? There has to be more than six…” Althea responded, as she looked at a pad one of Flames fighters just handed her.

“Well all I saw is six, so if you have a better explanation I’d like to hear it,” Amanda rattled back, annoyed at the situation.

“Take a look at this then, Commander,” Althea responded, as she handed her the pad she was just looking at.

The commander took a good look, and then realized what was going on. There were indeed more than six inbound to her, in fact, they had spread out fairly wide, forming a front almost twice as wide as the positions of the Land TAVs and the SPH fighters acting as their vanguard.

“Wait, just how many fighters you have with you, Cmdr. Frederika?” Amanda asked, as she found the comm. line that the HEA left open for her and the rest of the Flames to communicate with them on.

“About one hundred, fifty humans and a rather motley assortment of others,” Frederika responded curtly but politely.

Another hundred… that should put us on even footing with this force from the SPH… I just hope they have enough equipment and arms to deal with these armored vehicles.

“Commander Amanda! Commander Amanda… oh there you are ma’am,” the young man in the chalk-white armor said, as he ran up to the woman who was both field and overall commander of the Flames of SoCal.

“Yeah… oh you must be the HEA contingent sent here to this position,” Amanda replied, as she did her best to stifle her surprise and meeting the young man who was apparently the leader of the squad of six that joined her impromptu squad of ten at the dugout Althea and she created.

“Correct, ma’am, I can see you all are having some trouble out of the SPH’s human fighters, and apparently they aren’t done fielding bogeys…” the young man in the white armor said, as he removed his helmet once he was sure he was out of any firing lines.

Amanda was taken aback for a moment, as she got a good look at the young man in his mid-twenties, of fair skin and dark hair. She figured he was of Central or Northern European heritage, dissimilar from the Mestizo complexion of her lieutenant in Enrique, but only in that regard.

“Anyway, the name is Terry, the human woman is Sammi, with an I,” he said, as he pointed to the woman who was a few inches shorter than he but wearing similar chalk-white armor.

“The Pegasus is Cumulus Sweep, the Earth Pony is Sound Tower, the Gryphon is Tobias, and the Dragon is Tung,” Terry rattled off, as he introduced the rest of his squad one by one.

Althea piped up, not quite understanding the last name. “Is Tung in place or short for anything?”

“Tungsten. That’s about it. I just think Tung sounds better,” the medium gray and silver-spined male Dragon responded with a shrug.

“Good enough for me,” one of the Flame’s fighters replied, which got a nod from Althea.

“Ok, now that introductions are done, we should probably get to doing something about those tanks and those drones that are still marching toward us…” Amanda said with a churlish tone.

“Alright then, Sammi, Tobias, and Sweep, you’re coming with me, Amanda, and anyone going with her from her side. Tower see if you can figure out if those drones are autonomous or being controlled, Tung, reinforce this position and watch our sides and rear,”

“Yes sir,” the other five responded, as they made ready to move out or dig in.

“Althea, Tory, Randy, you’re coming with me. I have the urge for some vehicular demolition; those tanks have been aggravating me way too long,” Amanda commanded in kind.

“Yes ma’am!” the three humans responded, as they put on their helmets and calibrated their visors.

“Are any of you remaining good at channeling Terran mana?” Terry asked of the rest of the Flame’s squad at the position.

“Yeah, according to Amanda I’m decent at Earth and Water pulling,” one of the other female fighters said, as she came forward.

“Alright, help Tung with position reinforcement; I get the feeling they are gonna start shelling us both figuratively and literally before long…” Terry responded, before an explosion rocked the area.

“How about right now… Monica, Tung, if you don’t mind?!” Amanda barked, which got the Dragon and human woman to work reinforcing the concrete and metal to better sustain itself against the thematic and ballistic assault that had begun from the Land TAVs in earnest.

~-[ A few minutes later… ]-~

“Just what in the heck are those things. They’re like clockwork soldiers…” Tobias complained, as he watched the motion of the smaller and non-human faced fighters on the SPH’s side move throughout the battlefield with stunning (and inhuman) precision.

“Whatever those things are have the motions and battle strategies down, but we’re benefiting from better protective gear, at least right now,” Amanda remarked, as the combined group continued trying to take out the drone soldiers of the SPH, to less than effective degree.

“Fine, if they are going to use their new toys, then so are we. Capt. Frederika, are we clear to use the new gear and weapons?” Terry remarked, and then asked of his CO back in the forward command ‘truck’.

The gryphoness thought for a few moments, as the techs sat in the truck, directing the others, and waiting for the go-ahead from said officer in charge of the operation.

There’s no use and developing a tool and not using it, especially when the situation calls for it… Frederika thought to herself, as she gave the signal to go forward. “Clear them to use the equipment as they call for it.”

---

“It appears that the field commander has given them the all clear. I do hope the fighters for the Society have made peace with those whom they hold dear,” one of the Zebra armorers replied, as the armory of Safe Haven kicked into high gear, readying the equipment that would be on call for such.

---

“Alright then everyone, it’s show time,” Terry said, as he flipped over a mini-pad built into the left arm of his armor, and dialed into the armory back at Safe Haven.

“You have chosen the – DA-40 Dual-Action Thaumatic Rifle! Please wait a moment for teleportation to complete!” an electronic operator replied, as the automatic teleportation system grabbed the rifle for Terry, and within a few seconds, it was in his hands in a grayish-purple flash[2].

“Been waiting to try this thing out in a real fight, and now is as good a time as ever,” Terry said, as three more grayish-purple flashes went off.

“Then let’s not keep the Society and their drones waiting,” Sammi said, as she got adjusted to the weight of bazooka-like launcher and the backpack that it came with, as she gave everything the once over to ensure proper transport.

“To say I was feeling cooped would be an understatement,” as Tobias’s left talon was now covered in a gauntlet shaped firearm, and he began testing out the Terran magic through his personal 1 m long short sword.

“Glad I don’t have to fly feeling the full weight of these packs on my back. I’d bet I’d barely clear 10 knots if I did,” Sweep said, as there were two gun-muzzles over her shoulders, and a pair of (relatively) large, cylinder-shaped ballistic batteries along her sides.

“Miss Amanda, we’re ready,” Terry said, as the re-outfitted SPH crew made ready to take on the tank nearest Monica and Tung’s formation several dozen yards back.

“We are too, I’m not going to be upstaged by you White Knights,” Amanda replied, in a somewhat teasing tone near the end of her sentence.

The young (apparent-)lady then quickly conjured a compressed ball of fire, and lobbed it at the formation of live soldiers and drones like a grenade.

“When you see the boom, everyone engage,” Amanda said, as she waited a few seconds with her side arm ready, and her own natural Unicorn Magic charged into her right hand.

Said few second passed, and with a loud boom and several shouting Society soldiers later, Amanda and Terry’s joint strike force engaged the battle proper

-----

“Now I wouldn’t have expected you to be here,” Blue Vague said to one Twilight Sparkle, both of them watching the surveillance and recon drones in the near-Pasadena theatre of action as they showed the mixed Alliance and Flames forces engaging and starting to turn back the Society’s forces, even if it was ever so slight in the early moments of the engagement at large.

“Call it a mare’s intuition, but something told me to watch this. I’m glad I just happened to be Earth-side, because it’s been difficult to get a hold of Princess Celestia and Luna today,” Twilight responded, as she watched the spellcraft on both sides intently, trying to see if there was anything to be revealed to her in the mostly intra-human fighting.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Usually mid-week is when Princess Luna and I have our little one-on-one session in the dreamscape. But either she’s forgotten, or more likely something else has caught her attention for the last little while,” Vague responded.

“You think it was this?” Twilight asked, as she looked over at the blue Unicorn.

“Not necessarily. From what I can tell the Council hasn’t acted with much formal coordination with any of the governments involved. No, I think that Celestia and Gaea have something else they’re concerned about that they’ve been discussing,” Vague figured, not thinking that Celestia would necessarily be keyed in on each battle the Society was fighting except in the aggregate.

Twilight thought for a short while, before something caught her eye. She saw a woman in typical retrofitted and refurbished army surplus armor, and a stylized, armored long-tail coat with flame patterns stitched into it, firing a concentrated blast of what appeared, to her, to be Equestrian magic at the side of one of the Land-TAVs that were trying to supply suppressive fire to the battlefield in support of the Society’s forces.

Wait… that can’t be right… Twilight thought to herself, as she used one of the control pads to rewind the feed from the particular drone-camera she was interested in.

Twilight watched, and watched, and watched again the footage of the seemingly typical human, with apparent brilliant red hair, fire what would look like to some layman like a slightly off-colored beam of Light magic.

But Twilight Sparkle knew better than that, or at least, she figured she did.

That… that beam looked just like Sunset Shimmer’s MagiBolt Blaze spell… Twilight thought to herself, as she paid much closer attention to that particular feed.

-----

“Where is this fire coming from,” the commander of the Land-TAV shouted, as he was being continually rocked by rocket fire from something.

“That faded-orange Pegasus and the woman in the white armor in the enemy cluster in front of us are using some kind of weapons we aren’t familiar with,” one of the ‘tank’ operators said, as she tried to divert some of the propulsion mana tanks to magical shielding.

“That Pegasus has some kind of missile-battery attached to it, and it’s not the only one. There are least five more like it flying around the whole theatre. Our sensors are having a difficult time tracking their movement due to their size and erratic flight pattern,” the other, male, operator added.

“Let me guess, none of our gunners are good enough to shoot her down?” the commander replied, as one gunner was continuing to try and lay down suppressive fire, and the other was using a smaller gun to try and shoot down the relatively low flying, living aircraft the armored Pegasi and Gryphons appeared as.

Another explosion rocked the sides of the vehicle, all 10 tons of reinforced metal rocking, as combination of mini-rocket and thauma-bazooka fire continued to pelt the armored vehicle.

“Damn, what are our forward fighters and drones doing for us to be getting hammered like this?”

Roughly 120 yards away from where the tank was getting bombarded, Terry, Amanda, and Tobias were engaging the drones and the fighters.

“Need to work on some kind of talon/foreleg guarding shield, it makes it hard to advance the way I want to with all of this gunfire around,” Tobias said, as he used the pellet gun built into the armor on his left arm to halt the advance and stun the drone targets, before using his magically super-heated blade to finish them off.

Just as he was finishing off one drone, he was blasted in the side by the mini-rocket launcher carried by another drone, knocking some of the wind out of him, and making it difficult for Tobias to counter-attack.

Terry heard the half squawk of his Gryphon partner, and, used the zoom in his visor to figure out who fired the shot. And before the offending drone could take advantage of the stunned Gryphon…

Pyoo!

A bolt of flame-laced magic screamed through its head, blowing it and much of the upper body apart.

“Tobias, are you alright?!” Terry called, as he found a ‘dead zone’ in the crossfire to focus on the response from said Gryphon.

“Yeah, I’ll live, the armor wasn’t breached, but there might be some cracks, I’m gonna make sure they check it once we leave the theatre of operation,” Tobias said, as he tried to regain his breath.

“Good to hear, make sure you let Tung take a look at it, he might be able to patch it before we get to the armorers back at base,” Terry said, as he waited for a break in the fire to find another bogey (drone or not) to take out.

“Damn White Knights, I’m going to really enjoy watching the lot of you drop like flies over however long this lasts…” a Society sniper said, as he tried to zoom in on the head/neck/chest of Terry from almost a mile away.

Althea noticed a single drone that appeared to be still, as if it was triangulating position for something, or someone… before she realized what was going on.

There could be a sniper… she thought immediately, and was trying to look for anyone that appeared exposed, and found it in Terry who was coming out of his cover.

“THERE!” the Society sniper shouted, as he pulled the trigger.

“DUCK!” Althea shouted at Terry over the comm-link, as she stamped one of her boots on the ground.

Terry, on instinct, ducked to a crouch, covering his head and neck as best he could, while he saw a pile of earth form a dome around him, pointed slightly like a minaret but open at the top. Almost in the instant that the dome stopped forming, he heard what sounded like a large thud on the outside of the minaret-like earthen dome formed around him.

“The hell was that?” Terry asked, not sure what he was supposed to do now since there didn’t appear to be an exit out of the dome that had suddenly formed around his crouching body.

“Hold on for a minute,” Althea said, as she hailed another of his partners. “Sammi, Tobias there’s a Society sniper around here somewhere, his drone is acting as a spotter.”

Meanwhile, over in the command truck, one of the operators noticed what Althea did as she listened in on the channels the HEA were operating on.

“Audrey, can you give me a model of high-caliber ballistic fire near where Terrance is?” the operator asked.

“It’ll take a little bit, and you know he doesn’t like to be called Terrance, Millie,” the other operator responded.

“Then he can argue that with me when we get back to the Haven, I just need that ballistic model. The society might have a sniper somewhere in theatre,” Millie responded back, with a curt but polite tone.

Back in the theatre of action, Sammi took up a semi-resting position, while she checked the calibration on her launcher, and was thumbing over a panel readout, showing the inventory of shells she had loaded into the backpack-like storage unit she had been carrying.

“Sammi, come in Sammi, this is the Command Truck,” she heard over her in-helmet comm-device.

“Yeah, this Sammi,” she quickly responded, as she held a small arm at the ready in case one of the drones, or an actual SPH soldier found her position.

“I need you to load up a long-range stealth mini-rocket, we suspect there is a sniper in an abandoned building nearly a 1400 m NNW of your position,” Millie requested of Sammi.

“I see, can you give me a more specific bearing?” Sammi replied, as she loaded the purple painted miniature rocket into her launcher.

“Yeah, +15 deg from due North, 1400 m away, and about +65 m in elevation,” Millie replied.

Sammi entered the bearings into her guidance feature for long range fire built into her helmet, and saw where the sniper was probably camped out. “I see, the old Anderson Memorial Hospital, alright, here goes…”

“Damn it, what am I supposed to do now… I might have blown my cover with that last shot…” the sniper said, as he stalked the empty hospital room, some of the abandoned machines appearing they could spring back to life at any moment, even with no power to the building.

With a loud boom, he got all the evidence he needed to formulate his next course of action.

“Oh to hell with all of this, it’s not worth my life to try and get a third kill for the day!” the sniper said, as he ran out of the building; the roof was almost ready to cave in on top of his head, jarred loose from the ballistic shock of the unseen rocket impacting the abandoned hospital.

-----

“Tell the field commanders to start withdrawing back to Hollywood. There is no need to waste further resources on this battle,” Peter ordered, as he was disgusted by what he saw from the Flames and the Alliance.

They have prepared themselves to a capability I honestly underestimated. I cannot afford to tread lightly in my actions any longer, they no longer deserve kid gloves… the leader of the Society thought to himself as he tried to re-orient his thoughts to a more favorable zero-point.

“Yes, Peter, the order has been given to withdraw. But I must say, I think we’re getting beyond the point where we can treat them as small children throwing a tantrum. They are a legitimate threat to us, and it is time for us to respond in due manner,” Claire suggested to her partner-in-crime, as it were.

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Madam. Tell Nathan to get Kenneth and the other arms suppliers on the line, we’re about to accelerate the outfitting of our people and the building of our drone army. Plus, begin searching out subjects for that little… project we were discussing a week or so ago,” Peter said.

“So you’re finally deciding to move forward with that? Color me surprised, I thought you wanted to give it a few years before we had a tighter handle on research facilities and this… magic… itself,” Claire responded, with some measure of bemusement.

“I remember those four… those four Ponies who claimed that they had tapped into some fundamental force of this world. I will not have humanity… us shown up by them. I will prove to everyone that all of the power of this world rests in our hands, and we will employ any means to ensure this today, tomorrow, and for as long as we are!” Peter resolved, as the steel in his eyes was unmistakable to the lone female boss of the Society for the Preservation of Humanity.

You can have all the resolve you want to Peter… but we need more effective means to flex our muscles… Claire thought, as she sent a message through neural net to Nathan who was elsewhere in Manhattan.

== [ A couple of hours after the retreat of the SPH Forces to Hollywood, in Safe Haven ]==

“So what’s our casualty report looking like,” Capt.-Commander Julio asked of Capt. Frederika, as he walked alongside the Gryphoness, who while on all fours, was still right along his waist in height.

“Let’s see, zero dead, fourteen injured, mostly minor bruises and cuts from armor not being put on right, and zero missing. All in all we’ve preserved our own numbers about as well as could be expected,” Frederika responded.

“And have you gotten the casualty report from Amanda in the Flames?” Julio asked of the Gryphoness.

“Hrm, ten dead, sixty injured, two believed missing at one point, but later found near the theatre of action; oddly enough saying they were pursuing a man in a black cloak who looked like he was carrying a fancy super-long-range rifle,” said Gryphoness responded.

“Probably the sniper that your operators in the command truck helped flush out,” Julio figured. “By the by, how did you managed to get a bearing on where that sniper was firing from.”

“That was a bit of an experiment on my part. I saw that the camera-drones we had developed were mana-sensitive, so I wanted to develop a sort of, model, for the crossfire of human and human-derived weaponry everyone was using. So I had the Pegasi and Gryphons drop tiny canisters that flooded the area in loose, Wind-aspected mana. Turns out, it’s pretty good for finding snipers, assuming they use firearms that fire in a predictable path,” Frederika replied.

“Not bad… certainly a thing to refine in the future,” Julio thought, noting how very useful such a technology was for support.

As the two of them continued to talk, especially regarding the rough draft of their after-action report to the Council, they were approached by a certain mulberry-purple Unicorn VIP.

“Excuse me, Captain, Captain-Commander, would you all mind a request from me?” Twilight asked in her most polite-almost-begging tone.

“Uhhh, yeah sure, Miss Sparkle,” Julio responded, not sure what he might be getting himself roped into.

“Given the Flames of Southern California are a pseudo-military organization, I think it’d be best if you made this request. I, Twilight Sparkle, request an audience with the leadership of said organization, especially the leader herself, Amanda,” Twilight Sparkle requested; trying to void her tone of anything other than the utmost in formality.

“I can’t make any promises Miss Sparkle, but we will certainly pass the request along to the Flames. We’re most likely going to have continuing business with them anyway, so I should hope they’d recognize the value in getting in your, and possibly Princess Celestia’s good graces,” Julio responded, with a brief nod from Frederika.

I’m sure the organization itself would want that. No telling about their leader, though, if she’s who I think she is… Twilight Sparkle thought to herself, as she shook the hand of Julio and walked off to the general media areas.

-----

“I wish we could have blown up some of those thauma-tanks, it aggravates me that we weren’t able to completely destroy any of them today,” Amanda griped, as she undid the tie in her hair now that she was reasonably sure she wouldn’t need to be in the field under a helmet for some time.

“At the same time, we have shown that even with all the time and care they believe they put into that equipment, we will break it. And ultimately, we will break them,” Enrique added.

“Sure, I mean that goes without saying. I still wanted the satisfaction of watching one of those things explode. Or at the very least fall apart,” Amanda replied, having to settle for blowing up a half-dozen humanoid drones instead, earlier that day.

“In other news, Miss Commander,” Enrique started, as he pulled out a piece of paper he had recently printed. “The HEA is making a formal request for an audience.”

“Dunno why they need a formal request, our door is as open to them as one could expect,” Amanda replied, not sure of where they were going with all of this on paper, until something struck her.

Wait a minute… that sigil on top of the paper… Amanda thought, as she spied what appeared to be a fuchsia and white star near the top of the printable margin of the paper. No way, it couldn’t be… could it?!

“Apparently Miss Twilight Sparkle herself wants to be a party to this meeting, hence the formal request on paper, and what appears to be her personal insignia on top of the paper along with the HEA’s logo,” Enrique concluded; as he handed the sheet to Amanda.

Just what in the blue Tartarus is that purple little… No, no Sunset, keep calm, she doesn’t know for sure who you are. Just keep everything on the level and she’ll have her little meeting and then go back to wherever it is she came from or lives now… Sunset Shimmer thought, as she tried to keep Amanda from looking unduly consternated.

“So how do you want me to reply, Amanda?” Enrique asked of his commander.

“Tell them I accept, and I would be honored to have such an esteemed guest willing to talk turkey with all of us,” Amanda replied, taking her best neutral tone to mask her growing paranoia and anger at this development.

I refuse to let you ruin what I’ve built here Twilight Sparkle… absolutely refuse!!

~~--== ==--~~

[ Extra 1 ] After-Action Brief [ ***** ]
Human-Equus Alliance Forces:
Total: 250 ( 150 H(uman), 70 P(onies), 30 G(ryphons), 10 Z(ebras), 10 D(ragons) )
KIA: 0
MIA: 0
Injured: 10 (all minor, most due to humans and ponies not equipping the armor in the proper fashion)
- Captian Julio reported that the combat preparedness of the forces in theatre and their actions were exemplary, given it was the first large-scale conflict using the new armaments and equipment
- Regrets that more territory was not captured for the Flames
Flames of SoCal (Southern California) Forces:
Total: 350 ( 350 H )
KIA: 10 (All in the initial hour of fighting)
MIA: 0 (2 thought to be missing, but instead pursuing a possible sniper outside the main theatre of conflict)
Injured: 60 (3 Critical, rest moderate to minor )
- Cmd. Amanda was not pleased with furthering impacting the Society’s new equipment, especially destroying more of the drone fighters and the Thaumatically-Armed Vehicles
- Overall pleased with the moderate expansion of Flames controlled territory, which she hopes to parlay into capturing Hollywood proper
Society for the Preservation of Humanity:
Total: 750 ( 600 H, 150 Dr(ones) )
KIA: 90
D(estroyed) IA: 70
MIA: 9 (All believed captured by either the HEA or the Flames)
Injured: 100 (10 Grave, 20 Critical, rest minor to moderate )
- Regrets the nominal loss of territory, but Peter feels that with better equipment and vehicles, that any lost territory can be quickly regained
- Has begun incentivizing his arms supplies for the development of even more potent weaponryshe was
tank

CH 36: Marble Cages

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 36: Marble Cages ===

[ March 04, 2082 – Safe Haven ]
===============================

“So you are really going through with this whole meeting with that Amanda woman?” Vague said, as the magic of the Practice Room put him in a human-like form temporarily, save for his skin being the same tone as his coat (electric blue); all the while engaged in one of his favorite pastimes - somewhat inaccurately, shooting baskets on the simulated basketball court he had programmed into the ‘suite’ the two of them occupied. Sitting on the benches, in the out of bounds area, was Twilight Sparkle, still in her natural form.

“Yeah, this is something I really feel I need to do,” Twilight responded politely, trying not to give away her actual motive for wanting to go to Pasadena in the next couple of days.

“And here I thought you’d want nothing to do with the militia side of things, at least when it comes to the action on this side of the Aurora,” Vague responded, as he continued to shoot from different spots on the court, and audibly groaning with every miss.

“You know you seem to be having quite a bit of trouble making these baskets,” Twilight remarked, wondering if a jump shot was supposed to be that inaccurate.

“It’s because he is using poor form while shooting; he’s trying to rely on latent muscle memory that was wiped clean during his Conversion,” a young but stern voice said, as a green shimmering image appeared on side of Twilight on the bench near the court Vague had made. The image was that of the third of Pamela's three cyber-fairies, said Head Technician's eyes and ears (and everything else within the system itself) when Pamela wasn't focused on any particular part.

“That schoolmarm-ish voice could only be Control, so what brings you this way?” Vague said, as he continued with his routine.

“I was just traversing the system ensuring that no intruders were trying to make their way in; to date, we have only had cursory sniffing from the usual trolls and low-level hackers, nothing simple traffic redirection could not handle,” the cyber-fairy said, the bangs along the left side of her face created by her current hairstyle giving her the appearance somewhere between “schoolteacher” and “librarian”, and the dark-green, pseudo-form-fitting jacket she was wearing giving her the appearance between “lab technician” and “security guard”, given her current self-appointed task. She was roughly the size of an average human woman while in the Practice Room with Vague and Twilight, as she adjusted her clothes and her glasses again, to keep her prim and proper visage.

“Yeah, that’s what you’re usually up to Control, but I’ve never known you to just dive into other people’s Practice Rooms for observation,” Vague replied, as he continued to shoot his baskets, and still finding himself missing 7 times out of 10 on balance.

“Well, part of it was observing your… struggles… with your jump shot in this basketball simulation. The other, simply indulging my curiosity regarding Miss Sparkle’s meeting upcoming with the leadership of the Flames of Southern California,” Control replied, as she adjusted her glasses slightly higher up along her nose, her fae-wings shimmering with the same color pattern as Alternate and Shift.

“So what are you trying to scry about my coming meeting?” Twilight asked of the cyber-fairy, who sat on the bench, constantly scrolling on a ‘pad’ to scan for incidents she might need to tend to during her conversation with the two Ponies.

“None besides determining the intent of said meeting. My curiosity was piqued when Shift was remarking on how a non-military Pony such as yourself seemed to hold outsized interest in who exactly the woman who calls herself the leader of the Flames was,” Control replied as she continued to observe Vague’s humanoid form intently.

“I see. Actually, I’ve been wondering when would be a good point to start discussing it with you all,” Twilight thought aloud as she watched Vague continue to struggle.

“Before Twilight starts with her explanation – Mr. Vague, maybe it would be best for you to re-establish proper form and mechanics with your shot from a set position?” Control asked of the temporarily transformed Unicorn on the court proper.

“I… ugh come on I should remember how to shoot a basketball in a virtual environment, I only spent untold hours doing it before I Converted,” Vague responded, grumbling as he found himself still not able to coordinate himself.

“May I offer a supposition – the software that this simulation is based on is refined according to the particular mechanics of tens of thousands of different human shooting motions. Your brain has likely lost the grip on the nuances said simulation would have you learn, such as the fine motor control in your wrists and fingers that would allow you to automatically adjust your shooting touch while in motion,” Control then said politely but sternly, once again mimicking the tone of a schoolteacher, or in this case, a coach.

Vague stood there with the basketball underneath his shoulder. He contemplated what the green-clad cyber-fairy had said in those few moments - trying to find some kind of counter argument, but eventually came up empty. “Ugh, I really thought I could just jump straight back on the bike. But this isn’t working at all.”

Twilight looked on as Vague used the ambient magic of the Practice Room to change the parameters of the simulation; the court changing configuration slightly to have a small target circle that Vague could move, and a persistent and refilling rack of basketballs that would always appear adjacent to the target circle.

“Per your suggestion, Control, looks like I’m gonna have to start from scratch, until I relearn how to use this sim-body again,” Vague said, as he began going through the motions like was shooting the most basic of free-throws.

“Since that is a simulated body, I doubt it should take very long to relearn your shooting motion for it, but it will take time nonetheless. In any case, back to you Miss Sparkle. You said you were willing to divulge at least the thesis behind your requested meeting with the Flames,” Control replied, as the cyber-fairy and the Pony watched the human-shaped Pony on the court slowly going through the mechanics of a jump shot, relearning what he thought he already knew by muscle memory.

“Yeah, I’m having my suspicions about why no one can figure out who this Amanda Bunn is. And it’s because that particular Amanda Bunn is a total fabrication,” Twilight offered.

Control was piqued by the suggestion that ‘Amanda’ wasn’t who she said she was, while Vague stopped almost mid-motion, trying to figure out where the mulberry Pony was coming from.

“That would be a severe accusation to make toward the leader of one of the more successful of the resistance movements, Miss Sparkle,” Control replied, as she adjusted the glasses on her face slightly, and beating her wings slightly.

“It would not be an accusation I would levy in this particular meeting, because for me to accuse Amanda of operating under a false identity confidently, I’d have to be completely sure of her actual identity,” Twilight said, as she took a breath. “But I do have a strong – almost overwhelming – suspicion of her actual identity.”

“And that’d be…?” Vague said, as he resumed his shooting.

“My former senior school partner, Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight replied, with all manner of gravity.

Vague nodded, and resumed shooting, before the realization hit him; and when it did, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Wait wait wait… How could Amanda be a Pony? That makes all of no sense to me!” Vague said, as he walked over to the bench to make sure he was clearly in ear-shot of the Element of Magic.

“It didn’t make any sense to me either, when I was watching that footage of the battle in Los Angeles… at least at first. Then I remembered there was something I read about in passing in the Canterlot Archives some years ago,” Twilight started, not losing a beat despite the surprise in the face of the transformed Terran Element of Water. “If the texts and diagrams that we both found that day were in any way accurate, there were persistent physical portals to the Human World all this time, despite the Bridge having not been in place until the last couple of years.”

“That’s crazy, you really think she could have been here all that time after she graduated or whatever?!” Vague replied, not sure what to think about this potential revelation.

“Not that much time - because she would write the school every so often, since she graduated in disgrace, especially given her status until an… unfortunate incident. That was until about half a year ago. Sometime in September, her letters stopped. And from what some of the HEA Contacts and soldiers down in Los Angeles said, that was when Amanda appeared. Then, she was using spells that I know for certain Sunset developed; heck I’ve even taken a couple of them to the flanks here and there, I better not have forgotten them,” Twilight concluded, now as confident as ever in her supposition.

“All of this sounds crazy, but my actual body is an example of that magic, or something like it, still existing… so I guess we just need to see if you can find a way to confirm it…” Vague figured, as his brain started to get around the idea of Amanda being like him, except backwards in some way.

“I don’t intend to expose Amanda or Sunset, or whatever, to the rest of the Flames; the HEA will definitely need their help, and Amanda is proving herself surprisingly capable of running that whole venture. But I need to get a better grip on what it is she wants to do, because I’m not sure if she’d want to stop at just running the Society out of town,” Twilight figured.

“Well far be it for me to speculate on someone I have no experience with, so whatever you think needs to be done, you should go ahead and do,” Vague said, as he walked back to his target circle to resume his exercise, thinking about the whole situation from his limited perspective.

|| Around the same time, in split meeting-and-classroom ||

“By the Spirit-Queen, this place is just… oooh so invigorating~!” Cinnamon said, as she absorbed the ambience of Safe Haven, along with the ambient Terran Mana that always filled the place.

“While I wouldn’t be so demonstrative,” Coral started, as she watched Cinnamon flitting about the room filled with vigor and vim. “… I do agree that this place is very alive with both Terran and Equuan mana. It does make the air feel electric for those of us who are mana-sensitive.”

That figures. I was more or less at the epicenter of the release of Terran Mana during the Day of the Black Sky, and the air felt like it was on fire to me; that’s probably what triggered my Flash Puberty… Spike thought as he contemplated what the meeting was about with the three of them in the room they occupied for the time being.

After a couple of minutes, the door opened with Mr. Edwards and Adamantia entering the room; the Dragoness taking the lectern at the ‘head’ of the table, Richard sitting at the table with Spike on one side, and Coral and Cinnamon (who the former finally managed to snap to full attention) sitting to other side.

“Before Adamantia gives you the specifics, I would like to personally welcome you to Safe Haven in particular, and the H.E.A. in general, Miss Coral and Miss Cinnamon,” Richard acknowledged, while the bluish Dragoness at the head of the table prepared her brief remarks.

“Yes, and I welcome you all to this location and organization as well,” Adamantia started, as she looked at her short paragraph written in Draconic script. “As you all know by now, this is the base of operations of the Human-Equus Alliance, and while I am council-dragon and the three of you are here, your new practice hall and classroom.”

The three younger dragons all nodded in understanding at the implications.

“Since I am one of Rosethorn’s former students, she entrusted me with your lessons while you are on this side of the Aurora, and that is exactly what I intend to do. At the same time, I want to learn from you all, and the other Dragons here, as we begin to assess how to move forward in this new era where we will work in closer concert with the other species and major Powers both here and back home.”

Said three dragons contemplated what that last couple of sentences would end up meaning as the river of time flowed onward.

“In any case, we will do a simple diagnostic test just to see how your bodies are reacting to not being bathed in thaumatic-epsilon radiation, or in other terms, how well your bodies are adjusting to the dominant Terran mana here on Earth.”

| About fifteen minutes later, in a Practice Room |

“Proc Ural C’stal[Split Fire Ball]!!” Cinnamon shouted, as she fired a ball of flame from her maw, which split into myriad smaller fireballs, pelting a bunch of amorphous training dummy-like targets Adamantia conjured with the assistance of the Practice Room’s imbued magic.

Both Spike and Coral looked on with intent stares, Coral taking the measure of the strength behind Cinnamon’s conjuring, and Spike trying to analyze the nature of the Invocation, trying his best to do a Twilight Sparkle impression when it came to Explicit Magic.

“Hrm, that was very good for someone of your age; seems like Spike is not the only one here with some natural talent for Invocation,” Adamantia praised, much to the embarrassment of Cinnamon.

“Stop flattering me… I think I’m much better at claw-to-claw combat anyway!” Cinnamon said with a faux embarrassed tone.

Coral took notice of Cinnamon’s tone, not having heard much of it in her still somewhat limited interactions with her Trinary Partner. I wonder why she would be embarrassed at someone praising her Invocation Skills. I frankly would have expected her to crow to no end about something like that…

“So you say you are better at claw-to-claw combat…” Adamantia figured aloud, as she conjured larger targets, ones that appeared more draconic in nature. “So let us test that assertion of yours, Miss Cinnamon.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cinnamon stated, as she took a ready stance, one precluded by a certain bow that Coral recognized quickly.

So she’s trained in the Kuruk arts? Coral thought to herself, knowing quite a bit of the martial art that Cinnamon appeared to be ready to use.

The first ‘drone’ attacked Cinnamon frontally, as it rushed her quickly, trying to throw a left hook, which Cinnamon sidestepped. To Spike’s surprise though, she did not attempt an immediate counterattack.

“I thought Cinnamon would try to counterattack the dummy immediately after that missed punch…” Spike thought aloud, but not so loud to where Cinnamon would get distracted by what the two younger Dragons were talking about.

“Normally a Kuruk-user would try the immediate strong counter, but it seems like she wants to assess what the strength of the conjured opponent is first,” Coral responded, watching intently at the red-orange dragoness who seemed more content to soft-counter and dodge for the time being.

But as Coral figured, it was simply a stalling tactic until Cinnamon was more or less sure of what the actual strength of her opponent was.

With a kiai[1] as loud as Spike could remember hearing of any human martial art recording he watched, Cinnamon threw her first attack, which was a right-cross that hit the drone square in its chest, which was immediately followed by a second shout and a left-cross that hit the drone right across the ‘snout’, which sent the dark gray entity staggering backwards.

Cinnamon held tense for a moment before she was took a couple of steps forward in approach, putting both of her surprisingly strong (at least to Spike) clawed hands on the shoulders of the drone, and drawing herself in, and putting a knee right where the diaphragm would be if the drone was a human instead of a vague dragon-shaped thing.

This is something, all of her strikes are so focused… nothing like the kinda flighty and flirty normal personality she’s been showing me the time I’ve been with her. Is this the real Cinnamon, or is this just a special mode she gets into when she’s in a fight… Spike thought as he watched the display from the winged Dragoness who was the most senior in age of the group (by the barest of margins).

Now that is more like the Kuruk that I am familiar with, it seems that assessment phase she enters is as much as to focus her own mind as it is to assess the strength of her opponent… Coral thought, as Cinnamons action now made far more sense to her, as the demonstration went on.

She has had extensive formal training in the Kuruk branch of Draconic Martial Arts, though there are some holes in her game, as it were; but they can be ironed out in time and with her own will… Adamantia thought as she continued to watch the solid and powerful strikes Cinnamon delivered to the drone.

Cinnamon, thinking the fight was in hand, decided to go ahead and end her demonstration with a flourish. As the drone attempted one last rush attack, Cinnamon grabbed him by the hands, as the two stood in a test of strength. Spike and Coral watched with continued interest as the drone tried it’s best to overpower Cinnamon, but found itself unable to generate any leverage on the draka that was of even height and apparent weight with it. As the lock-up continued, it was clear that Cinnamon had the advantage, as she began to exert her leverage over the drone, forcing it down to one knee.

Spike saw the flash in her eyes, as the sclera started to turn red, signaling… something.

The something… a massive gout of flame erupting from her open maw, as pure ruby-red and orange tinged dragonfire erupted from maw of the nineteen-year old draka. Scorching the drone until half of its mass evaporated away, blasted away by the intense flames she was generating.

Needless to say, Cinnamon’s demonstration of combat abilities was over at that point.

“Alright, that was a perfectly fine display of Kuruk-style combat, but the dragonflame at the end takes a few beats too long for you to conjure. You would need to incapacitate your target further if you wanted to use the same… flourish… in a live situation,” Adamantia noted as Cinnamon sat on the bench next to Spike, and Coral went into the ‘ring’ for her demonstration.

Coral seemed to be intently staring at the drone conjured for her demonstration, as she stretched her long limbs, her half-Long heritage making her the tallest of the three young Dragons there by a few inches from head to sole as she stood.

And as much as Spike found himself blithely staring at Cinnamon before she started her demonstration, he found himself drifting into admiration of Coral’s figure. Cinnamon for her part silently protested the absent-minded drake, but thought better of saying something aloud about it.

Those three will get along just fine, so long as we can find a way to keep them together… Adamantia thought to herself as she raised her arm to start the drone for the demonstration.

The drone attacked immediately on Adamantia’s signal, trying to throw a punch right in the sternum of Coral, which was brushed aside as quickly as it tried to throw it.

The drone quickly regrouped, trying to rush and grab Coral, but Coral grabbed it by one of its arms and spun it around, holding her ground as the drone went stumbling off in another direction for a couple of feet.

Spike was wondering what exactly Coral was doing, until he felt something stinging him. At first he thought it was Cinnamon trying to get his attention somehow…

“Hey, Cinnamon, I’m trying to watch this, what’s goin’ on?” Spike asked incredulously, as he tried to split his attention between the chalk white and iridescent-blue draka in front of him and the fire-like red-orange one to his side.

“Yeah I’m trying to watch it too, I remember reading about the Longs’ preferred fighting styles, and if I feel the charge in the air right, I think I know which one exactly she’s using,” Cinnamon responded.

Charge in the air… wait… Spike thought, before he let his ear fins help him read the atmospheric conditions for traces of mana. Though it was hard to perceive, he could feel epsilon mana starting to roll in, like a thin but still noticeable fog in the morning.

He thought for a few more moments after that, as the drone continued to swing wildly at Coral, only to be rebuffed repeatedly, with an almost disturbing casualness on the part of the white draka. It then hit him like a proverbial thunderbolt – just as a literal (but magically induced) thunderbolt hit the drone.

“This must be the Vikka-style of martial arts I saw in that book you showed me a few weeks ago,” Spike realized, as he remembered Cinnamon showing him a bunch of books on the basics of unarmed Dragon martial arts.

“Yeah, although Coral there isn’t a full-blooded Long, she still has the natural abilities of one, and the best known is generating lightning from seemingly anything, even something as simple as a slight abundance of mana in the air,” Cinnamon said, her focus on the draka in front of her locked in, as she watched the swift palm and elbow strikes from Coral on the drone being punctuated by lightning striking at the same spot at the same time. “As you read, and as you can see, the Vikka-style’s foundation is using lightning strikes in conjunction with swift strikes from the hard points on your upper limbs while in a two-legged form.”

“Because Long aren’t as physically robust in terms of raw strength as a Wyrm or a plain Dragon, they’ve used their innate control of mana and weather to act as a booster. This makes hybrid Long especially dangerous fighters; because in exchange for a mild loss of overall control of weather they conjure, they also lose some of the strength penalty regarding their bodies, if you were to put this in war-games terminology,” Adamantia added.

Spike nodded as Coral continued to work over the drone in a flourish of strikes, both physical and conjured lightning, appearing almost as if she was dancing to some unheard rhythm as she delivered the blows. As she did, the action before him began to remind Spike of something else while he was on Earth the first couple of times with Twilight and the others (and still in his pre-adolescent form).

It’s almost like watching an actor in those Asian martial arts films Storm showed me way back when… wuxia I think the general term for them were… Spike thought as he saw the physical blows that Coral was throwing starting to ‘de-sync’ from the lightning strikes she was controlling.

“The drone looks completely scrambled now, especially since the physical blows aren’t following the lightning strikes anymore…” Spike thought aloud, as he watched the action as it was appearing to reach its climax.

“That means this demonstration is reaching its conclusion… but how she will end it, hrm…” Adamantia thought along with Spike; a faint smile on her face as she witnessed the martial prowess the chalk-white draka.

Coral took a step or two back, still calling down lightning but using her ear-fins and the short whiskers along her snout to do the job instead of her arms. She then waved her arms around in a pattern, something that Cinnamon and Spike were having trouble deciphering, but Adamantia was quite familiar with.

Interesting finishing blow she is winding up for… Adamantia wondered, as she watched Coral take a short step forward, before they all heard the battle cry.

“Varag Mahq!!!” Coral shouted, as she thrusted her right arm like she was throwing a right hook, a swirl of air surrounding her fist, landing the blow right in the side of the drone, as if she had hit a human right under the ribcage near the kidneys.

The air around her fists exploded with a loud bang, as if someone had set off a loud (but invisible) flashbang. The drone flew a couple of feet backwards, as part of its side was blown off by the explosion of conjured air and magic.

“Wow, Coral… that was something else…” Cinnamon remarked; surprised by the martial ability of the bookish-sounding draka that was her Trinary Partner.

“I was partially raised in dojos, and my family, from eldest to youngest, has a deep curiosity and insatiable desire of knowledge of all kinds. Such was passed on to me, and I am duly learning all I can of the Vikka branch of unarmed combat. Hopefully I will be able to master all of the forms of unarmed Draconic combat arts, but such a thing will remain to be seen,” Coral responded, as she began to ratchet her mana down, being out of a combat situation and not accidentally wanting to conjure lightning when she didn’t want to.

Spike nodded knowingly as he walked into the ‘circle’ for his combat demonstration. He looked at the drone that was conjured as his opponent, which almost seemed to be a mirror of him size-wise. He took the best ready stance he could manage for someone with almost no time to really learn any of the Draconic martial arts.

“And… begin…” Adamantia announced, as the drone charged Spike almost as soon as Adamantia got the words out of her mouth.

In a mild panic, Spike turned to get out of the way, but swung his heavy tail with the mace-like spiked tip around out of instinct, completely taking out the legs of the drone that rushed him.

“I wonder if he planned that or if he just got lucky,” Cinnamon remarked as the drone went sliding on his chest and belly for a couple of feet, as Spike tried to regain his nerve enough to focus on the task at hand.

Spike searched his Rolodex for Draconic incantations, and couldn’t come up with one solid one… so he did what he always did when he was in a panic and trying to think of a incantation – he made up one on the fly.

“KRUF STOMP!!” Spike shouted, as he stomped on the ground; and as he did, a jut of earth shot up from the ground about 4 feet high, hammering the prone drone and flipping him over on his back.

“I would wager that it is some of both. He seems to have a good instinct but is not sure of its depth, but he possesses enough knowledge and instinct, nonetheless, to know when to press an advantage…” Coral responded, seeing how quickly Spike assessing the situation.

The drone soon righted itself, and tried to rush Spike again. This time though, Spike had already thought of a counter.

“IQUAL RASJANA!” Spike shouted as he spat water from his maw like a hose, drenching the ground in front of him in conjured water.

Something the drone didn’t notice until it was too late, as its feet hit the slick and it immediately lost traction and began to slip and stumble – right into the arms of Spike.

Spike smiled briefly as he used his tail as a lever and catapulted the drone over his back and shoulders in something resembling an inverted German suplex.

“It’s good to see he’s not forgetting how strong he is as a drake, and how much physically stronger he can get as he grows into himself more. I would hope that you two don’t forget that you won’t be far behind him, should you keep your physical training up,” Adamantia remarked.

The two drakas nodded knowingly as they continued to watch the amethyst-colored drake fight with a combination of Invocation and plain grappling.

The drone tried to rush Spike again, but Spike was clearly over his momentary jitters at first, and was starting to remember the full breadth of all the Invocations and combinations he had been practicing. He grabbed the drone by the arm and spun him around so that said drone was back-first to Spike. Spike then raised his arm up, and held it straight as he could as he shouted “KIZAK PARVYAT”, and swung down as hard as he could, gashing the conjured drone along the back as he did, and leaving visible sparks as the mana along his hand and forearm interacted with the condensed aether that made up the drone.

The drone staggered, as it found itself almost unable to move, that blow to the back serving two purposes as the other Dragons watching quickly figured out.

Spike’s eyes began to glow green, as he focused his mana into his dragonfire, causing a feedback loop that dramatically intensified the heat and destructive power of said flame. So much so, that the flame appeared to be turning into something else entirely.

“Is that what I think it is? How could he have learned something like that…” Cinnamon questioned, possibly recognizing what Spike was attempting in the moment.

“It’s not something you can necessarily be taught, you have to possess seemingly instinctive control of the mana in your body. But once you have it, it becomes one of the most recognized reasons to why Dragon Magi are so sought after in the Legions,” Adamantia replied.

There was no Invocation spoken this time by Spike, but there didn’t need to be one – he just needed to point his maw at his target (and away from friendlies) and let it rip. And let it rip he did, as what looked like a stream of bright green plasma erupted from his maw, in a neat tapered cylinder shape.

That drake is something to behold… he’s blessed with mana control that most trained Dragons three times his age struggle with. And I don’t even think he fully realizes it yet… Adamantia thought as Spike’s ‘Emerald Beam’ carved a clean, nearly perfectly round hole right through the middle of the drone.

Needless to say, the drone didn’t last very long after that last attack, crumbling into disaggregate mana soon after, not even hitting the ground before it did.

Spike for his part, dropped to one knee, not even entirely sure of what he had just done, but exhausted nonetheless.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a finishing blow. I’m not even sure I could do that twice in one fight, unless someone took over for me…” Spike said as he panted, trying to regain his bearings.

“Well, you have all done well to show me where your strengths are, and what you need to be taught to refine those strengths. I will send for you when I have another training assignment or otherwise,” Adamantia stated, as the four of them left their Practice Room and re-entered the more normalized environment of Safe Haven.

-[ Half an hour later… ]-

“So how did the session go with our three young Dragons?” Richard Edwards asked of his council compatriot, interested to hear and later see what younger Dragons did to train and learn and how that might have been different from training young human adults.

“The diagnostic went as well as I could expect. I didn’t put them through anything strenuous yet, just a basic assessment of martial ability. What surprised me was the purple drake, Spike. For as little formal training he has had, he has quite the adaptive mind in a fight. I would wager his observations of his Pony adopted family and his immersion in your human media has helped in that regard,” Adamantia responded, much to the interest of not only Richard, but the whole of the Council.

“Now that’s surprising to hear. I would have thought him to be less martially inclined than any other male Dragon of his age, given the way he acts in general, to be honest,” Stern Balance mused aloud, with a nod from Wal’byo.

“I’m not surprised. Given the fact that Twilight Sparkle was apparently comfortable bringing him along during their various adventures in trying to combat the myriad threats to the Equestrian Kingdom - it would stand to reason he was not a burden, at the very least. It wouldn’t surprise me that with the proper motivation and inspiration, it would turn out that he is more than capable of holding his own in combat,” Sven responded.

Everyone thought about it for a few moments, and more or less agreed with the snow-leopard-morph Gryphon.

“Still, I would caution in how you train them in this regard, Adamantia. The last thing we would want is to have someone so promising get overextended in some way, and we end up smashing what confidence he is starting to build,” Richard added.

“I am no Bloodthorn, or am I of her ilk. I simply plan to teach them what I can of what techniques any Dragon of their age should know in and out of combat. How they apply them will ultimately be their decision. Though given how they are all interacting with the more permanent denizens of this base, I think they should be duly motivated to assist us in whatever capacity they can,” Adamantia reasoned as she responded.

“Keeping the bonds that the Conduits and the Bearers have forged, but with a far more strong Dragon brother-by-adoption… should be a boon for both them and us,” Richard figured as he got a ping on his private messaging system.

“Always looking for an advantage in any dealing, I see,” Adamantia chuckled.

“It is who I am. This ‘company’ may be much smaller than Edwards Nanofacture, but I feel it is FAR more important to the health and viability of this world. In any case, it seems like one of your superiors should be joining us in the next few moments,” Richard responded in kind, as he heard a rapping on the door.

With a press of a button on the panel of their conference table, the door slid open, revealing his secretary, Candace, and Silentclaw.

“I would assume you all need no introduction?” Candace asked in a knowing tone.

“No, no I think we all know what this is likely about,” Richard responded.

“Then I’ll excuse myself until you are done. I was in the middle of a movie in any case,” Candace replied, as she nodded her head, and pressed a button on the outside of the door frame to close to door back once Silentclaw cleared said door frame entering.

“Always had a hard time getting between her and a good movie unless it was a dire emergency,” Richard mused aloud as he turned his attention to the black and blue-spined Dragon before him and the rest of the Council. “So how goes your observation of the Caged Bird we’ve been trying to free?”

“Our window may be starting to narrow. From what I have been able to gather, the SPH leadership are confident they have rooted out any potential resistance from the United States’ government’s bureaucracy,” Silentclaw reported, as he took a seat at the council table, putting the recently scanned reports he had written in a memory chip slot near where he was sitting.

Everyone else skimmed through the report that was being duplicated to the computer terminals installed in the table, nodding at the assessment that Silentclaw had made.

“It’d stand to reason. Even though President Aguillar is no more than a figurehead, she is still a very powerful one. There is no telling what may happen to the resistance movements if she is discarded as the SPH apparently intends to do,” Sven rationalized.

“At the same time, while we could execute a rescue this very moment… what would that do to the public relations we are tenuously building?” Wal’byo asked of everyone there.

Everyone thought about it for a few moments… and then Richard spoke up when he came to his or her personal conclusion. “I do not presume to speak for everyone here, but I think we’d be robbing the resistance forces of their agency if we did. As much as we may seem it, we do not have infinite resources, and we cannot be seen as the only entity that has to capacity to destroy the SPH and to rebuild this world.”

“I agree… but at the same time… who else has the capacity to execute a stealth rescue like this?” Adamantia asked of the rest of the council plus Silentclaw.

Silentclaw, for his part, merely smirked a bit, as he nodded knowingly at Richard, who nodded back.

“I have recently made contact with a resistance force from Japan, I believe you may have heard their name in the international news and being bandied about here in Safe Haven.”

Adamantia thought about it for a few moments, before it struck her like a ‘bolt from the clear blue. “Oh that’s right, the Midnight Blossom. They fancy themselves ninja for the modern age, right?”

“They just don’t fancy themselves that - they are as close to the ninja of fiction and legend as humans can get, given their depth of knowledge and practice in Magic in general. And of course, they have a certain, modern flair, that will make them more than suitable for this mission,” Silentclaw responded.

“It would be best if a human contingent not under our banner executed this operation, that way we minimize the risk of the public ascribing more power to us than we can be reasonably be assumed to possess,” Balance figured, to the approval of the others.

“At the same time, I would be remiss if I left the Midnight Blossom have to execute this mission without personal knowledge of the layout of the President’s compound and impromptu prison. Therefore, I have chosen to oversee this personally,” Silentclaw offered to the rest of the council.

“That’s quite generous of you, Mr. Silentclaw. But I thought we just went around the council-table regarding how it needed to be a human contingent executing this mission,” Richard wondered.

“There will not be any problem regarding that,” Silentclaw responded, before he was enshrouded in a dark gray fog. When the fog cleared, there was an apparent human of Japanese descent standing before the five councilmembers, somewhat taller than the natural form of Silentclaw, but nothing aside from unusually bright blue eyes to show that he was anything but a normal human. “This disguise should suffice during operations. And the gear that your armorers were developing to be used in conjunction with this form should be more than adequate if we are caught in a true combat situation.”

“Wonders never cease, do they?” Richard chuckled, as he figured an expert stealth and reconnaissance Dragon like Silentclaw would know any myriad of tricks to get in and out of somewhere without attracting under attention.

-[ About the same time, in Washington, D.C. ]-

“The time has to be drawing near, doesn’t it, Secretary Yanovich?” Speaker Wilmington asked of his SPH compatriot.

“It is, Speaker Wilmington,” Yanovich replied over the video-phone. “Soon enough we will be rid of that Aguillar woman, and you will ascend to the Presidency.”

“Good, good… there is nothing I want more than this office, and my name to go down in history as the ‘face’ of the beginning of the Restored Humanity,” Wilmington replied.

“I understand, I truly do. It helps that the Leaders want to remain in the shadows as they are, and once we are decades down the line in this venture, no one will care one way or another,” Yanovich added.

“I have ideas… plans… for how to make this country the Shining City on the Hill that was always talked about. And now we have the power to do it, and more importantly, to bowl over anyone who would put petty grievances and concerns in our way,” Wilmington added.

“Of course. Once our war machine is fully armed and operational, there is none that will stand before us. The question is, how do we hold our position until said machine is armed and operational?” Yanovich thought aloud.

“I believe getting rid of the President will help. The problem is, the Leadership works on their own timetable. I just hope they aren’t picking a date that will be too late,” Wilmington figured.

-[ And in the White House Compound ]-

“It cannot be coming to this,” Aguillar thought, as she was boring a hole in the wall with her stare. “I did not get into politics in this day and age to end up a hostage to some malcontented Domers. At the same time, who could have guess they would have gone to this point to preserve the supposed hierarchy.”

As she stood up to walk over to a water dispenser, she continued to contemplate her position, holding the amethyst charm in her hands as she did. “I do not want to abandon this place… my post. But what good am I to my people dead? Sure there will be those that fight in my posthumous name, but really… how many? How many people would lay down their lives to restore a government that no one would have any idea of how to rebuild? Then at the same time, so many have been purged out of both local and national government, how would we rebuild it if they could get me out of here…”

Do you trust them? A voice spoke to her, calming and matronly.

“I…” Aguilliar thought in response, not questioning where the voice was coming from… but still wondering about the question posed.

Do you have faith that those who profess to fight in your name will deliver you from this captivity? The voice asked her again.

“I do. The words of Silentclaw all these times he’s talked to me, those were the words of someone fully committed to the task of getting me out of here.”

I believe he responded to the faith you had for one Richard Edwards and his organization to see you out of this captivity, your second-in-command for accepting the role of new President should the unfortunate befall you, and in your husband for holding the family together despite your separation. He has seen the faith all of those men and women hold for you in varying regard, and now I ask of you… are you going to hold firm to your faith in them? The voice responded, and then asked.

“I will… I know I still have work to do in this world, and it will be in this office, and beyond this office. I am not ready to leave this stage yet,” Aguillar responded.

Your faith will be responded to in kind, believe in that… the Voice concluded, as the presence that Aguilliar felt while it was speaking dissipated.

“That’s not the first time she’s spoken to me in this captivity. I hope I learn just who she is, and what her aim is in these conversations,” President Aguilliar said, as she calmed herself, and continued writing her notes.

“At the very least, this time in captivity has given my lawyer’s brain a lot of time to think. When the government is restored, there are innumerable things I want to do. I cannot let the state of this country’s government and infrastructure wither away any more than it has already,” she thought to herself; the giant stack of draft proposals nearly reaching six inches already in the last couple of weeks of writing.

[ March 05, 2082 – Pasadena District, Los Angeles, USA ]
========================================================

“I thought Miss Amanda was running some kind of operation… but this is… wow…” Twilight Sparkle thought aloud, as she, Terry, and Spike were walking through the once-abandoned strip-mall that had become, for all intents and purposes, the home base for the Flames of SOCAL.

The three were duly impressed by all the technology the Flame had managed to jury-rig in their base, as it reminded them of a low-grade version of the communications rooms in Safe Haven.

“And I welcome you, Twilight Sparkle and fellow travellers, to our humble abode,” Amanda Bunn stated, as she made a courteous bow, as if she was the hostess for a fancy dinner and not the leader of one of (if not the most) successful of the North American resistance/loyalist militias.

“Say, Commander… don’t you think that’s a little too formal for something like this?” Enrique mentioned with a bit of an exasperated tone, as he calmly walked on side his superior.

“Perhaps, but we are dealing with an Equestrian VIP. There is no telling how much we can benefit from being in the good graces of one so close to Princess Celestia,” Amanda replied, with a smile.

And it was a smile that immediately made the mulberry Unicorn look askance of the slightly tan-skinned, fire-engine-red-headed woman.

A look that was returned by said woman, though not directly in response to Twilight looking at her funny. Instead what seemed to beguile Sunset in that moment was the Dragon that was standing to Twilight’s right-hoof-side.

I could swear that Dragon looks like Spike’s older-by-ten-years twin brother, if such a thing were possible… Amanda thought to herself as she looked at the young but clearly adult Dragon that was only a few inches shorter than the H.E.A. militia man to Twilight’s left.

That sounds just like Sunset when she’s trying to quash her emotions. I doubt I could be any more confident of my theory unless Amanda told me the truth herself… Twilight thought, as she went back to a more neutral but friendly expression.

The five of them walked into a more private room, a simple conference table and padded chairs with a pair of tablet terminals on the table, as well as a large, nearly cubic super-terminal [6] sitting in a reinforced frame off in a corner of the room, to prevent the internals from getting damaged from shelling or up to a moderate earthquake.

“Enrique, would you get the reinforced chair for our Pony guest?” Amanda asked of her lieutenant, who duly complied and replaced one of the chairs with one that was wider to accommodate the width of a sitting adult male Earth Pony, so of course it was big enough for Twilight.

“It seems like you have gone to quite a little bit of trouble for our sakes. I hope we aren’t imposing any undue burden,” Twilight inquired, as she sat in the reinforced chair; inwardly remarking on how comfortable it was, despite being obviously jury-rigged like most of everything else that wasn’t a weapon in the Flames’ base.

“No, not at all. Turns out that despite the lack of high-grade resources like those in the Domes, we Outsiders are perfectly capable of more than getting by,” Amanda replied, keeping her polite tone and doing her best to not let the resentment of four years ago get the best of her here[7].

She still doesn’t sound natural talking like that. I don’t know about anyone else but I can hear that hitch in her voice when she refers to herself as an Outsider… Twilight thought as everyone else took their seat.

Funny that someone doing all of this for fellow Outsiders doesn’t sound entirely natural talking about it. Even Secretary Richardson, when he speaks on behalf of the Chicagoland resistance force, is more adept with that rhetoric, and he’s from a two generations of a Domer military family… Terry thought; unknowingly echoing Twilight’s sentiment as he listened carefully to the content Amanda and Enrique words, and their manner(s) of delivery.

Now that I think about it… she sounds just like Sunset Shimmer. And I don’t know why but she sounds really insincere when she’s talking about herself as an Outsider. I wouldn’t think most resistance leaders would sound like that given where they come from… Spike thought, as he lounged (as much as he could) in his chair, listening to the two Flames the same way Terry was.

“In any case, I was piqued when someone told me about the wonder woman who came out of nowhere to galvanize and lead arguably the most successful of the resistance forces, in terms of wresting local control away from the Society. So, just apropos of nothing, I decided I wanted to see what was going on here in Los Angeles,” Twilight started, as she thought some more. “One of my comrades helped manage and oversee the Bureaus here.”

“Oh you mean La Huracana de Rosa? Yeah, now that I think about it she was considered a VIP by the Muni Government when I was just milling about the Bureau grounds. At least that is what I heard,” Enrique said, remembering, with some bit of consternation, the stories of the cotton candy pink Pony that seemed to be living emotional energy, albeit positive to said Pony’s credit.

“Yeah that sounds exactly like Pinkie Pie,” Terry and Spike said in a bemused tone simultaneously, to the surprise of everyone else in the room.

“Ah that’s right, that was the name of the former Director. At some point I think I might want to see her, seems like an interesting lady, if you will,” Enrique said as he chuckled at the notion, and the slight consternation that put on the face of Amanda when he said it.

“Should we get things calmed down and restored vis a vis the Society, I think you’ll get a chance to meet all of my friends and compatriots. Wouldn’t that be a good thing, Miss Amanda?” Twilight responded, with a slight edge to the last few words.

Said edge was starting to get Amanda’s goat, as her politeness began to waver due to the veiled needling she received from the mulberry Unicorn mare sitting around the conference table.

“In any case, you were coming for a courtesy visit?” Amanda asked, trying her best to maintain her polite tone as she looked at the Unicorn, Human, and Dragon who were her guests.

“More or less, although if you would indulge me, I’d like a little while of one on one conversation,” Twilight Sparkle said, with a look on her face saying ‘and it would be in your best interest to agree’ without speaking it.

Amanda, for the first time the whole meeting looked genuinely flustered, as she gripped the armrest of her conference chair tightly… and Enrique could feel the temperature in the room starting to rise, the telltale sign that his superior was becoming emotionally overheated.

Though, to the transformed Unicorn’s credit, she managed to rein herself in before she went off like a tea kettle, grabbing control of her frustration and her Terran Fire Magic before they started to ‘leak’.

“Enrique, would you mind leaving with Mr. Terry and Spike so that the Unicorn and I might speak alone, and in confidence?” the commander of the Flames of SOCAL asked of her second.

Enrique sighed a heavy sigh as he didn’t want to leave her alone to let her emotions (or her magic) get out of control, but he could also tell that whatever Twilight wanted to say was between the two ladies. “Alright – Terry, Spike, I want to show you all around a bit at some of the other amenities we have while the two of them hash out whatever they need to hash out.”

Terry and Spike agreed, as they could read the tension in the air, and decided it was best to not argue the point with either the orange-ish tan woman or the purplish Unicorn. The three of them left the room, as Twilight cast a sound-proofing spell as soon as they left, to make sure that none of them could overhear without trying to dispel the spell themselves.

“Alright, Miss Sparkle, just what is it that you want here. A VIP from Equestria wouldn’t come all this way from… wherever just for a guided tour,” Amanda asked much more tersely, and to Twilight, much more like the Pony she suspected her of being.

“You’re right, Amanda Bunn, I didn’t come here from Equestria just to get the guided tour of your facilities, although it is appreciated. Always good to see how my former classmates are doing…” Twilight Sparkle replied, almost nonchalantly.

Amanda’s jaw dropped… stunned into silence by what the mulberry Unicorn barely half her size had just accused her of. She tried to regain her composure, just hoping the mare was fishing and trying to get her to reveal something she had no idea of… or that she shouldn’t have had any idea of.

“What do you mean your former classmate? Did your brain get scrambled on the way here from across the Aurora or something?” Amanda asked in a deeply accusatory tone.

“No, I think my mental faculties are quite in working order. I should ask the same of you, even though you used an older magic, didn’t you, Sunset?” Twilight replied, keeping her tone confident but not overbearing.

All of the muscles in Amanda’s-Sunset’s- body became tense. She was ready to erupt in a firestorm of Terran and Equestrian Magic. But just as her fuse was about to run out and the bomb was about to go off, a part of her mind snuffed out the spark on the fuse.

“What do you want here, Twilight. I came here, by accident mind you, to get away from you and everyone else that reminded me of my shame back in Canterlot,” Amanda replied through gritted teeth.

“I want to know what the ultimate reason for you being here is. If you were just trying to escape your shame in Canterlot, you wouldn’t have been trying to figure out the Portal back to the Human World, or I guess we need to update some of the archives with its proper name of ‘Earth’,” Twilight Sparkle replied, dropping the confidence from her voice, as she couldn’t guess in any way what Sunset wanted out of this entire venture.

“Isn’t that enough? I wanted to make a name for myself, so I had to get away from anything that you did over there in Equestria. A position that could have been mine if I wanted it…” Sunset replied, as her tone grew colder as well, as she tried her best to hide her ultimate intentions from the Unicorn before her.

“Do you really think that I was groomed to be the Element of Magic?” Twilight Sparkle replied, confused by the statement and its implications.

“I don’t put anything past Celestia when it comes to restoring her family and the world at large. And you shouldn’t doubt that mare has had double and triple dealings when it comes to keeping the world at peace and harmony the last two-plus centuries,” Sunset Shimmer responded.

“Hrm, awfully cynical of you Sunset. Then again you were always that way, weren’t you?” Twilight remarked, as she felt that Sunset was still guarding something, but she had no inkling as to what it could have been.

“I find the cynicism helps me from being disappointed when the world shows it’s not neat and tidy like Celestia would make it seem,” Sunset replied.

Twilight Sparkle sighed a heavy sigh, as it felt like they were having the same argument the two of them always had when they talked about whether or not Celestia was being completely honest with how the world was when she gave her grand pronouncements about whatever world event was relevant.

“As much you might think you’re right, and I think I’m right about this… I don’t feel like rehashing this discussion, the same one we’ve had a hundred times over,” Twilight stated as she tried to re-rail the conversation back on the track she had it on before. “So I ask you again, what is all of this about?”

“Put it simply, I show up, then Terran or whatever Magic shows up, I kinda took a shine to the people here, the Society tries to take over everything, and I felt like fighting them. I didn’t think I’d do this well fighting them, but hey, strike while the iron is hot and all…” Amanda replied with a matter of factness that Twilight found almost unnerving.

The fact she’s not bragging about doing as well as she is in this fight is telling me that’s not her true aim. At the same time, she’s not giving me a hint as to what it is. In any case I might as well just take what I know now and ruminate on it. Maybe she’ll leave a hint in what she does later when the HEA start putting things the way they were before… Twilight thought to herself.

Sunset picked up on a pad, and activated the intercom app, trying to figure out where Enrique and Twilight’s co-travellers were. “Enrique, what’s your 20?”

“Armory, showing them how we’ve been making our body armor and stuff like that,” Enrique replied through the speakers in the pad.

“Stay there, Twilight and I will be with you in a couple,” Sunset said, intoning that the conversation they were having was about to end.

“Fine, since you want to be like that. It’s your building, I’m just here on tour, as it were,” Twilight, replied to unspoken intonation, as she hopped out of the chair and stretched her legs back out to walk out the door, dispelling the soundproofing as she did.

“Good to see that our silent communication skills haven’t degraded these last few years…” Amanda said with a polite tone.

Twilight rolled her eyes as she exited the room with the transformed former schoolmate behind her.

-[ At around the same time, across the Aurora in Canterlot ]-

“And it seems like an old rivalry is about to be rekindled…” Celestia said, as she could feel the conversation two of her most prized graduates of the School for Gifted Unicorns were having on Earth.

“I see… although… not sure what that has to do with the… minotaur before us,” Luna said, as the pair’s attention was turned to the shade over 4 Length tall Minotaur, with slate gray fur and a long flowing black cape with fringes in all the colors of the Elements flowing behind him, billowing in an unseen wind.

What intrigued the two Princesses, and the lookers on in the room in which the two of them were holding their interchange[8] meeting in, was the fact that A) there was a masked Minotaur standing before them, possessing an ornate, thick, and very sharp-looking axe; one with a blade almost as wide as the broad shoulders and back upon which it rested, and B) the cape that billowed from under the axe (and somehow avoiding being cut by it) was fringed in the colors of the Terran Elements.

Neither fact was lost on the two observant Alicorns.

“I am not lying to you, Princesses of Equestria. I come bearing a strange and wondrous power, the Power that will serve as the VANGUARD OF THE ELEMENTS!” the Minotaur bellowed, stunning everyone else in the room aside from himself and the aforementioned Alicorns.

“Right, ehh…” Luna started, not wanting to sound like her usual curt self. “Not to sound unappreciative or somehow doubting you, but…”

“Say no more, Princess of the Moon! For I will show you, AND EVERYONE ELSE HERE, the incontrovertible PROOF that I speak nothing but the truth to you all before me,” the Minotaur bellowed.

He took the axe off his back, holding in his hardened hands. The guards around him made ready to defend the Princesses for a moment, but it was unnecessary as the Minotaur slowly placed the axe on the ground.

And as he did, the cape and the mask vanished, revealing a Minotaur a few fractions of a Length shorter and slightly less muscular than the one that was previously before them, and projected over the axe… was a Human.

“Princesses and all attendants present, I present to you, the Knight of Legend, the Vanguard of the Champions of the Elements, Ser Oscurio[9],” the Minotaur stated firmly, but nowhere near as loudly as he did while wearing the mask.

“Yes, it is I, the Myth, the Legend, THE Ser Oscurio!” the knight clad in black and fringed in blue, red, yellow, and green stated with powerful flourish

“Right…” the two Princesses replied in the most flat monotone either could manage without practicing.

“AHHH! That tone of nonchalance and poca consideracion tells me that you are unaware of my Legend! Please, allow I, the Great Ser Oscurio, to regale all of you with my great and many deeds in service to the Champions of the Elements!” the Knight clad in black said, with what to the two Princesses sounded like a modern Castilian accent, though he clearly couldn’t have been from modern Spain; his voice showing his near-offense taken to the fact that no one except the wielder of his axe knew who he was.

“Please listen to his stories. I’ve already heard most of them at least 10 times in trying to get here, and I’m trying not to go for eleven without someone else having heard it…” the Minotaur replied in an exasperated tone.

“Fine, Mister… well… Ser Oscurio, give us your best shot,” Luna said, as she figured she might as well humor the phantasmal human and his Minotaur carrier.

“My Legend began in… in… actually I have no idea how much time has passed since my sealing and since my release by yon Steel Valve here…” Oscurio started, before realizing he had lost all sense of time in his stasis.

“We’re going to be here for some time, aren’t we, Sister?” Luna asked of her elder sister.

“It appears so…” Celestia replied, trying her best to not sound as if she was trying to be anywhere except that room right then and there.

=== ~~~ ===

Author's Notes:

[*1] Coral is the tallest of Spike’s Trinary, standing at 5’10”, while Spike’s height has settled at 5’6”, and Cinnamon is 5’4” (the average ‘plain’ Dragon in their bipedal form is 5’5”)

[*2] Varag Mahq roughly translates to Vacuum Crush from Draconic to Equish/English. Adapted from an Arabic translation of the phrase – “faragh sahaq (فراغ سحق)”

[*3] A reminder of the 5-Elements Incantation used as a mantra for calm and focus that also gives the basic elements for Elementalist Invocations - “Proc, Iqual, Muz, Qzat, Kruf… [Fire, Water, Air, Metal, Earth…]”

[*4] ‘Iqual Rasjana’ translated to “Water Carpet”, and depending on the intensity, can range from anything to a mildly inconvenient puddle to gel-like slick with next to no friction on it (similar to Wraithwind’s Olx Talvz/Frost Field)

[*5] ‘Kizak Parvart’ translates to “Lightning Chop”, which is a knife-edge blow with the side of the claw, with said side of the claw laced with conjured electricity

[6] A super-terminal in this case is the future equivalent of a powerful desktop computer, but it doesn’t have a built in input system. Instead it constantly feeds information to independent terminals that are on the same local network.

[7] Sunset Shimmer graduated from the School for Gifted Unicorns at age 17, same as Twilight, but a year ahead of her, which makes her 21 to Twilight’s 20 for this canon (at the given narrative date).

[8] the inter-change meeting is semi-formal meeting that the two Sisters hold between themselves and select members of their personal aide cohort, whenever some formal business needed to be transferred from the overview of one court or another

[9] Oscuro in Spanish roughly translates to ‘black’, so Oscurio’s name, as a black-clad knight is adapted from that

CH 37: Caged Bird's Flight

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 37: Caged Bird’s Flight ===

~~ = - = ~~

[ March 10, 2082 – Manhattan, New York City, USA – Society Headquarters ]
=========================================================================

“So do we understand the procedure, Secy. Yanokovich?” Peter Vaughn asked of his untitled field commander in Washington D.C., as the somewhat portly Secretary of Foreign Intelligence nodded with nervous anticipation.

“Yes, Sir, Leader-1. We will proceed with Operation Canary in the next 72 hours,” Yanokovich responded, as he looked at his leader through the videophone.

“And upon successful conduction of this mission, you and the rest of the new American Leadership will find yourselves very richly rewarded. In fact, you should find that you will be able to buy the very top of the line of private accommodations in the Arlington Dome System, and quite easily I would add,” Peter reminded his commander, knowing how easily the man was motivated by what would seem like petty needs and means.

“Sir, I do not know what to say in regards to your kindness and generosity, except for this: I will personally see that this mission is conducted successfully, and that President Aguillar gets what she so richly deserves for having instigated this entire situation,” Yanokovich replied, his nerve steeled as Leader-1, as he referred to Peter, dangled the delectable carrot of material gain in front of his face.

“We know, Mr. Secretary. Now we will leave you to the day-to-day preparations for Operation Canary, that is all for now,” the ‘sweet’ voiced Leader-2 said, as Claire ended the conference call, and took a heavy sigh once she was sure the line was cut. “It is so… strange that a man of such a position could be motivated by such a relative pittance.”

“Well, he is from what we’d consider the lower-rung of the Domed Citizenry, just having a private home with all the amenities we’d take for granted is enough to satiate them for quite some time,” Nathan replied, knowing full well how people like Yanokovich thought.

“Still, putting your neck on the line for a house we might consider a rabbit hutch? It is beyond my understanding, personally,” Claire replied, as she fanned herself with the yellow mask of ‘happiness’ she wore in her public appearances as Leader-2.

“We don’t need to understand their motivations, just make sure they do the job we tell them to do when we tell them to do it,” Peter remarked, staying mostly silent and neutral on the conversation regarding Yanokovich. “These recent jailbreaks of the world leaders who spoke in opposition to us, at least before we destroyed their militaries… And it’s obvious they are going to try and save the biggest of the big fish for last with Aguillar. We need to ensure that there is no one that can challenge us for supremacy, be it now or in the future. We have to show, by whatever means necessary, that we are the only power in this world.”

“Speaking of motivations, are we sure we can trust Speaker, and soon to be President Williamson? The rumors are flying that he has his own plans separate from ours regarding the United States, and by some extension the rest of the world,” Nathan inquired, somewhat worried about the over-eager crony they’ve placed as Speaker of the House.

“True. He may have ulterior motives, but I trust we can keep him within the lane we need him to drive down. If not… we can always find ourselves a new driver, as it were,” Peter concluded, not thinking that Williamson was any real threat to their operation.

“Fair enough, but it is something to keep in mind,” Nathan replied, as his thoughts shifted to the fight with the various resistance militias, and their HEA backers. “Now about these resistance forces… they are becoming too emboldened for my tastes.”

“Agreed, we’re losing functional control of most of the major megalopolises. At this rate, all we will be running are the Domes themselves. Which means we’d be in control of a lot of resources, but a bullet can’t stand up and put itself through a resistor without someone to fire the gun it’s in,” Claire remarked in addendum, as the two of them looked at Peter who was in a thinking repose.

“Tell Mr. Kenneth that we want to move to full production of the combat drone line he dry ran in Los Angeles. We have to find a way to match numbers with the resistance forces until we can bring Project Driver fully online,” Peter requested of the youngest of his fellow SPH Leadership.

“Consider it done. In fact, I think he will be pleasantly surprised by wanting to move forward so quickly despite the… inadequacies the early prototypes showed against the White Knights,” Nathan replied.

“Inadequacies or no, we need a bulwark until our Second Generation Thaumatic projects can come into production. We lost some of our advantage once those rats figured out that stealing our equipment whole was of actual use to them,” Peter groused, not liking the position the HEA was putting him in.

“Nevertheless, we will show them what a species forged by war and strife can do, won’t we?” Claire asked, knowing the answer she was going to get from the eldest of the Leadership.

“Of course we will. Because we know no other way…” Peter replied.

Of course you know no other way… but that is fine… that fits into my plans quite nicely… a voice said, as she sat in silent observation of the plotting by the triumvirate that ran the Society.

|| A short while later, in Nathan’s private office ||

“You ask quite a lot of me, Mr. Nathan,” Ken said as he looked at his benefactor, to a large degree, through the screen of the videophone, as the two of them were on a private line.

“Listen, I know it’s quite an imposition, but those damned White Knights are putting us into a position where we’ll barely be able to hold control of the Domes,” Nathan replied, showing more anger than he usually did while meeting with the rest of the Leadership, but still restrained in his volume and overall tone.

“It is quite an imposition. Especially since we cannot figure the total capabilities of the HEA, regarding both the alien contingent that makes up at least half their forces, and the magi-technology they’ve developed in their own right. Boy what I wouldn’t give to have access to their internal systems and blueprints right now…” Ken thought, as he started drifting off into his own wants and needs for a few moments.

“Focus, Ken!” Nathan exclaimed, as he tried to keep the arms developer’s mind focus on what he, as Leader-3, needed. “Whatever we need to do for resources to make sure that you can get those drones off the assembly line, we will do, but you have to actually develop a manufacturing plan for us.”

“Neither of those will be a problem. I’ve been developing the mass production mechanisms and facilities for the drones at the same time I’ve been developing the drones themselves. And as far as resources are concerned… well let’s just say that we shouldn’t need to be doing any landfill diving or deep-earth mining barring an unforeseen circumstance,” Ken replied, with a highly reassuring tone.

Nathan was somewhat incredulous of the last claim, knowing what he knew about the problems with finding fresh veins of minerals without exorbitant discovery costs. “Now how could you pull something like that off?”

Ken just shook his head while wearing a wry smile on his face. “Trade secret, my good sir. But trust me, we shouldn’t be wanting for resources to drive the war machine we’re building.”

“Alright, fine, play coy if you want to; but remember where your bread is buttered, that’s all,” Nathan replied with an acerbic tone, not taking Nathan’s sudden unwillingness to divulge very well at the moment.

“Anything else you need to relay to me or request of me?” Ken asked of his benefactor with his usual charming tone.

“No, that’ll be all,” Nathan replied, as he ended the call.

Ken lingered at the console that received the phone call, as he thought about the recent discovery he wanted to keep secret as long as possible.

“Cutting a pathway directly to motherlodes of raw materials, compounds not found anywhere near Earth… it may be the trump card I need to ensure that… well… no matter who wins, I’m always on top.”

The arms dealer chuckled as he looked on at the service drones being prepared to explore the pathways his researchers had found, as they were tapping into a vein of magic none of them recognized at first, not even the dark-purplish color the mana took as it was being used.

“Of course, the most special materials, once they are identified, should be reserved for only the most top of the line, custom work. I do have a reputation to uphold after all,” Ken thought to himself, as he straightened out the lab jacket he wore over his suit-vest, and returned to the research wing of his sprawling complex of arms development.

[ March 11, ????+2 -- Ponyville, Equestria ]
============================================

“This is very good stew, Ms. Blaze,” Steel Valve said as he drunk the last of the potato-laden stew from his bowl, as he held an audience with the Conduits of Terra and Spike, who had received the missive from Celestia heralding Steel’s arrival.

“Thanks, I needed an excuse to use the recipe I got from one of the local restaurants, and now was as good a time as any to use it, I figure,” Red Blaze replied, as she and Blue Vague started clearing away the dishes from the living room-come-dining room to be cleaned later.

“The story you told us was pretty… weird… though. I mean I don’t think you’re lying, that axe on to the side is enough verification for me…” Hana started, as she looked at the broad axe that was on Steel’s back as he first arrived, and now lying along the wall near the door to one of the storage closets.

“Truth be told, I thought Princess Celestia was having some fun with me when she sent the letter saying a Minotaur was on the way here wanting to discuss business with you all. I mean the last time we had a Minotaur here, we were stuck for a whole day trying to talk down a hyper-aggressive Fluttershy,” Spike recounted, thinking back to that incident a couple of years ago.

“Hrm, that must have been a sight,” Golden Storm figured, as he contemplated Fluttershy, of all Ponies, trying to throw her weight around.

Their thoughts were interrupted by an audible sigh – a sigh coming from the bound spirit of a certain human dressed in charcoal gray and black armor.

“It still… perturbs me some that the great Champions of the Elements are… Beast-Worlders…” Oscurio groaned; his discontent evident to everyone in the room.

“You know you could use the modern name for this place… calling us something like ‘Beast Worlders’ just makes you seem a little… I dunno…” Vague started as he popped his head in from the open doorway leading to the kitchen.

“Out-of-date?” Hana added.

“Exactly,” Vague replied, as he went back to helping Blaze clean all the dishes and cookware.

“I mean I’ve only been out of commission for a few dozen millennia,” Oscurio complained, his phantom body propped against the wall as if he were lying on a sofa-couch.

“Yes and everyone you’ve been talking to has been trying to get you to call this place by its modern name – Equus,” Steel asserted, as he looked at his partner with a face of equal discontent to the one Oscurio had.

Oscurio merely shrugged as he continued to lie/lean against the wall and floor. “Just a whole lot has changed in all of these millennia. I can’t imagine what Terra looks like after all of this time.”

“Speaking of, what was the Earth like back when you were alive?” Hana asked, as Vague and Blaze sounded like they were finishing up with the dishes in the kitchen – from the sound of ceramic and metal clinging each other and the sink faded and the sound of them hitting the wood of the cabinets picked up.

Oscurio thought for a moment, as he manifested at the table of four (soon to be six, again). “From what I’ve seen through Ser Valve’s eyes, Terra during the time before my relocation and eventual ‘retirement’ here was a world much like this one now, except… well you could say there was much more liberal use of crystal in architecture and magic-imbued tools and devices. I believe you all have coined the term magi-technology for that?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. And we should show you some photos of Crystalia in the Crystal Empire, might remind you a little more pointedly of the old homespace,” Vague replied as he and Blaze walked back to the table the other four were sitting at.

Blaze took that cue to pull out a photo book that Princess Cadence sent to them showing the sights and architecture of the rechristened Crystalia – something that did indeed remind Oscurio of home.

“I should be surprised that this place looks a lot like the old world… but I’m not. If there is one thing you all knew how to do, even back then, it was reverse engineer the technology we would develop and show you all. I dare say that once upon a time there were a lot more crystal cities like this. Otherwise how could you name the place the ‘Crystal Empire’?” Oscurio replied, and then wondered aloud.

“Hrm, that is something to think about, indeed. I might pose the question to the Princesses when next we talk. I have a lot of questions regarding the arc of history on this side of the Bridge,” a stern, matronly voice said, as myriad colors of sparkles shimmered in a corner of the living room all seven figures were sitting in, heralding the arrival of one Keeper of Terra-now-Earth.

“Wait, Gaea? What are you doing here… and here like this?” Storm asked, the four Conduits of Terra and Spike all stunned at the unannounced arrival of the entity in charge of managing Earth’s mana flow and trying to direct the development of humankind.

“Hrm, how best to put this: for one, I took notice when I felt the Magic imbued in the Vanguard Spirit suddenly reawaken with no provocation on my part – I have you to thank for that Mr. Steel Valve,” Gaea started.

“Thanks?” Steel replied; confused as to why there were now two human figures where there should have been only one (at most) in the house he was a guest in.

“Secondly, I was just taking a cursory observation of the state of the mana flow between worlds, and I can’t very well do that if I don’t observe from both worlds and the connecting spaces in-between. At least I couldn’t do it very well,” Gaea continued.

“No, I suppose not…” Blaze thought as she thought about that angle for a few moments.

“And thirdly… well, I just wanted to see how the Champions of the Elements, as Ser Oscurio would put it, were doing. It’s harder for me to see this side of the Aurora unless I take some time to manifest a piece of myself here. Thankfully I have recovered enough of my power to where I don’t need to completely manifest in this plane of space to observe it, otherwise who knows might sneak across without me seeing…” Gaea concluded, to nods from everyone else there.

---- Meanwhile… Somewhere unknown, but likely in North America ----

“Ugh this place feels so… dry…” a feminine figure stated, as she looked out at the horizon. As far as the eyes could see, it was nothing but deciduous trees, in various states of health from ‘alright’ to ‘would probably fall over in a stiff breeze’.

“It would be most difficult to manifest the rest of the clan in conditions such as these,” a male attendant reported to the female figure.

Said figure stood almost six feet tall, body voluptuous by most human standards. Her skin was a somewhat tan color, and her immodest, form fitting dress and back-length, curly hair were a bright - almost radiant - fuchsia color. It was clear that if she was designed by a higher power, her design was for capturing and holding attention - especially the attention of a red-blooded, straight male.

Another thing that would have held a man’s, or really anyone’s, attention would have been the bat-like wings attached to her upper back and hanging from her near her forehead. She had all the look of a busty model, or a featured actress of pornographic production, to be perfectly honest, that was cos-playing quite convincingly for a Halloween party (that would have been over half a year away).

The male that was with her, while not possessing absolutely equivalent visual impressiveness, was still quite easy on the eyes. The royal blue suit-vest and slacks he wore matched the ice-blue, neck-length, straight hair on his head, and his wings draped over his back and shoulders like a permanent cape attached to his person.

“Madame Morrison…” the younger looking male said in almost a plaintive tone, trying his best to get his apparent superior to realize what was going on. “I think the reason why everything feels so dry is… um… we’re not near any kind of populated area.”

The good Madame, folded up her wings, and struck a thoughtful pose as she contemplated what her adjutant stated to her. She took measure of the air, felt the currents of the ground, and came to a conclusion. “There isn’t a significant human settlement for at least 50 miles from where we stand.”

“Right…” the adjutant said as he looked around, not sure why it should have taken formal use of their abilities to tell that.

“So the first order of business, as Madame Agnes Morrison of the Unified Incu/Succubi Tribes…” Madame Agnes started, as she pointed to the dusk sky, her wings unfurled in excitement as she made her grand proclamation to an audience of one. “Is to procure a map and figure out where the nearest large human settlement is, and then actually come up with a proper plan!”

The adjutant just stood there, entirely unsure of how to react to such a grandiose tone to such a mundane course of action.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ewan…” Madame Agnes asked of her adjutant in a suddenly serene tone, as she re-furled her wings along her back and shoulders, creating the same cape effect as the younger looking Incubus that was now in front of her.

“Yes… Madame?” Ewan nervously replied, as he could feel something welling up in the voice in his rather excitable superior.

“WHY ARE YOU NOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS ENDEAVOR?!” the Succubus shouted as she grabbed the young man (or near enough equivalent), and threw him at a tree as if he was nothing more than a rag doll.

I don’t get paid enough to deal with her… Ewan thought to himself; and being used to his leader’s outbursts, he calmly unfurled his wings and clung to the tree he was thrown at, as if he were part cat as well a little bit of bat in his physiology.

----------------

“In any case, what Ser Oscurio speaks is the truth. The cities and settlements of what you all could call the Age of Magic on Earth were built to a similar fashion as the Pony city of Crystalia…” Gaea commented, after pausing for a bit, wondering about the odd feeling that suddenly went through her temporarily conjured body. “… though the scale of the population per Ancient Terran city would have numbered easily into the six figures for the largest of them.”

The human converts thought about one of their city districts built out of crystal, and populated by all manners of humans and creatures and beings of myth and legend as Gaea continued.

“In any case, I came to give you all a warning. Day will soon come when the beings that Red Blaze referred to as Mythiks will be manifesting in earnest and number. It is imperative that the governments of Earth are stood up and restructured in order to cope with this threat, for I fear that many of the leaders of the Mythik tribes and societies will be spoiling for a fight to re-establish their ancient homelands.”

“Right, the last thing the world needs is a mad scramble for territory and resources with a bunch of humans and magical entities throwing who knows what around to do it,” Vague reasoned, to the agreement of all involved.

“In the days of old, the title of Champion went to the being, human or not to be honest, who best exemplified usage of a recognized skillset, be it magical, martial, or whatever have you,” Ser Oscurio remarked, changing the focus of the conversation to the four Ponies in the central room of the Greystone Conductor. “The competitions to gain the title were always fierce, and quite often deadly, as the title of Champion conferred all numbers of benefits to the holders – benefits of all manners and possibilities.”

The four Conduits looked at themselves, starting to wonder what exactly Oscurio was getting it.

“To put it plain, I do wonder if you are the best examples of a hydro, aero, pyro, and geomancer that exist on Earth at this time,” Oscurio said, his curly black hair partially drooping over his face as he did; his tone was not angry in any way, but he was clearly concerned with the 4 young-looking Ponies arrayed before him, and was entirely unsure if they were worthy of the artifacts that they claimed possession of at the time.

“Don’t you think that’s being a bit presumptuous, Oscurio?” Valve asked, not wanting to cause some kind of incident with the masters of the house, especially over something like the question of if they deserved the Elements of not.

“I presume nothing – I want to see for myself if these four are worthy of mine and your loyalty that would be required of a Vanguard,” Oscurio concluded.

“Yeah, but… I dunno, that just seems a bit harsh don’t you think?” Spike remarked, as he looked at the contemplative looks on the four Conduits as they sat at the table.

“Gaea… I…” Vague started, though he stopped once he realized he didn’t know at all what to say to the conundrum posed by the human spirit embedded in the ornate axe some Lengths away leaning along the room’s wall.

“I can certainly understand the trepidation felt by Ser Oscurio. He was the last of the Vanguards, their kind slowly dying out as their small outpost here in Equus could in no way support a sustainable population of Humans. I remember watching over him as he made his fateful decision, to bind his spirit to that axe, and pray someone would come along later and figure out what it was and unseal him,” Gaea stated, trying to remain neutral to the question posed by Oscurio.

“Untold years basically dormant, even avoiding the damage from Discord’s reign of terror; I want to know I am in service to those deserving. I want to know that I’m not dragging Ser Valve into a situation he will not regret. These are all questions I need to have answered,” Oscurio added.

“At the same time, all stress of our Conversion and trying to grab hold of this power, all the work we had to put in just invoking the power a little bit…” Hana started.

“And all the strain holding the Element put on my being, even driving me over the brink, however brief that was. But through it all… not once did I think I was not worthy of the title and the artifact conferred to me. Even with all the global conflict that has engulfed Earth, I still don’t think that,” Vague continued.

“As I look into the future, and all of the crazy stuff that could happen to us and both worlds, I can’t say that I ever thought that I shouldn’t be helping in whatever way I could. Especially given what happened to get the four of us to this point,” Storm continued.

“As Madame Gaea told us when we Converted and our Sparks awakened, to dispossess us of this title is to take away a fundamental piece of us. And if someone or something out there wants to challenge for this title and this power… then we will meet and surpass that challenge,” Blaze concluded.

Oscurio thought about it for a few moments. “Then, my friends, I will accept your conviction. At the same time, you will need to show me that you all truly are the Champions that the Elements of Terra deserve.”

The phantasmal human in black and charcoal armor then stood up on the table, as he finished his remarks. “However, do not take that to mean that I will simply have Steel Valve stand idly by as you help the current day humans build the world that could be. No sir! I will still be your Vanguard. Just so long as you act in a manner deserving of such!”

The human ghost continued to stand there, as his multi-color fringed cape billowed in the phantasmal wind, the pride beaming from his partially hair obscured face.

“So I guess we got a new pair of allies?” Spike asked of Vague, who was still thinking about what the caped human ghost just told him.

“Looks like it, Spike… I guess…” Vague figured inconclusively.

[ March 13, 2082 -- Seattle, WA, United States ]
================================================

“Woooow, this place is amazing~!” Yume said, as she and several other Midnight Blossom operatives walked through one of the many safe houses the HEA had built in the last couple of months; the purpose for this one was planning joint operations with unaffiliated but allied anti-SPH groups and militias.

“I’m fairly certain the HEA’s main facility would be more impressive; though similar to the situation with our base, they cannot allow just anyone to enter the premises,” Ryuusei'nen stated as he walked through the retrofitted building, waiting for the briefing detailing the mission; his horn lit as he used scratched out some notes on some potential techniques that could be used in a fight, and the relative mana requirements of them all and how they could be made more efficient.

“If that’s how they want to play it, I guess,” Yume thought, as she looked over at one of her contemporaries aside from Ryuusei'nen.

The brown and blond-streaked hair young man, slightly older than Yume (having made 20 the October previous) looked at the older men, some in national military uniforms still, but the white armbands of HEA beneath where their flag patch were. “To think a rag-tag, hodge-podge group like this is almost single-handedly stalling the progress of the Imperial Dawn and the Black Shield.”

“I mean, if it weren’t for them, we probably wouldn’t know how to use this energy to fuel legitimate ninjutsu. I thought I would only be able to do stuff like this in a game,” Yume chuckled, as she mimicked a hand sign, and created a phantom image of herself and projected it near where the young man was sitting.

“Yeah but this isn’t a game, and there is no reason to do a hand sign for something like that… What if we get into a firefight in D.C., you gonna take the time to do something like that?” the young man replied, as he waved his hand through the image of Yume standing right over him. Said image mimicked the response of Yume in the moment – mocking derision of his sudden upset.

“I know this isn’t a game, I mean that much is obvious. But if I can’t have a little fun with it during the down times, I’m not going to get the chance to, Baku,” Yume added.

“Whatever, just remember our training when we get to where we’re going,” Baku replied, as he pointed a finger at Yume like a gun. “There’s no telling what might happen and too much ceremony might get us in trouble like *bang*.”

Yume yelped as she felt the minor but noticeable prick of pain as Baku created stinging mid-air burst, right in the line created by his outstretched pointer and index finger and the rest of his arm. “That was uncalled for Baka-Baku.”

“I should do it again just for calling me that, Baku is bad enough without you adding baka in front of it,” Baku replied, as he stood up, noticing that Master Kagemaru was walking toward the three of them.

Ryuusei'nen for his part just looked on with some mild level of concern and displeasure, and somewhat cursing the fact his half-human-height frame wouldn’t allow him to try and deal with the two without having to resort to Magic. I really wish Yume and Baku would get along better when we weren’t in the middle of a mission…

“These must be the Screaming Eagles that I have heard so much about,” Master Kagemaru said, as he sat at the hastily set up conference table in the middle of the room.

“Yes that’d be us – the Screaming Eagles of the Mid Atlantic Resistance. Best damn fighters East of the Mississippi I’d say,” the apparent leader replied, as he approached the table to sit and discuss the final draft of the plan to be commenced in a couple of day’s time.

“That’s good to hear, although you know the Sunshine Volunteer Force would argue that last bit,” Captain Julio added, as all the principals sat at the table. “In any case, I believe you all received my missive from a few days ago about the rough outline of the plan, right?”

“Quite. It is to be a two-pronged attack: the Screaming Eagles and the SPH contingent conduct a raid near the Capitol Domes attempting to draw the SPH’s attention, and the Blossom slip in the proverbial back door,” the Mid-Atlantic commander recounted from the short letter he received through the secure line he had with the HEA ‘Central Command’.

“I see nothing wrong with this plan…” Master Kagemaru started, before trailing off a bit.

“Something amiss, Kagemaru?” Captain Julio asked of the near-fifty year old Japanese man sitting at the table.

“It’s just that… I wonder how well Commander Tylor’s contingent will be able to resist the temptation to fully engage the SPH in one of their strongholds,” Kagemaru replied, the concern evident on his face.

“Hrm, you’d be right to be worried. Plenty of my men and women are spoiling to pay the Black Shield back, with interest,” Cmd. Tylor started. “At the same time, I fully believe they have the cognizance to realize our time to strike-back may not be today, but it will come soon, and much more soon if we rescue the President alive.”

“Master Kagemaru, would you mind if I sent few of mine with your group?” Captain Julio asked of the other commander at the table.

“Do you not trust my group to properly execute this mission?” Kagemaru asked, piqued a bit by the request.

“It is not that, but it’s always nice to have an… insurance policy or three,” Julio retorted with a knowing tone.

Kagemaru chuckled, as he read between the lines of what Julio was getting at. “True, true. Some people can be rather insistent about walking the path of the ninja. Fine, you can send a detachment with me. As much as I hope that the Screaming Eagles can draw out the SPH forces, they would loathe removing those guarding the White House itself. At least I could easily imagine that.”

“So it is settled, once the Midnight Blossom force is positioned inside the dome with our contacts, then we will conduct daytime raids on the SPH camps. If they do what we think they will, it will draw their attention so that they cannot respond with full force when the Blossom execute the jailbreak,” Cmd. Tylor surmised, as the other principals nodded.

--- Sometime later, in the lodging section of the safe house ---

“So that’s the gist of the plan, everyone. Once we’re inside, we wait for the Mid-Atlantic Resistance to attack the SPH outposts near the Capitol Domes. If the Black Shield behave as we think they will, that should give us the opportunity to break into the White House compound, get President Aguillar out of there, and be on our way,” Master Kagemaru said to his three nin and the two HEA members that made up the attaché Captain Julio offered them.

“Everything sounds like it should go well enough… but where does that leave me?” Terry asked of his partners for the mission, entirely unsure of why he was selected along with the other human standing next to him.

“To be honest, if everything goes right, you would just be our ‘wheelman’ if you will, and get us and the President away from the scene,” Baku replied in a curt but still polite tone.

“At the same time, if we are drawn into an extended firefight, then we’d need someone who is better armed, and more importantly, armored, to help protect us and the good Madame President,” Ryuusei'nen added, the aura around his pad still humming, as it was now half-filled with notes and calculations, up from the quarter-fill back in the main meeting hall.

“Ok, well… that’s a fair answer,” Terry replied as he shrugged, understanding that if everything went according to plan, he shouldn’t need to see any live action other than driving the armored van back to the checkpoint they had established.

“My purpose is the intelligence I had gathered in order to establish our contacts and the checkpoint, plus I believe I should have the proper gear and training in stealth and deep urban combat to act as point command for this venture,” the Japanese (appearing) man to the side of Terry added of his own volition.

“I don’t like the idea of taking orders from anyone except Master Kagemaru; but I’m a stranger in a strange land, and you have all the details on how to get in and out most efficiently, so I’m not going to argue the point further,” Yume replied, as she leaned back in the chair she was sitting in.

“So Kyotaro, you said you had extensive training?” Terry asked of his other temporary partner.

Centuries worth, my good man… the disguised Silentclaw thought to himself, as he quickly came up with a proper alibi. “I was a mercenary both here and across East Asia, doing all manner of things - corporate espionage, a little bit of private detective work. As far as my urban combat experience, well, let’s just say that a lot of companies and drug rings don’t like you disrupting their work…”

“Right…” Terry replied, not sure what to make of the answer, but recognizing that Kyotaro wasn’t about to go into any particular detail about his past in the current setting.

I thought he would have come up with a more detailed alibi; then again, no sense in saying more than what needs to be said to move the proceedings along… Kagemaru thought about the Dragon’s deflection.

“So what exactly are we to do when we get to the American capital?” Yume asked of Kagemaru and Kyotaro.

“As implied earlier, we will meet with some Dome resident contacts I have made in the last few months,” Kyotaro started, much to the chagrin of Terry.

“Are you sure we can trust these contacts?” the lone American said, wondering about the veracity of the plan.

“As sure as a person can be. Also, you should be grateful for any help we can get from inside those kinds of places,” Kyotaro replied, with a bit of a joking tone toward the end.

“Yeah, I guess. I mean Councilman Edwards himself is about as deep in the Domes as you could be given how wealthy he is. And he’s done right by us all so far…” Terry figured, as he internally resolved to go with the plan unless something broke particularly badly.

[ March 14, 2082 – Capitol Domes, Washington D.C., USA ]
=========================================================

“I hope the lodging is to your liking. I know you all won’t be staying long, but we don’t want to be inhospitable if we can help it,” a young woman with bright pink hair and all manners of electronic effects said, as she watched her housekeeper bring up a tray of fruit and pastries for the five humans and one Pony.

“I’m surprised my presence isn’t more upsetting to you or the hired help for this residence,” Ryuusei'nen said, as he had an invisibility cloak (of his own design) tied around his neck and laid across his back like a cape.

“True, but Annie and me are pretty cool with you all, otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to be your waypoint for mister Kyo there,” the lady of the house replied, as she had a piece of her attention on the news feeds through her sub-dermal ‘Net implants.

“We thank you, Madame Jessica, for all of your assistance, and rest assured you will be duly compensated regardless of the success of this mission,” Kyotaro replied in gratitude, keeping an eye out for anyone who might blow their cover.

Hopefully we don’t run into any SPH sympathizers here… the disguised Silentclaw mused internally, keeping his mind’s eye open to ill intent.

“In any case, my uncle’s old catering van, that Kyo modified, is in the garage waiting for you. Although I’m nowhere near being a fighter, I… still want to wish you all good luck on your mission. I actually kinda liked President Aguillar, and I think what the Society is doing is wrong so… yeah,” Jessica explained with a bit of a nervous tone, not sure of what exactly to say to the resistance force operatives in her home.

“Not the most strident endorsement of our cause I’ve heard, but anything that helps is certainly welcome, Ms. Jessica,” Terry replied, as he shook the hand of the pink-haired lady of the house.

“So now we just need to wait for our cue, and we can get started,” Baku mused, as the cadre of five went to the garage where the modified van was located.

“Do you really think they can get Madame President out of the Black Shield’s grip?” Annie asked of the lady of the house.

“I would hope so. I don’t trust the SPH in the least to run the country right, let alone the world,” Jessica replied, as she looked at the van pull out slowly from the garage and started to make its way to the White House proper.

--- Some minutes later… ---

“All of these Black Shield ops are making me antsy as Hell,” Terry said, as he drove the van through the various checkpoints, Ryuusei'nen’s mind manipulation magic allowing them to slip past the more discerning of grunt soldiers.

“True enough, but we are almost at our objective - we will be at the service entrance to the White House proper, and I have the false documentation to get us inside,” Kyotaro said, as he had the docu-slip[2] with their group’s credentials ready to go.

“So this whole situation has me wondering: just how is this whole front working?” Baku asked, as he, Ryuusei'nen, and Yume all checked their armor and made sure the disguises their armor were projecting were proper (and in Ryuu’s case, that his invisibility cloak was still in working order).

“Because the SPH are having a celebration and were quite generous with the catering contracts,” Kyo replied.

“And they’d be celebrating what exactly?” Yume asked as a follow-up.

“The fact today is the day they formally rid themselves of President Aguillar,” Kyotaro replied with all manner of gravity.

“THEY WHAT?!” Terry shouted in surprise, before his brain caught up with his mouth. “I mean why today of all days? You’d think that would have been the first thing they would have done.”

“That I cannot answer. I can only fathom they wanted to ensure that there were no residual loyalists in the government left, but all the time they took to ensure such a thing allowed us this opportunity to at least attempt this rescue, and I for one will not let this chance slip by,” Kyotaro replied.

I want to do this your way, Madame President. But if push comes to shove, I will tell Safe Haven to forcibly evacuate you… Silentclaw thought to himself, as the weight of the situation was now fully evident to the rest of the crew in the van that was now nearing one of the service entrances to White House itself.

----=----

A few minutes later after arriving in the White House, as the different (legitimate) caterers were all setting up tables, the Midnight crew were in one of the myriad kitchens, preparing themselves to strike.

“So we’re all in agreement of what to do once we get to the President’s chambers?” Kyotaro asked of the other three with him.

“Yeah, we keep everything on the level as we are bringing the trays to her chambers. Once we get close enough, we take out the last guards near her room, spring her, and we bail out back to the van. Sounds simple enough on paper,” Baku replied, as they performed a final check of their armor while protected by Ryuusei’nen’s Anti-Perception Shield.

“I think our distraction is working, because there doesn’t seem to be too many guards around, given who it is they are supposed to be guarding,” Yume wondered aloud as she thought about the fact there weren’t as many SPH militiamen as she expected there to be.

“It’s that or they feel that no one inside a Dome would even bother to try and rescue the President; so as long as they keep the edges and the surrounding urban areas under their control, they can get away with minimal security inside,” Ryuusei'nen offered.

“In any case, we cannot take any chances,” Kyotaro said, as he checked his equipment and loaded some thick-looking but empty briefcases onto a service cart.

“And what’s all of that for?” Baku asked.

“The President requested that we bring these document cases with us when we broke her out. Apparently she has been doing a lot of writing while in captivity, on actual paper no less, and she doesn’t want to lose her work,” Kyotaro replied, as he closed the drawer doors on the lower parts of the service cart he was to push. “And with that, I am ready to proceed, how about you three?”

Ryuusei'nen took his position beneath Yume’s service cart, while Baku manned his own, the two humans giving the thumbs up in agreement, while Ryuu nodded as put the hood of the Invisibility Cloak over his head and ducked underneath the cloth covering for the cart. At the same time, Kyotaro laid a talisman near the floor behind one of the cooking stations, making sure it was out of the line of sight of anyone who’d walk through, or the security cameras.

Another short while later, they proceeded down the halls and around the bends, as they made their way from the East Wing, up to the more secure second floor; service carts full of food and one ninma keeping up a more weak version of the Anti-Perception Shield, allowing them to proceed more or less unmolested down the halls to the President’s private chambers (and makeshift prison cell).

“Sirs, Madam, your identification?” the two SPH guards asked of the three caterers, as they were set to deliver what the guards were assuming to be President Aguillar’s last meal.

“Here you go, I would trust they are all in order?” Kyotaro said, as he looked on with a neutral face to the guards, and the two (much) younger nin behind him looked on with smiles (hinting at some mild level of anxiety).

The two guards lifted their visors to take a better look at the three IDs. After a few moments of conjecture and contemplation, they eventually relented and activated the electronic lock on the President’s chamber.

“I trust you all won’t be too long in there. There are some… things that the President and the rest of us have to discuss in due time,” one of the guards asked, as he returned the IDs to the three caterers.

“No, just long enough for the President to have her meal and for us to clean up,” Kyotaro replied, curtly but politely; as he did, for a brief moment the cloth covering Yume’s service tray fluttered, as Ryuusei'nen laid another talisman, different than Kyotaro’s, along the base of the wall and the floor and away from where the two guards were standing.

“Anyway, go ahead and go in,” the second guard said, as the three carts were wheeled inside, and the door shut behind them all.

“Of course we’re here on guard duty while the Suppression Force is fighting those damn Screamin’ Eagles again,” the first guard complained, not having been out of the White House on guard-duty in weeks.

“Yeah, it sucks. But we get to be here when the President has her little incident, that should be more than an adequate consolation prize,” the second guard replied, pointing out the bigger picture.

“Fair enough, but still, it feels like we aren’t doing all we can when we aren’t out cracking heads,” the first guard concluded.

----

“For a place that is effectively a very large prison cell… it’s not necessarily a bad place to be locked up,” Baku said, as Ryuusei'nen stretched out from being cramped up underneath Yume’s service tray.

“I didn’t hear any alarms or shouting of guards, so I would guess that you arrived here without much incident?” President Aguillar said, as she ate one of the sandwiches that was on Kyotaro’s tray, trying to settle her nerves for what was to come.

“Yeah, it was mostly without incident, though there were some more observant guards on the way here looking at the van funny. Thankfully Mr. Ryuusei'nen’s Perception Manipulation magic is quite strong for his age.

“Yeah… thanks…” Ryuusei'nen said with thanks, as he had a sudden flash of insight. “Kyotaro, um, could you answer a quick question for me?”

“Sure…” Kyotaro replied, as Yume and Baku were carefully putting the bound notebooks and loose-leaf paper full of legal notes and prototype legislation into the briefcases that were on Kyotaro’s cart.

“That spell you used to seal off this chamber information wise… that wasn’t Human magic was it?” Ryuusei'nen said, which made Baku and Yume come to a slow and then a full stop.

“No, it wasn’t, Ryuu,” Kyotaro replied, no change in the tone of his voice as he did.

That fact surprised Ryuu, who was expecting the third human of his cadre to show some sign of anxiety or defensiveness. “You answered that so casually, what’s going on… and why did I feel Equaan mana coming from your body?”

“Wait, Equaan mana? Isn’t that stuff poison to humans when it’s raw?” Yume asked in total surprise.

“That’s what I remember reading, anyway, I’d like to know what’s going on too…” Baku said, as he loaded another small stack of papers into a briefcase.

“Let me ask you, Ryuusei’nen, one question before I tell you I need to tell you,” Kyotaro stated, a big smirk on his face as he did. “What did you perceive exactly when I cast the spell that cut off information in and out of this room, as you put it?”

“It… um… it felt like an Invocation… which’d imply that… oh…” Ryuusei'nen realized, as he put all the pieces together.

“That’d imply what, Ryuu?” Yume asked of her diminutive alien friend.

“That’d imply the man before us is no man… but a Dragon,” Ryuusei'nen stated.

“And that implication would be ultimately correct, wouldn’t it be President Aguillar,” Kyotaro chuckled as he looked knowingly at the President.

“Mr. Silentclaw, I should have known that you’d involve yourself in my rescue, one way or another. Ugh, if people knew about this, especially my husband, they might start assuming things they really shouldn’t,” Melinda responded, as she put her hand on her temple and shook her head in mock disbelief.

“What can I say, Madame President, your dedication moved me beyond mere words. And I would honestly like to see what Fate has in store for you once we restore you to your rightful office and power,” Silentclaw stated, exposed but not transformed back into his natural form.

The three nin merely stood by shocked, as the disguised Dragon and the deposed President talked, however briefly, like they were old friends when they couldn’t have met but a few times in the last few months.

“How… I… wow…” Baku stammered, as there was nothing about Kyotaro to show that he was anything but a well-read but still ‘ordinary’ human.

“But why you, Silentclaw? I didn’t think the Central Council would get personally involved in Earth’s matters outside of the HEA’s still narrow scope,” Ryuu said, recovering from his shock a little faster than his partner nins.

“You could call it a matter of personal pique. I became intrigued in the type of human that President Aguillar was when I confirmed her good health here in this compound, and I told both the Central Council and the HEA’s ruling committee that I would personally ensure that the President was delivered safely to the HEA, so that we could begin the work of restoring this nation’s government,” Silentclaw stated with firm resolution.

“Well then, um… could you show us your Dragon self?” Yume asked, one part still recovering from her shock, and one part intrigued at how an alien could mimic a human so thoroughly.

“I will once this mission is firmly concluded. At both Madame President’s and the HEA’s request, we want this mission to involve as little alien presence as possible,” Silentclaw said, as perked up his human ears, and his body could feel myriad points of mana approaching the chambers they and the President occupied at the moment.

“That’s why I’ve made sure that as few cameras as I can manage are able to recognize my visage,” the mostly cloaked Ryuu said. “The more this looks like a purely human operation, conducted with only minimal HEA assistance, the more faith the public will put in all the forces opposing the Society, instead of trying to pile everything on the backs of the Alliance.”

“Seems like a fair enough point,” Baku replied, not entirely sure if that theory would bear out over the long run, but it was better than looking they were completely reliant on the HEA to solve all their problems.

“In any case,” Silentclaw started, as he snapped his still armored and human fingers, causing a large, charcoal gray cloak to appear in his arms. “… Madame President, I request you put this cloak and these goggles on.”

“Hrm,” the President hummed inquisitively, as she threw the cloak over her shoulder, and started putting on the goggles. “If I am not mistaken, these seem like refined versions of bullet-proof goggles and bullet resistant overcoat.”

As she did, Baku, Yume, and Silentclaw dropped the cloaking mechanisms on their armor, devoting all the mana from the armor and their bodies to combat and related functions. Aguillar silently noted how each armor was a different color, wondering why - before thinking if they were in full combat mode, being able to completely blend in all the time might be moot. She also noted to herself the choices in color - Baku wearing armor somewhere between aqua and cerulean, blue with a slight hint of green, Yume in a color somewhere between violet and fuchsia, and Silentclaw in an inversion (somewhat) of his natural colors, navy blue with black ‘highlights’.

I guess it doesn’t really matter what you look like so long as they can’t see your face or any distinguishing body features. Who knows, it might add to the mystique when an armored warrior suddenly appears out of nowhere… Aguillar then thought, as she noted Silentclaw was about to answer her after those couple of moments of pause.

“Indeed, and you are going to need them in a few moments time; my mana sense is picking up a couple of dozen moderate Terran mana signatures, far larger than a human should output by themselves, but not as high as a actively casting mage would put out…” Silentclaw started.

“Then either we’ve been found out, or the Society has decided that now is as good a time as any and are ready to make sure President Aguillar never lets another word leave her lips,” Yume figured, as she steeled herself for what was about to be Hell in the next short while.

“In any case, I’m ready to be quit of this place, even though I loathe to think that that bastard Williamson might be calling it home for however long in the near future,” Aguillar stated, as she had all of her person underneath the bullet resistant cloak, and her face more or less covered by its hood now.

“Alright Ryuu, get ready to activate the teleport point when we return to it. Baku, Yume – we’re about to have a little fun with these SPH grunts before we bail out of here. We do have to put on a bit of a show after all,” Silentclaw said, as everyone began to move away from the corridor created by the main door of the President’s chambers. Yume pressed a couple of buttons on the right arm of her armor, released a pair of camera-laden mini-drones.

“And we have to make sure that the show is recorded for all posterity; this is as much a PR mission as it is a rescue,” Yume mentioned as the two golf-ball sized drones began to orbit around her upper body and head.

“Terry, how are you doing outside?” Ryuu asked over the magi-boosted radio to the armored van that was still parked in the ‘yard’ of the White House.

“Everything’s clear with me and the van; a couple of SPH transports arrived in the last while. Nothing but grunts and a couple of field commanders, though, and they went straight into the compound proper,” Terry reported, as he sat in the reinforced catering van, waiting for the now group of five to return.

“Baku, when they open the doors, throw a couple of smoke and flash grenades to disorient them. Yume, you’re with me on point and we’ll open up a path. Ryuu, keep the anti-ballistic shield up as much as you can so we don’t risk Pres. Aguillar,” Silentclaw ordered of the three nin and one VIP behind him, as he stood on-side the door opposite Yume. The rest of the group nodded in acknowledgement, as the cloaked President went to one knee next to Ryuu, and Baku took a one-knee-down position in between Ryuu and Silentclaw, ready to throw the grenades he magicked up in his hands out into the crowd that was assuredly around the door.

----

“Alright, President Aguillar, time for your just reward,” the SPH field commander said, as he stood in front of the door with an automatic rifle ready, two guards on each side of him with guns ready in similar fashion.

He motioned silently to another grunt to open the door, and with that the panel was scanned and the door unlocked. The door quickly slid open, only to reveal… and empty central room, or at least it was apparently empty.

“Wait, they should have all been in the center room… what’s going on?” the field commander asked, as he couldn’t see anyone in the room, not even the copious writing that the President had been doing the last few weeks.

“Should we go inside and check?” one of the grunts asked with a confused tone, and not paying attention, as a pair of balls were rolling around on the ground in front of the two dozen or so SPH soldiers in front of the President’s chamber door and in the hall near it.

All anyone could remember hearing in the moment was a crackling sound, then a pair of loud *bang*s as terribly bright light and fog obscured the entire hall in next to zero visibility conditions.

“That’s our cue, we’re out of here,” Silentclaw said as he and Yume immediately began carving a path through the left-hand side of the door, Baku pushing the cart behind them with Ryuu and the documents Aguillar had painstakingly wrote, and Aguillar on side, her 50 year old legs aided by a Quickstep spell Ryuu had cast on her before the door was opened.

“What the hell is going on!” one of the grunts shouted, as they were completely disoriented by the flash and smoke grenades, and then began feeling heavy impacts into their body armor, some piercing and some slashing.

“Someone is trying to get Aguillar out of the compound, we need backup,” another grunt shouted over the radio for the SPH forces as he tried to aim his gun, but found his vision was nearly dark, as his eyes hadn’t recovered from the flash and the smoke wasn’t making things any easier.

“Keep running! The charm we laid to get us back to kitchen is around the next bend,” Yume said, as Baku and Aguillar were doing their best to keep up as their loaded down bodies could.

“This is Terry,” said SPH attaché radioed in to the three nin and one transformed Dragon. “I just intercepted a distress call from those grunts, at least I’m assuming it’s their distress call. Anyway hurry up out of there before we have to go to our ‘last resort’.”

“Understood, Terry,” Silentclaw replied, as he turned around and put his arm out, once he was sure everyone was behind him.

“What are you doing?” the President asked, as she lifted her hood slightly to be able to see through her goggles what the transformed Dragon was doing.

“Trying to keep any stragglers from chasing us down from behind, we’re apparently going to have company outside,” Silentclaw said, as pulled his arm back, and thrust it forward. “ Suddenly a gout of blue flame spread through the center of the prism created by the rectangular walls and floor and ceiling of the hallway.

With the screams of a half dozen SPH grunts, Silentclaw was confident that the first step to stopping the SPH from stopping them was done. “Alright, let’s go!”

A few moments later, they reached one of the talismans they had laid on the wall the near the floor.

“Ryuu, how long is it going to take for you to sync with the talismans and get us downstairs?” Baku asked of his Pony compatriot.

“About 20 seconds, give or take,” Ryuu said, his voice somewhat muffled by the cloth around his snout and over the edges of the cart’s side.

“Yume, you got your blades on you?” Baku then asked of his other human partner.

“When do I not have my blades on me,” the kunoichi replied, holding a pair of one-foot long, skinny blades, one to each hand.

“Good point,” Baku conceded. “Alright, let’s try the Rei-Kamaitachi[3] combo we were working on a couple of weeks ago.”

As a few more grunts approached their position, while Ryuu was still synchronizing for the mass teleportation, Baku took a temporary front line position with Yume, with his fists clenched, as Yume channeled mana into her blades.

“Haa!” Baku shouted, as he popped his fists open into spread out palms, and as he did, aquamarine sigils could be seen on his palms. This served as little warning to the seven grunts in front the group, as frost and ice began to form, and quite quickly, along the feet, legs, and hips of the seven grunts.

“What the hell is this, I can’t move at all,” one of the grunts shouted, struggling to move his legs even an inch.

“My gun’s totally jammed, it’s like it’s frozen solid,” one of the grunts added, as he tried to pull the trigger, but the gun beeped in warning as the mechanisms failed due to the sudden localized drop in temperature.

“Yaa!” Yume shouted, as she almost slipped the notice of the grunts, their attention now too focused on their unmoving legs or their failing weaponry. They couldn’t prepare themselves for what was coming, as Yume swung her blades through the air, and as she did, faint gold projections of blades flew out along the path that she was cutting through the air.

They screamed in pain and shock as their armor was cut apart; their limbs and torsos slashed and gashed by the ‘vacuum’ blades flying past and through them. To say nothing of their weaponry, which were carved up just like their armor; the thauma-guns even began to explode as their batteries were breached as the wind mana of the blade-projections interacted with the aggregate fire aether in said batteries.

“Goddamnit, who the hell are these people,” the couple of still able bodied grunts shouted as they tried to retreat after the explosions from the cut-up guns shattered or melted the magically conjured ice.

“Done! Let’s move on down before any more of them come,” Ryuu said, still beneath the cart.

Baku quickly gripped the cart, as Aguillar gripped hers, and the five of them teleported down to the kitchen.

----

Terry, for his part, continued to look out of the windows of the van, now magically tinted to only allow light in, so no one could see who or what was going on inside. “Guys, two more transports just arrived in the ‘yard’. Looks like they’re the same size as the first two so that should be another couple of dozen grunts altogether…”

“Ok, we’ll signal if we need your backup,” Baku reported, as they did a quick check of their armor and made sure Aguillar and her documents were alright before they moved on out of the kitchen.

“I just want to state that this situation is absolutely insane on its face, but I guess it is well within reason given the events of the last almost two years in total,” Aguillar mused, as she was still under the influence of the Quickstep spell, which helped ease some of the strain of all the running she had been doing in the last few minutes.

“I will have to regale all of you sometime of old missions I was involved in, during my more active days as a spy for the Dragon Nomads,” Silentclaw figured aloud, thinking it’d be quite the tale to tell once things were more calmed down.

“I look forward to that Silent, once we all get out of here in once piece,” Yume replied, a bit more cheery than she had been in the last few moments, taking the short pause as a chance for a mental breather.

“Same here, I always wanted to know the things one of the greatest Dragon spies who ever walked the face of our world done as a youth,” Ryuu added.

“Then that’s something to look forward to once we get Madame President to our Safe House,” Silentclaw stated, as they all prepared themselves to move out.

They all were almost outside, before they were stunned by what they saw as they were reaching the double doors that they had come through some time ago as innocuous caterers.

“Ugh, of course the security shutters would start closing now,” Aguillar groaned, realizing someone in the SPH must have gotten their head back on their shoulders and started shuttering everything.

“President, do you know what these shutters are made out of? I might be able to breach them anyway,” Baku asked knowing time was of the essence but the knowledge was slightly more important.

“Mostly Titanium, with Nano-Carbon pseudo-lacquer,” Aguillar responded.

“Alright, everyone cover your noses, I’m going to a need a few moments with some chemicals,” Baku said.

The young man laid a talisman on the floor, as he charged it with mana; after it charged, out *poof*ed a water-filled, four liter jug with a sprayer attached, and what looked like a large canister of talcum powder next to it.

“Say what’s going on Baku, I don’t know what a spray jug is gonna do for… oh wait… I think I see where you’re going with this,” Yume started, initially confused, until she realized that Baku had several talents aside from causing explosions with even the scantest of mana supply.

And one of those talents was applied chemistry.

“Yeah like I said, turn on your re-breather or cover your nose, I’m about to hose this whole shutter down in mana-charged lye,” Baku said, as he began using a bit of Earth mana to convert the powder into potassium hydroxide, and dropped it into the jug of water, which he was charging with Water mana.

Silentclaw traced over the hood with Wind mana, which would neutralize the fumes from what Baku was about to start doing and allow President Aguillar to breathe normally.

“A little bit of shaking…” Baku sung in a bit of a chipper tone, as he was now pretty much sure the KOH was dissolved properly into the water, and the mana had super-charged the reaction to be able to eat through nearly pure carbon of the lacquer on the shutters. “And away we go…”

Baku quickly began to hose down the shutters in the magically-enhanced lye solution, which began to visibly, and quite aromatically, react with the carbon covering the titanium alloy shutters.

“Alright, don’t need that anymore,” Baku said as he tossed the now empty jug down the hall, well away from the rest of the group. Afterward, he threw a few more talismans on the ground, and *poof*ed some plastic explosives into existence.

“Can I get a blast shield up, Ryuu?” the young man asked, as he quickly plastered the explosives all over the shutter for maximum coverage given the amount of time he was working with, which was not much.

Ryuu silently complied, creating a faint aquamarine barrier between Baku and the rest of the group and the door, which was still smoking from the magically-charged lye eating away at the nano-carbon coating on the shutters.

Baku stood in silent concentration for a few seconds, with his arms outstretched and his fists clenched. With a loud yell, he threw his fists open to show his palms, now covered (though no one in the group could see directly) in the red runes of Fire Magic, as points of red lit up the plastic explosives, and ignited the thick, putty-like substance, creating a massive explosion.

----

“The blue hell was that?” one of the assembled grunts yelled in question, standing several dozen yards outside the shuttered double door that suddenly flew apart in bits of shrapnel, as a massive explosion blew apart not just the door and the shutters covering both sides, but a good chunk of the door frame as well, creating a rather large misshapen hole where a double door once stood, and lots of smoke, dust, and a bit of flame pouring out from the same.

Back inside, Silentclaw cast a silent Invocation to help stop any ringing ears from the very loud explosion that just rocked that corner of the building, as they made their next move.

“Yume, remember that combination technique we were working on,” Ryuu asked, of the lady standing next to her who was only regaining her bearings in full in the last few moments.

“Oh, um… which one was it… I think the Hyaku-Ma[4] was the one we were trying out that’d be relevant now, right?” Yume thought for a couple of seconds, before coming up with the best-fit solution as far as she could see.

“Yeah, even if they don’t cause them to scatter and run off, we can still attack through the light-clones, so we should be able to make it to the van assuming no one else is out there…” Ryuu figured, as he dropped the anti-explosion shield, and readied the gen-jutsu[5] necessary to transfigure the clones from his kunoichi partner.

Yume channeled the necessary Light-aspected mana and crossed her arms, which caused a dozen duplicates to form all around the still smoking hole from Baku’s explosion. “Alright, when you’re ready to go, Ryuu!”

“Just a moment,” Ryuu replied, as his horn was almost done weaving the projection across the much of the East Wing of the White House and the nearby grounds leading to the parking lot they needed to reach. “There! But my horn has to stay lit to make the illusion last, so we need to hurry so someone doesn’t notice it from under the cloak as we run to the van.”

Baku, Yume, and Silentclaw nodded, noticing that the cloak wasn’t designed to completely stop light from the inside from bleeding through it, disrupting the invisibility effect.

What I wouldn’t give to have my Special Ops learn similar techniques once all of this is said and done… President Aguillar thought to herself as she made sure that nothing fell off her cart and her cloak was covering everything it could.

A few moments later, as the SPH grunt soldiers gathered closer to the slightly less smoking-hole caused by that sudden explosion, they all noticed things going slightly and unusually dark for early afternoon, as if there was a sudden solar eclipse in that one tiny sliver of the Earth.

“What’s going on, why is it dark all of a sudden,” one of the female grunts asked, as turned on the flashlight of her rifle, as midday suddenly became dusk.

Before anyone could really figure what was going on, they heard horrible yelling and wailing coming from the hole, as well as gouts of blue flame.

“Do you think the flame is necessary, Mr. Silentclaw?” Baku asked, as the disguised clone-projections leapt from inside the hole to perform their act.

“Whatever will sell the impression of those ‘things’ crawling out of the depths of Terran Hell,” Silentlclaw replied, as he waved his arms, creating more arcs of blue fire near the hole going out.

“MONSTER! WHERE ARE THESE MONSTERS COMING FROM?!” they could hear one of the grunts shouting over a microphone’d helmet; and the rapid fire *ratta-tat-tat* of automatic gunfire, trying to kill the ‘demons’ that had suddenly sprung forth from the hole they blew out of their chosen door of exit from the White House.

“And I believe the first half of the plan is working, let’s slip out of here before they realize they are fighting shadows, in a sense,” Silentclaw surmised, to the agreement of everyone else.

Unbeknownst to the now panicking grunts in the front of the hole, trampling the grounds as they were trying to fight off the Light Magic-based phantasms, the two entities responsible, along with the other three of their temporary travelling party, scrambled out of the hole and made as fast as a dash toward the parking lot as they could.

All of this was to the mild bemusement of the twenty-something year old American watching everything through the binocular ‘app’ in his helmet.

“Man, this magic is crazy stuff. Like I’m legit watching a high-grade animation or a live action movie…” he thought out loud as he watched the four figures (and he easily assumed the fifth shorter figure to be right next to them) run as fast as they could toward the parking lot, almost entirely unmolested through the grounds… but not entirely unnoticed.

“Wait, what’s that in the… oh hell, someone must have seen through that illusion one of them cast…” Terry figured, as he saw some SPH grunt with a thaumatic bazooka, or at least it looked like such, and they were hanging out of the now open window on the second floor aiming at where the grunt might have seen Kyotaro’s group running.

“We’re just going to have to do something about that, now aren’t we, Terry,” Terry said to himself, as he activated the targeting system for one of the small, but potent, Fire-Magic powered mini-cannons installed on the roof of the van.

“Alright, and… fire,” Terry ordered, as he pressed a button on a console, which triggered the cannon, firing a bolt of Fire Magic directly at the grunt halfway out of the window aiming the apparent launcher at the figures running away from the chaos in front of him.

And in an instant, there was a flash of red, and similarly colored smoke coming from the now partially wrecked and melted window the SPH grunt was trying to shoot from; the grunt for their trouble fell out the window flat on their back, clearly unable to fire the launcher, or even so much as tell what day it was.

“Wow this thing has more kick that I thought. I hope the HEA doesn’t get billed for all the damage we’re doing to the White House,” Terry thought aloud in surprise, not thinking the cannon would blow up the whole bottom section of the window, even though he aimed it at the grunt in particular.

“What was that explosion behind us?” Yume asked; as she kept up her mana output help maintain the illusion.

Silentclaw took a moment to look behind, seeing the smoldering ruin of the window that Terry had fired at, and quickly put things together. “Hrm, so that’s what it was. I wonder if the poor sod survived.”

“Does it matter?” Baku replied, as they could see they were almost at the parking lot.

“It shouldn’t. Terry, open the back door, we have the VIP and we’re ready to load her and her material so we can get out of here!” Yume replied before she shifted her attention to the wheelman a few dozen yards in front of them.

“Alright, back door’s unlocked. Let’s load it up!” Terry said as he hopped out of the van to help lift Aguillar’s cart into the back. “The Screamin’ Eagles part went by perfectly. So much of the SPH’s forces got sucked outside we should have clear shot back to the checkpoint, and then we can get out of here.”

“We definitely have to make sure Madame Jessica gets her recompense before long. Every bit of intra-Dome support we all can get will be invaluable in both the near and far term,” Silentclaw replied, as he looked all around to see if any more vehicles were inbound.

With the all-clear, the all the doors were locked, and the van was off.

--==--

“And with that, I implore everyone within the sound of my voice to resist the forces of the so-called Society for the Preservation of Humanity. As the events of the recent past and today have shown, they are nowhere near the invincible vanguard of the new Humanity they purport themselves to be. They may wear the garb of the revolutionary, but they are nothing more than the continuation of those who hold the philosophy of the Second Golden Rule – ‘He who has the Gold makes the Rules.’ We should never place our faith in those who simply possess a wide breadth and depth of holdings, or have any myriad digits in their bank accounts. Those are not the true measure of a potential leader. All potential leaders should be judged by their prior experience and their proposals, all current leaders measured by the conditions in the present, and all past leaders by the results they achieved during their leadership – for good and ill. I should hope that all of the world leaders that we have been able to successfully rescue will join me in this grand endeavor to restore the leadership of this world to those whom it always belonged to begin with – the people of our various nations.” President Aguillar concluded her brief address to the public, on one of the HEA’s secure net-channels[6], from the Safe House[7] that was built in Badlands National Park (in South Dakota).

And this fact absolutely infuriated a certain trio of sometimes-masked men and women in the towers of Manhattan Island.

“This… this is the indignity of indignities… I just have no words left…” Peter said, his calm tone masking the absolute cauldron of rage he had become in the last 12 hours.

“It was such a basic plan, and yet they carried it out about as perfectly as you can expect of such people,” Claire thought as she tried to figure out where everything had gone wrong in the last couple of months.

“Truth be told, in either case that would have unfolded today, we should be able to swear in Williamson as President within the next three days, as soon as we can convene the Congress,” Nathan reminded the other two Leaders of the Society.

“Which is perfectly fine – our long term plans only require willing puppets in the nation’s governments. But this string of jailbreaks, culminating with President Aguillar right from under our noses… it’s nothing more than a PR nightmare for the lot of us,” Peter figured, as he tried his best to remain calm and in control, while inwardly cursing Aguillar and Richards’s very name.

“They might not be in power now… but they still have political cache with the rest of the public. Our hands are being forced now – either we start putting our boots on the necks of the Outsiders overtly, or we will lose our grip on this world that we just began to tighten,” Claire said, as she realized the SPH and their affiliates worldwide were indeed truly beginning to lose their grip on political power.

“I will talk with our internal and external arms developers to see what we can expedite and what still has to remain in the oven. I doubt we can move all of our schedules up, at least if we want to have effective equipment for our still meager human numbers,” Nathan figured, as he thought about the problem some more.

“Fair enough,” Peter said with a heavy sigh, as he slammed his fist on the table in disgust. “The last thing we can afford to do is to stretch ourselves thin and end up losing to those damn White Knights in misbegotten battle while trying to save face. No, we have to redouble our efforts in building this machine, and ensure that we are the source of power in this world.”

“To wit, I believe I have some candidates ready for the first phase of Project Therion. Something has been bothering me about what our field commanders have been reporting ever since that explosion of thaumatic radiation near the Louisiana gulf coast almost a year ago. Hopefully this project and others will put that little worry to rest, along with our bigger worries,” Claire stated with a bit more of a hopeful tone.

“That’s some good news for once. Project Therion, along with the drone war machine we are creating, can ensure our and our descendant’s power indefinitely,” Peter said, as he felt confident that the setback of today will be quickly made up in the coming months.

=== ~~ - ~~ ===

Author's Notes:

[1] Armored Assault Vehicle – supports armored motorbike cavalry and ground troops during raids

[2] docu-slip – re-useable e-paper that contains important documents and identification that aren’t sensitive enough for a biometric chip or stand-alone ID card.

[3] Rei-Kamaitachi can be translated as “Ice Sickle Weasel Demon” or “Ice Kamaitachi” - it is a technique that Baku and Yume developed to be used in tandem; using phantom, projectile blades from Yume’s Wind Magic mixed with her short swords, and Baku’s Ice Magic explosions freezing the targets in place to best ensure the accuracy of the aforementioned ‘thrown’ blades.

[4] Hyaku-Ma can be translated as “Hundred Demons”; a technique Ryuusei'nen and Yume use in tandem, using her Light Magic based illusory copies and Ryuu’s Perception Manipulation techniques to make the conjured ‘clones’ appears as all manners of demons assaulting a large group. Mostly used to induce panic in a large group of targets to make picking them off or avoiding them easier.

[5] gen-jutsu (sometimes spelled without the dash) can be roughly translated to ‘illusory technique’, which is a catch-all term for any ninja technique whose primary purpose is sensory deception or manipulation.

[6] a specific web broadcast site that functions much like a dedicated Twitch or Youtube stream in current times

[7] a miniature scaled Safe Haven, built to service a constant population around 10 rather than a couple of thousand humans.

----

[Char Note 1] Yuyuko “Yume” Murakami (Age 19 @ 2082) : a ninja of the Midnight Blossom SPH-resistance group. Her specialty is casting illusions and ‘hard’ constructs (the more mana she uses per construct, the more durable it is). Her Call Name means ‘Dream’. [夢]

>> Stats: 5’6”, 110 lbs, ‘athletic’ build – fair skin; dark brown hair, usually worn straight and cut to the base of the neck along the back of her head

[Char Note 2] Gen’Ichiro “Baku” Matsuda (Age 20 @ 2082) : a ninja of the Midnight Blossom SPH-resistance group. His specialty is causing explosions regardless of the material used; even down to creating miniature air-bursts from ‘nothing’. His Call Name can be read as ‘Bomb’ [爆].

>> Stats: 5’10”, 155 lbs, semi-athletic build – slightly tan skin (some Filipino heritage), medium brown hair with dyed blond streaks along the right half of the crown of his head, cut short all around, and spiked to a small extent.

[Char Note 3] Ryuusei'nen (Age 18 @ 2082 C.E.) : a Unicorn ninma of the Falcon Clan in Neighpon, he is on loan to the Midnight Blossom to further his development as a ninma and aid in the development of ninjutsu for the organization. He is currently also on a private mission searching for his elder brother, the ‘genius’ ninja Shiro’Kage (White Shadow), a chalk white Pegasus who claims to have never shown his true face to anyone except his own clan. His Call Name can be read as ‘Meteor(‘s) Idea’ [流星念]

>> Stats: 3’3”, 80 lbs, slender build – pale blue coat, ice blue mane, cut very neat and short along the very crown of his head near his horn.

Chapter 38: Counter-Clash

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=== BABW: A New Conflict ===

=== Chapter 38: Counter-Clash ===

[ April 09, 2082 -- Summit Domed Community, New Jersey, USA – SPH Research Lab #4 ]

===================================================================================

It was a quiet March evening underneath the Dome that maintained the climate (in general) of the town of Summit in New Jersey. Like a lot of towns near large metro areas, the population experienced extreme gentrification over the last few decades, to where it was extraordinarily difficult to find anyone who you could consider less than wealthy living under the Domes without being an employee of someone of far greater net worth. However, the focus should not be on the coming and goings of the typical Dome-dwelling person, at least not in this instance. Instead it is about the comings and goings of a specific research complex recently built in this particular domed community, and how a certain Black Shield intend to put it at the forefront of their counterattack against the Alliance and their hangers-on.

“So this guy is supposed to be one of the recruits to use the ‘Blue Engine’?” one of the SPH officers asked of a much-younger-than-middle aged looking African-American woman, standing with pride as she continued to beam in her less than one-month’s old officer’s uniform.

This is perfect… why waste someone like me on the front line when I am much better used directing men to do what needs to be done… Linda thought to herself on the side, as she made to answer her fellow officer’s question. “Indeed. His name is Jeffrey, and from what we can tell, he has natural aptitude with manipulating water-aspected mana in particular, and hydromancy at large.”

As the two long-coat wearing officers looked at the young man of clear African descent, barely past 21, in the waiting room of the hall that the testing was conducted in, they thought aloud about his apparent origins.

“Apparently he was part of the foster system for some time, until he was about 10, no telling what type of insanity he had to endure as a small child,” the other officer said, as Linda couldn’t help but stare at the man who was almost 30 years her junior, even if it didn’t appear that way from looking at both of their faces.

“No, no telling at all. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of psychological issue in his profile, and nothing has shown up in the interviews we have conducted. Other than having been in a foster home for his early childhood, his upbringing is pretty typical of any Outsider of his age,” Linda continued to remark.

She couldn’t shake an odd feeling however… a feeling of familiarity at a visceral level, even though she hadn’t laid eyes on the young man until the last couple of days when he was transferred from the one of the sundry Mid-Atlantic offices to the Research Facility she called her place of employ for the time being.

Who is this ‘kid’, and why does it feel like I should know him, even though I couldn’t have before now. Perhaps this is a side effect of all the magic we’ve been using, who knows…

Linda cleared her head as she continued to observe the almost childlike glee in the face of Jeffrey as he manipulated about a half liter of water he had taken from the large dispenser in the waiting room. At the same time, she noted how the handful of other soldiers and recruits around him seemed to be in equal awe watching as he instinctively manipulated the water in mid-air; the only trace that he was using magic to do so a few moderately glowing blue runes on his hands.

“I can see why we the higher-ups wanted him in in the Blue Group. He seems to have a natural affinity for hydromancy,” Linda remarked, as she took the papers and entered the waiting room. “Though I find it odd what he told us in his interviews.”

“I assume the story of him not being aware of his potential for magecraft until after the attack in Charlotte?” the other officer responded.

“Yes. Developing abilities that fast without someone else to teach you says a lot about him, hopefully we can mold him into a fine soldier, maybe more,” Linda replied, as she entered the waiting room, drawing the attention of everyone inside, especially Jeffrey himself.

“Alston!” Linda barked like a seasoned military officer, as Jeffrey immediately came to attention and stood before her.

“Yes ma’am!” Jeffrey responded with firmness, knowing that this was official business that Ofc. Bowman was about to conduct with him.

“I have the report for your thaumaturgy tests. Congratulations Recruit, you have been selected to be enlisted in the pilot program for our Hydromancer Corps,” Linda reported with some measure of pride.

“That’s great, ma’am. I want to contribute any way that I can…” Jeffrey said, before his demeanor suddenly turned dark. “Those goddamned monsters… it’s all their fault. All their fault everything is screwed up. All their fault everything is teetering on chaos...”

Oh that’s good… he has an extreme sense of motivation. Just need to temper it somehow… Linda thought to herself, as she could feel the strength welling in Jeffrey's voice.

“And then those White Knights… they’re just as bad, colluding with them even. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think those bastards wanted that Nightmare monster to attack Charlotte so they’d make you all look incompetent – and then they could just swoop in and save the day,” Jeffrey continued, as it was clear that his anger was starting to boil. “I’ll never forgive them, the monsters or those damned fake Knights, destroying my home, killing my family… all of it is their fault. And I’ll use any means I can get my hands on to make sure they pay ten times over for all of this hurt I’ve felt in the last year!”

Linda put her hand on the shoulder of Jeffrey to calm him in some sense, as she pointed toward a pair of chairs in the waiting room and motioned for the two of them to sit down. “The rest of this conversation, just consider me a fellow traveller and not a superior officer.”

“O…kay?” Jeffrey said nervously.

“Listen, I believe your motivation is admirable. But, let me run this by you: don’t you think there is more to your sudden discovery of your talents with hydromancy?” Linda started.

“More… I… I just remember feeling this vague… voice telling me to grab at the power that could change the world. Kinda sounded like myself, like something inside of me was informing the rest of me of what I could do. Next thing I know, as I was in the recovery shelter, parts of my skin looked like it had been tattooed in blue magic symbols or something, and I could control things that were liquid at room temperature: you know water, rubbing alcohol, all that kind of stuff,” Jeffrey thought aloud, as he thought of how he first realized he had a knack of water manipulation.

“Now, I’m not sure if you are a religious person, so you will have to bear with me,” Linda started, not wanting to off put a potential star recruit with unwarranted preaching. “But I believe that in that aftermath, you were blessed by the Almighty with that power.”

“Hrm…” Jeffrey said; not immediately rejecting or accepting the brief supposition by his superior, but merely ruminating on it in the moment.

“His ways are mysterious, and there is nothing to say the powers that have been developed in this last year-plus are all unrelated to Him. But as I said, that is merely my personal opinion, don’t take it as anything official from my superiors or the Leadership of the Society,” Linda concluded before returning to her main point. “What I am trying to get at is… this power, your power, our power… we have the ability to truly shape the world in the image that we have been told.”

Jeffrey nodded, seeing where Officer Linda was coming with these remarks.

“The monsters, the aliens, their collaborators… all of them are mere obstacles to be overcome. And once we do, then we will have the space to rebuild this world into a true Paradise. The world we were always promised, we can attain it by our hands. All we have to do is reach out for our tools and start building,” Linda concluded.

“And let me guess, these research centers are where we are designing the tools for this construction project?” Jeffrey asked of the black-coated woman seemingly only six-to-ten years his senior.

“In a manner of speaking…” Linda replied, with a bit of coy in her voice.

Jeffrey *hrmph*ed in agreement, as he resolved himself for his new future. “Miss Bowman, I’m ready to put everything I am on the line for the Society. And I’ll be the best damn carpenter you’ve ever seen.”

“Glad to hear it, Mr. Alston,” Linda said, as she shook the hand of the newest member of Project Therion.

= A short while later, in one of the complex’s commissaries =

“And that's how I ended up here. All this time I've been trying to figure out how I can do something to help get rid of these monsters plaguing our world, and our turns out it was right here in front of my face the whole time,” Jeffrey said as he and another ‘enlisted’ discussed things after a recent briefing.

“Ever since that whole jailbreak in the capital a month ago it's been a total mess for us. But I'm glad we got people like you on our side,” the other man said as they continued their conversation on the way to a commissary.

The two of them sat down at a table, facing each other as the earlier conversation indeed continued.

“The thing I don't understand is - why Convert on the first place?” the dark skinned man mused rhetorically.

“Jeffrey, you know they got all kinds of psycho-babble bs to try and justify it to themselves. But if ask me they’re just cowards,” the fair skinned man offered as explanation, despite the nature of the question.

“So you really think they ran off because they were scared, Grant?” Jeffrey wondered in a bit of passive response.

“Pfft. Of course I think that. All the hell we've been through as a people, and then at First Contact they literally tell you they are going to turn you into copies of themselves, or whatever, and your response isn't ‘Hell no, get the fuck outta here!’?” Grant started; Jeffrey observing how worked up the fair skinned man of Western European descent was becoming as he continued. “Aguillar deserved far worse than house arrest for that bullshit, and I hope I’m part of the crew that finds her.”

“That's assuming she hasn't run off across the Barrier already,” Jeffrey noted.

“Now wouldn't that be something. Would certainly make Leadership’s job easier if that were true, but I doubt Madame President would be so kind,” Grant figured as he shrugged his shoulders. “So where are they sticking you after your aptitude tests?”

“Something about the Blue Division, apparently I have a real talent for hydromancy, so they want me in the crew that’s going to be using the Blue Engines,” Jeffrey replied, as he brought it up on his e-paper tablet.

“Isn’t that something? They’re putting me in the Gold Division. Looks like we’re in similar boats, just they think I’m more suited for air-magic than water,” Grant replied, as he showed his tablet with a similar documentation, just swapping references for water-related things to air and wind-related things.

“So, I know where you’re goin’ Grant, but how’d you get here?” Jeffrey asked, as he thought about the man about 5 years his senior in front of him.

“God, man, where to begin. Well I’m here because I more or less deserted the Air Force during the first go around with those aliens,” Granted started, as Jeffrey listened intently. “Yeah, I know President Aguillar did the whole song and dance with them, going on about how they were coming in for peace, love, understanding, the whole nine and whatever. But honestly, when their first real major act once they got here was to starting turning Humans into themselves, what exactly am I supposed to think about it?”

“I can’t think anything good about it, myself,” Jeffrey figured, as Grant nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. When it became apparent to me that Aguillar not only knew what was going on, but was down with it, that told me everything I needed to know. I took an oath, to protect this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. To know that we had been invaded by something about as foreign as it gets, and then to know that people in the government were colluding with them, including the Commander-In-Chief? What the hell am I doing under anything that resembles their command? Why in the hell aren’t like… 90% of the public in arms demanding they go back to where they come, lest they have to fight off all nine billion of us?” Grant went on, Jeffrey nodding in agreement at the rant.

“At this point, all I know is that either those Winged Pegasi have either brainwashed a lot of the population, or our civilization has rotted out to the point to where people would just throw away their own humanity at the first given chance. Either one doesn’t sound like a world that I can live in,” Grant figured, as it was clear to Jeffrey as it was to any officer in the Society that Grant was deadly serious when he brought up those points. “So I plan to do something about it. Knocking off the governments was just the start to me. The rot goes deeper, right down to the very base of our population. They either need to be shown the correct path… or they need to find some way to get out of the way, lest they get knocked out of the way.”

“Grant, I’m feeling everything you’re saying. But you know where that goes right? If we got that much of our population who won’t defend their own humanity, what’s going to happen when as we keep fighting those aliens?” Jeffrey asked, wanting to hear if Grant was going as far as Jeff thought he was.

“I’ll put it to you like this: if they don’t accept the new Humanity that we are building, then they are going to leave this world, one way, or another,” Grant said with all the gravitas he could muster.

“Damn man, it’s that serious to you?” Jeffrey responded, deeply intrigued by the depths to which Grant was willing to take the whole issue.

“I’m as serious as cardiac arrest with no defibrillator,” Grant responded plainly.

[ Around the same time, in South-Central Colorado, USA @ the Federal Correctional Institute[3] near Florence ]

“It’s coming to this point already? What you are proposing is completely reckless and dangerous, and I for one cannot accede to the this request without making my objection publically known,” a snappily uniformed man said as man in charcoal gray business suit stood before him, his patience clearly wearing thin with the man in charge of the facility.

“Listen, Warden Covington. I understand your position, I truly do. You house in this facility the most dangerous men and women as determined by the United States Department of Justice in terms of danger not only to any potential staff, but to other prisoners, and even to themselves. To that end, the current government of this fine country would like to at least make… use… of a particular woman, seeing as she has shown herself quite an exemplar in the realm of, oh how to put this, granting wishes,” the man in the charcoal gray suit said to the prison warden, trying to assuage the warden’s trepidation to an acceptable degree.

“Even if I refused, you would just break her out, wouldn’t you?” Warden Covington surmised, as he looked at the SPH soldiers that were in the back of the room, seemingly ready to move on a lone signal from the gray-suited man seated at the conference table with the Warden.

“Of course a prison warden would be one of the most observant of people; but yes, there is a team ready to extract our lamp if you decide not to heed our request,” the man in the suit said, the implication clear in his voice.

Damn, he’s not bluffing either. My guards reported all kinds of SPH equipment being rolled in, and I know damn well I don’t have enough firepower to eject them if I say no, that and I don’t have a way to contact those rebels otherwise… the warden thought, as he figured the hand he was playing wasn’t worth continuing with.

“If you want the genie so badly, then you can have her. Honestly I’m feeling far more sympathy for her than I should have any right to, given what we have to do to keep her under control…” the warden said, as he turned to the side, trying his best to hide his disgust at what he was about to allow to happen.
“Now now, good sir, don’t be that way…” the charcoal-suited man said, as he stood up, understanding what was being unsaid by the warden. “Here, this is on me, a bit of compensation and something to calm the nerves.”

The charcoal-suited man left a simple-looking card on the table, as he and the SPH soldiers exited the warden’s office to collect the genie that he had come to liberate, in a sense.

“There is absolutely nothing that can come of this that's good,” Covington thought aloud as he twirled the cred-card between his fingers. “And all of this to preserve some money. Maybe the Princesses were right about us.”

[ April 11, 2082 -- SPH Research Facility, Colorado Springs, CO, United States ]
===============================================================

“I can't help but feel a little sympathetic toward her. Such a wonderful specimen of a woman being kept in stasis like this. It seems unfair…” one of the black clad lab workers said as they continued to monitor the encapsulated woman’s vitals.

“Roses and thorns my good man. You heard the story behind why she was put in there?” the other lab worker asked, his attitude more practical regarding the package that had been recently delivered.

“No, I hadn't,” the other worker replied.

As they were discussing matters, an officer from the SPHs Rocky Mountain division walked in. “Ms. Jeanne Javadi, age 31, of partial Iranian and French descent. Was convicted 2 years ago of 10 counts of 1st degree murder, 15 counts of grand theft, totalling 376 million credits. 12 counts of fraud, totalling 510 million credits. Granted she was anything but working alone; but still, incredibly proficient in the proverbial dark arts.”

“Ok, so why is she in that pod?” one of the lab techs asked of the officer.

“I would love to tell that little story, but I think she can tell it better,” the officer said, as he ran his fingers across one of the panels on the pod.

“Access granted! Please speak the final pass word,” a monotone female voice uttered from a small speaker on the pod.

“Open Sesame!“ the officer said with a bit of chuckle. After a few moments, the pod opened with a hiss.

“Ugh, where the hell am I…?” the woman inside said as she awakened a few moments later, as if she had merely woken up from a nap and not from 6 months of stasis.

“Madame, there is a lot to discuss,” the officer said with a deviant glint in his eye.

-----

“And I was like ‘If you don't let me out of here, I’ll burn this entire place to nothing!’” Jeanne said, as she drunk a nearly boiling hot cup of coffee. “Of course the warden wasn't hearing that, and the next thing I know there is tranq in my neck, and I'm out of consciousness until just now.”

One of the lab techs rubbed his throat as he watched drink her coffee. “How? I don't get how you can hold anything that hot, let alone drink it.”

“I dunno myself. I just realized it after that Day of the Black Sky, my body became a lot more resistant to heat damage, let alone the fact that I can conjure fire like out of some kind of fantasy game. I mean of course I’d try to take advantage of that. You think I want to spend the rest of my life rotting in a max-security prison, no sir. And of course, as far as Justice is concerned, they were going to move Heaven and Earth to make sure someone like little ol’ me couldn’t get out to wreak havoc. Fat lot of good that did them in the end, right?” Jeanne said as she continued to drink her coffee.

“To that end, Miss Pahlavi, I want to offer you a position in the SPH proper, as part of our Red Division,” the officer said, as he put out a preliminary contract in front of the recently freed prisoner.

“Hrm, let’s see… judging by your name and my reputation, this Red Corps is fire-magic related?” Jeanne figured, as she looked through the surprisingly simple language of the contract.

“Indeed, miss. We are looking for good men and women who can help up develop magecraft and technology related to pyro-mana, and of course, the right souls who can use such things,” the officer replied.

“Anything to get me out of that damn prison, and to get back at all the people who put me there. I can’t even forget their faces at my sentencing. Putting a fair princess like me, in a prison cell? TO ROT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?! No, I cannot accept that, and I won't accept a world where that is all there is for me. I’d sooner see everything turned to smoldering ash, than be put in a 6’x8’ again for any amount of time.” Jeanne said, the anger in her face was quite evident to the other three in the room.

“Madame Pahlavi, you do right by us, and we will make quite the allowance for you to exact whatever revenge you feel will satiate you, or really do whatever else you want, to be quite frank,” the officer said, as he gently pointed back at the contract.

“Hrm, especially since you were so kind as to arrange for my release, how could I say no to such an arrangement,” Jeanne said as she signed the contract, formally making her part of the SPH’s growing magi-corps.

“Now of course we will provide you with the best of lodging and accommodations. But in accordance with your contract, you will mostly be interacting with the Southern Atlantic Seaboard Branch of the Reznokov Family,” the officer said, as he tapped a button on his compu-pad to send the copy of the signed documents back to the SPHs main servers.

“Hrm, I remember the last job I had been formally requested for was from the Reznokovs, though it was the Northern Atlantic Branch that time. Can you say why they want me operating from the South?” Jeanne asked of her contact-come-commanding-officer.

“They don’t want to say, apparently they want some level of separation with you getting caught and them having to burn a couple of their ‘officers’ to keep the main heads of the organization secure,” the officer replied.

“That figures…” Jeanne said, as she let some of the ambient red mana arc between her fingers. “The things I am going to do to that woman if I ever see her again… I had such a good thing going with my crew, and now we are, or at least were up the river or worse.”

“It is a new day Madame Pahlavi. Once we crush these little rebellions and drive the aliens back to whatever dimension they came from, we will have free reign to do what we will. You can have a castle, servants, the whole nine; we just need your talents, energy, and devotion to make it happen,” the officer replied, as he set up the com-link in his implants to the Reznokov’s offices in New Miami.

“The consider your wish granted,” the woman of French and Iranian descent replied, the devious glint on her face putting a chill into the lab technicians working alongside the officer in SPH’s labs.

[ Again, at the roughly same time, in Aomori, Japan ]

It was a quite early evening in the north of Honshu Island, the main island, if you will, of the Japanese archipelago. A very imposing figure of a woman sat by herself in a more-or-less private booth of a quiet restaurant near the Domes of Aomori, the most northern of the wealthy communities in the homeland proper. She sat there, as if she expected someone, and some things, though none of the other patrons would approach the imposing figure she cast: her jet black hair, almost permanent scowl, and a build that would have frightened most other people - her almost 160 lbs of muscle intimidating all those who saw her in the flesh, save a precious relative few.

“You know who she is?” one of the few patrons in the restaurant said as tried their best not to look like they were staring at a woman who looked cut out of a manga, save for impossible hairstyle.

“Yeah, they call her the Beast-Queen of the Cage; ever since she debuted like 3 years ago she’s been not just undefeated in the cage fights in the Circuit[4], but she’s beaten her opponents in less than 30 seconds in most of her matches,” the man eating with first patron replied.

“What was her name again? I think it was Kumajo…” the first patron wondered.

“I don’t think that’s her real name, but almost everyone, even the announcers call her that, so it stuck,” the second patron replied.

“It’s a fine name, don’t you think?” the aforementioned Kumajo stated in her deep, firm voice - one that seemed to exude confidence and, to those of soft will, dominance.

“Yes. Kumajo is a fine name, I may name my next daughter after it,” the second patron replied nervously, as the two patrons at the table could feel the presence of Kumajo when all she was doing was merely looking at them with neutral intent.

The first of the patrons continued to eat nervously with the other until they were sure, at least to themselves, Kumajo’s attention was elsewhere.

“You know what the rumors have been going around in the last couple of months…” the first said in a soft voice, trying to stay under the radar of the musclebound woman sitting 20 or so feet away from them.

“Yeah, they say she’s been under investigation for doping, but they haven’t found a test that even comes close to giving a positive hit for any of the common performance enhancers,” the second said, as he kept his voice low as well, not realizing that Kumajo could indeed hear both of them.

“I’ve heard worse than that.. I heard that now they are trying to investigate her for some kind of augment. Something that wouldn’t show up on a X-Ray or MRI-” the first started before the two felt a pair of very firm hands and forearms, one of each of their outside shoulders.

“Sirs, I could always give you all a demonstration of my natural talent if you’d like…” Kumajo stated with a firm gentleness that was masking a terrifying rage as she absolutely hated any assertion of having unnaturally gained her physique and skill in unarmed combat.

The two men began to sweat in a manner that was obvious to anyone observing, including the manager of the establishment, who did not want a sudden MMA ‘match’ to break out in the middle of his restaurant, especially given the guests he was soon to receive. “Ma’am, I would greatly appreciate it if you refrained from physically harming the rest of our patronage, as justified as your anger is in this moment.”

“We agree, Miss Kumajo. Conducting business over the moans of broken bodies would be a touch unseemly for the circumstances,” a trio of black-suited, arm-band wearing men said, holding a briefcase and small projector-computer.

“Sirs, is it time?” the manager of the restaurant asked one of the men, as he and the other workers all gathered near the entrance to look at the nationally renowned cage-fighter and the organization in apparent control of the country.

“Yes, the New Imperial Dawn humbly requests use of this restaurant to conduct negotiations with the one named Kumajo,” the first of the black-suited men stated with a firm resoluteness.

“Well I have no objections,” the manager said, as began ordering everyone out of the main dining area.

“That is good, because if you did have an objection, we may have had to apply our usual methods of… persuasion,” the second man said, as he snickered a bit.

“NO! No that won’t be necessary, see our patronage is already taking their leave!” the manager said, the anxiety in his voice becoming evident to everyone there.

Everyone eating and drinking quickly got the hint, as some of them could see the thauma-guns the third was holding underneath the suitcoat he was wearing.

A few minutes later, the dining area and the kitchen was completely clear of all but the four principles of negotiation - Kumajo and the three men representing the New Imperial Dawn.

“It seems like you have an offer for me, yes?” Kumajo asked, as she sat at one of the tables, bemused by the three suited men before her.

“Yes, miss. We would like to hire you in service for the New Imperial Dawn as a… contractor, if you will,” the lead negotiator replied.

“More like mercenary, but that’s a pendantic argument,” Kumajo corrected, already in some understanding of how the NID operated, hiring outsiders to itself or the SPH proper in order to give them some buffer in case an operation went sour.

“Contractor, mercenary, the exact terms you give yourself don’t matter to us. We just wanna pay you to help us clamp down on people like the Midnight Blossom. They’re working with the HEA and trying to bring that colluding government back into power, or at least eject us from our positions,” the second man elaborated.

“And why should I care about whomever claims that they are running this country? It’s not like anyone in the government or your organization has done anything for my benefit,” Kumajo replied with a stern tone, trying to be as polite as she could given who was standing in front of her.

“There is a rumor going around, Miss Kumajo. A rumor that goes something along the lines of your sponsors in the Circuit having trouble keeping you in their proverbial stable,” the third man said, as Kumajo’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh right, not only that, your fellow ladies in your weight class fear for their careers, and possibly their lives when they agree to a match with you. I mean, you can only wrestle bears for so long before your body breaks, right?” the second man added.

“What do I care? If those so-called women are too afraid to step in the cage with me, then I’m obviously the best female fighter on this entire damned chain of islands!” Kumajo exclaimed, as the three negotiators had clearly struck a nerve with the normally calm and reserved woman.

“You know as well as anyone: a fighter only has worth so long as she has an opponent. If no one is willing to sponsor you, nor is willing to fight you, I could only imagine the difficulty you’d have in maintaining your lifestyle,” the third man said, as he and the rest of the NID representatives figured they had a leverage point over Kumajo for whatever else they might need of her.

Kumajo sighed in frustration, as she found the assertions of the three negotiators correct. Damn, they’re right. At this rate I’ll be living in the slums again, this time to stay. I told myself ever since that day I would never set foot in those towers of poverty and ambivalence again…

“On the other hand, prove yourself to us like you have to the Circuit, and you won’t want for material possessions or resources ever again,” the first man stated confidently.

It’s at least eight months until my next scheduled match; I guess I can do this for them to keep money coming into the bank account. Not exactly what I’d think of an optimal side job, but at this point cash is cash… Kumajo thought to herself.

“Fine, show me what I need to sign in order to get this over with, and where I need to be for… whatever you need to get done,” she then replied aloud, as she resolved to at least try something, and letting the chips fall where they may.

A few moments later, a contract was produced, stating all the preliminary information at Kumajo would need to know as a contractor for the New Imperial Dawn. The first man recorded her signature and thumbprint, and shook her hand as firmly he could manage given the musculature difference between the two.

“You will not regret this decision, Miss … oh I think I might have heard this name before… can’t remember where though…” the second man started, before he read the name signed in triplicate on the e-paper that the contract was displayed on.

“My name may be my name, but I am my own woman,” Kumajo stated, as she stared a glare of ill intent into the eyes of the second negotiator.

“It’s no consequence to us either way. We only ask that you do what we ask of you, and you will be compensated duly,” the first negotiator said, seeing that their business was concluded; though his mind trailed off to a different, but related point.

“There will be a meeting in a couple of weeks’ time with representatives from the main branch of the SPH though… It seems word has gotten out about your, recently developed skillset. Something about a body that never seems to come down off a physical peak, right?”

Kumajo looked dead at the first man in the black suit, not sure what he was driving at but mad at the implication that her gifts were anything but natural.

“Miss, I don’t think you need to beat around the bush with us - the rate at which your body produces muscle and bone is far beyond what any human should without extremely specific training and assistance. Yet you found yourself developing muscles as powerful as any predator, bones hard as steel, and ligaments and joints flexible and resilient as nanofiber cables. Or to put it a different way, it is as if a supernatural power were specifically molding you into a warrior-goddess incarnate, if you forgive the poetic flourish. All of this… without ever so much as walking into a health clinic, let alone a surgeon’s office. One would rightly call you, at least if they didn’t understand the subtleties of the power that’s filling the world, a miracle of human development and growth, possibly of evolution itself,” the first negotiator said, as he sat in a chair directly across from Kumajo, meeting her stare with one of his own.

“Do you mean to imply something sprinkled fairy dust or the like on me, and all of a sudden I’ve become a hulking figure?” Kumajo stated, a growl to her voice as her anger was growing to a point she couldn’t restrain nearly as easily as before.

“No, nothing so obvious. The power that is filling this world is much more subtle, we believe, than just casting spells of the four fantasy powers. Though… one could reason the power to improve and grow the body as representing Earth itself, in both the sense of the ground and the planet,” the first negotiator replied.

Kumajo snorted in frustration, as she tried to release the emotional tension that had been building on her the last few minutes. “Whatever you want to think. Just tell me wherever this meeting is supposed to take place, so I can fulfill my contract. The only thing I care about right now is that my bank account stays deep in the black.”

“And that is perfectly fine Miss Kumajo, in any case, the meeting will be held here, and you will need to present this docu-slip to the doorman. I believe more things should become clear once you’ve had a chance to talk with our superiors and the representatives from the Americas,” the first negotiator said as he handed Kumajo a pair of e-paper slips; after which the three negotiators packed their things and began to leave so the manager could resume business.

[ April 16, 2082 -- SPH Headquarters, Manhattan Domes, USA ]
============================================================

“It appears that Project Therion is well underway, Leader-1,” now-Captain Linda Bowman reported directly to Peter, or Leader-1 as far as she knew, as she made her first report after completing the SPH’s Officer School as it was known internally.

“Thank you, also I wish to congratulate you Officer, or rather, Captain Bowman. I should hope that your efforts and results will match the title that we have conferred upon you,” Leader-1 stated, his red mask glistening in the low-powered light of the room he was broadcasting from on his end.

“Yes sir, I will do everything in my power to live up to the title that you all have given me, and to build a world of, by, and most especially for humans,” Linda replied in acknowledgement, gently and briefly bowing as she did.

“Also, I see that your course of Rejuvinus has had quite the effect on your visage and physique,” Leader-1 said, noticing how the woman looked a sight different than her file photo from when she first signed up over a year ago.

“I… appreciate it sir. I’m just glad that the chemists in our employ were able to find such a fine set of compounds. I would dare say that I feel healthier now than I did when I was actually the age that I look,” Linda replied, a bit confused at the praise of her physical presence, but deciding not to press the question any further than what courtesy would dictate.

“We must be examples for all people - and in all respects. We are building a new world, for a new humanity. If we do not live up to the principles that we have stated, then what good are we as the vanguard of this New Era?” Leader-1 thought aloud, not noticing, or really caring for the consternation that Cpt. Linda felt in that moment.

“We wouldn’t be of any good; we’d just be another organization who thought they could conquer the world, and nothing more,” Linda responded, showing Leader-1 she had been in contemplation of the ethics and overall morality of their venture in her down.

“It seems like you have quite the head on your shoulders, Miss Bowman. Keep thinking like that, and keep up your efforts in the field, and you will find yourself moving up in the world,” Leader-1 responded, as he cut the link - signaling the report of the newly christened captain was over.

“Right… all of this for a new world right? What good is it if the taint of humanity is not resolved?” Linda thought to herself, as she sat in the chair that sat in the modest ‘office’ she gained as a named captain. “Not only that, they’ve never found Andrew’s body. How can I move on with my life overall if I cannot completely bury my past. And that thing that claimed to be my son. That vile blue creature made so many claims that day, then grew into that veritable nightmare, but after that, absolutely nothing. No evidence he was even there, let alone what he did. There are still too many questions surrounding myself before I even think about moving up in this organization beyond this point.”

“Captain Bowman, I was just sent to tell you that there is a staff officer’s meeting in a couple of hours, so might want to get yourself ready,” Jeffrey said, as he popped his head into the officer whose door was left wide open.

I need to remember I have a door I can close before I really get myself in trouble… Cpt. Linda thought to herself as she found herself staring at Jeffrey yet again. And what is with this kid? Every time I look at him there is this subtle familiarity I should recognize, but I can’t. I hate it when I have these feelings I can’t completely define…

“Alright, I was done with my report to the Leadership anyway. So that Mister Grant you met has been sent on his way?” Linda asked of the recruit-now-member who she had met almost a week previous.

“Yeah, his tests checked out for aeromancy, so they’re sending him to the facility near Chicago,” Jeffrey responded.
“Ok, so, what are you doing, aside from bringing me that message?” Linda asked of Jeffrey.

“Taking advantage of some of the VR Simulator machines. Since I’m part of the Society, I figure I have to be ready to pull my weight no matter what I’m asked to do, right?” Jeffrey replied.

“I see. Keep up that enthusiasm, but don’t lose sight of why you’re here, along with everyone else,” Linda replied with a mild admonishment.

“No, no I remember. I’m doing this to make sure those aliens and those monsters don’t take away what we’ve built as a species. This world is going to be built for us and by us, or we’re going to die trying,” Jeffrey replied, with all the conviction he could muster in his almost-20 year old soul.

“Good. That’s good. That’s what I and the rest of us want to hear. Keep that attitude up, and there is no telling what heights you’ll reach with us,” Linda replied, inwardly chuckling at the almost zealous nature of Jeffrey’s statements.

Why couldn’t you be like this for me, Andre? I’ll never understand where we came apart as a family…

=== ~~ ===

Author's Notes:

[1] Aspect: in terms of Elementalist magecraft, it is the alignment of mana or a mana-imbued object to a particular element, or lack thereof, and it’s propensity for attracting mana of the same intensity (magnitude of the aspect would refer to intensity of attraction). EX: a water-aspected crystal is one that constantly attracts water mana to itself.
[2] Tau Engine: A concentrator and converter of Thaumatic-Tau particles, an ‘aspected’ engine uses continuous spellcraft to gather any mana of that aspect, of if not enough is available, convert ambient mana into the given aspect
[3] In this timeline, sometime in the 2040s all Federally-owned and run facilities that housed inmates convicted by Federal Courts by the Department of Justice were officially designated a Federal Correctional Institute

[4] The ‘Circuit’ refers to the [Japanese] National Mixed-Martial Arts Fighting Circuit, the formal ‘above’-ground MMA circuit that <Anti-Earth> fights in as her nominal profession