> Destiny: Guardians of Harmony
>  by Teejaeche
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
Chapter one	
I have told you many stories of the wolf, of the pack that gives it its strength… but have I told you of the horse?  Ages ago, there were many ancient cultures that believed that the horse was aspect to many things; nobility, strength, wisdom, speed… and even courage.  While some saw the horse as a way to travel quickly, or even as a beast of burden, others saw in it a faithful companion and a proud soul that could not be tamed; one that would face any darkness without fear in defense of its loved ones.  The horse bore mighty legs that would carry it swiftly over the wild, untamed lands, going wherever it saw fit to run without fear, for the noble horse knew no bounds; it knew only freedom.


Twilight Sparkle sat on a cushion at the other end of a telescope, placed on a balcony outside the highest room in the tallest tower in the new castle that had been created in Ponyville.  She’d personally had this particular chamber converted into an observatory so that she could look at the stars high in the night sky.  Contrary to popular belief in Equestria, Princess Luna did not raise the stars in the sky as she did the moon.  According to her; every star in the sky was actually a colossal orb of fire with a system of planets surrounding them, some of which were similar to Equus in nature.  She knew of these other “star systems” because she had traveled to them through the dreamscape and observed these alien worlds through the memories of those who occupied them.

There was one in particular that she insisted was her favorite and was far closer than the others.  She called it “Sol” because that was what the inhabitants thought of it as.  Princess Luna loved it so because at one time, many centuries past, the system had been blessed with a time of great prosperity invoked by a being known only as “The Traveler”.  However, the inhabitants had been decimated by some unknown enemy that was referred to as “The Darkness”.  This great foe, one that had hunted this “Traveler” for eons before it had created the time of prosperity, had almost completed wiped out the inhabitant race of this star system.  However, the alien race had not been so easily defeated.
Their world ravaged and their cities in ruin, the inhabitants had retreated to what seemed to be the only safe haven left to them; a singular city protected by their Traveler.  From there, Luna had told her, they had reformed and begun to strike back at the adversary that had laid them low in a desperate attempt to survive.  This was why, Luna said, that the Sol System was her favorite.  They had been beaten and broken by a great foe, but they had not lost hope and continued to struggle for their survival against many enemies.

Twilight Sparkle put down her quill and set her notes on the Sol System aside.  She had to admit, this system’s story made for an incredible read and, with a little creativity, could probably become a great book; maybe one of the best ever written!  She gazed into the telescope; angled toward the star Princess Luna had said was the one where the Sol System was situated around.  Unfortunately, even with her mighty telescope, the star appeared as nothing more than a slighter bigger pinprick of light to her eyes.  She gave an audible sigh.

“I wonder what they look like…” she murmured quietly, and then leaned back from the viewing lens and yawned.  “What time is it?”  She glanced at a clock and chuckled to herself; it read half past three in the morning.  “I should go to bed; it’s probably going to be a busy day tomorrow.”

With that she stood, stretched the stiffness out of her withers and wing muscles, and strode out of the observatory.

_

Easily a dozen bright blue projectiles whizzed over her head from behind as she raced down the hall, with several of the bolts seeming to alter trajectory to track her as she moved.  The cloaked figure ran into a large room, leapt nimbly over a stack of crates and promptly threw herself against them for cover.  She quickly popped the magazine out of her rifle, slapped a fresh one home, pulled the action to chamber a round and rose from cover to return fire to the lanky aliens that had been pursuing her.

“You’re just brilliant, y’know that, Aveline?!”  An electronic voice chirped sarcastically in her comm.  “I mean, who could have known that killing their Archon would drive the Fallen into a homicidal frenzy!”

“I doubt they needed the excuse to shoot at us, Lance.”  Aveline replied as she ducked to avoid more blue projectiles.  She heard a snarl, followed by furious shouting in an alien language.  “Besides, we wanted them to chase us for a while; we’re the distraction, remember?”

“Well we certainly managed that one; I’m picking up tons of motion and there’s a lot more heading our way.”  Lance replied, his electronic voice slightly worried. “Mind telling me what step two was again?” Aveline was about to reply when her comm crackled to life.

“This is Samson-12, I’ve secured the package.  How’re things on your end?”  A voice said.

“Gospel here.  I’m doing just peachy, thanks for asking, Sam.”  Another voice responded, the muffled sound of gunfire could just barely be heard.  “I mean, what Guardian doesn’t want a couple dozen crazed Fallen shooting at them with everything and the kitchen sink?”

“This is Aveline, it is a real party down here, and I think they like me.”  Aveline stated into her comm as she carefully shot her foes in the head, causing some kind of bright smoke to come out of them.  “A few of them are getting pretty ‘friendly’ if you know what I mean.”

“You’re not giving them the wrong impression, are you Aveline?”  Gospel replied, teasing.  “It’s not nice to lead someone on, y’know.”

Aveline smiled.  “It is not my fault they think I would look better with a few extra holes in me.”  She popped out of cover and expertly snapped her sight between several low – ranking Dregs and a mid – ranked, four – armed Vandal, her Vanguard – issue scout rifle reporting four shots and four puffs of light confirming kills.

“I need a sitrep, Aveline.”  Samson-12 said over the comm.

“The situation is that it sucks, Samson.”  Lance responded instead as Aveline continued to pepper the Fallen with riflefire.  “I think we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque; we’re at a dead-end and the Fallen have us trapped like rats in a cage.”

“Sounds like you made it to Pismo Beach to me.”  Gospel stated nonchalantly.  “Could you wait up for us?  I hear the Mimosas are otherworldly down there.”

“Oh haha, I see what you did there.”  Lance drawled.  “It was so funny I forgot to laugh.”

“I can’t guarantee Lance won’t drink them all before you get here, Gospel.”  Aveline teased as she reached for a new magazine and discovered that her reserve was empty.  “That… is not good.”

“Trouble?”  Samson asked.

“Oh nothing much, aside from the fact that we’re under heavy fire and Aveline just ran out of ammo.”  Lance dead-panned and Aveline rolled her eyes.  “Well, it was nice knowing all of you, but it appears that this is the end of the line for us.”

Aveline peeked out from cover, but ducked back when a blue streak slammed into the crate.

“I have been in worse situations.”  She said as she pressed her back against the crates, the sound of the Fallen projectiles bursting against the boxes on the other side.  “Maybe they will run out of ammo too, you never know.”

The sounds of the shock weapons discharging stopped and there was a series of barking in the same alien language, followed by the sound of feet scuffling against the dirt and Aveline knew that the Fallen had figured out that she’d run out of ammo.  She closed her eyes, pulled her knife from it’s sheathe and readied herself, drawing upon the light granted to her by the Traveler.  She started counting; measuring the last known positions of the Fallen, the amount of footsteps made by the approaching assailants, and prepared to strike.  On “six” she charged her blade, filling it with electricity, and on “ten” she sprang quickly around the box and slashed with her combat knife, severing the surprised Dreg’s carotid arteries in one motion.  The Fallen’s lifeless corpse had barely started to fall as she rushed the nearest Vandal and flipped her grip on her knife, stabbing up and into the Vandal’s heart.  Without missing a beat she turned toward the last two approaching Dregs and used the light-charged knife to create a deadly wave of electricity that fell over them, causing the Fallen to fly backwards as their bodies were consumed by the hungering energy.  She turned to face the rest of the Fallen and saw dozens of their shock weapons pointed at her, with the shielded Captain standing at the front, holding a menacing gun that she recognized as a shrapnel launcher.  The hulking Fallen grinned and laughed at her.

“Not many of your kind display such technique with the blade; it is commendable.”  He aimed the shrapnel launcher at her.  “However, you are still less than unworthy of my own.  Make peace with your Traveler, vermin, for not even it can save you now.”

Aveline stared at the Fallen Captain and grinned roguishly, though the alien could not see it.  A new detail had turned up on her motion sensor; two blue arrows almost on top of each other.

“I could be wrong, scavenger, but I think you may have forgotten one minor detail.”

The Fallen Captain growled angrily, having taken offense at being called “scavenger”.

“And what ‘detail’ am I missing, ‘Guardian’?”

She stood up and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Guardians rarely work alone.” 

The Fallen Captain growled, louder this time, and readied his gun to fire, but he never got the chance because at that precise moment the ceiling directly over his head crashed downward with a sound like thunder and the Captain was replaced by a bulky suit of red and blue armor, the air around it arcing with angry tendrils of electricity.  The other Fallen were stunned for a moment before they began to unload their shock weapons at the new opponent.  It was in vain, however, as the newcomer completely disregarded the projectiles ricocheting off his heavy armor as he stood and tossed Aveline an ammo synthesizer, a special device that was used to replenish ammunition reserves in an instant.

“Thanks Samson.  Where’s Gospel?”  She asked as she pressed a button on the cartridge.  It disappeared in her hands and she retrieved a new magazine from her freshly restocked ammo reserve.

As if to answer her question, a ball of purple light roared through the hole in the ceiling toward the Fallen that were howling and throwing alien curses at them for slaying yet another one of their authority figures.  They were drowned out by the following explosion and then there was silence as the few surviving aliens decided that they would be better off living to fight another day.  After a moment a figure wearing a long white coat dropped from the ceiling next to Samson.

“Doing what I do best, darling; spreading the Word of God unto the heathen masses.”  Gospel stated as he strode confidently down the rubble, making a conscious effort to avoid the bluish liquid pooling from underneath it.  “Besides, I’d never let one of my favorite ladies out to dry without dinner first.”

“I think you would have better luck with one of the Cabal, player.”  Samson said matter-of-factly and Gospel slumped comically while Aveline giggled.

“Thanks Sam, you really know how to kill a mood.”

“Alright you two, I think we should leave this place.”  Aveline said.  “We got what we came for, so there is no more reason to stay is there?”

The other two Guardians nodded in agreement and they took turns jumping through the hole in the ceiling to leave the facility.  Once they exited the decrepit building, three small porcupine-like machine known to the Guardians as Ghosts appeared.  The one over Aveline’s shoulder made a sound as if taking a deep breath.

“Ah, if only I had olfactory senses, I could actually know what ‘fresh air’ smells like.”  Lance said, glancing around at the overgrown ruins of Venus.

“Well, let me see what I can do about that one, Lance.”  Samson’s Ghost replied in a feminine voice, floating over to Aveline’s and Lance immediately flew away from it.

“Oh no, Gauge, I am not letting you anywhere near me!”  He told the other Ghost, causing it to giggle.  “Traveler only knows what else you’d do to me!”

“I don’t know Lance, it might be an improvement.”  Piped Gospel’s Ghost and Lance turned to it, his spines angling in a way that suggested an unamused glare.

“Okay then, how about we let Gauge mess with your systems, Scripture?”  Lance snapped and Gauge turned to Scripture, bobbing excitedly.

“Oh can I?”  She asked and Scripture’s fins spread suddenly in a way suggesting panic and he looked around quickly, looking up in a way reminiscent of relief when they heard the sounds of engines indicating the arrival of their jumpships.

“Oh, uh… I think it’s time we left!”  He said quickly, turning to Gospel.  “Preparing transmat!”

And Gospel disappeared, his Ghost having transported his physical body into the cockpit of his jumpship.  The others looked at each other briefly before doing the same.  Once aboard, they each put in the coordinates for Earth and initiated their ship’s warp drives.  Upon reaching their destination they angled toward a large orb, visible from space, and headed toward the Last City on Earth.  As they approached, their comms crackled to life.

“Jumpship registrations and identifications acknowledged: Welcome home, Guardians.”

Their ships hovered briefly over a large open area and the Ghosts transmatted the fireteam onto the landing that served as the common grounds for all Guardians inhabiting the Tower, where they were greeted by a robed representative of the Crypto-archeologists.  Samson walked over to him and held out a small object that had a pale, prismatic glow to it.

“I believe you asked for this?”  He inquired and the cryptarch gingerly took the object from his gauntleted hand.

“Wonderful, I knew you would pull through for us!”  He exclaimed as he looked into the depths of the engram.  “So unusual… very different from the other encrypted engrams that Guardians usually secure for us.”

“What do you think it is, some kind of weapon or ship?”  Aveline asked quizzically and the cryptarch furrowed his brow.

“I… do not believe so, no.”  He replied carefully.  “I shall gather my decryption team and we will get to work on this engram, though I am unsure how long it will take to decode; I have never seen such elaborate encryption before.”

“Whatever’s inside must be valuable then.”  Samson stated.

Aveline nodded.  “Obviously.  Why else would the Fallen want it so bad?”

“I don’t care why the Fallen wanted it.”  Gospel said, drawing one of his handcannon and examining it.  “They wanted it, which meant I wanted it more.”

“Good enough reason for me.”  Samson agreed with a nod of his head and then turned to leave.  “I’ll go file the mission report with the Commander.”

“Yeah, you go do that, big guy.”  Gospel said, holstering his hand cannon with a flourish.  “I’m going to get changed and head down to the bar, maybe I’ll find some pretty ladies to talk to.”

Aveline nodded and they each said their farewells as they went their separate directions.  Once Aveline had gotten to her chambers, she shed her grimy leathers and cloak and put them inside of a device specially designed to clean clothing and armor.  That done, the Awoken put on a simple t-shirt bearing the logo of the Crucible and pair of slacks she’d made herself and looked around at her living quarters.

Every Guardian received a personal living space in the Tower, though they were often sparsely furnished; consisting mainly of a bed, a small table and two chairs, with a few personal effects here or there depending on the Guardian.  The reason for this was not that Guardians weren’t allowed to decorate their living quarters, but because most Guardians were not in them long enough to do more than sleep and put on fresh clothing.  However, the Guardians that stayed in the Tower for extended periods of time did, in fact, furnish their apartments much more elaborately.

Aveline fiddled with a small device on the wall of her living unit, causing some music to start playing.  It was a song created by a band of Old Earth, long before The Traveler had been discovered and the Golden Age had begun.  She’d found the song, along with countless other tracks with some made by the same artist and the others by many more, in an old data storage device she’d discovered on the Moon.  There had been other storage devices there as well, containing other data such as vids and pictures of people she didn’t recognize and was sure had long been dead; whether killed by The Darkness that ended the Golden Age or by the slow hand of time, she was unsure, though she had saved all the information on a newer storage device that she had then given to the Speaker so that the memories enclosed would be given proper care.

Once the music had started playing, she laid a mat on the floor and sat on it to meditate.  Her Ghost, Lance, floated near the music player on the wall, probably making sure that her music selection remained accurate and rotating out some songs for other ones in the vast library of albums she owned; she was often surprised by his decisions and had yet to find a song she didn’t like.  She had decided that she preferred Old Earth music to the music that tended to play in the bars and dance halls of the current time.  She sat, loosening her muscles and allowing the melody to flow through her; the percussion of the drums, the chords of a stringed instrument long lost to history, and a deep, almost inaudible rhythmic thrumming that somehow added substance to the song and pulled it together into something almost magical.
Her reverie was broken by the sudden and abrupt sound of someone knocking on her door and she sighed and stood up. She touched a button on the same panel currently playing music.

“Yes, who is it?”

“Oh you know who it is, sweetheart.  Can I come in please?”

She rolled her eyes and pressed another button, causing her door to open with a slight hiss.  Gospel was on the other side wearing an outfit not unlike his combat garb, though lacking in armor plating and a helmet.  It was also clean and free of the marks of combat.  He walked in casually, his Ghost Scripture floating beside him, and grimaced slightly.

“I don’t get how you can enjoy this stuff, Aveline.”  He said and Aveline shrugged.  “Why do you insist on listening to this when there is so much better available?”

“It is history, Gospel; it is something to be remembered and respected, not to mention I find it to be much more tasteful.”  She replied, walking back to her mat and sitting.  Gospel decided to sit on the bed while Scripture floated over to Lance and started scanning the music player too.  Lance looked at him and Aveline got the impression the Ghost was slightly irritated.  “Besides, I don’t think we’ve found a song you will like just yet; the amount of musical data is simply huge and it barely took up a fraction of the unit that held it.”

“It was approximately seven-hundred and fifty gigabytes of data.  The storage unit in question could hold several score of terabytes worth of data.”  Lance stated matter-of-factly.  “Your average Ghost could handle the entire contents of the library duplicated several times over and still have room to spare, but I’m sure you knew that already.”

“Right…”  Gospel said hesitantly.  “Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to head down to the club or something to wind down.”

Aveline thought for a moment before giving a shrug of her shoulders.

“Alright, but you shall have to leave so I may change.”  She replied as she turned Gospel around and gave him a gentle shove towards the door.

“Come on, Aveline.”  He said in a mock – serious tone.  “It’s not like you’ve got anything I haven’t already seen.”

“That is not the point, Gospel.”  She replied, smirking.  “We may kill the armies of darkness together, but that doesn’t mean I am not a lady, and ladies need privacy, so out.”

Once he was outside, Aveline pressed the button on her panel to make the door hiss closed, leaving Gospel outside with Scripture, who turned in the air to look at him.

“Maybe next time, Boss.”  He said, reassuringly.

> Chapter Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter two


Twilight Sparkle’s eyes drooped as she sat at the table, her mind barely registering what Spike was saying.

“Filthy Rich wants to run to become the new Ponyville Treasurer, but Mayor Mare won’t allow him to be on the ballot unless he steps down as CEO of Barnyard Bargains, so he’s petitioning us to overrule her because he says that ‘Barnyard Bargains is a family business’ and should stay that way.”

“Uh-huh…” Twilight murmured sleepily as she slowly chewed her breakfast and Spike cocked an eye at her before continuing.

“After that, we’ve got a visitor from the minotaur kingdoms called Steel Plate who’s looking to start a chain of fitness centers in Equestria and wants to open the first one in Ponyville.”

“Yep…”  Twilight replied, her head drooping slowly and Spike narrowed his eyes.

“And then Rarity wants to have lunch to discuss the décor in the castle.”

“Sounds fun…”  Her eyes began to close and the spoon she’d been holding with her magic slipped back into the bowl and didn’t come out again.  Spike looked at her over the scroll.

“And finally Princess Celestia wants you to go to Canterlot because Nightmare Moon and Discord have teamed up and turned the entirety of Canterlot into daisy sandwiches.”

“Good for…” She ended her sentence with a soft snore and her head finally succumbed to gravity, falling into the bowl with a splat.

“Twilight!”  Spike shouted and she immediately jerked her head out of the bowl, startled.

“I’m awake!”  She exclaimed, louder than she needed to.  “I was just resting my eyes!”

Spike stared at her incredulously.

“You were ‘resting your eyes’ in your oatmeal, Twilight.”  Spike said flatly, and she lifted a hoof to her mane, scraping some of the cereal off and looking at it.  “Again; it was funny the first couple of times, but now it’s starting to get old.”

“I’m sorry Spike.”  The unicorn replied, yawning.  “I was up late working on my astrology again.”

“Did you even hear anything I said?”  He asked and Twilight glared at him.

“Of course I did!”  She said indignantly.  “Honestly, who do you take me for; Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh really?”  Spike said flatly.  “Then what’re you going to do about today’s agenda?”

Twilight levitated a rag over to herself to wipe the oatmeal out of her mane and off her muzzle.

“Just because I have a castle now doesn’t mean I’m going to start overturning the duly elected Mayor Mare.  If she says ‘no’ than I don’t feel a reason to say otherwise and I’m sure my friends would agree.  I’m sorry, but Mister Rich is simply going to have to either find an alternative or make a compromise.” 

“What about Steel Plate?”  He asked and this time Twilight looked thoughtfully at her bowl.

“While I’m sure there are ponies that would approve of having a new fitness center in Ponyville, the selling or leasing of property for commercial purposes is the territory of the Ponyville Zoning Board; he’ll have to take it up with them.  You can go ahead and tell him that while I can’t guarantee any land to build on or buildings to lease, he at least has my support.”

“Okay, and Rarity?”  He asked, almost hopefully and Twilight sighed.

“Of course I’ll meet her for lunch, that’s not even a question.”  She told him and then she looked at the window.  “This place could use a little sprucing up; it’s like living inside of a cave right now.”

“Tell me about it…”  Spike grumbled as he rolled up the scroll containing the day’s agenda.  “I really miss that old tree, you know?”

“Yeah… me too.”  Twilight told him with a sad sigh, and then stood up, levitating her bowl with her magic and depositing it in the sink.  “And Spike?”

“Yeah, Twilight?”

“I’m sure Luna would have bigger plans than to help Discord turn everypony into daisy sandwiches if she ever became Nightmare Moon again.”  She said, smirking.  “You get an ‘A’ for effort, though.  Come on; let’s go see how the renovations are coming along.”

Spike leapt off his chair and onto her back and Twilight trotted out of the kitchen, and subsequently the designated living area, into the first floor of the castle that had quite literally sprung out of the ground after she and her friends had triumphed over Tirek.  

Unfortunately, the tree–turned–library she had called home didn’t survive the conflict which meant that, like it or not, the castle created by the Tree of Harmony’s lockbox was now her home.  The first thing she did upon moving into the castle was to hire a contractor to come out and start remodeling most of the first floor into a new library.  

However, she couldn’t replace many other things that had been lost in the battle with Tirek, primarily the many mementos of her adventures with her friends.  They’d managed to find a few intact items, but like the library, almost all of her dearest possessions and gifts had been lost, if not to the initial destruction of the tree, then to the subsequent fire that had resulted.   Few of the books in the library had survived Tirek’s wrath and fewer still had been legible enough to read.

As she trotted down the corridor to where the contractor worked on the castle’s library extensions, she thought back to Tirek and was reminded about the unseen damage he’d wrought upon her.  She had been inside the library when he’d attacked it and had only just managed to escape with Owlowiscious, her owl, before it exploded.  Everything had been going so fast at the time, but once she’d calmed down and begun picking up the pieces of her home, she’d started to become very much aware of just how close she’d come to dying that day… and the thoughts haunted her.  

One of the reasons she had not been able to sleep at night was because she was having constant nightmares that even Princess Luna could not chase away.  In fact, Luna had flat–out told Twilight that her nightmares were not a creation of the dreamscape, but of her own, damaged mind, and that Twilight needed help the Moon Princess simply could not give.  Owlowiscious, though, was still incredibly skittish, particularly around fire and tended to bolt if there was a sudden, loud noise.

She entered the large, open area that was swiftly becoming the new library for Ponyville and saw the carpenter, Floor Plan, at a desk going over logistics with a burly earth pony stallion wearing a hard hat, indicating in a direction occasionally.  As Twilight approached the hard hat wearing mare, the stallion she was talking to looked up, saw the princess, bowed and departed to resume his work.

“Sorry if we woke ya up, Princess.”  Floor Plan said nonchalantly, turning to Twilight.  “Ya here ta check on the construction?”

“It’s fine, Floor Plan.”  Twilight replied.  “And yes, I did.  I have to say, it’s looking pretty good, you seem to be working faster than I expected!”

Floor Plan laughed haughtily at Twilight’s remark.  

“Don’t be sayin’ things like that, Princess, you’re gonna make me blush!”  She said, grinning.  “What didja expect when ya hired the best carpenter this side of Equestria, anyway?”

“I can honestly say I don’t know.”  Twilight replied with a smile of her own.  “Do you mind if we go take a look around?”

Floor Plan looked at Twilight quizzically.  “Of course, go right ahead, though I gotta say ain’t much has changed since ya last seen it, Your Highness.”

“I know.”  Twilight told Floor Plan.  “But I’d like to see how everything is coming along anyway.”

“Well, far be it from me ta stop ya, then.  Just make sure ya cover yer heads; I don’t want the royal guard breathin’ down my neck if somethin’ were to happen to ya in here.”  Floor Plan said, and then turned back to the desk to examine the blueprints laid out on it while Twilight began to trot through the construction zone, quarter domes of force over her and Spike’s heads.



“Hey Aveline, wake up!”

Lance’s voice caused Aveline to sit up sharply, her knife drawn and her luminescent yellow eyes looking about for trouble before turning them towards her ghost.

“What time is it...?”  She asked drowsily as her spike of adrenaline began to fade.

“It’s oh–five–thirty, Aveline.”  Lance replied, hovering in front of her.  “Stoneface just called for us, specifically.  What do you want to do?”

Aveline yawned and rose from her bed, stretching.  “I suppose we need to go see what the Vanguard wants from us, Lance.”  She replied, walking over to her closet and stepping inside to change.  “You should be more respectful to Commander Zavala; he is an accomplished Guardian and fought the Darkness longer than we have.”

“Is that so?”  Lance said dryly.  “He seems more like an accomplished stick–in–the–mud if you ask me.”

“And I do not believe he is very amused when you backtalk him, Lance.”  Aveline countered, chuckling.

“Oh, I am so sorry for not sucking up to Commander Hardass like a good little soldier.”  Lance retorted indignantly, garnering another chuckle from Aveline as she stepped from the closet clad in her protective leathers, her semi-automatic scout rifle slung over her back and a handcannon in its holster on her thigh.

“Come on, Lance.  We should report to Zavala.”  She said wryly and Lance disappeared.  

That done, she departed her living quarters and strode to the lift, pressing the panel that would take her up to the Tower landing.  After a minute, the door of the lift hissed open and revealed the hooded figure of the Hunter Vanguard representative, Cayde–6.  The Exo’s optics settled on Aveline and the intricate plates that comprised his face shifted into a smile.

“Ah, Aveline.  I guess Commander Sphincter called you too?”  He said as she stepped into the elevator, pressing the panel to make it resume its journey.

“See?  Even Cayde thinks Zavala’s got a stick up his ass.”

“Do you know what he wants us for?”  She asked, ignoring Lance’s comment, and Cayde shrugged.  “I thought the Vanguard shared all their intel with each other.”

“Normally, yeah.”  He replied casually.  “I think that’s why he called for your team as well; whatever he wants us to know, he wants us all to know it at the same time.  Tells me it must be pretty damn important if he’s hurrying to mobilize Guardians.”  The door hissed open and he gestured for Aveline to exit first, following her once she did.  “I’d hazard a guess that it’s got something to do with that fancy engram you forked over to the Cryptos yesterday.”

“Really?  They told us it was unlike any other engram they’d ever seen before.”  She said as they descended the stairs towards the Hall of Guardians that the Vanguard used as their command center.  “That it would take much longer to decrypt.”

“They said they didn’t know how long it would take, Aveline.”  Replied a familiar voice.  Cayde and Aveline stopped and looked in the direction of the voice to see Samson walking towards them, his helmet under one arm.  “It looks like they found something already, though, and it must be important because Master Rahool is here in person.”

Aveline’s eyes opened wide in surprise; the head of the Crypto – Archeologists rarely ever showed his face these days.  Cayde – 6, on the other hand, merely rolled his optics and gave a sigh.

“Shiny, all of my favorite people gathered together in one room.”  He said dryly.  “Nice to hear the old scrooge is still hanging around.  This should be fun.”

Aveline looked at Cayde curiously, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’m… guessing there is some bad blood between you two?”  She asked and Cayde waved her off, continuing into the command center.

“Long story, boring as hell.”  He replied.  “Come on, the others are waiting and Rahool doesn’t like it when people are late.”

They walked into the Hall of Guardians to see that they were the last to arrive, with Gospel standing next to a robed human woman; the Warlock Vanguard representative, Ikora Rey.  Further down the table they saw a robed Awoken, his pale, luminescent eyes turning to regard them with almost lazy apathy, and Aveline instantly recognized him as the Crypto – Archeologist leader, Master Rahool.  The last figure, another Awoken standing at the head of the table with a shaved head and gleaming, heavy armor, was none other than the Titan Vanguard representative, Commander Zavala.  

Zavala straightened up as Aveline, Samson, and Cayde took positions around the table, each of them noticing the cold, stoic way Rahool’s eyes followed Cayde – 6’s path, with the Exo giving a brief, almost imperceptible grin as he stood on the opposite side of the table from the Cryptarch.

“Now that we’re all here, Guardians, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you.”  Zavala began, and then he gestured toward the Cryptarch.  “Master Rahool, if you would.”

“Yesterday, Fireteam Wisp was sent into a Golden Age installation on Venus in order to retrieve an object of worth to the Fallen.”  He began, fiddling with a panel on the table, causing a projection of the engram they’d retrieved from Venus to appear.  “The Crypto – Archeologists began decrypting it at once and while we have not yet decoded as much of the engram as we would like, we have discovered something remarkable.”  He pushed down on the panel, causing a series of numbers to appear on screen.

“A bunch of numbers?”  Gospel said, unimpressed.  “Seriously?  I thought this was important.”

The Cryptarch glared at him menacingly and the Warlock wilted slightly.  Cayde glanced at Gospel, and then returned his gaze toward Rahool.

“Seeing as how some of us don’t get the significance here, Rahool, why don’t you enlighten us?”  He said, garnering a cold stare and silence from the Cryptarch.  Ikora, on the other hand, stared thoughtfully at the digits.

“It has been awhile since I last flew a jumper…”  She said slowly.  “But those look an awful lot like coordinates.”  Zavala nodded.

“Yes, they are coordinates.”  He said, and then pushed a button on his own panel, causing the display to change to a satellite view of Earth, though it methodically began zooming out.

“So where do they lead?”  Samson asked, leaning on the table to get a closer look.  “Somewhere on Earth?”  Zavala shook his head and Samson’s faceplates shifted in confusion as the holo zoomed further out.  “The Moon?  Venus?  Mars?”  When Zavala didn’t respond, Samson straightened up and spoke in a hushed tone.  “…Mercury?”

“No, they do not lead to any planet within the inner Sol System, or the outer.”  Rahool stated.  “In fact…”

The display changed, replacing Earth with hundreds of tiny pinpricks of light and a cursor appeared to indicate one of the lights.  Cayde made a whistling noise and Ikora leaned in closer.  Aveline merely put a hand over her mouth, completely disbelieving what she was looking at.

“These coordinates… are for a planet in a completely different star system.”



The train gave out a long whistle when it stopped, informing those who waited at the station to prepare to board while the conductor made sure everypony currently onboard was either staying or going.  Among those departing was a strange yellow – coated mare wearing a simple cape, wide – brimmed hat, and aviator sunglasses with a mirrored finish.  She gazed around the station and saw a rough – looking pegasus stallion with an off - white coat and short – cropped, dark brown mane standing off to the side, looking amongst the departing crowd as if he were searching for somepony.  The mare trotted nonchalantly next to him and pretended to look at the periodicals.

“What did you need, Uncharted Fortune?”  She asked, her voice low so that only he could hear her.  For his part, he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“That depends.”  He replied curiously.  “Who’s asking?”

The mare turned her head slightly and scowled.

“You know very well who.”  She said, agitated.  “You called me here, Fortune.”

Fortune’s eyes widened in realization and he smiled.

“Oh!”  He exclaimed.  “Sorry, didn’t recognize you under all those clothes, Da-”

The mare immediately shoved her hoof over his mouth to interrupt him before he could reveal her identity.

“If you say my name, Uncharted Fortune, then I swear to Celestia that I will make sure the next bed you wake up in is in a hospital!”  Daring Do hissed angrily, but Uncharted Fortune chuckled.

“Hey, easy.”  He said when she removed her hoof. “I was just messing with you, Compass Rose.”

Daring Do and Uncharted Fortune turned and began trotting down the platform.

“So, why’d you call me, Fortune?”  Daring asked the stallion again.

“Well, I got a friend here who wrote me saying he found some ruins up in the Crystal Mountains.”  He told her jovially.  “I figured you’d like to come check it out with us.”

“Us?!”  Daring exclaimed and Fortune put a hoof on her withers.

“Relax, it’s just a few of my buddies.”  He said soothingly.  “I haven’t told any of them who you are so no big deal.”

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but my face is on the cover of every Daring Do book from here to Tartarus.”  She told him.  “Just about everypony and their grandmother would recognize me.”

“Oh yeah…” He said thoughtfully.  “Well, I’ll figure something out when we get to my place.”

“Ugh…”  She groaned, facehoofing.  “Why I’m your friend, I’ll never know.”

“It’s because I’m roguishly charming and handsome, sweetheart.”  He said and Daring hoofed him hard.
	
> Chapter Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“You want what kind of ship?!”

The hangar in their immediate vicinity had gone quiet at this exclamation, with the surrounding workers and automata ceasing their actions to look in the direction of the blonde shipwright, Amanda Holliday.  She looked around at the ceased activity and scowled.

“The hell you all lookin’ at?!”  She barked, causing the workers to start and look at each other.  “Get back to work, slackers!”

There was a flurry of hastily–resumed activity as the workers bumped into each other to get back to their jobs.  Satisfied they were no longer listening, Holliday turned back to the Exo Titan in front of her.

“Explain to me one more time why exactly it is that you need a larger ship?”  She asked grouchily.

“My team found an engram that turned out to have coordinates for a planet in a neighboring star system and we need a long–distance ship outfitted for deep space travel and use as a mobile base of operations.”  Samson replied robotically and Holliday pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes.  “We were wondering if you had one or maybe a schematic for one.”

The shipwright was silent for a long moment before she sighed and opened her eyes, glaring angrily at the Titan.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the parts for just those jury-rigged, short–range jumpships you Guardians pilot around the inner system?”  She asked angrily and Samson gave an artificial sigh.

“You know I do, Holliday; my team and I are in here twice a week to make sure our ships are space–worthy and-”

“And now you want me to pull a frakin’ cruiser out of my ass!”

“Amanda!”  Samson snapped and the shipwright looked at the Exo in surprise.  “I understand that this is a lot to ask for, but you know me; I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t absolutely important.  Now do you have a ship or do we have to get you the parts for one?”

Holliday was silent again, and then she stood and motioned for Samson to follow her.

“Yeah, I got a ship, if ya wanna call her that.”  She said as they boarded a lift and descended further into the hangar.  “However, I’ve never test flown her and I have no idea if she’s even space–worthy.”  The lift stopped and they stepped out into a corridor.  “To be honest, your little ‘mission’ couldn’t have come at a better time; I just put the finishing touchs on her.”  She pressed her hand on a panel next to a door at the end of the corridor.  There was a beep and the door hissed open, revealing a large, private hangar with a singular ship in it that was larger than the standard jumpships most Guardians piloted.   “Introducing the Mischief Maker; she’s a little side project I started a few years back.  I based her off the Kestrel–series long–range jumpships, though I fashioned her to be larger in order to carry more passengers.  She comfortably seats around six Guardians, though if you don’t mind cramped spaces you could probably fit more in there.”  Samson was silent for a moment as he gazed at the ship. 

“Will it fly?”  He asked finally, and Holliday examined a tablet in her hands before giving a shrug.

“Don’t know.  I’ve barely even done basic engine tests.”  The Shipwright replied, staring at lines of text scrolling slowly upward on the device.  

“She looks green on paper, but for all I know I missed a wire here or a coolant system there.  Right now she’s probably just as likely to explode as soon as you turn on the warp drive as actually go where you want her to go.”

“How long before you can get the ship ready for takeoff?”  Samson asked and Holliday looked at him in disbelief.

“Really?  You’re really going through with this?”  The Exo nodded and she put her tablet down on a nearby table.  “Give me a couple of hours to run preliminary diagnostics and check the hull to make sure it’s completely sealed.  I’ll call you when she’s ready to be boarded.”

“Okay, I’ll have my team ready to go by then.”  Samson replied and turned to leave but Holliday stopped him.

“Hold up, Sam.  I have a condition before I let you take my baby.”  She said, causing the Exo to look at her expectantly.  “My two best Frames are going with you.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t just hop behind the wheel of the Mischief Maker; girl’s the size of a small house, not as nimble or easy to control as your jumpship.”  She replied, picking up her tablet again.  “So unless you Guardians are confident you can get her safely out of the bay without sheering off something vital or rupturing her hull, my Frame is going to be piloting her.”

Samson stared at Holliday.  “And the other?”

“Brings me to my other point.”  Holliday stated without looking up.  “Because of Mischief Maker’s size, she has a dedicated engine room, which means you need a dedicated engineer in there to maintain it and make sure nothing explodes.  The other Frame will be taking care of that.”

“I see… and this is not negotiable, I take it?”  He asked and Holliday shrugged.

“You could always try asking Dead Orbit.”  She suggested, but Samson shook his head.

“Unnecessary, Amanda, your terms are acceptable.”

Samson turned to leave once more while Holliday turned to a nearby panel and pressed down on it, causing a speaker system to come alive.

“Look alive, slackers!”  She said, her voice booming around the hangar.  “I need everybody to drop what they’re doin’ and get ready to give our pet project our full and undivided attention; we got Guardians preppin’ for long–distance flight and we need to be sure she’s ready to take ‘em wherever they need to go!”

As Samson stepped off the lift and into the main hangar, he opened a comm channel between himself and his team.

“Hope you’re packing, Wisp, because the op’s greenlit.”  He stated.

“So Holliday had a ship?”  Aveline asked.

“Yes, and the best part is that we’re going to be the first ones flying it.”  Samson replied.

“Wait, wait, wait… the ship that’s going to be carrying us hundreds of lightyears from Earth, has never been flown before?!”  Lance’s voice exclaimed in disbelief.

“Have a little faith, my friend.”  Gospel replied nonchalantly.  “If Holliday says it’ll get us there, then it’ll get us there.”

“Or it’ll blow up in the hangar and this will be the shortest road trip ever.” Gauge quipped cheerfully off the comm to Samson.  “But we’ll just forget to mention that part.”

“I’ll pick up some supplies from Banshee.”  Samson said, grinning at what Gauge had said.  “Once Holliday gives the call, I expect each of you to be ready for dust-off; Samson–12 out.”

That done, Samson went to the Exo gunsmith and arranged to have ammo, guns and parts sent down to the hangar to be hauled onto the ship.  Then he went to his living quarters to pack his cleaning kits and a change of clothing.  He didn’t really need the clothing, as the Exo didn’t have reproductive organs and the lack of a digestive track meant they didn’t need any food either and were frequently the ones chosen for missions requiring extended periods of time outside the safety of the City.  He paused to look at a rifle hanging on the wall, and took it off after a moment’s consideration.

After Samson had cut the comm connection, Aveline and Gospel began packing for what was to be a long journey and extended field time.  Aveline made sure she had everything she needed to clean her equipment and she also packed a few personal belongings to take with her while Lance made sure his memory core was clear of any unnecessary data and that the music library was in order.  

Gospel packed in much a similar manner, though he also took some of the few books he owned with him.  Most reading material was digital now, as paper had ceased to be a functional way of maintaining documents and literature centuries ago due to a lack of suitable trees and the manpower and resources to process them.  However, there were still many tomes in the Hall of Guardians that Ikora Rey frequently perused and the Speaker had shelves upon shelves of books in his chamber.  Other than that, physical books were a rarity on Earth.

As they finished packing their bags, there was a ping on their comms and Samson’s voice came through.

“The ship’s ready.  Report to the Hangar for preflight checks and dust-off, Wisp.”  He commanded, and then paused briefly before speaking again.  “We… might not be back for a while, everybody, so I hope you’ve made appropriate arrangements.”  And then the comm went silent.

Once they’d made it to the Hangar, they noticed that an unusual number of civilians, Guardians, and automata had gathered in the hangar, all of them admiring the large jumpship in the center.  They picked out Samson waiting for them near what appeared to be a door and they approached him.  They handed their bags over to a pair of waiting Frames and stood next to Samson.  Gospel opened his mouth to say something to Samson, but at that moment a hush fell over the crowd and it parted to allow a white robed figure in a mask to approach them.  The three Guardians all bowed respectfully to the Speaker when he stopped in front of them.

“Guardians; today, you embark on a journey not taken since before the collapse of the Golden Age and the creation of the world as you know it.”  He orated, his voice rising to a pitch where all within the hangar could hear him.  “You do not venture forth to fight the Darkness rising in all directions to envelope and consume our fragile Light, nor do you strike out to reclaim territory lost to us for centuries.  Today, Guardians… today you take to the cosmos to follow in the footsteps of our forbearers and lay claim to new ground from which humans, awoken, and exo alike may rise together and pull our decimated people up from the pall of Darkness cast upon them so that we may once more assume our rightful place among the stars.”  He indicated to each member as he spoke.  “Today, you rise above and beyond who and what you once were.  You, who once stood as beleaguered, but steadfast, chosen warriors of The Traveler, now stand before me as beacons of hope and pioneers of our people.”  

A Frame approached The Speaker with a case and he turned to open it, pulling from the box a brilliantly glowing sphere.  He turned back to the three Guardians standing before him and presented the sphere to them.  Gospel took the sphere in his hands and bowed respectfully once more.

“Your journey shall take you deep into the dark reaches, far from The Traveler’s Light, and your Ghosts will not last long without it.  This sphere is filled with the essence of The Traveler and shall provide your companions with much needed energy, allowing you to go on this expedition without fear of losing their Light or yours.”  The Speaker told them, relinquishing the orb.  “Guard it well.”

“Thank you, Speaker.”  They all said.

“May the Light of The Traveler guide and protect you in the dark corners of the galaxy, Guardians.”  He told them and then stepped backwards towards the crowd while Samson and his team boarded the jumpship.

Once on board, Gospel found a pedestal that looked like it had been created just for the sphere and he placed it, with a suctioning sound indicating that the pedestal had locked its new occupant in place.  That done, he joined Aveline and Samson in the cockpit and took the last unoccupied seat, strapping himself in.  Samson began flipping switches and pressing buttons to take the ship through one last preflight check before nodding to the Frame sitting in the pilot's seat.

“Tower Control, this is Mischief Maker; preflights are green across the board and the engine is purring like a kitten.”  Samson said into the headset he was wearing and Gospel suppressed a laugh.  “Something funny, Gospel?”

“No, nothing, just-” Gospel grinned.  “-I never expected to hear the phrase ‘purring like a kitten’ come from your mouth, Sam.”

The exo rolled his optics.

“This is Tower Control, Mischief Maker<i>; the sky’s empty and you’re cleared for takeoff.”  Holliday’s voice came in over the comm.  “Samson, you damn well better take care of her out there and when you return…”  Samson arched an eyebrow plate curiously.  “Tell me what this new world looks like, okay?”

They looked at each other and smiled, then Samson returned his gaze forward.

“Sure thing, Amanda.”  He told her.  “When we get back, we’ll tell you all about it, I promise.”

"We'll take pictures."  Gauge added cheerfully.

“I’ll hold you to it.”  She replied, and then paused again before saying, “Good luck, and godspeed, Wisp.  Tower Control, out.”

They were quiet for a moment before Samson flipped some switches and brought the engines fully to life.

“Well guys, it’s do–or–die time… again.”  He said.

“That’s the story of our lives, Samson.”  Aveline said comically.  “I think we have dawdled enough, though.  Let’s find ourselves a planet, what do you think?”

Gospel and Samson all grinned and nodded and then the Frame pulled lightly on the controls and brought the ship slowly out of the hangar.  Once they fully cleared the hangar,  the ship accelerated and flew out of the atmosphere to begin their long journey to an unknown planet.


	
The only light in the command deck shone from a single projection display showing the Mischief Maker depart from the Tower in the Last City on Earth, following its flight as it left the planet’s atmosphere.  A dreg leaned into the light of the projection, examining it.  After a moment it turned toward a large, throne–like command chair, where the shadow of another creature stood beside it.

“A ship unlike any we’ve seen has departed from The Traveler’s city; it could be the Lightwielders that interfered on Venus.”  It growled toward the darkened throne.  “What is your command, My Kell?”

The shadow stepped forward and was slightly illuminated by the display.

“Set an intercept course.  These minions of The Traveler shall pay for their crimes against our House!”  The Baron exclaimed, gesturing aggressively with one hand.

“No, let them be.”

The Baron turned toward the chair, which swiveled around to reveal a Fallen Kell sitting in it, the fingers of one pair of hands intertwined while the other pair of arms rested on the chair.

“Your Lordship, we should make the Guardians pay for-” The Baron protested, but it was silenced when the Kell turned his gaze to the Baron and it bowed respectfully.  “Forgive me, Kell Xarksis, I spoke out of line.”

“The Guardians have found something on that encrypted data module, which is why they have taken a different ship off their planet.”  Xarksis stated, matter–of–factly.  “They intend to leave the inner system and if we destroy them now, we lose any chance of discovering what was contained on the module.”

“What would you have done, My Kell?”  The Baron asked and the Kell shifted in his seat, straightening up and crossing one leg.

“Acquire the Guardians’ destination coordinates and engage the stealth drives.”  He commanded, waving a hand at the dreg by the projection.

“They have taken the object from our grasp, so instead we shall allow them to lead us to what secrets were contained within.”  The Kell’s eyes glinted maliciously.  “Then we shall slaughter them and take what we were denied.”

“By your will, My Kell.”  The Dreg replied, bowing, and then he turned back to his console.  After a moment, the ship began to lurch into motion, following the jumpship as it shifted into warp.
	
> Chapter Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two professional adventurers departed the train station and headed into the city proper.  Once they had entered the city, Uncharted Fortune led Daring Do through a winding, round–a–bout way through the Crystal Empire, suddenly taking a side street here and there.  A normal pony might have questioned Fortune’s methods, but Daring Do knew better; ever since they had left the train station, she had gotten the familiar sensation that somepony was watching her.  She never once looked over her withers and instead glanced at the occasional reflective surface or checked her peripheral vision so as not to alert their stalker.

Eventually Uncharted Fortune led Daring Do to a house in the middle of the Crystal Empire, near the gleaming castle that stood at the heart.  He opened the door and motioned for her to enter.

“Ladies first.”  He said, smirking and Daring Do rolled her eyes and trotted in.  Once inside, she could hear the sounds of amiable conversation coming from further inside.  “Dining room’s that way.  Sounds like the gang’s already started on lunch.”

“They’re already here?!”  Daring hissed quietly and Fortune laughed.

“Well, since I work with most of them regularly, yeah; they’re all here.”  He replied as they trotted into the dining room.  Once inside, they were immediately greeted by an older griffon with graying feathers and a mustache.

“Hey kid, we were just talking about you!”  He exclaimed, giving Uncharted Fortune an enthusiastic hug.  Once he released his embrace, he looked over and saw Daring Do, who had removed her hat and sunglasses and he smiled warmly.  “And there’s the last member of our crew!”  He walked over to her and also hugged her gently.  “Great to see you again, Rosie.  Still as gorgeous as the last time I saw you.”

“Now, now, Sullivan; I told you to cut the flattery.”  Daring replied with a chuckle.  “You know it’ll never work between us.”

“Bah, can’t blame an old griffon for trying.”  Sully laughed before motioning to the table.  “Come on, pull up a chair and meet everybody.  If you’re hungry we’ve got all kinds of stuff; daisy sandwiches, hay fries, even some meat if you’re feeling particularly brave.”

“I’ll pass on the meat, but thanks for the offer as always.”  Daring Do replied, taking a seat at the table. 

She looked around the table and saw an azure crystal pony stallion wearing glasses with his nose in a book, a sophisticated–looking earth pony mare, and a large minotaur wearing an eye patch.  The minotaur was casually hunched over the table, a large battleaxe leaning against the corner behind him and he nodded at Daring Do.

“So you’re Fortune’s expert, huh?”  He asked, and Daring nodded.  “He told you what we’re looking at up in the mountains?”

“Just that there were some ruins he wanted me to see.”  Daring replied and the minotaur nodded thoughtfully before holding out his hand and Daring shook it.

“The name’s Iron Bull.”  He said, releasing her hoof.

“You can call me Compass Rose.”  Daring replied, using her other alias.  “And I know who you are; you’re a pretty well–known mercenary, supposedly one of the best.”  She turned to the earth pony.  “And you’re Reliquary; your contributions to historical exhibits around Equestria are nothing short of incredible.”

“As are yours, Rose.”  Reliquary replied in a sophisticated accent.  “It is wonderful to finally get a chance to work alongside you.” 

“Likewise.”  Daring replied, smiling, and then she turned to the crystal pony.  “Though I don’t know who you are.”

“Huh, oh… I–I’m Professor Sky Diamond, from the Crystal Academy.”  He replied nervously.  “Miss Reliquary was kind enough to invite me as a consult of the local structures.”  He slid the book over to Daring and pointed at a diagram that had been drawn in it.  “It was fascinating, really; a group of researchers had been investigating a series of ruins that apparently predate any known culture on Equus, past or present!  Sadly, they had been afield when the Crystal Empire was transposed and passed away centuries ago.”

“Huh.”  Daring Do’s curiosity was piqued.  She looked at the diagram, which depicted some kind of structure that appeared to be a pillar shaped almost like a perfect, geometric cube.  “And where did you find this journal?”

“It was locked in a box at their old research site.”  The crystal pony replied.  “There did not appear to be any openings, but there were definitely uncanny structures all around the area.  In fact, cursory examinations of several locations in the mountains around the Empire have revealed more ruins.”

Daring Do furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the historian.

“’Uncanny’?  That’s an unusual way to describe something.”  Daring remarked and Reliquary gave out a small sigh.

“It’s an apt description.”  She told Daring.  “That diagram doesn’t quite do them justice.  These structures, they’re not just unnatural, they’re… well, uncanny; when I looked at them, I felt uneasy, as if just looking at the ruins made me feel as if I was going to fade away then and there.”

Daring cocked an eyebrow.

“Okay…”  She said, and then slid the book back to Sky Diamond.  “Do we know anything about the researchers?”

Sky Diamond and Reliquary looked at each other uncertainly and Fortune leaned forward on the table.

“That’s where things get… weird.  Like, really weird.”  He said and Daring’s ears perked up.

“What do you mean?”  She asked.

“That research team?  Nobody remembers them, heck there aren’t even any records of them being out there in the first place.”  Fortune replied.  “It’s almost like they never existed.”

“And how exactly did you find a journal belonging to someone on a non – existent archeological survey team?”  Daring asked and Sky shifted nervously.

“Well, I was up in the mountains with Miss Reliquary here to examine the ruins; those are very well – documented.”  He replied.  “We didn’t even know a survey team had been on the mountain back then until we kind of, er… stumbled upon their old encampment.”

Daring quirked an eyebrow.  “Stumbled?”

“Professor Diamond fell through the canvas of a tent buried by snow.”  Reliquary replied, sipping her tea nonchalantly.

“Ah.”

The crystal pony blushed and cleared his throat.  “Yes, well, when I was inside, I found an old trunk that was sealed by ancient unicorn magic; curiously enough, it was some kind of chronological seal, designed to hold the contents of the trunk in a location outside of time.  Naturally, we returned to the Crystal Empire and had one of Princess Cadence’s personal historians release the seal.”  Diamond said.  “When we discovered the journal, the Princess gave me clearance to investigate the ruins further.  I was going to gather an academy team, but Miss Reliquary insisted I hire professionals and thus, here we all are.”

“What’s so curious about a chronological seal?”  Daring inquired.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but…”  Iron Bull replied.  “Aren’t chronological seals a ward designed by Star–swirled, the Bearded in order to preserve things for a short amount of time?”

“Yeah, but they fell out of favor in the magical community because even though food could be kept fresh for years, you had to undo and redo the spell every time you needed to get something out and from what I’ve read, the strain on the unicorn’s magic is almost as immense as teleportation.”  Daring Do replied, and then she rubbed a hoof under chin.  “So why… why would somepony put that much magic into protecting a trunk all the way up in the mountains unless… unless they were trying to hide something inside it?”

“Isn’t that the question of the hour.”  Iron Bull said, and then he looked at Daring.  “You know, most ponies would have asked why an archeological investigation team needs a minotaur bodyguard.”

“Oh, I know why.”  Daring Do replied, dismissively waving her hoof.  “Someone’s been watching us, probably since before I got here.”


“Huh, I take it you’re… used to being stalked?”  Iron Bull asked, putting a hand to his chin in contemplation.

“You could say that.”  Daring Do said and took the journal back.  “Let’s see… what are you hiding from me?”  

She flipped back and forth through the journal, trying to find a secret, until she finally closed the journal and put her head down so that her eyes were level with the edge of the journal, scrutinizing the pages from the side.  Then her eyes lit up and she pulled open the rear cover of the journal, pointing at the spine.  

“Clever bastard.  Look, the last page is missing.”

The gathered dungeon delvers leaned in close over the journal and Sky Diamond gasped when he saw that there was a fine, almost imperceptible tear along the spine where a page would have gone.

“By the princesses, she’s right!”  He exclaimed.  “How could I have missed such a detail?”

“Where do you think it is?”  Asked Sullivan and Daring Do rolled her eyes.  She slid her hoof gently over the inside of the journal’s back cover and then indicated one of the corners.

“Would you be so kind, Sully?”  She asked sweetly and the griffon shrugged before running the tip of a claw along the edge from one corner to the next, separating the binding, and then he pulled a piece of parchment out.  “Everybody hides the good stuff in the bindings; kinda cliché if you ask me.”

“Wow, she’s good.”  Iron Bull remarked to Uncharted Fortune sitting next to him and the pegasus grinned, patting the minotaur on the back.

“Told you so, big guy.”

Sullivan spread the parchment on the table and Daring Do slid it in front of herself, reading the text.  The text on the parchment was in hastily scrawled Old Equish.  The writing looked as if the writer had been in a rush to write it down and there were words written above, and around the main body of text, seemingly to get as many words as possible onto the parchment.



“Tick tock tick tock, time is wasting I mustn’t delay!  The ruins, yes the ruins!  Something… something sleeps; no… not sleep, it does not sleep!  It waits for the time; yes the perfect time, always, always time!  It waits… why does it wait?!  To attack?  Destroy?  Control?!  Control what?  Time!  Always time, it seeks to control time!  My time?  No, our time!  Time is not our ally, it is their tool!

My mind… it is not my own and yet… it is mine; how?  I don’t have… time, always, always time; why always time?!  Can’t think, must write, must warn, time is running out; time is always running out!  How do I stop it?  Can’t stop it!  Not yet!  Cannot be stopped!  Head hurts… can’t think… was I always alone?  Why am I alone?!  Time, they stole their time!  Always, always time!  Creatures… unholy things… eyes in the darkness!   Beware the red eyes they will steal your time!

Ruins, yes ruins!  Time ruins!  Different time!  Looking for time, always looking for time!  WHY DO THEY SEARCH FOR TIME?!  WHY ALWAYS TIME?!”



Daring Do felt a chill go down her spine.  The text was barely legible, clearly having been written hastily by a half–mad pony.  She turned the page over and discovered it was almost completely covered with the  word “time”.

“What in the name of Celestia…”  She murmured to herself.  The others had read the text and a silence had fallen upon the adventurers.

“Who wrote this and why were they obsessed with ‘time’?”  Uncharted Fortune said, breaking the hush.

“I don’t know, kid.”  Sully replied, leaning back in his chair.  “But this paper’s giving me the creeps; it’s got ‘bad news’ written all over it.”

“Literally.”  Iron Bull added.  “Whoever wrote this was clearly out of their mind.”

Sky Diamond gulped.  “Um… maybe going into those ruins might not be such a good idea…”  

“Relax, Professor.”  Reliquary said, giving the crystal pony a smile.  “I’m sure that they must have encountered some kind of hallucinogen up there.”

“P-perhaps you’re right.”  Sky Diamond stammered, more to convince himself than anypony else.

“I dunno…”  Iron Bull said, thoughtfully.  “I’ve heard of some pretty crazy stuff out in the world, and tried more than a few of them, I will admit… but judging from the writing I can say that, tripping balls or not, this pony saw something up in those mountains that drove him bat-shit crazy.”

They discussed the matter for some time, though they eventually began to go around the town to gather information and supplies.  That night, after a hearty supper and discussion about the travel plans, they had retired to their rooms.  Daring lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her mind too busy to sleep at the time, so she rose and went into the dining room.  She retrieved the page and once more examined it, reading and re – reading the insane scrawl.  She hadn’t said anything to the others, but she could tell that everything written on the note was important and that she needed to memorize what it said.

“Time…”  She murmured to herself after a while, leaning back in the chair and mulling over the word.  “’Beware the red eyes, they will steal your time’… what does that mean?”

Daring Do had gone to the town library and the librarian, an elderly mare named Amethyst Maresbury, had recommended several compendiums on creatures and, although nonplussed by the request, tomes describing all known unicorn magical theories related to magic.  Daring had gone through each of the books quickly, but had found nothing that stood out.  She was about to give up, but Amethyst had shown her to a room containing logs from a pegasus bolt–knight contingent stationed in the city.  It hadn’t taken her long to find a report on an incident that occurred in one of the areas Sky Diamond had indicated.  She pulled the two–page report out of her saddle bag and read it once more.



Bolt-knight patrol report

Location: Crystal Mountains region, approx. 35.2 km north of Imperial City, 3000 meters above sea level.

Date: September, 26

Time: Approx. 23:45

A bolt-knight squadron patrolling the northern border of the Crystal Empire reported that they had sighted an unknown entity, supposedly sentient, wandering the mountains and upon investigation, were beset upon and forced to retreat.  Out of twenty pegasi, four have been classified as M.I.A. and two others confirmed K.I.A.  

Of the fourteen pegasi that returned to base:

Eleven suffered from injuries ranging from moderate to critical, with five of the most critically injured not expected to survive.

Two of the returned were declared D.O.A.

Three of the survivors also appear to suffer from some kind of PTSD; only one of which is lucid enough for speech, but only in seemingly nonsensical babble, primarily about “red eyes in the dark”, the rest remain catatonic.  Least injured squad members report seeing red lights that may support this information.

All injuries suffered are combination of various lacerations of the hide that appear to have been caused by unknown projectiles and burning of the wounds in the third degree.  Surviving members with the least wounding report that the hostiles were somehow throwing “darts of flame”; further investigation required.  All survivors have received proper medical treatment and have been placed on leave to recover.



She flipped to the second page.



Update, 3:00:

As expected, critically injured did not survive.  Unfortunately, two of the distraught survivors committed suicide at 12:00, when left without supervision; the third one has been placed under twenty – four hour surveillance and all objects deemed dangerous removed from her vicinity for safety.

Final fatality count stands at eleven dead, four unaccounted for but presumed dead as well.  Strangely, one of the survivors claims there were more than twenty souls in the platoon, but our records indicate that they had one of the smallest platoons, with three new recruits in – bound.

Under orders from his majesty, King Sombra, we are to mobilize our forces and investigate the location for any signs of these hostiles and retire them with extreme prejudice.



Daring Do put the report down and once more felt a cold shiver run down her spine.  She’d been in many ancient temples, pyramids, and ziggurats and a few of them had contained artifacts that were eerie, or simply bad news.  She had taken the liberty to destroy the ones she could, and she brought the others to Princess Celestia to have sealed away in the royal vault when she couldn’t.  These ruins, though… she couldn’t place it, but her senses were telling her that something was seriously not right about them and that she needed to get as far away from them as possible.

Daring Do shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“Silly girl, Daring.”  She murmured to herself as she rose and trotted to the window.  “You know better than to psyche yourself out going into a site… there’s probably nothing terrible in there, those guys just bungled into a few traps is all.”

She slid the curtain aside a little so she could get a good look outside.  She looked around for a moment, but then a red gleam reflecting off a nearby wall caught her eye and she snapped her gaze in the direction it was reflecting from…

But there was nothing there. 

Daring Do blinked a couple times, and kept staring out the window, but the red light did not return and she slowly slid the curtain back in place.  As she did so, however, she was intensely aware that something outside the house was watching her, even if she could not see it.  After a brief pause, she gathered the journal, the note, and the bolt – knight report into her saddle bag and returned to her room, stashing the saddle bag in between the mattress and settling in for what she was sure to be an uneasy sleep.



Outside, all was seemingly normal, save for an odd area of distorted air that almost appeared to be a tall, gaunt bipedal figure.  The figure stood perfectly straight, observing the house as the lights went out except for one.  Eventually, another light turned back on and after a few minutes, it observed Daring Do peer out the window and it proceeded to scan her bio-signature.  The pegasus looked around suddenly as if she had noticed something, but then closed the curtain and a moment later, the house went dark once more.  

The biped buzzed a silent query to its Mind, requesting permission to decommission potential threats, but received a negative response in return.  It did not question the order and returned to its vigil, registering Daring Do’s bio-signature amongst the rest of the network and receiving acknowledgment of the influx of new data in return.

> Chapter Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Five

Twilight trotted to her favorite restaurant in town and saw the unmistakably styled, violet mane that belonged to her friend, Rarity, sitting at a table.  The snowy unicorn looked up from her menu and waved excitedly at Twilight, who returned it and joined the fashionista at the table.

“Oh Twilight, I’m so glad you could make it!”  Rarity exclaimed, exchanging hugs with the alicorn princess and they both sat on the cushions placed on the ground around the table.  “How is the renovation coming along?”

“It’s going great, actually.”  Twilight replied.  “Thanks for recommending Floor Plan; I don’t think I could’ve found a better pony for the job!”

“I’m glad to hear it, darling.”  Rarity said, and then worry crossed her muzzle as she looked at Twilight.  “Oh my, those are some dreadful bags under your eyes.  Are you not sleeping well, darling?”

Twilight paused, and then sighed; Rarity had very keen eyes that missed little.

“Not really.”  She replied.  “I’ve been staying up later than usual with my Astrology, but not because it’s been any more fascinating.”  Twilight rubbed the sides of her head.  “Nothing’s been the same since Tirek, Rarity.  I’ve been seeing a therapist and it’s helped some, but I still have nightmares constantly.”

Rarity smiled and put her hoof on Twilight’s withers.

“It’ll be okay.”  She reassured the alicorn.  “If you weren’t strong, you would never have been made a princess.  I can speak for the rest of the girls when I say that we believe in you; you’ll get past this and be better for it.”

Twilight smiled, reminded once more that she had good friends who were behind her every step of the recovery process.  She then turned her attention to the menu to see if they had anything that was new, before ultimately ordering her favorite daisy sandwich.  That done, she decided to get to the matter at hoof.

“So, you wanted to talk about the furnishings in the castle?”  Twilight asked Rarity, whose eyes immediately began sparkling with excitement.

“Of course, I almost forgot!”  She replied, levitating a small binder out of a bag sitting next to her and placing it in front of Twilight.  That done, they began to go over everything from furniture to the color and style of curtains.



It had been a few hours since their departure and Samson had relinquished control of the Mischief Maker to one of the onboard Frame that insisted that it be called Wedge.  There was another Frame, insisting that it be called Biggs, which handled the supervision of the engines and electrical systems on the ship.

“How much longer until arrival, Wedge?”  Samson asked the goggles – wearing automata and once more silently pondering why it had them.

“We have approximately seven hours Earth–time until arrival at designated coordinates, Titan Samson–12.”  Wedge replied, not even looking away from the console.  “You should get comfortable, maybe catch up on some sleep–mode time.”

“Maybe I will, thanks Wedge.”  He replied, and then left the cockpit, heading past the interior antechamber that carried the orb of light, and into the lounge/sleeping quarters/dining area, where he sat down at the table where Gospel was reading a book.  A quick glance towards the beds informed him that Aveline was getting some rest.  He turned back to Gospel.

“What do you think we’ll find out here, Gospel?”  He asked the Warlock, who shrugged.


“Dunno.”  Gospel replied, flipping a page.  “Could be anything; a gas giant with ancient Golden Age cities floating in the clouds, a garden planet where you could literally get a killer case of allergies, or it could be nothing at all and we wasted valuable time and energy chasing rabbits.”

Samson leaned on the table, staring hard at the Warlock.

“You think those coordinates lead nowhere?”  Samson asked and Gospel looked up from his book.

“No, I doubt somebody encrypted coordinates simply to mess with the future’s head.”  Gospel replied dryly, putting his book on the table.  “More like, whatever was there worth finding centuries ago may not actually be there today; they were too far away from the Traveler to be protected and the Darkness found them and wiped them out.”

“Ah.”  Samson said, sitting down.  “That makes sense.  This trip may have been a bad idea, but even I have to admit that any chance to get a leg up on the Fallen, Hive, Cabal, or even the Vex, is worth the risk.”

“Gotta look on the bright side, I always say.”  Gospel replied, and then returned to his book.  After a moment, Samson decided to set his servos into sleep mode.  An indeterminate time later, he was awoken by the sound of Gauge getting his attention.

“Hey Samson, we’ve dropped out of warp and Wedge is saying we’re about thirty minutes away from orbit distance.”  She said matter–of–factly.  “What’s the move, Bro-bot?”

“Get anyone who’s not awake on their feet and tell both of them to get suited up and ready for fieldwork.”  Samson replied quickly and then went to his locker to don his armor and ready his gun.  

That done, he went up to the cockpit to await Gospel and Aveline, who both arrived in short order wearing their own protective armaments.  By this point, Wedge had already moved the jumpship into orbit around the blue planet that looked remarkably like...

“What the-”  Gospel said, his mouth agape.  “Did we get turned around somehow?  That looks like Earth.”

“No, we did not.”  Aveline replied, walking over to the window and pointing at the landmasses.  “Those continents look nothing like the ones back on Earth and there is no debris or artificial satellites cluttering orbit.”

Samson looked at Wedge.

“What do the scanners say?”  He asked the automata and it looked back at him.

“There does not appear to be any detectable technology above, below, or on, the planet’s surface.  Atmospheric and gravitational readings all indicate almost perfect Earth–like conditions; EVA equipment would not be required for sustained survivability planet–side.”

“Gauge?”  Samson asked his Ghost and she floated over to the window, her spines expanding outward as a bubble of light surrounded her core.

“Pretty much exactly what Wedge said, though I’m picking up some pretty weird scans.”  She replied after a moment.

“Weird how?”  Gospel asked and Gauge turned to him.

“Well…”  She paused, as if trying to find the right words.  “I’m having a hard time detecting it, but there’s some kind of… energy around the planet.  There’s nothing active you need to worry about affecting you negatively, it’s all sort of ambient; like it’s not so much on the planet as it is part of the planet in much the same way the Traveler’s Light is a part of us.”

“You do not seem to have a hard time finding our light, how is this different?”  Aveline asked and Lance floated in front of her.

“That’s because our scanners are innately programmed to find things like The Traveler’s Light, or a Hive ritual site.”  He said in a way that he thought it should have been obvious.  “Whatever’s down there?  It’s entirely new, something nobody’s ever seen before, so our scanners can tell us it’s there because it’s similar to our Light, but we can’t tell what it is because it’s not the light.”

“Amazing.”  Gospel said after a moment.  “Even if we were to go back now, we can already say we made a huge discovery; not bad.”

Samson was silent, and then he tapped Wedge on the shoulder and pointed, taking a seat afterwards.

“Take us down, Wedge, we’re not turning back yet; we still have to scout the planet.”  He pressed some buttons as Aveline and Gospel took their own seats.  “The scanners are picking up a few areas where this energy is thickest, so we’re going to check one of these locations out.”

The Mischief Maker lurched slightly as Wedge wheeled it out of orbit and toward the darkened half of the planet.



Twilight awoke with a gasp, her sheets covered in cold sweat.  She looked around for a moment, panicking slightly but calming when she confirmed that the castle was not a burning wreck.

“Another nightmare…”  She murmured to herself, and then looked at the softly snoring basket that contained Spike; both relieved his sleep hadn’t been disturbed, and envious at his ability to be able to sleep through just about anything.  

Yawning, she rose from her bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.  She drank half the glass, and then gazed up at the ceiling where the astronomy tower was.  She finished the glass of water and teleported up to the tower’s landing, where she gazed out upon the hundreds of twinkling lights in the sky, wondering what their worlds must all be like.

She hadn’t been looking at them long when she noticed something odd; one of the stars was moving much faster than the others.  As she watched this aberrant object, she noticed the light grow brighter and begin to glow an angry red, then to bright orange, and she realized that it wasn’t a star but something entering Equus’ atmosphere!  She felt excitement course through her body and she teleported to the entrance of the castle, charging out the front door and keeping her eyes on the object as it descended and grew larger, eventually beginning to circle a section of the Everfree Forest.



Samson flew the Mischief Maker high above the ground where the scanners were picking up the first of the large concentrations of the unknown energy, which turned out to be a fog – covered section of what appeared to be a large forest at the base of a mountainside; another concentration was located towards the peak of the mountain.  After circling the fogzone, he decided to look around for a clearing large enough for the ship to fly in and drop – off Fireteam Wisp for on – foot reconnaissance.  He found one and handed the controls over to Wedge, pointing him at the clearing.  Once done, he exited the cockpit and approached his fireteam checking their gear in the antechamber.

“Alright, Wisp; there’s too much fog around the first cluster to be able to safely make touchdown.  We’re going to a clearing approximately two – point – five miles from the target destination and then we’ll be walking through uncharted terrain from there.”  He told them, readying his shotgun.  “We have no idea what the local flora and fauna are like, so I expect you to stay frosty and be ready to respond to hostility at a moment’s notice.”

The other two Guardians nodded their assent and they stood, ready for transmat.



Twilight dashed toward the Everfree Forest, noting the… whatever it was, had stopped circling the forest and headed toward another part.  She stopped just outside the treacherous wood, and gazed in, steeling herself, before cautiously entering the most dangerous place in Equestria, determined to find this unidentified flying object.

> Chapter Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight followed the quickly moving lights of the UFO, noting that she would not be able to out run it if she wanted to, so she paced herself and hoped she could catch it wherever it landed.  She hadn’t gone far before she heard the sound of a twig crack and she immediately turned in its direction to find…

A familiar butter – yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane and tail, who leapt backwards with a squeak, startled.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing out here?”  Twilight exclaimed, as startled as the pegasus.

“Oh, well, one of my chickens got out of her coop again, so I followed her in here to lead her back home, where it’s safe.”  Fluttershy responded and Twilight mentally facehoofed; Fluttershy was nervous around everypony she ever met, ever, and yet she would walk straight into one of the most dangerous places in the world without a second thought… for a chicken.  “What are you doing in here, Twilight?  The Everfree Forest is dangerous at night; you could get hurt or run into another cockatrice!”

“There’s something strange happening, Fluttershy; some kind of object is landing just a little ways east of here and I need to-“  There was a roar, causing Fluttershy scream, and they were bathed in blinding light as whatever was in the clearing ahead of them, took off.  “Horseapples; come on, Fluttershy; we have to see what that… thing, was doing over there!”



Samson, Aveline, and Gospel stood in the center of the clearing, the Mischief Maker having just departed for the safety of orbit, and they looked around, taking in the sight.  Aveline walked over to a tree and rubbed her hand on it.

“Amazing!”  She exclaimed, rubbing her hand on the bark.  “This tree feels so… alive!  I am not sure there are many trees left on Earth that are still so healthy!”

“Do you hear that sound?”  Gospel asked, and they all stopped and listened as the sounds of nightlife resumed around them.  “This forest is teeming with life!  What kind of world is this?”

“I don’t know.”  Samson said, and then began walking in the direction of the fogzone.  “The energy concentration is this way.  Let’s get moving.”

They readied their weapons and forged into the darkness of the forest ahead of them, unaware of the eyes watching their every movement.  They continued for some time before Aveline’s motion sensor shone briefly and she stopped, turning where it had been pinged, but saw nothing.  She watched a moment more, but then she became aware that something was watching them from the shadows.

‘What’s wrong, Aveline?’  Lance asked, curious as Aveline swept her gaze around her position slowly.

“I do not know…”  She replied carefully, scrutinizing the surrounding forest.  “It feels like there is something out here.”

‘Probably just your imagination.’  The Ghost told her.  ‘Your mind is playing tricks with you because we’ve never been in a place like this, that’s the only-’  The motion sensor lit up briefly again and Lance stopped mid – sentence.  ‘What was that?’

Aveline didn’t answer; instead she aimed her gun at some foliage and advanced slowly toward the bushes, her gaze never moving.  Samson and Gospel had noticed her lag behind and turned.  When they saw her advance, they both raised their own weapons and swept the area, making sure nothing was sneaking up on them.

‘Am I the only one who’s got a bad feeling about this?’  Lance asked, but before Aveline could answer, she was tackled to the ground by a snarling, lupine form.

She reacted instinctively by rolling with the tackle, planting a foot under the torso of her assailant, and launching it off her, into the darkness again.  She rose quickly to her feet and aimed her gun, but was dismayed to see her motion sensor lighting up in every direction around her.

“Contact!”  Gospel shouted as he opened fire on another lupine form that darted out of the trees to attack him, the creature falling apart at his feet.  He looked down at the debris and gawked.  “The hell… what are these things?”  He was unable to investigate further because more of the beasts charged out of the forest.



Twilight and Fluttershy had just made it to the clearing where they’d seen the ship land and were inspecting the area.

“This ground is charred oddly, almost like the fire was coming from above it.”  She said, examining the burn marks that were left.  “And the positioning is symmetrical… fascinating!”

Fluttershy wasn’t so keen on their location, particularly since there had been an alien ship in the air over it only a half hour past.  She glanced around nervously, but then one of her hooves changed elevation awkwardly and she tripped, giving a startled squeak.

“Fluttershy, are you okay?”  Twilight asked, cantering over to the fallen pegasus, who was rising from the ground.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine.”  Fluttershy replied, and then looked at the ground where she’d tripped and her eyes widened.  “Um, Twilight?  Is th-that… a hoofprint?”

“Huh?”  Twilight looked to where Fluttershy was indicating and saw that there was, indeed, a large, elongated imprint in the ground (slightly marred because Fluttershy had tripped on it).  “I think so, but it’s unlike any hoof I’ve ever seen…”  She looked to either side of it and saw there were more indentations and she trotted alongside them, Fluttershy at her side.  “There’s more of them… looks like that ship wasn’t just here for show… it was dropping off some kind of creature.”

“A-Actually, there are three creatures… at least, I think there are.”  Fluttershy said, looking around at the clearing and bending low as she followed some shallower hoofprints.  “They’re pretty big, and it looks like they walk on two legs, Twilight.”

Twilight examined the prints at her hooves again and saw that Fluttershy was right; the tracks were too far apart to be made by any quadruped and she bristled with excitement at the thought of an alien species that walked on two legs like the humans from Canterlot High.

“It looks like they went deeper into the forest, Fluttershy.”  Twilight told the pegasus.  “Let’s go, I don’t think they-”  She was interrupted by a popping sound coming from deeper in the forest, scattering birds.  “What on Equus… I think that’s them; they sound close so let’s hurry.”

“O-Okay.”  Fluttershy replied nervously, not really wanting to go deeper into the forest.



The Guardians, even caught flat–footed, were still more than a match for the pack of wolf–creatures attacking them; both sides were coordinated, but the Guardians had better armaments to compliment their teamwork.  

Aveline fired several shots from her rifle and then spun in place, striking down a wolf with a quick slash from her knife.  Samson was the big man in the conflict, taller than any of the others, and made good use of his weight by fighting the wolves with both shotgun and fist.  One of the wolves managed to leap onto his back and bite down on his neck in a move that, on normal prey, would have been a sure kill, but instead it whined in sudden pain as it broke it’s fangs on the hardened plasteel plating that comprised Samson’s armor; the exo Titan, for his part, merely grunted in annoyance and reached over his head, grabbing the stunned wolf and proceeding to slam it into one of its kin, shattering them both.

Gospel was not fairing as well as Samson or Aveline.  He kept putting distance between himself and the wolves, but they had figured out that the Warlock was not as formidable as the nimble Hunter or the nigh–invulnerable Titan and had surrounded him.  Gospel fired at charging wolves in front of him and ducked a wolf trying to leap onto his back and take him to the ground, firing at it as well.  A wolf leapt through the air at him and Gospel responded by performing his own leap and blasting it apart with a wave of solar energy, causing the wolf to erupt in flames briefly and disappear.  He grinned at the discovery of the creature’s weakness and he spun mid – air to land…

And was greeted by the sight of a wolf already mid–pounce, its claws outstretched and its maw wide.  

Even as he swung his rifle to meet the charge, he knew he’d never hit the wolf; it was too close and there was no time to aim properly.  Before he could brace for the pain of inevitable death, however, there was a thunk from the side of the wolf’s head and the beast fell to pieces in Gospel’s face.  He looked around and picked up the knife that had stopped the wolf, handing it back to Aveline.

“Now I really owe you a steak dinner, Aveline.”  He quipped as he passed her and checked his ammo supply.

“We shall talk about that one later, Gospel.”  Aveline replied, sheathing the knife and checking her own ammo supply.  “Ammo check; anyone low?  I still have plenty.”

“I’m good here, darling.”  Gospel said.

“My reserves are good; these enemies were not that strong.”  Samson replied, and then picked through the debris.  “Strange, these creatures; they look like wolves to all of you?”  Gospel and Aveline nodded when Samson rose and then he held up a twig.  “They seem to have been made from the surrounding foliage; twigs and leaves mostly.”

“So… they were wolves made from timber?”  Gospel asked, disbelieving and there was a resounding silence from the group.

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold on just one damn second.”  Lance interjected through Aveline’s comm.  “Are you telling me… that we just got jumped… by living puns?!”

“That… would appear to be the case.”  Samson replied, dropping the twig to the ground.  

After a moment of silence, the three Guardians burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of being attacked by literal timberwolves.  Their laughter was short–lived, however, when they heard an ominous cracking noise from behind them and they turned to see the debris left behind by the wolves reforming into a larger, more feral looking wolf.  They watched it in silent awe as its eyes lit up in animalistic rage.

“Um…”  Came Gauge’s voice.  “I think this is the part where we, like, run the hell away.”

The Guardians looked at each other, and then bolted into the forest, with the giant timberwolf roaring and giving chase.  

As the Guardians dashed through the forest with the monstrosity hot on their heels, Samson motioned to both Aveline and Gospel and the two Guardians split away, disappearing into the forest while Samson continued running.  After some distance, the Titan stopped, spun on his heels to face the oncoming timberwolf, and set his feet, bracing himself.  

The giant timberwolf was too caught up in the chase and saw only helpless prey, opening its large mouth wide to devour Samson whole.  It was stunned, however, when it bit down and discovered that its prey had grabbed it’s open jaw in his hands, acting as a winch holding the wolf’s mouth apart and the charge only moving the surprisingly heavy exo back a couple of feet before stopping.  Samson struggled briefly with the wooden wolf before slamming it to the ground, adjusting his grip on the beast’s fangs, and then going into a top spin.

After a moment of spinning the wolf around, Samson planted his foot and released the gigantic beast, launching it into the air and the creature flew quite a distance before hitting the ground hard on its side and sliding back from the momentum.  

The dazed wolf stood up groggily, but then a ball of fire exploded by one of its paws and it backed away from the angry, flickering orb on the ground that was spewing flame.  It barely moved before another orb exploded, and then another and another, until the wolf was surrounded by fiery orbs of light that promised death should the wolf attempt to bypass them.  It looked around, unsure, until a glowing form leapt above the flames, catching the wolf’s attention.  

The wolf got a good view of Aveline holding a flaming pistol before the weapon roared and a jet of flame struck its leg, causing it to fall.  The gun roared twice more, striking it in a shoulder, and then across the side of the wolf’s head, and the beast finally succumbed, bursting into flame with a roar of pain and turning to ash.

The Guardians regrouped and looked at the charred ground where the wolf used to be, the solar flames they’d channeled dying off quickly and leaving only blackened marks on the ground where the orbs had fallen.

“Well…”  Aveline said, holding her steaming handcannon.  “That was a thing.”

“It was a giant wolf… made from wood…”  Lance remarked dryly.  “It’s official.  I’ve seen it all.”

“I think it’s a little early to say that, Lance.”  Gospel’s voice rang out and both Samson and Aveline turned to him, seeing him standing at the edge of a rope bridge leading across a chasm into the fogzone they’d been going to.  They walked up to him and as they entered the fog, a shape loomed on the other side of the chasm.

“A bridge…”  Aveline said, looking at the ropes and wood.  She stepped cautiously onto the planks and discovered that they held her weight.  “This wood has been worked… and recently, it feels new; I think it will hold our weight, but you should wait for us to cross first, Samson.”

“Agreed.  I’ll wait back here and make sure we don’t get ambushed again.”  Samson said, and then turned toward the forest, his gun raised.

Aveline and Gospel crossed the bridge confidently and upon reaching the other side, sent word to Samson and he crossed, although the bridge creaked and groaned under the strain of putting up with his weight.  Once they were across, they turned back to the fog – shrouded structure and approached it, the concealing grey dissipating more and more with each step until the fog finally gave way.  The Guardians stopped at the base of the structure and stared up in disbelief at what they were seeing.

They had arrived at the base of an ancient castle.
	
> Chapter Seven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and Fluttershy raced through the woods, having passed an area strewn with the remains of timberwolves and strange, tiny metal objects.  As they approached a cliff, Twilight saw several patches of burned ground, with a large one directly in the center of them all; whatever they were, they’d fought an alpha and had been smart enough to use fire.  As she approached the ashes, however, the charred scent hit her nose and she reeled from the sudden flashback, her mind filled with explosions, fire, and burning timber.  Twilight scuttled back, hyperventilating and Fluttershy rushed to her side, rubbing her back.

“Take slow, deep breaths.”  She said softly.  “It’s okay, there’s nothing here.”

“I-I know, thanks Fluttershy.” Twilight replied, regaining her composure.  “I’ll be fine.  I think the aliens went into the Palace of the Twin Sisters, though.  We have to find them before they find the Tree of Harmony.”

“Yer darn sure we do.”  Came a country voice and Twilight and Fluttershy turned to see an orange earth pony wearing a stetson come trotting out of the forest, a snoring blue Pegasus draped over her barrel.

They were her friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were followed almost immediately by a violently pink earth pony named Pinkie Pie and a bed–draggled Rarity.  Pinkie dashed over to Twilight and was both hopping and shaking violently.

“What are all of you doing here?”  Twilight asked, dumbfounded.  “I didn’t think anypony else noticed the ship come down!”

“We didn’t, darling.”  Rarity replied, and then indicated the energetic pink pony.  “Pinkie just suddenly showed up at each of our houses and made us follow her into the forest because-”

“Because my Pinkie Sense told me that we’ve got funny–looking new space friends we have to go meet, like, right now!”  Pinkie Pie interjected quickly, her mouth working quickly to fire off the sentence as fast as possible, as if she was hopped up on too much sugar.  “And it’s gonna be a real doozy, too; even doozier than that doozy I had when you tried to figure out how Pinkie Sense works and that was one hayuva doozy!”

“And when did Rainbow Dash decide to go back to sleep?”  Twilight asked, and the rest of the girls (except Pinkie) gave a slight cough.

“She, uh… she didn’t, Sugarcube.”  Applejack replied, and then glanced awkwardly at Pinkie.  “When Pinkie came ta get us up, Dash was sleepin’ like a log and Pinkie was luggin’ her around like a foal with a doll.  Not even gonna think about how Pinkie got ta Dash in the first place.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and poked the sleeping Pegasus a few times, causing the speedster to mumble and roll over on Applejack.  The farmpony rolled her eyes and promptly bucked Rainbow Dash off her barrel and onto the ground.  The jolt from the landing immediately woke the pegasus up.

“Huh, wha… where…”  Rainbow Dash looked around blearily, and then confusion crossed her muzzle.  “What the…?  Uh, why are we in the Everfree Forest?”  Then her eyes sharpened and she stood quickly, looking around.  “Wait, how am I in the Everfree Forest?!  I remember falling asleep in my own bed, in my house, and both are easily fifteen meters off the ground and made of clouds!”

“Pinkie Pie.”  Came the unanimous, monotone response save for Pinkie, who gave an excited reply of “Me!”  Rainbow Dash facehoofed with a groan.

“Y’know what?  Forget I asked, I don’t wanna know.”

“As for your first question, some extraterrestrials landed and are inside the Palace of the Sister Princesses.”  Twilight replied, only to receive a dopey look from Rainbow Dash and she sighed, facehoofing.  “There are aliens in Princess Celestia’s old castle.”

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air at the word “aliens”.

“Sweet!”  She exclaimed excitedly, sleep far from her mind now.  “What are we waiting for?  Let’s go find ‘em!”

She jetted immediately toward the foggy castle, leaving the rest of the mares behind.

“You’d think she would have learned by now.”  Rarity stated, unimpressed and the rest of them nodded and they made their way to the castle.



Fireteam Wisp had entered the ancient castle and decided to split up to search for the concentration of the unusual energy.  Aveline wandered the empty corridors in awe at the architecture, Lance hovering over her shoulder and providing light.

“This place is incredible.”  She murmured, looking at all the fading tapestries on the wall.  “How old do you think it is, Lance?”

“I don’t know, Aveline, how about I check that for you?”  He said, and then flew over to a nearby wall.  “Pft, architecture’s rudimentary… where’s a nice little barrack when you… oh wow, this is… I wouldn’t believe this data if I hadn’t collected it...”

“Find something interesting?”  Aveline asked, and Lance turned to her.

“The bricks I just scanned… they’re not just old, Aveline.”  He told her, flying in front of her helmet.  “They’re ancient; this whole structure is somewhere well over a thousand years old!”

“So… that means this is Golden Age architecture?”  Aveline asked and Lance shook his core.

“No, this structure predates the Golden Age, probably by a few decades, or maybe even a century or three.”  He said, and then turned back to the wall.  “Kinda weird, really… this whole place matches descriptions of Old Earth castles almost perfectly and yet… there’s no way for it to be as old as it is and have been made by human hands.”

“Maybe they transmatted it here during the Golden Age?”  Aveline suggested.

“Discounting the centuries of wear and growth on the stone, it would be easier to just make the whole castle from scratch rather than transport it brick–by–brick.”  Lance replied.  “And trans-materialization doesn’t work like that, anyway; anything larger than a sparrow tends to… get a little jumbled with each transmat.  Take your ship, for example; it’s entirely within the realm possibility for me to transmat the ship around, but pieces of it might come back in different places, or even not at all and then one day you start the ship and it explodes because one of the fuel lines reassembled with a live electrical wire inside it.”

“Right… remind me never to have my ship transmatted.”  Aveline said, turning to walk back down the hall.

“Guys, I think I just died and went to heaven.”  Gospel said over the comm.  

“What is going on?”  Aveline asked, not stopping.

“I found what is unmistakably a library.”  He replied, awestruck.  “There are literally shelves full of books as far as I can see.’

“Well, that is good; it means the dominant species on this planet is literate and well–read… or at least they were.”  Aveline said, and then a thought occurred to her.  “Samson, what should we do on the off–chance of contact with sentient species?”

“I’ll leave that at your discretion; if you feel like talking, then you are welcome to talk.”  He replied and Aveline looked at the gun in her hands. 

Samson would most likely open fire at the first sign of contact and she didn’t blame him; all they’ve known in the way of extraterrestrial life was to kill them before they killed you.  Life outside the Tower was brutal and none of the alien races in the Sol System seemed interested in diplomacy.  She rounded a corner and became aware of the sound of voices at the other end of the hall.  They were too far away for her to hear what they were saying, so she crept down the hall.

“Gospel, Samson, what are your locations?”  She asked quietly, noting that none of the arrows on the edge of her HUD’s radar indicated they were in that direction.

“I am in the library, looking at books written in an alien language I, sadly, cannot read.  Script is trying to translate as we speak.”  Gospel replied.

“I’m on a terrace on the third floor; do you have contact?’  Samson asked.

“Maybe.  I am going to check it out.”  Aveline replied, and she noted her hands become translucent as Lance activated her active camouflage systems.



Twilight led her friends - sans Rainbow Dash - around the castle as they searched for the aliens.  She had insisted they stay together because anything capable of incinerating a timberwolf alpha would have no problem taking down a lone pony.  They heard rustling come from one corridor and they had nearly died of fright when Rainbow Dash came floating out of the darkness, frustrated.

“You find anything?”  Twilight asked and Rainbow shook her head.

“Nope, didn’t see anything at all.”

“Oh, I bet they’re hiding!”  Pinkie exclaimed loudly and everypony winced and glared at her.  She grinned sheepishly and lowered the tone of her voice.  “They won’t stay hidden for long, I’m super good at hide–and–seek; hiding and seeking!”

“I would rather we finished this venture and return home.”  Rarity stated grumpily.  “I am missing valuable hours of beauty sleep; this complexion does not maintain itself, you know!”

“Ya would be one ta worry ‘bout yer looks when the whole a’ Equestria might be in trouble, Rarity.”  Applejack commented as they entered the foyer from the passage they just took.

“One should always look their best when saving the world, Applejack.”  Rarity replied, fluffing her mane that she had somehow found time to style into its signature loops as they climbed the steps to the next floor.  Twilight growled with frustration at her friends’ inability to remain silent.

“Girls, can we please keep quiet?  Celestia knows what-”

“Stop where you are and don’t move.”

All six ponies immediately stopped where they were, the only sound coming from Rainbow’s wings beating to keep her aloft.

“Now, turn around.  Slowly.”

The group turned slowly to face the source of the voice and were immediately blinded by a light, preventing them from getting a good view of the source of the voice.  Twilight raised her hoof to shield her eyes and tried to make out who was behind the blinding light.

“Who are you, and how do you know our language?”  Twilight asked the voice and she heard a slight clicking noise, the figure in the light shifting slightly.

“That is what I would like to know.”  The voice, feminine but authoritative, replied.  “I suggest you answer me quickly or I will open fire.”  Twilight frowned at the light and began to charge her horn for a teleportation spell, but there was a crack and something small exploded into the stone near her hoof, causing Twilight to jump and lose concentration on her spell.  “Whatever you attempted to do, do not try it again; that was your only warning, the next one will be higher.”

“U-Um… maybe we could… just talk?”  Fluttershy asked demurely, and her friends looked at her.  “I-I mean, you don’t really want to hurt anypony, do you?”

The voice was silent for a long moment.

“I think my audio receptors are on the fritz.”  Another voice, male by the sound, said, the bright light fluctuating in time with the words.  “Did you just say ‘anypony’?” 

Fluttershy immediately cowered when she realized the alien was focused on her.  She squeaked nervously and incoherently, her voice too low for even Twilight to make out.  Not wanting her friends to get hurt, Twilight turned to the light.

“Yes, she did.”  Twilight responded in Fluttershy’s place.  “Our kind are called ponies, there are three main subspecies.”  She took a few tentative steps closer to the strange alien in front of her, stopping when she saw the shape shift aggressively and heard the click again.

“That’s close enough.”  The alien told Twilight.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.”  Twilight indicated with her hoof to her friends.  “That’s Rarity, a unicorn.”  She moved her hoof to point at Applejack and Pinkie.  “Their names are Applejack and Pinkie Pie; they’re earth ponies.”  She indicated the pegasi last.  “That’s Rainbow Dash and the one who spoke to you just now is Fluttershy; they’re pegasus, or pegasi plural.”  She pointed at herself last.  “I used to be a unicorn, but I was transformed into an alicorn, which has the aspects of all three races.”  She held her hoof out in greeting.  “What are your names, if I might ask?”

She couldn’t tell, but at some point the figure in the light had gone slack, dumbfounded.  The stranger was silent for a moment, before doing the last thing Twilight had anticipated.

Both voices began to laugh raucously.  After a moment of stunned silence, Pinkie Pie joined them in the laughter, causing the other ponies to look at her in disbelief.

“Oh… oh, that’s a good one, really.”  The male voice said again, causing the light to strobe slightly.  “Princess of Friendship, that’s just adorable!  How has your planet survived if being a friend is worthy of holding a title?  If I had sides, they’d be in stitches.”

“Hey!  We’ve fought plenty of bad guys!”  Rainbow Dash shouted angrily.

“Indeed, the Magic of Friendship isn’t something to be taken for granted.”  Twilight retorted, her own temper rising.  “It is a power great enough to cleanse darkness and evil from Equestria!”

“Oh no, they’re going to kill us with good intent, Aveline!”  The male voiced retorted, laughing.  “How shall we ever hope to survive?”

“Okay, Lance, I do not think they mean us any harm with titles like those.”  The female voice said as she slowed her laughter.  “I think we can stop blinding them now.”

There was a click and the light reduced in intensity, becoming no brighter than a lantern.  Twilight’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden change in lighting and she looked at the stranger now that she could look at her and gasped, recognizing the form immediately.

“You… are you… human?!”  She exclaimed and the stranger immediately stopped laughing.  “But… but how is that possible?”

The stranger looked at the spiny orb floating in the air next to her, and then immediately pointed an elongated device she was carrying at Twilight, her body language registering alarm.

“How… do you know about humanity?”  She practically snarled at the alicorn.  “Start talking or I will shoot you.”

Twilight backed up, suddenly very aware of how much danger she was in, but then she heard another click from the passage they’d just come from and another human, wearing a long coat, stepped out of the darkness and bearing a similar elongated weapon that was also pointed directly at Twilight.

“Come on, Princess; we’re really interested in what you have to say.”  The newcomer said with a male voice.

“Uh, well, you see…”  Twilight began nervously, but then she heard a sound that she recognized as heavy armor plating rubbing against each other from above her and she looked up to see one final human form on the landing, pointing a weapon at her and her friends.  “I mean, it’s a pretty long story and… this isn’t really the best place…”

“We’ve got nothing but time.”  The figure above her stated.  “Either talk or die; your choice.”

Twilight was so scared that her mouth wouldn’t work.

‘Oh no!’  She thought, her mind racing.  ‘If I tell them how I know, they won’t believe me and kill us all!  What do I do?!’

“Come now, darlings, is this really necessary?”  Rarity spoke up and moved confidently in front of Twilight.

“Rarity, what are you doing?!”  Twilight whispered desperately to Rarity and the unicorn smiled at her.  “They’re going to kill us!”

“Please, let me handle this, dear.”  She replied, and then turned back to the humans.  “I know you have questions, but this dusty old castle is so dreary, and it is quite late at night.  If I promised you that all of your questions would be answered in the morning, would you put away your, eh… weapons and let us go?”


“And how should we know you will keep your word?”  The female demanded.

“Rarity’s promise is as good as one a’ mah own and Ah never make a promise Ah can’t keep.” Applejack spoke up, determinately standing in front of Twilight.  “If’n that ain’t enough fer ya, y’all can always come with us back ta Ponyville.”

The human in the coat and the one with the cloak both shuddered, as if they were trying not to laugh.  They kept their weapons raised, but they were clearly conversing with each other, though the female on the floor of the foyer were still shuddering every now and then from suppressed laughter.  However, the human in the coat had tensed up for some reason and shook his head, gesturing violently.  After a moment of discussion with each other, they lowered their weapons; the one in the coat doing so reluctantly.

“We’ll go with you to this ‘Ponyville’ and you can explain things there.”  The human above them said as he started walking down the stairs, his feet making an unusually heavy thump with every step.  “However, be warned that if you try to lead us into a trap or ambush, we will react accordingly.”

The ponies all breathed sighs of relief, with Pinkie Pie cheering and throwing confetti into the air.

“Hurray, new friends!”  She exclaimed, jumping excitedly.  

They went down the steps toward the humans on ground floor, where they were stopped by the female, who held out her hand.

“My name is Aveline L’freille.”  She said, and Twilight smiled and shook her hand.  “These are my friends and teammates, Gospel.”  She pointed at the coat–wearing human, who looked away for some reason.  “And Samson–12.”  She pointed at the armored human, who merely nodded in acknowledgement.  With that out of the way, they left the castle and began to walk back through the Everfree Forest.




Wedge sat in the pilot’s chair, monitoring the Mischief Maker’s systems to ensure nothing was awry; its directive was not just to be the designated pilot, but to also ensure the Guardians were not stranded on the alien world.  It continued monitoring the ship until it heard a faint clopping sound from behind it.  Wedge spun the chair and observed the newcomer.

“Unknown life-form detected.”  It looked the navy blue creature up and down.  “Biometrics do not match known existing species.  Warning; do not attempt to assume control of the vessel or this unit shall be forced to retaliate accordingly.”

“You need not worry, metal being.”  The alien replied in a regal voice.  “We mean thee no harm.”

“Unknown species speaks English; very convenient.”  Wedge stated, and then it shifted to an attentive stance.  “This unit is model W3-D63, but it insists that you call it ‘Wedge’.  Do you have a designation?”

“Well met, Wedge; my name is Luna, Princess of the Night and co–ruler of Equestria.”  She replied, bowing slightly and the Frame returned the gesture robotically.

“Greetings, Princess Luna.”  Wedge said politely.  “Do you have any inquiries for this unit?”

“I have many, dear Wedge.”  Luna replied, and took a seat.  

“This unit shall answer, as long as queries do not conflict with Prime and Security directives.”

“Understood.”  Princess Luna said with a nod.  “What is your purpose here?”

“This unit is to assist the Guardians in their current deployment as pilot and custodian.”

Princess Luna nodded.  “And what is the ‘Guardians’ purpose here?”

“Query goes against Security Protocol; access denied.”  Wedge replied automatically.

“I apologize, I do not wish to pry into sensitive matters.”  Luna replied cautiously.  “Do the ‘Guardians’ intend a forceful seizure of land from indigenous population?”

“That is at the Guardians’ discretion, though it is highly unlikely.  A standard fireteam of Guardians lacks appropriate resources and influence to topple a structured government of any kind.”  Wedge replied and Luna breathed a sigh of relief.  “Mostly they are on the ground searching for unknown power sources at this time.”

“And where are these ‘power sources’ you speak of?”  Luna asked the Frame and it spun its seat to face the nose of the ship and began tapping on a panel.  After a moment a holographic display activated and presented what appeared to be an overhead view of Central Equestria.

“An unknown energy was detected permeating in and around the surface of the planet.”  A few locations lit up that Luna recognized as being in Ponyville, Canterlot, the old palace where she and Celestia had ruled from, and the Crystal Empire; generally everywhere the Elements of Harmony had been used.  “These locations were noted to have large concentrations of this energy, so Titan Samson determined that they should investigate the concentration located outside of established settlements, to diminish odds of First Contact scenario.”  All the marked areas dimmed except for the location in the forest and Luna’s breath caught in her chest.

“Can… can you tell me where they are at this moment, Wedge?”  Luna asked, and the automata shook its head.

“Negative.  Without a global positioning network in orbit, we are currently unable to actively track Guardian movement on the planet.”  Wedge replied.

Luna thought for a moment on her next question.

“What would happen should one of my subjects happen upon the Guardians in their search?”  She asked Wedge.

“Individual Guardian reactions to alien contact varies, Princess Luna.”  Wedge replied.  “While it can be said not all alien species are hostile, and First Contact scenarios generally advise against initial use of force, almost all of the current extraterrestrial species inhabiting the Sol System have been known to actively engage in hostilities without provocation and Guardians have become used to initiating combat responses at the first sign of alien contact.”

“I… I am very well aware of the situation in the Sol System.”  Luna said.  “I should then assume that these ‘Guardians’ are related to the Traveler?”

“Oh, you know of the Traveler?  This unit shall prepare a report recommending diplomatic communications to the Speaker.”  Wedge stated, intrigued.  “You mentioned you were ‘co ruler’; does this mean there is another authority figure with whom Vanguard representatives may speak to?”

“My sister, Princess Celestia.”  Luna told the automata and then rose.  “It has been delightful speaking with you, Wedge, but I must depart and look in on a good friend of mine; farewell.”

“Farewell, Princess Luna; may the Light of The Traveler guide and protect you.”  Wedge said and Luna glanced at the Frame briefly before teleporting off the bridge of the Mischief Maker.  Wedge stared at the spot she had departed before he swiveled the chair back and began to monitor the ship’s systems once more.

> Chapter Eight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Far in the space from Equus, a warphole opened for a moment, and then closed.  It almost looked as if nothing had come through, but the twinkling light of a star would warp and distort every now and then, as if it was tracing the lines of an unseen object.

“We have arrived, my Kell.”  The Dreg helmsman reported to the large Kell sitting in the throne.  “Scanners detect that a ship matching the one that departed from the Earth world is in orbit around this one.”

“You have done well, Maret; I am pleased.”  Xarksis told the Dreg, who bowed deeply.  “Bring the ketch into the shadow of this world’s moon and prepare the scouts for deployment; I wish to know if there is anything of value to be obtained and where the Guardians are deployed.”

“As your will demands, my Kell.”  The Dreg said, bowing again and returning to his post.  A Baron stepped forward from the right of the throne.

“Kell Xarksis, I believe we should take this opportunity to strike at the Lightwielders’ ship and strand them on this world.”  He said, kneeling.  Xarksis stared thoughtfully at the Captain.

“Perhaps we should, it may even be to our advantage that we do so.”  Xarksis shook his head.  “However, I do not feel we should tip our hand just yet.  The Guardians of the Traveler have proven time and again that even a few of them are more than a match for a great number of our forces.”

“Which is why I suggest we act now, my Kell, and strike them while they are vulnerable!”  The Captain replied, agitated, and Xarksis glowered darkly at him.

“Baron Caltor, do you speak against my judgement?”  The Kell asked, his withering stare fixed firmly on the Baron, who cowed slightly.

“N-No, my Kell, I was merely-”  

In a flash Xarksis had risen from the throne and the towering Kell grasped Caltor around the neck with one large hand and lifted the smaller Fallen off the ground, choking him.

“Do not dare to question my authority, Baron!”  Xarksis roared at Caltor, who gave a gasp as his windpipe was closed by the Kell’s iron grip.  “Perhaps you have forgotten what happened to the House of Winter, to Kell Draksis?!  All of the troops stationed on that accursed ketch and it took only three Guardians to break in and destroy everything!  In fact, if not for those Guardians, the House of Dragons would never have been able to break away from Winter and come to the power it now has!”  He released the Baron, who slumped onto the ground, gasping for breath.  “No, I will not repeat that fool’s mistakes and risk the wrath of the Guardians for petty revenge.  Draksis was careless and stupid, I am not.  We shall await our moment to deliver righteous retribution.”

The room fell silent save for Caltor’s ragged breathing and then Xarksis reached down and grasped the Baron under one arm, lifting him to his feet.

“Since you seem so intent on action, Baron Caltor.”  Xarksis hissed, leaning in close to the Baron.  “You shall be the one to lead the scouting teams.  I fully expect you to report your findings upon your return.”

The Baron stood in silence for a moment, staring at the Kell, who matched his gaze unflinchingly.  After a moment the Baron took a step back and bowed respectfully.

“As your will demands… my Kell.”  Caltor replied, and then turned, motioning for a pair of Vandals to follow him.

“And Baron…”  Xarksis spoke as he took a seat on the throne, crossing a leg and the fingers of one pair of hands.  Caltor froze and turned his head back towards the Kell.  “If you fail me in this, there will be consequences.”

The Baron said nothing, but bowed once more and departed the flight deck.  Xarksis watched as the door closed, ruminating about the fall of the House of Winter.

The House of Dragons that Xarksis presided over had once been a minor House in subservience to the House of Winter; it had been one of only a few minor Houses not completely dissolved and merged into a major House.  The late Kell Draksis had conquered the Houses and told their Barons that they would either fly his standard, or be flown on his standard, and any discontent was frequently met with the razor–sharp edge of Draksis’ shock blade.  

However, only a few months before, a team of Guardians had discovered the location of Draksis’ ketch on Venus and staged a daring raid on the ship in the hopes of slaying the Fallen leader.  They had succeeded and thrown the House of Winter into chaos, which was only furthered when the Guardians had uncovered the remaining Winter Barons’ plan to restore the House Archon, Aksor, and not only devastated the remaining House leadership but laid low their Archon as well.  They should consider themselves lucky, Xarksis mused; had the Rift Witch and her minions found them first, they would have met with a fate far worse than death.

Deprived of their leaders and with Simiks Prime still unaccounted for, the House of Winter finally shattered and the subservient Houses began warring amongst themselves.

Save for the House of Dragons.

Xarksis, undaunted by the fall of Draksis and uninterested in squabbling with minor Barons over little more than garbage, seized his opportunity and brought the House of Dragons to renewed standing.  He rallied as many of the splintered Winter Fallen under his banner with promises of unity and ether, a desperately needed food source, and departed Venus amidst the pandemonium with several of Winter’s ketches and an army of Fallen under his command.  

However, instead of fighting for Guardian or Cabal controlled territory, he set his sights on the Moon where he saw opportunity to increase the power of his newly revitalized House by forging an alliance with the House of Exile, providing them with what few ships, weapons, and supplies he could spare in exchange for loyalty.  That done, he began sending his forces on missions to acquire the glimmer they needed to fashion weapons and create ether to feed the starving.

He directed short excursions in small groups to gather what material they could find and return.  This had proven to be a successful maneuver and had guaranteed nourishment, and subsequent loyalty, from his subjects.  His first major encounter with Guardians had been the disastrous attempt to acquire the mysterious data module, due mostly to the fact that a delusional minor House had almost delightfully insisted on firing upon Xarksis’ troops immediately upon landfall and the Guardians had then seen to the downfall of the House of Dragons’ own Archon.  Xarksis hadn’t particularly minded that eventuality; he had been considering killing the loud–mouthed priest himself.  It was the Guardians taking the data module that had infuriated the Kell.

Xarksis growled at the thought of the module, and then his thoughts took a turn to just how they had discovered the module in the first place.  

His personal ketch had been in orbit over Venus, observing the unrest between the minor Houses and noting with personal satisfaction that several of them had been obliterated; by the Guardians, the Vex, or from petty squabbles with other Houses.  A beacon had flared up on the radar and caught his attention, almost as if it had wanted to be found at that moment.  Xarksis had immediately ordered the deployment of troops to seize the module, which ultimately ended up in Guardian hands.

It still bothered him, though.  He never said anything to his subjects, unwilling to allow them to see weakness, but he was considerably unsettled both by the convenience of the module’s appearance, and the distance from which they had journeyed from known territory to discover where it led.  The world that was displayed on the holo-screen in front of him seemed almost like the one they had left and yet… it was different.

There was darkness behind that calm surface that he could not see, but could still feel.  The only other time he’d felt a planet like this was the first time he’d first laid eyes upon Venus, and that had been because of the accursed machines and their stronghold, the Vault of Glass, that had bent and distorted the very fabric of reality itself.

“Surely they cannot be here as well…”  He murmured to himself as he gazed at the screen.  “We are far from any known Vex controlled territory.”  His brow furrowed in thought.

“Honored Kell.”  

Xarksis turned a penetrating glare towards the Baron that had spoken, who promptly bowed with respect.

“Forgive my intrusion on your ruminations, but I would make a request if you would hear me.”

“And what would you have of your Kell, Captain Tolarum?”  Xarksis asked, his curiosity piqued.

“If I may be so bold, I would ask that a small division of Kellsguard escort his lordship to the planet.”  Tolarum replied.  “To ensure his survival… for good or ill.”

“You say that as if you are expecting Baron Caltor to fail in his command.”  Xarksis remarked and the Baron looked at him.

“Much could go wrong, my Kell.  However, Caltor has been known to be quite… brash.  The guard would serve to both protect him, and remind him who he serves.”  Tolarum told Xarksis and the Kell rubbed a hand under his chin for a moment before waving it.

“Choose your soldiers, Tolarum.”  Xarksis commanded.  “Caltor is to return alive, no matter what happens.”

“As your will demands, my Kell.”  Tolarum replied, and then he departed as well.

Xarksis sat on his throne for a minute longer before rising and entering a door hidden behind the command seat.  He walked down a hallway until he stood in front of another door flanked by two of his personal guard, both of whom saluted sharply once he was within a few feet.  The one on his right pressed a pad next to the door and it clicked, opening with a hiss to reveal a small, circular chamber with a podium near the center and a servitor floating next to it.  He crossed the threshold and the door hissed closed behind him, the servitor’s optic swiveling to observe him.

“Hail, Kell Xarksis.”  The servitor buzzed.  “Do you desire to speak with the captive?”

“Yes, Soreks–5.”  Xarksis replied and the servitor buzzed, releasing a hidden lock and causing a control console to appear on the podium.  Xarksis pressed a button and a tube began to descend from the ceiling.

Once the tube touched the floor, a set of shutters near its middle opened up to reveal a containment field with a Ghost floating in the center.  The mechanical orb settled its optic on him, a sense of weariness emanating from its gaze, and then it turned away defiantly.

“I see you are accommodating as always, Little Light.”  He growled at the Ghost, who said nothing.  “But you cannot fool me; I can see you are growing weak, starving for your maker’s light.”  The Ghost turned its optic back towards the Kell, the angle of its spines made him think it was glaring at him indignantly and he laughed derisively.  “If any of my subjects were to even consider giving me such a look, I would have them killed and their ether fed to the shanks.  However, since you are a ‘guest’ on my ship, I shall be a proper host and ignore your lack of manners at this time.”

“What do you want from me, Scavenger?”  The Ghost snapped in a cold, feminine voice and Xarksis settled a glare on the tiny machine.  “I will sooner die from lack of the Traveler’s Light than give you even the tiniest scrap of information about Earth.”

“You will show respect to Kell Xarksis of the House of Dragons you reprehensible little-” Soreks–5 began, but stopped when Xarksis held up a hand.

“Your willingness to sacrifice your existence for a cause is commendable, Little Light, but I am not here to inquire about Earth or its Vanguard this day.”  Xarksis told the Ghost and its gaze changed from a glare to curiosity.

“What?”  The Ghost asked, shocked, and Xarksis pressed a few buttons on his console and a miniature holographic image of the planet appeared above it, rotating slowly on its axis.  “Is that… Earth?  No, the continents… they’re all wrong, but it is definitely similar.”  The Ghost observed, and then it looked at the Kell.  “Why are you showing me this?”

“Because we are in orbit above this planet’s moon right now.”  He replied, the image shrinking to include the moon and an icon indicating their position.  “We have traveled quite the distance from the Sol System… but I am sure you already knew that.”

“Your haphazard warp drive was active for approximately twenty hours Earth–time.  Surprisingly, or perhaps ‘miraculously’ would be the better term, the machine held together for the trip.”  She replied and the Kell looked at her curiously.  “What?  You’ve locked me behind an energy field that’s preventing me from accessing your internal systems or even escape.  I got bored.”

“So it seems.”  Xarksis drawled.  “Can you tell me about this planet?”

“Yeah, no.”  The Ghost replied sarcastically.  “In order for me to do that, you’d have to lower the force-field so that I can scan the planet but you won’t do that because that would require you to lower the force-field and thus allow me the opportunity to escape.”  

Xarksis huffed disapprovingly.  

“And unlike you organic beings, I don’t have a natural sixth sense that tells me if there’s something wrong so I’m far more in the dark about this world than you are.”  She paused for a moment before adding “Of course, even if I did have that, I wouldn’t tell you anything anyway.”

“My Kell, I regret to inform you that the chances of this Light Unit giving any information on the planet is approximately five–point–zero–two percent.”  Soreks–5 stated.

“I see.”  The Kell pressed a button on his console and the image faded, followed by the sound of the tube rising back into the ceiling.  “This discussion has been truly delightful, but it has proven to be a waste of my time.”  Xarksis grinned malevolently.  “I shall be sure to send your regards to your Speaker.”

Once the tube had ascended fully back into the ceiling, Xarksis turned and stalked out of the room, his mind running.  He had not said anything to the Ghost, but he needed to weigh his decision and it was one not to be taken lightly.  He needed information on the planet, information he couldn’t get with any amount of scouting endeavors.  The Ghost he’d found hiding on his ship could, indeed, give him the scans he needed to guide his followers, but letting it out of the containment field was not the issue.  

The issue was that by using the Ghost, he would be using a tool created by the accursed Traveler and not only did his pride get in the way, but he was also certain that many of his troops would see this as a betrayal and the tenuous loyalty of some, if not all, of his Barons might break and they would turn on him, taking any number of the soldiers with them.  

And even with that eventuality, there was no guarantee the machine–soul would do as he commanded; it would most likely disappear as soon as the field was lowered and retreat into the bowels of the ship to await its opportunity to sneak onto a skiff and escape his clutches permanently.  What little it said was more than enough indicator to tell him what the Ghost thought about him and his people.

Fallen, Scavenger; these words the Ghost had uttered made Xarksis’ blood boil.  

Few of his people lower in rank than a Captain understood the Terran common tongue well enough to know what those words meant, but Xarksis did.  He despised those two words and yet… he could not argue their accuracy.  

His people had once been a noble, proud race that built empires, entire cities just like the one that even now cowered beneath the dying god–moon.  He’d heard the stories, had grown into adulthood with tales of the glory of ages past giving conviction to his movements, but at some point he’d realized that for all their bluster, his people truly were… Fallen, little prouder than the circling carrion birds that picked clean the discarded carcasses of a battlefield.  

Whatever they had been before in those tales, they had long since ceased to be, the glories of who his people had used to be was now so far gone that it was naught more than legend and mythology.  He entered the command deck once more and seated himself on his throne, entwining the fingers of one pair of hands in contemplation.

‘I will not be some shade of the past.’  He thought to himself resolutely.  ‘I will forge my own dynasty, through blood if I must.  I shall use whatever tool I have at my disposal, even the ones made by my enemy.’  

His eyes glinted with conviction and purpose as he stared at the vidscreen showing Baron Caltor barking orders to the various Dregs and Vandals that were swarming on and around the skiffs, preparing them for spaceflight.

‘The Fallen shall rise once more.’
	
> Chapter Nine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aveline stretched and sat up in the bed and looked around at a sight she had never imagined.

A large room lit brightly by the early morning sun through a large window that over looked the town complete with high quality drapes made from silk that started red near the bottom and casually transitioned to violet near the top and they were lightly sequined so that they sparkled as the light hit them.  The room also had exceptionally well–made furnishings and Aveline discovered that they were made from real wood!  

She stood and looked out the window, wondering if this was what it would have looked like to live during the Golden Age.  There was a knock at the door and she turned to it as the door opened and Twilight’s diminutive assistant, Spike, walked in carrying some towels.

“Good morning, Aveline!”  He greeted her cheerfully.  “You look like you’re ready for anything!”

“I feel that way, Spike.”  She replied, taking the towels.  “Such comforts are a luxury precious few can afford where I come from and are almost entirely eschewed by Guardians completely; we’re rarely at our own living quarters long enough to do more than sleep.”

“Wow… what do you do as a Guardian?”

Aveline smiled at the dragon’s curiosity; most children in the City had become so used to darkness that such innocence was difficult to find.

“The Guardians are warriors chosen by the Traveler to go out into the stars and fight against The Darkness to return Light to our people.”  She told him and his eyes widened in awe.  “There are many foes so very near our home that we must struggle against every day to reclaim what was lost, but we do so because we are the only ones who can.”

“Wow, you guys are like superheroes!”  He exclaimed, excited.  “Do you think I could become a Guardian, too?”
Aveline’s smile vanished, her expression turning sad.  “I… would not wish this on anybody, young one.  I love what I do and the friendships I’ve made, but this life was not one of my choosing.”

“Oh, why is that?”  He asked, but Aveline didn’t answer.  Instead she rose and walked out of the room, heading toward the bathroom to shower.  “Why don’t you want me to be a Guardian?”

“You are not ready for such truths, young one.”  Aveline told him.  “Perhaps when you are older, I will tell you.”

She closed the door on a confused Spike and took a shower.  

Just like with the bed, it was an entirely different experience than the cleansing booth in her Vanguard–issued living quarters in the Tower.  All her life, even before she had died and been subsequently returned as a Guardian, the people of Earth had scrapped using the limited water resources for cleaning, instead relying on the cleansing booths that were left over from the Golden Age.  Admittedly, they were much more efficient at cleansing and sterilization, but after her shower, Aveline realized that the running hot water was strangely relaxing and actually helped soothe some of the aches of injuries she had acquired over the past few days.  She stepped out of the shower, and felt relieved, as if a great burden had been temporarily lifted off her.

She returned to her room and changed into her leathers.  Gospel had vehemently refused to stay on the planet’s surface and had returned to the ship while she and Samson remained in Ponyville, with Princess Twilight Sparkle letting them stay in the strange, crystalline castle that looked oddly like a tree.  Aveline left her room and walked to the dining area to find that Twilight’s energetic pink friend, Pinkie Pie, was sitting at the table with Samson, apparently trying to feed him some kind of pastry.

“Come on, Sammy!”  Pinkie cooed, waving the pastry in his face.  “You won’t know you can’t eat it until you try!  This cupcake’s extra, super–duper, scrumdiddlydumptious and I made it just for you!”

“I already told you, Miss Pie, that I physically cannot eat it.”  He told her, getting frustrated.  “I’m an Exo; we’re artificial creations and therefore we are incapable of consuming food of any kind, I apologize.”

“You silly billy, everybody can eat cupcakes!”  Pinkie exclaimed happily, shoving the pastry into his face again.  “Now open wide!”

Aveline intercepted the cupcake and sniffed it.

“I hate to break it to you, Pinkie, but Samson’s right.  If he eats food, it will get caught in his servos and potentially do serious damage to his systems.”  She told the party pony, who deflated slightly.  “But the thought is appreciated.  What is this, anyway?”

“It’s a cupcake, Linny!”  Pinkie replied excitedly.  “That one’s orange cream swirl!  I suppose you can have it since Samson can’t eat it.  I also brought one for you, it’s minty triple chocolate, a new recipe!”  She held up another cupcake and looked at it sadly.  “I made one for Gospel, too… lemon surprise, but he’s not here.”  She then smiled brightly at Aveline.  “Go on, try your cupcake!”

Aveline examined the cupcake suspiciously, took a cautious bite, and then practically spit the super sweet treat out of her mouth.  Pinkie looked alarmed at this.

“Oh my gosh, did I mess up the recipe?”  She asked, terrified.  “Is there not enough frosting?  Maybe I didn’t put enough chocolate in.  I’m so sorry, Aveline, I’ll make sure it’s the right amount next time!”

“No, Pinkie, the cupcake was fine, really.”  Aveline said, covering her mouth to keep herself from spitting it out.  “It’s just… I am not used to something so sweet.”

“So… I put in too much sugar?”  Pinkie asked and Aveline nodded.  “Huh… maybe I should have held back on the bag when making the dough.”

“You will get it next time, I am sure.”  Aveline told Pinkie, ruffling her mane and causing the pink pony to giggle.  “Where is Princess Sparkle, Spike?  I assume Gospel will be returning soon so that she can explain how it is she knows what she does.”

“I don’t know, she said she needed to go to Canterlot and that she would return with some ponies you needed to see.”  Spike said as he ate what, to Aveline, appeared to be a fairly expensive–looking gem.

There was a roar from outside the castle and Aveline looked out the window of the dining room to see the Mischief Maker landing next to the castle with several gathered ponies watching in awe.

Once it landed, the engines shut off and Aveline saw a ramp extend from the ship and Gospel walked down it.  Aveline nodded to Samson and both she and the Titan left the dining room to walk out of the castle and meet with Gospel in the foyer, the Hunter noticing the incredible tension in Gospel’s stride.

“Has she explained anything yet?”  Gospel asked them quickly and Samson shook his head.

“No, apparently she left earlier to go somewhere called ‘Canterlot’ and find someone else she thinks we need to speak to.”  Samson replied and Gospel growled.

“Great, a trap, I knew it.”  He said and pulled his handcannon out to check its ammo.  “Check your gear, be ready to move as soon as-”

“Relax, Gospel.”  Aveline interjected, putting her hand on his weapon and gently lowering it.  “I do not get the feeling that the Princess means us any harm.”

“Nevertheless, we should be prepared to fight.”  Samson said, indicating the rifle in his hands.  “I know they seem different to you, Aveline, but we need to remain vigilant.  We don’t know whether or not these ‘ponies’ are as harmless as they seem.”

“Pinkie is nothing less than what we see, Samson.”  Aveline retorted.  “Maybe the aliens in the Sol System want nothing less than our demise, but I honestly do not believe that we are in danger here.”

Gospel looked at Aveline distrustfully.

“You need to be careful, Aveline, you shouldn’t trust these aliens.”  He told her, but then they all heard a sound come from the top of the stairs and they all immediately turned, with Samson and Gospel training their weapons on the source.  

It turned out to be Princess Twilight Sparkle and she was accompanied by two, far larger ponies that, like her, both had horns and wings, with one being slightly smaller than the other.  The newcomers looked at the Guardians, and the smaller one appeared to bristle slightly while the taller one merely cocked a regal eyebrow.

“Oh, you’re up!”  Twilight exclaimed, and then she saw that Gospel and Samson had their weapons out and she squeaked.  “T-Those won’t be necessary, everypony; we’re all friendly here.”  She indicated her guests.  “Aveline, Gospel, Samson, I’d like you to meet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the rulers of Equestria.  I apologize for not letting you know before I left, but I felt it would be good if I brought them here to speak with you in pony.”

Samson and Gospel looked at each other, and then they hesitantly put their guns away.

“Apologies, Your Majesties.  We are from a world where threats come from all sides and we are trained to respond in kind.”  Samson told the gathered Princesses and Celestia waved a hoof dismissively, a warm smile on her muzzle.

“It is alright, Samson, we’re the ones at fault for startling you.”  She told them, and then she gestured toward a door.  “I hardly think the foyer is a proper place for an intergalactic meeting however, so perhaps we should make ourselves at home with comfortable seats and warm tea?”

Samson and Gospel didn’t say anything, so Aveline stepped forward.

“That sounds lovely, Your Majesty.”  She said and proceeded up the stairs as the Princesses trotted over to the room Celestia had indicated, with the blue one that Twilight had introduced as Princess Luna gazing at them for a brief moment before departing.

Gospel grabbed Aveline’s wrist and she looked at him.

“Don’t let your guard down, Aveline!”  He implored, but Aveline gently pulled herself free.

“We have no choice, Gospel, they know this land better than we do and thus far they have shown that they are the farthest thing from hostile to us.”  Aveline told him sternly and she returned to walking up the stairwell.  

Samson walked up to Gospel and put his hand on the Warlock’s shoulder.

“No enemy on a thousand worlds is as dangerous as five miles of unknown terrain, Gospel.”  Samson stated.  “We should take advantage of whatever information they’re willing to part with, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to just tell them everything about Earth.”

Gospel watched as Samson walked up the stairs and he placed a hand on his gun before giving a sigh and following them up the stairs and into a comfortable looking tearoom that had a table in the center and multiple cushions on the floor.  

All but one was occupied either by his fellow fireteam or the alien princesses.  He reluctantly walked over to the remaining cushion and sat on it.  Aveline coughed and when Gospel looked at her, she indicated her head to tell him that he needed to remove his helmet and he did so warily, placing it on the table.  Spike entered a moment later with a tray bearing two pots of tea and multiple teacups and he began serving tea to everybody present save for Samson, who he knew couldn’t have any.

“Now, I can safely assume we are all comfortable?”  Celestia asked after a dainty sip of tea.

“I am quite content, Princess.”  Aveline said, and then took her own sip of the delicious tea, once more shuddering slightly from how flavorful it was compared to what she was used to.

“I have no complaints; Gospel?”  Samson asked, looking at the Warlock, who regarded his cup of tea with a mixture of disdain and distrust.

“Yeah, sure, I’m just dandy.”  He replied darkly and the princesses all looked at him curiously.

“Well, I suppose I shall not need to bore you with small talk, then.”  Celestia said, her teacup returning to its plate with a light click.  “Twilight informed my sister and I that you had some questions you wished to have answered?”

“Yes.”  Samson replied automatically.  “Our main priority, currently, is finding out how Princess Twilight knows about humanity.”

They all looked at Twilight and she blushed nervously.

“Well… you’re probably not going to believe me and I was scared that if I told you last night, you’d hurt my friends.”  Twilight replied, rubbing her hooves together, and then she told them everything about her previous two adventures at Canterlot High on the other side of the mirror she kept in the castle basement.  When she was finished, she smiled nervously.  “I… I know it seems far–fetched, but I promise that it’s the truth.”

“I don’t buy it.”  Gospel said, leaning on the table.  “You seriously expect us to believe that you have a magic mirror in your castle’s underbelly that transports you to a world where all your friends are humans?  That’s more than just ‘far-fetched’, that’s outright unbelievable.  Just so you know, we tend to get shooty if we suspect bad behavior.”

“Do you make a threat against my friend, Guardian?”  Luna said angrily, rising slightly while Samson cocked an eye plate curiously at her.

“Gospel!”  Aveline exclaimed, looking at him angrily.  “There is no reason we should not give her the benefit of the doubt!”

“Easy, both of you.”  Samson told his team and they quieted, though they glared at each other.  Samson turned toward Luna.  “I don’t remember anyone telling you what we call ourselves.  Do you know something you’re not telling us, Princess Luna?”

Luna started and looked around at the table.

“Oh yeah, time to get to the real reason I’m not terribly trusting right now, particularly of her.”  Gospel said, jabbing a finger at the moon princess, who jumped in surprise.  “Go on, Moonie; tell us exactly how it is you know that we’re Guardians.  No lies, either.”

Luna looked around, and then composed herself.

“I detected your vehicle enter the airspace above Equus and I went aboard while you and your companions were in the Palace of the Sister Princesses.”  She answered, her gaze settling on Gospel, stoic and unwavering.  “I proceeded to have a brief conversation with your artificial being, Wedge.  He was more than happy to answer what questions I deemed necessary to ask.”

There was a pregnant silence in the room as Twilight and Aveline gaped at Luna; Twilight with horror and Aveline with a combination disbelief and fury.  Celestia settled her regal gaze on Luna while Samson stared very hard at the blue alicorn.

“You… went aboard our ship?!”  Aveline exclaimed angrily, breaking the silence.  “Perhaps Gospel is right about this.”  She looked at the Warlock.  “How did you find out, anyway?”

“Wedge was ‘more than happy’ to tell me he’d received a visitor while we were planet-side.”  Gospel said, grinning.  “He even played a recording of the whole conversation for me.”

“Was any sensitive information given out?”  Samson asked and Wedge shook his head.

“Only the objective of our scouting mission, and even if she had asked more sensitive questions, he would have refused to answer them and probably would have attacked her if she had persisted.”  Gospel replied and then Celestia cleared her throat.

“It seems we have something of a misunderstanding here.”  She stated.  “My sister acted in the best interests of the ponies of Equestria, but that is not justification for her intrusion nor subsequent inquiry; I would ask you for grace in this matter.”

“And if we refuse?”  Samson asked and this time, Celestia’s gaze grew dark.

“I shall then consider your own intrusion upon historic Equestrian territory and the threatening of not just Equestrian civilians, but of a crown princess, as an act of war and I will respond accordingly.”  She told him, giving a cold smile, and all of the Guardians and Twilight shuddered. 

Celestia had a thousand years of experience ruling alone, and while this was the first time she had to deal with aliens from beyond the stars, she had extensive experience with diplomatic negotiations and she had just given the Guardians an ultimatum that they could accept a mutual forgiveness, or they could immediately engage in open warfare with a pair of princesses that, if what the locals said was true, could smear the Guardians across the surface of the planet with barely any effort.  

They all looked at each other, and then back at Celestia’s steely smile and they realized that they were in a bad position to fight.  Aveline and Samson both looked at Gospel and he sighed in resignation.

“Okay, we’ll let this one slip.”  Gospel said and Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.  “But I still don’t believe you have a magic mirror in your basement that takes you to a world of humans.”

“Well, believe it or not, it’s the truth and you’ll have to accept that.”  Twilight retorted irritably.

“Moving on.”  Luna said, sipping her tea.  “Since some of the questions we might have are answered, it would only be fair to answer your own; what do you wish to know, Guardians of Earth?”

“We came planet-side because we detected an unknown energy source, one that seemed to be fairly concentrated in several locations near here.”  Aveline replied.  “We were wondering if you were aware of this energy and perhaps if you knew of these concentrations.”

“Not really a question, but I shall provide an answer none-the-less.”  Luna said.  “Wedge was kind enough to inform me about your search and the locations you would go to.  The energy you speak of has no common name on Equus; we Equestrians refer to it as magic, or mana.  As for the locations, they are all areas where… a great power has been invoked.  I assume that these ‘concentrations’ you seek are the lingering essence from their use, much like hoofprints in snow.”

“I scanned one of the locations in the town proper last night while everybody else was sleeping.”  Samson stated.  “It was definitely there, but not in any kind of useable form.   Can you explain how you can manipulate it in a weaponized form?”

“I think that would be one of the questions you’d be defensive about.”  Twilight replied.  “It hardly seems fair of you to ask it of us, don’t you think?”

“Princess Twilight makes an excellent point, Guardian.”  Celestia said, giving her tea another dainty sip.  “If it’s all the same, I would keep your knowledge of our defenses to a minimum.”

“Wow, that was totally subtle.”  Gospel remarked sarcastically and Celestia looked directly at him, giving a delightful smile.

“Thank you, I have been practicing for the last one thousand years.” She replied cheerfully.  Gospel stared at her and realized with dread that he could not read her expression at all despite her smile and tone of voice, and found himself completely incapable of telling whether or not the alicorn princess was being sarcastic in response.

There was an awkward silence, broking only by the sound of teacups departing and returning to plates, before Samson gave a mechanical cough.

“If it’s all the same, I still have some questions if you could answer them?”  He asked.

“Yes, of course.”  Celestia replied and then she turned and smiled at Spike.  “Spike, if you would not mind brewing some more tea, I daresay we shall be here for a while longer.”

“Right away, Princess!”  The young dragon exclaimed and hurried out the door.

> Chapter Ten
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daring Do came to a stop on the snow–covered mountain and looked back at the rest of the group.  Reliquary and Professor Sky Diamond were wearing cloaks and heavy vests to protect them from the chill, while Sullivan had insisted on nothing more than his tacky red shirt.  

She wasn’t surprised; griffons had coats specially suited for cold climates.  

Daring Do and Uncharted Fortune similarly did not need heavy clothing because, being pegasi, their innate magic mitigated all but the most extreme temperature differences.  What surprised her, however, was Iron Bull coming up the mountain in little more than baggy, striped breeches.  She lulled slightly so the others could pass her until Bull caught up.

“You hanging in there, big guy?”  She asked him, slightly concerned.

“It’s a little nippy up here, but I’ve seen worse.”  He replied nonchalantly and hefted the packs he was carrying.  “I appreciate the concern, though.”

“Huh, I was wondering because I’ve met minotaurs before and most of them could barely handle an Equestrian spring day.”  Daring said.  “So, why are you really here?”

“Oh?  Didn’t Fortune tell you everything?”  Iron Bull asked and Daring gave him a confused look.  “I was sent by the Kingdoms to watch over the expedition and report back what I see.”  Iron Bull sighed wistfully.  “I suppose I can’t blame you for not knowing.  Fortune kinda left out the fact that he was bringing you in, Daring Do.”

Daring stopped, a jolt of panic going across her spine.

“You… you know who I am?”  She hissed, ready to move at a moment’s notice but was caught off guard when Iron Bull gave a shrug and she began moving forward again.

“Well, yeah.”  He replied.  “You wouldn’t know it, but the Kingdoms have a pretty damn good intelligence network.  We’ve known about you for a long time.”  He pointed at Reliquary and Uncharted Fortune.  “I’ve worked with both Reliquary and Fortune before to claim some artifacts from ancient Taurian ruins and Sully there plays a mean game of cards, as I’m sure you know.  Can drink with the best of ‘em, too.”  He turned his eye to Sky Diamond and frowned.  “As for the professor, I can’t really say.  Ever since the Crystal Kingdom resurfaced, the Kingdoms have been in a tizzy trying to get as much intel as possible.”  He leaned down close to Daring.  “However, something bugs me about him.  Couldn’t say what, but I feel like he knows more than he’s letting on.  Also, whenever I look at him, he seems kinda… flat.”

“I’m not sure if you noticed, Bull, but you only have one eye.”  Daring replied.  “That might have something to do with it.”

Iron Bull gave a deep, genuine guffaw of laughter and clapped Daring hard on the back, making her stumble.

“Nice to see you have a sense of humor and a sharp one at that!”  He grinned broadly.  “I suppose I set myself up for that one, but in all seriousness he does appear… flatter, than anyone else when I look at him.  It’s like I’m staring at some kind of cardboard cut-out or something.”  The minotaur shook his head.  “You wouldn’t understand unless you also only had one eye.”

“I see…”  Daring Do said, and then she looked back at Iron Bull.  “You know, I don’t think I’ve met a spy as forthcoming as you.”

“Well, when you’re a big guy like me, subtlety isn’t really much of an option.”  He replied with a shrug.  “I suppose I could just lie, but I find certain people are friendlier when you’re direct with them.  Hard to trust someone to keep you alive when you can’t trust that they are who they say they are.  I’m sure you’d know all about that.”

Daring didn’t reply, instead opting to shoot the muscle-bound minotaur a threatening glare.  She didn’t have long, though, before they heard Fortune from up ahead.

“Hey, hurry up you two!  The campsite’s just up ahead and we’ve gotta get everything set before nightfall!”

Daring Do and Iron Bull looked at each other and then hurried up the slope until they reached a section of flat ground with several mounds of snow around it.  

One of the mounds had a large hole opened into its side and they could see Uncharted Fortune waving them toward it before he disappeared inside.  They followed him in and Fortune shut the flap behind them to keep the snow out.  Daring peered around the wigwam and saw Sullivan tending to a small fire in its center while Sky Diamond and Reliquary were unpacking bags.  Professor Diamond turned, saw Iron Bull, and waved the minotaur over to him.

“There you are, Bull, can you put the equipment next to this table please?”  The crystal pony said and Iron Bull trudged over to him.

Daring Do frowned, checked to make sure none of the others were watching, and then placed a hoof over one eye to cover it.  As she expected, the loss of the eye reduced her vision to only two dimensions and she looked around the room, inspecting it to get visual reference for what everyone looked like.  That done, she looked at Sky Diamond and found that he seemed unsettlingly… flat.  It wasn’t terribly perceptible, if Reliquary and Iron Bull hadn’t been standing next to him, she probably would never have noticed the difference.

“Trying to look like the big guy there, kid?”  Sullivan asked suddenly, making Daring start.  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I-It’s okay Sully.”  Daring replied, putting her hoof down and looking away, her face hot. “A-and no, I wasn’t, I just had a… a headache is all.”

“Really?”  Sullivan inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

“Yes, really!”  Daring snapped.  “I’m fine now, though.”  She pawed at the ground she was standing on.  “What’s the deal with ground?  Did the previous team work the stone or something?”

“Maybe, we don’t know.”  Reliquary replied as she brought a teapot across the room.  “There aren’t any records detailing this area, so we’re essentially flying blind.”

“But that’s why we’re here, Rose.”  Fortune said from his seat next to the now much larger fire while Reliquary leaned outside the wigwam, filling the teapot with snow.  “We’re gonna look around at the ruins that are supposedly in this area and report back with our findings.”

“So just in and out, no fighting expected?”  Iron Bull inquired as he also sat next to the fire, across from Fortune.

“Pretty much.”  Sky Diamond stated from his table and Iron Bull gave a contented sigh.

“That’s good.  Might not be as much fun as beating back changeling bandits or wrestling a dragon, but it’s nice to get an easy job every once and a while.”  Iron Bull gave Daring a nudge as she sat next to him.  “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I wouldn’t count the stars before they rise, Bull.”  Daring replied, taking her favorite pith off and setting it on the ground next to her.  “I’ve seen plenty of ancient temples that looked nice on the outside, but inside it would throw everything and the kitchen sink at you trying to put you down.”

“Similar to how in book four somepony actually did try to kill you with a kitchen sink?”  Reliquary stated as she put the teapot over the fire to boil, causing a hush to fall over the group and Daring Do stared at the elegant mare slack-jawed.  After a moment Iron Bull burst out laughing and slapping his haunches.

“You’re shitting me!”  He exclaimed in between laughes.  “Someone actually went at you with a kitchen sink?  I mean, an actual, honest-to-Celestia kitchen sink?!  I have got to read these books!”

“Fortune, you told me that you didn’t tell everypony who I am!”  Daring Do snapped at her fellow pegasus.

“I didn’t, Daring, I swear!”  Uncharted Fortune replied defensively, clearly stunned that the others knew.

“Miss Reliquary informed me of your identity this morning.”  Sky Diamond said from the table, smiling.  “She told me not to say anything about it until we’d left the city.”

“Well, this is news to me!”  Sullivan stated, flabbergasted.  “You’re telling me that not only is Daring Do real, I’ve known her for years?”  The older griffon rubbed his temple with one claw.  “Any other ‘fictional’ people I’m acquainted with that I should know about?”

“So, I have to know, did they use it like a club or did they throw it at you?”  Iron Bull asked, leaning forward and grinning.

“Read the book, Bull.”  Daring replied and then stood.  “I’m gonna go check out the area, see if I find anything interesting.”

Sky Diamond perked up and dove into his bag, producing the journal.

“I’ll come with you.  You’ll need me to show you where the ruins are.”  He told Daring as he slid back into his heavy coat.

“Fine, just try not to fall off the mountain or anything.”  She told him as she opened the flap leading out of the wigwam and Sky Diamond hurried to follow her.

“Be careful out there, you two.”  Reliquary called out and Sky Diamond turned his head, stared at her, and after a moment he nodded. 

Daring Do cocked an eyebrow and looked from the crystal pony to the earth pony.  When her gaze fell on Reliquary, however, the mare stared the adventurer straight in the eyes and Daring suddenly and inexplicably felt as if she were being threatened.  She only held Reliquary’s gaze for a moment before following the professor away from the shelter.

‘Something feels off… I’ve been getting nothing but bad vibes from this job ever since I got here…’  Daring thought to herself as Sky Diamond led her away from the makeshift camp and further up the mountain while happily chattering about something or other.

“Miss Do?”  He said, suddenly in front of her and breaking her ruminations.  “Here, these are the ruins.”

Daring looked around at the snow-covered landscape.  Just like everywhere else on the mountain, the snow was fairly deep and piled eagerly on every outcropping in the area.  However, Daring had been to enough ruins to know what one looked like and this place fit the bill.  There were sharp corners all around the area that were quite obviously not naturally formed and several arches that created perfect geometric shapes.  She took flight so she could survey the area and get a better idea of what she was looking at.

The area almost seemed like a normal mountainside ruin, with what was obviously worked ground and several snow-covered spires that were placed in too symmetrical a fashion to be natural.  She hovered over to one of the spires and brushed snow off of it until she could get to the structure underneath.  After a minute of work, her hoof brushed against the spire and she froze.

She had just touched metal.

“Metal…?”  She murmured to herself, and then began brushing the snow away with more vigor.

It wouldn’t the first time she had encountered ruins that used metal decoratively, but never in something like an obelisk or a statue.  Gold and Silver were difficult to get in large enough quantities to use in anything other than currency or jewelry and they were too far north for it to be brass or bronze.  After another few minutes work, she managed to uncover enough of the spire to actually see the surface and she had to admit, she had never seen anything like it.

“What is it?”  Sky Diamond called from down beneath her.  “Did you find something?”

“I don’t… I don’t know!”  Daring replied, rubbing her hoof along the surface of the spire.  It was covered in geometric lines that looked almost like tubing of some kind and they were made of a metallic substance that she wasn’t familiar with.  “Go get the others, I’ll stay here and try to uncover more of the structure!”

“Y-Yes, got it!”  Diamond replied and then hurried back the way they had come.  Daring Do watched him leave, and then turned her attention back to the spire.  She rubbed a hoof under her chin for a moment before turning around and bucking the spire hard, causing snow to fly off and reveal more of it.

Daring’s breath caught in her lungs when she saw it.  A mechanic she knew in Canterlot had once taken apart a radio and shown her the circuitry inside, with all the wires twisted around and leading from the speakers, the dial, and the power source.  What she saw on the spire, even though it seemed entirely alien, was unmistakably covered in circuitry.  She hovered around the spire to look at it from all sides and discovered that one side had what appeared to be some kind of glass oculus.  She looked curiously at the oculus, and then turned to face the direction it pointed, positioning herself in front of the glass eye.

It was pointed directly at the sheer cliff face on the side of the mountain.  The adventurer grinned, delighting in her own cleverness.

“Trying to hide something from me, are we?”  She said, and then hovered in front of the cliff.  She reached out a hoof and rubbed the wall to see if there were any hidden doors, but was instead confounded once more when what she touched was not rock, but glass.  “What in the name of Celestia…?”

She heard crunching in the snow and turned to see the rest of the group appear in the clearing and they gawked at the half–uncovered spire.

“Wow, that’s…”  Sully started, but trailed off as he gazed at it.

“Creepy as Tartarus.”  Iron Bull finished.  “Am I the only who thinks that looks like some kind of machine?”

“No, you’re not.”  Daring Do told him, and then she lifted a back hoof and bucked the glass wall behind her, causing it to make a ringing noise and shrug off its burden of snow.  “And this place is way beyond anything we’ve ever seen before.”

Daring Do flew over to the group and landed, turning to observe her work while the others’ mouths dropped open.  The snow had fallen off the cliff face to reveal a large, circular glass construct ringed with metal attached to it, similar to the oculus on the spire but larger.  Looking at it, Daring Do thought it was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen in a ruin and yet… she felt a sense of foreboding, as if there was something innately wrong with it.  Every part of her being was telling her that what she was looking at was dangerous and didn’t belong in this world.

“What is that?”  Reliquary asked, her face an unreadable mask though her eyes betrayed suspicion.  “Is it some kind of decorative piece?”

“I think it might be.”  Uncharted Fortune replied.  “It wasn’t uncommon for ancient cultures to build such things in order to show off their wealth or power.”

Daring Do wanted to agree with him, she truly did, but experience told her otherwise; told her exactly what they were looking at.

“No, it’s not.”  She sighed and began to trot forward.  “There’s an oculus of some kind on that spire and it’s pointed directly at that thing which can only mean…”  She paused, standing between the spire and the glass wall and she turned her head toward the group.  “That this is a door.”

The group was silent, staring in awe at the glass portal.

“So… if it’s a door, there must be a way to open it, right?”  Sully asked.

“Yeah, I think it has something to do with this spire.”  Daring replied, and then she turned to the object in question.  “I don’t know what, though.  Might take a while, and I’ll need everyone’s help to get all this snow out of here.”

“Young lady, you are asking too much of this old griffon, y’know that?”  Sully told her and Daring laughed.

“I bet you wouldn’t be complaining so much if it was a hot, young griffoness, would you?”  She retorted and this time Sully laughed.

“Okay kid, you got me, where do you want us to start?”  Sully asked her and Daring pointed at the base of the spire.

“Clear off the spire, the mechanism may be on or around it.”  She began to trot toward the glass portal.  “I’ll take a look around the door, see if-”

Precisely halfway between the door and the spire, the ground around Daring lit up and suddenly the snow around her flash melted, revealing a glass panel beneath her hooves.  Before she even knew what was happening, white geometric shapes sprung out of the panel in a ring around its perimeter, shifting and interlocking and closing her inside it.  The first thought that went racing through her mind was that she had stupidly fallen into some kind of trap, but as the others cried out in alarm, Daring looked up and saw the oculus on the spire was also glowing.  Iron Bull began to charge at the ring surrounding the adventurer in an attempt at rescue, but Daring held up a hoof.

“Wait!”  She commanded, and the muscular minotaur slid to a stop, looking at her in confusion.  “This isn’t a trap!  I… I think this is the door’s opening mechanism, it’s interacting with the spire!”

Even as the others turned to look at the spire, Daring saw a beam of light lance forward from its oculus and toward the glass portal.  Upon contact, the glass began to shift and collapse in on itself, revealing a cavern beyond it.  Once it stopped, Daring waited a moment before slowly stepping off the glass panel.  She stepped fully away from the device and, once she was certain the door would remain open, motioned for the others to join her.  The group of explorers stood in front of the open doorway leading into a cavern full of precise corners and looked in.

“So, uh…”  Sky Diamond swallowed hard.  “A-are… all ruins are as d-dark and terrifying as th-this one?”

“No.”  Uncharted Fortune stated, looking around before somehow finding a nearby torch and lighting it.  “Usually only the dangerous ones.”

“That’s great… what do we do now, boss?”  Iron Bull asked and Reliquary stepped forward and gave him a sideways glance.

“We go down.”  She stated and proceeded into the darkness.  Everyone else followed her except for Sky Diamond, who lingered.

“Why must we go to such terrifying places…”  He muttered, and then hurried after the group.

> Chapter Eleven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a couple hours of discussion, the conference between the Guardians and the three alicorn princesses finally ended and Fireteam Wisp had permission from Princess Celestia to walk around the town.  She had also given a brief public introduction speech to the gathered townsponies, who had begun gathering around the Mischief Maker in a mixture of fascination, awe, and in some cases, fear.  Aveline was sure there was going to be a panic, especially after the way all the gathered ponies looked at the Guardians; the hulking form of Samson in particular.  

However, when Princess Celestia made her brief speech introducing the Guardians as welcome guests in Equestria, the locals visibly relaxed much to the Guardians’ surprise and the crowd began dispersing, though some of the ponies began to ask the Guardians questions.  

One mint – green unicorn mare inquired about the Last City and seemed particularly fascinated with their hands, though she was invariably dragged away by a tan earth pony with a curly blue and pink mane who apologized profusely on the unicorn’s behalf despite her protests to being torn away from what was clearly a fascinating subject to her.  Another unicorn mare with a light brown coat and off – white mane, on the other hand, seemed far more interested in their ship, and then Samson once she realized that he was a machine as well.  Much to Guage’s dismay, she was quickly shooed away by Twilight when the unicorn began to talk about dismantling the ship and the exo.

“So, what should we do now?”  Gospel asked his fellow Guardians as they lingered around their ship.

“I’ll take the Mischief Maker back to orbit and deploy the satellite array so that we can access our sparrows.”  Samson stated.  “You two should go and walk around the town to see what kind of place this is.”

“You want us to see if they sell any weapons.”  Aveline pointed out and Samson nodded.  “That’s a good idea.  Maybe we will find vendors who would be interested in shipping some of these goods to Earth.”

“I don’t know, Aveline.”  Gospel said, looking at the town where the brightly colored equines could be clearly seen going about their day–to–day lives, a bit of talk or a laugh occasionally could be heard over the sounds of birds and wind.  “This place seems kinda rustic, and that’s a lot coming from someone who used to live back during the time of Old Earth.  If they have weapons, I doubt we’d need to worry much about them… or want them for that matter.”

“Well, we do actually have some weapons.”  Twilight interjected, not wanting to be left out of the conversation.  “But they’re not for public sale; the only ponies who can purchase them are those who are registered guardsponies, Royal Equestrian Military or local militia; Princess Celestia has worked really hard over the past one thousand years to make sure that Equestria has a strong standing military without needlessly arming the populace.”  Twilight looked at their weapons and shrugged.  “Even then, our current mainstream armaments pale in comparison to yours anyway so it’s to our benefit that we don’t start any fights with you.”

“I would like to see them anyway, if I could.”  Aveline said, her curiosity piqued.  Gospel looked at the awoken and sighed in resignation.

“Fine, I’ll go with you.”  He said.  “It certainly beats hanging around this castle… tree… thing.”

“That’s my home, thank you very much.”  Twilight retorted irritably.

“Anyway, I’m going to get ready for lift–off.”  Samson said, interposing himself between the Warlock and the alicorn, and then he raised his voice.  “That means I need everybody to clear the area or they might get injured.”  He called out in the direction of the jumpship that still had several ponies, the light brown one included, milling about it. 

They all jumped in alarm, and then quickly moved away from the ship, with the light brown mare giving it one last, forlorn glance before she left.  

Samson made his way to the side of the ship and a ramp descended from it.  Before he could make his way aboard, however, they heard a buzzing sound that grew steadily louder.  The Guardians glanced around, fingering their weapons and looking for the source of the noise until Aveline pointed out what appeared to be a scooter being ridden by a small, orange coated pegasus wearing a helmet whose tiny wings were flapping rapidly enough to produce the buzzing noise.  

A trailer attached to the back of the scooter revealed two more small ponies, one with a yellow coat and the other with a white coat, both of whom were wearing helmets themselves.  The Guardians watched in fascination (Twilight merely gave a sigh) as the scooter, trailer and all, expertly came to a stop just short of Twilight and the three small ponies disembarked quickly, apparently unaware of the presence of the Guardians.

“See?  See?!”  She exclaimed, gesturing excitedly at the jumpship with her hoof.  “I told you that there was a spaceship on Equestria, Applebloom!  I saw it come down from the sky with my own eyes!”

“Wow… yer right!  Ah thought ya was just dreamin’ or somethin’!”  the yellow pony replied in a surprisingly thick accent, astounded.

“This is so cool!”  The white pony exclaimed with a small hop.  “I never thought there’d be other ponies up in Luna’s sky!”

“We are not ponies, but a few of many lifeforms out among the stars, little ones.”  Aveline said amiably, thinking to herself that the three small ponies were so childishly adorable in their enthusiasm.  However, that enthusiasm was short – lived because the second Aveline had spoken, all three ponies froze and then, as one, slowly turned their heads to look at her, eyes wide.  They stared at the awoken in shock and Aveline gave them a smile.  “Good morning.”

There was a beat of silence, and then all three of the tiny ponies screamed in terror and bolted, only to be swiftly caught in a magenta–colored field and lifted off the ground as Twilight trotted over, a similar glow surrounding her horn and she stared at the three ponies, unamused.  The three small ponies glanced fearfully from her, to Aveline, then back again.

“It’s not polite to scream at guests, girls.”  Twilight instructed.  “I know how scary it is to see unfamiliar races but I assure you they don’t mean us any harm.”  

Twilight lowered the three ponies to the ground and they still seemed nervous, but now also slightly ashamed.

“Sorry, Twilight…”  They all said in the tone of scolded schoolchildren and Aveline realized suddenly that they weren’t small ponies; they were young ponies!

“It is alright, Princess.”  Aveline told her, slightly surprised at the fillies’ informality towards her.  “I think they were so excited about the ship that they weren’t paying attention and I startled them when I spoke.”  Aveline turned to the three fillies and kneeled to be closer to eye level with them, smiling.  “I apologize, I did not mean to frighten you; my name is Aveline, what are yours?”

The yellow one stepped forward, putting on a brave face.

“M-mah name is Applebloom, Aveline.”  She stated, holding out a hoof and Aveline shook it.

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to Applejack, would you?”  Aveline asked and the filly brightened up considerably.

“Yeah, she’s mah sister!”  Applebloom replied, beaming, and then realization dawned on her.  “Oh, y’all are the newcomers she was talkin’ ‘bout this mornin’, ain’t ya?”

“I suppose we are.”  Gospel said grumpily.  He looked over to the Mischief Maker just in time to see Samson’s boots disappear up the ascending ramp.

The white one, a unicorn, quickly followed her friend’s lead once she saw that Aveline was friendly.

“Hi, Aveline, I’m Sweetie Belle!”  She said, excited.

“I’m Scootaloo!”  The orange pegasus said cockily.  “And together we’re-”

The three fillies drew in deep breaths and Aveline saw Twilight quickly place her forehooves over her ears, covering them and she followed suit, though Gospel did not.

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, YAY!”  All three fillies bellowed happily in unison, causing Gospel to fall on his rear–end in surprise and Aveline and Twilight began to laugh at him.

“Jesus Christ!”  He exclaimed, startled, his hands over both ears.  “Ow, dammit, my ears!”  Almost immediately there was a pop from behind him and before he could say anything, Twilight clopped him hard on the head with her hoof.  “OW, WHAT THE HELL?!”  She clopped him on the head again.  “Ow, st-stop it!  What did I do, why are you hitting me?!”

“Watch your language, there are impressionable young fillies here, Gospel.”  Twilight told him sternly and he noticed her horn glowing.  He looked over and saw that the three fillies’ ears were each surrounded by a matching aura and they were looking at him in confusion.

“S-sorry.”  He apologized grudgingly.  Twilight glared at him, but released the magic covering the fillies’ ears.

“Hey, Mister…?”  Applebloom began, but stalled when she realized she didn’t know Gospel’s name.

“…Gospel.”  He told her, finding it hard to be hostile to such a young creature.

“Huh.”  She said, and then continued.  “Well, Mister Gospel, what does ‘Jesus Christ’ mean?”  She asked innocently and Twilight glared darkly at Gospel.

“It’s… it doesn’t have meaning, it’s the name of a person who was supposedly very important a long time ago.”  He replied and the fillies muzzles changed in realization.

“You mean like how everypony always say ‘Sweet Celestia’!”  Sweetie Belle exclaimed and Twilight facehoofed.  Scootaloo opened her mouth as if to say something, but then the Mischief Maker’s engines roared to life and the jumpship lifted off the ground.

After a dozen feet, the ship turned on its axis, angled up toward the sky and shot off, quickly becoming a speck, and then vanishing into the cerulean expanse.  The fillies watched in awe, their mouths agape and their eyes wide with wonder.  

Aveline stared at their expressions, and suddenly realized that the technology for spaceflight was taken for granted.  What she and every Guardian did everyday surely must seem to be some incredible feat, or even a miracle to these planet–bound ponies.  She glanced over to Gospel and wondered if he’d had the same look on his face when he first discovered that spaceflight had long since been mastered.

“I believe it is time we explored the town proper, Your Majesty?”  Aveline said to Twilight, who blushed slightly at the formality.

“Oh, you can just call me ‘Twilight’, it’s okay.”  She replied.  “And yes, we should head into town; I know just the places to take you.”

“I can’t wait.”  Gospel drawled grouchily.

“Y’all are goin’ inta town?”  Applebloom asked and Aveline nodded.

“Sweet, we’ll go with you!”  Scootaloo exclaimed with a hoofpump.

“Yeah!  We know where everything is!”  Sweetie Belle told Aveline.

“I don’t know…”  Aveline said hesitantly, looking at Gospel, who crossed his arms defiantly.

“No way, I am not babysitting a bunch of ponies.”  Gospel told her, but the fillies ignored him as they began pushing Aveline toward the small town.  “Wha- hey!  What gives?!  You, Sparkle; make them go home, or to school or… something!”

Twilight merely strode past him and flicked her tail dismissively.

“There’s nothing I can do about them, Gospel.  It’s Saturday so there’s no school and they’d just tag along with us anyway.”  And then she turned a defiant sideways glance toward the Warlock.  “And it’s Princess Sparkle to you.”

Gospel grumbled irritably and followed the group into the town.  Up in the castle, on one of the balconies, Princess Luna watched him depart and sighed with resignation.

“Something troubling you, Lu-lu?”  Princess Celestia asked and Luna looked at her.

“It is not so much me, Tia.”  Luna replied, and then she looked back over the balcony.  “That human, the one who calls himself ‘Gospel’; he is troubled.  I feel he is threatened by us and that he does not trust us.”

“Well, you did sneak aboard their ship last night while they were looking around our old castle.”  Celestia replied with an amiable chuckle, but she stopped when she saw Luna’s face.  “Do you think he is a threat to anypony?”

Luna shook her head.

“No, or at least, not right now.”  Luna replied.  “But I do not think he is acting as he normally would, as if something is disturbing him.”

“What do you wish to do about him, Luna?”  Celestia asked and Luna stood and trotted into the castle.

“I believe Pinkie Pie is having a party today; I shall attempt to speak with him there.”  Luna said as she crossed the threshold and Celestia smiled.  
Luna had been somewhat meek when she had returned from being Nightmare Moon, but after getting a feel for the new Equestria (and getting no small amount of encouragement from Twilight and her friends,) Luna had gained renewed confidence in herself and her leadership abilities once more.

The three fillies excitedly pointed out almost every little detail of the town as the group strolled through it in an apparent attempt to impress the Guardians.  Aveline humored the fillies while Gospel simply brooded, much to Twilight’s annoyance.  Eventually they approached the first stop on their tour, a well decorated house that Twilight said was Rarity’s home and shop, Carousel Boutique.  The second they stepped through the door, a bell chimed and the unicorn greeted them immediately.

“There you are!”  Rarity exclaimed excitedly.  “I was beginning to think you’d never- oh, Sweetie Belle!  Whatever are you and your friends doing with our visitors?”

“Hi Sis!  We’re trying to get our-” She was cut off by a hoof in the barrel from Scootaloo, and then she grinned.  “Uh, I mean, we’re helping Twilight show the aliens around Ponyville!”

“I… see.”  Rarity replied hesitantly, her eyes narrowed.

“You were expecting us?”  Gospel asked, clearing his throat to get the fashionista’s attention.

“Hm?  Oh, why yes I was, darling!”  Rarity replied with a smile and she beckoned for the group to follow her.  “Right this way if you please.”

The group followed the unicorn into a backroom that obviously served as her workshop and they saw several tall shapes about the height of Gospel, covered in a cloth.  The Guardians looked around the room and also saw fabric of many different colors on the shelves and in varying states of usage.  The room was somewhat messy, but they got the impression there was a method to the madness.

“You have an impressive work area.”  Aveline remarked as Gospel walked over to a vibrant purple device on a table that had a needle and thread attached to it and he ran his hand over the machine.

“Wow, I’m pretty sure my grandmother used a sewing machine like this when she was younger.”  He remarked and Rarity trotted over to him.  He looked over the side of the desk and saw what appeared to be a toolbag stashed away where most couldn’t see it.  “You maintain it yourself?  That’s… actually kind of neat.”

“Of course I do; an artist should always strive to maintain the tools of her trade and while this isn’t the most recent model, she has served me well for years and I make sure I take very good care of her in return.”  Rarity replied, and then she reached a hoof up and, with some difficulty, turned the taller human away from her workstation and towards the pair of cloths.  “Over here, I made something for each of you that I just know you are going to absolutely adore!”

Aveline walked back over to Twilight and the Cutie-mark Crusaders (who were dancing in place with excitement,) and stared at the covered objects in anticipation.

“What do you think they are, Twilight?”  Aveline asked the alicorn, who looked at her with a smile.

“I honestly don’t know, Aveline.”  Twilight replied.  “But Rarity’s a genius when it comes to fashion.  One time we were in Manehatten because she was taking part in a design contest and somepony else stole her line.  She responded by taking the hotel room we were in and turning it into another fashion line practically overnight… and won.  To this day it’s still one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen somepony do.”

“This world continues to amaze me!”  Aveline remarked.

“Oh believe me, it only gets better.”  Twilight replied with a chuckle, but then Sweetie Belle shushed them.

“Quiet, she’s about to show us what’s under the sheets!”  Sweetie Belle told them and they turned their attention to Rarity, who was standing next to the cloths with Gospel.

“So, I stayed up later after we parted ways last night thinking, and then I decided that the best welcome gifts I could give you were some hoof–crafted accessories; behold!”  Rarity said, and then used her magic to pull the sheets away with a flourish, revealing three oddly shaped mannequins that looked like they may have once been similar to the pony–shaped ones that were pushed against one wall and the Guardian’s mouths fell open.

One mannequin had a knee–length cloak that was colored in a brilliant emerald green with an amber fringe that sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the nearby window and bore interspersed diamond patterns with circles that looked oddly like Ghosts.  

Another had what appeared to be a leather duster that was brilliantly white, with gleaming golden swirls embroidered into it that made it shine almost like the sun.  

The last was a series of cloths arranged around what appeared to be the waist of its make – shift mannequin going from the right–hand side and around the back almost to the left–hand side, going from just past knee–length on the right to halfway up the thigh on the left.  The cloths were made from a rich, royal–blue fabric with a ruby–red fringe and embroidered on the longest cloth was the unmistakable symbol of the Six Fronts; six triangles arranged in a loose hexagon formation, made to symbolize the greatest Titan–led defense in the Last City’s history.

Aveline walked over to the cloak, picked up the fabric lightly to examine it closer, and discovered there was gold thread embroidered so finely into the cloak that you would hardly know it was there, but in the light it tricked the eye into thinking that the cloak had a slight, golden hue to it.

“Rarity, I… I do not…”  Aveline said breathlessly.  “It is the most beautiful cloak I have ever seen; Cayde will be quite envious.”

“Darling, anypony would be envious when they see you in that.”  The unicorn replied.  “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get the colors to compliment your lovely coiffure, but I never back down from a challenge.”  She frowned as she examined Aveline’s current cloak, using her magic to lift the hem.  “I’m afraid it isn’t made of the same material as this one, unfortunately.  What kind of thread is this, I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Aveline pulled at the neck of the hood so she could see it.

“It is called sapphire wire, and it is not just my cloak.”  She replied.  “My armor is also laced with it.”

“Fascinating.”  Rarity said, releasing the hem of the cloak.  “I would very much like to know how I can get my hooves on some of this ‘sapphire wire’ if I could.”

“Well, when we go back to Earth, I could take it up with Cayde.”  Aveline replied.

“Oh that would be wonderful, thank you Aveline!”  Rarity exclaimed, hugging Aveline.  

Gospel stared at the duster and ran his hand along it.  He cocked an eyebrow and looked at Rarity.

“This feels just like leather…”  He said.  “Is it genuine?”

“Oh heavens no!”  Rarity exclaimed with a gasp.  “Unlike those brutish griffons, I do not use any material made from other creatures.  I know a dealer in Manehatten who hoof–crafts synthetic leather out of cotton.”

“Are you sure about that?”  Gospel asked with a smirk and held out his hand to summon Scripture.  “What do you think, Script?  Is it leather or is it-”

“It’s pleather, Gospel.”  Scripture interrupted and Gospel facepalmed.

“Thank you, darling.”  Rarity told Scripture and then she smirked at Gospel.  “And for future reference, Mister Gospel, I am not some run–of–the–mill city tailor that picks random distributors for my artistic needs; I am a successful business mare and I do my research.”

Gospel looked away to try and hide his embarrassment.

“Whatever, it’s nice.”  He said grumpily and Rarity cocked an eyebrow.

“Gospel!”  Aveline exclaimed, shocked.

“Aren’t you the rude one.”  Rarity said, frowning.  “And I do not see what you have to be offended about anyway, it was you who tried to shame me in front of my sister and my friends.  I can’t say approve of your attitude.”

Aveline grabbed Gospel by the arm and led him away.

“Would you excuse us for a moment?”  She said, and pulled Gospel out of the room, shutting the door behind her.  She rounded on Gospel immediately, her voice hushed.  “What is wrong with you, Ian?!  I have known you for the better part a year and I have never seen you act so atrociously to anybody!”

“What’s wrong with me?!”  Gospel exclaimed indignantly.  “What’s wrong with you; they’re aliens, Aveline!  For all we know, they’re trying to lure us into a trap!”

“With pretty garments and sweets?  I doubt it, Ian.”  Aveline replied dubiously.  “And you forget our meeting with the local leadership; Princess Celestia made it clear in no uncertain terms that she would have us killed if we made even the smallest of hostile actions towards these ponies.”

Gospel grunted, but said nothing and Aveline sighed.

“What is the matter, Ian?  I am worried about you.”  Aveline asked, anxiously.  “I know that Earth has not known friendly extra terrestrials for centuries, but that does not mean they are all Hive or Cabal.”

Gospel looked at her silently, then stole a glance at the door and saw the shadows of hooves under it.  The comm crackled to life at that moment and the Guardians inclined their heads to listen as Gauge’s voice came over it.

“Alright, satellites are orbital and functioning and sparrow links have been established.  Feel free to catch a ride!”

“I’m sorry, Aveline, but I need to clear my head.”  He told the Awoken and turned on his heels.  “I’ll catch you later.”

Aveline looked forlornly as the Warlock exited the boutique and the sound of a sparrow engine filled the silence, but quickly faded.

“Ian…”  Aveline said quietly, and then she heard the door open.

“What’s goin’ on, where’s Mister Gospel?”  Applebloom asked and Aveline turned, putting on a smile.

“I think he is a little stressed right now.”  Aveline told the filly.  “He shall return later.”

At that moment, the door of the boutique burst open and a lanky yellow pony wearing an odd outfit barged in, eyes full of panic.

“Oh, Mister Cake!”  Twilight exclaimed, surprised.  “What are you doing here, aren’t you usually at Sugarcube Corner getting ready-”

“Princess Twilight, thank Celestia I found you!”  The stallion said, wheezing slightly.  “Have you seen Pinkie Pie today?  Cup and I have been looking everywhere and we can’t find her!”

“I hardly think that’s unusual, Mister Cake.”  Rarity said nonchalantly.  “You know how Pinkie is; she’ll turn up exactly when she needs to.”

“That’s just it!”  Mr. Cake replied.  “She’s supposed to be helping us for the lunch rush, but we can’t find her anywhere and we’re getting swamped!”

“That’s… not usual for Pinkie…”  Twilight murmured, her brow furrowed in thought.

“Actually, if it is any consolation, I saw her at the castle this morning.”  Aveline stated and the ponies looked at her.  “As far as I can tell, she was with Spike just before Twilight returned from Canterlot with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

“And Gospel was here with your ship because he’d spent the night in orbit for whatever reason.”  Twilight said, following a chain of thought.  “But then Samson took the ship back up earlier, and now we can’t find Pinkie, which can only mean…”  Twilight paused, then her eyes widened in realization and she facehoofed.

“Oh… oh dear.”  Rarity said, coming to the same conclusion.

“Ah, what?!”  Scootaloo exclaimed.  “You mean Pinkie gets to ride in the spaceship and not me?!”

“I wanted to ride in it too…”  Sweetie Belle said quietly.

“Lance, could you open a comm link to the Mischief Maker?”  Aveline asked, summoning her Ghost.

“I am way ahead of you, Aveline.”  Lance said, and then he looked at Aveline.  “Why do I get the feeling this pink pony is going to be a huge pain in the a-ah…” He glanced at the fillies gazing expectantly at him, and then at the two mares glaring icily and he gave a mechanical cough.  “We’re, uh, we’re through… to Samson.”

“Hey, Samson?  Do not be alarmed if you run across Pinkie Pie on the ship.” 

> Chapter Twelve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Samson sat at the cockpit of the Mischief Maker with Gauge hovering over his shoulder and Wedge in the seat next to him, monitoring the flight.

“Is the ship controlling in a satisfactory manner, Titan Samson – 12?”  The Frame asked and Samson nodded.

“Yes.  She feels heavier than a standard jumpship, but otherwise flies beautifully.”  Samson replied as the blue sky slowly darkened, giving way to the darkness of space.  “Amanda really knows her stuff.  She’ll probably be getting started on tons of new ships after this.”

“Indeed, Shipwright Holliday is quite proud of her ‘baby’.”  Wedge said, and then pressed a few buttons.  “Minimum orbit achieved, deploying satellite array.”

Samson watched as pods began ejecting from somewhere within the ship and accelerate to several locations marked on his display.  Once they were in position, he moved his hand over a command prompt on his console.

“Initiating satellite uplink in three… two… one.”  He pressed the prompt and saw blue lines race across the icons representing the satellites, with each connection turning green.  That done, the Exo turned to Gauge.  “We have satellite link.  Tell Aveline and Gospel that they can summon their sparrows whenever.”

“You got it, boss!”  Gauge replied, and then a sphere of energy surrounded her core and expanded, pushing the spines away from her.  “Alright, satellites are orbital and functioning, and sparrow links have been established.  Feel free to catch a ride!”

“’Catch a ride’?  Did you just make that up, Gauge?”  Samson asked, cocking an eyeplate.

“Yep!  Pretty catchy huh?”  The Ghost replied cheerfully.

“Yeah!  I could totally see that being the slogan of some futuristic carriage service run by some country stallion covered in grease!”  Came a peppy voice from behind them and Gauge vanished while Samson quickly rose from his seat, spun and leveled his handcannon…

On Pinkie Pie, who looked straight down the barrel with delighted curiosity.

“Oh hey!  That’s one of those fancy-shmancy future things you kept waving around last night isn’t it?”  Pinkie asked, closing an eye to get a better look down the barrel of the gun.  “It looks a little like my party cannon, but smaller!  Does it fire tiny parties too?”

Samson practically fell over in disbelief; Pinkie not only willingly looked down the barrel of a gun, but did so with the most cheerful smile on her muzzle.  After a moment’s hesitation, he holstered the weapon.

“Pinkie?  What are you doing?”  Came a voice from behind Pinkie Pie and Samson saw Rainbow Dash enter the flight deck.  She saw Samson and she flashed a cocky grin.  “Oh, hey Samson.  What are you doing… in… here…”

The pegasus’ eyes had traveled past the Exo toward the viewport, where the planet of Equus was plainly visible against the star-studded blackness of space.  Her eyes had widened and she approached the viewport slowly, awestruck.

“How did you two get onboard the ship?”  Samson asked, but Rainbow Dash was too stunned to speak.  Pinkie, however, gave a giggle.

“Duh!  We snuck aboard, Silly Billy!”  Pinkie replied, jumping into the seat next to Wedge and causing it to swivel as she cheered with excitement, clearly having the time of her life.

“Hey, Samson?  Do not be alarmed if you run across Pinkie Pie on the ship.”  Aveline said over the comm.

“I’ll keep an eye out for her.”  Samson replied flatly.

“You do that, big guy.”  Lance said.  “And if you see her, try not to shoot her, okay?  The last thing we need is to worry about getting rinsed by a super-powered alien princess.”

“Noted, Samson-12 out.”  Samson told him and cut the connection.  The Titan walked over to Rainbow Dash and looked out at the view of Equus.  “You are impressed by the view?”

“I don’t… is that…?”  The pegasus stammered.  “Is that what our home really looks like?”

“Yes.”  Samson replied.  “Have you never seen a globe before?”

“Of course I’ve seen a globe before!  Twilight keeps...”  Rainbow Dash paused slightly.  “I mean, Twilight used to keep one at her place but this is…”

“Different?”  Pinkie chirped from her still spinning seat.  “It sure is!  We’re on a space ship, everything is different in here!”

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment, before looking at Samson again.

“Was it like this for you the first time you saw your planet?”  She asked and Samson looked at her quizzically.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, did you just stare at your world from space the first time you flew a spaceship?”  She repeated and Samson’s expression turned to surprise.

“Nobody’s actually ever asked me that question before.”  He told Rainbow Dash and thought for a moment.  “I… I don’t know, to be honest.  I can’t even remember the first time I flew in a jumpship, or even a larger spaceship such as this one.”

“You don’t know?  You don’t remember?!  How could you forget this?!”  Rainbow demanded in disbelief, gesturing toward the view with her hoof.  “This is so amazing… how can you look at something like this and not think that this is the most awesome thing you’ve ever seen?”

Samson was taken aback and he looked out at Equus, brilliantly lit against the backdrop of space and he found himself speechless, at a loss as to why he couldn’t answer Rainbow Dash’s question.  Pinkie’s chair slowly stopped spinning and she was gazing at Rainbow and Samson, confused and slightly worried.  Wedge, for his part, merely looked expectantly from Rainbow Dash to Samson.

‘She’s right, Sam.  This view is truly breathtaking and yet… we were going to just do what we needed to do and go back.’  Gauge said to Samson.  ‘A part of me wants to blame the Darkness for even this but… how can I?  Maybe this whole time we were out there trying to reclaim what we’d lost, we’d forgotten about what we still had… we’d forgotten about our world.’

“Sammy… you okay?”  Pinkie asked and the Exo looked at her.

“I’ll be fine.”  He said, his facial plates shifting into a smile and he sat in the co-pilot’s seat.  “Would you two like to go to another place that you can only see with a spaceship?”

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up and she looked at Samson, vividly interested.

“Where did you have in mind?”  She asked, taking a vacant seat.

“Whee, we’re going on a road trip!”  Pinkie exclaimed, flinging her forelegs into the air and causing the chair to spin again.  Suddenly her eyes grew wide with surprise.  “Wait, we’re in space, so wouldn’t that make it a space trip?”

“Does it matter?”  Rainbow asked Pinkie and the pink pony giggled.

“Nope!”  She replied.  “Come on, Sammy, adventure awaits over… uh, where are we going again?”

Samson took the controls, angled the ship towards Equus’ moon and he pointed at it.

“There.”  He said.  “Engage warp drive, Wedge.”

“Affirmative.”  Wedge said, and he pressed a few buttons on his console.  After a moment, the ship lurched into a wormhole and began speeding off toward the moon.




Gospel sped out of the town until he reached a distant hill.  Once there, he dismounted and strode toward the top and looked around.  

He could see Ponyville on his right, toward the southeast.  When he looked at the mountain to the northeast, he saw what appeared to be a majestic castle attached precariously to its side.  After a moment, he sighed, plopped down on the grass and stared into the distance.

For the last year he had been fighting almost nonstop for what seemed to him to be just a shell of the world he once knew, ideals he’d died for lost to the dust.  Sometimes he wished he’d been left dead; wished that instead of getting shot, he’d been blown up or otherwise completely obliterated.  That way he’d still be gone and not have to worry about fighting alien monsters on alien worlds.  One time, when he’d been on shore leave at the Tower, he’d asked Scripture why the Ghost had chosen him and not someone else.

“Because you felt like the right choice and I stand by that.”  The machine had replied.  “Maybe everything’s strange right now, but I know you and I can make a difference in this struggle.”

Gospel gazed out over the expanse of rolling hills and he felt so tired.  No matter how he looked at things, there was no denying that he was a man out of time with no clue as to what he should do next.

“Nobody understands.”  Gospel said to himself, despite knowing that Scripture was always there.  “How could they?”

“Understand what, Gospel?”  Came a smooth voice and Gospel rose quickly, his hand shooting to his gun.  Before him, approaching from beside his sparrow, was Princess Luna.

She stopped when he rose and, after a moment, turned her head toward the vehicle and lifted a hoof toward it.

“Your riding machine is quite swift, Guardian.”  She inquired, her hoof mere inches from the sparrow.  “Pray tell, what do you call it?”

“Don’t touch it, Moonie.”  Gospel growled and the moon princess merely glanced at him quizzically.

“’Don’t touch it’?  Tis an… odd name, Gospel.”  She remarked, but lowered her hoof.  “Have you not a better one for it?”

Gospel nearly fell over at the remark.

“N-No!  It’s not- why would you even…?!”  He stammered, but Luna merely laughed.

“Twas merely a jape, Gospel.”  She told him, chuckling.  “My sister tells me that humor is a good way to ‘break the ice’ as she would put it.”

Gospel was silent for a moment before turning away from the alicorn and sitting back down.  Luna waited, and then joined him though he gave her an annoyed look.

“Leave me alone, princess.  I’m not in the mood to play tea party right now.”  He told her, but she ignored him.   She pointed toward the forest that Twilight had called the Everfree.

“Did you know?  One thousand years past, that crumbling castle you found in the Everfree Forest used to be my sister and I’s seat of power?”  Luna asked and Gospel gave a grunt.  She merely smiled and continued.  “We had ruled all of Equestria together; she would raise the sun in the morn of day and I would raise the moon in the eve of night.  Twas a good time, a time of peace and harmony for all Equestria.”  

Her expression turned sad.  “Twas not to last, though.  When I raised the moon, our subjects would return to their homes and sleep through my night, missing its beauty.  I grew jealous of Celestia and I despised how she would be praised, how our subjects would live and laugh during the day but hide and sleep during the night.  In time… I even despised her, my own sister!”  

Gospel looked away, trying to pretend he wasn’t listening.  

“Eventually I went mad with my envy and became Nightmare Moon, intending to envelope all of Equestria in eternal night, but Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish me to the Moon.  She stopped me, but the price for it was heavy; not only did she have to bear the burdens of my responsibility for one thousand years, but she lost the ability to utilize the Elements and, most importantly, she lost a sister.”  Luna looked up towards Canterlot.  “Several years ago, I returned again as Nightmare Moon, but this time it was Twilight Sparkle and her friends who utilized the Elements of Harmony.  Thanks to them, I was released from my madness and became Luna, Princess of the Night once more.  I cannot say the transition has been easy… I missed a thousand years of technological and cultural development and I frequently find myself-”

“-wondering if I will ever truly understand any of it.”  Gospel finished, interrupting her and Luna looked at him, surprised.

“You… you understand how I feel?”  Luna asked.  “I did not think… not even in a thousand lifetimes!  How do you…?”

“I died so long ago… I’m not even sure the Earth remembers when.  I’m surprised Scripture found enough of me to put back together.”  Gospel told her with a sigh.  “I was scared shitless at first.  My last memory was of being turned into the closest thing a living being could be to swiss cheese.   Didn’t really help that the world I came back to barely looked like the one I’d left and was crawling with four-armed aliens that looked like cockroaches but fought like demons straight outta hell.  And that was just the Fallen, don’t even get me started on the freakier aliens.”

“Suddenly, I am quite glad it was Twilight that I first encountered upon my return…”  Luna remarked.  “Were you always a soldier, Gospel?”

“Not really, I joined the United States Army when I was eighteen and served for two years before…”  Gospel paused briefly before continuing.  “Anyway, I was apparently pretty damn good at killing people.  My old CO had recommended me for the Green Berets and I was supposed to join them after my last tour.  I never made it, though; some militants caught us in an ambush just outside of a tiny village and the last thing I remember is getting hit a couple dozen times.  Didn’t hurt one bit, either.”  

He chuckled morosely.  “Funny really, you’d think getting killed would hurt but no, you feel a few things smack your chest and then next thing you know you’re waking up to a robot hovering in front of your face telling you that you’re the last hope for mankind.”

“Did you have a choice about fighting?”  Luna asked him.

“Of course I did.”  Gospel replied.  “I could help the City any number of ways, but I decided to go with what I knew and that was war.”  He stopped, blinked, and then turned his head away indignantly.  “And why am I telling you all this?!”

“Perhaps you needed someone to talk to?”  Luna inquired and Gospel scoffed.

“If I wanted to talk to someone, I’d talk to my teammates.”  He told her and Luna cocked an eyebrow.

“So why do you not?”

Gospel wanted to answer, but he couldn’t.

‘What is the matter, Ian?  I am worried about you.’

He remembered the way Aveline looked when she had said that and he felt angry with himself that he had chosen to leave instead of talk to her.  He knew Aveline cared and both she and Samson were among the few people he trusted.  He wanted to talk to them but… somehow he knew they wouldn’t understand, even Samson.  He trusted both of them with his life and he’d lay it down for either of them in return, which was why it bothered him that he felt like he couldn’t talk to them about what was really bothering him, the things he’d kept bottled up ever since he’d been revived.  He looked at the moon princess sitting next to him and sighed.

“I don’t… I don’t know.”  He admitted, feeling ashamed.  “Maybe because… they’d never understand just how different things are to me.”

“And you think I do?”  Luna asked and Gospel shrugged.

“I… I guess.”  He replied solemnly.  “When you said you missed a thousand years of change and you were having a tough time coping… It was like you weren’t talking about yourself, but me.”

Luna smiled softly.

“Perhaps we both needed someone to talk to.”  She told him.  “I love my sister and my new friends, but that doesn’t mean they know how difficult the last few moons have been for me.  They would truly mean any encouragement they’d give, but in the end t’would still ring hollow with ignorance.”

“Yeah, I suppose-” 

Gospel was interrupted by a crashing sound similar to thunder.  Luna’s ears perked up as a look that was equal parts confusion and suspicion crossed her muzzle, though Gospel immediately stood up, his heart gripped in dread with recognition.

“Thunder?  Odd, there is nary a cloud in the sky…” Luna remarked.

“That wasn’t thunder…”  Gospel said, and then he ran to his sparrow and jumped onto it, starting the engine.

‘Not good, not good!’  Scripture shouted despite Gospel being the only one who could hear him.  ‘Scans are picking up hostile tags not far from our position!’

“What is the matter?”  Luna asked, alarmed.  “What was that sound if not thunder?!”

Gospel looked at the moon princess stoically.

“Something followed us here.”



Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie marveled as Samson brought the Mischief Maker close to the moon’s surface.

“Wowwie!”  Pinkie exclaimed excitedly.  “That doesn’t look much like cheese to me!”

“Scans do not indicate the presence of any edible material on the surface, Miss Pie.”  Wedge stated.

“Hey, think we could land so that I could look around?”  Rainbow Dash asked, but Samson shook his head.

“No, there’s no atmosphere and this ship doesn’t have any life-support suits onboard.”  He replied.  “Even if we did, they wouldn’t have been designed to fit ponies.”

“Bummer!”  Pinkie remarked without seeming to be particularly disturbed.  “Guess we’ll just have to fly around some more, right Wedgie?”

“’Wedgie’?”  Wedge inquired, puzzled, and then his optics flashed briefly before turning to Samson.  “This unit has registered the designation ‘Wedgie’.”

Everyone in the cockpit save Wedge started laughing.

“I bet Amanda’s gonna love that.”  Samson remarked, but then Pinkie suddenly leapt onto the Titan’s shoulders and pointed at a monitor.

“Ooh, what’s with the pretty red light over there?”  She asked.  Samson took one look at the monitor and abruptly stopped laughing.  Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash stopped laughing and looked at Samson, puzzled.

“What’s wrong, big- whoa!”  Rainbow asked, but had to hold awkwardly onto the seat as the ship suddenly lurched away from the moon.  “Hey, what’s the big idea, Samson?!  Why are you flying like a bat outta Tartarus?”

“Unknown energy signature detected.”  Wedge reported.  “Unable to identify; potentially hostile jamming technology is rendering scanners ineffective.”

“Hostile?!”  Rainbow exclaimed, slightly scared.  “What’s going on?!”

“Whoa… that thing is big!”  Pinkie remarked and they all looked out the window as a ship began to appear over the horizon of the dark side of the moon.  “Is that another alien spaceship?  Maybe they want to be friends too!”

‘A ketch!’  Gauge observed.  ‘Bet they followed us here from Sol.’

“I… don’t think you understand what the word ‘hostile’ means, Pinkie.”  Rainbow stated flatly.

“Set course for Equus, Wedge.”  Samson commanded.  “We have to warn the others that the Fallen are here.”

> Chapter Thirteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Two lemon-berry surprise for table two!”

Aveline swept past the counter, scooping up the plate of cupcakes and depositing a note containing another order alongside an empty mug.

“Table four wants a hot chocolate refill.”  She told Twilight, who was at the register, and quickly moved to the table in question.

Carrot Cake hurried in from the kitchen and placed a varying mixture of pastries behind a glass shelf.  He had barely set them down before a half–dozen chocolate muffins disappeared in a blue light and Lance floated away from the shelf.  He hovered over to a pegasus mare with a blonde mane and eyes looking two different directions and the blue light shone from his optic, causing the muffins to materialize within her open bag.

“Here are your muffins, now stop bugging me!”  He said but the mare giggled.

“Thanks!”  She said cheerfully and left the store, bumping into the doorframe on her way out. Lance gave an irritated sigh.

“Aveline, I was created to help you kick the darkness’…”  The Ghost paused and gave a brief look around the shop filled to bursting with ponies of all ages, presumably due to the presence of the Guardian.  “Posterior… not play servant Frame for a bunch of extraterrestrials!”

“Not all battlefields are filled with fighting and death, Lance.”  Aveline replied sagely as she swiftly delivered a plate with a cake on it to the mint–green mare from before, who’d already had several by this point.  “Besides, I agreed to help them while Pinkie Pie is with Samson.”

“And why do I have to help?”  Lance asked.

“As a learning experience.  To truly understand the nobility and responsibility of leadership, one must first understand the humble humility of serving.”  Aveline told the Ghost, taking the now full cup of hot chocolate from Twilight.

“Another saying from your old CO?”  Lance deadpanned and Aveline smiled.  Lance gave a sigh.  “Whatever, let’s just finish up what we’re doing here.”

“Well howdy there, Aveline!”  Came a familiar voice and Aveline saw Applejack trot up to her.  “Ah see yer helpin’ out the Cakes while Pinkie’s off doin’… whatever it is she does.  The way y’all run around these tables, ya’d never think y’all are actually soldiers who…”  The farmer paused and gave a cough.  “Never mind.  Applebloom told me yer friend took off.  Did she an’ the Crusaders chase him away or somethin’?”

“No, I think he may just be stressed.  He shall return once he has cleared his head.”  Aveline replied as she deposited the cup of hot chocolate back in front of the pony who ordered it.

“I hope he hurries up.  I’m not sure how much longer-” Lance froze briefly, and then turned urgently to Aveline.  “Emergency transmission from Gospel, we’ve got trouble!”

At this statement, the entire shop stood still as though time had been frozen, with all eyes fixed firmly on Aveline.

“Patch him through!”  Aveline commanded, ignoring the stares.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Lance replied, his spines lifting off his core as a blue sphere expanded from it and they began to orbit his core.

“Wisp, we’ve got a problem!  The Fallen, they followed us here!”  Gospel’s voice explained urgently, reverberating around the room.  “I’ve got bogeys hot on my heels and I have a VIP.” There was the muffled sound of an explosion and they heard Gospel grunt.  “I need backup ASAP; Scripture is currently broadcasting our location so hurry!”

Aveline immediately charged out the door with Lance disappearing.  She leapt over the railing of Sugarcube Corner’s patio while summoning her sparrow and landed on the hoverbike just as it materialized.  Twilight teleported to Aveline’s side, the Awoken’s helmet floating in the air next to her.  Aveline took her helmet, put it on and pulled her hood up.

“I’m coming with you!”  Twilight told Aveline, but the Hunter shook her head.

“No, it’s too dangerous.”  Aveline replied.  Twilight, however, just concentrated and her horn began to glow.  After a moment, there was a flash and a purple skinned, teenaged human girl stood where Twilight had once been.  She walked over to the sparrow and mounted it, locking her arms around Aveline’s waist.

“I said I’m going with you, and I meant it.”  The now human Twilight Sparkle told Aveline.  “I’ve been in dangerous situations before, I’m not afraid.”

‘She hasn’t met the Fallen before…’  Lance said.  ‘I get that she wants to help, but she’ll only get in the way.’

“I doubt she intends to take ‘no’ for an answer, Lance.”  Aveline murmured to the Ghost.  “Besides, she may be able to help us and with Samson still not back, we could use the assistance.”  Aveline turned her head to Twilight.  “Alright, you can come, but just know that these foes will not be trying to hinder you.  They will do everything in their power to kill you so whatever you have planned, do not hold back because the Fallen will not.”

“Right, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve so let’s go!”  Twilight said and the sparrow sped away toward Gospel.



The Vandal stood next to the delighted Baron in the cramped cockpit of the skiff they were aboard.

“Your Lordship, were not your orders to avoid engaging the Guardians?”  She asked him, but Caltor waved her off.

“His majesty, the Great Kell Xarksis, shall honor me for eliminating one of the Light-Wielders!”  He replied haughtily.  “And you should be honored that you were selected to aid me, Kellsguard Morra.”

“I was commanded to ensure your safety, Baron, nothing more.”  Morra said matter–of–factly.  “If I must slay a Guardian to do so, then I shall.”

Morra stepped out of the cockpit and into rear of the skiff where several other Vandals and Dregs sat huddled, awaiting deployment.  The female Kellsguard sat next to another Vandal that was also wearing the regalia of the guard.

“His Majesty will not be pleased.”  Morra murmured.

“Only if Caltor does not succeed.”  The Kellsguard next to her replied.

“And if he fails?”  Morra asked and the Vandal looked gravely at her.

“Pray that Kell Xarksis is feeling merciful and takes only our heads.”



Kell Xarksis sat in his command throne, a look of irritation unseen behind his helmeted face, but all on deck could feel the palpable aura of his growing rage.  

First he had been informed that Baron Caltor had redirected all of his skiffs to one specific location in pursuit of a Guardian in direct defiance of his orders.  Then, as though it were some cosmic jape, the Guardian’s flagship had appeared over the moon’s horizon line and immediately retreated, having spotted the moored ketch.  Xarksis was under no delusions that their anonymity had been completely dissolved and he was seething with fury.
‘I should have known Caltor would immediately attempt to defy me and killed him long ago.’  Xarksis fumed.  ‘We are in no position to be provoking the Guardians.’

“Your Majesty?”  A Dreg inquired from his station.  Xarksis turned his raging glare toward the lowly Fallen, who cowed.

“What is it?”  He demanded.

“Th-The Guardian that B-Baron Caltor is pursuing…”  The Dreg stammered, terrified.  “Th-There is a human female with him b-but…”  The Dreg paused and Xarksis loomed over it.

“But what, Maret?”

“R-Reports state that she wasn’t human when Baron Caltor first engaged the Guardian.”  Maret finished and Xarksis’ rage diminished, replaced by curiosity.

“Show me.”  He commanded.



Gospel swerved the sparrow through the gorge, narrowly avoiding the arcbolts and skip grenades raining from the skiffs above his head.  An errant grenade bounced wildly off one of the walls of the gorge and straight towards him, but it was caught in a star-studded navy aura and shot back up toward its sender.

“You okay back there, Princess?”  He called over the whine of the sparrow and he felt a delicate hand grasp onto him as he banked hard to avoid more arcbolts.  He didn’t know how she’d done it, but the alicorn had somehow turned herself into a human.  

Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to think about it thanks to the Fallen.

“Do not worry about me, Gospel.”  Princess Luna replied casually.  “Are your friends on their way?”

“Oh, I fucking hope they are!”  Gospel exclaimed.  “I know Aveline’s gotta be making tracks, but I’m not sure about Samson!”

The sparrow approached a fork in the gorge but just as Gospel was about to turn, a skiff hovered down and fired its arcbolt cannons, causing him to turn the sparrow down the other direction.  As they sped down the path, the other skiffs broke off pursuit.  Gospel felt Luna look around suspiciously.  

He didn’t blame her; Fallen don’t usually give up the chase easily.

“They abandon pursuit…?”  Luna murmured.  “T’would be far too simple if that were the case.”

“Yeah, I hear you.”  Gospel replied, but then the path widened considerably and he brought the sparrow sliding to a stop.  

Both passengers looked around at the steep, circular canyon walls.  After a moment, Gospel turned the sparrow toward the opening they just came through, but stopped when he saw a skiff above it dropping skip grenades down.  The grenades exploded and caused an avalanche within the small pass, blocking it with debris and shutting out their only means of escape.

‘Like rats in a cage…’  Scripture remarked. 

Gospel looked around, saw an outcropping of rocks and quickly moved the sparrow over to it.  They managed to take cover behind the rocks just as the other six skiffs began dropping Fallen into the clearing.

“Shit, we’re trapped.”  Gospel cursed, pulling out his handcannon.  “Princess, I know you can teleport.  Get out of here, go back to Canterlot and tell your sister that she needs to ready any troops she may have.”

“Absolutely not, I shall stay and assist you.”  Luna replied.

“They’ll kill you!”  Gospel told the moon princess, but she simply gave him a stoic glare.

“Do not think this to be our first time on the battlefield, human.”  Luna stated as she shifted back to being an alicorn.  “We shall not abandon thee.”

“Fine.”  Gospel groaned.  “Just stay in cover; I don’t want to have to tell your sister that you died.”

With that said Gospel vaulted over the rocks and fired his weapon, dropping several of the approaching Fallen.  Naturally, they returned fire, their weapons firing streaks of light blue arcbolts that exploded off the ground and walls behind Gospel, but never hitting the quickly moving Guardian.  Gospel threw a small orb that shone with a violet, cosmic light beneath a small group of shanks. 

After a moment, the orb exploded in a star–studded cloud reminiscent of the night sky and the drones vanished in a brilliant indigo light.  The Warlock then charged another group of Fallen, firing his handcannon rapidly and dispatching the howling aliens.

He ducked behind a large boulder to reload his weapon, but then he heard a buzzing noise and immediately rolled away as several Vandals suddenly appeared swinging their vicious swords.  They wasted no time in rounding on the Warlock, charging at him with the crackling blades, though they were instead caught in a navy aura and thrown away.  Gospel looked and saw that Princess Luna had leapt into the air, her eyes shining with a brilliant and furious light.  The other Fallen noticed her as well and turned their weapons on the moon princess, but the projectiles were repelled by a force shield surrounding Luna.

“Have at thee!”  She cried and sent more Fallen tumbling toward the wall of the gorge.



Morra stared at the melee occurring in the gorge, observing the fighting intently.

“Is there simply no way to kill the Light–Wielders?”  She muttered, but then she heard footsteps and Morra turned to see Baron Caltor pulling a Shrapnel Launcher off the rack.  “You intend to engage the Guardian?  Your Lordship, I must advise against such a course of action.  Your safety is not assured.”

“Be silent, Kellsguard.  It shall be I, Baron Caltor, who ends this Guardian’s life!”  The Baron replied, stepping over to a hatch.  “I will show all in the House of Dragons that the Guardians are not to be feared!  I refuse to scurry away from them like a rodent any longer!”

With that, the hatch opened and Caltor leapt onto one of the perches, dropping into the fray.  Morra glanced at her fellow Kellsguard and gave a groan.  They all grabbed rifles off the rack and followed the Baron down, forming a defensive circle around him.  Morra looked in the direction the rest of the Fallen were firing just in time to see the Warlock and the mysterious creature retreat behind an outcropping of rocks.



Gospel sat behind cover and held out his hand as a speed loader materialized into it.  He had noticed the larger Fallen Baron drop down from one of the skiffs and pulled Luna into cover with him.

‘Last one, Boss.’  Scripture stated and Gospel sighed.

“I am unsure of how much longer I can fight, Gospel.”  Luna said, panting slightly.  He didn’t blame her; she had been using a lot of magic while maintaining a shield.  While he didn’t know where the energy for her powers came from, it still had to come from somewhere and it was clearly not infinite.  “Unless you have a plan of action, it is likely we will perish here.”

“Come on, Aveline… where are you?”  Gospel whispered desperately.  He could channel the light into something big, but it wouldn’t be enough unless he somehow hit the leader.  Even then, that would probably just drive the Fallen crazy.

“Dog of the Traveler!”  Came a guttural voice and Gospel realized the Baron was calling him out.  “I am called Caltor, Baron of the House of Dragons!  You are accused of stealing an object of value, come out now and face your judgment!”
“What?  You stole something from them?!”  Luna demanded, her expression turning to one of anger.  “That is why they followed you?!”

“We didn’t steal anything, Princess, we simply got to it first… by going through them.”  Gospel told her.  “Doesn’t matter, though, they would have come anyway.”

Luna was silent for a moment before she turned, assumed a regal posture, and trotted serenely out from behind the outcropping.

‘Um, what is she doing?’  Scripture asked, slightly scared.

“I don’t know…”  Gospel replied, watching the moon princess.  She stopped a few paces from the Fallen Baron and glared at him.  The Baron wuffed in a mixture of disapproval and curiosity.

“So the coward chooses, instead, to let the beast fight his battle?”  Caltor asked and there was a smattering of a sound that could only be laughter from the surrounding Fallen.  “It makes no difference.  I shall kill you both if that is what you wish.”

Luna, undaunted, stared the Baron straight in his eyes.  The alicorn opened her mouth and the next thing they all knew, her voice was reverberating loudly around the gorge.

“We are called Luna, Princess of the Night and co-ruler of the Diarchy of Equestria!” Luna roared, literally.  “Thou hath committed an act of aggression upon us, Baron Caltor, and we demand satisfaction!”

“You demand satisfaction?!”  Caltor asked, disbelieving, and then he laughed.  Almost all of the other Fallen joined him, but they were all silenced when Luna spoke again, her voice still magically enhanced.

“Thou shalt relinquish thine arms and submit thineselves to judgment under the Equestrian diarchy!”  Luna commanded and the silence that followed was palpable.  

Gospel watched with amusement as the Baron cocked his head in confusion.  Apparently he’d never heard Shakespearian terminology before.  Gospel’s amusement was short–lived, however.  Baron Caltor’s head slowly rose as if in realization and he looked at Luna in a manner suggesting rage.

“Oh shit.”  Gospel muttered and he left the safety of the outcropping, readying his handcannon.

“You want me… to give up… my ARMS?!”  Caltor roared, livid.  He began to advance on the alicorn.  “I shall rip you apart and use the pieces to decorate my ship!”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back.  Gospel interposed himself between Luna and the Fallen Baron, the air around the two practically vibrating with the angered growls of Fallen.

“Cohr… te’mosha!” Caltor roared, raising his gun, but then there was a loud crack and the Fallen Baron was thrown to the ground, howling in pain.  

Gospel looked around and saw a figure in a billowing, emerald cloak on the ridge behind the Fallen lines.

“Aveline!”  He called out and the Hunter replied by firing her sniper rifle on several other Fallen.  

The rest of the aliens began hooting and howling, many turning their guns on Aveline while the rest opened fire on Gospel and Luna.  Gospel shielded Luna as best he could while returning fire until there was a flash of magenta light and when he opened his eyes, they were encased in a magenta bubble alongside a curious purple skinned girl.

“What?  Who are…”  Gospel’s eyes widened when the girl, arms outstretched, looked at him and he recognized her face even though she was no longer a pony.  “Sparkle?!  What- how are you human?”

“After my trip to Canterlot High, I began working on a few shape-shifting spells!”  Twilight replied, grinning with pride.  “It took a few tries but I final-”
“That is all well and good, Twilight.” Luna interjected quickly.  “But perhaps now is not the best time for this conversation?”

“Er, yeah… y-you’re right, Princess.”  Twilight replied sheepishly, her face turning a light shade of red.

Gospel looked over to where the Baron had fallen and saw a pair of Vandals dragging him over to a waiting skiff while the rest had formed a tight defensive circle.  He moved to leave the protective field, but felt himself get pulled back.  He looked down and saw that his arm had become encased in Luna’s midnight aura and he glared at the moon princess.

“To’rah, to’rah!”  One of the Vandals holding Caltor called out.  “To’rah je cal shorafed, Soreks-fel!”

“Let me go, I have to keep him from getting away!”  Gospel shouted, but Luna shook her head and looked up.  Gospel followed her gaze just as the other skiffs began to descend and the Fallen retreated into the ships.  He looked at Baron Caltor again to see the Fallen being dragged, thrashing, onto the skiff.

“Shah’mo!  SHAH’MO, TOH KA’REY!”  Caltor cried out in rage, struggling.  He was silenced once the rest of the protective Vandals boarded the skiff and all the ships departed, creating sonicbooms as they quickly broke the sound barrier.  Once the skiffs were gone, Twilight lowered the shield and Luna released Gospel, who rounded on her.

“Why did you stop me?!  Now they’re just going to go to their ketch and return with even more Fallen!”  Gospel exclaimed furiously, but Luna held his gaze.

“And when they do, we shall be prepared for them.”  Luna told him calmly.  “I have no doubts that if you and your friends are present and properly equipped, you shall be more than a match for their forces.  Until then, we must stay our hoof and rest.”

“They will bring their heavy walkers when they do, Your Highness.”  Aveline said as she strode up to them, her helmet under one arm.  “Very few have seen a Fallen siege but I assure you, they are fully capable of a large–scale assault.  The Fallen are highly trained and much stronger than most Guardians give them credit for being.”

“Well… shouldn’t we go to Canterlot and warn Princess Celestia?”  Twilight inquired as she turned back into a pony with a flash of magenta light.  “She’ll want to get the Royal Guard ready to defend Equestria.”

They heard a roar from above and saw the familiar shape of the Mischief Maker descending.  Scripture and Lance both appeared and expanded, opening a communication link to Samson.

“What’s this, you started a fight and didn’t invite me?”  Samson voice echoed from the two Ghosts.

“You can turn into a bubble!  I love bubbles!”  Pinkie’s voice chirped excitedly.  “Oh hey, it’s Twilight, Luna, Linny and Gos!”

“Are you guys alright?”  Asked Rainbow Dash’s voice, worried, but then it switched to confusion.  “Did they hear me?  I was supposed to talk into you, right?”

“Rainbow Dash!”  Twilight exclaimed, exasperated.  “You snuck onboard too?!”

‘Hey, Pinkie’s the one who talked me into it!’  Rainbow Dash replied.

‘True story!’  Chirped Pinkie and Twilight facehoofed with a groan.

“Save it, you three, we’ll talk onboard.”  Gospel said.  “Wedge, set course for Canterlot Castle.”

“Request accepted, Warlock Ian McKenzie.”  Wedge replied and Gospel groaned.

“‘Ian McKenzie’?  That is your true name?”  Luna remarked, smirking.  “Why ever do you require an alias?”

“Just transmat us onboard, Scripture.”  Gospel said sourly.

“Got it, Boss.”  Scripture replied.

“Wait, what do you mean by-”  Twilight asked, but finished in a scream as her body dematerialized and reappeared on the ship.  She stood for a moment, shaking.

“What’s wrong, Sparkle?  I thought you could teleport.”  Gospel asked, cocking an eyebrow.  The alicorn turned a shaky gaze on the Warlock.

“That… felt way different…”  She said hesitantly.  “Like being taken apart and put back together again, only without any pain.”

“You get used to it, Twilight.”  Aveline said soothingly.

“We will arrive at destination ‘Canterlot Castle’ within approximately five minutes.”  Wedge’s voice sounded robotically.

“I guess we get ready for war now?”  Twilight asked uncertainly, looking at Gospel.

Gospel was silent a moment before he answered.

“Yes.”



Xarksis sat on his command throne, glaring at the kneeling forms of Baron Caltor and the small group of Kellsguard before him.  Morra knelt next to Caltor, ashamed to bring failure before her Kell.

“Baron Caltor, would you please enlighten me…”  Xarksis began, his rage providing an intimidating undertone to his voice.  “As to what part exactly was unclear about my orders?”  The Kell rose from his throne angrily.  “I commanded you to scout this world without drawing the attention of the Guardians, yet somehow you managed to become involved in a skirmish with them in moments!”

“It is no fault of my own, Your Highness.”  Caltor stated without rising.  “The Guardian spotted us while we were analyzing the surface.”

Morra’s eyes widened, but she also did not rise.

‘What?  That is not what happened at all!’  She thought, astonished.  ‘Caltor would dare lie to our Kell?!’

Xarksis narrowed his eyes at Caltor, but did not display any hint that he disbelieved the Baron.

“And I assume your pursuit was simply to…?”

“Prevent the Guardian from regrouping with his allies.”  Caltor responded.  “Unfortunately, it would appear he had been broadcasting an emergency transmission to bring them to his location.”

“What of the other life form, the one that could change shape?”  Xarksis inquired.

“I… I am afraid I do not know of one, my Kell.”  Caltor replied.  Xarksis stared silently at the Baron for a long time, as if waiting for more.  When Caltor said nothing else, Xarksis strode over to a nearby display.

“Well, if that is your story, then I suppose there is nothing to be done of it.”  Xarksis said, his hand reaching for the console.  Morra, fearing that Xarksis truly believed the dishonorable Baron, instinctively did the only thing she could.

“My liege!”  She shouted, standing up.  The Kell’s hand froze, hovering over the console and he looked up at Morra.  “I apologize for my interruption, but that is not what happened; Baron Caltor lies to you!”

Baron Caltor immediately rose and rounded on her.

“Silence, wretch!  I will not stand to be accused of perjury to the Kell and made a fool of by some lowly warrior!”  Caltor growled, raising a hand as if to strike Morra, but it was caught by Captain Tolarum.

“You will not lay a hand upon any in my command without either mine or Kell Xarksis’ permission, Caltor.”  The gruff Baron stated firmly.  Caltor was silent for a moment before wrenching his arm free.  Tolarum turned to Morra.  “And you, Guard Morra; if you have a differing account of what happened, you shall address it in a manner befitting your station.”

“I am present, and clearly your charge has deemed it of utmost urgency to interrupt me.  I see no reason not to hear her tale.”  Xarksis said casually, sounding almost interested, leveling a threatening gaze on Morra.  “Tell us, Kellsguard… what truly happened down there?”

“We were scouting the land just as you ordered when our scanners picked up the signature of a Guardian’s energy.”  Morra stated and she saw Caltor bristle, but not with anger.  “Baron Caltor immediately ordered all ships to converge upon the Guardian and attack.  We pursued him and a life-form we believe to be a local terrestrial, presumably the one you spoke of, through a gorge and into a clearing where the Baron then ordered all troops to engage.”

“Fascinating… it would appear that my Kellsguard just happens to be much more informed about the incident than you, Baron Caltor.”  Xarksis stated.  “Care to explain that to me?”

“Sh-She lies, my Kell!”  Caltor replied nervously.  “The Guardian led us into that accursed gorge to trap us!”

“So now you wish to call one of my personal guards a liar?”  Xarksis asked.

“Yes, my Kell.”  Caltor said, bowing.  “I would never directly disobey your orders.”

Xarksis was silent and then walked over to Morra, who stood paralyzed with fear.  There was no way they would take her word, the word of a Kellsguard, over that of a Baron.

“Morra, was it?”  Xarksis asked and Morra nodded hesitantly.  “Do you swear that you tell naught but the truth to your Kell?”

“Y-Yes, I have told you nothing but the truth about what has occurred.”  Morra replied.

Xarksis stood in front of Morra for a moment before lifting his upper-right hand.  Morra flinched as he brought it down…

Gently onto her shoulder.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Guard Morra.”  He told her.  Morra was breathless; Kell Xarksis believed her story, which could only mean that he did not believe Caltor.  
After a moment, Xarksis turned sharply to Baron Caltor and in the blink of an eye, had approached and struck the Baron to the deck with the same hand he had put on Morra’s shoulder.  
“Did you truly presume I would believe such a ridiculous story, Caltor?!  I gave you that assignment as a second chance to prove your loyalty to me and you use it to usurp my authority and shame me in front of my entire House!”  

The Kell kicked the Baron, who skidded back several feet from the force of the blow.  Xarksis stomped toward the fallen Caltor, picked him up by his throat and began throttling him. 

“And then you have the gall to lie about it to my face?!  I should have killed you for your insolence long ago!”  Xarksis roared at the gasping Caltor, but instead of maintaining his grip, he released the Baron.  He knelt down next to Caltor and leaned close, whispering.  “However, now I cannot simply execute you… that would be far too merciful.  You have made me appear ignorant and weak, and for that I shall make you suffer humiliation and dishonor the likes of which you have never even dreamed of.  You will beg me to end your miserable life before I am finished.”  Xarksis stood, nodded at a pair of Kellsguard, and waved a hand.  “Strip this treasonous filth of his regalia and throw him in the brig with minimum ether rations.  I have very… unique plans for the former baron.”

Caltor was manacled and then forced to his feet by the Kellsguard.  All on the command deck watched as the Vandals dragged Caltor out the hatch.  After a moment, Xarksis approached Morra once more and she bowed.

“Please, forgive my failure.”  She said.

“There is no failure to forgive, Morra.”  Xarksis told her.  “Caltor attempted to undermine my rule and you showed your loyalty by revealing him as the coward he was.  Now, I have a new task for you, one that comes with an increase in your standing, should you accept.”

“You need not ask, my Kell.”  Morra stated, snapping to a salute.  “If it is your will, then I shall see it done.”

Morra wasn’t sure, but the way Xarksis’ eyes glinted made her think that he was smiling.

“Very good, I see why Tolarum thinks so highly of you.”  Xarksis said, making Morra swell with pride.  “For now, I bid you to retire to your chambers.  I shall send you your orders and armor befitting your new title shortly.”

Morra bowed and departed the deck, her fellow Kellsguard doing the same.  Once they had left, Tolarum walked over to Xarksis and stood next to him, staring at the closed hatch.

“You will not tell her, I assume?”  Tolarum asked and Xarksis pressed the button that Morra had stopped him from pressing.  An audio recording of from Caltor’s skiff played, his voice coming from an unknown source and revealing his deception.

“No.  She has proven her loyalty and that is all that matters.”  Xarksis replied, and then he stopped the audio playback before deleting it from the archive.  “I shall allow her this boost in her morale, for my next move will shake the foundations of everything we have come to know.  Her faith in my judgment shall be what tips the scales in my favor.”

“What do you mean, Kell Xarksis?”  Tolarum asked, curious.  Xarksis did not answer, but instead pressed another button and an image appeared.  All the Fallen still on deck turned to face the display while Xarksis took a step back to gaze intently at it.

“Perhaps war… is not the only answer.”  He stated, staring at the captured image of Canterlot Castle.
	
> Chapter Fourteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Daring Do looked around the darkness, the walls of the cavern almost indiscernible in the inky blackness beyond the light of the torches.  The cavern was anything but natural, however.  The walls, floor and ceiling were shaped in curiously perfect geometric cubes and corners and any surface the light touched reflected back with a metallic sheen.  It was also fairly warm inside the cavern, despite their northern location in the world, and much of the surfaces were covered in come kind of lichen.  After a few minutes of awed silence, Iron Bull finally gave an unsettled groan.

“Shit, this place is giving me the creeps big time and I don’t like it one bit.”  He remarked, his one good eye locking onto a stone cube jutting – no, positioned perfectly – out of the ground and looking away.  “I’m not usually one to say this but… maybe we should leave well enough alone.”

Daring Do didn’t blame him; the geometry of the ruin was just too… perfect.  Even the meticulously precise ancient Sphinx were put to shame by whoever – or whatever – had made the cavern.  There were thin pipes running every which way, disappearing into the walls, ceiling or floor.  They never obviously connected to anything and Daring was unclear if they were supposed to be decorative, but she had a sneaky suspicion that they had a purpose.

“What in Equestria could have possibly made this?”  Reliquary asked, examining another of the glass oculi that occasionally turned up on the walls.  “I have not heard of any ancient civilizations capable of such creations.”

“Could it, I don’t know… stay a mystery?”  Sky Diamond asked nervously as Daring passed him.

“No, it can’t.  The more sinister a place feels, the more likely it is there’s something dangerous inside.”  Daring replied, turning a corner.  “Hey, looks like there’s some light down this way.”

“Weird, I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones down here.”  Sullivan remarked.  “Think it’s daylight?”

“No, it isn’t.”  Daring Do replied as they approached the lit threshold.  “It doesn’t look right, almost like it’s…”

Daring Do’s breath caught as they entered the large chamber, brightly lit with glowing beams of energy that crisscrossed between the walls.  The chamber itself consisted of a walkway, with inky darkness on either side suggesting a long fall.

“Artificial…”  Reliquary finished in a hushed tone.

“Okay… I know I’m not a history buff like you guys, but even I know that there is no way an Equestrian culture made this.”  Iron Bull stated.

“Nothing on Equus could have made this place.”  Uncharted Fortune told him.  “All of this… none of it could possibly be from our world!”

“So, wait…”  Sullivan said.  “You’re telling me… that aliens built this ruin?”

“It makes sense.”  Daring Do replied.  “I mean, I’m a skeptic, but looking at this kind of technology… how could it not?  No ancient civilization yet discovered has come even close to building what we’re looking at!”

She couldn’t help but be amazed, but her thoughts turned to the journal.  She remembered the hasty scribbling of a pony who had been driven mad by some unknown force inside the ruins.  It worried her, and it was why she needed to keep going and find out what was down there.  Hopefully, she could destroy it, or at the very least, contain it.  

They proceeded through the ruins, discarding the torches because of the eldritch lights emanating throughout the depths of the ruins.  They rounded another corner and as soon as Daring turned, she saw something hidden in a niche out of the corner of her eye and immediately spun, ready to fight.  The rest of the group stopped, turned, and promptly jumped in surprise.  Sky Diamond gave a screech of fright.

“W-What in Celestia’s name is that?!”  Sky Diamond cried out in alarm, pointing his hoof.

It was a statue of some kind, covered in lichen and facing down the small corridor as though it were a sentry.  Daring Do approached cautiously to inspect it and noticed immediately that the surface under the lichen looked almost like brass, except it had an unnatural gray tint that she couldn’t tell whether or not it was caused by the ambient light.  It was also bipedal, like Iron Bull, and it had a similar broad build.  Where it differed was that it was shorter and stockier than the towering minotaur.  Its head had a large, fanlike crest that narrowed toward the front in what appeared to a beak.  However, the “beak” had some kind of lens in place of a mouth.  Where its waist should have been was a light, except unlike the beams that created the dim light all around the ruins, this one was created by some kind of fluid contained within a translucent casing.

“It looks like some kind of machine.”  She said finally.  “Well, a statue of a machine, anyway.  It’s been here awhile.”

“That thing looks like it could come alive at any second.”  Iron Bull said.  “I don’t like it.”

“That’s the point, Iron Bull.”  Reliquary told him, reassuringly.  “Statues like this are carved lifelike so that they may scare evil spirits and chase them away.  It’s a very common practice among the ancient cultures of the world.”

‘True, but that’s not considering the journal.’  Daring Do thought to herself.

“Hey guys, you need to see this.”  Sullivan called from the end of the hallway.  The group turned away from the statue and headed over to the griffon.  Daring Do paused, her back to the statue.

‘Beware the eyes in the darkness…’ Daring thought, remembering the words.  She glanced back at the statue, half hidden as it was in the darkness, and she could see the faint glint of light coming off its lens.  She turned back, her mind racing; the journal, the ruins, the odd bipedal statue… all of it coming together in her mind like pieces to a puzzle with but the barest hint as to the picture they obscured.

“Hey kid, you coming or what?”  Sullivan called.  Daring Do snapped out of her reverie and trotted up to him.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about things.”  She told him, and then crossed the threshold, the griffon following her.  

However, once they had disappeared from view, a red light appeared from the statue’s eye and the head moved to gaze at the threshold they just crossed.  It gave a low buzzing noise and took a shaky step.

The chamber they had entered – that Sullivan wanted them to see – was large and contained a tube.  It appeared to be filled with some kind of murky substance, but Daring could just make out a figure trapped inside.  Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell what the figure was.  The room itself had several other corridors going to the left and right while a platform overlooked a large, dark expanse.  Gazing out over the edge, Daring could see other lights, but there was no way to reach them save for flying.

“Looks like there’s something in there.”  Fortune said, trotting around the tube.  “You think it might be one of the aliens that built this place?”

Daring Do looked around and saw a circular plate on the ground similar to the one that had opened the ruins. 

“How about we find out?”  She asked.  Fortune looked at her, then at the plate.

“Oh no, that is a horrible idea, Daring.”  He told her.  “We don’t know what that thing is!  For all we know, it could attack as soon as we let it out!”

Daring Do moved him aside and stepped on the plate.

“We won’t know until we do.”  She said as the familiar ring appeared around her, giving out a strange tone once it did.  “Besides, we’ve got the Iron Bull; nothing beats him!”

After a moment, the tube slid open with a hiss and the figure inside floated out.  Every mouth in the room dropped open.

“No fucking way.”  Iron Bull said.

“But… but that’s not… it can’t be!”  Sky Diamond exclaimed.

“That’s not possible.”  Fortune stated, disbelieving.

“I have seen plenty of crazy, but this beats all of it.”  Sullivan said.

“Interesting…”  Reliquary murmured quietly, an odd glint in her eyes.

Daring Do didn’t say anything.  Instead, she slowly approached the prone, elderly stallion on the ground.  In addition to his white mane and tail, he bore a long beard upon his muzzle.  However, the most unmistakable mark upon his body, the one that no pony – nor many other creatures of Equus – would fail to recognize, was the cutie mark of a loose spiral adorned with stars.  Every cutie mark was unique, and this one belonged to perhaps the most famous scholar, spellcaster, diplomat, and teacher Equus had ever known.

“Star Swirl the Bearded… but how?”  Daring asked, touching the stallion’s muzzle.  He stirred slightly, but did not awaken.  After a moment, Daring stood and turned to Iron Bull.  “Bull, we’re leaving.  I need you to…”  She trailed off as her eyes travel away from Bull’s, down to a space between the group.  Her breath caught and her eyes widened in recognition and terror.  The others gave her curious looks, and then turned to the doorway behind them.  

Standing in it, partially obscured by darkness, was the statue.

It was still covered in lichen, but now in addition to the white light emanating from its torso, it had a red light shining from its eye.  It looked around at each of the explorers and began taking shaky steps into the room.  The others backed away from the intruder, with Iron Bull reaching for the broad axe upon his back.  The creature stepped into the light and they saw that its right arm bore a twin pronged device that it brandished like a weapon, pointing it at each of them in turn until it settled on Daring Do.  There was a noise from the darkness behind them and they turned to see several glowing white constructs – also with red eyes – float into view.  Daring Do, however, did not remove her eyes from the machine in front of her.

“Red eyes in the darkness… steal their time…”  She murmured, and then she understood everything.  With that understanding in mind, she stood and hefted the stallion upon her back.  She staggered slightly under his weight, but stood anyway. “We have to go!”

“It’s about damn time!”  Iron Bull said, grinning like a mad minotaur and swinging his axe.  It hit the machine in its glowing center, causing it to rupture in a splash of fluid with a startled screech.  “Let’s get out of this damned place!”

They all charged out of the room and suddenly the air was filled with an angry buzzing; as though they had kicked open a hornets’ nest.  Daring Do became acutely aware that there was a pressure building in her head and her vision slowly began to darken.  They ran down a passage and saw a black cloud with a glowing orb in its center form in front of them, crackling with energy.  After they passed it, Daring Do heard an odd noise and she glanced backwards briefly to see that several more of the machines had materialized behind them, turning robotically.  She ducked around a corner and heard a screech, followed by the sound of an impact and the smell of something burning.

Her head was starting to swim as they finally entered the darkened portion of the ruins and her body was starting to feel like something was trying to pull it apart.  She struggled under the weight of the comatose Star Swirl on her back until she felt warmth on her hind leg and fell over.  She tried to stand, but her leg wouldn’t support her weight for some reason and she noticed that there was a slight smell of burnt flesh.  Daring didn’t have long to wait, however, because she felt something wrap around her barrel and lift her off the ground.

“I’m… I’m not… leaving you behind.”  Came Iron Bull’s gruff voice, though she could hardly hear him over the buzzing that was now filling her head.  Daring Do saw a light through her darkening vision, but it was quickly disappearing.  Her body didn’t feel like hers anymore, as though it had been detached from her and the buzzing was now a crescendo.  Her consciousness was slipping, and then there was a sensation of flying, followed by coolness around her body that made her feel a little better.

She struggled to lift her head, her vision almost completely gone, but there was enough left for her to see the entrance to the ruin.  She was lying in snow, having been thrown by Iron Bull, and had landed facing the portal.  She saw Iron Bull, Sky Diamond, and Sullivan on the other side just as the glass was sliding shut and she reached out to them with her hoof.  She opened her mouth to call out to them; she felt her voice box move though she could not hear herself, and the portal closed, becoming seamlessly smooth once more.  

Daring Do finally passed out, but not before wondering what she had been reaching for.




Shining Armor walked the darkened streets of the Crystal Empire.  His wife, Cadance, had gone to bed early that evening.  He loved her, and admired the way she committed herself to her duties as ruler, but sometimes he worried that she might be overworking herself.  He would naturally let her sleep in the next day and she would be cross with him for doing so, but she would also be grateful.  He saw a crystal pony night guard making her rounds and he approached the mare.

“Good evening.”  Shining Armor said, and the night guard immediately snapped a salute.  “At ease, guardspony.  Have any problems tonight?”

“Just a minor domestic disturbance, sir, nothing serious.”  The night guard replied.  “Been a quiet night, just like always.  A little boring if you ask me.”

“I’d rather have the night boring and civilians safe, than interesting with a body count.”  Shining Armor told her.  He’d seen “interesting” before; the first time had been the return of Nightmare Moon, followed by Discord causing, well, discord – and Shining Armor still didn’t approve of the draconequus – and after that had been Chrysalis crashing his and Cadance’s wedding plans to try and take over Canterlot.  The worst, however, had been Tirek and his rampage through Ponyville.  Princess Celestia had called for relief efforts from all over Equestria to help rebuild the town.

“I-I didn’t… I mean, I’d never-” She stammered, ashamed, but Shining Armor merely smiled.

“It’s alright, I completely understand wanting something to break the dullness of the beat.”  He told the mare.  “I was in the Canterlot Royal Guard, y’know.”

“Yessir.”  She replied, and then snapped another salute with extra enthusiasm.  “I should continue my patrol, sir; Princess Luna needs all the help she can get to keep the night nice and quiet.”

“And she appreciates the help.”  He told her, returning the salute.  “As you were.”

The night guard had barely turned, when the night sky was suddenly lit up in a neon green glow and both ponies looked around.  Shining Armor quickly saw what was creating the light just as the cries of alarm reached his ears.

“Flarespell off the north gate!”  came the distance voice of a night guard, which was followed by a growing chorus of similar calls.  Having trained both day and night watch to do exactly this, Shining Armor didn’t hesitate.

“Flarespell off the north gate!”  He called at the top of his lungs, and then he charged off in the direction of the gate in question. 

He made it to the main street leading to the north gate and was halfway there when he saw a cluster of night watch – as well as a few he recognized from the day – rushing his direction.  Some of the guardsponies had jury rigged stretchers with other ponies on them.  He changed direction to keep pace and found the commanding officer, a peach coated crystal pony with a curly, soft pink mane.

“Rose Quartz, what’s the situation?”  He asked quickly.

“Three ponies, Prince Armor.”  She quickly reported.  “Two pegasi; one male and one female and one unicorn elder, all unconscious.  Found them just outside the gates, in the middle of the road.  The mare’s got some kind of viscous substance over one leg; we’re not sure what it is.”

Shining Armor cast a simple light spell, looked over to the unconscious pony in question and saw that she did have ooze covering a spot on her right hind leg.  He sneered, all too familiar with the kind of creature that created it.  He glanced at the other ponies and he did a double take when he saw the elderly stallion.

“Get these three to the Royal Infirmary and assign a twenty–four-seven vigil until further notice.”  He told Rose Quartz.  “And call in everypony else, tell them we’re under Green–Watch protocol, priority one.”

“Green–Watch… you suspect changelings, Your Grace?”  Rose Quartz asked and Shining Armor nodded.  She turned to a nearby pegasus.  “Quicksilver, sound the alarm, we’re under Green–Watch protocol.  The rest of you; to the castle, double time!”

The pegasus saluted and shot away into the night.  The other guards picked up the pace.  They were just going up the steps when Shining Armor heard a series of alarms start going off in the city.  He paused briefly to see lights begin turning on and then he followed the guards up the stairs into the crystal castle.  He would not be fooled this time.




The alarms began to ring out across the kingdom and a pegasus looked around sharply before motioning to a darkened alley.  After a moment two more identical pegasi appeared supporting a limp, cloaked figure between them.  She was panting, her eyes alert under the cover, but drooping heavily and betraying the pain she felt.  Smoke appeared to be curling out from underneath her cloak and all three pegasi had the same panicked expression.

“Q-Quickly… we must… hurry.”  She gasped, struggling to speak.  The three pegasi nodded and hurried down the darkened street.  

They ducked down alleys or hid behind houses to avoid the searching guardsponies.  The cloaked figure moved as fast as she could, but it was clear she was in no condition to move without assistance and occasionally tripped.  At some point, acid–green flames began travel across what little of her muzzle could be seen and the pegasi panicked even more.

They turned a corner and saw a darkened cottage with an electrical lantern on the outside, the bulb in the lantern flickering quickly, as though it were going out.  However, the three pegasi quietly hurried over to the cottage, staying low, and gave several rhythmic knocks.  One of the pegasi took over supporting the cloaked figure, who now had smoke billowing out from her cover, while the other two stood watch.  

Eventually a foyer light turned on and the door opened, revealing an earth pony mare wearing an expensive sleep robe.  Her sharp eyes jumped quickly between the three ponies before settling on the cloaked figure and growing wide with alarm.

“What in the…?!”  She exclaimed and the cloaked figure advanced forward, supported by the pegasus.

She raised her head and the hood of the cover slid off, revealing a patchwork muzzle of pony coat and insectoid chitin, green flames flickering angrily between patches like the stitching of a ragdoll.  Half of a crown–like crest on her head could be seen and one of her eyes had become teal with a cat–like iris.

“Something… something is… very wrong…”  The patchwork mare gasped.  “We need… shelter… so I may… recover.”  The earth pony looked around, but the patchwork mare rushed forward suddenly, wrapping a hole–covered leg around her neck and looking the smaller pony in the eyes threateningly.  “You... agreed to… this…”  Her eyes fluttered and she began to slide off.  One last word slipped from her mouth like a whisper.  “…Reliquary.”

The mare slumped to the ground, unconscious, and her body was covered briefly in green flames, leaving a large, insectoid pony on the ground.  Reliquary drew in a sharp breath and knelt over to pick up the unconscious changeling queen.

“What are you clods standing around for?!”  She hissed quietly at the startled pegasi.  “Help me get her inside before a guard patrol comes over here and sees me with Queen Chrysalis on my doorstep!”

The three pegasi gave each other nervous glances before they hurried over to Reliquary and helped her move Chrysalis inside the cottage.




Daring Do eventually became aware of a steady, rhythmic beeping noise.  At first she didn’t know what it was, but as her mind began to wake up, she remembered.

‘Heartbeat… that’s… my heart…’

She stirred, and slowly opened her eyes.  Her vision was slightly blurry at first, but she blinked and it cleared.  She found herself staring up at a ceiling made of opaque crystal and she looked to her left and right.  There was a curtain to her left, and a door to her right.  She also noticed that there was an IV line attached to her foreleg and that she was wearing a hospital gown.  She attempted to sit up, but then she felt a searing pain on her left hindleg and stopped.  After letting the pain die down, she tried again, only this time she used just her forelegs and her right hindleg.  She came to a sitting position, with difficulty, and found she was exhausted.

“Quite the tenacious one, I see.”

Daring Do turned her head at the unfamiliar voice and saw that at some point, the curtain to her left had been slid aside, revealing Star Swirl, the Bearded.  He was also sitting up in his bed and looking at her with a warm smile, a glint of amusement in his amber eyes.

“Yeah… that’s what they usually tell me.”  She groaned, rubbing her head.  She had one heck of a migraine.  “Nice to see you made it out just fine.”

“That is not to say the machines did not try.”  Star Swirl replied.  “Oh, but where are my manners?  My name is-”

“Star Swirl, the Bearded.  Everypony knows who you are.”  Daring Do interrupted, and Star Swirl looked genuinely surprised.

“They do?  I daresay, I would not think my accomplishments to be of that much renown.”  He replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully, and then his eyes settled back on Daring.  “And what is your name, might I ask?”

“I’m…”  Daring paused, thought for a moment and then sighed.  “It’s Daring Do, though could I ask you to call me ‘Compass Rose’ around other ponies?”

Star Swirl gave her a curious look.

“You do not wish to be referred to by your own name?”  He inquired.

“I have my reasons.”  Daring said, and Star Swirl nodded.

“I understand.”  He said, and then looked around.  His gaze settled back on Daring and he cocked a bushy eyebrow.  “Do you happen to know where we are?  I fear my memory is at a loss at this time.”

Daring Do looked around the room as well.

“Well, there’s medical equipment, so the natural guess would be a hospital, however…”  She looked out the windows, revealing a night sky tinged with pale dawn.  “There’s no hospital in the city with a view like this and those windows are too elegant, so I’d say… the royal infirmary in the crystal castle.”

Star Swirl gave a nod of approval and his smile widened.

“As intelligent as you are strong.  You remind me of a good friend I knew once.”  He told her.  “A young, kind-hearted lass named Celestia.”

“I’m sure she’d love to see you again.”  Daring said.  “After Luna’s return, hearing that you’re still alive would make her ecstatic.”

Star Swirl looked at her in astonishment.

“You say Celestia yet lives?”  Star Swirl asked, but then a look of concern cross his muzzle.  “Wait… Luna’s return, you say?  Dear me, just how long have I been gone?”

“A long time.”  Daring replied.  “Long enough that many thought you’d died.  You have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Hmm… I fear that may well be the case.”  He said, and then he laid back, settling onto his pillow and closing his eyes.  “Perhaps later, once I have rested.  I would very much appreciate if it were you who helped me ‘catch up’, Lady Do.”

Daring Do slid into her bedcovers, finding it easier than sitting up.  She closed her eyes and let the fatigue take her.

“Sure thing.”  She said drowsily, and then sleep over took her mind.
	
> Chapter Fifteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Shining Armor entered the dining hall of the castle to see Cadance pouring over a small stack of papers, a steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of her.  He strolled up to her casually and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting next to her.  She set the paper she was reading down and gave him a stern look.  He was tired, due in part to the long night of searching for changelings.

“You let me sleep in again, dear.”  Cadance said.  “Thank you, but I really wish you’d gotten me up last night; you know I can’t hear those sirens in our chambers.”

“Why?  I handled it just fine.”  He stated, taking a sip from his wife’s coffee and feeling some energy return to his body.  “It’s my area of expertise after all.”

“Your ‘area of expertise’ almost cost us our wedding day, Shiny.”  Cadance replied, smiling.  “Or maybe you’ve forgotten that?”

“It wasn’t for lack of trying.”  Shining Armor said wistfully as a servant brought him his own coffee and he thanked him.

“So… did you find any last night?”  Cadance asked.

“Any wha- oh, changelings… nope, couldn’t find a trace of them anywhere.”  Shining Armor replied, gagging slightly.  “I had Rose set up check points on all thoroughfares leading to the castle and in some side streets.  Unless they’re in somepony’s house, they can’t hide from us.”

“Well, seems like you’ve got a pretty big hole in the Green–Watch Protocol.”  Cadance remarked with a giggle.

“Are you telling me I can finally start bucking down doors now?”  Shining Armor asked coyly, earning another giggle from Cadance.

“No, no, I don’t think we need to do that.  They can’t get to the Crystal Heart, that’s all that matters right now.”  She replied, kissing her husband.  She turned back to the papers and levitated one over to Shining Armor.  “What about those ponies you had put into our infirmary?  Any of them changelings or under changeling mind control?”

“No, they’re all ponies and our mages couldn’t detect any changeling magic on them save for some fluid on the mare’s leg.  When we removed the changeling fluid, we discovered she had a pretty nasty burn.” Shining Amor told her.  “Doctor bandaged it, but apparently that fluid was enchanted with some kind of regenerative magic.  He says it’ll fully heal in a couple of days and it won’t leave a scar.”

“Huh, I didn’t think changelings knew that kind of magic.”  Cadance said, impressed.  At that moment, the doors of the dining hall opened and a crystal pony in a nurse’s uniform hurried over.

“Beg pardon, milady.”  She said, curtseying.  “The patients in the infirmary are awake.  One of them has asked to speak with you.”

Cadance thought for a moment before rising.

“If they’re awake I suppose I should go check on them, what do you think?”  Cadance asked Shining Armor.

“Yeah, I need to talk to one of them any way.”  He replied.


Daring Do sat in her bed.  Her head didn’t ache quite as badly as it had a few hours previous, but it was still enough to put her in something of a bad mood.  Uncharted Fortune was also awake and eating the breakfast the nurse had brought for him.  Star Swirl was merely sipping a cup of tea and reading a newspaper, occasionally giving out a noise of wonder at one thing or another he was reading.  When Daring Do had woken up, she had immediately told the nurse that she needed to speak to Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor.  Once the nurse had left, Daring Do began trying to remember what happened the day before.

She couldn’t put it together like she usually could.  She remembered going down into the ruins with Reliquary and Uncharted Fortune, finding Star Swirl, and the machines.  Somehow the three of them escaped with Star Swirl and the only one hurt had been…

“No… no that’s not right…”  Daring murmured to herself, lost in her ruminations.  “Something’s missing… something doesn’t make sense…”

She thought harder, remembering the escape and how she had carried Star Swirl.  However, her memory of what had happened after a certain point became fuzzy.  She looked at her leg and remembered the feeling of warmth, except it hadn’t been warmth at all, but searing heat and pain.  Something hot had slipped across her leg as she had fled and then... she had fallen, dropping Star Swirl.  Yes, that was it… or was it?  She looked over to Fortune, who was still eating, and thought maybe he and Reliquary had gotten them out.  It made sense, until she remembered the flying… no, falling?  She had flown through the air, and then fallen into snow.  Uncharted Fortune and Star Swirl must have been nearby, because they were present, but they hadn’t been in sight when she raised her head out of the snow and…

Nothing.  She almost assumed she had blacked out at that point, but something was telling her that she hadn’t.  Daring somehow knew there was something else… something important that she was forgetting… but what?  She closed her eyes and tried to focus, but instead her headache began to increase in intensity, as though it was trying to cut her concentration.  Daring Do sighed and opened her eyes.  Her headache began to die down, but not go away.  Uncharted Fortune looked up at her from his plate.

“You too, huh?”  He asked and Daring nodded.  Fortune looked over to Star Swirl.  “What about you, pops?  Got a major migraine?”

“Not as far as I am aware.”  Star Swirl replied, not looking away from the newspaper.  “It seems that whatever affected the two of you did not turn on me.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky.”  Fortune drawled, and then he turned to Daring.  “So, what’s your take on all this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we somehow escaped a dungeon full of death machines trying to kill us and then wake up in the royal infirmary in the Crystal Palace.”  He explained.  “Then there’s the fact that Reliquary isn’t here with us.  What happened?”

Daring was silent for a moment before she shook her head.

“I don’t know, Fortune.  None of this makes sense to me.”  Daring replied, and then furrowed her brows.  “It’s like… I had all the pieces at some point, or at least I knew enough to where it made sense to me but now…”

“It is as though somepony has robbed you.”  Star Swirl finished, folding the newspaper and setting it on the nightstand.  “It is not that you do not remember because you have amnesia, but because the memories are simply not there anymore, am I correct?”

“And when you try to remember everything, the headache gets worse.”  Fortune stated.

“Yeah.  Then there’s the fact that even though I only remember you and Reliquary down there, I feel like we weren’t the only ones.”  Daring Do said.  “And… I feel like I lost a good friend.  It’s not so much that I think, as I somehow… know.”

“You’re just imagining things.”  Fortune told her.  “I hoofpicked the whole team, remember?  It was just you, me and Reliquary; that’s all.”

Daring Do didn’t respond, instead she looked out the window to the dawnlit streets of the Crystal Kingdom.  Without even thinking, she lifted a hoof to one eye and covered it, leaving the other open.

“Lady Do, are you well?”  Star Swirl asked, breaking her reverie and she lowered her hoof.  “Is there something amiss with your eye?”

“No, it’s nothing… I just…”  She paused, and then looked at her hoof questioningly.  “Why was I…?”

She didn’t have long to ponder, however, because the doors to the infirmary swung open and a pair of Crystal Royal Guard entered, flanking the door.  Following close behind them was Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor.  Daring Do noticed that Shining Armor was eyeing her suspiciously and she looked away.

“Well, I see you are all awake.”  Cadance stated, smiling.  “I hope you’ve been comfortable?”

“Indeed, your hospitality has been most satisfactory.”  Star Swirl replied, then he got out of his bed and approached Cadance.  The nurse immediately rushed to his side.

“You should stay in your bed, sir!  The doctor hasn’t-”  She said, but Star Swirl interrupted her.

“I may not be the young stallion I once was, but I assure you I am quite capable of walking, thank you.”  He told her sternly and she backed off a little.  He then turned to Cadance.  “May I ask your name, Milady?”

“Why yes, it’s Cadance; Princess of Love and current ruler of the Crystal Kingdom.”  She replied and Star Swirl bowed.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Cadance.”  He told her.  “I see somepony – presumably Celestia – has performed the Rites of Ascension upon you.  Could you tell me what kind of pony you were before the Rites?”

Cadance looked from Shining Armor, and then back to Star Swirl.

“I… I was a pegasus.”  She said slowly and Star Swirl’s eyes gleamed with approval.  “How… do you know about the Rites, might I ask?”

“Because I created them, of course!”  Star Swirl exclaimed haughtily.  “I am Star Swirl, the Bearded; you would not be who you are today without me!”

Cadance’s mouth dropped open and the two Guards had turned at this proclamation, astounded.  Daring Do, however, facehoofed.

“Sure, let’s just broadcast who we are to all of Equestria, why don’t we?”  Uncharted Fortune drawled.  Shining Armor approached his bed.

“What happened out there, Fortune?”  He asked.

“Crazy shit, Shining Armor.”  Fortune replied.  “Those ruins… they’re dangerous.  I mean, they are one hundred percent, prepare-to-die dangerous.”

“Then I’ll get the Guards and we’ll make to destroy them.  If they’re that bad then we need to-”  Shining Armor said.

“Don’t, you’ll just get ponies killed.”  Daring Do interrupted and Shining Armor looked at her.  “Look, I’ve got some old reports back at Fortune’s place.  My bag has the journal, but I think it’s still up on that accursed mountain.”

“So what do you think we should do… um?”  Shining Armor faltered, realizing he didn’t know Daring Do’s name.

“Compass Rose.”  She told him.  “And we need to get the reports, go over them, and come up with a specialized plan of attack.  Actually, before we do that, we need to find Reliquary.  The more witness accounts, the clearer everything should become.”

“I believe she is renting a house in the city.”  Cadance said, and then turned to a blue maned pegasus stallion who had just entered the room.  “Flash Sentry, can you go to Reliquary’s house and bring her back?  We need to speak with her.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”  He saluted and quickly departed.  Cadance turned back to the others.

“Well, why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable to talk?  I need to know what happened on the mountain.”  She said.



Reliquary moved quickly around the kitchen, the curtains in the entire house closed to avoid prying eyes.  She pulled a few glowing gems out of a pair of beaten up saddlebags hidden in the pantry and passed them to the changeling that was following her around in the form of a unicorn.

“Here’s the energy crystals you left with me.”  She said, but then she noticed the changeling’s eyes close and its horn light up and she swatted him.  “They’re not for you, you twit!  Go and give them to Chrysalis.”

The changeling looked longingly at the crystals, but did as he was told.  She pulled the saddlebag out and followed the changeling into the guest bedroom.  Chrysalis was in the bed, her eyes shut and her breath ragged.  The other changelings were in their natural forms and had begun setting the gems near the changeling queen.  She opened her eyes blearily, saw the gems, and then her horn lit up, drawing the love energy contained within them into her like wisps of vapor.  After a few minutes of feeding, Chrysalis sat up with slight difficulty.

“Have you fed yet?”  Chrysalis asked the drones and they shook their heads.  “Take a gem each; I am still weakened and may need the others.”

The drones quickly mobbed Reliquary, much to her chagrin, and each pulled a glowing energy crystal out of the saddlebags.  They left the room to feed and Chrysalis turned her gaze toward Reliquary, who shrugged off the bags.

“You know, I wasn’t expecting you to turn up half-dead on my doorstep in the middle of the night.”  Reliquary said.  “What happened up there?”

“I am unsure.  There were machines… evil machines.”  Chrysalis said, and then her eyes widened.  “Star Swirl, the Bearded!  He was being held prisoner in the ruins!”

“Star Swirl?”  Reliquary asked incredulously.  “He died hundreds of years ago, before Princess Luna was banished!”

“No, he disappeared.”  Chrysalis corrected.  “Nopony really knew what happened to him… until today.”

Reliquary was silent for a moment.

“So what do you want to do?”  She asked and Chrysalis gave a sigh.

“Much to my chagrin… I must speak to Princess Cadance and her husband.”  Chrysalis replied.

“Oh, well that’s all bloody well and good!”  Reliquary exclaimed, throwing a hoof dramatically into the air.  “Except for the part where you’re a wanted criminal because you tried to take over Canterlot!”  And then she turned sharply toward Chrysalis, who didn’t so much as blink.  “And the best part is you did it by taking Princess Cadance’s form and trying to marry Shining Armor in her place!  I’m sure they will be ecstatic to see you again after what you tried to do.”

“First, I would like to make it clear that I won; if not for some fluke, Canterlot would have been mine.”  Chrysalis stated.  “And you really think I want to see them again?!  I would sooner throw myself into Tartarus and be done with it!  Unfortunately, I do not have a choice in the matter; this is bigger than any of us and I will not sacrifice the welfare of my hive for the sake of my wounded pride!”

Reliquary was silent, and then she sighed in resignation.

“Fine, but you can’t go outside looking like that and ponies would get suspicious if they saw two of me strolling down the street.”  Reliquary said.

“Do not worry; I have many disguises at my disposal.”  Chrysalis told her.  “Getting to the Crystal Palace will be the-” She paused, her eyes widening in alarm as the changeling drones hurried into the room, panicking.

“What, what’s going on?!”  Reliquary asked, trying to stop one of the drones.

“Somepony approaches; he wears the armor of the royal guard!”  Chrysalis replied, and then they heard knocking at the door.  “Did they find us?!”

“I don’t think so.  I’ll go see what he wants; you just keep the door closed and stay hidden.”  Reliquary told Chrysalis and then she left the room, shutting the door behind her.  She trotted to the front door of the cottage as the guard knocked on the door again.

“Hello?  Is anypony home?”  His muffled voice called out.  “I need to speak with Miss Reliquary!”

Reliquary opened the front door and saw Flash Sentry on the other side.

“How can I help you today?”  She asked.

“Are you Reliquary?”  Flash inquired.

“Yes I am.”

“Miss Reliquary, Princess Cadance has requested your presence in the Crystal Castle immediately.”  He told her.

“I assume this has something to do with the ruins on the mountain?”  Reliquary asked and Flash nodded.

“Yes ma’am.”  He replied.

“That’s convenient; I was going to take a friend of mine on a tour of the Crystal Empire today.”  Reliquary told him.  “Would you mind if I brought her with me?”

“I don’t know…”  Flash replied uncertainly.  “I think Her Majesty wants to keep outside information to a minimum right now.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”  Reliquary told him.  “My friend is good at keeping secrets, plus she’s a fellow researcher so she might be able to help us!”

“Well…”  Flash hesitated and Reliquary narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not going without her.”

Flash looked around uncertainly and then finally caved.

“Okay, your friend can come, but we have to be quick.”  He said and Reliquary smiled.

“Thanks, give us a moment to pack and then we’ll be right out.”  She told Flash and then she shut the door and rushed into Chrysalis’ room.

“Well?  What does he want?”  Chrysalis asked.

“Princess Cadance wants me – she really means you but doesn’t know it – to go to the Crystal Castle.”  Reliquary replied, moving the gems into one of her own saddlebags.  “I assume she’s gathering everypony who went up the mountain.”

“I must go with you, then.”  Chrysalis said, getting out of the bed.  “You will need to-”

“Don’t worry, I already convinced the guard to let me have a plus one.”  Reliquary informed her.  “He’ll get us past the checkpoints, but you’ll need to stay in disguise.”

“This is not my first time, Reliquary; I know what to do.”  Chrysalis stated, and then in a burst of green fire, a tall, dark-coated mare with a silky teal mane took her place.  “Let us go.”




Two Guards stood at a checkpoint, bantering with each other.  After the initial morning rush of ponies heading to work, things had slowed down.

“You really think there are changelings this far north?”  One guard asked and the other shook his head.

“Nah, I think it’s a false alarm.”  He replied.

“But what about that stuff on the pegasus mare’s leg?”  The first guard asked and the second laughed.

“It was just some sludge or something.”  He said.  “I don’t blame the Prince for being paranoid, though, not after what happened in Canterlot.”

“Yeah, you’re right; once his majesty’s calmed down he should-” The first guard said, but then he heard a sound come from a nearby alley and he stood, alarmed.  “What was that?”

“Probably just somepony’s cat got loose or somethin’.”  The second said, giving the alley a lazy glance.  “Nothing you need to worry about, I’m sure.”

“I’m gonna go check it out anyway; don’t want Prince Armor jumping down my throat because a changeling slipped through.”  The first said as he approached the alleyway.

“Suit yourself; I’ll stick to the checkpoint.”  The second said.

“You do that, lazy flank.”  The first muttered, and then he called down the alley.  “Hello, is somepony there?”  He heard rustling, but no one responded.  “I’m with the city watch.  We’re under green – watch protocol right now, so I’m gonna have to ask you to come out and get verified.”  There was an odd rushing sound, almost like water, and he advanced slowly toward the corner of the building halfway down the alley.  “I’m not going to ask you again; come out and get verified or I will have to bring you in to the station, you have three seconds.”  He stopped and began to count.

“One.”

Something in the darkness behind the building stirred.

“Two”
The rustling grew in intensity, as if whatever was causing was panicking.

“Three.”

Immediately a cat jumped out from behind a garbage canister, knocking it over and sending the contents everwhere.  The guard jumped, but relaxed when he saw the cat hiss and dart past him.  He turned and called back to the second guard.

“You’re right, it was just a cat!”  He shouted.

“Told you so!”  The second guard replied and the first sneered.

“And now I’m never gonna hear the damn end of it.”  He muttered and turned back the way he came. 

However, he hadn’t even rounded the corner before he heard a click a chill ran across his spine; there was something behind him.  He turned his head slowly, saw a red light wink into existence and opened his mouth to call out an alarm, but no sound came forth.  His eyes widened and he blinked in surprise as he his head detached itself from his body and bounced off the ground.  After a moment, the guard’s headless body collapsed, blood spewing from the stump and pooling on the ground.

Eventually, the second guard got impatient and walked over to the alley.

“Hey, you taking a leak in there?!”  He called.  When he got no response he went in.  “Come on, we’re the city watch!  How’s anyone supposed to take us seriously if you-” He stopped short when he felt pressure in his chest and found he couldn’t breath.  He looked down and saw a gaping hole in his breast.  To his horror, he saw his blood pooling around the hole and over something invisible.  He gave a grunt as the object was pulled from his breast and he collapsed, dead.  

After a moment, there was a sigh as a cloaked figure with a red light under its hood appeared, a bloody, bladed appendage slipping underneath the folds.  It examined the fallen guardspony, gave a buzz, and then turned its attention to the castle, its directive simple.  As it stood there, it received varying other signals from other units.  They would make way for the rest of the mind while it would terminate the organics in the castle and retrieve the elder one.  Unbeknownst to the machine, it was being observed by another who was better trained in stealth.



Shining Armor sat at a table, having spent the last half hour compiling the reports as well as transcribed accounts from Daring Do, Uncharted Fortune, and Star Swirl.  He had set Star Swirl’s aside as, while it did correlate with the machines, it was not relative to Rose and Fortune’s accounts.  Unfortunately, the archmage was unable to explain where and how he had been captured.  Shining Armor presumed that it had something to do with his imprisonment; according to Star Swirl, he had been “removed” from the time-space continuum.  He appeared impressed with this fact, but Shining Armor was worried.

What kind of enemy were these machines?  Exactly what had these ponies barely escaped with their sanity and their lives intact?  How were they supposed to fight them?  Was it even possible to fight them?  Shining Armor had to know, it was his duty, but… he wasn’t sure he would like the answers.  At that moment, the door to the conference room opened and Flash Sentry entered, followed by an earth pony mare that Shining Armor recognized as Reliquary, and a tall, sultry unicorn mare that Shining Armor was certain he’d seen before.

“Your majesties, I found Reliquary.”  Flash Sentry reported, saluting.  “She… insisted on bringing her friend with her.”

Cadance cocked an eyebrow suspiciously.

“I’m afraid I can’t entertain guests right now, Reliquary.”  She said.  “Your friend will have to wait in the main hall.”

“She’ll be more help here than I ever could, Princess.”  Reliquary replied and Compass Rose leaned forward.

“How?  She wasn’t on the mountain with us.  I only remember six-”  Daring Do paused, confusion crossing her muzzle, but she shook her head and continued.  “I only remember three ponies up there and she wasn’t one of them.”

The mystery mare gave Reliquary a look and the earth pony sighed.

“I’ll tell you how, but you will have to send the guards away.”  Reliquary said.  Shining Armor sat up in alarm and the royal guards around them began to eye the two mares dangerously.

“Send the guard away?!  Are you crazy or something?”  He asked.

“Please, you have to trust me, it’s the only way.”  Reliquary said.  The others at the table looked at the Prince and Princess.

“I do not see why we cannot trust them.”  Star Swirl said sagely.  “They appear to have put themselves in quite the vulnerable position to be here.”

“Dear, I’m afraid I’m with Star Swirl on this one.”  Cadance said, resting a hoof on Shining Armor.  “Right now there’s something dangerous about the ruins in the mountains and we need Reliquary.”

Shining Armor was silent for a moment before he relented and waved his hoof, dismissing the guards in the room.  Flash Sentry, however, faltered.

“Your Grace…?”  He asked.

“You too, Flash.”  Shining Armor said.  “Don’t worry, I hooftrained every guard here, including you; I can take care of everypony.”

“Yessir.”  Flash said, saluting and leaving the room.  Once the door shut, Shining Armor looked at the two mares.

“Are you happy now?”  He asked and the unicorn stepped forward.

“Almost.”  She purred and a chill went across Shining Armor’s spine, he recognized her voice.  The unicorn mare’s horn glowed green and burst with magic, coating the walls of the room in a green glow.  “There, now no unwanted listeners can eavesdrop on us.”  She turned a predatory gaze toward Shining Armor and smiled sweetly.  “It has been a long time, Shining Armor; almost a year now I would say.”

Shining Armor felt like his insides froze, a mixture of terror and rage coming together and preventing him from acting.  He knew her voice, her eyes… how could he ever forget her?

Cadance turned a questioning gaze toward Shining Armor, saw his face, and then looked back at the mare.  It took her a little longer, but recognition dawned on her face just as it had his.  However, instead of terror, her face twisted into anger.

“What… are you doing here, Queen Chrysalis?!”  Cadance spat.  “Are you here to try and steal my husband away from me again?!”

Daring Do and Uncharted Fortune both leapt from their seats, ready to fight.  Star Swirl merely cocked an eyebrow, while Reliquary edged away from Chrysalis, not wanting to get caught up in a fight.  Chrysalis, for her part, rolled her eyes.

“Please, if I wanted to do that, I would have been more subtle.”  Chrysalis drawled, and then she winked at Shining Armor as she took a seat at the table.  “Not that he isn’t quite handsome; I am actually a little jealous I did not get to keep him.”

“Th-Then why…?”  Shining Armor asked.

“Because of mutual necessity.”  Chrysalis replied, sneering.  “Those machines threaten everything, and I will not stand idly by while my brood faces eradication.”

Daring Do and Uncharted Fortune looked at each other, and then sat back down.

“So, you are a changeling queen?”  Star Swirl inquired and Chrysalis nodded.  “Ah, tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace; I am Star Swirl.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Archmage.”  Chrysalis replied, smiling.  “It is nice to be acknowledged for my station.  So many tend to forget that I am a queen and ruler of my brood.”

“Why are you being so polite to her?”  Shining Armor asked.  “She’s a changeling!  In fact, she’s the changeling who almost took over Canterlot by taking my wife’s identity!”

“I understand, young prince, but even amongst our enemies one should always acknowledge titles and pay proper respect.”  Star Swirl replied with the tone of a teacher calmly reprimanding a student.  “Besides, changelings almost never move openly and Her Majesty risks much by meeting with us.  Perhaps it would be best to hear what she has to say.”

“But that doesn’t explain her importance.  Miss Rose, what do you think?”  Cadance asked, but Daring Do had fallen quiet.  She was rubbing her hoof under her chin, deep in thought.  “Miss Rose?”

“Shining Armor; how did you find us, anyway?”  Daring Do asked finally.

“There was a flarespell cast off the north gate.”  He replied.  “The Night Watch responded and found you, Fortune, and Star Swirl unconscious.  Why does that matter?”

“Because that means that Reliquary wasn’t actually up there.”  Daring Do stated, and then she looked at Chrysalis.  “It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, I went up the mountain with you in place of Reliquary.”  Chrysalis said.  “But she did not turn to me; I turned to her.  My brood was searching the mountains for a suitable place to create a hive outpost when they found the ruins.  Something I now know to be those machines attacked them and the survivors called for me.  I recalled all but a few of them and I came down here seeking revenge for my brood.  Reliquary is an old contact of mine; we have had several encounters over the years.  I heard she was in the Crystal Empire and I sought her out.  It was her plan to call upon fo- pardon, two, of the greatest adventurers in Equestria.”

Daring Do’s ears perked up.  She had caught Chrysalis stumble on the number of their group, too.  She made a mental note to ask about it later.

“Why were you interested in making an outpost here?”  Cadance asked coolly.

“To keep an eye on the Crystal Heart, of course.”  Chrysalis replied, staring straight into Cadance’s eyes.

“To steal it?”  Cadance inquired.

“To protect it.”  Chrysalis said.  “The changelings benefit from the Crystal Heart simply by having it active.  Naturally, I have a vested interest in keeping it that way.”

“So if we got attacked, you’d help us?”  Cadance pressed further.

“Of course, a small portion of my troops have already infiltrated the city guard.  If something were to happen to the Heart, I would be informed immediately.”  Chrysalis stated with a wry smile, and she gave Shining Armor a coy glance.  “By the way, ‘Green-Watch Protocol’?  That one put the entire hive in an uproar.”

“Nice to know I-”  Shining Armor began, but Chrysalis cut him off.

“Me and mine have honestly never laughed so hard in our lives.”  She said.  “Perhaps you should consider becoming a comedian.”

Shining Armor sat back, his face hot with embarrassment.

“I’ll be putting it under revision once we’re through here.”  He murmured sulkily.

“Later, Your Grace.”  Daring Do said.  “Right now, we need to start reviewing the information we have on these machines.”  She slid a sketch of one of the machines onto the table.  “This thing right here is one of the things that attacked us in the ruins on the mountain.  It’s bipedal and has some kind of projectile weapon on its right arm.”

“Projectile… you mean arrows?”  Shining Armor asked.

“No… they seemed similar to spell blasts.”  Daring Do replied.  “I don’t think they were using magic, though.  There was no build up to the projectiles and the machines were firing them rapidly.”

“And how did they render the three of you unconscious, Miss Rose?”  Cadance asked and Daring shifted uncomfortably.

“I… don’t know.”  Daring replied.  “I can’t remember much of the escape… all I get are some scattered memories and the feeling that I… I was…”

“…being sucked away.”  Fortune finished.  “Like someone was trying to take you apart like a puzzle and put you together somewhere else.”

Star Swirl gave low growl at this and everyone in the room looked at him.

“Something on your mind, Archmage?”  Chrysalis asked.

“Yes.”  He replied.  “I believe these automata attempted to displace you and your friends in time.  If your damaged memories are any suggestion, they may have succeeded to a degree.”

“Meaning?”  Shining Armor inquired.

“Meaning that…”  Daring’s breath caught and she covered her mouth in horror.  “That we lost people in there… and we don’t remember them!”

“If only half of my apprentices had been a sharp as you, Lady Rose.”  Star Swirl remarked approvingly.

“But… but that’s not possible!”  Reliquary exclaimed.  “How can they just… remove somepony from existence?!”

“Temporal displacement is not something I am familiar with.”  Star Swirl said.  “I spent years studying time magic and yet these machines show me that I have barely scratched the surface.  It is… disconcerting.”

The table fell silent, the ramifications of what Star Swirl had said sank in.

“This may take awhile…”  Shining Armor sighed wistfully and then he pulled the sketch over to himself.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cadance ignite a roll of parchment in flame and the ashes flew out the window.  He smiled, knowing she had probably just sent a message to Twilight.



Rose Quartz and one of her subordinates, Pearl Essence, trotted around a street corner as they made the rounds between the checkpoints.  They approached the next checkpoint on their path and Pearl gave a huff in dissatisfaction at the vacant post.

“Ugh, I thought we told everypony to leave at least one guard in position at all times!”  She exclaimed irritably.  “For all we know, changelings could have gotten past this checkpoint and into the castle!”

Rose looked around and saw a black pegasus stallion with a dirty teal mane trot slowly and cautiously out from behind a building.  It looked around shiftily and when it laid eyes on Rose, it started but didn’t run away.  Rose approached the stallion calmly and smiled.

“Hi there.”  She greeted.  “My name is Rose Quartz, of the city watch.  Do you know where my subordinates went?  They’re supposed to be watching this street.”

The pegasus said nothing, but pointed a hoof fearfully down an alleyway.  Rose turned and saw a figure lying prone in the shadows.  She quickly rushed over to it and discovered that the figure was one of the guards she had assigned to the checkpoint…

And he was dead, a clean wound in his breast and blood having spread in a large pool around him.

“By Faust…”  She murmured and she looked further down alley.  There was another dark pool behind the building that she could only assume was blood, too.  She trotted over to it and saw the decapitated corpse of the other guard, a look of surprise plain on his frozen muzzle.  Rose Quartz gagged, but kept herself together.

“Rose?  Whatever are you doing in this… filthy alley?  Don’t tell me those lazybones are down here-” Pearl Flair approached the entrance to the alley, saw the corpse of one of the guards, and gave a terrified scream.  “OH SWEET CELESTIA, IS HE DEAD?!”

“Pearl, sweetie, please lower your voice or you’ll cause a panic.”  Rose said calmly as she approached the hysterical crystal guardspony.  “And yes; they both are.”

“B-But… but how, did changelings do this?!”  Pearl exclaimed.

“I don’t think so…”  Rose replied, and then she looked at the pegasus, who returned her gaze fearfully and she could clearly see he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.  She trotted up to him again.  “Did you see who did this?”

The stallion looked from her to the alley, and then back to her.

“Y-Yes, I saw…”  He said slowly.

“Tell me who; I have to know who did this.”  Rose pressed and the stallion quivered slightly.

“I… not know but…”  He paused and then looked Rose in the eye.  “Was big… big and evil.  Stood on two legs.”  He waved his right forehoof.  “Weapon, used it to kill.  Killed fast, quietly.”

“Two legs… was it a minotaur?”  Rose asked calmly and the pegasus shook his head.

“No, not minotaur.” He told her.  “Not normal.  Was dark, evil… had red eye on head.  Evil, evil red eye.”  He suddenly grasped Rose Quartz and shook her.  “Stared at castle!  Evil plans for castle!  Must go, must warn!  She is in danger!”  He released Rose Quartz and suddenly flew away toward the castle.  Rose stood silently before she rounded on Pearl.

“Sound the alarm, the Princess and Prince are in danger!”  Rose commanded, but Pearl was frozen with fear so Rose shouted.  “PEARL ESSENCE!  Go and alert the watch, now!”

The crystal  pony stammered and then dashed away.  Rose watched her depart and then gave an exhausted sigh.  She would not be resting this day.

> Chapter Sixteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Gospel couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well, certainly not since before his deployment to Afghanistan as the U.S. Army was not known for making bunks comfortable.  

Generally the rule was that you only slept in them when you weren’t taking RPG fire.  

Apparently, this “rule” had somehow persisted into whatever century he’d been resurrected into and Tower housing had certainly not opted for soft, fluffy king beds; “Can’t have Guardians getting fat off luxuries, can we?” Gospel would joke.  He still didn’t trust these “ponies”, but he’d be damned if they didn’t know how to make a bed right and the castle servants were actually good at their jobs… almost annoyingly so.  

As if on cue, he heard the door open, followed by the sound of drapes being slid open and bright, morning sunlight hit his closed eyelids.  Gospel groaned with irritation and rolled over, away from the light, but the earth pony maid didn’t give up.

“Apologies, Mister Gospel, but Princess Celestia has requested your presence in the dining hall.  I am to inform you that this morning’s breakfast is pancakes with a fruit medley; a personal favorite of Her Majesty.”

Gospel groaned again, remembering the meal from the previous night and hoped that the pancakes weren’t made from daisies.  He sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes.  He looked out the window and saw the Mischief Maker in the courtyard.  After a moment, he stretched and swung out of bed, noticing that the maid had a stack of folded clothes on her back that was balanced perfectly as she trotted over to him.  With a light bounce, the clothes leapt off her back and onto the bed next to him.

“Your clothing and armor have been cleaned and polished, Sir.”  She told him and he picked up the top article, sniffing it.  

It had a light, flowery scent and – much to his astonishment – was completely stain-free, even of Cabal blood, and that stuff was as stubborn as the aliens it came from.  He stood and moved to change out of his nightclothes, but paused when he realized the maid was still present and staring at him expectantly.

“Um, why are you still here?”  He asked.

“I was told to guide you back to the dining hall once you were ready.”  She replied.

“Okay, but why are you still in the room?”  He pressed and she gave him a quizzical look.  “Can you please step outside?  I need to get dressed.”

“O-Oh, yes, of course.”  She replied, blushing.  “My apologies, Sir.”

He waited for the maid to leave, and then he changed into his battle gear.  He looked over his coat – his Warlock robes, but he preferred to call them a coat – and noticed that whoever had cleaned it had also gone to the extra effort of repairing the field-weave; the stitches were almost indiscernible, and the patches appeared to have been chosen carefully to look as similar to the original cloth as possible.  He wondered who might have done the repair work, but then he noticed an extra article of clothing.  

It was the coat that he had seen in Rarity’s boutique, the one she had made for him, and there was a letter on top of it.  He opened the letter and read its contents, written in Aveline’s fine handwriting.



Dear Mister Gospel,

I wanted to write this myself, but Aveline informed me that neither you nor your friends can read our script.   I looked over your remarkable garment and I cleaned and repaired it as best I could.  I am not sure what your… line of work entails, but I had to use a magic spell to remove some of those stains.  Please do not tell me what created them, I would very much like to not know, thank you.  As for the repairs, the material used to make your coat is, simply put, quite incredible!  I have never seen anything like it before, Aveline tells me it is some kind of fabric called “field-weave”.  It is so soft and supple, yet at the same time it is quite robust; I broke several of my best sewing needles trying to repair the damage!  

Your ensemble aside, I know we got off on the wrong hoof yesterday and I wanted you to know there is no ill will between us.  If it is not too much trouble, I would like to invite you over for lunch sometime as a show of friendship.  I know several good restaurants in town and catering to your species’ diet will not be an issue, I assure you.

I hope you like the coat,
Rarity

P.S. If you and your friends ever need a place to stay, just know that the girls and I will be happy to welcome you; our doors are always open.    Applejack

P.S.S. I snuck over while Rarity and AJ weren’t looking!  You never got your cupcake yesterday, so just come on down to Sugarcube Corner and I’ll bake you another one!      XOXO, Pinkie



Gospel couldn’t stop himself from feeling guilty about his behavior.  So far the Equestrians had been nothing less than perfect hosts in the face of unexpected visitors and his response had been to treat them with distrust.  He owed all of them – especially Rarity – an apology and he told himself that he would do so once they had handled the Fallen.  There was a wispy sound as Scripture materialized in front of Gospel.

“Morning, Scripture.”  Gospel said cheerfully.

“Whoa, are you… happy?!”  Scripture asked in mock disbelief.  “I never thought I’d see the day, Boss.”

“Bite me, shrimp.”  Gospel retorted.  “Get any good scans while I was asleep?”

“Nothing much; the microsatellites aren’t as good as the ones set up around the Inner Sol.  However, I did pick up some weird energy spikes to the north.  I didn’t get a very good reading and they were almost gone by the time I found them but…”

“But what?”  Gospel inquired when the Ghost hesitated.

“Well… I mean, it was kind of faint… and I’m not exactly sure if it was…”  Scripture said haltingly, as if he was working on giving bad news in a good way.

“Spit it out, Script, you know I don’t like it when you dance around things.”  Gospel stated irritably and Scripture made a sound like a sigh.

“Fine.  I’m not sure if they were phantom signals or not, they turned up late last night.”  Scripture replied.  “However, what I did get just happened to match known-”

Scripture was drowned out by the sound of a deep bass and the room – no, the entire castle – shook as though from an earthquake.  Gospel ran to the window just in time to see a Fallen ketch appear in the sky and fly over to the castle.  The Warlock didn’t hesitate; he grabbed his helmet from a table next to the door and rushed out, nearly tripping over the alarmed attending maid in the process.

“Mister Gospel, are you harmed?!”  She exclaimed and he shook his head before slipping on the helmet.  “What was that, an earthquake?”

“No.”  He replied, his helmet’s HUD coming to life and showing the concerned maid through the helmet’s optical sensors.  “It’s way worse than that.”

‘Gospel, are you awake?!’ came Samson’s urgent voice.

“Silly question there, big guy.”  Gospel quipped in response.  “And yes, I already know about the ketch.  Hell, I bet the whole damned castle knows about it right now, if not the entire country.”

‘Rendezvous at the courtyard; they’re setting up grav lifts.’  Samson replied and then Gospel turned to the maid.

“I needed to get to the courtyard about three minutes ago, you know a shortcut?”  He asked her and she nodded.

“This way, sir.”  She said and led him into a secret passageway nearby.  

As they ran, Gospel found himself impressed; this maid’s first question to him after the castle shook was whether or not he was safe and after that, she hadn’t shown any hesitation in leading him to a fast pathway to the castle courtyard.

“So, I didn’t catch your name.”  He said nonchalantly as they exited out into a corridor on the first floor.

“I didn’t give it, Sir.”  She replied.  “It’s Clean Sweep.”

“Nice to meet you, Clean Sweep, I’m Gospel.”  He told her.  “Are you really just a maid?”

“Yes sir.”  Clean Sweep replied.  “And I’m kinda used to things like this; been an interesting couple of years, you know.”

“I was just curious, because most maids don’t act like bodyguards in emergencies.”  Gospel said, impressed.

“Well, I’m guessing most maids where you come from don’t start taking self-defense courses from the Royal Guard after a changeling invasion, either.”  She replied.

‘I can see how that might make you reconsider your job qualifications.’  Scripture said to Gospel.

“Right…” Gospel said as they came to the large double doors leading out and he turned to the mare.  “Go and get somewhere safe, these guys aren’t really known for taking prisoners.”

“Yessir.”  She replied.  “Stay safe out there, Mister Gospel.”

With that she backed up, gave a respectful curtsey, and quickly departed for destination unknown within the castle walls.  Gospel watched her leave, and then he pushed open the castle doors.



The Ghost took a read of her power levels and saw they were hovering around sixty percent.  She gave a mechanical sigh; it would be weeks before she ever ran out of light, but chances were that Xarksis would simply let her power reserves empty.  She didn’t blame him; she wouldn’t tell him anything, and he couldn’t really make her, so he was basically doing the closest thing he could to torture.  

She was just about to slip into rest mode to conserve power when she felt it.  Distant at first, but gradually growing closer; it was the Traveler, or at the very least something containing its Light.  At the same time, there was an increase in activity aboard the ketch.  The Ghost decided, instead, to ping the software worm she had slipped into the servitor serving as her jailor.  She hadn’t told Xarksis, but the containment field holding her was really only keeping her in place, not locking down her functions.

“Soreks.”  She cooed, but got no response.  “Soreks, I know you’re listening; you don’t really have a choice in the matter.”

This time there was a brief wave of white noise – likely his version of a groan – before the servitor responded.

‘No, you may not “use the restroom”.’  Soreks-5 replied irritably.  ‘You are mechanical; you do not have the capability to produce waste.’

“Oh come on, Soreks, I only did that once.”  She said jokingly.  “I was just wondering what was going on out there.”

‘That is not for you to know, Ghost.’  Soreks told her and she rolled her optic.

“Soreks, you and I both know that you can either tell me what I want to know or I can just take the information straight out of your memory banks.”  She informed him.

Silence, and then more white noise.

‘Fine.’  Soreks growled.  ‘We have entered the atmosphere of the nearby planet.  It is my belief that Kell Xarksis intends to treat with the terrestrial leader.’

That caught the Ghost’s attention.  It was unheard of for a Fallen leader to willingly engage in formal talks with another species.  However, Kell Xarksis had already proven to be… rather unusual for a Fallen Kell.  First was his decision to choose an alliance with the half-mad Exiles on the Moon, then his decision to keep a Ghost whole and intact aboard his ship.  If Xarksis was now going to speak peacefully with another alien leader…

“Soreks, what aren’t you telling me?”  She asked, but received silence.  “Soreks, need I remind you-”

‘I am not hiding anything.’  The servitor interrupted quickly and the Ghost gave a sigh.

“You only have yourself to blame for what you’re about to experience.”  She told him, and then she expanded, her spines almost touching the containment field imprisoning her, and she linked with the worm inside of the servitor’s programs.  

She delved through only his recent memories, trying to find what he was hiding, and discovered that he was hastily trying to delete something from his memory banks.  She initiated a lockdown program in the worm and he stopped, sending her an irritable clip of white noise in response.  The Ghost reviewed the fragments of the data to see what was so important and discovered that it was an audio log.

“Sor… be ready… Baron Cal… bring… lift bay.”  It was Xarksis, giving Soreks some kind of order.  “They… will punish… cannot… Guardians.”

The Ghost stopped and Soreks chose that moment to try and finish destroying the file.  It didn’t matter, she already knew he’d stored a backup in his reserve memory that she could access at anytime.  The beauty of her hack was that she let Soreks think he had more control then he really did.  What made her stop, however, was the mention of Guardians.  She had sifted through much of Soreks’ memory while he wasn’t paying attention and knew enough that Xarksis wouldn’t mention Guardians unless they were present.  Using the worm, she made Soreks remove the field holding her prisoner and she slipped into his chassis.

“Alright, big guy, here’s my plan.”  She told the servitor.

‘I await with great trepidation…’  Soreks drawled in response.

“You are going to do exactly what Xarksis told you to do.”  The Ghost continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

‘How does that involve you, machine-soul?’  Soreks asked.

“I suspect the Guardians will be nearby.”  She replied, choosing her words carefully.  “Just in case I wasn’t clear, this is a prison break.”

‘Superb, I suppose I can now await my imminent dismantling, then?’  Soreks said as the light on the door flashed and it opened, revealing two Vandal Kellsguard.

“No, no; just tell him I hit you and he should let you off scot-free.”  The Ghost replied nonchalantly and she got white noise in response.  The two Kellsguard indicated past the door and Soreks-5 hovered silently past, the Vandals none the wiser about the Ghost escaping right under their noses.



Gospel saw Samson and Aveline positioned behind a wall of burly earth pony guards with series of pavise shields arranged in a curved wall between them and the grav lift leading up to the hovering ketch.  He hurried over to the other two Guardians and Samson grabbed a burst-fire pulse rifle out of a nearby crate, tossing it to Gospel.  

The Warlock caught the weapon and checked the magazine before pulling the action, chambering a round.  He positioned himself between two of the guardsponies and crouched slightly to leave only his gun and head visible.

“These are not normal Fallen battle tactics!”  Aveline shouted.  “Why are they not deploying skiffs?”

Gospel heard the sound of the doors opening and he looked up to see the Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle come outside, escorted by several pegasus and thestral guardsponies.

“Go back inside the castle, it’s not safe out here!”  Samson shouted, waving them away, but the royal sisters didn’t acknowledge that they had heard him.  Instead, they stared at the grav lift.  

After a moment, the glowing pillar pulsed and a trio of Vandals stepped forward.  Two of them held shock rifles, which they quickly aimed at the Guardians.  The third, however, carried a banner with an unknown house’s insignia on it and wore armor that the Guardians had never seen before.  It was not a Captain’s armor, but it was clearly of a higher station then that of the other Vandals.  It stepped forward proudly and planted the banner on the ground with a loud thunk.

“Which of you is Kell?”  The Vandal, a female, demanded in a raspy voice.  Celestia cocked an eyebrow in question, but she did not speak.  The Vandal tried again.  “Which of you do four-legged ones kneel to?”

This time, Celestia responded.

“That would be my sister and I.”  She stated.  “Who are you to ask for us?”

The Vandal bowed rigidly, but respectfully.

“I am called Morra, of House Dragons.”  She replied.  “Kell of Dragons, Xarksis, requests your presence aboard his ketch.”

Celestia looked at Samson and the Titan shook his head.  She looked back at the Vandal.

“I’m afraid I must refuse.”  Celestia replied.  “As it stands now, the House of Dragons has engaged in unprovoked hostilities against both my sister and a foreign diplomat on Equestrian soil.  If your Kell wishes to speak with me, he must do so on my terms, not his.”

The Vandal paused, and then inclined her head and they could faintly hear her speaking, presumably communicating with another Fallen.  After a moment of this, she looked back at Celestia again and bowed once more.

“His Majesty accepts your terms.”  Morra stated, and then she picked up the banner and moved aside, with the Fallen honor guard taking position on either side of the grav lift and standing at a surprisingly sharp attention.  

The grav lift pulsed again and again, each time depositing a pair of Vandals, who performed the same actions as the first two until there were two lines, each with six Fallen.  The lift pulsed once more and this time a stooped Vandal with a staff, a large Baron, and what was unmistakably the Kell appeared; the latter two bearing shock swords in sheathes at their hips.  

Gospel liked to compare Samson-12 to The Incredible Hulk – and the Exo certainly lived up to the comparison – but Kell Xarksis made both wrecking machines look like they needed to hit the gym.  He was massive; standing at just over three meters – not counting the helmet – and the armor he wore did nothing to conceal his broad musculature.

Xarksis took a look at the shield wall and scoffed lightly before taking a step out of the pillar of light leading to the ketch.  The Vandals immediately snapped a salute as the Kell and his entourage walked between them, with each pair making a sharp facing toward the front as they passed.  Kell Xarksis stopped in front of the shield wall and glared down at the Guardians.  The three Guardians stood, keeping their weapons trained on the Kell, but they didn’t back down.  

They heard a soft step from behind them and without a word being said, the shield wall immediately dissolved.  The guardsponies settled into two similar lines, facing inwards and Gospel could plainly see that they were terrified.  Celestia approached the Kell – who towered above even her – and looked him straight in the eyes, not a hint of fear in her own.  In fact, her face was an opaque mask tinged with anger and indignation; the Sun Princess was not pleased.

The Guardians wondered who they were should have been more afraid of – the giant alien king with incredible technology, or the regal pony princess with supposed godlike powers.  When they tried to step between Celestia and Xarksis, the Sun Princess moved her wings to block and she looked at them, shaking her head.  After that, she returned her gaze to Xarksis, but neither said anything; they just stared at each other.  Gospel wasn’t sure he’d ever been in a situation where the pressure of pure power was so tangible.

“You do not cower in fear at my presence.”  The Kell stated after a long minute of silence, his voice a surprisingly deep and rich baritone.  “I am impressed; there are few who would be so bold as to call me out of my own ship and still have courage enough to face me within striking distance.”

“You could say I’ve had plenty of experience with this.”  Celestia responded flatly.  “I am Celestia, Princess of the Sun and co-ruler of the Equestrian Diarchy.” She indicated Luna to her right.  “This is the other ruler of the Diarchy and my sister, Luna, Princess of the Moon.  I presume you are the captain of this ship?”

“I am no mere ‘captain’, Princess Celestia, I am Kell Xarksis, ruler of all of the House of Dragons!”  Xarksis proclaimed, almost boastfully, and then he indicated the slightly shorter Baron to his left.  “This is my second-in-command and commander of my personal guard, Tolarum.”  Xarksis then indicated the stooped Vandal to his right.  “And the elder one here is my advisor, Varkin, of the House of Judgment.”

‘House of Judgment…?’  Scripture said over the comms.  ‘The Vanguard doesn’t have any records on a “House of Judgment”.’

“There is much we do not understand about the Fallen, Scripture.”  Aveline said quietly.

“How do you intend to answer for your House’s actions?”  Celestia asked.

“By presenting a gift of the treacherous filth who is responsible of not just his crimes against you, but for dishonoring his House and humiliating his Kell.”  Xarksis replied, and then waved at Morra.  

She appeared to speak once more into her commlink and the grav lift pulsed, depositing a Servitor and a large Fallen dressed in the garb of a Dreg, but who obviously still had his arms; all of which had been bound.  Two of the Vandal honorguard flanked him and pushed the large Fallen down the line towards Kell Xarksis and his entourage.  There was angry hissing from each of the Vandals as the prisoner passed them and once he reached the front, Xarksis stepped aside and waved his arm at the prisoner.  Gospel knew that this was the Baron who had attacked him and Luna, and clearly the Moon Princess recognized him as well.  None of them noticed a flash of light from behind the Servitor.

“Well, t’would appear you are ‘Baron’ no longer, Caltor.”  Luna stated with a sneer.  Caltor did not reply; instead he glared at Luna with hatred burning in his eyes.

“He has been stripped of command and rank.”  Tolarum informed them.  “He is not even worthy of our lowest of titles.”

“I offer Caltor as an offering of peace.”  Xarksis said.  “However, I am still owed… satisfaction for his disloyalty.”

At this, the Vandals kicked Caltor to his knees, pulling his upper arms behind his head.  Xarksis snatched the ex-baron’s lower arms in his own and pulled them taught.  Slowly, to make the metal grind against the sheathes, he drew his shock swords and crossed them in front of Caltor’s neck as if to cut it off.

“Wul’th dal goh…”  Xarksis murmured, staring balefully down at the large Fallen.  “Fosch culm pah shod’ah.”

Caltor’s eyes went wide and he looked quickly to Celestia and the Guardians and then back at Xarksis.

“Cul’mo nah!  Grich to yaph quoh!”  Caltor pleaded, but Xarksis merely loomed over him.

“Tresh’al…”  Xarksis replied, and then the shock swords flashed.  

Gospel blinked and the next second, Caltor was howling in pain, his back arched and two glowing stumps where his lower arms used to be.  Luna backed up a bit, startled and Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, horrified.  Celestia did not flinch or turn her head away; her only outward display was the closing of her eyes briefly.

Wordlessly, Morra approached Xarksis and removed the banner from its pole, kneeling and presenting the cloth to the Kell.  Xarksis placed Caltor’s severed arms on the banner and then wrapped them ceremoniously, ensuring that the odd design that was most certainly the House emblem was shown on top.  After that, he motioned toward Luna and Morra rose, approached the Moon Princess, and presented her with the banner-wrapped arms.  Luna looked at the arms with a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and disgust.

“Take them, Princess of the Moon.”  Xarksis said assuredly.  “The docking of one’s lower arms is a ritual of humiliation among my people, reserved for failure or those who show disloyalty to their House.  By giving you his arms, I am bestowing upon you his debt and leaving his fate up to your whims, whatever they may be.”

Luna, unsettled, slowly took the banner-wrapped arms in her aura and Morra bowed before walking away from the Moon Princess.  Xarksis motioned to the honorguard and they roughly pulled Caltor to his feet and shoved him in the direction of the armored guardsponies.  They backed away fearfully and he fell to the ground, writhing and growling in agony.  The guardsponies looked to Celestia and she smiled softly.

“Take him to the doctor and have his injuries treated; I intend to have Caltor stand trial for his crimes against Equestria.”  She told them and they saluted and carried the injured Fallen into the castle.  She watched them until the castle doors had closed and then she turned back to Xarksis.  “You have my gratitude for turning Caltor over to our authority, but would I be mistaken in thinking that was only a part of your ultimate goal this day?”

“You are not mistaken; I intend to prevent… unnecessary conflict between our two peoples.”  Xarksis replied.  “It is not my desire to start yet another conflict when we can do so much more to benefit one another.”

“And how do we know you won’t turn on us?”  Samson asked, and Xarksis settled his four-eyed gaze on the Exo in a manner of contempt.

“I was not addressing you, Titan.”  He growled.  “I have no interest in speaking with dogs of the Traveler.”

“But he makes a good point, Kell Xarksis.”  Twilight spoke up, but wilted slightly when the massive Kell’s piercing gaze turned toward her.

“And you are…?”  He inquired and suddenly Twilight wished she hadn’t said anything at all.

“T-Twilight Sp-Sparkle, Princess of Friendship…”  She stammered, scared.  However, Xarksis merely cocked his head in curiosity.

“Friendship?”  He said slowly, as if tasting the word.  “Your people have strange titles, Princess of the Sun.”

“I don’t think so, seeing as how I’m the one who gave it to her.”  Celestia said, a smile touching at the edge of her mouth, and then she cleared her throat.  “Now that we have settled our grievances, Kell Xarksis, I think it would be a good idea to sit down and discuss formal, peaceful relations.  I am just as interested in avoiding a fight as you are.”

“Indeed, let us go aboard my ship so we may speak in private.”  Xarksis said, gesturing to the grav lift but Celestia shook her head.

“No, Kell Xarksis, we shall do so on Equestrian soil, inside my castle.”  Celestia replied, but when she noticed the Fallen glance at the Guardians, she added, “I am very well aware of the ongoing hostilities between your people and theirs and I will not tolerate any continuation of it here,”  She shot a threatening look at the Guardians, “from either side.  Equestria will play the neutral party in your affairs and that is all.  Do you agree to this?”

Xarksis turned to the stooped Varkin, who growled something in the Fallen language, and then the Kell turned back to Celestia and nodded.

“The House of Dragons agrees to see Equestria as neutral ground and we shall not engage in further hostilities with the Guardians so long as we remain.”  He stated.  Celestia turned her gaze back to Samson.  He looked at Aveline, who shrugged and then at Gospel, who looked away.

“Alright, we agree; as long as the House of Dragons doesn’t attack us, we won’t attack them.”  Samson replied and Celestia smiled.

“Thank you for this compromise, I know it must be difficult for both of you.”  She said, and then indicated the double doors leading into the castle.  “Come, Kell Xarksis; we have much to-”

At that moment, there was a burst of flame in front of Celestia’s muzzle and both the Fallen and the Guardians readied their weapons.  Xarksis did not reach for his swords, instead raising one hand in a clenched fist and none of the Fallen attacked.  True to their word, the Guardians also held their fire.  Celestia, for her part, was mildly surprised that a rolled up parchment had materialized.  She unrolled the parchment, took a brief read, and then smiled and the parchment floated over to Twilight, who took it in her own aura.

“I believe this one is for you, Twilight.”  Celestia said humorously.

“It’s from Cadance!  Spike must have forwarded it to Princess Celestia because I didn’t come home last night.”  Twilight said, and then she read it and her eyes widened.  “N-No, that’s not possible!  I mean, just how-?!”

“Is something the matter, Twilight?”  Aveline asked, but the now excited Alicorn didn’t seem to hear her, instead she was giddily trotting on the spot and squealing.  After a moment, Twilight stood on her hind hooves and Aveline got a close-up of Twilight’s excited muzzle through her helmet’s optics.

“I have to go to the Crystal Empire like, right now!”  She practically screamed.

“Why right at this instant?”  Luna asked.  “Can it truly not wait?  We have a very important guest at this time.”

Twilight didn’t respond, instead the magenta-aura encased parchment practically shoved itself into Luna’s muzzle.  She took it with a look of mild irritation, read it, and then her own eyes widened and she hurried over to her sister and held out the parchment.  This time Celestia gave it a more thorough read, but she gave off nothing more than mild surprise.  Xarksis and his entourage merely stood on the steps, watching the whole thing happen and the Kell crossed his arms.

“Do I need to wait for you to be ready to speak with me, Princess Celestia?”  Xarksis grumbled impatiently and Celestia turned to him, smiling.

“Not at all, Kell Xarksis,I have just received some… rather fascinating news from my niece is all.”  Celestia replied and she nodded to Luna, who followed her while returning the letter to Twilight.  “Apologies; my protégé will not be joining us, as she must attend to business elsewhere.”

Samson moved to follow them but Celestia looked at him and shook her head.

“I’m afraid my sister and I will be speaking with the Kell and his entourage in private, Samson-12, much as we did with your team.”  She told him.  “However, if it is not too much to ask, could I ask you to escort Twilight to the Crystal Empire?  It would go a long way in securing good faith from us.”

Samson thought about it briefly before nodding.

“Alright, just be careful in there, your majesty.”  He told Celestia and Xarksis gave a low, rumbling growl.

“The House of Dragons has given its word, Guardian; I will not suffer the dishonor of breaking it.”  He told the Titan, and then he turned and entered the castle behind Celestia and Luna.  

Varkin followed Xarksis wordlessly, but Tolarum lingered briefly and barked out something in the Fallen language before doing the same.  The Fallen honorguard fell out of their columns and formed up around the grav lift, blocking it off.  After a moment of watching the Fallen, Samson motioned for Fireteam Wisp to follow him to the Mischief Maker.

“So, where’s this Crystal Empire?”  He asked Twilight as they boarded the ship.

“It’s about a day’s train-ride north of here.”  She told him, still giddy.

“So probably about an hour or two as this thing flies.”  Gospel stated nonchalantly.

They entered the cockpit of the Mischief Maker and Wedge swiveled in his seat to greet them.  Fireteam Wisp and Twilight proceeded to take their own seat and Samson brought up the local Equestrian geographical map they had created.  Twilight indicated an area in the north and Samson put in the coordinates.  The engines ignited and they took off, wheeling around the moored ketch and flying quickly to the north.




The Ghost had settled on a counter inside the room containing the orb that held the Traveler’s Light, charging her power cells.  When she had heard the ramp for the ship descend, she had quickly hidden herself from view, but when no Fallen stormed the ship, she came out of hiding.  Not long after that, the ship lurched into motion and she was suddenly aware that they were flying somewhere.

‘Guess the Guardians are back.’  She thought.   ‘I’ll just stay in here, out of sight until we get to the Tower.’

‘Are your power reserves charging successfully, Ghost?’  Queried the ever-so-polite engineering Frame, Biggs.

“Quite, thank you Biggs.”  She responded.  “How long until we arrive at the Tower?”

‘Indeterminate; we are currently on-course to a destination on Equus.’  He replied.

“Equus?  Is that what they’re calling this planet?”  The Ghost asked.

‘It is what the local terrestrials call it.’  Biggs told her.  

The Ghost couldn’t help but wonder why the Guardians weren’t returning to the Tower.  She slipped into the ship’s mainframe and retrieved the destination coordinates, as well as a satellite map of the area and some scans logged in the area the night before by one of the Guardians’ Ghosts.  The area was a large greenzone that contained what appeared to be a city, which wouldn’t have seemed too out of the ordinary if it hadn’t been located in the middle of a snowy, mountainous region.  In fact, you could clearly see where the snow ended and the city expanse began, as if the city had simply appeared in its current location overnight!

‘What kind of world is this?’  She thought as she reviewed the scans, but then something caught her attention and her metaphorical breath caught in her metaphorical throat.  “Those energy signatures… they’re-!”




‘Hey Boss, we need to talk about those energy signatures I picked up earlier.’  Scripture said over the comm and the Guardians looked at Gospel.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot about that.”  Gospel replied and his Ghost materialized.  “What about them?”

“You got a scan on something last night?”  Samson asked Scripture, who nodded.

“Yes, I did… and they matched a known energy signature from the Sol System.”  Scripture replied almost fearfully and both Lance and Gauge materialized.

“Whoa whoa whoa, you picked up an energy source on this planet that has signatures matching something from home?!”  Lance exclaimed and Gauge bobbed excitedly.

“Something from your world is on Equus…?”  Twilight murmured.

“What is it, I’ve gotta know!”  Gauge demanded, but then she stopped and turned an odd way, as if curious.  “What’s wrong, Script?  You don’t look happy.”

Scripture said nothing, instead he shot a beam of light to both Ghosts and they froze, as if in fear.

“Oh… oh shit.”  Gauge deadpanned and Samson cocked an eyeplate at her; he’d never heard her swear like that before.  Lance, however, was not so subtle.

“FUCK!”  He swore loudly and Twilight winced at the foul language.  Aveline gave her Ghost a surprised look.

“Is it something bad?”  She asked and Lance lulled lazily in the air in a way Aveline had come to recognize as a sarcastic shrug.

“No, no, it’s all fucking peaches and cream out there!”  He said angrily.  “Unless of course you don’t like dying, then yeah, it’s pretty fucking bad.”

“Can we stop with the swearing, please?!”  Twilight asked, irritated, but Lance rounded on her.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you fucking say, Princess.”  Lance retorted.  “I’ll stop fucking swearing as soon as we’re all fucking dead, which might happen pretty fucking soon!”

“Lance, calm down!”  Aveline snapped and the Ghost jumped in surprise and looked at her.  Aveline breathed to calm herself, and then asked.  “What is wrong?  I have never seen you act this way before.”

The Ghosts looked at each other, and it was Scripture who responded.

“The energy source?  It matches known Vex signatures.”  He said slowly and the Guardians looked at him in alarm.  “And we’re… we’re heading right toward it.”
	
> Chapter Seventeen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armor gave a sigh.

They had been talking for the better part of an hour trying to figure the machines out, but it was painfully apparent that aside from Compass Rose’s keen observations, they knew absolutely nothing about them.  It didn’t help that most of the survivors had suffered temporal damage that was causing amnesia in much the same way as severe cranial trauma.  Thankfully Star-Swirl, the Bearded was unaffected and proved to be the most knowledgeable about the machines.  He had apparently “seen” bits and pieces of visions during his captivity in a similar fashion to dreams.  The machines had come from somewhere unfathomably far away from Equus and once they had arrived, had gone back very far in time to “build” their structures.

“If we could figure out how to go forward in time to the point when they arrived, do you think we’d be able to stop them?”  Daring Do asked.  

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes; the mare was familiar, as though he’d seen her somewhere before but he could not, for the life of him, remember where.  Looking at Compass Rose made him think of his sister, Twilight Sparkle, but he couldn’t figure out what the connection was.  

“I doubt it, Miss Rose.”  Star-Swirl replied, stroking his beard.  “There is no way to know exactly when these foul automata arrived on this world; ‘tis likely that the moment of their arrival has already long since come and gone.”

Daring Do noticed Shining Armor staring at her and she glanced at him, scowling.  Shining Armor quickly looked away, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment and Cadance gave a giggle.

“You’ve been staring at her quite a lot since we started this meeting.”  Cadance remarked, smiling coyly.  “You’re not planning to ditch me for another mare already, are you?”

“What – no!  It’s just… I dunno, she seems kinda familiar is all.”  Shining Armor replied quietly and Cadance gave a sigh of relief.

“So it’s not just me, then; that’s a relief.  I was starting to think I was going crazy.”  Cadance told him and Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow.

“Wait, you mean Compass Rose has been driving you nuts as well?”  Shining Armor asked incredulously.  Daring Do was suddenly very interested in the royals’ conversation, but she kept the discussion about the machines going.

“Well, yes.”  Cadance replied.  “Ever since I saw her in the infirmary, I was amazed at how much Compass Rose looks like the heroine, Daring Do.”

Daring froze briefly and Star-swirl gave a brief chuckle.  Chrysalis stopped mid-sentence and shot the elder unicorn a look.

“Am I boring you, Archmage?”  She asked and Star-swirl shook his head.

“Not at all, your majesty; please continue.”  He replied jovially and after a moment, Chrysalis resumed speaking, the subject of her attention on how to attack the machines in their ruins.

“Daring Do… where have I heard that name before?”  Shining Armor murmured and both Daring Do and Uncharted Fortune practically fell over.

‘Is he for real?!’  Daring thought, her irritation rising.

“Shiny, dear; ‘The Adventures of Daring Do’ is one of Equestria’s best-selling fiction series.”  Cadance replied and Daring gave a huff.

‘You have no idea, princess.’  Daring thought, taking a sip of water.

“It’s Twilight Sparkle’s favorite, too; she used to read it all the time and she’d talk about it almost nonstop.  Twilight told me she’d actually met A.K. Yearling once last time I visited.”  Cadance told Shining Armor and Daring spit out the water in surprise, gagging.  Cadance looked at Daring in confusion and asked, “Are you okay, Miss Rose?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine; just went down the wrong tube is all, thanks.”  Daring replied in-between coughs.  Once she’d regained her composure, she looked up at Chrysalis but then something caught her attention and dragged her gaze to the window behind the changeling queen.  At first, Daring didn’t see anything, but then she noticed that the window – no, something outside the window – distorted the light coming in.  She pointed at the window and shouted, “Get down!”

All eyes shot to the window just as it exploded inwards and a cloaked figure with a bright, red eye landed in the meeting room.  It wasted no time in charging directly at Chrysalis, who was staring at the intruder in shock, and they all saw a blade extend from its right hand.  It gave a loud, mechanical buzz, but before it could reach Chrysalis, the window behind Daring exploded as well and an acid-green fireball shot past the adventurer, slamming the cloaked assailant into the wall.  The fire dissipated and they all saw a changeling drone slumped over the cloaked figure, whose hood had slid off and revealed a machine not unlike the one they had just been discussing.  It gave a mechanical whine, then the red light dimmed and faded, and the machine did not move.

Chrysalis gave a cry of alarm and quickly hurried over to the drone.  She tried to move it off the machine, but discovered that the automaton’s blade had buried itself deep into the changeling’s breast.  The changeling coughed, opened its eyes blearily, and looked at Chrysalis, a line of teal ichor dribbling from its mouth.  The two changelings exchanged low crooning noises briefly until eventually the drone slumped over, its eyes staring sightlessly, and Chrysalis used her hoof to close them.  At first Daring thought the changeling queen looked as though she were on the verge of tears, but when Chrysalis stood and faced the group; her eyes were full of naught but anger, hatred and wrath.

“We must end this meeting; the enemy moves against us and my drones inform me that they have staged a surprise attack on the city.”  Chrysalis reported.  The group looked at each other, uncertain of what to make of this revelation, but then they heard it; the sound of sirens blaring throughout the city could now be clearly heard through the broken windows.  Uncharted Fortune ran to one of the windows and looked out.

“Shit, the city’s burning!”  He called out, and then he jumped backwards just in time to avoid a lance of energy that slammed into the ceiling.  Daring Do was suddenly aware of the smell of singed fur and she looked at the bandage on her leg.  Doubtless a similar projectile had been what lamed her in their escape from the ruins.   Fortune returned to the group and said, “It’s bad down there; it looks like the guard’s trying to fight back, but those things are everywhere.”

“Clever.  They waited for a precise moment to besiege the city and try to assassinate us at the same time.”  Star-swirl remarked.  “If not for that valiant changeling’s sacrifice, we all may have perished here.”

“So what do we do?!”  Reliquary asked, panicking.  “They’re machines; ones we have no idea how to fight!”

“There’s an armory on the first floor, if we can get there then-”  Shining Armor began, but then they heard a rushing noise and they turned to see a darkening cloud with a pale light in its center hovering over the table like a gathering storm.

“What in the…”  Star-swirl murmured, intrigued, but dread filled Daring and Fortune’s hearts because they recognized that sound.  

After a moment, there was an electrical discharge and several of the machines with the fan-shaped heads appeared on the table.  They wasted no time in firing at the group, but Shining Armor had been faster, creating a half-dome shield that covered them and the projectiles slapped uselessly against it.  The machines did not stop attacking, but instead began to slowly advance toward Shining Armor.

“We have to get out of here!”  He shouted over the sound of the machines firing their weapons.  

The group rushed toward the doors, with Shining Armor shifting to keep himself – and the shield – between them and the attacking machines.  One of the machines suddenly distorted at that moment and much to everyone’s surprise, teleported in front of the exit.  It readied its weapon to fire, but then it buzzed in mechanical confusion as it was lifted up in a yellow aura and found itself flying bodily into its companions, knocking them over.  Shining Armor lowered his shield and charged for the double doors, but he found himself wondering why the guards outside hadn’t responded to the noise.  He got his answer when they opened the doors.

Several guards laid at their hooves, their bodies riddled with charred holes, and several more of the machines stood on the other side, firing down the hall.  When they heard the doors open, they stopped firing, turned their glowing eyes toward Shining Armor and his group, and then adjusted their bodies so that their deadly weapons were aimed at the group of equines.  Just before they could fire, there was a series of shouts and a line of Royal Guards, headed by Flash Sentry, charged into the group of machines with spears.  The machines were lifted off the floor and shoved into a nearby wall.  One of the machines lost its head in the impact, gave a loud, angry buzz, and held out its hand.  There was an explosion of purple smoke and the guard pinning it to the wall fell over, a glowing, purple hole in his breast.  

The other guards fell back in alarm, readying their spears against the berserk machine and Daring Do saw that one of the other machines did not pull itself off the wall.  It was instead slumped over a spear that had imbedded itself halfway down the shaft in its midsection; glowing white ichor dripping from the wound and down the wall behind it… and its red eye was dark.  She looked where the line of royal guards had impacted the group of machines, saw a glowing white pool on the floor, and gasped in realization.

The machines had a weakness!

The group of equines heard a mechanical sound behind them and when they looked, they saw the machines were disentangling themselves.  One of the machines managed to stand up and Daring quickly looked around.  She saw a spear lying next to one of the bodies nearest her and she scooped it up.  With a grunt, she launched the polearm at the machine’s midsection and was satisfied to hear the machine give a cry of alarm as the sharpened point entered the glowing torso and came out the other side in a burst of white ichor.  The machine stumbled back from the force of the blow, and then collapsed, its red eye dark.  She looked back down the hall to where the guards were fighting a losing battle and shouted.

“Aim for the white light, that’s their weakpoint!”  Daring told them as she scooped up another spear and launched it into the room, the weapon impacting hard off a machine’s shoulder and causing it to stagger.  It recovered and fired, but Shining Armor raised another shield while Star-swirl pulled the spears from where they had landed and expertly impaled both remaining machines through their midsections.  The royal guards down the hall, heeding Daring’s advice, strafed the two machines that were firing and impaled them.  The berserking machine, however, managed to kill two more guards before it was finally stopped by Flash Sentry knocking it to the ground and plunging his own spear into the machine’s torso.  Once the mad machine had stopped moving, Flash Sentry slumped onto his hindquarters, panting and Shining Armor approached him and the guards.

“Good work everypony.”  Shining Armor stated as the guardsponies all snapped to attention.  Flash was a little slower on the uptake and rose only when he noticed Shining Armor.  “You okay, Flash Sentry?”

“I should be asking you that, sir.  I’m fine, though; that headless one was just a little too feisty is all.”  Flash replied, and then he looked at the fallen guardsponies.  “What about them?”

“We’ll take care of them once we handle the current crisis.  Right now the defense of the city is paramount.”  Cadance replied, and then they heard the rushing sound that indicated the arrival of more machines coming from the meeting room behind them and her expression turned to one of alarm.

“We can’t stay here!”  Daring exclaimed, grabbing a spear.  Cadance used her magic to retrieve the weapons from the meeting room, and Reliquary shut the doors just as a very large machine landed on the table, crushing it.  Star-swirl stepped up to the door and his horn lit up with a yellow aura.  The doors glowed briefly and after a moment, they heard muffled explosions from the other side but the doors did not give.  The archmage gave the group a wry grin.

“I have sealed the room; none may enter or leave until I release the spell, retreat beyond my magic’s range, or perish.”  He told them, and then he began to trot down the hallway.  He stopped and gave the group of ponies a sideways glance.  “Come, time is our enemy now and we can ill afford to idle long.”

They began to follow him, but just as they rounded the corner, they heard the explosions stop.  They paused and looked back, Star-swirl cocking an eyebrow in curiosity.  They didn’t have to wait long, however, because there was a burst of sparkling white light and the large machine appeared.  Star-swirl’s eyes widened in surprise as the machine looked around, saw them, and gave a loud buzz that sounded disturbingly like a howl of rage.

“I thought you said it could not escape!”  Chrysalis exclaimed, but Star-swirl was speechless.  Three of the still living guardsponies stepped between them and the large machine, which had readied its weapon.
“Go, we’ll handle this beast!”  He exclaimed, and then they charged the machine while everypony else fled down the corridor.  

Daring Do tried to ignore the thunderous series of explosions and screams that ended quickly as they approached a stairwell down to a lower floor.  She heard that same, bloodcurdling howl and she chanced a look backwards just in time to see the large machine in hot pursuit, rapidly teleporting to catch up to them.  She threw her spear back at it, aiming for the glowing red eye, but the machine simply teleported through the polearm and fired back.  Daring saw the roiling, purple projectile heading for her and she leapt over the banister to avoid it.  The orb slammed into the wall behind where she had been standing and exploded, destroying it.

Daring Do flew quickly to catch up to the others, the howling cry of the machine still behind them.  Then there was silence and when she looked back, she couldn’t see the machine anymore.  However, she didn’t watch where she was flying and slammed headfirst into something made of metal, falling to the floor with her head swimming.  She looked up and saw the monstrous mechanical beast looming over her, its burning red eye fixed upon hers and Daring knew without a doubt that she was dead.  However, it did not fire; it gave a monstrous howl as it was lifted in an acid-green aura.  Chrysalis stepped forward, her eyes burning with hatred and rage, and her disguise failing in a burst of green flame.

“You and yours shall pay for the death brought upon my hive, monster!”  Chrysalis snarled, and then the bipedal automaton’s body began to give out a high pitched whine.  

It took Daring Do a moment to realize that the sound was that of metal being twisted and all in the corridor could see that the automaton was being slowly pulled apart.  It gave one last, defiant shriek… and then its arms, legs, and head separated themselves from its torso in several bursts of electricity and smoke.  Chrysalis released the dismembered machine from her aura and then staggered, her strength spent.

“Are you okay?”  Uncharted Fortune asked, hurrying over to support the changeling queen, but she shoved him away.

“I am fine.”  Chrysalis replied indignantly, trotting away.  

Shining Armor gazed at the changeling, both impressed and slightly afraid.  Whatever had happened on the mountain had sapped Chrysalis of much of her strength, yet she still had enough magic left to tear the beastly machine limb-from-limb.  It made him realize that even though Queen Chrysalis was not normally strong enough to challenge Princess Celestia up-front, the changeling was still on a whole different level than even himself; maybe even Twilight!  Shining Armor approached the prone, slack-jawed Daring Do and extended a hoof to help her up, which she gladly accepted.

Once they were certain there were no more machines arriving, they went down the last set of stairs and into the courtyard under the castle.  The retreating group was welcomed with the sight of guardsponies behind a barricade of crystal walls, with some of them utilizing ice bow placements to fire past the barricade.  On one side of the barricade, there was an area where several nurses and castle staff were hurrying around, tending to groaning wounded.  Disturbingly enough, there were armed guardsponies on full alert within the barricade and Shining Armor could see that the bipedal machines littered the ground.  Before any of them could remark on the sight, the familiar cloud began roiling in the center of the courtyard.

“Eyes up, we got another wave inbound!”  Somepony shouted and every guardspony not on the edge of the barricade turned toward the growing clouds.  The second the machines appeared, they were immediately met by the spears of the guardsponies, directly into their glowing white torsos.  Some of them managed to fire, though, and a pony lay on the ground.

“Guardspony down!”  A female guard shouted.  

She knelt by the guardspony, rolled the unmoving stallion over, and looked away.  Half of the guardspony’s muzzle had been incinerated and his remaining eye gazed sightlessly, his mouth hanging open.  The other guardsponies lowered their heads in respect, but then one of them looked over to the ragtag group of ponies and did a double take.

“Changeling!”  He shouted, raising his spear and the other guards followed suit.  Shining Armor interposed himself between the guards and Chrysalis.

“Stand down; she’s not the enemy here!”  Shining Armor commanded, but the guards did not lower their spears.  Shining Armor sighed and stepped forward, saying “I’m not under her mind control; you’re free to inspect me if you want to.”

One of the guards – a unicorn – stepped forward and looked Shining Armor in the eyes.  After that, she focused for a moment, her horn lighting up.  It only took a moment for her to stop and turn back to the guards.

“He’s clean.”  She told them, causing the guards to lower their weapons and she turned back to Shining Armor and bowed.  “My apologies, Your Highness; we had to be sure.”

“No need to apologize, you’re following the protocols I created.”  Shining Armor replied.  “Who’s in charge right now?”

“I… suppose that would be me now.”  The mare replied sullenly, taking a brief glance at the fallen guardspony being dragged away and then saluted.  “First Lieutenant Lucid Heart, reporting.  Major Emerald Cut was in charge… until just now that is.”

“Well, what’s the situation out here?”  Shining Armor asked.

“It’s… really bad, sir.  We got caught completely off-guard by these… whatever they are… and they’ve been killing anypony they find, without question.”  Lucid Heart told him.  “We barely managed to secure the courtyard and get a barricade up but… they can teleport straight behind our lines, as you just saw.  Thanks to some intel we received, we know that the white areas are where they’re weakest.  We’ve managed to hold our position here but… they kill one or two of us almost every time they appear; we’ve already lost five CO’s since this shitstorm started.”

“What about Rose Quartz?  I don’t see her anywhere in the courtyard.”

“Captain Rose is in the city proper, leading a field effort to rescue civilians.”  Lucid replied.  “She sent us a messenger telling us where to hit these things to kill them.”

“What about the machines?  Where are they hitting us the hardest?”  Shining Armor pressed.

“I… they’re hitting us damn near everywhere, Your Highness.”  Lucid Heart told him, and then she pointed northward.  “It’s hard to tell, but scouting reports – from what few scouts survived; these machines are damn good shots, sir – make it seem that most of the enemy is in the north side of the city.”

“I see…”  Shining Armor said glumly, but he looked up when Chrysalis approached.

“I have already sent word to what drones I have in the city.  They shall aid in the defense in every way possible.”  The changeling queen told them.

“I… thank you.”  Shining Armor said, hesitantly and Chrysalis smirked.

“Your gratitude is very welcome, Princeling.”  She mocked, and then her expression became serious once more.  “I have also dispatched drones to inform the primary hive, but do not expect reinforcements any time soon.  It is very far removed from the Crystal Empire and it will take quite some time for my drones to arrive, and subsequently return to us.”

“Right… thanks.”  Shining Armor said.  “We’ll just have to hold out until somepony arrives, I guess.”

“Perhaps against a normal army, that would be a wise course of action.”

Everypony turned toward Star Swirl.

“What do you mean, Star Swirl?”  Cadance asked quizzically.

“These are machines, automata; they have not the need for rest or sustenance as we do.”  The archmage replied solemnly.

“He’s right.”  Reliquary piped up.  “We’re all awake and fighting right now, but at some point we’ll need sleep or food.  We’ll need to take a break, and then we lose some of our ability to fight back.”

“Meanwhile these machines just keep hitting us relentlessly and chipping away at our defenses.”  Daring Do said seriously.  “And even if we didn’t rest… how long would it take for us to get reinforcements?  Hours?  Days?  We’d never survive that long, we’re barely holding on as we are!”

“Not only that, but we don’t know our enemy’s numbers.”  Uncharted Fortune said.  “There could be thousands of these things just waiting to teleport in.”

“So a war of attrition is out of the question.”  Shining Armor murmured.  He jumped when he heard a small pop from Cadance and turned to his wife to see her reading a letter.  Her eyes widened and she looked at Shining Armor.

“Twilight’s on her way, she’s bringing help!”  Cadance exclaimed and Shining Armor felt his stomach bottom out.

“No!  She’ll get killed!”  Shining Armor shouted, dread filling his heart.  Chrysalis, however, cocked an eyebrow.

“A prime equestrian territory is under siege and yet the Princess sends only the Bearer of Magic?  Has her mind slipped since we last met?”  Chrysalis inquired.

“If my memory of Celestia serves me well, that is not the case.”  Star Swirl replied.  “Doubtless she is preparing her forces to come to our aid.  I am certain we have that letter from before to thank for the imminent arrival of this ‘Twilight’ you speak of.”

“Twilight’s flying blind; she has no clue just how bad it is here!”  Daring Do exclaimed, worried.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now.”  Cadance assured the pegasus.  “We’ll just have to hope that Twilight is bringing good help.”



Twilight was pacing back and forth in the living area of the Mischief Maker, mane frazzled and her eyes darting quickly in thought.  Gospel looked at her from the table where he was assembling his rifle.

“Twilight!”  He shouted, getting her attention.  “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down?!”  She retorted incredulously.  “I can’t just ‘calm down’, Gospel!  There’s these… Vex things near the Crystal Empire!  My brother and sister could be in serious trouble!”

Aveline put down her own rifle, walked over to Twilight, and knelt, looking the alicorn in the eyes.

“We know you are worried, Twilight; we all are.”  The Awoken said soothingly.  “The Vex are an enemy even the Guardians do not take lightly, but right now we need you calm and collected.  Panicking will not help your family if they are in danger.”

“I… you’re right, thanks Aveline.”  Twilight said hesitantly and then she took a breath.  “I need to be focused… for Cadance and Shining Armor.”

“Thatta girl.”  Gospel said as he finished putting his rifle together and checked it.

“The city’s in sight.”  Samson said over the intercom.  “You probably want to get up here and see this.  It’s bad.”

The Guardians and Twilight looked at each other silently for a moment before they went through the door leading to the Mischief Maker’s cockpit.  At first the window was obscured with clouds, but then they parted and Twilight gasped.

“Th-The city… it’s burning!”  Twilight breathed fearfully at the sight of the towering pillars of black smoke rising in various places around the Crystal Empire.

“I’m guessing it doesn’t normally look like that.”  Gospel remarked, earning a scathing glare from Twilight.  There was a chime from the pilot’s console and Wedge turned his head toward Samson.

“Vex energy signatures detected within the city.”  He reported and then a map of the Crystal Empire overlaid the viewport.

It was filled with red dots in various locations.  The southern half of the city appeared mostly clear, with pockets of Vex, but there was no doubt that the machines were encroaching across the city.  Mysteriously, there were no Vex in the center of the city, which was represented by a large, circular zone completely absent any red dots.

“Those red dots… that’s the Vex, isn’t it?”  Twilight asked slowly.

“Affirmative, Princess Twilight.”  Wedge replied.  “Vex energy signatures are detected within forty percent of the city.”

“So there’s no saving it, is there…”  Twilight murmured and Gospel put his hand on her withers comfortingly.

“Look!”  Aveline said, pointing toward the overlay.  “Some of the signatures disappeared!  There may be someone down there fighting back!”

“Multiple someones.”  Samson said, and then they observed dots appear in the clear zone, only for them to disappear just as quickly.  He pointed at it.  “I’m willing to bet that area there is some kind of defensive position.”  He pointed at several other areas as more dots disappeared.  “And there’s definitely a field response going on; probably to get civilians out of the city and away from the fighting.  There’s an area near the southern edge of the city where Vex are being destroyed as well.”

“You mean… my brother and sister could still be alive?!”  Twilight exclaimed, hopeful, and Samson nodded.

“The fact that they’re holding out against the Vex means they know where to hit them.”   Gospel remarked and crossed his arms.  “They’re not going to be able to hold out much longer, though.  The Vex are surrounding them.”

“So what do we do?”  Twilight asked.

“We go down there and we get them out.”  Samson said and then he rose, heading toward the door.  “Wedge, send a tac-feed to the briefing table.  Keep us airborne until I say otherwise, but do not take us out of the area.”

“Affirmative, Titan Samson-12.”  The Frame replied.




Rose Quartz struck down another one of the machines, her blade biting deep into its glowing midsection and rupturing it.  She turned and saw her assistant, Pearl Essence, plunge her spear into one machine, then pull it out and gracefully pirouette, impaling a second machine that had appeared behind her.  They looked around for more machines, but when they didn’t see any more, Rose called out into a nearby house.  A group of ponies of varying ethnicity cautiously crept out, looking around fearfully.

“Come on, we’re almost to the South gate.”  She told them quietly, indicating down the alley.  They couldn’t take the main street because it was too open and there would doubtless be snipers waiting for them.  “Once we reach it, we’ll cover you while you make a break for the train station.”

“O-Okay.”  One of the ponies replied.

“Rose, we can’t linger here.”  Pearl Essence said urgently.  “Those machines know where we are; it won’t take them long to catch up to us.”

“Right.”  Rose replied and then she motioned with her hoof.  “Let’s go!”

They ran down several more alleys before coming out at the edge of an expanse of green.  Rose Quartz could see the buildings that marked where the train station was to her south.  She looked to her left and saw the South Gate, where a group of Guardsponies and a few changelings were huddled behind a makeshift barricade.  Behind them was a pair of unicorns who were maintaining a barrier separating the city from the plain.  Rose quickly led the retreating group toward the barrier, deliberately keeping them close to the buildings.  Just as they reached it, they saw another group of civilians and guards coming from the other direction.

“Run as fast as you can to the station and do not look back!”  Rose commanded the civilians, who were more than happy to oblige.  She sheathed her sword and scooped up a nearby javelin.  

Rose scanned the rooftops, saw one of the horned machines teleport onto it, and quickly launched the polearm at the machine.  The machine turned, saw the javelin, and huddled down to create a dome of searing flames around itself.  The javelin was incinerated, but Rose had seen this before and was readying another javelin.  Just before the machine lowered the dome, she threw the polearm and this time the machine took the full force of the blow.  It staggered backward with a cry and toppled off the roof, disappearing behind the house it was on.  Once she saw there were no more machines and the civilians had made it to the station, Rose sat on her haunches and sighed, exhausted.

“We can’t save the city, there’s just too many of them.”  Pearl said, holding out a canteen to Rose, who drank gratefully.  “They don’t seem interested in attacking the train station even though it’s right there.  Why is that?”

“I wish I knew, Pearl.”  Rose replied, and then stood up. “Right now, we need to focus on helping as many ponies as we can.”

“What we need to do is get our ponies out from under the castle; they’re going to die over there if we don’t do something!”  Pearl Essence said and Rose Quartz grimaced.  Pearl was right; their pegasus scouts had reported that the machines were surrounding the castle.  If they didn’t move soon, the machines would break in and slaughter everypony inside.

At this moment, Rose heard another noise rising over the clamor of battle within the city.  It was something akin to a dragon’s roar and as she listened, it became clear the sound was getting closer.  Rose looked around in the sky until she saw it.  Coming from the south, high in the sky, there was something flying toward them rapidly.  It wheeled around the city before angling toward their position and descending.  

When it began hovering behind their lines – causing the guardsponies to scramble for their weapons – Rose could see that the object was some kind of large transport with large boxes on each side that had flames roaring out of them.  The transport itself was pointed much like an arrow and Rose surmised that it flew in much the same way.  There was a hiss and several “legs” extended from beneath the object.  She didn’t get to observe for much longer because there was a thunderous explosion at the barricade behind her and she spun around to see that two of the larger, heavily armored machines had broken through the line.  Guardsponies scattered as the hulking monstrosities howled and bombarded the defenders with their terrible weapons.

Rose Quartz pulled her sword free of its sheath and prepared to charge the machines, but she paused when something red, blue, and exceedingly heavy rushed past her.  With a booming crash, the red and blue figure tackled one of the hulking machines, causing it to fly backwards a full ten meters in a shower of purple sparks and onto its back.  While the first machine struggled to right itself, the newcomer turned on the second and pulled what appeared to be a long tube off its back.  Rose didn’t have long to ponder the tube’s significance, for it roared and the second machine staggered backwards, its purple shield exploding in sparks with a crack.  The newcomer fired twice more and the machine fell backward with a thud; it did not move again.

The first machine had managed to right itself and charged the newcomer with a furious howl.  The figure, also large and heavily armored, turned sharply to the berserk machine and raised its fist.  The newcomer's arm began crackling with electricity as it swung and when it impacted, the entire upper half of the machine violently exploded in angry blue lightning.  Rose Quartz and Pearl Essence – as well as an entire contingent of guardsponies – watched in awe as the destroyed machine’s legs stumbled awkwardly around for a second before falling over and going still.

Rose could hardly believe what she had just seen.  It had taken seven guardsponies working together to stop just one of the monstrous automatons; the mysterious newcomer had taken out two of the beasts singlehandedly and made it look easy!  The helmeted stranger looked around, saw Rose, and approached her while putting its weapon on its back.  It stopped in front of Rose – Pearl Essence fearfully took a few steps back – and spoke.

“Are you in charge here?”  A male voice inquired.

“Y-Yes…”  Rose answered cautiously.  She was distinctly aware of several more beings approaching from behind.  “Who… what… are you?”

“My name is Samson-12; I’m a Guardian from the Sol System.”  He replied.

“Why are you here?”  Rose Quartz asked as two more bipedal figures – one in an emerald cloak and the other in a long white robe – stood on either side of him.  His answer made Rose’s heart skip a beat.

“We came to help in any way we can.”

> Chapter Eighteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Samson placed a shotgun on his back and pulled a rugged-looking automatic rifle off the rack.  He put the rifle on the table next to a three-dimensional holographic display of the Crystal Empire.  The display showed the locations of the Vex in red, just like the overlay from the cockpit.  Aveline, Gospel, and Twilight joined him at the table, with Twilight having to stand on her hindlegs in order to see on the table.  They stared at the display as Samson began speaking.

“So we can all see what’s happening in the city.”  He stated, pointing at a cluster of red dots.  “The Vex are on the attack in the city; as to why, we don’t know, we’ll figure it out once we get the locals away from the fighting.”  He pointed at the center area, underneath a holographic image of the castle.  “There’s a defensive position underneath this structure.  Whatever they’re doing, it’s working, but it won’t for very long.  Our goal is to attempt to rendezvous with whoever’s under the castle and get them out of the city.  However, due to the castle’s design, we won’t be able to fly the Mischief Maker in safely.”

“So how do we get to them?”  Twilight asked and Samson pointed at the southern edge of the city.

“Vex are being eliminated when they approach too close to this area here.  No doubt there’s another defensive line.”  Samson replied, and then pointed just past the edge.  “We’ll drop in just outside the city here and try to find somebody in charge.  After that, we can coordinate a plan of action to getting through the city.”

“We will need to be quick; the Vex are surrounding the central defensive position.”  Aveline noted.

“Why don’t you just help them take back the city?”  Twilight asked.

“We don’t have nearly enough manpower or resources to route the Vex… at least, not this many Vex.”  Gospel replied.

“Guardians are strong, Twilight, but we are not invulnerable.”  Aveline told the alicorn.  “This is an invasion, one we can do nothing to stop.  All we can do is try to save as many lives as possible.”

“But I bet we can take this central thoroughfare leading to the castle.”  Gospel said, pointing at one of the main streets.  “We’ll be open to sniperfire, but if two of us cover the buildings on either side, we should be able to protect anyone fleeing the city through that street.”

“That’s a good idea; Vex presence in the southern half of the city is still relatively light.”  Samson said, and then he pulled the action on his auto-rifle.  The gun then disappeared.  “Wedge, take us down at the indicated location.”

“Affirmative, Titan Samson-12” Came the response, and the ship tilted slightly.  Aveline approached Twilight and held out a handgun and bandoleer with several clips.  The alicorn looked at them in confusion.

“Aim down the barrel at your target and squeeze the trigger.”  Aveline said, showing Twilight how to hold the weapon.  “Don’t worry about it being loud; it is very quiet, as well as accurate and easy to use.”  Aveline pressed a button on the side of the grip to eject the clip, showing both to Twilight before putting them back together and pulling the weapon’s slide.  “When the clip runs out of ammo, press this button to remove the clip.  Then just take a fresh one off the bandoleer and push it in the slot.  After that, pull the slide like this to chamber a round.”

Aveline slid the gun into a holster and helped strap the bandoleer around Twilight’s barrel, making sure her wings and legs had room to move comfortably.  Twilight looked at the bandoleer with no small amount of apprehension while Aveline also fitted her ear with some kind of device.

“I-I don’t know about this… I think I’d prefer to just stick to my magic…”  Twilight said uncertainly.

“That’s fine, Twilight.”  Samson told her.  “The gun is just there in case you need it.  If you’re that confident in your abilities, then you probably won’t ever have to draw it.”

They could feel the ship’s descent slow as it approached the landing zone.

“Is there anything else I should know?”  Twilight asked.

“Yeah.”  Gospel responded as the ship landed.  “Aim for center mass; the glowing white cores are their weakpoints.  If you see a Harpy or Minotaur, however, make sure you hit the former in their red eyes and for the latter… hit it with your best shot, because they don’t have a weakness.”

The ramp descended and all three Guardians charged down it.  Twilight lingered briefly before running down the ramp as well.  She made it in time to see Samson charge past a pair of crystal ponies that she recognized as leading officers in the city watch.  Twilight watched in amazement as Samson tore into a pair of large, bipedal machines that she held no doubts were Vex.  She noted that both automatons had some kind of defensive barrier that ultimately proved useless against the Exo’s might.  Seeing that both machines had been destroyed, she rushed over to the guardsponies to speak with them, catching the last bit of their conversation with Samson.

“Why are you here?”  The guardspony with a pink, curly mane asked.

“We’re here to help in any way we can.”  Samson replied.

“Rose Quartz.”  Twilight said once she made it to the guardsponies and Rose turned to Twilight, surprise and relief in her eyes.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, you’re here!”  Rose exclaimed.  “Grace of the First, I was beginning to think all would be lost.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we don’t have nearly the strength needed to take back the city.”  Twilight told Rose and the crystal pony nodded.

“I’d be surprised if you did.”  Rose replied.

“What?  But your friend just took down those two monsters easily!”  Pearl Essence exclaimed, pointing at Samson.  “It took over half a dozen of our guards just to kill one; surely the three of them could destroy the rest of these Tartarus-spawned abominations!”

“We’re not an army.”  Samson told the lithe crystal pony.  “If we had more Guardians, then maybe we could clear the city.  Right now, though, we’re going to focus our efforts on securing the main street through the city.”

“You plan to fight your way to the castle?”  Rose queried and Samson nodded.  “Good; the prince and princess are still in the center, alongside a contingent of the royal guard.  However, some of these machines have highly accurate, long-range weapons that they’ve been using to snipe at us from rooftops.”

“Hobgoblins; I shall take care of them.”  Aveline said, switching her compact scout rifle for her sniper rifle.

“Easier said than done.”  Pearl replied haughtily.  “The… you called them ‘hobgoblins’?  Curious… anyway, these ‘hobgoblins’ raise some kind of defensive barrier whenever we attempt to attack them.  They prove to completely invulnerable while inside it.”

“Do not worry; one good shot in their core from this will destroy them before they can defend themselves.”  Aveline told Pearl Essence, patting the long-barreled rifle.

“Failing that, removing their cortexes – that would be their heads – causes them to short-circuit and prevents them from accessing their defensive programming.”  Samson said.

“And also makes them go berserk.”  Pearl piped up.  “We’ve been fighting these things for over an hour; we know what they can do.”

“Right… so you got a plan, big guy?”  Gospel asked Samson, who nodded.

“Yes, I do.”  He turned to Aveline.  “Aveline, find a nice view of the main street and provide cover fire against snipers.  Gospel, you’re with me on the offensive; we’ll be punching our way through the Vex lines while they’re still thin and spread out.”

“In your case, quite literally.”  Gospel joked.  Twilight laughed at it and then looked at Samson expectantly.

“What about me?”  She asked.

“You’ll stay here, Twilight.”  Samson told her.

“What?  Why?!”  Twilight exclaimed.  “I can fight too, you know!”

“You’ve got a lot of power, Twilight.  These ponies need your strength more than we do.”  Samson told her.  “Help with their defenses, destroy any Vex that try to breach the lines.  You need to hold here as long as you possibly can.”

“O-okay…”  Twilight said sullenly, and then nodded.  “I’ll do everything I can to help!”

“Thank you, your highness.”  Rose Quartz said gratefully, and then turned to Pearl Essence.  “Pearl, tell Topaz Aegis and Jasper Lance to get their flanks over here.”

“Um, sure… may I ask why, Captain Rose?”  Pearl responded with a hesitant salute, to which Rose Quartz responded by drawing her sword.

“I have no intention of letting these two ‘Guardians’ do all the work themselves, so the four of us will join them on the offensive.”  She told Pearl.  Pearl nodded and then ran off to a pair of crystal ponies at the barricade.  Rose Quartz turned back to Twilight.  “Princess Twilight, try to push the barricade into the city.  The crystal we used for construction seems to repel most of the Vex’s weaponry, so tear down houses as you advance and use them to block off the alleys.”

“I don’t know if I can do that by myself.”  Twilight said.  “I may be the Element of Magic, but even I have limits on what I can do.”

“Don’t worry, some of my guards are unicorns and they’ll doubtless do what you tell them to do.  We also seem to have received assistance from a changeling hive; they should help you as well.”  Rose Quartz told Twilight, who started slightly at the mention of the shapeshifters.

“Wait, there are-” Twilight began, but then she shook her head.  “Never mind, if they’re helping us then I shouldn’t worry about them.”

“Alright then, you’re in charge now, Princess.”  Rose said as Pearl returned with a pair of stallions in barding and wielding spears.  Rose turned to Samson.  “Shall we get started, Samson-12?”

“Sure, but I can’t guarantee your survival.”  Samson told Rose Quartz as him, Gospel, and the four guardsponies approached the barricade.  He swapped his shotgun for the autorifle he prepared.  Aveline had already disappeared into the city to find a sniping position.

“We’re the city watch, sir.”  Said one of the stallions, who had a shimmering orange coat and burnt umber mane under his barding.  “The safety of the people and the royalty come before our own.”

“We’re prepared to die if it means we can save their lives.”  Said the other stallion, who had a light yellow-orange coat and argent mane.

“Okay, just stay behind us and handle any Vex that get close.”  Gospel said, and then both Guardians’ radios chirped.

“I found a building with a nice, tall belltower.  I am a little exposed up here, but I have a perfect view of the southern thoroughfare.”  Aveline said over the comm..  “I can see a few Hobgoblins posted on roofs; just tell me when you start moving and I will neutralize them.”

“Alright Aveline, we’ll get moving in-” Samson began, but Aveline interrupted him.

“Before you start, there is something I should tell you.”  Aveline said.

“What is it?”  Samson asked, curious.

“It looks like there is some kind of heart-shaped jewel underneath the castle.  It is floating in the air and radiating light.”  Aveline reported.  “It could be a power source.  You should try and secure the jewel so that the Vex don’t get their hands on it.”

“Affirmative, we start on my mark.”  Samson said, and then he looked at Rose Quartz.  “Aveline’s in position; we’ll begin the operation shortly but first, I have a question.”

“What do you need to know?”

“Do you know anything about a ‘heart-shaped’ jewel under the castle?”  Samson asked.

“That’s the Crystal Heart.”  Rose replied.  “It’s a powerful magical artifact.  It spreads happiness and good-will across Equestria.”

“We need to make sure we don’t leave without it, then.”  Gospel said.  “Who knows what the Vex would be able to do with something like that.”

“Agreed.”  Rose said as Samson approached the barricade and positioned himself.

“Ready?”  He asked and everyone nodded.  “Let’s go; breach!”

The Exo gave a sharp, precise kick at the barricade, causing it to open just enough to allow him through first but not completely fall over.  Almost immediately angry, flaming bolts began pelting Samson, but his body became covered in crackling electricity and he jumped at the group of Vex.  Instead of striking them, however, he slammed the ground and exploded in angry lightning that consumed all the surrounding Vex.  After that, Samson quickly maneuvered to one side, firing his autorifle and drawing the Vex fire away from the opening.  Gospel followed him through the opening and went the other way, his own pulse rifle quickly dispatching the attacking Goblins.  A Hobgoblin on a nearby rooftop turned to them, but its torso exploded in white ichor and it fell over, its death followed by a sharp crack that echoed briefly through the city.

Rose and her chosen Guards entered the breach once Samson gave them the all clear and the five warriors raced down the thoroughfare, the castle looming above the city ahead of them.



Shining Armor was beginning to tire.  The machines were relentless, but the defenders caught a break once Star Swirl managed to modify a barrier spell that “locked” the temporal zone within the defensive line.  The barrier didn’t stop the machine’s weapons, but it did stop them from teleporting behind the lines.  Of course, it didn’t take the machines long to come up with a new tactic.  Smaller, weaker machines began to float above the barricades, raining fire upon the defenders.  Shining Armor and the royal guards managed to beat them back, but the surprise had taken a heavy toll.

“This is hopeless!”  Uncharted Fortune exclaimed as he plunged a spear into another floating machine, but then quickly dove back to ground just in time to avoid a searing lance from a nearby rooftop.  “We’ll never hold out long enough for a rescue!”

“This isn’t about getting rescued.”  Shining Armor retorted.  “The longer we keep the fighting focused on us, the more civilians can escape!”

“Hey, I didn’t sign up to die, buddy!”  Fortune snapped and Shining Armor got in the pegasus’ muzzle.

“Oh yeah?  You’re free to leave at any time, buddy, nopony’s gonna stop you.”  Shining Armor growled, but then him and Fortune were pushed apart by Daring Do.

“Stop it, both of you!  Now is not the time for arguing and infighting!”  She shouted irritably.  “You’re tired – we all are – but we can’t be going at each other’s throats right now!”

“Lady Rose is correct; we can ill afford to fall apart in the face of this adversary.”  Star Swirl said calmly, and then he looked to the south gate.  “I suspect that salvation is well on its way; we just need to hold the line a little longer.”

Daring saw his glance and knew why he was looking to the south gate.  Most of the fighters had missed it, but both she and Star Swirl had seen something land at the south gate and then leave.  A part of her worried that it may be more enemies, but at the same time she knew it wasn’t.  Not long after the thing had left, a new series of sounds had joined the cacophony of the invasion; unusual cracks and pops that sounded similar to explosions heard at a distance.  On top of that, the machines that had been encircling the southern section of the barricade had relented in their attack, as though their attention was being drawn elsewhere.

“You’re right, Star Swirl; we must not lose faith that Twilight will come.”  Cadance said.

“As much I despise saying so, I agree with Princess Cadance.”  Chrysalis stated.  The changeling queen had been given some strange jewel by Reliquary that had renewed some of her strength.  Daring Do made a mental note to ask about them later.  “The Bearer of Magic has the tendency to make an appearance just when you…” Chrysalis sneered.  “least expect… assistance to arrive.”

Shining Armor smirked at this and opened his mouth to respond, but instead one of the ponies at the barricade shouted a warning.

“GET AWAY FROM THE WALL!”  The guard shouted and there was a scrambling as Guardsponies ran about and readied spears.  

Shining Armor wondered what was going on until he began to hear a rhythmic series of crashes against the barricade and he could see purple smoke rising above it.  The walls began to buckle, but after a few moments the assault ended.  The defenders looked around at each other curiously, wondering why the attack had stopped as suddenly as it had started.  Then they heard a loud howl from the other side of the wall and Shining Armor’s heart dropped.

There was a loud crash, and then after a moment, another one.  The crashes kept repeating and the wall bent more and more until they exploded inward and one of the larger machines charged in, howling and firing a stream of red projectiles.  Behind it, more of the smaller machines marched in, firing their own weapons.  Shining Armor managed to create a barrier that encompassed the remaining defenders, but then he saw something floating behind the creatures that was most certainly the reason behind the warning.  It was huge, bigger than the beastly machine, and had multiple segments comprising its body.  It was firing a rhythmic series of purple fireballs at Shining Armor’s shield and he could feel them impacting hard; each explosion threatening to destroy his barrier.  

Some of the other defenders had gone around his shield and thrown spears at the monster, but it had a glowing white barrier of its own that slowly rotated around it and deflected the polearms.  It turned its attention to the guards and started bombarding them.  They tried to retreat but it was no use; the machine was too accurate and they were decimated.  Shining Armor’s heart sank; they had no way out and the machines were moving toward the area where the wounded and civilians were.  The floating machine with the barrier regarded Shining Armor’s shield briefly before turning its attention upwards.  Shining Armor wondered what it was looking at, but then he realized with a jolt of dread that the Crystal Heart was directly above him…

And the machine was staring right at it!

“What do we do… we’re surrounded!”  Reliquary exclaimed, her spear readied but even she knew that they were dead the second Shining Armor’s shield fell.  

The large machine that had broken the barricade howled again and began pounding on Shining Armor’s shield with its large fists.  Some of the smaller ones joined it and started firing their weapons at the shield.  Shining Armor began to sweat; shield magic was his forte, but against this assault, it wouldn’t be long before his magic reached its limit and the shield shattered.  If he’d had time, he would have used the same shielding magic he’d used just before his and Cadance’s wedding, but that was no longer an option.

“I… I don’t know…”  Shining Armor said quietly.

“We have fallen; there is no escaping this fact now.”  Chrysalis stated bitterly, then she noticed Daring Do glancing anxiously at the south side of the barricade.  She cocked an eyebrow curiously and looked as well.  All she saw were the ponies that were being pushed back by the machines; a group of unicorns had joined their magic together to form a strong barrier.  Chrysalis looked back at Daring Do.  “There is nothing we can do for them, Compass Rose… it is hopeless.”

Daring Do said nothing and turned back to the machines at the front of the shield.  She looked at them and began to plan where she would strike as soon as the shield fell.   However, the shield did not fall.  Instead, all the machines stopped attacking the shield and turned their attention just past Shining Armor’s group.  Shining Armor didn’t know what was going on, but then he heard a crash from behind him and he turned sharply.

The barricade on the southern main street had been torn apart and Shining Armor could hear somepony shouting.

“Make for the south gate, quickly!”  He heard somepony shout and it took him a moment to realize it was the captain of the city watch, Rose Quartz.  

He almost didn’t hear her because of the noise now filling the area.  A series of staccato pops and cracks were coming from the opening and whatever was making them had the machine’s attention because they began to file past Shining Armor’s group firing their weapons.  The large machine howled again and charged past its smaller brethren, unleashing its weapon’s fury.  Shining Armor didn’t know what they were now fighting, but then he saw a figure leap above the crowd and extend its arm aggressively.  Immediately a glowing ball of indigo light shot forth and struck the monstrous, howling machine where it detonated ferociously and the large machine and a good number of the smaller ones were consumed in the same light.

The newcomer landed and wasted no time readying some kind of weapon it held in its right hand.  It gave several rhythmic bursts and several more machines fell over, unmoving.  It was joined by another figure – this one much taller and wearing what was unmistakably heavy armor – which began firing a different weapon at the shielded machine that was floating by the Crystal Heart.  The machine jerked back as some of the projectiles impacted it just before its shield could rotate in between them and it turned its attention to the heavily armored newcomer, returning fire and causing the new arrival to retreat away.  Shining Armor watched this unfold in awe before he realized somepony was calling for him.

“Hey you, with the blue hair!”  The voice – a male – shouted and Shining Armor looked around, confused, until he saw the other arrival waving.  Once the newcomer saw he had Shining Armor’s attention, he pointed at the southern breach where Shining Armor could now clearly see Rose Quartz and a couple other guardsponies waving urgently, and shouted.  “Get to the breach and make a run for the south gate, we’ll cover you!”

The guardsponies with Shining Armor looked at him uncertainly and Shining Armor looked at them, waving his hoof.

“Everypony go, this is our chance!”  He shouted.  

The guardsponies nodded and quickly ran past the robed figure, which was now firing at the machines trying to get past Shining Armor’s shield.  Cadance wasted no time in pulling the Crystal Heart down and putting it in a saddlebag given to her by a guardspony.  After that, she also ran toward the breach to escape.  Once everypony else was cleared, Shining Armor lowered his shield and ran toward the robed figure, aware that the armored one was now fighting the shielded machine.




Gospel felt relieved.  They had arrived at the barricade and could hear screaming from the other side.  Gospel was sure they had arrived too late and Samson wasted no time in opening a hole in the barricade.  Once they had gotten in, Gospel and Samson cleared out the nearest Vex while Rose Quartz and her guards herded the ponies through the breach and into the main street.  However, a group of ponies – though Gospel noted one looked more like an insect with holes in it – were behind a barrier that was warding off more Vex but more importantly, a Hydra was approaching the Crystal Heart hovering in place in the center of the area.  Samson fired at it to get its attention and then moved to the side to give the group of equines an opening to run while Gospel pulled void energy into his hand.  Once he had done that, Gospel leapt into the air and threw the charged nova bomb straight at a charging Minotaur, causing it to explode and destroy several Goblins as well.  That done, he called out to a blue-haired pony that was wearing regal purple barding.

“Hey you, with the blue hair!”  Gospel shouted and the pony looked around in confusion before his gaze settled on the Warlock and Gospel pointed at Rose Quartz, who was waving.  “Get to the breach and make a run for the south gate, we’ll cover you!”
The guardsponies wearing gleaming, crystal barding looked at the blue-haired pony uncertainly and Gospel almost facepalmed.

“Everypony go, this is our chance!” The blue-haired pony shouted and this time the guards were more than happy to run past Gospel while he fired at Vex trying to get around the barrier.

Gospel paused to reload and for some odd reason, locked eyes with an ochre pegasus mare that had a monochromatic mane.  He noted that she was wearing a vest similar to one worn by Indiana Jones and an old-time explorer’s pith hat.  Unlike the other ponies, her eyes weren’t filled with fear – instead, they were full of determination and the will to overcome.  She didn’t stop, though, and continued toward the breach Samson had caused.  The last pony to pass Gospel was a strange pony who bore a beard and appeared to be of a moderately advanced age.  This one stopped as he passed Gospel and turned back to him.

“You came from the mirror, did you not?”  The bearded pony asked, curious, and Gospel looked at him incredulously.

“Come again?”  He asked, quickly shooting some more Vex as the blue-haired pony dropped his shield and ran for it.

“You are human, yes?  I have never seen your kind outside of the mirror so surely you have come from there.”  The bearded pony said and it took Gospel a moment to realize he was talking about the “magic mirror” Twilight kept in her castle.

“Uh, no, I’m from a different planet.”  Gospel replied, backing up as the blue-haired pony passed them.  “I’d love to talk more, but we need to go.  I’ll provide cover.”

“Indeed, I shall inquire more at a later time.”  The bearded pony said and then he departed.  Gospel reached the breach and shouted to Samson, who was moving quickly to avoid getting blown away by the Hydra.

“We’re good to go, Samson; let’s get outta this hellhole!”  Gospel told him and Samson nodded and dropped a glowing orb. 

The Titan then ran straight for the breach, where Gospel, Rose Quartz, and the ponies who had been behind the shield lingered.  After a moment, the orb exploded in a bright flash and the Hydra reeled backwards and looked around quickly.  Its optic had been overloaded by Samson’s flashbang and it was blinded.  Samson made it to the breach and they all crossed it.  Once they were on the other side, a wall floated into place and sealed the breach.

“We need to get moving, that won’t hold them long.”  Samson said, reloading his auto-rifle.  The blue-haired pony approached the Titan and gave a salute.

“Thanks for the rescue; my name is Prince Shining Armor.”  He told them and Gospel did a double take.

“You’re Twilight’s brother?!”  Gospel exclaimed and Shining Armor looked at him, surprised.

“You know my sister?  How?!”  Shining Armor asked.

“Later, right now we don’t even have time to explain why we don’t have time to explain.”  Samson interjected.

“Er… yeah, you’re right.”  Shining Armor said sheepishly, and then he got a serious look in his eyes.  “Your weapons seem more effective against them then ours; do you have one I can use?”

“I don’t-” Gospel began, but Samson stood in front of the unicorn with his auto-rifle.

“Point this end at them, pull this to fire.  All you have to do is hold the trigger down and it’ll keep firing, but watch the recoil; she kicks hard.”  Samson said, showing Shining Armor how to use the weapon and speaking quickly.  “When the magazine’s empty, just press this to eject it and then put a new one in like this.  After that, pull this to chamber a fresh round.”  Samson held the weapon out to Shining Armor, who looked down the sights.  “It’ll be loud, so don’t be surprised and lose control of the weapon, and for the love of God, don’t close your eyes or fire it in our direction; friendly fire really isn’t.”

Shining Armor looked at Samson curiously.

“Isn’t what?”  He asked, but Samson just walked past him, pulling out his shotgun but Shining Armor still didn’t get it.  “Isn’t what?!”

“It isn’t friendly, dear.”  A pink alicorn that Gospel was certain was the one called Princess Cadance said sweetly, giving Shining Armor a loving peck on his cheek as she walked past.

“Really, even I understood that implication, Prince Shining Armor.”  The bearded pony said, amused as he passed the – now blushing – unicorn.

“If you were not so handsome, I would seriously wonder what it was I saw in you.”  The bug pony said derisively, a coy smirk on her muzzle.

“Okay, okay, I get it; let’s just get out of here already.”  Shining Armor muttered, the autorifle hovering in front of him so he could see down the sights.

They began to retreat down the street.  Samson and Gospel both noted that there were fresh Vex corpses on the street and surmised that the first retreat – led by Topaz Aegis and Jasper Lance – had already been through and met some resistance.

“Aveline here; the first group just made it to the southern gate and are now retreating to the train station.”  Aveline told them over comms.  “Twilight’s doing pretty good with the barricade; they’ve moved about- hold on, something’s wrong; they’re falling back.”

“Samson, Gospel!  Where are you?!” Twilight demanded urgently, clearly about to panic.  “We’re in serious trouble!”

Samson and Gospel couldn’t see the south gate anymore because a wall of smoke was now between them.  They paused at the edge and Samson turned to the group.

“Rose, take everybody down an alley and to the south gate.  If there’s something that is strong enough to route your guards after all this time, I don’t want to lead a group of civilians into it.”  Samson turned to Gospel next.  “Go with them and protect them from the Vex, I’m sure there’s an ambush waiting in the side streets.”

“Wait, aren’t you coming with us?”  Gospel asked and Samson shook his head.

“You know as well as I do that if one Vex spots us, the entire mind will know where we are and whatever pushed Twilight back will turn on us next.”  Samson replied.  He looked at Shining Armor and saw that the pony prince had frozen at the mention of Twilight Sparkle.

“T-Twilight’s in trouble?”  He said slowly, and then he suddenly readied the auto-rifle he was using and charged into the smoke.  “Don’t worry sis, big bro’s on his way!”

“Shining Armor, wait!”  Cadance called out, but her husband had already disappeared into the smoke.

“Dammit!”  Samson cursed and he waved the group away.  “Go, get to the south gate; I’ll get Shining Armor!”

Samson then followed the unicorn prince into the smoke while Rose Quartz directed the rest of the survivors down a nearby alley.  Gospel took one lingering glance into the smoke where Samson and Shining Armor had gone, and then followed Rose Quartz.




Samson pushed through the smoke, looking every which way for Shining Armor.  He made it to the other side and saw Shining Armor standing in the middle of the street.  Samson caught up to him and opened his mouth to chide the prince, but stopped when he saw Shining Armor staring at something further ahead.  The Exo followed his gaze down the street and saw what Shining Armor was staring at.  There was a huddled, cloaked mass in the middle of the ruined barricade, equine bodies everywhere.  Samson moved toward it, thinking it was a survivor, but Shining Armor stopped him.

“That’s not a pony…”  He murmured.  Samson looked at Shining Armor curiously, and then decided to call out to the mass.

“Hey, are you okay over there?”  He shouted and then the shrouded figure twitched.  

At first, Samson thought it might be dead, but then he heard something that sent a chill down his spine.  The figure was emanating a staccato buzzing noise that sounded eerily like laughter.  After a moment, the figure rose and Samson was taken aback.  It was humanoid and was wearing what appeared to be a tattered robe not unlike that of a Warlock’s.  It turned its head – which looked helmeted – and set its gaze toward Samson.  It then took a shaky step forward and as soon as Samson saw its body, he knew what it was even as Gauge practically shrieked a warning at him.

“It’s a Vex!”  She exclaimed.  “It doesn’t match any known Vex units; it’s completely new!”

Even as Samson and Shining Armor watched, the Vex took another shaky step and then it seemed to distort and stretch briefly, its cackling equally distorted into what was almost a cry of agony.  Samson was petrified.

‘What… what the hell is going on here?!’ He thought, completely oblivious to Shining Armor’s attempts to rouse him.  Samson watched as the Vex raised an arm that proceeded to open and fill with purple void light.

‘It… it can’t be… just what are they…?’

“Samson, snap out of it!”  Shining Armor called out desperately, but Samson could only stare.

‘It’s… that can only… but that’s not possible!’

The Vex’s arm expelled a ball of void energy at Samson and Shining Armor.  Samson knew immediately what it was and the revelation rooted him to the spot.

‘That… it’s impossible but… that Vex, it…’

The nova bomb approached and Samson could only stare at it in disbelief.

‘Is it supposed to be a Guardian?!’

Just before the orb struck Samson, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by Shining Armor and the nova bomb sailed past them, exploding harmlessly.  The shock from the impact finally knocked Samson out of his reverie and the Exo looked at Shining Armor.

“Wh-What…?”  Samson stuttered and Shining Armor stood up.

“You back?  Great; I could use your help here.”  Shining Armor said as Samson rose, retrieving his shotgun.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”  Samson responded, and then he looked at the Vex “Warlock”.

The Vex, for its part, stood as though confused.  It glanced at its arm, and then at Samson and Shining Armor, as though it had expected them to be dead.  After a moment, it began its cackling buzz again and this time, it teleported.  Samson and Shining Armor started, and then spun around.  The Vex was behind Samson and had raised its left arm once more.  This time, there was an explosion of void light from the Vex’s palm and Samson was sent hurtling backwards, crashing through a nearby wall.  Samson’s HUD left off a warning claxon to inform him that his shield had been depleted and that he needed to take cover so it could recharge.  The Exo pulled himself out of the wreckage and saw Shining Armor fighting the “Warlock”.

The Vex “Warlock” fought unlike any of its brethren; quickly teleporting and firing its slap rifle in between blinks.  Shining Armor was having a tough time keeping up with the fast moving target and the Vex was gone just as Shining Armor pulled the trigger on his auto-rifle.  Then there was a subtle sucking sound followed by a high keen and Shining Armor jumped aside as another nova bomb slammed into the street.

Samson watched the “Warlock” blink around Shining Armor, trying to get its weapon’s slap rounds past his shield, but the unicorn prince was capable enough to hold his own.  After it jumped a few more times, Samson charged at a blank spot in the ground and lowered his shoulder.  It almost looked like he was trying to break through a wall on the other side of the street, but then the “Warlock” appeared directly in front of Samson and the Exo tackled it.  The Vex skidded across the ground with a buzz of surprise and Shining Armor fired his weapon at it, but it recovered and teleported once again.  However, when it reappeared, its left arm hung limply at its side and Samson knew he had damaged it.

The Vex tried to lift the arm, but when it couldn’t, it dropped its slap rifle and raised its right.  A purple light gathered in its palm and it fired another nova bomb.  This time, Shining Armor used his magic to pull the “Warlock’s” arm downward and the bomb hit the ground at the Vex’s feet.  The Vex flew through the air and landed on its back.  Samson and Shining Armor waited for a moment, but no more slap rounds or nova bombs flew at them and they slowly advanced to where the Vex had fallen.  Upon arrival, they could see that the “Warlock” had been blown apart by its nova bomb, thanks to Shining Armor.

Both of its legs had been dismember and were on opposite sides of the street, one of its arms was attached only by a few wires, and the head had been crushed inwards.  It twitched and buzzed, but it could no longer move or attack.  Samson approached the fallen Vex, its crushed head turning to watch him, and the Exo lowered his shotgun to its torso.  He pulled the trigger until the gun was empty and the Vex stopped moving, its core destroyed.  Once Samson was sure it was dead, he pointed at the Vex’s legs.

“Can you get those for me?”  He asked and Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow as he levitated the limbs over to Samson, who then tied the Vex up and slung it over his back.

“What are you going to do with that?”  Shining Armor asked.

“This is a new kind of Vex; I need to take this so my Ghost, Gauge, can examine it.”  Samson replied and Shining Armor could tell the Exo was disturbed.  Samson stood and looked off into the distance.  “Aveline, did Gospel make it out of the city with the other survivors?”

“Yeah, they made it out, though they had to restrain Twilight to keep her from rushing to help you out.”  Aveline replied.  “I am already on my way back and you should be too; the Vex are converging on your position.”

“Right, we’ll meet up at the train station.”  Samson replied and he turned back to Shining Armor.  “We’d better get moving, I think the Vex noticed that we broke their new toy.”

They ran to the ruins of the barricade, which Samson could see had been moved over a third the way into the city.  No thanks to their new “toy”, the work had been stopped and the defenders had to retreat.  They had sealed the barricade behind them as they retreated so that the Vex would have had to teleport to get through.  Samson and Shining Armor approached the wall and Samson moved to push it aside while Shining Armor kept watch.  Behind them, he could see sparkling lights as more Vex teleported onto the main streets and began to march on their position.  Samson managed to push the wall aside and he waved at Shining Armor.

“You first, I’ll close the barricade behind us.”  He said and Shining Armor nodded.  Shining Armor began to move toward Samson when the Exo’s motion sensor lit up.  Samson looked quickly in the direction of the ping and saw it on the roof.

A Vex stood there wearing a ragged cloak with the hood up, but Samson could still see its burning red eye as it raised its weapon, aiming the deadly line rifle at Shining Armor.  Samson called out a warning, but it was too late; the rifle gave a shriek and the line of solar fire lanced through Shining Armor, his barding doing nothing to stop the projectile.  He fell as though in slow motion, a look of surprise on his eyes as he collapsed on the ground.

“No!”  Samson shouted and hurried to get to Shining Armor, but suddenly he was thrown back through the barricade.  Samson rushed back to the breach and saw that Vex were now rapidly approaching.  Another line rifle shot slammed into the ground in front of Samson and he stopped.

“We have to help him!”  Guage exclaimed and Samson moved again to get to the prince but then he saw Shining Armor stand.

“Go… just… I’m done for… Samson, so just… run.”  Shining Armor gagged on blood.

“No, we can get you help; I’m sure there’s magic that can-”  Samson began, but Shining Armor cut him off.

“There’s no time… please, protect them… Equestria, my family… all of them.”  Shining Armor said seriously.  “Don’t let them win… these monsters… don’t let them… destroy my home.  Promise me.”

“O-Of course, we’ll destroy all of the Vex; you have my word.”  Samson said and Shining Armor smiled warmly, the autorifle lifting into the air next to him.

Then the barricade slammed closed in front of Samson.  Samson didn’t move for a moment, listening to the sound of slap rounds impacting upon the walls.  A part of him wanted to tear down the wall and destroy as many Vex as he could, but he knew he couldn’t.  He’d seen this so many times before; it wasn’t uncommon for Guardians to sacrifice themselves for the cause.  However, he’d only known Shining Armor for a few minutes and despite that, the unicorn had helped him fight the new Vex without hesitation.  Samson had taken years before he had begun trusting other Guardians, so having a complete stranger be willing to lay down their life for him so readily was… moving.

“Samson…”  Gauge said softly.  “We’re not safe here… in his condition, he won’t be able to hold them off for long.  We have to leave or we’re going to get swarmed by Vex.”

Samson slowly rose, and then ran down the road out of the city.  He got past the barricade at the gate and went to the train station that had a large line of ponies following the train tracks to what he presumed was Canterlot.  The train was steaming and looked ready to depart.  He saw Twilight and the others he’d rescued from the city – along with Gospel and Aveline on the train car’s roof – waiting for him.  He boarded the crowded train and was quickly met by Twilight Sparkle.

“Samson, you’re back!  Where’s my brother, is he outside?”  She asked, but when Samson didn’t respond, her expression turned to a mixture of worry and confusion.  “Samson… what’s wrong; why aren’t you saying anything?”

Samson said nothing, but instead shouted to a nearby conductor.

“Get this train moving.”  He told the conductor, who hesitated, but at a nod from Cadance, he leaned out of the car and shouted for the train to get moving.  After that, Samson turned back to Twilight and sighed; he hated this part.

“Aren’t we going to wait for Shining Armor?”  Twilight asked carefully.  Samson took his helmet off and glanced at Cadance.  After a moment’s hesitation, her eyes widened in realization but she didn’t say anything.  Samson returned his gaze to Twilight and knelt down so he was as close to eye level with her as he could be.

“Twilight… Shining Armor didn’t make it.”  Samson said and Twilight’s eyes went wide.   “He fought bravely and helped me defeat a powerful foe.  If it wasn’t for him, so many more people would have died today.”

“N-No… he can’t be…”  Twilight murmured in disbelief.  She then ran to the door of the car and opened, intending to jump out.  “He’s still alive, I have to go help him!”

“Twilight!”  Cadance cried, but Samson grabbed Twilight’s barrel and tried to pull her back.

“Let me go; I have to find him!”  Twilight cried out, hysterical.  Samson struggled for a moment, but when he saw her horn light up, he raised a fist.  It arced lightly and just as Twilight began to teleport, he gently thrust it into her side.  She jerked from the electricity, and then went limp.  He picked Twilight up, carried her to a seat that was quickly vacated, and set her down gently.

Once he was sure Twilight was comfortable, he stood.

“What did you do to her?”  Cadance asked dangerously.

“A light shock, she’ll be out for a little while.”  Samson replied, and then he sat on the floor under the window.  “She’s fine, but she’ll have a bit of a headache when she wakes up.”

There was silence in the train car until one of the civilians spoke up.

“You’re a machine too, aren’t you?”  They asked and Samson looked up slowly.  Cadance could see that even though his eyes were artificial, they carried a lot of weight.  They revealed a soul that had seen a lot of darkness.  “Are… are you going to kill us?”

“No, he’s not.”  Cadance said with authority.  “He’s one of the warriors Twilight brought her to help us.  Please show him respect.”

Samson looked at her, and then turned his head away.




The sounds of battle had long died down, replace instead by wind, the crunch of Vex feet on the ground, and the occasional rumble of a building somewhere falling apart.  The ground was littered with Vex and equine bodies, and in places there were fires burning.  A Goblin marched along the road, its head swiveling back and forth robotically as it searched for any survivors.  It walked out of sight and a small object hovered out from behind some rubble.  It looked around, and began to search around itself, only the object was examining corpses with a blue light.

It kept searching until it found a large concentration of Vex bodies.  It looked around at street until it saw an equine body amidst the Vex.  It floated over to the body, scanned it, and then moved as if surprised.

“There you are…”  The Ghost said, excited.  “I’ve been searching a long time for you…”

“Eyes up, Guardian.”

> Chapter Nineteen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xarksis sat upon the command throne on the bridge of his ketch.  His meeting with the “alicorn” princesses, Celestia and Luna, had ended abruptly when a guard had interrupted them to whisper in the princesses’ ears.  Celestia had apologized and told him that an emergency had come about that required both her and her sister’s attention and Xarksis had been invited to stay within the walls of the castle if so he desired, but he chose to return to his ketch instead.  That was not what was on his mind at this moment, though.

Currently he was trying to decide if it was worth the loss if he dismantled his Servitor.  Morra shifted uneasily as the silence dragged on.

“So correct me if I am mistaken…”  Xarksis said after a long moment, causing Morra to start slightly.  “The Ghost, who was locked behind a stasis field it should not have been capable of escaping from, did so by… hitting you?”

“…Yes.”  Soreks-5 replied carefully and Xarksis gave the Servitor a hard stare.

“Shall I send this Servitor to be dismantled, my Kell?”  Tolarum asked and Xarksis shook his head.

“No, that will be unnecessary, the fault lies with me.  The Ghost was cleverer than I anticipated and must have set the conditions for its escape far in advance.  I do not doubt that the servitor was simply an unwilling participant.”  Xarksis stated with a dismissive wave of his hand.  Morra gave the massive Kell a startled sideways glance, but avoided looking directly at him.

‘He would spare the Servitor?’  She thought.

“This unit is unworthy of your mercy, my Kell.”  The Servitor said with a slight dip meant to resemble a bow.

“Do not fail me again, Soreks; I have much more pressing issues than having to deal with the failings of my crew.”  Xarksis told the Servitor, and then waved the orb away.  “As a punishment, you are to see to the walkers.  We must ensure they are prepared for combat should such an eventuality arise.”

“As you will, it shall be done, Kell Xarksis.”  Soreks replied and then with a flash, disappeared.  Once it was gone, Tolarum and Varkin returned their attention to Xarksis.

“Now that we have resolved that issue, what of the ‘Equestrians’, Kell Xarksis?”  Tolarum inquired and Xarksis sat back in his throne contemplatively.

“An excellent question, Commander.  I am uncertain of what to make of these events.”  Xarksis replied.  “There is no point to conflict with them.  As far as I can tell, we would expend valuable resources and gain little if anything at all.”

“What of an alliance, then?”  The elderly Varkin asked.  

Xarksis sat back contemplatively, reminded of a similar discussion that had occurred not long before.  He crossed one leg over the other and sat back, resting his head on one hand propped on the arm of his command chair.

“Perhaps… they do not appear to have anything of use to us, but there could be many benefits for an alliance.  One of which being a port of safe harbor, somewhere we can keep those who cannot fight off the ships.”

“An unusual sentiment, my Kell.”  Tolarum remarked.  “Most others I know of would be considering how best to turn the Equestrians against the Guardians.”

“If I were to assault the Guardians, I would do so with the strength of my House and no others.”  Xarksis scoffed.  “Do you disagree with my judgment, Commander?”

“Not at all, my Kell; if you think this is our best course of action, I shall trust in your leadership.  You have not failed us yet.”  Tolarum replied.  Xarksis was silent for a moment before turning his gaze toward Morra.

“Have you any thoughts on this matter, Herald Morra?”  He asked her, nearly causing the Vandal to fall over in a mixture of surprise and fear.

“Y-You would ask the opinion of one so low in station as myself?”  She asked incredulously and Xarksis nodded.

“You are the Herald of Dragons, Morra – more than worthy of a voice in my court.”  Xarksis stated and Morra swelled with pride at the honor.

“Th-Thank you.”  She replied with a bow.  “I… I agree with Elder Varkin; we should pursue an alliance, my Kell and… I may know of a way we can do so but… it is quite brazen.”

“What would you have us do?”  Xarksis asked Morra, interested, and she swallowed before looking her Kell in the eyes.

“We… take example from the Guardians and offer our assistance in whatever matter has acquired the Equestrians’ attention.”  Morra said slowly and a hush fell over the bridge as every Eliksni stopped what they were doing and looked at Morra, shocked.  Even Xarksis was taken slightly aback at her suggestion and Morra wilted.  “M-My apologies, Kell Xarksis, I was foolish to suggest-”

“Do not apologize, Herald Morra; I asked your opinion and you gave it willingly and honestly.  A trend I trust you to continue.”  Xarksis told her.

“Indeed, but to suggest that we look to the Lightwielders for answers is… really quite bold, and more than a little radical.”  Tolarum said, crossing his lower arms.

“Perhaps we require a radical viewpoint to find options we would not otherwise consider.”  Varkin remarked.  “Offering our aid in a time of crisis for the Equestrians would indeed make great strides toward changing the way the Guardians see the Eliksni.  I approve of this action.”

“It is an approach the Devils, Wolves, even the Kings would not consider and who would cut down any that suggested such action.”  Xarksis said.  “However, we are the House of Dragons.  Wolves are hunted, Kings overthrown, and Devils consumed… but Dragons endure and adapt; if we are to survive as Eliksni and not Fallen, we must be prepared to take a course of action that others would not.”

“You do not worry about your pride?”  Tolarum asked curiously and Xarksis shook his head.

“I have my pride, Tolarum; do not mistake it for the shade of glories past that haunts the other Houses.”  Xarksis replied seriously.  “However, I also have humility.  Humility is not weakness; it is the fire through which I temper pride into the blade that is my will.”

Satisfied, Tolarum gave a nod while Morra looked out the viewport of the bridge, to the lands stretching to the horizon and thought on her Kell’s words.

‘The fire through which… he tempers the blade of his will?’

“My Kell.”

Morra snapped from her brief reverie to look at a Dreg that approached Xarksis, bowing respectfully.  Xarksis turned an imperious gaze down to the diminutive figure.

“I am to assume you have an excellent reason as to your interruption?”  The Kell inquired coldly.

“M-My apologies, Kell Xarksis, but our sensors have detected something in the northern region earlier.”  The Dreg replied fearfully.  “It matches Vex energy sources.  It was faint before, we could only get traces of it, but approximately an hour ago it became active.”

“An hour?!”  Tolarum exclaimed angrily.  “Fool, why did you not inform us of this sooner?!”

“Y-You said we were not to interrupt your meeting with the terrestrials under any circumstance, Commander.”  The Dreg stammered, and then it knelt before Tolarum.  “This unworthy soul will accept any punishment you deem fitting, if that is your wish.”

“That is enough.”  Xarksis said, rising from his seat.  “Thank you for this information; it goes a long way to explain what has stolen the attention of Princess Celestia.”  He turned toward the dreg at the helm, Maret.  “Inform the guards at the base of the lift that should either of the princesses wish to board the ketch, they are to be given an escort straight to the bridge.  I suspect they shall desire to speak with me anon.”

Maret nodded and turned to his console, only to turn back shortly after.

“My Kell, it appears your orders come well-timed; one of the guards just sent word that Princess Luna of the Night has requested an audience with you.”  The Dreg replied.  “I have already passed your command down; she shall be on the bridge momentarily.”

Xarksis nodded and returned to his seat to await Princess Luna, setting his mask to begin drawing ether from the tank held in his armor.  There was shuffling around the bridge as a message was broadcast throughout the ship that certain sections were being drained of their ether to be replaced with air from the planet for the arrival of Luna.  Once all the Eliksni on the bridge had secured masks and switched on their ether tanks, the room was evacuated of the shimmering ether, sending it to a containment unit in the bowels of the ketch so as not to waste any of it.  Not long afterwards, the hatch opened and Princess Luna – escorted by a Kellsguard – stepped onto the bridge.  The guard led her to Xarksis’ command chair, bowed, and then stood off to the side to allow Luna to approach.

“Greetings, Kell of Dragons.”  Luna stated, giving a curtsey.  “My sister sends her apologies again; one of our territories has recently come under siege and she is organizing a contingent of ponies to send as reinforcement.”

“This territory… it would not happen to be in the northern region, would it?”  Xarksis asked and Luna started.

“Y-Yes, it is but… how did-?”  Luna replied, surprised.  Xarksis turned his head toward Maret and, in the Eliksni language so that he would understand, told him to send a messenger to Celestia.  Luna saw this and her eyes gained a shadow of suspicion.  “What is the meaning of this?”

“My Kell is sending message to Sun Princess.  Must not send troops, they will die.”  Morra replied, struggling slightly with the Terran common language.

“But what of our ponies?!  If we do not send aid, they will be killed as well!”  Luna retorted.

“Your concern does not go unnoticed, Princess of the Night.”  Xarksis told her.  “However, the enemy you would stand against is stronger than you know.  If you wish to save lives, I would ask that you allow me to handle the issue.”

“Allow you to handle…”  Luna murmured, and then her eyes widened.  “You wish to assist us?”

“Indeed.  I have conferred with my advisors on this matter and we have decided that the best option at this time is to aid you… as a token of good will.”

“You… You have my gratitude, Kell of Dragons.  So much is happening so quickly, to know we have so many allies at this tumultuous time is comforting.”  Luna said.

“The Guardians, am I to assume they have already arrived at the location?”  Xarksis asked and Luna shrugged.

“I am uncertain; they had departed for the Crystal Empire with Princess Twilight not long before we had received word from Princess Cadance about the attack.”  Luna replied.  Xarksis said something to Maret, who turned back and gave what Luna thought may have been some kind of acknowledgment.  Xarksis returned his gaze to Luna.

“They will not be enough to route the Vex from your ‘Crystal Empire’.”  Xarksis said and Luna deflated slightly.

“Is… is that so…”  She murmured.

“However…”  Xarksis said sharply and Luna looked up at him.  “They will likely work to evacuate the city.  Do you know where this ‘Princess Cadance’ would retreat with a city population?”

Luna thought for a moment before replying.

“I imagine she would make a brief layover in a nearby settlement before continuing on to Ponyville and eventually Canterlot.”  Luna told him and Xarksis pushed a button on a console on the arm of his command chair, causing a rough map of Equestria to be displayed.

“Show me where they will stop.”  He said and Luna turned to regard the map before indicating and area.  As soon as she did, the ketch began to move, the Pilot Servitor having accepted the coordinates.




Twilight Sparkle felt as though she were waking from a dream into a nightmare.

She had been elated when she had seen Cadance safe and sound, escorted by Gospel, and at the head of a group that contained many guardsponies and civilians, Star-swirl, the Bearded (if she hadn’t been leading the defense of the gate, she would have squealed like a fan-filly at the sight of him,) Daring Do – much to her surprise – and Queen Chrysalis; simultaneously all her favorite ponies and her least favorite changeling.  

However, Shining Armor and Samson hadn’t been with them; they’d stayed behind to handle some kind of “new” Vex that had appeared.  This news had worried Twilight, because the Guardians knew about the Vex and if there was one on Equestria that they hadn’t seen… it was definitely bad news.  Turned out the “new” Vex had been the very same one that had broken their advance into the city and Twilight had begun to fear the worst.  Her fears had been confirmed when Samson – and only Samson – had caught up with them, carrying that atrocious, mechanical demon on his back.

She had nearly lost her mind and tried to teleport back to the city to find him, but Samson had shocked her and knocked her out.  She was awake now and her head had finally stopped throbbing, but she didn’t care about that.

Shining Armor… her Big Brother, Best Friend Forever… was dead.

A part of her wanted to cry… to just lean over to Cadance – who hadn’t left her until just now – and simply… cry.  She didn’t; the rest of her body refused to believe it, even though she knew it was true.  How could Shining Armor be dead?  He was the Prince of the Crystal Empire and former Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard; there was no way a pony as strong as Shining Armor could die!  Twilight didn’t cry… she simply stared into nothingness, trying to keep herself from feeling anything at all.  Cadance returned, a small smile on her muzzle and a bottle of water hovering in front of Twilight.

“Here, why don’t you drink some water?  I bet you must be thirsty from the fighting.”  Cadance said softly, but Twilight didn’t look up or even acknowledge her.  

Cadance’s smile faltered slightly, and she sat down next to Twilight.  She tried to wrap one of her forelegs around Twilight in a hug, but there was a jolt like static electricity that caused Cadance to flinch and slowly pull her leg back.  Cadance looked at Twilight sadly, set the water bottle between them, and then looked out the window to watch the landscape move past.  

In the car behind theirs, the Guardians were crowded around a table that held the destroyed body of the Vex that Samson had brought back while their Ghosts hovered around it, scanning every inch of its body.

“So you’re sure this thing was throwing Nova Bombs at you?”  Gospel asked and Samson nodded.

“Seen enough of the damn things in the Crucible to know.”  Samson replied dourly, and he picked up the Vex’s left arm, examining it.  “Not sure if they were real Nova Bombs, but they sure as hell weren’t torch hammer rounds.”

“But how…?”  Aveline asked.  “I thought only Guardians could utilize the Traveler’s light in such a form.”

“My scans are indicating that the arms – both of them – have modular components that alternate into a weaponized form that fires concentrated Void light similar to a Warlock.”  Scripture stated, examining the other arm.  “However, the right arm is lacking the proper Void charge and isn’t fully functional as a weapon.  I suspect that this unit was not entirely ready for full combat actions and was being used to test the weapon system itself.”

“I don’t think they’re using the Light or Darkness; it’s probably an attempt at imitation.”  Gospel said, and then he looked over at Daring Do, Chrysalis and Star-swirl who were nearby, also interested in the Vex.  “You three got anything to add?  If not, you should probably wait with the others.”

Chrysalis scoffed.  “I am not setting hoof in that car with an unstable mage, particularly when that mage embodies Magic itself.”

“I’d rather not be seen by anypony as I am right now, thanks.”  Daring Do said from her seat near the back of the car, trying to make it seem as though she wasn’t paying attention to every word.

“And I wish to know more about these… Vex, as you call them.”  Star-swirl replied amiably.  “Such fascinating creatures…”

“Well, don’t get too attached to this one.”  Lance stated, a narrow beam of light connecting him to the Vex’s ruined cortex.  “We’re taking it to the Vanguard as soon as we can; the Cryptarchs will want to take a look at this thing and they’ll have better luck figuring out just what the hell it is than we will.”

“I should’ve scanned it while we were there; the Core Mind has already wiped most of the surviving data from this unit.”  Gauge said morosely.

“That thing must have arrived after you three and Princess Twilight did.”  Came Rose Quartz’s voice from the door and they turned to see her balancing a tray with water and snacks on her back.  She approached the table and Gospel took the tray and placed it on the table next to the Vex.  “My guardsponies and I were all over the city fighting these ‘Vex’ and none of us saw it before it attacked the Princess.”

“So they released an untested unit in response to a Guardian presence… well, at least that clears up a piece of the mystery.”  Aveline stated.  “These Vex definitely came from the Sol System, that is the only reason they would have reacted this way.”

Chrysalis got a curious look on her muzzle, then closed her eyes and lowered her now glowing horn over the Vex.  After a moment, she raised her head, her muzzle twisted in a disgusted sneer.

“Fear… only a trace, but it is there.  Whatever you Guardians are, it is enough to instill fear in what these machines call a heart.”  She said.

“It’s probably a residual from the Mind.”  Lance told her.  “The Minds are basically the information hubs of the Vex; they organize all Vex directives and just one can control an amount of units that numbers in the millions.”

Daring Do and Rose Quartz blanched.

“By the First… millions…?”  Rose murmured, slightly afraid.

“Just what in Celestia’s name did I find…?”  Daring Do remarked quietly.

Star-swirl was silent before his eyes lit, remembering something.

“There was another odd Vex… this one bore a cloak similar to the one you do, Lady Aveline, but it was tattered and fairly nondescript.”  He stated and with a quick flash from his horn, created a ghostly image of said Vex in mid pounce with its blade extended.  “It attacked us in the castle, using some kind of glamour to make itself unseen to the naked eye.  If not for the selflessness of a brave changeling, we may not have survived to see your coming.”

Chrysalis averted her eyes, but Samson stood up straight, alarmed.

“That Vex… that’s the one that killed Shining Armor!”  Samson stated and Chrysalis looked at him sharply.

“Impossible, my drone struck true and laid that monster low, we all saw it!”  She snapped.

“It’s not impossible to destroy a Vex unit without rupturing the core, but it’s very difficult.”  Gauge stated.  “It’s standard protocol in the Vanguard that all Guardians smash the cores of all fallen Vex; if your drone didn’t destroy the Vex’s core, then it’s pretty likely that the unit wasn’t killed, but forced to reboot.”

“So she basically just knocked it out.”  Daring Do said, joining them at the table.  “Damn, guess that means we’ve still got a major problem to deal with.”

“Worse.”  Gospel added.  “That Vex looks like a Hunter, this one looks like a Warlock… Jesus Christ, tell me I’m not the only one that thinks-”

“-That they have Titans as well?”  Samson finished, tensing up.  “I don’t doubt it… and that’s what’s troubling me.”

“This is becoming a very serious situation; we need to go back to Earth and relay this information to the Vanguard A.S.A.P.”  Aveline stated.  “We cannot handle this ourselves, we need more Guardians.”

There was a ringing noise, followed by the sound of an intercom activating.

‘Attention, we are arriving at Dodge Junction.  We’ll make stop briefly before continuing on to Ponyville and then Canterlot.’




Cadance heard the announcement and she nudged Twilight… or tried to, but once again, she there was a minor discharge of magic to keep her away.

“Twilight, we’re at Dodge Junction.  Let’s get off the train and stretch our legs a little; stars above, I know I could use it.”  She told Twilight Sparkle with a smile, but Twilight didn’t respond or even look at her.  Once the train came to a halt at Dodge Junction, however, Twilight wasted no time in teleporting. 

Cadance was startled when she disappeared, but wasn’t worried; even though Twilight could potentially build up enough magic power to make a cross-country teleport, it required a lot of concentration and she was too distraught to manage more than a few meters.  Sure enough, when Cadance looked out the window, she could see Twilight trotting away.  She sighed and rose from her seat, moving with the crowd out of the train.
‘Please Twilight, you need to talk to me… I need you to talk to me.’  Cadance thought, fighting back the tears.  ‘I’m hurting too… I didn’t even get to tell him…’



Star-swirl disembarked the train, marveling a little at the transport.  However, he was quickly sobered when he looked back at the line of ponies behind the train that hadn’t been able to get aboard.  All of them bore looks of sorrow, anger, or despair.  He couldn’t blame them; one day they had been living life peaceful, the next day they were being butchered in the streets by machines straight out of a nightmare for no obvious reason.  Star-swirl suspected that the Vex had come to the Crystal Empire searching for him, but from what he’d learned about the Vex on the train, it was probably not that simple.  He looked and saw Princess Cadance disembark from the train, her head hung low and he approached her amiably.

“Hail, Princess.”  He called to her and she seemed to snap back to reality and look at him, giving a polite smile, though her eyes betrayed her pain.  “Mayhap this is not the best question, but you appear far more troubled than when we departed.”

“Oh…”  Cadance stammered.  “I-I apologize, it’s just… Twilight hasn’t taken her brother’s death very well; she wouldn’t say a word to anypony and when we stopped, she left on her own.  I-I’m afraid, Master Star-swirl; if I lost her, too, I… I…”

Cadance choked a little and a tear came sliding down.  Star-swirl smiled and brushed it away, causing Cadance to look at him in surprise.

“Do not fret, I shall speak with Princess Twilight anon.”  He consoled her.  “However, while I understand that you are grieving, your Highness, right now you must save your tears for later.  Your people are desperate and they require your guidance lest they give in to that despair.  It will be difficult, but you must shoulder this burden just a while longer; only once we have arrived at Canterlot shall we find respite to grieve and mourn those we have lost.”

Cadance stared at Star-swirl silently for a moment before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and then smiling wearily.

“Thank you, Master Star-swirl, I… I’ll be fine for just a little longer.”  Cadance said, and then pointed toward the cherry orchards.  “I last saw Twilight headed that direction; you’ll have to ask one of the locals if they saw her.”

“Indeed I shall.”  Star-swirl replied, and then bowed.  “By your leave, Princess of Love.”

And he departed to find Twilight Sparkle.  He asked an earth pony he met along the way to the orchards and she told him that she’d seen Twilight Sparkle going to them.  Once there, it didn’t take Star-swirl long to find Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting on a hill, staring blankly into the distance.  Star-swirl sat next to her and also gazed out upon the rolling landscape, but said nothing at all.  After a few moments, Twilight finally spoke.

“Why are you here?”  She said quietly and Star-swirl shrugged.

“I do so enjoy a good vantage, Princess Sparkle.  I thought you would know of an excellent one and I have not been disappointed.”  He replied amiably and Twilight gave him a sideways glance.

“You… didn’t come to talk to me?”  She asked and the archmage nodded.

“Nay, merely a view to distract me for a spell.”

“What do you have to be distracted from?”  Twilight asked sullenly.  “It wasn’t your big brother that got… that…”

Star-swirl sighed.  “Aye, that is correct; he was certainly not my kin.  Nay, any kin I had, all of my closest companions, even my briefest acquaintances… almost all are long passed to time.”

At this, Twilight gasped and looked at Star-swirl in shock.  The elderly pony seemed far older than when she had first met him, leading her to wonder how long he’s been feeling this way.

“O-oh, I’m so sorry!”  She exclaimed, both in embarrassment and shame.  “I… never considered-”

“That you were the only pony to have lost someone they cherished?”  The archmage interjected.  He looked at Twilight solemnly.  “My dear Princess, you are surrounded by individuals who have lost loved ones this day.  Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers… wives and husbands.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she turned her gaze towards Dodge Junction.  At the train station, she could see the many crystal ponies all gathered together.  Some wandered in aimless disbelief and some searched the crowd, desperately hoping and praying that their missing loved one had made it this far.  Despair hung over the refugees like cloying smog and it reflected on the ponies’ once beautiful glittering coats, which were now as dull and cloudy as a rainy day, their manes as lifeless as stone.

And in the middle of it was Princess Cadance.  The Princess of Love looked utterly exhausted, yet she moved through the crowd, making sure they were cared for and carrying the Crystal Heart in her magic behind her, letting the ponies touch it as needed.  It restored some luster to the refugees, but it could not fully crack the gloom.  Twilight Sparkle felt ashamed; here she was, wallowing in her grief and ignoring the fact that Cadance was doubtlessly struggling with her own.  Yet she still moved among the refugees, comforting them and trying to make sure that they held on to hope.

“You must share each other’s grief, Twilight Sparkle, for tis the only way you shall both begin to mend.”  Star-swirl said.  “One pony cannot bear the burden of hope alone; the weight of it would eventually crush them.”

Suddenly, there was a sound similar to that of rushing wind and then the ground shook.  Twilight looked around alarmed until her eyes settled on something in the sky, speeding toward them.

It was the House of Dragons’ ketch.

“The Fallen?  What are they doing here?”  Twilight asked, standing up.

“Perhaps they come to offer us aid.”  Star-swirl stated nonchalantly.

They watched as the ketch came to a hover above the town square and Twilight saw the unmistakable shapes of the Guardians begin to clear a large area.  She could see that the survivors were visibly unnerved by the giant spaceship floating in the sky and she couldn’t blame them; they had barely escaped an army of murderous robots, how could they know this wasn’t a pursuer?  Twilight turned back to the path and began to trot back to the town.

“Cadance needs my help down there or it’ll be mass hysteria.”  Twilight said, and Star-swirl gave a nod of approval.

“Indeed, we have rested on our laurels for what precious little time we could spare.  Now, we must return to the task at hoof and become the calm within the tumult once more.”  The archmage stated and rose to follow her.  “You display great promise as a leader, Princess Twilight Sparkle; I can see my student has become quite the excellent teacher in the time since my departure.”

Twilight froze, her mouth agape; she had just been complimented, by Star-swirl, the Bearded himself!  A part of her wanted to jump around with joy, but she instead settled for a smile and followed Star-swirl back to Dodge Junction



Cadance was exhausted and the arrival of the… whatever the hay it was in the sky… had not helped things in the slightest.  The crystal ponies who had survived the attack from the Vex were highly stressed and equally exhausted; if she couldn’t rein the crowd in, there would be a panic.  With the amount of ponies that were filling the crowded main street, a panic would be catastrophic, leading to needless injury and loss of life.  Thankfully, the Guardians had quickly stepped in and began trying to herd the crowd away in an orderly fashion.

“Everypony, please, calm down, everything will be alright, I’m sure of it!”  Cadance shouted, trying to be heard over the clamoring of frightened ponies.

“What is that thing?!”

“Are we going to get attacked again?!”

“We’re all going to die!”

Cadance was sweating; the crowd was so close to breaking in terror and she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop it when it did.  Suddenly there was an odd noise behind her and when she turned, there was a shaft of light leading from the ground up to the thing in the sky above her.  A startled hush fell over the crowd when this happened and Cadance unconsciously took a few steps back, the Crystal Heart floating closer to her.

“Cadance!”

Cadance turned at the sound and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Twilight Sparkle and Star-swirl.  The crowd parted silently to allow them through and Cadance embraced her sister-in-law, who returned it.  They parted and Cadance smiled softly at Twilight.

“Are you okay?”  She asked and Twilight nodded.

“I… yes, I’ll manage for now, however…”  Twilight trailed and she looked at the shaft of light seriously.

“Do you know what’s going on?”  Cadance asked.

“It’s a Fallen ship… I don’t know why they’re here, but I don’t think they mean to hurt anypony.”  Twilight replied.  Cadance was about to ask what the “Fallen” were, but at that moment, the light undulated and several four-armed bipeds appeared.  

One of them, wearing a well-worn but regal purple cloak on its back looked around for a moment, then inclined its head to the side and growled.  Not long after that, the light undulated again and this time, it revealed a pair of taller bipeds wearing intricate armor.  However, there was another it revealed and Cadance and Twilight barely had enough time to register who it was before she bellowed:

“PRINCESS CADANCE, PRINCESS TWILIGHT; ART THOU ALIVE?!”  Princess Luna roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice.  Cadance and Twilight staggered slightly, but Luna bellowed again even as she began to scan the crowd.  “PRINCESS CADANCE, PRINCESS TWILIGHT; ART THOU-”

Suddenly her muzzle was enveloped in a yellow aura, clamping it shut and cutting off her voice.  Star-swirl cleared his throat and indicated the two target alicorns.

“You needn’t use the Voice, your Highness; the ones you seek stand before you.”  He said calmly and then released Luna’s muzzle.  The Princess of the Night wasted no time in rushing to Cadance and Twilight and embracing both of them in a tight hug.

“Ah-Aunt Luna, we’re fine, you don’t need to hug so tightly.”  Cadance remarked.

“T-Too tight… can’t breathe…!”  Twilight gasped.

Luna released the two alicorns from her death grip, blushing furiously.

“I apologize; when we received news of the attack on the Crystal Empire, I feared that you might be lost to us.”  Luna told them.  Then her brain caught up to her and she slowly turned her gaze to Star-swirl, who gave an amused smile.

“Tis been quite some time… Little Princess.”  He said and after a brief pause, Luna squealed and just about tackled Star-swirl to the ground.

“Master Star-swirl, you live!”  She exclaimed excitedly and the archmage laughed.

“I am as surprised as you, dear child.  I had slept so long I may as well have been dead to the world.”  He told her, and then he shrugged her off.  “Though I fear our reunion must wait; much has occurred and these ponies must be taken somewhere safe.”

Luna stepped back and composed herself.

“Y-Yes, thou art correct, Archmage Star-swirl; the needs of our populace come before our own.”  Luna stated, and then she indicated the Fallen behind her.  “The House of Dragons has agreed to allow as many refugees as possible aboard their ship.  It can move much faster than any of our trains, so we can move them quickly and directly to Canterlot where we have prepared shelters with food, water, and beds.”

The survivors began murmuring amongst themselves at this and Luna turned to the Fallen.

“You may begin to lead the survivors aboard your ship; please show care, they are quite distressed right now.”  Luna said and one of the Captains nodded and began barking orders.  After that, Luna looked around and then turned a curious gaze to Cadance.  “Where is Prince Shining Armor; I do not see him anywhere.”  

At this, both Twilight and Cadance looked away sadly, saying nothing, but Luna’s eyes widened, and then softened.

“I-I see… once we arrive at Canterlot, I shall see to the proper arrangements personally.”  Luna said and then she smiled at Cadance, putting a hoof on her withers.  “You needn’t worry; my sister and I will see to your every need.”

“Thank you, Aunt Luna.”  Cadance replied softly, smiling, and then Luna stepped aside, indicating the light.

“You should go first; if they see their Princess safe aboard the ship, it will be a great comfort.”  Luna said and Cadance nodded.  The Princess of Love then approached the light, being stopped by the Fallen in the purple cloak.

“You are?”  It growled.

“I am Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of Love and current ruler of the Crystal Empire.  I was informed your House would provide aid.”  Cadance replied.  The Fallen paused, and then gave a respectful bow.

“I am Morra, Herald of Dragons.”  Morra said, and held an arm out to the light.  “My Kell, Xarksis, bids you welcome aboard his ketch and expresses sympathy for your trouble.”

“Thank you, Morra.”  Cadance said and she carefully stepped into the light.



Twilight watched as Cadance stepped into the grav lift and with an undulation of light, was whisked away onboard the ketch.  Not long after, Samson, Aveline and Gospel approached them.  The Fallen glared warily at the Guardians, but did nothing to impede them.

“Princess Luna, what are you doing here with the Fallen?”  Gospel asked.

“They offered their aid, so I came here with them to help as best I could.”  Luna replied, and then turned to Rose Quartz, who had just arrived.  “Are you the current ranking officer?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”  Rose replied, bowing.

“Please instruct your guards to have the survivors begin lining up to be allowed onboard the ship.  If you can spare any, please have some guards aboard the ship as well.”  Luna said and Rose Quartz saluted.

“As you will, your Highness.”  She said and then she began calling guardsponies to her to relay the orders.  Samson crossed his arms defensively.

“The Fallen wish to provide assistance?”  Aveline inquired.  “That is… an odd thing for them to do.”

“You got that right.”  Samson said.  “Back home, all they ever seem to care about is killing and scavenging.  I never really imagined they would actually want to help.”

“We can’t really complain, can we?”  Gospel said and both Aveline and Samson looked at him incredulously.  “We’re only three Guardians; we can punch our way to a Cabal commander or a Hive abomination, but this?  This is way beyond what we’re capable of.”

“Then perhaps it is time you sent word for reinforcements.”  Star-swirl stated and the Guardians exchanged looks.

“He’s right; we need to contact the Vanguard and work on getting more boots on the ground.”  Samson said.

“The only way we can reach anyone on Earth is if we leave.”  Gospel pointed out.  “It’ll take a day just to get there and back again; God knows how long it’ll take to get a deployment request through the Consensus.”

“But if we do nothing, we will be overwhelmed.”  Aveline countered.  “And we will have to return to Earth at some point to resupply; might as well do it sooner and try to bring an army back with us.”

“Do you all have to go?”  Twilight asked.  “Surely at least one of you can stay, right?”

The Guardians looked at each other and Gospel shrugged.

“I suppose we don’t all have to go back; with the Frames on the ship, probably only one of us needs to go.”  He said.  “But the question is: who’s the lucky Guardian?”

“I will do it.”  Aveline said.

“I don’t know… I’ve got the most tenure between the three of us; the Consensus might be more willing to send reinforcements if I ask.”  Samson told her, but Aveline shook her head.

“That is why you need to stay, Samson.  We cannot just stand around, waiting for the Consensus to argue about sending reinforcements; if you stay, then you can help train the Equestrians on how to fight and survive against the Vex.”  Aveline replied.

“I can take a look at the supplies Banshee gave us; see how many weapons we can piece together from the bits.  If we can put some of our tech in Equestrian han – excuse me, hooves – our chances of surviving the Vex should go up.”  Gospel said and both Samson and Aveline nodded in agreement.

“Alright, we’ve got a plan.  Gospel and I will remain here to help against the Vex in any way we can while Aveline goes back and rallies the Vanguard.”  Samson said, but then Twilight cleared her throat loudly.

“I’m going with you, Aveline.”  Twilight proclaimed, stepping forward determinedly.  “If you think I’m just going to sit on the sidelines while my world is in danger, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Are you sure you want to come with me?  Equestria might need your strength to help against the Vex, Twilight.”  Aveline said and Twilight nodded.

“You’re right, Equestria does need me, but the best way I can help her at this time would be as a dignitary to plead our case before this ‘Consensus’ of yours.”  Twilight replied.  “As a formally crowned princess of Equestria, I can utilize my station to influence your leaders to make a decision that helps us.”

“Indeed, without her voice, your pleas may very well fall upon ears deaf to our plight.”  Star-swirl remarked.  Samson nodded and turned to Luna.

“What about you?  Do you want to go to Earth with Aveline and speak to the Consensus as well?”  Samson asked her, but Luna shook her head.

“Alas, as much as I desire to traverse the stars myself, I am bound to the Moon of Equus and thus I cannot physically leave this world lest the magic breaks.”  Luna replied.

“Very well.”  Samson said, and then turned back to his fireteam.  “We’ll make a stop at Ponyville to drop off the equipment and convert Twilight’s castle into a temporary forward operating base.  From there, Aveline and Twilight will return to Earth while Gospel and I will begin arming and training a local militia.  With the help of the Princesses, the changelings, and hopefully the Fallen, we should be able to mount enough of a resistance to at least delay the Vex long enough for Vanguard reinforcements to arrive; does everyone understand?”

“Understood!”  Aveline and Gospel said at the same time.

“Yes, I understand.”  Twilight replied.

“Alright then.”  Samson said, and then put a hand to one of his antenna.  “Wisp to Mischief Maker, come in Mischief Maker.”  There was a brief pause.  “Wedge, we need a pick-up at the following coordinates… yes, I know there are Fallen signals within my vicinity… no, they are not hostile as far as we can tell… yes, mark them as friendly under the FoF system and come in for transmat; Samson out.”

Aveline and Gospel chuckled slightly at Samson’s conversation with the pilot Frame, but Star-swirl looked confused.

“Who was he speaking with, Princess Twilight?”  Star-swirl inquired and Twilight smiled.

“Samson was talking to Wedge, the Frame that flies their ship.”  Twilight replied, but the archmage looked even more confused.

“I do not understand… what is a ‘Frame’, might I ask?”  He inquired again and Twilight merely sighed.

“Don’t worry, Master Star-swirl; I’ll show you here in a bit.”  She told Star-swirl, and then looked to the sky, awaiting the arrival of the Guardians’ ship.
> Chapter Twenty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He could feel nothing; no pain, no emotion… nothing.  He could not move, could not see, his entire world simply… didn’t exist.  Yet somehow, he did… or did he?  He couldn’t tell whether or not he existed in the void, but he didn’t think about it, as trying to think was a tremendous effort, as though he were trying to lift an impossibly heavy object.  He simply floated – was he floating? – in the emptiness of nothing…

…and then things changed.

It was as though somepony had flipped a switch and suddenly all he could see was light.  He still couldn’t move, but he didn’t have to.  As though a veil of mist had parted, a face appeared in his vision.  It was a pink-coated mare with a well-kept mane of violet, rose, and palest gold.  She looked him in the eyes and smiled softly, causing him to feel a familiar fluttering sensation; he knew this mare!  He tried to speak, but again, could not form the words no matter how much he struggled.  He began to feel frustration, desperation, and tried to resist whatever was binding his body and soul.  He wanted to ask her name, though a part of him felt as though he already knew it.  She began to trot away from him, fading back into the pale mist, and he redoubled his efforts to speak, to reach out… something, anything, to keep this one familiar thing from fading away from him.  The mare paused at the edge of disappearing from sight, looked back at him, and spoke.

“You need to wake up now.”  She said, though he realized somehow that it wasn’t her voice.  “You’ve slept long enough, Guardian.”



“Guardian?  Eyes up, Guardian.”

With a sharp intake of air, he gasped and rolled over, gulping in what felt like the first breaths he’d taken in years.  He coughed and wheezed as his lungs began to remember how to function.  Once his breathing normalized, he held his forelegs in front of his muzzle and moved them carefully.  They creaked and cracked from the effort, as though they had begun to stiffen.

“I did it, you’re alive!”  Came a female voice and recognition rang as a hollow bell in his brain.  He turned sharply to see some kind of odd, diamond-shaped device floating in front of him.

“Wh-wha… who…”  He croaked, his voice box stiff.

“I’m a Ghost… well, actually I’m your Ghost now.”  it replied, and then it dipped down, looking around sharply before turning its shining eye back to him.  “Look, I’d love to explain what’s happening right now, but we have to get out of here.  If they find us, we’ll be killed before you can get back to the others.”

“I… I don’t… understand.”  He said carefully, but the Ghost disappeared, causing him to look around desperately.  “Wh-Where did you go?!”

“Don’t worry.  I’m still here, just hidden.” The Ghost replied.

“What’s going on?  Where am I?  Who am I?!”  He demanded.

“Hey, we don’t have time to play twenty questions; it’ll only take one of them finding you to bring the whole collective down on our heads and you don’t really have the firepower to fight the Vex right now.” The Ghost told him coolly.  “Grab that rifle over there and head down the side street.  We can’t go straight out because there’s a few Vex poking around the ruins on the other side of the wall.”

“O-Okay…”  He replied uncertainly and looked around for a second.  “I don’t see a rifle… whatever that is.”

“Oh, right.  Just a second…”  The Ghost replied, and almost immediately a few boxes and a segmented circle appeared in his vision, followed by a circle with a star in it that appeared over an elongated device leaning against some rubble.  “Sorry about that, I accidently forgot to activate your HUD.  The auto-rifle is that thing marked with the star; go ahead and pick it up.”

“Uh… what’s a HUD?”  He asked and the Ghost gave a sigh.

“HUD, or Heads Up Display.  It feeds you real-time information on things like hostile proximity, mission objectives, and how much ammunition you’ve got in your gun.”  It replied.

“And… how am I seeing all this?”  He asked.

“Before I resurrected you I modified the armor you were wearing.  It’s… not as good as you really should have, but it’ll do for now so long as we don’t go around picking fights.”  The Ghost told him.  “Look, just arm yourself and get moving; I’ll explain as much as I can once we’re out of the city, okay?”

He brought a hoof to his eyes and was surprised to find that a piece of clear crystal had been affixed to the helmet he was wearing.  After that, he lowered his hoof and gazed at the indicated device uncertainly, then with a thought, levitated the device into the air next to him.  As he looked at it, a memory stirred as though from a dream.

‘Point this end at them, pull this to fire.  All you have to do is hold the trigger down and it’ll keep firing, but watch the recoil; she kicks hard.  When the magazine’s empty, just press this to eject it and then put a new one in like this.  After that, pull this to chamber a fresh round.’

He found a button on the side of the weapon, pressed it and felt a box which he could only assume was the “magazine” come loose in his aura.  He looked inside, saw it was almost empty, and gave a disappointed sigh.

“Yeah, an empty gun won’t do you much good.  Check your bag; I put some fresh clips in there.”

He looked through his bag and found several more of the weapon’s magazines.  He put the nearly empty clip in and replaced it with a full one, pulled a lever on the side of the gun and felt a satisfying shift as one of the tubes in the magazine slid into an internal pipe within the weapon.

“Okay, I’m ready.”  He said and then took a step back to look around at the ruined city.  Something in his brain clicked – a feeling of familiarity with the city’s layout – and he went down a nearby alley into a side street.  He followed the winding alleyways, but just as he was about to go between two houses, a pair of red lines appeared just outside the circle in the upper left of his vision.

“Quick, get behind something!”  The Ghost said urgently and with a quick glance around, he saw a nearby door was open just a crack and he slipped inside.

He heard metallic steps as the red lines became wedges in the circle.  There was a sequence of buzzes, eerily reminiscent of speech, as a pair of Vex marched past the house.  He gave a sigh of relief as the machines passed and he stood, accidentally brushing a portrait of some kind on the wall and causing it to fall to the ground.  

He flinched as the metallic footsteps came to a halt, and then began to march back toward the house.  He ducked back underneath the ruined window and held his breath as the wedge became a flashing red circle within the circle.  The footsteps stopped at the window and a Vex buzzed curiously as it scanned the interior of the room.  He was almost certain he’d be spotted, but to his relief, the Vex stopped buzzing and marched away, confident it had not seen anything.

He stood once more, this time taking great care to not bump into anything, and carefully opened the door.  He was grateful that whoever had lived in the house had taken care of the door to ensure it didn’t creak.  He looked around, saw there were no more Vex coming and the ones who had passed had their backs to him, and quietly slipped away.  A couple of alleyways and hiding from Vex patrols later, he was relieved to find himself out on the open field.  He saw there was a well trodden path leading to some buildings to the south that indicated a train station.

“I detected that the survivors followed those tracks; betcha they’re going to the next town over to escape the Vex.”  The Ghost said.

“The next town over… that would be Dodge Junction.”  He told the Ghost, mildly surprised that he could so readily remember such information.  “We need to catch up to them; there’s a mining tunnel between here and Dodge that should take us straight through the mountains.”

“Wow, you know a lot about this area; I’m impressed!”  The Ghost said approvingly.  “So… do you remember your name at all?”

“My… name?”  He paused and tried to remember, then shook his head in frustration.  “I… I can’t remember anything about myself, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll come back in time; it always does.”  The Ghost said reassuringly.  There was an odd howling buzz from within the city, causing him to turn sharply and the Ghost said “Right, we better get moving.  We’re not exactly safe yet.”



Experimental unit designation [Wraith] confirmed lost; deletion of core memory halted at [95%] due to [Ghost] interference.  Initiating analysis of combat data for improvements to MK.II design.

…

[Warning]: Energy spike detected; signature matches samples from designation [The Traveler].  Investigation of potential Guardian-class threat required.

…

Disturbance detected from patrol units in sector eight: no lifeforms discovered, resuming patrol.

…

[Warning]:  terrestrial life-form detected outside perimeter; initiating combat sequences of nearby[Stop]

…

Addendum: [The Traveler] energy signatures detected in life-form.  [Warning: possible Guardian-class threat detected].

…

New Directive:  Experimental [Stalker] unit to be reassigned to interception and termination of Guardian-class threat.

…

Directive accepted: [Stalker] unit redirected from [Directive: Recover experimental unit {Wraith}] to [Directive: intercept and terminate Guardian-class threat].
Secondary Directive:  Monitor and analyze combat data of [Stalker] unit for possible enhancements to MK. II design.






The newly risen Guardian trotted through the mountain pass leading to the crystal mine that connected Dodge Junction to the Crystal Empire.  His Ghost floated next to him, asking questions that he frequently had a difficult time answering.  He got somewhat frustrated with these inquiries, but he was glad that he didn’t have to make the journey alone.

“This world is really interesting.”  His Ghost remarked, looking every which way at the snow-covered peaks.  “It’s so similar to Earth environmentally, yet the inhabitants couldn’t be more different.”

“I’ll… take your word for it.”  He remarked, and then looked at his Ghost.  “Hey, you asked me my name earlier, but I forgot to ask yours.”

The Ghost looked back at him.

“I don’t have one; I’m just a Ghost.”  It replied.  “If you want to give me one, I won’t mind.”

He thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“I’ve got nothing right now.  Maybe after we reach Dodge Jun-” He was cut-off when something slammed into his pauldron, knocking him over.  It was followed almost immediately with a screech and a burning scent that he couldn’t place.  He looked up in the direction whatever had hit him came from and immediately rolled to the side as another shot lanced into the ground, flash melting the snow in a white cloud.

“It’s a Vex!”  His Ghost exclaimed, having hidden itself again.  “I think it’s cloaked because I can’t get a bead on its position; we have to run!”

He didn’t waste a second; he began to gallop through the snow, moving left and right to avoid the searing, screeching shots coming from seemingly nowhere.  He ran around a bend and saw the entrance to the mine.  Before he could reach it, however, red flashed in the circle that his Ghost had called a motion sensor and he instinctively raised a magenta shield.  Something heavy thumped off of it and tumbled between him and the mine entrance.  

Reflexively, he assumed a combat stance and his auto-rifle hovered into place next to him as though it were a lance.  The object that had struck his shield raised itself from where it landed and whatever optical glamour that was obscuring it faded, revealing a bipedal mechanoid with a red eye and tattered cloak.  It was crouched low, as though ready to pounce once more, one of its arms ended in a long blade similar to a knife.

“What the… be careful, I’ve never seen a Vex like that one.”  His Ghost said warningly and he rolled his eyes.

“Well, we have to fight it whether we want to or not.”  He replied.  At that moment, the Vex hummed and disappeared.  The amnesiac Guardian immediately looked around, saw a patch of snow get disturbed, and fired at it.

He missed, and for his reward, received another fiery lance that staggered him.  A claxon went off briefly in his ears as his HUD warned that his armor had lost some kind of protective shielding; another hit like that would kill him.  He looked around, narrowly avoided another lance, and then with a start, realized he was standing in front of the mine.  He thought quickly, and then began to edge toward the mine entrance, taking note of the support beams.  Once he got past the threshold of the mine, he saw his motion sensor flash red once again and this time, instead of deflecting it, he leapt backward.  There was a thump from the ground where he had been and the Vex appeared once again, pulling its blade out of the ground.

It looked at the Guardian, who grinned, his horn glowing.  The Vex looked to the support beams on either side of it, saw they were also glowing in a matching aura, and disappeared, attempting to flee.  However, there was a large puff of snow as the Vex tripped, incapable of moving away as the Equestrian Guardian pulled the support beams free.  The entrance began to collapse and the Vex attempted to flee from the falling debris, but was rebuffed due to the fact that its feet were held in the same magenta aura, binding it to the floor and holding it in place.  Its buzzing protests were cut short in the roar of falling rocks and the Guardian backed away to avoid getting caught in the cave-in.  Once it was finished, he breathed a sigh of relief as his Ghost flew out from hiding to inspect the blocked entrance.

“As much as I would have preferred to take that Vex’s corpse with us, getting somewhere safe is definitely our top priority.”  It remarked, and then flew back to him.  “Good job, Guardian; I knew I made the right choice picking you!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”  He replied dryly, and then he turned down the tunnel, casting a light spell.  “This way; as long as we follow the path, we’ll get to Dodge Junction quickly.”

They had barely gone a few meters when they heard something hit the ground.  They froze, and then slowly turned back to the cave-in as the sound of rocks falling to the ground continued.

“You can’t be serious…”  His Ghost remarked, and then disappeared.

“Is that thing really still alive?”  He asked and as if to answer, a two-pronged object shoved its way out of the rubble, followed by the Vex’s head.  It turned its glowing red eye toward him and raised the weapon, firing it.

He barely avoided the shot and it struck a patch of crystal instead.  However, it didn’t damage the crystal; instead the crystals lit up and the shot rebounded into another patch of crystals.  The projectile then bounced off those crystals and straight back into the Vex’s weapon, knocking it out of its hand.  The weapon landed on the ground in several pieces, the reciprocated projectile having rendered it into uselessness.  The Vex looked at the weapon, then at the Guardian, and buzzed warningly, and then it began to struggle against the debris, managing to pull its other arm free.

“We need to go.”  His Ghost said and he nodded.  However, as he passed the crystals, he thought for a moment and then with a heave of telekinetic force, freed them.

“These might come in useful later.”  He said and the crystals disappeared.

“Good idea.”  His Ghost replied, and then the Vex gave another buzz.  “Uh, let’s get going before that thing frees itself.”




He ran through the mine, the Guardian seemingly aware of where to go despite his amnesia.  He turned a corner and saw silvery light ahead of them.

“There, we’re almost out!”  He stated and ran to the exit.  He stepped out into the freshly fallen snow and barely had enough time to register the flash of red on his motion sensor before he was slammed into the ground.  

The Vex he had left behind had somehow beat him out of the mines!  He wrestled with it as it buzzed angrily, attempting to push its blade into his breast.  He focused his magic, threw the Vex off of him, and then faced it.  The Vex stood and he saw that it had abandoned its cloak – probably in the rubble – and its chassis was covered in dents and a few punctures.  Part of its head was caved in and every now and then a spark of electricity would jump around its body.  It buzzed in what seemed to be a low, growl, and readied its blade.  The Guardian released the rifle from his grasp and assumed a low, aggressive stance.

“What are you doing?!” His Ghost practically shrieked.  “Without your rifle, that thing is going to kill you!”

“No it won’t.”  The Guardian said coolly.  The Vex gave a howling buzz and leapt at him again, but this time, the Guardian was ready.

With a burst of motion, he wrapped his forelegs around the Vex’s arm-blade and slammed it into the ground.  He wrenched at the arm violently until it came free of its owner and he shoved it into the Vex’s neck.  The red light immediately dimmed, but the Vex didn’t stop moving; instead, it howled and began thrashing violently.  It shook free of his grasp, rose and raised an arm that began to glow with pale violet light.  The Guardian quickly pulled the Vex’s arm-blade out of the ground and rushed it.

“The core is the white, glowing area in the center; destroy that and it’ll stop!”  His Ghost stated and the Guardian adjusted his aim for the area in question.  He struck true, white liquid exploding from the punctured core and the force of his impact knocking the Vex back.

He stood over the machine, panting, as its movements stopped and it went limp underneath him.  His Ghost came out and began scanning the Vex while he walked over to a vista overlooking Dodge Junction.  He could see a train steaming at the station, filling with ponies and a long caravan of carriages and on-hoof ponies filing out to the south.  He knew immediately what was happening; they were evacuating, heading towards what could be the safest place in Equestria.

“Canterlot…”  He murmured and memories flashed in his mind; commanding guardsponies in gleaming armor, preparing for a wedding, changelings, and…

Four smiling faces; a unicorn stallion with a cerulean coat and navy mane, a unicorn mare with a light-grey coat and alternating violet and white mane, a tiny purple unicorn filly with a purple coat and dark violet mane with pink and purple highlights, and finally, the pink alicorn mare that had haunted him in his moments returning to life.  He knew, without question, that they were his family, their names returning to him as though he’d never forgotten.

“Dad… Mom… Twily… C-Cadance…”  He murmured again, and then he groaned and sat back, holding his head in his hooves as memories began to flood into his mind.  His Ghost picked up on his distress and flew over, scanning him.

“Hey, are you okay, Guardian?”  It asked and he sighed, not raising his head.

“Shining Armor.”

“What?”  His Ghost inquired, puzzled, and he looked at it seriously, his eyes shining with determination.

“My name; it’s Shining Armor.”  He told it and then he stood.  “I… think I know what to call you, now.”

“And what’s that?”

“How does ‘Aegis’ sound?”  He asked and the Ghost floated aimlessly for a moment.

“As in ‘protection’?”  She questioned and Shining Armor nodded.  She was silent briefly before looking at him and dipping slightly as if in a nod.  “Sounds good to me; from now on, you can call me ‘Aegis’!”

“Okay then, Aegis; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Shining Armor said, and then he trotted over to the fallen Vex.  “Did you get anything from the Vex?”

“Bits and pieces; the Core Mind of the collective began erasing its memory as soon as you killed it.”  Aegis replied.  “However, I did get some information we could use.  We have to catch up with the other Guardians, though; the Vex are marshalling their forces for something, I don’t know what.”

“They’re preparing for an attack, what else could it be?”  Shining Armor said, and then he picked up the Vex corpse and discarded rifle in his telekinesis.  “Come on, they’re evacuating Dodge junction; if we hurry, we should be able to catch the train to Ponyville.”

“Right, let’s get out of here.”  Aegis replied and disappeared.





Error:  Experimental unit [Stalker] functionality terminated, core memory deletion halted at [75%] due to [Ghost] interference; recalling all functional units for new directive.

…

New directive: Designation [The Traveler] signatures located; all available units tasked with termination of all Guardian-class threats.

…

Update: experimental unit [Juggernaut] prepared for activation.  Uploading Directives…

…

[Juggernaut] Directives:  Locate target designations – [Star-swirl the Bearded], [Experimental Unit; {Wraith}], unidentified energy source; intercept and terminate Guardian-class threats; terminate target designations if threat assessment exceeds [75%].
Secondary Directive:  Monitor and analyze combat data of [Juggernaut] unit for possible enhancements to MK. II design.



The second the ramp of the Mischief Maker lowered, the Guardians were greeted by what appeared to be a small army of insectoid equines similar to Queen Chrysalis.  The only difference was that they were smaller and less pronounced then the Queen.  Samson stared at the teal eyes, who in turn stared back at him until they turned suddenly as Chrysalis – who had insisted upon joining the Guardians on their ship – stepped next to the Titan.

“This is my hive, Titan, they shall assist you in whatever manner you deem necessary.”  She told him.

“There are crates of weapons and ammunition in the hold; the faster we get them unloaded, the faster Aveline and Twilight can head back to Earth.”  Samson said.  Chrysalis nodded, and then gave a low, almost inaudible drone and the changelings began to file into the ship.

Twilight, Star Swirl, Aveline, and Gospel stepped out of the ship as well.  Twilight seemed disconcerted at the sight of changelings so close to her home, but Star Swirl was much more interested in the ship.

“That was quite the experience!”  The Archmage remarked, admiring the ship.  “And you claim this vessel can travel amongst the stars in the sky?”

“Well, we wouldn’t be here if it couldn’t.”  Gospel replied, and when the first pair of changelings came out carrying a crate, he pointed at the castle.  “Put that in the foyer for now until we can figure out a better place.”

The changelings nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded into the castle.  Twilight gave out a small shiver of disgust and Chrysalis smirked at her.

“What, you do not like my brood within the confines of your shiny, new castle, Princess of Friendship?”  The changeling queen crooned and Twilight looked away indignantly, garnering a derisive laugh from Chrysalis.  “I must admit, I am fairly impressed.  When last we met, you were but a meddling little whelp who barely understood the foe she faced; now you are full royalty, complete with throne and crown… yet still you seem to be fairly clueless concerning me.”

“I’ve read books on the changelings, I know all about you.”  Twilight retorted and this time, Star Swirl laughed at her, causing Twilight to look at him in bewilderment.  “Wh-what… Master Star Swirl…?”

“Young Princess, your pursuit of knowledge is truly commendable, but it is folly to think that you can understand another simply by reading about them.”  Star Swirl told her and Twilight turned red with embarrassment.  “There is much knowledge to be gained from pages in a tome, but true wisdom cannot be taught; it must be experienced to be understood.”

“I… I’m sorry; after what she did to-” Twilight paused briefly, and then continued.  “After she tried to take over Canterlot, I started researching the changelings.  I never thought about actually trying to find a hive; I was worried they would capture me and take my identity.”

“I would have ensured otherwise, Princess Twilight.  With the return of the Crystal Heart, my brood was no longer short on sustenance and thus we had no more reason to steal emotions.”  Chrysalis told Twilight, and then she smirked.  “And just so you are aware, I did not ‘try’ to take over Canterlot; my coup was a complete success.  Were it not for a fluke, my brood would not have been ousted so easily.”

“She’s right, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight started at the familiar voice and turned to see Daring Do trot down the ramp to the three of them, ducking beneath a floating crate.

“Dar- er, I mean, uh…”  Twilight stammered as she tried to remember the cover identity Daring Do went by.

“Stop it, now isn’t the time for secret identities.”  Daring Do told her.  “But we have bigger issues than about whether or not the changelings succeeded at Canterlot.  I’ve seen inside the Vex stronghold, I know it, but they did something that’s messed with my memory.”

“Ah yes, the temporal damage.”  Star Swirl said, and then he turned to Twilight.  “Your highness, does your royal library contain any of my grimoires?”

“O-Oh, you can just call me ‘Twilight’, Master Star Swirl, and yes, but only the ones Princess Celestia allowed me to have.”  Twilight replied.

“Any of my research on time magic?”  He inquired further and Twilight shook her head.

“No; after my-” Twilight coughed. “Excuse me, after a minor incident involving time travel, Princess Celestia moved all your research on time magic into the Canterlot vaults.”

Star Swirl arched an eyebrow at Twilight and suddenly she felt as though she were back under Celestia’s tutelage again.  He said nothing, but his stern gaze spoke volumes and Twilight wilted slightly.

“I must needs send a missive to Princess Celestia requesting all of my research on time magic and as many of her best mages as she can spare.”  Star Swirl stated and began to trot toward the castle.

Twilight hesitated slightly and then followed him.

“Spike should be in the castle, probably taking a nap or reading comic books.”  Twilight said.

They disappeared into the castle behind a pair of changelings working together on a crate of heavy weapon parts.  Gospel watched them, and then walked down the ramp and sat next to Daring Do.

“You were inside the Vex stronghold?”  He asked and the pegasus nodded.  “That’s kind of amazing; those things are notoriously hard to get into.  How did you do it?”

“There was a panel, things lit up when I stepped on it, and the door opened.”  Daring Do replied, not looking at him.  “Thought it was just another ruin to explore, but things went to shit.  We found Star Swirl and then it’s like something tried to rip my memories out of my head.”

“Ruin… so, you’re an archaeologist?”  Gospel asked and Daring Do sighed.

“Archaeologist, adventurer, tomb raider… you want the whole resume, go to the nearest book store and ask them to show you to the ‘Daring Do’ series.”  She told him and Gospel stared at her.

“Wait… so I’m talking to a real-life Indiana Jones?!”  He asked incredulously and Daring Do gave him a sideways glance.

“Not really sure who that is, but if they’re anything like me then yes; I am a ‘real-life Indiana’…”  She paused a moment and then looked at Gospel, confused.  “You said ‘Jones’?  What kind of name is that?!”

“Hey, don’t diss the name, it’s awesome.”  Gospel said, but Daring Do merely arched an eyebrow and Gospel shrugged.  “Whatever, you’d have to see the movies to get why it’s so great.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve lived them and then some.”  Daring retorted, garnering a laugh from Gospel.

“You’re okay, uh…”  Gospel said and Daring Do sighed.

“Daring Do.”  She replied.  Gospel held out a hand and she shook it.

“I’m Ian, but you can call me Gospel.”  He told her, and then grinned.  “You named your book series after yourself?  Isn’t that a little narcissistic?”

“More of a pain in my flank to be honest, but no pony thinks to look for certain magical and potentially dangerous artifacts when they think it’s all just fiction.”  Daring Do replied.  “The upside is I get to go exploring all I want, but making friends is pretty tough when you’re not supposed to exist.”

“DARING DO!”  Called an excited voice and Daring Do facehoofed.

“And that would be the other con to having a popular book series…” She muttered as Rainbow Dash came in for a quick and somewhat sloppy landing.

“Daring Do, what are you doing here?”  Rainbow asked, and then she lowered her voice, looking around suspiciously.  “You on the run from somepony and need somewhere to lay low?”

“And exactly how would I go about accomplishing that when you start screaming my real name – that I have repeatedly told you not to call me in public – where everypony in Ponyville and Canterlot can hear you?!”  Daring Do exclaimed irritably, making Rainbow Dash wilt.  “You know damn good and well I’ve made lots of enemies, Rainbow Dash; Ahuizotl might have agents in Ponyville and they would have heard you call my name just now.”

“S-Sorry, Daring Do… I was checking things out over here and I saw you so…”  Rainbow stammered and Daring Do sighed.

“You wanted to say hello.”  Daring finished and then she smiled.  “It’s nice to see you too, Rainbow; after the week I’ve been having, a friendly face is exactly what I needed.”

“Well, I came over when some of the weather ponies said they saw changelings over here.”  Rainbow Dash looked around and sneered.  “They weren’t kidding.”

“They’re helping us out.”  Gospel said.  “Bad stuff happened up north; lots of ponies got hurt.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Gospel, alarmed.

“What?!  Did something happen in the Crystal Empire?!”  Rainbow demanded, but Gospel hung his head.

“I… think it would be better if Twilight told you.  In fact, you should probably get the rest of your friends; Twilight could use the support right now.”  Gospel replied and Rainbow’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Something’s wrong with Twilight…?”  Rainbow Dash said quietly, and then she took off without waiting for a response.  Gospel rubbed the back of his head while Daring Do shook hers.

“That girl really needs to slow down and think before she acts.”  Gospel said and Daring Do gave a small laugh.



Twilight Sparkle moved about her room, packing quietly while Spike eyed her over his comic.  Eventually he set the comic book aside and gave her a questioning gaze.

“You’re awfully quiet right now, Twilight.”  Spike remarked.  “Usually when something like Star Swirl being alive or you getting to fly to another planet happens, you’re talking my ears off about how ‘excited’ you are and how this will be a ‘once in a lifetime’ learning experience.”

“Sorry Spike, I can’t really focus on talking much right now; the job I have to do is too important.”  Twilight replied and Spike huffed.

“Twilight, I’ve known you for years; you’re able to multitask while multitasking!”  Spike told her.  “Right now it’s kinda… I dunno, like you’re upset about something.  You know, like that time you switched everypony’s cutiemarks.”

Twilight stopped and the book she was levitating froze, and then dropped to the ground.  Spike saw this, picked up the book and held it up to her, but she didn’t look at him.

“Twilight… what’s wrong?”  Spike asked and after a moment of silence, Twilight hugged him, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I-It’s…”  She choked on the words.  “I-I don’t know how to say this...”

Spike looked up at Twilight questioningly and she hugged him tightly.  At that moment, the door to their room opened and Applejack trotted in.

“Twilight, Ah came as soon as Ah heard-” Applejack began, but she stopped when Twilight looked at her.

“Applejack…”  She murmured, but was surprised when the farmpony quickly crossed the room and hugged Twilight in a firm, but gentle embrace.

“Jus’ let it out, Sugarcube; it ain’t gonna start feelin’ better till ya do.”  Applejack said softly.

Twilight sat in Applejacks embrace for a moment, stunned, and then she gave in and wrapped her own forelegs around the farmpony.  Twilight then began to cry uncontrollably into Applejack’s withers while the farmpony caressed her back soothingly.

“H-He’s gone, Applejack… Shining Armor… it hurts so much… I want it to stop…”  Twilight sobbed.

“Ah know, Sugarcube, Ah know… Ah been where ya are right now an’ Ah promise it’s gonna be okay.”  Applejack crooned softly but Twilight shook her head.

“B-But it’s not!  Shining Armor’s dead, how could anything be okay?!”  Twilight demanded and Applejack smiled.

“Because Ah’m okay, mah brother’s okay, and Granny Smith’s okay; we’re all okay.”  Applejack told her.  “Ah know yer world feels like it jus’ ended – Ah felt the same way after Ma an’ Pa died – but yer gonna be okay.”

Twilight sniffed a couple of times and then let go of Applejack, wiping the tears off her face and smiling softly.

“Th-Thanks, Applejack, I-I needed that.”  Twilight said, and then suddenly realized that Spike had also hugged her, tears streaming down his own face.  “Spike… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when I got back; I guess I just didn’t want to accept it myself.”

“How… how’d he die?”  Spike asked, looking at Twilight and she smiled.

“From what Samson told me… like a true hero.  He saved a lot of ponies today so… I guess we should be proud of him, too.”  Twilight said.

“Thatta girl, Twilight.”  Applejack said, and then turned to the door.  “Y’all can mosey on in now, if ya want.”

The door opened slowly as Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity – whose muzzle was covered in lines of running mascara – entered the room.  They each hugged Twilight and Spike, both of whom gratefully returned the gestures.

“I guess you heard everything.”  Twilight said and they all nodded.

“It’s such a horrible thing to happen to somepony else… I still remember the day Applejack’s parents died.”  Rarity said morosely.

“I… I’m not sure what kind of party I should throw… or whether I should throw one at all.”  Pinkie said, her mane deflating.

“I think I might like to have a party… to celebrate Shining Armor’s heroism.”  Twilight told the party pony and her mane puffed back up.

“Great!  I’ll have to get right on planning Shining Armor’s ‘heroic death celebration’!”  Pinkie exclaimed, jumping into the air, but then she floated back down, grinning sheepishly.  “After… we see Twilight off, of course.”

“Yeah… so you’re gonna be flying off to another planet!”  Rainbow Dash stated, trying to change the atmosphere.  “I bet you’re excited because even I think that sounds like the coolest thing ever!”

Twilight shook her head.

“I guess I’m a little excited, but I won’t have time to really enjoy it.”  Twilight said.  “The Vex can move through time at will; if we don’t hurry back with more Guardians, there might not be an Equestria – or Equus for that matter – to come back to!”

“They sound terrifying…”  Fluttershy said quietly.

“They are, I’ve seen them firsthoof.”  Twilight said, and then she shivered slightly.  “They just… appear out of nowhere and by the time you realize they’re there, they’re already attacking.”





“How horrific!  I never imagined such monsters could ever exist in Equestria!”  Rarity exclaimed.  “To think that there are worse monsters than even Tirek in Equestria… I shudder at the thought!”

Outside the room, Chrysalis stood in the shadows, eaves dropping.  She could feel the pure, raw emotions coming from the room, with sadness being the one most tantalizing to her.  Sadness was a delicacy amongst the changelings, as it was difficult to get the emotion to surface untainted by other, less savory emotions such as fear, hate, or disgust.  However, Chrysalis did not partake of the emotions pouring out of the room and she made sure none of the rest of the brood intruded on them.

Another being’s grief over the loss of a loved one was sacred, even to the emotion-eating changelings.

“Ah, your majesty, I was hoping to acquire your aid.”  Came the voice of Star Swirl as he stepped beside her and Chrysalis gave him a sideways glance, but said nothing.  The archmage looked from Chrysalis, to the room where Twilight was talking with her friends and he smiled.  “The Princess of Friendship has a strong heart; with friends like hers, it is not much of a surprise.  They paid me not even the slightest heed as they hastened to her side to comfort her.”

Chrysalis was silent for a moment before turning and leaving.  Star Swirl watched her, glanced back briefly at the light coming from Twilight’s room, and then followed Chrysalis onto a balcony.  She was standing at the banister, looking up into the gathering twilight of dusk at the first star of the night.  Without even a word Star Swirl stood next to her.

“What troubles you so, Queen Chrysalis?”  He inquired.

“I…”  She began, hesitating only briefly.  “I never meant them any ill will; what I did, I did to ensure my brood survived.  Maybe there had been another option – another way – to acquire the emotions we needed to survive, but my brood was starving and I was desperate.  In another time and place, if things had been different, I would have congratulated the two on their marriage.”  Chrysalis looked away, ashamed.  “Instead, I harmed them grievously, nearly robbing them of a time of celebration and joy… just so my people could eat.”

“You did what you had to do, your majesty.  Being a leader means you must put the needs of your charges above those of another; even if it means you must go to war.”  Star Swirl said.

“That does not make what I did right.  I should have brought my issue to Celestia in the hopes that she would be able to aid me, but I did not.”  Chrysalis shook her head and looked at Star Swirl.  “My crimes are my own, now, and I must be willing to bear the stigma of those decisions.”

“I do not hold judgment against you, Queen Chrysalis, as it is not my place to do so.”  Star Swirl looked over the railing, down to where the Mischief Maker sat.  The Guardians were checking the ship for any defects while a pair of changelings worked together to move the last crate into the castle.  “You are making the proper steps toward redemption, though; many lives would have been lost without your changelings to help and the survivors are all the more thankful that they were present.”

“I… thank you, Master Star Swirl, but I am not worthy of redemption.”  Chrysalis replied.

“Only those who do not seek it are unworthy of redemption, your majesty.”  Star Swirl told her, and then he saw the doors to the castle open, letting Twilight Sparkle and her friends out of the castle.




Twilight Sparkle approached the Mischief Maker and stopped, looking up at it apprehensively.  Aveline strode down the ramp to her and smiled.

“The last of the crates have been offloaded; are you ready to leave, Twilight?”  Aveline asked and Twilight hesitated before nodding slowly.  “Okay, we’ll get the engines started.  It will take a few minutes if you want to say goodbye.”

Aveline went back into the ship and Twilight turned to her friends.

“Well, guess I’m off… to another planet.”  Twilight said and each of her friends hugged her one last time.

“Ya take care up there, Sugarcube.”

“Do come back safely, Darling.”

“Don’t worry about us; if those Vex come knocking we’ll kick their flanks!”

“P-Please… come back quickly… i-if you can, that is.”

“And make sure you bring me a whole bunch of souvenirs!”

Twilight smiled at all her friends and then looked at Spike.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Spike?”  She asked and the dragon nodded determinedly.

“Where you go, I go.  You’ll need my help out there to help Equestria.”  Spike said.  “It’s… what Shining Armor would do.”

With all said and done, Twilight and Spike also ascended the ramp into the ship, but Twilight stopped midway and turned back to her friends.

“Applejack?”  She said quietly and the farm pony looked at her curiously.  Twilight hesitated a moment before continuing.  “Does… does it ever stop hurting?”

Applejack froze and very briefly her eyes changed from those of the tough-as-nails foremare who runs Sweet Apple Acres, to the eyes of a mare who woke up everyday missing the parents she loved dearly.

“No Sugarcube… it don’t ever stop hurtin’; ya jus’ get used to the pain is all.”  Applejack said finally.  

Twilight waited a moment before turning back to continue ascending the ramp.  At the top she found Samson and Gospel waiting for her.  The Titan approached Twilight and knelt so he was as close to eye level as he could be.

“We’ll protect Equestria until you get back, I promise.”  Samson said.

“Thank you, Samson.”  Twilight replied with a smile.

Samson nodded and rose, to be replaced by Gospel who crouched down and looked into Twilight’s eyes as well.

“Hey, Twilight.”  He began.  “Before you go, I just wanted to apologize for my attitude.  I haven’t exactly been… nice in response to your generous hospitality.  However, I am grateful for your incredible patience throughout, so… thanks, Sparkle.”

Twilight dipped her head politely.  “Apology accepted, Gospel-”

“You don’t have to call me that.”  Gospel interrupted.  “You and your friends can call me Ian.”

“Thank you… Gospel.”  Twilight continued with a coy smile… which faded.  “But you don’t have to apologize; after what I saw today… I completely understand why you were so apprehensive.”

“Doesn’t excuse my behavior.  And it’s a good indicator of what to expect on Earth.”  Gospel stated seriously.  “Be careful up there, Sparkle, and don’t back down; keep pressing and they should listen.”

Twilight nodded.

“I’ll remember that… Ian.”  She said and Gospel clapped her on the withers lightly and left the ship.  Twilight turned back to her friends outside of the ship, who were now joined by Samson and Gospel.  

They all waved at her and she returned the wave.  The ship roared to life and began to ascend, with the ramp retracting back into the ship and sealing it with a hiss.  Twilight watched until the ramp closed and then trotted into the cockpit of the Mischief Maker where Aveline was seated next to Wedge.




Samson, Gospel, Daring Do, Star Swirl, and Chrysalis entered the dining hall and at the end of the table, Samson laid out two maps; one of Equestria as a whole and one of Ponyville.  Star Swirl glanced at them and sighed wearily.

“So it begins…”  He murmured.

“Since we are currently Vex-free, we need to spend this time getting weapons ready and training ponies on how to use them.”  Samson stated.  “Gospel, gather up any interested unicorns and show them how to assemble guns.  Chrysalis, spread your changelings out as far as you can afford; if the Vex move, I at least want a chance of seeing them coming.”

“I doubt we shall have much, if any, warning of an attack, but a chance is better than nothing.”  Chrysalis replied and Samson looked at Star Swirl.

“Is there any magic that can help us?”  He asked and the archmage nodded.

“I am certain I left at least one or two pieces of arcana that can assist us.  The sooner I can get my research from Canterlot, the better.”  Star Swirl replied.

“Daring Do, I want you to-”  Samson began, but he looked at Chrysalis when she inclined her head, a low drone emanating from her.  “Is there something the matter?”

After a moment of droning, Chrysalis’ eyes popped open and she suddenly looked at the entrance to the hall, stunned.

“Impossible…”  She murmured.  Everyone else looked from her, to the door just as it opened to reveal a white unicorn stallion with a blue mane.  Samson and Gospel both stood straight while Daring Do covered her mouth with a hoof and Star Swirl gawked, amazed.

“We… have a serious problem on our hooves, everybody.”  Shining Armor stated, tossing a Vex corpse onto the floor.  “I really hope you’ve got some kind of plan.”

> Chapter Twenty-one
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The arrival of Shining Armor had been a shock to everyone, even Samson.  Of course he understood when he saw the Ghost – who called herself “Aegis” – but even then, it was still surprising to see someone you actually saw die walk back in through the front doors as though it had never happened.  However, the equines in the meeting room-turned-war room were absolutely baffled by the turn of events so Samson had taken it upon himself to explain everything.

“So, nopony knows how these… Ghosts… choose their Guardians, only that they do?”  Star Swirl asked.

“Well… I didn’t exactly choose, it’s more like…”  Aegis paused, her optic wandering sightlessly as she tried to find the words before settling back on the archmage.  “We see them and we just know.  I’m not exactly sure how to describe the feeling.”

“How curious…”  Star Swirl mumbled in response.  “I had thought the current state of Equestria to be far and away beyond my understanding, but for there to be something out amongst the cosmos capable of instilling machines not just with souls, but the capability to breathe life unto the deceased?  I shudder to think that something so advanced exists anywhere, let alone within safe travel distance.”

“Wouldn’t call the journey ‘safe’, Star Swirl.”  Gospel piped up.  “Our ship may not be as hodge-podge as the Fallen’s ketch, but it can be considered a miracle that a relatively untested ship was able to make the trip.”

“We’re lucky you made it.”  Shining Armor stated, hoping to change the subject.  “Without you three, we might not have escaped the Crystal Empire.”

“’Lucky’?”  Samson repeated, cocking an eyeplate at the Guardian Prince.  “If you hadn’t held the Vex up in the center of the city, there might not have been anyone left to save.  It was your training and-”

“Oh yes, let’s all have a nice, big circle jerk why don’t we?”  Gauge stated in a manner not unlike Aveline’s Ghost.  “I mean, clearly there isn’t an imminent Vex attack about to happen or anything.”

Samson gave Gauge a surprised look while Chrysalis gave a snicker and Shining Armor and Gospel looked away bashfully.

“I may yet to grow to like these ‘Ghosts’.”  Chrysalis remarked wryly.

“I… fear I may have missed the meaning of your turn of phrase, but somehow I find I do not wish to know.”  Star Swirl said.

“Y-Yes… I almost forgot.”  Shining Armor said with a cough and then composed himself.  “Aegis and I managed to escape the city after she revived me, but we were pursued by this thing.  Not sure what it is, but it was tough and determined.”

“I didn’t get much, but what I got, I shared with Scripture and Gauge.”  Aegis stated.  “Apparently this particular Vex collective was attempting to… ‘recreate’ the Guardians resurrected by us Ghosts.”  Aegis looked at the Vex corpse on the table.  “This one was designated as what they called a ‘stalker’ unit.  There’s two more; one you already fought and destroyed in the evacuation and the other… I’m not sure.”

“We don’t have time to play the guessing game about what the Vex is making.  Right now the clear and present threat is this upcoming attack.”  Daring Do stated and Aegis nodded.

“Yes, of course.”  She replied and turned back to the table, this time toward the map set away from the Vex corpse.  “Now we don’t really know if the Vex are actually planning some kind of assault, but apparently they’re being gathered in their stronghold – a place they call the ‘Quartz Arbitrarium’.”

“We can’t afford to think they’re moving for anything less than an offensive on another part of Equestria.”  Shining Armor stated.  “If we only knew where this stronghold is, we could plan our defense accordingly.”  This time it was Gospel’s turn to approach the map.

“Actually, we might just know.”  He said.  “Ikora Rey – the Warlock mentor and representative in the Vanguard – is always going on and on about the Vex.  She’s fascinated by them and is always poring over records recovered from Venus and Mars, as well as Guardian reports on Vex troop movements; she probably knows more than anyone else about how the Vex operate.”

“While this Ikora Rey sounds like quite an interesting individual…”  Chrysalis said dryly.  “Perhaps you should explain your point instead of giving the autobiography.”

“And perhaps you should shut up and let me finish, Bug Queen.”  Gospel sniped back and Chrysalis gave him an icy glare in response.  “Anyway, as I was explaining before I was interrupted, Ikora Rey would talk to me about the Vex during the downtime between sorties.  She said that despite their ability to teleport long distances, they still had to come from somewhere if they needed to attack in large numbers.”  He jabbed a finger onto the map, planting it on the Crystal Empire.  “The Vex attacked here first, probably as retaliation and an attempt to retrieve Star Swirl so we can assume that the Quartz Arbitrarium is somewhere around the Crystal Empire.  If I’m correct, that means the Vex are going to attack us from the north, if at all.”

Daring Do’s eyes lit up.

“These strongholds… got lots of geometric shapes, perfect lines, glowing lights?”  She asked and every pair of eyes looked at her.

“Uh… yeah.”  Gospel replied, and then his eyes widened.  “Wait, you found it?!”

Daring Do propped herself up on the table and used a forehoof to move Gospel’s finger towards the mountains just north of the city.

“My team went up to these mountains to investigate some ruins up there.”  She said.  “That’s where we found the mechanism that opened the way inside.  After that… well, let’s just say things went horseapples.”

“Oh right… I read some old Bolt-knight reports that said something about a squad getting attacked in those mountains.”  Shining Armor said.  “Apparently even the Yaks of Yakyakistan won’t go near those mountains; they think it’s cursed and anypony who’s ever gone up never came back.  Guess now we know why…”

“Well, the Vex definitely don’t like…”  Scripture began, but then his optic flickered as though he blinked and he stared at Shining Armor.  “Did… did you just say Yak… yak… istan?”

Shining Armor returned the stare questioningly.

“Um… yes?”  He replied.

“And it’s populated by… Yaks… as in large, shaggy bovids?”

“You know about them?”  Shining Armor asked, curious, and Scripture drooped, his optic winking out and he gave a mechanical sigh.  Shining Armor gave him a worried stare.  “Is something wrong, Scripture?”

“I-It’s nothing.”  Scripture replied quickly.  “As I was saying, the Vex generally don’t like intruders.  Well, they generally don’t like anyone and pretty much shoot-on-sight, but they aren’t known for going on the offensive.”

“Unless they want something or they feel something’s a threat.”  Samson said.  “If the Vex are planning some kind of attack, it must mean that they feel threatened and they intend to remove that threat.”

Chrysalis gave a smirk and looked at the Vex on the table.

“I understand now… they fear us.”  She stated as she lifted a hoof and softly caressed the machine’s broken head.  “They fear that we can stop them – perhaps even slay them – so they wish to eliminate that fear.”  Her pocked hoof rested on the side of the Vex’s dim optic as it became enveloped in an acid green aura and after a moment, the optic crumpled, causing the glass-like substance within to shatter.  Chrysalis’ smirk turned into a malevolent grin.

“They shall be consumed by that fear.”



After going over all the read-outs to ensure their flight would continue uninterrupted, Aveline stretched in her seat and turned to look at the occupant of the seat next to hers.

“You have been fairly quiet, Spike; are you feeling sick at all?”  Aveline inquired.  “If you are, it is okay; jump sickness is not uncommon, especially for first-timers.”

Spike gave a little laugh.

“Please, you have clearly not gone through that mirror to Canterlot High.  That was a real doozy.”  He replied, and then gave a sigh as the brief bravado escaped him.  “I’m fine, it’s just… a lot’s happened over the last few days, y’know?  First you guys turn up, then the Fallen, and then the Crystal Empire gets attacked by these ‘Vex’ things.”  He leaned back and stared out the viewport, into the whirling turmoil of color that was jumpspace.  “Now we’re on a spaceship, flying to a whole different planet and Shining Armor’s dead… I guess it’s like there’s too much to take in and I don’t know what to feel.”

“Well… let us start with Shining Armor, then.”  Aveline said, turning her chair to face Spike’s.  “Who was he to you?”

Spike thought for a moment before replying.

“I… I didn’t really know him that well.”  Spike said.  “I mean, I met him a few times and he was super awesome, always acting like I was his little bro or something.  I liked him; I liked when he’d let me read his comics, and knowing he didn’t make it out?  It… it hurts, yeah.”  He looked back to the door leading further into the ship and his expression turned to worry.  “But… it’s Twilight I’m worried about right now.  She really took it hard, even you can see that.  Normally Twilight would be all over this ship and we’d have to spend the entire trip answering every.  Single.  Question; she’d probably have worn herself out before we even got to Earth, however…”
“She is not doing anything.”  Aveline finished and Spike nodded.

“Yeah… they were really, really close, y’know.  She adored him, practically idolized him.  It’s why she never backed down from anything; Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, not even Lord Tirek himself.  Although… Tirek was the one who got us bad.”

“What do you mean?”  Aveline asked.

“You remember that blackened tree stump currently sitting near the train station?”  Spike asked and when Aveline nodded, he slumped.  “That used to be a library… our home.  Tirek blew it up during his rampage and she barely got out of there with Owlowicious.  He’s still scared of fire and loud noises, but Twilight’s been having recurring nightmares.  I think the doctor called it-”

“Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.”  Aveline interrupted, and then she, too, turned to look at the door.  “I see our arrival was… rather ill-timed.”

“Tell me about it.”  Spike replied, and then returned to looking out the viewport.  “She’s been doing better now, having less nightmares and not going into full panic mode every time a door slams or I accidentally burn haybacon.”  Spike gave a huff and crossed his arms.  “But I bet we’re going to have all kinds of new problems once this stuff is through.”

“Perhaps it is best you not think about what is to come.”  Aveline told the dragon.  “What may come, will come, and you will be able to handle it then.  Right now, you should focus on the present.”

“Okay…”  Spike replied, and after a moment, he leaned toward Aveline.  “Does Earth have any dragons?”

Aveline chuckled at his question.

“No, sadly.  On Earth, dragons are creatures of fairy tales; ones where the brave knight faces the beast and rescues the princess.”  Aveline replied and Spike gave her a suspicious look.

“But wait, what if the dragon actually just likes the princess?  Did they ever think about that?”  Spike asked and Aveline shrugged.

“Such tales where created long before even Gospel was born.  I have no way of knowing their intent.”  Aveline replied.

“Well, then maybe I’ll create a fairy tale where the dragon wants to be friends with the princess and he beats the stupid knights who are jealous!”  Spike proclaimed, garnering another laugh from Aveline.

“You should do that, Spike; even I would want to read that story.”  Aveline told the dragon, who beamed up at her.

“I think I’ll start on it after this whole Vex business is over with.”  Spike said as he relaxed and closed his eyes.  “Right now… I could use a nice, long… nap.”

It was not long before he was snoring, sound asleep and Aveline smiled softly at him.

“I envy your youth, Spike.”  She murmured quietly.  “It has been too long since I could spare the time to sleep whenever I so wished.”

She gave a low, tired sigh, and then turned back to the viewport.

‘Their world will never be the same… y’know that, right?’  Lance queried and Aveline frowned.

“Yes… and it’s a damn shame.”



Samson sat on a box brought out from Mischief Maker, though it was currently empty.  His fingers were clasped contemplatively and he stared at a blank section of wall as though he saw something that wasn’t there.  His Ghost, Gauge, hovered around the various other boxes, scanning them.  She would occasionally steal a brief glance at her Guardian, but otherwise said nothing.  Gospel, meanwhile, was directing various unicorns and changelings as they unloaded various parts of weapons and armor.  He was holding a clipboard and a pencil, scratching on it as his Ghost, Scripture, gave him readouts.  Eventually Gospel approached Samson, scratching at his head.

“Well, so far we’ve got enough parts for a little over a dozen Marshall autos, Pulsar MSe pulse rifles, Jigoku scouts, and Duke handcannons.”  Gospel stated, going over the list.  “We’ve also got parts for a few Hieracon sniper rifles, some Preacher shotguns, and several Tengoku fusion rifles of each elemental charge.  As for heavies… well, we’ve got parts for a few Xerxes machine guns but only enough for a couple of Jester launchers.”

“And ammunition?”

Gospel scratched at his head in frustration.

“Got tons of synth, but not enough for what we need it for; good for… maybe a few hours solid combat?”  Gospel was silent for a moment before he tossed his clipboard away haphazardly.  “Who are we trying to kid here?  Even if we didn’t have basic weapon parts meant for maintenance, we’d never have brought enough ammo to withstand a siege for even a day!  We’re so far up shit creek, we’re in the rapids and there’s not a damn thing we can do to save ourselves… we’re fucked, Samson.”

When Samson didn’t respond, Gospel gave him a sideways glance.

“Please, please tell me you’ve got a plan rattling around in that mechanical skull of yours.”  Gospel said.

“Even the best battle strategy will fail if all we have to fight with are sticks and stones.”  Samson said finally.  “Shining Armor led a defense that held just long enough for us to mount a rescue and that was after getting caught with his proverbial pants down.”

“But you know as well as I do that the Vex don’t fall for the same tricks twice.”  Gospel replied.  “And we can’t rely on the same defenses through an entire siege; the Vex will quickly find a way to punch through our formations.”

“Which means we need a fluid, evolving defense; something to keep them on their toes.”  Samson said.  “We’ve got capable enough leaders to pull it off, but we need troops; troops with guns and the training to use them.”

“Yep…”  Gospel agreed, leaning against the wall.  He looked at Samson and curiosity crossed his face.  “You got something in mind, Sam?”

“I plan to find someone with the guns and boots we need… and I know just where to look, too.”  Samson replied.

“What, really?  Where can we…”  Gospel paused mid-sentence as his brain caught up and he shot off the wall.  “Oh… no, Hell no, you aren’t seriously suggesting-!”

“What other choice do we have?”  Samson interrupted, standing suddenly.  “We’re outnumbered and outgunned, Ian!  You know as well as I do that it’s a day’s jump to and from Earth.  Even if the Vanguard authorizes immediate Guardian deployment, we’ve still got at least two days before they get here; at least with the help of the Fallen, we might have a chance of surviving long enough for them to arrive.”

“But we don’t even know if the Fallen will listen to us!”  Gospel countered.

“We at least have to try, Ian; this entire world is depending on us.”  Samson said.  Gospel clenched his fist, but then relaxed.

“Damn it, you’re right as usual.”  Gospel said.  “You make contact with the Fallen, I’ll get started on these weapons.  I think if we remove the finger guards, our hooved friends should be able to-”  Gospel paused mid sentence as a unicorn entered.

“Um, excuse me, Mister Gospel.”  She said stopping in front of the warlock.  A rifle floated in behind her and Gospel took it.  “We found a couple of crates that had fully assembled weapons in them.  What should we do with them?”

Gospel stared at the weapon in his hands before hefting it and aiming down its sights.  The weapon had a box-like design meant to imply a rugged functionality and a strap ran the length of the gun.  He found the gun sat well in his hands and his finger rested easily on the trigger, as though this was a gun he’d used dozens of times before.

“This gun’s brand new.”  He said, and then quietly added “Feels like home…”

“Sir?”

“Oh, uh…”  Gospel stammered, snapping out of his head.  “Set them aside, there’s no reason to mix them up with unassembled arms.”

The unicorn nodded and left.  Gospel stared at the weapon a moment longer before slinging it over his shoulder.  Samson’s face broke into a robotic grin.

“Wonder how many strings Banshee had to pull to get those guns?”  Samson inquired and Gospel shrugged.

“No clue, but we owe him big time, they might just save our lives.”  Gospel replied.  Samson stood from his box.

“Get started on the weapons; I’ll make contact with the Fallen and see if I can’t get them on our side.”  Samson said, walking past Gospel.

“And if you can’t?”  Gospel asked and Samson stopped in the doorway.

“Whether they join us or not is irrelevant.  I’ll start talking with Shining Armor and Chrysalis about how to plan our defense.”  Samson replied without looking at Gospel and then left.



After the last of the ponies had disembarked from the ketch, Morra returned to the bridge to manage the flight crew.  She paced around behind various Dregs and Vandals as they worked the various devices necessary for the ship to fly.  As she passed a Dreg, it turned to her.

“Herald, we are picking up a transmission on all channels.”  He reported and Morra stopped, looking at the Dreg.

“One of our own?”  She asked and the Dreg shook its head.

“No, Herald; it’s a Terran transmission, from a Ghost.”  The Dreg replied and Morra gave him her full attention.

“Let me listen.”  She commanded and the Dreg stepped aside with a respectful bow.  Morra’s hands whirled briefly over the console to link it to her helmet’s internal audio and listened.  After a moment she spun and quickly raced out of the bridge, leaving a confused Dreg to stare at her flight.

It didn’t take her long to reach the chamber where Xarksis, Tolarum and Varkin were conversing.  The second she entered, the three Eliksni within stopped speaking and stared at her, with Xarksis giving her a threatening glare.

“Herald Morra, your new station comes with authority and lenience, but I would not recommend testing how far either goes.”  He warned and Morra bowed.

“Forgive me, my Kell, but we have received a transmission from one of the Guardians.”  She stated quickly.

“They make contact with us…?”  Varkin asked, rubbing a hand under his chin.  “Intriguing.”

“Put it on audio, I wish to listen.”  Xarksis commanded and Morra did so.  After a moment, the sound of Samson’s voice filled the room.

“My name is Samson-12, captain of Fireteam Wisp and current planetary liaison for the Vanguard.  I humbly request to meet with the House of Dragons to discuss a matter of utmost importance.”

The message stopped briefly before beginning to play once more and Xarksis silenced it.  It was Tolarum who spoke first.

“Do you think this is a trap?”  Tolarum inquired and Varkin shook his head.

“I doubt it, Commander; Guardians have never been so subtle in their attempts to slay the Eliksni and I hardly think they would change their tactics now.”  Varkin replied.  “If they are making contact with us, I suspect it is genuine and they are desperate for something only we have.”

“But what could they possibly want from us?”  Morra asked and Xarksis leaned forward.

“We shall find out.”  He replied.  “Herald, take a skiff and two of our best guard and bring me the Light-wielder.  Commander, send word throughout the ship that all personnel are to be armed and on stand-by just in case.”

“As your will demands, my Kell.”  Tolarum and Morra replied and they departed, leaving Xarksis and Varkin alone.  After a moment of silence, the wizened Vandal spoke.

“I believe this is the right course, Kell Xarksis.”  Varkin said.

“…Perhaps.”  Xarksis replied.



Samson hadn’t received any confirmation from the Fallen.  He didn’t know whether or not they would come, but he still prepared his gear as though he were expecting them.  He found the box containing the premade weapons and saw they were top-of-the-line weapons from three of the City’s leading foundries; Omolon, Hakke, and SUROS.  Samson pulled one of the large, sleek rifles bearing SUROS livery and checked it.  Satisfied, Samson put a fresh clip into the gun and placed it on the magnetic holster on the back of his armor.  Then he pulled a Hakke pistol out and loaded it, chambering a round and putting the weapon on another magnetic holster on the thigh of his armor.

Ready, Samson left the busy chamber full of ponies and encountered Shining Armor waiting outside.

“Prince Shining Armor, is there something you need?”  Samson asked and Shining Armor levitated the gun Samson had given him, holding it out to the Titan.

“Here, you can have your weapon back.”  Shining Armor stated.  “Thanks for letting me borrow it.”

Samson stared at the gun for a moment before shaking his head.

“Keep it; with what’s about to happen, you’re going to need it more than me.”  Samson replied and walked past.  Shining Armor turned and followed Samson.

“You meeting with the Fallen?”  He asked and Samson shrugged.

“Maybe, it’s kind of up to them.”  Samson replied.  “I wouldn’t blame them if they ignored me; we haven’t exactly been on peaceful terms with them.”

“Things will be much more difficult without them.”  Shining Armor stated as they exited the castle.

“Yeah, it’s going to be busy around here.”  Samson said.  “We’ve got to modify a lot of weapons, synthesize ammunition, train ponies on how to shoot properly and I’ve got to show you how to use the Light.”

“I think I can handle myself.”  Shining Armor said.  Samson came to a stop on the path from the castle and turned to Shining Armor.

“I know you can, but without Aveline, we’re low on full-strength Guardians and we need you to be as strong as I can make you.”  Samson told him.  Shining Armor was about to reply when there was a sound like a thunderclap.  

Both of them turned in the direction of the noise and saw a Fallen skiff coming to stop near them.  The vessel hovered low to the ground and three Vandals – Morra and two Kellsguard – jumped out.  The Kellsguard aimed shrapnel launchers at Samson, fanning out to flank them while Morra approached the Titan confidently.

“Guardian.  Kell of Dragons has requested your presence aboard his ketch.”  Morra stated and Samson approached.  He reached for his rifle in order to surrender it to Morra, but the Kellsguard barked something in their language and raised their weapons threateningly.  Samson lowered his hand.

“Okay, I guess you don’t mind me being fully armed.”  Samson stated.

“Taking weapons serves no purpose, Titan.”  Morra told him.  “We know you do not need weapons to kill; at least with weapons, we have warning and know when to kill first.” 

Samson was silent before giving a shrug.  Morra nodded towards one of the Kellsguard and they took up positions behind and on either side of the Exo.  That done, Morra turned back toward the skiff and began to walk back to it when Shining Armor stepped forward.

“Wait!”  He said and the Fallen herald turned a baleful gaze to him.  Shining Armor hesitated only briefly.  “I want to come with you.”

‘Are you insane?!  They’ll kill us!’  Aegis’ exclaimed, but Shining Armor ignored her.

Morra regarded him for a moment before speaking.

“And who are you?”  She inquired.

“My name is Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire.”  He stated and, after a brief pause, added.  “And… a Guardian.”

The two Kellsguard looked at each other, and then turned their attention to Morra and one of them growled questioningly.  Shining Armor didn’t understand what it had said, but he was sure there was a touch of uncertainty to the creature’s voice.  Morra said nothing for a long minute before turning back to the skiff.

“If you wish, but do not expect better than the false human.”  She growled and then crawled into the skiff.  The two Kellsguard kept their positions around Samson as they followed her, clearly seeing him as the greater threat.  The skiff began to hum and Shining Armor quickly got on board.

‘Ugh… and after all that work I did to escape…’  Aegis groused, but then she chuckled.  ‘ Oh, I can’t wait to see the look on Soreks’ optic when he sees I found a Guardian.’



Silver Spanner finished moving a box of parts into place when she heard a crash from behind her.  She turned sharply to see a wall-eyed grey pegasus mare hovering near a pile of crates that she had just knocked over, her hooves covering her muzzle.

“Hey, be careful with those!  We don’t want anything to break before we can put it together!”  Silver Spanner shouted to the mare.

“S-Sorry!”  She squeaked fearfully.  “I accidentally bumped it and it fell over…”

“It’s okay, accidents happen.”  Silver Spanner said with a sigh – getting mad at her wouldn’t help anything – and she gestured with her hoof out the door.  “How about you go see if Rainbow Dash needs any help and I’ll clean this up?”

The wall-eyed mare brightened up and gave an enthusiastic nod.

“Okay!”  She replied cheerfully and flew out the door, banging her head on the doorframe as she did so.  Once she was gone, Silver Spanner gave another sigh.

“How she is simultaneously the most and least useful pegasus in Ponyville is beyond me…”  Spanner grumbled and began to levitate boxes back into when a flash of white caught her eye.  She looked at it and saw the end of a – what did they call it, a rifle? – sticking out from underneath some boxes.  

She pulled it out and saw the weapon looked similar to some of frames she’d seen in a box, except it had more rounded edges and what looked like writing on the side.  Unlike the others, this one had a rounded loop that she assumed one looked through because it lined up with a raised point at the end of the barrel.  She also noticed that the weapon had what appeared to be a tube of some kind running most of length of the weapon, from the barrel to where the trigger was, feeding into a rounded area at the heart of the weapon.  It looked whole and she picked it up, but immediately noticed that it felt dead in her aura.  She looked around cautiously for a moment and, upon seeing she was alone in the room, closed her eyes and focused her magic.  When Spanner felt the appropriate magic build-up, she placed her hoof on the weapon.

“Trace… on!”  Silver Spanner murmured and suddenly she could feel her consciousness racing through the gun’s inner workings; she even understood what everything in it was and needed to do!  She felt her way through its circuitry, across the length of the barrel, and through the energy transfer into the central chamber until…

“Ah, that’s your problem right there!”  She exclaimed quietly, opening her eyes.  “You took a nasty hit and they haven’t been able figure out what’s wrong to fix you.”  Silver Spanner rose and sped out the door, carrying the gun with her.  She knew how to fix the weapon, but she needed to get it back to her workshop.  Silver Spanner was in such a hurry that Gospel barely avoided bumping into her.

“Hey!”  He shouted in alarm and turned, but the unicorn had already turned and corner and disappeared.  He waved a hand irritably, shouting into the hallway she ran down.  “Watch where you’re going!”

When nobody responded, Gospel shook his head and headed toward the room she’d just departed, but Scripture lingered.

“Why was she in such a hurry…?”  He murmured questioningly, but then started when Gospel shouted again.

“GOD DAMN IT!  WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED IN HERE?!”

Scripture spared one final glance at the empty hallway before following Gospel.



Morra and the Kellsguard led Samson and Shining Armor through the Fallen ketch, with each Dreg and Vandal they passed making a point of flashing their weapons.  A Captain even made a point of leaning far too close to Samson and growling in the Exo’s face, an act meant to intimidate and challenge, but Samson ignored him and he left with a huff.  Halfway through the ship a group of Shanks began to silently shadow the group.  They were apparently some kind of security detail and their presence was meant as a warning; always keeping their distance, but not so far that the Guardians couldn’t hear the whir of their internal workings.

After a long, uncomfortable amount of time traversing the ship, Morra finally led them through a hatch that opened into a large, shadowy chamber.  There were various terminals scattered around, but at the back was a large throne with banners draped over it.  It was presently unoccupied, but the rest of the chamber was filled with glowing blue lights; Fallen lurking in the darkness, watching them intently.  They stopped in front of the throne and Morra took a position to one side of it.  Almost immediately Kellsguard began to appear from either side, their camouflage dissipating in a growl of crackling electricity and they each brandished a pair of crackling, electrically charged swords.  Wordlessly they surrounded the Guardians, keeping far enough away that, should either of the Guardians attempt to attack, they could still pounce and strike with their swords without being within easy reach.

With a grace that Shining Armor wouldn’t have believed possible for one so large, a Baron stepped from the shadows behind them and paced to their front.  Unlike the Captain from earlier, this Baron leaned down until he was almost nose-to-nose with Samson, two large hands resting on the hilts of his swords.  The Exo didn’t flinch or look away, but instead returned the Baron’s glare indomitably.  Shining Armor contemplated going for his gun, but Aegis stopped him.

‘Your vitals are spiking; calm down.’  She told him.  ‘It’s an intimidation tactic; they’re trying to see if they can make you uncomfortable enough to draw your gun.’

“Well, it’s working; I am definitely uncomfortable.”  Shining Armor murmured in response.  “Are you sure they aren’t going to attack?”

‘Positive.’  Aegis replied.  ‘If the Fallen are anything, it’s proud.  If they mean to kill you, they won’t waste time on theatrics.’  And as if by an afterthought, Aegis added.  ‘Although I’m sure they wouldn’t mind an excuse to put your head on a pike.’

“Lovely…”  Shining Armor grumbled just as the Baron broke eye contact with Samson and turned his glare on Shining Armor, saying nothing.  Shining Armor tried not to let the chill that ran across his spine show.

After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, there was the sound of a hatch opening and a Vandal leaning heavily on a staff entered from behind the throne.  Shining Armor didn’t have long to contemplate whether he was the “Kell” or not because a Fallen of unbelievable size, wearing armor that spoke of both his strength and his stature, strode confidently in from behind the throne and stood in front of it.  He did not take a seat, but instead stood there, looking imperiously down at the Guardians.

From all around them came a brief rush of movement as every Fallen in the chamber save the wizened old Vandal knelt respectfully in the presence of what was indisputably their leader.  Xarksis, Kell of Dragons, addressed Samson in a rich baritone tinged only slightly in a growling warble.

“We meet again, Guardian.”  He stated less in greeting and more as a hostile displeasure.  “I do not make it a habit to meet with enemies of my people, and many here would be more than happy to tear you limb from limb and crush your Ghost.”

“I am well aware of that, Kell of Dragons.”  Samson replied respectfully.  “I wouldn’t say I like this any more than you.”

Shining Armor wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw the Kell’s eyes glint briefly in what might have been amusement.  Before he could certain, however, the Kell turned his regal gaze toward Shining Armor.

“My favored Servitor has been quite shamed, you know.”  He said, his words dripping with false formality.  “Did you not enjoy my hospitality?”

Shining Armor swallowed, sweat beginning to bead on him.

“Um… e-excuse me?”  He asked carefully.

“I do not speak to you, fledging; I speak to the Ghost that has given you new life.”  Xarksis replied, and then turned his gaze back to Samson.  “But that is no matter; I wish to know why there are Guardians aboard my ship that I have not yet ordered to be killed.”

‘Wow, he doesn’t beat around the bush, does he?’  Gauge remarked.

‘Surprisingly, most Fallen don’t.’ Aegis replied.

“I’m here on behalf of Equestria, not the Vanguard.”  Samson said.  “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about the Vex presence.”

“No, even if our sensors had failed to detect them, Princess Cadance was more than happy to inform us of what happened.”  Xarksis replied, and then briefly inclined his head toward Shining Armor.  “My condolences.”

“Um… thanks?”  Shining Armor said nervously.

“Well, we’ve managed to recover some intel regarding the Vex, namely as to the location of their stronghold.”  Samson told Xarksis and the Kell did something unexpected; he blinked.  There was a murmur of alien voices as word spread across the room.  After a moment, Xarksis took a seat on his throne.

“And you offer me this information freely?”  Xarksis inquired and Samson shook his head.

“I would but… there’s more to it than that.”  Samson replied and Xarksis leaned forward dangerously.

“Explain.”  He commanded and Samson only hesitated briefly before holding out his hand and Gauge appeared over it.

“Gauge, send them the data packet.”  Samson told her.

“Uh, right.  Transmitting now.”  She chirped and hovered over to a nearby console while Samson spoke to Xarksis.

“I’m giving you all the intel we’ve gleaned from a pair of advanced Vex units unlike any we’ve ever seen.”  He said as all the holoscreens in the room changed to display technical readouts and images of the Stalker and Wraith units.  

Aegis had done most of the work parsing the data into the Fallen language, thus there was more murmuring as the Fallen saw – and read – the technical readouts.  Xarksis displayed no gratitude, acting as if this was to be expected of the Guardians.

“As you can see, they’re not dissimilar from Guardians.  Far as we can tell, they’re just prototypes and we have no way of knowing if there’s any more.”  Samson continued.  “However, they aren’t why I contacted you.”

“I would assume not, otherwise you would be wasting my time and your life.”  Xarksis said, entwining the fingers of one pair of hands.  “You said you know where their stronghold is; elaborate before I tire of you.”

“Well…”  Samson replied, and the screens switched to a map of the Crystal Empire.  He indicated a red dot in the northern peaks.  “A survivor discovered it in the mountains here, just to the north.  We aren’t sure how big the complex is, but it may be more or less directly underneath the city.”

Morra said something to Xarksis, but the Kell responded by raising one hand to silence her.

“You’re giving us this information in the hopes that we lay siege to this stronghold.”  Xarksis stated but to his surprise, Samson shook his head.

“No, or at least, not yet.”  Samson replied and Xarksis leaned forward again, curious.

“Then why are you here?”  Xarksis asked and before Samson could respond, Shining Armor stepped forward.

“Because we need your help.”  He stated and Xarksis’ head immediately snapped to look at Shining Armor, dangerous intent flickering in his eyes.  Shining Armor balked slightly, but continued.  “The Vex are mustering their forces in preparation to attack.  We know where they are, we have Guardians and now we’ve sent for reinforcements; I don’t doubt for a second that they intend to strike first to cripple, if not eradicate us.”

“Do not speak to Kell of Dragons unless you are spoken to, Guardian!”  Morra snapped, but Shining Armor ignored her.

“We have spears and bows, formidable weapons against a normal enemy but not the Vex.”  Shining Armor said.  “We need weapons comparable to their own and soldiers capable of wielding them!  Please, I beg of you… lend us your people’s strength so we may protect our own!”

Kell Xarksis stood suddenly, causing Samson to instinctively reach for his gun and subsequently have dozens of shockswords and Fallen guns pointed at him and Shining Armor.  Tolarum drew his own swords and moved to stand between Shining Armor and Xarksis, but the Kell stayed him with one hand and a single barked order.  None of the Fallen moved to strike, but neither did they lower their weapons.  Xarksis glared down at Shining Armor, his eyes burning.

“You ask me to send what few troops I have so that you may have some… fleeting hope that you will somehow survive the Vex?”  Xarksis growled, his voice low and dangerous.  “You ask me to send my people to die for yours?  What have we to gain from this; information that does nothing more than to tell me that the most dangerous enemy in the galaxy is becoming more so?  HA!  You have nothing; are worth nothing!”

“We have Guar-”  Shining Armor began, but he stopped when Xarksis bent low to be eye-to-eye with him.

“You know nothing of us, Equestrian.  My people – the Eliksni people – have lost everything.  We have become so depraved that we have forgotten who we are as a species, fighting ourselves as readily as we fight our enemies.”  Xarksis told Shining Armor, his voice low.  “In our eyes… your people are only beginning to taste the dark despair that has long since consumed us.”  Xarksis rose and gestured with one hand.  “Morra, escort these shades back to where you found them… we are finished here.”

Xarksis began to leave and Samson lowered his hand uncertainly, looking around at the various Fallen.

“You’re not going to kill us?”  He asked and the Kell stopped and gave him a sideways glance.

“Why bother?  You will be dead in short order regardless, so I see no reason to waste resources on you.”  He replied.

The Fallen began to push Samson and Shining Armor back towards the hatch they’d entered, but Shining Armor resisted.

“The darkness hasn’t consumed you!”  He shouted over the Fallen.  “You just need hope that everything will be alright!”  The Kellsguard lifted Shining Armor off the floor easily, growling angrily as he struggled.  “As long as you believe you can, no foe will ever be beyond your ability to defeat!”

His protests were muffled as the hatch closed and Xarksis stood silently.  After a moment, he turned to face the hatch, staring at it.

“Fool… does he not know there is no victory in the face of this darkness?”  Xarksis murmured and Varkin growled in response.

“Perhaps he does, but he chooses to stand against it anyway.”  Varkin said.  “He has everything to lose, after all.  Better they fight for everything in one grand battle than cower and hide, rolling over while their enemy destroys them.”

Xarksis said nothing and departed with Tolarum close behind.  Varkin, however, lingered and ruminated.



Samson and Shining Armor sat quietly in the skiff as it left the ketch.  Samson was leaning forward and thinking deeply while Shining Armor fumed.  Morra stared at Shining Armor in silence for a while before speaking.

“My Kell does not deny your request out of hate, Equestrian.”  She said, causing Shining Armor to look up at her.

“No… no he doesn’t.”  Shining Armor replied.  “I get it; he’s got all of you to look after.  If I was in his position, I’d probably say the same thing.”

“Probably with more tact.”  Samson added and Shining Armor gave a small laugh.

“Yeah, definitely.”  He replied.

“Yet, you are still… upset?”  Morra queried and Shining Armor sighed.

“Yeah… I’m just frustrated.”  Shining Armor told her.  “I guess I feel like I failed Equestria as a prince.”

To both of their surprise, Morra shook her head.

“No, you did not.”  She replied and both Samson and Shining Armor looked at her.

“What do you mean?”  Shining Armor asked.

“You spoke from heart.  You put yourself in danger for home, for people.”  Morra told him.  “A Kell must be willing to put house before himself and you have done so.  You failed only to get allies, but not as leader.”

The skiff began to slow and descend, the hatches on the side opening to reveal Ponyville.  Once near the ground, both Samson and Shining Armor disembarked while Morra leaned out.

“I give regrets, Prince Shining Armor; if my choice, I would gladly lend my blade to your cause!”  Morra shouted over the skiff’s engines.

“Thank you Morra, Herald of Dragons; give your Kell my apologies for my outburst!”  Shining Armor shouted back and Morra nodded.  She turned to crawl back in the skiff, but pause and turned back.

“There is… still hope!”  She shouted again.  “You must stay determined!”

She entered the skiff and it immediately rose and departed in a crack of thunder, leaving Samson and Shining Armor behind.  They lingered briefly before turning as one back to the castle.

“Well, now we move on to the next step.”  Samson said and Shining Armor nodded.

“Show me how to use the Light.”  Shining Armor replied.  “We’re going to need anything and everything if we want to survive.”