Twilight is a princess and the successor to Princess Celestia. With this, she is destined for greater things. But what she didn't know was that she is one of the last of her kind, and for all she knows, she is being hunted.
My name is Twilight Sparkle...or at least that's what they call me. I am what ponies say as The Princess of Friendship, the Element of Magic, and protege of Princess Celestia. But unknown to me, I was hidden from the real world. A world very much different from the one I call home. And by the time I knew about it, it was already too late for me. Because this vibrant, unusual, and dangerous world... it has always been here. Watching me. Waiting for me...
Everything that I have ever known, every book that I have read, everything that I have experienced during my friendship trials...was it all worth it? Who is Abstergo? What is my father hiding from me? What are MY FRIENDS hiding? Why is Celestia paranoid all of a sudden? Everything makes no sense anymore. Because it doesn't tell me what I needed to know:
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...
WARNING!!! CONTAINMENT BREACH DETECTED IN SECTOR 4 DISTRICT B24D7! INITIATING CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS.........WARNING!!! CONTAINMENT UNSUCCESSFUL! REROUTING POWER TO *ZZZZBBZZZZTTTT* FATAL ERROR 161 *ZZZZBBTTT* CONTAI9457586JJ3HNNGKWA///RNI995H%^&@GKKDKF;JGDKLF *ZZZZBBTTT* KRTBN^^%$RTNLRITNBJE\\KN4R;TGNTOTWH;IRNT4766MGJIRU006 *ZZZZZZZZZBBBBTTTTTTTTTT*
Twilight Sparkle brushed through her books inside the library of her newly established Crystal Castle. She pondered over her seemingly endless piles of research-worthy reading material just to feel sane. Her friends, on the other hoof, sat idly by in the dining room, minding their own business and sitting in chairs marked with their respective Cutie Mark. After all, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash only cared to see that their friend was alive, healthy and most importantly, herself. Sometimes they would reminisce about the good times, like how they first met and their spectacular victories against dastardly foes like Tirek and Discord. These trials had strengthened their bond and even sharpened their teamwork skills for when such desperate times would emerge in the future.
Spike emerged with a fresh plate hay fries and set it on the table in front of him. "'Bout time! I'm starving!" exclaimed Applejack as a hunger pang struck.
"Well, you're in for a treat, 'cause I added my little extra spice that I picked from Zecora's!"
"YUMMY!" Pinkie Pie placed a heap of hay fries on her plate. Knowing her, she'd probably drench it with whipped cream or sprinkle it heavily with chocolate chips. Either way, it didn't stop Rarity from cringing a little bit.
"Seriously, Pinkie, sometimes you need to lay off with the sugar content of your...diet," she remarked with half-hidden disgust.
"WHAAAT?! I'm hungry!" Pinkie gobbled down a huge bite of fries.
"Say, has anypony seen Twilight? She hasn't been here since this morning." Fluttershy said, concerned by her friend's unusual tardiness.
"Probably still stuck and lost in the vast, imaginary world of dictionaries!"
"Rainbow Dash, darling! Please give Twilight a break," Rarity replied.
"Just sayin'. Besides, she's really missin' a lot with these hay fries."
"Yep. She really is." Spike said in a worried tone. He then decided to reserve Twilight a portion and bring it to the library.
Drowsily drooling and with her face on the book, Twilight had just finished volumes VI and VII of Equestrian History: Revised Edition after having read The Pony in the High Castle. Knowledge had always been her pursuit in life, like many of Princess Celestia's advisers, especially the great and wise Star Swirl the Bearded. She didn't seem to care much about self-control when it came to grabbing a good book, or anything readable, really, and relishing on the world of literature. The Cutie Mark Crusaders definitely would reconsider having another "Twilight Time" (If that were to ever happen again, well, let's just say that Twilight has already another lesson plan waiting for them) and learn more about their special talents if Twilight herself would've allowed time for it. Still, having to absorb so many historical references while interpreting the different ideologies of a fictional Brave New World truly exhausted this egghead of all eggheads.
Spike knocked on the door. "Twilight? You here?" Spike emerged from the downstairs doorway, holding a plate of hay fries for Twilight.
"HUH?! In the 12th century, the Siege of Mas-hay-yaf began when the noble Templar Knights fought valiantly..." Twilight gasped with the sudden spark of her newly obtained knowledge from her history book. "Against the...." She yawned. "Invading...forces of...Damarescus...and..." Twilight quickly resumed her face-on-book sleeping position, snoring raucously.
Spike sighed. "Sometimes I worry about her," he thought to himself.
Spike lay down her plate next to her and shook her shoulder hard enough to wake her up [gently enough to not startle her again]. "Twilight! You've been stuck to those dusty old books all day! Can you at least stop to get a breather?" Although Spike knew Twilight would never bore herself from reading, Spike nonetheless felt concern.
"Oh, sorry Spike. I guess I may have read a little too much." Twilight chuckled a little in embarrassment and then began to recollect her previous reading session, replace "in which case" with "manifested by" the plethora of books stacked up next to her plate of hay fries.
"OMIGOSH! I read all this?!" Twilight rubbed her eyes "What time is it?"
"It's half past 5." Spike said bluntly. Do you even remember what you read?
"Oh no...Are they still downstairs?"
"Yeah, waiting for you"
Twilight sighed and rubbed her face. "I guess I got carried away. It’s just so fascinating, that's all".
"About what?"
"I'm sure you've heard of the adage 'History repeats itself,' how one's actions can actually affect the entire system, even if he or she does not see it. Well, that's just it! I've been reading this book here." Twilight flipped open the exact page number where she left and planted it on Spike's face.
"The Secret Crusade?" Spike blurted.
"Yes! And it also says here the Knights Templar even have tie-ins with the knight's oath of the royal guards in Canterlot! To think that my brother could become a member of this valiant order!" There were times when even Twilight would find herself lucky with what she already had: the countless blessings and now responsibilities she had as a protege to Princess Celestia and as a princess can be quite overwhelming for a young alicorn.
Spike had mostly speed-read the section up to where Twilight stopped. "'But the Secret Crusade became the stuff of controversy when the people of Mas-hay-yaf started revolting against the kingdom as different religions began to clash, thus ending it with a great upheaval....' I don't know, Twilight, maybe this whole history thing you're reading can be a bunch of brouhaha. They sound like they're sending a wrong message."
"Well, at least it's food for thought, right?"
"Yeah, sure. Anyway, you REALLY need to take a break. I left you some hay fries..."
"No, Spike. I'd better go down to see you all..."Twilight dropped her head a moment and sighed. "Yeah, I really need to stop reading once in a while." Twilight rubbed her forehead, feeling a spike. She HAD been reading a lot and it HAD been a long afternoon. With every book she finished, a series of flashes would usually blind her vision for a while, like staring at a blinking strobe light. I guess that happens when an egghead has a keen eye for words so deep that even a dictionary gets a headache from explaining it.
"Blah blah blah" was all Twilight could hear before she opened the dining hall doors.
"Well, look who decided to show up!" Applejack teased.
"Ehehe...sorry I took so long. Been uuh...a bit busy," Twilight said.
"Ah'm just kiddin', Twi! We were just talkin' about you!"
"About what?" Twilight asked.
"Like, why hasn't Twilight taken a bath yet?" Rainbow Dash joked, muffling her laughter at the sight of her frazzled friend.
"Well, Princess Celestia never runs out of books to give away" Twilight retorted.
"What do you mean?" asked Fluttershy.
"The Canterlot library is being renovated. While the workers were demolishing some of the old bookshelves, they found an old stock of book copies that were apparently ordered by several customers," Twilight started explained eagerly, "they didn't know what to do with them, so Celestia decided to ship them to me."
"Exactly how many books are you receiving?" Rarity asked.
"Depends. Sometimes only one, other times a box or two."
"I just hope you get to find time to spend with us, darling." Rarity said, a little worried that Twilight might go book-crazy with all the new books she was receiving.
"YEAH! What if, like, there's a party, and we're all there, but you're not! You'll miss out on all the fun!"
"Don't worry, Pinkie! I promise I won't spend too much time with those books..."
Spike suddenly belched out a scroll.
"Oh, a letter! 'Dear Twilight,'" Spike read. "'I have already sent to you another package of books for you to...'"
"OOOH!" Twilight snatched the letter with her glowing horn.
"You see what I have to deal with!" Spike whispered to the Mane 5.
Twilight began mumbling as she read the letter. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed surprised and worried looks all mashed up, followed by awkward silence. Twilight chuckled nervously.
"Um, Twilight..." Fluttershy slowly took the letter from her, and gently pushed her toward the table.
"Ehehe...sorry" Twilight knew for a fact that too much reading can lead to less time with friends, but the very prospect of a new book had proven irresistible to her. She was not particularly proud of this, for it reminded her of her past self, of when she had been very skeptical about the magic of friendship. Well, at least she had ponies whom she cared about and who cared for her, which is more than enough for her, to say the least.
A few hours later...
"Oh dear! It's getting late. I'd better go home and check on Angel." Fluttershy said. "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash said, yawning, "I'm gonna hit the hay myself."
"Aw, come on. This next bit I've read talks about how a secret society has expanded its order throughout Equestria over the past century! They say they're considered 'ghosts,' while others believe that they can be right under our noses!" Twilight, still blabbering and intrigued about her readings, started losing confidence as she noticed that no one was listening or too tired to listen.
"No offense, Twilight, but even I think the topic's getting a little old," Pinkie said.
"Don't worry, sugarcube, we'll be back tomorrow. Just try not to do any late night reading."
"...Okay." Twilight said; she was already getting tired herself.
"I'm sure she'll be fine, dear." Rarity said between her and Applejack. "She just wanted to uh...share her interest with us, that's all".
"To be honest, I think this whole deal with historical references can be a lil' exaggerated." Unknown to Applejack, Twilight had overheard her. She thought to herself, "Maybe Spike is right, history can sometimes send a message. I guess I really am reading too much."
Twilight went up to her room. Spike, already sleeping soundly, with Owlowlicious gazing out the window into the midnight sky. "Hey, Owlowlicious. Sorry, but I'm too tired now." Looking at her newly arrived package of books. "Get some rest". The young owl hooted in reply.
Twilight washed her face, went to bed, and covered herself with blankets. It didn't take long for her to sleep.
"TWILIGHT! Breakfast is ready"! Spike bellowed, anxious that their food would get cold. Twilight didn't reply, so Spike ascended the stairs to her sleeping quarters.
Twilight felt very stiff as he gently nudged her to wake her; it didn't seem like she had slept well. Spike introspected and realized: a sleeping dragon is what one would expect: loud snoring and coughing out black smoke (not to mention morning breath!). With one last snort, the dragon stretched, rolled Twilight over, and...
"WAAAAH! Ow!" Twilight had landed head first beside her bed. Rubbing her head in frustration, she drowsily stalked to the bathroom to freshen up.
Later...
"Mm! These are good, Spike!" Twilight munched on her dandelion sandwich.
"Thanks, Twi! The dandelions are blossoming right now, so they're just right. That reminds me, we're all out of oats."
"Oh. Already? Well, I guess we really need to restock the pantry, especially after Pinkie used up all the flour for pancakes." Twilight marched to her room, took out her bit purse, and placed it in a small traveling pouch.
"Thanks, Twilight. I'll be back soon!" Spike took the pouch and left the castle, making his way to the Ponyville market.
Twilight sighed in relief from Spike's friendly, albeit distracting, company. Finally. Some peace and quiet. Twilight was eager to read her newest addition, Equestrian History: Revised Edition, Volume VIII, to her new pile of books. To be honest, she did a little mid-night reading before dozing off to bed
She lifted the book mark and flipped to the page she stopped at.
"The Age of Enlightenment was the epoch of the sciences, arts, culture, and technology. Ponies during this time began to think and rethink different ideas and concepts, blossoming into new perspectives about how our world works." Twilight, although she read the book aloud with unbelievable rapidity, actually took down mind notes about every detail. "Wow! If I were alive during that time, I would spend a lifetime doing research." Twilight began imagining herself living in the time as she read . She then turned the page, and the daydream ceased.
"Huh? That's weird. Page 203 and now page 303?" Twilight began inspecting the book, at first glancingly and then thoroughly. The book spine had no dents. Pages showed no tears or folds. The book was overall well-bounded and neat. The book, though old stock, appeared practically untouched. "This must be a defect, most likely a misprinted issue..."
Suddenly there was knocking at the castle door, and the sound echoed throughout the long, empty hallways of the castle. "Oh! Who could that be? Probably Spike."
Twilight trotted her way to the door and opened it, but neither groceries nor a baby dragon returned her gaze. "Um, can I help you"?
A pegasus pony stood before her. He had an azure coat with a bark-brown mane and tail that looked neatly combed. He wore glasses with black frames, and Twilight noted that they were most likely for reading. He bore a Cutie Mark of a microchip on top of a silver wrench.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle," the blue pegasus greeted in a well-to-do accent. He bowed while clutching a several brown envelopes.
"Oh, please. 'Twilight' will do." Twilight blushed slightly. She would have to get used to all the formal greetings.
The pegasus pony cleared his throat. "Very well, then. Miss Twilight, my name is Nimbus, and I am here as a representative for Alicorn Enterprises."
June 24 20**, 6:45 AM Equestrian Standard Time (EST)
"We're sending you in. Priority target 'Zodiac' must be recovered and remain unscathed. Reports say it is located underground. All other targets are expendable. Good luck."
Those are the last words displayed. That is the order. A simple safe-and-recovery exercise to extract a high-priority target guarded by one of the tightest securities available; it makes the Canterlot Royal Guard look like foal's play. That is what he has to do.
But he has existed in scenarios like this. Never has he gotten cocky but maintains a cool head and takes his time to focus even in somewhat hopeless situations. He brushed his purple mane one last time before getting into gear. He knew this was going to be another day in the job. But what he didn't know that this very mission will never be the same.
January 02 20**, 2:00 AM EST
*SPLASH*
"Sigh. Another long day"
He sounded quite gruff as he stepped out of the bathroom, his face still soaking wet. From the looks of it, he really needed to relax for once. After all, 10 days of code-breaking, reconnaissance, and even petty theft with no rest can really sap the life out of a stallion. He threw his white hooded jacket to a chair and fell on his bed face first.
*BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ*
*groan* "Every damn time". He grabbed his phone and blindly read the message:
Where r u?
its been 2 hours
meet at Rustshoe Alley
He just stared blankly at his phone. Another long day, yeah sure. Spoke too soon.
30 minutes later
Blinking street light. Torn "Vote Senator Ironhoof for 2nd term" posters covering the sticky, molded brick walls. The stench of decay wafted through the air like a thief in the night, eager to pass by unfortunate victims swiftly right under their noses and into the nostrils. The crammed space is not a familiar thing for our informant here, grown for the slums himself and all. He parked his car in such a way stalkers find familiar.
This is Rust shoe Alley, an infamous location inside the dark corners of The Veil, one of the tertiary districts of Canterlot 3. A favorite spot among snatchers and shady dealers alike. It's no shocker to see a pony stripped off of whatever thieves can get their hooves on coming out of this narrow, steamy corridor. Cops would even hear several fist brawls, screams of help, or the occasional gun shots, but even they couldn't go as far as catching the snatcher or saving the helpless victim being held with a knife.
Our purple-maned stallion trotted his way for a few minutes and immediately took a right; then he took another right and then a very sharp left. He then is inside the dreaded, stinking alleyway his contact was in. He spotted a certain dark grey car, smoke belching out of its windows. "You certainly took your time." The informant said in a voice of different cultural norms clashing against each other. His semi-stubbed snout, dark brown coat, and thick cloven hooves made him appear as a long, lost heir to a lineage of slavers and slaves. He lit another cigarette by the time our stallion entered shotgun.
"10 days straight of target neutralization" he said in a-matter-of-fact tone. "I was almost caught by a SABRE drone."
The informant puffed out a smoke. "Occupational hazard, knowing your line of work. Besides, those things are already outdated. I heard its schematics are being shipped in to the grey-market and turned into REAL weapons."
"What do you want, Caesar?" The stallion said, growing impatient.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, but as of now we can only be called by our code names. Yours is ORION, am I correct? We're just erring the side of caution is all." he handed over to him a tablet.
"Whatever you say, MIDAS." Orion never liked this whole pseudo-naming system. Both him and MIDAS (aka Caesar the "informant") are already living in the shadow of a corporate and technologically changing world. For him, 'ORION' is like painting a huge target on yourself for big-time PMCs and bounty hunters to track you down.
"So, who exactly am I looking at?"
"Your objective." A certain mare with a purple coat and a dark purple and magenta striped mane flashed to the left of the screen. "This one is your target. He's the one running the show." A grumpy-looking griffon flashed to the right this time.This new target looked middle-aged, experienced, and stressed.
"Any word on OCULUS?"
"Not much. The Nerve Center's been messing around lately. Magnetic flux from different frequencies has been staggering communications. Right now, we're completely blind."
"...When do I get started?"
"Whoa there cowboy. You think you can just sneak inside the most heavily guarded facility in Canterlot 3, pacify your target, and extract the package all in one day?"
"I can't risk anymore casualties. The last time I took someone with me, it didn't end so well." ORION pictured well the events that happened during his early years. But that proved too long a story
"Well, like it or not, you're not doing this on your own."
"I work better alone."
"And if your 'plan', if you have any, doesn't work?"
"I always improvise."
"Look, I don't wanna sound like your old stallion..."
"You sure as hell sound A LOT like him right now." ORION felt slightly offended.
"Well times have changed, ORION. Every second spent on doing our usual operations is crucial. God knows how many of our agents are still in captivity just to provide information for YOU guys."
"That's why I work alone."
"It never was enough that you do your best. Even our information can be...unreliable. You take out your target, 3 or 4 more come out of hiding. Blow up one of their buildings, a new one will surely rise up. Plus, that sends a bad message. We're losing this war, son. It's about time you open your eyes and deal with the situation."
ORION had always had this kind of lengthy talks with his old stallion. Not that he particularly learned from them, but it was always a pain in the hindquarters to even recall a single word mentioned. And listening to Caesar's advice brings back such bitter memories. But Caesar has been a very trusting companion, wiser even, to his father, and that gained him respect. ORION felt utterly defeated, now focusing on the issue at hoof.
"Fine. But what makes Her so special?" Looking at the purple mare again in the screen, somehow the complexity in her looks can be hard to miss.
"Well, that's for you to find out apparently. OCULUS classified her as Priority Level 4."
"Heh, it figures." Considering this is the 5th one this week. How many more targets do they need to capture/neutralize/recover/steal?
"...So when do I start 'recruiting' for my team?" ORION feeling stressed out.
"Oh no need to worry bout that." MIDAS reached the back again to reach a driver. "HQ already took the liberty of picking a few candidates...4 of them to be exact." Every time ORION hears HQ, it can only mean his father. "Plug it in."
LATER...
"So I guess we an arrangement then." MIDAS said before ORION got out of shotgun.
"I'll make sure to report my findings as soon as I can." ORION still had doubts on these 5 candidates. For him, this is not enough to face an entire unit of SABRE drones at the at the same risk too many members in one squad to send out for recon missions. The stakes are just too high for a young agent whose sole purpose is to make sure the world doesn't go out of hoof when dealing with problems of the poor citizen and the egotistical politician. Canterlot 3 is no joke when it has people like this; it is big enough to fit the entire population of Fillydelphia (twice). Still, it would be close to impossible to have eyes and ears everywhere; that takes time and a lot of effort in keeping tabs on everything.
"You're still not for this plan are you?"
"I'm not saying it's a bad plan. I just don't like putting ponies at risk."
"Somepony, if not everypony, is always at risk."
"Well that really takes the cake when you drag someone to The Skirt...no offense."
"...None taken." MIDAS felt lightly insulted, flicking his burnt out stick. "HQ also requested that you fill-in your assignment as soon as possible. Reaching the chosen candidates will take time, so manage it."
"Sigh give me 4 months."
"You'll only get 3."
"Too soon." ORION still thinks he can accomplish his task on his own. "I'd better get going."
"You wanna know something?" ORION felt an inconvenient curiosity that took over his own mind and noticed a sudden change in his gruff tone. This sort of feeling can really blow his cover and get himself killed, or worse. but all that ORION can respond was a vague look on his face that says "What?"
"You can be predictable sometimes, putting yourself in tight situations. And I'm certain your dad will hate you for that, but he can't keep an eye on you forever. So please, for all our damn sake...watch your back."
ORION hated the feeling of sudden oppression and had nothing to do about it. He knew that MIDAS was right, just as how his father was right. He needed to tread carefully in his future assignments. "I'll take that under consideration," he replied.
"Hmm...nihil verum est..."
"...licet omnia." ORION turned his back and fled back to the dark corridors until the cold, dirty fog enshrouded him from the tip of his horn to the longest strand of his tail. MIDAS watched him disappear and lit another cigarette.
"Project MENTIS?" Twilight babbled on how inexplicably crazy and ingenious the whole idea was. Fusing the concept of time travel and the magic of science into one big ball of digital and technological prowess can be the stuff miracles and marvels (if this didn't even interest Dr. Whooves, she would be very disappointed). "But how is that even possible?!"
"Let's just say that we have ways, miss Sparkle," Nimbus pushed the center of his tar-black glasses. Overconfidence has never been an issue for his character, and like it or not, he feels damn proud of it. But the blind eagerness of Twilight can only boost such character to the very point were he is just too happy to show her the nitty-gritty portion of what they were just discussing. In his fore leg, Nimbus pressed his wrist mounted omni-tool. "Do you know what a memory is?" he asked.
"It's...a recollection of past events," Twilight replied, trying to sound straight-to-the-point.
"Correct. What makes them so memorable? So...hard to forget?"
Twilight gave it much thought. "It is most likely due to one's actions. It depends on how he or she acts and reacts to a certain situation. It may affect the self, but it can also affect others," Twilight then remembered her friends, how they became who they are and whom they will or might choose to be. But then she also remembered her "other" friends back in Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer back in that alternate world, but she decided not to tell Nimbus the details. "So yeah, I think that's why."
"I guess you can say that history repeats itself, yes?" Nimbus then flashed a holographic screen in front of him and Twilight, showing his memorandum.
This gave Twilight goosebumps, as if every book she had read ever since Celestia started sending her new books are down to this very moment; she would put and share all her knowledge to it. This would be a chance to have most, maybe all, her questions answered. Ancient riddles solved, new artifacts discovered, theories converted to facts or law; she can see it all connecting. It would only be a matter of time until she writes her own books about her new discoveries. Then she remembered one book she didn't finish reading, a certain unfinished one from her past reading sessions, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
"As you can see, Alicorn Enterprises is one of the first innovative corporations stationed all the way from Fillydelphia and as a sub-branch of Abstergo Industries. Our goal is to create different means of safeguarding the lives of many citizens all over Equestria. But through the massive breakthroughs of science and technology, we were able to not only protect innocent lives, but even educate them, entertain them, help them." Twilight knew this whole project can become a paradigm for a princess of Friendship. Helping others in need while spreading friendship can spark a great reputation on her name and spread even outside the boundaries of Equestria. She knew this moment can become her greatest yet.
"This is just amazing!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Indeed it is. For example, our latest creation," Nimbus waved his hoof "The SABRE drone: our autonomous surveillance and defense drone. We have already shipped more than 250,000 units worldwide, including several cities such as Manehattan and Canterlot."
"Wait, does Princess Celestia know about this?" she asked.
"She does apparently, ordered her first 100 units."
"Hmmm...Why hasn't Shining Armor told me yet?" Twilight thought.
"Well putting that aside, I am here now to offer you an opportunity of a lifetime," Nimbus said with his usual proud tone. "Project MENTIS is in need of volunteers for..."
"OOOH That would be great! You see, I've been doing so much research about the recent-" Twilight became over herself as usual. "Uhh...sorry. You were saying?"
"Well, as I was saying, would you like to be part of this project?" Nimbus offered.
Twilight paused and gave it some thought. But she can only stammer a little. "Y-you want me? T-to be part of your TEAM?!"
"Your reputation has reached as far as outside Equestrian boundaries. And knowing you as the princess of friendship, you may be able to help different people at the same time expand your influence. They could use more ponies like you; Smart, fair, determined to solve any problem, With all those traits as well as your highly expanded knowledge on the sciences, this world can be a better place." Nimbus waved and highlighted holo-screens in front of them. "Now we all know times such as today have been dark; ice caps melting, war in the eastern fronts, pandemics sweeping across the slums, everyday a new threat is just around the corner waiting to strike. I'm sure you've also heard about the recent 'Red Orchard incident.'"
After hearing the news about a certain college in Baltimare protesting against Senator Iron Hoof's orchard building proposal, Twilight couldn't help but put a bitter frown on her face. "Oh yes...even the Environmental professors of Golden Apple University are against it. I can't even imagine Iron Hoof's motives on tearing down their campus in exchange for 'progress.'" Twilight felt slightly heavy inside, wishing she could've just taken the matter in her own hooves. "But...all of those students, beaten...sigh," Twilight breathed deeply.
"You sound like someone you know was there," Nimbus replied.
"No, it's just that my dad has been working there as a book binder and writer. He's the one who told me about the whole incident, even volunteered in making banners and signs."
"He sounds like a good stallion. Was he..."
"Oh no! He's fine, he still messages me. I mean sure he can be involved in the rally, but he operated behind the scenes."
"Yes it is indeed a very tragic event over certain misguided concepts of progress, but lets leave the politics to the politicians," Nimbus pushed his glasses. "So miss Sparkle, this offer I'm giving you is, as I said, a great opportunity for you to prevent something like this from ever happening again. With MENTIS, we can change the outcome of our future by re-visiting our past and learning from our mistakes. We can change the individual's perspective of progress, not as a way of stepping onto others, but as a way of moving forward together. With the right motives and ideals, every stallion, mare, and foal can contribute to society and make the world a better place for them. With MENTIS, we can change the world..."
Though that last phrase felt very tempting, Twilight still needed time to think about his offer. If she's going to be part of this enduring project, it will definitely consume most of her time as a princess. She would at least leave the countless books she has read numerous times and finally do something for a change, but that would be a little selfish on her part, considering she needs to care for Spike and her friends when they needed her the most. But when it comes to the greater good, she can't simply put only her family, friends, and loved ones into perspective.
"Umm...I..."
*SLAM*
"UHH! That sales pony is such a pain in the hindquarters! Did I ask for too much? No! Did I ask for a refund? No! All I wanted were fresh ingredients, not cheap factory produce!" Spike flurried his claws out of annoyance after his trip to the Ponyville market. "Well, at least the list is done. TWILIGHT! I'M BACK!" Spike then caught her and Nimbus in the living hall.
"You must be Spike. Nice to meet you." Nimbus got up and extended his hoof.
"Whoa whoa whoa. How do you know my name? Twilight, do you know this guy?"
"Now Spike, he's our guest, please show some respect."
"Sigh. Sorry, what did you say your name was?" Spike looked at him, a little embarrassed.
"My name is Nimbus. I was just showing your friend Twilight something."
"Oh cool! What is it?"
Twilight got beside Spike. "Oh you know some boring princess-y stuff. Maybe you should go fix up the groceries and I'll catch up with you later." She started nudging him to the kitchen.
"Aww, but I wanna know what's up!"
"I'll be right with you Spike!" Twilight kept pushing Spike away until they reached the kitchen. Before Spike moved his mouth, the door slammed. He let out a groan.
Twilight breathed deeply. "OK. I...greatly appreciate this offer, but I still need to think this through. With all the friendship problems arising across Equestria..."
"Oh please, take your time in making a decision," Nimbus replied. "I understand priorities are a first. If it is alright," he handed her his card, "contact details are on the card, as well as my initials. Should you choose to agree to this project, have the card scan your hoofprint, it will tell you what to do next."
"Oh, of course. Thank you."
"Oh and one more thing, it was a good call you didn't have to involve Spike in such things."
"Oh well, you know him," she tried her best not to sound like a tease.
"I'd suggest we keep the discussion of our proposal to a minimum. We really wouldn't want to raise anymore suspicions," Twilight thought of Spike for a moment. "Anyway, I must be off now. You have a good day. And may the Father of Understanding guide you."
Twilight didn't quite understand the somehow the formal adieu, but she's sure it was a sign of respect. She looked at the card he gave her one last time before she shut the door.
The night wind howled when the illuminated moon appeared in the dark-blue sky, a night that would even bring Luna to her knees. But even such a beautiful celestial body like this isn't all about staring high above the heavens and dazzle at the glistening stars. After all, you can thank the never-ending progress of globalization which so happens to block that precious starry night with its smog.
The smokey cubicle apartment rooftops filled every air space of Neighpon with their rusted satellite dishes and cheap, crooked TV antennas. Neon signs flickered continuously while worker surveillance drones roam the streets for any trouble makers. Truly the blend of old, reliable technology and sophisticated ones is not at all new in the eyes of a Kirin. The citizens of Neighpon, a genetic pool of hooves and scales, are the ones usually with the upper hand on gadgets and ideas in making the world a better place. But times went rough, and the understanding of progress is either too quick to keep up or too demanding without any planning of technological/magical ingenuity. The use of magic has been steadily decreasing due to this and even then, the trend of using it has become quite impractical. If it weren't for that certain "incident" no one wants to remember hadn't happened, then the kirin wouldn't have any problem of going back to the basics.
Neighpon is now just piled up one building after another with only patches of its famous cherry blossom trees, one of the results of Terrarum Conglomerate's over-funded but poorly-maintained international renovation projects. Much similar to Canterlot 3, the city of Tokyo Prime is structurally the same, considering it was the Neighponese government that did all the maintenance after the conglomerate handed it over to them. At the vast, expanded center of the hub stood the shining white Obelisk, the third tallest structure in the world and the last remnant of Celestia's Equestrian Cooperation Pact. It may also be a reminder that even in the great struggle of ponykind, there is still a will to persevere what is left for the benefit of the future; the "Future", if there ever will be another. Criss-cross sections of steel bars expanded for miles, supporting this giant city hub and its sprawling inhabitants even though the dreaded rust started to kick in. Through these bars zipped the subway trains of the old Tokyo underground, deteriorating but still fully functional, though the Mag-Lev installation make the train rides much more seamless. Passengers of the tram left and right and standing minded their own little worlds either with their pocket booklets of classic drama or the indecent "tail lifters" or their trendy 10-in-1 gadgets with a 2-year warranty. A female kirin sat on a corner, her hood on and earphones plugged. Her blue coat from her snout and and short antlers were the only protruded features from her nearly covered body. She rubbed her hooves in a nervous fashion while listening to her tune by White Rabbit Tattoo. She took a glance at the glitchy Holo-Ads:
<Tired? Relax now at Fuji Springs Holo Spa!>
<The all-new EV-68 Retinal Augment! Now available for pre-order!>
<Order your A.R.D now at your local cybernetics retailer!>
<My Little Kitsune! Every Mondays and Saturdays 7-12 noon. Only on DTV!>
She swear that every time she looked at those stupid screens, she would almost get a seizure from the too many colorful images. She rubbed her eyes and covered it before she could vomit.
<This is the Jinkeshi subway line bound for...Shibuya...Shibuya...the doors on the right side will open...Please change here for the Yumiko line and the Yamato express line.>
The seemingly dead passengers sprung up to their feet as they heard the intercom. The Mag-Lev tram stopped at the station and opened its doors, passengers swiftly brisk walked in and out of it. The blue kirin followed suit, struggling to get out of the clamor.
<Excuse me...sorry...umm, pardon me...> The kirin finally breathed as she was out of the sea of passengers. She brushed her dark-blue mane with light-blue streaks and fixed her red sash promptly. The look on her face was shivering with cold sweat; she was late no doubt. Even if she tried to fasten her bag with her teeth while brisk trotting, the weight of her body plus the added encumbrance only made her lose momentum. Every Holo-Ad she brushes through only blurs her vision and perception; pictures of peaceful zen gardens and heavenly streams of fresh spring water doesn't help at all.
*BUMP*
<Oh my! I'm sorry! Sorry, I didn't see you->
<No no! It's fine.>
The kirin tried to wrap her head around at the sight of a dark stallion. He had a white snout hooves, so not completely dark. The kirin knew obviously that he is a foreigner, but the tone of his voice felt very fluent. She even stammered for awhile after observing his body structure: tall, bold, strong, definitely a good choice for a suitable mate. But she neither could find the right words to reply back to the stallion nor the right comments about his handsome features. The stallion helped her pick up the scattered remains of her bag.
<Here, let me help you with that,> he said with such flow of words.
<Uh...T-t-thank you...> She said, feeling trembled and quite flimsy. "AH! I-I-I mean t-tank you..."
The kirin felt ashamed as she tried to recover from her words. It was very insulting for her to just go ahead and reply politely in the form of a completely alien language to somepony new. She didn't want this to happen and not look at herself. But the stallion didn't throw any crippling judgement or criticism at the kirin. A light chuckle escaped his mouth, causing the kirin's deep blue face to redden quickly.
"Hehe. You're welcome, miss. <But you should be careful where you're going next time>" He said fluently again. This is really making the kirin feel uncomfortable. She knew she's wasting his time but she still froze. She eventually got back to her senses.
<I-I'm sorry. I must go!> She darted away, grabbing her bag.
<Uh...ok...bye?> He said, bewildered.
<STUPID STUPID STUPID! You just had to talk like that! Always so clumsy! No...no. Must focus and get there on time.> She continued to gallop while desperately gasping for air. It wasn't long for the stallion to see her blend again with the endless streams of people going back and forth.
"BWA HAHAHAHAHA!" Rainbow Dash began to burst in tears and even cringe at what she heard.
"RAINBOW! This isn't funny! I'm telling you this can change the lives of many!"
"Oh ok, sure! I'll just leave you to your science-y stuff and "wait" until its done!"
"NOT. HELPING. DASH!" It was supposed to be a nice lunch with friends at The White Saddle, their favorite restaurant in Ponyville. If it weren't for Rainbow Dash's constant teasing, it would've been much more subtle and peaceful.
"Really Rainbow Dash! Can't you at least show some respect at her decision." Rarity tried to keep things calm and in control. After all, they are in a public place with many ponies watching out for any suspicions, knowing how Ponyville reacts to such things.
"Aww I was just messing around Twi! I think it's good idea. I mean not looking at how geeky the stuff you're gonna be facing. But if it means bringing friendship everywhere, I'm totally down with it!" Even though hearing the word "Science" was too much for her, Rainbow Dash felt supportive for her friend, but mostly eager that Twilight would spread stories about her awesomeness. "Eh, What was his name again?" she asked.
Twilight looked the calling card given to her. "Nimbus. He said I'd be great asset to their team."
"Is he cuuute?" Rainbow Dash teased while raising her eye brows.
"I'm not gonna answer that question." Twilight bluntly replied.
"Well Ah think its a mighty fine idea if ya'll be part of it." Applejack said.
"It would. But..." Twilight cut off what she said with the shift of tone.
"Is something wrong?" Fluttershy said with her usual concerned voice.
"I can already see it now. Traveling beyond Equestria and exploring new bounds while doing field work, meeting new people. I get to be part of a majority that aims to innovate and create possibilities no other pony has neither thought of nor dared made. But to think that I'll be investing a considerable amount of time at it. I'm not even sure if I'll ever come back and visit here." Twilight knew she couldn't just abandoned her responsibilities as princess, but she would be busy as ever just like her previous study habits back in Canterlot; no time for friends just pure research with only people interested in the same background. The whole feeling just made her sad and conscious to even avoid such things.
"Uhh...Hey! If it makes you feel any better, we can try to visit you from time to time." Pinkie Pie suggested with reassurance.
"Thanks Pinkie. I just hope I do well on my first day."
"Aww don't be modest Twilight. You're the best brains Ponyville has!" Spike reassured her as well.
"Yeah! I bet you can spread friendship faster than Starlight did when she was an equal flank!" Rainbow Dash got glare from Applejack instead of a laugh.
Twilight smiled at the support from her friends. Besides Spike and her parents, they're one of the only reasons she kept on striding to push forward and even try new things. "You really think I should go?" She said still unsure about leaving the only place she considered home.
" Twilight, even in planning parties, you have to take risks! If the client wants balloons but you ran out, I take initiative and think of something else. That pony may either love it or hate it, but at least you tried!"
"But whatever happens out there, just remember that we'll always be here for ya, sugar cube. No matter what." She softly placed her hoof on Twilight's.
"We've come a long way, Twilight. But we're all still here aren't we?" Fluttershy wanted to make her feel company but the conflicts in her thoughts were too much.
7:00 PM, back in Twilight's castle
Twilight lay down on her bed, levitating the calling card in front of her. This was it. Another big responsibility much more meaningful for her role as princess besides reading a plethora of books a thousand times over. She may need to hold her usual book delivery from Celestia, but knowing that this project she will undertake will be something new entirely. She recalled her life again: a young purple unicorn filly, daughter of a simple book binder and an author, with talent and promise before she became the princess's personal student. She had dreams of being a teacher or a scribe for Celestia during her studies. But being a princess in the end after her time in Ponyville was just overload for her. The castle looked great, but at the cost of a simple tree house that meant so much for her. "Sigh. I miss that place already." She looked at the card again, flipping it mid air slowly, and read it.
ALICORN ENTERPRISES: Recreating Possibilities
This was it. THIS was it.
She touched the card. A scratchy electronic voice spoke.
"HELLO AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU! MY NAME IS A.L.I.C.E. YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND GUIDE TO YOUR NEXT STEP ONTO THE FUTURE. SHOULD YOU WISH TO PROCEED AND UNDERTAKE THIS ENDEAVOR, PLEASE REPLY: YES OR NO?"
Choices, as if that would make Twilight comfortable. She sighed, wanting to deal with it now and put it aside.
"Yes," she replied.
"THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY. PROCESSING INPUT. PLEASE WAIT......................................................"
At this time, waiting for her is now a subtle way of torture. She wondered if she's either taking her princess duties to a whole different level or if she's making a huge mistake and needs to turn back while she still can. She couldn't do that; she's doing this for her friends, for her family, the welfare of everyone. She can't turn back now.
"YOUR INPUT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED. PLEASE LOOK AT THE CARD." Twilight followed her instruction.
"SCANNING FACIAL RECOGNITION"
With a pulse scanner coming out of the card and stamping it on Twilight's face that seemed to read her mind, she threw the card as if a spider crawled on her shoulder and backed away in shock.
"MATCH: TWILIGHT SPARKLE. SCANNING CURRENT LOCATION"
Twilight's room became a dazzling light show when a pulse light field expanded out of the calling card. Twilight is still shaking after what happened and what's happening.
Twilight nervously picked up the card and read it.
***WARNING! THE FOLLOWING RECORDED MESSAGE IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY AND WILL ONLY BE PLAYED ONCE. IT IS A FEDERAL AND INTERNATIONAL CRIME TO SHARE OR DISTRIBUTE THIS MEDIA WITHOUT ANY PROPER AUTHORIZATION. VIOLATORS WILL BE PUNISHED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW***
She felt a cold sweat running down her face and a sharp tingle on her spine. She quickly got out of bed, sealed the curtains, locked the door and even barged it with an entire bookshelf. With no Spike lingering or eavesdropping, she turned her study lamp to see what happens next.
"FREQUENCY SECURED. AP READINGS STABILIZED. COMMENCING PLAYBACK...."
A very familiar blue pegasus flashed onto the card.
"A very wise choice you have made, miss Sparkle. ALICORN Enterprises is pleased to have another addition on their team. Please be reminded that this conversation and any form of communication from here on out will remain disclosed. Enclosed on this card is a map needed for you to reach our main facility in Fillydelphia. Please follow the indicated instructions; any further questions can be consulted by the card as well. I will have an associate meet with you at the rendezvous point. Please pack what you need, for the trip will be quite long. But rest assured that all required necessities will be complementary upon your arrival. MENTIS will be our most innovative and ground-breaking project yet, and with you helping out, many lives will be saved. This is proof that people like you still exist in this world. People like you aren't gone. You're still here. You can still do great things. And you can have the chance to help us change the world for the better, forever. Think about it.
The screen blacked out "PLAYBACK DELETED. DO NOT LOSE THE CARD ON YOUR WAY TO ALICORN ENTERPRISES. HAVE A SAFE TRIP! AND MAY THE FATHER OF UNDERSTANDING GUIDE US."
Twilight sighed, wondering if this whole thing will turn out fine. Like going to your first day on the job, she can only assume that there will be bumps on the way. I can do this. It'll be worth it. Mom. Dad. She went straight to her writing desk, took out a quill and paper, and started scribbling a letter for them.
As you may know, this story is officially cancelled. Reason mostly is because of lack of creative juices and writer's block. However, I am currently working on a new fic and I'll be recycling and salvaging material here, so not a complete loss. Hope you guys understand.
