Twilight invents a device that allows her to see into alternate realities. While demonstrating the device to Ponyville, one reality in particular has everypony gripped with shock. It is the worst reality. And they can't help but watch it unfold.
It was an innocent invention. I wanted to show everypony what it was about magic and science that I loved so much. So I created a device, based off of the portal to the human realm as well as Starlight Glimmer's alteration to Starswirl the Bearded's time-travel spell. It was designed to seek different realms like the human one, each with alternate versions of everypony at alternate times. I'd even had the foresight to create a D.N.A Filter. One strand of fur, and the device would lock onto the alternate lives of that particular individual.
I was so excited. Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and everypony came to see it in action. Rainbow Dash was the first to go. The device worked perfectly. It opened a rift that showed the town of Ponyville, an alternate Rainbow Dash. A pale blue cat with a rainbow collar. She was playing with a feline Fluttershy. Obviously the two were very young, but the device worked nonetheless.
Many ponies had a turn. And the device picked random alternate realities every time. Pinkie Pie as a Squirrel, Rarity the Swan Armorsmith, Bunny Fluttershy fighting a snake, Dragon Applejack for President.
Then Celestia proposed an idea, combining two different furs as a filter for the device. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. Combining Celestia's with my own, the device did nothing for a long moment. Then, it opened up to something that made everypony freeze with disbelief. What we saw put all villains, past and future to shame.
Nopony will forget the horrors that my invention showed.
Ponyville was bustling at the event which brought them to the town square. I'd asked Pinkie Pie to issue out invitations to everypony. Naturally, she'd extended invitations to ponies outside of Ponyville also. I'd personally written an invitation to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, only to receive a reply indicating that they'd already received the same invitation from Pinkie Pie. Despite the fact that Pinkie had defied physics in order to get everypony an invitation, the end result could not be disputed.
I, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, Bearer to the Element of Magic and former student to Princess Celestia, had done what was believed to be the impossible. I had created an invention using a combination of Magic and Science. While such a feat was not extraordinary in the slightest, the creation itself was what I would deem my legacy.
I stood at the forefront of the podium, which was constructed days before the event began. My invitation to the Princesses gave them small teasers as to the nature of my creation, and they'd insisted on creating a fair around the event. So I stood and watched as ponies enjoyed various foods from all over Equestria, served from booths and vendors by ponies who were either the original creators or heirs to the original recipes. Games were played, prizes were won, ponies of all ages had come to what Princess Celestia called the 'Twilight Festival'. I was both honoured and nervous. As with friendship, the first impression is the make or break of any event.
I levitated my speech cards and went through them again, making sure they were in order. Past experience taught me to keep it short and sweet, so I narrowed it down to roughly six cards. Short compared to what I was used to. I had Rainbow Dash to thank for that; she'd placed a limit on the extent of my speech. It was difficult, but I got there in the end. I had every word memorised, so they were more or less for in case I lost my way.
As the clock struck twelve in the afternoon, Ponies began to gather towards my podium. This was the allotted time I'd specified in the program. I expected my audience to consist mainly of locals who knew me personally and a few out-of-towners. I expected a few ponies to be here exclusively for the fun and games the event had promised. What I didn't expect was every single pony to attend my unveiling.
As the last pony was seated, Mayor Mare called for silence as she introduced me, an honour she'd practically begged me for. How could I deny her?
"Fillies and Gentlecolts; thank you all for attending this event. As some of you may know, a number of the game booths and food stalls had volunteered to be here for Charity reasons. And thanks to your generous donations, Manehattan Orphanage will be getting refurbished and it's orphans an easier life." the mayor announced, starting off with a bang. Applause filled the podium as some of those orphans were here today.
"At this rate, they may not want to get adopted." she joked. I was a little worried that the jest might have been in poor taste, but the response from the audience seemed to say they understood where she was coming from. "And this event couldn't have happened on a lovelier day." she continued, addressing the clear skies, only a few decorative clouds filling the sky. It truly was an ideal day.
"But I won't keep you all, I'm sure some of you would like to get back to the fun and games, while others are curious as to what Princess Twilight's invention is. I know I'm a part of the latter category. Actually, I'm in both categories, so..."a few chuckles escaped the audience. "Without further ado; I give you, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" as Mayor Mare finished her introduction, I stepped forward into a wave of cheers and applause. The experience brought back memories of each and every time my friends and I had been congratulated for saving Equestria. Those were the happiest times of my life, and this was undoubtedly going to be one of them.
I fixed the microphone Mayor Mare had used and adjusted it to my preferences. As the applause died down, I looked out at the ponies who would bare witness to my legacy. I stood before them, my greatest achievement hidden beneath a large tarp behind me.
"Thank you, each and everypony. When I set out to create my invention, I wasn't expecting an entire fair to surround it's debut. I expected perhaps a gathering of the greatest minds of this generation. I expected to have to travel to Canterlot to reveal it to the heads of the Canterlot Science Center. But as I look out at each and every one of your smiling faces, I realise that revealing my invention in such a way would have been a poor comparison, so thank you once again for coming." The crowd clapped their hooves together, some of them cheering for my appreciation.
"There are two ponies in particular I'd like to thank for inspiring this invention, but in order to explain why they're responsible, I'd have to reveal the reason you're all here today. So without further ado, I give you the Arc of Time!" My magic covered the tarp behind me and I pulled it to the side.
Applause had already gone out to my invention before it had been revealed, and as it was exposed to the eyes of my ponies, I could feel the uncertainty in their continued cheers. I knew they were just being polite. I smiled at their ignorance. The scientist in me could only pity their lack of understanding. It was a part of me I didn't particularly enjoy. I couldn't really blame them for being disappointed. My invention, although great, looked like a glorified armillary globe. As the applause dialled down, I chuckled.
"I know what you're all thinking; 'where's the taco stand?', right?" a few bashful chuckles escaped the audience. "I understand it's not exactly what you were expecting, but then again, it wouldn't have been anyway. You don't even know what it is." A few agreeing nods followed my statement.
"The Arc of Time is a dimensional display device. Simply put, it shows alternate realities, and alternate timelines. The Arc of Time is by definition a generator meant to create a window between our reality and the next. Say for example, you wanted to see what an alternate version of yourself would look like, it would show you. And the best part is you might not even be a pony. You could be a gryphon or a dragon, or a zebra. You could be practically anything, you could be anypony, or rather; anyone." I could see the wonder in some of their eyes, while at the same time, I'd lost some of the others at 'dimensional display device'.
I decided it would be better to just show them. "Perhaps a visual aid is required. My good friend, Rainbow Dash has graciously volunteered to be the one to demonstrate. Actually, all of my friends volunteered, but I was curious to see if Rainbow was as obnoxious outside of this reality as she is inside of it." I said. Laughter filled the podium as Rainbow stepped up onto the stage, giving me an evil glare. I smiled sheepishly at her. Rainbow stood beside me, facing the crowd.
"Now before we show you what this device does, I mentioned two ponies in particular who helped me come up with this idea. For the time travel aspect of the device I have Starlight Glimmer to thank." I pointed the mare in question out to the crowd, which earned her a round of applause. "Starlight's alterations to Starswirl the Bearded's time-travel spell were inspired. As a fellow Starswirl fan, the concept of changing the time travel spell didn't even occur to me, mainly because I found time travel in general, too troublesome. The fact that Starlight did what I could not, proves to me that she is a true genius, and I hope to learn from her, what Canterlot's best and brightest could not teach. She has since become a true friend, and I'm thankful to have her here today."
Starlight blushed and smiled at me. I could tell she was grateful for my little speech and felt exactly the same way I did.
"The other pony I'd like to thank, is the pony who gave me the idea for dimensional travel. Sunset Shimmer. Like Starlight, Sunset was once my enemy, but has since proven herself a reliable and trustworthy friend. I took the time to ask her to come here today, because I feel very strongly that she, along with Starlight deserves as much of the credit for this device as I do." I pointed Sunset out to the crowd and they all cheered.
"Some of you may know this already, but Sunset was Princess Celestia's student as well, just like I was. You might even say she was my predecessor. Sunset has been living in an alternate universe, one where magic doesn't really exist and science has prevailed. Having been there myself, It's actually very nice, if a little difficult to get used to. Walking on two legs and wearing clothes nine times out of ten is really very exhausting."
"The others don't seem to have a problem with it." Sunset replied. I grinned at her.
"Yeah, well that's because they were born in that dimension, and while you weren't, you've still had plenty of time to acclimate yourself to everything." I said. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, would you please give my friends another round of applause?" I asked. Starlight and Sunset both stood up and bowed to the audience as they were flooded with cheers, whistles and the clopping of hooves.
"Thank you both. Now I think we've kept Rainbow waiting long enough. This is the longest she's stayed in one place without being asleep." I said, earning more laughter.
"Hey, I thought this was the 'Twilight Festival', not the 'Pick on Rainbow Festival'. she said.
"You're right, I'm sorry. Let's get things going, shall we?" I asked. Dash nodded and made her way to the foot of the Arc. "Now, I had the foresight to encode the machine with a D.N.A reader. What it does is it reads your D.N.A and uses it as a focal point for the dimensional window. In other words, it uses your genes to follow your specific alternate lives. Rainbow Dash, if you would be so kind?"
Rainbow obliged, taking a pair of scissors from a small table that had been placed beside the Arc. She reached for her mane and proceeded to cut a small patch of her mane off. "Now typically, you don't have to use your mane or coat, the scanner will accept any kind of D.N.A, namely blood, saliva... kidneys." I smiled at the crowd, showing them that I was joking about the kidney part. They all laughed, except for Pinkie Pie who seemed as though she was taking it more seriously than I was comfortable with.
Rainbow placed the tuft of mane into a small tray that was sticking out of the console part of my device. Upon receiving the fur, the tray automatically retreated into the base of the Arc. Almost immediately, a series of numbers appeared in a beam of light large enough for everypony to read.
"Now you see here, these numbers are connected to these dials at the terminal here. First, we have the date. We'll make it simple, start off with yesterday." I said, changing the numerical sequence to the previous date. After that was done, the numbers flashed green and were replaced by another set of numbers, this time there was no chronological sequence.
"These numbers are a little trickier. As best I can tell, they're the most basic representation of the dimensions' names. With that in mind, we can identify each dimension. So this is our own dimension right now. Dimension number '89496485'. Now if I change the numbers to something else, say... '89496495', let's see what we get."
Again, the numbers flashed green and the entire display disappeared, replaced a second later by a massive round ring of magic. Inside the ring was pitch black for a few seconds. It wasn't until light began to shine that everypony realised that they were viewing things from a first-person point of view. The portal viewed what I knew was a similar representation of Rainbow Dash's room, but there were some major differences. For example, the walls weren't made of cloud. They were made out of wood. As the Rainbow Dash in the image stretched herself out, letting out a cute yawn as she did so, we got our first look at a part of her body. Where her hooves should have been, this Rainbow had paws, some might even say claws.
"Oh my gosh, she's a cat!" Rarity blurted out, covering her mouth and trying to compose herself. some of the crowd 'awwe'd' at the realisation, causing our Rainbow to facehoof.
"Aah! Another day. Wonder what it has in store for me?" the rainbow cat asked, her voice carrying through to our side. She walked around her room, stopping at a mirror, giving us all a view of her face. A lot of mares squeed and gushed at the cuteness of the cat. Even Rainbow couldn't help but to admire her alternate self. I could see why. Despite Rainbow Cat's cute face, there was definitely a scruffy tomcat reflected in that mirror.
"Hey, Rainbow Crash! Come on out and race us!" a new voice called out. The cat's face automatically adopted the same expression Dash had given to me when she came upon the stage.
"Well, there go my plans for breakfast." Rainbow Cat muttered, hurrying down the stairs of her house and out the front door. True to her fellow Rainbow, the cat had reached her challengers in a matter of seconds. "Why do you guys even bother? I've raced dogs that came closer to outrunning me than you two." she asked, addressing the two cats. I recognised them as the ponies who seemed to have it in for Dash. I couldn't remember their names.
"Just keep telling yourself that when we beat you." one of them said. "First one to 'The Litter Box' wins." said the other.
Rainbow sighed and got into a crouching position. Then she faltered for a second. "Hang on... 'The Litter Box'? Is this your guys' way of asking me out to breakfast?" she asked. The two cats stared at each other before returning their gaze to Rainbow.
"Is that a yes?" the first one asked.
"WHAT?! NO! NOO! DON'T YOU DARE SAY YES!" Rainbow Dash started yelling at her cat self. I just sat there, trying my hardest to stifle a chuckle.
"Well, I like to live on the edge. I'll make a deal with you; beat me there, and I'm all yours for the day." she challenged. Rainbow Dash just collapsed, jaw hitting the floor, wings pointing downward, hooves hanging limp.
Even though they were cats, all of us could see the determination in their eyes. "Oh, wow!" I said. Everypony was silent as the three cats prepared to race.
"Okay, boys. On your marks, get set, GO!" Rainbow Cat said. And the race was on.
All of Ponyville watched as this feline equivalent of Rainbow Dash, after having sounded off the start of the race, just stood there while her competitors ran as though their lives depended on it.
"GO! GO YOUSTUPID CAT!!!" Rainbow Dash shouted, the crowd behind her had begun doing much the same. The overlapping voices made it next to impossible to discern what they were saying. It wasn't until I looked back at the screen that I noticed something odd. Rainbow Cat was retracting her claws one at a time. It took me a second to realise she was counting down.
"EVERYPONY, SHUSH!" I called over them. The crowd was silent, and the second nopony spoke, we could hear Rainbow Cat muttering numbers down from ten.
"Five...Four... Three...Two.........One!" The second she'd called 'one' she took off, faster than any outside spectator would be able to follow. Rainbow Dash sighed with relief as her feline counterpart ducked and weaved through trees, houses, fences and underneath the odd fellow cat.
The instant RC had decided to run was the instant the other two had lost. She'd given them a fighting chance, but it was hopeless in the end. From the second RC had begun, it took no more than ten seconds for her to catch up, overtake and stop at the door to 'The Litter Box'. I estimated, that despite her speed, the track they'd run was at least two kilometres in length. It seemed even in an alternate reality, Rainbow Dash was the fastest. But this Rainbow seemed more sporting than our own. She'd calculated the distance and her opponents' speed, giving them a sufficient amount of time for them to beat her, yet still she won.
"Not bad, boys. Another second, and you would have beaten me." she said, completely composed. The other boys, having had a full minute head start, were gasping for breath as they approached Rainbow and collapsed in front of her. There she sat, looking down on her opponents with a warm smile, reassuring them that they'd impressed her.
I found myself liking this modest Rainbow. Our own Rainbow could learn a thing or two from her, that was for sure. With the race concluded, I shut down the link to the alternate dimension and reset the dials.
"Now that you've all seen what this device can do, would you all like a turn?" I asked, motioning to the crowd. Every pony in the podium cheered and formed a line at the right of the stage. I smiled, knowing that with that demonstration, I'd managed to carve my name in the history books. This would be my legacy, my story. While I enjoyed the combined legend of the 'Elements of Harmony', I wanted something that was uniquely mine. And while I suppose it was partly Starlight and Sunset's as well, I could live with sharing my legacy with them. Of course, there was also my faithful assistant, Spike, who had stuck with me throughout this entire project, and kept a tight lip about it, so as not to ruin the surprise. I must remember to give him a special treat for that. Actually...
"Spike?" I called out. A small purple head with green spines peered out from near the front of the line.
"Yes, Twilight?" he called.
I smiled down at him. "Since you were also a big help to me during the production of this device, how would you like to work the controls?" I asked. A hopeful smile donned his face.
"Really?" he asked. I simply nodded and waved for him to come up. As he took to the stage, I spoke once more to my fellow ponies.
"I've neglected to mention my faithful assistant's involvement in this project. Had Spike not been there for me, it's highly likely I would have gotten so into what I was doing, that I'd forget to eat, drink or sleep. I'm not joking, I'm speaking from experience, it's happened before. Just ask Princess Celestia."
Everypony had a turn. Some were funny, some were sad, some were weird, and some were bland. And as the last pony in line stepped onto the podium, she proposed something I hadn't considered, or programmed into the arc.
"Twilight, what if we use two different individual D.N.A sources?" Princess Celestia has insisted on being last, wanting her little ponies to enjoy the Arc first. I smiled at her as the possibilities she'd presented flourished through my mind.
"I don't know. Anything could happen. The Arc could split the screen and view both points of view at the same time, or it could potentially pick the dominant D.N.A source and work with that one, completely discarding the other. Also, it could show an alternate reality in which two individuals in this world may be one in the other." As I began to rant on about the possibilities, Princess Celestia stopped me and smiled.
"What say you and I test these theories?" she offered. I didn't say a word; I just picked up the scissors with my magic and chopped a millimetre of my fringe off. I'd been meaning to get a manecut anyway. I passed the scissors to Princess Celestia who took it upon herself to slice a bit of her own ethereal mane, which then proceeded to grow back. It was as though it was never cut, yet the clipping (if one could call an ethereal substance that) remained separate from the whole. We each donated our D.N.A to the Arc of Time, which swallowed it up.
"Spike, if you would be so kind?" I asked. Spike did as he'd done from the beginning, punched in a load of random numbers. But those numbers, as I'd come to discover, would be engraved in my memories for as long as I would live.
25/12/1015|0000001
War... It was a familiar sound to them all. A song that you hated, but couldn't get out of your head. Every shot of a laser rifle was the bashing of the drums... Every scream, the crashing of the symbol... Every cry, a played out tone of a cello... Every roar of anger, fear and desperation... the strings of the guitar being plucked.
We were once a peaceful people; strong, proud and united. Our diarchs were gods, only another god could fell them. Their people, happy and care free. We thought it would always be that way...
Then the virus broke out. No-one knew the origin or the extent of which it would hit. Within a few days, nearly a quarter of our population had been killed, within two weeks, we'd lost half. Within a month, we were at war with the half we'd lost. It was the plague we'd only ever told stories of. A fictional thing, completely impossible. Whoever our side lost, they gained. It was a war of attrition from the very beginning. But we held strong. Our gods would not fail us. And we, their faithful guardians would not let them fall.
Four years after the war began, Princess Celestia, the god of the sun, changed. Without warning, she attacked the forces loyal to Princess Luna. And I headed that attack. We didn't explain why, we didn't create excuses. We simply forced Princess Luna and those primarily loyal to her out. Within a month, our people had chosen whose side they were on. Luna's or Celestia's.
Our armies were virtually even. There were seven knights among the diarchy, sworn to protect their princesses. Only I remained by Celestia's side.
We were branded traitors to the Empire. We didn't argue this point, we simply ignored them. The war has waged on for six years now. The living divided into two armies, and the dead, now doubling each army's numbers.
As my master and I stood out the main balcony of the Royal Castle, we watched as our army marched forth. Hundreds of our kind, wearing the gilded armour of their Empress.
"The preparations are almost complete, my apprentice. Soon, we will be ready to face our enemy." my master said. Even corrupted by darkness, she was still beautiful. A whitish grey coat covered her body, her once indigo eyes now burning orange like fire. Her dress accented her colours, a shade of dark grey donned her robes, bronze plating covering her vitals, and shapely breasts. Ever since I was a pup, I saw this wolf as a goddess, and I would continue to see her for what she was.
I myself had undergone some changes. Where once, I was a bright lavender, with dark purple highlights around my neck, cheeks and ears; It had darkened and greyed. My eyes, once as purple as me, were now the same shade of fiery orange as my master's. I wore no such armour as the other soldiers. My clothing was purely robed; black as my heart. A hood covered most of my face, save my nose and mouth, my eyes glowing through the shadow the hood cast.
"All the pieces are still in play. Everything is going according to plan. Our strength grows every day. Soon, we will be unstoppable. Soon, we will have our revenge." I said, shifting my gaze from our soldiers, to the horizon. Far North, where the Crystal Empire resided. I could feel our enemies preparing for us.
I looked up to the sky, which was half way between night and day. "Arcadia stands!"
As I stood in the dropship, I listened to the chatter of the soldiers around me. Some were excited, others held reservations about the upcoming battle. Some of the newer members of the battalion were silently praying to go home to their families, while some of the more experienced ones remained perfectly quiet. One of the soldiers, a fairly seasoned officer by the name of Faraday had caught my interest in particular.
"Hey, Max. Heading home to the wife and kid after this mission's over?" he asked. Max was not an experienced soldier, but he could hardly be counted among the newer shinier ranks. His armor had a few scuff marks where weapons fire had struck. Some of the soldiers had taken to painting their armor around these scuff marks in order to match. Max's armor seemed bare in comparison to Faraday's.
"Yeah. CO finally granted me Shore Leave. It's been a year since I've seen my wife, and my boy's already been accepted into the Academy. He starts his training in a week and I was riding on getting to spend some time with them both before that happens." Max replied. Their voices were slightly distorted through their helmets, but that was nothing new. The speakers on those helmets were always sub-standard.
"The Academy? His talents are wasted there, you should have had him apply for Knighthood. Maybe then he would have been trained by Lord Dusk here." Faraday responded. It was Max's response that truly caught my interest.
"We did, but he said he wanted to work his way up and earn his fellow soldiers' respect before rising above them." I'd made a side-note to ask Max about the boy before he went on his leave.
They then conversed about the Mrs. for a further minute before the Pilot called to us over the comm. We were about to land when a loud explosion blasted to my left. We were sent flying out of control. I struggled to grab something that was attached to the dropship. Once I'd caught it however, I pulled myself closer to it. Not a moment too soon. We crashed down a second later. Half my team had been thrown through the hole that had been made by the explosion, while the other half were still inside with me. Ten soldiers in all. Of those ten, three were dead, including Max. Faraday was by his side, trying to shake him awake, but it was too late. I could feel it. He'd died before we hit the ground.
"Let's move out! This ship will blow at any time!" I ordered, kicking down the hatch to the outside. The chaos that reigned wasn't much better than inside. I could see laser fire going either which way. Commander Steel, my second in command, took control of the remaining regiment while I walked off to do my own thing. My master had given me a specific order, one I was to fulfil no matter the cost. "Regroup and make your way to the battlefront. I'll join you presently." I ordered the Commander.
"SIR!" he responded, saluting me before repeating my order while dragging a struggling Faraday away from the body of Lieutenant Max. With a bereft sigh, I raised my hood (which had fallen back in the crash) and made my way Eastward towards my goal.
Celestia
Several nobles stood before me, each having come forth to make the same proposal. Since I'd divided our people between Luna's rebellion and my empire, the Nobles had become afraid of me. Even now, they wished to serve their own purposes, but they realised that my presence alone gave them pause. So they came up with a solution. They would approach me with requests as a group. A higher power always seemed less intimidating when outnumbered. Had I known all it took was striking fear in their hearts in order to get them to work together, I would have done so sooner.
"Enlighten me, Lord Grey-mane; You interrupt my war room meeting with the General stationed at Ferine City, a city that is currently devoted to the construction of Anti-matter as a power source... all so you could request additional supplies for your private militia?" I asked, showing neither displeasure nor mirth at his request. The little weasel squirmed, despite his so-called backup.
"I-I-If you'd please... your majesty, let me explain; as you well know, we are fighting a war on two fronts. While your main forces are dealing with Princess Luna's Rebellion, the Nobility has had their Militia spread thin fighting against the undead. Lately, we've had more and more attacks on our barracks, and the morale of our men is fast depleting. All we ask is for some additional rations to be sent our way. A sign that their sacrifices are appreciated." Lord Grey-mane said. I knew what he was doing, trying to soften me up by appealing to my sense of compassion. But I saw this as a battle of wills. And I would not crumble at the words of one who is too cowardly to ask on his own.
"These are your militia, Grey-mane. If gratitude is what they're after, then it should come from you, not me. As for resources, would it not be prudent to delve into your own stock, your own farms?" I could feel their urges to protest hanging in the air. Nobles were all the same, in times of war or out of them, they disliked sharing. "Surely such a thing is manageable, now that you all seem to be working together."
"My lady, please! It is our militia that are sacrificing themselves for you and your cause, not us." one of the other nobles spoke up. Lord Lockjaw was a well respected member of the Royal Court. Unlike most other nobles, the Lockjaw family often earned their titles by engaging in tasks that other nobles felt themselves too good for.
"Be that as it may, the sad truth of the matter is that your men are expendable. You know the plan as well as I do. You signed their lives away for a seat at the table. If you're feeling guilty now, then do as I've recommended and offer unto them your own reserves. It's not as though you have use for it anyway." I said. Again, that desire to protest filled the air. I could smell it on them; their fear, and anger. I could feel what they wanted to say to me.
The nobles took a few moments to look between each other before bowing to me respectfully and turning to leave. With a heavy sigh I was about to rise from my throne when an officer rushed into the throne room. He seemed panicked, so I ignored his lack of respect towards me. "Speak!" I ordered.
"Empress, news from Ferine City. General Flash has confirmed that Lord Dusk's regiment has landed. Commander Steel reported that the dropship crashed, but Lord Dusk survived and is continuing on his mission. Half the team didn't survive the crash though." the officer said with sadness in his eyes.
"So long as Dusk survived, that's all that matters to me. He is integral to my plan." I said. The officer seemed shocked by what I'd said, but said nothing. "Was there more?" I asked.
"There was a soldier in that regiment; Lt. Max Prowler. His son is a new recruit in the Academy, and has displayed signs that he is eligible for Knighthood." Now that was noteworthy.
"I see... very well, I'll keep an eye on this one. What is his name?" I asked.
The officer brought his focus to a notepad that he'd carried in with him. " Cadet Pipsqueak Prowler. He's scheduled to arrive at 0800 hours next Monday." I leaned back in my throne as I contemplated the name. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I dismissed the officer and had the throne room to myself. Some thought towards the future of this 'Pipsqueak' was required.
Dusk
Ferine City was the very definition of a warzone. If soldiers from the Empire and the rebellion weren't shooting at each other, then they were shooting at their downed brethren who had returned from the dead. I decided that discretion was the better part of survival in this situation. Powerful as I was, I was not prepared to face thousands of soldiers and undead.
Making my way through city streets and alleyways, I approached my destination with relative ease. A few stray zombies were of little consequence to me. The building was easily twenty stories high. It was a science/engineering university. The building responsible for the production of the anti-matter power core that we needed. The building the Imperial army was defending was a decoy. A well known Science facility. Easily the first choice for such research as anti-matter.
As I entered the building, I found a few of the scientists dead. It seemed that the decoy was not entirely effective. I quickened my pace to a long stride, my feet hammering against the tile ground with each step. I made my way to the nearest elevator and stepped in. I knew the floor level where the practical applications were being tested and I punched it in.
Level seventeen. Most people would consider testing something so dangerous as far away from the surface as possible, but that was what the enemy would have expected. As a result, when they realised their mistake, it would have taken them time to find the right floor.
As the doors opened, I was immediately greeted by a familiar light. An intense cyan glow surrounded a blade of near white light. I knew the owner of such a blade even before I eyed her chromatic pattern on her head and ears.
"Dash. It's been a while. Been busy?" I asked, not bothering to mask the venom in my otherwise pleasant sounding words. Dash stood before me, her Knight Blade pointed at my throat. As far as anyone could tell, she had me where she wanted me.
"Oh, you know. This and that. Sorry about killing your nerd herd here, but you were otherwise unavailable."
"Dash. It's not like you to settle for the next best thing." I goaded.
"But you don't know me. You haven't known me for a long time. Just as I haven't known you for a long time." she replied.
I smiled at her, taking a step forward. She took a step back in turn, not wanting to stab me through the throat. Not yet, at least. "No, but you remember me. All those memories, all those adventures. All those... nights toge-"
"Shut up! Don't you bring that up, don't you dare!" she snapped.
"Just letting you know that I still remember. I know why you hunt me more than the others. It's because that I hurt you the most when I betrayed you all. And then of course there's Fluttershy, who comes a close second." Dash was shaking with anger. She always was quick-tempered. "Speaking of the others... are we alone in this building, or did you bring the old gang?" I asked.
"Applejack and Pinkie are here. Rarity and Fluttershy are with the main force. She's grown a lot stronger since you saw her last; Fluttershy. She wants you dead as much as I do. I don't think she even wants to know why you betrayed us. She's that angry." she replied.
"Is that why you chose to leave her with the main force instead of bringing her here where you knew I'd be?" I asked.
"I didn't know you'd be here."
I gave her a sceptical look. "Please. Having trained you myself, I know full well how good you are at tracking me." I said. Dash just huffed.
"It doesn't matter. I'm here, Fluttershy's not. So, are you willing to tell me why you betrayed us?" she asked. Every time we faced off like this, she'd ask that question. And the answer was always the same.
"Not yet." Dash had been wearing a smile on her face. It was the kind of smile one got when you thought you were finally going to get the answer you'd been seeking. But that smile fell faster than a stone with my answer.
"What do you mean not yet? I have you literally by the throat! There isn't going to be another opportunity for you to tell me, so just-"
Before she could finish her sentence, I threw my arms forward. The power I wielded sent her flying backward, across the hallway that lead from the elevator to the room where the anti-matter core was. Dash hit the door and went right through. I stepped completely off the elevator and drew my own Knight Blade. As I activated it, the sound it made was different from what the others' blades made. My own reflected my darkness. A sickening, barking hiss sounded as an unstable beam of red light erupted from one end of the cylindrical object that was the hilt of my blade. Dash's chance to kill me went through the door along with her. I made my trek across the hallway towards the room where the anti-matter core was kept, and where Dash, Applejack and Pinkie were no doubt waiting. As I stepped through the hole that Dash had made, I was greeted by the presence of two more familiar faces.
Dash stood, holding her blade in her right hand, and the core in her left. It surprised me how small the core actually was. No larger than a golf ball. Dash pocketed the core in her dark blue and white robes.
Pinkie stood a few meters to Dash's right, brandishing a pink Knight Blade and wearing a pink eyesore. To Dash's left was Applejack. She'd long since foregone her trademark Stetson and had donned an orange robe. Pointed at me was her orange Knight Blade.
I looked between the three Knights and smiled, pulling back my hood. I raised my own Knight Blade to meet their challenge. "Evening ladies. So nice to see you all again." And with that said, the three of them rushed me, each with the intent to kill.
