Prologue: A night at the Gala
Canterlot, the city of living legends. From the streets to the highest balcony of the Royal Palace, the place contains one of the most diverse populace of the country, if not the planet. A true cosmopolis, Canterlot is not only the official capital of Equestria, but because it’s also the technological capital too. From simple things as photonic engines, to the ultimate achievement in equine development; The mecha.
This was all possible thanks to the Princesses. Since the ending of the Crystal Wars, a thousand years ago, they guided ponykind towards a new path, allowing reason and magic advance together in a way that surpassed any expectation. Now, the ponies lived in an age of wonders, with a new breakout advance at each turn. But either magical or technological, development always has two faces; The face of a god, that could enlighten the world, and the face of a devil, ready to turn everything into ashes.
This was an objective reality that was about to hit Equestria, hard. The Age of Wonders was about to take an unexpected turn.
It started one special night. The Great Galloping Gala night, to be precise. Emissaries from all corners of Equestria and various from other nations were present, and even some more. Hosting the celebration, there were the Royal Sisters, rulers and guardians of their country. As every year, the older and wiser Celestia, commander of the sun, was greeting the guests one by one, while the younger and romantic Luna, herder of the moon, was in charge of keeping them entertained.
However, this year was special. This year, for the first time in decades, the Princesses were sharing their weight of responsibility. Alongside with Princess Celestia, and personally greeting each one of the guests, was a young mare, barely older than twenty or so, wearing a blue dress that contrasted her purple coat. Meanwhile, in the main room, another mare wearing a purple cape that contrasted her blue coat was juggling with balls of fire in front of a group of stunned ponies next to Princess Luna. They were Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon, the sun and the moon’s favored protegees, doing their debut in society.
“Hope you enjoy the Gala,” Twilight said as she shook the hoof of a noble who refused to make eye contact with her. She didn’t care however, knowing they were probably looking forward more for the party inside than anything else. This didn’t prevent her from being ultimately bored to no end.
On the main room, Trixie was actually running out of tricks while most of the guesses, who seemed to have no sense of fun, where only giving her bored looks at best, or ignoring her at worst. Both of them would give away horn and limbs to have something -anything- to interrupt the boredom and monotony of the Gala. Soon, they wish would become true in a quite strange way.
*Crash!*
The main hall’s skylight exploded in dozens of shards that felt down like miniature daggers about to hit the attendants. Only luck placed most of the ponies out of the way of the rain of cuts…
*Wham!*
… and the pink body that fell flat on the floor.
Following their education and training, both Trixie and Twilight galloped over the fallen pony and, almost coordinately, checked her vital signs. Quickly around them there was a circle of party goers, interrupted only by the regal sisters approaching the weird scene taking place right in the middle of their main hall. Twilight rose up first, with a relieved look on her eyes and ready to declare the pony alive, but something else beat her to the punch.
*STOMP!... STOMP!... STOMP!*
The night of the Gala was a night of party for all of the city, so most of the ponies, inhabitants and visitors, were enjoying the urban nightlife offered to them. With a quite large portion of the city out in the streets, the chaos was unleashed once the thunderous steps of the black giant of metal irrupted their lives.
It was as tall as most of the buildings, sporting a featureless head with only two glowing eyes, shedding their yellow light over every corner near to it. The machine moved in a straight line, so it eventually encountered a dead end with a building blocking its way. It suddenly raised its arms, faster than most of the mechas known to the public and, before anypony could react, it smashed the building with a terrible force, stronger than anything ever seen before. Thankfully, it was very unlikely for the building to have too many occupants in a celebration night, but only the rescue teams would be sure later.
The black mecha kept is silent path, occasionally stomping or outright smashing over any obstacle in its way. As it continued to walk forward its destination became clearer. It was heading right towards the Royal Palace. However, is march of destruction was interrupted by a new kind of obstacle. A squadron of five gray Areions, adorned with the golden insignias of the Royal Guard and pointing their standard cannons, stopped the black monster’s advances. However, it didn’t even slow down.
“Halt!” one of the guards shouted through his Areion’s speaker. “Step out of the mecha and surrender!” The black mecha stopped, as if obeying the order. Then, its eyes’ lights glowed stronger as it raised its arms and roared like a wild beast. The guards prepared their Areions’ guns, waiting for their superior to give the order. The black mecha pounced at them. “Fire at will!” The officer ordered. The five Areions unloaded the high explosive incendiary rounds over the black mecha, raising a smokescreen between them.
Once they were out of ammo, the leading officer raised its mecha’s hand, signaling them to reload while the smoke dissipated. Before that could happen, a black hand came out of the smoke and grabbed the leading Areion by the head, crushing it, followed by another hand that grabbed the mechas arm and ripped it out. The other ones started to fire again, but the black mecha dodged the rounds as it jumped at them. It landed over one, rippin both of its arms. Before the three mechas left could reach for their side guns, the black mecha grabbed one of them and started to squeeze. The piloting guard managed eject himself right on time before the cockpit was crushed by the metallic arms.
The last two Areions opened fire again with the side guns, but the black mecha just shrugged off the hits like they were nothing. The black mecha advanced at them, its eyes focusing its lights over the mechas it was about to crush
Inside the palace, the pink pony was barely conscious while the emergency staff was attending her. However, once the black mecha came into view, she suddenly rose up and pointed a hoof in horror towards the silent colossus.
“B-b-b-- Black Ox!” She then fell back to unconsciousness as the Black Ox was now mercilessly battling the Royal and Night Guards. Everyone inside the ballroom was rather shocked. Although a rogue mecha wasn’t something unheard of, seeing a singular one singlehandedly holding its ground against the forces of the Guards was an unnerving sight. All they could do was look in silence and hope for the best. The only ponies who remained calm where the Princesses.
Princess Luna’s eyes pulsed with a fire of determination. She quickly went back to the Royal Hangar under the palace and take the matter on her hooves. However, these actions were prevented by the older sister. Princess Celestia’s hoof stopped her sister’s potential charge. Luna looked at her, searching for an answer to this. She found it when Celestia shaked her head at her and then pointed with it to their protegees. Luna followed Celestia’s gaze, seeing something that filled her with pride. Both, Twilight Sparkle, the Sun Favored Child, and Trixie Lulamoon, the Daughter of the Road, weren’t showing the same fear and doubt the other ponies looking at the fight outside the palace. Princess Luna recognized that same fire in their eyes. It was clear to the Princesses what was the next step to take.
“Twilight,” Celestia called in her most calm voice. “I do believe Canterlot’s good Guards need assistance.”
“Trixie,” Luna mimicked her. “Remember what we sister taught you two about power and responsibility.”
Both mares looked back at their mentors. It was a habit of both to speak indirectly when they wanted them to step ahead and do something for their own. Twilight looked at Trixie, who nodded in response. They both bowed to the Princesses and quickly galloped towards the panic room behind the ballroom. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna calmly trotted towards the garden’s doors of the Palace.
Outside, the last two Areions were trying to assault the Black Ox from the distance, but it showed to be nigh invulnerable to their ranged weapons, and any attempts of close combat so far has ended up in another unit being lost to the mecha’s brutality. Black Ox made its way towards the Palace’s ballroom, causing a small stampede of the animals there, who flew away from the mechanical menace breaking in their usually peaceful home.
The Princesses stood there, as if they were made of stone. Two statues of alabaster and obsidian, holding their ground unmoving, not even flinching as the titan of metal got closer by the second. The Palace’s guards were no real obstacle for it, and it’s menacing black figure sheed fear on the Gala guests inside the Palace, who were gazing in hope at the Princesses, still in the monster’s way. Its steps were seismic, each one making the earth crumble as its two yellow eye-like lights on its otherwise featureless head were now spotlighting the Princesses. It stopped right in front of them, and raised its fist, ready to devastate yet another obstacle standing in its way.
The giant fist was stopped by a pointed shield. The Black Ox pointed its lights to its side, revealing a new mecha holding the shield and blocking the blow. The black and white figure towered over the Black Ox. It’s black and white armor included two shoulder pads that looked like bat wings.
“Want to attack my home?” Trixie’s voice came from the head. It was covered by a black helmet that looked like a hood. “First, you will have to face Trixie, and her Deathscythe.”
The Deathscythe Gundam raised its left arm, slowly but surely forcing the Black Ox to do the same with its fist. However, the mechanical monster promptly punched the Gundam, making it lose its balance. Trixie tried to steady her mecha, but as soon as she loosened her grip on the Black Ox’s arm, it used both to pull it by that arm and throw the Deathscythe away.
“I see, you want to make it like that?” The Deathscythe reached for the staff in its back. Inside the cockpit, Trixie adjusted her cape and hat. “Duel’s on,” she ignited the Beam Scythe, making it spin over the Gundam’s head. “Gloves off.”
She activated the thrusters, making the Deathscythe glide over its opponent. The Black Ox put its arms in cross as Trixie hit it with the beam scythe. They stood there, trying to force each other back. Trixie broke the contact, gliding back and swinging horizontally. However, the Black Ox jumped over it and slammed its weight over the Deathscythe. Trixie tried to get it off the her Gundam with the beam scythe, but the Black Ox caught it with an arm and tossed it away. She fired the Vulcan Guns from the Gundam’s head, but the bullets bounced off over the Ox’s face, not even scratching its armor. Soon, Trixie was only blocking the blows falling over her mecha. The Black Ox kept slamming its fist over the Gundam, shutting down one of its eyes while doing so. Trixie ignited the Buster Shield, its beam blade glowing in the night, but the Ox held that arm with a hand.
Suddenly, a white and blue blur passed over the two mechas, taking the Black Ox with it and freeing the Deathscythe.
“Twilight!” Trixie shouted over the communicator, blowing her surrogate sister’s eardrums in the process. “Trixie had it under control!”
“I’m sorry, Trixie,” Twilight replied while her Wing Gundam lift the Black Ox in the sky. “But we needed to drive the battle away from the civilians.” She knew how sentimental Trixie was and didn’t want to hurt her pride.
Meanwhile, the Black Ox freed itself, headbutting the Wing Gundam. Twilight dropped it, but it caught its leg, forcing the mecha to fall with it. She tried to aim her Buster Rifle, but he Black Ox grabbed the other leg and used both as a supporting point to thrust itself over the Gundam and hold tight over its torso and arms. Twilight tried to come up with a way of getting the black mecha off of her before they both hit the ground, but it was restraining her and the combined weight was too much for the wings.
They both crashed outside Canterlot, next to the river. Most of the Wing Gundam’s system failed, as Twilight was struggling to keep it from shutting down. The Black Ox didn’t seem to have any real damage as it walked towards her. She tried to aim the Buster Rifle, but she realized the Ox’s grip crushed the arm, ruining the motor mechanism. The monster was over her, raising both arms and ready to strike her mecha down for good, when a spinning projectile hit the Black Ox’s back, making it fall. The Buster Shield came back to the Deathscythe arm.
“Remember me?” Trixie said over the loudspeakers. The black Ox quickly got over its feet, running at the Deathscythe menacingly. Trixie ignited the Beam Scythe, but instead of going for the direct confrontation, she used the thrusters to lift her Gundam and dodge the Ox’s charge. She landed next to the Wing Gundam, which was using its shield to stand.
“Are you alright, Twilight?” Trixie let her use the Deathscythe as support.
“I’m fine, but that thing destroyed Wing’s firing arm,” Twilight lamented. “But I’m sure you can lend me a helping hand.”
Trixie smiled, deducing what Twilight was thinking. As the Black Ox resumed its charge at them, the Deathscythe lifted the Buster Rifle. Twilight guided Trixie. The mechanical monster was right over them when they finally managed to get it on position. Twilight fired the rifle, hitting the Black Ox’s head, blowing it away.
“We did it!” Trixie celebrated, making the Deathscythe hug Wing. Twilight only shaked her head at her surrogate sister’s celebration.
“Yes, Trixie, we di--” *clank!*
The lifeless metallic body of the Black Ox fell over them, making the two Gundams fall over their backs and shaking the ponies inside.
Even if the Black Ox crippled most, if not all of the Guard’s Areions, the emergency units were still available. The rescue Sleipnirs found Twilight and Trixie’s Gundams, and the Black Ox’s remains, relatively soon after the fight was over.After helping them out of the damaged mobile suits, the nurses sent the royal students back to the Palace’s infirmary for observation. There, they met with the Princesses, who were awaiting for them, sitting over one of the beds. Twilight rushed her pace once she saw her mentor. Once they were close enough, Princess Celestia held her student with her wings, getting them closer to each other. Behind Twilight, and at a more relaxed trote, entered Trixie, who waved a friendly hoof at Princess Luna, who returned the gesture with a smile.
“Trixie did not find that an enjoyable experience.” Trixie cracked her neck and rubbed it with a hoof. “Do we at least know why so much pain and punishment?”
“Indeed,” Princess Luna said as she pointed at the bed next to them. Twilight and Trixie turned to see the mysterious pink pony from before, now awake and looking around disoriented. “Miss Pie, could you retell to our students what you told us?”
At noticing the four ponies looking at her, the pink mare retreated under the bed sheets, taking them with her hooves and covering her face up till the eyes. She was trembling. Princess Celestia trotted next to her and put a hoof over her shoulder.
“Miss Pinkamena,” her calm voice called for the mare. “There’s nothing to fear here. You’re safe now.” Pinkamena lowered her hooves, revealing her face. She looked up at Princess Celestia, who nodded. Then, she turned to Luna, Twilight and Trixie, who were still waiting for her to talk. Pinkamena swallowed.
“T-to tell the truth, I don’t have the faintest idea of why are they following me.” Her voice was very quiet, almost inaudible. She started with the basic, saying her full name was Pinkamena Diane Pie and that she had a sister called Pinie. Pinkie pie was traveling around Equestria, but still keeping contact with her family in Phillydelphia. That, until her last letter from a town called Ponyville, which came over three months ago.
“Pinkie has never spent more than a few week between letters, So I traveled to Ponyville to see what could have happened.” There, Pinkamena asked for her sister at the station, where he was told that Pinkie took the train to Appleloosa the day after her letter was sent. “That confused me, since Pinkie never mentioned Appleloosa in her letter. If anything, she was going to stay in Ponyville for a season.” Pinkamena decided to take the faster way via airship, but the only station to flight all over Equestria was in Canterlot, which was only a day of train away from Ponyville.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about my sister.” Pinkamena was so worried, she spent the entire trip asking around the train for anyone who may have seen Pinkie. “Maybe that was a mistake,” She concluded, since when the train finally reached Canterlot’s station, a white stallion in a business suit took her apart from the crowd and into a café “There, he sat me down at a table and told me that--” Pinkamena stopped, tears starting to build up over her eyes. Twilight trotted closer to her and took her hoof. Trixie followed her surrogate sister’s example, and patted Pinkamena’s shoulder, smiling at her. Pinkamena took a deep breath and continued her story.
“He told me that Pinkie was lost for-- forever and that I should go on with-- with my life!” She whipped the few tears falling over her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’m just worried.” Princess Celestia nodded. “That harrowing encounter failed to dissuade me. In fact, it just fortified my resolve, as it proved that Pinkie is in danger and something sinister is behind it.” After that, Pinkamena left the café in a hurry. Back on the street, the white stallion followed her and gave her one last warning, saying that if she didn’t desist from searching Pinkie, that she was messing with something too big for anypony. “I tried to run away, but then the stallion called the name ‘Black Ox’, and that black mecha appeared from nowhere and started chasing me. I ran as fast as I could looking for a place with ponies to help me. At the end, I just forced my entrance to the first place I found with lights, hoping for rescue.”
“A rescue gladly provided.” Trixie replied, holding Twilight close to her. “The Wise Twilight and the Wonderful Trixie at your service.” Tapping her hat.
“The question that follow is what to do with you now,” Princess Luna added, preventing one of her student’s ramble. “We can give you sanctuary, but I imagine your interest is beyond your personal safety.”
“I just want to know my sister is safe.” Pinkamena was about to raise from her bed, but she stumbled with the covers and almost fell, if it wasn’t for Princess Celestia’s golden aura holding her.
“An admirable feeling, but you still need to rest.” She put the pink mare back on the bed and wrapped her under the covers. “For now, you are our guest. Rest and tomorrow we will arrange an escort of our finest to aid you.” Princess Celestia gestured her sister and students to leave the infirmary. They gave Pinkamena the ‘good nights’ and left in a quiet pace. Once outside, both rulers let their students lead the way to the royal chambers. Without Twilight or Trixie noticing, their mentors whispered to each other all the way.
“Twilight, Trixie,” Princess Luna finally said out loud. The younger ponies turned around, recognizing “You understand that neither Celestia nor I can leave Canterlot, and for miss Pie’s situation, we have come to the conclusion that the Guards, even if well intentioned, are not the best suited for the task.” She coughed, looking at her sister, who seemed uncomfortable.
“We do believe this situation extends far beyond what happened tonight,” she paused, as if rethinking on what she was going to say. “Luna thinks, and I am obliged to admit that this occasion calls for ponies with a more versatile education and skill,” Twilight noticed tension building up in the Princess voice, something she had never seen in her life. “Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon, if you accept, you will depart tomorrow to Appleloosa with miss Pie, help her find her sister and report back to us any progress you do. ”
Twilight and Trixie looked at each other. In doubt at first but quickly looking more determined. The thought of saying no never crossed their minds.