> Fall of Starfleet: Rebirth of Harmony > by Alphamon_Ouryuken > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Rebirth > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was instantaneous, yet for her, the moment seemed to go on for hours. A massive pillar of both golden and lavender magic erupted from the battlefield, such a display of power nearly eradicating everything in its wake... And yet the moment it died down, two separate beams of light shot out of the pillar and traveled through the air at unimaginable speeds, one landing in the mountains, and the other crashing into the forest.... In the forest several animals fled and scurried away from the crater as a bright purple light shined from the center, the light itself slowly losing its glow as a figure within it slowly crawled out... and what emerged from the light was something rather... surprising.... it was a Unicorn mare, one that seemed to be a young adult. She had a violet coat, her mane, despite being greatly disheveled, was made up of fuchsia and pink bouncy curls. And lastly, her cutie mark was a silver sword being thrust through a golden crescent. "W-what…? Where... where am I...?" She whispered as she slowly picked herself up, looking around in confusion and fear as she took in her surroundings. She took a step out of the crater she had made upon impact, paying it no mind as she briefly struggled to keep her balance, lost to the wild and confused as to where she was supposed to be… ...or even who she was... Sadly, her struggles were in vain as she fell to her knees, the pain from the impact taking a lot from her. What little magic she had felt weak, to the point where she tried levitating a nearby stick towards her but it seemingly refused to move to her. She felt her muscles burn as she leaned against a tree, even her attempt to stand back up was met with complete failure, as if her entire body had been through the most torturous experience imaginable, and now had just shut down on her. As she began to black out, her only thoughts were what she could have gone through to get like this... not noticing the sound of approaching footsteps as she finally fell unconscious... The Unicorn groaned as she slowly woke up, blinking as she started taking in her surroundings; from what she could tell, she was in somepony's house. She tried to pick herself up but found that her body was still too tired to respond. "Don't move too much, my humble guest, for your body still needs time to rest." ".....please tell me you don't rhyme continuously...." The Unicorn groaned as she looked around. "It's just.... I have had a very dissatisfactory experience with rhymes.... at least... I-I think so anyways." The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself to be not a pony, but a Zebra, covered in white and grey stripes. Her mane was in the style of a mohawk and she wore what appeared to be a dark-pale top that wrapped under her arms, a woven skirt, brown wristbands, sandals, a dark-green cloak, and a necklace with four white and red feathers and a green oval-shaped gem in the center. "A bad experience with rhymes, you say?" She asked as she sat beside the bed, mixing some herbs together in a bowl of purple liquid. "Those who botch the art of rhyme simply bring dismay." "And like that, my brain begins hurting again," The Unicorn said as she attempted using her telekinesis to try and reach something resembling water or anything. "Please tell me there's something I can drink." The Zebra simply rolled her eyes as she gently pushed her back down onto her back. "You must try not to exert yourself, least you delay your return to full health." She said reassuringly as she held the bowl of now liquefied herbs to her mouth, urging her to drink. "Uh, do you by any chance have water instead?" The Unicorn asked with a gulp. Her eyes had already started watering from the smell of it and her stomach had begun churning. "This potion’s taste surpasses its smell," She stated, not remotely bothered by the Unicorn's stubbornness. "It will restore your stamina quicker than any spell." "....if you say so." The Unicorn sighed as she took the remedy and began drinking it. Surprisingly, it was actually pretty good. Sure, the smell was awful but, hey, she was starting to feel better. "You're very lucky I found you so soon," the Zebra explained as her guest drank down the last of the potion. "Any beast in this forest would have sealed your doom." She finished as she placed the empty bowl on a nearby table next to a bigger bowl filled with glowing green liquid, after which she took a wet cloth out of said bowl and moved to rub some of the liquid onto her forehead and around her horn. "I can tell that your memories are in a bind, this mixture should help you clear your mind." However, the moment she placed the cloth on the Unicorn’s head, however, something unexpected occurred. The Unicorn’s horn began to crackle and spark violently as many bolts of energy started erupting from it, striking several parts of the room, scorching the walls and knocking over various bottles and vials, all the while the Unicorn's eyes were glowing pure white and she laid perfectly still. Despite her best efforts to get out of range, one of the bolts of energy struck the Zebra in the chest, sending her flying across the room and into a wall, knocking her out. The Unicorn's mind was flooded with vivid memories, specifically visions... A thunderstorm with a rainbow lightning bolt that grew violent... ...a trio of butterflies flying through the storm only to be pinned by a vicious bat... ...some apples apparently going rotten... ..some balloons being deflated by an unseen force... ...diamonds slowly cracking and showing weakness... ...and finally... a star... glowing brightly.... and then dimming... The Unicorn gasped as the vision abruptly ended, her eyes stopped glowing and the bolts erupting from her horn dissipated. "Those... those images.... w-why did they feel so familiar...?" She whispered on shock, her breathing briefly becoming ragged and heavy before she calmed herself down... and saw exactly how much destruction her magic outburst had caused... as well as the unconscious Zebra with a nasty gash across her chest in the corner. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she shouted in terror and guilt, quickly running to her side. The Zebra was still breathing but she looked like she wasn't going to get back up for quite a bit. "Ooooh no. Oh lord, oh jeez, oooooh craaaap," the Unicorn panicked as she looked around for something to help her… *COUGH, COUGH* She was startled upon hearing the Zebra gasp in pain as her eyes flew open. Relieved that she was at the very least conscious, the Unicorn carefully picked her up bridal-style and carried her over to the bed. However, when she laid her down on her back, the weakened Zebra shakily raised her hand and pointed to one of the shelves behind the Unicorn, specifically to one of the few bottles that hadn't been knocked over during her magic burst. The Unicorn quickly grabbed the bottle and carefully poured its contents into a cup and held it close to the Zebra's mouth, allowing her to drink it down at her leisure. Much to the Unicorn's shock, the Zebra's chest wound was surrounded by a green glow as it slowly started to heal. While she was revealed to know she would survive, she felt a little repulsed to see the blackened skin sorta.... flake off. The gash across her chest finally closed up, leaving nothing but a small scar. The Zebra gasped as she picked herself up, coughing as she ran towards the sink, poured herself a glass of water, and started washing out her mouth. "I presume that that concoction tastes... unsavory?" The Unicorn asked her friend. The Zebra just nodded as she continued to rinse her mouth out. "It did kind of look like-” The Zebra held up a finger in a "just a moment" motion as she continued to gargle the water before spitting it down the drain. "I'll admit it does taste like trash, but it heals all wounds in a flash." Shr replied sitting down to catch her breath while carefully tracing her fingers over the scar. "Sorry about that," the Unicorn said with a weak chuckle. "I just.... I guess that I don't know my own power..... you sure you're going to be okay now?" "The wound you gave me wasn't my first, and trust me, I've recovered from much worse." The Zebra chuckled mildly as she approached the Unicorn. "For losing control, I won't give you blame... but introductions are in order; tell me, what is your name?" ".... I, um..... heheh.... I don't know my name," The Unicorn chuckled with a blush. "That's actually really embarrassing on my part. Attack you and all but I can't even tell you my name.... wow, that's just lame." The Zebra placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, you have nothing to be ashamed about; you were injured before I found you, of that, there's no doubt." She smiled in understanding as she sat the Unicorn down. "While this memory loss is not expected, your recent magic burst might be connected." "I was starting to think the same thing," The Unicorn said as she stretched a little bit. "Like.... the moment I saw those visions... it still felt.... incomplete. Like a piece of me was still missing.... I dunno what it is... but I get the feeling it's important." In the frozen mountains to the north, a monstrous yeti-baboon-like creature snarled as it made its way out of its cave and slowly approached a massive crater that was practically the size of a house. Small wisps of energy seemed to flow through the air around it as crackles of energy sparked around the center, which was obscured by a bright lavender light... As the creature got closer, it sniffed the air and realized that there was something alive at the bottom of the crater. It quickly climbed down towards it, trying to deduce whether or not it was another predator... or its prey. The second it got close enough, however, a hand reached out from the light and grabbed it by the neck. Before it got a chance to fight back, a nasty shock of lavender electricity shot through its body, causing it to howl and scream in agony as its energy was slowly ripped out of its body… "Must..... hunt......... STAR." > Fallen Shadow > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Star....' That was the first thing that came to mind as the figure trudged through the frozen forest. Her only attire being a feathered cloak of some kind that wrapped around her entire body, while her face was completely obscured by the shadow her hood cast. "Hunt.... Star...... NEED.... Star." She stammered to herself. "Star makes me whole..... Star will MAKE ME whole." She repeated those words, over and over as she made her way towards a nearby cliff, not even bothering to take in her surroundings, or acknowledge how cold it was... all that mattered was that she felt... empty, like a part of herself was missing... She needed more power, more magic, that creature she had drained earlier barely gave her enough to properly form coherent thoughts... she needed more. "N-No! Stay back!" The figure began hearing new sounds..... shouting.... cries for help.... she also could smell it.... magic.... more power..... she needed it... all of it.... it has to fill her void... At the bottom of a cliff was a young female yak wearing a heavy fur coat backed up against the rocky wall. In front of her was another one of those creatures she had drained a moment ago, though this one seemed to be somewhat taller, hissing and growling with saliva dripping from its gaping maw as it slowly approached the defenseless child, fully intent on making her it's next meal. Reacting on instinct she leaped down towards it, landing on its back. The creature immediately started to struggle in defiance as she clung to it, wrapping her arms around its neck as it snarled and roared. However soon after a dark lavender aura began to engulf the rest of its body, its movement became less violent and sporadic as she began the same draining procedure as before.... draining the creature of everything it had. For some reason she felt a need to guard the young yak... a desire to keep it safe. Yet another feeling overcame her. A feeling of regret and sorrow.... it didn't want to do this yet all of it's instincts said it had to. This was the only way to survive. After a few seconds, the beast's struggles became weaker with each passing moment until it finally collapsed, it's breathing now ragged and weak as it whimpered in pain. Slowly she got off of the creature, staggering a little as she felt more energy flow into her body... only to hear the sound of crunching snow behind her, looking over her shoulder she noticed that that young yak had fled the scene the moment she'd gotten a chance, with large footsteps leading away from the area and deeper into the forest... "Must..... must f-f-find..... energy." She muttered to herself as she stumbled onwards. "I n-need.... m-more power.... I must have it." As she trudged through the snow once more, she suddenly felt something pulsate within her and instinctively placed her left hand over her chest. It felt like... a spark or some sort... Suddenly her eyes began to glow as she felt the aura envelope her entire body, acting on instinct, she mentally focused on the power within her... then in a bright flash, she was gone... "Come on, come on, come on. Gotta move faster!" A figure draped in a dark cloak said as he ran through a dense forest. Behind them they heard shouts as several beams of magic were fired at him, some missing by mere inches. The figure let out of hiss of pain as he felt one of the beams graze his shoulder, briefly stumbling as he darted to the left just as another struck the space he'd previously occupied. 'I'm close.... I can feel it, I just need to elude them a little longer...' He thought to himself as continued onward, only to find himself near the edge of a cliff overlooking a portside town. Glancing over his shoulder, he quickly pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it down before leaping off the edge and spreading his wings, soaring down towards the town as fast as he could before the soldiers arrived at the cliffside. "Damnit!" The lead guard coughed as he used his magic to clear the smoke. "Where is he!?" A voice called out from behind him. "C-Captain Emerald Shaina!" The lead guard stammered as he was approached by a Unicornicopian with a white coat, emerald mane, wearing crimson armor and dark violet cape. "Where is the prisoner!?" She asked as she pushed her way through the group. "H-he escaped into town ma'am!" "Bastard!" Shaina cursed before turning to her squad. "Have squads Alpha and Omega block off any roads leading into the town! Squad Delta is with me!" She stated firmly. "But ma'am, that's outside our borders, and our orders were-" One of the guards started before Shaina jabbed the blunt end of her staff right into his chest, forcing him to his knees. "Does ANYONE ELSE want to complain? No? THEN FOLLOW MY ORDERS!" She shouted before spreading her wings and taking off. “I want that traitor in chains by sundown!” In one of the alleyways of the town, there was a bright flash of violet light as the lost mare appeared out of thin air, briefly collapsing to the floor and she caught her breath. Looking around she realized that she was no longer in the freezing mountains and took a sigh of relief, thankful that she wouldn't have to trudge through another blizzard. However she was also hit with another realization.... going from really cold to really hot is exceptionally bad on her body. Feeling her body warm up too suddenly caused pain that she could feel down to her very bones. Causing her to be unable to move for a while... or it would were she a regular unicorn. Instead she tried to keep moving... to find something to soothe the pain. 'Ha-have t-t-to go… k-keep… move… ing…’ She mentality told herself as she took ragged breaths, biting her lip as she staggered backwards and placed her hand on a nearby dumpster for support. 'I… ha-have to find-’ “OOOFFF!” The lost unicorn was brought out of her thoughts as another pony rushed around the corner and accidentally slammed into her, causing them both to topple over. "Sorry! Sorry! Don't.... mind...... me?" The pony said as he got a good look at her. “You.... hurt me?!" She growled at him as she got to her hooves and backed away in panic. The stallion winced at her tone, but for some strange reason he couldn't pull attention away from her face. This mare looked just like.... 'No, it can't be her. She's dead.' He mentally corrected himself before snapping out of his stupor, he took a few steps back. "I'm so sorry, I was in a rush and didn't watch where I was going... are you alright?" "Don't touch!" The Unicorn snapped with a growl as she backed up a good few feet. "Not liking you now!" "Okay fair, but I really didn't mean to hurt you so... sorry." The stallion said as he started taking off down the street. Unfortunately he didn't get far as a beam of magic struck the ground in front of him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. "That's far enough, criminal scum!" A voice called out from above him. 'You've got to be kidding me...' He thought to himself as he looked towards the source of the voice, hovering above him was a Starfleet soldier with a spear in hand and her horn glowing. "Finally gotcha. Stay right where you are traitor." The soldier sneered as her spear was aimed at his throat. "You're gonna pay for what you've done." The stallion remained perfectly still, slowly yet silently reaching for the his hidden dagger.... *BZZZTTT* "ARGH! MY WING!" ...only for a lavender bolt of magic to shoot right through the soldiers wing, stunning her enough to lose her focus. Not wasting this chance he quickly deliver to sharp right hook to her face, sending her staggering back. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the mare breathing heavily with her hand outstretched and crackling with magic. But he also saw her eyes glowing with rage and fury, both directed at the downed Starfleet soldier. "You.... horrible.... horrible... nightmare." She whispered as she walked closer, zapping her every so often to keep her on her knees. Despite this the soldier struggled to get to her feet, desperately grabbing her flare gun in an attempt to call for backup... only for the mare to lunge forward and grab her arm. "Let go of me you insane monster-AAAAGGGHHH!!" The stallion took another step back as he watched the events play out before him, a lavender aura immediately erupted from the mare's hand and engulfed the unfortunate soldier, who could only scream in pain as several wisps of yellow magic erupted from her horn and into her body. "Your power.... mine now." The unicorn chuckled as she kept taking more and more of the magic from the soldier. The stallion on one hand was grateful for the mare saving his life but even this was a bit much... just a little bit though. The soldier gasped in pain as she felt all of her strength leaving her, desperately attempting to grab the Unicorns arm, saying that she couldn't even muster up enough strength to raise her arm. She fell to her knees as her body finally went limp. The Unicorn inhaled deeply as she felt the power rush through her body, her mind felt... much clearer than it did before, like she'd regained knowledge she didn't even know she'd possessed…. The Unicorn then turned towards the stallion with a glare and walked towards him. "So you broke a law.... you are a criminal.... but these soldiers." The Unicorn gestured to the unconscious soldier at her feet. "They enforce laws that.... look almost insane." "I'm only a criminal to Starfleet in the sense that they consider me an inconvenience to them...." He mumbled under his breath, somewhat nervous considering what the mare had just done, but tried to keep calm as he glanced at the unconscious guard. "So.... what exactly did you do to her?" "I needed magic.... so I drained hers." The Unicorn said with a groan of relief. "It was sort of bland but it was magic at least.... something I can use to regain myself." "Regain... yourself?" The Stallion repeated in confusion. "What do you mean by-" "I heard the scream come from over here!" The two of them heard a male voice shout. "Aw crap..." The stallion cursed has he quickly drew a knife... only for the mare to grab him by the shoulder as her horn started to glow, deconds later the two were teleported away just as the guards arrived... They soon popped back into existence. The stallion stumbling a bit before regaining his posture. "Okay.... c-can you find SOME kind of better teleportation spell or something?" The mare chuckled at this. "If I remember one, I'll be sure fill you in..." She smirked before taking a moment to focus as her horn glowed. A lavender aura surrounded her body for a brief moment, the scratches dirt covering parts of her coat swiftly vanishing. "Ahhh... that's better..." "Alright… well with that stunt you pulled earlier you’re probably now on Starfleet's already big shit-list.... you might want to lay low for a while..." The stallion asked as he flexed his wings a bit to make sure they were working. “....by the way, do you have a name?” "My name...?" The mare repeated to herself as she turned her attention to the night sky for moment, as if trying to recall something she had forgotten over time.... sadly, any attempts to remember who she was before she found herself lost in the mountains yielded no results. "I honestly can't remember..." She sighed as she leaned against the tree. "All I remember is waking up in the freezing mountains before teleporting here... everything before that is nothing more than a blur..." "... sorry to hear that." The stallion said as he leaned against a different tree. "I mean, that's something I'd never wish for my worst enemy... but I can't just keep calling ya "Unicorn" can I?" ".....Midnight." She replied as she continued to watch the sky. The Pegasus blinked. "Come again?" "You can call me Midnight. The name feels.... natural to me for some reason...." She casually replied. "And what may I call you? I sincerely doubt "Mr. Pegasus" has a nice ring to it..." "Heheh... yeah well for a while that might as well have been my name but since I have a partner now." He said with a smirk. "How does the name Shadowstep sound? Too cliche?" Midnight tilted her head at this. Partners? Them? A small part of her felt that "acquaintances" would have fit better.... and yet for some reason she didn't mind in the slightest. 'In fact, this feeling of camaraderie... it makes me feel.... oddly nostalgic, does it have something to do with my missing memories...? I suppose those are questions for later...' She thought to herself, with a small smile she stood up and held out her hand towards her new comrade. "I personally think it's great name." "Aw shucks. Thanks Midnight." Shadowstep said with a chuckle, taking her hand as she helped him up. "So then Shadow. Where do you suggest we go next?" Midnight asked as she gestured to the woods. "I'm not exactly a local. Plus I'm still trying to recover some of my own strength." Shadowstep took a moment to think, turning his attention back to the portside town before the glancing at the woods again. "Well, the forest isn't the best option at this point, Starfleet has a special stronghold at least half a mile from here...." He explained before pointing towards the docks, specifically the large cruise ship. "There, we can hitch a ride on one of the ships!" "Hm.... I suppose so-" Midnight started before Shadowstep flared his wings. "Hey wait you don't have to fly. I can teleport us there.... I'll be gentle this time as well." "Good idea... but before we do that we need one last thing..." Shadow smart before reaching under his cloak and pulling out of flare gun. ".... a distraction." "When did you-?" "Snatched it off of that Starfleet guard you drained when I was close enough." He explained as he aimed it at the sky. "It would be easier for us to distance ourselves from them with a little bit of misdirection, don't you think?" "That's fair. So then. Ready whenever you are." She says with a dark smirk. "Fire away Shadow." With a simple nod, Shadowstep fired the flare gun into the sky. Not wasting a second, Midnight teleported them away, leaving the Starfleet Soldiers to case a false lead.... Not too far from the cruise ship in the cargo bay, an Earth Pony stallion with a short brown mane and a tannish yellow coat was being tended to by his sister; an Earth Pony with a bright yellow coat and a blue mane with pink streaks. "Y'see, this is why you don't mouth off to ponies bigger than you…" She stated bluntly. "Honestly, what were you thinking?" "Uuuugh! I am fine without you riding my damn ass." The stallion groaned as his sister continued to nurse his wounds. "I fucking had that guy but then he had to cheat to win…" His sister rolled her eyes as she wrapped a bandage around his right arm. "Oh get over yourself. You lost because you got cocky and had to gloat, leaving yourself wide open might I add." She stated before reaching into her medical kit some more supplies. "Honestly Talon, how can you expect to move forward in life if you keep acting like a stubborn mule!?" "Oh don't start that nonsense again Lita!" As he shouted this the sound of a teleport bubble appearing and vanishing behind some large crates went unnoticed. Midnight and Shadowstep looked around as they slowly and silently made their way towards the docks, hiding behind some cargo boxes for a moment. "Ok… then…” Midnight whispered. “We just need to sneak onto the ship and keep ourselves hidden until-" "Why must you always be so difficult?!" They heard a female voice shout. The two silently peeked around the corner of the boxes to see the two siblings arguing with each other. With Midnight already formulating a plan in her mind. The stallion seemed to be somewhat wealthy, as shown by his more formal attire (a tuxedo) as compared to his female associate (a tank top with denim jeans).... and considering the fact that neither of them had any currency to speak of, desperate times called for desperate measures... all they had to do was separate the two somehow, a task that seemed more manageable and they continued to watch the two argue. "I swear you are acting like a child!" Lita continued as she stood up. "The world isn't just gonna give you what you want because you demand it! You need to actually put some EFFORT in! You need to TRY AND DO SOME WORK!" "I'm acting like a child!? You're the one who's been ignoring everything I've been telling you!" Talon fired back, destiny himself all that she stood up. "I don't need an acting degree, professional lessons, or any of that stuff. I'm already talented enough, more than anything any school can teach me! And I refuse to go against my pride just to satisfy their moronic requirements!" "Aka you're just a lazy dumbass who wants everything handed to him and if it involves work you groan and quit!" She groaned, throwing up her arms in frustration. "I swear you're just a child in a grown up's body!" "And you're still Equestria's foremost expert on ignoring everything I say like it doesn't matter! I swear you're just like mom!" He snapped, getting dangerously close and pointing at her... yet not noticing her clenching her fists. "You're just as selfish, short-tempered, and arrogant as she wa-" *POW* A punch that could heard halfway across the city decked the pegasus hard enough to nearly dislocate his jaw and send him flying into a bunch of boxes. "You know what Talon Ted? I'm done. You are on your own... I'm over your pathetic bullshit." The stallion coughed as he held his jaw in pain. "Y-YOU BI-" "STAY. DOWN." Lita snapped, cutting him off. "You wanna waste most of your money on some cruise in the vain hopes that someone will just hand you an acting job out of thin air? Go ahead! I'm DONE trying to set you on the right path!" She shouted before turning around and storming off. "Just don't come crying to me when your welfare checks dry up and you end up out on your ass in the streets!" "FINE THEN!" The stallion shouted as she kept walking away. "I CAN DO THIS ALL ON MY OWN YOU TWO-FACED WHORE!" He shouted at her as he brushed himself off and sneered in her direction. The stallion proceeded to stagger towards his luggage... only to notice a few of his bags were missing. "What the- who took my-HRRKK!" He barely had time to react as he we lifted off his feet by an lavender aura and yanked towards the dark alley behind the crates and cargo. Before he could scream for help, Shadowstep quickly ran forward and slammed his fist right into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him before Midnight grabbed him by the throat and proceeded to drain his magic. "Mind picking up the pace a bit? Sorry but standing out here exposed is not a good spot for us to be in right now." Shadow said with a worried look. "Yeah yeah. I'm done now.... worthless energy anyways." Midnight said as she tossed his unconscious body into the alleyway. "Welp, good news is we've got ourselves some supplies and a shit-ton of bits." Shadowstep whispered as he continued rummaging his bag. "Spoiled jackass was probably planning to waste it all anyway… now then, shall we?" Midnight smirked as she took his hand and levitated the rest of the luggage around them before teleporting away, leaving the arrogant pony broke, alone, and unconscious. The moment they arrived on the cruise ship the two of them quickly made their way inside, being careful to avoid some of the security guards and other guests. They eventually reached the room meant for Talon Ted and quickly swiped the card before letting themselves inside. "..... okay wow this place is.... smaller than I expected it to be." Shadowstep said as he explored the rather lavish but small room. "Not expecting five stars but with the coin he had I'm shocked he didn't demand a better room to pop his rocks off in." "Knowing his attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally gave him a small room...." Midnight scoffed as she lied down on the bed, taking a moment to relax on something soft in the first time in what felt like forever. "Mmm~... at least it's comfortable..." "That's fair.... hey thought occurs. What are we gonna do about the guards? Gonna be real awkward explaining how we got the card off him. I mean, I'm pretty sure someone will get suspicious if this Talon guy doesn't leave his room for the entire cruise…. and security here isn't very lax." Shadow said as he grabbed a bottle of red wine. "I've been thinking about that...." Midnight stated as she levitated a comb out of Talon's stolen luggage. "After I drained his magic, I felt a few memories return to me... one of which was a spell... I think I might have read it in a book somewhere... the circumstances under where I'd seen it are vague..." "Oh that's fun... so where to after this baby parks?" Shadow said as he took a swing. "I am perfectly fine with constantly moving. But if you had an idea of where to go then I'm excited to see or hear where you have in mind." Midnight arched a brow. "Someone's impatient..." She smirked, swirling her hand around in a circle as a lavender aura surrounded the comb, several strands of hair were pulled out and fused into a bright red sphere. "Right now, I still need to replenish my magic. As well as find out everything I can about this world.” "I can help with the latter. The first one though is definitely a "you" thing." Shadow said as he sat down and sighed in relief. "Finally a seat to relax in... so what do you want to know first?" Midnight briefly traced out of the shape of a DNA strand, forcing the red sphear to morph into the same shape as she continued to set up her spell. "..... I'd like to know what this... Starfleet organization is up to.... and why they were after someone like you?" "I was framed for a crime I didn't commit. Selling intelligence to 'the enemy' and in general just being a spy. You know, the things I'm actually not like.... minus my present look obviously." Shadow said with a chuckle. "But I'm trying to hide my pretty face. Don't wanna wow all the girls right?" Midnight giggled slightly at this, but recoiled as a sharp pain went through her head. Glancing back at the flooding in DNA strand, she quickly went back to work. "And what of this Starfleet organization? Are they the only ones in charge?" "It depends who you ask. One of their soldiers? Yes. Anyone else? They'll tell you it's sort of a big cold war going on.... nobody willing to make any big moves yet." Shadow said with an air of annoyance. "Though personally anyone right now would be better than Starfleet." Midnight narrowed her eyes at this, already something felt off... like, there was something... or someone missing. "And... what of the rulers of this land? Surly they wouldn't support such an oppressive reign?" Shadow just laughed at that. "Who do you think rules this land though?! Starfleet's glorious 'Grand Ruler'. I about bet he gave himself that title to sound more impressive than what he really is. The self-righteous son of a bitch." Midnight clenched her firsts upon hearing that name. ‘Grand Ruler…. why does that name… bother me so much?’ She thought as she tried to recall where she'd heard that name before, but sadly her memories were completely blank. “This Grand Ruler... he rules unopposed?” "No. He has his wife, Queen Celestia... though only up to a certain point is she granted political power." Shadow said as he grabbed a nearby apple. "She has a sister, Princess Luna, but she might as well just be a cheap figurehead as far as political power goes." Midnight narrowed her eyes, she had amnesia and yet even she knew this wasn't right.... that it wasn't supposed to be this way... but why? What did her memories hold that made this entire scenario feel more... personal? She was brought out of her thoughts a the DNA strand was slowly morphed into a circular shape, almost resembling a necklace of some sort. "It's done... if I did the spell correctly this should allow us to stay here without too many questions being asked..." "Yeah... hey wait where's mine?!" Shadow asked as she put the necklace on and started to morph into Talon Ted himself. "Wait your turn Shadow. I'll make yours in a bit." Midnight went back to rummaging through the bag in order to find some extra DNA to replicate the spell, but immediately held her head in pain. "Ugh, I guess… that spell took more magic than I expected..." "Alright. You just relax and get some sleep. We may need you at full strength." Shadow said. Midnight sighed as she lied down once more, her thoughts drifting to those names... 'Celestia.... Luna.... why do those names feel so.... familiar? Did I know them before.... before I lost my memories?' Sadly, her dreams would yield no answers. But for another unicorn, her dreams would bring forth even more questions. She groaned as she slowly stood up, wondering how she'd ended up on the floor… but as she took in her surroundings, she realized that she wasn't in Zecora's hut anymore. "....w-where am I?" The young pony asked as she looked around at the room she was in. It was dark, cold, and very unwelcoming. Her nervousness getting worse she tried to leave only to encounter a mirror. ....or rather, the shattered remains of one. But that wasn't the strangest thing, no. It was the fact that said mirror didn't seem to be physically connected to anything, its shards simply floated in place... The Unicorn nervously and slowly approached the floating shards. Interestingly as she got closer some of them seemed to float away from her, as if they were actively avoiding making physical contact. As the shards continued to float away from her, she noticed a glimmer in one of them, for the moment she could have sworn she saw an eye glaring at her... then it was gone. "What's going on... is anybody here?!" She shouted, now becoming worried and scared of what's going on around her. "L-Look if this is some kind of joke this isn't funny!" "Star...." The Unicorn froze in place as a raspy voice whispered her name from the shadows, suddenly several of the shards started to shift their positions, slowly floating into the shape of what looked like a six-pointed star... The mirror then tried putting itself together again. As if something was compelling it to... but just as the final piece approached the mirror a sudden burst of dark purple magic sent the shards flying. The heat intense enough to melt them.... and with those melted pieces she swore she saw something. "Ssshhadow...." The voice called out as the shards melted into a single puddle before slowly bubbling and shifting in color, soon it had changed from silver to lavender as its very shape started to change. A strange, vaguely humanoid figure began to rise out of the puddle, covered in the lavender goo as it rose higher... and higher... and higher to the point where it was five times bigger than the Unicorn herself, with its head nearly touching the ceiling. She then tried to run from the creature but found herself unable to truly run. The floor beneath her dragging her towards the molten figure that was reaching out towards her. The moment it grabbed her however she felt nothing but searing pain.... and screamed. The Unicorn woke up with a start, sweating nervously she quickly looked around, only to realize she was still back at Zecora's hut. "Just a dream... it was just a dream...." She whispered to herself, placing a hand over her still beating heart. She then groaned to herself as she tried laying back down. Realizing sleep was not coming to her she got up and went to the restroom to try and find something to help her get some sleep. "Come on come on.... there has to be some kinda drowsy medication here." Suddenly, she glanced to her left and stared out the window. For a moment she could've sworn she felt a strong pulse of magic... coming from the south, only for it to vanish almost immediately. 'What was that feeling.... that power...?' She thought to herself. '....and why did it feel so... familiar?' "Is everything okay?" A familiar voice asked. Jumping out of panic she sighed in relief when she saw who it was. "You scared me for a minute Zecora." She said with a light chuckle. "I almost threw you out a window." "I assumed something was amiss, so I thought that maybe I could assist..." The Zebra explained as she stepped out of the shadows and joined the Unicorn near the window. "Tell me, what has you in an emotional bind? What conflicting thoughts might be clouding your mind?" She asked in a concerned tone, gently placing her hand on her shoulder. "I..... I had a really messed up.... I think it was a nightmare.... dream or something." The Unicorn replied as she looked up to the skies. "I... I mean it started with me in some weird room with some kind of melted mirror. I mean that's really weird isn't it?" "Indeed it is, but all dreams have a meaning." Zecora stated, following her line of sight. "Perhaps those are hints to your past you've been seeing?" As she spoke, she let out a tired yawn and stretched her arms. "... you can go get some rest Zecora... you've worked yourself to near death today." She said with a concerned tone. "I'll try getting some sleep to." The Zebra nodded as she made her way back to her room... but not before glancing at the Unicorn over her shoulder. "If I may offer some words of advice; most missing memories are rarely precise. Look deep for meanings behind this vision, for between the lines may be a precognition." "I will. I know there has to be more to this I swear." She said as Zecora left her alone. 'Just.... who was that.... and what did they want from me? And that name she called me… "Starshadow".... is that… who I am?' Sadly, no answers came to her that night…. Meanwhile in Ponyville, a cloaked figure made his way through the quiet streets, occasionally sticking to the alleyways to avoid any Starfleet patrol units. As he continued onwards, he figure eventually found it target: Carousel Boutique. Slowly yet silently sneaking towards the door, he quickly pulled out an note and pinned it to the door before taking off, not wasting a second to look back. It was already close to sunrise, and he has to get out of town as quickly as possible... "I'm sorry.... but just stay here anymore…." The figure said as he left. A purple tail visible from underneath the cloak as he finally left Ponyville. "Please… forgive me…" And with that, he rushed off into the forest, never looking back….. "Mmm.... what time is it?" Rarity sighed as she woke up, groaning a bit as some parts of her body creaked and slowly started to get used to moving again. However as she got dressed she heard a sound... like paper being blown against the wind and it was coming from outside her door. The Unicorn arched a brow at this and made her way towards her front door, occasionally stretching a little as she rubbed her eyes, upon opening the door she noticed a note pinned to it. "How odd, I have a mailbox, why was pinning it to my door necessar-?" She wondered as she unfolded the note, only to freeze when she recognized the handwriting. ".... oh no.... no no no no no!" She shouted as she raced off to find her friends and tell them the news, dropping the note to the floor in her panic. > Silent Grief > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia's Sun had barely risen over the horizon by the time Applejack had made her way to the orchard, granted her line of work required her to be up at the crack of dawn, but her family had noted that this was ridiculously early even for her. ...she had been like that for several months... ever since Twilight "fell in the line of duty", as Lightning Dawn oh-so elegantly put it… Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention to the orchard, there was a lot of work to get done this early… ...and yet, her heart just wasn't in it. Looking into her bag, she pulled out, a small sandwich in a plastic bag (Granny had insisted on her taking some form of breakfast with her if she was going to be getting up so early), a water bottle... ...and a diary. Letting out a tired sigh, she pulled out a pencil and started writing... Dear Diary, it's me, Applejack. Honestly can't believe Ah'm keeping one of these... but with everything going on, with all the changes Equestria has gone through, Ah need a way to vent... It's been three months since we lost Twilight… Three months.... gosh time just seems to fly sometimes, doesn't it? Ah mean one month ago feels like Yesterday but.... not the point. The point Ah'm tryin' ta make is that.... these Starfleet folks can just go rot in a ditch fer all Ah care fer how they treat us. They say she died 'because of her insubordination'... what a cold way to say she died savin' the Princess.... ya couldn't even give her THAT decency ya damn varmints? ...but Ah'm gettin' ahead of mahself. Things only gotten worse since then. Not a day after her funeral Spike just up and vanished, leaving only a note explaining why he had to go. We sent out several search parties but... he's basically disappeared. Can't say Ah blame the poor guy... Ah mean. Ah felt the same way ta be honest. We should've DONE something. Done ANYTHIN' ta save her... and yet we stood by like deer lookin' at a bright lamp and didn't do a thing... Artie says there was nothin' we or Starfleet could've done to save her from Raven anyway, spountin' some manure about Raven bein' "too strong" and "her power couldn't be determined". BULL. So Titan and all them other villains can be fought with no hesitation, but the second one of our own needs backup, THEN they suddenly can't jump in tah help!? Some "superior" ponies they are!! ...Ah'm rambling again, dang it. Ah just think… no, Ah KNOW if we were there for her… she'd still be here... Hello again Diary, it's Rarity It's been.... well it's been quite a while since Spike disappeared, leaving us nothing a letter… [I'm sorry it had to be this way, but with Twilight gone... I just... I can't stay here any longer. I still have nightmares about that fateful day I lost her. I can't even stay in the same house without thinking about how she'd still be here if... if I'd done something, ANYTHING... to help... I need to leave, and I'm not sure when, or if, I'll come back... Please, don't look for me. Sincerely Spike] Some days I wish he was still here. That one day I'd wake up and this would all be a bad dream where we're all still together and it'd be just another day for us all to go adventuring off... but reality isn't so gentle I'm afraid. Pinkie Pie still smiles, but we can tell there's something... forced about it. Only being around the twins seems to bring a genuine smile to her face. Rainbow Dash has been throwing herself into her training more and more, I'm starting to worry she might push herself too far... Applejack has been pushing herself during working hours as well, even to the point of getting up before the sun rises. Which is ludicrously early even for someone with her line of work... Fluttershy has become more withdrawn... it's been getting increasingly difficult to have a moment with her alone, and recently her boyfriend has been hovering over her shoulder more so than usual... I myself... I'm doing no better… I've closed myself off from most others. I rarely take in customers anymore. I just... I've kept myself busy with personal projects that seem to have no end to them and act as if I have a point… but the truth is I think I'm at my wit's end. When Twilight was murdered… we lost a part of ourselves. A part, I fear, we will never get back… Hey Diary, it's Pinkie Pie... ...and I'm not happy. I haven't been since we lost Twilight. I still try to put on a smile for everyone, but deep down, I know it's fake. I try to help everyone else stay positive, to help them and let them know that we can get through this… but at times I feel like just crying non-stop. Nothing really tastes good anymore, laughter and joy feels empty at times, the only reason I'm even doing anything now is because of the twins. It's even worse with Starfleet, they… they treat me like a child. They may not say it out loud, but I hear their whispers, saying I have batter for brains, claiming I'm just a woman-child because I like parties... I just like to make everypony happy, what's so wrong about that? And that's not even getting into Lightning and his own little group... they act so... so mean, like they're better than everypony else. They think we're all just some poor damsels who need rescuing and sometimes treat us like we're weaklings just because we have an issue with killing… and we beat Discord! I know! How silly is that? And... and now with Twilight gone... ...I'm just not sure what to do... Dear… Journal, I guess? (no way in Tartarus I'm calling this thing a Diary) It's Equestria's most awesome Pegasus, Rainbow Dash. ...and I feel like garbage. Every day since Twilight died, I can only look at myself in the mirror and see a failure. I'm the fastest Pegasus in Equestria, how could I have messed up so badly…? I'm the Element of Loyalty for Celestia's sake! Why wasn't I there!? Oh right. Because of some bullshit excuse about how she "disobeyed orders". They KNEW she was gonna be in danger and needed backup, but they did nothing! Those... those bastards… I just… It's not fair. Twilight… she gave her life to stop that assassin, someone who wanted our Princess dead… but they condemned her for "disobeying orders"... They could have saved her… we should have saved her… and now... Twilight… I'm… I'm so sorry... Dear... diary I guess.... this is Queen Krysta. I wonder at some point whether I made a horrible choice being with Starfleet.... not with my friends of course but rather... their 'society' as a whole.... an innocent life was taken.... a PRINCESS native to this land..... and yet some of them were barely even phased or worried about any political backlash to us standing by and doing nothing to save her. Sure she deliberately disobeyed orders and went off alone, but Raven had threatened the life of her beloved teacher, she gave her life to stop a threat to United Equestria… why did that warrant condemning her for her sacrifice? Heck, I've seen Lightning himself step out of line to deal with enemies of our own at different points, and he didn't get so much as a slap on the wrist, he was praised for it... I've been feeling more than my fair share of guilt, I know my portals could have helped, I… I know Lightning and I should have been there… but the Grand Ruler ordered us not to… They don't say it to me directly, but I've seen it in their eyes whenever I'm nearby. They blame us for not saving her… And I honestly don't blame them... Journal Entry #054: Cookie Dough Log Day… whatever day it is I don't get enough time to deal with it. It's been a few months since I've been brought back into the fold. Brought back to being just another cog in a machine that cares for nothing but itself. Something that has been going on for ages. Least that's the way it feels since I got forcibly drafted into the service again. After facing off against Titan I honestly thought I'd be done with this. Sure Starfleet went on several adventures afterward, but I wanted no part of it, I made that abundantly clear when I retired. My life as a chef may have been considered mundane to some, but I got paid to do what I like, making delicious treats that many would enjoy, for me it was peaceful, and that's all I honestly could ask for. Granted, it kinda hurt when my so-called "comrades" didn't care to hang out (or at the very least acknowledge me) while off-duty, but to suddenly drag me back into service with little to no consideration of my daily life? But of course, like with everything else regarding Starfleet; participation was mandatory. The first thing that happened when I came back was everyone acting like I was barely gone.... like I didn't just leave and retire from the crew at the first chance I got. Then again with the attention to detail they have being more like goldfish maybe I was barely gone to them. Sorry… I'm rambling again... But… still, there are some days it feels like I'm never going to go back to the restaurant. That I'm going to just... I'm just a baker. I shouldn't be fighting, I should be cooking meals… making people HAPPY. But instead, I'm stuck with a bunch of people I can barely call my "friends", in an army I had no intention of ever fighting in again… They say life isn't fair, but is it too much to ask that I be left out of such complicated matters? Starfleet Log, 32nd Entry: Buddy Rose (I.D: FT5H) To say things have been hectic as of late would be an understatement, then again, for them to bring Cookie Dough of all of ponies back into active duty is a jarring decision to say the least, I can already tell that he doesn't want to be here... Have to say, the feeling is somewhat mutual. Granted, I want to keep my home safe, but I really miss tending to my gardens… But if you disagree or talk about leaving then everyone either thinks you're too weak or there's something wrong with you. I bet that's part of what made Cookie want to leave the first time. And I mean... I've got some decent combat training, been in a few scraps here and there, but... I'm just a GARDENER. I shouldn't even be doing this! I plant and I grow plants. It's one thing to want to defend your home, but the way our Ruler describes us as a "warrior race", it feels like we're expected to do nothing but fight… Granted, I've tried balancing my work with my social life, but my teammates can't even be bothered to give it a try when we're off-duty (The Equestrians make it look so easy, am I doing something wrong?). I can't help but envy the peaceful life Cookie Dough had, doing what you like. And I wonder if I'd be happier following his example. But… would I have ended up left behind and practically forgotten the only ones I can call my friends? Starfleet Log, 55th Entry: Artie Bristles (I.D.: HV7J) Today. Was. AWESOME! We actually got some new stuff done today and managed to make some Changeling monsters pay! I wanted to go at least a few more rounds but apparently, The Grand Ruler wanted them for something else so we had to back off. We also helped improve the Equestrian's lives (and teach them "proper" terms speech-wise) but they acted a tad ungrateful for our help. I mean what?! You're just gonna try and turn away help like that? What's their damage? Come to think of it, a lot of the Equestrians seem to have been in poor moods as of lately. And there's even been talk of morale being low... which is silly, they have Starfleet on their side now! What more could they have to worry about? Well I mean, yeah, they lost Princess Twilight. But we can't be held responsible for her actions, especially when all she had to do was follow orders, why would they blame us for her actions? It's a shame really, we've done so much for them and yet they show such little appreciation, it's baffling to say the least. Lightning has assured me some people have a harder time adjusting to change than others, so I guess they can be forgiven. But the coolest part though was the fact that we got, get ready for this, a Changeling Primarch! A changeling who takes over after the Queen is deposed! I mean talk about lucky right?! Her name's Oculus or something. I dunno. What she is though is the cool aspect though. We got one of their future Hive Leaders trapped! So now our luck is BOUND to turn around against those dumb insects! On a more positive note, apparently, Cookie Dough is coming out of retirement! We haven't seen him since our first adventure together, so it'll be just like old times! Granted, a lot has changed since then, but we'll be sure to help him catch up to our level. Shouldn't be too hard, after all, unlike the Equestrians, Starfleet doesn't slack off. Okay, so this is Dyno writing for me and Myte (guy was too lazy to make his own log). This Starfleet gig we have? Best decision my bro ever made. And he's made a few goofier mistakes but this one? We'd have been nuts for turning THIS gig down! This is SOOO much more liberating… well, aside from one or two things we used to be able to do but hey they were minor and we're pretty flexible. I mean granted, my little brother tends to complain about how it sucks having to limit ourselves when dealing with our enemies now. But hey, as long as the pay is good I'm not complaining. Plus we get some new toys to play with every now and then, it's a necessary sacrifice with the benefits of long-term gain. Of course, some of the more aggravating points in our job have come up more frequently, especially since the Equestrians have been getting way too mouthy as of late. But we have to hold back reminding them who's in charge now. Seems like GR wants them to have a sense of freedom for right now but eh. I can deal with it. Myte wants to be more assertive though with them. Wants to really give them a glare down or however he says that. Point being he wants to really remind them where they stand. And not gonna lie I'm half tempted to do it.... just to see him fumble in the attempt. Of course, the last thing we need is Lightning and or GR himself breathing down our necks, so it's best that I keep him on a shorter leash. After all, we're superior to them, so obviously that means we have to take the high road. No skin off my bones. Starfleet Log, 78th Entry: Rhymey Ward (I.D.: XL7Z) We have done glorious work lately. The Equines are starting to understand where their lives stand in contrast to us. And we've captured a valuable Changeling who could be a key to containing their disgusting virus. My only regret is that of all people to capture her it was that doubting coward Lightning. The great lord's FAVORITE. But I know... I know that is merely for show. As he was amongst one of the first to appear in this wretched land. But soon he'll see that I am his most devout. That I am his most humble and noble soldier. And this land will recognize it as well. Unfortunately, some Equestrians refuse to be enlightened by our words of wisdom, some even claiming that we treated them as our lessers merely out of contempt and that our methods only hindered their lives. So typical of their kind to twist the truth, to cloud their own minds with misguided thoughts. They fail to see reason, fail to realize that it is our job, our right, out purpose to set them straight. Our superiority is a fact of life, no different than fish swimming or a bird flying, so much purer than the common, soft-hearted, weaklings... And then there's... the 'Elements of Harmony'... the supposed guardians of this small little world. They seem to think that they can handle situations that we can't for some bizarre reason... it bothers me that our Glorious and Just Emperor insists on keeping them around. Even if it is to save face in front of the 'unsatisfied' Equestrians... but among them is dear Fluttershy... such a flower and a delicate thing... she shouldn't be fighting out on the frontlines. Nor fighting at all. She'd break something and be doomed to meet the same fate as their Princess. I have made a few private attempts to convince our Lord to relieve her from active duty, but he's refused each time, proclaiming that removing her so abruptly with no just reasoning would arouse suspicion of favoritism and sabotage in the ranks. And while the Equestrians have not been silent with their displeasure toward our methods and improvements to their lives, removing the ones they see as their heroes would certainly draw too much suspicion and attention. Something even Queen Celestia herself would not stand for. So, for now, we shall tolerate their interruptions and their constant endangering of themselves regardless of the risk. In a sense I suppose there is something noble there... but I think that in the long run, they'll soon see our way is superior. To see that their hand-holding method of doing things will only lead them to their end MUCH quicker. And Fluttershy will be the first of many, I am sure of it. She simply needs more convincing… and then, our mission to purge Equestria of their vices and weaknesses shall be seen through to the end. Starfleet Log, 45th Entry: Starla Shine (I.D: KY1M) It's been a while since Princess Twilight Sparkle was… sadly assassinated. We have been scouting the areas lately for signs of Raven and any other threats to the empire. Most of the search has been turning up close to nothing. The Grand Ruler claims that it is more than likely she fell victim to the explosion that engulfed the area, the very one that claimed the Princess's life. However, I remain skeptical. An enemy powerful enough to end the life of an Alicorn could not be slain that easily, even if it was an inferior Equestrian... In other areas however we seem to be having a slight bug infestation lately. Changelings are starting to show their faces again. Or rather show themselves through others. However, some seem to be rather... afraid of being sent back to their queen. Not to mention they sound like they're truly wanting a better life here. The guards say it's merely a cowardly trick but that one youngling... Thorax I believe... he seemed truly afraid of going back… thankfully, the Grand Ruler was able to keep at least one of them in our custody, and from what I hear she is a valuable breed... From what my superiors told me, Queen Celestia had actually given the order to have them spared, much to the Grand Ruler's dismay. Honestly, I can somewhat understand his anger, granted, Starfleet is meant to keep the peace and protect those in need, and I know the Queen had good intentions but… showing mercy to a race THAT vile? It's like Krysta once said; "It’s like trying to capture the sun, either incredibly difficult or impossible." ...that's what I keep telling myself at least. Starfleet Log, 67th Entry: Lighting Dawn (I.D: AO0C) It has been approximately three months, one week, and four days since the untimely passing of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Despite this loss, progress has been made as United-Equestria continues to prosper... despite certain setbacks. We've begun helping most folks become adjusted to their new forms. The transformation took many by surprise at first which is understandable, having to be on all fours for most of their lives. At first, it seemed like it would be in and out. Nothing serious... and then the protests started. Sadly, certain Equestrians have had a hard time adjusting to the improvements made to their lives. The troubles of adjusting to becoming bipedal are understandable, and they still had yet to fully accept the speech adjustments we mandated, which we granted them leeway over... But some have not taken well to the merger of Unicornicopia and Equestria, to the point of openly protesting against our advancements. One such example is a Wonderbolt named Ace Ray, who seems to only see us as "invaders" that "forced" our lifestyle onto them. To my disappointment, we were unable to have him suspended from the Wonderbolts for his toxic attitude towards Starfleet (I've even heard that some of his comrades agree with him). From what I've heard, there's even a protest group of sorts being lead by an Equestrian by the name of "Windy Bag". And that's not even getting into those who hold us responsible for Princess Twilight's demise... While the Grand Ruler has reassured me that our presence is necessary in order to improve their lives, as well as free them of their "bind naivety" as he puts it, I partly wonder if these ponies are shortsighted as he claims... Doing things our way has already cost us a Princess... are we really doing the right thing? "LIGHTNING! LIGHTNING WE HAVE A SITUATION!" Krysta yelled from outside his door. Quickly closing his logbook Lightning Dawn shot up, quickly put on his uniform and rushed out his room. "What? What's wrong Krysta?" He asked, worry etched on his face? "There's been an incident! A prisoner transport has just been attacked!" The Fairy explained as she quickly summoned a portal before him. "We received a distress call a few minutes ago before communions went dead, and the Grand Ruler is calling an emergency meeting right now!" "Oh jeeze, who's the prisoner?" Lightning asked as he got suited up. "Please tell me it's some small name crook or whatever. After dealing with constant world-ending threats I think some small level criminals would be nice for a change." He sighed as he entered the portal. Krysta trembled a little as they entered the halls of Canterlot castle. "Well... that's the thing, it's not just the prisoner that has him worried, but rather who freed him..." Lightning arched a brow at this. "And who was that?" "...Titan." In the Appaloosan Mountains, a lone figure hovered over the wreckage of an overturned prison cart. Floating down towards the large cage on the back he held out his right hand, engulfing the locked door in a dark aura and crushing it inwards before yanking it off, revealing an adult Zebra wearing a prison uniform with a more bulky physique, his coat was light-gray with a slightly reddish tint, his stripes on the other hand very between deep red and bright orange, with his mohawk having a more curved back style with a pale blonde streak going down the middle and ending in a ponytail. "Wake up Braze." A cold and domineering voice commanded as he levitated them out of the vehicle, the explosion from his assault on the prison transport had apparently knocked him out, as evidenced by the bump on his head. "I said… WAKE UP!" "GUH! I'M UP! I'M UP!" Braze shouted as he stumbled up, as he looked around he found he didn't recognize anything of his surroundings. "...right um... where exactly AM I at this moment?" "Right now, you're in the Appaloosan Mountain Range." A deep voice answered, the Zebra turned around and was greeted by the sight of a tall cloaked figure with a golden armored chest plate towering above him, his piercing red eyes were the only aspects of his face visible within his hood. "And you have me to thank for freeing you..." Braze glanced at the overturned prison cart, and then back to his supposed rescuer. "...and why exactly did you go to the trouble of freeing me?" "Because Braze... you have a reputation that cannot be ignored, and skills that are vital to my plans, as such I have a job for you… and should you accept, under my guidance you'll have riches and wealth beyond your imagining. All you have to do..." The figure said as it held out his hand. "...is join me." The young zebra thought for a moment, and quickly decided that the pros of working for someone powerful enough to bust him out outweighed the cons of being on his own and potentially getting captured again. "...alright, but I wanna know your name. I don't shake hands with folks who remain anonymous. That means it's bad for business if I'm caught." Braze said with a smug little smile on his face. The figure chuckled as he listened to the zebra. "A very quick study... very well, my name is Titan." He said, hand still outstretched. "Okay then 'Titan'... you've got yourself a partner." Braze said as he shook his hand with an intrigued look in his eye. "So then, what's my first gig?" He asked, only to notice Titan reaching into his cloak. "One that I think you'll find quite cathartic..." Titan explained as he pulled out what appeared to be a chain necklace holding an amulet with ruby embedded in the center, said ruby seemed to have been carved in the shape of a flame. "...my Inferno Ruby!" Braze gasped as it was handed to him. "...how did you get your hands on this!?" "A story for another time. What you should be focused on is your first job." Titan explained as Braze placed the necklace around his neck, almost instantaneously his hands were engulfed in flames as energy poured out of the ruby. "We will be making our way to Ponyville in three days' time, using your powers, I want you to lay waste to as much of the village as possible. Who knows? You might even get a shot at the Pegasus that previously defeated you..." That triggered a rage in him that he could barely control, a spear of flames immediately formed around his body, the heat so intense that it burned nearby tree to mere ashes and singed Titan's cloak. His expression contorted into pure hatred as he spat out the name of the one who'd beaten him. "...RAINBOW DASH." Titan briefly glanced over his shoulder and noticed two Starfleet officers pulling themselves out of the wreckage. With a single snap of his fingers, a dark aura appeared around their throats and both of them were yanked towards him. "I'm assuming you heard all of that?" The two nodded, unable to speak due to how tightly the aura was wrapped around their throats. "Good, then you'll know just how dire the situation will be if you don't warn your precious Grand Ruler, don't you?" He chuckled before the aura vanished, dropping them both to the ground. "S-S-Starfleet... will s-stop you-" One of them stammered. "Oh trust me, I'm looking forward to seeing them try." Titan chuckled before turning away from the two with a dismissive gesture. "Now I suggest you start running, I expect a sizable resistance for my welcoming when I arrive..." The two glanced at each other for a moment, and then at Braze, who had dispelled the flame sphere and was already forming a sizable fireball in his hands, almost daring them to try and fight back. Deciding warning their superiors was the smarter option, the two of them immediately spread their wings and took off towards the nearest civilization. As the survivors fled, Titan smirked under his hood and glanced at the Zebra. "Tell me Braze... how many men does it take to deliver a message?" Braze smirked as he conjured up a javelin made of fire before aiming it at one of the fleeing ponies. "...one."