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Steel Sanctuary Part 1

By Writefag_Is_Kill
Created: 2021-02-01 23:15:40
Expiry: Never
anoncelestialunasafesci-ficyberpunkspace operamy little progress

  1. Steel Sanctuary was my first attempt at long form fiction. Please don't judge my later works based on this one.
  2.  
  3.  
  4. >You are Anonymous.
  5. >You are preparing for planetfall.
  6. >Your shuttle has been decelerating for some time now, probably a few years..
  7. >Photon thrusters are great for long trips, not actually needing any propellant.
  8. >Takes forever to get up to speed though.
  9. >And you need to bring a nuclear reactor with you if you’re going into deep space.
  10.  
  11. >The vastness of space has proven to be a major obstacle in mankind’s achievements.
  12. >Seems we aren’t going to go faster than light.
  13. >Good news is that wormholes are a thing, if you’ve got enough energy.
  14. >That’s why you’ve been sent to build a gateway.
  15. >It’s a lot easier than it sounds, actually. The brains back home gave you one.
  16. >It would have been to big and clumsy to send assembled though, so you need to put it together.
  17. >Sorta like high tech Ikea.
  18. >Only problem is that you need to get to your destination the slow way, so you had to be frozen for the trip.
  19. >Even with printable organs and gene therapy, odds are everybody you’ve ever met is dead.
  20.  
  21. “Meh.”
  22.  
  23. >You once again test all the implants you’ve been fitted with.
  24. >Nearly everybody has a few augments, but only the very richest can get some of the ones you’ve received.
  25. >Odds are it was a waste of money, but it was nothing compared to the cargo of your ship.
  26. >HQ gave you the works “Just in case.”
  27.  
  28. >Your neural grafts seem to be working. You don’t like using them though. It just feels… weird to suddenly know things you’ve never learned.
  29. >No, ‘know’ is far too strong of a word. Be aware of?
  30. >The prosthetic muscles and tendons are much more fun to test out. Feels like you could lift a truck.
  31. >The surgeons told you that you were as strong as they could possibly make you without replacing your bones.
  32. >Not really an option, nobody’s figured out how to live without bone marrow just yet.
  33. >Your ocular implants seem fine. You barely need any light to see now, which is cool.
  34. >Built in binoculars didn’t seem like a big deal at first, but the digital zoom turned out to be pretty great.
  35. >You could read from several kilometers away now.
  36. >Well, if you could hold still enough. The tiny motions you make all the time really start to make things hard after a certain point.
  37. >Admittedly, you’d mostly used it for ‘bird watching’.
  38. >Your metabolic synthesizer seems to be working fine. Recycling the waste products in your bloodstream into a steady flow of nutrition. You shouldn’t need to eat so long as you can recharge the battery in your chest from time to time.
  39. >Hopefully not a problem, your ship’s reactor is rated up to a megawatt.
  40.  
  41. >Looks like you’re about to land…
  42.  
  43.  
  44. Dear Princess Twilight,
  45.  
  46. I come to you today with a matter of potential urgency.
  47. Earlier today, we received reports of a giant metal bird making a dust storm in the badlands.
  48. While it is my hope that this creature is peaceful, we must know more about it.
  49. I trust that you and your friends will continue your exemplary performance, but must ask that you exercise caution. Do not get too close until you are sure it is safe.
  50.  
  51. With love,
  52.  
  53. Her Majesty Celestia Invictus Palominus Crystalius, of the great nation of Equestria and her protectorates, princess, head of the free world, defender of justice.
  54.  
  55.  
  56.  
  57. >You are Rainbow Dash.
  58. >You are annoyed.
  59.  
  60. “Is that long of a signature really necessary?”
  61.  
  62. >”But of course! Nobles and dignitaries would feel slighted if they were denied her full title. How would you feel if I were to send you a letter and stop writing my name half-way through?”
  63.  
  64. >Of course Rarity would defend it. Anything overly complicated or fancy.
  65.  
  66. >”Actually, she didn’t list all her triumphs. She’s being very informal here.”
  67.  
  68. >And there’s Twilight, completely missing the point.
  69.  
  70. “Whatever. More to the point, why did you wait so long to tell us? We’ve been walking for DAYS!”
  71.  
  72. >”Oh, that’s simple. Since it’s a matter of national security communicated between two princesses, it was a classified document. I can’t just go around telling anypony what’s on those!”
  73.  
  74. >What.
  75.  
  76. >”And standard protocol is to give at least one day to consider declassifying any document.”
  77.  
  78. “But it’s been THREE!”
  79.  
  80. >”Oh, I don’t do Any paperwork on weekends. ”
  81.  
  82. >And that’s why you killed Twilight Sparkle.
  83.  
  84. >A mare can dream…
  85.  
  86.  
  87.  
  88.  
  89.  
  90.  
  91. >You are Anonymous.
  92. >You really should have read the manual.
  93. >You DID have 800 years to get around to it.
  94. >Granted, most of that was spent in stasis.
  95.  
  96. “Why couldn’t they number the damn pieces?”
  97.  
  98. >With a minor exertion of will, you activate the computer grafted into your brain. The circuits quickly come to life, obstructing your eye’s inputs. Nanoseconds pass before the visions of the alien world around you are replaced with ‘visions’ of the gateway being assembled.
  99. >Still feels weird to use the brain chips, but you could get used to watching videos without needing a screen.
  100.  
  101. >Oh. You had the circuit board backwards.
  102. >Derp.
  103. >With your cybernetically enhanced strength you firmly grasp the offending chip.
  104. >And snap it in half.
  105.  
  106. “FUCK!”
  107.  
  108. >It’s actually not that big of a deal.
  109. >You were sent with an adaptable 3d printer and a decent amount of refined materials back on your ship, and you’ve got a massive database of blueprints and schematics in your brain.
  110. >You can easily make another.
  111. >Really, this is only a minor nuisance, you’re just frustrated.
  112. >Long hours, tedious work…
  113. >At least you don’t need to wear your space suit here.
  114. >Using your hands through those bulky gloves is a pain.
  115.  
  116. “Grr, I need a break. Been working on this damn thing for days.”
  117.  
  118. >Granted, days are pretty short around here.
  119. >You chuck the ruined chip over your shoulder as you head back to your ship, you really have no way to recycle it anyway.
  120. >Pressing a button on the side of your ship, the nose of the ship flips open, allowing you access..
  121. >Time for a well earned nap.
  122.  
  123.  
  124.  
  125. >You are Fluttershy.
  126. >You are leading the group.
  127. >Normally you wouldn’t ever do that, you wouldn’t want anypony else to feel rushed!
  128. >But you’re just too nervoucited to see a new kind of bird.
  129. >As you crest yet another hill in the arid land, you finally spot it in the distance.
  130. >It’s one of the most fascinating creatures you’ve ever seen!
  131. >But your attention is diverted by another rare creature…
  132. >One that just walked up to the metal bird…
  133. >And snapped its neck!
  134. >One that you recognise.
  135. >You’ve seen drawings of that thing before.
  136. >You’ve READ about them...
  137.  
  138. Cunning Ape.
  139. Previously known as Balding or Frail apes, Cunning Apes are thought to be extinct as of 504 years after the founding of Equestria (A.E.) and is the only known species of its genus.
  140. The Cunning Ape is distinguished by its long hind legs, patchy hair, pink lips, and malformed front legs that disallow quadrupedal locomotion.
  141. Cunning Apes are natural born hunters and should be considered extremely dangerous.
  142. Despite being slow, weak, and seemingly lacking in all magical aptitude, they have been known to fell entire legions through trickery and deceit.
  143.  
  144. Cunning Apes are known to drastically modify their environment to a degree rivalling even civilized species.
  145. Once established, they will even construct permanent shelter, plant and tend crude farms, and craft weapons.
  146. While exceptionally skilled in combat, they are extremely reliant on their infrastructure, being vulnerable to prolonged exposure to nearly all weather conditions, and being almost wholly reliant on farming for sustenance. Any attempts to remove a Cunning Ape infestation should first prioritise destroying their nests and food supply.
  147.  
  148.  
  149. To date, only one tribe numbering just under four hundred individuals has been found.
  150. Their apparent peaceful nature quickly proved to be a lie once they starting arming themselves and practicing with weapons.
  151. In a bid to preempt the coming war, five thousand soldiers were dispatched to confiscate their weapons.
  152. The vicious resistance prompted Equestria’s second war…
  153.  
  154. >”Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”
  155.  
  156. Conservation status: believed to be extinct, kill on sight.
  157.  
  158. >That thing down there is a violent predator.
  159. >A creature that once waged war on the entirety of Equestria.
  160. >A MONSTER that couldn’t be beat, slaying ponies despite being outnumbered ten to one.
  161. >You’re scared.
  162. >But you need to be brave.
  163. >You aren’t going to let that beast start another war.
  164. >You AREN’T going to let that BEAST hurt your friends!
  165.  
  166. >”Hello? Fluttershy? Ooh! Are you practicing that ‘Shh!’ game you’re so good at?”
  167.  
  168. “Girls, we need to destroy that big ring thing down there.”
  169.  
  170. >“Why in tarnation should we do that?”
  171.  
  172. “Girls, let me tell you about apes."
  173.  
  174.  
  175. >You are Anon.
  176. >You were laying down for all of five minutes when you hear an unearthly racket outside.
  177. >The hell?
  178. >You quickly run to the front of your ship and pop it open.
  179. >When you jump out, you find the gateway in ruins.
  180. >And a bunch of horses kicking everything that’s left.
  181. >A purple haze surrounds the wreckage, which then catches fire!
  182.  
  183. “THE FUCK?”
  184.  
  185. >The horses look at you, then charge!
  186. >The orange one rams you in the chest, knocking you over.
  187. >The yellow one starts kicking you!
  188. >You strike it with the back of your hand, knocking it prone.
  189. >With a shriek, the yellow one is surrounded by the same purple haze, and starts floating away as all the others retreat.
  190.  
  191. >Standing up takes way too long.
  192. >You are heavily bruised, and in a lot of pain.
  193. >But you need to get back up before they come back.
  194. >You saw this planet had life on it when you were coming in, but you weren’t expecting to be attacked by a pack of angry aliens out here in the wasteland!
  195. >The gateway…
  196. >It’s completely ruined.
  197. >Everything except the metal is burnt.
  198. >The power supply has been ripped apart.
  199. >The rift generator is cracked.
  200. >You scream in rage as you fall to your knees.
  201.  
  202. “No no no no NO!”
  203.  
  204. >You’re stuck here!
  205. >You can replace parts, but there’s no way you have the resources to replace the whole thing!
  206. >You don’t even understand how it works!
  207. >You start to tear up.
  208. >You’ve always been a loner, but even you don’t want to be alone forever…
  209. >Your ship doesn’t have enough thrust to get off the planet.
  210. >The warp gate was your only way home.
  211.  
  212. “No. No, fuck that!”
  213.  
  214. >You get back on your feet, a look of fierce determination on your face.
  215.  
  216. “I WILL rebuild that thing it takes the rest of my life. I have a machine that can make ANYTHING with the right materials. I have the blueprints for EVERYTHING. I can BUILD anything! And NO amount of aliens will stop ME!”
  217.  
  218. >But you don’t have the materials you need.
  219. >You need plastics, steel, composites…
  220. >On their own, that wouldn’t be too bad, but you’re going to need several kinds of exotic matter.
  221. >For some reason, you doubt there are any antimatter rocks around here.
  222. >Negative and imaginary mass are pretty hard to come by too.
  223. >And you’re not strong enough to squeeze your own super-dense solids.
  224. >The first warp gate was built with the backing of an entire planet full of humans.
  225. >Thousands of years of infrastructure, unimaginable supply lines and networks.
  226. >Millions of factories and refineries…
  227. >It took around fifty-thousand years for modern humans to build the first one.
  228. >You’re going to need to rebuild it all in a single lifetime.
  229.  
  230. “Time to get busy.”
  231. "In the morning, that is."
  232.  
  233.  
  234.  
  235. >Right! Nap over, time to get to work.
  236. >Good thing you had a sealed shelter to hide in.
  237. >You’ve got no idea when they’ll come back, all you’ve really got to rely on is your ship.
  238. >Hopefully they can’t get in.
  239. >And even if they do, they would have woken you up in the process.
  240. >First thing’s first, you need a weapon.
  241. >Who knows when another bunch of horses will come by and kick the shit out of you.
  242. >You need to be conservative with your resources for now, it’ll have to be small.
  243. >And maybe only a single mag…
  244. >Hopefully horses only come 12 at a time.
  245.  
  246. “Wait, I can’t print off a battery.”
  247.  
  248. >No big deal, so you can’t make a proper Gauss weapon.
  249. >People were plenty good at killing each other without them.
  250. >No charcoal, no saltpeter, no sulphur.
  251. >Okay, no gunpowder either then
  252. >Really though, a gun is just a better way of throwing rocks.
  253. >The logical progression of slings and arrows.
  254. >What other ways are there to do that?
  255. >Those things they use in Jai Alai?
  256. >A Lacrosse… stick?
  257. >Hey, yeah! And you can use it as a staff, too!
  258. >It’ll be too fragile if you print it as plastic, and damn heavy as metal.
  259. >Again, you are glad to be so strong.
  260.  
  261. >Weaponised sporting equipment in hand, you’re slightly safer.
  262. >Slightly.
  263. >You’d really like a wall, or at least a fence, but you can’t really afford that just yet
  264. >And that purple fire they used is concerning.
  265. >Plus, apparently they can use it to fly.
  266. >Maybe you can figure out how it works, and use it yourself?
  267. >For now though, you should really try to avoid a fight as much as possible.
  268. >Even if you could beat them, that wouldn’t actually accomplish anything.
  269. >You need more to work with.
  270. >You wanted to build a furnace to reclaim the warp gate’s steel…
  271. >But you can’t print stone or ceramic.
  272. >Fullerene is right out of the question.
  273. >Nothing you’ve got to work with can take the heat.
  274. >You aren’t getting any metals until you can fix that.
  275. >Good thing rocks aren’t hard to come by around here, because you’re going back to the stone age.
  276. >You wanted to bring a plasma torch with you, but again, no batteries.
  277. >Iron pickaxe will have to to do.
  278. >Might want a shovel too.
  279. >You won’t be able to make any new steel without coke and raw iron.
  280. >You’ll need a ground penetrating radar, and some luck.
  281. >Oh right, no batteries.
  282. >Hand crank it is.
  283. >You’re already sick of the power problem.
  284. >You’ve got a reactor, but no way to distribute energy.
  285. >Hopefully you’ll find a decent conductor so you can at least run power lines to your machines.
  286. >Copper would be great!
  287. >The lack of plastics and rubber will make insulating difficult though.
  288. >You’ll probably wind up with exposed wires everywhere.
  289. >Exposed live wires, at high voltage, hooked up to a megawatt reactor...
  290.  
  291. “Maybe not such a good idea.”
  292.  
  293. >You’ll need to use electricity eventually though, and you doubt you’ll have plastics for quite some time.
  294. >Rubber trees likely don’t exist on this planet either.
  295. >Glass, maybe?
  296. >So much to do, looks like you’re not going to have a power grid for a while yet.
  297. >You don’t even know if you’ve got any metals to refine yet!
  298.  
  299. “Not much point in in planning things out more than that. Not until I see what’s out there.”
  300.  
  301.  
  302.  
  303. >Fluttershy winces as she fails to sit back up.
  304. >That was a serious kick!
  305. >You’re actually surprised by how well she’s handling it.
  306.  
  307. “You’re sure you’re okay, Fluttershy?”
  308.  
  309. >”Y-yes, Twilight. Nothing’s broken. Just a little bruise.”
  310.  
  311. “Little? You’re almost as purple as me! That’s internal bleeding, it could be dangerous!”
  312.  
  313. >”I’ll be fine, Twilight.”
  314.  
  315. >”She knows what she’s talking about. At flight camp they make everypony learn about impact injuries.”
  316.  
  317. >Dash passes Fluttershy a hoof, helping her finally sit back up with a whimper.
  318.  
  319. >”But I don’t think she should go back in there. We don’t want get getting hit that hard again. Speaking of, what the hay? I thought you said those monkeys aren’t strong!”
  320.  
  321. “Apes. And they aren’t. I remember reading about them too, they are weak and slow. They make up for it by being tough and by cheating.”
  322.  
  323. >”That brute didn’t seem so tough.”
  324.  
  325. “Rarity, those things have been seen stitching their own wounds, performing surgery on themselves, and even amputating their own limbs!”
  326. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32481442
  327. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/may/03/duncancampbell
  328.  
  329. >Pinkie’s face turned a vibrant green as her cheeks puffed out. Moments later, retching could be heard from just out of sight.
  330.  
  331. “Applejack, what’s it doing now?”
  332.  
  333. >”Still in the bird. If it even is a bird. I don’t think even Big Mac could land a kick like THAT. Y’all are sure it’s one of those apes?”
  334.  
  335. “Yes. It must have had a hidden weapon of some sort. We should leave and get help.”
  336.  
  337. >”WHAT? There’s six of us and just one of it! Let’s go down there and kick its butt!”
  338.  
  339. >”No, Dash. There’s just five now, I can’t fight like this. Besides, there might be more of them around here! Its tribe can’t be too far off.”
  340.  
  341. >”Ugh. FINE! We’ll go back to Ponyville and send a letter instead of just dealing with the problem ourselves. You know, while we’re right here. I gotta get back to the weather patrol anyway. I got Derpy to cover for me, and didn’t tell her how long I’d be gone.
  342.  
  343. >”Oh dear. I asked her to feed the animals. I hope we aren’t overworking her!”
  344.  
  345. >”But she’s supposed to be checking the apple trees for infestation!”
  346.  
  347. >”No she’s not, she’s running the till at Sugarcube corner this week!”
  348.  
  349. >”But Pinkie, how could she do that when she’s watching MY boutique?”
  350.  
  351. >Everypony spent several seconds in silence, before turning to stare at Twilight. Finally, they all spoke in unison.
  352.  
  353. >”Well?”
  354.  
  355. “I asked her to watch Spike...”
  356.  
  357.  
  358. >With a groan, you pick up your radar again, and move over another hundred meters.
  359. >This is taking way too long!
  360. >Setting the radar down again, you begin the arduous task of running the crank.
  361. >Getting any depth with your reading is proving quite difficult, radar apparently taking more energy than you expected.
  362. >But you’ve had some success!
  363. >You found an aquifer a while back, which could be a lifesaver.
  364. >You haven’t been wearing your space suite, so you’ve lost a lot of water to the atmosphere.
  365. >And you found a small coal seam, probably enough to fuel a young industrialised country for years.
  366. >You plan on wiping it out in a couple of weeks.
  367. >But there’s no way in hell you’re doing all that digging yourself!
  368. >You’ve got a schematic for a semi-automated steam powered mining drill.
  369. >Just anchor it above what you want to dig, and it’ll drill down and pull up the ore for you.
  370. >You’ll need to move it periodically, as well as fuel it.
  371. >And you’ll need to water it too.
  372. >Still better than actually digging.
  373. >Digging, which you now need to do.
  374. >Looks like you’ve found something.
  375.  
  376. “Hot damn, an iron vein! We’re in business!”
  377.  
  378. >But now you need two drills.
  379. >Or preferably, two hundred.
  380. >And you can’t pipe water to them yet…
  381. >Still gotta work by hand.
  382. >Build a drill, dig enough coal to get it going, water it, cut stones, build a furnace, reclaim steel, build another drill.
  383. >You started with so much to work with, and this is already sounding like a huge job.
  384. >How the hell did people do this the first time?
  385.  
  386.  
  387.  
  388. Dear Princess Celestia,
  389.  
  390. We have investigated the landing site of the metal bird.
  391. While our inspection was interrupted, it is our belief that the bird is actually a structure of some sort, likely some kind of shelter.
  392. Thankfully, we need not concern ourselves with it.
  393. However, the creature that built it may be a serious concern.
  394. Cunning Apes have returned to Equestria.
  395. We only saw one at the site, but we cannot rule out the possibility that there were more nearby.
  396. We were able to sabotage the structure it was working on, but we could not match it in direct combat.
  397. Fluttershy sustained a fairly significant injury during the altercation, a massive bruise caused by a single blow.
  398. She’s been inspected at Ponyville hospital, and we have been assured that there will be no long term damage, but she was downed in a single blow.
  399. Everything Fluttershy and I have read about these creatures suggests that they are quite weak, and it didn’t have any visible weapons.
  400. Either it has access to some new kind of concealed blunt weapon, or this specimen is exceptionally powerful for its kind, strong enough to suggest that it might even be another species!
  401. I am now studying all available resources on these apes, all except two. Luna and yourself were involved in the struggle against the previous infestation, so I would appreciate some advice.
  402. Please reply with any suggestions you can provide at your earliest convenience.
  403.  
  404. ̶Y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶a̶i̶t̶h̶f̶u̶l̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶d̶e̶n̶t̶
  405. Yours truly,
  406.  
  407. Princess Twilight Sparkle
  408.  
  409.  
  410.  
  411.  
  412. Twilight.
  413.  
  414. I’ll be there immediately.
  415.  
  416.  
  417.  
  418.  
  419. "You’re sure that’s all it says, Spike?”
  420.  
  421. >“For the third time, Twilight, that’s the whole letter verbatim. If you don’t believe me just read it yourself.”
  422.  
  423. "No, I believe you. It’s just really weird. Her signature is usually longer than that whole letter, and this time she doesn’t even sign it? Something is wrong here.”
  424.  
  425. >“Well, no point worrying about it. She said she was coming, we’ll probably know in about half an hour, then-”
  426.  
  427. *CRASH*
  428.  
  429. ”My door! Princess!”
  430.  
  431. >”Twilight, we need to talk!
  432.  
  433. >Celestia marched in and sat at the table, slamming the door behind herself. The look of fury adorned on her face striking fear into Twilight.
  434.  
  435. >”I’m not mad at you Twilight, I’m mad at the guard. Their response time is abysmal. I should have never let your brother leave.”
  436.  
  437. “O-oh, thank goodness.”
  438.  
  439. >”Thank goodness? It’s going to take TWO DAYS before we can start marching on the ape’s location. The base just out of Fillydelphia was woefully unprepared. The crystal army will be here first!”
  440.  
  441. “Is it really necessary to bring in a foreign army?”
  442.  
  443. >”Twilight, these creatures BUILD WAR! Almost EVERYTHING we know about war came from them! Parapets on our walls, they would hide behind those while raining death on ponies below. Cannons built into the walls, firing shrapnel into our lines. It took us years to figure out how to build those. Bows, directly copied from their soldiers. A pale imitation of the bows they used. Aerodynamic spears, meant specifically to be thrown. When we started throwing them back, they started forging them to bend on impact. When we’d charge, the ground would give way to hidden holes, and swallow us up! These are creatures that can reproduce EVERY YEAR. Their infectious bites can often be fatal, they will use almost ANYTHING as a weapon, Twilight. An ape is NEVER disarmed. I’ve seen apes be impaled by spears, have a limb cut off, CONTINUE FIGHTING, AND STILL JOIN THE NEXT BATTLE. They drink poison for fun, season their food with toxic peppers, and wear the hides of their dead prey!”
  444.  
  445. >A heavy silence filled the castle after Celestia’s rant. The gravity of the situation starting to sink in on Twilight.
  446.  
  447. >”What have they done wrong?”
  448.  
  449. Both ponies stared in shock at Spike, almost as though he’d grown another head.
  450.  
  451. >”I mean, both times it was ponies that attacked first, right?”
  452.  
  453. “Spike, they are uncivilised brutes who were arming themselves. You don’t do that if you don’t plan on fighting.”
  454.  
  455. >”Maybe they just wanted to be ready if they were attacked? You know, like exactly what happened?
  456.  
  457. .”You’ll understand when you’re older, Spike.”
  458.  
  459. >”Freakin’ ponies…”
  460.  
  461. “So what’s the plan then?
  462.  
  463. >”Overwhelming force.”
  464.  
  465.  
  466. >You are sore.
  467. >Like, seriously sore.
  468. >Superpowers or no, that was a hell of a lot of work.
  469. >But at least you’ll be able to rest soon.
  470. >Getting that iron and and coal online was big deal.
  471. >You’ve got steel again!
  472. >Even so, making all those steam powered generators was a pain.
  473. >And it ate most of your copper and plastics.
  474. >You needed to set up SOME automation though.
  475. >Loading your machines with fuel every few minutes was taking up all of your time.
  476. >Setting the loaders up properly was beyond your scope.
  477. >Power lines, transformers, insulating for high voltage...
  478. >You were feeling pretty liberal with your steel and coal, now that you had a steady supply coming in.
  479. >With that in mind, it wound up making more sense building several localised generators.
  480. >You needed to pipe water everywhere as a result.
  481. >And the conveyors to move fuel around seriously taxed your steel.
  482. >You miss robots.
  483. >The decision on how to spend the last of your copper took a lot of consideration.
  484. >You found a source, but it’s at least fifty kilometers away.
  485. >You’re pretty much going to need a train to get at it.
  486. >Even a steam engine needs oil.
  487. >Lube is important!
  488. >The original plan was to invest in oil extraction and refining…
  489. >But the flying serpent swarm really gave you a good scare.
  490. >Whatever that was that they spit at you burned horribly!
  491. >You’re going to have some serious scars.
  492. >And the rock creature didn’t care at all about your weapons.
  493. >You need a gun turret before you can go to sleep tonight.
  494. >None of your generators can manage the rapid discharge you need for a gauss gun.
  495. >Your ship’s power grid on the other hand...
  496.  
  497. “And now I’m tapped…”
  498.  
  499. >You’re either going to have to harvest copper manually, or salvage from one of your other buildings.
  500. >But you refuse to be so exposed anymore.
  501. >You’re even seriously considering making some platemail armor at this point.
  502.  
  503. “Right. Tomorrow I find oil. Tomorrow, I harvest oil. Tomorrow I pipe it in. Tomorrow, I refine it. And tomorrow, I stop talking to myself.”
  504.  
  505. >Is the loneliness getting to you?
  506. ...
  507. >Naah.
  508.  
  509.  
  510.  
  511. >You are Princess Celestia.
  512. >You’re about ready to slap a bitch.
  513.  
  514. “Calm yourself…”
  515.  
  516. >”What was that?”
  517.  
  518. >TWILIGHT.
  519. >This is affecting you more than you though…
  520. >You aren’t mad at her, you really aren’t.
  521. >But it’s getting hard to contain your rage.
  522. >Still, you’re taking it better than Luna did.
  523. >She went ahead to scour the badlands, and try to find the beast’s tribe.
  524. >It’d be too risky to attack it herself, but knowing where they were would be a big deal.
  525. >You’re not entirely sure you trust her not to attack.
  526. >She remembers…
  527.  
  528. “Armor! Can’t we march any faster?”
  529.  
  530. >”Princess! Is it really okay to address a prince like that?”
  531.  
  532. >”It’s okay, Twily. This is pretty much the fastest we can go, Princess. We’re being slowed down by the supply wagons. Without a supply drop on the other end, the only way to move faster would be to march hungry.”
  533.  
  534. “Do it.”
  535.  
  536. >”NO!”
  537.  
  538. >Both siblings objected in unison.
  539.  
  540. >”Princess. With all due respect, which is apparently NONE, that is a terrible idea.”
  541.  
  542. >”Shiny, mind your manners!”
  543.  
  544. “No, he’s right. That’s a terrible idea. Are there any other mistakes I’m making?
  545.  
  546. >”Yes, actually. I’d like to change tactics slightly. If we can force a surrender-”
  547.  
  548. “No.”
  549.  
  550. >”IF WE CAN FORCE A SURRENDER, we may be able to interrogate them. Find out where they’ve been hiding for so long, find out how they’re so strong, and find out what that ring they were building was for.”
  551.  
  552. “Too risky. Kill them all.”
  553.  
  554. >”Princess, my soldiers and I will not kill any non-combatants. It they surrender we will take them into custody!”
  555.  
  556. “While you march with Equestria’s forces, you will follow my orders. “
  557.  
  558. >”Your orders are barbaric. Halt!”
  559.  
  560. >Every single crystal pony quickly snapped to attention, Equestrian soldiers marching on, ignoring the command.”
  561.  
  562. “Fine then, go home. Run back to the north with your tail between your legs. Just know that there WILL be consequences for your betrayal.”
  563.  
  564. >”Princess, I’ve never seen you this upset! What’s wrong?”
  565.  
  566. *Sigh*
  567.  
  568. “My apologies. I’m just worried about the upcoming battle.”
  569.  
  570. >”You’re ordering the execution of captives, and threatening the Crystal Empire! What’s going on?”
  571.  
  572. “DON’T YOU TWO GET IT? THOSE THINGS MUST DIE!”
  573.  
  574. >Everypony, even those who had been marching, stopped and stared at Celestia.
  575. >Her outburst echoed throughout the valley as birds took flight.
  576.  
  577. “They are far too dangerous! We can’t take any risks! Now I ask you, whom do you trust? Yourselves, who have NEVER SEEN what these things are capable of, or me, who saw first hoof what they can do?”
  578.  
  579. >”March?”
  580.  
  581. >A tense moment passed before everypony began moving again.
  582. >Nothing could be heard except for hoofsteps for the next few minutes.
  583. >Finally, Twilight mustered the courage to speak.
  584.  
  585. >”You kept a level head when Tirek was taking over. From what I can tell these things aren’t nearly as bad as him. What aren’t you telling us?”
  586.  
  587. “Some things are best left forgotten, Twilight. Some things are best left forgotten.”
  588.  
  589.  
  590.  
  591. >”Right over this hill, princess.”
  592.  
  593. >Celestia nods firmly as she dons her golden helmet, completing her battle regalia.
  594.  
  595. “Everypony, form up! Pegasi in the air, earth ponies make a phalanx, unicorns take up the rear. Armor, I want you and the shield specialists to protect the advancing forces. The beasts are fond of projectile weapons. Twilight, you take charge of the medics. No, don’t object, I trained you personally in magical first aid. You are more than qualified. Battle mages, I don’t want any friendly fire! Your job is to make a hole in the enemy perimeter if they’ve set one up. Blow their walls away! Spitfire! I want our air forces to take care of any retreating forces! IF ANY OF THEM GET AWAY, YOU’RE ALL GOING BACK TO BASIC! AM I CLEAR?”
  596.  
  597. >A chorus of ‘yes ma’am’ followed her decree.
  598.  
  599. “And I’ll lead the charge. Any word from Luna?”
  600.  
  601. >”Ma’am, we’ve received word that she has not found any other infestations! She is in position with her own forces to perform a flank attack!”
  602.  
  603. “Alright everypony, we’re going over the top! ATTACK!”
  604.  
  605. >Celestia began to gallop over the hill, earth pony forces following her lead.
  606. >Pegasi took flight as the unicorns began channeling shields around the charging infantry.
  607. >A bugle sounded, signaling Luna’s forces to move in.
  608. >Time seemed to slow for Celestia as she crested the hill, with the scene below her being permanently etched into her memory.
  609. >A large metal structure with wings lay below them, just as Twilight had described.
  610. >There was no wall in sight, nor any apes.
  611. >Great plumes of smoke rose from stone structures, glowing red with heat as metal claws lifted rocks into them.
  612. >Rocks that were seemingly marching in on their own from beyond the horizon.
  613. >Heavy steel piping lay everywhere, making a chaotic mess of the landscape.
  614. >Most importantly, she saw the tower as it rotated to face her.
  615. >A thunderous crack rang out as the unicorns shrieked in agony, their shield spell shattering violently.
  616. >Celestia fell, an agonizing pain searing through her chest.
  617. >Her forces began fleeing in a mad panic, even before Twilight ordered the retreat.
  618.  
  619. “Glrgrlgl”
  620.  
  621. >Celestia’s orders fell on deaf ears as a magical aura enveloped her, dragging her back to safety.
  622. >Another shot rang out.
  623. >Blackness enveloped her.
  624.  
  625.  
  626. >You are Anon.
  627. >You wake up to the sound of a horn blaring outside.
  628. >That’s different!
  629. >You scramble to your feet, and grab your lacrosse stick.
  630. >You really should replace that with a proper weapon.
  631. >You can hear your turret firing a shot!
  632. >You had only programmed it to fire on things you’d seen before, not wanting to blast every bird that came by.
  633. >So it’s something you’ve fought before…
  634. >You almost rush out of your ship before common sense returns to you.
  635. >As you peek out cautiously, you hear another shot fire.
  636. >Hundreds of horses are running away from you, one large one flying away with that purple fire you saw before.
  637. >No, this one’s more like a dark blue.
  638. >Super eyes, engage!
  639. >It’s wearing armor! Did they make it themselves, or did something else give it to them?
  640. >Either way, this world just got a lot more interesting.
  641. >Alien species were nothing new, but an alien civilization was quite different!
  642. >It has a horn and wings…
  643. >Did the other ones? You didn’t get a good look at them.
  644. >And two gaping holes in its chest, rapidly leaking a substance that looks nearly identical to your own blood.
  645. >With that, it crests the hill, going out of sight.
  646. >A third shot fires.
  647. >You turn to look out the other side of your ship to see a blue horse clad in silver armor falling from the sky.
  648. >Moments later, it disappears in a dark blue flash of light.
  649.  
  650. “That was an organised, multi pronged attack by an actual army. This place is more dangerous than I thought.”
  651.  
  652. >But why are the natives after you?
  653.  
  654. “That’s the question. It made a lot more sense when they were just wild animals, but if they are wearing armor there must be an intelligence involved somewhere, right? I need to be careful.”
  655.  
  656. >Right! Plate armor it is, then.
  657. >Shouldn’t slow you down too much.
  658. >But such crude armor doesn’t make you feel much better.
  659. >Power armor needs to go on the list.
  660. >And a real weapon.
  661. >But you’re STILL undersupplied.
  662. >It would have been nice to scrap the turret for the accelerator coils…
  663. >But after being attacked by an actual army?
  664. >Something else needs to give.
  665. >You really don’t want to scrap your drills or generators…
  666. >They’re already doing good work for you.
  667. >If only you had more copper on your ship.
  668. >Wait, your ship!
  669. >You don’t need the stasis pod or propulsion laser anymore!
  670. >You should even be able to take a battery out of the power grid.
  671. >Not a good idea to take more than a couple though. Keeping the turret online is vital!
  672. >One should be enough for a small arm though.
  673. >They weren’t really designed with portability in mind though.
  674. >You’ll have to make a harness if you want to carry them with you.
  675. >Maybe attach it to the back of your armor?
  676. >Totally worth it to get a gun.
  677. >Maybe now it’s safe to go prospecting.
  678. >Even with this, you’ll have to be careful.
  679. >You’d really rather not leave base now.
  680. >But you’ve got to do it eventually...
  681. >Gravimeter in tow, it’s time to find oil.
  682.  
  683.  
  684. >You are Twilight.
  685. >Your breathing exercises aren’t working!
  686.  
  687. “Apply pressure to the wound! No, that’s too much pressure! Everypony get over here and help! But give her some air!”
  688.  
  689. >”Twily, calm down. She’s breathing.”
  690.  
  691. “But, but but-”
  692.  
  693. >”No. Listen. She’s breathing. Now ask yourself, was she earlier?”
  694.  
  695. “No…”
  696.  
  697. >”Indeed. My sister and I are hardier than that. We will not so easily be slain.”
  698.  
  699. >Princess Luna hovered in mid-air for a few seconds before landing next to her unconscious sister. A large, reddened bandage wrapped around her rear.
  700.  
  701. >”Now, could you please look at my rump?”
  702.  
  703. “Uhhh…”
  704.  
  705. >”Princess Luna, that might not have come out how you planned.”
  706.  
  707. >”Why? What’s wrong with asking somepony to examine my wounds? We must discuss the nature of the weapon!”
  708.  
  709. “Oh. That. Well, we couldn’t find any indication of what spell hit Princess Celestia. There were two entry and exit wounds, and based on their relative locations it seems as though it travels in a pretty straight line.”
  710.  
  711. >”Indeed? No sign of the spell that caused it? Twilight, I don’t have an exit wound.”
  712.  
  713. >Luna’s horn lit as a small metal lump floated toward Twilight.
  714.  
  715. >”They dug this out of me. Twilight, is it possible that this weapon isn’t magical in nature?”
  716.  
  717. “That… that’s absurd! Such a tiny projectile. How would it ever be possible to launch it fast enough?”
  718.  
  719. >”Twily, the dossier said that they can’t use magic. Either we were wrong, or they know something about throwing metal that we don’t. What else did the dossier say?”
  720.  
  721. “They’re fond of projectile weapons.”
  722.  
  723. >”And?”
  724.  
  725. “And they invented bows.”
  726.  
  727. >”Indeed. We mustn’t be too quick to assume. They may well have re-invented the bow with that tower.”
  728.  
  729. “Tower?”
  730.  
  731. >”Ahh, of course. You didn’t see the battlefield. You know scrying spells, correct?”
  732.  
  733. “Well, yes. They’re usually more trouble than they’re worth though.”
  734.  
  735. >”But in this case they may be the only way to view what we face. Unless you wish to approach the beast.”
  736.  
  737. “I’ll stick with scrying.”
  738.  
  739. >You sit down.
  740. >You close your eyes.
  741. >With a major effort of will, you force the ether stream to bend into a new shape.
  742. >For a brief moment, you can clearly see the bird again.
  743. >Sure enough, there is a small tower with a pipe sticking out of its side.
  744. >Could that really be a weapon?
  745. >Could there be an ape inside it?
  746. >The furnaces are much more interesting to you.
  747. >Liquid metal pours out into molds all on its own!
  748. >Metal grabbers hoist ore and fuel into the furnace…
  749. >Ore and fuel that are being carried in on what looks like a moving street!
  750. >Could the smeltery really be running itself?
  751. >The not bird is opening!
  752. >Out marches an ape, wearing heavy metal armor.
  753. >It has a large box hanging off of its back…
  754. >And some glowy box in a wagon, with wires leading to the box on its back?
  755. >The burden of focusing the spell is growing too great…
  756.  
  757. “Princess, I have a hard time believing that they could have that smeltery running itself without magic.”
  758.  
  759. >”You may be right, though I still doubt it. Perhaps this breed does have some magical aptitude.”
  760.  
  761. “This breed?”
  762.  
  763. >”I was scrying too. It is a bit hard to say given the armor-”
  764.  
  765. >”They’re wearing armor?”
  766.  
  767. >”Heavy plate, yes. Regardless, assuming the plate fits its form fairly well, it has quite different proportions. Shorter limbs, smaller head, wider barrel. Likely a few other details that I did not notice. So, Twilight. Does that armor fit its form?”
  768.  
  769. “Almost perfectly… We know next to nothing about these creatures then.”
  770.  
  771. >”Indeed. I still suspect that it does not use magic. There is no arcane residue on the projectile.”
  772.  
  773. >”Princess, we need to retreat. There are too many unknowns in play here, and our two strongest combatants are injured.”
  774.  
  775. >”No, we need to establish a forward operating base. We need to find a new approach for the attack. The beasts must perish before it is too late!”
  776.  
  777. “Why are you and Princess Celestia so obsessed with killing these things?”
  778.  
  779. >”She has not told you? Of course not. My sister tends to revise history when she feels it appropriate. It’s one of the few things on which we disagree. We have dragged you into battle with a great foe without explaining why, and for that I apologize. Come to my tent, there is much to discuss.”
  780.  
  781.  
  782.  
  783. >You are Luna.
  784. >You recoil in pain when you try to sit down.
  785.  
  786. “Of course, the wound.”
  787.  
  788. >”Are you okay, Princess?”
  789.  
  790. “Quite alright, Armor. Though I shan’t be sitting for some time. I trust that you won’t object should I lay while we speak?”
  791.  
  792. >You lay down on your bedroll, resting on your side.
  793. >The side without the superfluous hole in it.
  794. >The two other ponies in your sparse tent sit on the ground.
  795.  
  796. >”The Crystal Empire has placed a great deal of trust in Equestria on this mission. While we will still consider you our allies should this explanation prove unsatisfactory, I reserve the right to withdraw immediately.”
  797.  
  798. >”As the princess of friendship, I will… why exactly am I here anyway? It’s not like we brought the friendship army or anything. *GASP!* Am I supposed to have a friendship army?”
  799.  
  800. “There will be no sanctions or ill will should Crystal forces choose to withdraw. Equestria recognises that the Crystal Empire has no obligation to participate. Twilight, you were brought as part of a show of force. This is a hostile foreign party within Equestria’s borders. It is important that the other nations know that we are taking this invasion seriously, lest they be emboldened. There may be consequences should you depart as it might be perceived as dissent within the crown.”
  801.  
  802. >”Princess, I hardly think that my actions could spark a war with a foreign nation.”
  803.  
  804. “Yak-yakistan.”
  805.  
  806. >All three fell silent at the comment, a harsh blush spreading across Twilight’s face as she averted her gaze.
  807.  
  808. >You allow the noise from without the tent to dominate for a moment before continuing.
  809.  
  810. “Right. First, a question. There is no correct answer to this question. Imagine you have a trolley travelling down a rail. It is set to crash, which would kill the five ponies aboard-”
  811.  
  812. >”Princess Celestia had me study ethics heavily when I was her student. I would switch the track. inaction is no less a choice than action, so I pick the lesser evil.”
  813.  
  814. “Interesting. Armor, are you familiar with the problem?”
  815.  
  816. >”All officers in Celestia’s military study ethics. I would switch. The action which leads to the best possible outcome cannot be considered immoral regardless of norms. The action which leads to the worst possible outcome is always immoral.”
  817.  
  818. “I too would switch. The ultimate goal of ethics and morality is always to minimise suffering and maximise joy. All else is irrelevant. So we are in agreement then, that it is ethical to be cruel should it prevent a greater wrong and it is unethical to stand on principle should it lead to a great enough evil?”
  819.  
  820. >Both visitors nodded slowly.
  821.  
  822. “Then I’ve little doubt you will stand with me, for we are here to switch the rails. Last time sister and I fought apes, we sought to uphold all the virtues that pony kind holds dear. We offered mercy despite the great costs we suffered in battle. They were allowed to keep their lives, their dignity, and their autonomy. All they had to do was leave Equestria. Now for the meat of the issue, if you will excuse my poor attempt at humor.”
  823.  
  824. >”I don’t get it.”
  825.  
  826. >”Neither do I…”
  827.  
  828. “Gryphon figure of speech. Tell me, what does pony taste like?”
  829.  
  830. >Twilight sheepishly licked her own leg as a look of understanding struck Shining’s face.
  831.  
  832. >”Furry.”
  833.  
  834. “Interesting. I’ve been told that we are lean, and somewhat dry with a note of sweetness and little gaminess. Whatever that means.”
  835.  
  836. >”They never left, did they.”
  837.  
  838. “Indeed not, Shining Armor. We thought they had at first, but ponies kept disappearing along the borderlands. We of course took the situation very seriously, but even then it took years and thousands of missing ponies before we found the problem. By the time we’d found the apes they were well established, this time in a small clearing in the woods. Not as well as the first time yet still far too dangerous.”
  839.  
  840. >”Wait, I’m not sure I follow. Were… were they EATING us?”
  841.  
  842. “Not immediately. Apes are- were weaker than ponies, even weaker than unicorns. They built their fortifications far more quickly with the help of slaves. When we sought to end the madness, they rode their captives into battle, whipping and beating them into action. Anypony who was injured while serving their slavers was rewarded with the butcher’s blade.”
  843.  
  844. >”That’s… I hate to say it, but that’s brilliant.”
  845.  
  846. >”Shiney!”
  847.  
  848. >”It is! They secured food, a workforce, and a strategic advantage all in one! There’s no good way to attack that!”
  849.  
  850. “Indeed. It also ruined the morale of our forces. Kill the ones who you sought to liberate, or be killed yourself. It is not an easy choice, and in the end, precious few of the captives survived the conflict. I have made far more mistakes than I care to admit, perhaps more than can ever be forgiven. It is safe to say that offering an ape mercy is the most costly error in my long life. When we finally broke their defenses and stormed their camp, we slaughtered them all and burnt it to the ground. We refused to make the same mistake twice.”
  851.  
  852. >”How many?”
  853.  
  854. “I do not know, Twilight. Even to this day we have no clue how many lives were lost because we sought to be kind. I now regret it, but at the time none of us could muster the will sort through the bone piles in their camp. An unknown amount of ponies, likely thousands, lay in a mass grave.”
  855.  
  856. >You try to roll over so that you may face away from them.
  857. >The pain of your wound prevents this, allowing them to see the tears beginning to escape your eyes.
  858. >The damn beasts… costing you your citizens, your health, and now your pride.
  859.  
  860. >”Princess… you had no way of knowing. It’s not your fault.”
  861.  
  862. >”She’s right, princess. You did the right thing. Nopony can blame you for how things turned out”
  863.  
  864. “Don’t you see?I failed them! They died because of me!”
  865.  
  866. >”But-”
  867.  
  868. “Out! Get out!”
  869.  
  870. >You call upon your magic to push them.
  871. >The confused ponies offer no resistance as you remove them from your presence.
  872. >All alone in your tent, you quietly cry yourself to sleep.
  873.  
  874. >Now you’re Twilight Sparkle.
  875.  
  876. “Are you sure it’s okay to leave her like that?”
  877.  
  878. >”She’s old, Twi. She’s suffered more than we can understand. This one thing won’t break her.”
  879.  
  880. “I dunno. She broke before…”
  881.  
  882. >”True, but this is an old wound. She lived through it when it was fresh. Besides, we’ve got work to do.”
  883.  
  884. “Right! What exactly? I’ve never really studied war…”
  885.  
  886. >”Well, I’m going to go adress my troops and relay what we just learned. They deserve to know why they’re fighting. You should do the sa- no, the other forces aren’t yours to command. Leave that to the other princesses.”
  887.  
  888. “One of whom is crying her eyes out, while the other is unconcious.”
  889.  
  890. >”They have a command structure to handle this. Don’t worry too much about it.”
  891.  
  892. “So what, I just stay around and be useless? Shiney, I want to help! What can I do that’s useful?”
  893.  
  894. >”Well, we need a battle plan. One that doesn’t expose anypony to that weapon. It shattered a massive shield spell and downed princess Celestia in the blink of an eye, a direct assault is not an option.”
  895.  
  896. >Shining Armor begins trotting toward his own encampment as he speaks, not waiting for a reply.
  897.  
  898. “But how? And how can we know that they don’t have another trick ready? We have no idea how that weapon works, and everything we’ve been told about these things suggests that they won’t take a fair fight! How do you fight a cheater?”
  899.  
  900. >”CHEAT HARDER!”
  901.  
  902. >No…
  903. >No, you aren’t prepared for this!
  904. >You’ve never studied military history!
  905. >How are you supposed to plan an attack without references?
  906. >You need libraries, archives!
  907. >You don’t know what’s worked before, what’s failed…
  908. >You don’t know ANYTHING!
  909. >No, you need guidance.
  910.  
  911. “Princess Celestia! HEEELP!”
  912.  
  913. >You gallop back to the medical tent, ignoring the objections of the medics standing around the entrance.
  914. >You burst in to see Celestia sitting up, a pained expression plastered on her face.
  915.  
  916. “Princess, you’re awake!”
  917.  
  918. >”Ah, excellent. Twilight, I need your help.”
  919.  
  920. >She wheezes out the words, extreme pain and a shortness of breath
  921.  
  922. >”Could you escort me around the camp and keep those quacks at bay?”
  923.  
  924. “You mean the medics?”
  925.  
  926. >”Yes. THEM. It was getting quite tiring, chasing them out all the time.”
  927.  
  928. >You give her a confused look, before nodding.
  929. >Not enough to keep them out if they really try, but it should get the idea across.
  930.  
  931. >”Good *ah!* now maybe I can get something done.”
  932.  
  933. >Princess Celestia fumbles as she tries to stand, legs giving out as a surge of pain runs through her body.
  934.  
  935. “PRINCESS! You shouldn’t be doing anything, you need to rest!”
  936.  
  937. >”Not you too, Twilight…”
  938.  
  939. “Me too? Wait, is this why you kicked the medics out?”
  940.  
  941. >“Yes! I can’t laze about all day, I need to help tend to the wounded!”
  942.  
  943. “You’re both fine.”
  944.  
  945. >”Both? Just two? I need a battle report.”
  946.  
  947. “No fatalities on either side, two friendly wounded. Yourself and Princess Luna. The apes are using a high powered projectile weapon, which broke our shielding and brought you down in a single blow. We called a full retreat before anypony could be killed, Luna was hit while levitating you to safety.”
  948.  
  949. >”No! How is she faring?”
  950.  
  951. “Physically? Far better than you. Though I think the stress might be getting to her.”
  952.  
  953. >”Yes, it *gah* it might. She used to bury her sorrow in her rage. I’m not sure how she will handle this now. I’d best go speak to her.”
  954.  
  955. “You’re wounded, you need to rest!”
  956.  
  957. >”She’s wounded, I need to comfort her!”
  958.  
  959. “You can’t walk to her tent!”
  960.  
  961. >”Then carry me!”
  962.  
  963. >You can’t remember the last time you saw her like this.
  964. >There wasn’t even this much fire in her eyes when she was staring down Chrysalis.
  965.  
  966. “You’re not going to rest until you see her, are you.”
  967.  
  968. >Celestia shook her head vigorously before trying, and failing, to stand again.
  969.  
  970. “But you’re in no condition to go anywhere. Massive blood loss, a punctured lung, ruptured kidneys, shredded intestines. A normal pony would be dead.”
  971.  
  972. >”I am not a normal pony.
  973.  
  974. >With a fierce grunt, she tries again to rise to her hooves.
  975. >And she succeeds!
  976.  
  977. >”She’s not just my sister, Twilight. She’s also my best friend. For most of my life, she’s been my only friend. I’m going to live, and I’m going to go see my sister.”
  978.  
  979. >You let out a deep sigh before gently grabbing her with your magic.
  980.  
  981. “I’ll bring you there, if you advise me.”
  982.  
  983. >”Set up an encampment for a prolonged siege, organise heavily armed resource convoys, monitor the enemy and disrupt their supply lines if possible. Gather as much information as possible, even seemingly insignificant details. Most importantly, do not expose anypony to their weapons. We need to fight from absolute safety, or we’ll have a bloodbath on our hooves.”
  984.  
  985. “How did you- never mind.”
  986.  
  987. >The short trek to the other tent was taking far longer than it should.
  988. >The extreme care with which you were handling your passenger forced you to calculate every step.
  989. >And it didn’t help that you were constantly being barraged by questions.
  990. >Apparently yelling ‘“she’ll be fine” didn’t get the message across.
  991. >You finally reach Luna’s tent, finding her asleep within.
  992. >Pained whimpers occasionally escape her muzzle.
  993.  
  994. >”Set me down next to her, please.”
  995.  
  996. >You gently lay your charge by her sister.
  997. >Celestia recoils in pain as her weight is shifted to the ground.
  998.  
  999. >”Thank you, Twilight. You may leave now.
  1000.  
  1001. >Celestia slowly sidles up until she’s touching her sleeping sister.
  1002. >She places a wing over the sleeping mare.
  1003.  
  1004. >”Shhh… It’s okay, I’m here.”
  1005.  
  1006. >Another quick whimper, followed by calm and steady breathing.
  1007.  
  1008.  
  1009.  
  1010. >You are Anonymous.
  1011. >You are exhausted.
  1012. >Not sleepy or anything, you’ve been getting plenty of rest since your turret was field tested.
  1013. >No, you’re emotionally exhausted.
  1014. >You’ve never had to work this hard in your life, and that’s saying something!
  1015. >You were born and raised on a siphon station orbiting Jupiter, not like those spoiled rich brats down on Earth.
  1016. >No, you had to climb your way to the top, working up to 20 hours a week!
  1017. >But this is a whole new level of labour.
  1018. >The petrochemical plant is way more complicated than you’d expected.
  1019. >It took WEEKS to build.
  1020. >Granted, they were local weeks, you haven’t been keeping track of earth time.
  1021. >Filtering out the impurities, separating the different chemicals, compressing the gases…
  1022. >It would have been much faster if you’d just vented the gases into the atmosphere.
  1023. >But you barely found any petroleum.
  1024. >Just one tiny well, and it’s really far away.
  1025. >You’re not sure how far you’ll have to go to secure more, and there’s no way you have enough hooked up to suit your needs.
  1026. >So you wound up building to harvest EVERYTHING.
  1027. >It’s so big...
  1028. >You’ve seen space stations smaller than this.
  1029. >Entire space stations!
  1030. >Building this behemoth almost killed you.
  1031. >No, literally. You were almost crushed by a falling girder.
  1032. >Your own damn fault for shoddy welding, really.
  1033. >But it still gave you a good scare.
  1034. >Drilling was no better.
  1035. >Damn near died AGAIN when you struck oil.
  1036. >How were you supposed to know that those wells were often full of toxic gas?
  1037. >You know, OTHER than the massive databanks grafted to your brain.
  1038. >Luckily, you’d already capped the well before you passed out.
  1039. >No doubt you’d be dead by now if the sulphur gases hadn’t stopped coming.
  1040.  
  1041. “Heh. I suspected I was the most dangerous thing on the planet, but I didn’t know I was my own biggest threat.
  1042. Heh.
  1043. Bwahaha!”
  1044.  
  1045. >You nearly collapse in laughter
  1046. >It’s not funny, and you KNOW it’s not funny.
  1047. >Even still, you can’t help but laugh.
  1048. >Maybe the stress is getting to you…
  1049. >Being on a hostile world with only crude tools to work with is nothing unusual for humanity.
  1050. >You know that in the grand scheme of things, you are way better off than anyone could have imagined for the vast majority of human history.
  1051. >But it’s still frightening.
  1052. >Even having been so poor growing up, you’d never actually been in any real danger.
  1053. >There’s really no reason for a human to be in a dangerous environment back around Sol.
  1054. >Worried about getting crushed? Get a robot to do it.
  1055. >Worried about toxic gases? Get a robot to do it.
  1056. >Worried about a paper cut? You get the idea.
  1057. >Being in actual danger, almost dying TWICE in such a short time span…
  1058. >It’s only just now sinking in that there is no safety net here.
  1059. >It’s pass/fail in the most primal way possible.
  1060. >As if that wasn’t enough reason to ramp up automation, the scope of your projects is getting way out of hand.
  1061. >No way a single superhuman could be expected to do everything you’ve got planned.
  1062. >Nearly ten kilometers to the nearest well you could find, just a tiny little thing.
  1063. >Laying all that pipe took FOREVER.
  1064. >At least you could spare the resources to build yourself a wagon.
  1065. >Actually carrying around that much piping…
  1066. >You knew it was heavy, but you didn’t know it was THAT heavy.
  1067. >And your gun’s battery pack was easy enough to repurpose to make an arc welder.
  1068. >Having to recharge it so often was a major pain, but it was better than the alternative.
  1069. >Riveting is much less exciting than the figure of speech would suggest.
  1070. >The boredom was almost as bad as the actual work.
  1071. >But it’s done now!
  1072. >Well, the hard part at least.
  1073. >You’re not DOING anything with the oil yet, just stockpiling.
  1074. >But you know just what you’re going to use it for.
  1075. >ROBOTS!
  1076. >Robots fix everything!
  1077. >And now you’ve got everything you need.
  1078. >You can make the frames, you’ve got the wiring, you’ve plastics, you can easily make lubricant, you can make the circ-
  1079.  
  1080. “Damn.”
  1081.  
  1082. >You CAN’T make microchips, you’ve already used all your semiconductors.
  1083. >And you can’t make batteries.
  1084. >But you’ve got water, sulphur, conductors…
  1085. >With some lead, you could make batteries.
  1086. >Primitive ones, but better than nothing.
  1087. >They’d be an acceptable stopgap while you secured the resources to make a proper battery.
  1088. >And you can make carbon circuits!
  1089. >Superbrain, inform me!
  1090. >Oh.
  1091. >No, this is not good.
  1092. >They corrode when exposed to air?
  1093. >You basically need to make them in a vacuum clean room?
  1094. >Sure, you can build one easy enough, but you’d have to open it.
  1095. >Going in and out every time you wanted to collect the chips, or drop off more materials.
  1096. >Not to mention you wouldn’t be able to use your printer for anything else without cleaning it afterward.
  1097. >No wonder you were sent with silicon chips.
  1098. >Yeah, you need a clean room for that too, but not to the same degree!
  1099. >The air filters on your ship are more than enough for that purpose.
  1100. >Turns out the crude designs still have some uses.
  1101. >Great, you need to go prospecting again.
  1102. >Lead and silicates.
  1103. >Shouldn’t be too hard. You’d stumbled on those already.
  1104. >You kinda wish you’d made note of where they were now, but such is life.
  1105. >Then you need something to dope the silicon.
  1106. >You’ve got no idea how hard that will be, but at least you’ve got more options on this one.
  1107. >Back out into the badlands you go.
  1108. >But first, some tunes.
  1109. >With the well practiced exertion of will, you trigger the implants in the auditory centers of your brain.
  1110. >It’s the final countdown!
  1111.  
  1112. “I really should have loaded more than one song on this thing.”
  1113.  
  1114.  
  1115.  
  1116. >You are Celestia.
  1117. >You can’t help but be amused by your current situation.
  1118. >Twilight summoned YOU for once!
  1119. >Sure, it wasn’t an order or anything.
  1120. >But she HAD sent a courier asking for your presence.
  1121. >For most of her life, Twilight was at your constant beck and call.
  1122. >For most of YOUR life, you never answered to anypony.
  1123. >Even before Luna’s… departure, she never told you to do anything in an official manner.
  1124. >Oh sure, she asked you for all sorts of stuff over the years, but she never called you for business.
  1125. >And so here you were, brushing off the concerned ponies crowding around you as you limped towards one of the ramshackle buildings that had been erected in the past few weeks.
  1126. >Much had been done, and you’d barely participated.
  1127. >This meeting you were being summoned to was likely to update you on recent events.
  1128. >To your shame, you’d barely been keeping track of what was happening.
  1129. >You just didn’t have any energy since you were wounded.
  1130. >Moving the sun was about all you could do with your day.
  1131. >The wounds were much more serious than you’d thought.
  1132. >Apparently, the projectiles caused a traumatic shock wave while tearing through your body, so the damage wasn’t limited to where you’d been hit.
  1133. >And then the infection set in.
  1134. >You weren’t worried though, it was already starting to clear up.
  1135. >The doctors were satisfied with casting their disinfection spells twice per day now.
  1136. >But you were still sleeping far more than you wanted to.
  1137. >And the analgesic spells only made you sleepier.
  1138. >You’d tried going without, but the pain was sapping your energy anyway.
  1139. >So you’d been forced to delegate nearly everything to your former student.
  1140. >And you’re glad you did!
  1141. >Considering the terrain and distance from any major cities, they’d done an admiral job of constructing the base.
  1142. >The water convoys were like clockwork, and nopony was hungry despite the lack of nearby grasses.
  1143. >And while the structures weren’t about the win any awards for design, there were only a hooffull of tents left.
  1144. >You would have felt more comfortable with some walls, but you’d been reassured that they weren’t necessary.
  1145. >The destructive force of that weapon would easily punch through palisades, and it would take much much longer to get stone walls in place.
  1146. >And strangely enough, you didn’t want to obstruct enemy mobility either.
  1147. >The soldiers had been littering the no-pony’s land with pit traps.
  1148. >If the apes tried to charge your position, the fight would be won.
  1149. >You normally didn’t approve of such methods.
  1150. >The brutality of pit traps had never seemed necessary before.
  1151. >But you couldn’t help but appreciate the irony of using ape inventions to fight apes.
  1152. >Wait, you’re here.
  1153. >How long have you been standing at the doorway, thinking?
  1154. >So tired…
  1155. >You push open the door and allow yourself into the war room.
  1156. >Twilight, Luna, and Shining Armor are all standing around a large table, covered by a map.
  1157. >They all greet you as you make your way to the table.
  1158. >You take a moment to examine the map.
  1159. >Something’s wrong...
  1160.  
  1161. “What’s that a map of?”
  1162.  
  1163. >”’Tis the enemy base. To scale, though not topographical I’m afraid.
  1164.  
  1165. “Whoever made it made a mistake, Luna. There’s no way that’s right.”
  1166.  
  1167. >”But sister, I made it myself! I have spent days scrying to capture every detail!”
  1168.  
  1169. >What.
  1170.  
  1171. “WHAT?”
  1172.  
  1173. >”I said-”
  1174.  
  1175. “I know what you said, but what’s that huge structure in the middle? That wasn’t there before! And what are all those tanks laying about? Some of those tanks are bigger than this building! How could they make all that so quickly?”
  1176.  
  1177. >”Apes work far more quickly than we remember.”
  1178.  
  1179. “Their supply lines must be on par with our own! To think, they could gather that much timber in such a short time.”
  1180.  
  1181. >”Steel.”
  1182.  
  1183. >Your eyes shoot wide open as you slowly turn your head to Twilight.
  1184.  
  1185. “Steel?”
  1186.  
  1187. >“Steel. They’re using it for pretty much everything, and have a seemingly inexhaustible supply. I’ve checked some references, and I’m pretty sure that they’re matching Equestria’s steel production down there.”
  1188.  
  1189. >The rows of massive furnaces…
  1190. >The line of ore marching in from beyond the horizon…
  1191. >Could it really rival your entire nation’s industry?
  1192. >Impossible.
  1193. >Although Twilight would be the kind of pony to check such a thing.
  1194. >She does tend to exaggerate when excited, but even so...
  1195.  
  1196. >”They’re also processing a massive amount of copper, though we’re not sure why just yet. They seem to be totally uninterested in bronze.”
  1197.  
  1198. >”Your highness, this things is so far above and beyond what we were warned of. We need to throw out all assumptions of their capabilities.”
  1199.  
  1200. >The idea that these ones might be worse is nearly beyond belief.
  1201. >But Shining Armor is one of the best military minds you’ve ever had in your service.
  1202. >He studies and prepares nearly as well as his sister.
  1203. >You’ve no doubt that he’s learned everything he could about the previous fights.
  1204. >You already know that he’s been pressing both yourself and Luna for details.
  1205. >If he says your information is unreliable...
  1206.  
  1207. >”I know I wasn’t there the first time, but from what I’ve gathered this one is totally different.”
  1208.  
  1209. >”Indeed. When I scry, I can clearly see that its proportions are wrong. It seems to have the strength of ten earth pony stallions, it goes days without sleeping, and it seems to be able to cut and fuse metal at will. All of this machinery, all this piping! Not a single rivet. No bolts. Nothing but a faint seam where two become one. And its magic! We can’t sense any, yet the machines work on their own! The thought of maintaining so many come to life spells, you or I MIGHT have the power to do it, but I cannot fathom how anypony would be able to control them all.”
  1210.  
  1211. >”We’ve had no luck formulating a battle plan. There are just too many unknowns. We don’t even know how many unknowns there are.”
  1212.  
  1213. >If Shining Armor can’t think of an approach, you might be in serious trouble.
  1214. >You wouldn’t be surprised if he knew all of the tactics that had been used throughout recorded history.
  1215. >And not just pony history.
  1216.  
  1217. >”But we may be in luck. Their mining operations seem to be totally undefended. We’ve already deployed strike teams to the ones we’ve located, mostly illusionists and earth ponies. We had to contract out to the stage magician’s guild to get the illusionists, but I think it was worthwhile.”
  1218.  
  1219. “Illusionists?”
  1220.  
  1221. >”They have a small force of illusory ponies marching in front of them to draw attention. If the fakes are attacked, the team is to withdraw immediately. I don’t trust that the outposts are so vulnerable, it’s obviously a trap. Even so, we can’t be paralyzed by fear.”
  1222.  
  1223. >And that’s why Shining Armor is the best.
  1224. >Your reply is preempted as Twilight begins to speak.
  1225.  
  1226. >”And I asked that we send mostly earth pony soldiers. They are all hauling wagons with quick release harnesses in case they need to retreat. That way, they can bring back some of the machinery so we can inspect it more closely. The drills themselves are surely too cumbersome to bring back, but there are a lot of other things that I’d love to get my hooves on.”
  1227.  
  1228. >It seems… safe.
  1229. >Could it possibly work?
  1230. >Could you actually execute an attack without risking ANY lives?
  1231. >No, you mustn’t let your guard down.
  1232. >There are surely risks you are overlooking.
  1233. >But Shining Armor is right, you need to act eventually.
  1234. >All you can do for now is hope.
  1235.  
  1236. “Very well. Please keep me posted. Now, do we have any explanation for their incredible abilities?”
  1237.  
  1238. >”Maybe? Kinda?”
  1239.  
  1240. >You can tell Twilight is reluctant to explain.
  1241. >Perhaps she fears that she will cause you undue stress?
  1242. >She HAS been trying to minimise the burden upon Luna and yourself while you heal.
  1243. >No, she’s the one who asked you to this meeting, bringing your attention to the new structures.
  1244. >If she was trying to keep you from worrying, there’s no way she would drag your attention to such troubling news.
  1245. >She’s uncertain.
  1246.  
  1247. “Don’t worry, Twilight. It’s okay to be wrong so long as we don’t risk any lives.
  1248.  
  1249. >”Well… the last time, there was only one kind of ape, right?”
  1250.  
  1251. “What do you mean?”
  1252.  
  1253. >”They were all mostly the same? But this one looks different. Maybe this is their version of an alicorn.”
  1254.  
  1255. >Preposterous!
  1256. >But it makes a strange kind of sense.
  1257.  
  1258. >”When I became an alicorn, you told me that we represent the strengths of all the other tribes. We’re still ponies, just more so. This one seems to be an exaggeration of an ape in every way, right? It seems to just be… more.”
  1259.  
  1260. >”When we faced them all those years ago, there were three things that amazed us. Their endurance, their resilience, and their trickery. We know nothing of this one’s resilience or trickery, but its endurance isn’t that much greater than the ones from before. It still sleeps, it still pauses its toil, it still walks rather than running. What amazes us about this one is its strength, and its strange magic. Perhaps there are other tribes of apes which excel in these regards, and we now face the culmination of their might.”
  1261.  
  1262. >Wait… there’s something wrong about the way she spoke.
  1263. >Not just now, either. Ever since you got here.
  1264.  
  1265. >”Luna, why do you keep saying ‘it’?
  1266.  
  1267. >Twilight averts her gaze.
  1268. >Shining Armor is suddenly VERY interested in the map.
  1269. >Luna visibly swallowed before speaking.
  1270.  
  1271. >”After dozens of hours of watchful scrying, I am relatively certain…”
  1272.  
  1273. >She’s scared.
  1274. >They all are.
  1275. >What could it be?
  1276. >Is there a super ape, commanding a massive army of others?
  1277. >Could you possibly be outnumbered?
  1278. >It might explain how they were able to work so fast.
  1279.  
  1280. >”Sister. We face but a single foe.”
  1281.  
  1282. >That look on her face.
  1283. >She seems so serious.
  1284. >You had no idea your sister was such a great actor!
  1285.  
  1286. “Oh, good one you three. You got me. I should have caught on when you started talking about alicorn apes.”
  1287.  
  1288. >”’Tis no jest!”
  1289.  
  1290. “Sure, sure. Now, are there any serious orders of business? I’m still quite tired, so if there is nothing further I wish to depart.”
  1291.  
  1292. >”Princess, Shiney’s had lookouts watching the perimeter for several days, and we’ve only ever heard reports of one ape at a time.”
  1293.  
  1294. “Lookouts? With high powered projectile weapons of an unknown nature? That’s far riskier than I would have expected from you.”
  1295.  
  1296. >”Pegasi hiding behind clouds. The skies are almost always clear here so we had to deploy decoy clouds too. Just to be safe.”
  1297.  
  1298. “And that makes it less suspicious?”
  1299.  
  1300. >”No, but it makes it extremely likely that they’ll attack the wrong one, giving the lookouts a chance to withdraw.”
  1301.  
  1302. >He’s GOOD.
  1303.  
  1304. “Okay, so they’re sleeping in shifts, and hiding within their structures. You could hide countless apes within that giant metal box, and the lookouts would never know. They could have built it from within, and since they are wearing such heavy armor we wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from each other.”
  1305.  
  1306. >”Sister, it’s stopped wearing that armor while within its camp. Likely due to the heat. Unless they all look exactly the same, I’ve only seen the one.”
  1307.  
  1308. “Well, the last batch they all looked pretty similar!”
  1309.  
  1310. >Not IDENTICAL.
  1311. >But still.
  1312.  
  1313. >”I suspect that I would have spotted the other ones while they were laying the foundation of the building. Unless it multiplied inside the building AFTER it was finished. Tia, there is but one! POSSIBLY another within the weapon.”
  1314.  
  1315. “This joke is going too far. There is no way a single ape could do all that in such a short time!”
  1316.  
  1317. >”AND YET THERE IS NO OTHER POSSIBILITY!”
  1318.  
  1319. >Twilight slammed her hooves on the table as she yelled.
  1320.  
  1321. >”Now tell us, do you honestly believe that both your sister and EVERY SINGLE PEGASUS IN THE CRYSTAL ARMY is mistaken? Or perhaps lying? Or do you just not want it to be true?”
  1322.  
  1323. >You honestly can’t remember Twilight ever being anywhere near this angry at you.
  1324. >And you’re absolutely certain she’d never scolded you in such a manner!
  1325.  
  1326. >”I’m surprised at you. You taught me better than this! How disappointed would you be if I’d refused to face facts?”
  1327.  
  1328. >She’s right…
  1329. >But still, both possibilities seem totally impossible.
  1330.  
  1331. “Luna.Twilight. Armor. I am sorry.”
  1332.  
  1333. >”What? Oh, no! I didn’t mean t-”
  1334.  
  1335. “Do not apologise for being right. Never apologise for being right. I am sorry that I doubted you. All of you. You saw what you saw. I still doubt there’s only one down there, it may be a trick of some sort, but for now we need to seriously consider the possibility. Now, what does it mean if there is only one?”
  1336.  
  1337. >”It means that it is far more capable than the ones we battled centuries ago.”
  1338.  
  1339. >Not a great revelation, but it is important to keep in mind.
  1340.  
  1341. >”It means capturing it would be an even bigger boon than I’d thought.”
  1342.  
  1343. “Twilight-”
  1344.  
  1345. >”Yes, I know it’s dangerous. But if the opportunity presents itself, we could learn so much! Imagine if EVERYPONY could fuse metal like that! All I’m saying is that we’re here to ensure the wellbeing of other ponies, not to get revenge. If killing it is necessary, then so be it. But violence isn’t the goal.”
  1346.  
  1347. “We… would need to know a great deal more about its limitations before we could attempt such a thing. If it can manipulate metal so easily, what of stone? What cage could we hold it in? If we can discover some way to ensure it isn’t a threat, then I will agree with you.”
  1348.  
  1349. >Twilight gives a satisfied nod at this.
  1350. >She seems to accept your conditions.
  1351. >That’s reassuring.
  1352. >Wait, why is it reassuring?
  1353. >Why should you want assurance?
  1354.  
  1355. >”Even if we can’t capture it, a dissection could prove useful. We should try not to damage it too heavily if do need to use lethal force.”
  1356.  
  1357. >You barely hear the words.
  1358. >You’re too busy thinking of your recent actions.
  1359. >Ordering your soldiers abandon their supplies was stupid.
  1360. >Charging the enemy without doing any reconnaissance was stupid.
  1361. >Ignoring the words of your only family, your most prized student, and your most trusted general?
  1362. >Very stupid.
  1363. >It’s good to know you are still capable of making good choices…
  1364. >But why are you struggling so much to keep a level head?
  1365. >Are you too emotionally invested?
  1366. >Now there’s a troubling thought.
  1367. >Luna had the same experiences as you.
  1368. >Who’s to say she can think critically?
  1369. >You may be totally reliable on the remaining two ponies to be the voices of reason.
  1370. >True, they are brilliant, but they are also young and inexperienced.
  1371.  
  1372. “But! My decision is not final. If you’ve any important input, please do say. Any further information on the matter must be considered carefully.”
  1373.  
  1374. >Just in case.
  1375. >You need to be careful with every decision.
  1376. >Otherwise, the apes won’t need to trick you.
  1377.  
  1378. “Shining Armor, your thoughts? What does it mean for us if one ape is that dangerous?”
  1379.  
  1380. >”It means that I REALLY hope it doesn’t have friends.
  1381.  
  1382.  
  1383.  
  1384. >You are Anonymous.
  1385. >You really wish you had a friend.
  1386. >You are so lonely.
  1387. >True, you’d always been a loner.
  1388. >But you weren’t a shut in.
  1389. >You had to deal with humans all the time, even if only in passing.
  1390. >Out here though, the closest thing you had to social interaction was when those horses were trying to kick you to death.
  1391. >So here you are, sorting through your slag heaps, hoping that one of your mines dug up some arsenic.
  1392. >You need an n-type dopant, after all.
  1393. >And you’re not picky about what kind either!
  1394. >You’re not trying to make any especially good chips.
  1395. >You could make do with pretty much any serviceable dopant.
  1396. >But despite your low standards, you’re running out of options.
  1397. >You’re pretty sure you’ve got no antimony, and you know you’ve got no lithium.
  1398. >The only real source of phosphorus you’ve clued in to takes well over a day to get on on foot when you’re NOT hauling heavy mining equipment.
  1399. >And you’re not counting on seeing any bismuth any time soon.
  1400. >You’re pretty sure that a tiny little bit of arsenic is all you need to get robots online.
  1401. >But it looks like you’re out of luck.
  1402.  
  1403. *sigh*
  1404.  
  1405. “How many trips would it take to set up some mining?”
  1406.  
  1407. >Fuel, drill, generators, water…
  1408. >Too many.
  1409. >And even then, you’d need to get the ore back to base.
  1410. >You’re not sure how much more running you can do.
  1411. >Your muscles are keeping up okay, but you’ve got so many blisters…
  1412. >You really wish you had some augmented skin in some way.
  1413. >And it’s so hot!
  1414. >No, there has to be a better way.
  1415. >A train would be good.
  1416. >But without robots to build it for you?
  1417. >Your hands are already in rough shape.
  1418. >Some leather gloves would have been pretty damn nice when you were making the refinery.
  1419. >But instead, you have rashes and cuts.
  1420. >Some of them are pretty deep, too.
  1421. >You really hope they don’t get infected.
  1422. >Yeah, you’ve got some first aid supplies, but you need to make them last.
  1423. >Making a train would be a literal pain all on its own.
  1424. >But laying all that track?
  1425. >Screw that, you’re trying to SAVE on labour.
  1426. >How did people get around before trains?
  1427. >Oh right, horses.
  1428. >You sorta doubt the local horses would be willing to give you a lift.
  1429. >You really wish you had a car.
  1430.  
  1431. “Why don’t I have a car again?”
  1432.  
  1433. >Right. No ceramics, no spark plug.
  1434. >Although…
  1435. >There’s nothing stopping you from making an electric car.
  1436. >Yeah you’ve only got lead-acid batteries, unless you are willing to completely strip your ship’s power grid.
  1437. >And you aren’t.
  1438. >Not going to be great range on your car...
  1439. >And you’ve got no roads, so it would be a rough ride.
  1440. >But walking is for losers!
  1441. >Yeah! Let the car carry all the heavy mining equipment for you!
  1442. >You’re done doing physical labor!
  1443. >And you’ll have an air conditioner, too!
  1444. >You’ve got no good refrigerant, but you’re breathing a bad one.
  1445. >It’ll do!
  1446.  
  1447. “And I can mount a proper gun on it. And rocket launchers. And a flamethrower!”
  1448.  
  1449. >Maybe just the gun for now.
  1450.  
  1451. >You are Celestia.
  1452. >You are starting to feel almost okay.
  1453. >The doctors have said you don’t need to come in every day anymore.
  1454. >You’ve been ordered to ‘take it easy’, but there’s no way that’s happening.
  1455. >You may not be combat ready, but that doesn’t mean you can’t support the war effort.
  1456. >But you’re not quite sure what to do.
  1457. >The camp is well constructed, and well supplied.
  1458. >You’ve caught up on all the developments, or rather lack thereof.
  1459. >From what you can tell, all that there is to do is plan.
  1460. >Plan how to assault an impossible enemy, who wields impossible weapons.
  1461. >Sure you’ve got a lot of ideas, but they all hold far too many assumptions.
  1462. >Assume makes a corpse out of you and me.
  1463. >Or so said commander Hurricane.
  1464. >You’ve never had a head for war, but you’ve had plenty of time to learn.
  1465. >And you’ve learned that Hurricane’s word is next to gospel.
  1466. >But the advice is largely useless here.
  1467. >She was for more concerned with conquest than safety.
  1468. >So here you are, facing an enigma who defies nearly everything you thought you knew.
  1469. >With pretty much no guidance.
  1470. >The alicorn ape theory is starting to sound very appealing.
  1471.  
  1472. “Hypothesis.”
  1473.  
  1474. >Twilight must never know you’d made that mistake.
  1475. >You don’t want a repeat of the museum fiasco.
  1476. >Worst field trip ever.
  1477.  
  1478. >“Princess, princess!”
  1479.  
  1480. >Speak of Tisiphone.
  1481. >Here comes Twilight, galloping toward you, looking like a foal getting their first taste of sugar.
  1482. >Actually, it’s been a long time since you saw her this excited.
  1483. >You’re getting frightened.
  1484. >She skids to a halt in front of you, dopey grin plastered on her face as she gasps for breath.
  1485.  
  1486. >”Ponies safe *pant pant* tools here! COME!”
  1487.  
  1488. >And with that she runs off towards the war room.
  1489. >You’re not sure what she was saying, but if your suspicion is correct….
  1490.  
  1491. “I’m coming!”
  1492.  
  1493. >You make your way back to the war room.
  1494. >Albeit with much less haste than Twilight.
  1495.  
  1496. >Sure enough, right by the door is a half dozen carts heavily burdened with massive lumps of steel.
  1497. >Twilight is standing next to one with a particularly large load, nearly boiling with excitement.
  1498.  
  1499. >“Luna will be here any minute! Shiney’s inside, come on!”
  1500.  
  1501. >She bursts through the door, leaving it swinging in the wind.
  1502. >You calmly make your way in to find a large block of some sort sitting on the floor, next to the table.
  1503.  
  1504. “Why is it on the floor?”
  1505.  
  1506. >”Too heavy, it’d break the table.”
  1507.  
  1508. >Not something you’re used to worrying about.
  1509. >Good thing Twilight had more foresight.
  1510. >It would be a pretty embarrassing injury, getting crushed while not even in combat.
  1511. >Wait…
  1512.  
  1513. “How heavy?”
  1514.  
  1515. >”Not sure, we haven’t got a scale heavy enough to measure it. Probably about half a ton.”
  1516.  
  1517. >Shining must be mistaken.
  1518. >There’s no way an ape is strong en-
  1519. >No.
  1520. >This one is different.
  1521.  
  1522. “What purpose does it serve?”
  1523.  
  1524. >”One of my soldiers was mildly injured when one exploded-”
  1525.  
  1526. >You flip the table to provide a barrier.
  1527. >You grab the other two ponies with your magic and duck down.
  1528.  
  1529. >”Ahem. Mildly injured when they disconnected it from the main drill before cutting the coal supply. Minor lacerations and some steam burns, they’ll be fine. They’re all fine, there was no resistance to our raid at all.”
  1530.  
  1531. >You peek your muzzle over the top of the table.
  1532. >The box is just sitting there.
  1533. >Maybe it’s safe?
  1534. >Why are you so afraid of it?
  1535. >Wait, you don’t fear the box.
  1536. >You fear the ape.
  1537. >You’re no stranger to worry or concern, but you’d nearly forgotten this feeling.
  1538. >It’s a primal fear, not a concern about the future or a worry about wide reaching problems.
  1539. >You fear for your safety.
  1540.  
  1541. “Oh. My apologies, I simply didn’t wish for you to be injured.”
  1542.  
  1543. >You WERE concerned for their wellbeing.
  1544. >But the words are still a lie.
  1545.  
  1546. >”We’re safe, princess. This thing is totally dormant now.”
  1547.  
  1548. >That helps.
  1549. >It seems Twilight’s words are more comforting than you would have expected..
  1550.  
  1551. >”I don’t think it was intended as a weapon either. At first glance it bears a striking resemblance to a train’s steam engine. Based on the descriptions given by the ponies who gathered them, it had a coal fire and water was being piped in. It didn’t move like a steam engine, but there was a lot of steam going out. We’re not sure how it actually powered the drills though, they were only connected by a thin wire.”
  1552.  
  1553. >”I have arrived!”
  1554.  
  1555. >Ah, there’s Luna.
  1556.  
  1557. >”Why is the table on its side?”
  1558.  
  1559. >”Oh, princess Celestia was afraid that this thing would blow up.”
  1560.  
  1561. >Luna stops short at Twilight’s words.
  1562. >She almost takes a step back, before finally deciding to proceed.
  1563. >Is she scared too?
  1564.  
  1565. >”I trust this is no longer a major concern?”
  1566.  
  1567. “No. Twilight’s pretty sure it’s some kind of engine, not a weapon.”
  1568.  
  1569. >”Yup! But we need somepony who knows more about this stuff though. That’s why I called in an expert. She’s somewhat lacking in formal training but she’s a mechanical genius who built her own heavier than air flying machine, and she’s extremely familiar with geology, which seems relevant to mining equipment.”
  1570.  
  1571. >”Very well, bring in young Pinkamena.”
  1572.  
  1573. >”How did you know?
  1574.  
  1575. >Luna simply smiles.
  1576. >You only offer a soft chuckle as reply.
  1577.  
  1578. >”Ugh. Fine. Pinkie! They figured it out!”
  1579.  
  1580. >”Aww, that’s no fun.”
  1581.  
  1582. >Pinkie walks in through the door with a small pout on her face.
  1583.  
  1584. >”I couldn’t feel any magic coming from these things, so I figured they had to be mechanical. I then called Pinkie here immediately.”
  1585.  
  1586. “Ponyville is nearly three days away by hoof. How did you get her here so soon?”
  1587.  
  1588. >”Oh! Twilight here asked Sugarcube Corner to help feed all the ponies here! The cakes weren’t so sure they wanted me to come since they needed me there, but then she gave them a BIG bag of bits!”
  1589.  
  1590. “A big bag of- Twilight, how much did you pay for this? You can’t just hire your friends for everything with public funds!”
  1591.  
  1592. >”How much? Well, that depends. For a civilian budget, a lot. For a military budget? It was actually quite cheap. They were the second lowest bidder for desserts, and I refuse to hire Brightbell’s. Blech.”
  1593.  
  1594. “Very well. I’m still mad at you though, you should have told me! I haven’t had any cake since we got here! I DEMAND PASTRIES!”
  1595.  
  1596. >Twilight rolls her eyes at your outburst.
  1597. >She seems to understand you’re not actually mad.
  1598. >It’s always hard to tell how she’ll react to jokes such as that.
  1599.  
  1600. “So, what can you tell us Pinkie?”
  1601.  
  1602. >She bounces over to the engine.
  1603. >She pokes it a couple times.
  1604. >She then proceeds to sniff it.
  1605. >Before turning around to deliver a brutal kick.
  1606. >You were about to object, when the casing pops open.
  1607.  
  1608. >”Not quite a steam engine, but close! See, instead of turning wheels it spins these metal sticks inside of this big coil of wire.”
  1609.  
  1610. >”But why?”
  1611.  
  1612. >”Oh. Hi Shiney! Umm. I dunno! BUT! Something is slowing this down somehow, otherwise it would just keep going faster and faster and faster and faster! It’s gotta put that energy somewhere else!”
  1613.  
  1614. ”Could it explode if that happened?”
  1615.  
  1616. >”Oooh, maybe! Let’s fill it with confetti and find out- wait. All the confetti would burn up first. Aww…”
  1617.  
  1618.  
  1619. >”So, that thing turns heat into motion, and then motion into something else.”
  1620.  
  1621. >”Yuppers! Not sure what though. I’m sorry Twilight, I wish I could help more…”
  1622.  
  1623. >”Maybe you can. Shiney, I might need your help to bring it in.”
  1624.  
  1625. >The two sibling walk out the door.
  1626. >A moment later they return, levitating some other device through the door.
  1627. >Some sort of metal bar with clamps on the end.
  1628. >Looks almost like the ape’s front legs.
  1629.  
  1630. >”My soldiers reported that this one was lifting coal into the not engine, as well as moving the rocks that the drills broke free.”
  1631.  
  1632. >They lay it on the floor while Pinkie moves toward it.
  1633. >She takes a really close look at it.
  1634. >REALLY close.
  1635. >Her eyeballs are actually touching it.
  1636. >The side plating falls off for some reason.
  1637. >She falls completely silent.
  1638.  
  1639. >”Pinkie?”
  1640.  
  1641. >”Quiet, Twilight.”
  1642.  
  1643. >Pinkie calling for silence?
  1644. >Is she worried about something?
  1645. >No, that look on her face.
  1646. >That’s AWE.
  1647.  
  1648. >”For the most part, I get how this works. It’s mostly simple.”
  1649.  
  1650. “Could you build one?”
  1651.  
  1652. >”Not a chance. Even the pieces I understand are amazing. Look at this! These balls here are GEARS!”
  1653.  
  1654. http://i.imgur.com/HIR05BM.gif
  1655.  
  1656. >”How do you even MAKE that? And more importantly, all these green boards everywhere. And these things here, they’re obviously engines, but I don’t get how they work. They’re just balls of wire. WHAT IS THIS THING?”
  1657.  
  1658. >”How do you know they’re engines?”
  1659.  
  1660. >“Oh Twilight. That’s easy! See, the turney wurney here attaches to the spinny-doodle, which goes to the movey bits! Just follow the motion back, and everything makes sense if this thing spins! And it’s connected to the green boards by a wire. Somehow, THAT’S where the motion is coming from.”
  1661.  
  1662. >“And it was connected to the not engine by a wire. So some kind of energy went through the wire, through the board, and made the engine spin? Lemme see that.”
  1663.  
  1664. >Twilight moves closer and looks inside the device.
  1665. >She gently grasps one of the green boards.
  1666. >Now that it’s out, you can see that there are lines drawn everywhere over the surface.
  1667.  
  1668. >”This looks like a spell sigil.”
  1669.  
  1670. >THAT is interesting.
  1671.  
  1672. “What does it cast!?”
  1673.  
  1674. >”I dunno… it looks like it shouldn’t do anything.”
  1675.  
  1676. >”Umm… could somepony explain?”
  1677.  
  1678. >”Oh, sorry Pinkie! You see, when a unicorn wants to cast a spell, they need two things. They need to push mana through their horn to power the spell, and they need to will it into a certain pattern. The amount of mana determines how strong the spell is, and the pattern determines what it does. Things get a bit more complicated when you start to consider what kind of mana you use, but that- wait. Maybe this uses a kind of mana we’re not familiar with? No. That would imply that…”
  1679.  
  1680. >Twilight continues to mutter to herself as she walks out the door, carrying the board in her magic.
  1681.  
  1682. “We’ve lost her. What other machines have we got?”
  1683.  
  1684. >”One more thing. The retrieval teams referred to them as moving roads..”
  1685.  
  1686. >”I would be very interested in their function! Watching them haul ore in from beyond my sight was quite amazing.”
  1687.  
  1688. >”Oh, those? I got bored and took a look at them while I was waiting outside. Engine geared to move metal plates. Nothing special. I can make you one if you want, but it would be steam powered instead of whatever the ape uses.”
  1689.  
  1690. >”Any clues on how we can figure out more?”
  1691.  
  1692. >”Simple, Shining Armor. Energy is the property of matter or radiation that allows a system to perform work. Apply different kinds of energy to the reported input point until the machine reacts, then you will know what powers it.”
  1693.  
  1694. >What.
  1695. >Everypony else is staring at her with a face of surprised confusion.
  1696. >An expression you’re pretty sure adorns your own face right now.
  1697.  
  1698. >”I’d help ya, but I gotta get baking!”
  1699.  
  1700. “TAKE ME WITH YOU!”
  1701.  
  1702.  
  1703.  
  1704. >You are Anon.
  1705. >Your car sucks.
  1706. >Sure, it’s your first car, and first cars are supposed to be bad.
  1707. >But first cars are also supposed to be given to young people with the expectation that they’ll be ruined.
  1708. >You’d have had your first car long ago if there was any reason to.
  1709. >Gravity back on Zeus-5 was too low, there wasn’t enough traction.
  1710. >Such was common to most stations.
  1711. >Then when you moved to Earth, nobody had a car. There was just too much traffic.
  1712. >But despite it being the most ramshackle vehicle you’d ever seen, you are thrilled to have it.
  1713. >Oh sure, it’s only got a range of a couple hundred kilometers, and if you leave the torque too low the current control will blow…
  1714. >But you are SO SICK OF WALKING.
  1715. >Besides, it was a lot harder to get here than you’d expected at first.
  1716. >Your hands agree.
  1717. >All the cuts and scrapes are getting out of control.
  1718. >And the infection is even worse.
  1719. >You’ve got the means to fix this, but you’ve been trying to preserve your medical supplies.
  1720. >You have a limited supply, and no idea when you’ll be able to manufacture more.
  1721. >What you’ve got might need to last a while.
  1722. >Using such a precious resource is hard to justify.
  1723. >But it’s getting pretty clear that you have no choice.
  1724.  
  1725. “If I don’t fix my hands today, I might not have them tomorrow.”
  1726.  
  1727. >You reach for your first aid kit, and fumble with the latch.
  1728. >Eventually giving up on opening it with your swollen digits, you pop it open with your teeth.
  1729. >There it is… the pinnacle of field medicine.
  1730. >First aid spray.
  1731. >First, the cleaning agent.
  1732. >You spray the fine mist of designer bacteria onto your mangled appendages, first the left then the right.
  1733. >The hyper resilient microbes quickly set to work, devouring everything within the wound.
  1734. >Debris, other bacteria, necrotic flesh…
  1735. >Everything except healthy human tissue.
  1736. >Thanks to some brilliant genetic engineering, they’ve no interest in that stuff.
  1737. >Next, the bandage.
  1738. >Another fine mist goes onto your hands, this one an analgesic and a ‘smart’ membrane.
  1739. >The cleansing bacteria can get out, but nothing else bigger than a proton can pass through.
  1740. >You asked your dad how they worked the first time you ever used it.
  1741. >”Nanomachines, son.”
  1742. >You do miss him…
  1743. >You’d likely have stayed in the Sol system if he’d been around.
  1744. >But he was sent to the Kuiper prison colony for owning illegal weapons.
  1745. >Not his fault! How was he supposed to know that the Venusian nanny-state had banned toothpicks!
  1746. >Sufficed to say, you never went back there.
  1747. >Worst vacation ever.
  1748.  
  1749. “Oh yes!”
  1750.  
  1751. >You didn’t realise how much pain you were in.
  1752. >Oh sure, it hurt all the time and all that.
  1753. >But it had built up so gradually that you’d forgotten what it was like to not hurt.
  1754. >You’re VERY tempted to spray some on your feet…
  1755. >But that would be a waste.
  1756. >Your hands used up nearly a whole canister of each spray.
  1757. >And you only have three pairs total.
  1758. >Leave it to the bean counters to augment you so much, put you in a ship that’s worth more than most cities, strap on a gate that’s worth more than some PLANETS, and then skimp on the medicines.
  1759. >Bureaucrats.
  1760. >They’d rather be on budget than be successful.
  1761. >You move to put the spray canisters back in the box, but pause.
  1762. >You might be in a car wreck, after all.
  1763. >Best bring them along when you go digging.
  1764. >Not all of them, just the ones you’ve started.
  1765.  
  1766. “Right! Mining kit’s loaded in the back, machine guns strapped to the front. Time to go!
  1767. Right after I learn to drive.”
  1768.  
  1769.  
  1770. >You are Shining Armor.
  1771. >You are getting annoyed with this cyclical debate.
  1772.  
  1773. “I understand your concerns, and I agree. That doesn’t change the facts though. We need to attack.”
  1774.  
  1775. >”I am not going to order an attack on that thing! The cost of victory is too great!”
  1776.  
  1777. “You AREN’T LISTENING! I’m not suggesting we charge, I’m saying we need to pressure it somehow! Look, the longer we leave this thing, the worse it’s going to get!”
  1778.  
  1779. >”Surely you don’t suggest that this beast can get stronger?”
  1780.  
  1781. “That’s exactly what I’m saying! Look, the first fight Twi and her friends nearly beat it. The second, our joint armies were humiliated! And now? Who knows! We’ve got some insight into the machines it builds, but the most massive structure is still a total mystery. And even IF that structure is benign, what’s stopping it from making more weapons?”
  1782.  
  1783. >”I… I suspect it has been. It has been processing an absurd amount of metals since we got here. I believe that the only reason Twilight survived was that it was undersupplied and unprepared. I worry that, having been given more time and resources, it is even more dangerous. I’m scared, Shining Armor. I. Am. Scared!”
  1784.  
  1785. >That was unexpected!
  1786.  
  1787. “YOU? I didn’t know you were capable of feeling fear.”
  1788.  
  1789. >”Yes, I. I’ve been wounded before, Armor. I’ve been wounded worse than that, too. The worst injury I ever sustained was at the hooves of Lu- of another alicorn, but that was after days of battle. I feared for my life for the first time after that battle, the pain and exhaustion were so great and they only grew worse over the coming days. But that was a prolonged battle between equals, whereas this was two strikes! TWO! Who’s to say that a third blow would not have been my end? Or a fourth? And what if it has a greater weapon? Or if it were to strike a more vital point? I don’t think I can muster the courage to face that monster again.”
  1790.  
  1791. “What about indirect attacks? If we were to bombard its position-”
  1792.  
  1793. >”And aggravate it? Prompt it to retaliate?”
  1794.  
  1795. “If it does that, we win! Remember what Twilight said? They nearly subdued it with just their hooves! And Luna says that its claws are a bloody mess, right? And it felt the need to wear armor! This thing isn’t invulnerable, princess. We just need one good shot, but it’s never going to give us that chance. Not unless it has to. That’s why I pro-”
  1796. >Princess Luna chose that moment to burst through the door.
  1797.  
  1798. >”I have returned!”
  1799.  
  1800. “We’ll discuss this later when everypony is present. Welcome back.”
  1801.  
  1802. >”The answer is LIGHTNING! The ape uses lightning to power its devices!”
  1803.  
  1804. >”Lightning? Could a pegasus operate them using a thundercloud?”
  1805.  
  1806. >”Unlikely. Too little and they do nothing, too much and they are destroyed. A few of the artefacts are lost to us, sadly.”
  1807.  
  1808. “Destroyed? Say, how big of a thunderstorm could we get out here?
  1809.  
  1810.  
  1811.  
  1812. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  1813. >You’ve got a new pet project.
  1814. >You had been trying to figure out why the projectile was stuck in Luna.
  1815. >It struck you as very odd that the first two would punch clear through Celestia, while the third failed.
  1816. >You have your doubts that Luna is that much harder.
  1817. >But that research was a dead end.
  1818. >There were just too many unknown variable.
  1819. >This research looked promising!
  1820. >Sure, you had no idea what the glyph did.
  1821. >And it would be a week before your courier came back with the spellbooks you asked for.
  1822. >But the effects of the spell were of secondary importance to you.
  1823. >What you found more interesting was what the spell was inscribed on.
  1824. >Yet…
  1825. >There’s no way your hunch is correct.
  1826. >If this were to work, somepony else would have figured it out by now.
  1827.  
  1828. “I am wasting my time.”
  1829.  
  1830. >You draw out a simple levitation spell on some paper.
  1831. >You feed it some mana.
  1832. >Nothing happens.
  1833.  
  1834. “Obviously. There’s no way.”
  1835.  
  1836. >Although…
  1837. >Ink doesn’t really conduct mana very well.
  1838. >It conducts decently, but not well.
  1839. >You’ve got some arcane dust though.
  1840. >You brought it in case you needed to make a warding circle, but it doesn’t look like that will come up any time soon.
  1841. >There doesn't seem to be any evil magic to worry about.
  1842. >You sprinkle some dust onto your paper, drawing a levitation rune.
  1843. >You add a little mana.
  1844. >Nothing.
  1845.  
  1846. “Yeah. Figured as much.”
  1847.  
  1848. >But then...
  1849. >Paper’s not that resistant to magic.
  1850. >Few organics are.
  1851. >Sure, it’s not a great conductor, but still.
  1852. >Maybe some mana is leaking out?
  1853. >You go to the kitchen and steal a cookie sheet.
  1854. >You return to your bunk and draw the glyph on the metal sheet.
  1855. >You touch your horn to the glyph and add a little mana.
  1856. >Nothing.
  1857.  
  1858. “Yup. Waste of time.”
  1859.  
  1860. >Unless.
  1861. >The ape’s boards have clear inputs and outputs.
  1862. >The conductive glyph isn’t a proper pathway.
  1863. >The mana can go in, but it has nowhere to go out.
  1864. >What if the endpoints on the glyph were connected back to your horn?
  1865. >You redraw it.
  1866. >You tap your horn in, and feed it some mana.
  1867. >The cookie sheet crashes into the ceiling.
  1868.  
  1869. “This is HUGE!”
  1870.  
  1871. >You rush back to the kitchen to get more sheets.
  1872. >You gallop back to the war room and burst in.
  1873.  
  1874. >”Oh, hey Twily. Luna’s made an important discovery!”
  1875.  
  1876. >”Indeed! It would appear as though the ape uses lightning of all things to power its devices!”
  1877.  
  1878. >You ignore them.
  1879. >You place a cookie sheet on the table and draw out the revised levitation spell.
  1880.  
  1881. “Touch that with your horn!”
  1882.  
  1883. >They all look at you with confusion.
  1884. >Shining Armor is the first to react.
  1885. >He lowers his head to the glyph.
  1886.  
  1887. “Add some mana.”
  1888.  
  1889. >He rolls his eyes.
  1890.  
  1891. >”Wah!”
  1892.  
  1893. >The sheet smashes itself into the ceiling again.
  1894.  
  1895. >”Armor, why did you do that?”
  1896.  
  1897. >”Princess Luna! I swear, I didn’t!”
  1898.  
  1899. >You let out a giggle.
  1900. >Oh sure, this is serious.
  1901. >This might be a massive revolution for Equestria.
  1902. >But first...
  1903. >You’re going to have some fun with this.
  1904.  
  1905.  
  1906.  
  1907. >You are Fluttershy.
  1908. >Your bruise is fading.
  1909. >You DID wind up going for a medical checkup after returning.
  1910. >And you DID have a few cracked ribs.
  1911. >But nothing was too terribly serious.
  1912. >Breathing still stings though.
  1913. >You were tempted to ask Derpy to continue tending to your animals while you recovered.
  1914. >She had done a surprisingly good job, after all!
  1915.  
  1916. “Oh, that was mean…”
  1917.  
  1918. >You shouldn’t be surprised when somepony else does well.
  1919. >Even if they had so many other things to do at the time.
  1920. >But as great as she was, you didn’t want to impose any longer.
  1921. >So you’d taken over again.
  1922. >All the animals had been so well behaved and helpful.
  1923. >So much so that you had some spare time despite how slowly you were working.
  1924. >And so you’d invited Discord over for a visit!
  1925. >It had been too long since you’d last seen him…
  1926. >But he was busy doing… whatever it is Discord does.
  1927. >You’re actually not sure.
  1928. >You should ask him!
  1929.  
  1930. “That will have to wait until he gets here”
  1931.  
  1932. >”Until who gets here?”
  1933.  
  1934. >Discord walks out of your kitchen wearing a frilly apron bearing a floral pattern.
  1935.  
  1936. >”I hope you don’t mind, but I prepared a few things. Some tea, a few biscuits, and of course my favorite, a strong feeling of unease.”
  1937.  
  1938. >Sure enough, he’s got a tray holding exactly that.
  1939. >But you didn’t see a tray a moment ago…
  1940.  
  1941. “I’ll pass on the unease thank you.”
  1942.  
  1943. >You have no idea how he can eat that stuff.
  1944. >It tastes so… uncomfortable!
  1945. >But to each their own.
  1946.  
  1947. >”Oh my, whatever happened to you?”
  1948.  
  1949. >The tray disappears again as he rushes to your side, examining your bruise closely.
  1950.  
  1951. “Oh. The girls and I were on another adventure to check out a new kind of metal bird. Princess Celestia wanted to know if it was dangerous.”
  1952.  
  1953. >”Figures. Something as interesting as a metal bird shows up and she’s only interested in it because it might be dangerous. She can be such a bore. And to make matters worse, she didn’t even have the common decency to investigate herself! It clearly WAS dangerous given what happened, and now you’re hurt because of her.”
  1954.  
  1955. “Oh, I’m not upset. I was just supposed to look, I wasn’t supposed to start a fight.”
  1956.  
  1957. >Discord takes a seat and takes a bite out of the unease.
  1958. >He stares at you with a raised eyebrow as he savours the emotion.
  1959.  
  1960. >“Oh that’s good. Now tell me, who's idea was it to fight the bird? That doesn’t sound like you at all. I bet it was Twilight’s, she a bad influence you know.”
  1961.  
  1962. “Oh, we weren’t fighting the bird. We were fighting the ape that built it.”
  1963.  
  1964. >He drops his treat.
  1965. >It fall between the cushions of your couch.
  1966.  
  1967. >”Ape? An ape that builds? A clever, or perhaps CUNNING ape?”
  1968.  
  1969. “Oh, you’re familiar with them?”
  1970.  
  1971. >”They are just so interesting! They fight each other over any old thing you know, they even fight when they get bored! Never a dull moment with apes around. But you really should have just left them, you’re lucky you only got a little bruise.”
  1972.  
  1973. “Oh… well, it was unarmed and alone. We thought that the six of us could handle it, but that was clearly not true…”
  1974.  
  1975. >”Well, I might have to take a trip out to see these creatures. I haven’t seen one in so long, you know”
  1976.  
  1977. “You might be too late. The princesses and the royal guard went to deal with it.”
  1978.  
  1979. >”Well then I’ll have to hurry! I don’t want to miss this! Where are they?”
  1980.  
  1981. “In the badlands, about three days away. I’ll draw you a map if you want.”
  1982.  
  1983. >”And how long ago did they leave? I need to know how much time I need to make up.”
  1984.  
  1985. “Umm. about a month?
  1986.  
  1987. >”WHAT!?”
  1988.  
  1989. >Discord surges into the air, a look of mad fury plastered on his face.
  1990. >You can feel the hatred radiating off of him.
  1991.  
  1992. >”You mean to tell me that that injury is a MONTH OLD?”
  1993.  
  1994. “Yes?”
  1995.  
  1996. >You’re not sure you actually said it.
  1997. >You tend to get quiet when you’re afraid.
  1998. >And for the first time since his promise, you ARE afraid of Discord.
  1999.  
  2000. >”So it’s been healing for a MONTH? Meaning it was worse? Did the ape do that to you?”
  2001.  
  2002. >He suddenly relaxes and sets back down on the floor.
  2003.  
  2004. >”Excuse me, I must be going.”
  2005.  
  2006. >He calmly walks out the front door, before rocketing into the sky.
  2007. >There is a small crater in your pathway now…
  2008. >Better fill it in.
  2009.  
  2010.  
  2011. >You are Anon.
  2012. >You are much happier with your lot in life now.
  2013. >Yeah, you’re still stuck on an alien planet and all that junk.
  2014. >But you’ve done your part to fix that.
  2015. >Now it’s robot work!
  2016. >After building the first one and programming it to build more, you took a quick nap.
  2017. >Now you’ve got thirty construction bots walking around.
  2018. >You’d wanted to go with a flying model, but your batteries are still too heavy for that to be practical.
  2019. >You should really work on that…
  2020. >Really, how hard could it be to make an antimatter battery?
  2021.  
  2022. “Inform me, super brain!”
  2023.  
  2024. >Oh.
  2025. >Yeah, that’s going to take some work.
  2026. >No flying robots yet.
  2027. >You’d considered a wheeled model, but the terrain here is kinda uneven. You don’t want to have to run around and help them get unstuck all the time.
  2028. >So you settled for a bipedal model
  2029. >Now you’ve got to decide what to make them do.
  2030. >You were going to have them build trains out to some resource rich areas.
  2031. >But you’ve apparently depleted your mines.
  2032. >All of them at once…
  2033. >Now that you think of it, that’s really weird.
  2034. >Probably best to get them going again before you undertake any big projects.
  2035. >You have a decent stockpile of metals, but you’d rather not run out.
  2036. >Besides, you’ve got more immediate problems.
  2037. >Like that giant storm brewing.
  2038. >Looks like it’s coming your way too.
  2039. >You’ve got a lot of electronics that couldn’t take the hit...
  2040. >Easy solution to this.
  2041. >You’re limited on metals, but you’ve got a decent stockpile.
  2042. >Time to see if your robots can build lightning rods.
  2043. >It doesn’t take long before you conclude they can.
  2044. >Looks like you’re mostly limited by materials and energy now.
  2045. >All that time being limited by something so mundane as labor was insulting.
  2046. >With a contented groan, you stand and stretch.
  2047. >You don’t need to labour, but you still need to work.
  2048. >Time to fire up the car and check out your mines.
  2049. >Hopefully it’s a simple fix.
  2050. >Wait…
  2051.  
  2052. “The hell is that?”
  2053.  
  2054. >Super eyes engage!
  2055. >Giant flying snake with claws?
  2056. >That’s trippy even for this place.
  2057. >Did… did it just lock eyes with you?
  2058. >Did its eyes just MELT?
  2059. >A blood curdling shriek fills the air as the thing charges toward you.
  2060. >You rush toward your turret and order in a new target.
  2061. >It rotates and fires a slug, leaving a ringing in your ears.
  2062. >The snake is knocked of course as the shot cuts through its body.
  2063. >Its rear half hangs limp.
  2064. >The front half SPEEDS UP!
  2065. >Its maw hangs open far too wide as black ichor seeps from its mouth.
  2066. >Another slug strikes, slamming into the thing’s side.
  2067. >It lets out a loud, maniacal laugh as its limp appendages fall off, and new tissue surges forth.
  2068. >You bring your sidearm to bear and empty your magazine into the thing.
  2069. >Three shots go wide, four hit its head, the rest enter its body.
  2070. >It falls limp, dead.
  2071.  
  2072. “Holy hell. What is this thing?”
  2073.  
  2074. >You walk over to the corpse to get a better look.
  2075. >The ground is melting where the ichor lands…
  2076. >Whatever that thing was, you’re glad you were able to stop it.
  2077. >This world is even more dangerous than you though…
  2078. >Maybe it’s time for more gun?
  2079. >You reload as you turn around, deciding that you need way more firepower.
  2080.  
  2081. >”Hehehehehe…”
  2082.  
  2083. >No way.
  2084. >No fucking way.
  2085. >You turn around as the creature climbs to its… feet?
  2086. >The bullet wounds in its skull start falling to the ground.
  2087. >The beast springs toward you, far slower than it was before.
  2088. >Its long body wraps around you, as though it were trying to constrict you.
  2089. >You’re not worried. There’s no way it can crush you through your armor.
  2090. >You were wrong!
  2091. >You empty your weapon into its head again as the pressure around your torso builds.
  2092. >The pressure slackens...
  2093. >The thing sinks its fangs into your arm!
  2094. >You let out a scream of agony as the ichor works its way through your steel and starts to dissolve your arm.
  2095. >With your good arm, you grip the monster by the neck and SQUEEZE.
  2096. >You feel a satisfying crunch as its neck breaks.
  2097. >It stops squeezing.
  2098. >The beast bursts into a cloud of smoke, disappearing from sight.
  2099. >No time to gloat, your arm is MELTING.
  2100. >You run to the car and grab your first aid spray..
  2101. >You shoot the cleansing agent into your slowly expanding wound.
  2102. >The spray bursts into flame!
  2103. >The wound is SPREADING.
  2104. >You need to hurry before it hits your torso!
  2105. >Desperately wishing for some painkillers, you head over to your ship.
  2106. >You grab one of your remaining canisters of first aid spray, and grab your plasma cutter.
  2107. >You fire it up, and with a shriek of agony, you lob your arm off.
  2108. >You drop the plasma torch in your state of shock, and it starts to melt its way through the bottom of your ship.
  2109. >You quickly mist your stump with cleansing agent before emptying the entire canister of sealing agent.
  2110. >You’re so cold…
  2111. >So tired…
  2112. >Maybe just a quick nap?
  2113.  
  2114.  
  2115.  
  2116. >You are Twilight.
  2117. >You are testing out your brand new scrying table.
  2118. >It turned out to be a bit harder to make than the cookie sheets.
  2119. >But you figured it out.
  2120. >The biggest problem was that you had to cover the glyph with iron on both sides.
  2121. >Turns out air is too good of a mana conductor for more complicated spells.
  2122. >But now, everypony can watch the enemy!
  2123. >With just a little bit of magic provided by yourself, everypony can watch.
  2124. >That’s what you’re doing right now.
  2125.  
  2126. >”So this is what scrying’s like. Feels weird.”
  2127.  
  2128. “I didn’t know you couldn’t scry, Shiney.”
  2129.  
  2130. >”Yeah. Never quite had the focus, the spell always fell apart when I was trying to define the location. But that’s not important right now, why are there so many apes?”
  2131.  
  2132. >”Those are not apes. Those are slaves that it built earlier today.”
  2133.  
  2134. “Oh come on Luna. Is slave really the right word? If it’s just a machine I’m not so sure that it counts.”
  2135.  
  2136. >”Perhaps not.”
  2137.  
  2138. >”Lu, I thought you said it only built one.”
  2139.  
  2140. >”Indeed, Tia. The one it built made more. If we don’t control this somehow, the ape will have an inexhaustible workforce.”
  2141.  
  2142. >”Hopefully the lightning storm will take care of that.”
  2143.  
  2144. “But they’re building lightning rods. Sorry Shiney, it was a good idea.”
  2145.  
  2146. >”Bah. Might as well send them in and hope.
  2147.  
  2148. “No, hold on. I’ve got another idea. It’ll take some work, but the lightning could still be useful.”
  2149.  
  2150. >”Very well. Should We continue producing?”
  2151.  
  2152. “Not yet, Princess. Not until we know it’ll work. Luna, are the pegasi in your guard busy with anything at the moment? I might need their help.”
  2153.  
  2154. >”I shall instruct my elite to assist you. The Shadowbolts are at your disposal.”
  2155.  
  2156. “Wait, Shadowbolts? Seriously?”
  2157.  
  2158. >“What? ‘Tis a fine name!”
  2159.  
  2160. “Yeah, it’s just a bit…”
  2161.  
  2162. >”A bit what? Do you object to my Wonderbolts too?”
  2163.  
  2164. “No, it’s just… you know what? Never mind. What matters is that DISCORD IS HERE!”
  2165.  
  2166. >Everypony else snaps their attention back to the vision as the first shot strikes.
  2167.  
  2168. “DISCORD! NO!”
  2169.  
  2170. >”I thought you hated him.”
  2171.  
  2172. “Shiney, I-”
  2173.  
  2174. >”He’s fine.”
  2175.  
  2176. >Both princesses reassured you in unison.
  2177.  
  2178. >The second shot hits Discord.
  2179. >A crazed laugh roars through the camp.
  2180.  
  2181. >Celestia continued.
  2182.  
  2183. >”Look at his face. He’s trying to intimidate the ape. I’ve never seen Discord take a fight seriously before, I think our war may be over.”
  2184.  
  2185. >The ape pulls out a small weapon.
  2186. >Several blasts strike Discord.
  2187. >He fall to the ground.
  2188.  
  2189. >”Still fine.”
  2190.  
  2191. “Wait, never taken a fight seriously? What do you mean? Didn’t he own the entirety of Equestria for a while? Didn’t you need the elements to beat him? Didn’t WE need the elements to beat him?”
  2192.  
  2193. >”Discord never sought to win, Twilight. He’s always just wanted to have fun. I’m sorry, but he was toying with you. He always was. This… Something has him angry.
  2194.  
  2195. “He was… he was playing? Was it such a good idea to let him loose?
  2196.  
  2197. >”Do not question my sister on this decision. Discord was going to break free, there is no doubt about that. Some day, Discord would start another rampage, some day he would be sealed again. ‘Tia felt that you and your friends could break the cycle. It didn’t go according to plan, but the outcome was most satisfactory.”
  2198.  
  2199. >”Hehehehehe…”
  2200.  
  2201. >”That is really creepy.”
  2202.  
  2203. “You think that’s creepy? Have you- Oh. You’ve never met him, have you Shiney?”
  2204.  
  2205. >”Thankfully not.”
  2206.  
  2207. “Yeah. He’s completely insufferable. But Fluttershy seems to like him well enough. Say, is he constricting-”
  2208.  
  2209. >Another round of shots.
  2210. >Discord bites the ape’s arm.
  2211.  
  2212. “So… what’s that goop?”
  2213.  
  2214. >”No idea. Lu?”
  2215.  
  2216. >”I’ve never seen it before either, but I suspect it has something to do with the dissolving arm.”
  2217.  
  2218. >Dissolving arm?
  2219. >She’s right!
  2220. >Discord’s neck is snapped, and his body falls limp.
  2221. >His body turns into smoke.
  2222.  
  2223. “Is he… still fine?
  2224.  
  2225. >”He’ll recover. He’s simply tired.”
  2226.  
  2227. >You’re not so sure…
  2228. >But Princess Celestia should know.
  2229. >And you DID see Discord un-die already today…
  2230. >The ape sprays fire on the wound for some reason.
  2231. >It runs off into the bird.
  2232. >No matter, this table has a sub-glyph to follow it.
  2233. >It picks up a wand of some sort and cuts off its own arm!
  2234. >Blood starts flowing everywhere…
  2235. >The scrying spell collapses as you rush out of the room.
  2236.  
  2237. >”Yeah… Twily doesn’t like blood.”
  2238.  
  2239.  
  2240.  
  2241. >You are Shining Armor.
  2242. >You are champing at the bit.
  2243. >The enemy is critically wounded, your every instinct says that now is the time.
  2244. >But it’s STILL not safe.
  2245. >The weapon was apparently still functional after all.
  2246. >You had been entertaining of tricking it into friendly fire…
  2247. >But it didn’t attack Discord when he was constricting.
  2248. >You doubt it would work.
  2249.  
  2250. “New objective everypony. We aren’t here to rout the enemy, we’re just here to keep them vulnerable for when Discord comes back. He will be back, right?”
  2251.  
  2252. >The alicorns in the room nod immediately.
  2253. >Looks like there’s really no room to doubt it.
  2254.  
  2255. “Great. The ape is heavily wounded, and unconscious. Its workers seem to be idle, likely they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing.”
  2256.  
  2257. >”All but one. One is still making more workers.”
  2258.  
  2259. “Good point, Twilight. It’s still getting better established despite being incapacitated. We need to sabotage something. Cutting off the supply of materials was a great start, but we need to sabotage it further. You said you had an idea?
  2260.  
  2261. >”On it!”
  2262.  
  2263. >She teleports away, presumably to find the shadowbolts.
  2264.  
  2265. >”I’d best assist her. I doubt she’d be able to find them on her own.”
  2266.  
  2267. >Luna teleports too.
  2268.  
  2269. “Couldn’t find them? Aren’t they officers? Shouldn’t they be obvious?”
  2270.  
  2271. >Celestia seems a bit torn, as though unsure if she should speak.
  2272.  
  2273. >”It’s not my place to discuss the inner workings of her forces. If you want details, you’ll have to ask her. However, I can say that her soldiers work on a slightly different philosophy than yours or mine.”
  2274.  
  2275. >You’re very interested.
  2276. >You’ll have to ask.
  2277.  
  2278. “Considering the success of our last raids, I’m going to organise another attack on the remaining devices. Apparently, they both look to be pumps.”
  2279.  
  2280. >”And I shall… Err, plan my next move?”
  2281.  
  2282.  
  2283.  
  2284. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  2285. >You’ve been trying to find the shadowbolts for nearly an hour.
  2286. >Every time you ask somepony where you can find them, they just laugh at you.
  2287. >It’s really annoying!
  2288.  
  2289. >”Hello, Twilight.”
  2290.  
  2291. >Who said that?
  2292. >You look around, there are plenty of ponies. None seem to be particularly interested in you.
  2293. >Except the darkish grey pegasus that was standing right behind you!
  2294.  
  2295. “Wah!”
  2296.  
  2297. >”You didn’t find me, I found you. And only because I was told to. The shadowbolts are at your service.
  2298.  
  2299. >She has hooves down the most boringest voice in this entire nation of Equestria.
  2300. >Her cutie mark is just a rain cloud, nothing particularly interesting for a pegasus.
  2301. >From what you can tell, there is nothing special about her.
  2302. >It’s hard to imagine somepony like her attracting enough attention to get promoted.
  2303.  
  2304. “Are you sure you’re one of Princess Luna’s elite?”
  2305.  
  2306. >”Do you want our help or not?”
  2307.  
  2308. “Is this how you’re supposed to address your superiors?”
  2309.  
  2310. >”Are you even part of your command structure?”
  2311.  
  2312. >This is so surreal.
  2313. >You’ve never seen a soldier talk back like this.
  2314.  
  2315. “Very well. How many Shadowbolts are there?”
  2316.  
  2317. >”Classified.”
  2318.  
  2319. “What is your name?”
  2320.  
  2321. >”Classified.”
  2322.  
  2323. “Are you the captain?”
  2324.  
  2325. >”Classified.”
  2326.  
  2327. >You rub between your eyes with your hoof.
  2328. >This is going to be frustrating.
  2329.  
  2330. >”The fewer questions you ask, the better. Believe it or not I’m here to help, you’re just not making it easy.”
  2331.  
  2332. >Believe it or not?
  2333. >You don’t.
  2334.  
  2335. “So you’re secretive, then. If I want information, it can’t be specifically about the Shadowbolts?”
  2336.  
  2337. >No reply.
  2338.  
  2339. “How many Pegasi do we have access to? Not specifically Shadowbolts.”
  2340.  
  2341. >”Just under a thousand.”
  2342.  
  2343. >A direct answer!
  2344. >Looks like you’re on the right track.
  2345. >Wait, that few?
  2346.  
  2347. “Why so few? Is Luna’s guard that small?”
  2348.  
  2349. >”Relatively recently formed, highly selective.”
  2350.  
  2351. >So it could have been larger.
  2352. >Luna’s screening most of them out.
  2353. >She’s looking for particular traits.
  2354.  
  2355. “How many are trained in weather manipulation.”
  2356.  
  2357. >”Many.”
  2358.  
  2359. >Classified, then.
  2360.  
  2361. “I need you to process the clouds into enclosed balls. The idea is to use magic to push them to the top of them hill, let them roll down, and then remotely detonate them. If they’re low enough to the ground, the lightning rods shouldn’t work. Do you think you can do that?”
  2362.  
  2363. >”Consider it done.”
  2364.  
  2365. >She just stands there.
  2366. >Not moving at all.
  2367.  
  2368. “Well? Aren’t you going to relay the message to anypony?”
  2369.  
  2370. >”Not while you’re watching. Leave.”
  2371.  
  2372. >With a groan of frustration, you start to walk away.
  2373.  
  2374.  
  2375. >You are Anon.
  2376. >You feel really sick.
  2377. >You’re not sure how long you were asleep…
  2378. >But you were woken up by pain as the numbing agent started to wear off.
  2379. >Instinct demands that you go back to sleep.
  2380. >You’re really damn tired.
  2381. >But your first priority is more gun.
  2382. >Your robots are building more static turrets for you…
  2383. >But your power grid is already strained.
  2384. >Your generation is adequate if you’re not constantly firing…
  2385. >But your discharge rate is lacking.
  2386. >Looks like your ship was designed for consistent drain, all this on and off stuff wasn’t planned.
  2387. >It takes a few minutes for it to get warmed up as it stands.
  2388. >So any sudden draw really screws with your power supply.
  2389. >You appear to be suffering from a significant voltage drop after just the second shot.
  2390. >It’s unlikely you could properly fire more than a few rounds.
  2391. >So you’ve ordered a massive battery bank be constructed.
  2392. >Thoroughly grounded and totally enclosed, of course.
  2393. >That lightning storm seems to have stopped approaching, but that’s no reason to risk a power surge.
  2394. >Sure, this won’t exactly solve the problem, but it should smooth it out at least.
  2395. >All this is going to overburden your printer…
  2396.  
  2397. “Right then, print some printers.”
  2398.  
  2399. >Easy, right?
  2400. >Turns out that, yes. It is pretty easy.
  2401. >20 should do for now.
  2402. >You’ve got a healthy supply of materials for the moment.
  2403. >But that’s no reason to be too liberal.
  2404. >With no resources coming in, everything you build cuts into your stockpile
  2405. >You’ve got to get mining operations going again.
  2406. >But defence first.
  2407. >Second, extend your power grid.
  2408. >Your robots aren’t going to be able to go anywhere without it, and that’s not good enough.
  2409. >You aren’t leaving your base ever again!
  2410. >Whatever that thing was, you barely stopped it WITH your static weapons.
  2411. >You’re NEVER exposing yourself
  2412. >Let the robots get killed. You’re staying safe.
  2413. >Maybe best to build some combat bots, too.
  2414. >You walk back to the front of your ship…
  2415. >And almost fall through the hole in the floor.
  2416.  
  2417. “Right… The torch. Which only works when I’m holding the trigger. What?”
  2418.  
  2419. >You check the schematic you used.
  2420. >Sure enough, that torch should have shut down the instant you dropped it.
  2421. >You look through the gap and find a large, smooth crater in the ground below.
  2422. >No sign of your torch.
  2423. >Or your arm.
  2424.  
  2425. “Was that the black stuff?”
  2426.  
  2427. >Could that stuff really have been that corrosive?
  2428. >It was just a few drops!
  2429. >But you can’t think of any other explanation.
  2430. >You check your database for extremely corrosive chemicals…
  2431. >No matches.
  2432. >Whatever that stuff was, it doesn’t follow the laws of chemistry.
  2433. >Perhaps some kind of exotic matter?
  2434. >Whatever the case, you need to watch for more of those things.
  2435. >And you need a new set of armor.
  2436. >You try to take off your current gear, but it’s bent too out of shape.
  2437. >Looks like you’ve got to cut it off.
  2438. >And then what? Replace it with more of the same?
  2439. >This set was useless.
  2440. >You need an upgrade.
  2441. >And MUCH heavier personal weapons.
  2442. >Which require energy.
  2443. >Energy you don’t have.
  2444. >Sure, your personal battery pack is better than these primitive lead-acid ones.
  2445. >But it’s still chemical energy production.
  2446. >You need antimatter!
  2447. >No way your current power supply can handle that.
  2448. >Not enough for your plans, at least.
  2449. >You need to build a reactor.
  2450. >How far away is fusion?
  2451. …
  2452. >Depends on resource availability.
  2453. >How about nuclear?
  2454. …
  2455. >Again, resource availability.
  2456. >So you’re stuck once again.
  2457. >Best set some teams of bots out to explore for you.
  2458. >You need something to make superconductors and some deuterium.
  2459. >Or you need a supply of fissile material.
  2460.  
  2461. “Right. A few bots to lay power lines, a couple combat bots, and a prospector bot. Anything else I need?”
  2462.  
  2463. >Yeah. A nap.
  2464. >Why are you in such bad shape?
  2465. >Sure, you lost a limb, but your spray should have patched you up.
  2466. >Right?
  2467. >Brain chips say…
  2468. >No?
  2469. >You’re low on blood!
  2470. >AND you’ve got no way of recovering!
  2471. >Your implants only recycle material inside you, they don’t actually add anything!
  2472. >Every single cell you’ve lose since getting here…
  2473. >You NEED food.
  2474. >And you’ve no idea what on this planet is edible.
  2475. >Looks like you’re getting into DNA printing.
  2476. >And… you have everything you need?
  2477. >That’s new.
  2478. >Sure, you don’t have the chems themselves.
  2479. >But they’re easy enough to synthesise.
  2480. >Chem lab time.
  2481. >Damn good thing you had robots.
  2482. >There’s no way you’d be able to get all this done in time.
  2483. >But you’re a human, damn it!
  2484. >Your job isn’t DOING stuff.
  2485. >Your job is PLANNING stuff.
  2486. >Like what kind of arm to make.
  2487. >You could easily make a brand new arm with a tissue sample.
  2488. >Or you could go full on cyborg.
  2489. >You’ve got no microsurgery, and it’s unlikely you will any time soon.
  2490. >Not until you can properly mass produce nanomachines.
  2491. >So augmenting anything made of flesh would be nearly impossible.
  2492. >And while controlling a metallic appendage would be relatively easy, you’d have no tactile feedback.
  2493. >Choices...
  2494.  
  2495.  
  2496.  
  2497. >You are Anon.
  2498. >You have decided.
  2499. >You need to be strong now.
  2500. >While you’ll miss having a real arm, the strength provided by machinery is too valuable.
  2501. >Once you have a proper microsurgery, you’ll reconsider.
  2502. >And Microsurgery is definitely going on the list!
  2503. >But for now, you’d be limited to just flesh.
  2504. >Lacking any and all mechanical augments?
  2505. >No thanks.
  2506. >Even with genetic tweaking, you’d be lacking in strength.
  2507. >This world hit you way harder than you’d expected.
  2508. >You’re going to make damn sure that next time, you’re ready to hit back.
  2509. >Time to become a warrior.
  2510.  
  2511. “Bellator ex machina.”
  2512.  
  2513. >You had the best civilian augments available.
  2514. >But the corporation couldn’t get you military augments.
  2515. >This op was too high profile, they couldn’t get away with many illegal dealings.
  2516. >Out here? You are the law.
  2517. >Or probably some horse more likely.
  2518. >But that doesn’t matter!
  2519.  
  2520. “Well, Anon? How are we going to do this?”
  2521.  
  2522. >At first you were going to make it out of steel.
  2523. >But you don’t feel like using such primitive materials.
  2524. >This thing is going to be a part of you, after all.
  2525. >And you’ve got access to something far better.
  2526. >You’ve got the means to make a high temperature pressure chamber now.
  2527. >Carbon’s pretty easy to get ahold of.
  2528. >Why not go for nanotubes?
  2529. >Time to get a schematic…
  2530. >Yeah, this looks doable.
  2531. >It’ll take a few days to get production going, though.
  2532. >You COULD make one out of steel in the meantime…
  2533. >But if you’re going to do this, you want to do it right.
  2534. >Not like you’re in good enough shape to use it at the moment anyway.
  2535. >You order your newest batch of robots to get started, and go back to bed.
  2536. >Damn chem lab can’t be done too soon.
  2537.  
  2538.  
  2539.  
  2540. >You are Celestia.
  2541. >You are scrying.
  2542. >You’re also starting to feel useless.
  2543. >Twilight and Shining Armor have done everything since you got here.
  2544. >All you accomplished was getting your sister wounded.
  2545. >Oh sure, at first you had a decent excuse for being worthless, what with the absurd injuries you’d suffered…
  2546. >But now?
  2547. >Now you’re just sitting here, watching an ape sleep.
  2548. >Oh! It’s getting up!
  2549. >The silvery sheen over its stump is still unsettling…
  2550. >It goes over to the glowy box in the front of its home and presses a bunch of buttons.
  2551. >It looks outside.
  2552. >Then goes back to bed.
  2553. >It certainly seems to be weakened.
  2554. >It can’t be the amputation alone, the other apes handled those with much less trouble.
  2555. >Based on what you’ve seen from this one, you’re almost surprised it hasn’t grown a new limb yet.
  2556. >Despite how absurd that would be.
  2557. >Perhaps you can be of some use if you figure out why it’s struggling.
  2558.  
  2559. >”Got a fresh batch of muffins for ya, Princess!”
  2560.  
  2561. >Pinkie drops a tray of banana nut goodness in front of you.
  2562. >Strictly speaking, she’s not supposed to be in here…
  2563. >But you’re willing to be lenient with the elements.
  2564. >Besides, it’s Pinkie.
  2565. >You’re not sure you could keep her out if you tried.
  2566.  
  2567. “Thank you Pinkie. They smell divine.”
  2568.  
  2569. >With a happy squeak, she bounces out.
  2570. >You grip a steaming muffin with your magic and bite into it.
  2571. >It would likely burn anypony else, but you’re not too worried.
  2572. >Heat never bothered you anyway.
  2573.  
  2574. “Mm! Nopony knows what they’re missing.”
  2575.  
  2576. >Best when fresh, freshest when scalding hot.
  2577. >Wait a second…
  2578.  
  2579. “LUNA! I NEED TO ASK YOU A QUESTION!”
  2580.  
  2581. >You hear her groan from the next room.
  2582. >Was she sleeping?
  2583. >No way. It’s only…
  2584. >High noon.
  2585. >Oops.
  2586.  
  2587.  
  2588. >”What.”
  2589.  
  2590. >She sounds annoyed.
  2591. >You can’t blame her.
  2592.  
  2593. “Uhh.. muffin?”
  2594.  
  2595. >She just glares at you.
  2596.  
  2597. “Right. Maybe when they’ve cooled a bit. Sorry. What has the ape been eating?”
  2598.  
  2599. >She seems to wake up a bit at that.
  2600.  
  2601. >”I do not recall ever seeing it eat.”
  2602.  
  2603. “Interesting. Despite all we’ve seen, that’s a bit far fetched. It’s done too much work to not eat, yes?”
  2604.  
  2605. >”Perhaps it eats lightning? It seems to use that for everything else, and we’ve seen it connect wires to its chest.”
  2606.  
  2607. >You were going to mock her.
  2608. >Gently, of course.
  2609. >But it almost makes sense.
  2610. >It would get the energy it needed.
  2611. >And nothing else!
  2612.  
  2613. “It’s struggling to recover from the wound. I think it’s malnourished. Which means it’s going to try and find food. Which means…”
  2614.  
  2615. >”It’s going to try to hunt!”
  2616.  
  2617. “We need to watch it at all times-”
  2618.  
  2619. >”Not enough! What if the machines it sent out before are hunting parties?”
  2620.  
  2621. “Mother of me...”
  2622.  
  2623.  
  2624.  
  2625. >You are Classified.
  2626. >Yup, that’s your name.
  2627. >Classified Document.
  2628. >You’re named after your grandmother.
  2629. >But that’s not what matters right now.
  2630. >You’ve been working in the assembly line for hours now.
  2631. >Making storm clouds into highly compact balls.
  2632. >You, and the other Shadowbolts.
  2633. >They need to work on their stealth, though.
  2634. >It only took you a couple hours to find them.
  2635. >Both of them!
  2636. >The single most important trait a Shadowbolt can have is subtlety.
  2637. >Or perhaps endurance.
  2638. >Well, none of that matters without loyalty.
  2639. >Of the MANY traits that are important to being a Shadowbolt, subtlety is high on the list.
  2640.  
  2641. >”Step it up, colts! Do you want to be here all night?”
  2642.  
  2643. >Subtlety that will prove handy right now.
  2644. >The mission you’re about to undertake hasn’t been approved across the board.
  2645. >In fact, only one princess has approved.
  2646. >The most important one.
  2647. >You wait…
  2648. >And snap into action the moment nopony is watching.
  2649. >You quickly make your way to the front door and crack it open.
  2650. >Then slip your way back into the production line.
  2651. >The foremare takes nearly five minutes to notice…
  2652.  
  2653. >”The door’s open? Did somepony sneak out?”
  2654.  
  2655. >She leaves to investigate.
  2656. >What an idiot.
  2657. >The entire production line dissolves into chaos as everypony decides to take a break.
  2658. >It’s trivially easy to fill a bag with storm balls and leave.
  2659. >Your queen’s plan was aggressive, and you liked it.
  2660. >While everypony else was bickering about how best to hide from your foe, she ordered you to strike.
  2661. >After all, you already knew how to hide.
  2662. >You slip on the pendant you’d been given when you were promoted to the elite.
  2663. >A relic imbued with your queens blessing, crafted specifically for you.
  2664. >Light starts to slip through your body.
  2665. >Seconds pass before you’re less than a shadow.
  2666. >Now nopony could ever find you if you stay quiet.
  2667. >And you’re GOOD at being quiet.
  2668. >You take flight and make your way to the designated location.
  2669. >You’ve no way of knowing if your cohorts have done the same…
  2670. >But that question never even occurs to you.
  2671. >They will succeed, just like you will.
  2672. >You follow the lines outward, travelling as fast as you can without making too much noise.
  2673. >It takes nearly an hour to reach the target location.
  2674. >The ape’s constructs work FAST!
  2675. >But there they are…
  2676. >One drilling holes deep into the earth, and planting tall spires.
  2677. >Another stringing wires from spire to spire.
  2678. >A third, walking around, seemingly looking for something.
  2679. >And finally, two more.
  2680. >Turning to face you.
  2681. >Raising their appendages your way.
  2682. >They’ve spotted you? But how?
  2683. >You hurl your clouds at them as you begin to retreat.
  2684.  
  2685. *CRACK CRACK*
  2686.  
  2687. >Something tears through your body, knocking you from the sky.
  2688. >Your consciousness is rapidly fading as you lose altitude.
  2689. >But you can see the clouds hit home.
  2690. >The constructs twitch violently as they explode…
  2691. >Several of the spires explode too.
  2692.  
  2693. *COUGH*
  2694.  
  2695. “Take that, you ugly monkey bastard.”
  2696.  
  2697. >You prepare to meet the ground, but it never comes.
  2698.  
  2699.  
  2700.  
  2701. >You are Luna.
  2702. >You are starting to relax.
  2703. >It’s been a hectic day, running around ordering all those evacuations.
  2704. >But you had to make sure everypony was safe.
  2705. >Oh sure, you had a plan to stop the hunting parties.
  2706. >But you’re not sure it will work.
  2707. >You trust your Shadowbolts entirely, that’s not a concern.
  2708. >You’re just not sure the storm balls will work.
  2709. >Now you’ve got a difficult decision to make.
  2710. >How to tell everypony else you went over their heads.
  2711. >You’ll know soon enough it the storm balls worked, and that is important information.
  2712. >You need to tell the others, but they won’t be happy.
  2713. >Perhaps if it works, you can just let them find out for themselves?
  2714. >It’s not like success would change their plans in any meaningful way.
  2715. >But if it doesn’t work-
  2716.  
  2717. “DAMN!”
  2718.  
  2719. >You’ve got a much bigger problem.
  2720. >You run back to the royal bunk.
  2721. >Another!
  2722. >You rip the door off its hinges with your magic.
  2723.  
  2724. “GET UP OR I’ll MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SLEEP AGAIN!”
  2725.  
  2726. >You strike Twilight, Shining Armor, and your sister in their faces with your magic.
  2727. >A chorus of pained protests greet you.
  2728. >The third is down!
  2729.  
  2730. >”Sister, what’s wrong?”
  2731.  
  2732. >You don’t answer.
  2733. >You draw on as much magic as you can gather.
  2734. >You hover in the air as mana crackles about your body.
  2735. >You focus on the arcane signature of the pendants you’d given your best fliers...
  2736. >You violently rip the fabric of space as your summoning spell activates.
  2737.  
  2738. “STASIS! NOW!”
  2739.  
  2740. >You pump everything into your spell, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
  2741. >The cloaking spell over the Shadowbolts fades as you exhaust your strength.
  2742. >Three bleeding and battered pegasi lay on the floor.
  2743. >All three…
  2744. >Two have clearly crashed, their bodies only vaguely resembling those of ponies.
  2745. >One is in better shape, but still bears two wounds that are far too familiar to you.
  2746. >Your sister is the first to act.
  2747. >Finally, Twilight does her part.
  2748.  
  2749. >”I don’t know how to cast a stasis spell!”
  2750.  
  2751. “Then you are WORTHLESS!”
  2752.  
  2753. >Shining Armor shies away, but offers no objection.
  2754.  
  2755. “How… How slow?”
  2756.  
  2757. >Twilight pants a bit before speaking.
  2758. >It appears she exerted herself too.
  2759. >Good.
  2760.  
  2761. >“Not sure. That’s a lot of power. The temporal dilation must be massive, probably… a couple seconds per year? What happened to them? Who are they?”
  2762.  
  2763. >Do you trust these ponies?
  2764. >You owe Twilight a great deal...
  2765. >But you barely know her.
  2766. >No… this is absolute top secret.
  2767. >There is only one pony alive who you trust enough.
  2768.  
  2769. “Sparkle. Armor. Leave.”
  2770.  
  2771. >”But-”
  2772.  
  2773. “OUT!”
  2774.  
  2775. >You try to grip them with your magic and push them out the door…
  2776. >But you’re too tired.
  2777.  
  2778. “What are you still doing here? GET MEDICS!”
  2779.  
  2780. >That did it.
  2781. >They scurry out, finally leaving you in private.
  2782.  
  2783. “Sister… meet the Shadowbolts.”
  2784.  
  2785.  
  2786. >You are still Luna.
  2787. >You are somewhat shaken.
  2788. >You wouldn’t have believed it if somepony, anypony had told you they’d found a shadowbolt.
  2789. >But here all three lay, clearly brutalised after multiple failed mission.
  2790. >You let out a quiet sob.
  2791. >They were relying on your magic, and you failed them!
  2792. >They pledged allegiance to you, and you got them killed!
  2793. >Howcanyoucallyourselfaprincessifyouthrowawaythelivesof-
  2794.  
  2795. >”You owe me a hundred-thousand bits.”
  2796.  
  2797. >Celestia snaps you out of your mania before it could set in.
  2798. >You can still feel the panic attack encroaching, but right now confusion is taking over.
  2799. >Confusion that must have been obvious, as Celestia elaborates.
  2800.  
  2801. >”The wager, remember? You’re getting off easy though. If memory serves bits were pure gold at the time.”
  2802.  
  2803. “Th- that was nearly two thousand years ago!”
  2804.  
  2805. >”I believe you said I’d never find a Shadowbolt in a million years. Two thousand is less than a million, yes?”
  2806.  
  2807. >You know what she’s doing.
  2808. >She doesn’t care about the money.
  2809. >She’s just trying to distract you long enough for you to calm down.
  2810. >It’s working.
  2811.  
  2812. >”But first is the more important issue. These wounds are familiar, just smaller. Perhaps a mobile version of the weapon that wounded us? I’m sorry, Luna. I am so so sorry. Odds are we can’t save them.”
  2813.  
  2814. “I won’t accept that.”
  2815.  
  2816. >”I know. We’ll keep them in stasis as long as we can, and hopefully we can find a way to mend them. Just… please don’t lose heart when the medics arrive.”
  2817.  
  2818. >She places a wing over your shoulder.
  2819.  
  2820. >”They won’t bear good news.”
  2821.  
  2822.  
  2823.  
  2824. >You are Anon.
  2825. >You are struggling not to vomit.
  2826. >You’ve been drinking highly nutritious slurry for the last few days.
  2827. >Three vials.
  2828. >You’re already feeling way better.
  2829. >Great for your health.
  2830. >But it wasn’t designed with flavour in mind.
  2831. >It was, however, designed with your blood tests in mind.
  2832. >Every dose is tailor made to meet your specific demands.
  2833. >Your body should have everything it needs to operate properly now.
  2834. >Everything except Lefty.
  2835. >You look at your stump with annoyance.
  2836. >The silvery sheen of your medical spray is starting to dull.
  2837. >The nanomachines are losing power.
  2838. >Some have fallen off, roughing the surface and robbing it of its mirror like shine.
  2839. >That’s okay though, they’ve done their duty.
  2840. >Now you need to make a replacement.
  2841. >Not out of anything so pedestrian as flesh or steel.
  2842. >No, you’re going with carbon allotropes.
  2843. >Nanotube structure, hyperdiamond plating…
  2844. >You sorta wish you had a sample of that black goo to test.
  2845. >For all you know, it’ll melt through this even faster than your own flesh.
  2846. >Maybe you could find something it wouldn’t react to.
  2847. >But for now, you’ll have to settle for being only ALMOST invulnerable.
  2848.  
  2849. “And now for the annoying part.”
  2850.  
  2851. >You need a microsurgery to properly connect your nerves…
  2852. >But there is a crude workaround you can manage.
  2853. >Your nerves are still sending signals to your missing appendage.
  2854. >You just need electrodes to pick up that signal.
  2855. >Then you can program your arm to interpret your mental commands into ‘muscle’ movements.
  2856. >It takes nearly an hour.
  2857. >It’s worth it though.
  2858. >Your new appendage is just as responsive as the last.
  2859. >Less about 25 microseconds.
  2860. >But you’re not satisfied.
  2861. >Why settle for being as good?
  2862. >You have plenty of nerves you’re not using.
  2863. >Like, when are you going to need to wiggle your ears?
  2864. >No reason why you shouldn’t add some functionality.
  2865. >You flare your nostrils and the plating on your forearm slides off to reveal a portable terminal.
  2866. >Not much of a computer on its own, but it’s connected to your mainframe.
  2867. >You can manage all your robots from the comfort of your own appendage.
  2868.  
  2869. “That’s weird…”
  2870.  
  2871. >Some of them aren’t responding.
  2872. >looks like three of the teams you sent out are down.
  2873. >The remaining one is going fine…
  2874. >You need to check in on that.
  2875. >But first, another vial of the vile slurry…
  2876.  
  2877. *WHIRRRRRR*
  2878.  
  2879. >Nothing’s coming out.
  2880. >Arm terminal says…
  2881. >No water pressure?
  2882. >Something’s weird here.
  2883. >All your mining goes offline at once, most of your away teams go offline despite being armed, and now you’ve got no water?
  2884. >Everything outside your base is down.
  2885. >Except your oil pumps.
  2886. >Oh come on!
  2887. >Your refinery’s not getting anything either!
  2888. >For so many things to break in such short order…
  2889. >It wasn’t unreasonable when it was just your mining, those deposits were running low anyway.
  2890. >But this is more than just that.
  2891. >Sabotage?
  2892. >All that can wait. You’ve got toys to test out.
  2893. >You take a moment to wire your appendage to your main power grid.
  2894. >It feels a bit weird to have an extension cable hanging from a power pole running into you.
  2895. >But it’s necessary for now.
  2896. >Your new arm CAN run off of your built in battery.
  2897. >But you want to test it at full power!
  2898. >You pick up a rock and grind it into fine powder.
  2899.  
  2900. “Less satisfying than I’d expected.”
  2901.  
  2902. >You turn to face the hill.
  2903. >Smoke is gently rising from the other side…
  2904. >Looks like that camp is still there.
  2905. >You raise your arm as the elbow hinges backward, exposing a barrel.
  2906. >You launch three rounds into the hill.
  2907. >Low velocity munitions sadly.
  2908. >Less than mach. The ammo for this is pretty heavy. The recoil was throwing you off balance.
  2909. >Three massive clouds of dust erupt from the hillside.
  2910. >Low velocity, high explosive.
  2911. >Thank you chem lab.
  2912. >Your forearm snaps back into position.
  2913. >You’ve got more toys to test.
  2914. >Your finger tips swing aside.
  2915. >Drill, spot welder, laser pointer…
  2916. >Boring!
  2917. >Your wrist swings open and a jet of plasma erupts forth.
  2918.  
  2919. “Hell yeah!”
  2920.  
  2921. >You swing your arm and cleave through a nearby boulder.
  2922. >You punch at yet another rock, then cut the plasma.
  2923. >A smoking hole runs clean through it.
  2924. >Your arm terminal chirps out an alarm.
  2925. >Looks like you were were starting to overheat.
  2926. >Looks like you can only use that for a couple seconds…
  2927. >Unless you tone down the heat, of course. Maybe two settings are in order?
  2928. >But is that really worth it? It’ll cool almost as quickly, after all.
  2929. >Decisions, de-
  2930.  
  2931. “De hell is that?”
  2932.  
  2933. >Heaps of black balls crest the peak separating you from the camp.
  2934. >Tens of thousands of them.
  2935. >Well, if the horses are sending them your way, you don’t want them.
  2936. >You use your terminal to order your cannons to open fire.
  2937. >Slugs slam into the balls which erupt into an electrical discharge.
  2938. >That’s different.
  2939. >A bit unorthodox.
  2940. >Sure, they could kill you.
  2941. >But it’s not exactly what you expected.
  2942. >Another volley of slugs strike, there are still way too many to count.
  2943. >But why electricity?
  2944. >There are much more direct ways to kill a person.
  2945. >And you could easily outrun this.
  2946. >You’re not in any danger.
  2947. >It’s a stupid way to try and…
  2948. >They’re not trying to kill you!
  2949.  
  2950. “Oh shit!”
  2951.  
  2952. >You quickly expose your grenade launcher and empty your arm.
  2953. >Nine more explosives scatter across the hillside.
  2954. >The electrical discharge is blinding, the thunder roaring louder than your own explosives.
  2955. >The hillside is unrecognizable after your assault.
  2956. >But hundreds of shock orbs are still coming your way.
  2957. >Another volley of shells hit home…
  2958. >But it’s not enough!
  2959. >Some of the orbs roll up to your turrets and detonate.
  2960. >Your arm terminal whines as half your defences go down.
  2961. >More of them make their way to your oil refinery, and a burst of lightning engulfs the building.
  2962. >Another alarm as the circuitry inside is fried.
  2963. >For an instant, you’re thankful your pumpjacks are offline.
  2964. >You don’t want flaming oil pouring everywhere.
  2965. >The last of the orbs seem to change course on their own, and slam into nearby robots.
  2966. >They burst, and of course, the bulk of your workforce goes offline.
  2967. >Thankfully, not all of them.
  2968. >All the orbs seem to be gone now.
  2969. >It’s going to take a while to repair all that.
  2970. >Rooting through the wreckage in the aftermath, it seems your power grid is unharmed.
  2971. >Surge protection is a good idea.
  2972. >With luck, everything should be online in a couple days.
  2973. >If you help, you can have your defences working again in… half an hour?
  2974. >Assuming the damage is limited to the replaceable parts.
  2975.  
  2976. >”Yaahahahah!”
  2977.  
  2978. >No.
  2979. >NO.
  2980. >NOT NOW.
  2981. >You recognize that laugh.
  2982. >You recognize that monster flying in!
  2983. >Could it be the same one?
  2984. >The three turrets still at your disposal open fire at the beast.
  2985. >As expected, it shrugs off the wounds, single mindedly moving toward you.
  2986. >Wait…
  2987. >No black goo this time?
  2988. >Does it have something else in mind?
  2989.  
  2990. >”BWAAAHAHAHA!”
  2991.  
  2992. >It charges straight at you, seemingly intent on tackling.
  2993. >You activate your new favorite weapon, and hold the plasma blade in front of you.
  2994. >The beast has a clear expression of shock as it slams into its doom.
  2995. >The two halves of the creature’s head sizzle as it slides through the plasma.
  2996. >It lays on the ground, seemingly dead.
  2997. >But you don’t trust it.
  2998. >You rush to your chem lab and grab another batch of grenades.
  2999. >You launch one into the corp-
  3000.  
  3001. “HOLY HELL!”
  3002.  
  3003. >The shockwaves nearly ruptures your eardrums.
  3004. >The blast knocks your remaining robots off their feet.
  3005. >Your terminal doesn’t whine, apparently they’re still functional.
  3006.  
  3007. “That grenade had some extra… it wasn’t the grenade.”
  3008.  
  3009. >Your blast wasn’t supposed to be that big.
  3010. >No way your machines overcharged it.
  3011. >Something else had to help with the blast.
  3012. >Was the beast explosive?
  3013. >Was it going to blow itself up to kill you?
  3014. >You didn’t need to add kamikaze fliers to your list.
  3015.  
  3016. >”Hehehehehaaaa!”
  3017.  
  3018. >For some reason, you suspect you haven’t seen the last of it.
  3019. …
  3020. >Better get busy.
  3021.  
  3022.  
  3023.  
  3024. >You’re Luna again.
  3025. >It’s been three days.
  3026. >The medics gave up on your Shadowbolts almost the instant they saw them.
  3027. >You’re not sure what you’re going to do, but you’re going to do something.
  3028. >In the meantime, you’ve got other issues to worry about.
  3029. >You’ve managed to dodge most questions by saying it was a recon mission gone bad.
  3030. >Twilight’s suspicious, but she hasn’t pressed the issue.
  3031.  
  3032. >”Ladies and brother. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve called you in today.”
  3033.  
  3034. >”Because the storm balls are ready?”
  3035.  
  3036. >”Oh for the love of- Shiney! You ruined all the dramatic tension! Yes, the storm balls are ready, and in position.”
  3037.  
  3038. >”We saw them atop the hill when we came here, Twilight. Your brother didn’t need to speak to ruin the surprise.”
  3039.  
  3040. >She pouts for a moment at the words.
  3041. >Looks like this was quite the let down.
  3042.  
  3043. >”But I had a whole speech planned out and everything!”
  3044.  
  3045. “You can still deliver it.”
  3046.  
  3047. >”No… it’s ruined now. Okay, look. They’ve all been charged with a spell to attract them to metal, so they should seek out the ape’s machines. When they come into contact with something sufficiently conductive, like metal, they should discharge on their own. Questions?
  3048.  
  3049. >”Indeed. What is the ape holding? It’s been fiddling with it for a while now.”
  3050.  
  3051. >The scrying spell shows it fiddling with some sort of prosthesis.
  3052.  
  3053. “‘Twould appear to be an artificial limb. Nothing special about that.”
  3054.  
  3055. >The digits move.
  3056. >The elbow bends.
  3057.  
  3058. “We’ve all seen such devices before.”
  3059.  
  3060. >”Magically powered.”
  3061.  
  3062. >Your sister is right.
  3063. >This is somewhat interesting.
  3064. >The side slips off to reveal a glowy box.
  3065. >You’d very much like to know the purpose of that.
  3066. >It presses a small button on the side of one of its constructs.
  3067. >Nothing happened.
  3068.  
  3069. >”What was that supposed to do?”
  3070.  
  3071. “It used to dispense a liquid of some sort, Armor. I know not the purpose, but its health started to recover fairly quickly when that structure was completed, so I suspect it is related to that.”
  3072.  
  3073. >The ape crushes a rock, to your surprise.
  3074.  
  3075. >”Pinkie can do that. That’s no big deal. Right?”
  3076.  
  3077. >Twilight sounds unconvinced by her own words.
  3078. >She seems to understand that the beast is literally growing stronger.
  3079. >It turns to face your camp.
  3080. >The front half of the appendage falls off!
  3081.  
  3082. “Ha! Such poor craftsponyship! If this is the best it can muster-”
  3083.  
  3084. >Three massive explosions ring out.
  3085. >The limb snaps back into shape.
  3086. >You are silent.
  3087. >Everypony is silent.
  3088. >The digits of the limb move aside, though you can’t quite see from your perspective what terrors hide behind them.
  3089. >And finally, its claws snap off, and a blade of angry purple light juts forth.
  3090. >It cleaves another rock, before impaling a third.
  3091.  
  3092. “That thing is becoming more dangerous every day. I’d rather not have any more delays. Are the preparations complete?”
  3093.  
  3094. >”Yes?”
  3095.  
  3096. “Then what are we waiting for? Attack!”
  3097.  
  3098. >Twilight’s horn glows for an instant.
  3099. >You can see by the scrying table that the balls are falling into the beast’s encampment.
  3100. >It seems to notice quickly.
  3101. >Its arm slides open again.
  3102. >Moments later, the stationary weapons starts firing.
  3103. >The orbs detonate when struck.
  3104.  
  3105. >”Don’t worry, I anticipated that. That’s why we have so many, it can’t hit them all. I hope.”
  3106.  
  3107. >Another round of shots, another round of ruined balls.
  3108. >But their numbers are still overwhelming.
  3109. >The ape raises its prosthesis.
  3110. >And fires a volley of explosions into the hillside!
  3111.  
  3112. >”Though I might not have anticipated THAT. Oh look! It didn’t get them all!”
  3113.  
  3114. >She’s right!
  3115. >Many balls strike home.
  3116. >The afflicted machines cease moving, wisps of smoke rising from them.
  3117. >The damage appears quite widespread!
  3118. >But not universal.
  3119.  
  3120. “An impressive effort. Not the decisive victory we were hoping for, but this marks our first successful attack on the beast’s encampment. I must-”
  3121.  
  3122. >”Yaahahahah!”
  3123.  
  3124. >”Twily, did you coordinate this with Discord?”
  3125.  
  3126. >”No, I haven’t heard from him in a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was waiting for an opportunity, though.”
  3127.  
  3128. >He shrugs off several blows, charging straight at the ape.
  3129.  
  3130. >”BWAAAHAHAHA!”
  3131.  
  3132. >”Perhaps this whole ugly business is concluded?”
  3133.  
  3134. >Your sister is too optimistic.
  3135. >The light blade emerges, and cleanly cleaves Discord.
  3136. >He lay on the ground, motionless.
  3137.  
  3138. >”Is-”
  3139.  
  3140. “He’s fine, Twilight.”
  3141.  
  3142. >You and your sister answer in unison.
  3143.  
  3144. >”Well, we had some success today. Discord’s attack was a bit underwhelming, but we managed to seriously damage the machinery.”
  3145.  
  3146. >A massive explosion rings out.
  3147. >You didn’t need the scrying table to hear it.
  3148.  
  3149. >”Is-”
  3150.  
  3151. “Still fine.”
  3152.  
  3153. >Again, you answer in unison.
  3154.  
  3155. >”As I was saying, Twilight’s method worked far better than anything else we’ve tried so far. Which is mostly nothing. Let’s get a repeat of that, shall we? My away teams should be back soon with reports on the remaining harvesting structures, the ones that look like pumps. If we’re lucky, the only things it will have left are the ones we see here, and most of them seem to have stopped working. We’ve got it backed into a corner, let’s keep up the pressure!”
  3156.  
  3157. >What he said is true…
  3158. >But you can’t shake a feeling of dread.
  3159.  
  3160.  
  3161. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  3162. >You’re impressed.
  3163. >Oh sure, at first Pinkie annoyed you.
  3164. >But now that you’ve had a bit of time to think about it…
  3165. >Pinkie had far more foresight than you.
  3166. >The exchange is still quite fresh in your mind.
  3167.  
  3168. “What do you mean you’re not interested in the new machines we recovered?”
  3169.  
  3170. >”They’re pumps, Twilight. Just pumps. They have simple pressure regulators so that they stop pumping when the pipe is full. They’re not interesting.”
  3171.  
  3172. “But… they came from the ape! There’s so many things about its machines that don’t make sense, but you’re saying these two are that simple?”
  3173.  
  3174. >”If it ain’t broke!”
  3175.  
  3176. >She returned to aggressively beating the dough before her.
  3177. >Tiny specks of flour soon filled the air.
  3178.  
  3179. “But… can’t you tell us anything about it? Like, what kind of tools it used to make it, or why it needs petroleum in the first place?”
  3180.  
  3181. >”Nothing comes to mind. Well, the petroleum might be used for steam engines, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Besides, why are you asking ME? Don’t you have somepony better you could ask?”
  3182.  
  3183. “But you’re so good with these things!”
  3184.  
  3185. >She put her dough down to face you.
  3186. >Her flat expression would have done Maud proud.
  3187.  
  3188. >”I’m a baker, Twilight. A baker and a party planner. I tinker in my spare time. Don’t you have engineers you could ask or something?”
  3189.  
  3190. “Why would we bring engineers here?”
  3191.  
  3192. >”To figure out the ape’s machines for you, silly.”
  3193.  
  3194. >She was either done with the dough, or she’d forgotten about it.
  3195. >She began measuring out icing sugar into another bowl.
  3196.  
  3197. “Ugh. Maybe I can find somepony, but I’m honestly not sure where to start looking. I know! You could do the hiring, be the head of the team!”
  3198.  
  3199. >”NO.”
  3200.  
  3201. >You recoiled slightly as she angrily stamped her hooves.
  3202. >The bowl of icing sugar went flying, completely coating Pinkie in the process.
  3203.  
  3204. >”Here’s how that would work. First, you’d ask us to understand the machines. Next, you’d ask us to make the machines. Next, you’d ask us to make its weapons. Not happening, Twilight.”
  3205.  
  3206. “But-”
  3207.  
  3208. >”Don’t bother, I agree. We need to beat the ape. If that was the end of it I’d consider it. But what about the next war? Or the one after that? Twilight, the cannon that it used against the princesses, the explosions it used against your orbs, the light knife it used against Discord… Imagine all of those being in the hooves of every soldier from here to labyrinth. Imagine that being involved in every border dispute, every upset royal, every ideological feud… Things are peaceful enough right now. Princess Celestia made sure of that, everyone in the world knows that you don’t want to start a fight because she’ll end it. Nobody wants Equestria’s army to come marching, especially not with an angry princess at the head. But what if even low ranking soldiers could take her down, Twilight? What then?”
  3209.  
  3210. “But we’d only use them in dire circumstances!”
  3211.  
  3212. >”Dire circumstances, like every war ever? These things are going to be widespread, Twilight. I can’t stop that. That doesn’t mean I have to be a part of it. Pinkie Pie doesn’t cause pain.”
  3213.  
  3214. >That was several hours ago.
  3215. >Her unwillingness to co-operate was quite unexpect. She’d always been so eager to help.
  3216. >But it’s starting to make sense.
  3217. >You’d often been surprised by Pinkie’s unusual views on life.
  3218. >Sometimes because they made absolutely no sense.
  3219. >Other times, because there was wisdom hidden beneath her playful naivety.
  3220. >Maybe she’s right.
  3221. >Maybe this fight is only the beginning.
  3222. >You walk in on Celestia reading over papers of some sort, likely an expense report.
  3223.  
  3224. “Hello, Princess…”
  3225.  
  3226. >”Twilight, what’s wrong?”
  3227.  
  3228. >She heard the concern in your voice.
  3229. >With a deep sigh, you set yourself beside her.
  3230. >She puts down her papers and scoots closer.
  3231.  
  3232. “Princess, what’s the most destructive weapon at Equestria’s disposal?”
  3233.  
  3234. >”Destructive or powerful?”
  3235.  
  3236. “Destructive.”
  3237.  
  3238. >”Oh that’s easy then. Me.”
  3239.  
  3240. >Not quite the answer you were looking for.
  3241.  
  3242. “Second most destructive?”
  3243.  
  3244. >”Luna.”
  3245.  
  3246. “Third?”
  3247.  
  3248. >”Oh, Twilight. Try not to be upset, you and your friends have done a lot of good things! It’s just that you tend not to make that many craters.”
  3249.  
  3250. “That’s not what I- okay, the most destructive weapon that isn’t an individual, force, or concept?”
  3251.  
  3252. >”No individuals? So groups are okay then? Kidding!”
  3253.  
  3254. >Your protest dies on your lips.
  3255.  
  3256. >”It really depends on the situation. Cannons are way more damaging than anything else, but they’re imprecise and difficult to deploy. A crossbow can penetrate armor easily enough, but they’re slow to reload. A halberd in the hooves of an earth pony can be quite terrifying, but they need to get close enough to use it. The list goes on.”
  3257.  
  3258. >You already know the answer to the next question…
  3259.  
  3260. “Who invented them?”
  3261.  
  3262. >”Apes.”
  3263.  
  3264. >You knew.
  3265. >You were just hoping to be wrong.
  3266. >Wait.
  3267.  
  3268. “Isn’t a halberd just a spear?”
  3269.  
  3270. >”Oh heavens no. Sure you can use it as one, but it’s also an axe to cleave armor, often a spike to pierce helmets, and sometimes even a hook. There are a lot of kinds of halberd Twilight, ask your brother if you want details on all of them. I’m hardly an expert.”
  3271.  
  3272. >You doubt you’ll bother.
  3273. >You’re not too interested in weapons.
  3274. >Especially if they’re going to be obsolete in a year…
  3275.  
  3276. “Right. What about before the first fight with apes? What was the most powerful weapon around then?”
  3277.  
  3278. >She tilts her head and rubs her chin.
  3279. >Apparently she hasn’t thought about it in a while.
  3280.  
  3281. >”Probably spears, swords, or hammers. Depending on the situation.”
  3282.  
  3283. “So a sharp stick, a pointy stick, and a heavy thing.”
  3284.  
  3285. >”Essentially, yes. We’d never needed anything better before.”
  3286.  
  3287. “Well then why? Why isn’t that what we use now?”
  3288.  
  3289. >Her expression is halfway between confusion and amusement.
  3290.  
  3291. >”Twilight, if I’m going to send ponies in to fight, I’m going to give them every edge I can. Why should we handicap ourselves?”
  3292.  
  3293. >That’s not what you wanted to hear…
  3294. >Could every border wind up like this?
  3295. >There haven’t been many casualties, but you’ve been VERY defensive.
  3296. >And if you were ever forced into action, the slaughter would be catastrophic.
  3297. >Is that what the world will become?
  3298. >Constant border tension and military buildup?
  3299. >Tension that only ever breaks when thousands die?
  3300. >Would every nation live in constant fear of its neighbor?
  3301.  
  3302. “Not happening.”
  3303.  
  3304. >”What was that, Twilight?”
  3305.  
  3306. >You wanted to learn as much as possible from all this.
  3307. >To study, to help Equestria grow.
  3308. >You wanted to preserve as many artifacts as possible.
  3309. >It’s not worth it.
  3310. >It’s time for you to take a new approach.
  3311.  
  3312.  
  3313.  
  3314. >You are Anon.
  3315. >You are impressed.
  3316. >Those robots are a lot more durable than you’d thought.
  3317. >You had a lot of fried motherboards, but for the most part everything else survived.
  3318. >But that’s now what impressed you.
  3319. >No, it’s those horses.
  3320. >You were well aware they were still around.
  3321. >But you weren’t worried.
  3322. >They were using spears.
  3323. >SPEARS.
  3324. >Next thing you know, they’ve sent in a swarm of robots to hit you with high energy EMPs.
  3325. >Worst part is, you have no idea how they worked!
  3326. >They didn’t fly away or anything, they were single use.
  3327. >There’s no sign of any wreckage, no frame, no power supply…
  3328. >Nothing you’ve managed to dig up from your brain chips can explain that.
  3329. >Oh sure, with the right equipment you could make WAY better.
  3330. >But you couldn’t make THOSE.
  3331. >That upsets you.
  3332. >It also scares you.
  3333. >The thing that melted your arm was bad enough…
  3334. >But now the army in spitting distance of you is a total unknown.
  3335. >Seriously. You’ve got no idea what they’re capable of.
  3336. >Sure, you’re not dead yet, but maybe that’s just because they’re still preparing.
  3337. >It took them a while to do this…
  3338. >But first they had to STEAL YOUR EQUIPMENT.
  3339. >Yeah, all the mining gear and pumps that went offline?
  3340. >Gone.
  3341. >Just gone.
  3342. >If they took it, that means they could study it.
  3343. >That means they could find out how to break it.
  3344. >It was pretty clear that they were specifically targeting your machinery.
  3345. >If they didn’t know how to break it before examining your stuff...
  3346. >They hadn’t even started preparing for that attack until a couple days ago.
  3347. >So… now what?
  3348. >Just sit around, waiting for them to whip out another big surprise?
  3349. >Just bide your time until they find the magic bullet and take you out?
  3350.  
  3351. “Not happening.”
  3352.  
  3353. >You can’t ensure absolute safety.
  3354. >There are too many variables.
  3355. >You can’t make yourself an impenetrable fortress.
  3356. >Maybe you’ll come across a perfect defence later on, once you know what they are actually capable of.
  3357. >But for now?
  3358. >It’s time for you take a new approach.
  3359.  
  3360.  
  3361.  
  3362. >You are Luna.
  3363. >You are impressed.
  3364. >Perhaps even envious.
  3365.  
  3366. “Tell me, Armor. What do you think of the ape’s prosthesis?”
  3367.  
  3368. >He snaps to attention, drawn from some sort of reverie.
  3369.  
  3370. >”What? Oh, sorry. Could you repeat the question?”
  3371.  
  3372. >The poor colt’s been spending more and more time like that.
  3373. >He tries to hide it, but he dearly misses his wife.
  3374. >It isn’t right to drag a future father so far away from home.
  3375.  
  3376. “The ape’s prosthesis. Why didn’t it employ one before?”
  3377.  
  3378. >”Because it hadn’t lost a limb yet.”
  3379.  
  3380. “Well, obviously, but isn’t this one far more dangerous? You saw what it did. It cleaved Discord and broke Twilight’s balls.”
  3381.  
  3382. >”Uhh... you mean the storm balls?”
  3383.  
  3384. “Of course! What else could I mean?”
  3385.  
  3386. >”Nothing. But you’ve got a point. Who wouldn’t want an explosion machine like that?”
  3387.  
  3388. >You were more interested in the light blade.
  3389. >But that’s not important at the moment.
  3390.  
  3391. “So why wouldn’t it have come like that? Is it the pain? Is there some sort of drawback we’re not thinking of?”
  3392.  
  3393. >”Or maybe, maybe it already already had one.”
  3394.  
  3395. >What.
  3396.  
  3397. “I don’t follow.”
  3398.  
  3399. >”Well, this one was a field job. An amazing, revolutionary field job, but still. What kind of prosthesis could we make out here in this camp? Compare that to what could be done in the Canterlot hospital. What if it already had one? What if all its limbs are prosthetics?”
  3400.  
  3401. “It would explain a fair bit, I suppose. The beast’s strength was incredible. But why did it still have skin?”
  3402.  
  3403. >”What if the prosthesis are INSIDE its skin?”
  3404.  
  3405. >That’s just conjecture.
  3406. >But it wouldn’t be the least likely thing about it.
  3407.  
  3408. >”Hay, for all we know, everything in that thing is prosthetic.”
  3409.  
  3410. “Everything? Even organs?”
  3411.  
  3412. >”Maybe. Maybe it rebuilt its whole body? Maybe that’s why it doesn’t need to eat? Who knows.”
  3413.  
  3414. >It’s just a guess.
  3415. >It’s likely that this won’t bear fruit.
  3416. >But the potential reward is too great to ignore.
  3417. >You wanted to be rid of the ape as soon as possible.
  3418. >You wanted to crush it, and leave no trace of its blight.
  3419. >But if the ape can build a new body for itself, why not for others?
  3420. >Perhaps if you were to study it closely enough, you could do that too.
  3421. >Could that be the future?
  3422. >Could you live in a world where the failing bodies of the old and injured can just be replaced?
  3423. >If you destroy its body or machines too completely, all hope of that is lost.
  3424.  
  3425. “Not happening.”
  3426.  
  3427. >”Sorry, what was that princess?”
  3428.  
  3429. >You’ve got three pegasi who desperately need new bodies.
  3430. >Three pegasi who you owe greatly.
  3431. >You need to capture the ape.
  3432. >You owe them at least that much.
  3433. >It’s time for you to take a new approach.
  3434.  
  3435.  
  3436.  
  3437.  
  3438. >You are Shining Armor.
  3439. >It’s been several hours since Luna walked out on you.
  3440. >She seems even more excited about the prosthesis than you.
  3441. >But your sister looks anything but excited.
  3442. >She’s wearing a face of grim determination.
  3443. >And it looks like she’s been crying.
  3444.  
  3445. >”Shiney, I’ve been holding out on you.”
  3446.  
  3447. >You put down your bomb-ass tea with a hint of worry as you turn to face her.
  3448. >You say nothing, you just let her speak.
  3449.  
  3450. >”I’ve got a plan, but I need crystals. Lots of them. Not gem grade or anything, just lots.”
  3451.  
  3452. >You WOULD be the pony to ask.
  3453. >The Crystal Empire is almost entirely made of the stuff.
  3454. >And it’s really easy to grow more.
  3455.  
  3456. “Why?”
  3457.  
  3458. >”What do you know about gemcraft?”
  3459.  
  3460. “The practice of storing magical energy in gems for later use? Hardly anything.”
  3461.  
  3462. >”Me neither. Well, okay, I’ve studied it. Extensively. But I still have a lot to learn.”
  3463.  
  3464. >Typical Twilight.
  3465. >Never satisfied with her knowledge.
  3466. >But her needing to supplement her magic supply?
  3467. >Whatever spell she has in mind, it has to be huge.
  3468.  
  3469. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think I’d see the day that you needed more magic!”
  3470.  
  3471. >”Not more, exactly… come with me.”
  3472.  
  3473. >She leads you out of the war room.
  3474. >You wind up walking nearly ten minutes towards a small, windowless shack by the edge of the camp.
  3475. >She quickly lifts a locking enchantment before pushing the door open.
  3476.  
  3477. >“I came up with this a while ago, not long after making the scrying table.”
  3478.  
  3479. >The shack is crammed full of various miscellania.
  3480. >Rolls of some kind of metal foil lay around, there’s a large sack of arcane dust, a few sacks of flour…
  3481.  
  3482. “What is all this?”
  3483.  
  3484. >”By mixing high gluten flour with water you can make a magically conductive adhesive. Mix in a little arcane dust and you can paint glyphs onto surfaces and have them stay in place. By putting the glyphs on such thin sheets of metal, lead foil in this case, you can easily stack multiple glyphs, making it possible to combine several spells into a small location. I’m so sorry, Shiney. Those three pegasi are… they’re dead because I got greedy.”
  3485.  
  3486. >You’re still confused.
  3487. >You try to move to comfort her, but she doesn’t seem too shaken.
  3488.  
  3489. >”I’ve already cried my eyes out over that. I’m okay to keep going for a while. No, don’t try to say it wasn’t my fault. This could have been over before they got hurt. It’s my fault.”
  3490.  
  3491. “They’re not dead, though.”
  3492.  
  3493. >She doesn’t answer.
  3494. >You both know it’s only a matter of time.
  3495.  
  3496. “How could you have ended this? That thing’s practically unassailable!”
  3497.  
  3498. >She lets out a deep sigh.
  3499. >She levitates a small orb of lead foil.
  3500. >You reach for it, but she pulls it away.
  3501.  
  3502. >”Don’t touch, it’s a bomb. A magically charged gemstone, wrapped in an explosion spell, wrapped into a homing spell, wrapped into a levitation spell. It’s untested, but I’m pretty sure that if you were to feed it a tiny bit of magic to get started, it would fly over that hill, fly to the location I marked, and blow up. The plan is to have enough to blow everything up at once.”
  3503.  
  3504. >That’s actually somewhat scary.
  3505. >No, really scary.
  3506. >You’re glad to be on Twilight’s side.
  3507.  
  3508. “Would it work?”
  3509.  
  3510. >”Probably. All the parts work, but the bits I used to merge the spells into one system are experimental. Look, Shiney, I need you to promise me something. This design… NEVER tell anyone how it works! Not a pony, not a minotaur or gryphon or puppy. Not even Cadance. I don’t want these to ever be used for anything ever again. I’m serious, Shiney. I came here to save lives, not to invent a new super weapon.”
  3511.  
  3512. >Didn’t she want to capture it?
  3513. >Didn’t she want to preserve as much as possible for study?
  3514. >Well, that was before it wounded anypony.
  3515. >Apparently she’s changed her mind.
  3516. >You’re not sure you have, though.
  3517. >It’s hard to say just how much can be gained.
  3518. >But you trust your sister.
  3519. >If she thinks blowing it up us for the best, you’re going to help her.
  3520.  
  3521. “Don’t worry, Twily. I’ll get you your crystals, and then we can put this whole thing behind us.”
  3522.  
  3523.  
  3524. >You are Celestia.
  3525. >You are with Luna in the war room.
  3526. >She’s been behaving differently today.
  3527.  
  3528. >”Would you look at that? How remarkable!”
  3529.  
  3530. >You are looking.
  3531. >It IS admittedly remarkable…
  3532. >The train slowly moves away, dozens of cars of steel beams in tow.
  3533. >Claws at the front of the train lift the beams to the front of the train itself, and with a flash of light, fuse them into a rail.
  3534. >The workers following it periodically plant one of the cannon towers, and attach it to the wires above.
  3535.  
  3536. “Is it actually building its own track?”
  3537.  
  3538.  
  3539. >”Indeed! You were asleep at the time, but two others like it have already departed. Such amazing machinery!”
  3540.  
  3541. >Amazing.
  3542. >And terrifying.
  3543. >A railway that builds itself!
  3544. >You’ve already seen workers building workers.
  3545. >Where will it end?
  3546.  
  3547. “Where are they headed?”
  3548.  
  3549. >”I’m uncertain of their final destination, though the second one was headed toward Neighvada.”
  3550.  
  3551. “WHAT!?”
  3552.  
  3553. >”We’d already evacuated when the work crews started heading out, calm thyself.”
  3554.  
  3555. >Even so.
  3556. >It’s finally started to move toward your cities.
  3557. >There is a limit to how many cities you can evacuate.
  3558. >The train is clearly picking up speed.
  3559. >Wait...
  3560.  
  3561. “I hardly see any steam at all coming out of it. Have the others had to refill their water supplies?”
  3562.  
  3563. >”I lost track of them not long after they left, they work up to an impressive speed. Hold a moment.”
  3564.  
  3565. >She exits the room, leaving you to yourself.
  3566. >Solitude you desperately needed.
  3567. >You’ve had little time to THINK since Twilight’s visit yesterday.
  3568. >She was trying to tell you something.
  3569. >Something about ape weaponry.
  3570. >’What is Equestria’s most destructive weapon’
  3571. >’A sharp stick, a pointy stick, and a heavy thing.’
  3572. >She managed to make tools of death sound so pedestrian.
  3573. >Yet you must admit…
  3574. >She is right.
  3575. >But what of your new weapons?
  3576. >The halberd! The crossbow! The cannon!
  3577. >The sharp, heavy stick. The thrown pointy stick. The thrown heavy thing.
  3578. >Still so pedestrian.
  3579. >Was she trying to tell you that you needed to mimic the ape’s weapons?
  3580. >To update your equipment?
  3581. >Impossible. She’s well aware that you cannot. You’ve yet to secure one for study, and you’ve no clue how they function.
  3582. >No, Twilight wouldn’t offer such a worthless suggestion.
  3583. >She’s well aware of the obstacles you’d face were you to try such a thing.
  3584. >’Who invented them?’
  3585.  
  3586. “Who invented them!”
  3587.  
  3588. >That must be it!
  3589. >You’re using the ape’s obsolete weapons!
  3590. >Simply mimicking the ape will never be enough.
  3591. >You’ll ALWAYS be at a disadvantage.
  3592. >You need to focus on your strengths rather than the enemy’s.
  3593. >You need-
  3594.  
  3595. >”My farseers have yet to see them refilling with water, just petroleum.”
  3596.  
  3597. >Luna’s returned.
  3598. >You’ll get back to that line of thought later.
  3599.  
  3600. “So they aren’t steam engines. Incredible.”
  3601.  
  3602. >”That’s the least important thing they’ve found.”
  3603.  
  3604. >Luna levitates a small gem onto the scrying table.
  3605. >She brushes aside some dust, and spills a tiny bit more on the table to rewrite the glyph.
  3606. >The table starts clearly showing the ape’s base, even though none of you are feeding it magic.
  3607.  
  3608. >”Twilight’s been hiding this from us for several days.”
  3609.  
  3610. “Luna!”
  3611.  
  3612. >”You told me not to spy on her, true. You also told me I had no reason to be suspicious of her.”
  3613.  
  3614. “I can’t believe you would do this! She’s on our side! She’s my student! She’s… she’s my friend!”
  3615.  
  3616. >”She’s developed a new combat spell in secret, and seems to have little interest in sharing it with us. I am well justified in my suspicions!”
  3617.  
  3618. >Luna’s angry.
  3619. >Her wings are flared and she’s got a hideous scowl on her face.
  3620. >She’s angry, and you’re hurt.
  3621.  
  3622. “Why would she hide it? What does it do?”
  3623.  
  3624. >”She didn’t wish to deploy it, and unknown. Were my bolts able, I’d know more.”
  3625.  
  3626. “When will she cast it?”
  3627.  
  3628. >”Unknown, though Armor has sent a missive to the Empire asking for a large shipment of charged crystals. It likely hasn’t shipped yet, I would expect it in four or five days.”
  3629.  
  3630. “I-I need to go.”
  3631.  
  3632. >You gallop out of the war room, not bothering to close the door behind yourself.
  3633. >You know full well why she didn’t want to do it.
  3634. >She’s never killed before.
  3635. >She’s seen far too much battle for one so young.
  3636. >She’s battled, and wounded, many foes.
  3637. >But taking a life is different.
  3638. >Killing leaves a stain on the soul.
  3639. >You already lost your innocence.
  3640. >This is YOUR burden.
  3641. >You rush into your bunk and grab your writing tools.
  3642.  
  3643.  
  3644. URGENT!
  3645.  
  3646. I need THE sunstone.
  3647. Deliver it to me immediately.
  3648. You have seventy-two hours.
  3649.  
  3650. Celestia.
  3651.  
  3652.  
  3653. >With a wisp of flame, you send the message to Canterlot.
  3654. >You built your palace above the largest known source of crystals.
  3655. >Barring the Crystal Empire, which was missing.
  3656. >For centuries, you’ve been amassing the most powerful gems you could find.
  3657. >It’s time to put your best to use.
  3658. >It all makes sense now…
  3659. >Twilight’s indirect questions weren’t leading you to an answer.
  3660. >She was seeking validation!
  3661. >She was trying to convince herself that what she was doing was necessary.
  3662. >And what she was doing was playing to her strength.
  3663. >You’ve not been studying her tables very closely, it’s unlikely you could make proper use of them.
  3664. >But you’ve no need for the new ways.
  3665. >You have your own spells that you never wanted to use.
  3666. >Using that much dark magic, though...
  3667. >It’ll just be one more kill.
  3668. >Just one more.
  3669.  
  3670.  
  3671. >You are Luna.
  3672. >Your ploy seems to have worked.
  3673. >No doubt Celestia has gone to stop Twilight.
  3674. >Your intel network is starting to run thin, though.
  3675. >No shadowbolts, and you just drew attention to your unicorn contingent.
  3676. >Oh sure, they’ll still be able to look outward.
  3677. >But it’s going to get tough to keep watch inward.
  3678. >You needed to stall somehow, though.
  3679. >You respect Twilight far too much to count on her failure.
  3680. >But time isn’t enough.
  3681. >You need more.
  3682. >Your mechanics are proving to be a disappointment.
  3683. >You’d brought them in to examine the machinery from Armor’s raids.
  3684. >Thus far, they’ve only made on discovery.
  3685. >Under the indirect guidance of the pink one.
  3686. >She’s the one you need.
  3687. >And your dossier on her suggests she should be easy to recruit.
  3688. >You make your way to the kitchen and wait.
  3689. >And wait.
  3690. >And finally, as your patience was wearing thin, the door opens.
  3691. >A stallion marches out with a wagon of cookies in tow.
  3692. >You eagerly claim one with your magic as you make your way in.
  3693.  
  3694. “We have much to discuss, Pinkamena.”
  3695.  
  3696. >”Oh, hia Luna!”
  3697.  
  3698. >She doesn’t turn her attention from her toil.
  3699. >Nor does she bow, or use your title.
  3700. >She’s an odd one.
  3701. >You take a bite of your cookie.
  3702.  
  3703. “Oh that’s good.”
  3704.  
  3705. >She’s also an artist.
  3706. >You need to get her bakery to cater for you!
  3707. >You seal the door behind yourself before continuing.
  3708.  
  3709. “Have you ever been told you don’t think like a pony?”
  3710.  
  3711. >That got her to stop.
  3712. >Several seconds pass before she answers.
  3713.  
  3714. >”Seven times! How did you know?”
  3715.  
  3716. >You had no idea.
  3717.  
  3718. “I figured as much. Please, don’t take it as an insult. You simply have a… a unique mind. Pinkie, I have a proposal.”
  3719.  
  3720. >She’s eyeing you warily.
  3721. >She and Twilight have yet to speak since their previous encounter.
  3722. >Might she suspect that you’ve been sent to negotiate?
  3723. >You’re just guessing.
  3724. >You have no idea what’s going on in her head.
  3725. >After all, she does have a unique mind.
  3726.  
  3727. “My ponies are struggling, Pinkie. They are brilliant, make no mistake, but they are too slow to adapt. They are set in their ways, and now we see that there are far more ways than we’d ever imagined. We need somepony who can see the world in a different light. We need somepony who doesn’t think like a pony. I wish to hire you to investigate the machines, with ONE major condition! No weapons!”
  3728.  
  3729. >She’d already started to raise her objection.
  3730. >Her hoof remains raised and her mouth hangs open.
  3731.  
  3732. “I want you to pick apart the ape’s machines. I want you to help me recreate them. But only if you will promise me to not recreate any tools of destruction.”
  3733.  
  3734. >”What game are you playing here? You expect me to believe you don’t want weapons?”
  3735.  
  3736. >Again, not the answer you expected.
  3737.  
  3738. “I seek something far greater. Something that would have far more impact on our world.
  3739.  
  3740. “There are three wonderful pegasi laying on their deathbeds in Canterlot hospital, Pinkie. They’ll last some time, but there is no hope for them. Their bodies are beyond repair. One needs a new heart.”
  3741.  
  3742. >”What does this have to do with me?”
  3743.  
  3744. >A cold voice.
  3745. >She’s trying to avoid emotional attachment.
  3746. >It’s a touchy subject.
  3747. >Exactly as expected.
  3748. >Not even her mind is that inequine.
  3749.  
  3750. “The ape can seamlessly replace parts of its body, Pinkie. Replace, perhaps even improve.”
  3751.  
  3752. >That got her attention.
  3753.  
  3754. “Do you know how hard it is to use magic to make a prosthesis?”
  3755.  
  3756. >”No…”
  3757.  
  3758. “You need to use magic to maintain them. Life magic. Anima, and a lot of it. That magic has to come from somewhere. A healthy pony can spare a little bit of it, Pinkie, but not enough for a single limb.”
  3759.  
  3760. >”So… you need multiple donors?”
  3761.  
  3762. “Dozens. But everypony’s magic is different. Everypony’s aura has a different colour. You don’t want somepony else’s magic in your lifestream, even a close match can be quite harmful to your health. And yet, there are ponies out there desperate enough to do it. They’ll sacrifice years of their lives for the ability to walk again. But that’s just for a limb, Pinkie. What of something more vital? What of something tied more closely to one’s lifestream? Some prosthetics are impossible to make with magic, they’d do more harm than good.”
  3763.  
  3764. >”And the ape doesn’t use magic, does it?”
  3765.  
  3766. >You’re getting close.
  3767. >You can see the tears forming in her eyes.
  3768.  
  3769. “What if the old could replace their bodies? What if my pegasi could replace their bodies? What if Granny Pie could have replaced her heart?”
  3770.  
  3771.  
  3772. >She’s stock still for a moment.
  3773. >She then falls to the ground.
  3774. >She finally starts to cry.
  3775. >Exactly as you’d hoped.
  3776.  
  3777. “How about it, Pinkie? How would you like to be the mother of mechanical medicine? I understand you’ll need some time to think. I’m easy to find.”
  3778.  
  3779. >You unlock the door and step out.
  3780. >You can still hear Pinkie softly crying behind you.
  3781. >You feel terrible for what you did…
  3782. >But you needed to make sure she was on your side.
  3783. >You walk away, already knowing Pinkie’s answer.
  3784.  
  3785.  
  3786. >You are Anon.
  3787. >You finally have the trains you wanted.
  3788. >Once upon a time it was merely for convenience…
  3789. >But if your fears turn out to be well founded, these might be necessary for survival.
  3790. >You’ve got a plan.
  3791. >Dozens, no, HUNDREDS of separate bases.
  3792. >Expendable, redundant, interconnected sanctuaries.
  3793. >Each more heavily armed than the entire Ceres pirate armada.
  3794. >Some may call your methods excessive.
  3795. >But they keep attacking you in impossible ways.
  3796. >But you refuse to underestimate the horses again.
  3797. >It doesn’t matter how much work you need to do.
  3798. >Or rather, how much work you need to delegate.
  3799. >You didn’t actually do anything except pick the design for your trains.
  3800. >Turns out that before superconducting rails were commonplace, trains ran on diesel.
  3801. >Diesel which could have powered your car.
  3802. >You feel a bit like an idiot.
  3803. >Good thing nobody was around to catch that.
  3804. >Not that it matters too much. If all goes according to plan, your car is scrap now.
  3805. >You’ve got two other bases online, and one in the works.
  3806. >If- when things go sour here, you need to be able to move.
  3807. >You’re going to need transit, something other than that car.
  3808. >Something better protected.
  3809. >Something a LOT better armed.
  3810. >New China is producing steel as fast as you can use it.
  3811. >Just in time too.
  3812. >You were out of materials again.
  3813. >Nearly all your steel went into the railways, and your power grid is was at its limit.
  3814. >But that base has plenty of iron, and seemingly endless coal.
  3815. >Shame it’s lignite.
  3816. >You have as much steel as you want now, and any amount of dirty power.
  3817. >As production ramps up, you need but find a way to use it all.
  3818. >More bases, obviously.
  3819. >Grenade launchers and railguns to keep hostiles at bay.
  3820. >Thick plating on your structures, too.
  3821. >And steel walls.
  3822. >And a new vehicle.
  3823. >Just a tiny thing, sadly.
  3824. >Only about ten meters tall.
  3825. >But that’s what happens when you’re working with such a crude power source.
  3826. >You REALLY need to get away from combustion.
  3827. >Time to add yet another thing to the list.
  3828. >But in the meantime, it’s time to play with the mk1.
  3829. >Oh sure, you COULD control it remotely, but where’s the fun in that?
  3830. >You climb into the cockpit, nestled deep within large orb of layered steel mounted on broad, continuous tracks.
  3831. >A dozen missile launchers are mounted on the back, ready to blow anything or everything apart.
  3832. >The front bristles with machine guns, allowing you to fire two thousand shells per second.
  3833. >And a heavy, rotary cannon to top it off.
  3834. >All propelled by powder, sadly.
  3835. >Several air intakes surround its frame, with exhaust spewing from the top.
  3836. >Weak points.
  3837. >Hopefully nothing you fight notices that.
  3838. >Combustion sucks.
  3839. >You aim at the hill again and open fire.
  3840. >Thousands of spent casings fly aside as the hillside starts coming apart.
  3841. >You fire the main cannon, launching a 150mm shell.
  3842. >You start to seriously wonder how much more punishment that hill can take.
  3843. >No way those horses can approach you with this kind of firepower.
  3844. >Although…
  3845. >That might not be the only answer.
  3846. >You’re sick of defending.
  3847. >Your machine broadens its stance, as the missile batteries loaded on its back take aim.
  3848. >Twelve missiles tear through the sky.
  3849. >Moments after they reach the peak of their ascent, dozens of colours of fire engulf them.
  3850. >They detonate harmlessly in the air.
  3851. >You’re not really surprised.
  3852. >If they can make shock orbs like that, then a simple anti-missile battery should be no problem.
  3853. >Except…
  3854.  
  3855. “Did they just STOP in mid air?”
  3856.  
  3857. >You launch another volley.
  3858. >Again, they start decelerating not long after they begin to descend.
  3859. >Even your super eyes can’t see what’s stopping your missiles.
  3860. >Just that pseudo fire surrounding it.
  3861. >The missiles finally detonate, their accelerometers believing they’ve hit their mark.
  3862.  
  3863. “Nanite swarm? Force projector?”
  3864.  
  3865. >Again, they impress you.
  3866. >Looks like you can’t get them with projectiles if they’ve got time to react.
  3867. >Your eyes glaze over as you once again seek answers.
  3868. >You browse through all the tools of death listed in your database.
  3869. >You’re liking the illegal weapons section.
  3870.  
  3871.  
  3872. >You are Shining Armor.
  3873. >You’re about to yell out a lung.
  3874.  
  3875. “Get the alicorns out here! Any unicorn medics OR civilians, congratulations! You’ve been drafted! Stop those bombs!”
  3876.  
  3877. >Ponies are running everywhere, panicking about uselessly.
  3878. >The way they’re behaving you’d think the sky was falling.
  3879. >And then exploding.
  3880. >You’ve got unicorns wobbling on their hooves, reeling from arcane backlash.
  3881. >Your hastily erected shield barely withstood despite being so far from the blast.
  3882.  
  3883. >”Prince Ar-”
  3884.  
  3885. “Shut the hell up and shield!”
  3886.  
  3887. >You just interrupted Celestia.
  3888. >You just cursed at her.
  3889. >You don’t give a damn.
  3890. >You’re finally under attack.
  3891. >It was only a matter of time.
  3892. >But you were hoping that you had more.
  3893. >Just a few more days, and Twilight could have finished it.
  3894. >Another volley flies in.
  3895. >The defenders catch this one a bit sooner this time, straining as they slow the bulky projectiles.
  3896. >Another blast fills the sky as your shield is hit.
  3897. >A few unicorns collapse with a shriek of anguish.
  3898. >You feel a massive strain on your mind as the blast tries to rip apart your willpower.
  3899. >Finally, a second shield forms.
  3900. >You drop your own.
  3901. >The response time on the shield glyph was pathetic.
  3902. >Hopefully you’ll live long enough to chew out whoever was watching it.
  3903.  
  3904. “Keep an eye out for more of them.”
  3905.  
  3906. >Celestia’s eyes drift out of focus not long after her horn lights.
  3907. >Is she scrying?
  3908.  
  3909. “Do you have a death wish? What’s wrong with you?”
  3910.  
  3911.  
  3912. >”The machine that launched them lies dormant.”
  3913.  
  3914. “How sure are you?”
  3915.  
  3916. >”Absolutely. Guide me to the war room, we must watch that thing at all times!”
  3917.  
  3918. “Guide you?”
  3919.  
  3920. >Luna scoops up her sister in a telekinetic field.
  3921. >She runs to the room.
  3922.  
  3923. >”My sister cannot see her surroundings right now, Armor. She sees only what she needs to see.”
  3924.  
  3925. >You follow them.
  3926. >Twilight just teleports ahead.
  3927. >Showoff.
  3928. >You turn your attention to the scrying table.
  3929.  
  3930. “Is that a giant metal ball?”
  3931.  
  3932. >“A giant ball onion that walks and fires explosives.”
  3933.  
  3934. >How much must that thing weigh?
  3935. >And yet Celestia saw it WALK?
  3936.  
  3937. “Okay, obviously we need to keep vigilant. Those blasts were huge, we can’t let a single shot land. Twilight, could you make a glyph of some sort to catch the projectiles?”
  3938.  
  3939. >”Not a chance. The telekinesis part would be easy, but there’s no way you could make a spell pick its target like that. If we knew where and when the projectiles would be, we might stand a chance.”
  3940.  
  3941. >There goes the easy solution.
  3942.  
  3943. “Does anypony have any suggestions on how we could bolster our defences?”
  3944.  
  3945. >”Keep the shields up at all times.”
  3946.  
  3947. >You weren’t expecting anypony to make that mistake.
  3948.  
  3949. “Luna, you know full well why we can’t. We’d need to be constantly swapping out crystals and recharging them.”
  3950.  
  3951. >”And why not? We’ve plenty of unicorns here.”
  3952.  
  3953. >She’s got a point.
  3954. >A simple, easy solution.
  3955. >Really, you should have been doing that from the beginning.
  3956. >Even so, you won’t be satisfied with just that.
  3957. >You remember the first time your shields faced ape weaponry.
  3958.  
  3959. “Anything else?”
  3960.  
  3961. >Silence.
  3962.  
  3963. “I wish to advise a full retreat.”
  3964.  
  3965. >A chorus of objections meet your ears.
  3966.  
  3967. “This is the first time it’s attacked us. The first blow. Do you honestly think it won’t attack again? A minor slip up would have been catastrophic, and I guarantee you it’s preparing for another.
  3968.  
  3969. >”We shall intercept the explosives again!”
  3970.  
  3971. ”Luna, you know as well as I that this thing hasn’t peaked yet. Every day it has more. More resources, more workers, lately it’s been claiming more territory. I am not willing to gamble on this being its limit, it WILL attack again, and it WILL be more dangerous. That’s why I WISH to advise a full retreat.”
  3972.  
  3973. >That has them confused.
  3974.  
  3975. “But that’s not an option. Every day it has more. If we are to fight this thing it’s now or never. Retreat is tantamount to unconditional surrender. We need a victory of some sort, and we need it before we’re next attacked. Suggestions are welcome.”
  3976.  
  3977. >You were willing to play along with her request for secrecy before.
  3978. >This changed things.
  3979. >You need to cooperate and coordinate as much as possible.
  3980. >Her spell has never been seen before.
  3981. >There’s no way the ape will see it coming.
  3982. >But you’ve only got one chance at a surprise.
  3983. >You want everypony pulling their weight here.
  3984. >Wait…
  3985. >Isn’t her spell pretty much the same as the ape’s latest weapon?
  3986.  
  3987. >”I… I didn’t want to say anything, but I have an idea.”
  3988.  
  3989. “Princess Celestia?”
  3990.  
  3991. >You didn’t see that coming.
  3992.  
  3993. >”I should be ready in two days. I trust we can hold until then?”
  3994.  
  3995. “What’s the drawback?”
  3996.  
  3997. >”Right to the chase. I d- I needed the Sunstone?”
  3998.  
  3999. >You caught that.
  4000. >She cut herself off halfway through.
  4001.  
  4002. “I’m not risking the lives of my forces based on your lies.”
  4003.  
  4004. >”Shiney!”
  4005.  
  4006. >”Know your place, mortal!”
  4007.  
  4008. >You were expecting Twilight’s objection.
  4009. >You weren’t expecting Celestia’s objection.
  4010. >She REALLY doesn’t want to answer you.
  4011.  
  4012. >”I hope you had the foresight to summon the elements. It would be nice to have them ready.”
  4013.  
  4014. >”Princess?”
  4015.  
  4016. >Now you’re really worried.
  4017. >Sounds like Twilight is too.
  4018.  
  4019. >”No point in hiding it I suppose. Luna would simply tell you what I had planned anyway.”
  4020.  
  4021. >”I would. You know I disapprove.”
  4022.  
  4023. >She nods sadly before continuing.
  4024. >She also clears her throat.
  4025. >Eventually, she runs out of ways to stall.
  4026.  
  4027. >”In two days, I intend to channel a large amount of dark magic in a ritual.”
  4028.  
  4029. >”WHAT?”
  4030.  
  4031. >”A vast amount, in fact. Enough that I need to rely on one of the greatest gems ever found. It’s large enough to hold an amazing amount of magic while also being clear enough that-”
  4032.  
  4033. “You’re stalling.”
  4034.  
  4035. >”Right. Sorry. I shall create a beast of massive proportions and storm the enemy base.”
  4036.  
  4037. “There, was that so hard?”
  4038.  
  4039. >”But Shiney! She’s going to use… that kind of magic.”
  4040.  
  4041. >Twilight doesn’t even want to say it.
  4042. >But you can’t entirely blame her.
  4043. >The corrupting effect black magic can have is common knowledge.
  4044. >You've both seen it first hoof.
  4045.  
  4046. “The princess is a big girl. She can handle it.”
  4047.  
  4048. >Celestia chuckles wryly.
  4049. >The frown on Luna’s face deepens.
  4050.  
  4051. >”Probably, yes. Odds are I’ll end the ritual and walk away unchanged. I might not. You have no idea how addictive it is, Shining Armor. The delicious RUSH of pure POWER is... being immersed in that torrent of rage and ecstasy... it's indescribable.”
  4052.  
  4053. >That's worrying.
  4054.  
  4055. >”The elements are on their way. It is up to them, Twilight included, to make sure I stop. I probably will. I’ve stopped myself dozens of times before. But the problem is, I never want to. One of these days, I won’t.”
  4056.  
  4057. >You’re pretty pissed off that she’d been holding out on you.
  4058. >But you have to admit that’s a pretty good excuse.
  4059. >Celestia is hunched over, trying to hide from everypony’s gaze.
  4060.  
  4061. “So you didn’t want to do it because we might need to deal with you afterwards.”
  4062.  
  4063. >”Yes.”
  4064.  
  4065. “And now you think that you yourself are the lesser danger.”
  4066.  
  4067. >”Yes…”
  4068.  
  4069. “So you’re saying that a maddened alicorn is less dangerous than a single ape?”
  4070.  
  4071. >”Is that much not in evidence?”
  4072.  
  4073. >You hadn’t really considered that.
  4074. >But she’s right.
  4075.  
  4076. >”Princess… I have an idea too. You don’t need to-”
  4077.  
  4078. >”Not happening. I will not let you be a killer, Twilight. I’d rather spend a thousand years banished than allow that. I’d rather TEN thousand years. Besides, that won’t be necessary. I shall be fine.”
  4079.  
  4080. “Couldn’t you use YOUR magic for Twilight’s plan?”
  4081.  
  4082. >”She’d still feel responsible. It’s her plan, her creation. I’ve no doubt it would weigh on her.”
  4083.  
  4084. “Question. Are you really that much of an idiot?”
  4085.  
  4086. >It’s amazing how easy it is getting to sass her.
  4087. >You’re not even afraid to directly insult her anymore.
  4088. >All this time spent with her under pressure, you’re starting to realize that she too is just a pony.
  4089. >Her perfect facade is cracking.
  4090. >You don’t yet know who you’ll find beneath it.
  4091.  
  4092. >”You can’t stop me. None of you can.”
  4093.  
  4094. >”I-”
  4095.  
  4096. >”No you can’t, Luna. Your plant has been removed from the delivery team. Unless you wish to use force?”
  4097.  
  4098. >She doesn’t answer.
  4099.  
  4100. >”Princess… please, don’t. I’d rather do it myself than risk losing you.”
  4101.  
  4102. >”You never forget your first kill Twilight. It will be with you forever, and forever is a long time.”
  4103.  
  4104. >”But you’re okay with other ponies living with that?”
  4105.  
  4106. >”Most ponies only live a few hundred years at most. They need not live with it for so long.”
  4107.  
  4108. >Twilight and Luna continue trying to talk her out of it.
  4109. >You’ve got other things to worry about.
  4110. >Seems like the alicorns aren’t the perfect defense you’d believed.
  4111. >No doubt Celestia’s done a great deal of work to spread this illusion.
  4112. >It’s common knowledge that you’d have to be completely insane to invade Equestria.
  4113. >But your new perspective suggests that it might not be totally impossible.
  4114. >Discord could have pulled it off if he’d actually tried.
  4115. >Tirek was close, you got lucky.
  4116. >And come to think of it, didn’t he have a brother?
  4117. >What if there are more of his kind?
  4118. >And even Chrysalis was a close call.
  4119. >And now THIS thing.
  4120. >Equestria’s not as safe as you thought.
  4121. >The Crystal Empire is no better off.
  4122. >Your army needs a complete overhaul.
  4123. >But that’s going to be difficult.
  4124. >What could you possibly base it on?
  4125.  
  4126. “Oh.”
  4127.  
  4128.  
  4129. >You are Luna.
  4130. >It is now the middle of the night.
  4131. >You sit alone, watching the ape’s latest weapon as it sits idle.
  4132. >The events of the day weigh heavily on your mind.
  4133. >The attack was more frightening than you’d like to admit.
  4134. >Also, you were unable to sway your sister.
  4135. >You must confess, she has a point.
  4136. >Your first kill still bothers you, too.
  4137. >You mourned for so long after snapping her neck…
  4138. >But the cost is too great.
  4139. >You’re reluctant to say it…
  4140. >But your sister seems to WANT to do it.
  4141. >If you had your Shadowbolts, they could easily steal the Sunstone.
  4142. >You’ve yet to give up on them.
  4143. >But you may need to seek interim replacements.
  4144. >For the first time, you consider yourself lucky that the ape has built more camps.
  4145. >If Celestia is going to go through with her mad plan, you doubt there will be much left to salvage.
  4146. >Hopefully one of the camps will survive, even if the ape doesn’t.
  4147. >Hopefully some hint will remain, some insight into its methods.
  4148. >The door to the war room slams open.
  4149.  
  4150. >”Condition one.”
  4151.  
  4152. >Pinkie stands in the doorway.
  4153. >You’d actually forgotten that she had yet to accept your offer.
  4154. >She’s glaring at you with fury that would do the Erinyes proud.
  4155.  
  4156. >”I may terminate the project at any time for any reason. Condition two.”
  4157.  
  4158. >She marches in, still glaring at you.
  4159. >She looks so strange when she combs her mane…
  4160.  
  4161. >”I have ultimate authority on who is involved in this project. I may recruit or dismiss anypony at any time for any reason. Nopony else may make any decisions on staff. Condition three.”
  4162.  
  4163. >She stands before you, maintaining her glare as she stares up at your face.
  4164.  
  4165. >”I have ultimate authority on what projects we undertake. I may study, store, or destroy any machines as I see fit. Condition four.”
  4166.  
  4167. >Her stare isn’t melting under your gaze.
  4168. >You didn’t think Pinkie had this much backbone.
  4169.  
  4170. >”I may withhold findings at any time for any reason as I see fit. Any reports you are to receive must first be reviewed and edited by me.”
  4171.  
  4172. “I have some issue with that.”
  4173.  
  4174. >She turns around and starts walking.
  4175.  
  4176. “Please be reasonable! If I’m the one to fund this, shouldn’t I at least know what’s happening?”
  4177.  
  4178. >She’s nearing the door.
  4179.  
  4180. “I accept!”
  4181.  
  4182. >She stops.
  4183. >She turns around.
  4184. >But she doesn’t walk back to you.
  4185. >She’s standing near the door.
  4186. >No doubt her way of telling you that she’s about ready to call the whole thing off.
  4187. >You’re not happy with the agreement…
  4188. >But it should be easy enough to check in on her project.
  4189. >One more reason to get interim Shadowbolts.
  4190.  
  4191. >”Condition five.”
  4192.  
  4193. >There’s MORE?
  4194.  
  4195. >”You will not have any other projects devoted to studying the ape’s machines.”
  4196.  
  4197. >You’re genuinely confused.
  4198.  
  4199. “Why should you care about that?”
  4200.  
  4201. >”You say you’re not interested in weapons, but I don’t trust you. I wouldn’t put it past you to relay my findings to another group who is devoted to making weapons. You will NOT use me to indirectly assist a military research program.”
  4202.  
  4203. >You’re actually fine with that one.
  4204. >You were just trying to gain favor when you’d said that.
  4205. >But it’s true, you’re not interested in them.
  4206.  
  4207. “I reluctantly accept.”
  4208.  
  4209. >She walks up to you and extends her hoof.
  4210. >You reach out and shake it.
  4211.  
  4212. >”Then we have a deal, you manipulative bitch.”
  4213.  
  4214. “WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?”
  4215.  
  4216. >”Hit a little close to home, did I? I don’t like you Luna.”
  4217.  
  4218. >You’re genuinely shocked.
  4219. >You should have her flogged for such speech!
  4220. >But then she’d quit.
  4221. >You need her.
  4222.  
  4223. >”Using personal tragedy as leverage? That’s real low. And you PLANNED it out. You had to do research on me to find out how to make me hurt. DON’T deny it, you’ve no other reason for knowing about Granny. Your methods are cruel, Luna. If this is how you normally behave, you deserve to be locked up on the moon. You and I are NOT friends.”
  4224.  
  4225. >She is pushing her luck.
  4226. >You ought to find a replacement!
  4227. >Surely she can’t be the only pony alive who could lend some insight.
  4228. >But that would take time.
  4229. >You’re already not sure how much more you can stall.
  4230. >Until you can find somepony else, you NEED her.
  4231.  
  4232. >”Let’s talk shop. I’m going to need several things to get started.”
  4233.  
  4234.  
  4235. >You are Anon.
  4236. >You’re getting a message.
  4237. >Several, actually.
  4238. >Bases six and seven are online, and armed.
  4239. >This is getting too easy.
  4240. >You’ve got so many excess resources, so many robots…
  4241. >By far the biggest problem you’re having now is finding worthwhile locations.
  4242. >You’ve been starved for resources ever since the gate was smashed.
  4243. >But you’re getting so close
  4244. >Fissile materials, lithium, deuterium or tritium.
  4245. >Off the top of your head, that’s all you lack.
  4246. >Well, barring things that aren’t going to naturally exist here.
  4247. >You’re going to need to get into matter fabrication eventually.
  4248. >But first, you’ll need better tools.
  4249. >That’s going to be a lot of busy work for you.
  4250. >You can’t just print a molecular assembly.
  4251. >Your printers are versatile tools, they’re not specialized.
  4252. >You’re going to have to make specialized machines.
  4253. >Then use those to make better specialized machines.
  4254. >It’s going to be a long, time consuming process.
  4255. >Which is why you’re procrastinating.
  4256. >The robots at one of your bases are reporting nearby structures.
  4257. >Structures that YOU didn’t build.
  4258. >You’ve found yourself a village.
  4259. >Or maybe a hamlet.
  4260. >It IS pretty small.
  4261. >Ten thousand buildings, tops.
  4262. >You want to go exploring.
  4263. >REMOTELY.
  4264. >You haven’t discounted the idea that this might be a trap.
  4265. >The sky just went dark.
  4266. >Must be a cloud.
  4267. >There’s a bright flash of light.
  4268. >THAT got your attention.
  4269. >You turn around, there’s nothing blocking the sun.
  4270. >The sun is just… dim.
  4271. >Like somebody was fiddling with its settings.
  4272. >Another flash of light.
  4273. >A column of fire shoots straight into the sky.
  4274. >It seems to be coming from the horse camp!
  4275. >A bright glow starts to form around the hill.
  4276. >Whatever it is, you can’t see it yet.
  4277. >All the fire, the brilliant glow...
  4278. >You quickly switch to thermal imaging, and the world is painted red.
  4279. >Especially the large mound quickly forming over the hill.
  4280. >Whatever that thing is, it’s just over 1500 celsius.
  4281. >You return to your standard visual spectrum.
  4282. >A colossal, malformed human head made of lava glares at you as its jaw sags.
  4283. >Sags, then falls off.
  4284. >It has no eyes, and no nose.
  4285. >Just nostrils.
  4286. >Why human? Why not horse?
  4287. >Why so creepy?
  4288. >Whatever… you’re shooting that thing.
  4289. >You quickly designate it as a target before running to your new favourite vehicle.
  4290. >Globs of lava go flying with every impact.
  4291. >It continues to climb, unopposed.
  4292. >As it summits the hill, you see half a dozen thick columns of lava slowly dragging forward, pulling the head in tow.
  4293. >That’s your target.
  4294. >You empty your grenade launcher as the cockpit to your vehicle opens.
  4295. >Several of the ‘legs’ are blown apart, and the beast collapses.
  4296. >You breath a sigh of relief.
  4297. >Until it starts to reform.
  4298. >You climb in, and start the engine.
  4299. >Tens of thousands of tiny holes get punched into the beast.
  4300. >It’s undeterred.
  4301. >It’s getting close.
  4302. >Damn thing’s faster than it looks.
  4303. >Nothing in your base can stand up to that heat.
  4304. >YOU can’t stand up to that heat.
  4305. >You begin falling back.
  4306. >You fire your primary cannon at its core.
  4307. >A massive hole is torn through the thing, but it’s nowhere near enough.
  4308. >Lava slowly flows in to fill the wound.
  4309. >The beast is at the bottom of the the hill by now.
  4310. >You empty your missile battery.
  4311. >You’re aiming low now.
  4312. >Hopefully whatever the horses used to stop your shots before can’t see because around the hill.
  4313. >Most of the lava goes flying as the thing breaks apart.
  4314. >The remaining lava quickly reforms.
  4315. >You’re pretty sure it’s only half its original height now.
  4316. >Still at least twenty meters.
  4317. >It glares directly at you, before roaring.
  4318.  
  4319. “WYWHINN!”
  4320.  
  4321. >Did it just whinny at you?
  4322. >You machine guns go quiet, their supplies spent.
  4323. >The thing waves one of its not legs, showering your turrets in lava.
  4324. >They explode as the insulation on their coils melt, leaving you almost totally unarmed.
  4325. >Almost.
  4326. >Your main cannon fires again.
  4327. >Your armed bots keep shooting.
  4328. >The thing waves another not leg, which flies off.
  4329. >It strikes your oil refinery.
  4330. >It bursts into flame, which quickly spreads to your fuel reserves.
  4331. >This is seriously bad.
  4332. >You’re out of options.
  4333. >You raise your arm, and open the terminal.
  4334. >With reluctance, you order your bots to retreat.
  4335. >You yourself set course to your closest base.
  4336. >You take a moment to flip off the horses, before abandoning your home.
  4337.  
  4338.  
  4339. >You are Luna.
  4340. >You really wish your intel network was in better shape.
  4341. >You seriously NEED your Shadowbolts back.
  4342. >But you’ve no time to worry about that.
  4343. >The Sunstone is supposed to arrive TODAY.
  4344. >You’re just not sure WHEN today.
  4345. >You need to intercept the shipment.
  4346. >You NEED to stop her.
  4347. >She doesn’t want your help, but that doesn’t matter.
  4348. >You never wanted hers, yet she always found a way.
  4349. >The sun is going dim.
  4350. >You blew it.
  4351. >You had ONE job.
  4352. >To fulfill your many obligations.
  4353. >The most important- second most important of which was talking your sister down.
  4354. >The column of flame starts growing near the front line.
  4355. >Just like last time.
  4356. >You make your way to her as fast as you can.
  4357. >You’re panting heavily by the time you arrive.
  4358. >Already you can see her construct cresting the hill.
  4359. >Complex runes and sigils line the circle of flame she’s made around herself.
  4360. >In the center lies a massive golden topaz.
  4361. >It’s not a sunstone.
  4362. >It’s a gem that’s been named the Sunstone.
  4363. >That always annoyed you.
  4364. >She stands over it, coat glowing orange and eyes hollow.
  4365. >Her angry red mane flailing wildly in the storm.
  4366. >She rests her hoof on the gem, now coated in blood which slowly oozes from the gash in her leg.
  4367. >You collapse to your haunches as Twilight arrives.
  4368.  
  4369. >”We’ve got to stop her!”
  4370.  
  4371. >She runs over to one of the glyphs.
  4372.  
  4373. “NO! DON’T touch it!”
  4374.  
  4375. >She stops in her tracks.
  4376.  
  4377. “Look at all the mana within that circle. And you were going to open it? Do you want to incinerate everypony in the camp?”
  4378.  
  4379. >She quickly shies away.
  4380.  
  4381. >”Why is she bleeding?”
  4382.  
  4383. >She has to shout to be heard over the roar of the flame.
  4384.  
  4385. “That’s not important now! Where are the other elements?”
  4386.  
  4387. >”Not here yet!”
  4388.  
  4389. >You used to think your sister was smart.
  4390.  
  4391. >”Princess! What are your orders?”
  4392.  
  4393. >Your hoof soldiers are here.
  4394. >They knew what to look for.
  4395.  
  4396. “Form a perimeter, keep everypony away, and KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! I want EVERYPONY OUT OF THIS CAMP YESTERDAY! Twilight, you step back too.”
  4397.  
  4398. >”Princess-”
  4399.  
  4400. “I can take it, Sparkle. I’ve done it before.”
  4401.  
  4402. >She nods before starting to move.
  4403.  
  4404. “Wait, when your friends get here, don’t approach until the sun brightens again. I don’t want them burning up.”
  4405.  
  4406. >She quickly departs.
  4407. >Everypony’s gone now.
  4408. >It’s just the two of you.
  4409.  
  4410. “‘Tia. I know you can hear me.”
  4411.  
  4412. >In the distance, you hear a wild chorus of blasts as the ape’s cannons start firing.
  4413. >She doesn’t even seem to notice.
  4414.  
  4415. “I know you’re enjoying yourself. I know you’ve been craving this. How long has it been? How many centuries?”
  4416.  
  4417. >Numerous blasts ring out.
  4418. >Celestia stumbles, but quickly regains her stance.
  4419.  
  4420. “Do you remember the first time we used this power? I know I do. We were only a couple hundred years old. It felt like our lives were finally complete, like we’d discovered the one thing we’d been missing all along. We felt whole.”
  4421.  
  4422. >A cacophony of small blasts ring out. Far too many to count.
  4423. >You can barely hear them as the inferno roars.
  4424. >Celestia doesn’t seem to care.
  4425.  
  4426. “We didn’t know any better. Soon we were using it for everything. Do you remember when you noticed something was wrong?”
  4427.  
  4428. >A single massive blast rings out.
  4429. >She visibly flinches, but in an instant she has returned to her stance.
  4430.  
  4431. “You noticed how I had changed. My meal was cold, so I broke my servant’s legs. Then ordered them to make it again. You walked in on me mocking him as he struggled.”
  4432.  
  4433. >You let out a sniff
  4434. >A series of massive blasts ring out.
  4435. >Celestia collapses.
  4436.  
  4437. “‘Tia!”
  4438.  
  4439. >You jump to your hooves, ready to rush in.
  4440. >Your muzzle is horribly seared as it crosses the threshold.
  4441. >You recoil in pain as Celestia climbs back to her hooves.
  4442. >The roar of the fire seems to have lessened.
  4443. >She still stands firm.
  4444. >You take a moment to calm yourself before speaking.
  4445.  
  4446. “You forced me stop using dark magic. You tended to me as I recovered. Do you remember that? The years you spent comforting me, even though you too were suffering?”
  4447.  
  4448. >”Suffering…”
  4449.  
  4450. “It’s my turn to help you. You can get through this. WE can get through this. You still get to choose who you want to be. So ask yourself. Who do you want to be?”
  4451.  
  4452. >She doesn’t answer.
  4453. >She just continues to stand there.
  4454. >You draw mana to your horn and picture a void glyph.
  4455. >A thin layer of vacuum surrounds your body.
  4456. >You enter the circle, and you’re immediately burned despite your preparation.
  4457. >You walk up to your sister.
  4458. >You hug her.
  4459. >Every bit of flesh that touches her blisters and boils.
  4460. >You’re losing focus.
  4461. >Your spell fails.
  4462.  
  4463. “Please come back to me.”
  4464.  
  4465. >You grip tighter.
  4466. >The flames go out, leaving you with a deafening silence.
  4467. >Celestia collapses on the ground.
  4468. >An expression of sheer bliss is plastered on her face.
  4469. >You gently pick her up with magic and walk away.
  4470. >You head towards your room.
  4471. >Twilight gallops up to you.
  4472.  
  4473. >”They’re not here yet! What should I do? Why is she asleep? Oh my goodness, what happened to you?”
  4474.  
  4475. >What happened to you?
  4476. >Oh right.
  4477. >The burns.
  4478. >You’re missing a great deal of your fur.
  4479. >Your mane and tail have mostly been burnt off.
  4480. >Your wings are mostly bald.
  4481. >You appear to be missing most of your skin where you touched her.
  4482. >You also seem to have some exposed muscle tissue.
  4483. >Hopefully Twilight didn’t notice that last part.
  4484.  
  4485. “Calm thyself. All is well. As for what to do? Give us some space, she needs to rest.”
  4486.  
  4487. >You walk in and close the door without speaking further.
  4488. >You gently place your sister in her bed, and cover with the blankets.
  4489. >You brush your nearly featherless wing across her cheek, noting that the smile has already started to fade.
  4490.  
  4491. “Rest as long as you need, I’ll be here for you when you wake.”
  4492.  
  4493.  
  4494. >You are Twilight.
  4495. >You finally found who you’d been looking for.
  4496. >It had taken way too long to find any medics amidst the chaos of the camp refilling.
  4497.  
  4498. “That’s right. Extremely serious burns, possibly fourth degree. Princess Celestia was unconscious, I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”
  4499.  
  4500. >”We’ll get right on it, Princess!”
  4501.  
  4502. “Wait, before you go. Luna will probably turn you away. If she does, say I’ve ordered you to make a lot of noise until she caves.”
  4503.  
  4504. >The stares at you for a moment, confusion evident in her face.
  4505. >She then remembers her first order and runs off.
  4506. >You want to go in and help them.
  4507. >But you’re not as well versed in medicine.
  4508. >You’d just get in the way.
  4509. >So you settle for less important work.
  4510. >You make your way to the war room to see Shining Armor already poring over the table.
  4511. >You join him, and are amazed by the wreckage.
  4512. >Massive heaps of cooling lava lay everywhere, machines and buildings alike lie molten and in ruin. The cannons seem to have violently exploded, and most strikingly the entire battlefield appears to have been flooded with flame.
  4513. >It’s still burning…
  4514.  
  4515. “Princess Celestia once told me she herself was the most destructive weapon around.”
  4516.  
  4517. >You let out a dry, unamused laugh.
  4518.  
  4519. “She wasn’t kidding. I’m glad she’s on our side.”
  4520.  
  4521. >Shining Armor doesn’t answer.
  4522. >He simply stands there, staring for several minutes.
  4523. >You’re pretty sure he mouthed the words ‘Is she?’
  4524.  
  4525. “Well, at least it’s all over now. We won.”
  4526.  
  4527. >”No we didn’t. The ape’s newest weapon, the one it rode inside. I don’t see its wreck.”
  4528.  
  4529. “Are- are you saying it got AWAY?”
  4530.  
  4531. >”Count on it.”
  4532.  
  4533. >You let out a groan.
  4534. >You sit down.
  4535. >Is this ever going to end?
  4536.  
  4537. >”Oh don’t look so down. This is a major victory, I’m not even sure how to articulate how big this is.”
  4538.  
  4539. “What do you mean?”
  4540.  
  4541. >”I just said I’m not sure I can articulate it, but I’ll try. Our forward base was terribly positioned and we didn’t have time to relocate. We were susceptible to attack at any moment, and due to the proximity we’d have almost no warning to prepare a defence or evacuate. Our location is now highly defensible. Based on the train tracks, it seems safe to say that this location was a hub of some sort. Any and all shipments that used to be processed here now require new infrastructure to properly move. We’ve ruined its supply lines. This is by far our biggest victory to date. Our second best was your shock orbs, from which it recovered in a couple days. We know how to hurt it now.”
  4542.  
  4543. >That’s true…
  4544. >But you’re not letting the princess do that again.
  4545. >You’re going to make sure she doesn’t need to.
  4546.  
  4547. >”This will have a huge effect on morale. Our own soldiers were getting antsy, which is dangerous, but more importantly the ape might be on tilt. It’s hard to say what kind of mistakes it will make though, I don’t know how it thinks at all. Most importantly, we finally have access to the ape’s weapons, even if they are just wrecks. I want to get a recovery team down there as soon as the fires die down.”
  4548.  
  4549. “Just a moment.”
  4550.  
  4551. >You teleport away.
  4552. >You don’t fly over the hill, but it looks like you do.
  4553. >Nothing happens.
  4554. >No holes get punched into the illusion.
  4555. >You teleport to the top of the hill.
  4556. >You fire a beam of light and righteous fury at the first cannon.
  4557. >The wreckage explodes violently.
  4558. >You blast the next, and the next, and dozens more.
  4559.  
  4560. >”WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
  4561.  
  4562. >You destroy the last few turrets before turning around.
  4563. >Shining Armor looking at you with a strange mix of horror and fury.
  4564.  
  4565.  
  4566. >”You’d better have a damn good explanation. Don’t think I won’t lock you up just because you’re my sister.”
  4567.  
  4568. “We don’t have a prison here.”
  4569.  
  4570. >”Twilight, I swear that I will tie you up and bring you to the Crystal Empire myself. You’re not getting a trial.”
  4571.  
  4572. “What the hay is wrong with you?”
  4573.  
  4574. >”ME? You’re the one that just threw away our first chance to understand what the enemy is capable of! You’re the one that RUINED our opportunity to know what the limitations were! You’re the one that blew our ONE CHANCE to MAYBE make one of those things.”
  4575.  
  4576. “Make one? That’s exactly what I was trying to prevent.”
  4577.  
  4578. >He sputters for a while.
  4579. >He shouts in rage.
  4580.  
  4581. >”We NEEDED those things, Twilight. Just- ugh. Come talk to me in a couple hours, I need to cool off.”
  4582.  
  4583. >He teleports away, leaving you standing in front of the burning wreckage.
  4584.  
  4585.  
  4586.  
  4587. >You are Anonymous.
  4588. >You aren’t quite sure.
  4589. >Are you pissed off?
  4590. >Are you scared?
  4591. >Probably both.
  4592. >That was your best base.
  4593. >Sure, you technically didn’t NEED it.
  4594. >You’ve got plenty of bases with lots of gear.
  4595. >But it was your best one!
  4596. >The most heavily armed, the best equipped…
  4597. >If that thing can take down your best base, you’re in serious trouble.
  4598. >Come to think of it, what the hell was that thing?
  4599. >Some kind of high-temp programmable matter?
  4600. >That doesn’t explain the light show, though.
  4601. >Whatever the case, you noticed something.
  4602. >After rewatching the battle footage a couple times, you eventually noticed that the parts that came off behaved strangely.
  4603. >The lava only seemed to cool at all when it was detached from the core.
  4604. >Maybe that’s just because you didn’t watch long enough.
  4605. >But your thermal cameras are pretty precise.
  4606. >And the cooler lava was moving more slowly.
  4607. >How cool would it have to be to stop?
  4608. >Blasting it with explosives might not have been entirely conducive to that.
  4609. >A shame, too.
  4610. >You like explosives.
  4611. >Oh well...
  4612. >Water should be enough.
  4613. >But you’re not counting on it.
  4614. >For all you know, there’s some heat source in that thing.
  4615. >That’s why you’re going to be hoarding liquid nitrogen.
  4616. >Why nitrogen?
  4617. >Because you don’t have helium.
  4618. >Best add that to the shopping list…
  4619. >The lesser problem is you have no idea how much you’ll need.
  4620. >Oh sure, you could easily do the math if you knew the composition of the lava monster.
  4621. >And you knew the mass.
  4622. >And you knew it’s capacity for heat generation.
  4623. >But you don’t know any of that.
  4624. >The greater problem?
  4625. >You just lost your mainframe.
  4626. >And a huge chunk of your power supply.
  4627. >Nothing’s gone offline yet, but soon enough you’ll be dealing with brownouts.
  4628. >And now you’re liquefying literal tons of nitrogen.
  4629. >That’s going to take a lot of power.
  4630. >AND you’re going to have no way to boss your robots around.
  4631. >You’ve got a replacement computer being built.
  4632. >Several, in fact.
  4633. >And you’ve told your bots to build more power plants over in New China.
  4634. >But these things take time.
  4635. >In the meanwhile, you need to save power somehow.
  4636. >You’re most definitely not willing to shut down your defences.
  4637. >So it’s the production that will suffer.
  4638. >Meaning you won’t be able to expand until you’ve got all this stuff fixed.
  4639. >And you’ve just learned that having spare bases is a VERY good idea.
  4640. >Hopefully you won’t need to retreat again.
  4641. >You should be relatively safe.
  4642. >After all, you’ve got your shiny new (partially molten) combat vehicle.
  4643. >And your massive banks of stationary guns.
  4644. >The former of which has no munitions left, and won’t until you get a chem lab going again.
  4645. >The latter of which you can’t assign new targets for if your mainframe is offline.
  4646.  
  4647. “Fuck.”
  4648.  
  4649. >Your only form of defence if any new targets show up is melee combat.
  4650. >Best make another suit of armor.
  4651. >You can’t really afford to get injured, after all.
  4652. >You’ve only got the one can of first aid spray left.
  4653. >Where did you leave it again?
  4654. >Oh right, it’s in the car.
  4655. >Which just burnt up.
  4656.  
  4657. “Son of a whore!”
  4658.  
  4659. >That’s it.
  4660. >You’re gassing the lot of them.
  4661.  
  4662.  
  4663.  
  4664. >You are Luna.
  4665. >You finally got the medics to leave.
  4666. >You’re quite annoyed with Twilight for so blatantly disregarding your wishes.
  4667. >But you’re also glad she did.
  4668. >You’ll doubtlessly recover more quickly now.
  4669. >And being almost totally covered in bandages is a far better look than the missing flesh thing.
  4670. >Oh right.
  4671. >Also the pain.
  4672. >By the stars, that hurt.
  4673. >It still does of course.
  4674. >Not as bad as one might expect though.
  4675. >The worst parts are too damaged to feel pain.
  4676. >But even so…
  4677. >You look over to your sister.
  4678. >She’s tossing and turning violently in her bed.
  4679. >A nightmare, perhaps?
  4680. >You’re just the mare for the job.
  4681. >The dreamscape unfolds before you.
  4682. >There are far more frightened ponies than usual.
  4683. >But you don’t have time to worry about that.
  4684. >You search for your sister.
  4685. >And search.
  4686. >And search some more.
  4687. >There’s no sign of her.
  4688. >She’s not sleeping.
  4689. >You return to reality.
  4690. >She’s lying still, looking at you.
  4691.  
  4692. >”Hi, Luna.”
  4693.  
  4694. >She sounds so sad…
  4695.  
  4696. >”Do you have time? To talk, I mean.”
  4697.  
  4698. “Of course!”
  4699.  
  4700. >You probably came across as over eager.
  4701. >She doesn’t seem to care.
  4702.  
  4703. >”I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. How bad is it? The burns. How bad?”
  4704.  
  4705. “Not as bad as last time. I shall recover, fret not.”
  4706.  
  4707. >Technically true.
  4708. >But only barely.
  4709. >She doesn’t need to have that worry just now.
  4710.  
  4711. “Is there anything I can fetch you? Anything you desire?”
  4712.  
  4713. >”No. There’s only one thing I really want right now.”
  4714.  
  4715. >You both fall silent for a while.
  4716.  
  4717. >”Actually, could you do me one favor? Next time you see Twilight, apologise to her on my behalf. I know it’s cowardly, but I’m not sure I can face her right now.”
  4718.  
  4719. “Of course, that shall be no problem. But I must ask, why do you feel the need to apologise to her? You’ve not harmed her at all.”
  4720.  
  4721. >”Yeah… But she looks up to me. I don’t know why, truth be told. Maybe she doesn’t know how broken I am on the inside. She’ll figure it out eventually. If she hasn’t already.”
  4722.  
  4723. >Silence returns.
  4724. >She spends some time moving about her bed, trying to get comfortable.
  4725. >She fails, to nopony’s surprise.
  4726.  
  4727. >”You’re not going to ask about the battle?”
  4728.  
  4729. “Priorities. I’ve got more important things to worry about.”
  4730.  
  4731. >Celestia covers her face with her blanket.
  4732. >It’s almost cute, seeing her try to hide like that.
  4733.  
  4734. >”I don’t deserve to have a sister as good as you.”
  4735.  
  4736. “Nonsense, you’re more than deserving on my aid.”
  4737.  
  4738. >She lets out a deep sigh.
  4739.  
  4740. >”I won. It worked.”
  4741.  
  4742. “The ape has perished?”
  4743.  
  4744. >”No, it fled. Its machine was surprisingly fast. But that camp… There’s only a few structures left.”
  4745.  
  4746. >A few remain.
  4747. >Which means there will be some salvage.
  4748. >You are pleased to hear that.
  4749.  
  4750. “How are you feeling?”
  4751.  
  4752. >”Why do you ask? You already know.”
  4753.  
  4754. “Humor me.”
  4755.  
  4756. >”Fine. I feel hollow, and nothing sounds good right now. I can’t get comfortable no matter how I lie. I’m exhausted. I’m sweating heavily despite feeling cold. I’m hungry, but the thought of eating makes me sick. The usual.”
  4757.  
  4758. >You’d been hoping that the effects wouldn’t be so bad.
  4759. >She’d been clean for so long, after all.
  4760. >Looks like your hopes had been in vain.
  4761. >The pleasure that dark magic brings is too great to handle.
  4762. >It leaves you so jaded that nothing else seems worthwhile.
  4763. >That’s why it’s so hard to beat.
  4764. >It rewards you so greatly when you use it.
  4765. >And when you try to quit?
  4766. >It leaves you unable to enjoy anything.
  4767. >Anything except more of the same poison.
  4768.  
  4769. >”Lu? Thanks for trying to stop me.”
  4770.  
  4771. “I’m so sorry that I failed.”
  4772.  
  4773. >”No, no don’t apologise for that. I didn’t make it easy on you. Umm, how did you know, by the way?”
  4774.  
  4775. “You didn’t hide it very well. Even Shining Armor knew you were lying, he just didn’t know why.”
  4776.  
  4777. >”No, before that. You’d already infiltrated my delivery team, before I even asked for it. How did you know?”
  4778.  
  4779. “Truth be told, I didn’t. I merely suspected as much.”
  4780.  
  4781. >”It was that obvious?”
  4782.  
  4783. “Not at all. I didn’t see any signs coming from you. I was suspicious because I’d been thinking of doing the same. I figured you likely weren’t far behind.”
  4784.  
  4785. >”Ah. I know this is hypocritical of me, but you should have said something.”
  4786.  
  4787. “Perhaps. I wasn’t certain you were thinking of it, and I didn’t wish to put the idea in your head. Forgive me if this is too harsh, you need not answer if you do not wish, but did you really do this for Twilight?”
  4788.  
  4789. >She doesn’t answer.
  4790. >She just stays hidden under her blankets.
  4791.  
  4792. “Please, forget I asked.”
  4793.  
  4794. >”No, it’s a fair question. I’m just… When this stalemate started, I thought of simply ending the battle quickly, but I dismissed the the idea. I didn’t forget though. Every minor setback, every time it built a new structure, both times Discord raided. I kept thinking that it would be so easy to win. The more I thought of it, the harder the ache was to ignore. I wanted it the end, I won’t try to deny that. I desperately wanted to do this. I still wish to preserve Twilight’s innocence, but that might have just been an excuse. I don’t actually know anymore.”
  4795.  
  4796. >Silence returns.
  4797. >You start to lose track of time.
  4798.  
  4799. >”I’m already thinking of using more.”
  4800.  
  4801. >You aren’t surprised.
  4802. >But you’re glad to hear her admit it.
  4803.  
  4804. “I already had one of my agents steal The Sunstone. You won’t find it.”
  4805.  
  4806. >”That won’t stop me…”
  4807.  
  4808. “No, but YOU shall stop you. I just need to make sure you can’t convince yourself it’s a good idea. No rituals of incredible destructive power for you.”
  4809.  
  4810. …
  4811.  
  4812. >”What’s it like?”
  4813.  
  4814. “Pardon?”
  4815.  
  4816. >”Being purged by the Elements. What’s it like?”
  4817.  
  4818. “Don’t concern yourself with that. You’ll get through this, they won’t need to be used on you.”
  4819.  
  4820. >”Just… please tell me.”
  4821.  
  4822. “It... hurts. The first time wasn’t bad, little worse than a broken wing.”
  4823.  
  4824. >She lets out a small laugh.
  4825.  
  4826. “What is it?”
  4827.  
  4828. >She pokes her muzzle out from the blankets.
  4829.  
  4830. >”It’s just… Everypony these days is so sheltered. None of them know what physical pain is anymore. To hear somepony say a broken wing isn’t bad is a bit funny.”
  4831.  
  4832. >Being able to find humor is a good sign.
  4833. >Perhaps there are other pleasures she can still enjoy.
  4834. >You’ll try to find them for her.
  4835. >Anything to ease her pain as she works through this.
  4836.  
  4837. >”What about the second time?”
  4838.  
  4839. “What? Oh, sorry. It hurt. Horribly. I doubt there is any wound that could hurt so. I’m not sure why, but I get the feeling that I was being repaid for every shameful pleasure I’d ever taken, all at once. Thankfully it only lasted a few seconds.”
  4840.  
  4841. >”Hmm. I’ve probably got quite a bit to pay for by now.”
  4842.  
  4843. >She’s still unconvinced she can beat her addiction.
  4844. >If she decides she can’t do it, she won’t try.
  4845. >You need to distract her.
  4846.  
  4847. “Speaking of the elements, why didn’t you wait for them to arrive?”
  4848.  
  4849. >”I tried. I really did. Then I’d heard they’d been delayed and I just couldn’t wait any longer. I’m a terrible pony.”
  4850.  
  4851. “No, don’t say that.”
  4852.  
  4853. >”But I am! I did what I wanted without any regard to the danger I was putting others in.”
  4854.  
  4855. “You prepared an excellent containment circle. If you truly held no regard for others, you’d have just let us burn.”
  4856.  
  4857. >She doesn’t answer.
  4858. >She doesn’t believe you.
  4859.  
  4860. “I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s with you and fire?”
  4861.  
  4862. >”What’s with you and shadows?”
  4863.  
  4864. >You don’t have an answer.
  4865. >It was a silly question.
  4866. >Silence returns for nearly an hour.
  4867.  
  4868. >”Lu? Could you get me something to drink?
  4869.  
  4870. “But of course! What shall I bring?”
  4871.  
  4872. >”I don’t know… I’m not sure what I’ll be able to stomach.”
  4873.  
  4874. “Well then the solution is clear, I shall just bring you everything!”
  4875.  
  4876.  
  4877. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  4878. >You are standing outside the war room with your hoof on the door.
  4879. >You’ve been standing there for several minutes.
  4880. >What is he’s still mad?
  4881. >What if he hates you?
  4882. >What if he’s not your BBBFF anymore?
  4883. >No.
  4884. >No, you can’t think that.
  4885. >This is Shining Armor.
  4886. >The best brother in the history of siblings.
  4887. >You push open the door.
  4888.  
  4889. >”Sit.”
  4890.  
  4891. >He’s still mad!
  4892. >You look for an excuse to run.
  4893. >You can’t find one!
  4894.  
  4895. >”Alright, Twilight. We can talk this out like adults.”
  4896.  
  4897. >He wants to talk!
  4898. >He doesn’t want you out of his life yet!
  4899. >He closes his eyes breaths deeply.
  4900.  
  4901. >”I shouldn’t have hit you, my anger got the best of me. For that I apologise.”
  4902.  
  4903. >He’s saying he’s sorry!
  4904. >He agrees with you after all!
  4905.  
  4906. >”But I still want an explanation as to why you would do something so unbelievably stupid.”
  4907.  
  4908. >Oh.
  4909.  
  4910. “Well, they’re dangerous!”
  4911.  
  4912. >”So we should destroy everything that’s dangerous then? Get rid of all the kitchen knives, all the hammers, all the axes?”
  4913.  
  4914. “That’s a false equivalence and you know it!”
  4915.  
  4916. >He nods slowly.
  4917.  
  4918. >”You’re right. Again, my apologies. All of those things have uses other than fighting. Would bows be a better comparison?”
  4919.  
  4920. “No!”
  4921.  
  4922. >”Why not? They are both specifically designed to kill. They both deliver a projectile at high speeds.”
  4923.  
  4924. “These things are way more dangerous!”
  4925.  
  4926. >“So it’s a matter of scale? Are you okay with the existence of lesser weapons?”
  4927.  
  4928. >You can’t help but feel like he’s luring you into a trap.
  4929. >He’s waiting for an answer.
  4930.  
  4931. “I’m not happy with it, but I understand that we will likely never live in a world without tools of violence.”
  4932.  
  4933. >”So, were you capable, everypony would be disarmed? Even the guard?”
  4934.  
  4935. >So that’s what he was leading up to.
  4936. >The answer’s easy.
  4937.  
  4938. “We haven’t had a war in over eight hundred years, why do we even need soldiers?”
  4939.  
  4940. >”That doesn’t answer the question, but I will say anyway. Equestria maintains peace through three methods. Can you name them?”
  4941.  
  4942. “Well, diplomacy, obviously. Then trade, it’s lucrative to be friendly with us. Hmm. Ah! No foreign forces have a decent beachhead! Except the yaks, I suppose.”
  4943.  
  4944. >”Fear, Twilight. The answer I was looking for is fear. You saw what Celestia did yesterday, right? She’s spent most of her life making sure the whole world knows what she’s capable of. Luna lent a hoof, too. Do you know why a bad dream is called a nightmare? It’s no coincidence.”
  4945.  
  4946. “But why the guards?”
  4947.  
  4948. >”It’s a bluff, Twilight. ”
  4949.  
  4950. >You just stare at him in confusion.
  4951.  
  4952. “The guards are a bluff?”
  4953.  
  4954. >”No, the princesses are.”
  4955.  
  4956. >Now you stare at him with incredulity.
  4957.  
  4958. “Shiney, you saw the map yesterday. That was just ONE princess.”
  4959.  
  4960. >”One princess with a completely obscene amount of dark magic, yes. I could beat that easy enough.”
  4961.  
  4962. “Okay, now I know you’re lying.”
  4963.  
  4964. >”No, seriously. If I was being besieged like the ape was, it would be different. But in open terrain? Just retreat. It was fast, true, but not as fast as a healthy soldier. Engage and pull out. Just repeat until the madness sets in and she turns on her own subjects. Easy.”
  4965.  
  4966. “She would never!”
  4967.  
  4968. >He raises a brow.
  4969. >He stares at you for a while.
  4970.  
  4971. >”Do you actually believe that, or did you defend her on reflex?
  4972.  
  4973. “I believe it.”
  4974.  
  4975. >Mostly.
  4976. >Probably.
  4977.  
  4978. >”Well, I don’t. As far as I’m concerned, the Celestia I knew is dead and there’s a stranger in her body.”
  4979.  
  4980. “You don’t know it’s changed her!”
  4981.  
  4982. >”It has.”
  4983.  
  4984. >Contradiction.
  4985. >Not a proper counter-argument.
  4986. >You win!
  4987.  
  4988. >”But I’m not going to convince you otherwise, you’ll just have to see for yourself. In the meantime, consider Equestria’s recent battles. Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, Tirek, ape.”
  4989.  
  4990. “All victories. The last one pending.”
  4991.  
  4992. >”All close, most solved with unreliable mysterious artifacts that may or may not work next time. How much longer do you think we can get lucky?”
  4993.  
  4994. “Lucky? There was always a backup plan. Either Celestia or Luna were always ready. Look, Shiney, I know you’re not convinced that we alicorns can always win. I can’t blame you. You don’t know what it’s like. You can’t feel the raw power coursing through me. Comparing how much magic I’ve got now to how much I used to have… it’s pointless! There’s so much more than no matter how I describe it, it’s a bad comparison. And it just seems to keep growing. Whatever may come, I am certain we can handle it.”
  4995.  
  4996. >”Then why are we struggling so much here? It’s three alicorns against one ape. Should be an easy fight, no?”
  4997.  
  4998. “I… I don’t know how.”
  4999.  
  5000. >”Pardon?”
  5001.  
  5002. “I don’t know how to fight. I don’t think Celestia or Luna do either. What about Cadence?”
  5003.  
  5004. >”She’s more of a lover. Okay, I’ll grant you that. Maybe we’d be in better shape if one of you knew how to fight. That doesn’t help us though.”
  5005.  
  5006. “I’ll do it.”
  5007.  
  5008. >”Pardon?”
  5009.  
  5010. “I never told you my reasons, we were too busy discussing yours. I’m imagining a world where every border is lined with those cannons, where there are thousands of soldiers in those giant machines patrolling back and forth. A world where even thinking of crossing a border will get you killed. With so much killing power, everyone would fear every other nation. There’d be no time to raise a militia, you’d need to be ready to fight at all times. They’d build bigger and bigger armies trying to get the upper hoof, trying to make sure that they’d win if a fight broke out. Eventually some nations wouldn’t be able to build bigger forces. They’d be forced to make treaties with each other, right? And more and more nations would sign on? How long until the whole world was one arrow away from war? How long until somepony fired that arrow?”
  5011.  
  5012. >”That’s… Huh. That’s something to think about. I’m surprised you’d come up with that, you normally don’t worry too much about politics.”
  5013.  
  5014. “Pinkie got me started on it. Like I said, I’ll do it. I’ll learn to fight. You’re right, Shiney. The proof is- was right over the hill, Equestria is vulnerable. If we don’t take the canons, we endanger ourselves. If we do, we endanger the world. I can’t see too many more options. Will you teach me?”
  5015.  
  5016. >”Tell you what. I’ll teach you all I can, and we’ll keep any cannons we can salvage. If you can convince me that you can keep everypony safe, we’ll get rid of them. Deal?”
  5017.  
  5018. “Deal.”
  5019.  
  5020. >You extend a hoof.
  5021. >He pushes past it and gives you a hug.
  5022. >He’s your BBBFF again.
  5023.  
  5024.  
  5025.  
  5026. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  5027. >Your friends are finally here!
  5028.  
  5029. >“Alright! Where's the ugly monster we gotta zap?”
  5030.  
  5031. “Gone. Sorry, Dash. You're about six hours late.”
  5032.  
  5033. >“Oh come on, seriously? We would have been on time if SOMEPONY hadn't taken so long picking a sun hat.”
  5034.  
  5035. >“Well, that HARDLY too six minutes, much less six hours. Beside, I seem to recall somepony running back home after we'd left. What was she saying? ‘boy howdy sugarcube pappy always said you can never have too much rope no how. Varmint.’”
  5036.  
  5037. >“I don't sound like that. Besides, rope is really useful, and that took ten minutes tops! Let's just blame Spike and be done with it.”
  5038.  
  5039. >Everypony seemed to agree.
  5040.  
  5041. >“Oh. Umm, Twilight? Discord wanted me to tell you he's okay. Or maybe it was old and grey. Bold hay? He's still trying to find a few chunks of his mouth, so it's hard to tell what he's saying sometimes.”
  5042.  
  5043. “That's great to hear. The princesses said he was fine, but I still couldn't help but worry.”
  5044.  
  5045. >“Yeah, I heard about that! The monkeys beat up Discord? Twice? That’s amazing!:
  5046.  
  5047. >”Oh, umm, they’re not monkeys-”
  5048.  
  5049. >Nopony is paying attention to Fluttershy.
  5050.  
  5051. >“So how did they do it? I betcha it was a gigantic battle, spears and swords flying everywhere, and enough arrows to block out the sun!”
  5052.  
  5053. >”They’re actually much more similar to chimps-”
  5054.  
  5055. >”C’mon now, Dash. You’ve heard the rumors. There’s only one!”
  5056.  
  5057. >”A.J.! Where did you hear that?”
  5058.  
  5059. >”Although, come to think of it, they look a bit more similar to Bonobos.”
  5060.  
  5061. >You are freaking out.
  5062.  
  5063. >”Can’t quite remember, but nearly everypony’s heard it by now.”
  5064.  
  5065. ”This is not good. This is NOT good. I’ve gotta go. Listen, girls, tell everypony you can that there’s tens of thousands of them. This is important!”
  5066.  
  5067. >You run out the door.
  5068. >You make your way to Celestia’s chambers.
  5069. >You barge in.
  5070.  
  5071. >”Twilight, I do believe we asked for privacy.”
  5072.  
  5073. “Sorry, Luna. This is important. They know! There’s a rumour about that there’s only one ape!”
  5074.  
  5075. >The two sisters look at each other.
  5076.  
  5077. >”Go, Luna. I’ll be okay. This demands attention.”
  5078.  
  5079. >Luna groans as she stands.
  5080. >She walks toward you, still looking more like a mummy than a living pony.
  5081.  
  5082. >”Come, let’s leave her in peace.”
  5083.  
  5084. >You try to stay on task.
  5085. >But there’s something you’re far more worried about.
  5086.  
  5087. “Is princess Celestia going to be alright?
  5088.  
  5089. >”Eventually. The effects will wear off in time. We just need to be supportive in the years to come.
  5090.  
  5091. “YEARS?”
  5092.  
  5093. >”Years. Don’t make the same mistake as w- she did, Twilight. My sister is an amazing pony for enduring as she has, don’t tempt fate by putting yourself in her position.”
  5094.  
  5095. >You finally find your way to the war room.
  5096. >Shining Armor is there, as usual.
  5097. >You’re not entirely sure when he sleeps.
  5098. >Luna closes the door.
  5099.  
  5100. >”There is a rumour going about that there is but one ape.”
  5101.  
  5102. >”Damn.”
  5103.  
  5104. “I know it’s important that everypony think there’s lots of them, but I’m not entirely sure why. Could somepony fill me in?”
  5105.  
  5106. >”It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. Struggling against a single foe makes us look weak.”
  5107.  
  5108. >”Quite right, young prince. Most foreign powers like Equestria, but that alone will not stay their blades.”
  5109.  
  5110. “Is this what you were talking about before, Shiney?”
  5111.  
  5112. >”Yes. Fear is the greatest assurance of peace. If we rely on love alone, we risk treachery. Equestria’s lands are rich and fertile, very much worth claiming.”
  5113.  
  5114. “We’ve got to tell everypony there’s MILLIONS of apes!”
  5115.  
  5116. >”Too late, the rumour’s out there. We need to end this quickly, or convince the world we are still capable of defending ourselves. Luna? Thoughts?”
  5117.  
  5118. >”There is a third option. We could turn the whole world against the ape.”
  5119.  
  5120. “Would that work?”
  5121.  
  5122. >”Ape cruelty is legendary across the world. I’ve little doubt we could gain at least a few allies.”
  5123.  
  5124. “Are you sure? Why would everypo- everyone have legends about apes? Why would they even remember them?”
  5125.  
  5126. >”I’m surprised at you, Twilight. We ponies are not the only ones who keep histories!”
  5127.  
  5128. >”I’m confused. Why would they know so much about our struggles? Did you get their help in the fight?”
  5129.  
  5130. >”Get their help? We lent them ours!”
  5131.  
  5132. >Both you and Shining Armor stare at her in confusion.
  5133.  
  5134. “You helped them with what exactly?”
  5135.  
  5136. >”With their ape problems!”
  5137.  
  5138. >”Ugh. I think I get it. What was it you said earlier? Celestia likes to revise history? Let me guess. Only one tribe has been found. In Equestria.”
  5139.  
  5140. >A scowl quickly forms on Luna’s face.
  5141. >She rubs her brow with her hoof.
  5142.  
  5143. >”Hold on, I must go throttle my sister.”
  5144.  
  5145. >You use your magic to restrain the furious alicorn.
  5146. >It proves easier than you’d expected.
  5147.  
  5148. >”Let me go, Twilight! She’s gone too far this time!”
  5149.  
  5150. “No! We need to be supportive!”
  5151.  
  5152. >”This cannot stand! She’s ignoring the suffering of countless others!”
  5153.  
  5154. >”She’s deprived us of potentially vital information!”
  5155.  
  5156. “She did it for a good reason! I just don’t know what, exactly…”
  5157.  
  5158. >Luna keeps struggling for a little while.
  5159. >You’re still managing to hold her, though it’s starting to get difficult.
  5160. >She finally starts to calm down.
  5161.  
  5162. >”Grr. She thinks ponies are too easily frightened. She thinks that if everypony were to know all the bad things in the world, they would live their life in a constant state of fear. That is why she tries to hide everything that isn’t an imminent threat. That is why she hid me.”
  5163.  
  5164. “Isn’t she right? Everypony in ponyville panics the moment anything unusual happens. I remember some even fainting because there were too many bunnies.”
  5165.  
  5166. >”Be that as it may, we do ourselves a disservice when we forget our past. All decisions are made based on history. When we lack information, we lack the ability to choose properly.”
  5167.  
  5168. >”So everything should be above board? Seems ironic coming from the pony with the spy network.”
  5169.  
  5170. >”The network which exists to ensure I have complete information? The network whose existence is common knowledge? I fail to see the irony.”
  5171.  
  5172. >That made a strange kind of sense.
  5173. >You’re not sure you agree, but you see where she’s coming from.
  5174.  
  5175. “Alright, so tell us what they did.”
  5176.  
  5177. >”For the most part, I don’t know the details. I primarily concerned myself with the local problem. If you’ll excuse me, I must go call in representatives from the nearby nations. You can ask them yourselves when they arrive. Sufficed to say, you’ll hear few details from the hippogryphs.”
  5178.  
  5179. >What?
  5180. >Hippogryphs?
  5181.  
  5182. “I thought hippogryphs were just a legend.”
  5183.  
  5184. >”Of course you did…”
  5185.  
  5186. >She departs, leaving just you and your brother.
  5187.  
  5188. “Say, you said you needed to get into the ape’s head, right? I think I might know somepony who can help. She’s not an expert on apes, of course, but she does seem to understand how beasts behave. If nothing else she can explain to us how predators think.”
  5189.  
  5190. >”That might be useful. Alright, bring in Fluttershy.”
  5191.  
  5192. “How did- whatever. I’ll go get her.”
  5193.  
  5194. >You head out to find your friend.
  5195. >It takes a while…
  5196. >She’d been hiding from the stallions.
  5197. >And their eyes.
  5198. >She spends the entire walk back trying to hide behind you.
  5199. >But now she’s here.
  5200. >She seems very interested in the scrying tables.
  5201. >Especially the one showing all the smoke.
  5202. >Massive carts full of coal wheel themselves over a chasm that glows red with heat.
  5203. >The bottoms of the carts fall open, allowing their contents to fall into the raging inferno.
  5204. >Pipes thicker than houses weave between flames, before rising into massive towers that spew steam and smoke.
  5205. >The entire view is dominated by fire and exhaust.
  5206.  
  5207. >”Is this a view of Tartarus?”
  5208.  
  5209. “No, that’s a few kilometers out of Neighvada. There was nothing there a few days ago.”
  5210.  
  5211. >”How could anything possibly breath there?”
  5212.  
  5213. “Nothing has to, the whole thing runs itself.”
  5214.  
  5215. >”Oh my… well, how can I help?”
  5216.  
  5217. >You direct her to a different table to find the ape lazing about in a hammock.
  5218. >Its combat vehicle’s damaged hull has been removed, and a massive crane is slowly lowering a replacement into place.
  5219.  
  5220. “What can you tell us about that thing?”
  5221.  
  5222. >”It’s big and made of metal.”
  5223.  
  5224. >”We mean the ape, Fluttershy.”
  5225.  
  5226. >”Oh! What happened to its arm?”
  5227.  
  5228. “Arm?”
  5229.  
  5230. >”A front appendage used primarily to manipulate a creature’s environment is called an arm. How did you not know that? Spike has two of them.”
  5231.  
  5232. “Combat injury. What else can you tell us?”
  5233.  
  5234. >Hopefully neither of them noticed that you didn’t answer the question.
  5235. >Your brother mouths the word ‘seriously’ at you.
  5236. >He noticed.
  5237.  
  5238. “Well, its eyes are really close together which means it has a narrow field of view. It also means it is very good at judging distance, and it means it is likely a predator. Its overdeveloped rump suggests the ability to run great distances or at great speeds, its backward knees and bipedal nature would make it excellent at navigating tough terrain, and… is it sweating a bit there?”
  5239.  
  5240. >Sure enough, it is.
  5241. >You’re not sure what that has to do with anything.
  5242.  
  5243. >”By standing erect it minimises exposure to the sun, it has no fur, and it’s sweating. That creature is VERY well suited to warm climates.”
  5244.  
  5245. >That’s news to you.
  5246.  
  5247. >”Oh, is it drooling now? That creature must consume a lot of water. In this heat, it would probably only last a few days without it.”
  5248.  
  5249. >”Fantastic! That’s the closest thing to a weakness we’ve found! Twilight, you continue with your plan, I’m going to try and figure out how to deprive it of water. Fluttershy, ponykind is in your debt once again!”
  5250.  
  5251. >She just tries to hide.
  5252. >Fluttershy’s never taken praise that well.
  5253. >She’s just going to freeze there forever unless you can change the subject a bit.
  5254.  
  5255. “It recently lost its first camp. Can you tell us how it might react?”
  5256.  
  5257. >”Well, it’s not behaving like it’s scared. It might be angry? When an animal is wounded, they tend to lash out at anything that comes close.”
  5258.  
  5259. >”So it’s likely to retaliate?”
  5260.  
  5261. >”Yes.”
  5262.  
  5263. “And it’s repairing its war machine. We need to move quickly.”
  5264.  
  5265.  
  5266.  
  5267. >The next day…
  5268.  
  5269. >You are Anonymous.
  5270. >You are feeling much better.
  5271. >After your vehicle was repaired and refitted (now with a recliner!) you took some much needed rest.
  5272. >Sleeping in air conditioned comfort really gave you a fresh perspective.
  5273. >Maybe you’d been too quick to anger.
  5274. >Sure, those pests have been nothing but trouble since you got here.
  5275. >And sure, they’re the reason you’re stuck here in the first place.
  5276. >But it hasn’t been all bad.
  5277. >You got to cut a flying abomination in half with your arm.
  5278. >And you got to blast a lava monster with missiles.
  5279. >You’re pretty sure none of the other rift technicians got to do that.
  5280. >Maybe you’ll hold out on the gas.
  5281.  
  5282. “The hell is that?”
  5283.  
  5284. >Off in the distance, thousands of small orbs are flying in.
  5285. >You’re not sure you like the looks of this.
  5286. >You’re still out of ammo and your computer is still down.
  5287. >You can’t shoot them.
  5288. >You climb into your walker and step away from the camp, just in case.
  5289. >The orbs crash into your structures and detonate violently.
  5290. >Moments later, there’s nothing but wreckage left.
  5291.  
  5292. “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
  5293.  
  5294.  
  5295.  
  5296. >You are Rainbow Dash.
  5297. >This is your chance!
  5298. >You’d been wanting to get in on this action since the beginning.
  5299. >You’ll admit to being a bit envious of Twilight.
  5300. >Getting to be on the front line where everything’s happening.
  5301. >To yourself.
  5302. >You’ll admit it to yourself.
  5303. >Nopony must ever know you envied the egghead.
  5304. >But that’s not a problem anymore.
  5305. >Pinkie told you that some of “Worst princess’” pegasi had been injured.
  5306. >After an awkward encounter with Shining Armor, it turned out that Cadence isn’t worst princess.
  5307. >You push your way through the door to find Luna.
  5308.  
  5309. “Heya princess!”
  5310.  
  5311. >”Why can my sister and I not seem to get a moment of peace? Every hour somepony comes barging in, asking if we need anything, asking if we’re okay, asking why dawn is late. Why is it so hard to leave us alone?”
  5312.  
  5313. “Uhh…”
  5314.  
  5315. >”Go ahead, Luna. You don’t need to tend to me at all hours.”
  5316.  
  5317. “Oh, hey princess Celestia. Didn’t see ya there. In bed. In the middle of the day. What gives?”
  5318.  
  5319. >”She shall be fine. Come, Rainbow.”
  5320.  
  5321. >She didn’t answer the question.
  5322. >But that’s okay.
  5323. >It’s probably not a big deal.
  5324. >She rushes you out of the building.
  5325.  
  5326. >”What business have you with us?”
  5327.  
  5328. “Oh, well, I’d heard that some of your strongest fliers had been hurt. Looking for a replacement? Maybe the best flier ever to live?”
  5329.  
  5330. >”Have you been told their names?”
  5331.  
  5332. “No. Nopony seems to know that. I just know they were elite fliers. Were they part of some super soldier program where you use your magic on the best fighters in history to make them more awesome?”
  5333.  
  5334. >She relaxes visibly.
  5335. >You didn’t notice her tense up.
  5336.  
  5337. >”I see. And you wish to replace them? Very well. You fail.”
  5338.  
  5339. “WHAT?”
  5340.  
  5341. >”I just administered the first test. You fail. Stop being so rainbow-ey and try again.”
  5342.  
  5343. “But- I mean- that’s not fair! You haven’t even seen me fly!”
  5344.  
  5345. >She examines you quietly for a while.
  5346.  
  5347. >”Very well. This could be entertaining. Fly as fast as you can-”
  5348.  
  5349. >You blast off into the sky without waiting for further instructions.
  5350. >You race in the general direction of Ponyville, pumping your wings for all they’re worth.
  5351. >Your rainbow contrail paints the sky vibrantly, drawing everypony’s attention to your awesomeness.
  5352. >The world erupts into colour and sound as you achieve the fabled Sonic Rainboom.
  5353. >You bank left, pushing with all your strength to maintain your speed as you loop around.
  5354. >Your landing spot in front of Luna erupts in a shower of dust as you land gracefully, a smirk of triumph on your face.
  5355.  
  5356. >”Without being detected. Wow. That is the single worst performance I’ve ever seen.”
  5357.  
  5358. “But-”
  5359.  
  5360. >”One last preliminary test. Draw a moustache on my sister without her noticing.”
  5361.  
  5362. >She levitates a marker out of somewhere and passes it to you.
  5363.  
  5364. “But she’s awake.”
  5365.  
  5366. >”I know.”
  5367.  
  5368. >You slowly push the front door open.
  5369.  
  5370. >”Rainbow, please just leave me in peace. I’ve no energy to deal with you at the moment.”
  5371.  
  5372. “Please close your eyes princess.”
  5373.  
  5374. >”Why? What are you doing with that marker? Ugh, that repulsive smell! Get away from me!”
  5375.  
  5376. *WHACK*
  5377.  
  5378. >You exit the building with a lump growing on your head.
  5379. >Your mission is a failure.
  5380.  
  5381. “This isn’t fair! What does any of this have to do with being an elite flier? C’mon, just give me ONE mission and I’m sure I’ll prove myself.”
  5382.  
  5383. >She spends a few moments lost in thought.
  5384.  
  5385. >”Very well. Your mission is to go to Labyrinth and infiltrate. Their borders are currently closed to us, so if you are seen you must not be recognized as a pony. Locate and enter their military headquarters, find all intelligence reports pertaining to Equestria, and replace them with forgeries that quadruple all estimates on our military capability. Collect a complete list of all their agents posted in Equestria, sabotage their smithy, and report back to me. You have one week.”
  5386.  
  5387. “What.”
  5388.  
  5389. >”Oh, and if you are detected we will disavow all knowledge of your actions.”
  5390.  
  5391. “You’ve gotta be joking.”
  5392.  
  5393. >”Indeed. That mission is not for a rookie. But do you see why you’re not what I need, Rainbow? This is not a conventional war. We can’t even get CLOSE to the enemy, much less meet them in combat. You ARE an amazing pony, but you’re just not what I need.”
  5394.  
  5395. “Okay… thank you for your time.”
  5396.  
  5397. >That’s a huge disappointment.
  5398. >You come here and there’s nothing to zap with the elements.
  5399. >There’s no chance to get in on the fighting.
  5400. >You can’t impress the Wonderbolts in any way.
  5401. >Total waste of time.
  5402.  
  5403. >”Hold, I may have a task for you. Pinkamena is in my employ, but she is refusing to communicate with me. Could you perchance try to assist her in her endeavors, and report any significant developments to me?”
  5404.  
  5405. “So, you want me to hang out with Pinkie? I’m the mare for the job.”
  5406.  
  5407.  
  5408.  
  5409. >You are Anonymous again.
  5410. >Your good mood has been ruined.
  5411. >But you know the cure for that.
  5412. >A little chloroethyl-sulphide goes a long way.
  5413. >You wanted to use something a bit more potent…
  5414. >But you’re still in the dark about their biology.
  5415. >Really, there’s no guarantee that this will work.
  5416. >Which is why you’re preparing a backup attack.
  5417. >Your first carrier has just finished assembly.
  5418. >You open your arm terminal and order it to perform a test attack on an arbitrary piece of dirt.
  5419. >A wireless signal screams through the skies, and is picked up by your brand new mainframe.
  5420. >A flood of qubits are streamed through the fullerene circuits.
  5421. >The calculations are complete before you even knew they’d started.
  5422. >Your carrier’s continuous tracks spin, dragging the long, egg shaped hull across the ground.
  5423. >Several dozen panels all over its body slide open, each one violently launching a gasoline powered quadcopter into the sky.
  5424. >They swarm the target location, approaching from all sides as they rapidly empty their magazines.
  5425. >The blades of the copters threaten to break the sound barrier as they rev up, desperately pushing the light frames against the recoil of the twin guns.
  5426. >The copters then return to their docks, where their magazines and fuel tanks are plucked, to be replaced instantly with a fresh supply.
  5427. >A quarter second later, they launch again.
  5428.  
  5429. “It’ll do.”
  5430.  
  5431. >Lots of room for upgrades.
  5432. >But you work with what you’ve got.
  5433. >Looks like the second is coming out of assembly.
  5434. >You’ve got some time to kill while you build up a reasonable force.
  5435. >So you might as well check in on the scouting party you’d sent to that small burg.
  5436.  
  5437. “Let’s see here…”
  5438.  
  5439. >Your terminal is showing a quaint settlement, full of crisscrossing cobblestone streets.
  5440. >It’s pretty clear that this place grew naturally.
  5441. >Any civic planner would be ashamed by the inconsistency of block sizes.
  5442. >And so many roads aren’t at right angles.
  5443. >But beyond that, you rather like the aesthetic of this place.
  5444. >Most buildings are only four or five stories tall.
  5445. >And no automatic doors.
  5446. >It’s so quaint!
  5447. >You have a bot step inside a building with a large double door.
  5448. >You’re glad you aren’t there.
  5449. >Dozens of shelves fill the building, all partially stocked with rotting produce.
  5450. >It looks like this place was occupied recently.
  5451. >And that whoever lived in this city left in a hurry.
  5452. >You check behind the counters near the front.
  5453. >No obvious currency laying around.
  5454. >Oh well.
  5455. >Maybe you can find a bank to loot or something.
  5456. >What can you say?
  5457. >You like money.
  5458. >You move your proxy to exit, and notice a poster by the door.
  5459. >The meaning of the pictographs on it completely elude you.
  5460. >But the drawing almost makes sense.
  5461.  
  5462. “Looks like a caricature of a neanderthal. Wait. It has a mismatched arm. Is that supposed to be me? I’m like, fifty times as handsome!”
  5463.  
  5464. >They made your eyes way too big, all your limbs are too short, your forehead is almost nonexistent, and your chest is way too broad.
  5465. >You’re not too upset about that last part.
  5466. >You have your robot grab the poster and roll it up.
  5467. >You’re taking a souvenir.
  5468. >You check a few more buildings.
  5469. >You find a clothing store, with apparel clearly designed to fit horses.
  5470. >So this is a horse settlement.
  5471. >You’d come to think of them as mere pests.
  5472. >Which is admittedly stupid.
  5473. >They’d shown signs of intelligence several times.
  5474. >But in your defence, they’d been behaving like pests.
  5475. >You sort through more buildings.
  5476. >Office buildings, restaurants, a museum…
  5477. >Housing.
  5478. >You’ve come across apartment buildings.
  5479. >Most are only suited for an individual.
  5480. >The places look cozy. Large windows, tasteful curtains and colourful wallpaper really make the room seem vibrant, despite the lack of artificial lighting.
  5481. >You come across a larger apartment with two bedrooms.
  5482. >You really wish you hadn’t found the smaller one.
  5483. >A small mobile with several symbols you don’t recognize hangs above a crib.
  5484. >And in the crib, you find a small doll.
  5485. >A rag doll, complete with button eyes and string hair.
  5486. >You’re taking another souvenir.
  5487.  
  5488. “Damn it all, they care for their young.”
  5489.  
  5490. >They have families.
  5491. >The Venutians took your father from you.
  5492. >It still hurts sometimes.
  5493. >You’re not going to tear any families apart.
  5494. >The horses are the bloodthirsty ones.
  5495. >You’re not.
  5496. >You’re better than that.
  5497. >If they want to throw their lives away attacking you, you won’t stop them.
  5498. >But you’re not going to bring death to them.
  5499. >This makes things complicated, though.
  5500. >You don’t want to open a gate to a world full of hostile natives.
  5501. >You’re not sure how Earth’s forces would react.
  5502. >For all you know, they’d wipe out the hostiles without hesitation.
  5503. >You don’t want to bring an army to this world.
  5504. >You’ve got to win this fight on your own.
  5505. >But you don’t want to kill them…
  5506. >So it’s time to humiliate them into submission.
  5507.  
  5508. “Sounds fun.”
  5509.  
  5510.  
  5511. Since so many of you are disappointed with the way this story is going, I’m going to split it into two timelines.
  5512. Timeline one.
  5513.  
  5514. >Anon gases them.
  5515. >Thousands die horrible, agonizing deaths.
  5516. >There’s corpses everywhere.
  5517. >Twilight chokes to death on her own blood.
  5518. >Anon nukes all the cities.
  5519. >Everypony dies in nuclear fire.
  5520. >All the robots get sent out to hunt down stragglers.
  5521. >Anon is no better than the ponies who you keep saying are too evil.
  5522. >The end.
  5523.  
  5524. Now for timeline two.
  5525.  
  5526. >You are Anonymous.
  5527. >You’ve got a plan.
  5528. >But you’re missing too many tools to pull it off.
  5529. >Good thing you have a backup plan.
  5530. >You’ll just make them all wet themselves.
  5531. >Assuming they urinate…
  5532. >That’s pretty immature anyway.
  5533. >Good thing you’ve got a backup backup plan.
  5534. >You’re a bit unclear on the horse’s capabilities.
  5535. >You’re not convinced you can make a machine they can’t destroy.
  5536. >But that’s not a problem.
  5537. >They may be able to smash a hundred, or a thousand robots.
  5538. >But you’re not convinced they can smash a million.
  5539. >A small cylinder comes off its production line.
  5540. >The internal gyroscopes spin, forcing it upright.
  5541. >The prop in the heart of the machine spins up, pushing air through as your toy lifts off.
  5542. >It tilts slightly, moving toward its dock.
  5543. >A giant flatbed truck, with thousands of tiny hangers fitted into the side.
  5544. >Given enough of those, you should be set.
  5545. >Crude things, those…
  5546. >While you’re waiting, you should work on improving your tools.
  5547. >You take on the million mile stare as your consciousness shifts from reality to your databanks.
  5548. >You spend a long time debating between two similar designs.
  5549. >When you finally come back to reality, you’re very stiff.
  5550. >And night has fallen.
  5551. >All this thinking is taking too long.
  5552. >Maybe you should make a thinking machine?
  5553.  
  5554. “No. Nope. Nuh-uh.”
  5555.  
  5556. >Those are illegal for a reason.
  5557. >Still, you could use an assistant.
  5558. >For the umpteenth time, you wish you weren’t so alone here.
  5559. >You also wish you had some games loaded into your brain.
  5560. >You spend so much time waiting around these days.
  5561. >With dull, lazy movement you order your robots to start a new project.
  5562. >You’ll check in on it when they’re done.
  5563. >In the meantime, it’s time to launch your satellites.
  5564. >You’re sick of relying on ground recon.
  5565. >Time to map out the region.
  5566. >Time to map out the whole world!
  5567. >Your carriers launch their payloads.
  5568. “What the-”
  5569.  
  5570.  
  5571.  
  5572. >You are Shining Armor.
  5573. >You are watching Twilight’s second wave move in.
  5574. >It’s amazing how quickly she put it together.
  5575. >You’d lost faith in the power of alicorns…
  5576.  
  5577. “Sorry, Cady. Still love ya.”
  5578.  
  5579. >But you still believe in the power of your sister.
  5580. >Such an overwhelming attack just the other day, and she’s ready to go again.
  5581. >Nothing can stand up to this.
  5582. >It’s only a matter of time before you win this war.
  5583. >Suddenly a thick cloud of not birds fly out of some giant metal eggs.
  5584. >They swarm around Twilight’s bombs.
  5585. >In an instant, they all detonate harmlessly in the sky.
  5586.  
  5587. “Huh.”
  5588.  
  5589.  
  5590. >You’re Anon again.
  5591. >Looks like more of those missile balls had come in.
  5592. >Your carriers have you covered.
  5593. >Nothing to worry about.
  5594. >You would have liked to have recovered a few of them for study.
  5595. >But that’s okay.
  5596. >You plan on the horses seeing you as something of a god by the end.
  5597. >You should have no trouble getting chances to study their stuff then.
  5598. >Back to the task at hand, then.
  5599. >You zoom your eyes, focusing on the metal hatch in the distance.
  5600. >Without looking, you tap a few buttons on your arm terminal.
  5601. >The hatch slowly slides open, and a massive rocket rises from the depths.
  5602.  
  5603. “Five, four, Three.”
  5604.  
  5605. >You’re impatient.
  5606. >You launch.
  5607. >The giant penis shaped machine goes off prematurely.
  5608.  
  5609. “Hehehe.”
  5610.  
  5611. >Nobody’s here to judge you for your immaturity.
  5612. >Thankfully.
  5613. >You watch your rocket tear through the skies.
  5614. >It seems to be moving so slowly…
  5615. >But the terminal says three kilometers a second.
  5616.  
  5617. “This is boring.”
  5618.  
  5619. >Seriously.
  5620. >You’d heard tell that this kind of thing defined a generation one time.
  5621. >That the whole world watched with baited breath.
  5622. >It just doesn’t do anything for you.
  5623. >You just can’t help but think that the use of rockets like this is so… mundane.
  5624. >So crude.
  5625. >Like the patchwork replacement for a space elevator that it is.
  5626. >Probably more exciting when you haven’t seen it before.
  5627. >And when you’re not sure it will work.
  5628. >In a little while, when the rocket is out of sight, it will jettison thousands of photovoltaic panels, each with tiny thrusters to stabilize their orbit in their proper position.
  5629. >Each of those panels has a sensor array built in, which will relay data back down to you.
  5630. >Soon you’ll be able to see every spectrum.
  5631. >Soon you’ll be able to monitor minor gravity fluctuations.
  5632. >Nothing will escape your gaze.
  5633. >You KNOW all this to be true.
  5634. >There’s no tension in that regard.
  5635. >What DOES have you on edge is the question of what you will find.
  5636. >The secondary payload of your rocket, hundreds of tiny probes.
  5637. >Their mission? Hunt down and latch onto other satellites.
  5638. >You plan on using them to intercept or alter any communications.
  5639. >Or just blow up the other satellites. That works too.
  5640. >You didn’t launch as many of those as you would have liked…
  5641. >But your rocket was starting to get overburdened.
  5642. >It should be okay.
  5643. >The horses don’t seem to have that many satellites.
  5644. >You didn’t see any coming in, after all.
  5645. >All that’s left to do for now is wait.
  5646. >Damn you’re sick of waiting.
  5647.  
  5648.  
  5649.  
  5650. >You are Pinkie Pie.
  5651. >You’re not sure how Luna did it…
  5652. >But you’ve got access to ALL the salvage from the ruined camp.
  5653. >Except the stuff that couldn’t be moved, of course.
  5654. >And you’ve recently been told that ANOTHER shipment is coming!
  5655. >So here you sit, in the giant secret basement of a nondescript building back near Ponyville.
  5656. >Some of her ‘Top Ponies” are quartered just above, to make sure only you have access.
  5657. >You know full well they’ll come in and snoop around the moment you leave…
  5658. >But that’s fine.
  5659. >You can play the sneaky game too.
  5660. >You’ve made a couple of interesting discoveries.
  5661. >Some of the machines were mostly intact, and only took a little work to get running again.
  5662. >But most of the stuff here makes NO sense.
  5663. >The trap door by the entrance creaks open.
  5664.  
  5665. >”Heya, Pinks.”
  5666.  
  5667. “Rainbow Dash?”
  5668.  
  5669. >How did she find you?
  5670. >It’s not that big of a deal.
  5671. >You trust her.
  5672. >But still, how?
  5673.  
  5674. >”Yeah. Luna sent me. I think she wants me to spy on you or something.”
  5675.  
  5676. >Of course she does.
  5677. >Send somepony you trust to do her dirty work.
  5678.  
  5679. “You’re not doing a very good job with the whole spy thing.”
  5680.  
  5681. >”Hehe. Nope. Wow, it’s dim down here. And stuffy. And big! REALLY BIG!”
  5682.  
  5683. >She’s right.
  5684. >There’s no way you could maintain enough candles to light the whole place.
  5685. >You’d run out of air way too quickly!
  5686. >And the walls are just dirt, propped up with wooden reinforcement.
  5687. >The place could really use some decorating.
  5688. >But you don’t have time for that.
  5689. >You look back to Dash.
  5690. >She seems pretty antsy.
  5691. >Constantly moving, wings always twitching…
  5692. >You still trust her.
  5693. >She’s RAINBOW DASH.
  5694. >She’d never betray you.
  5695. >Especially not for worst princess.
  5696.  
  5697. “Well, you’re welcome to stay. I wouldn’t mind having some company.”
  5698.  
  5699. >”What is it you DO anyway?”
  5700.  
  5701. “I’m the royal mechanic! It’s my job to analyze and study all constructs of ape origin.”
  5702.  
  5703. >”Yeah, sure, but what is it you DO?”
  5704.  
  5705. “Oh. Sift through smashed, molten, and twisted metal, and play with broken machines.”
  5706.  
  5707. >”Oh. Uh… anything I can do to help?
  5708.  
  5709. >You think for a while.
  5710.  
  5711. “Here, come.”
  5712.  
  5713. >You beckon her forward.
  5714. >She quickly glances at the exit before moving.
  5715.  
  5716. “See this big thing with four wheel?”
  5717.  
  5718. >”How did you get it down here?”
  5719.  
  5720. “I didn’t, and before you ask, I don’t know who did. Anyway, the wheels are attached to this spinny thing in the middle here, which is attached to this BIG coil of wire.”
  5721.  
  5722. >”Right, so what does it do?”
  5723.  
  5724. >You climb into the (mostly) repaired machine.
  5725. >You turn a knob.
  5726. >It starts to move forward on its own.
  5727.  
  5728. “Wanna go for a ride?”
  5729.  
  5730. >”AWW YEAH!”
  5731.  
  5732. “Great. Then figure out how to get it out of here.”
  5733.  
  5734. >She visibly deflates.
  5735. >You turn it off and get back to work.
  5736.  
  5737.  
  5738. >You are Twilight.
  5739. >It didn’t work.
  5740. >IT DIDN’T WORK!
  5741.  
  5742. “What do we do? What DO WE DO?”
  5743.  
  5744. >”Calm down, Twily. Yeesh. You can come up with something different.”
  5745.  
  5746. “But what if I CAN’T Shiney?”
  5747.  
  5748. “This is terrible! It wasn’t supposed to be able to stop ALL of them! How many do I need to send at once? If I send too many, they’ll blow each other up! ButIneedtosendmorebeca-”
  5749.  
  5750. >”Snap out of it, Twi. Yeesh. Maybe more of the same isn’t the answer.”
  5751.  
  5752. “But then what?”
  5753.  
  5754. >”Well, you asked me to teach you how to fight. Maybe it’s time to get started on that.”
  5755.  
  5756. >You brighten up.
  5757. >You’re READY.
  5758.  
  5759. “What first? Practicing a new spell? Different attack patterns? The right way to kick?”
  5760.  
  5761. >”I figured we’d play more to your strengths. Hold on.”
  5762.  
  5763. >He leaves.
  5764. >You’re not sure what he’s doing.
  5765. >Is it going to be a practical lesson?
  5766. >Oh gosh, is he bringing a sparring partner?
  5767. >He comes back with a stack of books.
  5768. >He drops them in front of you.
  5769.  
  5770. >”Memorise them.”
  5771.  
  5772. “Seriously?”
  5773.  
  5774. >”Seriously.”
  5775.  
  5776. “Look, Shiney, I’m probably the first pony to advocate reading. But is this really how you learn to fight? Isn’t the winner of a fight the one who kicks the hardest and dodges the best?”
  5777.  
  5778. >He shakes his head.
  5779. >He looks almost disappointed.
  5780.  
  5781. >”Twily, did you really think that was what I studied all those years? No. That’s how you win a brawl. You win a fight by preparing and planning. You win a fight BEFORE the first kick flies.”
  5782.  
  5783. >That comes as a bit of a surprise.
  5784. >You’d been in a lot of fights before.
  5785. >But you’d always rushed in blind.
  5786. >You weren’t sure you’d find the elements, the changelings had caught you off guard, your entire strategy with Tirek was to blast him…
  5787. >Have you been doing it wrong all along?
  5788. >You crack the first book open.
  5789.  
  5790. “Chapter one. Laying plans?”
  5791.  
  5792. >”You win by seizing every opportunity available while providing your opponent none. Make sure you can’t be stopped before they even know you’re coming. NEVER enter a fair fight.”
  5793.  
  5794. “Cheat harder?”
  5795.  
  5796. >”Cheat hardest.”
  5797.  
  5798. “Huh… Do we really have time for this? Like, for me to learn?”
  5799.  
  5800. >”Not really. We need to keep constant pressure on it, so if you think of anything while reading, come to me immediately. But don’t worry too much, I think I can buy us some time.”
  5801.  
  5802.  
  5803.  
  5804. >You are Anonymous.
  5805. >It’s the next day.
  5806. >You love having satellite footage.
  5807. >There’s just so much to SEE.
  5808. >You’ve found yourself a vibrant, lively world.
  5809. >You could spend years just looking at all the cities, looking at all the different species that have made themselves homes.
  5810. >Humanity won the struggle for dominance of earth before any other species could really keep up.
  5811. >But here, there are several sapient species scattered about.
  5812. >If nothing else, this world is worth preserving just to study that.
  5813. >That has to wait, though.
  5814. >You still need to ‘fight’.
  5815. >Thanks to your satellites, you get a great view of your retaliation.
  5816. >You really should have done this sooner.
  5817. >But then you wouldn’t have got to fight a lava monster…
  5818. >Your carriers are on point, approaching the camp.
  5819. >Your satellite feed reveals a bunch of horses atop the clouds, scrambling about.
  5820. >You’d noticed those earlier when checking the continent out.
  5821. >You’ll have to keep a close eye on any clouds that approach you.
  5822. >The flatbed trucks launch their tens of thousands of robots.
  5823. >Not quite the millions you wanted, but you got impatient.
  5824. >The first wave gets caught in the colourful fire.
  5825. >They explode moments later.
  5826. >But it’s far too slow.
  5827. >Nearly every robot is through before the second round of explosions.
  5828. >Pairs if machines clamp themselves to the wooden buildings.
  5829. >The saws built into their bottoms spin up, slicing through the planks.
  5830. >Instead of falling, the planks get hoisted up as your bots fly away, back to the trucks.
  5831. >Before long, your trucks are starting to be loaded down with neatly stacked lumber piles.
  5832. >Your bots dock, have their mostly full fuel cells replaced, and launch again.
  5833. >Horses are running everywhere, the horned ones keep glaring at your robots, the winged ones fly into them and try to take them down.
  5834. >Try.
  5835. >Some succeed and wrestle the occasional bot to the ground…
  5836. >But most just get dragged around as they struggle fruitlessly.
  5837. >Eventually, all the horses are either cowering or running.
  5838. >In minutes, your trucks are rolling away, with an entire enemy camp loaded aboard.
  5839. >You’re trying to keep track of the horses.
  5840. >But it’s proving difficult.
  5841. >You’re way too busy laughing.
  5842.  
  5843.  
  5844. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  5845. >You are blasting invaders left and right.
  5846. >There’s just too many!
  5847. >This is it.
  5848. >This is how it all ends.
  5849. >You tried.
  5850. >You really did.
  5851. >But you failed everypony.
  5852. >Your family, your friends, your mentor…
  5853. >You take down another.
  5854. >And another.
  5855. >Maybe if you hold out long enough, some ponies can escape.
  5856. >You put all other thoughts of of your head and keep attacking.
  5857. >Before you know it, you’re out of targets.
  5858. >And buildings.
  5859.  
  5860. “What just happened?”
  5861.  
  5862. >”The enemy appears to have withdrawn, ma’am!”
  5863.  
  5864. >You don’t recognise the earth pony who answered you.
  5865. >Hopefully they’re the right one to command.
  5866.  
  5867. “Alright! Gather and tend to the wounded! I want a full casualty report pronto!”
  5868.  
  5869. >The pony just looks around.
  5870. >You follow suit.
  5871. >Ponies are milling around in confusion, talking to each other.
  5872. >There isn’t a plank in sight.
  5873. >All the furniture is gone.
  5874. >EVERYTHING made of wood is gone.
  5875.  
  5876. >”Uhh. Zero? I’m counting zero casualties.”
  5877.  
  5878. >What’s going on?
  5879.  
  5880.  
  5881. >You are Anon.
  5882. >You nod with approval.
  5883. >Your bots are doing a great job digging that tunnel.
  5884. >You got sick of having to defend all your stuff, so you decided to just bury some of it.
  5885. >But ditch diggers aren’t that interesting.
  5886. >The piperunner is doing a fantastic job.
  5887. >A ring shaped robot which prints out pipelines, crawling forward on its own work.
  5888. >They’re usually just used for maintenance and repair.
  5889. >But you’re pretty sure that’s just because all the pipelines have already been built.
  5890. >It spins rapidly as the twin printers work toward solving your energy problem.
  5891. >How?
  5892. >Seawater.
  5893. >Tons of alkalis for batteries.
  5894. >Even if it’s just sodium, it’ll do.
  5895. >And more importantly, deuterium.
  5896. >Oh how you’ve missed power generation.
  5897. >Combustion doesn’t count.
  5898. >Of course, that all assumes the ocean your satellites showed you is anything like Earth’s…
  5899. >That is to say, Earth’s oceans BEFORE they were mined out.
  5900. >It’s a bit of a hike, but construction is going at a great pace.
  5901. >Even if the robots have to resupply the piperunner annoyingly often.
  5902. >Should be done in… a couple days? Maybe?
  5903. >Not bad.
  5904. >Unlike the OTHER thing.
  5905. >The machine moves at a lethargic pace.
  5906. >A large, clumsy rig bristling with armatures, torches, electrodes, blades…
  5907. >It’s your latest creation.
  5908. >Ugly, noisy, worthless.
  5909. >A huge resource sink.
  5910. >And some day, it might not totally disappoint you.
  5911. >Is this what it’s like being a parent?
  5912. >It slowly, carefully carves out a new gearbox.
  5913. >One that matches one of its existing pieces almost perfectly.
  5914. >Almost.
  5915. >Its tolerances a tiny bit finer.
  5916. >Its margin of error a little bit less.
  5917. >The machine plucks its own gearbox, and one of the arms grinds to a halt.
  5918. >The new one is slotted in, and the arm goes through a quick test phase.
  5919. >The old part is casually thrown into the growing refuse heap.
  5920. >The machine starts to pour a new optical lense…
  5921. >It’s slow now.
  5922. >It’ll only get slower.
  5923. >This machine is designed for precision, not speed.
  5924. >It has to be precise.
  5925. >Your end goal is to manipulate individual molecules, after all.
  5926. >The last few steps will be excruciating.
  5927. >Going from two molecule precision down to one is a big step.
  5928. >You’re expecting a lot of rejected parts near the end.
  5929. >It’s easy to make something as refined as your existing tools.
  5930. >Making something MORE refined than your tools is dicey.
  5931. >And annoying.
  5932. >But when it’s done, FINALLY, you’ll have a molecular assembly.
  5933. >How long will it take?
  5934. >You honestly have no clue.
  5935. >Days? Weeks?
  5936. >It all depends on how many rejects there are.
  5937. >So you’ve got to (ugh) wait.
  5938. >Meaning you have some time to kill.
  5939. >You need some way to pass time...
  5940. >Well, you’ve got wood.
  5941. >A big pile of it, actually.
  5942. >All plundered from the horse’s camp.
  5943. >Hmm.
  5944. >Mama didn’t raise no thief.
  5945. >You’d best give it back to them.
  5946. >Tastefully arranged, of course.
  5947.  
  5948.  
  5949. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  5950. >You are in a state of panic.
  5951.  
  5952. “You can’t leave, Shiney! We need you!”
  5953.  
  5954. >”Twi, just look around you. That wasn’t an attack, it was an insult! We threw everything we had at the ape, we went WAY too far, and it still doesn’t take us seriously. We can’t beat it.”
  5955.  
  5956. “So we just give up? We just roll over and DIE?”
  5957.  
  5958. >”Seems to me that if it wanted to kill us, it would have. If those saws had latched on to ponies instead of buildings… Besides. I’m not giving up, I’m moving. There’s two navigable passes through the Macintosh mountains. I’m going to fortify there to protect the mainland. I’m going to DEFEND on the off chance there actually is a problem. I’m not attacking an innocent being.”
  5959.  
  5960. >”Innocent? Apes are monstrous and vile creatures, young prince. The horrors they wrought are more than fresh in my mind.”
  5961.  
  5962. >Thank you, Princess Celestia.
  5963. >You can talk some sense into him!
  5964.  
  5965. >”Look. Even IF I thought we stood a chance, why should I think it’s evil? What has the ape done? List its crimes.”
  5966.  
  5967. “It kicked Fluttershy!”
  5968.  
  5969. >”Great, that’s one. Didn’t she kick it, too? Didn’t YOU kick it? Should you be put to death too, Twilight? THAT’S RIGHT, SOLDIERS. PACK IT IN. WE’RE PULLING OUT!”
  5970.  
  5971. “It blew holes in the princesses!”
  5972.  
  5973. >”Who were charging it. With an army in tow.”
  5974.  
  5975. “But… but it threw a bunch of bombs at us!”
  5976.  
  5977. >”Yeah. Like, twelve? We threw several thousand at it. Look, Twily. I hate to say it, but I think we’re the bad guys here. It seems like it would have had no trouble wiping us out if it wanted, but it didn’t. Why are we trying to kill it?”
  5978.  
  5979. >”You weren’t there, young prince. You cannot comprehend how evil those things are.”
  5980.  
  5981. >”THEN WHY DOES IT SEEM SO MERCIFUL, LUNA?”
  5982.  
  5983. >Wow.
  5984. >He’s getting angry.
  5985. >Like, REALLY angry.
  5986.  
  5987. >”WHY DID IT SPARE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WHEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR EASIER TO WIPE US OUT?”
  5988.  
  5989. >”It’s a trick. I don’t know what its goal is, but I’ve no doubt that it is a trap of some sort. They are evil masters of manipulation and deceit. You can never trust anything an ape says or does.”
  5990.  
  5991. >”Is that so, Celestia? Then the two of you should get along wonderfully, you’ve so much in common!”
  5992.  
  5993. >WHAT?
  5994.  
  5995. >”DID YOU JUST CALL ME EVIL?”
  5996.  
  5997. >”DID YOU JUST CALL MY SISTER MANIPULATIVE?”
  5998.  
  5999. >”DID YOU JUST CALL THE PRINCESS A LIAR?”
  6000.  
  6001. >”Yes, yes, and VERY yes.”
  6002.  
  6003. >”SHINING ARMOR OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE. YOUR NATION RELIES ON MY GOOD GRACES TO THRIVE. DO YOU CARE SO LITTLE FOR THEIR WELLBEING?”
  6004.  
  6005. >”Celestia of Equestria. Are you really so petty and vindictive you’d punish a whole nation for the actions of one stallion?”
  6006.  
  6007. >He turns to face you directly.
  6008. >He walks in close.
  6009. >He puts a hoof on your shoulder.
  6010.  
  6011. >”Twily, I need you to know something. I don’t blame you. You’re doing what you think is necessary. You still trust Celestia for some reason, even though she’s a dark magic user, even though she seems to have a long history of deception. Maybe it’s all the time you spent with her as her student, I don’t know. Whatever you do, no matter how wrong I think it is, if you honestly believe it is for the best… I will still love you. I’m not leaving because of you, I’m leaving because of them.”
  6012.  
  6013. >He starts marching away with all the crystal ponies in tow.
  6014. >Soon, a huge chunk of your force will be gone…
  6015. >He stops and turns around.
  6016.  
  6017. >“Remember, we’re fortifying the passes! If you need to retreat, you should be safe there!”
  6018.  
  6019. >And then he just… leaves.
  6020. >He actually did it.
  6021.  
  6022. “Well… how do we proceed? We need this location. It’s obscured by the hills, protecting us from direct attacks, while also being close enough to the enemy for us to strike.”
  6023.  
  6024. >”It’s simple, Twilight. We rebuild the whole thing exactly as it was. We need to show that we are undaunted!”
  6025.  
  6026. >That seems like a bad idea…
  6027. >But Princess Celestia knows best.
  6028.  
  6029. “Alright. Well, we’ll need timber-”
  6030.  
  6031. >A trumpet fanfare sounds out.
  6032. >You turn your head to find a giant, thirty meter tall statue on wheels crawling toward you camp.
  6033. >It looks like the ape, giving a big goofy grin and sticking one of its digits straight up in the air.
  6034. http://www.falloutfacts.com/other/meaning-of-vault-boy-thumbs-up.jpg
  6035. >And it’s made out of wood.
  6036.  
  6037. “Well, that’s convenient.”
  6038.  
  6039.  
  6040. >You are Anonymous.
  6041. >They are tearing your gift apart.
  6042. >That hurts.
  6043. >What was the issue?
  6044. >Did they not like the material?
  6045. >Not enough thumbs?
  6046. >Maybe both.
  6047. >You’ll make them another.
  6048. >Made of steel this time.
  6049. >You’ve got tons of the stuff now.
  6050. >You’d been thinking of making a castle out of it.
  6051.  
  6052.  
  6053. >You are Twilight.
  6054. >It’s a few hours later.
  6055. >Another fanfare.
  6056. >Another statue.
  6057. >This time made out of metal.
  6058. >This time with two digits up, and an even dopier face.
  6059. https://derpiboo.ru/980222?scope=scpe6071c825ae057a767f89be0e7b5a71a43b36b688
  6060.  
  6061. “This is really creeping me out.”
  6062.  
  6063. >Princess Celestia blasts it, and it slowly starts to melt.
  6064.  
  6065.  
  6066. >You are Anon yet again.
  6067. >They broke it AGAIN.
  6068. >Maybe they’re just careless?
  6069. >You’ll have to send them something a little more durable.
  6070. >Like carbon
  6071. >This will take a lot of energy…
  6072. >But it’s not like you’re subject to energy rationing out here.
  6073. >Fine, might as well make them another gift.
  6074.  
  6075.  
  6076. >You are Twilight again.
  6077. >Another trumpet fanfare.
  6078. >That just keeps going.
  6079. >And going.
  6080. >It doesn’t sound like it’s going to stop.
  6081. >This time, the giant statue is a glossy black.
  6082. >And it seems to have diamonds for eyes and teeth?
  6083. >It’s pointing one digit at you and raising another.
  6084. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/93/Buddy_christ.jpg
  6085. >The fanfare is still going.
  6086.  
  6087. “Seriously, this is REALLY creeping me out.”
  6088.  
  6089. >Princess Celestia blasts it.
  6090. >Princess Luna blasts it.
  6091. >Nothing.
  6092. >You draw as much magic as you can, and blast it.
  6093. >It rocks gently, eventually stabilizing back on its feet.
  6094. >You’re spent.
  6095. >So are they.
  6096. >The horns are still blaring.
  6097.  
  6098. “Maybe we should join up with Shiney…”
  6099.  
  6100.  
  6101. >You are Anon.
  6102. >You’re pretty damn surprised.
  6103. >You really should have noticed with the first statue....
  6104. >But they used that colourful fire pretty heavily.
  6105. >And their horns were glowing the same colours.
  6106. >AND you didn’t see any machinery.
  6107. >Seriously. There’s nowhere for them to hide anything down there.
  6108. >And now you can’t find ANY satellites.
  6109. >The more you look around this world, the more primitive it seems.
  6110. >Almost no signs of electrical generation, their vehicles are steam powered at best…
  6111. >Yet you occasionally see things that suggest a decently advanced planet.
  6112. >Things like lava monsters.
  6113. >And some civilians seem to have access to personal nanite swarms.
  6114. >Only the horses, you’d noticed.
  6115. >And only the horned ones at that.
  6116. >Perhaps the horned ones are considered superior and get first access to the newest tech?
  6117. >You’re grasping at straws.
  6118. >But it makes way more sense than the alternative.
  6119. >This warrants further study.
  6120.  
  6121.  
  6122. >You are anonymous.
  6123. >You are pleased.
  6124. >And disappointed.
  6125. >Turns out you CAN be both.
  6126. >The horses are leaving.
  6127. >Looks like your fun is over for the time being.
  6128. >But on the other hand, at least they’ll be leaving you alone.
  6129. >Probably.
  6130. >Maybe.
  6131. >You’d grown rather fond of screwing with them, in a rather short time.
  6132. >And despite the crudeness of your equipment out here, you like having all these resources at your disposal.
  6133. >There’s just so many people to share with back around Sol, you’d never just be able to casually make a giant statue of yourself as a goof.
  6134. >And the energy!
  6135. >Yeah, you’re working with obsolete power sources.
  6136. >But already you’ve got way more than rationing would ever allow.
  6137. >And an entire untapped star…
  6138. >You were planning on retiring to Mars after all this.
  6139. >But the idea of living in the borderlands is growing on you.
  6140. >That’s a concern for later, though.
  6141. >The matter synthesis you’ll need to do to get home is still a bit of a ways away.
  6142. >The negative matter alone was half the cost of the whole mission.
  6143. >That stuff is so weird…
  6144. >Negative mass is easy to figure mathematically.
  6145. >But it violates everything your instincts tell you.
  6146. >You’ll have to make tons of that stuff.
  6147. >Err, anti-tons.
  6148. >You’re going to need more power.
  6149. >You look to the sky...
  6150.  
  6151.  
  6152. >You are Celestia.
  6153. >You are NOT happy.
  6154. >You wanted, no, NEEDED to kill the ape before it got established.
  6155. >Looks like it’s too late.
  6156. >There’s going to be a slaughter…
  6157. >You should have pressed the attack back when it only had one cannon.
  6158. >You would have lost a lot of good ponies in the attack.
  6159. >But it would have been over.
  6160. >And you would have avoided the dark days to come.
  6161. >A princess must first concern herself with the wellbeing of the state.
  6162. >And second with the wellbeing of the individual.
  6163. >You failed.
  6164. >And in seeking victory, you’d harmed your enemy exactly the wrong amount.
  6165. >Your foes ought to either be well treated or crushed.
  6166. >If treated well, they’ll have no reason to seek revenge.
  6167. >If crushed, they will be unable to seek revenge.
  6168. >But now…
  6169. >And to make matters worse, you’d argued against the prince.
  6170. >You’d threatened him.
  6171. >And now you are being forced to admit he was right.
  6172. >It really is the least of your concerns, but you are still angry about it.
  6173. >That bastard is going to pay!
  6174. >He should never have crossed you.
  6175. >You’re-
  6176.  
  6177. >”Deep breaths. Calm yourself. This isn’t you.”
  6178.  
  6179. >You quickly snap your head to the source of the voice.
  6180.  
  6181. “Luna?”
  6182.  
  6183. >That isn’t you?
  6184. >Who else would it be?
  6185.  
  6186. “What do you mean?”
  6187.  
  6188. >”Your motions are too quick and sudden, your eyes are narrowed, your nostrils keep flaring, you’ve got quite an impressive scowl… You’re angry. You should be concerned.”
  6189.  
  6190. “Can’t I be both?”
  6191.  
  6192. >”You can. Would you have been? Before?”
  6193.  
  6194. “Before what?”
  6195.  
  6196. >You know what she’s talking about.
  6197. >She seems to know you know.
  6198. >She’s not answering, after all.
  6199. >You continue to withdraw from your former outpost.
  6200. >A serious blow to your ego.
  6201. >You’ve officially conceded territory to an invader.
  6202. >You are no longer the unconquered sun.
  6203. >If that IDIOT hadn’t-
  6204.  
  6205. >”Shining Armor is not to blame.”
  6206.  
  6207. “Stop doing that.”
  6208.  
  6209. >You know she’s not a mind reader.
  6210. >She just knows you well.
  6211. >She can’t peer into your thoughts.
  6212. >While you’re awake, at least.
  6213. >Wait a second.
  6214.  
  6215. “Why haven’t you been tormenting the ape in its dreams? Wouldn’t it help if it were sleep deprived?”
  6216.  
  6217. >She shudders visibly.
  6218.  
  6219. >”I’ve tried. Its dreams don’t make any sense! One instant it’s falling, the next it’s standing in front of a faceless crowd, completely nude, and then? And then it’s running while late for something! Every now and then its teeth will just fall out, and the dreams always just end without any real resolution. I honestly have no idea how it sleeps at all like that.”
  6220.  
  6221. >That’s unexpected.
  6222. >The other apes weren’t like that.
  6223.  
  6224. >”I’ve tried to frighten it anyway. More often than not, by the time I’ve figured out what’s going on, the dream has totally changed. And even when I do manage to intervene, it barely cares! No, that thing’s dreams make about as much sense as Discord’s. We’ll find no advantage there.”
  6225.  
  6226. >Comparing it to Discord?
  6227. >Could that ape possibly have gone mad?
  6228. >That could explain the last few days.
  6229.  
  6230.  
  6231. >You are Pinkie Pie.
  6232. >You didn’t think she could do it.
  6233. >But Rainbow Dash actually found a way.
  6234.  
  6235. “Aww yeah!”
  6236.  
  6237. >You’d been planning on taking the roof off so the wind could blow through your mane.
  6238. >But then you’d found the magic dial.
  6239. >You can control how warm it is in the cart!
  6240. >You’re going to love this thing next scheduled cold snap.
  6241.  
  6242. “Say, Dash. Why do they schedule really cold weather anyway?”
  6243.  
  6244. >”Pest control.”
  6245.  
  6246. >She sounds annoyed.
  6247.  
  6248. >”Freezes the eggs of some of the more troublesome insects.”
  6249.  
  6250. “Dash… what’s wrong?”
  6251.  
  6252. >She sighs.
  6253.  
  6254. >”Lots of things. When Luna said I could help with the war effort, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
  6255.  
  6256. >You know what will help.
  6257. >You drive into town.
  6258. >You go down the busy streets.
  6259. >Ponies scream in panic, diving out of the way.
  6260.  
  6261. >”The horror! THE HORROR!”
  6262.  
  6263. >You plow through a fruit stand.
  6264. >Applejack looks angry about that…
  6265. >But for some reason, using this cart to smash a fruit stand just felt so right.
  6266. >If only there were a stack of cardboard boxes nearby...
  6267. >You pull up to Sugarcube Corner.
  6268.  
  6269. “Let’s see, where’s the drive through…”
  6270.  
  6271. >”Pinkie Pie? What is that? What’s going on? When did you get back to town?”
  6272.  
  6273. “Oh, heya Mr. Cake! Dashie here needs COOKIES!”
  6274.  
  6275. >He seems confused.
  6276. >You’re not sure why.
  6277. >That seemed pretty straightforward.
  6278. >He eventually goes back in.
  6279. >Hopefully to get cookies.
  6280.  
  6281. >”I don’t need cookies.”
  6282.  
  6283. “You don’t want cookies? What’s wrong with cookies?”
  6284.  
  6285. >”Nothing! It’s just… this is so BORING! What happened to you, Pinkie? You used to be fun.”
  6286.  
  6287. >Used to?
  6288. >Pinkie Pie is ALL about fun!
  6289. >Though, you have been working pretty hard.
  6290. >And you HAVE been a bit of a task mistress to Dash.
  6291.  
  6292. “What about this? This is fun.”
  6293.  
  6294. >”What, going slower than I normally do?”
  6295.  
  6296. “Oh. Right. Maaaybe not so fun for you. How about we set up some jumps for this thing?”
  6297.  
  6298. >”Jumps?”
  6299.  
  6300. >One hour later.
  6301.  
  6302. “That’s right. Turn the knob all the way, and turn this wheel to direct the cart. Mm. Want another cookie?”
  6303.  
  6304. >”Heck yeah I want another cookie! Ugh. Wow, this wheel is- wait, it’s getting easier.”
  6305.  
  6306. “Yeah, it can be a bit tough to turn when you’re not moving yet. There’s gotta be a way to solve that, but the ape is super strong so it probably didn’t care.”
  6307.  
  6308. >You’re approaching the ramp.
  6309. >You’re speeding up.
  6310. >You fly over the creek, landing hard on the other side.
  6311.  
  6312. >”Woo -ugh- hoo! AGAIN AGAIN LET’S GO AGAIN!”
  6313.  
  6314. >She pulls away a bit.
  6315. >She turns around.
  6316. >And goes flying over the creek again.
  6317.  
  6318. >”Another! Another!”
  6319.  
  6320. >It’s starting to move a little sluggishly.
  6321.  
  6322. “Maaaybe not a good idea. We’d better go refill this thing first.”
  6323.  
  6324. >”You mean with that lightning generator? The thing you keep saying is key to all this?”
  6325.  
  6326. >She turns back toward your lab.
  6327. >You’re bouncing around pretty hard.
  6328. >Maybe you should adjust the springs on the frame a bit.
  6329.  
  6330. >”Why aren’t you studying that thing instead if it’s so important?”
  6331.  
  6332. “The stickers. I don’t know what most of them mean, but the ape skull is pretty clear.”
  6333.  
  6334. >”Good point.”
  6335.  
  6336. “Look, Dash, I’m sorry. You’re supposed to be my friend first, and my assistant second. It’s just that this is important to me.”
  6337.  
  6338. >”Hey, it’s okay Pinks. I don’t really get it, but I know this is important.”
  6339.  
  6340. “It is. Sorry it’s so boring. Although… I DO have a job you might enjoy.”
  6341.  
  6342. >A few hours later…
  6343.  
  6344. >“So… I just push this button?”
  6345.  
  6346. “Yuh huh! Just make sure you stand behind the yellow line, and DON’T TOUCH the big wires.”
  6347.  
  6348. >You stand outside of your underground lab.
  6349. >Luna’s guards have assured you that they will keep any civilians well away.
  6350. >You’re in the middle of the woods, so it shouldn’t prove too hard.
  6351. >The lightning generator is connected to one of the cannons by a long, heavily insulated wire.
  6352. >It’s probably safe to touch…
  6353. >But you’re not sure how much lightning goes through that thing.
  6354. >Yes, a cannon.
  6355. >You’d said you weren’t going to make weapons.
  6356. >And that’s still true.
  6357. >But that doesn’t mean you won’t study them.
  6358. >Find their limits.
  6359. >Find their weaknesses.
  6360. >Find a way to stop them.
  6361. >THAT you’re willing to do.
  6362. >It had been hard to cobble one together.
  6363. >They’d been pretty thoroughly destroyed.
  6364. >But between the wreckage of the two camps, you’d managed to get the parts make ONE..
  6365. >Just one.
  6366. >Time to see what it can do.
  6367. >Dash shrugs before stepping on the button you’d hooked up.
  6368. >A huge blast rings out.
  6369. >The concrete block you’d set up down range explodes violently.
  6370. >Dash quickly flies backwards, shocked by the sudden noise.
  6371. >Your jaw hits the dirt as bits of concrete go flying.
  6372. >You hadn’t planned on replacing that block…
  6373.  
  6374. >”AGAIN! AGAIN!”
  6375.  
  6376.  
  6377.  
  6378. >You are Anonymous.
  6379. >You have THE POWER!
  6380. >It’s still a bit crude.
  6381. >But it gets results.
  6382. >You’ve got materials.
  6383. >You’ve got energy.
  6384. >You’ve got an obsolete workforce.
  6385. >But you’re not in a huge rush to replace it.
  6386. >It’ll just be obsolete again in a week.
  6387. >Assuming you’ve got no nasty surprises.
  6388.  
  6389. >”BWAAHAHAHAHA”
  6390.  
  6391. >You recognize that laugh.
  6392. >That’s strange…
  6393. >None of your guns are firing.
  6394. >You don’t see it.
  6395. >Thermals aren’t picking anything up.
  6396. >Radar isn’t seeing anything.
  6397. >Somehow, that THING isn’t interacting with the EM spectrum at all.
  6398. >Could you have found a living being made of dark matter?
  6399. >This place just keeps getting weirder.
  6400. >Whatever the case, it’s intruding in your base.
  6401. >There’s a limit to your mercy.
  6402. >That thing is going to die.
  6403. >Right as soon as you find it.
  6404. >Thankfully, it still has mass.
  6405. >Your satellites are picking it up with their gravimeters.
  6406. >It’s moving toward you mighty fast.
  6407. >It explodes violently moments after you launch a grenade.
  6408.  
  6409. >”Bwuh?”
  6410.  
  6411. >No motion detected.
  6412. >So, as you were saying.
  6413. >Assuming no nasty surprises, your workforce will be obsolete soon.
  6414. >You’re skipping ion batteries.
  6415. >You’re going to antimatter batteries.
  6416. >They’re pretty simple things.
  6417. >Still, there are three problems with them.
  6418. >Generating the antimatter.
  6419. >Safely containing it.
  6420. >And converting the broad spectrum radiation into a useable form.
  6421. >Your molecular assembly, when online, will solve the last two.
  6422. >The first one doesn’t require anything so delicate.
  6423. >Just a particle accelerator, and you’re set.
  6424. >A particle accelerator, and a hell of a lot of energy.
  6425. >There’s a reason they aren’t available on the consumer level back around Sol.
  6426. >And that reason isn’t complexity.
  6427. >You might need to build another fusion reactor devoted just to this.
  6428. >But you’re already drinking down the deuterium as fast as you can pipe it in.
  6429. >You really should have isolated the deuterium on the other side instead of piping all this water here.
  6430. >You can be pretty stupid at times.
  6431. >You’ll build the accelerator, but you can’t really run it right now.
  6432. >Which means you need to find something else to use your energy on.
  6433. >Space elevator or combat vehicle?
  6434. >The practical, USEFUL option or the fun option?
  6435. >You spend about a twentieth of a second deciding.
  6436.  
  6437. >A few days later.
  6438.  
  6439. >The mk2 is a large, sphere of layered steel and carbon.
  6440. >It’s nearly 200 meters in diameter.
  6441. >Eight long legs keep it aloft, quickly levitating along the landscape as the electrostatic coils hum.
  6442. >You should be functional with just three, so long as they aren’t all on the same side.
  6443. >There are thick insulating layers near the heart, just in case of an electric attack.
  6444. >Diode cables run from the fusion core, allowing massive amounts of electricity to flow out, without allowing any back in.
  6445. >The cables lead to thousands of designated hardpoints, allowing you to equip or swap out any weapons you may wish.
  6446. >Right now, You’ve got a few thousands rapid fire coilguns on each side, with heavier particle cannons attached near the top.
  6447. >You also have a host of point defence lasers, mostly around the legs.
  6448. >You’ve not seen much reason to have them, but you never know.
  6449. >The bottom of the sphere splits open, and an elevator gently lowers to the ground.
  6450. >You climb in and rise to the cockpit.
  6451. >A smaller sphere, floating in a cavity in the core of the vehicle.
  6452. >Heavy hydraulic rams can move you around, compensating for the vehicle’s acceleration.
  6453. >Which is good, because you’d definitely blackout otherwise.
  6454. >You put on the visor.
  6455. >You see the outside world seamlessly through the cameras littered about the thing.
  6456. >Everything’s been tested except the most exciting part.
  6457. >You’d LOVE to test the weapons on this thing.
  6458. >But you don’t see any good targets.
  6459. >That’s a shame.
  6460. >Maybe you’ll go show it off to the horses?
  6461. >You’re sure they’ll love it.
  6462.  
  6463.  
  6464. >You are Luna.
  6465. >You are worried.
  6466. >It was too soon to bring your sister out into the open.
  6467. >She was still suffering when you pampered her.
  6468. >And now she’s being made to walk.
  6469. >You’d offered to carry her but she said it would make the others worry.
  6470. >It’d be bad for morale, which is already quite low.
  6471. >You arrive at the primary pass.
  6472. >There are crystal ponies milling about, but little in the way of fortifications.
  6473. >Which is to be expected.
  6474. >He didn’t leave that long before you.
  6475. >Even at the easiest pass, it’s a long way to the top.
  6476. >And a narrow passage when you get there.
  6477. >You’ll be hard to approach from up there.
  6478.  
  6479. “What do you think of this location, Twilight?”
  6480.  
  6481. >”High ground means the enemy will tire themselves while charging. The narrow passages mitigate the effect of numerical superiority, which will be advantageous if the ape’s army keeps growing. We’re a lot closer to friendly territory which will simplify and secure our supply lines, making this campaign cheaper. I’m not sure what else to say.”
  6482.  
  6483. >”Pretty good, Twily. The enemy forces will have to march further to lay siege, and we should be able to hide archers around the peaks, permitting us to lay down heavy fire without significant risk of return fire. Unless that thing can fly, it’ll have to go through us. I’ve got work crews filling in the other pass, so we can focus entirely on one location.”
  6484.  
  6485. >”Armor.”
  6486.  
  6487. >”Celestia.”
  6488.  
  6489. >The tension is palpable.
  6490. >You’re not sure you’ll be able to keep them away from each other’s throats.
  6491.  
  6492. >”We don’t have any shelter set up yet, so if you’re staying you’re roughing it. And we have no sweets.”
  6493.  
  6494. >You’re all doomed.
  6495. >You hear a rumbling in the distance.
  6496. >A massive metal spider floats in from over the horizon.
  6497. >And it keeps getting bigger…
  6498. >Its legs aren’t moving.
  6499. >It’s just gliding.
  6500. >One leg edges up against the base of the slope.
  6501. >And the entire thing starts to spin.
  6502. >Celestia springs to action and starts trying to melt it.
  6503. >The surface starts to slowly melt off.
  6504. >But underneath is that same shiney black stuff from before.
  6505. >It spins a few more times before gliding away impossibly fast.
  6506.  
  6507. “What just happened?
  6508.  
  6509.  
  6510. >You are Anonymous.
  6511. >You can be so forgetful at times.
  6512. >Honestly, forgetting to bring the statue?
  6513. >It’s the perfect housewarming gift!
  6514. >And their new camp seemed so under furnished.
  6515. >It only takes you about 15 minutes to get to their old camp.
  6516. >Earth minutes, that is.
  6517. >You don’t track local time beyond days.
  6518. >You arrive to find the statue exactly where they left it, exactly as they left it.
  6519. >No great surprise there.
  6520. >A few seconds with your terminal is all it takes, and the wheels hidden within slide out.
  6521. >It starts rolling away, leaving you to your devices.
  6522.  
  6523. “Hrmm.”
  6524.  
  6525. >Looks like there’s a fair bit of stuff here they couldn’t carry back with them.
  6526. >You almost open the cockpit and climb out.
  6527. >But that would be stupid.
  6528. >You’ll send your bots in to check it out.
  6529.  
  6530. >Half an hour later.
  6531.  
  6532. “Maybe I should replace my bots sooner than later. Walkers are painfully slow.”
  6533.  
  6534. >But that sounds like a nuisance.
  6535. >Doesn’t matter at this exact moment anyway.
  6536. >They’ve arrived.
  6537. >A few have already found pit traps, so you made the right call.
  6538. >They didn’t fall in of course.
  6539. >Your robots aren’t nearly clumsy enough for that.
  6540. >You devote a few bots to finding them and filling them in.
  6541. >Just incase you want to move in later.
  6542. >What they left behind is interesting.
  6543. >There’s almost no metal here.
  6544. >You’re finding SOME, but not as much as you’d expect.
  6545. >A good chunk of it is nails.
  6546. >Nails that are highly inconsistent in length and diameter.
  6547. >Are they hand, err, hoof made?
  6548. >They certainly don’t seem to be mass produced.
  6549. >You’re finding manual tools.
  6550. >Not even power tools, much less robots.
  6551. >That tears it for you.
  6552. >They’re limited to ancient tech.
  6553. >Which means that lava monsters come from elsewhere.
  6554. >Either they’re being given these things by someone else.
  6555. >Or they’re doing it without machinery.
  6556. >But that would be insane.
  6557. ...
  6558. >Are you insane?
  6559. >It would explain invisible flying snake monsters.
  6560. >You’re not done looking around here.
  6561. >But you’re still going back to base.
  6562. >No point in looking around if it’s all imaginary anyway.
  6563.  
  6564. Back at Anon’s favourite base.
  6565.  
  6566. >You look over to the self improving machine.
  6567. >The stack of discarded parts is growing.
  6568. >You really should recycle all that.
  6569. >But the material just isn’t worth anything to you anymore.
  6570. >It takes less effort to just mine more metals.
  6571. >Namely, NO effort.
  6572. >You’ll just have a robot move the waste aside.
  6573. >It discards a brand new actuator.
  6574. >Probably rotated a millionth of a degree too much or something.
  6575. >You’ll worry about that later.
  6576. >Right now, you need an autodoc.
  6577.  
  6578.  
  6579. >You are Luna.
  6580. >You are helping build shelter.
  6581. >Normally you’d leave that to the laborers.
  6582. >But your sister is impatient, and lashing out at anything that moves.
  6583. >You’d rather get her isolated before she does anything truly regrettable.
  6584.  
  6585. >”GET BACK HERE SO I CAN PLUCK YOUR WINGS!”
  6586.  
  6587. >Like that.
  6588. >It seems to have been an idle threat.
  6589. >But that’s still going to be bad for her reputation.
  6590. >You levitate several planks into position at once, allowing others to drive the nails home.
  6591. >Thankfully, your new position allowed for quick construction.
  6592. >The train comes right up to the base of the mountain, so supplies don’t need to be carted very far.
  6593. >Just a bit higher than you’d like.
  6594.  
  6595. >”AAAAGH! WHAT IS THAT?”
  6596.  
  6597. >You don’t recognise that voice.
  6598.  
  6599. >”UGH! It’s disgusting!”
  6600.  
  6601. >That was Twilight.
  6602. >You shift your attention to the source of the noise.
  6603. >You drop several planks in the process.
  6604. >You hear a pained yelp, but your attention is elsewhere.
  6605. >Ponies are running madly away from a writhing mass of flesh as it slowly crawls up the slope.
  6606.  
  6607. “What in the name of the Erinyes is THAT?”
  6608.  
  6609. >”Oh please. You act as though you’d never seen me before.”
  6610.  
  6611. “Discord?”
  6612.  
  6613. >”In the SEVERELY damaged flesh!”
  6614.  
  6615. >”You disgust me, you vile beast. State your business before I incinerate you.”
  6616.  
  6617. >She’s definitely getting better.
  6618. >Were she still in the initial stages of withdrawal, she’d feel too weakened to act in such a way.
  6619. >Strangely enough, cruelty is a GOOD sign.
  6620. >For now, at least.
  6621. >Still, you can’t let her do that.
  6622. >Discord erupts in flame.
  6623. >You grip her horn with your magic, and prepare to pull her head back.
  6624. >You should be able to interrupt any magic she tries to use.
  6625. >She just glares at you.
  6626.  
  6627. >”Well then, perhaps I’ll just go back to Fluttershy’s. She’s so much more understanding of my woes.”
  6628.  
  6629. “My apologies, Discord. My sister is simply having a rough day.”
  6630.  
  6631. >”Oh, no harm done. If she did try to kill me I’d just go back to Fluttershy’s. She’s a real sweetheart, you know. Never cares when I come in blown apart or full of holes.”
  6632.  
  6633. >”So… Discord. What can we do for you?”
  6634.  
  6635. >Twilight’s not looking directly at him.
  6636. >You can’t blame her.
  6637. >It is a rather unsettling image.
  6638. >Celestia wrestles her horn free and marches away in a huff.
  6639.  
  6640. >”Well ladies, we have a teensy bit of a problem. You see, I’m pretty sure the ape is omnipercipient.”
  6641.  
  6642. >You KNEW your Shadowbolts hadn’t made any mistakes.
  6643. >They did a perfect job of hiding, as usual.
  6644. >You’re stuck between pride and panic.
  6645.  
  6646. >”It sees everything?”
  6647.  
  6648. >”Perceives, Twilight, there was nothing to SEE. I was completely invisible! Even in ways you ponies don’t understand! It STILL found me without trouble. I don’t think there’s any way we can sneak up on it.”
  6649.  
  6650. >”You can turn invisible? Would you mind doing that now?”
  6651.  
  6652. >”Why yes I would! Fluttershy tells me it’s rude to hide from ponies while talking to them. She’s never steered me wrong before.”
  6653.  
  6654. >You’re pretty sure he just doesn’t want to.
  6655. >He’s probably enjoying how uncomfortable he’s making you.
  6656. >Which is VERY uncomfortable.
  6657. >Something caught your attention a little bit back.
  6658.  
  6659. “In ways ponies can’t see? What do you mean?”
  6660.  
  6661. >”Oh! I know this one! Some creatures can see heat!”
  6662.  
  6663. >”Partial credit, Twilight. Light comes in an incredibly wide array of colours, you ponies are blind to almost all of them.”
  6664.  
  6665. >This is the first you’d heard of that.
  6666. >The enchantments you’d given your Bolts might need revision.
  6667.  
  6668. >”Well, I’m off. Bye.”
  6669.  
  6670. “You just got here, though.”
  6671.  
  6672. >”And it’s already boring me! Ugh, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place, except Fluttershy seemed to think you needed to know not to try and sneak up on the ape. Honestly, the things I do for her.”
  6673.  
  6674. >He starts crawling down the slope.
  6675. >He’s leaving a thin trail of blood in his wake.
  6676. >It’s truly pathetic.
  6677. >Despite your previous misgivings, you’re sorely tempted to help the poor creature.
  6678. >He did just lend you his aid after all.
  6679. >Even if it was a bit late.
  6680. >Yes you’re-
  6681.  
  6682. >”Here, Discord. Let me help you.”
  6683.  
  6684. >”Why thank you, Twilight.”
  6685.  
  6686. >She picks up the mass of flesh in her magic and starts to walk down to the train.
  6687.  
  6688. >”Say, why didn’t you try and attack it while invisible before?”
  6689.  
  6690. >“Thought I’d have a bit of fun with it first. I’m starting to regret that though, being killed like this is no fun.”
  6691.  
  6692. >They’re out of earshot before long.
  6693. >With that taken care of, you return to your work.
  6694. >Rather, you move to.
  6695. >You can hear a rumbling coming from behind.
  6696. >The statue is back.
  6697. >At least it’s not sounding the trumpets anymore.
  6698.  
  6699.  
  6700. >You are Anonymous.
  6701. >You stand before an egg shaped pod.
  6702. >It’s not much longer than you, and barely a meter tall.
  6703. >It splits horizontally and the top slides aside.
  6704. >Looks like it’s done its testing period.
  6705. >You remove your arm.
  6706. >You climb in and lay on the bed.
  6707. >The pod slides closed.
  6708. >You’re somewhat nervous seeing all those needles and laser scalpels built in to the walls.
  6709. >You can hear all the scanning machines running in parallel.
  6710. >The machine will have a (mostly) complete look at what’s going on inside you soon enough.
  6711. >If it doesn’t find anything wrong, you’ll be released.
  6712. >If it does, it will try to fix it.
  6713. >You’ve got non nanites ready for microsurgery.
  6714. >And your stem cell cultures are still growing.
  6715. >If something’s wrong there’s no guarantee the machine can fix it.
  6716. >Sedative gases flood the chamber.
  6717. >Soon you’re not thinking of anything.
  6718. >A disinfectant mist is liberally sprayed on several points of your body.
  6719. >Lasers make tiny incisions at three points.
  6720. >Your kidneys and liver are soon exposed.
  6721. >Arms reach in and burn away damaged tissue before spraying in a chemical cocktail.
  6722. >The chems will facilitate the growth of new tissue.
  6723. >Soon you’ll have totally unharmed organs.
  6724. >Another quick squirt of disinfectant, and a plastic bandage is applied.
  6725. >A few minutes pass before you’re aware enough to assess the situation.
  6726.  
  6727. “Nothing on the head? So I AM sane.”
  6728.  
  6729. >You check the screen above your eyes.
  6730. >It’s the surgical report.
  6731. >You really should have read that first.
  6732.  
  6733. Minor widespread damage.
  6734. Unable to operate - surgical nanites depleted.
  6735.  
  6736. Significant organ damage to kidneys and liver.
  6737. Unable to apply primary treatment - surgical nanites depleted.
  6738. Secondary treatment applied. Procedure successful.
  6739.  
  6740. Widespread brain damage.
  6741. Unable to operate - surgical nanites depleted, insufficient stem cells.
  6742.  
  6743. “Oh.”
  6744.  
  6745. >What happened?
  6746. >You climb out of the pod and reattach your arm.
  6747.  
  6748. “Oh right. The massive blood loss.”
  6749.  
  6750. >You’d better get that fixed before making any more serious decisions.
  6751.  
  6752.  
  6753.  
  6754. >You are Shining Armor.
  6755. >You are desperately trying to maintain morale.
  6756. >You are failing.
  6757. >That stupid statue seems to be indestructible.
  6758. >It doesn’t burn, it doesn’t melt, and you can’t cut it.
  6759. >You’re starting to envy the ape almost as much as you admire it.
  6760. >Being able to make such a thing just to taunt you...
  6761. >At this point, you’re tempted to just send all your soldiers home.
  6762. >They haven’t really accomplished much.
  6763. >You don’t think there is anything they CAN do at this point.
  6764. >And you’re still not convinced you should be here at all.
  6765. >The ape seems to be harmless enough.
  6766. >Celestia and Luna both insist that it’s just a trick.
  6767. >If it is, it’s a pretty damn good one.
  6768. >Everything you’ve seen suggests that the ape is either peaceful or incompetent.
  6769. >It isn’t the bloodthirsty master of war you’d been told.
  6770. >At very least, half that statement is false.
  6771. >Your bits are on the former.
  6772. >Because if this is what an incompetent ape can do, there’s no way the last tribe could have been stopped.
  6773. >One of your soldiers approaches.
  6774.  
  6775. >”Sir, I have a visitor for you. Something about a merc contract?”
  6776.  
  6777. “I don’t recall hiring any mercs. Who is it?”
  6778.  
  6779. >”A bunch of gryphons. The one in charge called herself Orelia.”
  6780.  
  6781. >You remember Luna saying she was calling in others.
  6782. >You didn’t know you’d have to pay.
  6783. >You’ll have to talk with her.
  6784. >After all, you HATE mercenaries.
  6785.  
  6786. “Thank you, commander. Send them my way.
  6787.  
  6788. >”Sir!”
  6789.  
  6790. >Before long, thirteen gryphons are marching your way.
  6791. >They’re all heavily armed.
  6792. >They appear to be trying to look tough.
  6793. >Probably to impress you, likely hoping for a better deal.
  6794. >You aren’t impressed.
  6795. >They’re marching in a line formation, which is stupid.
  6796. >There aren’t enough of them to form a proper phalanx or shield wall.
  6797. >Plus, they can fly.
  6798. >They should really be in a vee formation, if any at all.
  6799. >And you just noticed they aren’t marching in sync.
  6800. >Poor discipline.
  6801. >Just like what you’d expect from mercenaries.
  6802.  
  6803. “I’m sorry we have wasted your time, there must have been some communications error. We were looking for an army, not a small group of mercenaries.”
  6804.  
  6805. >The one in the middle laughs.
  6806. >They all start to laugh immediately afterwards.
  6807. >Not exactly what you’d been expecting.
  6808.  
  6809. >”We’re better than a so called ‘real’ army. We’re the best there is! And when you say small, there are hundreds more of us. We can handle whatever you’re dealing with.”
  6810.  
  6811. >You doubt that.
  6812.  
  6813. >”Ahh, Prince Armor. I see the first foreign powers have arrived.”
  6814.  
  6815. >You didn’t hear Luna approach.
  6816. >You NEVER hear Luna approach.
  6817. >It’s more annoying than anything.
  6818.  
  6819. “They’re mercenaries, not soldiers.”
  6820.  
  6821. >”The nation of gryphons has no public army. Some of their richer settlements have mercenary forces.”
  6822.  
  6823. >You’d heard rumours.
  6824. >You’d dismissed them as bigoted slander.
  6825. >You were wrong.
  6826.  
  6827. “Alright. I’ll be blunt. Our enemy is completely unassailable. Going near them is certain death, no matter how good your shielding. They have seemingly endless soldiers, and weapons that boggle the mind. I’m pretty sure that we’d be wiped out in an instant if it actually tried. We’re being toyed with by a force that can casually blow Discord himself apart, and they grow stronger every day. Are you sure you want to get involved?”
  6828.  
  6829. >You were expecting Luna to complain about that.
  6830. >You just jacked the price, after all.
  6831. >But to your surprise, she nods in approval.
  6832. >You recall her saying something.
  6833. >’When we lack information, we lack the ability to choose.’
  6834. >She’s not yet regained your trust.
  6835. >But she DOES seem to mean it when she condemns her sister for lying.
  6836. >Thinking back, you’re not certain why you don’t trust her.
  6837. >Celestia’s the one who’s been lying to you.
  6838. >Celestia’s the one who’s been using dark magic.
  6839. >Luna’s the one who was blasted with incredible amounts of soul cleansing harmony magic.
  6840. >You may need to reassess your impression of her.
  6841.  
  6842. >”Don’t worry about all that. We can handle anything. For the right price.”
  6843.  
  6844. >He doesn’t believe you.
  6845. >He’s ignoring your warning.
  6846. >Poor birdbrain.
  6847. >You tried to warn them.
  6848.  
  6849. “How much for this one?”
  6850.  
  6851. >”That depends on what we’d be fighting, and how many.”
  6852.  
  6853. “Luna… you didn’t tell them what we were against?”
  6854.  
  6855. >She looks shocked.
  6856. >Or maybe offended?
  6857. >Possibly both.
  6858.  
  6859. >”But I did! The missive clearly stated we needed your help to fight an ape!”
  6860.  
  6861. >”Right. The enemy is an ape. But like, what species are you fighting? Ponies? Gryphons? Minotaurs? Alectryons? What are we dealing with here?”
  6862.  
  6863. >You’re confused.
  6864. >Luna seems to be too.
  6865. >One of the gryphons whispers something in the leader’s ear.
  6866.  
  6867. >”Are you… I’ve just been informed that the idiom I’m using might not be common in pony society. When you say you’re fighting an ape, do you mean you’re fighting pure evil, or do you mean like… a tall mostly hairless thing that walks on two legs?”
  6868.  
  6869. >’Fighting an ape’ is a figure of speech to them?
  6870. >That not a good sign.
  6871.  
  6872. “The latter.”
  6873.  
  6874. >”Excuse us a moment.”
  6875.  
  6876. >They step away to talk it over.
  6877. >You were going to let them talk it out in private…
  6878. >But they’re making it pretty clear what they’re thinking.
  6879. >The body language alone tells the whole story.
  6880.  
  6881. >”My knowledge of idioms is still incomplete. Is the term ‘fighting an ape’ one I should have known?”
  6882.  
  6883. “No. I’d never heard that one before. It’s strange that they’d talk of them that way, I’d never even heard of apes before this.”
  6884.  
  6885. >”Their histories haven’t been erased.”
  6886.  
  6887. >You REALLY need to start studying foreign histories.
  6888. >Unless you can get untainted Equestrian history.
  6889. >Maybe Luna could put that together?
  6890. >The gryphons are returning.
  6891.  
  6892. >”Ahem. It is the opinion of the Grimtalon corps that, due to the danger inherent in this mission, we will need a VERY high retainer fee.”
  6893.  
  6894. >A high price tag?
  6895. >You didn’t want them anyway.
  6896.  
  6897. “I decline.”
  6898.  
  6899. >”I do not. How much do you wish?”
  6900.  
  6901. >”Well, take the biggest number you can imagine, triple it, and then go fuck yourself. We’re leaving.”
  6902.  
  6903. >They immediately turn around and start moving back towards the train.
  6904. >Okay, THAT was unexpected.
  6905. >They weren’t at all concerned when you tried to tell them how bad things were here.
  6906. >But the mere mention of an ape, a literal one rather than a figurative one, and they turn tail and run.
  6907. >You need to know more.
  6908.  
  6909. “Wait, can I at least ask you some questions?”
  6910.  
  6911. >”Hell no! There’s no way we’re going to be anywhere near here when it comes for you! You’re on your own!”
  6912.  
  6913. >They didn’t stop walking to answer.
  6914.  
  6915. >Later that day…
  6916.  
  6917. >”Sir! A chief Thunderbutt is here for you!”
  6918.  
  6919. “What.”
  6920.  
  6921. >”Sir! That’s what I said too, sir!”
  6922.  
  6923. >He can’t be serious.
  6924. >This has to be some sort of elaborate prank.
  6925. >There’s no way anypo- anybody would actually go by ‘Thunderbutt’.
  6926. >A single buffalo approaches.
  6927.  
  6928. >”Greetings, prince Shining Armor. I am chief Thunderbutt.”
  6929.  
  6930. >This is INCREDIBLY stupid.
  6931.  
  6932. “Greetings, Chief. Are you here to lend your assistance?”
  6933.  
  6934. >”I am! Myself and my twenty braves are at your service!”
  6935.  
  6936. >Twenty one soldiers.
  6937. >Great.
  6938. >And they’re probably poorly equipped, too.
  6939. >Though you shouldn’t assume.
  6940.  
  6941. “I’m glad to hear it. Though I feel obligated to ask, are you certain you and your braves are up to this task?”
  6942.  
  6943. >”Indeed, Prince Armor! We have the hearts of warriors! There is nothing that can stand before our stamped!”
  6944.  
  6945. >He’s confident.
  6946. >But so were the gryphons.
  6947.  
  6948. >”Are you trained in proper projectile weapon use? Our current strategy relies heavily on barraging approaching opponents before they can get too close.”
  6949.  
  6950. >He laughs.
  6951. >You’d have preferred a simple ‘yes’.
  6952.  
  6953. >”We need no weapons! We shall trample our foes beneath our hooves!”
  6954.  
  6955. >Great. Just great.
  6956. >More dead weight, more lives to worry about.
  6957. >You haven’t told them what they’re up against, though.
  6958. >Maybe you can scare them off?
  6959.  
  6960. “We face an impossible enemy. A foe that is seemingly unassailable. Our best attempts attacking it have been hollow victories at best. They wield weapons that are nearly beyond belief, they field a seemingly limitless amount of soldiers, and they grow stronger every day. Are you sure you wish to fight the ape? It’s actually an ape, by the way. That’s not a figure of speech.
  6961.  
  6962. >”I’m not sure what an ape is, but even so! I am not scared! None of us are! We are the BRAVES!”
  6963.  
  6964. >You’ve always valued bravery in your soldiers.
  6965. >It allows them to follow orders without hesitation.
  6966. >But you’re less fond of bravery in leaders.
  6967. >Because of THIS.
  6968. >But bravery has limits.
  6969.  
  6970. “Come with me. We’ve enchanted tables that will allow me to show you the enemy.”
  6971.  
  6972. >You take him to the yet incomplete war room.
  6973. >It lacks a roof, but Twilight has already set up scrying tables.
  6974. >It’s a tight fit bringing the broad buffalo in, especially since there are still supports propping the walls up.
  6975. >But you make it.
  6976. >Twilight’s watching it, making sure no attacks are coming.
  6977.  
  6978. >”Hello Shiney! Welcome, chief Thunderbutt!”
  6979.  
  6980. >She didn’t laugh.
  6981. >She didn’t crack a smile.
  6982. >You’re not sure how she kept a straight face.
  6983. >The chief’s eyes threaten to fall out of their sockets as he stares at the tables.
  6984. >You’d been using them so much that you’d forgotten how amazing they are.
  6985. >He’s not so jaded.
  6986.  
  6987. >”Are these moving pictures recent?”
  6988.  
  6989. >What?
  6990. >You don’t quite understand the question.
  6991.  
  6992. >”They’re current. Everything you see there is as it is right now.”
  6993.  
  6994. >Oh.
  6995. >He thought they were like photographs or something.
  6996. >He sees the massive banks of smoke spewing machines.
  6997. >He sees the inferno as it eats endless amounts of coal.
  6998. >He seems tens of thousands of metal workers performing their tasks with unnatural precision.
  6999. >He sees the colossal metal spider.
  7000. >He is unphased.
  7001. >He sees the ape reclining on a couch, sipping on iced water through a straw.
  7002. >He recoils in terror.
  7003.  
  7004. >”Shadowspawn!”
  7005.  
  7006. “What now?”
  7007.  
  7008. >”You didn’t tell me you were fighting shadowspawn!”
  7009.  
  7010. >”We call them Cunning Apes. Named because of their apparent relation to other apes, and their deceptive nature.”
  7011.  
  7012. >”I… I have to go!”
  7013.  
  7014. “Wait! Before you do, could you answer a few questions?
  7015.  
  7016. >He’s reluctant.
  7017. >But he agrees.
  7018.  
  7019. >”What do you wish to know?”
  7020.  
  7021. “History. Not from our perspective, but from yours. Tell us about apes, err, shadowspawn.”
  7022.  
  7023. >He’s VERY reluctant.
  7024. >Clearly torn between his eagerness to run, and… something?
  7025.  
  7026. >”If it will help you destroy this monster… It is said they climbed out of the deepest hole in the darkest cave. The first shadowspawn were made by evil spirits who could not directly touch the world of the living. They would pervert the wild, free nature of the stampede, somehow controlling where we went. At first they used this to drive us off cliffs, making us fall to our deaths. Then came the Devil’s rope, long lines that would rip the flesh of those who touched it. Soon, the rope spanned the horizon and the stampede was no more. Every day they would lay more of the rope, soon entire herds of buffalo were confined to tiny squares where we could roam no longer.”
  7027.  
  7028. >You aren’t too interested in all the spiritual stuff.
  7029. >But the rest is interesting.
  7030. >That rope sounds a lot like barbed wire.
  7031. >You’ve never been to afraid of it, but earth ponies have assured you that it’s a terrifying concept.
  7032. >You can almost understand.
  7033. >Being trapped has always seemed unsettling to you.
  7034. >Not having magic to pull it apart would be terrible.
  7035.  
  7036. “So they systematically imprisoned you?”
  7037.  
  7038. >”That’s horrible!”
  7039.  
  7040. >You’d almost forgotten Twilight was here.
  7041.  
  7042. >”The worst has yet to come. They… BRED us!”
  7043.  
  7044. >He really doesn’t want to talk about this.
  7045. >You gesture for him to continue.
  7046.  
  7047. >”Only the stupidest and most docile bulls were allowed to become fathers. The rest… do you know what gelding is?”
  7048.  
  7049. >You instinctively rearrange your legs to protect yourself.
  7050. >You know.
  7051.  
  7052. >”By the time the blight was removed from this world, some herds didn’t remember what it meant to be buffalo. Most wasted away without their captors to control them. They had lost the will to live.”
  7053.  
  7054. “Thank you, chief. That was very informative.”
  7055.  
  7056. >”Excuse me, I wish to be with my family.”
  7057.  
  7058. >He leaves.
  7059. >A heavy air of depression hangs over you.
  7060. >You’d been ready to go back home yourself.
  7061. >You hadn’t seen anything particularly evil coming from the ape, after all.
  7062. >But after hearing from two foreign sources, histories that hadn’t been rewritten by Celestia…
  7063. >You know you can’t win.
  7064. >There’s no way to kill that ape anymore.
  7065. >But you NEED to try.’
  7066.  
  7067. >”What’s gelding?”
  7068.  
  7069.  
  7070. >You are Celestia.
  7071. >This charade has gone on long enough!
  7072. >That APE is DEAD!
  7073. >You don’t have the Sunstone.
  7074. >But you don’t need it.
  7075. >You are BETTER than that THING.
  7076. >You fill your saddlebags with water and lesser gems, then you set out into the wasteland.
  7077.  
  7078. >”Princess, where are you going? It could be dangerous out there!”
  7079.  
  7080. >Some nameless minion has the gall to try and stop you.
  7081. >A summon up your magic and quickly strike them in the back of the head.
  7082. >A quick yelp, then silence.
  7083. >They’ll recover.
  7084. >But you need to move quickly.
  7085. >You don’t want Luna to find out what you’re doing.
  7086. >It would break her heart…
  7087. >No. No, you need to do this.
  7088. >The ape is MOCKING you.
  7089. >That stupid statue was the LAST STRAW.
  7090. >Half a day passes as you swiftly fly over the dry terrain.
  7091. >Your water supply is nearly depleted.
  7092. >You should have rationed better.
  7093. >But your thirst is agonizing.
  7094. >And the weariness of your wings is impossible to ignore.
  7095. >The wind keeps irritating your ears, it’s too cold…
  7096. >You recall a time when you could ignore all those things.
  7097. >But then, the ape forced your hoof.
  7098. >One more reason why it has to DIE.
  7099. >You’ve found a suitable location.
  7100. >Nice, flat terrain to prepare the ritual.
  7101. >Relatively close to your target, while still far enough away that there’s no chance the cannons could hit you.
  7102. >You take the gems out of your saddlebags and place them in a circle around yourself.
  7103. >You take a knife and cut a small incision near your hoof.
  7104. >The pain is blinding.
  7105. >Last time you’d done this, it barely hurt at all.
  7106. >You rush to connect each gem with your blood, before drawing several lines into the center of the circle.
  7107. >Each gem is charged to the brim with your magic and hatred.
  7108. >And now, they are linked directly to your heart through the quickly drying blood in the dirt.
  7109. >You focus on your anger and your hatred, relishing in every bit of malice you can muster.
  7110. >You feel ALIVE.
  7111. >Pain and suffering become distant memories as you are awash with joy and ecstasy.
  7112. >The roaring tide of dark magic threatens to engulf you, to drown who you are in sheer bliss.
  7113. >You welcome it.
  7114. >Your creature soon takes shape. Again, you choose the form of an ape’s head to strike fear into your prey.
  7115. >It’s far larger than last time, and MUCH hotter.
  7116. >You don’t have access to as much magic without the sunstone…
  7117. >But without the containment circle to restrain you, you can unleash your full fury.
  7118. >You shift a tiny bit of your consciousness to the creature, and soon you can move its body as though it were your own.
  7119. >It takes a very particular kind of pony to do this. Few can manage two bodies at once.
  7120. >It took you years of practice before you could keep track of which body was feeling what.
  7121. >The lumbering beast starts to gain speed as you pump more and more heat into its core.
  7122. >Soon, it shall be as swift and agile as any wonderbolt.
  7123. >Albeit less airborne.
  7124. >The roaring inferno about your body spreads, incinerating what little vegetation existed here.
  7125. >Your blood still glistens in the light, refusing to dry out thanks to your latent heat resistance.
  7126. >You approach the ape’s stronghold, and thousands of cannons open fire.
  7127. >Tiny bits of lava splash out the back of your new body, but you absorb the projectiles to make up for it.
  7128. >Massive tanks strewn about the base reveal their nature to you, as pumps blast some strange, steaming liquid through the air and onto your beast.
  7129. >You’re not afraid.
  7130. >You can handle a little water.
  7131. ...
  7132. >This isn’t water.
  7133. >You’re SO cold.
  7134. >The bliss that comes with your dark magic fails to dull the pain.
  7135. >You renew your focus and pump more magic and fury into your construct.
  7136. >Your efforts prove futile as dozens of tanks douse you with some liquid that is cold beyond belief.
  7137. >Your beast is thoroughly frozen.
  7138. >Several blasts from the cannons strike it, shattering the massive structure of hard rock.
  7139. >The shock breaks you from your trance.
  7140. >Instead of the blissful afterglow you’d expected, you’re left laying in the dirt, colder than you’d ever thought possible.
  7141. >The frigid agony leaves only one thought in your mind.
  7142. >You NEED heat.
  7143. >With what magic you can muster, you summon a roaring fire before you.
  7144. >You walk into the inferno, and soon your vision shows you nothing but flame.
  7145. >As you lose consciousness, you voice the only thought you can muster.
  7146.  
  7147. “So cold…”
  7148.  
  7149.  
  7150. >You are Anonymous.
  7151. >Your turrets have spotted a horse in the distance.
  7152. >You COULD shoot it.
  7153. >But it’s still pretty far away.
  7154. >Perhaps a few warning shots are in order?
  7155. >You’d rather scare it off than kill it.
  7156. >But if it enters your sanctuary, you may be left with little choice.
  7157. >You focus your enhanced eyes to the distance.
  7158. >It’s a bit hard to tell…
  7159. >You can’t quite keep your eyes steady enough.
  7160. >But you’re pretty sure it’s the white one with both wings and a horn.
  7161. >You’d been surprised to see it when your satellite feed came online.
  7162. >After all, you’d shot it.
  7163. >Twice!
  7164. >But you’ve only found three horses with both accessories, despite spending days on end looking at their cities.
  7165. >And all three are trying to fight you.
  7166. >Perhaps they’re some sort of super soldier from a genejack program?
  7167. >You should try and get a tissue sample.
  7168. >It may prove to be a waste of time.
  7169. >You’re still not convinced that any of this is real.
  7170. >But it’s hard to say when you’ll have another such opportunity.
  7171. >You use your arm terminal to order some equipment for your flying saw bots.
  7172. >A quick retool later, and you’ll send them in.
  7173. >A column of flame erupts into the sky.
  7174. >The sun goes dark.
  7175. >You know what’s happening next.
  7176. >You don’t trust your senses.
  7177. >Aside from the brain damage, there’s so many other ways in which they could be fooled.
  7178. >The sun might not be dimming at all, it could be an atmospheric lense redirecting the light in some way.
  7179. >But your satellites…
  7180. >You DO trust those.
  7181. >You order a few hundred of them to rotate to face the sun, and record everything they can about its output.
  7182. >You’ll review the data when your brain is fixed.
  7183. >Hopefully it will help you make more sense of this world.
  7184. >Before long, the hideous misshapen human head is moving toward you.
  7185. >It actually looks familiar.
  7186. >And not just because you’ve seen one before.
  7187. >You board your vehicle, and seal the cockpit.
  7188. >You’re here partly for safety, but mostly to check your souvenirs.
  7189. >The poster’s caricature of you is almost a spitting image of the monster.
  7190. >Is that what seriously what they think you look like?
  7191. >That is NOT a human head.
  7192. >It doesn’t match any hominid in your databanks.
  7193. >This WOULD be confusing.
  7194. >If you weren’t insane.
  7195. >You’ll review this footage later, and everything will make sense.
  7196. >Wait…
  7197. >Everything in this base is expendable with two exceptions.
  7198. >Yourself (obviously), and your yet incomplete molecular assembly.
  7199. >If you need to retreat, it will be VERY annoying.
  7200. >Luckily, you’ve prepared a weapon specifically for this enemy.
  7201. >Nozzles protrude from your liquid nitrogen reserves, and they take aim at the beast.
  7202. >Before long, thousands of liters of the stuff are raining down on the lava monster.
  7203. >It doesn’t take long for it to freeze entirely.
  7204. >You’re not convinced that this thing is actual alive, or even real, so you don’t hesitate to turn your guns on it.
  7205. >A few rounds from your vehicle’s light cannons later, and it’s nothing but rubble.
  7206. >The column of fire disappears.
  7207. >The sun brightens up.
  7208. >You send your robots to take samples from both the horse, and the lava thing.
  7209. >On the off chance these things are real, you’ll want to study them.
  7210. >The rock samples are to be kept under watch by a few combat robots.
  7211. >They’ll be placed in clear view of your nitrogen tanks, just in case you need to freeze them again.
  7212. >As for the horse…
  7213. >Your saw bots have been re-equipped.
  7214. >They launch from their trucks, which you’d thought you’d never use again.
  7215. >Moments later, the horse is being swarmed with hundreds of bots.
  7216. >You’d expected it to blast a few of them…
  7217. >But it’s just laying still.
  7218. >In the middle of a big fire.
  7219. >You focus one of your satellites on the thing and order it to record.
  7220. >There’s no way that fire is real.
  7221. >The horse isn’t burning at all.
  7222. >You have your machines take several biopsies in various places about the thing’s body.
  7223. >Some of your bots don’t make it.
  7224. >The ones that do are giving off warning signs about overheating.
  7225.  
  7226. “The fuck? So, the fire IS real? And the horse isn’t burning?”
  7227.  
  7228. >Whatever.
  7229. >You’re just insane anyway.
  7230. >You bring your bots back, intent on having them culture the biopsies.
  7231. >Just in case.
  7232. >Several more horses are flying in.
  7233. >These ones are only showing up on thermal…
  7234. >They pick up the burning one using black fire and fly off.
  7235. >You REALLY need to get your brain fixed.
  7236.  
  7237.  
  7238. >You are Luna.
  7239. >You’re heading out despite Discord’s warnings.
  7240. >You, and a few of your more loyal pegasi.
  7241. >They’re not cut out to be Shadowbolts.
  7242. >They’re just grunts.
  7243. >But they’re what you have.
  7244. >You’ll just have to try and avoid a fight.
  7245. >Hopefully, your sister won’t make that too difficult.
  7246. >That damn fool…
  7247. >She knows full well that she shouldn’t be doing this.
  7248. >She knows that it’s self destructive at best.
  7249. >And still, she sneaks out when you’re sleeping.
  7250. >You’ll need to start matching her sleep patterns.
  7251. >You idly wonder if this is what it was like for her when she was trying to save you.
  7252. >You take flight and start moving toward hostile territory.
  7253. >You’re not sure just yet where your sister is…
  7254. >But she’ll be easy to find soon enough.
  7255. >Your escorts are soon following you, making far too much noise.
  7256. >At least they’re invisible, for all that’s worth.
  7257. >After hours of flight, you start to wilt.
  7258. >The heat of the day is slowly taking its toll.
  7259. >You far prefer the bracing chill of night.
  7260. >And yet, you press onward.
  7261. >It’ll take FAR more than a warm day to stop you.
  7262. >You and your followers start to fly low.
  7263. >You could see a hostile camp.
  7264. >You don’t want the ape to have a clear shot at you.
  7265. >A pillar of flame erupts into the sky.
  7266. >You’d been hoping you could find her before this happened…
  7267. >But at least you now have a clear target location.
  7268. >You and your guards move in, but are quickly repelled.
  7269.  
  7270. >”It’s getting too hot, ma’am! I don’t think I can take much more of this!”
  7271.  
  7272. >She didn’t set up a containment circle this time.
  7273. >You’re not sure how long you’d be able to stand close to her…
  7274. >You can’t snap her out of it like you did last time.
  7275. >You move back as the flames intensify.
  7276. >She’s so far away…
  7277. >You’re pretty sure she wouldn’t hear you from this distance.
  7278. >Even with your mighty voice.
  7279. >The inferno grows…
  7280. >And abruptly dies out.
  7281. >You’re not sure what happened.
  7282. >You and your soldiers move in, flying low to avoid touching the searing ground.
  7283. >The terrain below you still glows with heat as you move in.
  7284. >You’re forced to gain some altitude to avoid being seared.
  7285. >A swarm of flying machines surround your sister as she lays still in a bright blaze.
  7286. >It’s so HOT.
  7287. >A few of the machines fall from the sky, doubtlessly agreeing with your assessment.
  7288. >You grip them and your sister in your magic.
  7289. >You bring her close.
  7290. >She’s still breathing.
  7291.  
  7292. “She’s alive, everypony. Let’s go home before anyone gets hurt.”
  7293.  
  7294. >Nopony got wounded.
  7295. >A small miracle if ever there was.
  7296. >You really didn’t want to come out here.
  7297. >You knew it was risky.
  7298. >But you had little choice.
  7299. >Your sister forced your hoof.
  7300.  
  7301. “What am I going to do with you, ‘Tia? What am I going to do with you…”
  7302.  
  7303.  
  7304. >You are Anonymous.
  7305. >You are pleased.
  7306. >It’s happening.
  7307. >It’s FINALLY happening!
  7308. >Your molecular assembly has successfully built itself.
  7309. >You’ve got a healthy supply of medical nanites.
  7310. >You’ve got stem cell cultures.
  7311. >There’s nothing in your way.
  7312. >You had originally planned on making more molecular assemblies with your first one.
  7313. >But fixing your brain couldn’t wait.
  7314. >You climb into your autodoc again.
  7315. >After a quick scan, a thin syringe slips into your neck.
  7316. >Your brain is quickly flooded with tiny machines, each one roughly the size the stem cell it carries..
  7317. >Every individual nanite has been given a unique program as assigned by the autodoc.
  7318. >They latch onto your neurons, cutting out faulty cells and destroying detrimental pathways.
  7319. >They slip in healthy replacement cells, repairing and restoring all damaged or lost brain function.
  7320. >Several more injections about the body treat tissue scarring, and before long you are in perfect health.
  7321. >Finally, an injection into the stump where your arm once was.
  7322. >They construct wireless receivers and attach them on to the existing nerves.
  7323. >The receivers quickly sync up with the sensors you’d already built into your prosthetic.
  7324. >You can feel your arm, even though you’re not wearing it at the moment.
  7325. >This time, you check the surgical report.
  7326. >You’re pleased with what you see.
  7327. >A bill of perfect health!
  7328. >You climb out of the pod, already feeling better.
  7329. >Your thoughts are clearer and quicker.
  7330. >You don’t know how many mistakes you’ve made in recent history…
  7331. >But the difference is pretty clear.
  7332. >You’re way smarter now.
  7333. >Or more accurately, much less stupid.
  7334. >Perfect brain function is pretty common back around sol.
  7335. >Even the Human Preservation Front allows neural repairs, despite hating anything ‘un-natural’.
  7336. >And so, all standards are based on perfectly healthy brains.
  7337. >Any significant damage or fault and you’d be considered clinically retarded.
  7338. >Even so, you are still human.
  7339. >Your mind is still prone to error.
  7340. >You are not perfect.
  7341. >But at least you can trust that the world around you is real.
  7342.  
  7343. “That’s odd. Everything looks the same so far.”
  7344.  
  7345. >Everything about this planet is so weird, you were certain you were hallucinating or insane.
  7346. >But just because your base makes sense doesn’t mean everything else will.
  7347. >You reattach your arm.
  7348. >It’s odd being able to feel it again…
  7349. >You almost attach the electrodes before remembering that they’re no longer needed.
  7350. >Even without the wiring, you have perfect control.
  7351. >You open the terminal and review the battle footage from a few nights ago.
  7352. >The screen is too small.
  7353. >You should get a holographic display at least.
  7354. >So strange how you didn’t think of that before.
  7355. >You press onward and watch the battle to its conclusion.
  7356. >It looks the same.
  7357.  
  7358. “I don’t like where this is going.”
  7359.  
  7360. >You review your satellite data.
  7361. >All of the inexplicable things you keep seeing around the world, the nanomachines being used by primitives, it’s still all there.
  7362. >The lava monster attack actually happened.
  7363. >The dark matter monster attack actually happened.
  7364. >The horse being on fire without getting burned ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
  7365. >The sun didn’t actually dim.
  7366. >But its spectrum DID change.
  7367. >And didn’t fully change back.
  7368.  
  7369. “That’s… what? No, this doesn’t make any sense at all.”
  7370.  
  7371. >The change happened right when the lava monster started forming.
  7372. >It MOSTLY changed back right when you blew it apart.
  7373. >You can’t see how they could possibly be related.
  7374. >Even for an advanced society, controlling solar output is a major undertaking.
  7375. >It’s not something you do for show.
  7376. >But it happened with both lava monster attacks.
  7377. >This world is really damn weird.
  7378. >You’re looking forward to figuring it out.
  7379. >And step one is to analyze the tissue samples.
  7380.  
  7381.  
  7382. >You are Anonymous.
  7383. >You are disappointed.
  7384. >The tissue cultures died.
  7385. >The incubator you’d put them in was calibrated for humans, not horses.
  7386. >In all fairness to yourself, you were still retarded when you’d started that project.
  7387. >But now, you’re a bit limited on your possible tests.
  7388. >You COULD get new cultures.
  7389. >And you probably should!
  7390. >But there are so many other things you need to look into right now.
  7391. >Now that you’re trying to figure this place out, you’ll need to measure EVERYTHING.
  7392. >You want to catch atmospheric conditions everywhere, solar radiation, gravitation…
  7393. >You even plan on looking into things that should be universal constants.
  7394. >For the most part, those have to be unchanged.
  7395. >Otherwise none of your machinery would work.
  7396. >There’s a scary thought.
  7397. >If this world is that different, you might run into some sort of technological limit.
  7398. >Who’s to say that a stellar siphon would work?
  7399. >You already know that something weird is going on with this star, after all.
  7400. >But there’s no point in worrying about any of that right now.
  7401. >Whatever may come, whatever ridiculous hardship the universe throws at you, you’ll overcome.
  7402. >You’ll adapt, you’ll learn, you’ll grow.
  7403. >It’s what humans do.
  7404. >Rather, it’s what humans did.
  7405. >There’s not much left to overcome these days.
  7406. >Unless things really fell apart since you left, there are only two concerns.
  7407. >Infighting, and energy.
  7408. >In a strange, almost primal way, being stuck on this planet has been liberating.
  7409. >Facing actual, tangible adversity gave you purpose you didn’t know you’d been lacking.
  7410.  
  7411. “Guh. What’s with all the introspection?”
  7412.  
  7413. >Why are you focusing on that of all things?
  7414. >You’ve got an entire planet of mysteries and you’re thinking about yourself?
  7415. >Top tier narcissism, that.
  7416. >Step one, see what lava monsters are made of.
  7417. >Electron microscopy showed no signs of machinery.
  7418. >It didn’t start behaving weirdly when molten.
  7419. >You have a sample crushed into dust for further testing.
  7420. >Samples are poured into various chemicals to see how they react.
  7421. >The samples dissolve and precipitate exactly as expected.
  7422. >Even destructive testing shows nothing special about it.
  7423. >From what you can tell, this is just boring, ordinary rock.
  7424. >But then, the star dimmed again.
  7425. >The rocks started to heat.
  7426. >And as quick as it came, it ended.
  7427. >Again the star’s spectrum shifted slightly.
  7428. >Not as much as last time, but a little.
  7429. >It keeps getting higher frequency and hotter.
  7430. >You still have no idea what’s going on, either with the star or the rocks.
  7431. >As interesting as they are, you’re not making any progress.
  7432. >It’s time to move on.
  7433. >Step two, see what horses are made of.
  7434. >The tissue might be dead, but you can still learn from it.
  7435. >You’ve got a molecular assembly that could help you with that.
  7436. >But you’d rather leave it to self replicate.
  7437. >A spectroscope should be good enough.
  7438. >A few minutes later, you have a tissue sample lying beneath a laser.
  7439. >The light shines through, and is delicately refracted in subtle ways.
  7440. >Looks like horse is mostly water.
  7441. >There are several common proteins, and some less common ones.
  7442. >And you’re seeing DNA.
  7443. >Not a huge surprise, actually.
  7444. >Several other planets have DNA based life.
  7445. >It’s a versatile molecule that’s stable in relatively common environments.
  7446. >And this planet’s environment is VERY similar to old earth’s.
  7447. >You would have been mildly surprised if it wasn’t DNA.
  7448. >But even then, odds are you’d be able to understand it.
  7449. >You’ve got information on RNA, silicon genetics, sulphur genetics, and even titanium genes.
  7450. >And water as a solvent isn’t that vital either.
  7451. >But you’re still thankful that it’s DNA.
  7452. >Humanity’s been studying it longer than all those other things, so you’ve got a better understanding.
  7453. >With the right equipment, you’d be able to sequence the entire genome in a couple minutes.
  7454. >Which sounds like a great idea!
  7455.  
  7456.  
  7457. >You are Luna.
  7458. >You and your idiot sister are back in Canterlot.
  7459. >Yes, Canterlot.
  7460. >You’d decided that you needed to get her away from the front for a while.
  7461. >Some light questioning revealed her motives to you.
  7462. >She’d grown enraged by the ape’s taunting.
  7463. >You’d just found it unsettling.
  7464. >But you should have known how she’d take it.
  7465. >So you’ve been forced to keep her away from the thing.
  7466. >At least until she can contain her rage.
  7467.  
  7468. >”You should have just left me to die.”
  7469.  
  7470. “Shh, calm yourself. This too shall pass.”
  7471.  
  7472. >She just grumbles angrily, sitting in the roaring fireplace in her bedchambers.
  7473. >Not next to the fire, IN it.
  7474. >And still she’s been complaining about the cold.
  7475. >This is new, and quite worrisome.
  7476. >She should be complaining about being uncomfortable, about mild odours, about EVERYTHING.
  7477. >But she only speaks of the cold.
  7478.  
  7479. “What happened?”
  7480.  
  7481. >You already know the answer.
  7482. >You’ve already asked her.
  7483. >And Twilight confirmed the account by watching the tables.
  7484. >Jets of not water that was far colder than ice froze her construct.
  7485. >But why is she still so cold?
  7486.  
  7487. >”I can still feel it…”
  7488.  
  7489. “Pardon?”
  7490.  
  7491. >”My frozen construct. I can feel it. My consciousness is still split. I didn’t end the spell, the spell broke.”
  7492.  
  7493. >That explains it.
  7494. >Part of her wants to be a few thousand degrees warmer.
  7495. >Even without the symptoms of withdrawal, that would be torture.
  7496.  
  7497. >”I’m… I’m less cold.”
  7498.  
  7499. “You’re returning to normal?”
  7500.  
  7501. >”No. The other me is being warmed. Just a part, but it helps.”
  7502.  
  7503. “What’s happening? What would warm you so much?”
  7504.  
  7505. >”I see… I see a glowing furnace with no flames. Hollow, lifeless eyes are staring at me, judging me.”
  7506.  
  7507. >She’s INSIDE some of the ape’s machinery!
  7508. >While it’s still working!
  7509.  
  7510. >”Can you move?”
  7511.  
  7512. >Her horn glows brightly for a while.
  7513. >She shakes her head.
  7514.  
  7515. >”I’ve lost control. I’d need to cast the spell again.”
  7516.  
  7517. >You consider it.
  7518. >You actually consider it.
  7519. >May the stars forsake you, you were thinking of trading your sister’s wellbeing for information.
  7520. >You still need to know more about how the ape’s machines work.
  7521. >But there has to be a better way.
  7522.  
  7523. >”Another me is being moved by the metal workers. They’re squeezing. They- KYAA!”
  7524.  
  7525. >She lets out a shrill, tormented shriek.
  7526. >She collapses forward.
  7527. >The front door bursts open and guards flood in.
  7528.  
  7529. >”Leave us!”
  7530.  
  7531. >The guards look confused.
  7532. >She turns and glares at them, tears welling in her eyes.
  7533.  
  7534. >”LEAVE. US.”
  7535.  
  7536. >To your surprise, they comply.
  7537. >She waits until the door closes behind the last one to let out a ragged, pained breath.
  7538.  
  7539. >”The worker crushed me. With some press of some sort, it just… it crushed me!”
  7540.  
  7541. >This isn’t good.
  7542. >Part of her consciousness is trapped, and entirely at the ape’s mercy.
  7543. >Who knows what tortures it will dream up?
  7544. >You only know one way to make her whole again.
  7545. >She’d need to perform the ritual again, and end it properly.
  7546. >But then she’d have to use yet more dark magic.
  7547.  
  7548. >”I see… dozens of containers of various liquids. I’m being measured and brought to them and- AAAUGH!”
  7549.  
  7550. >She collapses entirely and starts convulsing violently.
  7551.  
  7552. >”It hurts it hurts it hu-u-rrts. Help me Luna, Luna it hurts IT HURTS!”
  7553.  
  7554. >Her cries of anguish quickly devolve into incoherent blubbering.
  7555. >You can’t even begin to imagine the pain she’s feeling.
  7556. >All amplified by the effects of withdrawal.
  7557. >And the ape will doubtlessly continue to torment her as long as it is able.
  7558. >Black magic or no, you need to help her.
  7559. >Consequences be damned!
  7560. >With a quick last look at her pitiful form, you rush out of the room.
  7561. >Several ponies get knocked aside when you push the door open.
  7562. >They’d clearly had their ears pressed against it, but you don’t have time to worry about that.
  7563.  
  7564. “Evacuate this wing of the castle! She’ll be okay, but this could be dangerous for you! MOVE!”
  7565.  
  7566. >They jump into action, eager to be away from the perceived danger.
  7567. >It’s a lie, of course.
  7568. >She’s in no condition to channel enough magic to be dangerous.
  7569. >Not without your help, at least.
  7570. >You’re not a fan of lying…
  7571. >But they can’t know what’s coming next.
  7572. >You rush your way to your chambers.
  7573. >You poke your nose under your bed, and find The Sunstone.
  7574. >Hidden in a place so obvious, Celestia would never think to look for it.
  7575. >You rush back to her chambers with the gem in tow, glad to see ponies quickly flooding out of the building.
  7576. >You place the gem beneath Celestia, then use your magic to make a small incision on her side.
  7577.  
  7578. >”YAAAH!”
  7579.  
  7580. >A thin trickle of blood leaks onto the gem, linking its magic to her.
  7581.  
  7582. “‘Tia! ‘TIA! Focus on the gem! Cast the spell!”
  7583.  
  7584. >She limply lifts her head, choking back her sobs.
  7585. >Her horn glows dimly for a moment.
  7586. >Then, nothing.
  7587.  
  7588. >”Not.”
  7589.  
  7590. >You barely heard the word.
  7591. >But you somehow know what she meant.
  7592. >And you definitely understand the gravitas behind it.
  7593. >The gem doesn’t have enough magic stored in it.
  7594. >Celestia can’t muster enough magic to cast that spell in the best of times.
  7595. >She NEEDS more magic.
  7596. >More dark magic.
  7597. >And you’re the only one who can give it to her.
  7598. >Without hesitation, you focus on your hatred.
  7599. >You hate the ape for daring to torture your sister.
  7600. >You hate it for almost killing your shadowbolts.
  7601. >You hate Discord for all the torment he’s put you through over the years.
  7602. >You hate Sombra for having the gall to oppose your kingdom.
  7603. >You hate Tirek for trying to rob you of your magic.
  7604. >You hate the old goat who introduced the two of you to dark magic.
  7605. >You hate EVERYPONY AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS EVER SHUNNED YOUR GLORIOUS NIGHT!
  7606. >A wave of agonizing pleasure rushes over you.
  7607. >You feel ALIVE!
  7608. >Raw power and rage flood into the gem as fast as you can pump it out.
  7609. >The room bursts into flame as Celestia drinks deeply of your fury.
  7610. >You’d forgotten about that in your haste.
  7611. >But it doesn’t matter.
  7612. >You have more than enough magic to shield yourself from the heat.
  7613. >You care not for the smoke that is filling your lungs.
  7614. >You have enough magic to do ANYTHING.
  7615. >You will END this petty war, you will crush the ape’s skull beneath your hooves, you will slaughter everypony who doesn’t recognise your magnificence, you will-
  7616. >You…
  7617. >Will…
  7618.  
  7619. ”Let it go.”
  7620.  
  7621. >You push your malice aside and focus intently on your love.
  7622. >You love the elements for saving you from the monster you’d become.
  7623. >You love all the ponies who have ever stayed up late to gaze at the stars.
  7624. >You love everypony and everything that has ever allowed you to share in a joyous, innocent dream.
  7625. >You love your sister…
  7626. >You lose your connection to the dark magic.
  7627. >The blissful state of total relaxation is robbed from you as the heat starts to assault your body.
  7628. >Your bandages instantly turn to ash, and you are engulfed in flame.
  7629. >All the smoke you’d been breathing is catching up to you.
  7630. >You’re already losing consciousness.
  7631. >You try to teleport out, but you can’t muster the focus.
  7632. >You awkwardly start to stumble out of the inferno.
  7633. >You’re not sure you’ll make it.
  7634. >But suddenly, the temperature falls.
  7635. >It’s still burning, but it’s only the heat of regular fire.
  7636.  
  7637. >”It’s okay, Lu. I’ve got you.”
  7638.  
  7639. >Something picks you up, you’re not sure what.
  7640. >There’s a bright flash, and you’re out of the inferno.
  7641. >Several deep breaths of clean air later and you start to return to reality.
  7642.  
  7643. >”WE NEED BURN TREATMENTS OVER HERE! No, not me you imbecile, HER! Move faster or I’ll make sure you never move again!”
  7644.  
  7645. >A strong sedative spell comes across your body.
  7646. >Your consciousness fades again.
  7647.  
  7648.  
  7649. >You are Anonymous.
  7650. >You are watching your sequencer work.
  7651. >It’s a small, sealed chamber with a few tools mounted on the inside.
  7652. >It is currently resting on a table.
  7653. >You slide a petri dish with one of the tissue samples into the machine.
  7654. >The platform that the dish rests on moves gently to align the tissue with the tools.
  7655. >A precise laser burns away the membrane on one of the cells without damaging the interior.
  7656. >A variety of electron microscopes quickly take pictures of the stuff inside.
  7657. >Some are looking at organelles.
  7658. >Some are looking at proteins and other familiar molecules.
  7659. >Others are looking at everything there is to see.
  7660. >A flood of data is being sent to your computer for analysis.
  7661. >But you aren’t satisfied.
  7662. >It’s dead tissue.
  7663. >There’s no guarantee that that cell was structured properly.
  7664. >You have the machine cut another cell.
  7665. >And another.
  7666. >And a thousand more.
  7667. >Within a minutes you have as much data on that horse’s cells as you’re going to get.
  7668. >Barring a LIVING sample.
  7669. >You set your computer to convert the images of the molecules into proper genetic sequences.
  7670. >Then you’ll have it compile the data.
  7671. >But for what you have planned next, you’ll need something more.
  7672. >Your molecular assembly is still working to self replicate.
  7673. >But you’re impatient.
  7674. >And unlike last time, you don’t really have a good work around.
  7675. >You interrupt the process.
  7676. >You order the pinnacle of computing.
  7677. >The Molecular Optical Processor!
  7678. >The fastest computer possible has the fastest data packets possible travelling the shortest distance possible.
  7679. >Tachyons seem to be nothing more than wishful thinking, so light is the fastest thing possible.
  7680. >Photon emitters quickly take shape, tiny lasers that can create a single light particle on demand.
  7681. >They are placed right next to monomolecular optical receivers, tiny eyes to pick up the signal.
  7682. >One emitter is always firing, each photon of its frequency representing a zero.
  7683. >One emitter interrupts, striking the other’s photon with its own to change frequency, representing one.
  7684. >Vast arrays of the things are quickly put together, and before too long you’re left with the fastest processor possible.
  7685. >You order the rest of the components you’ll need for the computer, and have some of your robots to assemble it.
  7686. >It was a dark day for humanity when the first M.O.P. was built.
  7687. >What should have been a brought celebration and praise for the scientists and engineers who had made it possible, was plagued by an inescapable truth.
  7688. >This was the best.
  7689. >There would never be an improvement.
  7690. >A cruel reminder that despite the brilliance humanity could muster, they were still slaves to the laws of the universe.
  7691. >Or so you’ve been told.
  7692. >That all happened long before you were born.
  7693. >It turned out to be a half truth anyway.
  7694. >Computer sciences were still progressing when you left home.
  7695. >Better, more effecient programming still allows for faster computing.
  7696. >And electron computing still had a place in the world.
  7697. >They can be flexible, they draw much less power, and they make much less heat.
  7698. >Optical computers are infamous for overheating.
  7699. >They require either cryo fields, which take even MORE energy, or big clumsy liquid cooling systems.
  7700. >Thin pipes of liquid nitrogen weaving around and through the components, going every which way.
  7701. >You have the latter, and not the former.
  7702. >You COULD hold out for a cryo field…
  7703. >It would be a bit more energy efficient than the liquid cooling.
  7704. >But you’re not too worried about that.
  7705. >And it wouldn’t make the computer run any faster.
  7706. >Besides, you want it NOW.
  7707. >You open your arm terminal and watch the progress.
  7708. >It should be done in…
  7709. >Six hours.
  7710. >Six hours is not now.
  7711.  
  7712.  
  7713. >You are Pinkie Pie!
  7714. >You’re excited!
  7715. >A new batch of machines has just arrived!
  7716. >You’d more or less hit your limit with the other machines.
  7717. >The mechanical components all made sense.
  7718. >Sure, many of them were crafted too precisely for you to make, but at least they made sense.
  7719. >Mostly.
  7720. >You’d more or less figured out the energy storage.
  7721. >You don’t fully understand how it works, and your copies don’t work as well, but you can build them.
  7722. >You wouldn’t want to, though.
  7723. >Dashie’s pegasus magic is WAY better for storing lightning.
  7724. >The boards…
  7725. >You have NO IDEA how they work.
  7726. >You don’t even know where to start!
  7727. >But you DID figure out what they do.
  7728. >All the lightning seems to go through them in some way.
  7729. >They seem to direct the lightning to the proper place when various conditions are met.
  7730. >The board decides what the machine does.
  7731. >If you could figure that out…
  7732. >You can only imagine the possibilities.
  7733. >There were boards in the cannons, probably so they knew where to attack.
  7734. >But even so, you’ve given out boards to pretty much every kind of specialist you could find.
  7735. >Arcanists, alchemists, mechanics, Twilight…
  7736. >Anypony who might be able to figure out how they work.
  7737. >You figured that the potential payoff was worth the risk.
  7738. >Machines that move and act on their own, that know exactly what to do at all times.
  7739. >Workers that would NEVER grow tired, that couldn’t help but do a perfect job every time.
  7740. >Tools that could replace ponies entirely in dangerous jobs.
  7741. >And all it would take would be a little lightning.
  7742. >Hopefully, these new machines will give you some insight.
  7743. >A wooden crate sits before you in your underground lab.
  7744. >You grab a crowbar in your front two hooves and charge the box, holding the crowbar high.
  7745. >A giddy smile is plastered on your face.
  7746.  
  7747. >”You look like a foal opening a birthday present.”
  7748.  
  7749. >Rainbow dash deftly dodges as boards go flying everywhere.
  7750. >You find them, eighteen smallish machines, no larger than a coconut.
  7751. >All of them have the blackened look of burnt steel.
  7752. >The ape really needs to start painting things.
  7753.  
  7754. “Lookey, Dashie! No legs!”
  7755.  
  7756. >”Huh.”
  7757.  
  7758. “No, don’tcha get it? How would they move without legs? Look here, in the middle”
  7759.  
  7760. >”It… kinda looks like a fan.”
  7761.  
  7762. “They’re FLYING machines!”
  7763.  
  7764. >That seems to have her interested.
  7765.  
  7766. >”Wait, I get how the fan provides lift, but where’s the thrust coming from?”
  7767.  
  7768. >She walks over to the crate and picks one up.
  7769. >Just like the one you’re holding, it’s a tube with a hole in the middle, in which a fan fits snugly.
  7770.  
  7771. >”The fan moves air through, pushing the machine, right? But I don’t see any way to propel it forward. Unless…”
  7772.  
  7773. >She tilts the machine slightly
  7774.  
  7775. >”Unless the fan was pushing at an angle. It will always go ‘up’, but up for it isn’t necessarily up from the ground’s perspective. Changing directions would cause this thing to drop, but if you could speed up the fan exactly the right amount at exactly the right time, it would be stable. The question is how does it tilt itself?”
  7776.  
  7777. “Wowee Dashie, that’ll save a lot of time! Leave it to Rainbow Dash to know how flying works.”
  7778.  
  7779. >You’re not sure how long that would have taken you.
  7780. >Sure, you’d made a flying machine before.
  7781. >And sure, it worked with a fan much like this one.
  7782. >But you’d never figured out how to move side to side.
  7783. >You turn the machine about in your hooves.
  7784. >Looking really closely, you can see the tiny marks that show where it was once molten.
  7785. >Melting metal to fuse it…
  7786. >It’s really an impressive feat.
  7787. >Riveting is as important as it is dangerous.
  7788. >But the ape hasn’t used a single rivet to date!
  7789. >Even just figuring that out would be a fantastic discovery.
  7790. >You grip an enchanted saw with your mouth, and slowly cut the machine open.
  7791. >It takes a while
  7792. >The ape’s steel is always stronger than Equestrian steel.
  7793. >One more mystery to solve.
  7794. >Eventually, the machine pops apart.
  7795. >The ponies that delivered the machines said that they broke when exposed to extreme heat.
  7796. >And no wonder!
  7797. >There’s some sort of tube with major scorch marks all over the place.
  7798. >And a lot of wires connected to it.
  7799. >The wiring suggests that it’s a source of lightning, but it looks different from the other one.
  7800.  
  7801. >”Hay, see this thing?”
  7802.  
  7803. >Dash is gesturing toward a wheel on a shaft.
  7804. >She gestures toward another elsewhere in the machine.
  7805.  
  7806. >”If they spun, wouldn’t the machine spin the opposite direction?”
  7807.  
  7808. “Uh huh…”
  7809.  
  7810. >”And there’s two of them, and they’re oriented differently.”
  7811.  
  7812. “So it can spin to face any direction, so it can tilt and move! Great work!”
  7813.  
  7814. >Again, you are surprised.
  7815. >She never seemed too interested in any of the other machines.
  7816. >Except the cannons, of course.
  7817. >And now she’s figuring this one out faster than you can.
  7818. >If nothing else, Rainbow Dash knows flight.
  7819. >There’s surprisingly little to find in the machine.
  7820. >You’d expected something that could fly to have all sorts of gadgets and dials everywhere.
  7821. >But it’s almost simple compared to the other things you’ve seen.
  7822. >The fan, the spinny wheels, a few boards, a couple objects you don’t recognise…
  7823. >And a needle.
  7824.  
  7825. “That’s odd.”
  7826.  
  7827. >”What?”
  7828.  
  7829. “Does this needle help with flying somehow?”
  7830.  
  7831. >”Not that I can think of. What does the machine do other than fly?”
  7832.  
  7833. “Nopony knows. Why, you think that this needle has something to do with it?”
  7834.  
  7835. >You look closer.
  7836. >There appears to be a small plunger attached to it.
  7837. >Either to shoot something out of the needle, or to suck something in.
  7838. >You’d heard that they had swarmed second best princess.
  7839.  
  7840. “Dash, you’re supposed to be Luna’s spy, right? I think it’s time to make a report.”
  7841.  
  7842.  
  7843.  
  7844. >You are Twilight.
  7845. >You’re having a hard time believing what Pinkie said in her letter.
  7846. >It doesn’t help that it was written in pink crayon.
  7847. >Or that there are doodles all over the place.
  7848. >But apparently, if you can somehow figure out the board, she could make some of the ape’s machines.
  7849. >Or rather, to quote, “Maybe kinda something sorta similar but probably not as good but still really super exciting!”
  7850. >You weren’t interested at first.
  7851. >You don’t want ape weapons all over the place.
  7852. >But Pinkie was the one who warned you about that.
  7853. >So you’re confident that she won’t use the boards for evil.
  7854. >You don’t have any idea where to start though.
  7855. >The boards aren’t magical, and magic is what you know.
  7856. >But what Pinkie says they do…
  7857. >You might be able to make something happen?
  7858. >The boards sound similar in function to your written runes.
  7859. >Which isn’t too surprising.
  7860. >Your runes were inspired by the boards in the first place.
  7861. >All you need to do is invent a spell that checks the world for certain conditions, and find some way to change a different glyph based on what the spell finds.
  7862. >Much easier said than done.
  7863. >You’re not even sure it’s possible.
  7864. >But it’s still a fun side project for when you get sick of reading about war.
  7865.  
  7866. >”Uhh, I gots a message fer Twiggles Spronkle?”
  7867.  
  7868. >What?
  7869. >You’re a princess!
  7870. >There was a big coronation and everything!
  7871. >Who is this gruff voiced pony, and how did they get your name so wrong?
  7872. >You turn around to find…
  7873.  
  7874. “Rainbow! Pinkie!”
  7875.  
  7876. >”So, why are you here and not out there?”
  7877.  
  7878. >Dash gestures vaguely in the general direction of the old camp.
  7879.  
  7880. “We had to retreat… The ape’s machines were coming in, and we couldn’t break them fast enough. A few days ago we saw a machine that we couldn’t break at all! If it weren’t too big to climb the pass, we’d have had to retreat again. Then it would be able to go wherever it wanted in Equestria...”
  7881.  
  7882. >That really brought the mood down.
  7883. >Apparently neither of them knew how outmatched you were.
  7884. >It should have come as no surprise.
  7885. >When they’d left, you couldn’t approach the ape, but you could at least defend well enough.
  7886.  
  7887. “But I think it’s at its limit! We haven’t seen any new weapons coming from it lately, and it doesn’t seem to be able to make any more of the unbreakable machines. If we can smash it, we should be fine.”
  7888.  
  7889. >You’re not sure if that’s true.
  7890. >It might just be wishful thinking.
  7891. >No, you ARE sure.
  7892. >Why else would it have stopped improving its weapons?
  7893. >Why wouldn’t it make more metal spiders?
  7894. >It can’t possibly get stronger than this.
  7895.  
  7896. >”Whew, you had me scared for a moment there Twi.”
  7897.  
  7898. >It seems you’ve managed to calm Rainbow a bit.
  7899. >Pinkie remains oddly quiet for a while.
  7900. >Eventually, she returns to her normal self.
  7901. >The three of you have a pleasant afternoon of idle chatter.
  7902. >You’d missed them.
  7903. >You’d missed Pinkie a lot!
  7904. >The entire camp was always a little bit happier with her around.
  7905. >But now the soldiers are without distraction from their uselessness.
  7906. >And every day they see that stupid statue…
  7907.  
  7908. >”What’s with the statue?”
  7909.  
  7910. >Ugh.
  7911. >It’s all anypony wants to talk about.
  7912.  
  7913. “Yeah, it just showed up one day at the other camp, then it followed us here. We can’t get rid of it, here, watch.”
  7914.  
  7915. >You turn to face the structure.
  7916. >You dig deep and draw as much mana as you can.
  7917. >You picture a simple force glyph and direct your focus to the statue.
  7918.  
  7919. *CRACK*
  7920.  
  7921. >A loud sound resonates as your magic collides violently with the statue.
  7922. >Nothing happens.
  7923. >You’re panting.
  7924. >You might have overdone it a little.
  7925.  
  7926. >”Have you tried cutting it or burning it?”
  7927.  
  7928. “Yes Pinkie. Yes we have.”
  7929.  
  7930. >”Have you tried pushing it over?”
  7931.  
  7932. “Ye- no. No we haven’t.”
  7933.  
  7934. >You round up as many unicorns as you can find.
  7935. >You all set to push as hard as you can against its head.
  7936. >You yourself are still too tired to accomplish much…
  7937. >But the thing tips over with a mighty crash!
  7938. >A loud chorus of cheering fills the camp.
  7939. >She’s only been here a few hours, and Pinkie has already cheered everypony up.
  7940. >You really could use her back in the camp.
  7941.  
  7942. “Say, why did you leave anyway, Pinkie? There are a lot of ponies around here that could use cheering up.“
  7943.  
  7944. >”Yeah… Dashie and I had something really important to do.”
  7945.  
  7946. >More important than making ponies smile?
  7947. >That’s what Pinkie lives for!
  7948. >What could possibly-
  7949.  
  7950. >”Is Luna around?”
  7951.  
  7952. >And now she needs to see Princess Luna?
  7953.  
  7954. “No, she and Princess Celestia had to go back to Canterlot for a few days. I’m sure she’ll be back soon enough.”
  7955.  
  7956. >”Oh, okay! Could you give her this when she shows up?”
  7957.  
  7958. >Pinkie reaches into her saddlebags and pulls out two small books.
  7959. >One with ‘top secret’ written on it, the other with ‘boring stuff’ written on it.
  7960.  
  7961. >”I say it’s boring stuff so nopony will bother reading it. Clever, huh?”
  7962.  
  7963. >Not a bad plan.
  7964. >But ‘boring stuff’ is a pretty suspicious title.
  7965. >It would have been better if it said ‘taxes’ or something.
  7966.  
  7967. “Good thinking, Pinkie. But what are these?”
  7968.  
  7969. >The other two look at each other for a moment.
  7970. >They simultaneously nod their heads.
  7971.  
  7972. >”Luna has Pinkie investigating ape machines in a secret lab about an hour out of Ponyville, and I’m supposed to be spying on her.”
  7973.  
  7974. >Secret lab?
  7975. >Spying?
  7976. >You’d think it was a prank of some sort.
  7977. >But it WOULD explain why all the salvage keeps ‘disappearing’.
  7978.  
  7979. “May I read them?”
  7980.  
  7981. >”Sure!”
  7982.  
  7983. >You flip open the ‘boring stuff’.
  7984. >It’s full of sketches of different machines and parts.
  7985. >Most of the components have been labelled, with accompanying diagrams.
  7986. >Albeit sometimes with made up words.
  7987. >There are several numbers written about, some of which you recall seeing from your less magical studies in school.
  7988. >Everything’s been mapped out and measured.
  7989.  
  7990. “Wait, why do you have so much information on how they work?”
  7991.  
  7992. >”Pinkie is amazing, Twilight. One moment you’re taking a nap, the next she’s got machines working and she wants you to hoof wrestle with one of the metal not legs!”
  7993.  
  7994. >She’s made some of them WORK?
  7995. >Maybe she was serious when she said she could make this stuff.
  7996.  
  7997. “Where did you learn all this stuff?”
  7998.  
  7999. >”At Fillydelphia university!”
  8000.  
  8001. “I didn’t know you went to university. Why would anypony want to go there? It’s not a good school, it’s…”
  8002.  
  8003. >You should have known.
  8004. >Her smile is threatening to split her face.
  8005.  
  8006. >”Say it!”
  8007.  
  8008. “It’s a party school.”
  8009.  
  8010.  
  8011. >You are Anonymous.
  8012. >Six hours is now!
  8013. >You have the fastest computer possible!
  8014. >Even faster than what you’d been sent with, in fact.
  8015. >There was no expectation that you’d need such an absurd amount of computing power when your mission started.
  8016. >And so they’d gone with a cheaper, lighter option that took less energy.
  8017. >You do wish you still had your ship’s computer, though.
  8018. >It had collected a great deal of telemetry data while you were en route.
  8019. >True, you’d only gone about 750 light years.
  8020. >And true, that’s practically nothing given the size of the galaxy.
  8021. >But unless things have changed a lot since you left home, it would take a long time to run the tests again.
  8022. >A shame, that.
  8023. >Hopefully the other gate technicians managed to keep theirs.
  8024. >Losing one out of a few dozen wouldn’t be so bad.
  8025. >You idly wonder how many ships have been launched with similar missions…
  8026. >You were number 18, but how many after that?
  8027. >It really depends on how much power the corporation got their hands on.
  8028. >Probably not much at first.
  8029. >The sun was totally tapped, damn near all the lighter molecules had been fused, and the gas planets had been siphoned to oblivion.
  8030. >Probably literally, by now.
  8031. >The Uranus’ core was already showing by the time you’d left.
  8032. >All that should be resolved by now, though.
  8033. >The first gate was due to come online about 600 years ago.
  8034. >That alone would damn near double the energy supply.
  8035. >Having a whole star to work with…
  8036. >You have no idea what you’d do with that much power.
  8037. >It would be a major undertaking, but you’re strongly considering tapping this star.
  8038. >You’d need to ramp up your industries.
  8039. >You’d basically need a space elevator.
  8040. >Most importantly, you’d need to figure out why the star keeps changing.
  8041. >It might all be in vain.
  8042. >If you can’t control the star, you won’t be able to tap it properly.
  8043. >But you’re greedy.
  8044. >You like energy.
  8045. >It’s something to consider.
  8046. >For now though, you’ll content yourself with finishing your tests on that horse’s tissue.
  8047. >All the fragmented DNA sequences you’d collected had been easy enough to sequence.
  8048. >It has a VERY peculiar genome.
  8049. >You’re not seeing any indication of viral DNA.
  8050. >The coding regions are nicely spaced out.
  8051. >There don't seem to be any conflicting sequences at all.
  8052. >Everything seems to point to some form of genetic augmentation.
  8053. >Perhaps even on par with the gene therapy you’d undergone.
  8054. >Maybe only some horses have that?
  8055. >This one has both wings and a horn.
  8056. >AND it’s much larger than the others.
  8057. >This all seems to reinforce your supersoldier hypothesis.
  8058. >It’s something to keep in mind.
  8059. >Time to see how this stuff works in practice.
  8060. >You know what solvent is used for the cells, and you know the cellular anatomy, you know the genome.
  8061. >All you don’t know is how the tissue develops.
  8062. >You set your computer to simulate digital cells based on the data you’d collected.
  8063. >You have it calculate how those structures would react in various conditions.
  8064. >You have it simulate for a terran week.
  8065. >A massive project of insane computational complexity.
  8066. >Calculating how every individual molecule would react at every instant.
  8067. >And with hundreds of different samples to simulate.
  8068. >Good thing you’ve got a good computer.
  8069. >Within seconds, almost all of the tests are ‘dead’, allowing the computer to allocate more resources to the remaining ones.
  8070. >Within a minute, your tests are concluded.
  8071. >You order several more tests, all with similar conditions to the one with the best outcome.
  8072. >You repeat the process a few times.
  8073. >And now, you’re relatively certain you know what ideal conditions are for horse tissue.
  8074. >About forty five degrees?
  8075. >Horses are really warm, apparently.
  8076. >And poisonous!
  8077. >Some of these proteins would be really bad for you.
  8078. >Probably not enough to kill a healthy human in any reasonable dosage.
  8079. >But you’d sure get sick.
  8080. >If this is what life on this planet is like, you’re even more glad that you don’t need to eat.
  8081. >Some of the virtual cultures have grown rather large by this point.
  8082. >They don’t seem to be developing into a full fledged horse, though.
  8083. >You need to know how they reproduce before you can run any tests along that avenue.
  8084. >And you’d like to have more than one genome to run tests on.
  8085. >AND you’d like to know what the actual body conditions of horses is like.
  8086. >Your second molecular assembly is ready…
  8087. >But you’ll need more than two.
  8088. >Maybe a few hundred, even.
  8089. >Why such an overwhelming amount of machinery?
  8090. >You’ve got a plan.
  8091. >Their cells seem to be able to metabolise glucose.
  8092. >You’ve seen them bleed.
  8093. >It’s not a sure thing, but you’re willing to bet there’s glucose in their bloodstreams.
  8094. >And glucose can be fuel.
  8095. >If you can deliver a payload of microscopic machines that run on glucose and have them embed themselves in various life forms…
  8096. >You would have pretty much complete information on their biology.
  8097. >Delivery is easy.
  8098. >Just fire some rockets over their settlements and drop the payload.
  8099. >Or you could air drop canisters in, or have ground based machines deliver them.
  8100. >But you like theatrics.
  8101. >The tricky part is building the stupid things.
  8102. >You’ll need billions of them.
  8103. >One molecular assembly COULD do it by itself.
  8104. >But it will be faster to wait until you have more.
  8105. >In the meantime, you’ll focus on something that’s been bothering you.
  8106. >All the gems are really weird.
  8107. >When you re-examined the remains of the abandoned horse camp, you found a literal wagon full of them.
  8108. >Next to lead foil, water, and some organic white powder.
  8109. >You could see the foundation where the building used to be.
  8110. >If there had been anything else in that small shack, it had been taken when they left.
  8111. >Normally you wouldn’t concern yourself too much with that detail.
  8112. >But then the horse that came with the lava monster left a bunch of gems in a circle.
  8113. >And what looked to be a circle of blood.
  8114. >You’re not sure why it was still fresh when your bots arrived, the extreme heat you were reading from that spot should have dried it out.
  8115. >It should have killed the horse too.
  8116. >Your simulations if that specific horse’s cells said it should have died quite quickly in that heat.
  8117. >And there really shouldn’t have been much left other than ash when it was taken away.
  8118. >You had so many different sources reporting the same temperature, you’ve no doubt that it’s all true.
  8119. >You rub your head in frustration
  8120.  
  8121. “Things were so much simpler when I thought I was insane…”
  8122.  
  8123. >So it had some form of heat resistance other than its biology.
  8124. >You KNOW that.
  8125. >There was no visible equipment except the various gilded accessories.
  8126. >Perhaps they contain some machinery?
  8127. >It’s a shame you lost track of that one.
  8128. >You’d rather like to take a closer look at those things.
  8129. >The blood samples from the horse and from the ground have failed to explain anything.
  8130. >The only alternative you’re coming up with is that the gems have something to do with it.
  8131. >The gems that sit before you right now.
  8132. >It’s a long shot, but they’re seriously weird.
  8133. >And you’re low in other avenues to explore.
  8134. >You checked their chemical composition and looked for any kinds of energy before bringing them in.
  8135. >You don’t have a death wish, after all.
  8136. >You couldn’t read any electrical current, you didn’t find any radiation except the expected thermal, and for all intents and purposes their chemical composition and molecular structure are of no interest.
  8137. >So now, you’re grasping at straws.
  8138. >You put a sample in your spectrometer.
  8139. >Nothing unusual.
  8140. >You expose them to extreme temperatures.
  8141. >Nothing unusual.
  8142. >You measure their density.
  8143. >The reading is off.
  8144.  
  8145. “Must be dirty or something.”
  8146.  
  8147. >You have some moved to the clean room.
  8148. >You have the bots within clean them.
  8149. >The density is still wrong.
  8150. >You repeat the test with every gem.
  8151. >They’re all too massive by inconsistent amounts.
  8152. >The worst of the bunch is up by a couple micrograms!
  8153. >That’s gotta be significant.
  8154. >It’s almost as though-
  8155.  
  8156. “Oh shit!”
  8157.  
  8158. >You run away from the clean room.
  8159. >You immediately order your bots to put them on the next train to a distant base.
  8160. >If they’re more massive than they should be, they’re storing potential energy.
  8161. >And given that you were able to detect it so readily, it’s probably a hell of a lot.
  8162. >They might be irradiating you, or they might explode at any moment.
  8163. >You’ve got no idea!
  8164. >Once they arrive at their destination, you’ll have the robots there repeat the test.
  8165. >REMOTELY.
  8166. >You’re still not totally convinced by the readings you’re getting.
  8167. >You couldn’t find any other signs of such energy, after all.
  8168. >If you hadn’t just gotten a clean bill of health, you’d have deemed yourself insane again.
  8169. >Even then you’re not totally discounting the idea.
  8170. >You’ll have another clean room built specifically for these tests, along with a much more precise scale.
  8171. >You need to be sure about this.
  8172. >Because if you’re right, this planet got a thousand times as interesting.
  8173. >But first, a quick visit to the autodoc.
  8174. >Just in case.
  8175.  
  8176. Several days later...
  8177.  
  8178. >You’ve gotten another clean bill of health.
  8179. >If there’s anything wrong with you, nobody’s ever seen your condition before.
  8180. >And you’ve not made any progress on the gems.
  8181. >You’ve started testing pretty much anything you can get your hands on for a similar anomaly.
  8182. >Nothing so far.
  8183. >It’s been a lot of work, thinking up all the things that need to be tested.
  8184. >You’ve earned yourself a day off.
  8185. >You’re lying in a hammock suspended by two robots.
  8186. >It makes you feel like some sort of emperor, being waited on by slaves.
  8187. >You would have one of them fanning you, but the hot weather’s really been easing off.
  8188. >Winter is coming.
  8189. >You doubt it will cause you much trouble.
  8190. >There’s incredibly few clouds around, and it hasn’t rained once since you got here.
  8191. >You haven’t quite figured out why, though.
  8192. >The weather patterns here are weird.
  8193. >You’ll worry about that later, though.
  8194. >You plan on only doing one productive thing today.
  8195. >Firing the science rockets.
  8196.  
  8197.  
  8198.  
  8199. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  8200. >You’ve got your plan laid out.
  8201. >Everypony’s been going about it all wrong.
  8202. >Except maybe your brother?
  8203. >His raids on the ape’s supply lines seem so long ago.
  8204. >But they worked perfectly, and required so little effort.
  8205. >A well laid plan, unqualified success, exploiting a weak point, an effective use of energy...
  8206. >Yes, his approach was good.
  8207. >But not as good as yours.
  8208. >You have two possible victory conditions.
  8209. >You can either directly kill the ape, or destroy ALL of its defences.
  8210. >At this point, you’re quite convinced that the former would be easier.
  8211. >There’s only one of it, after all.
  8212. >Not to mention that it’s made of flesh instead of metal.
  8213. >Despite how durable apes are, a relatively light attack would be enough.
  8214. >One good magic missile straight through the brain.
  8215. >That’s always been true, but there’s a problem.
  8216. >How to hit it?
  8217. >You could never get close enough to have a decent shot.
  8218. >It’s impossible to steady a horn well enough to hit from so far away.
  8219. >Not to mention the difficulty of aiming in the heat of the moment.
  8220. >You no longer need to worry about that.
  8221. >It’ll take a while to set up what you have planned.
  8222. >And it’ll take a while to find the right moment.
  8223. >You can’t be down there exposed for all that time.
  8224. >You need to be far away, well defended, hidden, and high up.
  8225. >Luckily, your camp is on the peak of a mountain.
  8226. >You stand on the mountaintop with your telescope, trying to pin it exactly on the ape.
  8227. >The wind is sweeping your mane, and nudging the telescope.
  8228. >You’ll need to order a small shelter to be built up here.
  8229. >After a few hours of struggling…
  8230.  
  8231. “THERE!”
  8232.  
  8233. >You’ve got a clear shot at the ape’s favourite lounging spot.
  8234. >You think you can see it, but you’re not quite sure.
  8235. >Your view is still pretty distant.
  8236. >A slight gust of wind moves the telescope almost imperceivable.
  8237. >You’ve lost sight.
  8238. >But that’s okay.
  8239. >You’ve confirmed your angle will work.
  8240. >Now it’s only a matter of preparing the spell.
  8241. >There’s absolutely no chance you could ever hold your horn steady enough for this attack.
  8242. >You’re making some ‘Twilight Tables’ like the ones you’ve been using for scrying.
  8243. >The name’s a work in progress.
  8244. >If you line it up properly, you should be able to hit from this distance.
  8245. >Nearly fifty kilometers away…
  8246. >There’s no way you could ever hit that with anything other than magic.
  8247. >Atmospheric disturbances alone would make it impossible with a physical projectile.
  8248. >All you need here is a perfectly straight line.
  8249. >Even then, you’re going with a large explosive spell.
  8250. >Even if it’s theoretically possible to land a precision spell from that distance, it’s never going to actually happen.
  8251. >Mapping out every detail of this spell will be hard enough.
  8252. >Getting the trajectory set up PERFECTLY would be impossible.
  8253. >So you’re going to level half the camp.
  8254. >That way, being even quite a distance off your target, you’ll still win.
  8255. >It’s critically important that this work the first time.
  8256. >Every time you’ve surprised the ape, it found a solution before you could strike again.
  8257. >What was it that book said?
  8258. >A variation of tactics, that’s right.
  8259. >You wouldn’t have believed that it stopped Celestia’s latest attack had you not seen it yourself.
  8260. >And your second attempt with your explosive flying orbs was, amazingly enough, a waste of time.
  8261. >Your best bet is to kill it with a single blow.
  8262. >There is a drawback.
  8263. >If you’re lucky, it’ll take you WEEKS to get the angle right.
  8264. >You plan on using a light spell to test, so you can only check your work when it isn’t in position.
  8265. >And it all relies on the ape relaxing in its usual spot.
  8266. >If it even SUSPECTS an attack is coming, this won’t work.
  8267. >ALL warfare is based on deception.
  8268. >When you are attacking, you must appear to be defending.
  8269. >Luckily, there’s ABSOLUTELY NO WAY it can see what you’re doing from so far away.
  8270. >It should be easy enough to surprise it.
  8271. >Unless Discord is right and it IS omnipercipient.
  8272. >But that’s ridiculous!
  8273. >There’s no way-
  8274.  
  8275. >”WE’VE GOT INCOMING!”
  8276.  
  8277. >You are drawn away from your telescope by the alarm.
  8278. >Your attention is directed upwards.
  8279. >Several large tubes are flying toward you, each with fire coming out of their backside.
  8280. >You grab one with your magic.
  8281. >It’s moving too fast, you can’t stop it!
  8282. >All the other unicorns pitch in, it stops.
  8283. >The rest fly right over your camp.
  8284. >And into the heart of Equestria…
  8285.  
  8286. “No. Oh no no no. This is horrible!”
  8287.  
  8288. >Who knows what those things will do?
  8289. >You’re reminded of similar projectiles it once shot at your old camp.
  8290. >The were much smaller and slower, with everypony pitching in you’d managed to catch them all.
  8291. >And they violently exploded.
  8292. >These ones are so much larger.
  8293. >Entire cities could be eradicated!
  8294. >There has to be some way you can stop this, some warning you could provide.
  8295. >You don’t have Spike to send a letter to the princess, there’s nopony here who’s nearly fast enough.
  8296. >You need to think!
  8297. >The one you’d caught splits in half.
  8298. >A huge cloud of black insects flies out and rushes down to meet you.
  8299. >You start attacking, everypony does.
  8300. >The magic and arrows just go through the cloud.
  8301. >You’ve no idea if you’re doing anything at all, but you keep trying!
  8302. >Shining Armor has the presence of mind to make a shield over the camp.
  8303. >The insects ram into it, and fail to breach.
  8304. >They keep bumping into it for a little while before falling still.
  8305. >You’re safe…
  8306. >But what horrors have been wrought on the rest of the Equestria?
  8307.  
  8308.  
  8309. >You are Rarity.
  8310. >You are preparing to host Fluttershy as a guest!
  8311. >She hasn’t gotten out of her cottage very much lately.
  8312. >Beyond her usual activities, she’s been (repeatedly) tending to Discord.
  8313. >Or so you’ve been told.
  8314. >You haven’t been allowed to see him while he’s there.
  8315. >Something about ‘his tremendous beauty being marred’.
  8316. >His words, not hers.
  8317. >While you can certainly understand not wanting to be seen when you aren’t looking your best, it was a bit of surprising to hear that HE cared about appearances.
  8318. >He’s already so unpleasant to look at the best of times.
  8319. >What must he look like now?
  8320. >Of course, he might just not want to talk to you.
  8321. >Not that you’d mind that, of course.
  8322. >You don't want to talk to him either.
  8323. >But it is still a bit upsetting that he’d not wish to speak to you.
  8324. >Who WOULDN'T want to speak with you?
  8325. >You're RARITY.
  8326.  
  8327. >”AAAAAAH”
  8328.  
  8329. >There’s a loud shriek outside.
  8330. >You quickly run to the door and throw it open.
  8331. >A thick cloud of black insects is descending upon Ponyville.
  8332. >Everypony quickly runs into their homes.
  8333. >You of course wait to see if anypony needs to take shelter in your boutique.
  8334. >You wait for nearly a whole second!
  8335. >You slam the door shut and lean against it, your heart racing.
  8336. >To your horror, you see them crawling under the door!
  8337. >You back away until you are up against the wall.
  8338. >The thin cloud is quite small, there aren’t that many of them.
  8339. >Or are there thousands? You can’t tell, they’re far too small for you to see each individual one.
  8340. >To your horror, the descend upon you.
  8341.  
  8342. “Get off of me! GET OFF OF ME! HEEEEELP!”
  8343.  
  8344. >Some of them crawl into your mouth while you’re shouting.
  8345. >The remaining ones spread out across your body until they’re too thinly spread to see.
  8346. >You… you’re covered with them.
  8347. >They’re INSIDE you.
  8348. >You’ve never felt so dirty.
  8349.  
  8350.  
  8351. >You are Luna.
  8352. >You aren’t being let out of the burn ward yet.
  8353. >You’ve assured everypony that you’re well enough to leave, but they stand firm in their conviction.
  8354. >This infuriates you.
  8355. >And that worries you.
  8356. >You know full well that they’re only trying to help you.
  8357. >You know that the correct response is annoyance at most.
  8358. >Yet you are filled with rage.
  8359. >It is so very tempting to focus on your anger.
  8360. >ANYTHING to distract from your pain.
  8361. >Instead, you steel your will and focus on how much you hurt.
  8362. >May it serve as a reminder of what NOT to do.
  8363.  
  8364. >”I’m here with an anesthetic spell, your majesty.”
  8365.  
  8366. “No, wait! Stay your horn!”
  8367.  
  8368. >It’s too late.
  8369. >A wave of relief washes over you.
  8370. >You’ve lost your primary distraction.
  8371.  
  8372. >”Sorry, doctor's orders! I’ll be back in an hour.”
  8373.  
  8374. >That damnable doctor.
  8375. >How dare he- no.
  8376. >No.
  8377. >You know where that path leads.
  8378.  
  8379. >”LOCK DOWN THE FACILITY, KEEP THOSE THINGS OUT!”
  8380.  
  8381. >That’s Celestia!
  8382.  
  8383. “I’m coming!”
  8384.  
  8385. >You struggle to rise from your bed.
  8386. >You’re too numb from the magic.
  8387. >You ready your horn to strike anything that may come.
  8388. >Your sister backs into your room.
  8389. >You nearly strike her on reflex.
  8390.  
  8391. >”Quick, everypony in here!”
  8392.  
  8393. >Ponies start flooding in your room.
  8394. >Before long, she starts casting a shield in the doorway.
  8395. >A thin cloud of black insects flies in, only to be stopped by the shield.
  8396. >Despite the futility of their approach, they keep coming in for several minutes before the swarm starts to dissipate.
  8397. >Interestingly, you didn’t see any leave, and you don’t see any on the ground.
  8398.  
  8399. “What’s going on?”
  8400.  
  8401. >”An ape machine just flew over Canterlot and released those… things!”
  8402.  
  8403. “In CANTERLOT?”
  8404.  
  8405. >Is nowhere safe?
  8406. >Surely- no, your sister is not mistaken.
  8407. >She would recognise machinery of ape origin.
  8408.  
  8409. >”Yes. You there! You were outside when it started! Where were those things going?”
  8410.  
  8411. >”Uhh… Everywhere? The whole city.”
  8412.  
  8413. >You needed something major to distract yourself.
  8414. >You’re pretty sure you’ve found it.
  8415.  
  8416.  
  8417.  
  8418. >You are Cadence.
  8419. >You see an ape machine flying in.
  8420. >You’re not CERTAIN that’s what it is, but based on the descriptions in Shining’s letters, you’re pretty sure.
  8421. >But you’re not concerned.
  8422.  
  8423. >”Are you sure we’re safe, your majesty?”
  8424.  
  8425. “Absolutely. The crystal heart’s shield is still up. It will stop anything with an evil heart.”
  8426.  
  8427. >”But you said that it was probably a machine, right? What if they doesn’t have a heart?”
  8428.  
  8429. >Your eyes go wide.
  8430. >You hadn’t thought of that.
  8431. >The thing shoots straight over the city.
  8432. >A black cloud starts pouring out.
  8433. >It passes straight through the shield.
  8434. >You stay calm.
  8435. >At least, that’s what you’ll tell everypony later.
  8436. >It’s already spread out too much for you to catch the whole thing.
  8437. >You start forming small shield orbs around the cloud everywhere you can.
  8438. >Before long, the remaining cloud is lost to the city.
  8439.  
  8440. “We need disaster relief down there NOW! Shielded teams only. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, so be careful!”
  8441.  
  8442. >Hordes of ponies go scurrying, preparing themselves for whatever they may find.
  8443. >But you stay put.
  8444. >You have something else to worry about.
  8445. >You bring the ones you captured down into the palace.
  8446. >You’ve got no idea what’s going on here…
  8447. >Maybe the ones you caught will lend you some insight.
  8448.  
  8449.  
  8450. >You are Anonymous.
  8451. >You just launched hundreds of rockets.
  8452. >Their destinations?
  8453. >Every major settlement you’ve found, horse or otherwise.
  8454. >Their payload?
  8455. >Billions of microbots each.
  8456. >They’re too big to be nanobots.
  8457. >They had to be with all the equipment you put in them.
  8458. >3d navigation and movement, glucose engines, thermal and chemosensors, cameras, communications arrays…
  8459. >And all waterproof to boot.
  8460. >They’re supposed to burrow into bloodstreams, after all.
  8461. >They SHOULD be small enough not to cause any pain or damage to their hosts on their way in.
  8462. >If you’re wrong, it’ll be pretty minor.
  8463. >You’re not planning on getting them back, so you’ve programmed them to relay their data to you through your satellites.
  8464. >Satellites which are quickly being overwhelmed.
  8465. >You might need to expand your network if you do this again.
  8466. >Hopefully you'll manage to get all the relevant data before they get excreted.
  8467. >Wait, what if some of the targets don't urinate?
  8468. >You didn't think of that.
  8469. >But you won't lose much sleep over it, the machines shouldn't harm them.
  8470. >Thankfully your new computer down here is keeping up without much trouble.
  8471. >You’re already getting information on all sorts of creatures.
  8472. >It’ll take quite some time to run all the simulations you want based on all this data, even with so many optical processors.
  8473. >But you’re not in a big enough hurry to make another computer.
  8474. >You’ll be here more than long enough to finish that project.
  8475. >Watching everything freak out when your microbots came in was a nice bonus.
  8476. >You especially liked how the purple one that was spying on you reacted.
  8477. >You’d better keep an eye on that one...
  8478. >Sure, it’s kinda a dick move not using a more subtle approach.
  8479. >But there’s no lasting harm, so you’ll allow yourself this laugh.
  8480. >Besides, it would have taken a lot more work to sneak so many in.
  8481. >Sadly, a good chunk of them are offline.
  8482. >Fortunately, the vast majority have found proper hosts, and are staying online within their bodies without trouble.
  8483. >All in all, you’d say it was worth the wait.
  8484. >You’re hoping you’ll be able to solve some of the mysteries that have been plaguing you using this data.
  8485. >Tomorrow.
  8486. >Today’s your day off.
  8487.  
  8488.  
  8489. >You are Anonymous.
  8490. >You are getting back to work.
  8491. >You’re ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN the gems are denser than they should be.
  8492. >You’ve either discovered a new form of energy, or a new form of matter.
  8493. >Either would be revolutionary.
  8494. >Unless one of the other gate techs made the same discovery.
  8495. >Those bastards maybe stealing your thunder hundreds of years ago.
  8496. >You’re assuming that they haven’t, though.
  8497. >This is YOUR discovery.
  8498. >Now you’re checking EVERYTHING on this planet for weird energy or matter..
  8499. >Aggravatingly enough, you’re not finding anything.
  8500. >Except for a single rodent-like creature.
  8501. >More specifically, a small tissue sample you’d taken from it.
  8502. >You’re keeping it in a cage in the same base as the gems.
  8503. >There’s no way you’re going to be near any of these anomalies until you know it’s safe.
  8504. >You had your robots take some cells from it, of course.
  8505. >The contents of the cells provided no insight.
  8506. >What WAS interesting was that the mass discrepancy gradually faded once the cells had died.
  8507. >Or perhaps they died because it was fading?
  8508. >You’re not quite sure.
  8509. >You also don’t know what mice and gems have in common.
  8510. >But you always welcome having more data to work with.
  8511. >You’d put the simulations of other creature’s cells on hold for a while to prioritise the rodent’s.
  8512. >Your simulations worked just fine.
  8513. >The actual tissue cultures though…
  8514. >They died pretty much right away.
  8515. >This means that either your simulation is wrong, or reality is wrong.
  8516. >You’re sorely tempted to say the latter and call it a day.
  8517. >While you don’t actually KNOW that the mass discrepancy is related to the simulation error, you’re willing to bet it is.
  8518. >You send a robot back to the cage to find the rodent cowering under some sprigs you’d found.
  8519. >Some of them have bite marks.
  8520. >That’s a good sign.
  8521. >You weren’t sure it would eat them.
  8522. >You want to keep it alive.
  8523. >At the very least until you figure this all out.
  8524.  
  8525. “Sorry… rodent, I’m taking another biopsy.
  8526.  
  8527. >’Rodent’ is too clumsy.
  8528. >You need a name if it’s going to be staying with you for any amount of time.
  8529. >You have your puppet slip the thin needle into the creature.
  8530. >It recoils slightly, clearly in a state of panic.
  8531. >You feel a bit bad for the thing…
  8532. >But science must be done.
  8533. >You put the sample in a petri dish and send it off to join up with the crystals.
  8534. >They seem to be keeping their mass relatively steady.
  8535. >Some of the cloudier ones are losing weight, though.
  8536. >It’s a huge stretch, but MAYBE the crystals that are losing weight are radiating something that the cells need to survive.
  8537. >You’ll have to wait and see.
  8538. >What to do while waiting…
  8539. >Well, you could check in on that purple horse.
  8540. >You can’t quite keep your eyes steady enough to see it with your augments.
  8541. >But your satellites are having no trouble keeping tabs on it.
  8542. >It’s on the mountaintop again, with its telescope pointed at you.
  8543. >There seems to be a little lean-to shielding it from the wind.
  8544. >You wait for it to look in the telescope before waving at it.
  8545. >It doesn’t react.
  8546. >You were hoping for panic.
  8547. >It probably didn’t see you at all, though. You don’t know exactly where the telescope is pointed.
  8548. >That’s something you should find out, actually.
  8549.  
  8550.  
  8551.  
  8552. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  8553. >The light spell you’re training on your target is still a ways off.
  8554. >You haven’t even started converting the spell to a written form.
  8555. >It’s long, tedious work.
  8556. >But you find it rather cathartic.
  8557. >Precise telescope positioning, extensive note taking, just you and the wind…
  8558. >It reminds you of late nights spent star gazing.
  8559. >Having this sense of normalcy…
  8560. >You missed this.
  8561. >You miss your regular life.
  8562. >You’re thinking of asking Spike to come to the front.
  8563. >It really isn’t a place for a baby…
  8564. >But you’ve had Derpy babysitting him for months at this point.
  8565. >And you really do miss him.
  8566. >And not being able to send a letter was a real problem.
  8567. >AND you still don’t know what happened with the rest of Equestria, or where the princesses are.
  8568. >The next supply shipment is due tomorrow afternoon, so at least you’ll be able to ask a few questions then.
  8569.  
  8570. *whirrrrr*
  8571.  
  8572. “Huh?”
  8573.  
  8574. >You thought you’d heard something.
  8575. >You look around.
  8576. >You see nothing.
  8577. >You return to work.
  8578.  
  8579. *Whirrrrr*
  8580.  
  8581. >That time you KNOW you heard something.
  8582. >You spend a while looking around.
  8583. >Your efforts are fruitless.
  8584. >Eventually, you give up and go back to work.
  8585. >You never notice the small metal ‘mosquito’ hanging off of your shelter.
  8586.  
  8587.  
  8588.  
  8589. >You are Anonymous.
  8590. >You were right.
  8591. >They’re spying on you.
  8592. >You’d sorta expected that they’d give up when you stole their whole camp.
  8593. >Either they’re stupid, or arrogant
  8594. >Although, you’d been a bit arrogant yourself.
  8595. >Now that you know they’ve got these gems that you don’t understand, you should really be a bit more cautious.
  8596. >Odds are at least some of the weird stuff you’d seen them do are based on the gems.
  8597. >And the purple horse is painting glittery lines all over the place.
  8598. >You’ve got NO IDEA what that’s all about.
  8599. >But you do know that you don’t recognise that stuff.
  8600. >You’ll have to send in another robot to swipe some.
  8601. >But in the meanwhile you’ll concern yourself with their continued aggression.
  8602. >You COULD kill them all.
  8603. >Or you could be the bigger man.
  8604. >You plan on sabotaging them, of course.
  8605. >But in the meantime, you might as well make yourself some personal armor.
  8606. >Not that platemail garbage you had a while back.
  8607. >You DO need to make a few preparations though.
  8608. >You’ve got your molecular assemblies putting together slightly curved panels.
  8609. >Not complex machines, not perfect computers, panels.
  8610. >Yet another one is complete, just two square meters and a centimeter or so thick.
  8611. >And several tons.
  8612. >Super-dense hafnium-carbide mesh, part of a set of materials colloquially and inaccurately called ‘heavy alloy’, requires precision machinery despite its apparent simplicity.
  8613. >By carefully balancing the electromagnetic force of one atom against the strong force inside another, you can force inter-atomic bonds that are nearly as sturdy as the bonds within the atom.
  8614. >Connect a series of these in a chain, and the entire chain will hold so long as the weak link on either end stays intact.
  8615. >Connect those weak links to each other to make a loop and you have no weak point. Weave billions of similar loops together, pull the same stunt to link the loops together within the weave, and you have a damn near indestructible material.
  8616. >The problem is that linking atoms together like that removes a good chunk of the space between them, and you wind up with things that are way denser than they have any right to be.
  8617. >This specific compound is intended to withstand temperatures that no ordinary thing can handle.
  8618. >Temperatures such as those you’d find within a high-temp fusion reactor.
  8619. >You can’t go ultra-high temperature because you’d wind up fusing the container.
  8620. >But this will give you nitrogen fusion without much trouble.
  8621. >Your robots arrange them into a toroid before performing the final touch and merge the plates together in the same way as the panels were made.
  8622. >It isn’t long before your fusion chamber is complete.
  8623. >In the middle, a toroid.
  8624. >All around the toroid, a series of superconducting electromagnets to accelerate the particles within.
  8625. >On one end, an intake into which you will pump pure nitrogen-14 plasma.
  8626. >On the other, a filtered output that lets the waste material move to a separate reactor.
  8627. >You’ve got six interconnected reactors now, each the size of a small house, with Seebeck generators protruding from each of the connections.
  8628. >Add nitrogen, get electricity.
  8629. >And a little waste helium.
  8630. >Which is okay, helium has its uses.
  8631. >Your robots are assembling the structure around the generator, a simple reinforced building to shelter it, but you neither need to nor wish to wait.
  8632. >You poke your arm terminal and the machine starts heating up.
  8633. >Soon you’ll have an unimaginable amount of energy.
  8634. >Sure, you were limited back home, but that’s because you had to share it with quadrillions of people.
  8635. >When it gets up to temperature you’ll have your old fusion reactor devoted entirely to antimatter synthesis.
  8636. >Antimatter that will fuel your power armor.
  8637. >You stand before the machine you plan on wearing in the near future.
  8638. >A large, black and white suit modelled after black tie attire.
  8639. >You want to look good, after all.
  8640. >It’s not especially advanced, but there are very few places in Sol system that allow you to have them.
  8641. >They’re usually banned by weapon regulations despite fully autonomous weapons being far superior.
  8642. >There’s nobody to stop you out here, though.
  8643. >There are a few limitations you’ve got to accept with this model, but you plan on making a new set anyway when you understand what’s up with the crystals.
  8644. >Step one, you made heavy alloy.
  8645. >A different version, or course.
  8646. >You don’t need to withstand nearly as high of temperatures, so you’re using different elements and spacing the atoms a bit further apart.
  8647. >The seven foot tall suit weighs in at a bit under six tons.
  8648. >It has a comparably low melting point, only ~5200 kelvin.
  8649. >It should be able to take a head on collision from one of your trains without being damaged.
  8650. >And the dense materials should block out essentially all radiation.
  8651. >It still allows heat transfer despite the high melting point, so you’ve got an air conditioner built in.
  8652. >You want a sealed system, so you’re including an atmospheric recycler.
  8653. >You want to be able to see, so you’ve got an array of microscopic cameras built into the head, both front and back.
  8654. >They’re weak points, though, so you’ve also got navigation software to guide you back home just in case you lose vision.
  8655. >Servomotors at each joint allow you to move freely despite the mass of the machine.
  8656. >Particle cannons are built into your palms, and photon cannons in your fingertips.
  8657. >You can blow stuff up by pointing at it.
  8658. >Despite how intimidating that might be, you’re missing some more basic functionality.
  8659. >You can’t fly, for example.
  8660. >This isn’t like deep space where you can mostly ignore the gravity, down here you’d need way more thrust to deal with your mass.
  8661. >You’d need to sacrifice durability to get light enough, or you’d need to carry around a great deal of propellant for a short flight.
  8662. >Hopefully you’ll have the means to work around that by the time you understand the crystals well enough to design a suit with them in mind.
  8663. >But refining your gear is starting to get tricky.
  8664. >You can control individual atoms if they’re big enough, but when you start to think about removing or replacing bosons?
  8665. >You’re not sure you’ve got what it takes.
  8666. >You slide open a small panel on the chest.
  8667. >There’s a small slot to host a series of antimatter batteries.
  8668. >You’ll need to have a few before you can test any of this stuff…
  8669. >So you might as well make the last preparations while you wait.
  8670. >You lay down in the autodoc yet again, and request a brain scan.
  8671. >This time, you aren’t looking for damage.
  8672. >You’re looking for augments.
  8673. >You get the results…
  8674.  
  8675. “Damn, seriously?”
  8676.  
  8677. >There’s silicon covering nearly every surface of your brain.
  8678. >There are chips anchored all over the place in your skull.
  8679. >You’d never actually taken a look at your brain after you’d gotten that last batch of augments.
  8680. >There’s more machine than brain in there.
  8681. >It’s sort of upsetting.
  8682. >Because you’re running out of space to add stuff!
  8683. >You have the doc inject you with another batch of nanites which quickly swarm around the remaining space on your brain.
  8684. >Leads are worked into the soft tissue, connecting your nerves to a new system.
  8685. >The nanites themselves latch together to make the framework for a new chip.
  8686. >Components are positioned and fused, and before long, there is a new circuit attached to your brain.
  8687. >A wireless communicator and a small computer to translate between thought and binary.
  8688. >Going forward, your machines will know your will.
  8689. >With the exception of your latest fusion reactor and your new suit, none of them had been designed with this in mind.
  8690. >But any new machines will obey neither your words nor your commands, but your very thoughts.
  8691. >You test the function by trying to “remember” how your fusion reactor is coming along.
  8692. >You immediately KNOW that it’s up to 3,726 kelvin.
  8693. >It’s far more seamless than any of the other implants.
  8694. >You aren’t left with the vague unease you’d come to associate with machine assisted knowledge or cognition.
  8695. >You aren’t distracted from your surroundings as your senses get overwritten.
  8696. >You just know.
  8697. >The smooth communication, completely unreliant on any display…
  8698. >You could get used to this.
  8699. >It made sense why you didn’t have it before.
  8700. >Wireless comms in neural implants are super illegal.
  8701. >Once upon a time, back when neural grafting was new, people used wireless grafts to manage small amounts of machinery.
  8702. >Then somebody found out you could mimic the signals, effectively hacking into people’s brains.
  8703. >You couldn’t control their thoughts, but you could control their perception.
  8704. >That’s scary enough.
  8705. >Nobody’s really pushing to have the ban lifted.
  8706. >But that’s one thing you don’t need to worry about out here.
  8707. >You just need to take it out before any other humans show up.
  8708. >6,816 kelvin…
  8709.  
  8710.  
  8711. >You are Celestia.
  8712. >You are worried.
  8713. >Pissed off, too.
  8714. >But mostly worried.
  8715. >You’re getting word from all over Equestria that the same thing happened.
  8716. >Any city with more than a few thousand ponies got hit.
  8717. >And you have no idea why.
  8718. >There don’t seem to be any symptoms in the ponies who’ve been infested.
  8719. >Unless the understandable panic they’re suffering from is a symptom?
  8720. >It might just be a show of force.
  8721. >A show of force that you should match.
  8722.  
  8723. “Luna, we need to end this right now.”
  8724.  
  8725. >She doesn’t respond.
  8726. >She’s still laying in bed.
  8727. >The doctor says she should be ready to leave in a few days if she keeps healing at this rate.
  8728.  
  8729. “If it can reach so far, we must slay it before it grows bored of toying with us.”
  8730.  
  8731. >Still no answer.
  8732. >You wish you knew what she was thinking.
  8733. >She’s been so distant these last few days.
  8734. >No doubt worries as you are.
  8735.  
  8736. “I can’t stop it myself, Luna.”
  8737.  
  8738. >Nothing.
  8739.  
  8740. “But together we can.”
  8741.  
  8742. >”Get. Out.”
  8743.  
  8744. “Pardon?”
  8745.  
  8746. >”Get out of this room. Leave me alone.”
  8747.  
  8748. >Leave her alone in the hospital?
  8749. >Surely she can’t mean that.
  8750.  
  8751. “If we were to combine our full might, we could destroy the whole thing in an instant.”
  8752.  
  8753. >”No! You need to stop this instant! I know you think you can control it, Celestia. I thought so too. You can’t!”
  8754.  
  8755. “It needs to be done-”
  8756.  
  8757. >”I am NOT going to become that THING again! Stay thy tongue, vile temptress, and leave me to my misery!”
  8758.  
  8759. >She takes hold of your body with her magic and violently throws you out the door.
  8760. >As you pull your head out of the freshly made hole in the wall, drywall slowly falling from your mane, you tell yourself you’ll try again tomorrow.
  8761. >She doesn’t want to do it, but both of you know it must be done.
  8762. >There’s no other way.
  8763. >You’re not using dark magic because you want to.
  8764. >You can quit any time.
  8765. >Just as soon as the ape is dead.
  8766.  
  8767.  
  8768. >You are Anonymous.
  8769. >You walking up to the pony’s camp.
  8770. >Well, not you personally.
  8771. >Your suit without you inside it.
  8772. >Having such a smooth neural interface, you almost can’t tell the difference.
  8773. >With so much power behind your movements, with so little resistance, with no discomfort from exertion…
  8774. >If you didn’t sink slightly with each step It’d be more natural than moving your own limbs.
  8775. >At least, if it was when it was closer to you.
  8776. >The latency you’re getting now that your signal is being relayed by your satellites is a bit clumsy, but not nearly as bad as you’d expect.
  8777. >The delay is offset by quicker reaction once the signal gets there.
  8778. >It takes nearly half a second for a human’s foot to react to a brain signal.
  8779. >It takes nearly half a nanosecond for your suit’s foot to react to its central processor.
  8780. >An upgrade to your comms network should be more than enough to smooth things out.
  8781. >Another volley of arrows rains down.
  8782. >Most of them hit and bounce off harmlessly.
  8783. >Exactly as you’d expected.
  8784. >You decided that a trial by fire was the best way to test out your new kit.
  8785. >Better that it fail now than later when you’re wearing the thing.
  8786. >A massive rock collides with your- with its head.
  8787. >It falls over.
  8788. >You kick you- its feet outward, launching yourself in the air.
  8789. >It lands on its feet and keeps walking.
  8790. >You are immersed in that colorful fire.
  8791. >You’re not sure, but your working hypothesis is that it’s an extension of the weird crystals.
  8792. >You’re attributing pretty much everything you can’t explain to them for the time being.
  8793. >Hopefully you’ll be able to dial that back a bit before too long.
  8794. >The sensors all about your suit are reporting pressure all over the place.
  8795. >The worst of it is pushing a megapascal.
  8796. >But it’s not slowing you down perceptably.
  8797. >Measurably, yes, but not perceptably.
  8798. >Another rock is flying in.
  8799. >You point at it.
  8800. >A purple beam of light strikes it and blows it apart.
  8801. >You’d decided on purple to match the colour of your plasma blade.
  8802. >Rock chunks come raining down around your suit, a few strike it, but you keep moving forward.
  8803. >Perhaps you should be upset that they’re still trying so hard to kill you…
  8804. >But it’s almost cute now.
  8805. >Sorta like a baby puppy barking at you from behind a fence.
  8806. >You just can’t take them seriously at this point.
  8807. >You keep climbing.
  8808. >You’re almost at the top now.
  8809. >Horses start running away.
  8810. >A dome of some sort covers the camp, blocking your progress.
  8811. >You recognise it as their force projector.
  8812. >But it doesn’t seem to work the way you would have expected.
  8813. >There wasn’t a wave of air pressure when the thing came online.
  8814. >There isn’t the soft humming noise you’d expect coming from it.
  8815. >And running your hand over it, you can already feel that it isn’t consistent in texture.
  8816. >Perhaps there are weak points?
  8817. >You’d need to destroy it to find out…
  8818. >You place your hand against it, pointing slightly downward.
  8819. >You fire your particle cannon.
  8820. >The dome explodes, shattering across various lines as though it were glass.
  8821. >You’re going out on a limb and assuming those lines were weak points.
  8822. >You’ll need more examples to find out.
  8823. >You continue walking up the hill, stepping over the small crater that you just made.
  8824. >You only see a few horses now.
  8825. >The purple one is standing between you and its lookout point, baring its teeth.
  8826. >If you didn’t already know there was something interesting up there, you would now.
  8827. >A barrage of beams fly out of its horn and strike you.
  8828. >You walk up to it and pick it up under your right arm.
  8829. >You hear a loud yelp, followed by some whinnying of some sort.
  8830. >It starts kicking you with its hooves.
  8831. >You walk up to its lean-to.
  8832.  
  8833. “Explain.”
  8834.  
  8835. >”Whinny!”
  8836.  
  8837. “Don’t speak English, eh? That’s fine. I can figure this out.”
  8838.  
  8839. >You drop it.
  8840. >You don’t put it down gently, you just drop it.
  8841. >You can feel pressure around your suit’s neck.
  8842. >It doesn’t need to breath, so you’re not too worried about a little strangulation.
  8843.  
  8844. “So, this glowy powder you’ve got spread over this metal surface. What is it? Mind if I take that big bag of it with me when I leave? Thanks.”
  8845.  
  8846. >A few strong blows hit you in the back of the head.
  8847. >Strong compared to the other horses.
  8848. >Negligible compared to what your suit can withstand.
  8849. >This one has wings and a horn, and it’s hitting a lot harder.
  8850. >Exactly as expected.
  8851.  
  8852. “And you’ve got this thick line of powder leading to this tube here pointed down at my base. Why is it pointing my way? Is this some kind of weapon?”
  8853.  
  8854. >The blows stop.
  8855. >It’s panting now.
  8856. >Perhaps the attacks are physically draining?
  8857.  
  8858. “Mind if we test it out?”
  8859.  
  8860. >You take a few steps forward and stand your suit in front of the tube.
  8861. >Its eyes go wide.
  8862. >It quickly runs back a good distance.
  8863. >A large gem from a nearby table gets engulfed in the coloured fire and teleports to a gap in the dust.
  8864. >A massive blast strikes you in the chest.
  8865. >You go flying backwards.
  8866. >The shelter is completely destroyed.
  8867. >You stand up and dust yourself off before walking back up to the horse.
  8868.  
  8869. “So the gems ARE a power source. Good to know. Say, I didn’t know you could teleport stuff. That’s mighty impressive! Are displacement and mass limiting factors as though it were your standard quantum tunnel generator, or does it work more like a superlinear gateway? No, of course not. You didn’t need a contained singularity at the target location. Mind teaching me some time?”
  8870.  
  8871. >It keeps backing up as you walk forward.
  8872.  
  8873. “I’ve noticed that all your attacks seem to be originating from your horn. Is that a matter of habit, or an actual limitation?”
  8874.  
  8875. >It flaps its wings and starts flying away.
  8876. >You pick up the bag of dust.
  8877. >You yell at it.
  8878.  
  8879. “IT WAS GOOD TALKING TO YOU! REALLY GOOD! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONELY IT GETS DOWN THERE! MIND IF I COME BACK LATER?”
  8880.  
  8881. >Your test run is complete.
  8882. >Barring some kind of radiation you don’t know about, you should be perfectly safe.
  8883. >You preemptively stopped some kind of major attack.
  8884. >You also found out that the gems are holding some kind of energy, not exotic matter.
  8885. >Today was a good day.
  8886.  
  8887.  
  8888. >You are Shining Armor.
  8889. >You are going home.
  8890. >After that latest show of force, you’ve given up.
  8891. >The ape itself just marched into your camp, ignored everything you could throw at it, used magic that wasn’t magic, and marched off unharmed.
  8892. >And the suit it was wearing was pretty damn classy too!
  8893. >You can’t beat it.
  8894. >And you aren’t going to try.
  8895.  
  8896. >”But Shiney! We need you here!”
  8897.  
  8898. “No you don’t, Twily. I’m useless. I can’t beat that thing, and I don’t even think I should.”
  8899.  
  8900. >”Don’t think you- but you heard what the buffalo said!”
  8901.  
  8902. “Yes. He said that they were defeated and enslaved by a large tribe of apes using relatively unimpressive tools well over a thousand years ago.”
  8903.  
  8904. >”And you’re okay with that happening again?”
  8905.  
  8906. >She’s practically screaming at you now.
  8907. >It’s getting really hard on the ears.
  8908. >It’s also drawing a lot of attention.
  8909.  
  8910. “No, I’m not. It isn’t going to happen though.”
  8911.  
  8912. >”But the buffalo-”
  8913.  
  8914. “I know what he said.”
  8915.  
  8916. >”But the princesses-”
  8917.  
  8918. “I know what they said, Twilight! Think for a bit. What has this ape done wrong?”
  8919.  
  8920. >”It hurt those three pegasi!”
  8921.  
  8922. “Who had been sent to attack it.”
  8923.  
  8924. >”But… it hurt Discord! Three times!”
  8925.  
  8926. >”Discord was trying to kill it. Besides, haven’t we all fantasized about blowing Discord up?”
  8927.  
  8928. >She shoots you a dirty look.
  8929. >Apparently that was out of line.
  8930. >In all honesty, you don’t understand her relationship with Discord anymore.
  8931. >You stand by your words.
  8932.  
  8933. >”It hurt princess Celestia!”
  8934.  
  8935. “Who was leading an army to kill it.”
  8936.  
  8937. >”It hurt princess Luna!”
  8938.  
  8939. “No it didn’t, Celestia did! Look, Twilight, it’s been way friendlier than we’ve given it any reason to be. At every turn it’s met us with minimal force despite our prolonged campaign against it. Most ponies wouldn’t be so forgiving. I thought that MAYBE it was just pretending so that we’d leave it alone long enough to prepare something. I was wrong, it doesn’t need us to leave it alone to prepare an attack because we can’t do anything to stop it. You remember what we were told this morning when the shipment arrived, right?”
  8940.  
  8941. >”That nopony seems to have been hurt…”
  8942.  
  8943. “And you got the casualty report from the invasion of our camp, right? What did it say?”
  8944.  
  8945. >”Nopony seems to have been hurt…”
  8946.  
  8947. “It can reach all of Equestria from where it is, and it does nothing. Instead of little black things it could have just as easily spewed poison gas into EVERY SINGLE CITY! That wasn’t an attack! I bet you it was just telling us that we can’t stop it. That’s all it’s done lately! Dismantling our camp, sending us statues that we can’t break, sending giant spiders that we can’t damage, filling the entire world with some strange things that we can’t stop, walking through our camp, and letting you blow it up! If it wanted to kill us, we’d be dead.”
  8948.  
  8949. >”Why do you insist it wasn’t an attack? This is a war!”
  8950.  
  8951. >You let out a chuckle.
  8952. >It builds.
  8953. >You’re barely controlling your laughter at this point.
  8954. >It isn’t a laughter of amusement, more a laugh of frustration and despair.
  8955.  
  8956. “A WAR? You’re still calling it that? To you, maybe, but not to it. This is either a joke or a game. I STRONGLY suggest you quit before it changes its mind.”
  8957.  
  8958. >”But the other apes-”
  8959.  
  8960. “I AM SO SICK OF HEARING ABOUT THE OTHER APES!”
  8961.  
  8962. >It’s true.
  8963. >But you’re still a bit surprised by your own outburst.
  8964. >Based on the awkward silence about the base, everypony is.
  8965.  
  8966. “That thing down there isn’t them, Twilight. The others used tools that were possible to understand. The others had weapons that were possible to understand. The others spent their days tormenting ponies. The others needed to eat. The others died if you hit them with enough arrows or rocks. The others came in groups, and correct me if I’m wrong, but the others even looked different!”
  8967.  
  8968. >”But it’s an ape! That means it’s evil!”
  8969.  
  8970. >You’re torn.
  8971. >You’re not sure if you’re more surprised, or disappointed.
  8972. >Probably disappointed.
  8973.  
  8974. “Twily… that’s an illicit generalisation.”
  8975.  
  8976. >”No it isn’t!”
  8977.  
  8978. “Other apes are evil. This is an ape, therefor it’s evil. Other ponies are nice. Sombra was a pony, therefor Sombra was nice? Twily, you’re better than this. Just… think for yourself? Please? I know what the princesses said, and I know that you trust them way more than you should, but they can be wrong too. Think about it.”
  8979.  
  8980. >You give her a quick hug before picking up your kit bag and walking away.
  8981.  
  8982. >”Are… are you absolutely certain?”
  8983.  
  8984. >That give you pause.
  8985. >It’s an ambiguous question, but you know what she means anyway.
  8986. >What if it’s still just pretending to be peaceful?
  8987. >It’s something you’d rather not think about.
  8988.  
  8989. “No, I’m only pretty certain.”
  8990.  
  8991. >”What if you’re wrong?”
  8992.  
  8993. “Then there are very dark days ahead. Then the world will burn. Then we’re all doomed no matter what I do. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if it were some sort of avatar like Discord. Stronger than Discord. We can’t beat it, and I’d rather not aggravate it. Just... think about it, Twi.”
  8994.  
  8995. >And with that, you and your forces withdraw.
  8996. >Your fight is over.
  8997. >All you can do at this point is hope.
  8998.  
  8999.  
  9000.  
  9001. >You are Anonymous.
  9002. >You’ve been overlooking a potentially fruitful source of information.
  9003. >The natives on this world have doubtlessly been studying the crystal phenomenon longer than you have.
  9004. >You’re not counting on getting much info from the horses.
  9005. >But surely SOMETHING on this planet is willing to talk.
  9006. >You don’t have audio data pretty much anywhere.
  9007. >You COULD have laser mics in the satellites, but the atmospheric turbulence would screw with your readings.
  9008. >If you knew enough about their languages you could piece together conversations despite that, but learning the language through all the noise would be tricky.
  9009. >You COULD have put microphones in your microbots, but you’d just hear blood gushing.
  9010. >Not much point in that.
  9011. >And you COULD send out another series of bots to bug the world, but you’ve got a more convenient option.
  9012. >The horses seem to have a written language.
  9013. >You’ve got an abandoned city, complete with a library.
  9014. >Not much work has been done on language analysis over the years.
  9015. >There’s never been an opportunity to communicate with a xenomorph.
  9016. >Nearly all forms of machine translation have been done on known languages.
  9017. >Some attempts made on dead languages such as Nahuatl and Spanish were quite successful, but those were human languages with translated documents available to work with.
  9018. >If there is a good way to learn a completely alien language, you don’t know it.
  9019. >But you know a bad way.
  9020. >Step one, learn faster.
  9021. >You’re staring at your brain scan again, trying to find out what to remove.
  9022. >There are so many chips here.
  9023. >Circuits to manage your augments, circuits to improve your mathematical aptitude, circuits to [DO NOT TAMPER], circuits with schematics…
  9024. >You eventually realise you don’t need to remove any of them.
  9025. >It’ll put a bit more stress on your comms chip, but you can have offboard neural augments.
  9026. >There’s no need to store information on your brain.
  9027. >You can have a server deliver data to your brain on demand.
  9028. >You first order a dedicated solid state drive to be added to your mainframe.
  9029. >It’s slower than an optical drive, but it has better storage density.
  9030. >And it’s more than fast enough.
  9031. >Your brain can’t process information that fast anyway.
  9032. >Step two, hit the books.
  9033. >You send your bots to scour that burgh you explored a while back for anything with writing.
  9034. >You’ll form a complete database of all the writing you can find there.
  9035. >Hopefully there’ll be some sort of context clues that let you pick up a few words.
  9036. >Step three, shake your head disdainfully as your robots move about their work.
  9037. >It’s not actually a part of your latest project, but it’s been a long time coming.
  9038. >Bipedal walkers with a hemispherical ‘torso’ and two arms protruding from either side, powered by a lead-acid battery.
  9039. >At least they make a decent table.
  9040. >It’s high time you replaced them.
  9041. >You’ve got antimatter batteries.
  9042. >They take a hell of a lot of juice to make, but you’ve got power to spare.
  9043. >You look over at the rack.
  9044. >You find a quickly growing series of grape sized orbs, each mounted into their own slot.
  9045. >Each has a small indentation and a small protrusion.
  9046. >They’re surprisingly simple devices.
  9047. >On the outside, a hard shell.
  9048. >On the inside, a thin layer of vacuum followed by an internal structure.
  9049. >A metamaterial specifically engineered for high heat tolerance and low irradiance.
  9050. >Inside is another vacuum.
  9051. >In that vacuum are two small particle clusters in magnetic containment.
  9052. >A proton cluster and an antiproton cluster.
  9053. >Temperature sensors read how hot the system is.
  9054. >When the temperature gets too low, a pair of particles are split off from the cluster and sent to collide with each other.
  9055. >The system is very well insulated thanks to the vacuum, except at the hole.
  9056. >A thermal conductor rod is inserted into the hole, channeling huge amounts of heat to a series of seebeck generators.
  9057. >The protrusion is a single variable current Seebeck generator, allowing a small amount of heat to trickle out to maintain electromagnetic containment.
  9058. >There are a few drawbacks with this design.
  9059. >They degrade over time for example.
  9060. >Your insulation, while exceptional, is not perfect.
  9061. >And they’re constantly drawing from their own power supply.
  9062. >Thanks to the sheer amount of power they can hold, they should still be functional after a century.
  9063. >But it’s still a minor drawback.
  9064. >The major drawback is that they’ll explode if damaged.
  9065. >Violently.
  9066. >You’re limiting production to gigajoule batteries to limit the effects of individual failure, but you don’t anticipate any problems.
  9067. >Even if you do have a series of failures, your suit can handle it.
  9068. >Worst case scenario a base blows up.
  9069. >Speaking of, now that you have energy again you should return to expanding.
  9070. >You seem to be in a rather large crater, spanning about a quarter the width of the continent.
  9071. >There are a few settlements but they all seemed to be abandoned.
  9072. >If nobody’s home you might as well take the whole crater for yourself.
  9073. >And that’s why you’re updating your workforce.
  9074. >Medusoz drones or ‘Jellyfish’ as they’re usually called, named for the old earth aquatic creature which they resemble, are highly versatile construction bots.
  9075. >In their resting state they are relatively small discs, only about a quarter meter in diameter.
  9076. >They can propel themselves either using a series of propellers that can extend out of panels about the rim, or they can move using electrostatic levitation.
  9077. >When tools are needed, the bottom half of the disc splits open and folds upward, revealing a host of tentacle like protrusions, each equipped with a different tip.
  9078. >Their power source is material annihilation, of course.
  9079. >There is a single spike protruding from the top of each jelly to help radiate the heat, improving power flow.
  9080. >But the inconsistent output that is inherent to thermal systems with uncontrolled environments forces you to have a backup ionic battery onboard.
  9081. >Just in case they start to overheat and need to land.
  9082. >The first one rolls off the production line.
  9083. >The internal backup battery is barely enough for it to float over to your battery rack, slide the bottom panel open, reach down with a tentacle and slot a battery into the internal slot.
  9084. >The radiator rod lights up on your thermal imaging, letting you know that power is flowing.
  9085. >Of course, you already knew.
  9086. >It’s communicating with your brain’s wireless adapter.
  9087. >It’s oddly beautiful being able to speak to the machine and have it reply without the need for such clumsy things as language.
  9088. >The second comes off the assembly line.
  9089. >Then the third.
  9090. >They each grab their own battery and head off into the wasteland to begin construction of new mining camps.
  9091. >You didn’t tell them where to go.
  9092. >You didn’t tell them what to do.
  9093. >They know what you want.
  9094.  
  9095.  
  9096. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  9097. >You’re overwhelmed.
  9098. >Shiney did most of the work managing the joint forces…
  9099. >Now you’re on your own!
  9100. >There’s reports to read, documents to file, accounts to balance…
  9101. >There’s no way you can do all this and still figure out how to win the war!
  9102. >With the princesses still missing, you’re the only one here to handle all the paperwork.
  9103. >You need help! You need an assistant! You need-
  9104.  
  9105. >”Twilight!”
  9106.  
  9107. >You look up from the document you were half reading to find…
  9108.  
  9109. “Spike!”
  9110.  
  9111. >He runs up to you and wraps his le- arms around your leg.
  9112. >Arms.
  9113. >The word still sounds so strange to you.
  9114.  
  9115. “Oooh I missed you so much! How did Derpy treat you, was she good?”
  9116.  
  9117. >”Ugh. Healthy diet, strictly enforced bedtimes, and no claws in the house.”
  9118.  
  9119. “So she was perfect?”
  9120.  
  9121. >A roll of the eyes is the only answer you get.
  9122.  
  9123. >”So, are you going to show me around?”
  9124.  
  9125. “Oh, right! Of course!”
  9126.  
  9127. >You head out to begin the grand tour.
  9128.  
  9129. “What you just saw is the royal quarters. It’s supposed to bunk four ponies but I’m the only one here right now. You can move into Shiney’s bunk if you like. Celestia’s soldiers’ barracks are over there, Luna’s there, Shiney’s there-”
  9130.  
  9131. >”Why does that last one look empty?”
  9132.  
  9133. >You can’t help but growl slightly.
  9134.  
  9135. “I’ll tell you later. Mess hall over there, no gems. Sorry. Though I do have a small supply I’ve been using for gemcraft that I can share. Down there is the only way out of the badlands except through the forbidden jungle. Up there is the ramparts. They’re not actual ramparts, but they serve their purpose. In the event of an attack we have tons of archers and even a bunch of catapults prepared to stop anything coming up that slope.”
  9136.  
  9137. >”And what’s with the wreckage up there?”
  9138.  
  9139. “That… we were preparing an experimental weapon up there. The ape raided us and destroyed it.”
  9140.  
  9141. >”It got this far up? Are you sure it’s safe for me to be here?”
  9142.  
  9143. “Absolutely. We keep a close eye on it, if it starts coming this way I want you to go back to Ponyville. But otherwise there’s nothing to worry about.”
  9144.  
  9145. >That’s not true.
  9146. >Those flying tubes came at you way too quickly to react properly.
  9147. >But they can go to Ponyville too.
  9148. >At least here there are shields to protect him.
  9149. >You’re pretty sure that this is the safest place for him.
  9150. >And that’s depressing.
  9151.  
  9152. “Up there is the armory, and finally we have the war room.”
  9153.  
  9154. >”That’s it? No big heaps of rocks on the cliffside you can drop down to crush it, no gemstones hidden underground you can channel explosion spells into? No pitfalls?”
  9155.  
  9156. “Spike! Where are you getting such awful ideas?”
  9157.  
  9158. >”From myself. After about a minute of thinking.”
  9159.  
  9160. >He thought of ways to kill that quickly?
  9161. >That’s mighty draconic thinking.
  9162. >You know he’s not a pony and that he doesn’t think the same way as you.
  9163. >You know it’s natural and that you couldn’t stop it if you tried.
  9164. >You still don’t like it.
  9165. >But they are good ideas.
  9166. >You’ll have to use them.
  9167.  
  9168. “Here, let me show you the war room. It has those Twilight Tables I was telling you about!”
  9169.  
  9170. >”The name-”
  9171.  
  9172. “Is a work in progress. Come on!”
  9173.  
  9174. >You drag him up to the building.
  9175. >Inside, there are a dozen such tables, each watching a different part of the ape’s camps.
  9176. >He sighs, goes back outside, and comes back in with a block of wood.
  9177. >You’re about to ask him what it’s for when he stands on it, barely getting tall enough to look at the top.
  9178.  
  9179. >”What’s with this one?”
  9180.  
  9181. “That… there used to be giant fires and huge amounts of smoke there. From what we’ve gathered it was burning coal to make lightning. We thought we had won when it stopped, but the ape seems to have found some other source of lightning.”
  9182.  
  9183. >”What’s with this one?”
  9184.  
  9185. “That one? As you can see, a seemingly endless supply of rocks is coming in. Those weird… arm thingies sort the rocks and send them to be crushed. Then the crushed rock goes to different furnaces where they get melted to extract metal. As you can see over here, it has an insane stockpile of metals. Way more than anypony could ever use. It just keeps making more though.”
  9186.  
  9187. >”What’s with the flying saucers?”
  9188.  
  9189. “The what now?”
  9190.  
  9191. >Sure enough, one of the tables shows a flying metal disk move up to a rack of some sort. A tentacle drops out of the bottom, grabs a black orb of some sort, and flies off.
  9192.  
  9193. “That’s new. I don’t know what those are yet, but I’ll find out soon enough.”
  9194.  
  9195. >”How?”
  9196.  
  9197. “By watching, of course! I spend ALL my spare time watching the ape.”
  9198.  
  9199. >”Wait a second. So you’re telling me that you devote every waking moment to the ape? You dream up new ways to kill it, then you try to figure out how to break its stuff, and in your down time you watch it? When you’re done with lunch do you try to squeeze in two minutes of hatred before working on new explosive spells? This doesn’t seem healthy Twilight.”
  9200.  
  9201. “If you’re worried that I’m not getting enough rest-”
  9202.  
  9203. >”I’m worried that you’re obsessed. You’ve been following this routine for months, right?”
  9204.  
  9205. “I’m not obsessed! Here, just LOOK at it!”
  9206.  
  9207. >You direct him to another table.
  9208. >It’s wearing that armor from before.
  9209. >It had the NERVE to come into YOUR camp, to scare YOUR brother away, to destroy YOUR project-
  9210.  
  9211. http://cdn-img.fimfiction.net/story/mdw8-1432427830-19274-full
  9212.  
  9213. >”Geez Twilight. Calm down. It’s taking a nap, not burning down an orphanage.”
  9214.  
  9215. “It’s preparing something. Something EVIL. I just know it. You’ll see.”
  9216.  
  9217. >”There’s no nice way to say this Twilight, so I’ll just come out and say it. You ponies tend to… overreact when you’re scared.”
  9218.  
  9219. “What, you think I’m overreacting? Well, you’re UNDER reacting! Didn’t Ponyville get swarmed by that black cloud?”
  9220.  
  9221. >”That was the ape? Cool! I mean, Rarity was inconsolable and most of the city freaked out, but how do you think that worked? You said the ape doesn’t use magic, right? How do you think it made the cloud disappear?”
  9222.  
  9223. “THAT’s what you’re focusing on? That? Of all things? Not why it did it or how it got the cloud all the way to the crystal empire without leaving the badlands?”
  9224.  
  9225. >”Well, yeah. That’s interesting too. I suppose.”
  9226.  
  9227. >What is it with the colts in your life?
  9228. >Neither Shiney nor Spike seem to be taking this as seriously as they should.
  9229. >You’ll never understand stallions.
  9230.  
  9231. >”So, what would you like me to do?”
  9232.  
  9233. “Take the day off, you can begin tomorrow. Oh! But first, could you take a letter?”
  9234.  
  9235.  
  9236. >You are Celestia.
  9237. >You’re going to win.
  9238. >It’s only a matter of time.
  9239. >That ape will perish.
  9240. >It’s become something of an obsession for you.
  9241. >Ever since you’d confirmed that Luna would be okay, it’s all you’ve thought about.
  9242. >You’re going to enjoy the feeling of crushing its skull beneath your hooves.
  9243. >Some small part of you knows that something’s wrong.
  9244. >You’re beyond caring.
  9245. >There’s only one loose end to deal with before you can revel in its death.
  9246. >You need help.
  9247. >You can’t win this on your own.
  9248. >You need Luna.
  9249. >You’ve tried convincing her of the great need to slay the ape.
  9250. >But for some reason she’s quite obstinate.
  9251. >Almost as though she thinks something bad will happen if she really lets loose and shows her true might.
  9252. >You’ll need something BIG to sway her at this point.
  9253. >Something like the letter you’ve just received.
  9254.  
  9255. Dear Princess Celestia.
  9256.  
  9257. I hope this message finds you well.
  9258. It is with great regret that I must inform you that Shining Armor has withdrawn all his forces.
  9259. After a bold raid on our encampment he seemed to be of the opinion that the war was lost and there was nothing more he could do.
  9260. I don’t know where you’ve gone or what you’re doing, but I desperately need your guidance.
  9261. The ape seems to have become invulnerable to all conventional attacks and I don’t know what to do!
  9262. Please… please help.
  9263. I can’t do this on my own.
  9264.  
  9265. Twilight Sparkle.
  9266.  
  9267.  
  9268. >To think that you once trusted that imbecile to be the captain of YOUR guard.
  9269. >You will not forget this.
  9270. >You march into Luna’s part of the ward.
  9271.  
  9272. “Shining’s abandoned us.”
  9273.  
  9274. >”WHAT?”
  9275.  
  9276. >You pass her the letter.
  9277. >She can see for herself.
  9278.  
  9279. “He’s returned to the empire. Twilight’s on her own, and under attack.”
  9280.  
  9281. >She’s scheduled to be discharged tomorrow.
  9282. >She doesn’t care.
  9283. >She gets out of bed, blows a hole in the wall, and flies out.
  9284.  
  9285. >”You were right, we’ve no choice! Let's MOVE!”
  9286.  
  9287. The next day…
  9288.  
  9289. >The moon and the sun both hang in the sky, each just above the horizon.
  9290. >The two of you stand on a mountaintop by the now collapsed secondary pass.
  9291. >The ritual circles are complete.
  9292. >Luna’s has no gems and no blood.
  9293. >She doesn’t need them.
  9294. >She’s always been better with dark magic than you.
  9295. >Better control, greater capacity, greater flow...
  9296. >She moves into the middle of her circle.
  9297.  
  9298. “Are you ready, Luna?”
  9299.  
  9300. >She doesn’t answer.
  9301. >Everything grows dim.
  9302. >Her coat starts to darken.
  9303. >She’s ready.
  9304.  
  9305.  
  9306.  
  9307. >You are Anonymous.
  9308. >You should really get back to work on the gate.
  9309. >You’d need to set up more particle accelerators and probably another reactor, but beyond that you have everything you need.
  9310. >But you don’t want to.
  9311. >You’re enjoying yourself so much out here.
  9312. >Yes, it’s cripplingly lonely.
  9313. >But you’ve got so much freedom!
  9314. >You keep the hours you want, you work toward the goals you want, you get to use illegal augments and power armor…
  9315. >You owe it to humanity to finish the job.
  9316. >Sure, it’s probably not that important anymore.
  9317. >They should have several other gates to work with already, each with its own star to use for power.
  9318. >Sure, energy rationing has probably ended long ago, or at least lessened.
  9319. >But you were sent to do a job.
  9320. >And unless you can find some kind of excuse-
  9321. >The sun just darkened again.
  9322. >You check your satellites for signs of lava monsters.
  9323. >You don’t find any, but...
  9324. >Many of your satellites are reporting large objects moving toward the planet.
  9325. >Interestingly, they’re all confined to a relatively small point.
  9326. >And they’re all relatively large.
  9327. >And they’re accelerating faster than they should.
  9328. >Now you’re getting worried.
  9329. >It coincided with the sun going dark, and the moon is glowing an angry red.
  9330. >Is this some kind of orbital weapon?
  9331. >You climb into your armor.
  9332. >That’s a bit safer, but you’re not done yet.
  9333. >You open your arm terminal-
  9334.  
  9335. “Damn.”
  9336.  
  9337. >Design flaw.
  9338. >You can’t get at it when you’re wearing your armor.
  9339. >You could get out.
  9340. >But you’re no longer limited to your own body.
  9341. >You want one of your new construction bots to go to your mainframe’s terminal.
  9342. >You want it to use one of its tentacles to use the interface.
  9343. >You want it to command your vehicle to straddle your camp and aim its guns skyward.
  9344. >Your will is done.
  9345. >Lucky thing you didn’t bother to put any biometric security on your machinery.
  9346. >The plan is to blow everything out of the sky, and hide under the massive vehicle.
  9347. >As great as it is, you’re not sure if your armor can withstand orbital bombardment.
  9348. >And even if it can it likely wouldn’t be able to dampen the acceleration enough to keep you alive.
  9349. >Odds are you’d wind up as a scrambled human if you got hit.
  9350. >It’s only going to protect you from
  9351. >Your vehicle’s particle cannons crack the sky, a massive beam of light shooting straight up.
  9352. >Satellites say that you completely disintegrated several of the incoming objects.
  9353. >There are still thousands.
  9354. >You continue firing.
  9355. >You have your projectile weapons join in.
  9356. >There’s no way you can stop them all.
  9357. >A volley of missiles launches from your vehicle.
  9358. >The sky is flooded with their exhaust.
  9359. >They fly up above the atmosphere and collide with more Meteors.
  9360. >The particle cannons keep firing.
  9361. >You look at your computer’s display through your Jellyfish’s camera.
  9362. >You’ve gotten confirmation that they’re meteors, soon to be meteorites..
  9363. >Not some sophisticated weapon system. Just rocks.
  9364. >You don’t have long before impact.
  9365. >Most of them seem to be headed your way, but several are going for your other mining camps.
  9366. >Looks like you’re going to lose them.
  9367. >Again.
  9368. >You should be pissed off.
  9369. >But this is exactly the kind of delay you were hoping for.
  9370. >Excitement, and a reason to stay for a little longer.
  9371. >It’s not like anything irreplaceable will be lost-
  9372.  
  9373. “The crystals! RODENT! NOOO!”
  9374.  
  9375. >You have two more particle cannons in the palms of your hands.
  9376. >There’s no way human could ever aim well enough to do this.
  9377. >You’re more than just a human.
  9378. >Your primary computer receives data on the meteor’s trajectory and your position.
  9379. >It calculates the proper angle of attack.
  9380. >This data is fed to your brain.
  9381. >Your brain relays the information to your suit.
  9382. >The servo motors built into your suit reposition your hands with precision that would be impossible for anything made of flesh.
  9383. >You fire.
  9384. >This process takes about a quarter second, each arm striking different targets.
  9385. >Your arms move about at blinding speed, annihilating meteors before they have a chance to strike Rodent’s base.
  9386. >Hundreds of meteors explode violently, the tinier chunks of rock burning up harmlessly in the atmosphere.
  9387. >Your radiator is starting to overheat.
  9388. >You can’t keep drawing from your antimatter batteries this quickly!
  9389.  
  9390. *CRASH*
  9391.  
  9392. >A barrage of meteors crash into your vehicle harmlessly.
  9393. >Dozens more rain down into your other camps.
  9394. >Rodent is crushed.
  9395. >It may have been an unintelligent alien that you kept at great distance due to potentially hazardous radiation.
  9396. >But you still valued its life.
  9397. >After all, who knows when you’ll find another creature that holds that strange energy in it?
  9398. >To your surprise, the meteorites don’t stop on impact.
  9399. >They stand up, an eery green fire radiating off of them.
  9400. https://pp.vk.me/c627320/v627320682/2b46c/mS0ZhUutY_w.jpg
  9401. >The rock creatures start smashing things, destroying yet more of your machinery.
  9402. >You have your Jellyfish order any remaining defences to engage with the things.
  9403. >Freezing them doesn’t seem necessary this time.
  9404. >Massive structural damage is can stop them.
  9405. >Thousands of guns strike the creatures with vigour.
  9406. >The barrage stops.
  9407. >The stragglers are blown apart.
  9408. >The sky lightens up again.
  9409. >Time to go check the damage.
  9410.  
  9411. “That was exhilarating.”
  9412.  
  9413. >Part of you can’t help but hope the horses keep trying to kill you.
  9414. >You can’t buy entertainment like that.
  9415. >It’s like a rocket propelled roller coaster!
  9416. >And looking at the damage report, pretty much everything that was destroyed was obsolete.
  9417. >Nothing of value was lost.
  9418. >Except for the gems and Rodent.
  9419.  
  9420. “Dad always did say I wasn’t responsible enough to keep a pet.”
  9421.  
  9422.  
  9423.  
  9424. >You are Luna.
  9425. >You are ripping a hole in the void of space.
  9426. >Another, and another, and a thousand more.
  9427. >Massive chunks of rock are teleported to be just above your target.
  9428. >With a gentle nudge, you set them on their path.
  9429. >Some incredible force busts forth, ripping one of your meteors apart.
  9430. >No matter.
  9431. >There is no way the ape can stop them all.
  9432. >You engulf its lands with the full might of your cosmic storm.
  9433. >Enumerable meteors are destroyed.
  9434. >Even more are coming.
  9435. >You’ve overwhelmed it.
  9436. >Before long, your barrage starts to slow.
  9437. >Then stop.
  9438. >You are spent.
  9439. >Plucking such things from the cosmos is quite difficult.
  9440. >You doubt anypony else could manage such a feat.
  9441. >Despite the incredible volume of your attack, most are blown apart harmlessly.
  9442. >Some strike home.
  9443. >You collapse in a state of bliss.
  9444. >Your work is done for now.
  9445. >You’ll leave your sister to continue with her infernals.
  9446. >Then you’ll strike again tomorrow.
  9447. >And the day after that.
  9448. >And you’ll proceed until the ape is nothing but dust beneath your hooves.
  9449. >And then you’ll teach that arrogant fool Shining Armor the price of betrayal.
  9450. >You could just kill him.
  9451. >But it would be far more satisfying to make him suffer first.
  9452. >You’ll first go for his wife and sister, an-
  9453. >You stop yourself.
  9454. >You should feel sick.
  9455. >You feel wonderful.
  9456. >Nearly every fiber of your being is at peace.
  9457. >But a small part of your mind insists that something is wrong.
  9458. >You raise a hoof before your eyes.
  9459. >Your fur is black.
  9460. >Not blue, pitch black.
  9461. >That was far quicker than you’d expected.
  9462.  
  9463. “P-please excuse me.”
  9464.  
  9465. >She either doesn’t notice you speaking, or doesn’t care.
  9466. >You make your way to Canterlot as quickly as you can.
  9467.  
  9468. Some time later…
  9469.  
  9470. >You are still Luna.
  9471. >You’re hiding bedchamber.
  9472. >Nopony can see you like this.
  9473. >This is not who you are.
  9474. >Tears are flowing freely from your eyes.
  9475. >Thankfully they were not transformed.
  9476. >You go to your door.
  9477. >You meekly call out.
  9478.  
  9479. “Would you mind bringing me a bottle of wine?”
  9480.  
  9481. >No answer.
  9482. >You aren’t surprised.
  9483. >Nopony knows you’re here just yet.
  9484. >Looks like you’re serving yourself.
  9485. >It’s probably for the best.
  9486. >Ponies would start talking if you refused to show yourself.
  9487. >Word will get out eventually, but you don’t need to deal with it just yet.
  9488. >You take a moment to collect yourself before casting your invisibility spell.
  9489. >Discord says he can see through it.
  9490. >Hopefully you won’t need to deal with him for a while.
  9491. >You’re in no mood.
  9492. >You head to the wine cellar, occasionally taking detours to avoid busier parts of the palace.
  9493. >You can’t be seen, but you can be heard.
  9494. >Upon arrival you find that the large chamber is, thankfully, empty.
  9495. >It’s just before dawn. Nopony in their right mind would be drinking right now.
  9496. >You grab a couple bottles.
  9497. >You focus on the familiarity of your chambers, clearly envisioning them in your mind.
  9498. >You teleport with a flash.
  9499. >If only you were familiar enough with the cellar to teleport.
  9500. >You barricade your door to ensure privacy.
  9501.  
  9502. “It will grow back.”
  9503.  
  9504. >You put down one of the bottles.
  9505. >You noticed you didn’t bring a glass.
  9506. >You don’t care.
  9507. >With a few tears, you use your magic to pop the cork out of the bottle you’re holding.
  9508. >Half the rich red liquid disappears down your throat.
  9509. >You start to choke.
  9510. >The bitter flavour is accented and magnified by your post-use state.
  9511. >You put the bottle down.
  9512.  
  9513. “It will grow back.”
  9514.  
  9515. >You were so easy to sway.
  9516. >At the first sign of true need, you acquiesced.
  9517. >No, even worse.
  9518. >You were eager.
  9519. >You knew what would happen, you just didn’t care.
  9520. >But you can do better.
  9521. >You can make this right.
  9522. >You can be the better pony.
  9523. >The remainder of the bottle is drained.
  9524. >It’s only with great difficulty that you swallow the foul tasting liquid.
  9525.  
  9526. “It will grow back.”
  9527.  
  9528. >It’s abun…. abinda… abu?
  9529. >It’s clear that you can’t control this.
  9530. >That one relapse was too much.
  9531. >Yer not sure what to do about Celestia.
  9532. >But isn’t too late fer you.
  9533. >’Caus ya know where that path’d take ya.
  9534. >Andja did it anyway.
  9535. >You’s the ones what’s a monster.
  9536. >Apes don live that long.
  9537. >You will.
  9538. >’Smore important that’cha stop yerself.
  9539. >You open the other bottle.
  9540. >You empty the whole thing.
  9541. >Much of it didn’t get in your mouth.
  9542.  
  9543. “Is gunna come back.”
  9544.  
  9545. >You stumble your way to your saddlebags.
  9546. >It takes a while, but you get them open.
  9547. >You reach in and grab a pair of bolt cutters.
  9548. >After much fumbling and a loud yelp of pain, your horn clatters to the floor.
  9549. >You begin to think to yourself.
  9550. >Is kinda not right tool.
  9551. >Was the best ya found.
  9552. >Didn’t wanna ask noponies while lookin’ all wrong.
  9553. >And with that, you pass out.
  9554. >You’ll be in agony come morning.
  9555. >But for now, the alcohol has done its job.
  9556. >Last time you yielded to your craving you served a thousand year sentence.
  9557. >Your penance will be short lived compared to that.
  9558. >After all.
  9559. >It will grow back.
  9560.  
  9561.  
  9562. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  9563. >You are saved!
  9564. >With Spike by your side you can do this!
  9565. >At this rate all of the paperwork will be sorted in record time.
  9566. >Rations are going to be shipped in, soldiers are going to be rotated out for long overdue leave, the budget is going to be balanced balanced…
  9567.  
  9568. >”Say, Twi. I’m seeing a bit of a discrepancy here.”
  9569.  
  9570. >It was too good to last.
  9571. >You set down your quill.
  9572.  
  9573. “What’s the matter?”
  9574.  
  9575. >”Well, it looks like most of the medical expenses haven’t been recorded. And I can’t find any mention of survivor’s pensions.”
  9576.  
  9577. >You push away from your desk and move over to his.
  9578. >If medical expenses haven’t been recorded, it’s going to be a nightmare to straighten everything out.
  9579. >Who knows where the receipts are at this point.
  9580. >He passes you a few papers.
  9581. >After a quick glance, you find the missing expenses.
  9582.  
  9583. “Right here, Spike. Nothing to worry about.
  9584.  
  9585. >”Great, but where’s the rest?”
  9586.  
  9587. “Pardon?”
  9588.  
  9589. >”It says here there are seven injuries. Three are in long term care in Canterlot, one was Celestia, Two were Luna, and finally somepony stepped on a nail. What about the rest?”
  9590.  
  9591. “That’s it.”
  9592.  
  9593. >He stares at you for a while, a look of confusion plastered on his face.
  9594.  
  9595. >”What about the survivor’s pension?”
  9596.  
  9597. “No need. There haven’t been any fatalities.”
  9598.  
  9599. >”You’re kidding…”
  9600.  
  9601. “We’ve been VERY cautious, Spike.”
  9602.  
  9603. >”Twi, you’ve been at war for months You seriously mean to tell me that THIS is the extent of the casualties? Wait, didn’t you say there’s only one enemy? Isn’t a war between groups?”
  9604.  
  9605. “Like I said, we’ve been VERY cautious.”
  9606.  
  9607. >”Even when it raided the camp?”
  9608.  
  9609. “VERY cautious.”
  9610.  
  9611. >”Ugh. I’ll be back, I need some air.”
  9612.  
  9613. >Spike jumps down from his chair and walks out of the war room.
  9614. >Now you’re starting to regret bringing him here.
  9615. >Not only does he seem at ease with the concept of war, he’s continually criticising how you go about doing it.
  9616. >He’s only a few years younger than you, but he’s still a baby.
  9617. >He shouldn’t be exposed to such things
  9618. >Much less be familiar with them.
  9619. >And to make matters worse he seems almost sympathetic to the ape.
  9620. >While it IS true that you’ve been the aggressors the whole time, you’re fully justified in defending Equestria from it BEFORE it has a chance to do anything terrible.
  9621. >He doesn’t seem to understand that.
  9622. >You should tell him what apes did to dragons last time they showed up.
  9623. >Come to think of it, you’ve got no idea what they did.
  9624. >Probably something horrific.
  9625. >You’ll have to ask the princesses.
  9626. >You lose yourself in your work.
  9627. >Before long you’ve lost track of time.
  9628.  
  9629. “Wow. We go through a LOT of sugar.”
  9630.  
  9631. >You hear some commotion coming from outside.
  9632. >You rush out.
  9633. >The sky is dark.
  9634. >The sun is still up.
  9635. >It’s happening again.
  9636. >A barrage of thin blue beams pierce the sky.
  9637. >A salvo of tubes flies upward.
  9638. >Tiny lights flash in the sky for several seconds.
  9639. >Dozens of bright lights streak downward, crashing into the lands below.
  9640. >A series of crashes resound as huge clouds of dust erupt from several of the ape’s camps.
  9641. >Gazing through your tables at the wreckage you see large bodies of rock wreathed in green flame charge forward from the impact sites.
  9642. >Reinforcements have arrived.
  9643.  
  9644.  
  9645.  
  9646. >You are Celestia.
  9647. >You are having fun.
  9648. >More and more machines are struck by massive limbs made of boulders.
  9649. >At first you were charging the cannons.
  9650. >Then you found that this form couldn’t survive under sustained fire.
  9651. >You’re getting far more done by charging the heart of the camps, using the larger machines to obstruct their line of fire.
  9652. >You destroy the giant fire powered lightning generators.
  9653. >You rip apart a strange structure made almost entirely of metal claws.
  9654. >You crush thousands of the metallic workers.
  9655. >You smash the moving roads carrying mechanical components everywhere.
  9656. >But you’re starting to run out of bodies.
  9657. >Even hidden within the heart of the camps you aren’t totally protected.
  9658. >You’re being swarmed by the strange machines that blew apart Twilight’s explosive orbs.
  9659. >Recalling what happened last time you ran out of created bodies, you end your spell.
  9660. >You lay down with a contented sigh.
  9661. >You revel in your bliss for several hours before reality starts to come back to you.
  9662. >You’re craving more.
  9663. >Hopefully Luna’s ready for round two.
  9664. >You get up.
  9665. >You look around.
  9666. >There’s no sign of her.
  9667.  
  9668. “Luna? Where are you? GET BACK HERE!”
  9669.  
  9670. >Still no answer.
  9671. >You don’t have time for this.
  9672. >You need to find her.
  9673. >Perhaps she’s at the camp?
  9674. >It’s too far for you to teleport.
  9675. >Unless…
  9676. >Rage fills you.
  9677. >Power rushes through your veins.
  9678.  
  9679. “No, no this is flagrant abuse.”
  9680.  
  9681. >You force yourself to calm down.
  9682. >You’ll only do that when you need to.
  9683.  
  9684. Three hours later.
  9685.  
  9686. >You’ve arrived.
  9687. >Not a moment too soon.
  9688. >The wind was annoying, the air was too cold, your wings are sore.
  9689. >You land heavily in the heart of the camp.
  9690.  
  9691. “LUNA!”
  9692.  
  9693. >To your surprise, everypony is keeping their distance.
  9694. >You’re used to being swarmed by admirers.
  9695.  
  9696. >”Princess?”
  9697.  
  9698. >There’s Twilight.
  9699. >She’s meekly poking her head out of the royal chambers.
  9700. >You run towards her.
  9701.  
  9702. “Have you seen Luna? It’s VERY important!”
  9703.  
  9704. >”P-princess? What’s wrong?”
  9705.  
  9706. “Where. Is. Luna?”
  9707.  
  9708. >”I- I don’t know! I haven’t seen her since the two of you left!”
  9709.  
  9710. >Damn it all!
  9711. >You take to the skies without a word.
  9712.  
  9713. >”PRINCESS, WAIT!”
  9714.  
  9715. >You don’t.
  9716. >You’re in a hurry.
  9717. >She shouts something that you don’t quite make out.
  9718. >Next stop, Canterlot.
  9719.  
  9720.  
  9721. >You are Luna.
  9722. >Your head is about to explode.
  9723. >You’re sick to your stomach.
  9724. >You’re not entirely certain which way is up.
  9725. >Your forehead is covered in dried blood.
  9726.  
  9727. “Everything went according to plan.”
  9728.  
  9729. >Oh stars that’s loud.
  9730. >You’d best avoid all sound for the next while.
  9731.  
  9732. *KNOCK KNOCK*
  9733.  
  9734. >”Cleaning mare. Are you in there princess?”
  9735.  
  9736. >Daughter of-
  9737. >You don’t answer.
  9738. >You don’t want anypony to know you’re here.
  9739. >She starts banging on the door.
  9740. >The bookshelf you shoved in front of it is holding fast.
  9741. >But you’ll need to leave anyway.
  9742. >A blocked door is sure to attract unwanted attention.
  9743. >But where to hide?
  9744. >The one place nopony CAN look.
  9745. >The moon.
  9746. >You picture the familiar landscape of your prison and draw the rune in your mind.
  9747. >You send a surge of magic to your horn-
  9748.  
  9749. “GAH!”
  9750.  
  9751. >A surge of sharp pain courses through your skull.
  9752. >You’ve lived so long with magic at your disposal, you’d come to rely on it on instinct.
  9753.  
  9754. >”PRINCESS! Was that you? Are you okay?”
  9755.  
  9756. >More noise.
  9757. >The last thing you needed.
  9758. >And now they know where you are.
  9759. >You can’t teleport.
  9760. >You’ll have to sneak out.
  9761. >You picture the rune of shadows in your mind, preparing your invisibility-
  9762. >Oh right.
  9763. >No magic.
  9764. >You might be stuck here.
  9765.  
  9766. >”Princess! I’m going to go find help!”
  9767.  
  9768.  
  9769. “NO!”
  9770.  
  9771. >If only you were deaf.
  9772.  
  9773. “I’m okay, don’t come in!”
  9774.  
  9775. >Smooth.
  9776.  
  9777. “I’m dealing with… a nightmare! A nightmare that got strong enough to manifest in reality! I need perfect silence to purge it, don’t bring anypony here! It could be dangerous!”
  9778.  
  9779. >You hear her running off.
  9780. >You’ve plenty of experience acting.
  9781. >Live long enough and you’ll pick up any skill.
  9782. >But that’s not going to buy you enough time.
  9783. >You need to think of a way out.
  9784. >If only your head would stop throbbing.
  9785.  
  9786.  
  9787. >You are Spike.
  9788. >You’re regretting your decision.
  9789. >Heading out into the wasteland on your own was a bad idea.
  9790. >You’re not worried about the ape, even if it does try to hurt you.
  9791. >You’re a dragon! No way it can handle your fire or get past your scales.
  9792. >Even the sharpest of spears cannot pierce your hide.
  9793. >No, you’re regretting your decision because the journey is going to be much longer than you’d expected.
  9794. >Your vantage from the pass didn’t really give you a good sense of scale.
  9795. >It’s WAY further away than you expected.
  9796. >And to make things worse, you’ve got stubby little legs.
  9797. >You could turn around.
  9798. >You’re pretty sure the outpost is closer than the ape’s camp.
  9799. >But if you turn back now you’re never going to get another chance.
  9800. >You had to sneak out while she was distracted.
  9801. >You’re going to get a real earful from Twilight when you go back.
  9802. >But you need to prove the ape isn’t as bad as they say.
  9803. >If it got that far into their camp while being attacked without killing anypony, it’s clearly trying to avoid hurting them.
  9804. >You have to admit that that’s pretty impressive.
  9805. >Withstanding attack after attack from Equestria’s army and the princesses, all the while holding back.
  9806. >Several hours pass.
  9807. >You’re getting close.
  9808. >Close to the wrong camp, but close.
  9809. >A few more minutes and you should be able to get in and take a look around.
  9810. >You put down your bindle to get at your water bottle.
  9811. >The sky goes dark.
  9812. >Blue beams of light pierce the sky.
  9813. >A loud series of blasts ring out as streaks of fire go skyward.
  9814. >You’re once again regretting your decision.
  9815. >That’s intimidating.
  9816. >Maybe you should go back…
  9817. >No.
  9818. >No, you came out here for a reason.
  9819. >You need to prove to Twilight that it’s not trying to hurt anypony.
  9820. >She’s clearly too obsessed to figure it out on her own.
  9821. >Honestly, that girl…
  9822. >Living proof that it IS possible to be too focused.
  9823. >You press onward.
  9824. >More and more blue beams pierce the heavens.
  9825. >Streaks of fire drop in from above only to get blown apart.
  9826. >This is starting to seem like a REALLY bad idea.
  9827. >You’re basically there.
  9828. >You could just go in and look around.
  9829. >But it seems dangerous.
  9830. >The sky is falling and then exploding.
  9831. >You turn around.
  9832. >You run.
  9833. >You hear a loud blast behind you.
  9834. >You FEEL a loud blast behind you.
  9835. >You’re sent flying forward by the shockwave as chunks of rock and metal pierce your thick scale.
  9836. >You try to stand.
  9837. >You try to keep running.
  9838. >But you can’t feel your legs!
  9839. >After a short period of struggling, everything goes black.
  9840.  
  9841.  
  9842. >You are Anonymous.
  9843. >You are surprised.
  9844. >Your research has only raised more questions.
  9845. >Yes, research.
  9846. >With robots that can go so long without needing to recharge you’ll have the the machines you still care about repaired in no time.
  9847. >And with such a seamless interface you’re hardly having to devote any of your time to the work.
  9848. >Although you ARE starting to run into some complications.
  9849. >The comms chip in your skull is nearly at capacity.
  9850. >While you could easily fashion a chip that could handle thousands of times as much data, you’ve got to limit the thermal output to avoid cooking your brain.
  9851. >There are possible workarounds.
  9852. >You could install more chips to spread the heat around.
  9853. >Or install a radiator in your skull.
  9854. >The former would require you to remove an existing circuit.
  9855. >The latter would look weird.
  9856. >You’ll worry about that later.
  9857. >Back to your research.
  9858. >You’ve sequenced the genome of dozens of species.
  9859. >You literally have millions of samples, each with individualised biometric data to accompany them.
  9860. >NONE of them should be alive.
  9861. >Not a single one.
  9862. >There is something maintaining them.
  9863. >Some kind of energy compensating for the limits of their metabolism.
  9864. >They seem to process glucose at roughly the same rate as humans, just a tad slower.
  9865. >But their cells use energy much faster.
  9866. >By and large everything on this planet should be able to outperform an un-augmented human in every way.
  9867. >Assuming they managed to keep their body temperature low enough.
  9868. >You think back to Rodent, and how it was too dense.
  9869. >And how the cells died when they lost the added density.
  9870. >And then you recall how the crystal held enough energy to blow your suit away.
  9871. >Adjusting your cell simulations to provide nearly twice as much energy caused them to start working.
  9872. >It would appear as though life on this world evolved to take advantage of this energy somehow.
  9873. >It seems absurd.
  9874. >But who’s to say that another species wouldn’t be confused by your body’s reliance on electric currents?
  9875. >For now, that’s your best bet.
  9876. >The secret to harnessing that energy could very well be hidden inside the native biology.
  9877. >Learning more about the native life has become your top priority.
  9878. >You’ve already found how they reproduce.
  9879. >The cat-birds and feathered snakes lay eggs, but most species that had permanent settlements seemed to opt for live birth.
  9880. >You’ve also got a good account of the hormones and neurotransmitters used.
  9881. >This is where their alien biology really shows.
  9882. >Based on the chemicals and the reactions you’ve observed, their brains seem to interact with that strange energy too, beyond the cell’s dependency.
  9883. >Some parts more than others.
  9884. >That alone could warrant decades of testing.
  9885. >You need more data.
  9886. >LOTS more.
  9887. >That’s why you had your robots searching for more living things to study.
  9888. >As far as live creatures go, you’ve found the most interesting kind.
  9889. >Well, ‘live’ might be stretching it.
  9890. >It seems to have several ruptured organs, as well as several deep lacerations from shrapnel.
  9891. >It was probably caught in the shockwave of one of the meteorites landed.
  9892. >Which would make sense, you found it near one of the harder hit camps.
  9893. >If it were any ordinary creature you’d take some tissue samples and be done with it.
  9894. >But this one is special for two reasons.
  9895. >You’ve only seen one like it before.
  9896. >That doesn’t mean it’s particularly rare, you’ve mostly been watching settlements.
  9897. >But it does mean you might not have a lot of opportunities with this species.
  9898. >It’s even possible that this is the same individual.
  9899. >They do look strikingly similar.
  9900. >More importantly, you’d found it with a bindle.
  9901. >A cloth sack on a stick which contained… something.
  9902. >The contents were pretty thoroughly smashed.
  9903. >That’s not the important part though.
  9904. >A bindle is a tool.
  9905. >A crafted tool at that.
  9906. >You’re not sure to what degree, but this thing is sapient.
  9907. >You could learn a lot from it.
  9908. >You’ve got very limited data though.
  9909. >You got biometric data from one when you launched your microbots.
  9910. >But that’s just one individual.
  9911. >It might have been ill or injured or any amount of things.
  9912. >The only other data you’ve got is from the one you’ve just found.
  9913. >Which might be the same one.
  9914. >And with so much damage, it’s hardly a good specimen.
  9915. >You’re going to try to save it anyway.
  9916. >If you succeed, that’s great.
  9917. >If you fail, you might learn something based on what went wrong.
  9918. >Time to get to work.
  9919.  
  9920.  
  9921. >You are Spike.
  9922. >You are hurt.
  9923. >You don’t understand what either of those things mean, though.
  9924. >Because you are dying.
  9925. >Your brain has mostly shut down.
  9926. >So little of your mind is functioning at the moment that few things have meaning.
  9927. >There is no self, there is no memory, there is no thought.
  9928. >Countless small machines are injected into your heart.
  9929. >They’re little more than two clamps connected by a hinge.
  9930. >But despite their individual simplicity, the swarm as a whole is quite sophisticated.
  9931. >The latch onto the interior of the left ventricle, swing over and grab again.
  9932. >They repeat this process, some of them thousands of times, before coming to rest.
  9933. >Once they’re all in position, the grab onto each other and bend their hinges to tighten up.
  9934. >Thick meshes of machines fill the tears in the organ.
  9935. >The process is repeated on the right ventricle.
  9936. >A line of machines bridge the middle of each cavity.
  9937. >They flatten out, stretching the organ.
  9938. >They bend, compressing it.
  9939. >You’ve got a ‘heartbeat’.
  9940. >Now you’re bleeding internally.
  9941. >Several lasers instantly cut through your scales and flesh.
  9942. >Numerous organs and arteries are exposed.
  9943. >Your heart stops for a moment.
  9944. >A fine mist of medical grade polymer is sprayed onto the wounds.
  9945. >It probably won’t react adversely to your biology.
  9946. >Probably.
  9947. >Your heart is restarted.
  9948. >There is only a trace amount of internal bleeding.
  9949. >You are low on blood.
  9950. >A sterile saline solution is injected into your veins.
  9951. >Along with it come another batch of machines.
  9952. >A few iron molecules in the form of a stick, attached to a small orb.
  9953. >Within the orb is a glucose fuelled electric generator.
  9954. >A weak current is fed to the iron to change its oxidation potential.
  9955. >When in your lungs, it will oxidise.
  9956. >When it an oxygen poor environment, it will reduce.
  9957. >You’ve got ‘blood cells’.
  9958. >Tubes are forced into your nostrils.
  9959. >Thin metal tentacles slide through them and into your lungs.
  9960. >Once inside, electroactive polymers are secreted from the tip.
  9961. >Numerous strands of plastic are laid across each side of each lung, making a wire frame of the organ.
  9962. >The tentacles retract.
  9963. >A few seconds pass as the plastics cure in nitrogen rich air.
  9964. >A new set slides in.
  9965. >Heavily insulated wires are lead to each strut, and a series of ionic batteries are attached.
  9966. >A weak jolt of electricity comes forth.
  9967. >The struts retract.
  9968. >The current ends.
  9969. >The struts expand.
  9970. >You have ‘lungs’.
  9971. >Machines are injected into your brain.
  9972. >Small, flexible devices with a series of chemoreceptors and electrically conductive clamps on each end with a sharp mid section to act as a knife.
  9973. >They move through your brain, seeking and cutting out dead neurons.
  9974. >Once that’s done, they take the place of the removed cell restoring the neural pathway.
  9975. >The first set doesn’t react properly to your neurotransmitters.
  9976. >Another batch takes their place.
  9977. >And another.
  9978. >Success.
  9979. >There is still extensive and widespread damage.
  9980. >It will take more than that to restore you.
  9981. >But you are a dragon.
  9982. >You are hardy and durable.
  9983. >You can survive far more than most creatures.
  9984. >You open your eyes.
  9985.  
  9986.  
  9987. >You are Spike.
  9988. >You are screaming.
  9989. >Rather, you are trying to.
  9990. >You don’t seem to have control over your own breath.
  9991. >You’re lying on a flat surface facing upward.
  9992. >Above you is a clear blue sky, an angry sun glaring down on you and hurting your eyes.
  9993. >Or eye, rather.
  9994. >You can’t seem to see out of one of them.
  9995. >You try to sit up to look around.
  9996. >You seem to be restrained to the table.
  9997. >A wave of eerie calmness washes over you.
  9998. >You should be terrified.
  9999. >You’re wounded and restrained in unknown territory.
  10000. >But you just can’t manage to worry.
  10001. >The table you’re tied to starts tilting to face a large, floating metal disc.
  10002. >One of the flying saucers you’d seen earlier.
  10003. >It quickly makes a half rotation and a series of six tentacles drop out of its bottom.
  10004. >They tilt upward and start glowing.
  10005. >Green letters are now floating in the air.
  10006. >You would be impressed, amazed, shocked, confused, and any amount of other things.
  10007. >But the strange calmness still surrounds you.
  10008. >You casually read the floating text.
  10009.  
  10010. >’You am very hurt i am trying to fix.’
  10011.  
  10012. >Very hurt?
  10013. >You do recall that.
  10014. >Vaguely.
  10015. >The sky was falling.
  10016. >There was fire.
  10017.  
  10018. >’You am not supposed to be wake up yet. Try sleep.’
  10019.  
  10020. >Sleep?
  10021. >You are strangely relaxed.
  10022. >But you’re still not sure how you’re supposed to do th…
  10023. >You open your eyes again.
  10024. >You’re REALLY groggy.
  10025. >The angry sun is setting.
  10026. >Did you actually fall asleep?
  10027. >It’s preposterous, but where else could the time have gone?
  10028. >Sunset’s time has been a bit inconsistent lately, but not like that!
  10029. >You check your surroundings.
  10030. >You’re no longer strapped to the table!
  10031. >You try to stand up.
  10032. >You can’t feel anything below your chest.
  10033. >You examine yourself.
  10034. >You don’t like what you see.
  10035. >Your left leg isn’t a leg anymore, it’s a mangled mess of mashed meat.
  10036. >It’s also been cut off.
  10037. >There are sealed holes and missing scales all over your person, usually with dried blood around them.
  10038. >There’s a clear seam on your belly where it appears to have been cut open and later fused shut.
  10039. >You’ve had better days.
  10040. >You look around.
  10041. >Long lines of moving sidewalks weave themselves through the terrain.
  10042. >Gears, panels, wires, and all sorts of mechanical components gently move along them going who knows where.
  10043. >Some of the lines are converging at one machine.
  10044. >A series of claws picks up the parts quickly assembling them.
  10045. >Another series of claws descends on the mass of metal and a blinding cascade of sparks fly.
  10046. >When the light fades you see another steel disc flying away.
  10047. >It took five seconds at most.
  10048. >How many of those are there at this point?
  10049. >A few of them fly up to you, moving almost terrifyingly quickly.
  10050. >Almost.
  10051. >Despite the fact that metal discs are flying at you, despite your terrible condition and perilous situation, you aren’t afraid.
  10052. >Maybe something’s wrong with you?
  10053. >They drop their tentacles again, and you once again see those floating green letters.
  10054.  
  10055. >’I am not know enough to fix. I am need know more. Can you help.’
  10056.  
  10057. >One of the tentacles extends toward you holding a glowing black rectangle.
  10058. >You try to ask what it’s for.
  10059. >You still have no control over your breath.
  10060. >You’re not sure why, but you take it.
  10061. >It’s smooth and cool to the touch.
  10062. >It seems to turn green where you touch it.
  10063. >Now you understand
  10064. >You use your claws to write ‘Who are you?’
  10065. >You start to move it to show the thing what you wrote, but before you can the floating letters change.
  10066.  
  10067. >’I am [Anonymous]. Need know more. Can you help’
  10068.  
  10069. >Did it know what you wrote before you showed it?
  10070. >You’re not sure why you’re hung up on that.
  10071. >There are machines building each other, flying everywhere on their own, blue beams exploding a falling sky, and floating letters.
  10072. >Some remote viewing isn’t so impressive in comparison.
  10073. >Onto that answer then.
  10074. >It is a string of strange unrecognisable symbols?
  10075. >Almost as though it comes from a different language.
  10076. >Which would explain the fractured writing.
  10077. >But you don’t recognise that script from anywhere.
  10078. >It doesn’t even vaguely resemble any other kind of writing you’re aware of.
  10079. >And why doesn’t it have a better grasp on your language?
  10080. >Pretty much the whole world uses Equestrian common.
  10081. >There isn’t a single nation on the whole WORLD where their schools don’t teach it.
  10082. >Oh.
  10083. >OH.
  10084. >OH!
  10085. >It comes from a place where they don’t HAVE schools!
  10086. >No.
  10087. >That’s stupid.
  10088. >Where would it have learned to build all those things then?
  10089. >Things that you can’t learn how to build anywhere in the whole world.
  10090. >Oh.
  10091. >Yeah, nopony’s going to believe that.
  10092. >You write ‘What do you need to know?”
  10093.  
  10094. >’Not have right word for ask. Need more word before. What mean magic.’
  10095.  
  10096. >Your medical well being is dependant on teaching a creature from an alternate timeline how to write, presumably in short order.
  10097. >You’re doomed.
  10098.  
  10099. A few hours later.
  10100.  
  10101. >’You were critically injured by the shockwave caused by a landing meteorite. When I found you you were arguably dead. You’ve several ruptured organs, all of which have been patched on a strictly mechanical basis. They can serve as a permanent replacement if need be, though they will not naturally grow with you. Proper replacement should be possible given a sufficient understanding of magic. One of your eyes has been destroyed. I should be able to replace it once I have a basic understanding of your brain. There was widespread neurological damage. The machinery used to repair it should have restored all previous functionality and memories, but I am unable to guarantee this is the case. Future learning based on the damaged sections will be impossible or at least severely inhibited unless I am able to come up with a better solution. A better understanding of your biology would help. A good deal of your blood is mechanical. I expect that it will be replaced naturally. The machines will gradually work their way out of your system, though not necessarily at the same rate as your natural replacement. You will have to be monitored for anemia as a result. Your spine has been severed. Repairs should be possible given that I am able to find which neurons are supposed to attach to which. Testing is currently under way. Have you any questions?’
  10102.  
  10103. >Many.
  10104. >You’ve so many questions.
  10105. >How did it learn so quickly?
  10106. >How do all these things work?
  10107. >Where are the floating letters coming from?
  10108. >Why were the other apes so cruel?
  10109. >Why is it helping you?
  10110. >Why did it leave its timeline?
  10111. >The list goes on.
  10112. >But to recover, you’ll need more than medicine.
  10113. >You choose the most pressing question you can think of.
  10114. >You write ‘Got anything to eat?

Steel Sanctuary Part 1

by Writefag_Is_Kill

Steel Sanctuary Part 2

by Writefag_Is_Kill

Steel Sanctuary Part 3

by Writefag_Is_Kill

Red Shift Part 1

by Writefag_Is_Kill

Red Shift Part 2

by Writefag_Is_Kill