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Manos The Hands Of Fate Part VI

By Doctor_Nick
Created: 2021-09-24 06:22:39
Updated: 2021-12-27 09:18:16
Expiry: Never
anonaiemanoshandsfatenazi

  1. >you are Manos
  2. >You board your carriage with Aryanne, Rainbow and Cadence. Celestia waiting outside.
  3. >Ponies are still frittering around repairing buildings and tending to the wounded, hopefully they can complete their work somewhat quickly.
  4. >Who knows how long it'll be until Luna sends more troops to retake the city, if she bothers.
  5. "Cadence, I'd like it if Celestia was kept in the castle. I have faith she won't try to escape, but having her nearby would be useful to me. Other than that stipulation, you're free to choose where she stays."
  6. >Cadence looks somewhat irritated at your choice of proximity to her auntie, if not showing it outright.
  7. >"If that's what you want."
  8. >Rainbow leans back, closing her eyes to have a rest during the flight.
  9. >Aryanne awkwardly stares outside the carriage as it takes off, Celestia following alongside
  10. >Celestia taking off is more majestic than any bird you've ever seen before, her white wings come to full length an immense distance to either side.
  11. >You all take to the skies quickly, the seating is quite comfortable so perhaps you should get some sleep on the journey, after all it has been several days since you've slept.
  12. >As soon as you close your eyes and lean back, Aryanne speaks up
  13. >"My lord?"
  14. "Yes Aryanne?"
  15. >"Do you have a plan for dealing with the moon? I trust you, but I'm worried about not having the elements together to stop her."
  16. >You lean forward, putting your fist under your chin
  17. >Cadence leans in as well, listening intently
  18. "I have a plan. I have faith it'll work, but I worry about how many lives will be lost in the process. Either way, it will be fixed. Faith wills it."
  19. >You gesture slightly at the end, patting your hand on Aryanne's hoof to ease the tension. Cadence doesn't look all too pleased about it.
  20. >Her jealousy needs to be leashed, quickly. This is getting old fast.
  21. >You lay your head back, turning to look out the window
  22. >You have a perfect view of Celestia flying alongside the cart, slightly ahead. Dark clouds loom heavily in the distance
  23. "Heavy is the heart, Princess."
  24. >You mutter to yourself quietly, probably too quiet for them to hear as you drift to sleep.
  25.  
  26.  
  27. >You are Judice Lunae
  28. >And you are furious.
  29. >Furious isn't accurate, how about bucking furious.
  30. >Somehow an entire family of ponies, and the five elements of harmony just walked out of the city and nopony stopped them.
  31. >You are in your new office, rather spartan in it's furnishings but it does you well.
  32. >You hear a knock at the door, a lunar guard peeks in
  33. >"Judice Lunae, your captains have arrived. Should I send them in?"
  34. "Good, yes send them in."
  35. >You lean back in your chair, normally this is your favorite part of the job but this time is an exception. You have to answer to the princess about letting her only weapon to stop that monster escape, if you let them get to him heads will roll.
  36. >Probably yours.
  37. >Just as you finish the thought, five batponies in elegant armor clutching their helmets under their wings pass through the door, standing in a row across from your desk
  38. >You look up, they all look like a mix absolutely humiliated and terrified.
  39. "The elements of Harmony escaped the city after assaulting the princess and I. Who was in charge of the gates this morning? Care to explain why you didn't stop them at the gates for any inspection?"
  40. >Several shift slightly in their armor, staring at the floor.
  41. >One sheepishly steps forward, shaking like a leaf
  42. >"Ma'am, I-"
  43. >He is cut off, you've picked up a small dagger off your desk and thrown in faster than bet could react
  44. >It buries itself in his sternum, he falls down gargling in panic, kicking and grasping at the dagger with his hooves
  45. >The other captains are avoiding looking at him, instead at the wall behind you and the ceiling
  46. >You meander around your desk slowly, stepping over the gargling mess on the floor
  47. "You've seen what price you pay for failure. Unless you all want to face a worse punishment, you and a company of your fastest flyers will be ready to pursue the escapees within five minutes. Go."
  48. >They orderly, but very quickly, file out and immediately begin sprinting as soon as they pass your door
  49. >Good, maybe they won't fail you this time.
  50. >You pick up your now dented helmet from the corner, brushing off some of the dust
  51. "I will not fail you again."
  52.  
  53. >You are Twilight Sparkle
  54. >You are extremely tired, and ready for a few hours of rest to try to finish the journey ahead.
  55. >You and your friends are bedding down for the night on your way to the Reich
  56. >The place where you've stopped is a tiny clearing behind a copse of trees and a hill from the road, pretty well hidden.
  57. >The sky is a strange greyish blue twilight, there is a giant eclipse in the sky overshadowing the sun.
  58. >You don't know what time it should be, would it even matter if you did?
  59. >"Twilight!"
  60. >Applejack trots over to you from setting up her sister's bedding
  61. >"Twilight, can I talk to you in private for a tic?"
  62. "Sure, what's up?"
  63. >You both walk behind a cart, your little caravans train consists of two large wagons provided by the Apple family, but they're still bulged over the top full of personal items
  64. >"Twilight, you can't hold it against Rarity that she didn't tell us. I mean darn, she was doing what she thought was right and didn't want to put us in danger."
  65. >You hold back any kind of emotional reaction, you have to be strong right now.
  66. "It's fine, Applejack. It's fine that she didn't tell her best friends, the elements of harmony, she was a spy for Manos. Just fine! Everything Is completely fine!"
  67. >You wave your hoof, before walking away towards your little tent
  68. >"Just don't say anything you're gonna regret later, Twi."
  69. >You return to your tent, it's a small blue triangular camping tent you got when you were a filly, you sewed little golden stars on it so it would match Starswirl The Bearded's robes
  70. >Spike is already asleep, snoring loudly on his side of the tent as you crawl into your covers to get a few hours of restless sleep.
  71. >This will be a hard journey.
  72.  
  73. >You are Emerald Shine
  74. >You've been scrambling between communication crystals and mail ponies for hours.
  75. >You're currently in your office, flipping through your prized operative's file for any hint she may have potential to go AWOL
  76. "Damn it! I can't have one of the elements of harmony and my best source of information from Canterlot disappear!"
  77. >Your sister has been similarly harassing Gestapo agents in Canterlot for hours about the whereabouts of Rarity, none of them have any idea where any of the elements or their families are.
  78. >This is beyond bad. This is apocalyptically bad news.
  79. >"Emerald! Listen!"
  80. >Sapphire runs over hold out a communication crystal with her magic
  81. >A weak voice transmits through
  82. >"Elements of harmony are... escaping to the safety of the Reich as we speak. A large patrol of batponies just mobilized from the castle in the direction of the Reich, rumors say they are on the-"
  83. >The transmission cuts out with a crack, the crystal stops glowing
  84. >The crystal has split in half, falling to pieces on the floor
  85. >Sapphire runs to the door, stopping quickly
  86. >"They're using magic to stop our signals, we need to mobilize a detachment of agents to intercept them immediately or they may get captured. Manos willing, we may be able to deliver him the elements."
  87. >You follow her quickly, heading down the hall past several guard posts to the brownshirt office
  88. "Do you really think the elements would just come here with no strings attached? I don't believe it."
  89. >You step into a large set of elaborately carved wooden doors to a massive lobby, all carved wood and red velvet from floor to ceiling
  90. >A massive mural covers the largest wall, depicting the brownshirts in Canterlot alongside Manos in the streets fighting changelings
  91. >Not even close to how it happened, but let them have their fun.
  92. >A mare in a well tailored brownshirt uniform at a desk looks up, straightening some papers on her desk
  93. >"Good morning Commanders, what can I help you with?"
  94. >You and Sapphire breeze past her desk, throwing the doors to the inner offices open with a very loud thud
  95. >Several brownshirts at desks in rows look up unimpressed, before going back to their paperwork
  96. > Brownshirt Captain Harshwinny is passing by at that exact moment, talking to another Captain
  97. "Captain Harshwinny, we need to speak to you immediately. Tier one business."
  98. >She immediately pushes the folder she was holding onto the confused mare standing next to her, trotting alongside you towards the private meeting room
  99. >"As you wish."
  100. >What a boring mare.
  101.  
  102. >The three of you stop in the private meeting room, which is furnished similarly to the last few rooms with the exception of a very long polished wood table
  103. >Sapphire speaks up first
  104. >"Captain, we've just been informed that the elements of harmony are on their way to surrender themselves to the Reich, being pursued by a company of batponies."
  105. >Harshwinny's eyes widen in surprise for a moment, but quickly readjust themselves to her usual professional stone faced expression
  106. >"I assume you need a detachment of my best brownshirts to accompany you to gather them?
  107.  
  108. >You reply quickly, in a slightly snarkier tone than appropriate
  109. "No, I want you and your best brownshirts to go gather them by yourselves. Our best operatives in the Gestapo and the Black Hands are otherwise occupied in our newly captured territories, and we need to stay here to coordinate before Lord Manos arrives."
  110. >A clever lie, you hate the cold and hate danger even more. You aren't stepping foot out of the city.
  111. >”As you wish, Commander. Shall I bring them back to the gestapo holding cells or here for questioning?”
  112. >Harshwinny gestures towards a small crystal walled hallway leading down a dark passage, towards the interrogation rooms
  113. >Sapphire speaks up first
  114. >”We will take care of them, just get them in the walls, Captain. Those are your orders, we need you to dispatch as quickly as possible. Successfully detaining the elements of harmony could bring you some favor with Manos, you know.”
  115. >Harshwinny snorts angrily
  116. >”That’s LORD Manos, and I already have his favor well enough. We will disembark immediately, Heil Manos!”
  117. >She salutes before trotting off to wherever she’s going, that doesn’t matter now.
  118. >All that matters now is bringing Manos his prize, he may even reward you~
  119.  
  120.  
  121.  
  122. >You are Silent Attack
  123. >Lunar guard, sent out to retrieve several ponies
  124. >You and your squad have been circling the roads to and from The Reich for the last six hours, no signs of the ponies other than some occasional wagon tracks and hoofsteps, which are immediately lost in the gravel and spotted snowfall.
  125. >You turn your head to your battle buddy you’re flying with over a copse of bushes
  126. ”It’s hopeless! They’re long gone by now!”
  127. >You can’t see his expression under his helmet and goggles, but it’s almost certainly not a pleasant one.
  128. >”If we come back empty hoofed we’re dead!”
  129. >You can barely hear him over the rushing wind, it’s blisteringly cold around you
  130. >You turn back to guide your turn back towards the main road but…
  131. >What’s that?
  132. “Hey! Do you see that over there?!”
  133. >Your partner looks back at you, before making a turn towards where you’re pointing
  134. >You can see a very faint glow in a thick copse of trees in the distance, almost invisible if not for the reflections of the light on the snow in the trees being a warm color
  135. >As you get closer, diving down sharply towards the ground gliding towards the light it finally comes into view
  136. >it’s two carts, and several tents with a very small fire in between them
  137. >Bingo, that’s the target.
  138. >You drop sharply, skipping and coming to a stop a few hundred feet away from the caravan on a barren hill
  139. >Your partner follow close behind you, thumping along before sliding to a stop on the icy compact dirt
  140. >You’ve landed on a small hill overlooking the scene, taking in your surroundings to report back to your Captain
  141. >Your partner slowly approaches you
  142. >”That’s them, let’s head back and report it.”
  143. >You shift slightly from hoof to hoof
  144. >Just as you begin to turn around to fly away, you’re engulfed by purple light
  145. >And that’s the last thing you remember.
  146.  
  147.  
  148.  
  149. >You are Twilight Sparkle
  150. >You’re currently restlessly pacing in the camp outside your tent, trying to take your mind off the situation for a moment.
  151. >The view is really beautiful, actually.
  152. >The sweeping mountains in the far distance are covered in snowy conifer trees, speckled with snow up to the twisted peaks
  153. >You could sit and stare for hours, if you weren’t nervously pacing back and forth.
  154. >What if Manos puts us in jail? What if they turn us away, or worse? What other options do we even have?
  155. >You’ve always been overly anxious, but the last few days have been the most stressful of your entire life.
  156. >You take a moment to sit next to the very dim fire, nearly burnt out
  157. >Your eyes catch some movement a few hundred feet off on a small hilltop, you see something moving
  158. >That looks like a pony!
  159. ”Dammit! They found us! Spike get up!”
  160. >You sprint over to a cart, grabbing two cooking pans with your magic hitting them together
  161. >the cacophony of banging pans stirs the entire camp
  162. “WAKE UP! WE NEED TO GET MOVING! WAKE UP!”
  163. >You hear angry grumbling from the direction of Rarity’s immense two story tent, purple and white covered in jewels
  164. >All the ponies in tents quickly gathering their things and packing up, Big Mac running around helping load the heavier stuff onto the carts
  165. Spike peeks his head out of your tent’s flaps
  166. >”Twilight, what’s going on?”
  167. >You run over to the tent, quickly using your magic to gather it all up while pushing him out on the ground
  168. >He falls on his face with an audible thud, before getting up dusting himself off
  169. >”What was that for?!”
  170. >The tent supplies are gathered up, everyone is starting to roll out pulling their respective carts in teams
  171. >Fluttershy is hiding behind the spokes of a wagon’s front wheel
  172. “Fluttershy come on! We need to get moving! Get out here and help pull the cart!”
  173. >Pinkie is somehow cramming a gigantic cake shaped tent covered in balloons and paper decorations into a small saddle bag
  174. >You begrudgingly grab Fluttershy with your magic and lift her from under the cart to the front where Granny Smith is helping load the reign pulls onto Applejack and Big Mac
  175. >Applejack shouts
  176. >“Come on everypony! Yall better get movin!”
  177.  
  178. >She slides the last set of straps over Fluttershy’s shoulders, now just trembling without saying a word
  179. >Everyone has their carts ready, you redirect your attention back to the hill
  180. >The ponies on it start to lift into the sky
  181. >Looking hard, you can see the reflection of a crescent moon shape on their armor
  182. >Batponies.
  183. >You reach with your magic as hard as you can, somehow you got a grip on the right pony’s body
  184. >You close your eyes tight, but you pick them up and smash them into the ground as hard as you can
  185. >Over and over again you can feel your magic waiver as you hear the echoing screams from the far off hill, your eyes closed tight
  186. >Your horn begins to spit sparks before you let go, completely exhausted
  187. >you hear the sound of the wagon wheels creaking and the sighing of wooden planks as the caravan gets moving
  188. >You’re startled by spike grabbing your front legs, helping you up onto your hooves
  189. >”Come on Twilight! Let’s go!”
  190. >The carts are moving parallel to the road, out of sight of the path but close enough not to get lost
  191. >Fluttershy surprisingly is giving her all, pulling at her cart with Applejack and Big Mac as hard as she can
  192. >You’re rushed to your feet trotting, catching up to the group before you hear a whooshing sound overhead
  193. >you look up, in the dim grey blue twilight you can see the outline of a batpony swooping silently over
  194. >It casts a dim shadow across the caravan that everypony quickly notices
  195. >Rarity struggles against the reigns
  196. >She fires a spell into the air, looking like a mix between a flare and a firework
  197. >The flash of white / purple light illuminates several batponies circling overhead
  198. >You stop to charge a spell, setting your sight on a batpony circling very close now
  199. >You quickly fire your spell where it looks like it’s about to be, the blinding light must have stunned it because you got it right in the torso
  200. >You hear a shrill shriek, as it comes plummeting down with a smoking hole in it’s armor
  201. >The caravan slows down, struggling up a steep incline
  202. >Applejack, Big Mac and Fluttershy are now almost breaking their leads creeping up the grassy hill
  203. >Rarity and Pinkie pulling the cart at the front are also nearly at their limit, the cart making jolted occasional lurches forward a few feet before they take a second to rest
  204. >You turn around to hear hoof steps coming from distantly behind you, sounds like several ponies
  205. >The shapes come into view, they’re lunar guards holding swords in their mouths charging up the hill
  206. >You charge a spell as quickly as you can, digging your hooves into the frigid rock hard soil
  207. >You blast the first one in the head and neck with a defensive fire spell, it came like a geyser of burning oil
  208. >He was immediately coated with the burning magical liquid, falling down screaming trying to put it out with his wings
  209. >The screams alert the caravan, you hear your friends approaching behind you
  210. >The other two batponies are very close, still charging up the hill dodging your stunning spells
  211. >You see Rarity sprint next to you, baring her teeth firing blue arcs of lightning one after another at the approaching batponies.
  212. >She catches the batpony at the front in the shoulder blade with a bolt, the bat immediately drops convulsing on her side
  213. >You Start to turn to Rarity to tell her to look out for the arrows impacting the ground around her hooves before you get the wind knocked out of you
  214. >You fall first on your flank then on your side, your right front leg it pinned in place by a dark blue arrow stuck just below the joint
  215. >Everything goes black and white.
  216. >There is no sound, you watch Rarity fight off the last batpony as you look down to see the arrow embedded in the bone of your leg
  217. >It doesn’t hurt, everything is in slow motion. All the sudden you feel yourself being lifted before you come face to face with Big Macintosh, pushing you over his shoulder
  218. >You try to focus on the battle, Rarity is still blasting spells continuously into the sky and at unseen enemies at the foot of the hill
  219. >Pinkie comes into view in slow motion pushing her party cannon to defend the rear
  220. >Big Mac is trotting with you over his shoulder away from the fight and towards the head of the wagon train, you feel yourself getting sleepy as your head lolls down to see the geyser of blood pouring from your leg and now Big Mac’s coat
  221. >You try to snap yourself out of it, if you fall asleep you’re dead.
  222. >You’re focusing on keeping yourself lucid when Big Mac pushed you off gently onto the ground at the foot of a wagon wheel
  223. >He doesn’t say anything as he turns around to sprint back to the battle
  224.  
  225. >You wake up, apparently minutes later to spike cradling your head
  226. >He’s crying, but you can barely hear him
  227. >You’re in the back of the wagon, looking out at the road behind you
  228. >You try to speak, but your throat is so dry nothing approaching words come out
  229. >You notice, loud cracks and flashes of light you didn’t before
  230. >There’s chatter outside as well at the loud pops, they sound like small explosions
  231. >maybe magic?
  232. >Just as you finish the thought Applejack and an orange mare in a brown uniform step into view
  233. >You can’t hear what she’s saying, but Applejack is gesturing towards you
  234. >The orange mare nods and barks some orders to out of sight ponies
  235. >You feel yourself getting sleepy again, being held by Spike
  236. >You really hope they can handle this without you.
  237. .
  238. .
  239. >You are Captain Harshwinny
  240. >You received your orders from the Shine sisters, now you are to gather a detachment of dedicated and capable brownshirts to retrieve the elements of harmony.
  241. >You are approaching the barracks building, it’s a squat crystal building once meant for steading sombra’s warden guards
  242. >Now put to much better use.
  243. >You throw open the door to see the long, thin room with rows of bunks on the right side
  244. >some ponies are dozing on their bunks, most are sitting at tables playing card games and talking
  245. >even fewer are actually doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
  246. >”ATTENTION! LINE UP!”
  247. >In a second cards are thrown in the air, food is dropped and a great racket of chairs sliding on the floor and ponies running to their places
  248. >In another second there was silence as they all stood staring at the wall holding their breath waiting for orders
  249. >You walk up the line inspecting their uniforms and bunks
  250. >”You pull up your armband. You two, you’re missing your cross straps. Everyone straighten your uniforms immediately.”
  251. >You wait while they all frantically straighten themselves
  252. >”I need five of you for an extremely important mission, this may be a chance to prove yourself so listen closely. This will require several unicorns and pegasi, I say two of each. And one earth pony trained with the standard issue sidearm. If you are any of those, raise your hooves.”
  253. >Eight ponies raise their hooves, five stallions and three mares
  254. >You walk up the line, inspecting them closely
  255. >You stop at a bluish green earth pony stallion, bearing a FIELD POST patch on his lower left sleeve
  256. >A common mailpony.
  257. >”You, Mercury Dawn. You’re an earth pony, have you been issued with a sidearm?”
  258. >He pipes up immediately
  259. >”Yes, ma’am.”
  260. >You suppress a snicker, that would be too unprofessional.
  261. >”Why would I want a mailpony to do this mission? We won’t be delivering letters. What makes you think you have what it takes?”
  262. >He swallows quickly
  263. >”I fought in the Ardennes, ma’am. I delivered orders under fire during the battle of ponyville, and was injured while doing so. I also was injured delivering orders duri-”
  264. >Perhaps he isn’t as common of a mailpony as you thought.
  265. >You cut him off
  266. >”Approved, get your kit for an out-of-city mission ready immediately. Pegasi, each of you requisition rifles. As for the rest of you, you four get your kit as well. Meet at my office immediately.”
  267. >You gesture to the first four ponies with their hooves up, two unicorns and two pegasi
  268. >You should really learn all their names, but how many ponies do you meet in a day.
  269. >You turn back to the line of ponies at attention
  270. >”Make your bunks presentable and get your uniforms in order, after that you’re dismissed. Sieg Heil!”
  271. >You salute, they reply quickly with a sieg heil as well
  272. >They scurry off to their respective tasks, you turn towards the door to wait for your team
  273. >When you turn around Mercury Dawn is already in kit waiting at the door, standing at attention with his sidearm in it’s holster attached loosely to his cross belt
  274. >You begin to walk towards the door, as you pass through the other four ponies file out beside you
  275. >The unicorns both teleport away, the pegasi flying off to make a beeline towards the Brownshirt command office
  276. >You trot quickly down the main road of the Reich, most of the city’s storefronts and shops line the beautiful crystalline path leading towards the city square up ahead
  277. >No time now to take in the sights, you have a mission to prove your professionalism to Manos with.
  278. >If you and your brownshirts with hand-me-down Black Hands equipment can bring back the elements of Harmony to Manos, that could serve to benefit the Brownshirts significantly.
  279. >You approach the front gates of the brownshirt administrative office. It’s a tall red brick building that was built during the initial occupation of the city specifically for the brownshirts, quite tall but mostly being offices.
  280. >However there are amenities such as a nursery, a café, and even a medical pony for consultation
  281. >Two stallions in uniform salute you before opening the immense wrought iron decorative gates barring the entrance
  282. >They are decorated with large twisted metal images of hands, and the symbol of the brownshirts
  283. >Some say Manos himself designed it, but what’s certain is that it’s a mix of a lightning bolt and the letter A, creating the letters S-A.
  284. >You quickly trot through the beautiful lobby, passing saluting mares and stallions at work
  285. >Going up the stairs, you come to your office on the top floor
  286. >standing at attention in the hall beside your receptionist’s desk are the four ponies you asked to be here, quickly followed by the last as he enters from the stairs
  287. >You stop and turn to your receptionist
  288. >”Reschedule my appointments for the day, if anyone inquires tell them I fell ill.”
  289. >The pretty young tan mare wearing small spectacles nods as she writes down what you said
  290. >”Hope you feel better, Captain”
  291. >You ignore her and walk into your office, followed by your operatives
  292. > You sit at your desk, opening a file labeled “Operation Warm Welcome”
  293. >”The mission you five are joining me on is of tier 1 importance, nobody outside this room can know about this mission besides Lord Manos himself. Are we clear?”
  294. >The four answer quickly
  295. >“Yes, ma’am.”
  296. >You lean back slightly
  297. >”The element bearers are currently en-route to surrender themselves to The Reich.”
  298. >Your gaze is returned with shocked stares
  299. >”They are on the main road from Canterlot to The Reich, intelligence in the area says that they’re almost here, but a detachment of batponies is on their way to try to capture them and return them to Canterlot. They would even kill them to keep them out of our hands, so failure is not an option.”
  300. >You enunciate the last three words sharply, leaning in slightly
  301. >”This is likely the most important mission you five will ever do. The Black Hands are all almost entirely deployed across equestria fighting the war for us, it’s our responsibility as his faithful hands to uphold his will and watch the home front. Having the remaining five elements of harmony would all but make victory in the war certain, I’m sure you five understand the gravity of the situation. If any of you don’t think you have what it takes, you may leave.”
  302. >There is several seconds of silence as the now enraptured and determined ponies don’t make a move
  303. >”Excellent, we will depart immediately. Pegasi, you will be pulling a light carriage with I and Mercury in it, unicorns you will be teleporting here-”
  304. >You walk over to a map pinned to the wall and gesture to a small hill off the side of the main highway
  305. >”and wait for us to rendezvous. Primary concern will be for you to go undetected, so I expect you to cast some cloaking spells and bed down the few minutes it will be until we arrive. Log any enemy forces you see, if you are in a position to defend the elements directly you should do so. However otherwise your orders are to observe, not engage. Any questions?”
  306. >All five all speak in unison
  307. >”No ma’am.”
  308. >You get up from your desk retrieving two copies of a map of the local area, giving one to each unicorn
  309. >”Here are your maps, proceed to marked point alpha ASAP. Unicorns dismissed.”
  310. >Immediately they take the maps and teleport away, leaving the two pegasi and the mailpony
  311. >”Pegasi, retrieve a lightweight armored carriage from the vehicle yard now. We will be waiting when you return, then we’ll leave for point Alpha.”
  312. >”Yes ma’am!”
  313. >They immediately fly out of the window of your office down into the city, out of sight
  314. >”Dawn, follow me.”
  315. >You briskly walk out of the office, tailed by the bluish green stallion
  316. >We shall see if he turns out to be worthy of his achievements after all.
  317. .
  318. .
  319. .
  320. >You are Manos
  321. >You jolt yourself awake, that was a pretty bad sleep.
  322. >The voices only get worse, but you’re getting better at coping with them.
  323. >Aryanne is sitting across from you, flipping through a file reading
  324. >Strangely she’s wearing a small pair of reading glasses, never knew she wore glasses before
  325.  
  326. >Cadence is dozing next to you, leaning on your arm
  327. >Rainbow is similarly sleeping.
  328. >You stretch quietly, Aryanne looks up
  329. >”Welcome back to the land of the living, my Lord.”
  330. >She chuckles slightly, returning to reading
  331. “Thanks, how far do you guess we are from The Reich?”
  332. >She takes off her glasses with her hoof, glancing outside
  333. >”We have a few minutes until we arrive, I think. It’s not far now.”
  334. >You look out of the window towards the front of the carriage,
  335. >Celestia is still leading the carriage, looking no more tired than when you disembarked. Up ahead there are thick dark grey clouds, lined with dark streaks and occasional flashes of lightning
  336. >You look to Aryanne
  337. ”Have the drivers change course to avoid that storm up ahead.”
  338. >”Yes sir, I’ll inform them immediately.”
  339. >She pops open the small hatch on front of the carriage, shouting forward to the six ponies on reins
  340. >The opening of the hatch lets in a large gust of ice cold wind, speckled with cool rain mist
  341. >Can’t imagine how refreshing it must be to fly through rain like that.
  342. >The carriage lurches left, waking up Rainbow instantly
  343. >She jerks herself awake, looking lost for a few seconds before blinking and looking at you
  344. >A few moments pass with her just blinking and focusing
  345. >She speaks quietly
  346. >”Manos?”
  347. >You look to her, relaxing back
  348. “Yes?”
  349. >She sheepishly looks away out the window
  350. >”Do you ever dream about the Ardennes?”
  351. >It still haunts her. If you weren’t being bombarded by the voices every night, you probably would dream of it too.
  352. >The memory seems so fresh, the sights and sounds, and even the smells of the first battlefield are as fresh in your mind as if it were yesterday.
  353. >You realize you’ve been staring at the floor for a few seconds too long, meeting rainbow’s eyes again
  354. “Almost every night.”
  355. >Aryanne is staring out of the window in silence.
  356. >Rainbow returns to just staring at the floor, although now looking far less worried than before.
  357. >Cadence stirs, sitting up and quickly yawning
  358. >She straightens herself, leaning to look ahead
  359. >The carriage takes a sharp turn downward, you can now see the trenches and concrete forward operation positions around The Reich
  360. >The barren, snowy wastes are miles in diameter around the city preventing an army attacking from anywhere over land
  361. >Trees and shrubs have been clear-cut and replaced with a spiraling zig-zag of barbed wire and trenches, small stone igloos manned by machinegun crews and your new large artillery
  362. >It’s an amazing network of security, in the future no sieges will ever break through the gates like the recent city attack did.
  363. >Thankfully, the old crystal empire carved a network of large tunnels leading out away from the city, so if a siege ever occurred reinforcements and evacuation are not a problem.
  364. >Celestia glides alongside your carriage, now nearing the front gates for a landing
  365. >The carriage comes to rest on the smooth stone road with a jolt, before slowing down significantly
  366. >She lands seconds after you do, slowing to a trot alongside.
  367. >You open the door window, sliding it to the side and poking your head out to look ahead
  368. >The gates are opening, there are at least a dozen black hands saluting at each side of the immense crystal passageway
  369.  
  370. >You sit back down, your party now all also looking outside
  371. ”I didn’t expect much of a reception, I suppose news travels faster than I expected.”
  372. >Rainbow is looking outside, eyes widening greatly just as the carriage passes through the gates
  373. >”I didn’t know there was a parade planned, why didn’t anyone mention that?”
  374. >Sure enough, you can see out of the small window the streets are lined with crowds of ponies so deep they pour into streets in the distance
  375. >You gotta see this for yourself, what a treat.
  376. “Nobody told me either, any of you care to join me on top of the carriage?”
  377. >You laugh a little, popping the door open grabbing the ladder on the side
  378. >You scale the ladder and get yourself on top, there isn’t a railing or anything to hold whatsoever
  379. >Your breath is taken away by what you see, and also hear.
  380. >You don’t know how you didn’t notice it before, but there is music in the air
  381. >It’s volume is such that it is vibrating even the carriage, great music magic being projected through the entire city
  382. >There are thousands of small triangular banners with the black hand on it strung high above the street, all blowing beautifully in the winter wind
  383. >The crowds of crystal ponies are so huge you can’t see how far they even go, disappearing into the distance
  384. >Thousands of happy faces cheering in great bouts of “Sieg Heil!” and “Heil Manos!
  385. >The sound is closer to that of the crashing of waves on an ocean, thousands of cheers overlapping in great waves of sound
  386. >Celestia is walking alongside the carriage, head high not looking either direction at the crowds.
  387. >You smile widely and wave, saluting the brown shirts and crystal ponies in groups along the road
  388. >The screaming crowds are being held back by brown shirts and crystal ponies holding hooves arm to arm along the road
  389. >You notice some discordant sounds among the cheering, the location of which is to your right
  390. >You look, still waving to see some less happy ponies cursing at Celestia and giving her rough looks
  391. >Not surprising, thankfully they’re otherwise well behaved.
  392. >The door to the carriage pops open and out flies Rainbow, followed by Cadence landing on the roof beside you
  393. >You lean in to them slightly
  394. >”Nice of you two to join me, take in the view.”
  395. >You can barely hear Cadence answer through the cheering
  396. >”I wouldn’t miss it for the world”
  397. >They both salute and wave, even catching several flowers thrown up
  398. >Rainbow looks somewhat flustered holding a large bouquet of red white and black flowers, not sure what to do with it
  399. >You lean in a little, laughing slightly
  400. ”They really do like you Rainbow, you should join me in the next parade”
  401. >She tosses the bouquet, being caught by a wave of clambering screaming mares in the crowd
  402. >”Is that an order?”
  403. >You laugh, looking back to the crowd
  404. >”No, no it is not.”
  405. >The carriage is now pulling in to the small circular area under the castle in front of the entrance, covered with shade by the bulk of the structure
  406. >The entire circular area is cordoned off by brown shirts, waiting at the castle entrance are the Shine sisters
  407. >There are several other officers in the Gestapo and the Black Hands standing around, but you don’t know any of them.
  408. >The cart comes around and stops about 15 yards from the stairs, immediately clambering from a service door is a pair of black hands carrying a large wooden ramp
  409. >They set it down at the foot of the carriage, Cadence and Rainbow are on either of your sides and join you walking down the ramp
  410. > You are met with Celestia, waiting while staring at the ground
  411. >There is still deafening sound from the crowd, albeit somewhat lessened by the distance they are from you
  412. >You wave one last time before you start towards the starts, you lock eyes with Celestia and nod toward the door
  413. >She follows behind you, looking more sullen than ever. Still, she carries herself with stunning regality and class
  414. >If you hadn’t been watching her mope for the last few days you might not even know she was angry.
  415. >The shine sisters quickly trot to your side, Aryanne falling behind you while Cadence and Celestia still follows
  416. >Emerald speaks up in a very hushed tone, getting in uncomfortably close to whisper
  417. >”We have extremely urgent news for you My Lord, we insist you allow us to brief you on the situation as soon as possible.”
  418. >You look down, now passing through the large crystal doors to the throne room
  419. “I just got back, it’ll have to wait until after I have my speech and have some time to plan our next move.”
  420. >Sapphire states clearly,
  421. >”Sir, this is of tier zero importance, we wouldn’t bother you about it so soon if it wasn’t extremely urgent.”
  422. “You’re right, I’ll join you after I give a quick speech while the crowds are still gathered. Meet me at my office.”
  423. >The two sisters stop and salute quickly, before trotting off down the hall
  424. >You turn left and scale the large stairs leading to the balcony floor, still followed by Cadence, Celestia and Aryanne
  425. >You stop short of the balcony, turning around
  426. >Cadence and Aryanne are both standing waiting for orders, Celestia is standing a few yards back being eyed carefully by several guards standing around
  427. “Celestia, it would do alot for the ponies to see that you’re unharmed, I’m not asking you to support me or even say anything, but standing beside me would put alot of them at ease.”
  428. >You specifically referred to them as THE ponies, rather than yours or hers.
  429. >She looks up to you, face completely deadpan
  430. >She nods yes.
  431. >You nod in confirmation, before turning back toward the balcony and making a beeline for it
  432. >Showtime.
  433.  
  434.  
  435.  
  436.  
  437. >You are Captain Harshwinny
  438. >You have set off towards the Elements of Harmony with your team of two pegasi and one other earth pony, your armored carriage rapidly approaching the spot your unicorns are currently staked out
  439. >The carriage is flying low across the trees, barely above the windswept treetops silently streaking through the twilight sky
  440. >As you come to a clearing you spot the small hill your unicorns are waiting on, being marked with two toppled trees
  441. >”Come in for a landing, this is the spot.”
  442. >You shout over the sound of the rushing wind, it just started snowing again moments ago causing you and your fellow passenger to wrap your scarves tighter around your faces
  443. >Your pegasi quietly come in for a landing, softly touching down quickly before stopping and unhooking themselves
  444. >The pegasi on the left adjusts her goggles above her scarf wrapped face
  445. >”I’m bucking freezing, let’s hope we can get this over with before we freeze”
  446. >She laughs a little, as does her fellow pegasi
  447. >Behind them a few yards back is a shimmer like reflections on water, as two unicorns are revealed beneath a cloaking spell
  448. >They quickly trot over, coming to a stop before saluting
  449. >One steps forward
  450. >”Captain, we dug a small defensive trench that we can observe from. We haven’t seen The Elements yet, but we have seen two batponies circling about a mile down the road. Also, only a few minutes before you arrived there were some flashes of blue and purple light from that area.”
  451. >The stallion points down the road, sure enough there are two dark shapes circling far above the road in the distance
  452. >You focus, you can just barely see something on the road, but you can’t quite tell what it is
  453. >You look to Mercury Dawn
  454. >”Give me your binoculars, I see something on the road.”
  455. >He quickly pulls out a pair of binoculars from a small leather pouch on his cross belt with his teeth, handing it over
  456. >You hold them up to your eyes with your hooves, adjusting the focus
  457. >You can see what looks like two carts with several ponies running around, one is laying on the ground leaning on a wagon wheel
  458. >There is a series of flashes of bright purple light, about one every two seconds
  459. >”That’s the elements, we need to get there as soon as we can, we may already be too late.”
  460. >You begin running down the hill, quickly followed by the sounds of three followers
  461. >The pegasi surge ahead, powering down the hill into the air before disappearing into the darkened sky ahead
  462. >You run harder than you ever thought you could run, crossing the distance in only a few minutes
  463. >As you approach, you and your company cross onto the road and are stopped by a batpony standing in between you and the caravan
  464. >It is facing you, dressed in fine armor far more intricate than that of a normal lunar guard
  465. >He has his head low, teeth bared and is standing his ground
  466. >He makes the first move and charges forward, a flurry of wing blades and horrifying screaming
  467. >You jump back, pulling out your wooden truncheon
  468. >but just as soon as it started, the air is filled with an ear splitting crack, and a small flash of yellow light from behind you
  469. >The lunar guard drops on his face a twitching mass, helmet torn open spilling brain matter and viscera all over the road
  470. >Mercury Dawn charges past you, firing more at several batponies flying low above the caravan
  471. >You come to your senses and charge ahead, followed by a hail of yellow and orange spells arcing through the sky like fireworks
  472. >You can now see a group of ponies fighting off lunar guard hoof to hoof, before an immense red stallion jumps out from behind the cart about to attack you
  473. >You leap backwards and shout
  474. >”Stop! We’re here to help you!”
  475. >He stops in his tracks, looking you and the unicorns over
  476. >He nods and charges back to the fight several yards away
  477. >You redirect your attention to the purple mare slumped against the wagon wheel, her eyes are open but she is barely hanging on
  478. >There is an large pool of blood growing beneath her, and a small purple dragon is cradling her head
  479. >You turn to your unicorns blasting spells into the sky
  480. >”One of you needs to attend to the injured mare, whoever’s left follow me!”
  481. >You turn back towards the action, pulling the truncheon around your neck into your mouth
  482. >You sprint to the mares firing spells and kicking lunar guards, charging in their midst towards an approaching batpony
  483. >He has a sword in his mouth, charging forward towards you
  484. >You swing at his sword, knocking it out of his mouth and breaking some teeth in the process
  485. >The sword goes sailing into a bush several yards away
  486. >He staggers back, spitting out teeth
  487. >He’s hit with a blue bolt of electricity from your left, throwing him on his back convulsing and foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling back
  488. >You look back, a white mare with a purple mane you vaguely recognize briefly makes eye contact
  489. >You also see a pink pony a few yards behind her fire a large blue cannon, letting a volley of confetti and bowling balls loose
  490. >One of the bowling balls strikes a batpony in flight, sending it down like a bag of rocks
  491. >You are interrupted by several batponies flying over you, screaming like wraiths
  492. >You shout over the sounds of the fight
  493. >”We need to get you all back to The Reich! Can you all run?”
  494. >An orange mare in a brown hat trots over, sporting a slash in her shoulder blade steadily leaking blood
  495. >”We have fillies in the carts, and Twi got hit pretty bad over there.”
  496. >Damn it. Damn it. That's as bad as it can get.
  497. >You look over, the white unicorn is now loading the almost completely limp purple mare into the armored carriage
  498. >At some point one of the pegasi must have stolen off to bring it over
  499. >One of your pegasi is already loading up to pull the carriage, not needing orders.
  500. >There’s only enough room in that carriage for at MOST six ponies and a few fillies, even if it was pulled by extra pegasi
  501. >You and you team will have to stay behind.
  502. >”Load your friends and the fillies into the carriage, any pegasi in your group will have to help our flyers pull it back to friendly territory.”
  503. >The orange mare tips her hat with her less injured leg, pairing off to assist the process
  504. >Mercury Dawn emerges from the woodwork on the side of the road, looking rather worse for wear
  505. >The unicorn mare following you trots alongside him, stopping beside each other at attention
  506. "Attention! We will be sending off the pegasi to carry the elements back to the city. Our new mission is to attempt to get these carts back to the city, but if necessary we can leave them behind if the batponies become too much to defend from. They seem to be on the retreat, but they will return in greater numbers. Are you both ready?"
  507. >They both stand up slightly straighter, calling back
  508. >"Yes Ma'am!"
  509. >The uniformed pegasus last comes to a bumpy landing, skidding slightly before stopping almost at your hooves on her stomach. She looks rough, several broken feathers and some rough scrapes, but mostly intact.
  510. "You, load up and prepare to carry the elements back to the city in the cart we arrived in. That's an order!"
  511. >She jumps up, quickly saluting
  512. >However she falters slightly, stopping quickly
  513. >"We'll be leaving you four behind?"
  514. >As she says this the last unicorn returns, hooves coated in blood
  515. "Yes, the elements are worth more to Lord Manos than our lives. We will attempt to ferry the carriages the last hurdle of the journey."
  516. >Her shoulders slump slightly
  517. "You have your orders, what are you just standing around for? MOVE!"
  518. >The pegasus nods before saluting, turning and quickly flying back to the carriage
  519. >They've now saddled up the yellow pegasus, apparently the element of kindness.
  520. >Now isn't the time for kindness.
  521. "Alright, Let's get these carts moving!"
  522. >You trot over to the cart at the front, slipping yourself into the reigns
  523. >The large red stallion from earlier appears seemingly from nowhere, silently doing the same
  524. "Staying behind, are you?"
  525. >He looks to you, nodding
  526. >"Eeyup."
  527. >The small yellow filly with a pink hair bow is crying in the cart, being held by two other fillies. What a mess.
  528. >They finally disembark as you get moving, lifting away into the sky gently
  529. >Quickly disappearing into the misty grey purple twilight.
  530. >Clearly the hard part is yet to come.
  531.  
  532.  
  533.  
  534.  
  535.  
  536. >You are Manos
  537. >You're stepping up to the bannister of the great balcony, waving to the sea of ponies beneath you
  538. >The city is normally strikingly beautiful, crystal structures catching sunlight like a beacon causing a sea of gently glowing crystal shapes.
  539. >It is now enshrouded in a gentle fog, as well as the omnipresent twilight caused by the looming eclipse.
  540. >You stop waving, standing waiting for the crowd to settle down.
  541. >Glancing to your right, Celestia is standing with her head held high yet her stern unyielding gaze is almost mortifying.
  542. >What awful circumstances to make such a beautiful creature so stern.
  543. >Just as you thought that, a similarly beautiful creature steps between you
  544. >Cadence has put on her peaked cap, smiling at the almost imperceptibly deep crowd.
  545. >The crowd is now quiet, waiting for your word.
  546. >You clear your throat, your voice being amplified by some unseen unicorns casting a spell
  547. "My ponies, I had planned for today to be one of great celebration over our recent magnanimous victory on the coast. However, the sudden eclipse caused by the return of nightmare moon has caused great fear across the land. It was only a matter of time, as was said so long ago when nightmare moon was first banished, that she were to return. We all wanted, NEEDED to be proved wrong. I wanted to stand side by side with Princess Luna in friendship in collaboration."
  548. >You pause, somehow the crowd is even more silent now than earlier.
  549. "Under these circumstances I believe I can only answer to my conscience and to the history of The Reich and her ponies to not only to assure these threats to our survival were completely destroyed, but also to assure the greatest power of the Royal clique that has now shown her true colors is PERMENANTLY, and IRREVOCABLY ELIMINATED."
  550. >You gesture sharply with a bladed hand, the crowd cheering back with that nationalistic hatred you've come to rely on.
  551. >You interrupt the cheering slightly, hitting that punchline with another round
  552. "You all must know that this step was a bitter and difficult one for me. The Reich has never harbored feelings of hostility towards the ponies of Canterlot. For more than three years, the despicable puppeteered rulers from Canterlot have endeavored not only to set The Reich on fire, but all of Equestrian freedom. It was not The Reich that ever tried to bring its ways to Canterlot, but the rulers in the capitol incessantly attempting to impose their rule on our lives. Do you all wish to be ruled by a monarch who wants you to die in the dark?"
  553. >The crowd explodes with shouts of "No!" and "Never!" But it all conglomerates as an immense wave of angry sound
  554. >You close your eyes, taking what feels like an eternity to find your best words. This may be the best speech you've ever given.
  555. "Our army we formed grows every day; it grows faster from hour to hour. Even now I have the proud hope that one day the hour will come when the banners of good will once again wave before us; and the proof of our truth will come in that last Court of Judgment, the Court of Valhalla, before which we are ready to take our stand. Then from our bones, from our graves, will sound the voice of that grand soul which alone has brought us together. For, my ponies, it is not the nobles in Canterlot or even the pony next door who pronounce judgment upon us, it is the judgement of history which will make its judgement upon us. But that judgement of history will not ask us, ‘Did you commit treason against the crown?' "
  556. >Your voice becomes hoarse at the end, gesturing harder and enunciating harder than you thought you could.
  557. "The eyes of time will see us as those who wanted the best for their family, and their land, who wished to fight and to die. They can pronounce us guilty a thousand times, but the great justice who presides over Valhalla will greet you all with a smile and accept you as heroes!"
  558. >As soon as you finish, the crown erupts into the a far greater wave of cheering.
  559. >Game, set, and match.
  560. >You turn, saluting before spinning on your heel and stepping off
  561. >You meet eyes with Celestia, her face is almost unchanged but beneath her face you can see an expression of disgust.
  562. >Nothing to be done about it now.
  563. >You breeze quickly past Rainbow waiting, making a beeline for your office
  564. >You step into the lobby, your secretary nodding to the shines sitting on the small couch set behind a coffee table in the waiting area
  565. >They both stand up quickly following behind you, two guards quickly opening your doors
  566. >You make a beeline for your desk, there is a stack of papers several feet tall to start working through reading and approving.
  567. >Your secretary has left a hot glass of black coffee on the desk, excellent.
  568. >"My Lord, we have received multiple trustworthy reports we believe to accurate of the Elements Of Harmony currently seeking asylum in The Reich."
  569. >You choke on your coffee, turning around
  570. "What?"
  571. >Emerald floats a small beige security envelope to you, quickly snatching it out of the air
  572. >You open it, quickly scanning the transcript of several radio communications
  573. >Holy shit, you didn't expect that.
  574. >You look up to Sapphire
  575. "When will they arrive?"
  576. >"Soon, within the afternoon certainly. We had a team chosen and head by Captain Harshwinny to retrieve them only a few hours ago,"
  577. >Good, Harshwinny has a capable head on her shoulders.
  578. >If she fails, that capable head will roll.
  579. "I thought you said they ventured out themselves, why would you send a team to retrieve them?"
  580. >Seems like they're hiding something.
  581. >Emerald speaks up
  582. >"Well, they were being pursued by a group of Lunar Guard flyers, we have no idea yet how far they got before the rendezvous with the brownshirts."
  583. >She stutters on the last part, looking away slightly
  584. >"But it is under control."
  585. "Doesn't sound like it is, I'm making you both personally responsible for the retrieval of the elements, if they don't arrive here intact it will be you who answer for it. Keep me updated minute by minute about their status. When they arrive, have them secreted into the brownshirt holding cells first, involve no other ponies that aren't on the retrieval team. This needs to stay tier zero secret for the time being. I will question them personally."
  586. "Dismissed."
  587. >They both turn and trot out, as businesslike as possible.
  588. >They lost control of a very important situation, this file is less than three pages long.
  589. >Priorities, priorities.
  590. >You walk back to the door, peeking your head outside to your secretary
  591. "Request the head of R&D Franziska come about two hours from now, and to being documentation of all new projects."
  592. >She nods, rushing off to do so.
  593. >You slowly walk to your bed, sitting down pulling your boots off
  594. >The next move of grand military force will be a tough call to make, perhaps an old friend now living in the castle would be a valuable asset.
  595. >Only time will tell.
  596.  
  597.  
  598. >You are Great Comrade Glimmer.
  599. >You are currently standing face to maw with the serpentine, unraveling form of Discord.
  600. >The god of chaos and an enemy of everything you seek to achieve.
  601. >It's rude to think such loud, rude thoughts about me when I'm right here you know.
  602. >You expect to see your guards seize him, but nothing happens.
  603. >In fact, absolutely nothing is happening.
  604. >The ponies you were testing on are frozen, your guards and your Doctor are all completely frozen
  605. >Everything is slightly more gray than you remember it being a moment ago.
  606. >Discord coils himself through the air around you, now realizing you're also mostly frozen.
  607. >"You have been a very busy bee, making your little colony out here where nopony can reach you. I hadn't expect you'd get ahold of magic like that, what a twist!"
  608. >You speak, expecting your mouth to be frozen as well.
  609. "You're supposed to be trapped in stone, beast. How can you be here?"
  610. >"Well my little

Manos The Hands Of Fate Part VI

by Doctor_Nick