>you are Honor Bound
>its been a few hours but you finally have the.. 'cargo' unloaded. 
>the unhatched queen still inside her egg
"get that egg stored and guarded. Manos will want to inspect it when its close to hatching"
>you look back to the group you assigned to work on Manos' project
"how long will it take to manufacture?"
>they scientists jump at your sudden interruption
>"uh.. Lord manos' designs are.. difficult to replicate, but with a few changes the machines.. might work?"
>you huff and walk up to them
"i didnt ask if they will work.. i didnt ask your thoughts.. i asked how long"
>the scientists look to one another and hurriedly come up with a estimate 
>"uh.. if given the proper parts, we could have a... 'early model' out in a few days.. but we dont know how well it will work"
>thats more like it.
"then i suggest you hurry. make use of any working factories we have.. if none are available then we shall have to downgrade to workshops and so on. but get me a working one soon."
>they nod their heads
>"yes Sir Honor. we will hurry"
"good. manos guide you."
 
>you are Lord Manos
>and you are walking back to the Crystal kingdom
"i never heard what happened to Bonbon from that messenger..."
>no matter
>Blackout will be along soon with news.
"those scientists should be in the crystal kingdom by now... i should make sure they get to work on my project soon. i might need it sooner than later."
>you shiver slightly
>damn its cold out here
"i suppose this is what i get for being a nice guy..."
>she better appreciate that jacket.
 
>you are a queen
>you have been waiting to hatch for a long time
>you gain consciousness about half way through the cycle
>you will hatch into a fully grown and able queen soon
>you can hear cries and screams from your brothers and sisters of your brood
>let them scream..
>their cries will fall on deaf ears.
>no changeling horde will be as strong as the ponies are now
>there's only two options when faced with extinction 
>adaptation
>or integration 
"i dont see why i cant do both.."
>you smile inside your increasingly uncomfortable egg sack
>the ponies here seem to want you to wait for someone to see you
>it would be best to try and wait for him
"manos wasnt it?..."
 
>you are Manos
>finally you have arrived to the gates
"open up! and get me a damn coat!"
>you wave your arm to the guards to get their attention
>soon the gates are opening and a black hand rushes out with his coat
>"here lord take mine.. i know its small but it will have to do until we get one of yours"
>you do your best to have the coat cover as much of you as you can
"thank you. has honor bound and the research team arrived yet?"
>"yes lord. they have unloaded and have received their first orders as well as a.. 'shipment' of crystals from sombra."
>ill be damned.. 
>sombra actually took it upon himself to made good on his bargain
>>"lord manos! come quick! your... pet... is hatching!"
>my pet?...
>oh that queen copper hid from me
"Coppers pet.. not mine. take me there now."
>>"yes lord follow me!"
>you take off in the direction of the new research lab
>the new research lab is now inside its own building
>large crystal walls surround the area allowing no one on ground level or in adjacent buildings to see inside 
>guards walk along the walls while some are stationary
>all of them looking inside at this moment.
"it must be starting if it has everyone's attention like this.."
>you rush inside
>the guards let you by without slowing you down
"honor bound. whats the status on this... bug."
>Honor is next to the moving egg sack
>he turns and gives you a seig heil 
>"its hatching lord manos you have arrived just in time!"
>a familiar voice comes from behind you
>"whats hatching manos?"
>you look over your shoulder and see Cadence along with Emerald and Sapphire Shine
>all of them in full uniform and very 'uneasy' 
>"IS THAT A BUCKING CHANGELING EGG?!"
"yes. you can thank our friend copper for it..."
>you look back to the egg as it begins to move about violently 
>parts of it burst open letting ichor and goo seep out
>the smell is awful
>you cover your face with the jacket that your Black hand gave you
>you hear cadence shout from behind you
>"UGH what disgusting creatures! if this is how they are born then they are worse than i thought!"
>you remain silent as the queens birth takes place in front of you
 
>you are a queen
>and you cant stay inside this birth sack any longer
>you bite and kick at the walls poking holes and spilling the now unnecessary bio matter out
>you flex your wings desperately trying to get out 
>your hoof breaks through a hole in the sack and you can feel wind on your fresh carapace 
>you pull and rip the rest of the outer layer of sack off of you
>and for the first time in your life
>you breathe real air..
>you smell real smells..
>and you open your eyes to see your first sights in this world.
>you flex your wings again
>you can feel how long they are without looking
>air flows in and out of your leg holes
>the first thing you see when you open your eyes is a tall figure. 
>surrounding him are a number of ponies..
>is this the creature 'manos?'
>you vision is still blurry but you can make out general shapes and outlines
>the tall creature approaches you
>the others follow suit
>you hear a feminine voice
>"manos.. kill that damn creature. its an affront to all ponies!"
>the creature extends a claw outward silencing the larger pony
>>"it dies only if I say it dies.."
>"you cant be serious manos... are you considering letting it live?"
>the tall figure seems to look back to the pony.
>he must be this 'manos'
>"we can barely control the damn parasites! if we can make use of a queens hive mind then it wil make things much easier."
>you hear a audible huff
>you vision becomes more clear
>the creature turns back to you
>slowly the face becomes clear
>look at those eyes..
 
>you are manos
>you are mere inches away from the 'newborn' queen
>you are looking her in the eyes.
>you dont expect to learn much
>but looking inside her head as soon as possible could give you insight
>you focus on her eyes 
>and soon you are seeing and hearing all of her memories
>you hear copper and scientists experimenting 
>you hear copper talking to the queen while its still in the egg
>"you are a beautiful creature.. imagine the possibilities and uses you have.."
>you can hear the queens 'voice'
>>"uses?"
>copper doesnt seem to hear it however
>he continues to examine the egg
>"oh.. you could answer so many questions i have! ahaha! can you control changelings? what about evolution? oh the experiments!"
>"yes i can... to both.. and what experiments? what is my purpose?"
>you come back to the world again
>a smile on your face..
"so.. purpose is what you seek.. then you shall have it."
>you take your hand and brush some of the strands of her green membrane mane off of her face
>you motion to a black hand to come over
>you snap your fingers and point to the jacket on the ground
>he takes it in his hoof and hands it to you
>you wipe the goo off of the queen with it
>then whatever goo that got on your hands or face
"thank you kindly."
>you toss it back to him
>he looks confused, not knowing what to do with it now
>you look back to the creature and examine it
>the 'mane' is the same green as chrysalis' was
>perhaps its how they distinguish hives?
>or is it just happenstance? 
"do you have a name.. or shall i give you one?"
>Cadence walks up to your side 
>"ill give it a name. how about disgusting."
>you see her spit at the changelings hooves
>"all of you are. why should this one be different?"
>you cant help but laugh at the pony
"never change cadence.."
>you gently lift her chin up then look to the queen again
"you really cant think of anything that a QUEEN might be useful for?"
>"no.. and if you'll excuse me.. i have parasites to kill.."
>Cadence looks to the bug and smirks
>"i love killing changelings.. i think it might be my real talent"
>she then walks off out of the laboratory grounds
"honestly that went much better than i thought."
>you stand up and wipe your hands clean again on your undershirt 
"honor. get my scientists studying her as soon as they are able. nothing to cause to much stress or harm she must be in a reasonably perfect condition when i see her next. i have many ideas for her... oh! and find a name for her will you?"
>you turn and begin to walk off
>you hear Honors hooves click as he gives you a sieg heil
>"HEIL MANOS it will be done lord!"
>you're glad you kept him around
>hes always willing to do anything you ask without question
 
>you are Cadence
>what is manos thinking?
>why keep one of those things!
"i just dont understand him.."
>you look back to the lab
"but.. if he wants to keep his little 'pet' fine!"
>you still have plenty of bugs to work and kill.
"if she makes my perfect process work faster then she will be the last one i kill."
>you smile as you make your way to your favorite camp
>the first one.
>the one you and Manos built together
>after a few minutes of walking you make it and walk inside the outer gate
>as soon as you do you notice changelings waiting against the inner fences 
>they are silent and watching
"what are you parasites looking at! get back to your work!"
>you cast a spell and make the areas between the inner and outer fences ignite into flames
>the changelings scurry away in fear of the flames
>you smile and continue your walk to your office
>you can still feel their eyes watching you
>you notice that you have little bits of that goo on your hoof
"ugh disgusting"
>you wipe it off and toss it to the path
>suddenly the feeling is gone
>you look around to see some of them looking at the goo
>perhaps they know its a queens scent?
"i said WORK!"
>you burn the goo
>then the closest changelings to you
"if you want to have any food tonight you will have your projects completed!"
>you enter your office and look over the current state of the camp
>3,214 changeling workers on site
>you cross it out
>3,209 changeling workers on site
>production capability is at maximum 
>recommend a random cull of population 
>you finish your notes and hand it to your secretary
"have a random cull of two-hundred. take your pick. the best population for here at the moment is around three thousand until we expand keep it as close as possible."
>"yes ma'am. we will start immediately"
>you love your job.
 
>you are Honor Bound.
>you have so many assignments!
>manos has more faith in you than ever.
>build my machines
>study those crystals
>study this queen
>as well as being the head of R&D
>you pull out your manos necklace and give a small prayer of thanks 
>you look over to the queen
>who is just standing there aloof 
"come with me.. you can walk cant you?"
>"of course i can! im a queen not a lowly drone!'
>she takes one step
>and falls like a newborn fawn
>you facehoof
"if you cant walk then--"
>she snaps back to you
>"I CAN WALK... just.. need to get my bearings is all"
>you watch as she tries to learn to use her legs
>...
>this is taking far too long
>you use your magic and grip her legs
>you move them one at a time with your magic
"i dont have time for you to learn on your own. so ill have to show you"
>after doing the movements for her a few times she gets it
"ah ha! i told you i could walk."
>she.. 'walks' behind you to the nearest laboratory room
>where you leave her to the science teams
"make sure she doesnt hurt herself. and make sure YOU dont hurt her either. manos wants her in perfect condition."
>"yes sir Honor bound."
>>"we will keep our research limited to questions and basic motor skill tests"
"good. i have much more to worry about than a queen learning to walk.."
>you walk out of the room and search for the scientists who are studying the crystals sombra.. 'gave' you.
"these must be trials of patience..."
>you still will not fail them
>manos guides you to a bright future
 
>you are manos
>things seem to be happening all at once.
>you have put down a rebellion
>you gained small amounts of both favor and fear from Celestia 
>you have a new queen changeling in your hands
>and you are being escorted to your room by two lovely crystal mares.
>"Manos. we know you have been busy recently"
>>"and we know you gave us permission to go ahead and create your new.. 'police force'."
>"SO! we went ahead and selected the best of the crystal guards and militias ponies for selection."
>>"all we need is for you to give the final approval."
"id like to see those ponies before i give the go ahead. if they are to be my Gestapo i will have each one pass a test of my own design before they are finalized"
>the mares giggle 
>"but of course manos"
>>"we are at your service after all."
>they are getting a little too friendly..
>you enter the castle and see a group of about twenty crystal ponies at attention 
>they all snap a sieg heil as you enter
>"HEIL"
"these must be the ponies then."
>the sisters are suddenly serious and walking along their ponies
>>"yes manos. these are the ponies we have selected."
>emerald takes a position on the far side of them and looks back to you
>while Sapphire takes the side closer to you 
>the ponies say as one
>"heil manos!"
>you slowly inspect each pony
>walking down the line till you make it to the end
>you look to the mare at the end
"previous job."
>"i was a slave in the mines sir"
"did you see ponies die there?"
>"yes lord... many ponies died there sir."
"are you comfortable with death?"
>she remains silent for a moment 
>"yes sir. if its necessary for the greater good."
>you nod and walk down the line asking each pony the same questions
>they all have similar answers 
"good.. because you will be expected to deal with death frequently.."
>you start to walk to your room
"meet me in he courtyard at noon tomorrow! that is all."
>"HEIL MANOS"
>you make it back to your room finally
>there are black hands standing guard
>as you approach they bow their heads then give a salute 
>"welcome back lord! we took the liberty of securing you room"
>>"commander aryanne is still inside guarding sir."
"thank you. you are dismissed"
>they walk back to their barracks for some rest
>you enter your room
>as you do Aryanne snaps to a defensive stance her sword out
>"Halt! this is-"
"at ease commander. its me."
>she stands in attention 
>"sorry sir. welcome back."
"thank you Aryanne. is everything as it was when i left?"
>you look over to the chest
>"of course sir."
"then you are dismissed.. id like to get some sleep if possible.."
>Aryanne gives you a salute then walks out of your room.
>you get undressed and ready for bed..
"i havnt had a good sleep since i got here.."
>this is the worst part..
>you climb into bed and almost instantly fall asleep
 
>hours pass.
>or perhaps is seconds..
>its hard to tell.
>you are in the immaterial world..
>you can see the same planes of the dreamscape as luna can
>at least you assume.
>but that isnt the part you dislike..
>you suddenly get a horrible pain in your mind
>you grip at your head as thousands if not millions of voices all speak at once
>they are all praying to you
>and you can hear each one!
>millions of voices entering your ears! 
>praying for forgiveness
>praying for a future
>praying to their god
>you scream from the over stimulation and pain in your eardrums 
>no one can hear you anyway...
 
>you are Princess Luna..
>and you can hear the screams of manos in the distance of your dreamscape
>you walk across the dreams of your sleeping ponies
>one after the other the nightmares are lifted away and their uneasy rests are made calm
>but you can still hear the screams of Manos in the distance
>you remember what it was like for you and your sister when you became goddesses..
>that was the only good thing to come of your banishment.
>the voices slowly began to recede 
>you can only imagine how your sister copes with it all.
>and now manos..
>and it will only get worse the more ponies believe he is a god.
>you close your eyes and try to focus on his screams
>you try and reach out to him
"manos... please.. try to relax."
>your one voice is just adding to the torrent of voices he hears
"this isnt going to work.."
>you look across the vast endlessness of this dreamland
>manos could be anywhere in here
>you do your best to try and determine where his screams are coming from
>as you do almost every night..
>you have never found him before.
"but i should try.. he deserves that kindness.."
>you walk along the dreams of your ponies
>calming them as you walk
"i promise manos, one of these nights ill find you.. and ill try to help the pain."
 
>you are manos
>the sounds of the voices are crushing you 
>in the continuous tide of voice you recognize one. if only for a moment
>".. and ill try and help the pain"
>you cant place it.
>but somehow you know it was for you to hear.
>not the god.
>but the human. 
>you jolt awake 
>your heart is pounding and your ears thump with the blood flowing inside them
>you hold your heart and you can feel it start to relax
>sleeping is the worst part..
>and it always feels like an eternity till morning
>you crawl out of your bed and start to dress yourself.
>another night as a god..
>another painful.. dreamless.. night.
>you walk out of your room.
>seems you were lucky and woke up early in the morning.
>the sun hasn't even risen yet
>you walk down the empty halls
>the only ones inside are guards who have been stationed there all night
>and they are unlikely to be talkative
>eventually you make it to your balcony overlooking the kingdom
>your kingdom.
"it is mine, even if Sombra denies it.."
>you have the armies
>you have the support of the ponies
>you have your own fortifications
>your camps
>your shops
>your factories
"its mine.. all but in name.. but not for long"
>you look to the research center
>there are lights on inside and out in the yard
>but you cant see inside
>there is a field of magic obscuring your view
>you back away from the balcony and walk to the labs
"might as well see what my brains are doing up this early"
>your footsteps echo in the halls as you walk out of the castle
 
>after a few moments of walking and little to nothing interesting happening you make it
>the lights are still on inside and you can hear loud noises of machinery and metal
>the guards at the entrance give you a sieg heil as you enter inside
>the place is spotless, clean all the way down the the floors.
>lab coats hang from hooks by the door and hallways are closely watched by black hands
>you look to the nearest guard
"which way to those ponies working?"
>"right this way lord manos"
>the guard leads you to the larger part of the science wing 
>there is a large steel door 
>"open up! its lord manos himself! entrance code 43-23-65-01"
>>"alright your code has been confirmed opening the door"
>the steel door slides open
>your eyes are immediately directed to the large metal machine in the center of the room 
>the scientists approach 
>"lord manos! we weren't expecting you!"
>you ignore them and examine the machine
>its very boxlike unlike your sketches 
>and the treads are much smaller.
"does it work?"
>the scientists look to one another in doubt
>"we dont know."
"well lets find out then"
>you are blackout
>you and the rest of the black hands that were sent to clear out ponyville are finally heading back
>you didnt have the heart to tell lyra what happened to her face..
>even though you know it would have been better to do so in person you left her a letter..
>a letter explaining what had to happen, and why.
>you also wrote that your orders wouldnt allow you time to see her before returning back
>you hope she believes you.
"im sorry Lyra.."
>"what was that sir?"
>a black hand walking beside you overheard your mumbling 
"sorry.. i was just thinking out loud."
>the black hand gives you a nod.
>"i understand sir... unlike most of the ponies here.. i cant joke about what happened.. i had to put down my sister."
>the pony looks back to the others still joking and laughing as they make their way behind you
>"it was for the best though.. i found out she was one of the ponies attacking civilians not willing to fight..."
"that must be hard for you then. im sorry you had to do it."
>"thank you sir"
"for what?"
>"for at least trying to make me feel better about it.. the others just told me it was for the best or.."
>there is another burst of laughter from behind you
>"or that.. although not as loudly"
"times are hard on all of us i suppose"
>the two of you walk in silence for a while
"i had to kill one of my close friends.. and she was a friend of Lyra heartstrings.. and a friend of Manos too."
>the stallion looks to you again
>both worry and slight shock on his face
>"oh.. wow.. talk about friends in high places.."
>you laugh a little bit..
>just a very little bit
"you're telling me. i dont know how Manos will react to to though, seems that we are becoming fewer and fewer"
>"who sir? black hands?"
"no friends, copper was one too.. power seems to be corrupting to ponies, and manos is losing more and more friends to it
>"i feel sorry for him, losing friends to their own greed then having to remove them yourself, it has to be hard."
 
>you are manos
>and you are about to test to see if your invention will work.
>the ponies testing it clamber around 
>inside are three earth ponies and a team of two unicorns
>you climb on top and look inside the machine
>its a tight fit but you yourself slide in to get a quick look of the interior 
>its very tight and compact
>barely enough room for the ponies inside
>one earth pony is in the center of the machine 
>his role is to look over the engine of the machine and keep it fueled with coal
>the same for another earth pony but his one also is in charge of ventilation
>he has to make sure all the smoke keeps going out of the long pipe leading to the outsides of the vehicle 
>the third earth ponies job is to keep watch over all of the internal devices and of course drive the machine
>the final team the two unicorns, have seats on the top part of the machine 
>its their job to direct the driver as well as provide magical support to the troops in the field through the larger openings and the rotating top
>there are several CLEAR drawbacks to this design..
>but it is a... ok start.
>you climb out of the machine and take a position outside
>you hear it start up slowly
>just like a train it begins to move at a slow pace at the start
>it creeps out of the room into the testing yard
>the more you watch the more you think about how hot it must be inside there
"perhaps theres a way to maintain a normal temperature with artificial magic.. or with crystal enhanced magic?"
>the scientist looks to you
>"we have a few ideas for that.. but we weren't able to implement them quite yet"
>the machine is now in the center of the yard
>"alright! test the rotation on that top part!"
"turret"
>"the turret!"
>the top of the machine slowly turns one way.
>then the other
>>"rotation is good sir!"
>"how is the temperature?"
>>"its.. its bearable sir! but id love some iced tea if you got it"
>you chuckle
>"yes.. well.. alright! test how fast you can get it to go!"
>the machine begins to roll
>it begins to pick up a bit of speed almost that of a jog that a normal pony can do.
>then you hear a snap and a few bangs inside
>the machine comes to a stop
>and you hear lots of coughing inside the machine
>smoke starts to pour out of anywhere it can find
"shit.. well we didnt get far. but we got a hell of a lot further than i thought we would."
>you raise your hands to your mouth to shout
"Alright! we did good! clear out that smoke and get out of there!"
>you can hear magic being cast inside
>most likely to try and contain or remove the smoke
>the ponies begin to crawl out of the machine
>covered in smoke stains and coughing 
>they are also drenched in sweat.
>you walk over to them
"you are brave ponies ill tell you what."
>they give you a quiet thank you with nodding of heads
"get yourselves cleaned up in the showers. we will work more on this later..."
>the crew head back inside to clean themselves 
>you turn to the scientist
"got any ideas?"
>he approaches you
>"like we said.. we weren't expecting you. nor were we actually expecting the thing to work... so/ id say this was a success"
"id agree with that.. to tell you the truth.. im not sure how the things work..."
>you hop onto the top of the machine and crawl inside
>the smoke is gone and the fires are all out
>you examine the inside again
"i need to know what kind of fuel supplies we have.. water of course is one.. but id rather avoid a volatile steam machine.. fuck.."
>you crawl along inside the machine to the 'heart'
"this idea clearly wont work.. at least effectively."
>you are already sweating inside here
"and this heat will likely kill ponies.."
>you take a seat.
"i can figure this out... i know it"
>"lord manos? are you ok in there sir?"
"yeah im fine just give me a minute.."
>you give the machine another look before climbing out
>you look to the scientist 
"i think i have an idea"
>you walk up to the pony and turn back to the machine
"alright.. heres my idea... until we find a way to get this machine to self-propel with a fuel source we do the next best thing.."
>the scientist looks to you
>"which is?"
"take it all apart. no wait.. keep this one for now but make another one. use the lightest wood you can find."
>the scientist takes notes as you ramble
"and create this outline again. BUT give it a thin outline of metal. thick enough to keep arrows or any other basic ballistics out but not to thick to where we cant move it. keep the treads but give them a skirt for protection. then get the wheels to be powered by..."
>the scientist stops his frantic writing and looks to you
>"by?"
"hoof power. we will use basic cranks for the propulsion a team of about four earth ponies would have plenty of power combined to move it. even more with unicorn assistance." 
>the scientist just looks at you.
>"how would that work?"
"give me your paper ill show you"
>you take the paper and pen from him
>and you draw a set of wheels with a crank between them
"each of the wheels has nobs sticking out long enough for the cranks to stay attached and keep the wheels turning rotating the cranks on both sides would make the wheels turn thus moving forward or backward, doing one side or the other would allow you to turn the machine and simply holding the cranks still would act as breaks"
>"well.. it does seem like it would work.. in theory.. and it would definitely be easier to manufacture quickly"
>you pat the scientist on the back
"oh dont worry. this is just temporary.. im sure we can get that machine running on its own soon. we just need to start small and work our way up."
>you lead the scientist back to the lab
>after a hour or so of discussion you finally decide on this way of power and function for now.
 
>you are a queen
>and you have been kicked awake by three ponies in black
>"get up parasite. the brains want to have a look at you"
>you blink a few times getting the sleep out of your eyes
>then you get another kick in your side
>"now.."
"alright. alright. sorry.."
>you wobble to your hooves, sleep and not walking for long making it difficult this early
>as you stand you have a collar attached to your neck and two chains hang from it
>two ponies take hold of them and go to either side of you to prevent your head from moving to far
"where are we going?"
>the ponies remain silent as they walk you out of your room
>you admire the clean hallways of the building
"this is a very clean and orderly nest. i can only imagine what kind of drones you use to keep it so."
>a pony scoffs
>you try to look back to him to see what was so humorous 
>but you head is jerked back to the front by the other pony
>why do they treat you like this?
>all the ponies treat you like this..
>Mano's didnt..
>soon you are entering another room much like the one you were in previously 
>except this one has a group of ponies in lab coats and a small bed inside
>>"please put her right over there."
>the pony in white points to the bed
>and soon you are being led over to it and told to take a seat on it.
"uh.. alright. like this?"
>you get up on the bed and lay down on it being sure not to upset the ponies around you
>>"thats good. alright attach the chains and we will take it from here."
>the ponies in black attach the chain to spots on the walls and all but one walk out of the room
>the one that stays stands by the door and just watches
>he must be a warrior.
>and those in white must be... nurses?
"for being so different you all look so similar.."
>>"yes well we can say the same for you. now if you please only talk when asked a question or if you feel any pain"
"oh. alright."
 
>you are Lyra
>there is a letter sitting on your end table by your bedside
>you lift it up with your magic and look it over.
>there is no seal or other identifying marks on it
>you gently place it back down.
>you will make a point to read it later today
"i have to get ready, today is another day of worship."
>you wash yourself up and get dressed in your finest robes
>you need to be strong for your ponies.
>they need somepony to look to in hard times like this
"and since manos is away. that responsibility is my own"
>walking out into the main room you bask in the natural lighting
>it looks so beautiful, the stained glass windows with dedications to Manos
>art of the battle of canterlot
>and of course your favorite
>the ones where the sun and moon are is the palms of manos as he smiles down on his ponies
>each of the celestial bodies having the smiling faces of the princesses looking up to him
>you cant help but smile every time you look at it
>you look to the pews and see a few ponies already here.
>heads bowed and some crying
>you walk over to the nearest pony.
>a young filly clutching a manos charm
>she is crying but still keeps the charm close to her heart
"are you ok my child?"
>the mare sniffles and looks up to you
>she doesnt say anything but wraps you in a hug
>for a moment you are surprised, but you return the hug all the same
"there there. everything will be ok.."
>"my daddy and mommy are gone.."
>you take a seat next to the filly 
"gone?"
>"they.. they said that they had to go to protect me, and ponyville. they put on their brown uniforms and left me with my brother"
>you have a sinking feeling in your gut.
>"then... then last night daddy came home.. but.. he didnt make it inside the house. i went outside to go to school and he just.. he fell on the ground as i opened the door.. he had cuts and part of him were.. were.."
>the filly cries again wrapping you up in a tight hug
>you just let the poor filly cry into you
>you should read that letter.
 
>you are manos
>you and aryanne are in the courtyard awaiting the new initiates to the crystal gestapo 
"have you met any of them previously aryanne?"
>Aryanne looks over to you
>"no sir. this will be my first time meeting them"
"i see. then be sure to judge them as harshly as possible. only the best should be in my forces."
>"of course lord."
>your conversation with aryanne is interrupted by a Pegasus landing next to you
>"sieg heil! manos, there is a representative here to see you"
>a what?
"a representative? from Canterlot?"
>"no sir. from the griffon empire"
>interesting...
"did they say what they wanted?"
>the Pegasus shakes her head
>"no sir. they said they would only speak to the one called manos"
>you turn to aryanne.
"Aryanne.. can i trust the training of these new-bloods to you?"
>Aryanne gives you a sieg heil 
>"of course manos! those that remain will be as though as nails when im done."
"thank you aryanne. ill be back as soon as i am able"
>you look back to the messenger
"take me to them."
>you follow the pegasus to the grand halls where you see black hands and crystal guards have gathered
>in the center of the ponies are three large birds of prey
>you approach the group, as you do Sombra, in his usual fashion appears as a large cloud of smoke
>he easily grabs the attention of everyone in the room their eyes follow his movements as he lands next to you
>the both of you walk together and emerge from the remaining cloud
"i see you have already made yourselves at home here.."
>sombra stomps his hoof and smiles his normal wicked smile
>the large birds appear to smile 
>"ah you must be this "manos' we have heard so much about.."
"yes. i am. and you are?"
>the largest of the griffons gives a slight bow of his head
>"i am Zephyrus.. one of the most dignified diplomats of the empire."
>sure you are.
"and why are you here? what buisness would you have with me and my.. quaint little following?"
>Zephyrus laughs
>"ah straight to the point. i quite like that.. we are here to.. aid in your little quarrel with the Equestrians"
>the ponies in the room laugh
>as do you, but you extend your hands 
"we are equestrians. i dont see any problems here. do you?"
>"you are well aware of what we mean you are having political problems with the princesses. we wish to aid you."
"and what you gain from this? whats the catch in this deal?"
>"nothing worth mentioning really we only ask that whatever our soldiers take.. they keep."
"im going to need much more information than that before i make any deals.. especially about plundering what i consider mine already"
>"confident in your little coup?"
>youre not gaining any bonus points with your ignorance bird.
"this isnt a coup. this isnt a rebellion. this.. is simply a long term reform."
>you snap your fingers and your black hands snap to attention
>"SIEG HEIL"
"and as you can see. its going rather well"
>the bird huffs
>"then we have things to discuss later till then"
>and turns to leave
"sombra follow them"
 
>you are Sombra.
>glorified spy of manos...
>you have followed the griffons to a forested area deep in the untouched area of Ardennes 
>"any luck?"
>the group of birds gathered in the shadows 
>your element 
>you go in for a closer look 
>you meld into the shadow and creep in closer
>>"no luck with the ponies in the Crystal kingdom, how about the royal equestrians?"
>"they have agreed on very strict terms.. they get to keep all the territory but we would be able to keep any of the crystals, armor, bits, or anything else."
>>"well thats something.. if thats as good as we can get then we will take it."
>"we should head back and report to the king."
>>"i agree. we have a pretty easy choice to make now"
>this is interesting
>the griffons are playing both sides?
>manos will need to be aware of this 
 
>you are a queen
>and you have been poked, prodded, and scraped for hours now
"what are you trying to learn? maybe i can help?"
>the scientists remain silent working
>after a few more minutes you begin to look around the room again
>this is a very.. strange.. existence
>"alright now a few questions."
>good something you can help with
>you smile excited to help
"alright what would you like to ask?" 
>"can you communicate with changelings?"
"yes"
>"does this include the ones inside our habitats?"
"yes of course. any of my brood mates."
>the scientists look to each other
>"do you worry about them?"
"no, they might be my brood mates, but i have no ties.. i never met my brood mother. and i have no children."
>"interesting.."
 
>you are Sombra
>you turn to make your way back to the Crystal Kingdom
>but an idea hits you..
>you laugh to yourself as you look back to the griffons
>they dont care whos in charge as long as they get wealthier
>you approach them and merge into their shadows
>"then its settled.. we will return to the king and inform him that the equestrians will give us the best offer"
>you start to form in the center of their grouping 
"oh.. but thats where you are wrong.. i can assure you. a deal with me will be much better.."
>the griffons take a few steps back as you unexpectedly entered their meeting
>"this was the pony who works for that 'manos' "
>you face the bird and glare at him
"i do not work FOR manos! he stole MY kingdom right from under me!"
>you calm yourself again
"and i am willing to make any deal to get it back.."
>the griffons look to one another
>some of them rubbing their beaks in thought
>finally the largest one. Zephyrus, takes a step forward and speaks
>"what deal do you have in mind Pony?"
>you smile you have a great deal
>a deal that they surely will not turn down
 
>rewind a few minutes
>you are Manos
>Sombra has just left to follow the griffons
>you turn back to your gathered ponies
"my dearest ponies i have a mission for you all."
>all eyes are on you
"soon we will be going to war.. unfortunately with equestrians. i hope it will be short with minimal loss of life"
>you look to the glass windows depicting the crystal kingdoms history
"but.. we are not ready. what i am asking you all will be difficult but necessary."
>you close your eyes for a moment to check up on Sombra.
>as you expected hes making his own deal
"i will need you all to gather as many ponies as you can. and have this nation go into full scale war status."
>you look back to your hands
"what this means my little ponies. is that everyone will have to work for the war effort. those not fighting will be manufacturing arms and armor, this is the will of fate."
>"heil manos!"
>you walk out of the main hall as your ponies rush out to spread your word
>as you walk you keep thinking of how to get your machines to work
>you stop suddenly
>and laugh.
"im such an idiot.. i dont need to invent a engine from scratch!"
>at least if what you think will work does.
"Canterlot has defiantly gone up on my priorities list."
>you continue your walk to your guards barracks 
>you have a.. "diplomatic mission" to plan.
 
>you are Aryanne.
>you have gathered your ponies in the barracks for another inspection 
>you walk along the bunks inspecting the contents of each hooflocker
>of course your black hands are all perfect.
>you finish the inspection without having to assign any punishments 
"at ease. another perfect inspection."
>>"we are his shield"
"we are his ponies"
>>"we are his faithful Hands"
"carry on."
>you turn to open the door and leave
>the door opens and Manos himself is standing there.
>you quickly recover giving a sieg heil
"Lord manos sir!"
>the ponies return to attention again
>"SIEG HEIL"
>Manos walks inside
>>"I need four volunteers for a top secret mission. if you accept you cannot back down"
"I volunteer sir!"
>Cinnamon, Comet Glow, and Almond Heart also quickly volunteer after you do
>Manos looks around to his other bodyguards a few also volunteering but just to slow
>"alright. you four will be briefed in my private quarters, those of you who also volunteered will be my acting bodyguards, you will be updated on your mission after i finish with these ponies."
>Manos walks out of the room and leads you all to his room
>he has you all take a seat as he lays out a map of someplace you have never seen before.
>"nothing we speak of will be shared with anyone. understood?"
>you all nod
>"good.. lets begin"
 
>you are a queen
>you have been left to walk around a nearly empty room
>inside the room is a bed, a table with two chairs, and a small bookshelf filled with books
>its an alright room to be in, much nicer than the cage you slept in previously
>the only thing odd about the room is one wall is a large mirror
>you walk up to the large mirror and look at your own reflection
"wow.. i look so different compared to the ponies"
>you twirl your mane and look at yourself for a while
"i can see how they think im just a bug."
>you look up at your jagged horn
>then down at your legs filled with holes
"i must be scary to them. no wonder they treat me like they do."
>you walk over to your books.
>might as well make the best of this
"oh well. im sure once they learn enough about me they might change their minds." 
>in your head you can hear drones asking for their queen to help them
>asking for You to help them.
>you close your eyes and look to the normal wall and speak
"no. leave me alone! you are not my brood. i am not your queen!"
>you look to your books and pick one out.
>its called "the rise of Manos" 
 
>you are Lyra
>after spending time with those who came early for guidance you return to your room
>you grab the letter with your magic and hold it in front of you
"its ok Lyra everything is ok"
>you gently and very slowly open the letter
>"dear Lyra, im sorry i wasnt able to speak to you in person. my mission required i leave asap"
>its from Blackout then
>your heart sinks in your chest a bit
>but you read on
>"the mission was a hard one a lot harder than i expected, but i was ordered to put down the rebellion and all its leaders"
>you can feel tears forming
>"but i was given orders to take Bonbon alive is possible"
>there are a few wet spots on the letter. and they arent from you.
>"but she wouldnt go peacefully and i was forced to.."
>you put down the letter and take a seat on your bed.
>you dont need to read the rest
>bonbon didnt die, bonbon is alright
>right?
 
>you are manos
>the plan has been set. all you need now to to schedule a meeting with Luna and Celestia
>or.. you could just show up.
"we move out as soon as we are able. understood?"
>your ponies look to you and give a final nod
"everyone knows the mission correct?"
>"yes sir!"
>you look down at the map and tap it
"Cinnamon, if you would be so kind as to dispose of this evidence?"
>Cinnamon Pops horn begins to glow and the paper map catches fire
>soon its a small pile of ash on your table
"lets get moving. Aryanne. inform the others to their role"
>Aryanne gives you a salute
>"yes manos. we will meet you at the gates"
"good. i have a former princess to place in charge."
>the ponies all walk out of the room
>you turn to your chest which houses the Elements of Chaos
>gently you rub your fingers along the top looking for two release points hidden on the chest
>just big enough for one finger to push 
>you find them and push in
>the chest clicks open slowly revealing the crystal heart, the Alicorn Amulet, and the Dark crystal
>you take the amulet in your hands and place it around your neck
>then you close the chest again and look at your hands
"they perfect key is one you never lose"
>you then turn and leave your room
>time to pay a visit to the Sisters
 
>you are Cadence 
>you are leaving you office in the changeling camp
>you can smell the scent of burning bugs in the air
"ah good. they are proceeding with the culling like i ordered."
>you look over to the execution grounds and see a large building with a tall smoke stack billowing smoke
"and they do it so effectively too. hmhm only goes to show how superior we are to those bugs."
>you walk down your path out of the camp
>unexpectedly Manos is the the yard waiting for you
"Manos! what a nice surprise"
>you smile and walk over to his side
"i hope youre here to drop off that big roach of yours.."
>"not this time Cadence. in fact ill be keeping her around. but thats not why im here."
>you give him a grin and in a suggestive tone you say
"oh.. a personal visit then?"
>you flick your tail
>"again not this time. perhaps soon though if you act nice while im gone"
>you giggle
"i do like it when you take charge.."
>you go back to your business tone
"but alright. what is it your off to do? and what am i taking charge over."
>Manos laughs
>"ah you know me pretty well i see. Ill be leaving to Canterlot for a while. no more than a few days or a week."
"any particular reason?"
>"its a diplomatic mission. im hoping to avoid war. but.. ive put the country on full scale war status in case"
"alright. ill look over 'our' little kingdom while you go off again."
>you tap his side with your hoof
"BUT, you better not bring back another queen or something. ill only put up with ONE"
>"last i checked i was in charge here."
>Manos turns and walks away
>"but ill do my best anyway"
>he better..
>bad enough i have to deal with those sisters..
>now i have to deal with a changeling queen
>a angry 'king'
>and a nation getting ready for war
 
>you are Manos
>you have ordered a group of carriages to be waiting by the gates for you and your party
>they are all waiting for your arrival
"lets get going. no time to wait around"
>as you arrive you enter your carriage
>Aryanne, Cinnamon, and Comet ride with you while Almond heart is flying escort
>giving you time to talk about the mission in private
>the carriages lurch forward and soon you are on your way
"alright slight change of plans.."
>everypony looks to you
"ill be going with you. ill explain once we get there. only issue is we need a cover for why im missing"
>the ponies look to each other
>"Lord Manos"
>you look over to Aryanne
>"perhaps one of us should stay behind and cover for you. one of your personal guard will have more credit than the others"
"agreed, but who will stay. Aryanne ill need you with me for this. so you are excluded"
>Comet speaks up
>"ill stay behind manos. the mission comes before anything else."
"if we succeed you each will receive the first of my new medals."
>you hold up the medals you had left on the bodies
"the iron hand. awarded for loyalty and bravery. as of this moment no.. living.. pony has ever received one, not even rainbow dash"
>you place it back in your pocket.
"we will be arriving soon. get as much rest as you can. you'll need it."
>"yes sir"
>the ponies do their best to get some sleep
>you look out the window and shout to Almond 
"almond"
>you open the door
"get in and get some rest"
>she clambers inside quite well for it being a moving carriage in the sky
"thats an order"
>"yes sir"
>you look out in the distance to see the mountain with canterlot on it just barely in view.
>its about a two hour ride still.
"wonder how happy the sisters will be to see my bright smile again."
 
>you are Celestia 
>you and luna are having a nice dinner/breakfast together before you both get ready for night
"so luna. any interesting dreams recently? surely there has been a interesting one or two?"
>"SISTER! i am a princess ans will not lower myself to gossip on the dreams of my subjects"
>...
>the two of you burst into laughter
>"yes there has been quite a few interesting dreams. this one dream i saw was that of a stallion. i wont name names here. but he defiantly--"
>there is a knock on the doors
>you sigh
>this is one of the few times you get to have social time with luna
>you hate when it has to be cut short over trivial things
"who is it?"
>"ma'am! we have word that Lord Manos has landed near the castle, and he is asking to speak with you and princess luna!"
>the both of you rise to your feet
>"manos?!"
"what could he want.."
>Luna looks a little worried 
>"sister.. if i may. could i speak with manos, its about.. well.. his deams."
"i thought you couldnt enter his dreams luna?"
>"i cant. but.. its difficult to explain. it wont take long."
>if manos is willing to talk of it then it couldnt hurt. right?
"fine.. if Manos is fine with speaking of this then i wont stop you. but be careful Luna. im afraid of what Manos' intentions are."
 
>you are Manos
>you are being led to the princesses
>apparently you have caught them when they are both already together
>perfect
"Aryanne. please you and the others stay close to me"
>as you walk down the halls you get rather cross looks from many of the guards
>of course there are a few who bow their heads and utter a prayer as they see you
>another voice to add to the pain..
>"they are right inside here. Manos."
"thank you. lets go everyone."
>the guard sticks out a hoof
>"just. you."
"why? worried that myself and a few ponies would be able to defeat two goddesses? so little faith in your leaders."
>your ponies chuckle and follow you inside
>you walk into the large dinning room
>your personal guard walking in beside you
"AH if it isnt my favorite princesses!"
>good thing Cadence didnt hear you
>Celestia smiles and takes another bite of..
>is that cake? really?
>"ill be sure to tell Cadence that we are your favorites then."
>Luna just looks at her food and avoids making direct eye contact with you
"yes.. im sure she would love to hear that.. care if i have a seat and join you?"
>Celestia extends a hoof to the chair
>"please take a seat. we have quite a lot to talk about i assume?"
>you take a spot next to them
"yes we do... in fact i was meaning to talk to you about my.. position.. in this world."
>Celestia continues to eat but gives you a side glance
"as you are well aware. i have sacrificed much to protect our ponies.. to protect equestria. i have even put down a rebellion of my own followers to keep YOUR positions safe."
>celestia lowers her fork
>you place your hands on the table
"i have fought a war, pacified a king, and started a.. private collection of dangerous changelings just to keep your ponies safe."
>"what are you asking Manos? to take the throne from us because of good deeds?"
>maybe..
>you remove your hat
"no no. in fact i dont want to take your place. i have no desire to rule equestria. only protect it. but.."
>Luna and Celestia are both looking at you now
"i would like to have a official position in your government... specifically."
>you take a breath 
"Princehood."
>the sisters look to each other for a moment 
>they whisper to each other 
"of course.. i could always just keep my little kingdom to the north. and become a foreign nation... many ponies here im sure would join me. and not just here."
>you recall some places Copper told you has large amounts of followers
"ponies is Las Pegasus and Vanhoover as well as other large cities have large followings of mine. who honestly knows how they would act if i broke away from equestria"
>you smile at the princesses
 
"but i wouldnt dream of you coming to this same decision at a moments notice like this."
>you place your hat back on your head and stand up
"if you would be so kind as to allow me and my guards to stay for a few nights? only of course to give you time to make a decision."
>you bow your head.
"im sure, you two will make the right one.."
>you walk out of the room and your personal guards join you."
>as the door is shut behind you you turn to your guards
"alright. now the seeds have been planted. we have to act fast. follow me."
>you pick up you pace and walk down the halls of Canterlot.
>hopefully enough guards here are loyal to you to get you where you need to be
>as you walk down the halls you see a familiar face
"Silver Valor! how nice to see you again"
>Silver Valor turns to you a look of surprise on her face
>"uh.. hello Anon-- uh Manos what brings you to Canterlot?"
"i am currently in diplomatic talks with the Princesses.. hopefully we can come to a arrangement that will end any further violence between us"
>Valor smiles.
>"that is good to hear.. that business in Ponyville.. it was hard for a lot of us."
>you dont have time for small talk
"yes. it was.. a lot of good ponies died. on both sides... but i have important business to take care of."
>"of course sorry for taking up your time Manos. we shall talk again soon?"
"of course. i never forget my friends Silver. oh.. by the by, do you know where the royal Archives are? its very important."
>Valor gives you a look over.
>"im not sure you need to know that.."
"Valor. its me, you know that have no ill intentions, please i need to get there soon."
>she continues to look you over.
>then your guards
>"ugh.. fine.. follow me. but dont let it get out that im the one who led you there."
>you smile and give her a nod
"of course.. trust me. this is very important."
>you follow Valor down the halls both her status and yours thankfully being enough to get to the door to the archives
>check.
>Silver Valor turns back to you
>"manos. whatever you are doing in there im sure is for the right reasons.. but i cannot help you go further"
"dont worry Valor. i understand, i wouldnt want you to compromise your position on my account"
>"thank you manos. i was never here."
>Silver valor walks away
"thank you Captain. glad that the Royal guard has finally got good ponies running it."
>Silver just keeps walking
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upPQUSf0zME [Embed] Matias Puumala - Rebellion (Epic Action Drama)
 
>as soon as she is out of sight you turn to the guards at the door
>you walk up to them as they get closer together guarding the door
"step aside. i need to gain entry, its for the good of Equestria"
>the royal guards look at you stone faced
>"nopony may enter without the consent of the princesses."
>>"turn back sir. we cant let you in"
"i am not a pony. i am a god.."
>you look in the eyes of one
>then the other
>a second is all it takes and they are collapsed on the ground
>they mumble to themselves in near silence
>their eyes wide in shock and pain as they hold themselves tightly
"get their armor on and take positions at the doors. those who were assigned to come with me follow. we dont have much time"
>the doors are opened and your guards enter inside and clear the room
>the two guards are dragged inside and tied up armor striped from them and your ponies take their place
>you walk inside the Archives looking for the item
>as you look around you finally find it..
>you walk up to it slowly and grip at the blanket covering it from dust
>in one motion you pull it off revealing a large mirror
>you rub your hand across the glass
>it feels almost like rubber.
"here it is and on the other side.. everything i need.."
>you motion to Aryanne and the others to come over.
"Aryanne. you will follow me inside now, the rest of you. wait about twenty minutes before following."
>you take out the Amulet and hold it up to the mirror it glows brightly 
>and you step inside...
>you feel like you are falling
>but at the same time you feel like you haven't moved an inch
>you look ahead as the weird vortex flows around you
>suddenly you feel strange
>you lose your balance and fall to your knees.
>you cant stand up
>there is a popping in your bones
>you expected this to hurt but it feels numb your body is being ripped apart and reshaped 
>you know what happens when a pony enters this mirror.
>but this is the first time a human is going in, at least.. from this side.
>you try to rise your hands and stand but you keep losing balance.
>you look down and see your hands have been replaced by a hard set of hooves
>you examine the rest of your body as you 'fall' into the other world
>your skin grows a light yellow coat and your hair becomes a short blonde colored mane
>suddenly you hit a wall.
>no.. not a wall.
>a sidewalk
>you struggle to get to your feet
>er.. hooves.
>you are stuck as a pony while you're here?
>could be worse.... i guess..
"this is strange. i dont like it. i need my old body back as soon as possible."
>you look down and see the amulet around your neck
>your uniform has also changed to fit your new equine form
"Aryanne. lets get going. we have items to gather."
>you look behind you to see a very attractive Blonde woman struggle to get to her feet
>she is wearing a perfect SS uniform with her mark of manos on it.
>wait..
>you take a look at the mark.
>its a hoof now.
"alright.. we are NOT staying here long. as soon as the others get here have them be ready to move. i need to look around"
>"yes.. sir?"
>you look to Aryanne 
>she is staring at you and blushing
"no time to enjoy the show. we have work to do"
>she snaps herself out of it and gives a quick sieg heil 
>"yes sir! HEIL MANOS" 
>first things first.. where is a car...
>you walk around the school grounds doing your best to avoid the wandering eye of the after school crowd 
>you look up at the sky
>its nearly night they should be leaving any after school activities soon 
>you look around and see the student parking lot.
>jackpot 
"wait.. fuck.. i cant drive with hooves!"
>some students sitting on the stairs look over to you
>"did.. that horse talk?"
>oh shit..
>you quickly make a few random horse noises and eat some grass.
>pleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework 
>>"are you serious?.. dude.. if youre smoking some weed without me let me know, ill match you."
>the high schoolers go back to doing whatever they were doing previously 
>apparently they arent going to question why a pony is here
>you slowly meander back to Aryanne and your infiltration team
>they are all getting used to standing and walking while a few are practicing using their weapons in their new bodies
"alright everyone, no more time to waste. we need what we came for and soon, i dont know how time works between worlds so this needs to go fast."
>>"heil manos!"
"cinnamon, you and Almond heart are to follow me and wait by those cars over there. Aryanne, you are to guard this spot. make sure no one we dont know comes in or out."
>"yes sir"
"also if anyone here sees a girl with a yellow skin tone, and red and yellow hair she is also a pony. and might.. MIGHT be willing to help us if we give her reason. lets go."
>you and your team start to move to the parking lot
"alright everyone cover your faces and follow me"
>you approach a car and hide behind it as a student walks close by
>he takes out his keys and begins to fiddle with them
"lets go"
>you and the others get closer to him 
>he doesnt notice and he drops his keys
>fucking scrub 
>Cinnamon gets to him and puts the blade up to his throat
>"congratulations, you have been conscripted into Lord Manos army"
>>"wh-what? who are you
>almond approaches from the back adding her blade"
>"shut the fuck up and open the door"
>the kid opens his car door and unlocks the rest
>you struggle for a moment trying to open the back door but eventually you get it
>Cinnamon takes a seat next to the boy
>you and almond take a seat in the back
>almond keeping her blade close to his back
"boy. look at me"
>time to see if this still works here
>the boy turns very slowly
>his eyes are full of pure terror and he is shaking 
>"is.. is that a pony? and did i talk?"
"shut up. and yes. now look into my eyes"
>he does so
>it takes longer than normal but eventually you can see his life flash before you
"take us to your house. i already know the way if you go off track you die, understood?"
>"y-yes mr. horse! ill do anything please dont kill me"
"then get going"
>he starts the car and soon you are rolling out of the parking lot
>luckily for you.. this kids dad happens to have a few, more useful weapons in a safe.
>and this kid knows the combination
>therefore you do.
>as you ride in the back seat of the car you slowly look around town 
"this place looks like shit, and not in the fucked up kind of town way, but the horrible colors."
>cinnamon asks
>"is this like your home sir?"
"close. but this place cant hold a candle to my world. no.. this is just a mockery.. dont miss your turn."
>the kid suddenly turns making sure he doesnt miss it
>>"IM SORRY! SORRY! i got distracted! i have only been driving for a few-"
"i know now stop the bullshit and crying! just relax and get home"
>you realize that that is horrible advice
>this kid left school and is carjacked bu two nazis and a talking horse who threaten to kill him, not to mention you know where he lives
>and your best advice is. "relax"
>you chuckle to yourself at the obscure situation he is in
>finally you arrive to the boys house
"alright now you will walk SLOWLY to the door and unlock it."
>almond heart gets out of the car and waits for him to get out
>"yes mr.horse. i sear i wont try anything"
>soon you are walking together to the door
"open"
>the kid struggles to get his keys in the lock
>but when he does it clicks open and the door slowly opens
"i know your parents are gone for three more days, and you are home alone. take a seat on the couch, Cinnamon guard him"
>"yes sir he wont go anywhere"
"Almond with me, you have hands ill need them"
>"right behind you sir"
>you and almond ascend the stairs to the fathers room
>you see its locked and the boy doesnt have a key
"cheap wood. this should be easy"
>you turn around and buck the door off the hinges
>inside is a safe.
"Almond go over to that safe and open it. the combination is 24-12-53"
>Almond goes over to the safe and dials the combination and opens the door revealing several small arms
"put away your blade and take that small device there. its a weapon slide that small bar called a magazine inside of it"
>the owner leave pre-loaded mags in his safe? whatever.
"grab the rest of those small bars and the other device like yours, then take the larger one and add those red cylinders to the bottom and pump it. its a more powerful version of the smaller one."
>Almond does as instructed
"now to fire it pull the trigger MAKE GOD DAMN SURE its not pointed at me got it?!"
>"yes sir, it operates like a crossbow then?"
"close enough. lets get back to Cinnamon"
>the two of you walk back down stairs properly strapped 
"Cinnamon load up"
>Almond tosses him a sidearm and the 2nd shotgun
"point them at a target and pull the trigger just like a crossbow, small one has twelve projectiles and the big one is loaded with eight, alright kid back to the car."
>you nod to the door as he gets up and starts to walk again
"one more stop then you will be free to go. safe and sound"
>"yes mr.horse"
>soon you and your armed guards are back in the car
"go up here and make a left at the light"
>"where are we going?"
"just follow directions and everything will be fine understood?"
>he continues driving 
"dont worry Flash. everything's chill you will be back to banging chicks and smoking dope in no time"
>you cant help but smile 
>"you know my name too?!"
"flash i knew your house inside out, i knew you went to school there, i now a lot. now please drive"
>after a few more miles of driving and a few missed turns you make it.
"everyone out of the car, Flash pop the trunk"
>*clunk* 
>you all step outside in front of a car dealership 
"alright follow me."
>the group follows close behind Flash having a gun to his side the whole time
>you walk up to the display model of a brand new super heavy duty truck
>you peer inside the open hood to show off the engine and components 
>this one will work nice
"alright get the bucket out of the back of the car and follow my instructions"
>you walk back to the car and place the bucket underneath it
"give me the sword"
>Almond gives hers to you
>you grip it in your teeth and stab the gas tank
>"Hey man! thats my ride!"
>the bucket slowly fills with the gasoline 
>you slowly pull it out
"alright pour this inside that hole in the side of it. Flash in the trunk!"
>"what?!"
"you heard me, get in"
>he climbs inside 
"if you even try to get out you will be shot understood?!"
>there is a muffled yes
"alright time to bring back that teenage knowledge"
>you walk back to the truck and open the unlocked doors
"cinnamon open that bottom part under the wheel. and listen to what i say."
 
>you are Aryanne
>and you are standing guard outside the portal
>luckily enough another black hand followed you inside the mirror so you arent completely alone
>the other Hand taps your shoulder and points to a girl coming out of the school
>"thats her."
"you sure?"
>"yeah. matches the description Manos gave us"
>you whistle to the girl
>she gives you a odd look
>you wave her over.
>she raises a single finger
>odd response..
"look pony we dont got time. please make this easy on all of us"
>she freezes up when you call her a pony
>must be her.
"we are willing to make a deal with you if you're interested."
>she looks around to see who is looking then walks up to you
>"what is it? people around here will start asking questions"
"Lord Manos is making changes to Equestria. ones that can benefit you greatly if you are willing to help us out"
>"whos manos?.. never mind.. what kind of deal are you planning on making?"
>you smile and you're about to tell her when a loud noise catches your attention
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeThz30JtQ [Embed] Dead Rising OST - Gone Guru
 
>and a large truck crashes into the parking lot with Manos in the passenger seat
>Almond rides in the back and Cinnamon is driving 
>it skids to a stop in front of you and the portal 
>Manos steps out
>"hello sunset. you dont know me, but you definitely want to.."
>>"so i hear. you plan on getting that huge truck through there?"
>"hmhmh yes i do"
>manos lifts his neck showing the Alicorn amulet 
>he walks up to the portal and it starts to grow and swirl
>"if this works like i think it will. i SHOULD be able to send it inside. and if my faithful hands have moved the Mirror outside we should be all set, please ladies... follow me"
>you all get in the over sized truck and drive on in.
>"keep your fingers crossed! and give me the wheel!"
 
>you are Comet Glow
>Manos and the others have just entered the mirror
>so far your job has been easy Manos has done most of the work
>but now everything is in your hooves
"alright get that mirror ready to move! we dont know if anyone saw us and we will have to move fast"
>the black hands quickly move in and secure the mirror that Manos entered 
"door team anypony see us?"
>"negative sir, we are green for move"
>you look to the guards who are tied up in the corner
"alright evacuation team, get them out of here and meet us at the rendezvous point planned."
>"yes sir, Heil manos"
>a unicorn and pegasus walk over to the tied up guards and are then teleported out
"alright lets get moving. door team lead us out of here as a 'royal escort' keep up with the plan"
>"yes sir"
>you and the ponies cover the mirror with the blanket again and start to haul it out
>the door guards giving you a escort and also giving you credibility if you run into more guards on the way
"down this hall and to the left."
>as you and your team are walking out you are stopped by patrol of Royalist guards
>>"halt, whats this about?"
"we have orders to move this artifact out. orders directly from the princesses and Manos"
>you nod to the door guards who are with you
>the first one speaks
>"yes sir, orders from the top. its a matter of national security and is on a need to know basis"
>the old guardspony stares you down
>and the guards with you
>>"why wasnt i told of this? i am in charge of Artifact security"
>he continues to look at the guards
>>"come to think of it. i haven't seen you before"
>"we are not artifact guards. we are regular patrol guards that were assigned escort."
"if you excuse us sir this is urgent"
>>"i understand that black hand.. but there are protocols"
>"sir, this is orders from the princess we need to move"
>>"fine! but if your flank gets kicked about disregarding protocol dont come to me for help"
>the old gruff stallion and his patrol move on
>right to the archives
"pick up the pace ponies. they were heading right to the archives, im sure they will start to question why there are no guards"
>your team picks up the pace moving the mirror to the end of the hall
"alright now we make another left then keep going till we reach the farthest door, that should lead us out"
>as your team moves on you are sure to keep an eye on the halls behind you and to your sides
>you need to be alert getting confident near the end will only get you in hot water
>"sir area is clear we are moving out"
"a-firm, good luck team be sure to send manos back as soon as he is able. i dont know how long i can distract royals on my own"
>you start to make your way back to the room manos said was his
>if that is actually the case however is still to be seen
"so far. so good. covert operation success"
 
>you are Manos
>and you are falling into the other world again
>your body is morphing and popping right in front of your eyes
>you are griping the wheel of the Vehicle as you are soon thrown back into equestria
"hold on to something!"
>you push your arm against whoever is closest to you pushing them back into the seat
>you and your newly acquired transport burst from the mirror and land in a open field
>mud and dirt are thrown into the air as you make your landing
>you smash the breaks as you skid to a stop
>everyone in the vehicle is gasping for air and their hearts are beating loudly
"looks like we are in the clear, alright everyone welcome home"
>black hands outside rush to the sides
>"lord manos sir! are you alright? the princesses could be looking for you, you need to get back soon"
"alright alright."
>you climb out of the vehicle 
"Almond pass me that side arm."
>almond hoofs you the sidearm and magazines
"least now i have a real weapon on me."
>you look to the machine
"if you can, get this back to the crystal kingdom. Aryanne, come with me"
>Aryanne wobbles out of the vehicle and heaves into a bush
"once you are done of course"
 
>you are Sunset Shimmer
>and apparently for now you are back on equestrian soil
>you look back over your pony body
>you stretch your legs and pop your neck
"ah feels good to be back."
>you swish your mane and look around at the ponies here
"so you werent kidding about this Manos guy?"
>the black hands are re-organizing themselves 
>the one you think is called Cinnamon walks up to you
>"of course not, Lord Manos is our god and leader. will would never joke about our faith"
"a god huh? what makes him a god? you just came from a world filled with humans were any of them gods?"
>you give Cinnamon a smug grin
>and immediately receive a hoof to the face
>you look back to him with a scowl and start to ready your magic
>then you see the other ponies also get ready for a fight.
"what the hell was that for?!"
>"our faith is undying and unquestioning. Lord Manos has sacrificed much for the protection of Equestrians and ponies everywhere."
"that doesnt make him a god!"
>Cinnamon takes a step closer his glare intense and savage
>"lord manos has died three times, he has defeated Sombra, created order from chaos, AND he has predicted events on numerous occasions."
>you look to the others
>their faces confirm what Cinnamon has said
"whatever you say.."
>you let down your guard
"what does this have to do with me though?"
>Cinnamon Smiles
>"well we need someone to bring supplies back from that other world now dont we?"
>a Pegasus mare walks up next to cinnamon 
>>"and that somepony would surely become very wealthy, respected, and powerful.."
"and that someone could be me, right?"
>"that was the plan."
>>"interested?"
>very..
>very interested indeed
"im sure we can work something out."
 
>you are Luna
>you never got the chance to speak with Manos
>he dropped a pretty heavy request.. or more likely, demand and then left.
"What do you think we should do Sister?"
>you and Celestia have been in silent thought ever since manos left
>"Luna, im not sure it matters..."
"what do you mean?"
>Celestia stands up and begins to walk out of the room
>you stand and begin to follow her out
>she left her cake, this must be serious
 
>you are Celestia 
>despite manos saying he doesnt want to rule equestria, you believe he desires that and much more.
>only problem is, he has just as many ponies with him as you do or perhaps more.
"Im worried that Manos is trying to do more than just protect equestria Luna i think he wants to rule the entire world"
>in fact you are sure of it.
>even if its hard to believe at times you know thats what he desires
>"are you positive sister? Manos has always been there for us in the end. even if his actions were, questionable"
>you continue your walk down the halls
"its those questionable acts that have shown me his intentions. every event thus far has been well within his power to prevent before they even begin, yet he lets them occur. then reaps the glory of being the hero."
>you let your words hang in the air for a while
"we cant give him what he wants. if we do then we will be only willingly giving up our freedom."
>"so what do we do sister?"
"im not sure Luna.. every action we take has only given him more power. even his rebellion in ponyville once it started to go sour for his ponies he simply changed sides, and the ponies loved him for it."
>"for killing is own followers?"
>you nod
"Manos is more dangerous than he lets on Luna. we cant give him the title he desires.. but we cant just deny his request either. i fear ponies will act, rashly"
>"perhaps we have him settle for knighthood? a fitting position for a hero, and if he denies it, it would only solidify your evidence against him"
"i think that might be our only option"
 
>you are Cadence 
>and the kingdom is in full scale production mode
>armors and weapons
>recruitment and training
>and of course your favorite
>Changeling extermination 
"Guards!"
>a few crystal guards turn to you from their posts
"has there been any sightings of Sombra? he has been gone for far too long"
>"negative Ma'am, we have no word on Sombras whereabouts."
>you have a bad feeling about this sudden disappearance 
"keep me informed. i want to know as soon as he is found, he is a dog that has been on a tight leash, if he broke free then we will have trouble"
>"yes ma'am"
>the crystal guards run off to give other guards your orders
>"so.. Sombra is missing and that could be trouble for us?"
>you really dont need this right now.
>>"it could be trouble for everypony, and our commanding officer wants this to be kept quiet. why?"
>you give a sharp look to those two sisters 
>emerald and Sapphire Shine.
>Emerald takes a few steps towards you
>"perhaps this loyal pony is keeping secrets."
>>"perhaps she isnt as loyal as she lets on, huh sister?"
>you snap at them
"thats enough of that! i need to keep this quiet just so panic doesn't spread, the last thing we need now is panic disrupting production"
>Sapphire looks to her sister
>>"shes probably right you know. if word got out that Sombra is missing ponies would panic"
>Emerald just looks to her sister uninterested 
>"as far as im concerned if he is gone that means less trouble for us. but if you are siding with HER"
>Emerald gives a quick glance to you
>"then she must be on to something."
>she then looks to you
>"what would you have the Gestapo do to assist?"
"i need ponies on alert. be aware of anything out of the ordinary, Sombra controls fear so he will likely be using that. but dont think he wont have any help.. im sure there are fools out there that would side with him if he gave incentive.. just.. be on alert and keep me informed"
>the sisters give you a salute
>"yes Ma'am"
 
>you are Manos
>and you are carrying a very dizzy Aryanne back to Canterlot Castle
>"ugh.. im sorry sir. i just feel so sick suddenly"
"it will pass, im sure it was just motion sickness."
>luckily she stopped heaving 
"but ill need you to be back in top condition before we make it back. we cant have ponies asking too many questions"
>"yes sir. im sure ill be fine in just a few minutes."
>you continue your walk, soon you are entering the city
>you set down Aryanne
"are you well enough yet?"
>she takes a few moments to take some breaths 
>and gives you a sieg heil
>"of course sir, i am your shield"
"then lets get back inside, im sure the princesses will be looking for me."
 
>you are Comet Glow
>and you are standing guard outside the room Manos assigned you to
>so far he hasnt returned yet.
>the sound of hoofsteps echo from the halls and you snap your eyes in its direction 
>you dont leave your position
>but you do feel uneasy..
>around the corner comes a group of royal guards
>they are fully equipped and heading for you
>"Black Hand. we need to speak with manos, we have a message from the Princesses herself"
>you turn to them and take a step forward
"you can give the message to me, i will relay it to Manos once he is available"
>the gruff pony growls
>"he should make himself available, the princesses are giving up their precious time for him. have him come out at once!"
>you stand firm
"Manos.. is, unavailable. if you need the message delivered you can give it to me, otherwise you can come back in the morning"
>"we have orders, hand. we speak with manos now."
>the guards brush you aside and kick open the door
>the room is empty, Manos is no where to be seen
"i said he is unavailable. besides. would Manos only have one guard for his room IF he was inside?"
>the Stallion commander just sneers at you
>"where is he? now!"
>you reply in your calmest voice
"unavailable. please come back in the morning."
>"if you refuse to give up where manos has gone, then you will be placed under arrest for interfering with royal duties."
"and ill be released soon after, in the end you will only be giving yourself more paperwork. Royalist."
>the other guards give you a glare
>and the Commander looks irate 
>"this is your last chance, hand. where.. is.. manos.."
>you look the pony straight in the eyes
"unavailable."
>the Commander just takes a few steps back and nods to his ponies
>"if you insist then. Stallions. arrest this pony."
>>"yes commander"
>the Stallions approach you
>three to one?
>you dont have a chance, no matter how good you think you are
>they bind you in chains and start to pull you down the hall
>you dont resist.
>it would only tire you out.
 
>you are Manos
>and you are now back inside the Castle halls
>royal guards are giving you side glances or outright scowling at you
>you tap Aryannes side and quietly speak to her
"be on your guard. as of this moment its safe to say Canterlot is enemy territory"
>she doesnt respond to you, but from the changes in her actions you know she heard you
>she is keeping her eyes on every guard she can
>and constantly looking for escape routes if they are needed
>"Ah manos. there you are."
>you and Aryanne stop and turn to see Princess Luna standing behind you
"Luna"
>"My sister and i have searched this castle from the bottom up looking for you. where did you run off to?"
>you look down to Aryanne
>her uniform has a few grass stains
>as does yours
"I wanted to go for a walk, and enjoy the beautiful night sky. i didnt realize i would have caused a commotion by taking a stroll"
>you give a smile and light chuckle for emphasis
"sorry if i caused any problems for you."
>"none at all. but we did have a issue with one of your guards."
>comet?
>are we compromised? 
"what happened?"
>luna smiles and walks beside you
>"apparently he was interfering with royal guard duties, we had to detain him. he will be out in the morning"
"i expect he will be unharmed? my guards have orders to follow after all. if your guards are trying to have him disobey, he will not back down. thats one of the reason he is in my personal squad"
>"he will be fine, Sister has assured me, and about your... request to become a prince"
>luna seems to be looking for the right words
>"its been taken into consideration. but we cant just go out and say you are a prince all of a sudden. at least thats what Celestia says"
>she gives you a pat with her wing
>"but im sure we can come to an agreement soon"
"i hope we do. i have sacrificed much for the ponies of equestria... even close friends"
>you think back to Coppers death
>you wouldnt say it out loud but you regret it
>he may have deserved it, but still. he was one of the first ponies you met
>and he was a friend
>now that you are thinking about it. you fear that Bonbon might have had the same fate
>fate... you are fate.. you could have prevented it if you didnt act so rashly
>Luna notices you are in though and gives you another tap with her wing
>"manos are you alright?"
 
>you are Luna
>ever since manos mentioned losing friends he has been walking in silence
>his eyes seem to be just empty not looking at anything
>they are distant 
>you tap him with your wing
"Manos are you alright?"
>he snaps back to reality again
>"yeah, yeah im fine. i apologize for that. i havnt had a good sleep in a very long time"
"i know"
>manos looks to you
>"im sorry?"
"i said i know. i hear you screaming every night. and i look for you trying to help"
>"i thought you couldnt enter my dreams?"
"i cant. but you havnt dreamed since you got here have you?'
>Manos just continues walking
>eventually he speaks again
>"how did you know that?"
"because sister and i were the same when we became what we are. you hear all those voices dont you?"
>"yes, all at once"
"so does Celestia. as did I, the voices are much quieter for me now since my return. but celestia.."
>manos nods
>"she still does"
 
>you are Blackout
>you have been back in the Crystal kingdom for a good while now
>however you must have missed manos
>word has it that he left with a large group of black hands to canterlot earlier 
"least that gives me some time to think.."
>here no one knows you
>they dont even know of your connection to manos
>here you are just another Black Hand
>you are just another pony.
>you smile to yourself
"maybe thats what i need now some peace and quiet."
>you walk down the streets and see the kingdom in full swing
>ponies are lining up at recruitment stations 
>stores are selling everything from food, to clothing, to Manos and black hand trinkets.
>as you walk something catches your eyes
>a poster..
>on it is a pony in a black hands uniform, his horn and eyes are glowing with magic as he strikes down a foe
>the words on the poster read "he will fight the enemy without."
>and below it says
>"but who will fight the enemy within? Join the Gestapo or black hands today!"
>after a moment of interest with the poster you walk on
>soon there is more 
>the closer you get to the center of town the more propaganda posters are around
>groups of young colts and fillies gather around them and stare in awe
>while Stallions and mares give them a glance.. some looking longer than others
>you look out towards the military square and see lines and lines of ponies.
>a stallion in crystal armor stands on a platform and speaks to the masses
>"Manos has declared that we enter full scale war status. he hopes that he can have talks with equestria end in peace"
>the ponies murmur 
>"but he wants you, the ponies, to be safe. what better way to keep us safe than to have us ready for war in a moments notice?"
>he then points to the recruitment stations to his left and right
>"to my left is recruitment for the new crystal guard. and to my right is for lord Manos' own Black Hands, please consider signing up"
>this place isnt so different from home after all.
 
>you are Cadence
>you have just met up with the Shine Sisters 
"any news? anything at all?"
>Emerald shakes her head
>"no, we have nothing on Sombras whereabouts"
>sapphire chimes in
>>"but. we do have a few ideas."
>"a few black hands were with manos when he gave Sombra orders to follow some dignitaries from the Griffon Empire, since then however Sombra has not been seen."
>>"we believe that Sombra has allied himself with them. as reports of their visit here say it was about making a deal with Manos in regards to going to war with equestria."
>so sombra has turned traitor? 
>not surprising.
"i dont understand why he would make it so obvious though.. his legion war progressing in formation, why not wait until its in his hooves until betrayal?"
>Emerald just laughs
>"sombra was never a wise leader.. just a powerful one."
>>"in honesty he probably could have just forgot about them. or perhaps the griffons gave him a better deal if he went now."
"in either case. we can assume that the griffons dont have the best interests of Equestria at heart."
>you rub your head for a moment
>youre not sure what actions to take at this time
"so. basically what we know is this: Sombra is gone, and the Griffons were his last contacts."
>"yes. that is all we know."
>there is a silence as you think of the best course of action
"alright. end the search for sombra. as of right now we can assume he is with the griffons, keep an eye out for any of those birds in the skies or in our kingdom. they are now one of our biggest threats and must be treated as such."
>the sisters give you a salute
>"yes Ma'am, heil Manos"
"heil manos"
>you look to your desk filled with papers
"now ill have to divert resources from my camps.."
>...
>or will you?
 
>you are a queen
>today the science ponies have left you alone
>you enjoy days like that
>they never hurt you, but they are never very pleasant either.
>you have been reading the books left for you on your bookshelf 
>the one you are currently reading is about how to spot the differences between changelings and ponies
>the one you recently finished was on how changelings eat and kill ponies.
"changeling drones are quite awful creatures.. i see why ponies hate them so."
>you close the book and levitate it back to the bookshelf 
>your magic has become much easier to wield 
>you can even stop those pesky voices whenever you like.
"i cannot become like those degenerate changelings. i will be better then that."
>they can burn up and die for all you care.
>you are above them and their brutality and vicious nature
>you are cut off mid thought by a knock on your door.
>you turn your head to it and stand up facing the door
"you may enter."
>you are not sure why, but they always wait for you to 'let' them in
 
>You are Cadence 
>you have been watching this bug for her whole life.
>least since manos put you in charge 
>the scientists need a high ranking officer to observe their studies and you are the only one available
>you have never entered the room however.
>you always watched from behind the one way glass.
>"you may enter"
>but now its different
>you open the door and slowly step inside the room
"hello there queeny."
>the changeling queen looks confused at your visit
"we have a slight problem. one that you can be of a great help with"
>even though you hate to admit it.
>she might be the only one who can help
>she takes a few steps forward and takes a seat in front of you
>"how can i help?"
>you examine her. she is about the same height as Celestia, her wings are gross and bug-like, her fangs jut from her mouth like that of a animal
>she is disgusting to look at.
>just like the rest of them
"i understand you can control changelings, to make them orderly?"
>the wretched bug nods
>"at least in the test the scientists had me perform, i was able to control small groups at once."
"could you do it with more around? perhaps a few hundred or thousands?"
>the bug ponders for a moment
>then she shrugs 
>"i dont see why not. the tests were not very difficult, it came naturally to me. why do you ask?"
>this could work..
>besides the fact she is a changeling everything seems to point to it working just like you want it to
"if i asked you to help me in my work. would you?"
>the queen blinks
>"i always help with your work. why would i say no now?"
"no, you help with science. MY work however.. is much more important."
>the queen smiles
>she seems excited to help
>"what would i be doing?"
>you grin and take a seat placing several papers out on her table
"you would be helping me free equestria from a threat so great even the princesses cant comprehend."
>the queen looks at all the files and papers on the table
"you would be helping me remove violent and dangerous changelings from the world..."
 
>you are Manos
>you are still walking with Aryanne and Luna back to your room.
"so Celestia also hears the voices every night?"
>"i dont know if she hears them every night, but i know she hears them. she has heard them for thousands of years.."
>could there be a way to silence them?
>or keep the voices from coming every, single, night.
"how does she cope with it?"
>Luna shrugs
>"im not sure. thats something she would have to tell you."
>you have reached your room. 
>you look to the door, it has been kicked in.
>and Comet is, in fact, gone.
"well. i see your poines were nice enough to knock."
>you point to the broken hinges
>"i dont know what happened manos. all i know is what Celestia and the guards told me."
"Comet will be freed by morning. correct?"
>Luna nods
>"of course Manos. Sister said so herself, im sure this was all just a misunderstanding"
"even if Celestia says otherwise, he is my responsibility and will be out by morning"
>you walk inside your room
>Aryanne follows you inside looking around for damages 
>"everything looks fine.. did they really just kick in the door and leave?"
>you take a seat at the desk in the corner 
"why would they need to search it? i havnt even been here till now."
>you hear Lunas Hoofsteps echo down the hall softly until they are gone
"Aryanne. besides the weapon you gave me are the rest all still inside the vehicle?"
>"yes and they should be on their way back to the Kingdom, im sure Honor Bound will be taking them apart soon"
>you move your hand down to your sidearm and pat it softly
"good. those alone can change the future of this world. but this on here."
>Aryanne looks to the one you are taping
"this one will be mine. and used by me alone."
>you pull out the magazines you were given
>you have three in total each of them pre-loaded 
>you wave Aryanne over to your side
>you even give her room to sit and watch
>you take out all twelve of the bullets from the magazine and hold one up to her
"this is a bullet. composed of mostly lead, copper, and gunpowder."
>you flip it around to show the back
"how it works is this point right here, gets hit by what called a firing pin, that causes a small explosion inside the casing"
>you tap the copper part of the cartridge
"the force of the explosion propels the top part here"
>you tap the actual bullet
"out of the casing and out the barrel of the gun to, hopefully, make contact with your target."
>Aryanne looks at the bullet
>"but why use something small like this? couldnt an arrow be more effective?"
>you smile and pet the pony
"that depends. but when a bullet makes contact with its target its traveling at such a fast pace that the impact of the bullet will cause more damage than that of an arrow since it is traveling at a faster speed. thats how kinetic energy works, do you know why i explained this to you?"
>"no sir."
"because with the basic understanding i just gave you. its possible for us to make more."
 
>you are Comet Glow
>you are currently under arrest for 'interfering with royal duties' or as you call it
>horseshit
"this is just a waste of everyponies time..."
>you are led to a large room and shoved inside 
>the room is empty except for a table and a chair
>a voice comes from a speaker
>"please take a seat Mr.Glow."
>you walk to the chair and take your place
>there is a buzz and the door in front of you opens.
>a unicorn mare in gold armor walks inside and places a chair down for herself 
>"Mr. Glow, you are charged for interfering with royal duties, specifically that of the royal guard. but thats not all."
>she pulls out a few papers from her bag
>"we have reports of several Black clothed ponies leaving castle grounds with a large object."
>you remain calm
>panicking is what they want you to do.
>you panic you make mistakes
>the mare then looks to another paper
>"and the same night, last night, we have found that there are two missing guardsponies AND a missing artifact from the archives."
>she places the papers on the table
>"do you know anything about this?"
"no. i was on guard duty, in the same spot the guards found me."
>she just looks at you.
>her horn glows and a small spell is cast in the room
>in a very calm voice the mare responds
>"im sorry could you please repeat that. i forgot to cast that spell..."
"what spell was it?"
>she ignores the question
>"please repeat your answer."
"i already gave you my answer. and im sure the ponies on the other side of that one way over there all heard it."
>you nod to the large mirror 
"like i said before, you're wasting everyponies time"
 
>you are Celestia
>and you have one onf Manos' ponies in your interrogation room
>why did manos take the mirror?
>you know it was him and his hands, you just dont have evidence. besides a single witness's statement.
>and that isnt enough..
>you look to the mare inside
>she was always one of your best when dealing with criminals 
"if anyone can get a pony ton confess its her."
 
>you are Comet Glow
>the mare lazily rubs her eye calmly
>"alright, then we can just move on.. im going to ask you very simple questions and you will answer them, or you will be held here longer."
>she looks down to her notes
>"what is your name?"
"princess Celestia."
>the mares horn glows and you feel a sharp pain in your head causing you to flinch
>she looks at you and speaks in a very even tone
>"are you ok? you looked like you had a moment there.. sorry about that. lets go on to the next question. whats your outfit?"
"my outfit is a standard issue Black Hands Uniform"
>"very funny. but thats not what i meant."
"no, its just what you asked."
>the mare smiles
>"i hope you dont have plans tonight."
>you try to relax in your seat
"dont worry, i have plenty of time for you."
>"easy now."
>she giggles 
>"i might be a bit more than you can handle... now, why did you take the mirror?"
"i didnt take anything."
>not entirely a lie.
>no pain in your head either.
>"where is it being moved to?"
"how would i know that?"
>"you are a Black Hand yes?"
"yes i am."
>"then you were part of Manos' operation here?"
"there have been many Operations."
>you give her a smug grin
"you will need to be much more specific"
>you are going to make this as hard as possible for them.
>you're sure Manos would be proud
 
>you are manos
>and now is the time of night you have started to dread.
>you turn from your desk and look at the bed.
"the worst part of the night.."
>you look back to the magazines and sidearm on the desk
>you proceed to load and unload the mags 
"i can go a night without it.. i cant stand the voices.."
>the faint glow of a candle on the corner of your desk is all the light in your room
>besides the natural light of the large moon in the sky just outside your window
>*click*
>*click*
>*click*
>one at a time each round gets placed inside the magazine
>you slide the mag inside the sidearm and chamber a round.
>you then release the round again and slide the mag out and remove each round
"ill be fine with one night without sleep.."
>just need to focus on something.
>*click*
>*click*
 
>you are Comet Glow
>and this interrogation has been going on for hours now.
>you are sure than both you and everyone involved are getting short on patience 
>"just tell me why you Hands took the damn mirror?!"
>there is a sharp pain in your skull as you try and laugh it off
"i dont know what you're talking about.. we never took anything that isnt our own."
>another sharp pain
>the mare sighs
>"look i can do this all night, make it easier on yourself.. please?"
>you mumble to yourself
>"what was that?"
>she leans in closer to hear you
>you mumble it again
>"speak up!"
"i said heil manos, we are his faithful hands, we are his children of-- GAH!"
>the pain in your head is increasing
>a voice calls out over the speaker
>>"thats enough for now. we can continue this later..."
"awh.. is our date over?"
>the mare laughs as she walks out.
>"we will have to do this again soon. tata"
>she has a nice flank..
 
>you are Manos
>and its early in the morning
>you know this because the sun happens to rise right in front of your window.
>you look up at the sun hoping that its glow will help wake you.
>it does, but only slightly
>you stand up and pocket your sidearm
>you slide the extra mags in your extra pockets and close your jacket concealing them from view
>Honor should have been getting his hooves into your recent 'shipment' 
"Aryanne, you good to go?"
>Aryanne opens the door
>"Yes lord, ready when you are."
>you walk out of the room Aryanne in tow
"first things first. we get Comet out, after that we meet with Celestia and Luna about my requests, then we leave for home."
>"understood sir."
>the walk down the long halls of canterlot castle are always enjoyable
>the large painted windows somehow always have the light of the sun hitting them just right
>the banners flow gently in the breeze and the white walls seem to shine in the sunlight
"i envy this place, its always so beautiful to look at.. as if its all one large work of art."
>guards at their posts all eye you as you walk by
>you couldnt care less
>you approach the dining hall where Luna and Celestia always meet for their breakfasts/dinners 
>the guards stop you before you enter
>"halt, its the princesses private dining time. if you wish to speak with them you can do so at a later time."
>thats new
"very well. tell the princesses i expect their answer to come soon."
>the guards look to one another then back to you
>"answer for what?"
"about my position of power"
>you turn and begin to walk down the halls again straight to the dungeons 
>you know the way by heart now.
 
>you are Sombra.
>and your deal with the Griffons is better than anything Manos or Celestia are willing to provide. 
>and even split..
"Everything that is taken. from land.. to riches. you get me my kingdom back and you get equestria."
>"you think that your word alone will be enough to start a war over? hardly.."
>you laugh
"of course not. thats why i have something you might be interested in.. at least.. its location."
>Zephyrus takes a step closer
>"oh? and what would that be?"
>you grin wide
"do you know of the elements of chaos?.. i know where they are, if you help me strike at Equestria and the Crystal Kingdom they ca be all yours.."
>the griffons look to one another 
>"Elements of chaos you say? that could put us at a equal strength with the most powerful magics in equestria.."
>it seems they are interested in your deal.
>"we accept your deal Sombra.."
>the griffons lead you out to a spot over looking their rallying fields
>in the fields are thousands of griffons fighting and snapping at one another all of them in armors and wielding various weapons
>"where should we strike first?.."
>the only place that both parties desire...
"the center."
 
 
>you are Comet Glow
>after your little chat with the ponies in gold you were led back to a cell and chained up
>you can see faint sunlight shining in from various windows 
"seems my night is over."
>you can hear hoofsteps on stone
>they are getting closer and closer
>"he is right in here..."
>a stallion in gold armor leads Aryanne right to your cell
>>"well well. you look a little tied up. perhaps i should come back later."
"ha ha Very funny commander. mind getting me out of here?"
>Aryanne nods
>>"alright lets go then."
>the guard opens the cell door and unlocks your chains
>>"make any new friends while you were away?"
"yeah in fact i spent the night with a nice looking mare."
>>"i bet she was charming, now come on. Manos is waiting for us"
>the guard escorts you two back to the entrance of the dungeon
 
>you are Manos
>you stand by the entrance to the dungeon keeping an eye on the guards there
>you thought it would be best to have someone by the door 
>being locked inside a prison isnt something you want to deal with
>you look to each of the guards, there are a good few here
>and again there seems to be a split right down the middle
>almost half of the guards are giving you strong glares
>while the others bow their heads when you look at them
>that of course then gets them glares from the others
>some of the Royalist guards mumble 
>"traitors" or "Hand worshiping bastards" as those few bow their heads
>you give them a nod back all the justification they need to still stand tall against the hate of the other guards
>>"lord manos, we are all set."
>you turn to see Aryanne and Comet walking up from the lower cells
"good, how was your break Comet?"
>"oh it was lovely. had a few drinks, met a nice mare. you know usual R&R stuff."
"well then im sure you wont mind it being cut a little short. we still have a lot of work ahead of us."
>"yes sir. I am your shield"
>you turn to walk out of the dungeon 
>as you do you hear a few voices say "heil manos"
>you dont look back as you and your personal guards start out to exit Canterlot 
 
>you are Luna
>you are eating your dinner with your sister as she is eating her breakfast
>she looks tired. like she has been up all night
"sister are you ok?"
>Celestia looks up from her pancakes 
>"yes Luna, im fine. just had some trouble sleeping last night"
>could it have been the voices like manos?
"oh, i see. sorry sister. i hope your rest tonight will be better. if you like i could try to help"
>"oh. no ill be fine luna. it wasnt anything to bad. just was up all night with work and.. well. i just had it on my mind"
"what kind of work?"
>Celestia just looks back to her food and takes a bite
>nothing really worth discussing now...
 
>you are Honor Bound
>last night was definitely an exciting one
>you were notified by guards at the gate that an odd contraption was stopped
>and inside were several of your black hands as well as another mare
>since then it has been brought to R&D for study
>along with the other black hands for any information they can give
"so what is this?"
>Almond Heart explains
>"this is some transport Manos himself picked out of the other world on the other side of the mirror"
>wait a second
"the what now?"
>Cinnamon Pop escorts you over to the back of the transport
>>"this is the mirror, its a portal to another world, apparently its like a mix between ours and Manos' own home."
>you examine the piece
"this? is a gateway to a world like Manos' own?"
>>"similar, but as manos said it cant hold a candle to his own. also inside that world.. we captured these.."
>cinnamon lifts a few oddly shaped devices from the transports back and lays them out on the table
"and what exactly are these?"
>"these Sir Honor, are what manos called sidearms"
>Almond Heart picks up one of the pistols in her mouth then sets it back down
>"they function like a crossbow, the fire a projectile out the end. this one here is loaded with twelve shots"
>Cinnamon then levitates one of the the larger ones
>>"and this one with eight, and apparently this one is far more powerful than the smaller ones."
"how do they operate? and what projectiles to they fire?"
>in the background you see many of your scientists actively taking notes
>>"the way manos explained it was you load these into the bottom of the weapon then simply pull the trigger."
>she taps a magazine with her hoof
>then walks over to the larger one
>"but this one you load from here with red cylinder things"
>she attempts to pump the shotgun
>after a moment she gets it and a shell gets ejected 
>walking over she pick it up and shows it to you 
>Cinnamon then takes it in his magical grip and loads it
>>"and thats pretty much what we know"
"has one of these been fired yet? any tests to see if they even work?"
>the two ponies look to one another, then Almond speaks 
>"no sir, we didnt really have time to do so. the operation was more of a smash and grab"
"alright, then you are dismissed"
>the Black hands leave the room for some well deserved rest
>well then looks like you need to test them
>you look over to your scientists 
"alright get us a test set up. i want these devices tested, and if possible taken apart and reconstructed. if Manos himself would choose these over anything we have then ill bet my life they are better."
>the scientists look ecstatic
>"yes sir honor bound. right away." 
>they rush out to set up their many new tests
>you look over at the smaller one and lift it with your magic
"it seems rather simple to me."
>you see the end where the projectile comes out and the spot clearly made for a creature like Manos to hold it.
>you turn it around and look at the bottom hollowed part
>then over to the metal boxes, you lift one over and slide it in till you hear a click
"so.. its armed then?"
>you pull the lever in the center.
>*click*
"huh.. must be broken or something."
>after fiddling with the device you see the top slides back
>you slide back the top and hear a kind of 'racking' noise
"ah ha! i think thats it."
>you point the device at a poster and pull the lever again
>there is a sudden explosion and you drop the weapon and make a shield around you
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
>your eyes dart around the room looking for damage 
>you shout out the door
"GET ME A REPORT ON THAT NOISE ASAP! WHAT WENT WRONG!"
>your ears are still ringing 
>guards walk into the room and secure it
>"sir bound! are you alright? we heard an explosion and came aas soon as we could!"
>you look around to the device
>the small barrel is smoking
>you then look to the wall at the poster
>there is a hole in the poster.. a hole that goes deep into the wall.
"we defiantly need more of those."
 
>you are Manos
>you are almost out into the streets of Canterlot
>you dont mind taking the main street out of the city.
>most of the ponies here give you polite greetings or bowing of their heads
>but there are also some who spit as you walk by.
>Aryanne and Comet are all to eager to 'correct' their manners 
"ah ah, stay close. no need to cause a scene out here."
>the two settle for giving those ponies a glare and come back to your sides
>"whatever you say lord."
>Comet stays silent as he walks the street beside you
"well lets take the main gate out..."
>you point out the largest gate with many guards on it.
>Aryanne looks over to you
>"why would you want to go out that way? we already have a planned exit at the north gate."
"because Aryanne. its a good way to find out i i still have this place in my hands."
>perhaps she understood or perhaps she just wasnt going to question orders but she nodded
"alright then. lets go out the main gate."
>you and your little bodyguard group walk right to the largest gate in Canterlot.
>the gate usually only opened for large shipments, parades, celebrations, and military movement.
>will be opened.. just for you to walk out.
>you are walking to the largest gate in Canterlot
>its large white walls rise to touch the sun himself 
>golden armor on the pony guards shine like sprinkles of golden sunlight
"its beautiful.."
>your guards look to the large gate.
>they dont seem to see the beauty in it like you do.
>but they dont argue 
>Aryanne speaks first
>"it is.. something. thats for sure."
>>"i grew up here.. ive seen it so many times it just looks like a wall to me."
"sometimes you need to take a moment.. and just enjoy the things right in front of you. you dont know how long you will have them. and when they are gone... they're gone."
>you take a few steps forward getting closer and closer to the gate.
>a few guards ponies in ornate armors look to you
>"Halt. this is the gate of canterlot. only royal dignitaries and military officials can have access beyond this point."
>you are too lost in the intricate stone work and gold plating to mind their orders to you.
"Aryanne... if you please. let them know im here..."
>Aryanne just looks to you confused.
>then back to the guards.
>"uhm what should I.."
>she then looks above them, to the ponies in the gatehouse.
>the normal pony guards working the gate controls.
>"Lord Manos wishes to leave Canterlot. Open the gate in the name of Manos! SIEG HEIL!"
>Comet glow and Aryanne snap and give a sieg heil
>for a moment there is silence
>then the guard in his ornate armor speaks
>"this is property of the Sister Princesses and the bloodline of Canterlot! we shall not open for---"
>he is cut off my the sound of chains moving and loud cranks turning.
>"WHAT IS THIS! YOU THERE IN THE GATE HOUSE CEASE THIS ACTION!"
>you just admire the large gate, made of the hardest metals and lined with perfect gold trim slowly creep open
>ponies in the streets stop their own routines to take a look at the scene
>you stand in the center with Aryanne and Comet at your side as the large gate opens
>the sun rays lighting up the gold as it opens.
>just for you.
 
>you are Honor Bound
>and its time for the first set of tests of these new weapons from the other world
>there is a target in full gold armor around fifty or so hooves away and a small wall built behind the firing position
>you volunteered to be the one to use the weapon 
>you look over to the scientists behind the wall they each have their clipboards and notes ready
>then you look the other way a single pony in a white lab coat stands next to you observing the weapon in action
"alright range is clear. ill be operating this weapon. ready for test in three."
"two"
"one"
>a loud blast comes from the weapon 
>some of the scientists cover their ears while a few just scramble for cover.
>"what was that!?"
>>"is everypony ok?!"
>"sir Honor bound are you harmed?!"
>you lower the weapon and look down range.
>your shot wasn't perfect. but you did hit the target
>you empty the weapon and place it on the table
"weapon is clear."
>"what? was that the device? just a loud noise?"
>you give a nod to the target and the ponies look
>a small chuck of the armor has been removed where you hit
>you approach the target with your scientists and turn it around
>the other side of the target has a hole going inside
"remove the armor"
>"sir?"
"remove it"
>the ponies start to remove the armor off of the target.
>inside the target there is a large scrambled area of the magic gel used to simulate a body
>the scientists take measurements and see how far the little metal piece has gone
>>"sir according to our notes.. this is a lethal and very effecient weapon."
"if manos prefers it. it is the best. alright! get ready for another set of tests! and get me a new target!"
 
>you are Sombra
>and you are ready to strike...
>but its not your own kingdom you are attacking first.. no..
>you want to strike at the heart of this whole thing.
>you want to strike the place Manos first gained power.
>you and your griffons have been sneaking through pony controlled land for days now.
>its quite appalling at how easily you were able to get here.
>"a bunch of small outposts and villages... is this the great war you were promising us Sombra?"
"stop your complaining Griffon... you will get your spoils. no, our target is only a few more miles away."
>"and what target is that? Pony?"
"Ponyville... the city of Ponyville. with the great castle of Manos. and still considered property of Celestia."
>"a small village? really?"
"heheh.. if the stories i have heard are correct.. its not a village anymore.."
 
>you are Manos
>you are waiting for a carriage to be.. requisitioned from the guards.
>a few loyal Pegasi and a few moments of your time is all it will take to get home.
>after a few minutes of waiting and a royal carriage lands right in front of you.
>"lord manos. we are honored to escort you back."
"thank you. im sure this simple task has put great risk on your rank.. once we arrive if you wish you may keep your rank and pay rate as a Black hand."
>"thank you lord. but our place is here. this is simply a way to prove you still have friends in the guard" 
"ill remember this kindness"
>you and your guards step inside 'your' carriage and you are soon on your way back to the crystal kingdom
 
>you are Celestia
>and you were just informed by your guards of manos' exit.
>you rub your head 
"he just asked for it to open?.."
>"yes princess. he simply asked and it opened up"
"and he was given one of our carriages?"
>the guard nods
>"and ma'am he says he expects your decision on his position to be sent to him when you have made it."
"of course he does.."
 
>you are manos
>you are back at the gates of Crystal Kingdom
"thank you for the ride gentlemen."
>"you're welcome lord. its our honor to serve you."
>you give them a nod and they take back to the sky returning to their posts in Canterlot
>Aryanne and Comet stand beside you as you turn back to the gate in front of you
>the guards in the gatehouse see you and immediately begin to open the gate
>"Welcome back lord. we started to worry!"
>>"Heil Manos!"
>you step inside your kingdoms walls
>its been a while since you were in the streets of the outer city.
>ponies in the streets give you sieg heils and salutes
>even those who dont still give you a nod or bow to show respect
>everyone here is completely loyal to you.
>much like those of ponyville city.
>speaking of which.
>you still need to get a report from blackout
"Aryanne, Comet."
>"yes lord Manos?"
"i have a final mission for you before you get your well deserved rest."
>"what is it sir?"
"find blackout, she needs to report to me still about the operation in ponyville. once word has reached her consider yourselves off duty for the day."
>your faithful guards nod and rush out to find blackout as soon as possible.
>while you yourself continue to walk the streets enjoying the sights of a city in motion.
 
>you are Honor Bound
>you and the scientists of R&D now have a pretty good understanding of how the weapons work.
>the ones left are being disassembled and each step recorded so they can be rebuilt and eventually produced.
>of course there will need to be a few changes for pony use.
>the 'triggers' are made more for claws than hooves. though unicorns wont have much issue with it
"alright. now we need to understand this machine.."
>a separate team of scientists have been assembled to focus on the transport 
>a science pony in a white and red lab coat moves in and opens the doors
>after struggling to get inside for a moment he is soon in the driving position 
"alright what does it look like?"
>"it looks like.. well theres a lot to look at. it seems pretty complex."
"well do your best to record it all, you are to focus on the interior"
>you look over to the other four scientists
"two of you are to focus on the exterior of this machine. while the rest of you.."
>you walk over to the front of the transport
>using your magic you open up the hood and look inside
"are to figure out how this interior area works. specifically this!"
>you tap the large engine in the center of the device
>the unicorns look giddy to start to examine such a high-tech piece of otherworldly technology
>"yes sir, we will get on it right away! everything down to the last inch will be recorded!"
>>"and we will know how this device works inside and out in no time!"
"good. i expect a report on it on my desk within a few days. and a preliminary report by the end of the day."
>your eggheads nod and quickly get to work
>then there is a knock on the lab door
>"sir honor Lord Manos is requesting a meeting with you. he is waiting in the main room"
>duty calls.
 
>you are a queen
>or as the pink one calls you. 'queeny' 
>its not that bad of a name. and its better than just 'bug'
>today Cadence is taking you to her personal office in her camp
>"what i am about to show you Queeny, is the whole reason Manos has gained so much support"
>you walk closely behind her
>the intimidating building comes into view
>large walls surround it with intricate statues of Manos on each of the corners
>over the entrance gate there is a large bust of Cadence the stone eyes watching everyone who enters or exits
>like the watchful eyes of an angry god
>as you walk below it you feel as if its eyes are following you
>you can almost feel its content for everything you are
>a little further inside you see many ponies in black all of their faces covered with marks of their station
>a crystal heart
>you look to your left and right and you see large barbwire fences with changelings staring just on the other side
>do you dare let the voice speak to you?..
>you pause for a moment and let down your guard
>suddenly you are barraged with cries for help and screams of pain
>"help us! please!"
>>"It hurts! please stop the pain!!"
>"the queen is here.."
>>"the queen?"
>"im so tired.. i feel so weak.. perhaps if i just close my eyes and rest.."
>then what surprises you is there are a few voices that are angry at others 
>"GET back to work you useless drones! no wonder they hate us!"
>>"if we were all as weak and lazy as you then we would have died off long ago!"
>you look to where the voices are coming from and see three large changelings with red bands on their legs beating a smaller one
>"thats enough with this one. lets move on, im sure there are more drones lazing about!"
>the three larger warriors move on to harass and intimidate workers but are stopped by a black hand
>you can hear her voice in the distance though its much quieter
>"that drone is useless.. it has no purpose anymore. end it."
>she turns and walks away as the three warrior class turn back and attack the broken drone
>what is this place?
 
>you are Cadence
>you turn around to see queeny looking at a disciplinary squad
>you smile and walk over to her
"as you can see. SOME changelings are worth keeping around. if only to keep others in line."
>Queeny doesnt seem to react
"well. lets get inside. we still have much to discuss."
>you lead her back to your office and take a seat
>she takes the seat across from you.
>the seat across from you was intentionally made to be shorter
>just so you look more intimidating 
"so. you saw a quick preview of our little operation.. and as you can see some of the pests are very.. unruly"
>queeny nods
"But! if a queen was in control.."
>"then there would be better efficiency and order in your camps"
>thats the first time a changeling has intentionally made you smile
"exactly, SO, are you interested?.."
 
>you are Aryanne
>Comet glow is with you as you both look for Blackout
>"commander if you were blackout.. where would you be?"
"let me think for a moment.."
>Blackout is a efficient killer and has probably seen more combat then either of you
"so.. if i was like that"
>you look around town for a moment
"id either be downing myself in Cider"
>you spot a bar with lots of drunk ponies laughing and having drunken antics
"or id just want to be somewhere quiet and alone with my thoughts."
>Comet is all to eager to get searching.
>"well commander. i think i can bite the bit here and check out that bar. for the mission of course.."
>you roll your eyes at him
"fine, if by some miracle she happens to be in THAT bar, that you always love to drink at. come and find me."
>"of course ma'am! ill be very through in my search"
>he gives you a salute and rushes off to get himself plastered 
"looks like its up to me now.."
>you start to walk down the streets of the kingdom
>in the distance you see Cinnamon Pop and Almond heart enjoying some R&R at a nearby restaurant
>why arnt they in uniform? they always go out in uniform..
>you start to walk up to the two when you see Almond blushing and giggling at something Cinnamon said
>wait, Almond heart is in a dress.. and Cinnamon is dressed casually
>and they are smiling
>ooohh
"perhaps ill ask for their help later.."
>you hurriedly make yourself scarce so they dont spot their commander watching them
>you are still on duty, and you have more important things to worry about than two ponies on a date
 
>you are Blackout
>you have been spending most of your time in the park
>you sit quietly under a tree as a few of the local musicians play nearby 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHf4pvm-gGM [Embed] Violin & Cello Duo
 
>its nice to just relax
>you havnt had a moment like this since before..
>before the surgeries.
>you try to shake those thoughts away
"come on just relax"
>you start to recline against the tree when you see a familiar pony walking on a nearby hill
 
>you are manos
>you examine the notes a few of the scientists have taken on the weapons you brought 
>they seem to have a pretty good idea already on how they work
>course understanding a weapon and building one are two different things
>you hand the clipboard back to the Unicorn
"im pleased with how quickly you are learning about these weapons"
>"we do our best lord. luckily the devices are assembled quite simply, we might even be able to start building our own soon"
"how about your studies on ammunition?"
>the unicorn looks to a earth pony scientist over at a desk
>"HEY! Quick Learning!"
>the pony looks over his shoulder 
>>"yeah?"
>"how are the studies on the projectiles coming?"
>the earth pony waves you and the unicorn over
>>"its going pretty well. the only problem is im not.. exactly sure whats in this small powder."
>he points to the small pile of gunpowder on the table
>>"could you identify it with a spell or something?"
>the unicorn laughs
>>"who do i look like? Mineral Hammer? he knows more about stuff like that than i do."
>"well go get him then! i cant just sit around all day guessing at what it is now can i?!"
>you laugh a bit at the casual nature your scientists have in your presence 
"its like im not even here.."
>your two ponies look back to you suddenly embarrassed
>"sorry lord manos. we get so wrapped up in out work, we sometimes forget our manners"
"ill leave you to it then."
>you look back to the door and see Honor Bound waiting there for you
"i have business to discuss"
>you and Honor soon start to walk down the halls
>but you overhear the two brains in the lab
>"well good going Mythic, you could have got us in hot water!"
>>"me? i just asked you about the projectiles then you--"
>soon you are far enough away the voices just turn to babble
"So Honor bound. how goes the project."
>you are of course referring to your tanks
>"Lord Manos, with the new devices you gave us. we will have it running in no time."
>walking the halls of this lab is starting to become a routine.
>"we have already been taking apart the transport you brought us. that device inside.."
"the engine."
>"yes the engine, appears to be the heart and soul of the whole thing. what exactly does it convert into energy?"
"Gasoline. a mix of various chemicals and water that are easily combustible, i dont expect us to have much of it on hand here. if any in this world. so im sure you will find a reasonable substitute."
>Honor bound nods his head
>"we will certainly do our best, you dont happen to have any as an example do you?"
>you both enter the main room with the large vehicle half stripped 
"the only available amount i have would be in here"
>you walk up to the gas tank and give it a lift
>you can hear a very small amount of liquid inside still
>"ah we thought that would be the fuel. but we werent positive."
>you point to a bucket stashed in the corner
"bring that here please"
>a pony in a lab coat hurriedly brings you the bucket
>you tip the tank and pour the last remains of gasoline inside
"well.. these things are gas guzzlers"
>there is only a small amount in the bucket 
>probably enough to fill half a bottle of water
>you set down the gas tank
"take that to the labs and have it studied for a replacement fuel. without that we wont have anything to work with"
>a female voice speaks up from behind you
>>"speaking of working with, why was i brought here? i had a whole plan set up and now its ruined."
>you turn to see Sunset Shimmer along with another scientist
>you look to honor bound
"why is she in a government protected lab?"
>Honor is quick to defend himself
>"Lord manos, we were told she was living in the human world. we brought her here for scientific insight"
>you sigh
"very well. Sunset. one: your plan fails. and two: i have a much more effective way for you to gain power."
>"well what is your plan then, if its so much better?"
>oh bacon hair you better learn to watch that mouth of yours
 
>you are Sunset Shimmer
>and since your plan was ruined by a random human you are stuck back on square one
>Manos takes a few steps closer to you and squats down to be at your eye level
>"listen here Bacon hair."
>bacon hair?
>"you little plan fails, for a few reasons. one: its a dumb plan, two: you take way too long to do it, and three: you next plan to invade with a army of Teenagers.. with absolutely NO military background or training is preposterous!"
'h-h-how did you?"
>how did he know exactly what your plan was?
>"BUT if you have a army, trained, equipped"
>Manos looks over to Honor bound
>"and loyal to the end"
>Honor seems to stand a bit taller with a smug grin on his face
>"then you might get somewhere. but of course you also have absolutely no logistical plan, so eventually that would fail too."
>you huff
"its really easy to tear apart someone elses ideas. let hear your plan then!"
>Manos chuckles to himself
>"no no.. revealing a plan is just as bad as not having one."
>he stands back up and walks over to honor bound
>"but.. i will let you in on what i have in mind for you."
>you watch him as he reaches into his pocket
>he turns around holding a pistol
>and he points it right at you.
"what the hell!?"
>you pull up a shield as fast as you can and close your eyes waiting for the bang
>but it never comes
>looking back you see manos is just smiling
>"see that? when you make the first move, others have to react to it. giving you control over the situation."
>he holsters the gun
>you take a breath of relief, you dont know if magic can even stop a bullet 
>maybe it can slow it down so it wont kill you if you are good enough
>"now my idea for you. is not to be the gun i pointed at you."
>he taps a magazine he has sticking out of his pocket
>"but to be the ammunition i have in reserve."
"what does that even mean?.."
>"you want to own that stupid little high-school? fine its yours. i dont care. but i want things from that world brought here."
"so im going to be a errand girl? just going fucking shopping while you get everything out of this?"
>manos huffs.
>"you know. out of all the ponies ive met, the princesses included, you are already giving me the most trouble."
>you have a small grin on your face
>its a small victory, but a victory none the less
>"ill give you the manpower and resources to take that stupid mockery world if you can help me take this one. is that a good enough deal for you?"
>for a moment you just look at manos
>is he serious?
"are you serious right now? you think that i could take that world? theres a reason i wanted to take my army here!"
>"ah but i think with the magic in this one. and our combined knowledge of the other world, we could easily surpass even that ones technology."
"you are crazy you know that right?"
>he just smiles at you.
>but somehow.. it seems to be believable.
"fine.. but ill need ponies to go there with me. and they will need to listen to every order i give."
>Manos clicks his tongue
>"done, i have a perfect group already assembled. i was originally going to give them to sombra. but.. i think you are a much better fit."
 
>you are Manos
>and the penal battalion will have a commander after all
>its been forming over time, when you last checked it was around 600 or so ponies.
>a mix of all kinds of minimum to low security criminals from all around the kingdom
>from deserters to political activists. 
>they had to pass a large series of tests to get into the army group, if they finished their tour, they are considered free.
>all charges removed a clean slate
"speak with the Crystal guards in the castle and tell them you are assigned to lead the black legion"
>"the black legion?" 
"its just a name.. dont get your hopes up. and make sure they all remain in uniform while in this world"
>"alright fine.. what do i do after i receive them?"
"find me, ill give you instructions and open the portal for you and your group. they will be sent in over time"
>sunset eyes you suspiciously for a few moments
>then she turns around and heads out to find her new command
>"lord.. do you really plan to start a war with that other world?"
>you wait till you know sunset will not be able to hear you
>then you respond to Honor
"of course not. only a idiot would go to war with an entire world thats centuries ahead of them in technology unless it was absolutely necessary"
>honor smiles a bit
>perhaps relieved 
"no, i just needed to give that red and yellow bitch incentive. i have no intention of going back to that world unless i have to."
>you look over to the notes again
"oh, and get that mirror under guard. 24/7 eyes on, no one goes near it without my say so. once im done with that girl we simply destroy it. all our criminals gone, and Sunsets little power trip dealt with."
>Honor bound chuckles 
>"that really is a pretty effective way to kill to griffons with one stone."
"im glad you appreciate it."
 
>you are Aryanne
>and you found blackout
>you walk up to the armored pony laying under the tree
"blackout?"
>the pony looks up
>her face seemingly relaxed and calm in her surroundings
>"yes?"
"Lord manos is looking for you.. i expect he will be waiting in his room for your report on ponyville"
>blackouts head hangs low for a moment and you hear a sigh
>she then stands up and gets her gear back on
>"very well. ill be there shortly"
>her helmet closes and soon she vanishes
>but you hear her hoofsteps as she slowly walks down the hill to the Castle
 
>you are Manos
>and you are just leaving the labs
>its just a short walk back to the castle
"its been a while since ive been in my own room."
>walking down the street to the castle you begin to think.
>with all this work and everyone getting ready for war.. everything sure seems rather bleak.
>perhaps a small celebration and ceremony is in order.
"i still need to give my loyal ponies those medals."
>that settles it. the Crystal kingdom will have a patriotic celebration
>it will be a day for the heroes.
>with this new plan in your mind you go straight to the castle
>only thing you need to do now is receive a report 
 
>you are Blackout
>and even though you can easily just walk inside the castle
>you still see it as an operation
>as if your mind is stuck in operations mode
>your cloak is still on as you scan the doors for guards
>black hands guard it thoroughly
>and the areas not guarded by hands are guarded by Crystal ponies
"just like in ponyville. quick in and out." 
>you walk up to the guards
>they dont notice you
>you easily slip by
>no need for contact if its avoidable
>the halls are mostly clear but it pays to be careful 
>you hug the wall and step silently
>your eyes and ears scanning for anything out of the ordinary 
>a mixed group of Crystal guards and black hands are laughing as they walk down the hall
>you take cover behind a statue and wait for them to pass
>you slow your breathing
>you can feel your heart start to beat
>you do your best to slow that down too
>clear.
>20 meters to target...
>15 meters to target.
>10..
>5.
>you open the doors and take position inside
>target spotted, ID confirmed.
"heil manos"
>"Ah Blackout, its good to see you. i expect you have a report for me.."
>your heart stops.
>this is the hardest part of this Op.
 
>you are Manos
>Blackout has just entered your room
>you sit at your desk disassembling your sidearm for an attempted cleaning
"Ah Blackout, its good to see you. I expect you have a report for me.."
>you dont look up from your half assembled weapon
>each of your magazines laid out on the table in front of you in line perfectly
>each magazine is empty with the twelve rounds standing next to them like little troops for inspection 
>you look up and see Blackout looking at them
>she is still silent 
"ah, that bad huh?"
>you started to expect this..
>you set down your cleaning kit
>"Lord Manos, the operation was a success everything gone exactly as planned... except.."
>she hesitates to finish her sentence 
"i expect Bonbon didnt make it."
>Blackout nods slowly
>"I had to finish the mission.. and i tried to talk her down but.."
>you get up from your desk and kneel in front of Blackout
>you seemed to have forgotten that she is still a child..
>even if everything else says otherwise
>she never took off her helmet 
>you gently pull it off of her head and she remains still
>as it uncovers her face you see a stream of tears dripping down her face
>her eyes are forced shut
>she is still a filly Manos.. no matter how much she had gone through.
>you repeat that to yourself as you gently wrap her armored form into a hug
>shes a filly who had to kill some of her friends..
>because of you...
>you softly whisper into her ear
"im sorry Little league" 
>she doesnt respond
>she just sobs a bit as she returns your hug
"Im sorry for everything"
>she needs to get out of the field. 
>she needs to readjust
"Little League, im planning a ceremony soon."
>she ends the hug and gets back into attention 
>"i understand sir, i wont take up anymore of your time"
"thats not what i meant. i wanted to know how you would feel if i honored Bonbon at the Ceremony"
>you pull out a medal from your desk
>the same medals you had Blackout leave on the bodies but in three different variants
>one is a simple Hand inside a metal ring labeled (3rd class)
>the second is a Hand with the ring filled in so its one medal labeled (2nd class)
>and the last one is similar to a Iron Cross, but inside is a M engraved on top of a Hand in the center (1st class)
"i will be giving out some of these new medals there to ponies who have gone beyond the call of duty in the past few months."
>you move the first class one in front of Blackout
"you will be receiving one. as will several members of my personal guard... and Bonbon will officially be given one"
>Little League nods.
>"I.. I would like that."
"will you do the honors of handing them out at the ceremony? besides your own of course."
>"it would be my honor Manos."
>you look back to your half assembled sidearm
>then back to Blackout
"want to learn how this works..?"
>she doesnt respond, but she takes a seat in front of your desk as you begin to explain the intricate parts to her
 
>a hour or two passes and soon Blackout is able to take it apart and assemble it faster than you
>you arnt all that fast to begin with but still its pretty impressive
>its becoming more apparent how much those surgeries have done to her if she can learn this fast
>you pat her on the back as she finishes the weapon for the fifth time.
"already better than I."
>you look to a clock on the wall 
"its about time we head out. we still need to have letters sent to each recipient and plan the rest of the day."
>you grab your sidearm and the magazines and properly holster them
>the two of you start out of your room to get ready for the ceremony.
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>and returning to your older life in Ponyville has been a struggle.
>you are back to spending time with your friends again and for the most part the nightmares have stopped
>you still have your moments though, moments where you get lost into thought
>but they are becoming less an less common
>you still are always sure to wear something to remind you of your unit back with Manos
>"Rainbow Dash, ya ready!?"
>you did it again..
>you snap back to the world as you and Applejack are about to have another contest.
>and Iron Pony contest.
"In a hurry to lose Apple? remember who you are competing against here, the fastest flyer in equestria AND a elite pony in the Black Hands"
>"we'll see how 'elite' ya are when ya lose to a humble pony like myself"
>you can feel her sarcastic tone eating at you
"HA we will see about tha--"
>you are interrupted by a grey mailpony crashing into you
>>"uhm.. oops.. sorry Rainbow"
>you shake the dirt off yourself as Applejack has doubled over laughing
>you then look over to the mailpony 
"its ok, im fine. having issues flying again?"
>>"oh, no, no im fine. but i do have this for you"
>she shoves her head inside her bag and pulls out a letter
>>"it looks important... oh my gosh i still have to get these muffins to the address before they go bad!"
>you barely take the letter and soon the mailpony is awkwardly flying around ponyville again
>Applejack walks over to you
>"whats that sugar-cube?"
>you look at the seal on the letter
>its from the black hands
>from your commander? or..
>you quickly open the letter and read what it says.
>you get a small grin on your face and look to Applejack
"im going to be honored at a military ceremony.. ill be receiving a medal for my service"
>Applejack doesnt see the entirety of the honor like you do but she seems happy for you
>"well shoot rainbow, if anypony deserves a medal its you."
>you smile then place the letter down
"dont get to soft. we still have a competition"
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings the Hand of Faith
"we are his children of fate. he is both the light and shadow of the world, dont fear to walk in darkness for if he wills it we will be given the light we need"
>"we are his faithful hands"
"while shadows seem to bring fear and doubt what lies at the end is much greater, at the end of the shadow there is our reward for crossing. Honor, Bravery, and Hope. these are the gifts we are given every day"
>"he is the Hand of Fate, and we are his faithful hands"
"Heil Manos"
>"Heil Manos! blessed is his light"
>you nod and your congregation begin to stretch their legs and say their goodbyes
>as you begin to gather your tomes and put them in your bag a Pegasi in black approaches you
>his face is cold and even, his trench coat has no identifiable marks and his mane has been shaved 
>"Lyra Heartstrings?"
"yes?"
>the pegasi in black pulls out a letter and holds it out with his hoof
>you take the letter and open it
>"you are asked to attend a ceremony in the Crystal Kingdom by Manos himself"
>you look up from your letter and look at the pony again
>you happen to get a glace at a single mark on the collar of his coat.
>a crystal heart
>the pegasi bows his head and leaves without another word
 
 
>you are Manos
>you and Blackout have made arrangements with everyone needed
>but you wanted to make a special stop
>you knock on a door to a private room in the castle
"Honor Bound open up"
>there is a quick sound of the door unlocking and Honor is at attention as it opens
>"Heil manos! what is needed of me lord?"
"are any of my tanks available?"
>Honor is taken aback by your request
>"uh. not presently lord at least none that are ready to be in combat, we just started learning how your device works."
>you shake your head
"no no, do we have any of the crank powered ones i requested?"
>Honor visibly relaxes 
>"those we do have. at last count we had around twelve or so"
"that will be fine, have them ready for a parade at the ceremony"
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings 
"ill be leaving for a few days, so you are in charge of things while im away i have faith in you"
>a mare in robes of Manos nods her head
>"yes Lyra i will not let you down. please dont worry about things here"
"im leaving things in capable hooves"
>you grab the final few things you packed and a few journals you have been keeping
>you dont need much, its only for a few days
>you walk out the doors of your large cathedral and there is a carriage with several pegasi waiting for you
>most of them bow their heads in respect for you
>except the one who you recognize from when he gave you the letter
>the only reason you recognize him is because he is the only one out of place in the group
>the others all clearly wear Black Hands uniforms while is is more covert
>"let me get those bags for you"
>the stallion takes your bags and places them inside the carriage then makes room for you to enter
>you give him a quick thank you and step inside
>the stallion gives you a final even look and gives a very slight nod
>just as he does the carriage lurches forward and soon you are on your way to the Crystal Kingdom 
"Its been a while since ive seen Manos or anyone"
>you soon pick up a journal and begin writing
 
>you are Manos
>its the night before the ceremony and everything is right on schedule 
>you look over the list of ponies you have down for medals
>the most prominent ones being Blackout Bonbon and Rainbow Dash along with your own Black Hands
>after looking over more reports of over achieving ponies in your forces you see a name that catches your eye
>Ms. Harshwhinny
>you scan the reports of her work
>she re-organized the Brownshirts from their rebellious tendencies after the Ponyville Riots
>in less than a day or two she had all rebellious ponies corrected and re-educated before any more blood could be spilled
>shes now the current head of your Brownshirts and they have never been more effective.
"ill be sure to reward her properly"
>you read on, many of the ponies in ponyville called the night (technically two nights) the Harshwhinny Coup
>she moved up from a lowly office and desk pony to the current leader
>she was quoted as saying "the riots were simply unprofessional and needed to be stopped"
"alright thats enough reading on her shes earned this"
>you place the piles of papers down and look over to the window
>the moon is high in the night sky
>and you feel that tired wave hit you
"No, no, no sleeping.. no voices again.."
>you look back to your desk and quickly pull out your sidearm
>you extract each bullet with care and efficiency 
>*click*
>*click*
>*click*
"i can go longer.. Fate.. fate never sleeps.."
>the voices have been getting worse whenever you rest
>perhaps its because you have been staying awake at night.
>is that why Celestia never deals with problems and just sends twilight?
>so she can sleep and keep the voices at a minimum? 
>you let your mind wander as you continue to slide each round out of all your magazines
>then you start to disassemble your weapon 
>your thumbs are raw from constant rubbing on the edges of the bullets and parts
>and small cuts have formed on your fingers and palms from the sharper parts being constantly scratched against your skin
"ill have R&D look into spells that can help me stay awake.. perhaps they can rejuvenate me?"
>you continue your routine, inspect, disassemble, clean, assemble, inspect, test, repeat.
"another night wont kill me.. fate doesnt sleep"
>you have been cleaning your sidearm for most of the night
>you stopped brushing it for fear of wearing it down and instead you use a light rag and your breath to clean each part
>each part should be clean but... 
>there always seems to be little red specks and smudges on the parts
>you cant have that.. at least it gives you something to clean after you assemble and take apart you sidearm
>you've been doing this for hours
>only now do you start to feel pain in your hands
>you stop cleaning and look again at your hands
>they are sore, bloody, and raw.
"god damn it."
>you wipe off your hands and soak them in water
>they didnt hurt until you noticed it.
>why is that?
>after gently washing your hands of any blood and dirt you sit back at your desk
>there is a slight red stain on the wood
>you know what it is but dont want to think about it
>you have everything under control right?
"everythings been working out perfectly.. why, would i be stressed or worried about anything.."
>yes.. everything's perfect
"no need to be concerned"
>you open your desk drawers and slide on your black gloves
>you make a point to yourself to always wear them when someone might see you.
>since you put those on you decide to get dressed
>it just saves you time so you dont need to get ready in the morning
"i dont need sleep..."
>you sit back down and continue assemble your sidearm
>you know it inside and out.
>and outside in.
 
>You are Aryanne
>today is the day of the celebration 
>you were told to meet with Manos and Blackout early today for any last minute preparations 
>you walk down the hall from your barracks to Manos' private room
>you see Blackout standing outside the door
>her ears perked up as she is listening to the sounds behind the door
"Blackout, you're not spying on Lord manos are you. Because if you were id have to-"
>Blackout quickly cuts you off
>"SH!"
>and listens again
>"come here.. listen closely" 
>you walk up to the door and hear very faint noises 
>after focusing on the noises a bit you realize its little clicks and a soft voice mumbling quietly
"is that Manos?"
>Blackout nods
"how long have you been listening?"
>"its been almost two hours.. i dont think he actually slept.."
>this is worrying..
>perhaps the stress is getting to him?
>nightmares?
>or perhaps he is just to busy with everything happening suddenly
"we shouldnt speak of this to anypony. least not until we have a moment to discuss it with Manos."
>Blackout nods then knocks on the door
>"Lord Manos, we were told to meet with you early today"
 
>you are Manos
>and there is a knock on your door
>you turn you head away from your clean and perfect weapon 
>"Lord Manos, we were told to meet with you early today"
>oh, yes, thats right.
"Ill be there in just a moment, i have to finish getting myself ready."
>you stand up and put away your cleaning utensils and splash some water on your face from your private bathrooms sink
>you look at yourself in the mirror
>Shinning Armors burn still visible on your face
>you gently feel it
"funny how you forget things like that once they stop hurting.."
>the burning stopped long ago and you almost forgot you even had a burn with how it healed
>you put on a fresh pair of gloves and grab a extra set just in case
>then you walk to your door and open it
>the brightness of the Crystal halls nearly blind you from all the light
>"Lord Manos? are you alright?"
"yes. im fine"
>you are about to step out of your room when you forget you left your sidearm
>you walk back to your desk and holster it and the magazines
>however you didnt notice that the others had followed you inside
>you hear a slight gasp from Aryanne as she takes a look at your desk
>"l-Lord manos.. are you sure you are ok? what happened here?"
>you turn to see Aryanne and Blackout looking at the blood stains on your desk
"I cut my hand while cleaning my weapon. nothing to get worked up over. lets go, we have last minute things to do."
>you walk out of the room leaving behind the two ponies.
>the sooner you get out into the sunlight the better.
 
>you are Blackout
>you take a moment to soak in what information you have about what happened.
>mumbling to himself
>continuous cleaning of his possessions
>his reaction to the sunlight
>and the brushing off of his blood on the desk
>you look to Aryanne
"He is sleep deprived... it will only get worse unless he starts to get rest again."
>Aryanne nods
>"no doubt about that.. but.. why is he avoiding sleep? Night terrors perhaps?"
"its possible. he has seen the most of the violence here. he was at every real conflict or violent act up to now. perhaps its seeping into his dreams?"
>"we will need to talk to a doctor about this.. but it will have to wait for now, we still have work to do."
>Aryanne leaves to catch up with manos
>by now he is halfway down the hall
>you take one last look at his desk then you follow her out of the room
 
>you are Manos
>you are currently meeting with the Officer Mare in charge of the Black hands and Crystal Guards in the parade
>"no need to worry my lord. we have been practicing our drills and making sure there will be no hiccups!"
"thats good. we want the ponies to see us a military to be proud of, if they are proud, then they will volunteer" 
>"HA they will be more than proud Lord, they will be in awe. i can assure you."
"thank you Commander."
>the mare gives you a seig heil and leaves you to your business
>you're currently looking over a speech you have been preparing to read to the masses
>one that will make your ponies proud to be here 
>one that will instill a sense of national pride
>You look over to Aryanne
"Aryanne, have all the recipients arrived?"
>she checks over her own list of ponies
>"yes Lord, all recipients of honors have arrived and are currently waiting in the main hall along with your personal guards"
"Blackout too?"
>"of course, she was the first to be there waiting she has even begun to socialize with the other Hands a bit.."
"has she?"
>..
>"well.. I did say 'a bit'.."
>a smile creeps to your face
"you're a good pony Aryanne, dont let anyone say otherwise."
>a smile and blush appear on her face
>"thank you lord."
"consider that a standing order."
>you listen and in the distance you hear the sounds of cheering and the start music
"well.. looks like its time. have the recipients come out once the signal has been given"
>"yes lord"
>you step outside and start to walk into the path made for you to reach a large platform
>ponies cheer and banners are held high at sight of you
>the Celebration has begun
 
>you are Sombra.
>and the attack has begun.
>you take to the sky over Ponyville your smoking form billowing the shadow like smog in a trail behind you
>you can hear ponies shouting and giving orders below you
>you laugh, your voice sounding like thunder
"yes.. run... little ponies.."
>you start to make your way downwards from the sky straight for the center of town
>before you get to close you pull up
>all the ponies attention is on you
>then.. they strike..
>hundreds of griffons break out of your smog trail in the sky and descend into the streets
>the sounds of battle ensue as you continue to leave more and more smoke cover for your griffons still in the skies
"Down with Equestria! death to the false gods!"
>griffons let out another war cry as another wave strikes from your smoke filled sky
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GD0FHEXHbc [Embed] - WW2 German Military Marches
 
>you are manos
>and you are atop your podium waving to the crowds 
>you stand in front of a large banner taking up half of the view of the castle behind you
>of course its that of your mark
>the mark of your ponies
>the mark of your nation
>you look to the streets as your reorganized Brownshirts are on parade first
>they march on, once they get to a certain point they all turn their heads to face you and continue on
>"SEIG HEIL! HEIL MANOS!" they shout in unison
>you give them a Seig Heil in return 
"to victory!"
>next you look and see the new Crystal guard marching behind
>their armor reflects the sun perfectly and the first two rows of unicorns unsheathe their swords and hold them high
>"Heil manos! heil the crystal kingdom!"
>the pull he swords back down and continue to march each sword a equal distance from their face perfectly in line
"Heil the Crystal Kingdom! heil free Equestria"
>you smile as you hear the marching of your Black Hands next.
>thier black uniforms come into view, your personal guards in a small group ahead of the rest holding their badge proudly 
>Comet Glow, Almond Heart, Cinnamon Pop, and even Rainbow Dash (now in full uniform) march ahead of the others
>the other music stops, or at least becomes quieter so everyone can hear the Black Hands as they march
>after a few seconds the all begin to sing as they march
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84mXC6zlvi8 [Embed] - ϟϟ Schutze Staffel - "SS Marschiert in Feindesland" ϟϟ
 
>no other music plays as they sing, out of respect.
>or because it was planned this way, you cant tell
>when the song ends everyone in the parade stops and turns towards you
>they do it in perfect coordination, not a single step out of sync with the others
>and all as one they shout "Heil Manos! Seig Heil" and give you a sieg heil
>the ponies in the crowd do the same and repeat it several more times
>you rise your hand and eventually they are silent
>Honor Bound stands next to you and his horn begins to glow
>he stands as still as a statue
>the magic spell he is currently using is a vocal enhancing spell which will make your voice loud enough for everyone to hear
>you remain silent and look over your ponies
"My people, they have been around for centuries. long before the Princesses, long before Discord, and even longer than Equestria"
>your voice booms over the crowds
"though separated by leaders, they shared a belief, a belief that honor and justice came before personal gain, that duty and loyalty was to take priority to ones own self, and that family was more valuable than any amount of coin."
>you take a breath and look to your Black hands
"they also shared another belief, one of a paradise that awaits those who have died. a paradise so great that only the most honorable and loyal of warriors and believers could ever enter."
>the rise your fist high as you speak then next part then hammer it down as you finish
"That place was called VALHALLA!"
>you then raise your hands to your heart and speak as though it just you and one listener
"a place of faithful warriors! who gave their lives to a cause that meant more as a whole than any individual person alone! i share this belief! that when i die i shall be walking along side my brothers and sisters in the great halls of Valhalla!"
>you let your words sink into the crowd before you continue
"But i will not be going alone! while before when i thought of that paradise i thought of only humans in the great hall but i was wrong! for ponies like you are surely there with us! warriors! poets! and families alike!"
>the crowd stomps their hooves as you continue on
"You are my brothers and sisters now! and our great hall awaits us in Valhalla! we need only earn our entrance! and when i look out over the ponies here, standing tall and wearing their uniforms with such conviction and pride i know.. I KNOW that we shall make it there!"
>you point to the crowd of ponies
"For we are all worthy of Valhalla! we are proud, dedicated, and willing to give our lives to protect others no matter what cost may come! SEIG HEIL!"
>the crowd bursts into multiple chats of seig heil
>you let them go on for a while before you speak again
"to the Brownshirts who died in the ponyville rebellions! they fought for a cause they believed in so much so that is became their only way of life! they died for that belief! to those ponies! SIEG HEIL!"
>"SEIG HEIL!" "SEIG HEIL!"
>you look to the crystal guards
"to the Crystal guards! who even when they were disbanded by a mad king who ruled you with fear they picked themselves up and were born again! to those ponies who were willing to rise again even knowing that the king still lived shows great bravery to you ponies! SEIG HEIL!"
>"Seig heil!" "seig heil!"
>you dont slow your rant you go on with the momentum 
"to those black hands who fought and died in the battle of Ardennes against a legion of ponies to those Black hands and to those slaves who died i say SEIG HEIL"
>you then point to the large banner with your mark behind you
"this is not my mark! this is our legacy! our symbol of justice! of order! of THIS NEW CRYSTAL EMPIRE!"
>you look back to the banner yourself leaving you back to the ponies
"to the crystal empire! SEIG HEIL!"
>you give a sieg heil to the banner behind you
>"SEIG HEIL" "SEIG HEIL" "SEIG HEIL"
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vezr3dW4J5s&bpctr=1445215798 [Embed] - Adolf Hitler - "Sieg Heil" 
 
>you turn back to the ponies again
"we are the true inheritors of this empire! we are those who are willing to carry the weight of others troubles! some might see us as villains! some may criticize us and our views! but we know better! we shall not be bothered with arguments! our goal will be to enter the gates of Valhalla and see out brothers and sisters in paradise!" 
>you hear ponies cheering but you speak on as if they were still silent
"and who blocks our way?! WHO BLOCKS OUR PATH TO THIS PARADISE!?"
>you shout with all the power you have in your lungs
"the ones who block our path are here! amongst us!"
>in the crowd you hear a few ponies shout out answers
>"the changelings!" "the griffons!"
"NO this threat is greater than the changelings! this threat is called cowardice! and its inside us all! but we must be strong! ponies will try to make you waver from our cause! try to talk you down, and perhaps blame you for evils!"
>you hammer the railing with your fist between each of your next words
"but! our! cause! is! JUST!" 
>then you jab a finger towards canterlot
"and no King! or Princess! or Griffon! will ever be able to tear us down! because we stand together! we stand untied! to the ponies next to you and at your back! I SAY SEIG HEIL!!"
"this is our trial! this is our Empire! this is our home! and like any good protector we will die to defend it from all threats!"
>you start to relax and slow your breathing
>your heart is racing and your throat burns from your shouting
>you rise your hand again signaling that you have one last thing to say 
"this Empire... this, this Reich. i will see it rise, i will see our children, our foals, our sons and daughters grow up in a world without fear a world where ponies are on top! where no wolf, nor griffon, or foreign intruders will ever frighten them and instead those threats will fear the children! for they will know of whose blood they were born from! they will be born from your blood! from your ponies! and from our Reich!"
>ponies are just consumed by national pride and they cheer, stomp, and give seig heils almost non stop
"this new Reich! this First Reich! will be so grand that when i die i wont have to worry! For i know who will be here when im gone! and this Reich will be so honored that even if the last pony dies ITS STORY WILL STILL LAST A THOUSAND YEARS!"
"and I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the Honor! to stand beside you ponies! Ponies like Bonbon! like Rainbow dash! Like the pony next me Honor Bound! and to a pony who maybe has given more than ANYONE ELSE be they alive or dead! and the pony who is the first to receive an official honor i introduce you to Blackout!"
>ponies cheer loudly as Blackout approaches the stand
>you take a step to the side and let her take in the cheers of the ponies
>you signal for the rest of the ponies to assemble
>the recipients including the ponies who were before in the parade approach the stand overlooking the empires ponies
>they form a perfect line so they each my be seen by the crowd 
"Blackout, for your personal sacrifices, for your undying loyalty, and for your continued commitment to the ponies here and to myself i am honored to give you this first medal. The Iron Hand First class!"
>a black hand holds out a decorated box and you open in revealing the medals
>you take out hers
>her name even engraved into the back so no one else can claim it
>Blackout takes a step forward as you place it on her uniform and armored body
>you take a step back and give her a Sieg heil
>everyone else does the same
>"SEIG HEIL"
"Blackout, would you do the honors of handing out the medals to each of the ponies here?"
>she stands in attention, and you notice she has a large grin on her face
>a single tear streams down as she smiles proudly
>"It would be a great honor lord manos"
>you take the box from the pony and he steps back into formation
>you hold the box firmly in your hands and say the next name
"To Rainbow Dash! for your valor and duty in the crucial battle of Ardennes which led to the liberation and creation of this new Reich i am proud to award you with this medal, The Iron Hand of manos First class"
>the medal is identical to the one Blackout was given but instead Rainbows name is on the back
>Rainbow takes a step forward 
>Blackout walks up to her giving her a nod of respect before pinning the medal to her uniform 
>she too gets a seig heil from you and the ponies
>she then takes a step back in line
"To Aryanne, Cinnamon Pop, Comet Glow, and Almond Heart" 
>the four ponies take a step forward in perfect time with each other
"For your constant diligence, your undying loyalty, and for going above and beyond the call of duty i am proud to award each of you a medal, each of you receive, The Iorn hand of manos Second Class"
>at the same time each of the ponies say "We are his shield! even after death we shall serve"
>Blackout gives each pony a nod of approval and pins each medal to their uniforms individually
>as a group they all receive seig heils from you and the ponies
"and to a Ms. Harshwhinny who from the chaos that was the ponyville rebellion, was able to restore order without any contact from superiors, and took it upon herself to lead the reformed Brwonshirts i am honored to give you this medal, The Iron Hand of Manos Third class" 
>each medal handed out had each ponies name engraved
>Ms Harshwhinny takes a very calculated step forward, her eyes never looking away and her back straight
>Blackout gives her a nod that she immediately returns.
>"thank you lord Manos, I am happy to serve."
>after her moment and her sieg heil she takes the same calculated step backwards and into line
"to each of you standing before me! you are now the first of my bearers of Iron! to you Sieg heil"
>the crowd gives them another seig heil
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTPHBVxydnI [Embed] - German Military War Songs-Westerwald Lied
 
>you set down the box and take your place next to your ponies as the parade begins again
>in the distance you see the crank powered prototypes of what hopefully will be your new tanks
>the closer they get the more ponies look at them in awe
>you yourself are impressed, though not with them existing but with how the design looks very similar to one from home
>you give a sieg heil as they drive on by each one having a pony tank commander in uniform
>they will be much more impressive once you have working engines and weapon production going
>for now you assume the best use would be for show or possibly as very light support with unicorns being the only offensive capabilities
>you look to your side as a pony in uniform urgently taps you
>you signal for Honor Bound to end his spell
>his horn stops glowing and he gives you a nod
"what is it?"
>"sir.. we just received word from Ponyville"
"word? word of what? this is a very important occasion"
>"my lord, Ponyville has been assaulted by Sombra and a horde of griffons."
"what?"
>you look back to Honor bound and call him over
>>"yes lord?"
"it seems we have a few complications. can you handle things here while i step out?"
>>"of course lord. everything is under control."
"thank you Honor Bound."
>you and the messenger pony walk off the stand
>there is a mixed group of officers, including Cadence, are there waiting for you 
>"sir, we should speak in the war room"
"i agree, this is a new development that needs my attention immediately"
>you and the group start to make your way to the war room
>your highest ranking officers minus Honor Bound follow you
>you keep a calm and passive stance as you get closer and closer to your war room
>the guards outside open the door as you approach and give sieg heils
"heil"
>you walk inside and and take a seat in front of the map of equestira
>your officers have taken it upon themselves to keep it updated as they learned more
>Ponyville seems to be the only target as far as they appear to know
"Get me caught up on whats happening."
>Your officers look to one another wondering who will speak first.
>who will be the one to give you the bad news no doubt
>Cadence steps forward
>>"Manos, as far as we can tell we have lost the entirety of Ponyville city within a few hours ago. the only remaining position in our current control is what remains of your Castle."
>a Black hand steps forward
>and places his hoof on the map in front of you
>"we believe they came from across the sea, landing somewhere near horseshoe bay. then simply followed the river until they arrived at ponyville."
>that is possible. but then there should have been word that...
>you look to your officers.
"Have we received any communications from the Royal sisters? messengers, letters, anything?"
>"negative sir, as far was we are aware, they have not sent any support to Ponyville either. they might not know"
>thats bullshit
"you're saying that you honestly think that Celestia and Luna had no idea of a fucking army just taking a stroll in her countryside?"
>your words hang in the room
>the officer looks to Cadence 
>she just looks back to the map in front of you
"no.. i think she new exactly where they were going."
>you tap Ponyville city
"and now that its under siege, guess who will swoop in and save the day... with her armies in gold?"
>you slam your hand on the table
"SHE KNEW THE WHOLE TIME AND KEPT QUIET ABOUT IT!"
>everyone except Cadence take a small step back from your outburst
"Assemble the men. War has come."
 
>you are Sombra
>and your attack has gone even better than expected.
>a griffon takes a position next to you as you overlook the battle below
>"there was very little resistance.. most of the fighting was over once we captured the square."
>you look over to the city square where large groups of ponies in brown uniforms have been rounded up
>there are very few Black hands among them 
"are those all of the Black hands you have found?"
>he griffon looks to where you are watching
>"those are the only ones we took alive. but to be honest, we expected many more than were currently stationed here."
>you scan the town from your position
>then over into the forest. where you notice several dirt roads
"there."
>you point your hoof to Everfree Forest
"thats where they must be."
>"why would they be in the woods? isnt the city far more important to hold than a few trees?"
"im not sure, but those roads have guards... guards that did not support the defense of the city."
>"then something important must be inside.."
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings
>Manos' speech about this place he calls Valhalla still swarms to the front of your mind
>you recorded everything he said in your journal word for word.
"it must be an amazing place..."
>could you be given entrance to the gates of Valhalla?
>at the vary least, you will be considered.
"i must spread his word as soon as i return home."
 
>you are Manos
>you have given the order to go to war
>but even you yourself arnt one hundred percent sure of the real enemy.
>the Griffons and Sombra
>or the Sun Tyrant.
>the war room is swarming with different communications ponies
>unicorns sending messages with magic, pegasi flying in and out, and earth pony runners delivering whatever orders they can
"Get Honor Bound in here as soon as possible! and find Lyra! its time to have her included in our planning!"
>"YES LORD!"
>a earth pony runner sprints out the door to send word.
 
>you are Honor Bound
>and you are over looking the final portions of the ceremony and parade when a earth pony runner sprints towards you
>you take a few steps back as she tries to slow himself before stopping in front of you
>"Seig heil, Honor bound sir, War has just been declared! Ponyville has been attacked by Sombra and a army of Griffons! its lost sir!"
>you calmly wipe the dust off of your jacket as the pony gives you the news
"so we go to war then. i assume manos has already given the order to rally the troops?"
>"yes Commander. the only ones not yet rallied are those in the parade but we--"
>you walk away from him cutting him off mid sentence and approach the edge of the stand
>your horn begins to glow as you cast a amplification spell on yourself
>you clear your throat
"Hmhmhm!"
>the music dies off and the ponies and troops on parade all stop to look at you
>including the Bearers of Iron who are still on the stand with you
>you scan over the ponies making sure to have their full attention
>then you begin
"My fellow Brothers and Sisters of Manos.. as of a few hours ago.. Ponyville. the place where manos first arrived and began his new movement.. was attacked."
>the ponies in the crowd begin to murmur to one another
"and it is with great regret that i am told to inform you, that we have lost control of the city."
>the murmurs become shouts of anger and rage at the thought
"if you are anything like myself and those ponies who wear the uniform. then you are outraged at this."
>"who did it?!"
>>"who attacked the city?!"
"we have reason to believe it was soldiers of the Griffon Empire. but now is not the time for talk..."
>you give a short pause
"its time for war.. all enlisted soldiers are to meet with their commanders and be ready to move out. we are going to take the city back!"
>the ponies in the crowd cheer and stomp their hooves in encouragement to the troops
"HEIL MANOS!"
>"HEIL MANOS! HEIL THE REICH!"
 
>you are Celestia
>and you are looking out over your beloved Canterlot towards the smoke filled direction of ponyville city
>Manos' prized city.
"Forgive me twilight... i hope you and your friends received my letter to leave.."
>"Princess ma'am. the troops have been assembled"
>you turn back to your royal guard Captain
"thank you Silver Valor. time is of the essence, i wont have innocent ponies harmed. we march immediately"
>"Yes ma'am!"
>Silver Valor turns to the other officers and gives them orders before they leave to march into the city
>you look back to the smoke coming from the city with a determined look on your face
"i wont have my ponies harmed if i can help it... by anyone.."
>you hear the sounds of marching guards in the streets as you return back to your room
 
>you are Manos
>Honor bound has just arrived
"Honor Bound, do we still have a supply of those communication crystals that Copper discovered?"
>he nods his head
>"yes lord manos, but we dont have nearly enough for all the troops. not to mention no way to regulate the communications"
"never mind that. get those crystals handed out to all of the head officers. and leave one here, i want to have communications running smoothly, that will give us a huge advantage over.. over the others."
>Honor bound walks over to a unicorn messenger and has him deliver orders to give out the comms
>you turn to Cadence who has been organizing resources and keeping tabs on local reactions
"Cadence, what do we have at our current disposal?"
>"we have plenty of basic weapons and armor for everypony"
>she looks back to the lists and reports 
>"however those weapons you have brought with you havent been.. perfectly replicated yet.. we have a few operational ones but nothing close to enough for everypony"
"tell the eggheads to get off their collective asses there is no time to waste!"
>war has come a little early
>but thats fine, necessity is the mother of invention.
>and war makes everything necessary
>a black hand enters the room and bows his head to you
>"lord manos, the troops have been gathered they await your orders to move out."
>you stand up from your seat and look over to Honor
"have the commanders been given their new communications?"
>he gives you a nod and continues to give orders to ponies in the room
>no time for us to slow now
"then consider the order given! i need my formations advancing as soon as possible!"
>"yes lord! Heil manos! heil the Reich!"
"Seig heil."
>the pony leaves the room in a rush to get back to his troops
>you look over to a communications pony
"get us one of those crystals. i want to have a instant report on whats happening there!"
>"yes lord. ill have one here immediately!" 
>you look back to the map of equestria 
"you are playing a very dangerous game here Celestia.."
>you cant help but smile
"perhaps we arnt as different as i began to think we were."
>you are cut off by your train of thought by a blue pegasus bursting into the room
>Rainbow Dash rushes over to you
>how she discovered where you were you dont know.
>"Manos! i heard ponyville was attacked!"
"yes it has. and we are about to send those invaders home in body bags"
>there are a few chuckles and approving statements heard in the room
>"then what are we doing here!? we need to go! my friends are there!"
>you look over to Rainbow
"i know, but i am going to be much more valuable here. if i head out to fight then we wont have a central leadership to keep everyone in contact"
>rainbow still looks determined to head out
"i know you are going to go even if i give you orders to stay. so im putting you in command of a pegasi force."
>Rainbow looks surprised at her sudden 'promotion'
"and as i recall i already gave you your orders to protect your friends. get to it then commander. take back my skies."
>you point to a messenger pegasi
"he will take you to them. now go. get there as soon as you can"
>"yes sir! i wont let you down sir!"
>you better not
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings
>the ponies in the streets with you are rushing back and forth
>everything seems to chaotic.. yet.. not
>everypony seems to know exactly where they are going
>and most of them are heading to recruitment stations
>"its our duty! as ponies of the Reich to sign up! war has been declared and blood has been shed!"
>you see a stallion standing on a crate shouting to others in the street
>you walk up to him and take a seat a small smile on your face from this ponies determination
>"We are the chosen ponies of manos! the ones he has put HIS faith in to stand by him! will we let him down because we are afraid?! NO!"
>ponies in the recruitment lines shout "HEIL MANOS!" 
>as the pony keeps speaking his righteous and patriotic fervor spreads throughout the streets
>more and more ponies dropping what they have and getting in line
>determined looks on all their faces
>you step up to him and tap his side
>he looks down at you and for a moment he seems angered by being interrupted 
>then he recognizes you
>"L-lyra Heartstrings?!"
>he quickly gets off the crate and bows his head
>a few others do the same
"mind if i speak?"
>"o-of course you can speak! please! speak to them!"
>you take your position on the humble little crate that is your podium
"my children of fate, and fellow loyal ponies.. You are truly brave and noble to support manos with such fervor."
>you look to the ponies in the lines
"remember what Manos told us, of the glory, the paradise that awaits us in Valhalla, that the warriors and those loyal to a cause above themselves will be granted access to the gates. and those who die in combat are awaited by their brothers and sisters!"
 
>you are Manos
>just as Rainbow Dash and the Pegasi have left your War room you notice another pony.
>he wears a Black Hands uniform and seems to be overlooked by the others
>there is so much going on right now, who would notice someone new in the room?
>he stares at you, calm and collected.
>he looks so familiar.. like you know him from somewhere..
>after a few moments of the two of you looking at one another he turns to leave the room
>just as he is about to exit a pony walks in front of you
>in less than a second he is gone..
>he never walked through the doorway.
"Cadence.. take over for a moment."
>everything in the room for some reason feels unimportant and you slowly walk out into the halls
>you barely catch the sight of the pony walking into your room
>the guards never stopping his entry..
>you follow the pony inside
>the room is empty besides your possessions and furniture.
"guards... who entered this room?"
>the two guards walk inside and look around
>"what do you mean lord? everything is as it was.. no one has been in here."
"Bullshit! i saw someone enter! they walked right in!"
>the guards quickly search the room for anyone or anypony inside
>they turn up nothing
>"my lord.. no one is here.."
"get out"
>"sir are you ok?"
"GET OUT!"
>your guards take a few steps back and give each other a look of confusion
>>"uh as you wish lord"
>the doors close behind the guards as they leave
>you know you saw him
>he was right here
>you walk to your desk and look at the stained blood on the desk
>you touch it with your hand
>"This are a little out of hand, arnt they?"
>you quickly turn to the sound of the voice
>no one is there
>it comes from behind you again
>"well, i shouldnt have expected much. after all you did lose one of your best leaders"
>you look to the chair
>sitting in your chair, there is a pony taking notes..
"Copper?..."
>the Copper turns his head back to you
>"who else lord manos? i am your faithful hand."
>you look over his shoulder to his notes
>its intricate details and notes on your weapon and how it can be adapted to ponies.
>"interested in my notes? they are yours after all"
>he places the notes on your desk and stands up from the chair
>"its good that they are finally finished. and not a moment to soon huh?"
>he smiles
"Copper.. how?"
>>"Manos?"
>you look to the other voice
>it took you off guard
>Aryanne is standing in the door way with a worried look on her face
>you point to where copper is standing
"Aryanne... how.. how is he?"
>Aryanne takes a few steps inside your room and looks to where you are pointing
>>"Manos.. no one is there.."
>you look back to where you were pointing
>what you see makes your blood run cold and your skin crawl. 
>whats there... is exactly what Aryanne said was there..
>nothing... and no one.
 
>You are Ayranne
>how long has manos been going without sleep?
>has he even been aware of how long hes been doing it?
"Manos... Blackout and I know you have been avoiding sleep"
>Manos just stares as the spot in disbelief
>"he was.. he was here."
>you take a few steps closer to him
>then he suddenly snaps to the desk and stares at the papers he left on it
>"ahaHA! he was here look!"
>he grabs the papers and holds them up to you 
>on the papers are notes sketches and diagrams on converting his weapons piece by piece to work for ponies
"Manos, thats all in your writing. you wrote all that.."
>you can she his hands start to shake, only a little bit, but enough
>hes scared, seeing things that arnt there, and hearing voices.
>all this, when we defiantly need him to be strong to be a leader
>this could bring an end to everything we are working for
 
>You are Cadence
>and for now everything is in your hooves
>you hardly noticed what manos said before he suddenly got up and left the room
>but you dont have time to wonder why he did it
>"Cadence ma'am the troops are on the move and instant communications have been established"
>the pony pulls out a box with one of the communications crystals inside
>he taps to box
>"just open it and you will be on the coms with every commander and NCO"
"thank you, im sure you have something else you need to be doing, ill take it from here."
>the pony gives you a salute and rushes off to his communications desk
>you slowly open the box and you hear the voices of the commanders issuing movement orders to their troops
"All forces this is Cadence, Manos has put me in charge temporarily we need you on the move ASAP, get to that city and take it back from WHOEVER hold it. understood? keep us updated on your movement.. that is all"
>there is a series of affirmatives returned back to you
"where is manos?"
 
>you are Aryanne
"Manos, stay here for a moment. ill be right back. as your personal guard commander i insist you do not leave this room until i return. are we clear?"
>Manos is just sitting at his desk as he gives you a nod and places his hands on his face
"ill be back soon."
>you close the doors behind you then look to the guards
"No one, no matter who they are is to enter this room until i return. understood?"
>the ponies give you a seig heil
>"Yes ma'am! Heil Manos!"
>you return the gesture and rush off to find a trustworthy pony
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings
>as you were giving you little speech in the streets you were interrupted by a few black hands
>they were kind enough to let you finish your thoughts before telling you that you were needed in Manos' war room
>apparently since you were in the city and you are his Hand that makes you Second in command
>you walk with your new escort of Black Hands down the streets
>ponies give you bows of respect and others give the hands various encouragements
>then a white pony with a blonde mane comes out of the castle
>Aryanne was it?
>she looks around for something then spots you
>she rushes to you and your escort
>"Lyra Heartstrings?"
>you nod your head yes, not really knowing what to say to her
>"there has been a development, i need you to come with me. Now"
>she looks to the guards 
>"i have orders from lord manos himself, and as commander of his personal guard and any active black hands you guards are to give her over to me."
>>"understood ma'am, we shall escort you the rest of the way"
"whats happened?"
>"Its manos, he needs your help, i wont say more until we are there"
>for a second a look of desperation crosses her face
>"you, you dont happen to know any sleeping spells or anything do you?"
"uh, i know a few that i use when i need to go a night or two without sleep? does that help?"
>"at this point anything will help. lets get moving!"
>she turns and begins to run
>you follow sprinting behind
>soon you are being led to the most secure areas of the castle
>ponies in uniform are rushing back and forth with orders and messages
>but you walk past that area and keep moving down the halls
"where are we going? it seems like that was the place we should have gone to."
>Aryanne looks over her shoulder to you
>"we will be, just.. just not yet, we need to see Manos first."
>you approach a room guarded by a handful of black hand guards and two crystal ones
>"im back open the doors, everyone not part of Manos' personal guard are to leave the area, thats an order."
>>"yes ma'am! heil manos" 
>"follow me"
>you follow aryanne inside and the doors are seals behind you with magic
>you take a moment to get a look at the room
>its dark, only a few candles are lit and the window is covered by the blinds
>at his desk sits manos, his face covered by his hand as he seems to be conflicted about something
"Manos? is everything ok?"
>he uncovers his face and his eyes betray his words..
>"everything is fine.. just fine.. i just, havnt got much sleep recently is all"
>you look at him as a small smile crosses his face.
>"and, apparently, because of that im seeing ghosts.."
 
>you are Manos
>Lyra and Aryanne are in the room with you..
>you think..
"she, she is here right?"
>the two mares nod and Aryanne speaks first
"yes manos, both of us are here."
>Aryanne turns to Lyra and tells her to say the same thing
>>"Manos.. we are both here, how long have you been without sleep?"
>you think for a moment
"maybe.. three four days, but to be honest ive been avoiding it before then, staying up later and later.."
>you hold your head again
"because whenever i sleep.. i hear so many voices, so many prayers, all at once that its painful. it claws at my head and my sleep feels like an eternity"
>you look back to Lyra, she looks like she was hurt by your words
>"the prayers are hurting you?"
>you decide its best to give her the real answer 
"only in my sleep, im not used to them yet."
 
>Lyra walks up next to you and places a hoof on her shoulder
>"manos, im sorry, but you do need to sleep.. i thought i might be able to use a spell or something but that doesnt make up for real natural rest.. and you need it now more than ever."
>Aryanne takes a spot in front of your desk
>>"Shes right sir, war has just begun, we need you to lead us... it will still be about a day or so before our troops arrive.. plenty of time to rest up."
>you look to the blood stain on the desk, then to the ponies around you.
>why are you so scared to sleep...
>the voices hurt yes, but you were fine with them before..
>you lower your head
"alright, listen closely because this is an order."
>the mares are silent as you speak
>you look to Lyra
"Lyra, im going to need you to put me to sleep.. and do everything you can to keep me asleep. for at least the rest of the day and tonight"
>you look back to your bed and begin to walk over to it
>you sit on the edge and take a moment to breathe
"alright... put me under."
>you look to Lyra as her horn begins to glow
>then everything fades to black
 
>you are Manos
>everything is black..
>you can feel your body ache as you sit up
"i cant see a thing.."
>as soon as your words leave your lips the room becomes slightly illuminated from a unknown source
>you're sitting in your room and the world seems silent
>you get up from your bed and walk to the door slowly turning the handle and opening it
>the light on the other side is blinding as if you are looking directly into the sun a mere inches from you
>you cover your eyes with your hand and take a step out into the light
>soon your eyes adjust and you are standing in a vast empty void
"so.. im here again.."
>you look behind you the room you just exited now gone and more vast emptiness stretches on behind you 
>you take a breath and ready yourself for the inevitable..
>you close your eyes and soon you are barraged by thousands and thousands of voices
>you wince from the suddenness of the assault
>the voices flowing into your skull feels like a torrent of water crashing against a rock at high speed
>its uncomfortable to say the least
>you grip your head as the intensity picks up
>you dont even notice yourself falling onto the ground in pain
"AAAHHHHHHH!!"
>you feel yourself screaming but you cant hear it from all the other voices ringing in your skull
>it seems unending, you feel as though days have passed but you have no way of telling
>then suddenly... they stop..
>your scream is the only noise left in your ears and you bring that to an end too
>"heh, is life such a discomfort for you?"
>you flinch at the sound of a new voice
>will they start up again?
>"Get up."
>you feel something kick your side and you struggle to get to your feet
>"i would have thought the creature that ordered my death would be a bit more.. well.. more."
>you look to the direction of the voice and you see a tall white unicorn with a three toned blue mane
>you feel the same chill as when you saw copper again..
>"i see you remember me.. how nice of you.."
"Shining Armor?.."
>the stallion gives you an aggressive snort
>"yeah, in the flesh.. or as close as i can be, thanks to you."
>you begin to laugh to yourself
>this is insanity... you must be crazy.
>suddenly you feel the burn on your face flare up again, just like it used to
"Ah! fuck."
>you hold your face and look to the horse
>he has a prideful smile on his face as he sees your pain
>"im glad my last gift to you is still here."
"you know, i always expected you to be a lot more.. forgiving than you are."
>your face burns again and then a hoof connects with your face
>"OH im sorry! oh yeah I forgive YOU.. for everything!"
>shining armor takes an aggressive stance an his horn glows again
>"yeah! i forgive YOU for killing me. i forgive YOU for fucking my wife!"
>you are lifted into the air and slammed back down into the ground by his magical grip 
>"and of course i forgive you for all that innocent blood you spilled! yeah consider all that just water under the bridge! buddy!"
>you cough and force yourself up
>why does this all hurt so much? shouldnt you not feel pain in dreams?
>you laugh to yourself
>this horse is rather pissed at you.
"hey.. if it makes you feel better.. least you dont have to worry about being a father anymore, or should i have said yet?"
>you look up to him as he charges into you with his full force his horn impaling you in the chest
>the pain is indescribable, but you dont worry about it much anymore..
>you know you cant die here.. not in this world.
>you take a step back and watch as the hole heals itself up
"i deserved that one.."
>"you deserve a lot more!"
>he might be right about that.
>you punch his jaw then tackle him to the ground and you reach for your sidearm
>to your surprise its actually there, and you shove the barrel to his gut and pull the trigger till its empty
>shining armor screams in pain and coughs up pools of blood before he too begins to heal up
"this is pointless.."
>you get off of him and take a few steps back
>"fuck you.. you are the most evil being ive ever met.."
"im not evil shining armor. i just have a path that crosses and opposes your own."
>he staggers to his hooves and looks at you anger still filling his eyes
>you both are breathing heavy from your short and very painful greetings to each other
"are we done here? nothing we do to one another here will matter.."
>you point the gun to your hand and pull the trigger
>you never reloaded it but it still fires putting a large hole in your hand
>you hold it up as it slowly heals itself for Armor to see
"see? nothing we do to hurt or kill the other will matter."
>>"he is right you know"
>both you and armor look over to the new voice.
>Discord sits on his little living room set eating popcorn 
>>"nothing here really matters. its quite boring honestly."
"oh great, you're here too?"
>>"oh yes. ive been here for a while. and by here in mean 'here' "
>you see his arm appear next to you and tap your head 
>>"a mind without sleep is very unorganized and chaotic.."
>you slap the arm away as it fizzes into nothing then grows back on discord
>"i should have known a beast like you would be working with a monster like Discord."
>you give Armor a glare
"yeah, well think again, im not working with or for this guy he is the embodiment of everything im trying to remove"
>>"oh yes you are doing SUCH a great job of that too by the way... how much war and strife happened before you got here? or how much was supposed to?"
>you dont answer and just look at him
>>"exactly. you are far more chaotic than i ever was... but that was by choice."
>Discord snaps his fingers and the popcorn poofs away
>>"oh and by the by, how do you like my little gift to you?"
"what gift?.."
>He laughs
>>"oh you know, the little visions. the seeing things that arnt there. that stuff"
>his smile grows wide and he laughs
>>"when someone doesnt sleep their mind is SOO easy to manipulate. yours was a bit harder sure.. but i can still work my magic."
"as can i..."
>you close your eyes and imagine your paradise you have promised your ponies
>you imagine the gates to Valhalla
>you open your eyes and you, Discord, and Shining Armor look to be flying in place
>or rather the ground is moving beneath you
>you feel wind on your face as you get closer and closer to the large buildings in the distance
>suddenly everything stops moving and the three of you are standing before the large silver gates
>the walls floating over the nothingness below yet still preventing the entrance of anyone unworthy 
>on the other side you can see mountains that pierce the sky, and green hills rolling in the distance
>buildings of the most precious metals and some of the humblest of wood you feel a warmth coming from the gates as you approach 
>"so, this is the place you have promised your followers.."
>Shinning armor looks to the large walls and all their intricate details as he follows you up the steps
>you are the first to reach the final steps
>gently you place your hands on the wall feeling its smooth surface
"The great gates of valhalla.. the great paradise awaiting the faithful, the noble, and the fallen."
>>"well, are you going to show us inside?.."
>you glare back at Discord
"you will never set foot inside this holy place. its a paradise earned! not given."
>you look to armor
"this is your stop shining.. you died.. this is your reward.. for your sacrifice"
>Shinning scoffs 
>"why would i want to enter here? for all i know this could be the gates of tartarus in disguise"
"then that decision is yours.. but you are awaited inside.."
>you walk him to the gate and push it open only slightly
>he takes a skeptical look inside
>on the other side are lines of fallen warriors holding their weapons high awaiting his entrance
>you yourself dont look inside, you havnt died
>and you will not be temped to enter unworthy 
"you are awaited"
>you turn your back to the paradise behind you and slowly descend the steps
"and i am not, not yet"
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings
>its been a few minutes since you put manos to sleep
>Aryanne stayed behind to personally guard him while you were escorted to the war room
>the black hand open the door and takes a step back for you to enter
>"right in here commander.."
>as you walk by he gives you seig heil and slowly closes the door
>the other ponies in the room take a second of their time to look over to you and give a sieg heil 
>"HEIL MANOS!"
>you look around the room, the pure energy of it is a little staggering
>piles and piles of documents, a large map with hundreds of little models and detailed plans, walls of maps, graphs, and lists hang about
>Cadence walks up to you from her position in the center of the room
>"Lyra, since you are Manos' Hand you are my superior. but manos himself put me in charge of this operation until he returns.. i hope you will understand."
>you nod your head
"yes, of course. please carry on, im not one for warfare but i want to know exactly what is going on as its happening."
>Cadence gives you a nod then walks you over to the map
>she places her hoof on the city of Ponyville
>"as of now we have no control over the city, all forces we have that are able are held up in Castle Manos"
>she slides the models to the castle then taps the city center
"we dont know the numbers we will be facing but we know they are great, the city was lost in less than a hour."
>a Unicorn Stallion walks over to the table and places a few new models next to canterlot
>>"and we have just received word that the princesses have amassed an army and are already marching to take the city"
"well thats good then! they might be able to save the ponies before we even arrive"
>the hand and Cadence look to one another 
>then Cadence speaks 
>"knowing my auntie like i do.. she wont be willing to give it back to manos and the ponies, she will most likely use this as an excuse to take power from manos and the rest of us"
 
>You are Officer Cadence 
>Lyra wont understand.. how could she? she was never in a high political station
>not like you and your aunts 
>sometimes things needed to be done to keep face with the ponies
"most likely she will take back the city, say he is incapable of protecting the ponies or something similar, then take control of the city back... and if manos tries to argue or fight back it will only make himself look worse.."
>you look to Lyra
"its been done a few times before.. and she is really good at it."
>Lyra looks a little more worried about the situation you all are in
>perhaps she realizes how serious this whole thing is
>"we will worry about that later. whats important is that we get there and save those ponies."
"understood ma'am.."
>Lyra looks back to the door
>"i have to go.. i also have orders from manos.."
"speaking of manos.. what happened to him?"
>your voice came off a little more worried than you would have liked
>a small smile comes to Lyras face as she recognizes your concern
>"he is resting.. nothing to worry about."
>you calm down a bit 
>you didnt notice how much your heart was racing once you started to think about manos again
"alright.. odd time to rest.."
>"well he seems to have been putting it off for too long, i promise ill tell you more once he awakens"
>Lyra exits the room leaving the operation to you
 
>you are Manos
>behind you is the glorious paradise you so desperately desire
>but you cannot enter yet, you're still alive, and you still have too much work to do
>you notice your footsteps are the only sounds you can hear in this empty void
"Discord?"
>you look back to the stairway
>both the great walls of Valhalla and the steps are gone
>discord is no where to be seen.
>you are finally alone..
>or are you?
>you continue to walk along the vast empty world
>a blank canvas for you to create worlds
>you close your eyes and imagine
>you imagine the void as a large desert with rolling sands
>you imagine a beautiful night sky with nothing obstructing your view of the stars and galaxies above
>you slowly open your eyes and before you in the scene you pictured
>you feel the cool air of the desert night and the dry winds
>you smell the sand and the dirt that is flying in the air 
>and you hear... silence 
>you look up to the sky and admire the stars and planets of worlds far away
>only one thing is missing from the perfect scene above
>only one last piece to find to perfect the heavens 
>you start to walk across the desert sands in search for it
"she has always looked for me.. now its my turn.."
>you will find the moon.
 
>You are Aryanne
>you look to the clock on the wall
>time could not be going any slower
>its only been two hours since manos 'went to sleep' 
>and the first few minutes he was struggling and moving in rapid motions
>then suddenly he just stopped.
>you look over to the still body on the bed
>you dont even notice yourself walking to his side
>you place your hoof on his still hand as you take a seat next to him
"please be ok when you awake.. we need your leadership"
>suddenly the door opens and you jump to your hooves 
>you relax once you see its Lyra
>"is he any better?"
"yes.. he has calmed down.. knock next time, you nearly scared me to death"
>Lyra chuckles as she closes the door quietly behind her
 
>you are Silver Valor
>and you and the first wave have made it to the city
"I want that block captured by the end of the night!"
>you point your hoof in direction of the end of the street
>>"yes ma'am!"
>a squad of royal guards slowly advance the streets making sure to check their sides and the skies
>once they get about half way down the street they are barraged by arrow fire and javelins 
>"pull back get behind cover"
>this city has way to many alleyways and choke points
"this is going to be a rough fight.."
>"Captain!"
>you turn your head to one of your recon pegasi
"where is the rest of your squad?"
>the pegasi is battered and bloody, you already know the answer before he gives it
"all over the streets.. and in the bellies of those damned beasts."
>you curse under your breath
>all of your messengers and recon squads are just picked off
>either by arrow fire or by any griffon fast enough to catch them
"well.. whats your report?"
>"the griffons have gathered and fortified one of the larger buildings in the square.. unfortunately that was a armory.."
>you face hoof
"so what you are saying is?"
>"they will have more than enough weapons and arrows to keep us held back.. we will need more forces or a better plan of attack"
"damn it.."
>>"CAPTAIN! we have incoming pegasi"
>you look to the skies and see around twenty or thirty pegasi in black come to a landing near the edge of town
>you look to the recon pegasi
"have those ponies brought to me. they should at least be informed of whats happening here.."
>"yes captain."
"and stay on secured paths! dont take to the sky unless its absolutely unavoidable!"
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you and your new command of black hand pegasi are the first to make to to ponyville
>you were lucky enough to be given the fastest fliers, but even they had to struggle to keep up with you
>"commander! the city seems to be occupied by both Griffon and equestrian forces"
"i can see that, follow me were going in for a quick landing! no need to fly into a storm if we can help it"
>you and your wings make a landing in front of a group of battered royal troops
>"halt, what is your unit?"
>you ignore the pony and walk to the pegasi approaching you
>"are you black hands?"
"yes. im commander Rainbow Dash of Manos' personal guard and this is my pegasi air wing"
>you motion to the other twenty or so pegasi in black uniforms behind you
>they are all looking to the sky or to the battered guards
"what is the situation here?"
 
>you are Manos
>your eyes are constantly looking to the sky for any sign of the moon
"i have no idea if this will even work.."
>there is a few strands of nebulae in the sky all seeming to stem from one point far in the distance
>you focus on that one point and you can feel the ground beneath you moving again
>much like when you imagined going to Valhalla
>the world flows around you and you feel like you are moving a million miles without taking a step
>you take a single step and you are standing before a rip in the world
>you are close enough to see the stands leaving from the hole in existence
>at a closer inspection you see thousands and thousands of lives
>you take a step inside the tear
"i hope this is what i think it is.."
>you feel your body being pulled from your mental world and into another
>at first it feels like a cold wind flowing through your body and sucking out the air n your lungs
>but as soon as you take notice the feeling is gone
>you fall to your knees and gasp for air for a few moments before looking up from the ground
>all around you are swirling vortexes and long paths going out across a large landscape 
"hello?"
>your voice echos out for what seems to be miles
>then you hear a response
>hundreds of whispers all saying the same thing "hello?" 
>you stand up slowly and begin to walk
>the ground feels uneven.. and.. not solid.
>you come to a stop and look down at your path
>the path below you is like a river of clouds and stars each being fueled by little stands going down into the land below
"what am i walking on?.."
>you kneel down and feel the substance 
>as your hand makes contact you can see yourself flowing into the streams
>"you are walking on dreams Manos.. be careful where you step.."
>you look over your shoulder
>standing there is the missing piece of your sky the final part.
>the moon.
>Luna stands tall over you, her wings extended revealing a thousand nightmares being pulled from dreams of sleeping ponies
"its been a while hasnt it luna?"
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you are on your way to meet with the commander of the Royal troops in the city
>you walk down the streets with your ponies following close behind
>"the captain is right down the road here.. she should be inside that warehouse there"
>the pegasi extends a hoof to a reinforced building with royal guards
"thank you.. we can make it on our own from here."
>the pegasi nods and slowly walks off to a nearby medical station
>you happen to get a look inside as he walks in the door
>there are ponies covered in blood and medics running back and forth trying to save as many lives as they can
>you dont look for long, and continue your walk to the building 
>you were told the skies were unsafe due to so many griffon archers and fliers in the area
>we will see how long THAT lasts now that you and your troop are here.
>as you get close to the building the guards give you a quick look over and step aside allowing you to enter
>you walk inside slowly the sounds of rushing hooves and papers filling the room
"im looking for a Silver Valor"
>a earth pony in a runners uniform shouts from his chair
>"she is on the third floor third room from the left!"
>you give him a nod and begin your search for the room
>despite the chaos in the building it was easy enough to find
>you slowly push open the door and step inside
"Captain Valor?"
>Silver Valor looks up from her table and over to you
>"ah so you must be the ponies that landed near our little city"
"it not your city its ours, those of us who grew up here, and those who made this place their home.. not the guards"
>Silver laughs calmly to herself 
>"easy girl, you know what i meant. besides, i have no issue with the hands in fact i was there to see you rise"
>silver valor pulls out a small card with manos' mark on it then puts it back i her bag
>"i know that little paper doesnt mean anything anymore.. but it used to mean the world to ponies.."
"so you are with us?"
>"if by us you mean ponies? then yes"
"alright.."
>you take a few steps inside and close the door behind you
"whats the situation? the more i know the more lives i can save.'
>"well then i hope you know more than i do.."
>Silver Valor sighs before continuing 
>"all i know for sure is that they are held up mostly in the center of town.. much like how we were during the riots."
>she taps the map
"that place is what connects this whole city together every main street passes through there. its the most critical location in this city."
>"exactly.. and whats worse is anytime we try to get close we get swarmed from all sides. like they know where we are"
"griffons hidden in the clouds perhaps?"
>"that is very likely, but we cant send enough pegasi up there to root them out! whenever we get close we get shredded by arrow fire"
"so what you're saying is... its bad here."
>the two of you share a small laugh at the bit of humor
>"yeah.. its bad here. my current orders are to hold until more reinforcements arrive."
"what do you have coming in for support?"
>"last i saw in canterlot we had a whole army waiting to move out. so.. it could be anything."
>thats good to know.
"alright.. what about the forest?"
>"what about it?"
"have you done any scouting there?"
>Silver shakes her head
>"no, our orders are just about the security of the city. nothing else."
>theres a possibility that black hands are held up in the castle
>that COULD be enough support to help take back a part of the city
"alright, my team and i will be moving out."
>"and doing what?"
"im afraid ill have to keep that to myself for now. if everything goes however.. this city might be freed sooner than later."
 
>you are manos
>luna takes a few steps forward and seems to be conflicted on what to say
>"manos, we have heard little from you. however what we have heard ABOUT you has given us much to think about."
"and i assume you have heard all of this from Celestia and her sources yes?"
>"of course. they are the most reliable sources and dear sister would never lie to us."
>you stand up and wipe your hands clean
"then what has she told you? perhaps you would honor me with a chance to defend any accusations?"
>for a moment luna is silent, perhaps judging whether or not to ask
>"is it true you have declared that the crystal kingdom is now your own empire?"
"of course. that is no secret."
>you look back to the dreams letting your eyes wander from one to the next
"its a new beginning for pony-kind, its our new Reich"
>as the word 'Reich' leaves you lips hundreds and hundreds of whispers repeat the word
>then dreams from the paths lift up and open letting you both see them clearly
>in the dreams ponies stand together in uniforms marching proudly 
>each of them marching under your banner proud smiles on each of their faces
>>"heil Reich! heil manos!"
>the sounds repeat "heil Reich!" "heil manos" over and over
>more and more dreams open up all of them similar to the first
"and it seems your ponies have the same desire as i.. they want to be proud of thier kind.."
>you look back to Luna
>she seems unfazed, of course she would have already seen those dreams long before you.
>"and what of Equestria?.. what would happen to it?"
>that is a harder question.
"Equestria.. Equestria would eventually become one with us. all of pony-kind united under this one banner-"
>luna cuts you off
>"your banner. correct?"
>you take a moment to let her words linger
"no, not my banner. our banner. it may be my hand on the flags, but its the hopes and dreams of the ponies that make it important."
>"and after that. what of equestrias history? will it just be shrouded in mystery and forgotten?"
"of course not, why would that even come to your mind?"
>...
"heh has celestia convinced you of that too?"
>you feel a slight tugging at the back of your mind
>as if you are trying to be pulled away
>luna notices your discomfort 
>"its dangerous for you to be outside your own dreams for too long manos."
>she smiles as she grabs you with her magic slowly moving you back to your own dreams
>"you are not accustomed to as like i am"
>as she finishes her words she drops you
>the world above slowly disappears into the distance 
>you feel yourself falling then suddenly you are still
>no pain, no impact
>you sit up, apparently you were laying down..
>you turn your head back to the opening in the dreamworld 
>the one you previously walked into.
"well.. i guess i wasnt as welcomed as i thought."
>you pick yourself up and begin to wait.
>you can feel yourself waking up.
>you feel yourself suddenly becoming heavier 
>you never noticed how weightless you were in the dream world
>you slowly open your eyes to see two sleeping ponies at your bedsides
>on one side is Lyra her head on your hand breathing softly
>the other is Aryanne, her hooves on your hand
"i see i was given good company during my rest.."
>the ponies dont hear you
>you look to the clock the time is a few minutes past midnight 
>you do your best to get out of bed without waking your slumbering 'guards'
>you place your hand on your sidearm making sure its still there
>it is, you go to your desk and pick up the notes that copper... that you made.
>you walk to the doorway and slowly open it
>one look back to the ponies sleeping there is your momentary goodbye
>you close the door behind you 
"our time for our rise has finally come. and with my new designs.. this world will begin to see the light in our cause."
>the guards at the door ordered to guard you follow behind silent and listening to your words
"they will be indulged in the glory that is Valhalla"
>you look to your guards
"and i have seen its glory.. the place where all our ponies will rest in the afterlife.."
>you walk into your war room
>the motion in there comes to a sudden stop as everyone's eyes are now on you
>you speak calm and collected
"and Lo there do I see my father; Lo there do I see my mother"
>you look around to your ponies all curious to hear what you say
"i see my sisters and my brothers; Lo there do I see the line of our people, back to the beginning."
>you walk inside to the rooms center just above your maps 
"they call me, and you. they bid we take our places among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever."
>the room is still
>you place your new designs on the table in front of you 
"its time that we begin our new crusade. and what better way to begin one, then where it all started"
>you look at the map your eyes fixed on ponyville city
"Cadence.. i have new orders for you."
>Cadence steps forward the room still seemingly without motion or sound
>"what are they manos?"
>you tap the new designs on the table
"get these to Honor Bound, they will be the start of a new era of warfare. one that even the most powerful nation isnt ready for."
>cadence looks down to the papers
>unlike your usual scribbles they are intricate and precise, as if you sunk many hours into every line.
"while the rest of the world will wave and throw sticks.. we shall unleash lead and fury."
>you look to the rest of the ponies in the room 
"get me communications to all commanding ponies, i have their orders."
>one of the unicorn black hands in the room steps forward and lifts the communications crystals over to you
>around you are twelve or thirteen floating in the magical grip of the unicorn
"All units.. this is lord manos. stand by to receive orders. take no actions without approval from myself unless it is unavoidable"
>there is a moment of silence before a series of affirmatives return to you from the crystals
>lets play some war games...
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you and your unit have left the city and are taking a detour
>"commander.. where are we going? i dont see how this helps take back the city."
"you will follow orders, this place is my home dont doubt for a second! that im not going to save it!"
>the pegasi mare who questioned you recoils from your verbal thrashing 
>"sorry commander"
>you have been walking for about an hour now and you have finally reached your desired entry point
>you are in a unguarded edge of everfree forest
"follow me, and stay within wings distance from each other, we will have to take a short hike"
>>"yes commander. lead the way"
>"out of the city into the woods..." 
"and back again, dont you worry about that."
>>"All units.. this is lord manos. stand by to receive orders"
>you and your team stop your movement into the woods
>your plan might have to wait
 
>you are Manos
>first things first, the city will not be the same as in your maps.
>it will need to be updated, and quickly
"ill need a report from each location i am about to list off. you are to consider them hostile territory and be on guard"
>you wait for affirmatives from your commanders
"i want updated information on the outskirts of the city, block by block, including hostile and friendly presence."
>you move your finger down the map listing off each area section by section you need covered 
"ill also want constant updates on enemy movement and allied deployment of royal forces, if it help you to visualize them as hostiles then so be it, i want everything to be known to me."
>you look to everfree
"are there any units near everfree at this time?"
>there are a few negatives and some silence 
"then ill need--"
>"my command is just outside sir, what do you need?"
>rainbow dash? perhaps she already has an idea of what i need her to do
"i thought i told you to take back my skies commander?"
>"there was a bit of a change in plans, the skies are too well covered by griffon marksmen and speed fliers"
"then care to explain why you are there?"
>"yes sir, we were told there is a concentration of black hands and other resistance forces gathered in the castle.."
>that could be useful both in manpower and in a large intelligence update
"and you planned on linking up am i correct?"
>..
>"yes sir, that was the plan"
"carry on at your own digression."
>"yes sir."
>well thats one thing that seems to be going well
"alright commanders be ready to relay your current coordinates to me, do not list of yours until called."
>as you list off the names of your commanders, all thankfully recorded on a sheet in front of you, you notice a pattern 
"alright..."
>...
"do i have ANY forces besides my Rainbow air squadron not gathered in the same damn location?!?"
>a single voice comes over the coms 
>"sir our previous orders were to hold up at a forward base of operations and await further orders"
>then a few seconds later another voice speaks
>"actually sir, my command and i were separated from the rest because of an ambush, we took a few casualties but we are still in fighting condition"
"where is your current location?"
>you hear slight scrambling on the other end
>like the unfolding of a map
>"uh.. according to this sir. we are.. about a mile north of ponyville citys most eastern edge"
>you look over the map
"could you repeat that location commander?"
>a mile north of ponyvilles most eastern edge
"how the hell did you get there? who is this?"
>"uh, im-im Marble Sunset sir. our commander was killed in action and i was next in command."
>of course..
"alright Marble, stay in contact with me and keep me updated on your movements dont want you getting even more lost."
>"yes sir, we will await orders"
"to all other commanders, spread the forces out along the city, i want nothing getting in or out without our knowing it"
>>"yes lord! Heil manos, heil the Reich!"
>you motion for all the crystals to be returned to their previous operators besides the one lost division. 
"alright Marble, here are your movement orders."
 
>you are Marble Sunset
>and thanks to a griffon attack you are now a commander.. 
>you were not ready for your sudden promotion
>"ill need you to move south, as of right now, SOMEHOW, you and your unit are on the opposite side of ponyville."
>you look at the map again
>were you really that far away from support?
>"so since you are effectively out of this engagement i have a special Op for you."
>your commander died right in front of you
>you are off course and separated from backup 
>suddenly you are placed in command of you and your friends
>THEN your simple mission to link up became a special Ops!
>no pressure right?!
"L-lord, im worried, i dont think im ready for this"
>Manos snaps back over the coms
>"im giving you an order, ill determine if you are ready or not. understood?"
>you jump slightly from the sudden response 
"yes lord, i apologize."
>"alright, now take a moment to breathe. thats an order."
>you take a few calming breaths and regulate your nerves 
>"alright, now you will be taking a position behind the royal forces.."
>the royal forces? why?
>"here are your next movement coordinates mark as alpha bravo and charlie in that order."
"understood sir"
>manos lists off a few locations in a trail that leads to the main roads behind the royal forces
>"once you arrive at charlie you are to set up for observation a-firm?"
"yes lord. understood"
>you look up from the map to your new command
"alright everypony, we have new orders."
>"what are they sir?"
>a earth pony mare steps forward
>you cant quite remember her name..
"we are to follow this set path."
>you hold the map so she can see
"and then we are to take up observation points here.."
>she looks over the position
>"but.. but dont we already have that location secured? that area is completely controlled by the royal guard"
>thats what you thought too.
"those are our orders.. Lord Manos must know something we dont."
>the mare nods and looks back to the rest of the unit
>you do the same
"alright laides and gentlecolts. lets get moving. we have a observation post to setup."
 
>you are Manos
>you cant trust Celestias forces in this fight.
>on paper your nation and hers are at peace
>but unfortunately paper treaties will only go so far, and eventually the paper will rip"
"alright everyone. i want round the clock updates. everything will be recorded at all times, if Rainbow Dash asks for any reinforcements give what we can, but keep our forces stationed where i ordered. have my unicorns ready for a barrage soon."
>"sir?.. are you going to attack our own city?"
>you look back as you leave the room
"as of yesterday that city was lost. and even if it becomes rubble i WILL take it back. dont carry out any attacks unless i directly order them"
>"yes sir"
>"Heil manos"
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>your unit is continuing into the woods.
>so far you have not made contact with anyone, pony or griffon.
>there is a dirt road ahead and a guard post that seems to be abandoned 
>you signal for your team to stop and get low
>you nod to the post and a pony slowly moves up staying covered by the shrubbery
>she gives a all clear and you continue to move up and investigate 
"search for anything useful. and keep an eye out for anything moving."
>"yes commander."
>as you get closer to the main building you can smell a familiar scent
"hey get over here and help me search this building"
>two of your pegasi get on your sides as you slowly open the doors
>the stench hits you before you can even see the room
>"UGH! whats that smell?"
>you know the smell
"death.."
>you open the door the rest of the way and inside are various bodies scattered across the room
"check those rooms stay close to one another, check for survivors"
>you take a quick note of the bodies
>there are several griffons piled up in here but most of the bodies are ponies.
>the hands definitely made sure to give as good as they got
>"this looks more like a feeding than an attack commander.. its disgusting"
>you agree, the griffons in here didnt even use many weapons, they preferred to claw and gouge the ponies
"we have seen enough, this area is cleared out, be on guard as we move closer to the castle"
>you look back once more as you exit the room
>you give a silent prayer to the fallen hands
"Valhalla awaits you.."
>you continue out into the woods
"follow the roads but dont travel on them, keep out of sight, you will live longer that way"
>like a pack of wolves you and your unit continue on into the woods. the scent of blood filling your noses
>the scent is getting stronger and stronger the closer you get to the castle
>"this smell cant be a good sign commander.."
"or a damn great one, now keep quiet until we get closer."
>there is a rustle in the bushes ahead of your unit and you all sink to the ground
>a battered and bloody pony is stumbling his way through to woods
>you can hear him mumbling
>he has large chucks of flesh hanging from his leg, and one of his eyes is far to bloody to still be there..
>its a very disturbing sight
>"commander orders?"
>the pony walks on closer and closer to your unit
>then there is another noise like flapping of large wings
>you look to the treeline just as two large griffins land on the pony
>the two start to toy with their captive
>"hahah.. he got a little further than we thought he would."
>>"not far enough though, whats wrong pony? couldn't find your friends out here?"
>"we already took care of that little hideaway"
>the pony mumbles more, to traumatized to actually function properly 
>you cant just stand by and watch
>you burst from the bushes and make impact on the larger bird
>your unit quickly responds by swiftly doing the same to the other griffin as well as support you on your attack on the first
>your surprise advantage was enough to get the conflict over with swiftly
>unfortunately the pony you saved isnt even able to notice
>he is still just a mumbling wreck where he lays
"hey its ok youre safe."
>you turn your head to your medic
"medic, get over here and see what you can do"
>your medical stallion swiftly gallops to your side and inspects the pony
>he sighs and just shakes his head to you
>"to far gone, hes already dead, his body just doesnt know it yet"
>you do your best to comfort the pony as his body slowly goes limp
>you watch for a few more seconds then get a hold of yourself
"alright, leave the bodies.. we still have a mission"
>"yes commander."
>your unit slowly moves on but you take another look at the pony
>you dont know why, but you walk back to him and rip the patch off his uniform and place it in your pocket
>you look for another second or two then continue to move out
>the castle getting closer with every step you take
>one step closer to your objective
>one step closer to Valhalla.
 
>you are Marble Sunset
>you have finally made it to the location designated to you
"alright, here we are"
>you look around at the surrounding area 
>you are on a small overlook in a lightly forested area
>your unit start to slow to a stop
"orders were to set up a observation post."
>you take a minute to recall exactly what you are supposed to do..
"ok i want a small trench made long the overlook with foliage cover, keep all buildings small and easy to abandon in a moment"
>you look back to the road to see a group of royal guards marching down the road into the city
"i guess im supposed to observe the royals.."
>you take the best position you can find doing your best to stay unnoticed as you take out your journal
"god damn it, this would be so much easier if i was a unicorn"
>your position is rather uncomfortable but you can record everything as you see it
>and you are a faithful soldier 
>a solder doesn't question orders, he follows them.
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>your unit has arrived at the outskirts of the castle
>bodies are laying around both pony and griffons 
>you slowly advance through the battlefield making sure to check each body for survivors 
"alright, lets move inside. you three keep guard outside make sure nothing comes in behind us"
>"yes commander"
"alright the rest of you follow me inside we still have our mission"
>you and your unit move in the castle each member keeping their eyes peeled for an ambush
>"commander, do you think anypony is still alive in here?"
>you dont acknowledge the question
>suddenly in the corner of the room there is a sudden noise of a weapon dropping 
>you quickly look to the direction of the noise
"spread out and converge at that position"
>some of your pagasi lift into the sky in the large room trying to get a better view
>as you get closer to the noise you start to see a silhouette of a pony
>"commander a survivor!"
"im commander rainbow dash of manos' black hands. identify yourself!"
>there is a silence 
"i repeat! identify yourself!"
>the pony crawls out of his hiding spot 
>>"keep your voice down!"
>what..?
"i am your commanding officer, you will not give me orders!"
>>"shut up! be quiet or they'll--"
>there is a scittering noise along the ceiling and a few of the walls then suddenly it stops
>>"oh fuck, oh fuck. no no. nonononono."
>the black hand quickly gets to his hooves and runs down the hall
"wait! get back here!"
>you take off in pursuit eventually taking flight to gain more speed
>you can hear your unit following behind you
>"commander!"
>you tackle the pony to the ground
>he struggles and fights you off of him
>>"get off of me! GET OFF!"
>you feel a sudden and sharp pain in your ribs as he finally gets free
>>"im not going to die here!"
>you watch the pony vanish into the dark halls as you slowly begin to pass out
>"commander?.. Commander?!.. the commander has been wounded! medic! MEDIC!"
 
>you are Manos
>the R&D labs have been thrown into overtime
>there are at least double the amount of scientists here as before
"honor bound must have called in everyone he could"
>thats good, more minds at work the faster things will get done
>"excuse me lord"
>you take a step to the side as a pony in a lab coat pushes a cart down the hall
"hold up a second."
>you approach the cart
>on it are a series of different crystals and metals
>you pick up one of the vibrant red crystals
>"ah! be careful with that one lord its very unstable."
"what does it do?"
>"well, as for what it DOES, it explodes violently when enough force is applied. but as for what we are doing with it there are several things"
>the scientists smiles at you with a look that says 'please ask'
"which are?"
>"IM GLAD YOU ASKED!"
>great...
>he grabs the crystal with his magic and gently sets it back into its container
>"well since we started to study your 'engine' we found that it needs a fuel source, a combustible fuel source"
>he shows you all of the crystals he has on the cart
>"and each one of these are combustible. of course your design required a fluid well we have been modifying and creating one of our own!"
"one that doesnt require a liquid?"
>"nope! of course its in a very early development"
"are you on your way to test it?"
>"no, not until later in the evening. right now im off to find out which of these are most compatible with out design"
>you step aside to let him carry on in his work
"have honor bound keep me informed on this. id like to see how it progresses."
>"of course lord."
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>and you are unconscious
>or, you were.. you are waking up
>you are in a unlit room and it takes your eyes a while to adjust
>there are ponies all around you
>"commander youre awake! get up we need to get moving!"
"where are we?.. what happened?..."
>>"get moving! we need to go now!"
>you feel yourself being lifted
>"i heard you the first time you damned bird! we are not leaving our commander"
>>"fine bet get inside the room quickly! i dont know how much time we have!"
>before you register whats going on a large griffon and two black hands are carrying you into a smaller and more lit room
>you are placed on a makeshift bed inside the room
>your eyes are having issue making out whats inside but from the looks of it there are a number of both ponies and griffons inside
>most of the occupants are civilians that gathered here once the attack started
>at least thats what you assume
"whats going on.. why are there griffons in here?"
>you slowly get to your hooves
>a black hand from your unit supports you
>"dont push yourself commander. we can explain everything."
>>"if we dont all die first, thanks to you insolent hands they know there are more of us alive in here!"
>"shut up you fucking chimera bastard, this whole situation is your kinds fault!"
>>"OUR KIND!? what the hell did we do?"
"enough! someone, explain this to me, NOW. as commanding officer and highest ranking black hand i am now in charge! tell me what has happened here.."
>the arguing stops and everyone in the room looks to you.
>"commander.. remember when manos has us move everything out to the crystal kingdom?"
"yes."
>"well they cut a few corners it turns out, and not.. everything was taken or destroyed.."
"what do you mean?"
>"well either they didnt know, or didnt care, but apparently they left a"
>the griffon takes a few steps forward and jabs a talon at you
>>"YOUR superiors decided to leave behind what is now a BIG nest of changelings behind."
>the black hand who was interrupted glares at the griffon and then continues
>"OR they didnt know about it. it was no secret that one of our more.. notable.. leaders did a few things we wish we could take back"
>the mare then looks to you with a much softer face than the griffon
>"they might have just not known that he had another secret experiment set up here, it was in a top security area"
>she then looks back to the bird
>"which would have been sealed away and contained if YOU birds didnt decide to try and loot the fucking place when you attacked!'
>>"how were we supposed to know that you bat shit insane ponies would be storing a whole nest of changelings?!"
"ENOUGH!"
>you look to the griffon
"who is your commander here?"
>he remains silent and looks to the other remaining griffons
>there is only a handful of them in the room
>>"i guess that would be me. all our officers were killed."
>you look him dead in the eyes
"if thats the case I am the highest ranking officer here. I will be in command here."
>he scoffs
>>"yeah ok, let you take command? you will just turn on us the moment you see fit, or waste us right now."
>the other ponies in the room, especially the civilians look nervous.
>you take notice of the amount of innocent ponies in the room with you
>most of them are still children
>and children wouldnt have a chance without everyone here helping to get them out
>you sigh, as much as you hate it.. you will have to work with those birds..
"if we get out of here and complete this mission, i will let you all return to your own kind unharmed."
>the griffon just looks you in the eyes
>searching for any form of deceit
>>"what is this mission?"
>its one that has just changed..
"we need to eliminate that nest.."
 
>you are marble sunset
"hey.. heyheyhey!"
>you tap the pony next to you who very professionally.. fell asleep on recon duty.
>he shakes his head and wakes up
>"yeah what is it?"
>you point a hoof to the road
>exiting the city is a group of ponies in black coats 
>they are surrounded by royal guards and in different restraints 
"what do you think thats about?"
>the stallion looks through his binoculars
>"well.. it looks like.."
>you see him trying to look closer by extending his neck 
>"thats a group of gestapo!"
"what?"
>"yeah! i can tell! i got a glimpse of the patch on the neck of that front one!"
>you grab the binoculars from him and take a look for yourself
>sure enough on the front of one of the ponies coats is a mark of the gestapo
"what are they doing taking them away like that?"
>"i thought we were on the same side, damned royals, no wonder equestria is so low on the food chain."
"too busy tearing ourselves apart"
>you observe their movement for a bit longer
>one of the royal guards walk up to a gestapo member and they talk
>you try to get a better view.
>you nearly drop your binoculars when you notice the gestapo the guard is talking to isnt in restraints
>in fact he seems to be getting along well with the guard and continues to point to the others in restraints
>you see one of the gestapo on chains spit at him and the guard
>its not long before he is 'punished' for his action
>you set down the binoculars and record everything you have just seen.
>in as much detail as you can
>"sir?"
"take those and describe EVERYTHING you can to me"
>the stallion looks over the scene
>"sir?"
"yes?"
>"arnt we going to help them?"
"just describe whats going on soldier.."
>there is a uneasy silence between the two of you
>"yes sir.."
>your orders were to do recon, and not to engage.
>orders are orders.
>you whisper to yourself so the other pony cant hear you
"im sorry brothers.."
>besides the sounds of the pony next to you describing the scene the rest of the world seems quiet
>you are completely focused on your mission
>is this what being a solder is really like...
>not a few hours ago you were nervous and afraid, worried you were not fit for commanding a unit
>now you dont care about your previous thoughts and your mind is centered
>you look up from your notes and you see the group of captives and guards leaving
>the stallion next to you sets down his binoculars
>"we should have done something.."
>you close the journal and place it in your bag
>he looks over to you
>"why didnt we? if we all went in we could have rescued them."
>you settle into your spot again trying to make it more comfortable 
>you hear a sigh from the stallion as he gives up on his questioning 
>sometimes you dont get answers to the questions you want
>and sometimes you shouldnt be asking the questions
>this is one of those two times, youre just not sure which one it is.
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>after a quick headcount you see you are down three pegasi from your unit
>but you have now a slightly larger force from taking command of the Black Hands here
"ah, my side hurts"
>you place a hoof over your now bandaged sides
>to your dismay that only makes it hurt more and you quickly pull it back
"alright.. where exactly is this nest located?"
>the griffon from before whose name you have learned is Odysseus points at the door
>"its right at the end of the hall."
"that seems a little close dont you think?"
>"saying it out loud definitely makes it sound that way, but it really isnt"
>he walks over to a wooden table and scratches a very crude map of the R&D wing
>you can only barely tell its even a map
>"this large doorway here is the only way in or out of that area, the nest is somewhere inside"
>a black hand in a R&D uniform keeps looking over to you from behind the griffon
>he never speaks up and instead lets the bird explain the way there
>but you can tell he has his own idea
>"it would either be in here, the main storage area that we initially opened. when we.. liberated this place."
>he scratches an X on the room
>"or it would be in the larger room attached to it just on the opposite side"
"alright, give me a few minutes i need to get this wound checked on."
>"alright, but make it quick the sooner we do this the sooner we can leave"
>you walk away from the griffon and walk to one of your medics
>you notice the R&D unicorn from before walks behind you and takes a spot next to you as you get your wound checked
>>"commander Rainbow Dash."
>you wince at the discomfort from the medic removing the old bandages and tightly applying new ones
"yeah."
>>"you dont really plan on destroying this nest do you?"
"of course i do, why wouldnt i?"
>the unicorn looks to the medic and wait for him to finish his work
>>"this nest, while crude and violent, could be a great boon to our research on the changelings"
"why would you want to study these ones? what makes them so special"
>>"absolutely nothing, besides the fact they somehow have made a nest without a queen present."
>that is rather odd..
>>"we always thought a queen was necessary for a nest or hive, otherwise they would just be to chaotic to get much done"
>the scientist looks over to the griffons
>>"but it seems they arent, and id like to find out why."
"what would you do then? if you were in charge."
>the unicorn chuckles
>>"id simply seal the door and come back with a science team for later study"
"and you dont think sealing the door would be simple?"
>>"its closing a door commander. the only thing you would need is a distraction to keep them occupied while the door closes"
>he nods to the griffons 
>>"it would be a shame if they got bad orders and the door was sealed behind them, wouldnt you agree?"
 
>you are Manos
>you continue your walk down the R&D laboratories
>as you pass each room you take a glance inside
>both to look for Honor Bound and to see what new studies are being done
>most of the rooms are just ponies looking over files and papers scribbling scientific data
>but there are a few that catch your eye
>one room had a few ponies replicating ammunition for the weapons you currently have
>a few other rooms had ponies trying to build a copy of the vehicle you brought back
>they are getting pretty close, but they dont have a working engine yet so its just a pile of metal on wheels
>finally you find Honor Bound
>he and cadence are looking over the designs you recently made
>both the new weapon and the plans to adapt the older ones to ponies
"how is everything shaping up Honor Bound?"
>the two ponies turn to you
>"Lord manos"
>Honor Bound bows his head 
>"everything is going smoothly, however i have a few questions about you new designs"
"go ahead and ask"
>you walk inside and take a look at the collected designs both yours and other scientists
>"this new weapon.. the ammunition used in it seems like it would be different from that we currently have replicated."
"yes, it uses a different ammunition, it would be very similar to the smaller ones you have studied but a few changes. it shouldnt be too hard for your scientists to figure out"
>"i will have a team start research and development immediately. the sooner we have this new weapon the better."
>you look over to Cadence
"and while i have you here Cadence, ive been meaning to ask you something, what have you been doing with my little pet queen?"
>Cadence smiles a little proud of herself
>>"as of a few days ago she has been assisting me with keeping changelings in our camps orderly, its rather amazing how those little parasites can suddenly become perfect laborers"
>you dont look nearly as excited as she seems to be
"you really think thats a good idea?"
>Cadence smiles and walks to your side
>"dont worry about it Manos, i have her under control. if anything starts to go wrong ill put a stop to it."
"if anything goes wrong Cadence, it will go very wrong. keep her on a tight leash, but make sure she thinks we are in the right."
>you turn your attention back to Honor
"i heard you have a test coming up for a new engine?"
>>"yes Lord, we have a few trials to run and we need to decide on an effective power source but if everything goes well then we should be able to produce them quite easily"
"just be sure they can me manufactured soon, the longer this takes the harder it will be for us to make effective use of them."
>you stand up and look to your designs
"everything needs to be ready soon. war is already here, and we cannot afford to lose anything"
>speaking of war, perhaps you already have a weapon to use in the front..
>one that is older than warfare itself, but still as effective as it was when it was created.
"if you two will excuse me, i could only spare a few moments here. there is still a battle going on"
>"of course lord. and dont worry about our projects here, i can assure you. everything will be up and running soon sir."
>you give Honor Bound a look
>a 'dont make promises you're not sure you can keep' look
>>"and ill be sure to keep that bug in line Manos, dont worry. you can trust me."
"if you two insist. i leave this to you then, but i expect to hear good news on that engine soon."
>they give you a sieg heil and you leave the labs
>time for another change to warfare in this little world
 
>you are Aryanne
>you wake up with your head on Manos' bed
>as soon as your eyes open you notice something is different
>you look to the bed
"MANOS IS GONE!"
>the sound of your shout makes Lyra awake and fall from her spot onto the floor
>she quickly gets back up and looks at you and the bed
>"WHAT where did he go?! and why didnt he wake us up?!"
"i dont know!"
>why are the two of you yelling anyway?
>you stand up and check the room
>everything seems to be fine, besides the absent Manos.
"you think he got enough sleep?"
>Lyra shrugs
>"he might have, but any amount of sleep would have helped at this point. he might be feeling fine now"
"even if he is feeling fine again, we should find him."
>you are his personal guard, and that does require you to know where he is
"come on lets check the war room first, i have a feeling he might be there."
>the two of you leave the dark bedroom
 
>you are Manos
>you walk down the streets of your Reich.
>many ponies give you sieg heils, which you return with a smile and a nod
>this sudden war will be hard on them, ponies are just not used to warfare... yet
>you take a moment to look up at the large castle in front of you
>it seems odd that you have been inside and out so many times but you never really looked at it
>the large towers of crystal reach to pierce the skies
>the large banners of red clearly visible even in the furthest of locations, demanding the attention of anyone who looks
>your marks, your banner, your Reich.
"this little kingdom is just the beginning.."
>now is not the time for day dreaming
>you enter your castle and make your way back to your war room.
>there is a battle going on, and every edge you can get is necessary.
 
>you are Aryanne 
>Lyra walks next to you as the two of you make your way to find Manos
>every Black Hand you pass gives you a salute 
>its not very often that the two highest ranking ponies are seen together.
>well.. until recently
>as you walk you check every hall and room you pass just in case manos might be inside
"i cant believe he didnt wake us up"
>"its not like he cant take care of himself."
"you saw how he was acting before. how do we know he has had enough rest? what if he is chasing ghosts?"
>Lyra doesnt seem to share your concern and just shrugs
>"I have faith that manos will be fine. he has survived much worse than a few days without sleep."
>thats true.. but still, his safety is YOUR priority
>your thoughts are interrupted by Lyra tapping on your shoulder
>"there he is."
>you hurriedly look to the direction she is pointing 
>and sure enough there is Manos, walking down the halls escorted by several Black hands and a R&D pony
>you quickly check your uniform and snap to attention giving a sieg heil
"HEIL MANOS!"
>Lyra bows her head with a soft smile on her face
>Manos and his company come to a stop
>>"sleep well you two?"
>he returns with a small seig heil himself by raising his hand slightly above his shoulder
>>"i hope you are rested because we have a battle to win in Ponyville"
"Yes sir. lead the way."
>Manos' tall form slowly walks to your side and then moves to the direction of the war room
>you follow close behind the current ponies behind him giving you space as well as now protecting Lyra
>as he reaches the doors he waves over the R&D pony who hands him a small box
>>"thank you. let us get back to the task at hand. taking back the capital of our movement"
>the doors slowly open and the ponies inside all take a moment to look to the new arrivals
>once they see its Lord Manos they all give a sieg heil and most return to work while the organizers all gather for orders
>>"get me communications with all commanders."
>"yes lord!"
 
>You are Rainbow Dash
>so far the plan has gone well.
>you have made it down most of the hall to the final doors
>"alright pony."
>the large griffon takes a position next to you keeping low
>everyone here is nervous
>this will most likely be a one way trip for most of you
>"whats the final move?"
>your pegasi take positions around the last stretch to the large security door just a few yards away
>just beyond that door is the hive
>the hive that somehow was created without a queen
>the words from the Scientist keep repeating in your head
>"id like to find out why" "this nest could be a great boon to our research" "simply close the door with the griffons inside"
>the more you think about it the better the idea sounds
>how can you think that?! youre the element of Loyalty! and you made a promise to the griffons.
>the griffons.. those birds that have been destroying your home
>that killed that pony in the woods who was no threat
>he was already gone before they got to him.
>you look over to the griffon
"give me just a second."
>the bird gives you a glare
>"alright but hurry it up. the longer we wait the more likely we dont get out of here."
"yeah. i know."
>you crawl over to some of your own pegasi
>they all await your orders.
>"commander?"
"theres been a slight change in the plan.."
>you are loyalty and you made a promise that you intend to keep.
>a promise you made to yourself.. to the citizens of ponyville, to that pony in everfree, to manos
>You are Rainbow Dash. the Element of Loyalty.
>and now its time to prove it.
"here are your orders."
>you give the orders to your pegasi
>they all nod their heads with a determined look on their faces
>"as you command. heil manos"
"heil manos"
>you return to the griffon and his remaining force
>"get everything settled then?"
"yes everything is ready, here is the plan from this point onward."
>you motion for the griffons to come over and hear
"how much flying have you birds done recently?"
>the griffons look to one another before coming up with a quick estimation 
>"not much, we got here a few days ago so not since then."
"good that means you will be much faster than we are... what im going to ask you will depend on a lot of trust though."
>"and what are you asking?"
"im going to need you to go in first and create a distraction to pull most of the changelings away from the furthest door"
>you are quickly cut off by a few protesting griffons
>but the griffon you have been talking with previously stops them
>"enough!.. we will do it. she made a promise to get us out of here when this is over."
>he looks back to you
>"and i believe she will keep it."
"alright. so are you ready?"
 
>you are Manos
>you stand in the center of the room with the crystals all connected to various commanders 
>you nod your head to the ponies in the room signaling you are ready to begin
>"your connected lord. you have the attention of all active commanders in the field"
"my faithful ponies... today i have a message for you all."
 
>you are Marble sunset
>and Manos is speaking over the communications 
>"i have a message for you all.."
>you quickly and quietly move back to the campsite so the other ponies can hear
"silence everyone, manos is speaking to us all."
>the others make their way over to you and gather around the crystal
>"as you are all aware, ponyville is lost. but we will take her back."
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>and you can barely hear the muffled voice of manos coming from your bag
>its too quiet for anyone else to hear but you can hear it clearly
>"the griffons have taken lives of innocent ponies, of foals and elderly ponies."
>you listen in a bit getting a little distracted from the situation
>"they are monsters, they deserve no mercy. from us, or from anyone."
>you look to the door just as the griffons charge inside 
>as soon as they do there is a very loud wave of buzzing and clicks from the room
>soon to be followed by screams and the sounds of battle
>you and your ponies move in, standing just outside the room
>you can see the other door across the hall leading to the hive
>its clear, for the most part, and you get ready to move in on it
>you look back to your pegasi, then to the door again.
"im loyalty.."
>Manos' voice again comes to your attention
>"they have tortured and killed hundreds of your family and friends. and for what?.. for something as trival.. as greed."
>you hesitate
>"they are no better than the changelings in our camps.. no, in fact my ponies, they are far worse."
>you gently set your hoof back down and look to the door..
>"they killed for greed and fun, at least those beasts in our camps did it to survive."
 
>you are Marble Sunset
>you continue to listen to lord manos
>"but these griffons are not beasts, they can think, they can decide. just like we can."
>you look to your ponies and they have various looks on their face 
>some determined, others sad or just calmly listening.
>"and they decided to become monsters.. think about that.. they chose to kill, murder, and burn. for no reason other than a few bits."
>you look to see one of your ponies spit in disgust
>"some of you might be asking what we fight for.. to those i say look to ponyville. look to the once proud city. its in ruin! bodies litter the streets and fires still burn! we have innocent ponies trapped inside being tortured! thats why we fight!"
 
>you are Manos
"we fight for our own protection! because the world looks down on us! they see us as weak little creatures they can walk over without a fuss!"
>there are a few ponies in the room recording what you are saying 
>others continue to work just more determined than before
"they will learn otherwise. every day we grow stronger. with new weapons, new tactics, and the promise of Valhalla awaiting us."
>now that you have them wrapped into your speech its time to push it further
"but, there is another enemy besides the griffon that wish to prey on us. to keep us weak while they remain strong."
>though the ponies listening cannot see it, those in the room can.
>your face becomes more serious and determined as your eyes fall onto a letter waiting for you
>sealed with the royal mark
"The Royalists. the Sisters of the Sun and Moon..."
>you wait for a moment, before continuing
"for over a thousand years they have remained in power. now when a new way of life has been shown they suppress it, i myself have been arrested several times, accused of crimes, and have had been personally insulted by the sisters for what ive done. and what have i done my ponies? what crimes have i committed?"
>you take the letter and read over it
"well, i have a letter here.."
"a letter, from the sisters, for a request to become a equal ruler as them, and for equestria to be stabilized and have any conflicts come to an end, what is their response to this offer? denied.. 'Manos, my sister and I have discussed your proposal for your prince hood of equestria an continual ruling of the Crystal Kingdom. im afraid this cannot be accepted as we fear you have ulterior motives and a desire for world conquest which Princess Luna and myself cannot allow."
>you forcefully smash the letter down so those listening my hear.
"even after all we do. after a chance for peace for an equal distribution of power amongst us so that we cannot become more powerful than the others. i am denied. we.. and our Reich have been denied. to even go as far as to not refer to our Reich as its own nation.."
>you then look to the reports that you have been given from marble sunsets updates
"but thats not all the Royalists have done.. and, i wish this part wasnt true, because it leaves little options for me. i have, multiple reports.. and accounts from my own personal guards, as well as accusations from loyal guards that the princesses have been kidnapping, arresting, and torturing ponies who are associated with our Reich."
>you set down the reports and walk over to the maps
"she has already started a war with our small nation. in every sense of the word. she just hasnt declared it yet, so my ponies. here are my next orders... you are to enter the city, and remove all of our enemies. be they griffon.. or Royalists. we shall get our ponies back, we shall give the princesses the war they have already started..."
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you stand with your ponies just outside the room
>you can hear screams and pleas for help inside along with the noise of changelings biting and ripping apart the griffons inside
>then you hear the door slowly close with a loud clang
>"commander the door has been sealed shut"
>loyalty
"then lets head back, those ponies are still held up in that room waiting for the all clear"
>as you and your command start to walk away you can hear the voices of the griffons inside
>"you killed us!" "you damn pony traitors!!" 
>you calmly respond as you continue to walk
"i gave my loyalty to the Reich, and to manos, not to animals like you. heil manos"
>the others in your command all respond as one
>"Heil manos! heil the Reich!"
>walking back from the halls you notice something a little strange
>you cant quite tell what it is.
>"commander. now that the mission has been accomplished whats next?"
>you look to your pegasus ponies
"first we get back to those held up in this castle"
>you continue to walk as you speak
"we tell them the griffons and the changelings are taken care of and that any active military ponies still here are now under my command. we will search this castle from bottom to top for any survivors as well as clear out any changelings or griffons we might find."
>you happen to look down and see there is some changeling carapace stuck to your uniform
>you brush it off without a second thought
>"yes commander."
 
>you are manos
>and you have finished your speech to your black hands in the field.
>now come their next orders.
"to any able unicorns, this is your next mission. you are to amplify the sound of my voice coming from the crystals to be as loud as you can, i want the whole city to be echoing my words"
>there is a slight pause in actions in the room, mostly from curiosity 
>you look down to the map that has the current positions of your forces
"you should each be surrounding the city in a blockade. once you have the areas i have previously ordered properly secured you will being to amplify my voice and defend your positions until i give any further orders. is this clear?"
>a series of affirmatives are given
"let me know as soon as you are ready and able to proceed, Seig Heil"
>"SEIG HEIL!"
>you set down the crystal and look around the room.
"could someone please fetch Cadence for me? she will be needed for this next part."
 
>you are Cadence 
>even with the current situation in Ponyville the Changelings still need to be looked after.
>currently you are doing your daily routine of checking the output and removal rates of each of your camps
>you always get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever you see the removal rates.
>"Commander Cadence ma'am"
>you look up from your desk to see a Black Hand giving you a seig heil
>you look back to your desk and reports
"yes? what is it?"
>"Lord Manos has requested your presence in the war room. he said you are integral to the next phase in his current operation."
>you get up from your desk and look out to the main guard tower 
>from here you can barely see Queeny looking out over the camps with two Black Hands by her sides
>she makes the perfect guard.
>you see her gesture to a shack and soon there are several guards and changeling enforcers entering it
>they soon come out holding several changelings to the ground in the middle of the yard 
>from here you cant hear what is being said by the parasites
>but you dont care, this is your favorite part.
>"Cadence ma'am? are you ready to go?"
"yes yes, one moment. i just want to see these last few moments"
>just as you finish your comment a group of weaker and starving changelings are assembled in orderly rows
>if you concentrate you can hear Queeny's voice in the distance
>"you disgusting parasites have been hording contraband as well as slacking in your duties. you are unfit for labor in my camps!"
>you see her nod once to the enforcers in the yard
>soon they approach the changelings being held and start to rip chucks of their chitin off of them
>the high pitched screams fill the air from each chuck being removed.
"im starting to really like that queen.."
>you look back to the guard.
"alright, lets go. im sure im leaving this place in capable hooves."
 
>you are manos
>even if Cadence is not here you can begin this operation
"commanders are you ready?"
>"yes lord, everything is just how you asked, our unicorns are ready to amplify the communications"
"then the light is green. begin the spells."
>you wait for all of the correct signals to be given that the spells have been cast and are maintained by at least three able unicorns
"Griffon invaders.. this is lord manos."
 
>you are marble sunset.
>you are one of the few commanding ponies that are not part of this operation.
>you were told it would give away your position and make your current mission useless
>turns out that would have been the case
>in the distance you can hear the voice of manos
>"this is lord manos. you are unwelcome here. you are far away from home and cut off from any possible escape."
>this is strange
"what is he doing?.."
>"you are trapped in a land that is not your own. with no way of escaping. your commanders do not care if you return or not."
>you can see other ponies in your unit listening to manos' distant voice
>"what hope do you really have of making it out alive? here we are without number. even those inside the city are with us. and for each one you kill that only will bring the wrath of more."
>there is a silence for a moment then a new voice speaks
>its distinctly more feminine and it takes a moment for you to recognize it
>>"I can assure you griffons. that the ponies in the black hands and in the royal guard are more than able to remove you from the city i have been a member of the Black hands long enough to know how effective they are as fighters. have you heard of the battle of Ardennes? it was a battle of around three hundred black hands under the command of lord manos, against thousands of Sombras ponies"
>manos voice returns
>"does Sombra command you too? then you should know that he wasted thier lives. for after the battle only a few hundred remained what hope do you have?"
 
>you are manos
"you are far from your friends and families. you are trapped inside a city, is that what you call a victory?"
>cadence takes her own crystal and continues to speak
>she caught on quickly to what you were doing
>"for those of you who do not recognize my voice. i am princess mi amore cadenza. or princess Cadence. my voice speaking along with his should be proof enough of his reach"
"she has willingly given up her station as a princess of Equestria so she can continue to serve in my new Reich. surely that is something to be admired. perhaps you can do the same?"
>"lay down your weapons and come out peacefully, we can promise you will be treated well until we find a way to return you home."
"what other choice do you have? you can surrender to us or to the royals. and i can assure you. we have plenty of records of the way they treat THEIR captives."
>"we do not wish for war, and only desire peace. please lay down your arms and come out peacefully."
>you hold the crystal away from you so your voice doesn't get sent out
"Cadence, your voice might carry more weight than mine here. ill leave this to you for now, when you need a break let me know."
>Cadence continues to speak now with a rather cute smile on her face as she starts to enjoy her handiwork
>your approval must mean a lot to her
>you look over to a guard stationed at the door
"we will need water, and ponies willing to continue to spread these messages once we cannot. a constant stream of this should make things easier in the long run"
>>"yes sir, ill return soon with your water."
>you hand your crystal to Lyra
"lyra once Cadence is done you are to go next, either give hope and reassurance to the ponies inside or put the fear of god into the griffons"
>Lyra takes the Crystal in her magical grip with a slight bow of her head
>>"of course lord. im sure i can think of a few things to say about you."
>she is your hand of faith, no one could do this job better.
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you and your team are searching every corner of this castle looking for anything that moves.
>right now it is you and only three others in this current group
>and some have been ordered to help escort the civilians out safely and secure a evacuation point
"keep your eyes peeled. for those of who who don't know, changelings arent called that for the fun of it"
>"yes commander"
>there is a sudden crash in the corner of the room
>you and another pegasi quickly take to the air above the floor to get a height advantage
>while the other two ponies slowly move in to investigate 
"come out, do not resist and take a quick test and you will not be harmed!"
>you see a very slight green glow before a pony in a black uniform steps out of the shadow
>he speaks to you in a frightened yet relieved tone
>he even has the right facial expressions
>>"thank goodness you found me! ive been trapped in here hiding from those damned parasites for days!"
>if it wasnt for that green glow you saw earlier you would have bought this story.
>that is a little worrying.
>you land in front of him and look him in the eyes
"what is your name Hand?"
>>"Noble Scribe ma'am!"
"alright Noble, mind if i ask you a few questions?"
>he gives no sign of worry
>"of course commander. ask away"
"while you have been here you must have come into contact with griffons, what have you heard about the current situation with the Zebras?"
>he scratches his head for a moment
>>"i heard about them taking ponyville. those damn Zebras, my brother was killed in the first battle with them"
>there is a sudden sound of metal piercing hardened flesh
>you continue to look him in the eyes as the pegasi you remained in the sky retracts her blade from his skull
"they must not know much about what happens outside the castle, good"
>the body falls to the floor there is a slight burst of green flame
>and a changeling corpse is all that remains
 
>you are Lyra Heartstrings. the hand of faith
>and its now your turn to speak
>you move the crystal to your mouth and speak softly
"my faithful children of fate. i know you must be scared and afraid right now, but there is no need to worry. you will be free soon. as i speak Manos' forces are amassing in the thousands to take back our city. this is our home, we know every street, every alleyway, and every blade of grass. we will have you freed soon."
>you look over to your bag and pull out a tome that you have been reading from in your sermons 
"for those of you who are of the faith please. join me in a prayer, He is the lord of fate, and we are his faithful hands."
>although you cannot hear it, you can almost feel the response from your brothers and sisters of fate
>we are his faithful hands 
"we shall not fear the dark, nor be blinded by the light, for he is here to guide us."
>"we are his faithful hands"
>you smile as you can only image what the griffons could be thinking
>they have not come into contact with a faith like this before
"he shall guide us to a new world. a world of peace and a world without fear."
>"we will stand by him"
"for he is the hands of fate"
>"and we are his faithful hands"
"for those griffons out there who dont know, Manos has done incredible things. he has predicted events, he has ended wars, and he has liberated nations."
>a few ponies in the room chime in with a few moments
>you make sure their voices can be heard
>"the return of nightmare moon" "the ponyville riots!" "the battle of ardennes!" "the parasprite infestation!"
>they keep repeating them over and over while adding more into the mix
>it must sound like hundreds of ponies voices
"and he can end this fight with but a word. if he ordered it we would all gladly give our lives to take yours. but he has given you a chance to live! surely he is kind, what have the Royalists done? they have attacked and battered your forces. while we have given you a chance at life"
 
>you are Cinnamon Pop
>you and the rest of the team have a very important mission
>and that mission is
>"nothing! we have been sitting here in this barracks for days now!"
"calm down Comet. with everything going on and Manos needing to be overseeing operations how much could we REALLY do?"
>Comet is going on one of his rare, yet over the top stampedes of anger.
>"oh! i dont know! ANYTHING!?"
>you turn the page of your dirty magazine 
>there hasnt been an inspection for a while so you happened to.. procure one from one of the crystal rookies
"we are his shield.. and when his shield is not needed we wait."
>you happen to get a look at Comet starting to stomp his way over to you when a pillow collides with his face
"nice shot."
>>"give it a rest you two, we all want to get out of this barracks, but until we get orders here is where we stay"
>you give a calm response
"Almond has a point Comet."
 
>you are Comet Glow
>after removing the puffy projectile from your face you get back to your hooves
"fine. you two can sit here and enjoy each others company. in the meantime im going to go do some PT"
>"whatever you say Comet!"
>>"be sure to be back before we get a mission, otherwise we might leave without you"
"nah, you two would miss me too much if you left without me"
>you can hear a dry chuckle from Cinnamon as you leave the barracks
>you walk down the halls casually, you never intended on actually working out.
>it was just an excuse to get out of that bunk, though you doubt you needed one.
>"excuse me sir!"
>you look to the voice speaking to you and standing there is a mare in a black hands uniform
>"are you Comet Glow?"
"yes i am, whos asking? i mean, besides a pretty face."
>the mare is unimpressed.
>"you are needed in the war room. Manos informed us of one of your past experiences in Canterlot that we could use in his new operation."
>you are quiet for a moment
>"ugh, just come with me..."
"ill follow a pretty mare anywhere."
>the mare rolls here eyes and gives a general look of annoyance as she walks you to the center of operations
>she quickly opens the door and motions for you to enter
>"here we are. luckily for me thats all i needed to do."
>the mare starts to walk off and your eyes make sure to enjoy every second of it
>"if you ever want to meet up sometime just call"
>she doesnt respond
>>"Comet. so good of you to join us, and i see you still have a way with the ladies.."
>you quickly snap to attention and give a seig heil
>you would recognize his voice anywhere
>>"well comet. now you need to say a few words about your previous date, specifically the one in canterlot. im sure you remember that lovely night"
>you smile a bit rolling with Lord Manos' humor
"of course i do sir, how could i forget such a great conversationalist such as her."
 
>you are Manos
>you lead comet over to the battle map
"so here is what is currently happening, listen close because im only saying this once"
>comet nods
"we have encircled the entire city of ponyville. however only this half is under MY control. the other is royal guards"
>you tap the center of town
"here we believe is the location the largest concentration of griffons and captives are located, can you see how this location is a problem?"
>comet looks at the map for a time
>"it is the center of town, it connects every street, road, and building. the only way to take it would be to go straight in"
"while that is true, thats not what i see. what i see is a choice, they know they cant get out by fighting, or at least most are learning. but now they will have to choose who they would rather surrender to once fighting is out of the question."
>you move your hand to the Royalist forces
"and i dont want them to get my ponies, or my possible new sources of intel."
>"so what is the plan sir?"
>you point to Lyra as she continues to speak about you into the crystal
"to educate those who need to learn which side is the right one."
>you take a moment to listen to Lyra
>>"Manos only desires peace in equestira. peace for all, why do you fight against that--"
"you understand now?"
>comet nods in affirmation 
>"yes sir, i do. you want me to describe the Royalists little QnA session with me."
>you smile at the clever little pony
"yes i do. and i want you to not spare any detail on how 'horrible' and 'scaring' it was."
>you stand up and begin to leave the room
"ill be back shortly. i believe Honor has a few new toys that are about to be finished."
>you hear a simultaneous  heil as you make your way to the labs
"i might be able to get a proper field test after all"
 
>you are Honor Bound
>and right now is the moment of truth
>"we are ready to begin!"
"proceed"
>you stand behind a safety wall with a pair of goggles on as two ponies enter your new device
>"applying first crystal!"
"understood!"
>click...
>...
>"first crystal failed not enough power. preparing second trial"
>there are a few moments of waiting as they switch out the power sources
>"beginning test of second crystal power source!"
>there is a click then a loud rumble in the room
>"device is powered!"
"carry on with the next stage!"
>you can feel your heart racing
>after days of testing and many failures you may have got it
>"power level is stable! moving now."
>you can barely contain yourself as the machine begins to roar to life even more
>it slowly starts to move forward, the large treads picking up speed as it goes
>"beginning the course"
>the machine at its full speed charges towards a set of obstacles in front of it
>at a specific distance the crew is supposed to turn and avoid hitting it
>"lowering power to left side treads!" 
>as they do the machine starts to turn, barely avoiding the makeshift wall
"hold position!" 
>it takes a few moments but eventually the machine stops.
>it continues to run
>"prepare weapons test!"
>this is your favorite part, however its usually where things dont work out
>the top of the machine opens up as a unicorn takes control of the long barreled weapon on top
>"loading primary weapon!"
>you observe as the pony slowly loads the device with a projectile belt
>"ready to fire on command!"
>targets are set up on the far side of the yard
"fire!"
>there is a click
>"weapon malfunction! clearing weapon!"
>the unicorn lifts the belt out and clears the weapon then reloads it
>"ready to fire"
"fire the damn thing!"
>you hear a racking.
>then there is a series of loud cracks filling the air.
>you look to the targets at the end of the yard
>the ponies aim is either off or the device is firing too high
"lower the weapon! projectiles are too high!"
>you see the holes in the wall slowly move down to the targets
>CRACKCRACKCRACK CLANK!
>"weapon jammed!"
"for the love of manos! what keeps messing up!?"
>you get out from behind the wall and march over to the warmachine
"move aside!"
>you hop up onto the machine and inspect the weapon
>gripping the casing in your magic you remove it from the receiver.
>you pull out a few from the belt to compare them
"Manos damn it!"
>you throw the shells to the ground
"if i said it once i said it a thousand bucking times! make sure all the shells are the same bucking measurements!"
>you grip the projectile belts in your magic and toss them to the nearby scientists
"go through and double check each and every one. failures like this are made from simple laziness, i will not have lazy ponies under MY command!"
>"yes sir Honor!"
>you see the ponies rush back inside with the projectiles as you take a seat on top of the warmachine
"its simple measuring, you can make a device from another world run.. but you cant bucking measure.."
>"lord Honor sir?"
>you didnt even notice one of the ponies came back over to you
"what is it?"
>"L-lord Manos is here sir."
>great
 
>you are manos
>you are observing a select group of ponies try out your new weapons
>considering they didnt have much to work with you are surprised at the variety of devices on the table
>an all to eager unicorn scientist explains each and every one to you
>"with the plans you gave us for these new weapons we have been improving and experimenting with our own ideas!"
"such as?"
>the unicorn takes one of the more simple looking weapons
>"this one for example. a simple lever is used to fire the device, much like the ones you brought with you, only larger"
>he lifts up one of his hooves
>"for obvious reasons. however it also requires you to be balanced quite well since.. it requires two hooves."
>he sets it down
>"as you can imagine, it failed as a useful way to fire on the move. so we made this"
>the scientist motions for a pony to come over.
>a Earth pony walks over and soon is being hooked up with a harness for the weapon on his shoulder and back
>"if mounted on his back a 2nd pony may fire the weapon from a stable position OR! if its attached here on his shoulders like so."
>the pony walks over to a firing range 
>the weapon extends just far enough ahead of him for him to grip the "trigger" with one hoof
>it fires off a short burst then another each one being controlled by the earth pony
>he then starts to slowly walk and fire
>however the projectiles are getting further and further away from the targets
>"he can fire and move, to an extent, but at the cost of his accuracy."
>the pony has the weapon removed and moves back to the others waiting on the side of the room
"that seems like it wouldnt be very effective.. how would he load it?"
>"im glad you asked lord! we found--"
>the doors behind you suddenly open as Honor Bound walks into the room
>>"forgive me lord. i was preoccupied with another test."
"i hope it went well."
>Honor nods his head
>>"i can honestly say everything mechanical is working as it should.. just a few user errors are left"
>the pony looks far more nervous now that Honor is in the room
>uhm.. yes well.. as i was saying.."
>Honor gives him a even look
>>"yes please. go on with the demonstrations."
>"we found it was best used with a team of ponies. groups of two or three being the best fit. with at least one unicorn."
>Honor cuts off the scientist
>>"a unicorn is better suited to firing this device, since they have magic steadying the weapon and reloading it is made trivial. however we needed to make it usable by all ponies in case of emergencies or in situations where a unicorn is not present"
>"exactly, so a team of around three ponies would be a best fit, one to fire one to load and one being able to do both."
>you look over to the table at the smaller weapons laying there
>they look very odd.. like a regular gun but with a grip on the side rather than the bottom
"and what of these? i assume they are held by the mouth?"
>"yes as you can imagine they are quite hard to aim.."
>Honor speaks up
>>"we quickly tossed that design out"
"and replaced it with?"
>Honor bound walks over to a metal crate on the far side of the table
>>"with this"
>he opens the large crate and pulls out a helmet
>>"this was something that we thought of after looking through some of my.. predecessors designs for armor"
>he levitates the helmet onto a nearby pony
>>"have him geared up"
>several scientists move to the crate and pull out various pieces of armor
>after having all the armor applied two of the machine guns are attached to his shoulders with a hard click
>>"since unicorns wouldnt need to have any gear to operate the weapons from their magic we thought of playing to a earth ponies.. strengths"
>the last part is a red crystal that is inserted to the back of the armor powering it
>>"and i mean that quite literally. only earth ponies will be able to operate this due to the amount of muscle needed to move, the crystal powering it will make most of it easy but if it fails then its all up to the pony"
"i quite like this, no i love this"
>you approach the armored up pony and examine the armor
>you can hear a hum emanating from it 
>"what you are hearing is pure magic being pulled from the crystal into the armor."
"this must be rather complicated. im surprised you had time to make this."
>Honor Bound speaks up
>"to be honest sir, most of the planning was done a long time ago, it was intended to be for stealth armor much like Blackouts"
>you stop feeling the armor..
>the warm hum of its power source suddenly losing is charm
"blackout.."
>"lord manos?"
>you take your eyes off of the armor and look to Honor Bound
"nothing. its well designed."
>"and very complex and hard to make.. while i would love to see all our ponies equipped with this, its simply not feasible in our current state."
"we need more resources?"
>"and factories, and laborers, and time."
>you look back to the armor
"has it been tested yet?"
>the silence is the room is all the answer you need.
"good. have this and any others you might have created shipped out. its getting a trial by fire."
>the same scientist from before speaks up in a worried tone
>"b-but lord! it has no field tests at all, the most we know about it is it moves properly and the weapons can fire"
"hm seems like thats plenty of testing to try it out."
>"Lord manos' sir.. I"
>you turn back to the pony
"WE ARE AT WAR, perhaps you havnt grasped that idea yet?! there are both civilians and soldiers out there in ponyville in danger, now have this armor ready and in the field as soon as possible or you will be out there in its place! is that clear?!"
>the pony looks to have shrunk a few sizes and is stammering and shaking from your outburst 
>"y-y-y-yes lord. r-r-right away!"
"Honor, whatever errors you still have can be overlooked for now, get those tanks moving. ive waited long enough for my city to be taken back and i wont wait much longer."
>you hear no protests as you storm out
>this is war, time is a commodity.
 
>you are the earth pony in the armor
>"ive waited long enough for my city to be taken back and i wont wait much longer."
>you turn your head to see lord Manos leave the room as Honor Bound just closes his eyes and takes a breath
>the hum of the magic engine on your back is the only noise in the room before Honor bound clears his throat
>"ehhum. well.. that could have gone a bit better."
>you dont even recognize the sound of your own voice
>the armors voice is a deep and emotionless tone, almost soulless
"when am i shipping out?" 
>"Manos' orders were clear. you will be shipping out as soon as we are able."
>Honor Bound walks over and inspects the armor
>without the armor you would be around eye level with him but in this he is a hoof or two shorter
>"at least this project has come out with little flaws."
"what about the 'tanks' manos was referring to?"
>Honor bound takes a step back and looks to his papers
>"as i said, just a few minor issues to work out. most of them user based.."
>you're not sure if you believe it. but it is unwise to question a superior 
>after a few more moments of silence you are given orders
>"find the other operators. and inform them of our upcoming.. trials."
"yes sir. by the will of manos i serve."
>"heil manos"
"heil the Reich"
 
>you are Aryanne
>you have been guarding the war room since you and Lyra have arrived
>not much else you can do.
>Comet walks over to you as he waits for his chance to speak to ponyville
>"commander."
"Comet"
>"im going to be honest commander. we have been getting restless just sitting around in the barracks. not that we dont enjoy R and R."
>its to be expected. after weeks of constantly being in the front or in other operations doing nothing must be worse than being in danger
"im sure it wont be much longer until manos has another idea that requires our personal touch."
>Comet chuckles 
>"of course he will. its just boring waiting around here.."
>you walk over to the map leading Comet to view it with you
"i can only imagine what change this one battle will cause. we are on thin ice with the princesses.. and they with us. its only a matter of time before we might be fighting our own.."
>you dwell on that thought for longer than you would have liked
>"its a scary thing to think about.. commander. thats for sure. but i think in the end we are on the right side."
>you smile
"of that i have no doubt."
>you both take a moment to listen to Lyras final words to those in ponyville
>>"we are his faithful hands.. fate is on our side. what could be on yours?"
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>after a few more hours of clearing you have found a handful of black hands and almost double the amount of brownshirts and civilians
>its time for you to get out of the castle
"alright everypony, we are leaving the castle. for those of you who dont know me i am commander rainbow dash, and a personal guard to Manos i am in command here, once we evacuate this area we will be linking up with a larger force just outside of everfree. keep your eyes peels and weapons ready for any griffons or beasts that we may run into. with our larger numbers stealth will be hard to maintain but i ask you all do the best you can."
>you turn to the guards you positioned at the doors 
"lets move out"
 
>you are Blackout
>everywhere you go ponies give you salutes and smiles
>some even go as far as to compliment you with things like "your passage to Valhalla is more assured than anypony else"
>Valhalla
>you dont necessarily believe in an afterlife, but its nice to think you have a 'free ticket'
>"Blackout!"
>you turn your head to see a group of young stallions and mares running up to you
>>"woah it really is blackout!" 
>"are you really a earth pony? i heard you can do magic with that armor"
>you have a bit of trouble finding your voice
>or rather, words to say.
>"hey can i have your signature?"
"uh.. sure?"
>the pony holds out a piece of paper
>you calmly sign your name on the page
>Little League.
>the stallion grins and looks to the paper when his face turns a little confused
>"this says little league.."
"thats my real name."
>you let your helmet close up over your face so the small crowd can see the armor work
"and im Blackout."
>"thats cool... but.. can i get you to sign 'blackout' too?"
>your heart sinks a bit
>but you push that aside for now
"uh, sure."
>you take back the page and sign 'Blackout' below your name
>"thanks blackout! this is so awesome. it will be a great thing to show my comrades."
"comrades?"
>is he in the military? hes barely a stallion
>but, youre still a filly.. technically. 
>"yeah! i signed up just a few days ago. i start training in a week"
>the others gawk at your armor and your signature 
>you look at all their young faces
>you hope they will be able to smile like this in the future.
>"what about you? are you going to be kicking more badguy flank?"
>you dont respond
>how can you respond
>youre a hero to them for the things you have done
>the things that still give you nightmares..
"y-yeah.. yeah ill be getting more badguys soon.."
 
>you are Manos
>and you are tired of waiting.
>you dont have the time to wait around for everything to be perfect
>sometimes you have to roll the dice and make the best of what you have
>and what you have is more than enough
>you walk out to the field in front of the labs
>you can hear the sound of ponies rushing in and out of doors and metal on metal
>after a few minutes of waiting the main gate opens up
>you hear dull thuds of lumbering suits move out of the yard
>five ponies suited in the armor that was shown to you walk up to you and come to a stop
>"our armor is but a tool of your will, heil manos"
>you rise your hand calmly 
>then the sound of engines come to life and a set of three armored tanks roll out of the yard closely behind them
>they too come to a stop, just behind the armor
>a nice little company of armor.
>five suits of combat armor and three tanks
>you feel a smile come to your face
"what are we waiting here for?"
>you walk up to one of the tanks and climb up onto it
>looking to a black hand door guard you shout to him
"tell aryanne and those under her command to meet me in ponyville, ill be needing my bodygaurds once i arrive."
>"yes sir! right away!"
>the messenger rushes off
>you tap the top of the tank and the lid opens up revealing a unicorn driver
"ponyville or bust."
>"yes lord."
>the unicorn does his best to make room for you inside the small space
>its not enough for you to sit inside it, your top half sticks out of the top
>at least you can see everything clearly
"armor operators hitch a ride on the tanks, you will slow us down if you walk."
>>"yes lord"
>the lumbering suits climb onto the tanks doing their best to evenly disperse themselves across them all
"forward.."
>the engine begins to roar as the tank lurches forward and begins is travel
>you cannot wait to see how they preform in the field.
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>you lead your new group out of the castle
"everyone spread out. civilians stay close to the center. everyone else protect them and be on guard"
>"yes commander!"
>leading a large group like this is more taxing than you thought 
"i need to get them out of here as soon as possible."
>as you walk through the woods you hear voices echoing in the distance
>you cant really make out whats being said but you swear you could recognize the voice
>"commander where do we head from here?"
>you look around 
>to be honest, youre not quite sure.
"uh.. give me a second."
>you quickly fly up above the tree line and look around
>in the distance you can see lines of ponies waiting around the city and you can hear Comets voice echoing over the air
"what is he doing?.."
>you fly back down and dismiss the voice of your comrade 
>"commander?"
"we head this way. we should be out of here by morning if we dont stop for rest."
>"understood. after you ma'am"
>you start to move on
>the forest looks a lot darker than you remember..
 
>you are Manos
>the sound of the engines is like music to your ears.
>the ponies in armor powered the suits down to conserve energy and are latched onto various areas of the tanks
>perhaps they could use a little motivation before the upcoming test.
>you do your best to look back to them
"you, armor operator. whats your name?"
>the earth pony from the demonstrations turns his olive green head to you
>his mane has been shaved down, as have the rest of the operators.
>"its Field Day sir."
"how fitting. now, Field day"
>"yes sir?"
"when we arrive to ponyville you and the rest of the operators are going to be following my orders. and my orders alone. you will do as i say, when i say, how i say. understood?"
>"yes lord. i will obey without question!"
"good. because once we get there we will be going to war."
>"beg your pardon sir. but arnt we already at war?"
>you point to the sky and chuckle as you answer his question
"that we are Field Day, that we are."
>the lead tanks top opens up and a pony looks back to you and shouts
>"SIR! we are only a few hours away from ponyville. if we continue without pause we should reach them before daybreak"
"thats good news, the sooner we get there the better!"
>"yes lord!"
>the pony dips back into the tank and closes the hatch
>you can barely hear Field Day and the other operators over the engines
>"we are his children, our path is not of light or of darkness, it is the path of fate."
>>"we shall stand fast before our foes, for fate is our lord."
>weird how hearing ponies pray to you can inspire you even more
>wonder how it feels for them being led by the person they pray to
"for i am the hand of fate!"
>the ponies in armor all look to you and shout
>"and we are your faithful hands!"
>Zeal.. righteous Zeal.
>what force could possibly overcome that?
 
>you are Marble sunset
>you are resting back in the camp as another shift of spotters are watching the road
>its been almost a full twenty four hours of different ponies speaking over ponyville
>its rather amazing how many different ponies they have to choose from
"they definitely are keeping spirits high"
>a half asleep pegasi next to you lazily responds
>"mhm.."
>another pony inside one of the shelters mumbles to you
>>"cant imagine what its doing for the ponies in the city"
>"or the griffons insi-- iiide"
"what was that? i dont think i could hear you over your yawn.."
>"i just ended my shift sir, so im going to get as much rest as i can.."
>you cant help but laugh softly
"is that back talk soldier?"
>he is quick to respond in a sarcastic tone
>"damn right it is sir. heil manos."
>just then one of your recon ponies rush over to you staying low
>"sir, you should come see this.."
"what is it?"
>the two of you get low and crawl to the overlook
>the pony still waiting there hands you the binoculars 
>you are quick to take them up and look
>your jaw drops..
>marching far down the road is a whole army of royal guards ponies
>"sir.. orders?"
"we need to send word of this immediately. the Reich must be informed."
>as if seeing the ponies marching in the distance wasnt enough, the sun is starting to rise
>right behind the approaching army. making every inch of their golden armor sparkle and shine like the sunlight
"they are going to try to take the city..."
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
"ugh finally we are out of that damn forest!"
>you didnt realize how loud you were until after you said it.
>you look back to see all of the ponies looking at you
>some with cocky smiles others with a 'you dont say' look
"uh.. yes well. were out. all we need to do now is meet with the rest of the hands."
>a mare carrying her foals shouts to you from a distance back
>"and how far is that?"
"not far. only a few more minutes of walking and we should be--"
>"do you hear that noise commander?"
>you stop talking long enough to listen
>in the distance you can hear a faint rumbling
>"any idea whats making that noise?"
"a dragon perhaps?"
>the mare from before yells
>>"A dragon?! we were safer in the woods!"
>you look back to her and shout
"you are welcome to walk back if you want!"
>she becomes silent as you give her a glare and look to the noise
>over a hill you start to see three large figures approaching at a fast speed
"everyone into the woods, i dont know what those are but they are heading this way fast!"
>the company quickly rushes back into the treeline hoping to avoid being spotted
>you stay behind
>perhaps you can lure them away if they get too close
>the things keep heading on
>but you notice something about them
>on one of the, things, you see a familiar silhouette.
"is that Manos?.."
>oh no. those things have manos!
>you quickly turn to the nearest pony
"get those civilians to safety! go on without me, those in my pegasi wing on me!"
>you take to the sky as fast as you and the other pegasi can
>you are a personal guard.
>Manos' safety is always your priority
 
>you are Manos
>ponyville is so close you can smell the smoke from here
>you look out over the plains and you can see the line of black hands in the distance
"we are making good time. a little late but not to bad for a marathon."
>"a what sir?"
>you look back to one of the operators
"a marathon. a run consisting of around twenty six miles, the name came from a city named Marathon, a messenger was sent to carry a message of a approaching army, he ran the whole way without rest, he died as soon as the massage was delivered."
>"that messenger was definitely committed sir."
>>"he is in the halls of Valhalla with his brothers and sisters!"
"that he is operator. that he is. i expect you all to be just as committed"
>"YES SIR!"
>you have a moment of pride before you start to hear a near whistling noise
>artillery?! 
>no. they dont have artillery... then wha could it--
>you feel a impact on your side and suddenly you feel lifted into the air
>"CONTACT! armor up!"
>you see the ponies below you start to power up their suits and drop off of the tanks
>"secure Manos!"
"whats going on here!?"
>you hear an all to familiar voice speak
>>"dont worry sir! i got you!"
>is that rainbow dash!?
>you quickly shove yourself away from her
>>"hey! what are you doing?!"
>less then a moment later you hit the ground hard
"ah.. fuck.. bad idea.."
>you get up just in time to see Rainbow Dash and her pegasi land around you in a defensive stance
>>"manos! we have to go! those things will be after us"
>you get to your feet and do your best to brush out your grass stains
"those things are under my command rainbow."
>the other pegasi and rainbow look confused and surprised
>just in time for five armored figures to close in
>the voice of one blares out in its soulless tone
>"stop right there traitorous scum! Nopony assults manos on our watch!"
>you walk between the two groups
"stand down operator."
>"but lord.."
"thats an order."
>the armored pony lowers its weapon 
>"as you command."
>you turn back to rainbow dash
"i take it your mission was a success commander?"
>rainbow looks to the suits of armor
>"yes sir, the castle has been cleared.. what are those sir?"
"those are ponies rainbow. i thought you would be able to recognize them since you grew up around them"
>"ha ha ha, funny sir. i mean what is that armor they are wearing?"
"classified for now. i hope i can trust you all to keep quiet about it"
>the armored pony speaks
>>"Lord manos, we should continue on, something isnt right.."
"what do you mean?"
>>"the sun hasnt moved since it started to rise sir. and only one pony can control the sun.."
>you havnt even noticed but now that it has been brought up it seems obvious.
"the city.. everyone mount back up we need to get there as soon as possible."
>you start to walk back before stopping and looking to rainbow dash
"Rainbow, care to provide us with some air support?"
>"as you command sir."
>rainbow flips some of her mane to the side and flies along side you on your way back to the tanks
>once you and the armored ponies get mounted up the pegasi also take a few seats on the tanks to rest.
"you dont happen to still have a communication crystal do you?"
>you feel inside your bag until you find it
>"yes sir, right here. why?"
>you reach for it and she hands it to you
"just trying to prevent this from happening again.."
>you lift the crystal to your mouth.
>you cant hear the voices echoing anymore so this is the perfect time.
>your voice might still be echoing over ponyville if you speak so you have to choose your words carefully 
"dear ponies of our glorious Reich. fear for your safety no longer. For I lord manos have taken to the field.. and i shall bring swift justice to those who have committed these crimes against us."
>you look to the line of black hands getting closer with each second
"and i am already here to deliver judgement."
>you hold the crystal close to you as you finally arrive to the front.
>you are quickly approached by many many black hands.
>each and every one of them staring in awe at the machines of war you and the ponies ride, along with the ponies in armor
>the commander meets you and your force
>"heil manos"
"heil the Reich"
>you look back to your ponies riding the tanks
"dismount!"
>>"yes sir!"
>now the suits of armor are likely the center of attention 
>each one completely covering the pony from head to hoof and making a low humming from the magical engines
"form up on me operators, drivers and air support. wait here until orders are given, get some food and water while you do"
>you motion for Rainbow to follow along with you
>the commanding pony walks with you getting you updated on the situation
>"lord we have received some troubling news.."
"what is it commander?"
>"the princess has a large force moving on us from the opposite side of ponyville, its safe to assume shes going to make her move"
"how close are they?"
>"not sure lord, last reports said a few hours away.. but that report itself was a while ago."
"we have no time to waste then."
>you look to your operators in armor
>they are almost as tall as you are in that armor
>almost.
"ready your weapons. your field test has come early."
>>"yes lord. we are your faithful hands!"
>the commander shivers from the sound of their voices
>"by fate.. if the sight of those ponies wont make them drop dead those voices sure will.."
>you just smile as the ponies start to load and double check each of their weapons
"oh commander dont worry, those ponies deliver more than death.. they deliver my judgement"
 
>you are a Operator
>you are a operator of the most powerful weapons in manos' arsenal
>you are a instrument of his will, and a weapon ready to be wielded
>you are Field Day, and this is your trial.
>your voice is foreign to you as the armor amplifies it to those around you
"we are ready and able lord."
>you look to the others in your group and point to your helmets
"activate internal communication"
>"a-firm"
>>"roger that"
>there is a slight ringing noise in your helmet before the voices of the other operators come in clearly and in normal voices
"to all operators sound off with status, all green here"
>"operator 2: im green" "operator 3: green" "operator 4: im all set sir"
>"operator 5: communication a little fuzzy, besides that all systems are good"
>you look to lord manos
"we are ready for orders lord."
>Manos nods his head in approval before issuing you your orders
>>"according to all reports the center of town is where all the civilians and military prisoners are being held."
>you watch him as he takes his hand and rubs his forehead where a small scratch was left
>>"so your mission is going to be straight forward. clear the center of town."
"what of prisoners sir?"
>>"if you can save them do so. ill leave it to you, if you come into contact with Royalists do your best to dissuade them from interfering"
>manos stops talking for a moment and looks to you as he holds his communication crystal
>"do those crystals use the same frequency as these?"
"no sir, ours are from a separate batch, they only communicate with others like them"
>>"do you have backups?"
"of course sir each helmet has a back up crystal in case of comm loss"
>manos snaps his claw to you
>>"give me one."
>you turn your head to one of the operators and nod
>the operator removes his helmet and tosses one to manos
>>"operators this is manos, am i coming in clean?"
"yes sir, clear as day."
>>"good. you have your orders. clear the town"
"we are your faithful hands"
>the walk into the streets of ponyville was an exciting one
>so far nothing has made contact with you, but your heart is racing none the less
>"operator 1, any signs of contact sir?"
"negative, continuing entrance to the city"
>"roger that, Op 3 check your sides"
>>"everything is clear over here Op 4"
"keep your eyes peeled for any signs of movement, we are entering the red zone now mares and gentlecolts"
>"ill be sure to speak up if i see any gentlecolts here Op 1"
>you advance the streets slowly the buildings are torn and broken, both from battle and looting.
>>>"attention operators this is manos, we are going to be continuing our little speech to the city"
"Affirmative lord Op 1 out."
>>"wonder is he will say anything about me."
>"shut up Op 3"
>the banter is cut short by the sound of manos speaking over the city
>you and the rest of the operators ignore it as you continue on
>"Op 1 movement on your left!"
>you quickly turn to the left as a duo of griffons pounce from behind a ruined building
>"contact! light em up!"
>the air is filled with buzzing and the two birds are quickly shredded by the hail of projectiles
>one of the bodies lands on top of you knocking you to the ground from the impact
>"Op 1 are you ok?"
"roger that, this bird juts decided to give me a little hug is all"
>you get back to your hooves easily shoving the griffon off of you with your armors power
>"hm, perhaps he should be checking his sides instead."
"youre a plothole Op 3"
>>"i call it as i see it Op 1"
>>>"operators whats going on?"
"just a little ambush sir, hostiles are eliminated."
>>"in case you wondered sir, these weapons do wonders for griffon weight loss"
 
>you are manos
"id like report on your current location operators"
>there is a moment of silence on the coms
>"we are halfway to the square. besides a few ambushes and some stragglers we haven't seen much"
>where are they?
>are they purposefully letting them walk in? or are they hiding from them in fear?
"keep your wits, i dont like how calm things are going. its making me uneasy"
>"we have the same feeling sir."
>you dont bother to respond and set down the crystal
>looking over to Rainbow you decide its time for a more dangerous gamble
"Rainbow. you said the air over the city was too dangerous to fly?"
>"yes sir, every pony that the royal guards have sent up was picked off by archers or caught by griffons"
"i see.."
>perhaps they arnt as active now.
>reports inside the city seem to paint a different picture than what the royal guards have said
"i want a pegasi wing to recon the city from the sky."
>"w-what? you want to send pegasi into a dangerous area like that?"
>you give rainbow a slight look of displeasure 
"those are my orders. send who you will, the rest will be needed for another idea i have"
>she doesnt argue. but you can tell she isnt quite to confident in the plan to send pegasi on a suicide mission
>but the truth of the matter is, we dont know if it is one or not.
>and we need to find out
 
>you are Field day
>you and the other operators are only a few blocks away from the town square
>unfortunately the streets have been covered in debris blocking your path
>one of the other operators voices comes to life on the coms
>"well, we aren't getting through that.."
>you look over the scene for a moment before approaching the rubble
>you wont be able to climb it in this armor.
"i have another idea. all these buildings are linked together."
>"yeah so?"
>you look over to Op 3
"we are going to make our own path"
>you walk over to one of the buildings and kick in the door
"stay close, things are going to get a little claustrophobic"
>the others start to follow you inside
>the place is dark and its already been searched by someone
"watch your sides, we will be in close quarters in here"
>the building is silent besides the thumps of your heavy hooves on the floor
>you slowly make your way to the opposite side of the building
>looking out a window you try to get your exact location on the street
"alright, on the other side of this wall there should be another room"
>"im not seeing any doors here Op 1"
>you look to the wall
>it doesnt look to solid compared to the others in the building 
>you take a deep breath before locating the weakest looking segment
"i do. form up around me."
>the other four operators take positions around you 
"knock knock!"
>you charge at the wall with all your weight plus that of your armor
>there is a loud crash as you fall into the next room along with a large portion of the wall
>you fall onto the floor from the weight of the charge as the others quickly move in one by one
>"clearing area"
>>"contact sighted"
>"hold fire!"
>you look up from your less than dignified position and see you smashed into a room filled with griffons
>you scramble to your hooves and ready your weapons
>after a few shouts of surprise from the griffons they grab whatever weapons they can
>by the time you and your team are ready so are they
>perhaps this wasn't the best of ideas...
 
>you are manos
>and the news of that army approaching is troubling 
>not being able to recon the city is also an issue.
>but you have doubts as to how dependable those reports still are.
>a voice comes from the crystal
>you know its a operator, but it isnt Field Day
>"lord manos, we have a situation"
>you pick it up
"whats the problem operator?"
>"we stumbled into the birds nest"
"then remove the birds"
 
>you are Field Day
>you and the other four operators are inside the room each of you looking from one griffon to another
>your armor is humming and you can hear the machine holding your weapon groan as you turn it from bird to bird
>with a few seconds of nothing happening one of the birds throws down his sword
>your eyes follow the weapon to the ground when another falls next to it.
>then another, and another
>soon all of the griffons weapons are on the floor
>did.. did you just take captives?
>your moment of thought is disturbed by one of the other armor's voices echoing
>you think it came from Operator two
>"a hero dies but once. a coward dies a thousand times, each time Valhalla will deny your entrance"
>as you turn to question operator 2 what that means the pony unleashes a hail of lead into the group
>a few left alive charge at you in a desperate attempt to survive
>two of them makes contact with operator 3 clawing and ripping at every inch of him
>>"get them off of me! get them off!"
>his weapon still fires as he does his best to get the large birds off of him
"stop firing your weapon! youre going to hit one of us!"
>but he is panicking too much to hear you
>one of the other operators rush to him just to be hit by his erratic weapons fire
>the suit of armor falls to its side the operator shouting in pain
"Manos damn you Op 3!"
>you charge the pony and the griffons knocking them all to the ground
>one of the griffons impacts with the wall leaving a red splat where his skull collided 
>the other one hits the floor wheezing in pain
 
>you are Jericho 
>and you are in so much pain. and it all happened so fast
>one minute you and the others were trying to find a way out of the city
>the next demons in pony form broke down the wall
>your ears are still ringing as you try to get up
"we.. we surrendered.. why did you-"
>one of the armored ponies hooves push you back to the ground
>you look up at the armored figure
>the long weapon that killed so many so quickly is lowered to your face
>a voice that sounds like all the beasts of tatarus mixed together fills the room
>"you are beasts, fueled by greed. you have no value in life or death"
>you were told that if you surrendered you would be treated well
>that the ponies in canterlot were the real monsters
"we were told, the hands would let us live if we surrendered"
>the helmet slowly opens up revealing the ponies face
>her mane is shaved and he has a fire in her eyes
>"take heed griffon, for pain is temporary.. glory and death are forever"
>you look to the slender weapon
>then everything is black and your pain is gone
 
>you are Field Day
>you watch on as Op 2 eliminates the last griffon
>while they are your enemies, they did surrender..
"Op 2, what caused you to attack?"
>perhaps there was a good explanation
>the helmet closes up again as the armored pony looks over to you
>instead of using the internal communications she continues with the external
>"it was their fate to die here. who are we to deny them?"
>>"sir, we have a pony injured."
>you turn to face the pony kneeling down
>their front leg is riddled with impacts from Op 3's weapon
"are you able to move?"
>the pony stands on its other three hooves
>"yes sir, i can walk. but my armor is locked up on my other leg, i wont be moving it much"
"you feel any pain?"
>"no sir, the armor lucky took most of the damage"
"then lets carry on, we should be clear of the rubble"
 
>you are Manos
>you watch as a wing of black hands pegasi take to the skies above ponyville 
>they are spread out but flying without any issues
>you watch for a while longer 
>from the city a single griffon takes to the sky stopping just shy of the ponies in the air
>you see them flying in place 
>they must be talking
>the griffon soon returns to the ground as your ponies continue on uninterrupted
"rainbow.. once those ponies return inform the commander to send in our hands."
>you look back to your tanks
"im going to give those royals a little visit"
>walking over to your new tanks you knock on the hatch
>it opens up revealing a crew of ponies
>"yes sir?"
"we are going for a drive."
 
>you are Field Day 
>after making your way through the building you are back in the streets
>unfortunately you are not moving at the pace you would have liked
>with one of your operators moving at a slower pace the rest of you have to slow yourselves down 
"we are getting closer to the center of town, it should be right around the next turn"
>the sound of your lumbering armor fills the streets
>you reach the turn and look down the streets
>at the far end is a group of ponies all chained up or tied together with griffons all around them.
>the five of you all spread out along the road
>you are easily noticed by the large griffon force there
"lord manos, we are at the center of town, there is a large group of prisoners here along with plenty of griffons"
>>"understood. hold your position"
>what did he say..
"sir?"
>>"stand your ground if they engage you are weapons free"
"understood sir."
>you look to the griffons lining up in the streets
>perhaps you could talk them down.
>your voice echos in the streets
"We are his children of fate. surrender yourselves and you will be treated fairly"
>a few griffons in the square start to talk to one another
>some look eager to leave, while others are more determined
"those of you who fight will be put down. this is your warning"
 
>you are manos 
>this will be a gamble.
>your tanks are moving at full speed down your front lines
>as you drive you meet with each commander giving them orders to move into the city and take as many streets as they can
>they are all to eager to follow those orders
>once you reach the final position you order them to follow behind you
>everything that has been set up can be left behind
"we march on, what we do next will determine the fate of ponyville, stay strong my faithful ponies as each one of your loyalties will be tested!"
 
>you are Marble Sunset
>the force is getting closer and closer
>you can hear the marching of hooves and the sounds of armor clatter 
>"sir, what are our orders?"
>nothing.
>your orders are to do nothing
"we do as we have been. remain hidden and observe."
>"are you serious sir? they are only moments away and we are just supposed to sit here and wait?"
"thats what we were told to do. and what could we do against--"
>there is a sound of distant thunder 
>you look around for clouds but you dont see any in the sky
"whats making that noise?"
>the thunder you realize, is more of a low growl and its getting louder
>suddenly a voice comes from your crystal
>"Marble.. i have new orders for you. listen closely.."
"yes lord manos. what are your orders?"
 
>you are manos
>Marbles position happens to be on the opposite side of your approach 
>if everything goes well you might be able to cut off the royal ponies and halt their advance
>within minutes your tanks come to a stop just short of the road
>you climb out of the tank and take position just in front
"secure this area, make it look like we have been waiting here."
>the black hands you picked up form a few lines on and around the roads
>you can hear the sounds of marching as you look to the sunrise
>finally the sun decides to move higher into the sky
>revealing a force of royal guards in their sunlit armor marching towards you
>you hold your hand up 
>you see the turrets on your tanks slowly turn to face the ponies in golden armor
>you raise the crystal you used to talk to the city
>your voice is still amplified booming over the city loud enough for the Royalists to hear
"this city is under the control of the Reich, any intervention will be seen as a hostile act and we will defend ourselves..."
>the ponies march on in their nice perfect lines
>you see large banners to the princesses being held high
>the marching force stops and a pony shouts back
>"we have orders to take back the city in the name of the princesses! return to your homes this is royal business!"
>poor horses.. so misguided
"I am lord manos. this city belongs to the Reich, the princesses have no authority here"
>"Lord manos. this is your only warning. continual interference with royal matters will have you regarded as a enemy of Equestira! tell your ponies to stand down!"
>you wave your hand and your tanks move forward the dual machine guns on the turrets aiming towards the royal force
>you look to the pony shouting to you
>you are sure he has a determined look even from this distance
>unfortunately determination will get him only so far
"take heed soldier. you are threatening a foreign leader, another threat or act of aggression will be considered an act of war and you will be fired upon"
>you raise your hand to your tanks
"and i assure you. war is something you do not desire with our Reich"
>you lower your hand down to your side arm griping it firmly
>the ponies in armor march forward again
>you look to your ponies, then to the hillside where marble is still stationed.
>you nod in that hills direction
>moments later you see the first impact spells flying into the sky
"then you have decided your fates"
>not a few seconds later the spells make impact on the ground around the golden ponies
"fire and advance"
>your tanks slowly creep forward unleashing your wrath onto the soldiers of Equestira
 
>you are marble sunset
"come on! keep up the spells!"
>the small number of unicorns under your command are having to exert themselves quite rapidly to continue the barrage
>you look over the road as the royal forces start to scatter and reorganize small charges
>whenever they start to group up you see they are suddenly cut down by loud buzzing and banging noises
>you look back to manos who has taken position on top of one of those large metal carriages
>he is kneeling over the top of one and pointing to groupings of ponies
>the top of the machine slowly turns and another burst of noise comes from it
"what are those things.."
>"sir what do the rest of us do?"
"come with me, we need to be ready for our attack."
>you gather the rest of your command and move down the back of the hill
>the one thing on your side is going to be the element of surprise.
>you hope it can be enough
 
>you are Manos
>you extend your arm and point to a group of ponies trying to regroup on the side of the road 
"there is a group forming up on the right rotate and engage"
>"aye sir!"
>you hear the sound of the turret turn and soon the glorious sound of gunfire continues from your mighty war machine
>there is a sudden "clank"
>"weapon jam! clearing weapon!"
>both weapons stop firing on your tank 
>why are both weapons stopping?
>"weapon clear!"
>the firing continues again
>a few more seconds pass on by then it happens again
>"clearing weapon!"
>what the hell?
>you clamber onto the tank
"what the hell is with all the jams?"
>"sorry sir! but the cartridges keep getting jammed in the weapon!"
>thats not good.
>you look over to the other tanks
>they appear to be having similar issues
>you shout into the tank
"pull yourself back to the entrance to the city keep distance between you and the enemy and figure out the damn jamming issue!"
>"yes lord, you heard him reverse and continue to fire when able!"
>this is a bad time for weapons failure
>you draw your sidearm and walk along to the next tank shouting orders as you go
"form lines! all unicorns begin Impact barrage!"
>you raise your weapon and fire a few rounds into a royal guard who has started to get a little to close for your liking
>the rounds go straight on through his soft golden armor
>he hits the ground like a sack of hammers
"pegasi get into the air! strike on the flanks where they are weakest!"
>at a time like this you cant be distracted by the city behind you
>the best you can do is hope your commanders can follow orders correctly and make decisions on their own
>you make it to the next tank and clamber up
>you bang on the top with the bottom of your sidearm 
"open up."
>the top slowly opens 
>"yes sir?"
"i need a report on your weapons! now!"
>"sir! we keep jamming up! everything works fine for a few bursts then suddenly we get a jam!"
"alright until we figure out why here is how you re going to operate. fire only one weapon at a time, once that one jams have someone get to work on clearing it, while someone else fires the second weapon"
>"yes sir understood sir!"
"alright, now slowly pull back and keep your distance from the main force fire on clumps of infantry dont bother with single ponies"
>you here the pony shout some form of 'yes sir' as you hop down again
>you hope your temporary solution will do some good
 
>you are Field Day
>as ordered you are holding your position
>the griffons gathering into a larger group
>you are vastly outnumbered, even with these weapons you doubt you could get out of this alive
>Op 2 speaks up in the internal coms
>"sir, if this first real fight is our last.. i just want to say i hope to see you in Valhalla" 
>>"i second that, and sorry for shooting your leg Op 4"
>>>"fuck you Op 3, but i accept your apology only because it might be the last one you give"
>you turn on your external coms again
"this is your final warning, stand down or be slaughtered. decide your fate or have us decide for you!"
>you and your team raise your weapons 
>the griffons are finally gathered together
>"a few versus a few hundred.."
"this is our trial"
>the griffons start to advance raising their weapons some starting to take to the air
>"sir, are we free to engage?"
"not yet.. let them close in a bit more."
>the griffons get closer and closer.
>suddenly they come to a stop
>there is a shout from behind you
>"HEIL MANOS!"
>you take a quick look behind you to see black hands flooding the streets
>turning back to the griffons you smile under your helmet 
>fate is on your side
>you shout over the external coms
>your voice booms loudly
"SEND THEM TO VALHALLA"
>"for manos! for the Reich!"
>you open fire on the large groups of griffons.
>the good thing about them grouping up...
>the concentration of bodies means less collateral damage
>once the black hands reach you you charge with them guns ablaze
>your orders were to take the square.
>and take it you shall.
 
>you are Manos
>you continue to walk along the battlefield 
>the Royalists are starting to organize properly
>they have pulled further back and have taken positions where they are currently safe from your gunfire
>for now.
"form a defensive line here, be ready for a counter attack"
>you walk back to your tank that pulled back to the city
>the pony commander inside already is sticking his head out for you to give him orders
>"orders sir!"
>you point the the area the Royalists have taken position
>you put on your best southern country accent
"i need you to drive me around that there hill."
>"sir?"
>you climb onto the tank
"you heard me. let go for a drive."
>"as you command... sir.."
>you wave to one of the other tanks signaling to follow you
>as the tank starts to move the other follows close behind
>the last tank remains behind providing support and deterring the royals from attacking too soon
>you grab your crystal again
"Marble.. are you in position?"
>there is a silence
>then marble responds in a hushed voice
>"yes lord, we are within charge distance from the enemy. not sure how long we can hide out here"
"dont worry. you wont have to for much longer"
>you are already coming around the hill
"we are going to make a nice distraction for ya"
>you put the crystal into your pocket and point to the gathered ponies
"fire for effect. keep moving and dont slow down"
>"AYE SIR! Valhalla awaits them!"
>the sound of gunfire fills the air
>and you watch on as ponies get slaughtered in droves
>and they get slaughtered in your name.
>in the name of humanity.
>in the name of the Reich
"seig heil."
>looking to the hill you can see Marble and his ponies closing in
>they are completely ignored by the guards who are desperate to find shelter from the gunfire
"hold fire."
>it takes a moment or two for the gunners to notice your command
>but soon the gunfire stops on your tank, the other stopping soon after
>the royal guards who survive the attack do their best to retreat to another sheltered area
>but marble and his team charge from the hilltop the attacking the completely disorganized and unaware troops
>"they're behind us! to the rear!"
>>"where did they come from!? they're everywhere!"
>after taking a moment to enjoy the sight of a properly coordinated ambush you give new orders to your drivers
"take me in close. they should be nice and broken."
>"yes lord as you command!"
>the tank slowly moves towards the guards
>the tank behind you slowly following its fun aimed at another gathered force
>with a wave of your arm you give it an order to attack
>it breaks off and starts to fire on another group maintaining a safe distance from them
"with weapons like these.. who would oppose me?"
>the shout of a pony catches your attention
>"behind us! the best is drawing nearer!"
>they must be talking about you an your tank
>you stand up on the side of your war machine a large smile on your face
"hold here"
>the tank stops the engine still running and the gunner ready to fire
>with your infiltrated team of black hands on one side and you and your mighty tank on the other the Royalists are encircled 
>to their credit they still hold their weapons and look ready to fight
>you take your sidearm in your hand and step down from your tank 
>you slowly walk to the ponies in gold
"you are brave ponies, of that there is no doubt. who is in charge of this little group?"
>the ponies dont respond
"come now.. no need to be afraid.."
>you raise your sidearm to them
"decide your own fates then.. if you are leaderless become your own. surrender, as prisoners of the Reich."
"so what will it be? life or death?"
>a pony steps forward his eyes full of determination
>"if you think we will surrender to a monster like you then--"
>he is cut of by your sidearm firing 
>he falls to the ground limp blood and brain making his golden helmet various shades of red and orange
"he made his choice. now make yours."
>the soldiers remaining look to each other and to their current situation 
>they begin to drop their weapons and remove the armor they so proudly wore
>you motion to the soldiers
"secure them, move them into the city"
>marbles voice is heard in the field
>"with pleasure lord!"
>the black hands move in securing the weapons and corralling the troops into a orderly line 
>they march them back under guard of you and your tank
>the tank you ordered to attack another group has moved on and circled back to the city bursts of gunfire leave its dual machine guns as it moves
>you look to Canterlot on its mountainside perch 
"i thank you for this beautiful morning Celestia"
>you mockingly bow in the cities direction
"and for this group of your ponies to interrogate." 
>its times like this you wish you still kept copper coin around.
>he would have loved to have new ponies to experiment on.
"im sure i can think of something in your place copper.."
 
>you are Field Day
>you empty another burst into a griffon under your hooves
>with the reinforcements provided the square was much easier to take.
>it would have been nearly impossible before
>looking up from the pile of guts and feathers below you you scan the square
>all around you are black hands taking prisoners and freeing citizens 
>ponies are quick to thank them with hugs kisses or just repeated 'thank yous'
>some in their anger take up arms and assist in the fight
>you doubt those ponies will be as willing to take prisoners as the hands are
"operators. sound off"
>"Op 2, my body and spirit are unbroken"
>"Op 3 here. im feelin fine"
>"this is Op 5, operator four awaits us in Valhalla..."
"say again? operator four was lost?"
>"thats an affirmative sir. with his armor locked up he was unable to fight off a griffons attack."
"do you know where he has fallen?"
>you look around for any sign of his fallen body
>Op 5 stands near the center of town waving his hoof to get your attention
>"yes sir, hes right here, the armor is secured. nopony is going to get close to it"
>your orders from Honor Bound explicitly said to protect your armor at all times
>if a pony was to fall either recover the armor or completely and utterly destroy it
"is his armor salvageable?"
>Op 5 kneels over the body examining it
>"everything seems to be broken up and torn. little of whats here could be used.. but im not an enginepony"
"understood, operators move in and clear a blast area we are going to destroy the armor."
>>"understood sir, moving in"
>while the rest of the city seems to be focused on the griffons or the prisoners you and your team surround the armor
>kneeling over the body of your fallen comrade Op 2 says a few words
>"by your deeds you have honored him. the gates of Valhalla will welcome you with open arms. heil manos"
>you and the rest of the team bow your heads and all say as one "he is the hands of fate"
>Op 2 moves away from the body as you move in slowly turning him over revealing the back of his armor
"alright clear back anyone in the area. im setting the crystals now"
>you have done this a million times in your head and only twice in practice
>this will be the first time you do it in a mission
>you pull out the crystals in the suits reserve and smash them into the main power area
>you now have a few seconds to clear away from the armor
>you do so, attracting many onlookers 
>any griffons who are left are bound and in chains 
>black hands and ponies start to give more attention to you and your team as you clear away
>you brace yourself
>within moments it violently explodes sending metal and parts flying
"our mission has been accomplished"
 
>you are Celestia 
>standing from your balcony you watch your force approach ponyville 
>what better time then now to raise the sun
>it has always given your ponies great pride to see their armor shine in the morning sun
>they will need it
>just as you finish raising the sun you hear some muffled noise
>looking back to your room you see if someone perhaps dropped a book or something
"everything alright?"
>you hear another soft thud
>then another, and another.
>it took you a while to find that the noise is coming from ponyville
>just as you look back to your forces you see them scattered in the distance
>small clouds of dust appear around them
"what? whats going on out there?"
>you are distracted by your door opening behind you
>"Princess, is everything ok?"
>Twilight enters your room a worried look on her face
"why do you ask twilight?"
>"oh, i just heard noise coming from somewhere, and since i was just outside your room i thought it might have been you"
>you walk over to your faithful student
"yes twilight im fine. but i worry for the ponies i sent to ponyville."
>"how many did you send?"
"many. more than i thought necessary. but the ponies in the city requested as many as i could spare"
>you thought what you had sent might have been enough
>"im sure it will be fine princess. besides, aren't there black hands and others there to help with the city?"
>you look back to the city again with now more worry than before
"yes twilight.. Black hands are definitely there."
 
>you are Blackout
>and as much as you hate to say it, you miss being in the field
>seeing all the ponies here in the Reich have such fervor and pride in their service
>it makes you feel guilty for not having the same feeling
>you wanted to be the best.
>but what do you do now that you were given that status.
>you look over to the nearby bar where a group of black hands walk inside laughing and carrying on
>"did you hear the rumors?"
>>"what rumors?"
>"i heard that there was a few new weapons leaving that high security building and heading towards ponyville."
>>"what did they look like?"
>"im not sure really. but they said they looked like those tanks we saw during the parade."
>>>"hey yeah i heard about that too. and there were ponies in some new armor riding them?"
>"yeah, but here is the real kicker. apparently Manos was with them when they left."
>>"are you serious? do you think Manos would be going into a battlefield when he could stay back in his castle safe and sound?"
>"hes done it before. why not now?"
>unfortunately for you the conversation is carried on inside the bar and you dont hear much more
>you give a heavy sigh
"Even Manos is out there now.."
>you take a moment to look at your armored infused body
>there is nothing keeping you from going too..
>you feel a new sense of determination as your hooves lead you in the direction of the main gates
 
>you are Aryanne
>Manos has ordered that you and the others in his personal guard meet him in the field
>MEET him in the field
>you storm into the barracks where your Black hands are relaxing
"Alright everyone, listen up!"
>everyone in the room quickly drops whatever they were doing and snaps to attention in front of their assigned bunks
"Manos has gone and decided he couldnt wait for us. He has already left for the front"
>while each pony remains in place you see a few ponies eyes look to others
"so im considering us late. get your gear and ready up we leave in two minutes! Heil Manos!"
>"HEIL MANOS"
 
>you are Celestia
>after a few moments of idle chat with Twilight she returns to whatever she was doing previously
>shes a good student, always studying.
>looking back over to the city you see a single pegasi rushing to your balcony in his golden armor
>"Princess!"
>you take a set back just in time for him to land
>with the stallion being this close to you now one look is all you need to see he has bad news
>he is shaking from head to tail and his eyes are wide
>even now when he is safe inside the castle grounds his eyes are bolting from side to side looking for something
>he leans in closely and whispers to you
>"i.. i need to speak to you"
"then speak my little pony. what has you so concerned? what has happened?"
>you already have an idea.
>but you hope you are wrong
>"n..n..not here. eyes, eyes and ears hear and see."
"are you quite alright my little pony?"
>the other guards in your room start to look to the panicked guard 
>"no.. no not alright! we need to speak. away from ponies. yes. away.."
>one of your guards speak up and start to get between you and the soldier
>>"you are in no condition to be speaking to the princess alone soldier. you need rest, and to calm down."
>"NO no! you could be one of them!"
"What is going on!?"
>your voice gets the attention of everypony in the room
>perhaps it WAS a little loud
>"p-princess are they.. are they safe?"
>he motions to the guards in the room
"yes my little pony. they are safe. we are all safe here."
>his shaking starts to cease and he takes a seat on the floor
>his eyes are still wide and drifting between the two other guards
>"the city. the city is lost."
"how is that possible? i just sent my ponies to take it back. its only been a few hours since they arrived?"
>"there was noise.. and, and large carriages. they made even more noise! the noises killed ponies. hundreds! in seconds.."
>you wrap a wing around the shattered guard pony
>"everyone. i saw so many. so many just ripped apart. i had to run. i had to get away or id die too"
>>"you left your position?"
>you look over to the guard who spoke
"please. let him finish. im sure his reasons are sound. he did come to me and not just run away"
>"thank you princess. you are always protecting us."
"youre safe here my little pony. its ok. please tell me more, if you can."
>the broken pony removes his blood covered helmet
>"the, the Hands.. they told us to leave.."
>he looks right in your eyes
>you see a fear in his eyes you havnt seen for thousands of years
>pure terror 
"and then they made us leave.. hundreds of us.. they slaughtered us.. like.. like i dont know what."
>your head snaps to the city
>manos.. you have gone much too far.
"dont worry my little pony.. everything will be ok"
>>"princess. he needs to get some rest. we can put him in the infirmary for you."
"thank you. hear that my little pony. youre going to go to the infirmary. they will take care of you there, now get some rest."
>"y-yes princess.. ill go get some rest.."
>the pony slowly gets to his hooves and is escorted by the guards out of the room
>what has manos done to cause that kind of fear?
 
>you are a Royal guard pegasi
>you are escorted out of celestias room by two of your brothers in the guard
"we.. we didnt know what hit us.."
>"its ok soldier. you will be ok now."
>you walk with the guards down the many halls of the castle
>you haven't been inside here enough to know it well
>but you're pretty sure the infirmary was a hall or two the other way
"uhm was.. wasnt that hall the way to the infirmary?"
>one of the guards speak up
>"we had to make room for another one just over here, for more extreme cases."
>>"dont worry they will take care of you"
"oh. okay."
>why do you feel panicked again?
>youre safe here. the princess told you so
>you just need to relax
>"right in here"
>you walk up to a doorway you havnt seen before
>slowly the door is pushed open for you and you step inside
>the room is nearly empty besides for a table, chair, and a bed
"where.. where is.."
>then the door is suddenly closed behind you and sealed with magic
"no.. nonononono!"
>you run to the door and bang on it desperately
>then a voice comes from behind you
>"if you were brought to me.."
>you slowly turn your head to the desk and chair
>there is a pony in the chair and it slowly turns to face you
>sitting in the chair is a pony
>a pony dressed in black
>"then you have sinned against our lord... and must be punished."
"princess... save me."
>the pony laughs and gets to his hooves
"there is no sun or moon here little pony."
>walking into the light you can see the pony more clearly
>his perfectly brushed mane, his sadistic smile, and his red armband 
"only fate awaits you here."
>his horn begins to glow and soon you find yourself without a voice and being pulled into the room
>please no..
 
>you are a member of canterlots crystal Gestapo 
>and you love your job
>gather intelligence at any price, and correct the population when needed.
>you just finished your work on a pegasi guard who was already quite traumatized
"that just takes the fun out of it.."
>you werent always like this, in fact the first time you ever had to commit violence you hated yourself for it
>but eventually.. once you had done it enough, you grew to love it.
>you made sure to keep notes on everything the pony said during his interrogation 
>looking over the list you made sure to get all the key points
"lets see.. it seems he told the princess that the black hands are attacking royal guards. that our lord has devised some new form of weapons, and that they are REALLY effective. and that the city is no longer in royal guard hooves."
>pretty nice bit of Intel for one go
>you take a seat at your desk and begin to write out your report
>the Shine sisters will want to be aware of all the current happenings
"i really love my job."
>you seal an envelope placing all the necessary papers inside, 
>along with a few false documents in case this was to fall into the wrong hooves
>of course each false document will be marked properly
>walking over to the large door you break the seal with your magic and turn to the two guards outside
"get him out of here. and have this sent out to the Reich immediately"
>"yes sir."
>the guard takes the envelope and places it in his bag before he and the other start to dispose of any other evidence
>you have been at this a while, and they know what needs to be cleared up.
"have a lovely day gentlecolts"
>"and you too sir, heil manos"
"heil manos"
 
>you are Manos
>the battle is slowly coming to a close
>ponies saw the large group of guards surrendering and quickly followed suit
>you stand on the turret of your prized tank looking out over the either routed, slaughtered, or surrendering forces
"you are making the right choice. i assure you."
>riding back to the city with long lines of captives definitely will increase moral on your side
>and completely crush it on anyone elses
>"lord manos"
>you look down from your perch to see Marble sunset
"marble! that was a textbook rout. i thought you didnt have the confidence to command troops?"
>marble gives you a seig heil
>"i found some laying around sir"
>you point to the line of prisoners
"i want those ponies names listed along with a approximate count of the dead on both sides."
>"ill have it for you sir!"
"i know you will. carry on"
>Marble rushes off to get a tally while you look to your driver
"any idea what was causing those weapon jams?"
>the pony holds up a spent ammo belt along with a few rounds
>you take them in your hands and examine them
>"yes i do sir, apparently they didnt measure the belt widths and the projectiles are in various sizes.."
"no wonder we were having issues."
>you drop the belt and the rounds
"my scientists cant even measure.."
>"on the bright side lord, now that we know whats wrong we can have it corrected."
>thats not the point
"the point is this issue shouldnt have even been an issue! how hard is it to measure and keep it consistent?"
>the pony is silent
>you know he agrees with you
"drive me back to the city. the square should be ours by now."
>the engine of your armored creation roars to life again
>"yes lord. as you will"
 
>you are Aryanne
>the rest of Manos' personal guard follow behind you as you approach the gate
>as the large gate opens you see a familiar pony walk out with you
"Blackout?"
>Blackout turns to face you continuing to walk
"i thought you were on leave? what are you doing?"
>"i decided to cut it short. i heard Manos was going into the field. figured he might want some help with whatever he is doing"
>you look back to Cinnamon, and Almond.
"Comet was ordered to stay behind since he is part of some broadcast thing manos has going on, so. we are down a pony."
>blackout continues to walk but looks back over our ponies
>"is that an invitation commander?"
>you smile
"would you feel better if i made it an order?"
>"i might."
>you hear Cinnamon's voice shout from behind you
>>"well consider it one then lets get moving, id rather be tired and there than bored and here"
"couldnt have said it better myself. now shut your yap and lets get moving. we have a lot of ground to cover."
 
>you are Manos
>you ride on into the city with a chain gang of royal guard prisoners 
>the streets are completely ruined.
>trash, bodies, and rubble are all over.
>how the hell did griffons cause all this damage with basic weaponry?
>you think out loud the sound of the tanks engine blocking your words from unwanted listeners
"if birds without magic can cause all this destruction the conflict with Equestria is going to be at least double this"
>then something catches your eyes
"hold.. hold!"
>the driver brings you to a stop
>nearly everyone stops to look and see what has caused the hold up
>you slowly walk to the largely ruined piece of rock that used to be a statue
>the two sister princesses that once stood next to it completely smashed into dust besides their hooves
>and then the statue of you.
>standing tall amidst the rubble it could easily have gone unnoticed as just a lucky statue
>you are at the base of the statue now and you look up to see your image defaced
>protruding from your stone self are large black crystals
"Sombra.."
>so he was here. and possibly still is.
>a few black hands have gathered around to look at the statue covered in the black shards
>you see a pony slowly reach forward to touch one of them
>just before he does his hoof is stopped by your hand calmly
"no.."
>you look back to your line of prisoners and point to one in the line
"her, bring her over here."
>a few black hands unbind the guardmare and walk her over
>she has dried blood crusted into her coat and her eyes are a mix of worry and anger as she arrives next to you
>you grab her hoof and press it to the crystal
>not a moment after her eyes are dilated and she is screaming
>she starts to jerk herself around trying to get away from whatever she is seeing
>its then you realize she is still looking right at you 
>your face reflects back to you in her widened eyes
>you let her hoof go and her screaming stops instead turning into a muffled cry
>"what are those lord?"
"a shipment"
>"a shipment?"
>you wave over a few more hands 
"have it gathered and delivered to the Reich as soon as possible."
>the black hands look around confused as you get back on the tank and begin your ride into the city
>soon you approach the square
>as you expected its back in your control
"have those royals moved over there with the Griffons"
>"yes lord!"
>having all the prisoners gathered together and under watch you look to your ponies
"my children! my faithful hands! the city is once again under our control."
>you extend your hand out to the destroyed city around you
"but as you can see.. there is little left here."
>ponies look to their once proud city
>the place that once gave them pride and hope for a better future now in ruin
"perhaps it was fate that this city was to fall. we were too accepting of others. too kind and willing to let those who felt differently or had different lifestyles live amongst us."
>you hear a few murmurs of agreement
"but have no fear my little ponies. while this city has fallen another has arose! a Reich has begun in the north! where those who value the same values as you and dedicate themselves to the same faith have gathered!"
>a few crystal ponies in your black hands start to grow smiles on their faces
>you motion them over.
"the crystal ponies of the Reich offer you shelter and safety from the Tyrants of the Sun and Moon, while i will not force you to come back with us, i ask that you do. let me protect you."
>you already know they would go if you told them to.
>the ponies of ponyville city are fanatical in their faith just like those in the Reich
>but asking them to go paints a much better image of you in the public eye
"those who wish to come with us, we leave in a few hours.. i wish we could stay longer and give a proper goodbye to our home... but alas time is of the essence, and you must decide your own fates."
>you walk over to your hands
"have everyone ready to move out, i can already feel the heat of the sun"
 
>you are Celestia
>you are enjoying a nice breakfast/dinner with your sister.
>"Sister?"
>you look up from your plate to Luna
"yes?"
>"are you alright? you seem.. distant"
"im alright Luna. just thinking about events."
>"about ponyville?"
>you nod your head
"yes. i just dont understand how all this could be happening, griffons intruding on our land, Manos and his rise to power.. and now.."
>looking over to luna you notice her plate has been empty for a while, a few small bits of dried food remain
>compared to yours, still filled without a bite missing
>"and now? what sister?"
>you take a sigh.
>"manos has attacked royal guards that were trying to help take back the city."
>"is.. this true sister?"
"yes, im afraid it is luna, it wasnt until recently that I-"
>the door opens up and a royal guard steps through 
>>"your majesties, Twilight Sparkle and her friends are here as you requested"
"but.. i didnt"
>Luna speaks up and smiles to the guard
>"let them in."
>>"yes your majesties."
>you look to your sister a small smile on her face
>"you always seem to be in a better mood when Twilight and her friends are here. so i took the liberty of inviting them to your breakfast."
>you give your dear sister a warm smile
"thank you luna, that was very thoughtful of you.
>with a bow the guard opens the door allowing the five ponies to enter
"Twilight its always nice to see you, how has everypony settled in?"
>before twilight answers luna adds to your inquiry 
>"and.. where is your other friend Twilight? Rainbow Dash?"
>>"oh dont worry about us princess. everything has been nice, we just wish to get back home as soon as we can. its nice to be back in Canterlot but Ponyville is our home."
"i hope you can return home soon my student, i can understand being away from home must be difficult"
>>"and Rainbow Dash, shes probably with Manos. didnt you know Luna?"
>Luna looks a little troubled
>a feeling you too admit ably share
>>"shes a Black hand, a personal guard for Manos"
 
>you are Manos
"alright its time to move out, those of you coming with us please fall into line behind my machines"
>you watch as your pony citizens scramble slightly to get to where they need to be
>you signal the lead elements you are ready to move and soon the convoy start to roll out
"commander. if you please, your crystal."
>"yes lord, here you are."
>a communications crystal is lifted to your hand, then to a reasonable distance from your face
"this is lord manos, ill be leaving the city on our most protected end, all remaining outside forces are to converge on me, we are leaving the city, i repeat we are leaving the city."
>to your surprise Rainbow Dash is the first to respond
>"leaving?! i thought we were taking the city back?"
"we are Commander Dash, just leaving the stone and rubble behind. everyone we could find is coming out with us."
>well... thats not ENTIRELY true.
>there are a few ponies who desired to stay behind
>and there are most assuredly griffons and royals still in some areas of the city
>"manos, ive been meaning to find the right time to tell you, but it seems we left something behind in the Castle"
>what?
"what do you mean Rainbow? from your operation previously? whatever was left we can go without."
>"no sir, from before. from when you left to the Reich"
"what was left behind?.."
>there is a short pause before another ponies voice comes onto the communications
>"lord manos, im one of your scientists as well as a black hand. and uh, what was left behind.. was a hive. lord."
>a hive? 
"how is that possible. i was told that a hive needs a queen to run---"
>a queen...
>you think back to something that your scientists informed you of
>queenie can communicate with ALL members of her brood.
>not just the ones in the camps...
"inform Cadence immediately, i want to have a chat with our little pet."
>you take the crystal and toss it back to the pony
>he looks to you with slight concern 
>"lord is everything okay?"
"something isnt right.. im just not sure what it is, FORWARDS!"
>the speed is picked up slightly and a single ponies voice can be heard
>soon others join in the tune
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTCajk7oeA [Embed]  PANZERLIED ! Erwin Rommel's favorite song .
 
>by the end of the song you are leaving the city and the rear guard is in sight
>you kneel down as close to the driver as you can and point to a small shack in the distance
"bring me in to the command post. there should be ponies waiting for me there."
>"yes lord."
>your tank breaks off from the main group 
>they continue on, making their way from ponyville to the safe territory under control of your Reich
>upon arriving you walk past lines of unicorns and pegasi 
>each of them giving sieg heils and stepping out of your way
"Commander Dash"
>"over here lord! the others just arrived."
>walking over to Rainbow you are greeted by Aryanne, Cinnamon Pop, and Almond Heart and... Blackout?
"Blackout? what are you doing here?"
>Blackout smiles as her helmet opens up to reveal her face
>>"i got bored waiting around, and i thought you might want to see my pretty face"
"its good to see you again."
>you turn your attention back to Rainbow Dash again
"Commander. you said we left behind a hive?"
>she nods in affirmation
"where exactly?"
>"back in the closed off R&D section of the castle."
"alright. you know the way?"
>"yes sir i do."
"then take me there. i need to see this for myself" 
>you turn back to the pony in charge of the reserve forces
"you are to hold this position. i shall return soon with further orders. is that understood?"
>"yes lord manos! it will be done"
"lead the way Rainbow."
 
>you are Aryanne
>and to be honest it feels a little odd having to take orders from someone who was once under your command
>Rainbow Dash comes to a stop just outside the edge of everfree
>"right up here is where we first uh... made contact with you. sir."
>Manos mumbles something to himself before ordering Rainbow to continue on
>"alright, right this way. the woods have changed a little since we were last here."
>it doesnt take long for that to become apparent 
>the woodland is dark, darker than it should be at this time of day
>you look up to the sky only to be greeted by layers and layers of branches and leaves as high as you can see
"well, getting our position by the sun or stars is out of the question."
>Manos continues on as you take a moment to look for gaps in the treetops
>>"not sure how that would be useful here anyway, you have two princesses who can literally move them at will."
>thats a fair point.
>one you never really thought about before.
"they usually keep things the same."
>>"unless it benefits themselves, every second they keep the sun or moon from moving is a chance they could ruin the balance of nature."
"how so?"
"the moon changing course could create tidal waves that could destroy whole cities, and the sun if left in one position too long could create a desert out of a tropical forest"
>you nearly run into manos as he stops in front of you to look back
>>"the princesses could hold your whole world hostage if they decided to. if they desired it, they could end all life here"
>this revelation makes cold sweat drip down the back of your neck
"they.. they really cou-"
>a smile comes to his face and he starts to laugh
>>"yes, it is completely within their power to do so. i just wonder if they know it, or at least the extent of it"
>sometimes you wish you could understand how manos can remain so calm knowing everything he does.
>and then go to war with beings capable of destroying the world on a whim.
 
>you are Manos
>after a hour or two you arrive at the door of your once proud home
>memories of a party you once held come to mind
>you take a moment to remember the night
>closing your eyes you feel yourself drift out of body
>time slows around you until it comes to a stop
"its been a long time.. since i have seen this place shiny and new."
>the world turns into a slightly foggy representation of the night you invited everyone to your castle
>guests are arriving at your door escorted by friends and your own guards
>you can hear laughter and the sound of drinks and silverware in the main hall
>buts its all just a memory.
>you open your eyes and let the world come back to reality 
>you step inside, as if going back in time you see the castle looking new as the day you rebuilt it.
>ghostly figures of guests and guards enjoying themselves walk around your home
>then Rainbow Dash walks inside.
>"its right this way manos, be careful, this place is dangerous and a little unstable now."
>you watch as she walks through the guests
>they disappear into a cloud of smoke as she makes contact with them
>Aryanne and the others follow her closely, each of them looking to the corners of the room and the shadows for anything dangerous
>they cannot see it like you can.
>you yourself start to follow their lead, staying close and following their footsteps so you dont crash into something by mistake
>the laughter and sounds of guests talking still fills your ears.
>is this because you havnt slept?
"no, its only been one night.."
>your words catch Aryannes attention 
>"what was that lord?"
"sorry. just thinking out loud."
>just then you hear your voice from behind you
>"Everyone, i thank you all for coming"
>and there you are, standing above the crowd of guests
>"and for those who were personally invited it is time for our private dinner."
>that was the night. the night you were no longer Anon...
>"but for those of you who arrived without a personal invitation don't fret! your dinner will be served out here right after we depart. i hope you all continue to enjoy the night, those of you dinning with me, please follow me."
>you look back to your ponies. who continue to march on into the castle
"wait. there's something i need to see."
>there is a slight chill up your spine as you start to walk on
>you follow the ghostly forms of Cadence, Celestia, Luna, Lyra, and the others you invited.
>surprisingly you seem to walk along the floor without stumbling or tripping on anything
>you follow yourself walking down into the crowd where you led your VIP guests to the dinning room
>once you arrive there everyone already has taken their seats and you stand at the head of the table.
>"let dinner.." you then hear the clapping of your own hands
>"begin"
>suddenly the doors open up and servants bring out all sorts of foods 
>from the high class to the more humble of tastes
>you watch as everyone begins to eat and enjoy then you remember what comes next
>>"DIE QUEEN SLAYER!"
>a changeling attacks you with a broken glass jabbing it into your neck
>you watch your old self die right in front of your eyes
>you sit there and watch Anonymous die.
 
>you are Blackout
>Rainbow Dash is in a shouting contest with Aryanne
>"what the buck?!"
>>how the hell did he do that? how do we get to him now?"
>the others seem to be just as surprised at what happened as they are
>they just are at a loss for words instead of their 'commanders'
>"he- he just-"
"Calm down everypony, just think for a minute. ok.. lets go over what we all saw."
>you look to the large collapsed doorway in front of you
>you look it over for any sort of flaws or parlor magics
>"Manos, he said there was something he needed to see.. then poof!"
>>"no not 'poof!' commander Dash. there was no sound! he just.. walked right into the rubble! like it wasnt even there!"
"Cinnamon, youre a unicorn. is there any kind of spell going on here?"
>Cinnamon walks over to the rubble his horn glowing
>he examines it looking to up, down, left, right, and into every nook and cranny. before finally giving a sigh
>"if there is. its damn good magic. i cant find a thing that would suggest it.."
"alright. well we have all been here before, we all spent plenty of time here and we know the threat of changelings has been removed thanks to rainbow."
>"so what do you propose blackout?"
"we split up, try to find a way around this rubble and into the next room. if i remember it correctly this was the VIP dining hall.. there should be a servants entrance around here somewhere, Cinnamon, Almond, you two come with me. Aryanne, you and rainbow look around for another way in"
>Aryanne speaks up
>"what if we happen to get lost, this place has changed a bit since we were here."
>you close up your helmet
"our communications still work correct?"
>you can hear your voice coming from both Aryanne and Rainbows crystals
>"they seem to."
"then we can find each other if the need arises"
>>"and what about us? we dont have communications."
>you look back to Cinnamon
"nope you got me. if you get lost. yell. ill find you and return you to your mommy little boy."
>Cinnamon rolls his eyes while the girls giggle
>"dont worry Cinnamon, youre a big stallion now. im sure you will be fine."
"alright, lets move out. we need to find Manos."
>"SEIG HEIL"
 
>you are manos
>black hands dressed as guests rush to your copies side
>they quickly examine you and you can hear them speak in a hushed tone
>"oh celestia, this cut is too deep"
>"this is not good, i dont know if we can actually help him."
>you watch as Cadence rushes over and tries to use her magic to help
>but her horns glow keeps fading away
>she cant concentrate
>in her frustration she attacks the changeling beating it into the floor
>the shell of the bug cracks and opens up with each stomp
>the other ponies in the room are watching her stunned
>then everything stops.
>all eyes in the room slowly turn to you
>the REAL you the one who is watching it all unfold
>that chill that crawled up your spine before returns again
>then everyone in the room speaks
>"you had everyone under your hoof the moment they walked in here."
>then anon starts to stand up from the floor, blood still pouring from his neck
>"it was very well thought out.. and to be honest, i am jealous of your tact."
"its easy to be afraid when its the unknown you face, but once the foe has shown themselves. fear can be overcome"
>the ghosts of your friends all form into a black cloud and move into your old self
>once they make contact the whole body then changes into the form of the pony behind this attack
>his crooked smile and bright eyes are the first thing you recognize. then his horn and grey body forms, while his tail and mane remain in a ghostly smoke
"if you were smarter Sombra.. you wouldn't have shown yourself to me."
>his deep laughter fills the room
>"is that so? you are alone in here. you have no elements to protect you. and i feel stronger here than i ever have before!"
>his grin becomes maniacal and his eyes lock with yours
>"here i will end you, and i will take back my kingdom"
>you calmly feel your pocket doing your best to look natural 
"simply killing me wont get your kingdom back Sombra. whether you like it or not, you need me to get it back" 
>inside is the crystal that was given to you by your operators and you hope they are listening
>you are going to need help with this one
"and im not sure i want to give it back."
>Sombra walks towards you his horn beginning to glow
>you remember something that Luna told you long ago back before this castle was rebuilt.
>there are dangerous magics here.
>perhaps Sombra has gained access to it?
>you need to know what it is.
>"im going to take joy in ending your miserable life Manos"
>you watch as the large cloud loving unicorn charges at you
>perhaps this would be the end of you.
 
>you are Blackout
>Cinnamon and Almond walk with you down one of the side halls
>the castle is almost deathly silent except for.
"hold. i hear something"
>everypony stops and their ears perk up listening for anything you might have heard
>"i dont hear-"
"SH!"
>you know you can hear a voice.
>its muffled and distant but its there.
"follow me!"
>you rush down the hall, the voice getting clearer and clearer
>you make it to a small wooden door
>the voice is on the other side, you are sure of it.
>the only thing you aren't sure of is whose voice it is.
>only one way to find out.
>you and the others get on each side of the door
>cinnamon and almond on the left, you on the right
"alright, whatever i heard its right on the other side of this door."
>"alright, on three we enter."
>his horn starts to glow as he readies himself 
"one, two. go"
>in a flash Cinnamon swings open the door and the three of you charge into the room
>once you enter you immediately recognize this room.
>this is the dining hall. the one manos should be in.
 
>you are Sombra
>Manos stands before you with your horn going right through his chest
>you quickly pull it out watching as his blood drips from it
>you take a few steps back from him as he holds his chest in pain
>this moment is what you have been waiting for.
"you have no idea how badly ive wanted to kill you Manos, ever since our first encounter i have hated you with a passion that i have never felt before."
>you watch as his blood covers his hands and he falls down to his knees
"you and your plans, your 'greatness' you are nothing. and this moment here proves it. you call yourself a god! you are nothing but a child with a silver tongue and mind games!"
>you knock him to the floor and stomp on his open wound
"pathetic! that is the only title you can ever own. a pitiful pathetic monkey."
>you take immeasurable joy as the life slowly leaves his eyes
>"oh i have been, where you are before~"
>the sound of a voice in the room interrupts your moment of glory
>you search for the sound of it
>"and i have felt the pain of losing who you are~"
>suddenly manos body comes up from the ground grabbing you by the neck and horn
>"and i have died so many times..."
>you struggle to get free but his arm is wrapped around your neck and the other is grabbing your horn directing your head wherever he wants
"get off of me! you should be dead! ive killed you, you were dead!"
>the once dead body of Manos turns your head to face him
>there is little you can do to get out of his grip
>"oh? but i am still alive Sombra. im alive and well"
 
>you are Manos
>and your chest hurts more than anything you have ever experienced before
>more than the time you got stabbed in the neck or either of the times you were attacked by Shining armor.
>but you didnt pass out this time.
>"how are you still alive?!"
>you grip his horn tightly in your hand
"oh ill get to that. dont you worry, but first"
>Sombra lets out a scream of pain as you twist his neck away from his horn
>he starts to buck and try to break free.
>your scuffle knocks the two of you to the floor behind the table
>you do your best to keep sombra in a tight grip but he is starting to wear you down.
>you let go of his neck and instead use both hands to grip his horn
>he takes this moment to push into you to try and throw you off balance
>rolling with his movements you regain control and get positioned over him
>you press your boot into his neck pushing him head to the floor as you pull his horn with your hands with all your strength
>you hear a loud snap and a scream of pure agony
>you let out a small laugh at the bastards pain
"want to know how i survived Sombra?"
>you kneel down to the Unicorn
"I am Fate, the rules of life and death are different for me"
>you raise your arm and plunge Sombras horn deep into his eye
>you walk over to the table
>luckily there are nice cloth napkins still on the plates
>breathing heavily you wipe the blood splatter from your face with one of them
>then you turn to look at the body of Sombra on the floor
>you cant help but chuckle to yourself
"heh, all that magic, all that potential wasted."
>you step over the body and start to walk out of the room
>as you do you start to sing softly to yourself
"Es gibt ein Haus in Neu-Berlin, man nennt es Haus Abendrot~"
>just before you leave you turn to the body again and pull out your sidearm
"Es war der Ruin vieler guter Jungs~"
>you fire a round into his head for good measure then re-holster it before walking out the door
"von mir, mein Gott lebt ich not."
 
>you are Blackout
>you walk further into the room while Cinnamon guards the door
>Almond slowly follows behind you keeping watch
>then you spot something. a trail of red blood coming from the other side of the table
"Manos!"
>you rush over to where the blood is coming from but whats there catches you off guard
"what the.."
>"is that sombra? oh my god.."
>Almond inspects the body
>well whats left of it
>the lower half of his jaw is missing from something entering his head
>and he has a horn sticking straight into his eye going into the floor on the other side
>wait.. not a horn, thats HIS horn.
>you take a moment to look around
>one of the napkins has been taken off of a plate, the dust having left a perfect outline of where it once was
"Manos should be around here somewhere. we should keep looking"
>"yeah, to be honest. seeing King Sombra dead in a dining room makes me really glad we are not on Manos' bad side"
 
>you are Aryanne
>you and Rainbow Dash are looking for a way into the dinning hall
"i told you we went the wrong way."
>"we did not go the wrong way! how could we have? the dinning hall was on the left of us and we went left!"
"well we havnt seen any way inside so how could we have gone the right way?"
>"hey, i was here just a day or two ago. i think i might have a better memory of it than you do"
"Rainbow, you might be a commander now, but im still your superior, and im ordering you to-"
>"to what?"
"shh, someone is coming"
>Rainbow quickly hides behind some statues while you get behind a large banner
>you both wait to see who is walking your direction
>>"if you can hear me, relay a message to anyone who can get a hold of Aryanne and the others, ive lost contact, tell them ill meet with them outside the castle"
>you come out from behind the banner
"no need sir. seems we have found you"
>Manos stops just as he was about to pass by your hall
>>"cancel that last order. continue on to your previous destination."
>you hear a quiet 'yes sir' come from manos' pocket
>>"i wondered where you would be."
 
>you are Manos
>and you happened to find Aryanne and Rainbow Dash
"where are the others? shouldn't they be with you?"
>"we split up when we had to search for you."
"and why didnt you just follow me inside? i happened to notice that my bodyguards were not around when i was attacked by Sombra."
>Rainbow Dash and Aryanne look to you confused
>>"uh.. Manos, you walked right though a collapsed doorway. we couldnt follow you"
>you what?
"im sorry i think i miss heard you"
>"you walked through a doorway that was collapsed"
>you just stand there for a moment
>did you really walk through rubble?
"show me"
>>"sure thing, we will tell Blackout where to meet up with us."
>you follow the mares down the hall
>even with sombra dead, this place is still giving you a chill.
>you walk down the hall in thought
>how were you able to walk through a solid object.
>whats more, how was sombra able to effect you and not tip off the others?
>"its right here."
>you look to the doorway and feel the stone and rubble
"strange. i dont remember even seeing this."
>its best not to dwell on this now. there is still that hive in here.
>you look to Aryanne and extend your hand
"communications please"
>you are handed Aryannes crystal
"Reich, this is Manos"
>you wait a few moments before a voice comes back to you
>"lord manos. we hear you loud and clear."
"has Cadence been informed of my current situation?"
>"yes lord. she is currently here now if--"
"put her on immediately"
>"yes lord"
 
>you are Cadence
>a pony rushes over to you holding out his crystal
>>"its Lord manos ma'am, he wishes to speak with you"
>you take the crystal from him
"Manos, are you ok?"
>"yes im fine, just taking care of a few loose ends. now, i need you to get to our little queen and have her put on the line"
"are you sure manos? i heard there is a hive thats forming near you. if you think its her should we be informing her of anything?"
>there is a loud silence
>then manos' voice comes back
>"please just get me into contact with her."
>you sigh as you ready a teleportation spell
"yes manos."
 
>you are Manos
>you hear the sound of magic on the other side, followed by a few footsteps and the sound of chains being unlocked
>then there is the sound of breathing 
"Queen?"
>there is a little buzzing then the changelings voice comes through
>"y-yes?"
"are you in control of the hive thats growing in my old home?"
>"no! i swear im not! i had no idea that there was a hive there until i was locked up!"
>you listen to the sound of her voice
>she sounds like she is telling the truth, but Changelings are deceivers by their nature
"i know they need a queen to operate and organize so effectively, i also know they have a connection to you since they are from your previous queen, so ill ask again. are you lying to me?"
>the Queen remains silent
"Queenie?"
>"they are under my command..."
"how do i know you aren't lying to me now then?"
>while this conversation was going on you and the others have been walking to where Rainbow had sealed them in
>you are currently outside the large door
>"you dont.."
"then ill test you."
>you pull out your sidearm and aim it down the hall behind you
>you dont fire it and just wait a few moments
"anything?"
>"no, what am i supposed to be looking for--"
>you pull the trigger and the gun fires, the changelings on the other side of the door start to go crazy
>you can hear the buzzing of their wings as they fly around probably scared by the noise
>"what did you just do?!"
"congratulations queenie, you passed. please hand the crystal back to cadence"
>"but i-"
"NOW"
>Cadences voice comes back
>"Manos?"
"Cadence. here are my orders, amplify my voice so you and the queen can hear me"
>you wait a few moments so she has enough time to cast the spell
"alright Queenie im going to open that door. and here is the real kicker. if i or any of the others with me even get a scratch on us. you're going to die."
>you can hear sad bug pony noises on the other side
>"i understand. you wont be hurt. i promise."
"good girl. ill be seeing you when i get back"
>you place the crystal in your pocket so they can hear if any harm comes to you
"Cinnamon, if you please?"
>>"yes lord manos."
>the sound of large locks and tumblers unlocking fills the hall
>the changelings on the other side remain silent as the door swings open slowly
>you take a step inside the room and look at the hundreds of changelings filling it
>each one of them have their eyes locked on you
"move."
>for a moment nothing happens, then a small path is cleared for you by the drones
>you walk right up to the large hive structure. and you feel the smooth surface
"i wonder"
>you turn your head to a changeling and you point to the hive
"take a part off"
>a few drones rush to the hive and start to rip a chunk off and drop it at your feet
>you watch them closely as you pick it up
>the material is very lightweight and it feels solid
>you stick it into the ground firmly and take a few steps back
>sidearm still in your hand you point it at the hardened material and pull the trigger.
>the material falls over from the impact of the round
>the changelings in the room who had previously jumped back from the noise start to skitter back
>you ignore them as you walk over to the chunk and lift it
>there is a very small indention where the bullet made impact 
>you pull the smashed bullet out of the dent
>you toss the chunk aside and holster your sidearm
"this is a interesting discovery. perhaps a cheap new armor?.."
>you look over to your ponies.
>they are far more nervous than you are about being surrounded by changelings
>but you cant really blame them
"lets go. leave them here for now. they wont be going anywhere."
>as you leave the room the door starts to slowly close
"if you value your existence.. you will continue to make that material."
>those are your last words to the changelings as the door seals itself again
 
>you are a queen
>why did you do it? all you wanted was a chance to prove that not all changelings were rabid beasts
>you thought that if you proved to manos and Cadence that you would help with removing the evil creatures they would let you start a hive of civilized and loyal children.
>you look up from your new cell and see Cadence walk in.
>she looks so angry with you.
>and she is the one pony you dont want to make angry.
>two other ponies walk in with her.
>they always wear those black uniforms.
>do they like to look like changelings?
>with a nod from Cadence the two ponies unlock your chains
>is this a second chance?
>a Cadence levitates a pink shinny rock over to you
>you stare at it for a moment before you realize you are supposed to take it
>"Queen?"
>thats manos' voice!
>you gulp slightly and your voice starts to waver as you respond to him
"y-yes?" 
>his voice is even and calm, almost disturbingly so.
>"are you in control of the hive that's growing in my old home?"
>you feel your heart sink and you start to panic
"no! i swear im not!"
>why are you doing this now?
"i had no idea that hive was there until i was locked up!"
>his voice gets more assertive and angered
>"i know they need a queen to operate and organize so effectively, i also know they have a connection to you since they are from your previous queen, so ill ask again. are you lying to me?"
>...
>"queenie?"
>he called you queenie.
>you sigh and tell him the truth
"they are under my command..."
>"how do i know you aren't lying to me now then?"
>thats a good question.
>you have already lost his trust and the trust of the only ponies you know
>you have nobody... you're alone.
"you dont"
>"then ill test you"
>a test? how is he planning on testing you? how will you know what to do? what if you fail?!
>"anything?"
>no, there was nothing! did you miss it?!
>your wings buzz slightly in panic 
"no, what am i supposed to be looking for--"
>suddenly hundreds of your drones are in panic
>they are screaming and looking for something
>you start to stand up, but the two ponies take a step forward making you sit back down
"what did you just do?!"
>there is a soft chuckle from manos
>"congratulations queenie, you passed. please hand the crystal back to cadence"
>what did he do though? has he hurt them? you want to know for sure
"but i-"
>"NOW!"
>you drop the shiny rock in your panic and push yourself back to the wall
>you watch as the rock gets lifted by Cadences magic
>>"manos?"
>you cant hear whats being said but there are a few nods from cadence and she never takes her eyes off of you
>then suddenly the voice is loud enough for you to hear it
>"alright Queenie im going to open that door. and here is the real kicker. if i or any of the others with me even get a scratch on us. you're going to die."
>die..
>you look up at cadence and a smile crosses her face
>you know she wouldnt mind putting you in one of the camps
>you know what you are to her.
"i understand. you wont be hurt. i promise"
>before you even finish speaking you are giving orders to your drones
>you tell them not to panic just watch those who are going to enter
>and if the tall one speaks. listen to him
>"good girl. ill be seeing you when i get back"
>Cadence takes the crystal back and places it in her front pocket
>the two of you and the other guards all take a seat and wait.
>you all listen to the voices in the crystal for any signs of assault
>Cadence makes sure to keep a close eye on you
>"if ANYTHING so much as scratches manos. ill rip you apart myself"
>your wings involuntarily buzz and you give a quick chirp
>if cadence doesnt speak changeling. but you are pretty sure she understands what a fear reaction is
"h-he will be fine. i promise."
>your eyes move to the floor
"i wouldnt hurt manos, hes all i really have besides you.."
>"nice way of showing you care by betraying us.."
>you feel a tear come to your eye
>that really hurt.. 
>you were just doing what you thought was best
>there is suddenly a loud Bang from the crystal
>the guards in the room get back on edge and draw their weapons
"I-I-nothing happened! i swear!"
>Cadences horn glows and you can see and feel her anger
>the moments following feel like a lifetime, and for you it nearly was
>Cadence is close enough to you now that you can hear manos' voice
>>"this is a interesting discovery. perhaps cheap new armor?"
>you release a breath you didnt even realize you held
>>"lets go. leave them here for now. they wont be going anywhere"
>your eyes keep moving from Cadence to the shiny rock and back again
>did.. did you pass?
 
>you are Manos
>the door has closed and begun to seal itself shut
>as it closes you turn to your ponies
"alright everyone. let head back to our Hands, then to the Reich. we have killed two birds with one stone today."
>everyone starts to walk down the halls away from you still checking for anything that might cause you harm
>speaking of harm.
>you pull the collar of your uniform back a bit to examine the cloth napkin you have used as a makeshift bandage 
>its not really a 'bandage' its more like a wad of cloth on a wound, which is what it is.
>the blood on it has started to dry along the edges but the center still is bright
>and the hole in your chest is still there, though slightly smaller than before
>if you hadn't seen all this happening a long time ago. you would have panicked when sombra attacked you.
>but you saw his whole life from its dull beginning, to its end.
>and end you were more than willing to grant him.
>"Manos? are you alright?"
>you place the cloth back in the wound and continue on
"yes sorry, just had to keep an eye on a little scratch i received. i dont want to have too many stains on my uniform"
 
>you are Cadence
>you look at queenie as she huddles in fear in of you
>you cant believe you started to trust her.
"why would you betray everything we are working towards?"
>queenie just sits there quietly
>a few small chirps and buzzing is all the noise she makes
"you were the only changeling i thought i could trust, and then i hear you are making a hive?! why!"
>the queen lifts her hoof to her face to wipe a tear away
>you almost start to tear up but you fight it back
>you dont waste tears on bugs..
>"i just thought if i helped you then you would give me a chance to make a better kind of changeling. a civil one, that wouldnt be like the monsters you have had to deal with."
>you feel a lump in your chest, besides Honor Bound and Manos, Queenie has been the only other, creature, you have got to know.
>and whether you wanted it to happen or not you have grown attached to her
>you look away from her and whisper to yourself
"attachments can be removed if they must."
>but you wont do it unless manos orders you to.
>or unless she trys to harm him.
"ill be back to check up on you."
>you turn away and walk out of her cell. the two guards locking the restraints on her before leaving
 
>you are Manos
>after a long tiring walk through the forest you return to the rear line of the Black Hands
>most have started to continue the movement back to the Reich but you still have plenty here for a decent defensive line
"Aryanne, Blackout. take the others and get some rest. we will be moving out soon and you will need the energy"
>as you give the command for a short break to your guard one of the few remaining commanders approaches you
>"lord everything is set. should we begin?"
>you nod and he escorts you to the top of a nearby hill
>looking out over the gathered unicorns you take a deep breath
"my ponies. we fought long and hard for this city. and in the end we gain possession of it"
>the unicorns remain silent, some might have and idea that this isnt a congratulations speech
>they wouldnt have been ordered into their squads if it was
"but unfortunately we wont be able to restore it to its former glory. and ill be damned to an eternity on the moon before i see it lost again!"
>its slowly becoming more and more clear to the ponies what you are going to ask them to do
"i know this is home to many of you. and to be honest. its home to me as well."
>you turn around to the city in the distance
"this is where i met you ponies. this is where i met Lyra, Copper, Blackout, and... and bonbon.."
>you hear a few voices from behind you shout
>"she awaits us as the gatekeeper! she will judge us in Valhalla!"
>you feel a tear run down your face, Lyra must have been speaking to ponies again.
"Lyra.. i hope thats true"
>you wipe the small tear and turn back 
"that she will. and this was her home too. a home she fought hard for, going as far to die for what SHE wanted. and what she wanted was Ponyville to be out of Royalist control. and we will give Bonbon that gift!"
>"seig heil! Heil the Reich"
>you look to your Unicorn commander and nod
>he steps forward and in a strong determined voice he gives the order
>"Form bombardment squads, and ready your spells!"
>you watch as the ponies get into their positions 
>a few are a little hesitant but do so none the less
>"ready spells, prepare to let them loose!"
>combined impact spells start to form above the squads 
>they hold letting the spells magic build up and increase their power
>"fire!"
>the sound of the spells being cast is similar to that of a loud gust of wind
>the spells take to the sky arching towards the city
>you watch as they make impact.
>large buildings start to crumble and sway, dust and debris fly up into the sky
>the ponies who decided to stay in the city decided their fate.
>you had told them before you left it was their choice to stay
>fate doesnt feel guilt for his actions. Fate has the last say.
>a second barrage makes impact on the city
>a whole block is completely leveled nothing remains there
>you take a moment to close your eyes and get a close up look at the destruction
>you feel yourself leave your body as the world around you freezes 
>inside the destruction you see small groups of griffons that remained undetected by your hands
>there are buildings that were still occupied by royal guards
>and there were families trying desperately to escape the fighting
>all of them were now buried in rubble and dust
>you open your eyes again, the world returning to its normal state
>you continue to watch as your unicorns continue their barrage
"i will leave nothing for the sisters, when they come to salvage the city, they will find nothing but rubble and ash.."
 
>you are Rainbow Dash
>Manos gave you and the others orders to rest
>and you intend to follow that order 
>laying down on a small bedroll you relax and stretch your wings 
>nothing beats a nap.
>but just before you are sent off to dreamland there are a few thumps in the distance
>you lift your head and look around but you cant see whats causing it.
"it must be something outside..."
>with all the strength you can muster you force yourself out of the nice soft bedroll and out of the makeshift shelter
>you look up and see large impact spells flying to ponyville
"whats going on?!"
>following the trail they left behind you see Manos standing on a hill with a few other ponies
>there must be more behind it since there are so many spells in the air
>you hear more of the thumps which you now realize are the spells making impact
>each one lands on ponyville shaking the very buildings to the ground
"manos! what are you doing?!"
>he cant hear you from here. the spells are being cast from right behind him
>you rush towards him until you are close enough for him to hear you
"MANOS! whats going on?!"
>Manos turns his head to you and motions for you to stand next to him
>you begin your walk up the rest of the hill until you are by his side
>his face and uniform seem to be illuminated by the light of the magic behind him
>"im saying my goodbyes dash.. would you care to join me?"
"why are you destroying ponyville? thats our home manos!"
>he breathes a deep sigh and sits down next to you
>the city has started to fall even further and small fires have broken out
>soon the city is glowing in the distance
>it reminds you of a setting sun, the color of the flames mixing with those of the spells impacts
>"it was our home rainbow. but it was too far gone. it would have been too costly to rebuild, and with the royal guard attacking.."
>wait hold on a second
"the royal guard attacked us?!"
>Manos just nods continues
>"we wouldnt have been able to safely repair it.. im afraid this was our only option."
>you watch ponyville, your home slowly burn and break.
"was there really nothing else we could do?.."
>Manos' voice is calm and almost soothing tone
>he turns to look to you his face glowing in the light of the magic being cast
>you see the burn on his face a mark of constant pain... and the look in his eyes matching what his scar already shows
>"not until this war is over.. not until we have united as one country again.."
>you look at your home and the home of your friends
>you can feel your wings drooping and your heart get tight
"i promise manos.. ill do everything i can to make that happen."
>you feel a soft motion along the top of your head down to the back of your neck
>manos slowly pets you as the two of you sit on the hill
>"I know you will... Commander."
 
>you are Honor Bound
>the ponies in your new armor have just returned.
>wait a minute..
>one, two, three, four...
"where is my other suit? Field Day?"
>"we lost one of our operators during the mission."
"would you like to explain to me how you ended up losing a operative?"
>Field day takes a step back as he finishes removing the armor
>"we were ambushed and there was a bit of friendly fire. they survived and carried on with the mission"
>you watch him waiting for further explanation
>the other operators finish removing their armor 
"Roselight. would you care to explain?"
>your sister removes her helmet her golden coat and skyblue eyes look over to you
>"Op 3 got our friend wasted. he paniced during a fight and shot his armor up and one of the legs malfunctioned" 
"is that so?"
>you look over to the accused operator 
>>"uh.. it was an accident?"
"i expect the armor was dealt with properly?"
>"Field day took care of it. the suit was removed"
"you are all dismissed. i expect a full written report soon."
>all the remaining operators besides your sister leave the room
"how does it handle?"
>"the armor is flexible but a little slow to respond. the weapons fire at a high rate but are prone to jamming."
>she gives you a slight glare
>"that would have been nice to know before going into the field"
>you ignore her attitude and inspect the remaining suits
"and it would have been nice to have more competent ponies"
>"all of Manos' children are chosen for a reason. fate will choose who we are given brother."
>you look over your shoulder to her
"dont forget dear sister. im the one who gave you this chance. and i am the one who taught you of manos"
>she huffs and changes into her black hands uniform
>"it doesnt matter who knew of him first brother. only who will follow him the longest. his light will never be extinguished if i can help it"
 
>you are Roselight
>sister to Honor Bound
>you were never appreciated in the family like Honor was, probably because you weren't a unicorn
>both of your parents were unicorns, same with every other member of your family
>though your mother denied it your father accused her of cheating and left her
>your family was split that day, you and Honor were the two children caught in the middle
>both families wanted him and cared nothing for you.
>you were seen as the reason for the split...
>your crime was just being born. a crime you take no shame in being guilty of.
>eventually Honor chose what family to live with, but his only condition was you were to be kept too
>you were always grateful for that. even if no one else cared your brother was there to watch out for you.
>while you both were grown you still watched over each other. then Manos came, and Honor was gone. 
>you thought he abandoned you too, until he came back one day in a brand new uniform.
>once he told you of Manos and his plans for a better future you had to sign up.
>you were in canterlot when manos was freed from jail
>you were at the party in the main hall when manos came back from the dead
>you were in Ardennes. you saw how manos was able to defeat a legion with a few hundred.
>you have seen what other ponies ignore. you have seen his light when Lyra would preach in the cathedral
>Manos is your reason to exist.
>you bow your head to a small statue of manos you have over your desk in your room
>holding a mark of manos necklace in your hooves you start to pray.
"we are his children of fate, we are his faithful hands. he will lead us to the glorious place that is valhalla where our brothers and sisters await us with open arms. we are his sword when he needs to strike. we are his shield when he needs protection. heil manos. heil the Reich"
 
>you are manos
>the travel back was a very quiet one
>the troops remain silent as they march on, the only sound heard is the sound of their hoofsteps and the engines of our tanks
>your guardponies ride along the sides of the tanks while you continue on
>"manos"
>you look behind you to Rainbow Dash who is riding on the same tank as you
>"do you think my friends made it out ok?"
>honestly thats something you never thought about until now
>they could very well be dead in that pile of rubble.
>but you didnt see them anywhere. even when you watched as the city fell to the earth
"Commander Dash. i believe they made it out."
>Rainbow nods a bit, the thought of ponyville being destroyed still fresh in her mind 
"remember rainbow, i am the one who decides ponies destiny, they are fine"
>you dont expect that to cheer her up. but its better than nothing
>you look to your driver
"how much further until the Reich will be in sight?"
>"lord, the Reich should be coming into view relatively soon the others should have already made it back and gave word to expect us."
"good. i expect everyone will want some rest."
>you happen to look to the forest as you ride on
>everything looks so peaceful, so at ease in the darkness.
>you smile as the small woodland as you pass on by
>just as you start to look away you see figures in the woods start to move
>one stops and looks in your direction, its yellow eyes looking at you with mild interest
"timberwolves."
>unless they are desperate for food or just stupid they wouldn't get any closer to your convoy
>"what was that sir?"
"timberwolves, in the small woodland to our left. nothing to worry about"
>the pony tank commander pokes his head out of the top and looks into the woods
>"if you say so sir."
"dont worry, they understand that we are more dangerous then they are, they will keep their distance"
>there is a howl from the woods and the pony commander takes a breath
>"if you say so sir"
>you watch the wolves as you ride on to the Reich
>the large gates of the Reich are a welcoming sight
>large red banners hang off the walls light a large beacon of hope for those who wish for a brighter future
"we made it back, they should be waiting for us inside, alright hands, secure a perimeter around the prisoners, i dont want them trying to get away in the streets"
>"yes sir! you heard him, get those rope warmers secured"
>the convoy slows down as you get within a reasonable distance to the main gates
>you stand up and hold your hand high in a Sieg Heil and you look to the gate keepers
>they return the sign and immediately begin opening the doors
>the sounds of the large cranks are absent however. the gates still open in a smooth motion
"wonder what they have been doing since i have been away"
>once the gate has opened enough you and your convoy enter
>black hands have lined up down the main street in clean ornate uniforms
>as you start to pass by they all give a sieg heil
>you ride in returning the gesture to the Hands and the crowd of ponies that have gathered to welcome you back
>your guards have surrounded the tank and walk along side Blackout taking the lead
>this is one of the first times your citizens have seen operational engine powered tanks
>each tank commander pokes their head out of the top as they roll inside
>and the prisoners of war stand almost awestruck at the masses and organized guards
>for them this is the first time they have laid eyes on the Reich and its ponies
>unfortunately for them the citizens are not as welcoming to them as they are for you and the hands
>whenever you see the prisoners walk by a group of cheering citizens their cheers turn to shouts
>occasionally a pony or two might get close enough to throw an odd object or two at them before being pulled back
>you turn yourself around to the prisoners behind you to address them yourself
"this is what you were fighting against! you are fighting progress and order! now you will have to accept the consequences"
"hold here! hold!"
>the small impromptu parade slows to a stop and the prisoners all look up to you
>perhaps they finally understand what they fought against. or perhaps they regret being cowards who surrendered
"in case you dont know who i am. i am Manos, once a citizen of equestria and a protector of her people. but not anymore. now i have my own people to protect! i have my own nation to care for and grow. one that you and your leaders fail to care for or even acknowledge.. do you doubt my words? how many of you even have heard of our Reich?"
>the prisoners mumble quietly or remain silent not one of them able to speak up
>the silence is seen as insulting to the crowd enticing boos and various insults to the Royalist ponies
>once you think they have has enough ridicule you raise your hand to silence your ponies
>then you point to a pony at random
"you there.. tell me, where are we?"
>the pony looks around to the others they all just look back worried
"well? where are we?"
>"uh.. we are.. in the crystal empire?"
>you smile and look to your hands then to the crowds
"he doesnt listen well does he?"
>the ponies laugh at your remark
"my ponies. tell me, where are we?"
>"the Reich! Seig Heil! Heil the Reich!"
>you nod your head and smile
"we are at the start of a new world. one of order and peace."
>you look to your hands guarding the ponies
"take them to their new accommodations."
>you dismount the tank and walk in front of the convoy 
>you have a little bug and pink princess to talk to
 
>you are Queenie
>you remain in your cell waiting for something to happen
>you havent been communicating with any of your 'children' since you have been in here
>and they have been mysteriously quiet since Cadence left the room
>with nothing to do you take the time to make sure your wings are clean while you wait
>just as you start to clean them the door in front of you opens
>you sit up straight and look to the door as two ponies with black helmets and uniforms walk inside
>"against the wall bug"
>you back up against the wall as instructed as Manos steps inside
>another pony brings in a chair setting it down in the room
>Manos motions for the ponies to leave
>"leave us please."
>>"are you sure lord? if we are outside then-"
>"ill be fine. tell cadence to meet me here." 
>the guards look to each other for a moment before eventually leaving
>manos takes a seat on his chair leaning forward in your direction
>"so.. we need to talk."
>your wings buzz for a second 
"manos.. im sorry for what i did, i didnt think it would be as serious as it turned out. i just thought-"
>manos interrupts you
>"i understand what you thought you were doing. its natural. you wanted to preserve your own existence."
"you.. you knew?"
>"not so much as knew, more like, i expected it. just i didnt expect it to be so well hidden."
>does that mean he isnt mad?
>he seemed really mad before..
"are you mad?"
>manos laughs quietly to himself, and wipes a bit of sweat from his face
>he must have got back recently
>"im furious..."
>manos lurches forward and grabs you firmly
>you panic as he holds you in his grip but you dont make any action to prevent his fury
>but surprisingly his grip relaxes and he pets your head before walking back to his chair
>"but, im not a bad person, and i wont punish you too severely for just trying to survive"
>you smile at manos
>you are lucky to have him in charge
>at least he understands you
>the door behind manos opens again
>this time its Cadence behind him, she walks in and stands next to manos
>"glad you could make it Cadence. miss me?"
>she takes a seat rather close to him. and smiles a warm smile as she speaks
>>"of course i did. we havnt spent much time together since this whole incident in ponyville started"
>incident?.. and where is ponyville?..
>you dont know much but since they are both in here talking to you, it was probably your fault or had something to do with what you did
>perhaps thats why Cadence was so much angrier than manos seemed to be.
>you kept them away from each other..
>after a quick moment of the two talking they focus back on you
>>"so.. what are we going to do with this traitor?"
>you dont need to be looking at cadence to feel her eyes burning a hole into you
>you do your best to look to manos and keep Cadence out of your vision
"manos.. im really sorry, you know i didnt mean to do anything to upset you."
>you accidentally chirp after speaking
>why are you suddenly acting so strange?
>Manos continues to look at you and he takes a deep breath
>"despite her actions, as negligent as they were.. she had led to a recent discovery that in the end will benefit us"
>>"what do you mean? what did you discover?"
>"while i was in her little hive i found out that Changelings make a very lightweight and sturdy material"
>manos reaches forward and taps your carapace 
>"much like their hardened skin. to build their hive structures" 
>manos looks from you to cadence
>"copper must have already had an idea of this since one of his experiments was infusing their natural armor into that of a pony who i shall not name."
>>"and you intend to harvest this resource. dont you?"
>manos starts to pet Cadence and she starts to lean into it
>ponies must really enjoy being pet. 
>"yes. i do. but for them to make it, at least properly, they need a queens instruction."
 
>you are manos
>and you are playing a game with the ponies in this room
>in this game you have two objectives, objective one; get control of queenie, she can still be useful in several ways. 
>and objective two; convince Cadence keeping her alive is a good idea
>knowing her she has already threatened to kill Queenie and would gladly do so
>the only way you can win this game is if both objectives have been met.
>"so, you're going to let me live right?"
>instead of answering her you look to Cadence, who is thoroughly enjoying the attention you are giving her
"that was my intention."
>you give Queenie a small smile before looking to your little pink pony
"what do you think girly? does queenie deserve another chance?"
>you stop petting her long enough so that she can focus
>she remains quiet for a good amount of time, most of it she is looking at Queenie with a conflicted expression
>you can tell she wants to just be done with her, but something is keeping her from just giving the order.
>though what it is you're not sure, but you hope its the attention you have been giving her.
>"one more chance.."
>Queenie smiles wide and her wings buzz a little 
>"but! if you do something like this again without manos or I knowing--"
>you stand up and start to leave the room
"yes yes, she will be in the camps like the rest of them. guards. release the queen"
>the guards soon enter the room and remove the restraints from queeie
>Cadence never takes her eyes off of her
"Cadence, Queen, lets go for a short walk. there are some ponies id like you to meet."
>ponies who have lots of new information to hear.
>information they would probably give freely.. to a princess.
>as you walk down the hall nearing the end of the labs a thought crosses your mind
>ponies dont know about the queen. only those in the camp and the lab do.
>her identity being discovered to early could backfire and ruin everything
>oh wait, shes a changeling she can just change into something else
"Queenie, its best if you put on a disguise before we leave."
 
>you are Queenie
>a disguise?
>you must being going somewhere outside the labs or camps
>this is really exciting! you have never seen any of the world besides those two places
>you try to calm yourself down from the sudden rush of excitement 
>"well? going to get into one?"
>you see manos and Cadence waiting for you by the door
"yes, right a disguise. just a quick second."
>manos and cadence wait for a moment before turning back to the door
>"Cadence and i will be waiting outside, try not to take too long."
>>"and if you try to run away.. you know what will happen"
"yes, i know, dont worry just give me a second."
>you've never had to put on a disguise before 
>you dont even know how the drones do it!
>think, queenie think!
>you concentrate on the form of a pony
"i can do this!"
>with a bit more thought you feel yourself burst into a small green flame
>you did it!
>and you look perfectly disguised!
>you smile, proud of yourself as you walk out the door to meet manos and Cadence
>nopony will be able to tell you are a changeling now.
 
>you are manos
>as you wait for Queenie you share your plan with Cadence and then tell her of Ponyville
"the city was evacuated. everyone considered a citizen of our Reich is now here."
>"and what about the city? are you letting my Aunts have it?"
"no, the city will not fall into their hands-- or hooves rather. its nothing but dust and rubble now."
>shes shocked at your words
>"Manos, why did you destroy the city? that was your home.."
"i know that, and it was the home of many others, and none of them would want it to fall to the royals, i did what i had to do. even if i regret it"
>Cadence is about to speak again but the door behind you opens
>oh my god..
 
>you are Queenie
>and you are ready to go
"alright, hows this?"
>you look over your work, and to be honest it looks really good for a first time disguise 
>Manos looks at you, probably amazed at how well you did for not doing this before
>then you look to Cadence, her reaction is more surprising
>shes jaw dropped
>>"WHY!?"
"why? why what? i thought i was supposed to be in disguise? should i not be?"
>out of habit you try to buzz your wings but instead they flap and take you off the ground slightly
>you stop yourself and come back to the ground 
>its a good thing you have pink fur now, otherwise they might see you blush from your mistake
>>"no i mean why did you disguise yourself as me!?"
"is that bad?"
>Manos laughs and starts to walk away
>you start to follow him before Cadence blocks your path
>she gives you a stern look
>>"No you change to somepony else now!"
"I'm not sure if i can.. it took a lot of concentration just to get this right."
>Cadence huffs and starts to walk on
>>"fine but just.. just put on a lab coat or something!.. and next time take off a few pounds! im not that fat."
 
>you are manos
>and you were not expecting to see her come out as Cadence.
>while it was funny to see, it will obviously cause a problem if people see two of her.
"Come on Cadences. we have somewhere to be."
>it should be rather easy enough to tell them apart
>the two approach you one in her regular Black hands uniform
>and one in a lab coat that isnt quite the right size.
>it might be the wings being stuck underneath the coat making it look small.
>but its still obviously the same ponies to onlookers
"well we will have to cross that obstacle when we come to it. come on."
>you and the Cadences make your way to the castle entrance
>as soon as you are inside you are greeted by the Gestapo.
>well.. to be more precise the heads of your gestapo.
>"hello manos, its been a while since we had the pleasure~ of your company"
>the Shine sisters, Emerald and Sapphire approach you all to happy to get more than a little inside your personal space
>>"its been too long, perhaps you wouldnt mind having dinner with us? we still owe you for the one you gave us."
"not right now, i have some important business to take care of with the new arrivals"
>"oh you mean those prisoners, dont worry, we can take care of them if you like..."
>>"we are more than capable of getting any information you need out of--"
>Emerald stops her rant suddenly
>>"Sapphire.. am i going crazy?"
>Sapphire pokes her head around you to see what her sister is looking at
>"unless we both are going crazy.. are you seeing two of Cadence?"
>great...
 
>You are Cadence 
>you grit your teeth as you watch as the two mares ogle and rub on manos, under the guise of 'business'
>every time they get near him you get more and more angry about it
>Queenie looking like you isn't helping your temper much either.
>>"Sapphire.. am i going crazy?"
>Sapphire pokes her head around manos' legs to see you and Queenie standing there
>>"unless we both are going crazy.. are you seeing two of Cadence?"
>well they are not going to get away with flirting with manos in front of you.
>you give a harsh whisper to queenie
"come on!"
>you start to walk over to Manos' side and 'gently nudge' Emerald out of the way
>that felt good.
>Queenie just walks up to the other side of manos, looking around at the room and the two sisters, not knowing whats going on
>Luckily manos has an explanation
>"dont worry about it. just a little experiment. ill be sure to tell you about it later. but right now i have to speak with our guests."
>manos starts to walk on to the dungeons Queenie following right behind him
>a little something comes to your mind as you start to walk away from the sisters
>you look back with a mock smile
"why would he want you, when he now has two?"
>you flick your tail at them as you walk to catch up to manos
>its amazing what a little bit of payback can do
>that little comeback made today almost worth the trouble
>you quickly catch up to manos and take your place beside him as he continues on
>Queenie just looks around at all the banners, paintings, busts, and other ornaments in the halls
>this is really her first time seeing anything besides the labs and the Camps as far as you know
>you quickly turn your attention back to manos, you give a slight cough to get his attention
"uhm, manos. i was hoping, now that youre back and we have a little bit of time.. do you think we could spend some time together? you know. just us?"
>you worry about his silence
>does he have no interest in you anymore? did those sisters already get him?
>you feel his warm hand rub the back of your neck
>"sure thing, im sure i can find some spare time, but this has to come first."
"of course! of course. i understand that, i just missed you.. a lot."
>"i know."
>by now the three of you are at the castles entrance to the dungeons
>of course the prisoners wouldnt have been brought this way, they would have been taken in through the guards entrance.
>the guards on duty snap to attention as they see you and manos approach... and you..
>>"heil manos!"
>you return the heil as does manos
>queenie on the otherhoof takes a bit longer to catch on, but eventually does the same
>>"lord manos.. you do realize that.. there are two Cadences with you right?"
>"yes i am well aware.. it doesnt take a genius to figure it out. this is an experiment. top secret. i expect you to not inform anyone of this."
>>"of course sir! we are your faithful hands."
>the guards step aside and open the large doors to the dungeon 
>cold air escapes from below giving you a chill.
>you have never been down there before. but you assume little has been changed or improved inside since before Sombras time
>Manos enters inside his boots making contact with the cold stone
>the sound of his footsteps echo throughout the cold silent dungeon
>Queenie continues on, still just happy to be seeing new things
>ignorance must be bliss.
 
>you are manos
>ah now this is a prison.
>the damp air and wet stone leave you feeling chilled and rather refreshed.
"you know, if i had to decide between being held here and in canterlot again.. id probably pick canterlot."
>you make sure your voice is loud enough for both your double Cadences and the ponies in the dungeon to hear you
"this place sucks the life out of you, it was made to break ponies without any outside influences. something Sombra was definitely knowledgeable of"
>a few guards are all thats needed to keep this place secure
>there are many stairways leading up and down to rows and rows of cells.
>at the bottom of the dungeon is what looks to be a large pit that goes on into nothingness
>that must be some sort of persistent magic sombra used, it definitely fits.
>you start to walk to the middle floor where a stone bridge extends across the pit with a small circle in the center where all cells can see you.
>even the ones below would at least be able to see some part of whoever is speaking
>thats where you stop and look to your captives with a smile on your face
"welcome to your new home!"
>Cadence and Queenie remain below just out of sight for now
>you slowly start to pace around your little 'stage' 
"you are here.. because each and every single one of you, have committed crimes against our nation."
>your footsteps, and an occasional drip of water are the only noise besides your voice
"here, you are to be under guard. at all times. you will eat, what we feed you, and drink, what we tell you. you dont get options, you dont get free time, you dont get rights.."
>you see one of the guards already sitting on their wood benches that also serve as beds
"here, i decide who will live and who will die."
>you pause for a moment letting your words sink in
"no one is coming for you. my intelligence gatherers have already informed me, that Celestia was told you were and i quote, 'wiped out'.. to her, and the rest of the world, you are already dead."
>you motion for the Cadence in her Black Hands uniform to come to your side.
>Queenie remains sitting just out of sight
>once Cadence comes into view you hear a few various reactions.
>some are shocked that she is one of your ponies, others sulk, reminded that even a princess was willing to join you.
>but she has done so much more than simply follow you.
>she stands looking to all the ponies in their cells, the guards on duty all giving her a salute.
"Cadence here.. is perhaps your only hope of getting back home."
>you place your hand on the back of her neck.
"with a simple letter Celestia and Luna would be aware of your situation and im sure they would offer us some deal for the safe return of her guards."
>Cadence interrupts your little speech, already knowing where its leading
>"But. we need something in return. each and every one of you knows something about Canterlot, the guard, or perhaps even about my aunts. if you all share this information, without a fuss, then that letter will be sent out much quicker.."
"now, see isnt that a fair trade? you already have your tickets home! you just need to turn them in."
>a voice rings out, though hard to place the area it originated from in clear.
>"and what if we refuse to tell you anything?!"
>you turn to the direction of the voice
"oh you will. if i wanted to, i could simply walk through the cells one by one and get everything i need from you without saying a word. or, i could let some of my friends come in and have a private chat with each of you, but id like to avoid any unnecessary harm to my guests."
>honestly you couldnt care less about what happens to these ponies.
>they chose a side, unfortunately for them. it was the wrong one.
"and im sure Cadence here wouldnt like seeing any ponies getting hurt unless they deserved it."
>you kneel down to Cadence and softly brush her mane
"right Cadence?"
>Cadence looks surprised at your sudden attention
>you talk softly so only she can hear you.
"Cadence. i need to learn as much as i can about what the royals have."
>you pull you hand back from her and continue to speak
"i understand you want to protect these ponies... im sure what you just told them must have been harder for you to do since.. well since they arnt changelings."
>you look over to Queenie sitting by herself
"but i want you to be in charge of getting any information out of them."
>"why?"
>you sigh and try to think of a good way to explain it to her
"because you care for the ponies even the ones loyal to Celestia and Luna. and because you believe in what im doing."
>"well then why dont you have the Shines get what you want out of them?"
>you smile softly at the pink pony.
"because Cadence. like i said. you care about these ponies. and you wont harm them unless its a last resort."
>Cadence looks conflicted with her options
>she agreed to do this little speech with you, but she had no idea you would put her in charge of this
>"I-im not sure manos.."
>she looks to her uniform, but you gently pick her face up to meet yours
"Cadence. please?"
>with a small sigh she brings a small smile to her face.
>"alright.. i suppose its best if someone who cares about them talks with them.."
"thank you Cadence. and i look forward to spending time with you again."
>you surprise Cadence with a kiss
>a kiss that each of the ponies in their cells could clearly see.
"ill leave this to you then."
>you stand up and begin your walk back to the entrance
>your footsteps echoing in the silence of the dungeon.
"queenie, would you come with me please?"
>the other Cadence in a lab coat quickly gets to her hooves and follows you out of the dungeon 
>the guards at the door give you a sieg heil as you walk by
"tell me. right now, can you communicate with those changelings in the castle?"
>Queenie is quiet for a moment as the two of you walk down the hall but eventually responds
>"yes, its a bit harder when im in disguise. but i can."
>thats good to know.
"are they continuing to build their little hive or are they doing anything different?"
>you recall your lasts words to them were to make more of that material
>unfortunately you didnt tell them to make it easy to move. they could just be continuing to make their home there
>"well.. the seem to be doing the normal stuff they always have. but.. differently."
"different how?"
>no one questions you walking with 'Cadence' now that the two of them are separated
>besides a few looks from the guards who saw them before
>they probably wonder which one to listen to, if any.
>"they are making materials for the hive, but not. uhm.. applying it to the structure."
>well its a start.
"is it possible for you to have the Changelings here make that material? i assume its biological and made from mucus or something."
>"do.. do you want them to?"
"In fact i do. i wont tell you what for, or my reasons behind it. ill be sure to inform Cadence about the small adjustments to the labor schedules"
 
>you are Aryanne
>you are currently looking for a clean uniform to change into after your previous assignment
>Comet was a more than a little upset that he was left here when everyone else went out on a mission.
>apparently that's why he left the barracks in the first place. boredom.
>"honestly it doesn't even surprise me, i run my mouth and take a short walk and at that moment you get called out, and who do you take with you? blackout and rainbow!"
>>"well its good to see you too Comet.."
"well comet, if you still want a mission so bad, we need a shift change on Manos' room. and i think you would be a perfect fit."
>you hear Comet sigh then snap to attention
>"yes commander. anyway, it was nice seeing you again rainbow. glad to have you back"
>>"thanks, ill see you after your shift, if im still awake."
>Comet leaves the barracks leaving Almond, Cinnamon, Rainbow and you alone in peace and quiet.
>Blackout just went her own way after you got back
>where she is, is anyone's guess.
>finally picking out a clean uniform you start to change
"hey rainbow.. before we left ponyville. you left for something. what was that about?"
>Rainbow sits down on a bunk
>"when? when you guys were resting?"
"yeah, you rushed out and the next time i saw you was when we were moving out. you with manos."
>"oh.. yeah, that."
"trying to suck up to superiors rainbow?"
>you laugh a bit but rainbow just stays quiet.
>by now you have changed out of your uniform and into your new one
>you look over to see rainbow just sitting on the bed.
"well?"
>she sighs before speaking
>"i sat with manos as ponyville was destroyed.. he said we couldnt leave anything for Celestia or the guards."
"oh.. im sorry to hear that rainbow.. i didnt grow up there like you did, i can only imagine what that felt like."
>"dont worry about it. ill get over it, besides. who knows, when this is all over, we might rebuild it and make it even better."
>you give rainbow a smile 
"let hope for that then, heil manos"
 
>you are a Queen
>manos is walking you around the castle, but he hasnt really told you why.
>not that you mind. in fact its quite nice being out of the labs or camps. 
>everything here is so clean, and orderly.
>ponies in uniforms stand guard at almost every doorway while others in different clothes are cleaning and doing other small tasks
>do ponies have a drone class?
>you look up to manos. he has been rather quiet since he talked of the drones and the hive from before
"manos.."
>"hm?"
>you lower your voice so other ponies cant hear you
"do.. do ponies have a drone class?"
>manos makes a small snort sound followed by a bit of chuckling 
>"no, not really. though i suppose if you have ponies who will do whatever you ask without thought, that might make them seem that way"
"oh. i see"
>you feel silly for asking, you should have known that ponies and changelings are two completely different beings
>"why do you ask?"
"oh well ive just only seen two or three types of ponies. the soldiers, the scientists, then these ponies here cleaning. i thought that perhaps they were drones of some kind"
>you feel manos' hand petting your head.
>that feels nice...
>"no, ponies arnt split up like that. they choose their roles in life unlike changelings"
>manos looks down to you as he continues walking you around
>"in most cases"
"what do you mean in mo--"
>"how are you enjoying the walk? i think its rather calming. gives you a chance to think"
"it is nice. i havnt seen much besides--"
>"it gives you a chance to think about ones future. and their own place in it"
>manos walks you to a final room
>standing outside of it is a group of four black hands all at attention.
>>"heil manos!"
>"heil the Reich, good to see you again Comet i trust my room is still secure?"
>>"no one has been in or out. are you and Cadence going to need privacy?"
>privacy?
>"perhaps later. when she gets here"
>>"uh.. what? sir, Cadence is right here."
>the pony gives a nod to you
>you give a uneasy smile and look back and forth between manos and the pony
>manos just tells the guards in a rather 'matter of fact'
>"thats not cadence. this is one of my.. experiments."
>the pony just looks more confused
>>"would you like to let me in on the experiment sir? you know. for old times sake?"
>"Comet, if you werent one of my personal guard i might have been insulted. but luckily you are you."
>manos turns to you.
>"alright, feel free to drop the disguise."
"are you sure?.."
>all eyes are on you.
>you feel your heart beating inside your chest
>hope manos knows what he is doing.
>in a flash of green flame you are no longer Cadence
>you keep your eyes closed worried about the ponies reaction
>>"a changeling!?"
>you flinch at the sound of swords being drawn but nothing happens
>you peek out of one eye and see manos standing between you and the ponies.
>"i told you, shes one of my experiments Comet. no please, open the door. Cadence should be along sometime later."
>there are a few more glares and other looks from the guards, but eventually they step aside and open to doors.
>manos leads you inside before taking a seat at his private desk
>"welcome to my quarters. not as big as the one in my old home.. but ive grown to like it here. please take a seat anywhere you like."
>you look around the room before just sitting on the floor.
>wonder why he brought you here.
 
>you are manos
>you watch as Queenie takes a seat on the floor.
>you look around to the chairs you have in the room before looking back to her
"now, queenie. im worried. im worried you will try something like your little hive again despite the vote of confidence i gave Cadence."
>you raise your hand as queenie opens her mouth to protest
>she closes her mouth and remains quiet on your floor, her bug wings drooping slightly
"why i believe you might do something like that is simple. you wish to survive, as all creatures do."
>you pull out your sidearm and place on the desk beside you before turning away from her to disassemble and clean it
"and the way things are currently looking, the odds for you must not seem very.. pleasant."
>after a removing a few larger parts of your sidearm you take off your gloves, revealing your hands. little scars remain where you were previously cut, although even they are slowly fading
"so, to ensure a more beneficial outcome for BOTH of us, i think we should come to some sort of arrangement that will greatly increase your survival chances in the future."
>"what do you mean? what kind of arrangement?"
>you hear a faint buzzing of her wings as she talks
>wonder if that has to do with how changelings communicate?
"Changelings have a few natural advantages to ponies, one being numbers, and the other being natural stealth."
>you start to clean the barrel of your gun and turn back to her
"example: you were never taught how to change yourself. but you naturally knew you could and thus did."
>she slightly turns her head indicating she is at least curious to see where this is going.
"to recap you are excellent at hiding in plain sight, and you are excellent hunters."
>you set down the now clean piece on the desk 
"perhaps.. a select few could be used for the Reichs more, covert needs."
>"i uhm.. i could see that yes. but what about the ponies? they hate us. and to be honest, im not quite sure i like changelings either. and i AM one."
"that is true. the ponies of the Reich and most of the world hate changelings. but, what if. the one group who is seen as actively removing a threat of your species caliber is also protecting you?"
>you smile and walk over to a chest
"at least.. for a price."
>you wave Queenie over to you
>she gets to her hooves and walks to you and the chest
"i am searching for a select group of items.. six items to be exact. of which i already have three."
>queenie watches as you move your hands around the chest in front of you.
>you make sure to hit the locks as you move so its hard for her to see the exact spots
>you slowly open the chest, revealing the long stored elements.
>each emitting a unique glow.
>red for the Alicorn Amulet, purple/black for Sombras Crystal, and a teal-cyan glow for the crystal heart.
>the little queen changeling looks inside at the glowing elements.
>her eyes almost fixate on the crystal heart.
>you can only imagine the amount of food that crystal alone can supply to her
>you snap your fingers and she quickly looks back to you.
"as im sure you have guessed. just from the crystal heart alone. these are very important tools."
>you take out both Sombras Crystal and the Amulet before closing the chest again
>you feel your spine crawl and goosebumps form all over your body from the brief contact with it
>you waste no time in placing it on your desk, and pocketing the amulet.
"tools that i require information on. because as of right now. i have none."
>"im a little confused on what you are asking me.."
>perhaps you need to be more straight forward.
>she was 'born' only a week or so ago.
>you put your black gloves back on as you start to clean every part of your weapon with a small rag 
>you dont want to leave finger prints after all your hard work.
"you control changelings. i control you. why not let you have more freedoms in exchange for more control over your changelings."
>you pull the finger printed slide close to inspect it as you clean, blowing off small bits of rag that get left behind
"im willing to make you an 'honorary' citizen of the Reich, you will receive most of the same rights as a normal pony, as well as protection from any outside forces. you will be as close as you can become to being a pony in the eyes of the Reich,"
>you place the parts down and take sombras crystal in your now gloved grip
>you still feel its power making you on edge, but it is severely lessened. though whether this is from the glove, knowing what to expect, or a mix of both, you cant be sure.
"all i would require in return. is help in finding the last three elements."
>queenie has a smile of her face
>perhaps the thought of being a 'pony' instead of a changeling is all the leverage you need.
"so, do we have a deal?"
 
>you are Cadence
>the real one, the one who is now in charge of both Changeling and pony prisoners 
>you have ordered a group of dungeon guards to go from cell to cell to get as much information as they can without your help
>from the sound of it, little progress is being made.
"these ponies believe what they are doing is right.. of course the wouldn't just give up"
>you stand in the center of the dungeon watching as each cell gets questioned one by one
>you hear a pony shout to you
>"why would you side with that monster! you would choose him over your fellow princesses?"
"manos is not a monster!"
>you find yourself shouting at the offending pony.
"manos has done so much to protect Equestria, he has created new weapons, he has fought off changelings and griffons! he defeated sombra when he returned!"
>your shouting has attracted the attention of everypony in the dungeon, including the guards
"he cares for his ponies and has lead them into every battle on the front lines, he is constantly putting himself at risk to keep his own safe! how does that make him a monster!?"
>your anger at the pony has caused your eyes and horn to glow with magic, but you get yourself under control.
>manos is just being blamed for everything now..
>celestia and luna are probably doing this.. 
>you look to the guards who were questioning the ponies in the cells
"thats enough questioning. there isnt much point.."
>you start to walk away from the center of the dungeon 
>you look over each of the cells, the ponies inside giving you either sad looks, or sharp glares.
>you hear various insults slung at you once they think you are out of earshot 
>you ignore it.
>you can continue this later... besides you are going to see manos.
>everything else can wait.
 
>you are Manos
>you extend your hand out to the little queen
>just remember little changeling when you make a deal with the devil 
>her hoof extends out to your hand and you grip it giving it a firm shake
>he will always collect.
>you lock eyes with Queenie and the world around the two of you dissolves and changes into a blank space
>she looks around slightly panicked by the sudden change in scenery 
>"manos? whats going on?!"
"relax."
>you let go of her hoof and walk away from her.
>the world changes again and you are back in Castle Manos.
>specifically you are in the dining area where you and Sombra fought 
>you take a seat at the head of the table.
"this is where i had to end a deal with someone who thought they would be better off on their own."
>"what happened to them?"
>you smile rather warmly to her.
>i collected. he wanted out of the deal so i simply took what was mine.
>two smokey figures appear in the room
>after a few moments they start to take shape, one being you the other Sombra.
>the fight plays out in front of you in a more slow and dramatic fashion
>it stops when sombra lays on the floor with you standing over him with his horn.
"sombra gave his life to me long ago. in exchange for letting him and his kingdom continue. when he decided to make his way in the world without me.."
>you extend your hand to the scene 
"i simply took back what was mine."
>the figure representing you raises his hand and plunges the severed horn back into sombras skull
>as it does the figures dissolve in a smoky dramatic fashion.
>queenie stares at the scene until its end
"just remember queenie.. i am much more than powerful than i appear to be."
>the real world rushes back, and the two of you are still holding 'hands'
>you are a few inches from her face with a smile
"i hope you remember that."
>you kiss her hoof then let it go.
>just as you sit back down into your chair at the desk there is a knock at the door
>>"Lord manos, Cadence is here she wishes to see you"