My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapter 22: Distorted Reflections

“I’m coming in,” Celestia announced at the top of her lungs.

“Hey, say that before you bust down the door,” Fluttershy said, glaring daggers at the unwelcome and unexpected guest.

“Oh my. Is that any way to greet one such as I, when I grace you with my presence?” The Alicorn arched an eyebrow at the six ponies gathered in the room. It was not as if the space was small, but the fact of the matter was that besides the six of them, much of the space was also taken up by various articles of clothing, furniture, and valuables that the Malcontents had pilfered over their years together. And it was even more cramped with the door off its hinges.

“Forgive my friends’ rudeness, Your Majesty,” Applejack said as she pushed the door off of her back, to fall with a thud onto the floor. “Pray, tell us what brings you to our humble abode.”

“Prey?” Pinkamena Pie giggled, eyes glittering.

“Not that kind, you moron,” Rarity said, whacking her friend across the back of her head with a frying pan.

“’Pray’ indeed,” Celestia muttered. “I have a business proposition for you,” she said more loudly.

“Oh no,” Twilight Sparkle said from amidst a pile of flotsam. “The last time we agreed to your ‘business’ we ended up two hundred down, and licking our wounds for two more moons.”

“Come now, Sparkle,” Fluttershy said, “we might get to bring some more harm.”

“How about a simple job for once?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That’s no fun,” Pinkamena said.

“Do you six ever stop?” Celestia asked, rolling her eyes.

“Never,” Applejack said.

“Well then, since you’re already here—“ Twilight started.

“And hopefully paying for the door,” Applejack added.

“Yeah, that too. What’s the job, Your Majesty?” Sparkle sneered when she used the title, making it clear that she was not showing Celestia any respect, but then it was a self-proclaimed title. At the moment, Celestia was willing to let the snub pass if it would let these fools believe they were in control. And Celestia herself would never forget or forgive any insult against her.

“My sister and I visited Sombra. Just now he’s called in some other ponies to help him. I want you six to take care of them.”

“Why should we help you?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, what’s in it for us?” Sparkle asked.

“And, where’s your sister now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Luna let herself be taken, in accordance with one of our plans. Neither of us expected it to happen as quickly as it did, but apparently Sombra’s helpers have some Iron Tech, or whatever’s close to it. So I need your numbers to counter that.”

“Iron Tech? Forget it,” Sparkle said.

“Even I recognize that as a losing fight,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s a different kind of hurt,” Pinkamena said. “I don’t like it.”

“Well, fortunately for us these new faces’ve already had a run-in with Lord Iron. And they made him angry enough to demand vengeance. Most possibly even angry enough to deal with you six to get it,” Celestia said.

“Why, what’d they do, chop off the rest of his mane?” Pinkamena giggled.

“In his eyes maybe they might as well have, although not all of them were in on that action: they not only denied his demands and fought against him, but they stole some of his Dragon’s Claw armour.”

“That’s gotta sting,” Applejack said. “Still, why should we care?”

“Because six of the newcomers are dead ringers for the six of you. They even have a little purple dragon like you used to.”

“That sounds more like a reason to steer clear of them,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well, if you take their dragon then you could use him instead. What’s more, if they’re after your place in this world, taking them out first would end their plans right there.” Celestia could see that she was not convincing these ponies. She sighed. “I wasn’t going to share this with you, but your doubles are clearly from another, parallel world. That’s a whole other world you could steal from. And since Sombra trusts these fools, that means they’re trusted back where they come from, doesn’t it?”

The ponies thought about it, then slowly began to agree with “yeah” and “I suppose.” They were moving slower than Celestia wanted, but she also wanted to have them completely behind her on this. “They’re trusted, which means that a target in their world..?”

“Easy pickings,” Fluttershy said.

“Easy prey,” Pinkamena added, licking her lips.

“’Trusted’ means we can get into anywhere they can,” Applejack said. “A couple easy heists and we could retire to the easy life, Iron or no Iron. Granted you and your sister can leave us alone.”

“I promise we will,” Celestia smiled. “Are you in?”

“You mentioned tech. We need tech,” Rarity said.

“You can leave that to me, ponies. I’ll recruit Lord Iron to our cause personally.”

The six exchanged several glances, then Applejack nodded. “We’re in, but on one condition: you have to get Iron on our side. And you have to make him promise on the only thing he cares about to leave us alone after we’re done.”

“That’s two promises,” Celestia said flatly.

“Those’re our terms, Your Majesty.” And now there was a bit of a mocking tone in Applejack’s voice.

“If I agree to your terms, there’ll be no backing out on your part, got it?”

“Yeah, we got it,” Sparkle said.

“Then I accept your terms. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done talking with Iron.” Celestia turned around and walked out the door.

“Hey, what about our door?!” Rarity shouted after her.

Celestia poked her head back inside and, scowling, picked the door up with her magic and slammed it into place, splintering it slightly.

“You’re paying additional damages,” Sparkle said, just before Celestia teleported out of the area, sighing again at the six’s greed. At least they’re easy to persuade, she thought.

* * *

“[How long’ve you known?]” The solid light picture on the other side of the lowered ceiling turrets flickered, almost imperceptibly, but Celestia was watching carefully. Very carefully.

As she had promised the Malcontent Six, Celestia had immediately gone off to ‘meet’ with ‘Lord’ Iron so she could persuade him to back her plan. Of course, there would be wheels within wheels in any agreement that formed between then, and so Celestia knew she had to use certain techniques to be successful here. She had to have several more wheels than Iron did.

In truth, Celestia and Luna had been tracking Iron ever since he first appeared in public to sell his Cone Drives. They knew when he first went on the offensive, and they knew perfectly well of what he was capable. They even had looked as far into his background as they dared, tracking him back to a ruined farm near the city of Hoofington in the west. Celestia and Luna knew quite a bit about the stallion who would sit astride the world, but in a war of information one never revealed all her cards.

So when Celestia came to this cave, which used to play host to a Dragon and his hoard, she had come prepared to reveal certain pieces of the information she knew. But not all of it. Not even close. “For some time,” she said, “you have been of interest to my sister and me.” She continued to watch the projected image past the guns, all illuminated by continuous bars of white light that ran along the top and bottom of every hexagon-shaped stretch of corridor this far into the mountain.

“[Of course you would be watching,]” The image tilted its helmeted head, which made it impossible to guess what its wearer might be thinking: even here, Iron wore armour, concealing his whole body. It was because of this that there were so many rumours about the types of disfigurement that had occurred to him. “[What do you want?]”

Now was the time to tease out a deal, little by little, but always keeping her opponent engaged and interested. “I have a deal to propose to you,” Celestia said coquettishly. “It involves those whom you very recently encountered.”

“[So you watched even that,]”

“He who sent you into retreat,”

The projection stared right at her, and Celestia could imagine him growling under that mask.

“I can help you attain a measure of vengeance against him. Against them all.”

“[And how is that any different from what I’d accomplish on my own, without incurring some debt with you?]”

“Numbers,”

“[That’s funny: I don’t see your sister there – and I would.]”

“Well, that’s in part where we can help. You see, Luna got herself captured.”

“[Capture? What merciful fools.]”

“Yes, Sombra in particular. Can you imagine where he would place her, his former-ally and friend?”

“[Not on the executioner’s block,]”

“Even should he have one,” Celestia said slyly.

“[Not even in the dungeon. A tower? A guest suite?]”

“Or even her old rooms, there at the center of the palace. An ideal place from which she can strike back, from within.”

“[Perfect positioning, but can she take full advantage of it? Will she be able to minimize our efforts properly?]”

“She’ll do what she can and what she must. Rest assured, Luna is no fool. And there’s more.”

“[You think you can turn some of them?]”

“That’s a possibility, but not a known factor. No, our plans don’t need to rely on such chance. Instead, I’m on the brink of recruiting the Six here.”

Iron actually chuckled. “[They’ll make no difference.]”

“They will, if the conditions are right. And they’ll only join us if they are.”

“[You dared come to bargain with me from a position of demanding conditions?]” Iron tilted his head the other way, and some of the turrets twitched. The way they covered her, if she had been a normal pony, they would have been able to tear her apart. Even with her Alicorn physiology and magic, however, she would end up recuperating for quite some time before she could become active once again, if she angered Iron enough to provoke him into ordering the guns to open fire.

“I dare to come to bargain, with the truth as my only weapon.”

“[Then let me hear the truth, and let's find out if you’ll be flying or in stitches for the next month.]”

“Very well. They have only two conditions: that you equip them, and that you stand down from vengeance once all is done.”

For a moment, Iron simply stared, daring her to say more. But she didn’t have anything more to say, until and unless he agreed. Finally the guns snapped into the ceiling, the hologram vanished, and a door opened at the end of the hallway. “[Lets discuss this further,]” Iron’s voice said from the walls.

* * *

After his usual morning training session, Gearhead went into the Everfree Forest to collect some resources he knew King Sombra was unlikely to have on hoof. One thing that Gearhead knew about Iron was that his armour was made with a material with similar durability and resistance to dragonfired adamantine. But it was not the same thing, and their strength did not match up precisely, according to Gearhead’s earlier Read on the new metal.

Iron’s reworked metal alloy had a slight reactive bounce-back, making a portion of the force from any impact reflect back at the attacker. At the same time, it also had a lower tolerance for extreme temperature changes, and was thus more brittle and less flexible. That made sense, since the only way to make dragonfired adamantine was to subject it to extremely high heat. Gearhead did not know exactly how Iron had come upon the reactive metal, but it certainly had its strengths and flaws. If there had not been a crisis, Gearhead would have loved to take the opportunity to study it further.

Instead of doing any of that, however, Gearhead looked for and harvested the different metals he would need to create more adamantine. In particular, he visited the Canterlot Caves, and the cave that Shadow Wright had long since vacated. Gearhead puzzled over the fact that the Canterlot Caves had been uninhabited for some time, but he did expect not to find Blizzard, since King Sombra was not evil in this world. He did find the extremely hot magma chamber, and some very useful metals, along with some already-processed dragonfired adamantine in Shadow Wright’s old cave – it was entirely possible that nopony had been brave enough to look for it.

Upon his return to Canterlot Castle, Gearhead got to work building a forge that would be capable of working adamantine. He had two projects to complete: something to give him an edge against Iron’s true Full Armour, and something with which he could get readings from Luna, and possibly Celestia.

The second project was the more straightforward one, since Gearhead had already created a sensory array for the sani-steam station. While any portable version he built would only be a fraction as thorough, he understood the necessity of building something he could carry with him, maybe even into battle. As a result he designed a long-barrelled gun, affixing as many miniaturized sensors to the barrel as he possibly could. He then encased the whole thing in armour so it would not be easily destroyed.

The first project would not be so easy: Gearhead did not have the resources, or probably the time, to build a second Full Armour for himself. Nor, truthfully, did he have the desire to do so. Given the unknown time restrictions before him, he decided to focus his energies on countering the strengths he had already seen in Iron’s triple-size armour, only amping the result up as much as he could. Gearhead decided what he needed most was a way to carve his way through the reactive armour, and a way to protect himself and others from the armour’s weaponry – a sword and a shield big and strong enough, and with enough powerful enchantments, would probably be the best bet.

But it would take some time to do, even when some of the castle staff came and insisted on helping out.

* * *

King Sombra nodded to Kibitz, who obligingly opened the now-unsealed door. A large, four-poster bed was nestled securely against the far wall, kitty-corner to the door. As King Sombra, Gearhead, Twilight, and KP walked in, Luna sat up in obvious surprise. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, trying to recover her cool.

“Breakfast,” King Sombra said. Twilight and KP took up guarding positions nearby, while the king and Gearhead stopped a couple more meters inside the room. King Sombra nodded again toward the door, and Kibitz brought in a tray of warm toast, cold orange juice, and assorted oats. Two of the five Royal Guards who had also accompanied the group were visible through the door, augmented by two guards who had been reassigned from the dungeons for this duty. Kibitz placed the breakfast tray on the small table between the bed and the window, nodded to Luna, and left.

“Also, I would like to try to scan you,” Gearhead said.

“If I wasn’t tied up –“

“My apologies: the capture cables were not designed for long-term use. Unfortunately nothing else can hold you even this well. Do I have your permission to do the scan?”

“Permission? Do all your prisoners get the princess treatment, or just former-allies?”

“You were an ally once,” King Sombra said. “I was hoping you would return to my side once more, however it seems that was just a forlorn hope. A dream.”

“Ah, dreams, a subject near and dear to me,” Luna said with a wistful smile. Then she glared at Gearhead. “You want to take a scan? Make me take you seriously.”

“I was not going to say anything,” Gearhead said, wrapping his tail around the scanner rifle, “but if you insist. Mind you, I do believe you already do take me seriously. And after last night I can easily see that you are leaking. Magic, I mean.”

“It’s true,” Twilight said, her eyes also turning amber with the power of Shift Focus. As on the previous day she was in full Alicorn Engine gear. “The capture cables don’t seem to work as fully as we’d hoped, Gearhead. I’m surprised, considering the quality of everything else you make.” She winked. King Sombra widened his eyes in surprise, but then his expression returned to neutral. Gearhead guessed he was taking a mental note to ensure only guards who were protected from mental intrusions were on duty.

“We should be okay after a few adjustments, to compensate for the full power of a millennial Alicorn,” Gearhead said.

“I think I’ll eat that breakfast now,” Luna said, leaving the bed.

“By all means,” King Sombra said. “We shall take it as your tacit permission to do what we need to to ensure the safety of every being in this castle, yourself included.”

“That’s an odd thing to claim,” Luna sat down at the table and contemplated the meal that Kibitz had presented her. It was sparser than she remembered palace breakfasts being, but then she and her sister had made these times far harder for King Sombra and his subjects.

“A few extra wards should do it,” Twilight said. “Plus, we’ll be on-guard while we prepare for your sister.”

“And ‘Lord’ Iron?”

“And whomever they choose to bring along,” Gearhead said. As Luna raised the first bite to her lips, he brought the rifle’s barrel around, but he waited until he saw her swallow before starting with the scan. The sensors lit up all along the barrel, and it hummed slightly. Otherwise there was not much evidence that the device was working at all.

“It doesn’t even tingle,” Luna said.

“It should not,” Gearhead said.

“So, what is this scan of yours supposed to tell you? What are you looking for?”

“Differences,” Gearhead said.

“Such as..?”

“Such as why you would use your Dreamwalking as an invasive tool,” Twilight said.

“Because I’m an invasive pony. What kind are you?”

“The kind your sister’s sister would take as a student,”

“And you?” Luna asked, turning to Gearhead.

“The kind who learns from all of the best,”

“You know, you’re not as impregnable a fortress as you seem to think you are.” Luna turned a penetrating gaze onto the king. “That goes for this castle as well. When my sister and our forces come, you’ll regret all your defiance.”

“There are many things I regret,” King Sombra said, “defending my subjects and my land from you and your sister is not one of them.”

“It will be,” Luna promised.

“Done,” Gearhead said.

“Well then, let us be off,” King Sombra said, leading the way toward the door. “Knock on the door to let the guards know to summon Kibitz once you are done with breakfast. The rest of us have other business to address.”  He stopped and turned halfway back to Luna. “Unless there’s something you would be willing to share about your sister’s plans?”

“Our plans,” Luna said, “and only a fool would willingly reveal herself.”

King Sombra shrugged, and led the way outside. He and Twilight replaced the wards on the room, and then they went to join the others for their own breakfast. “This is so tiring, treating a friend as an enemy,” the king said.

“If that’s how you treat all your enemies, sign me up,” KP said, winking. “Rooms like a five-star hotel, breakfast service, and top-notch security.”

“Except when it leaks,” King Sombra said. “Unless that was a bluff?”

“I would doubt that, since I had something of a visit last night,” Gearhead said.

“So did I,” Twilight said.

“Heck, me too,” KP said. “At least I think so. Can’t quite remember it.”

“If what our Luna taught me is also true here, then this Luna was using a lesser-used Dreamwalking technique, which renders one’s image, and the dreamer’s memory of you, as mist. Only a stronger, more disciplined mind could hold onto it for even a day.”

“You better not be saying what I think you’re saying,” KP said.

“He is not,” King Sombra said, “I was also visited, but I do not remember my visitor.”

“It was Luna,” Twilight said.

“How soon can you fix your cables?” King Sombra asked Gearhead.

“I shall need some time to calibrate it properly. If this is a higher priority than the anti-Iron equipment, I can have something ready for you before evening.”

“It is probably equally as important: neglect one and the other front will surely fall instead.”

“I can do it,” Twilight said.

“Seriously?” KP asked.

“What? I tinker.”

“Sure, you’ll 'do a science.' You could’ve spoken up.”

“I didn’t know there was a need. But if Gearhead can give me his notes, I can make a working inhibitor for Luna.”

“That we can do,” Gearhead said, “and I can focus on equally-important things.”

“Then it is settled,” King Sombra said. “Now, let is refresh ourselves at the table before we tackle whatever this day has in store for us.”

“I hope it’s a fight,” KP said.

“I hope we’re ready,” Twilight said.

* * *

“You know, Your Majesty,” Rarity said as everyone was eating, “naturally we all appreciate your willingness to share your food with us, but are you certain this is alright?” While far from luxurious, the selection for breakfast was still quite good. It was little different from what Kibitz had brought for Luna, which Gearhead thought was a fair expression of the king’s hopes that Luna would return to the side of good.

“Of course it is,” King Sombra said in his mellow tones. “None eat better or worse than another, and besides, the thirteen of you are my guests. Even without your efforts to save Equestria from Celestia’s plot, I would still give you at least this much as refreshment.”

“Well, now I feel a little less special,” Alec said.

“Hold it a minute there, your kingliness. You said ‘everyone.’ Does that mean you feed other kings and queens the same?” Quill asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do. It gives them good insight into the lives of my subjects, which inevitably causes them to consider their own.”

“That’s  actually a pretty savvy move,” Doc said. “They compare their own lifestyles with those they see here, and wonder whether they should adjust it up or down accordingly.”

“Plus, they’d feel guilty if they were keeping all the good stuff to themselves, especially in times when everyone else is tightening their belts.” KP said.

“You give me too much credit,” King Sombra said.

“Or likely not enough,” Alec said. “Even though Celestia’s ruled for a thousand years on her own, she still spent a lot of her time and energy feeling guilty about banishing Luna as Nightmare Moon. But outside of those thousand years? The sisters ruled together, spreading the strain. You’ve ruled alone, and for how long?”

“Actually, that is a good point,” Mage said. “Or were you born in modern times, so the timeline’s actually different here?”

“I am afraid I do not understand,” King Sombra said.

“Well,” Twilight said, “our version of Sombra, the evil one, took control of the Crystal Empire more than a thousand years ago – that would be before Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, and started visiting you here. And obviously you were here, unless this world’s time flows differently from our own?”

“I would believe the flow of time is the same on both sides,” King Sombra said.

“Our Sombra was amped up by Dark Magic,” Dash said.

“Then Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned him to shadow,” Rarity said.

“And then they put him on ice,” Pinkie said, “you know, just to be on the safe side.”

“He could have survived because he was shadow, or because he was sealed,” Fluttershy mused.

“Or because he was just that powerful,” Mage said.

“So, Your Majesty, how did you?” Alec asked.

“Well,” King Sombra put down his utensils, looking down at them on the table. “The reason is quite simple.” He looked up, under half-lidded eyes and his simple crown at his guests. “It is because I am that powerful.” He smiled, relieving the tension. “In my case, in defensive magic, almost exclusively.

“Surviving the past thousand years together with my kingdom also gave me quite the perspective on life and rule, and so I try to be as wise a ruler as I can. Adversaries like Celestia and Cadenza complicate things, but allies like Chrysalis and your Princess Celestia do help a great deal, and so I feel I must advise you to be careful in all your dealings with the beings whom you think you know in this world. Those who are good in your world would probably sell your secrets for a hoof of bits here.”

“We take your meaning,” Doc said.

“And now I had best return to work,” Gearhead said, excusing himself to get up.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go check on your family in this world?” Fluttershy asked.

“While I would like to ensure they are alive, I am uncertain I would want to look upon their reflections.”

“I can go look for you,” Twilight said. “Now that I’ve got the hang of the Engine, the only thing that could catch me is another Engine.”

“Would that be safe?” King Sombra asked. “Iron has other armours.”

“If I was him, which I sort of am, I would still be preparing myself for the upcoming battle... with myself,” Gearhead said.

“I promise I’ll be fast, and careful. I’ll just take a quick look from high altitude.”

“It should be safe at this point,” Gearhead said.

“Very well, but do be careful, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’ll be back in a day, two tops.” Twilight finished with her meal too, and followed Gearhead out into the halls. While he would be going back to his forge, Twilight would be heading out, flying at top speed using the single-core Alicorn Engine that Gearhead had lent to her for this mission.

* * *

“Let me be clear,” Iron said. “These armours are different from the ones you’re used to. They’re state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology. The best I have to offer. But your last betrayal is part of the reason I haven’t been offering their like for years. And outside of the current situation, you’d not be getting them now either.”

Iron was marching back and forth in front of the others, as they had assembled in an underground marshalling area where the floors and walls were grey with black trim. Iron waved with his left hoof, and three trolleys came rolling up, each carrying a ponyform with a suit of armour on it.

“You have three basic models to choose from: Light, Cross-Purpose, and Heavy.

“The Light Armour offers minimal protection, but can still take any basic attack without taking any damage. The main focus is in thrust and maneuverability.” Indeed, the wings on the Light Armour sported extra-large thruster nacelles. Vector thrusters were placed all along the wing, and they were even repeated on the belly and sides of the armour itself.

“Cross Armour is the median, with equal thrust and armour, so it specializes in neither. A standard-level unit for standard troops, so long as you can trust ‘em.” The Cross Armour lacked the nacelles, and there was a third the number of thrusters as there were on the Light Armour. The armour’s thickness looked the same, but having worn some of Iron’s tech before, each of the Six knew that it was how it felt while worn that mattered.

“Heavy Armour comes with extra-thick plating, as well as heavy anti-enchantment countermeasures. Any equipped unit is the one you want to take the hits for you, since it can even withstand the full force of a high-level mid-tier spell without taking any damage. But it’s also the slowest of the three types.” This despite having small nacelles and thrusters. Obviously there was a weight issue if it was equipped with too much, so Iron had decided to focus on the unit’s defence.

“Of course, you can also customize to your liking, so far as we still have enough time for me to change around the features.”

“Why not just build something that’s easy to change according to the job?” Applejack asked.

“Because if you can take parts off to switch them around, they won’t stay on as well when hit. It’s better to build something solid, at least if you want something like this to function properly,” Iron kicked the Heavy Armour. “A modular armour would be smart, but only for somepony who can handle it well enough to make getting hit a real challenge.

“To that end, I’d rather not bring you into battle green. Here are forms. Choose the custom jobs you want, so I can finish your armours ASAP. After that, it’s training time right up until Celestia over there says it’s go time. I assume Luna’ll give her a shout.”

Celestia shook her head. “We’re too far away from Canterlot Castle. With Luna’s magic suppressed as much as it is, I’d need to be within sight of the palace to catch any thoughts from her – assuming she’s still there at all.”

“That seems to be a rather large strategic oversight,” Dash said.

“Go in blind,” Pinkamena giggled.

“Let me worry about that,” Celestia said.

“Fine, you have the timetable. But I want at least two days to train these guys: they’re not up against novices, if what you said about them catching your sister is true.”

“It is,”

“And the last thing: even move in a way that looks like you’re going to betray me, and your armour will immediately shut down or purge, whichever best delivers me pre-emptive revenge. And regardless of which world we end up in, you don’t keep the armours, they’re only for rent, to be returned to me once the job’s over and done with.”

“Aww, even if we earn your trust?” Sparkle asked.

“You can never earn back my trust,” Iron said, glaring at them.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not holding back and being so very honest with us,” Rarity said.

“Then show it with your selections and your effort in training. And by serving all of our interests in the coming battle.”

* * *

Twilight Sparkle had never been to Hoofington before, never having had occasion to make the journey. Fortunately she knew it from Gearhead’s descriptions, just as she knew that thanks to the Alicorn Engine, the journey could be made in mere hours.

In order to stay safe, since she didn’t know who would be an ally, and who an enemy, Twilight flew above the normal altitude limit for Pegasi at full speed. She wore her helmet over her glasses, and the helmet’s built-in air filtration system kept up well, delivering cool, breathable air to keep her aware and conscious. But even if it had not done so, she would have used her magic, even if it meant being detected. On the other hoof, Iron had first appeared having detected an Alicorn Engine at the castle, so maybe it was too late for stealth now. Hopefully Gearhead was right, and Iron was still preparing for war.

Despite her high altitude and speed as she flew arrow-straight for Hoofington, Twilight was prepared to fight if she had to, armed with a single long-handle sword and the Stabilizer’s wing-like railguns. What she was completely unprepared for, approaching Hoofington, was the sight of decay.

Gearhead had described Hoofington as a thriving city, central to trade between members of the three pony tribes in the west, as well as being central to the Alliance for millennia. Its municipal government might be a little too much on the sly side for Gearhead’s preferences, but they were still essentially good ponies who knew the value of hard work.

This inverse Hoofington barely seemed to enjoy the success of Appleloosa back home: it was all dirt roads, although it kept its radial outline. It had only one ring outside of the hub, and when Twilight descended for a closer look she saw that everypony ran about their business without looking up.

And closer inspection revealed carbon scoring and the odd evidence of a building here or there that had suffered intense fire. Twilight quickly realized that in a way what she was seeing was success, with the city picking itself up after it had fallen under attack. By whom, she could guess. But how long ago? Maybe her next stop would provide her with some answers.

* * *

Verdant Fields had been with the Herd for longer than Gearhead had ever thought to mention. Perhaps he knew, but it was also likely that he didn’t. It was a massive farm, even compared to Sweet Apple Acres, which raised a great variety of crops, as well as raising productive farm animals.

It was also home to the main branch of Herd Verdant, which could trace itself back to centuries or millennia before the days of Hearth’s Warming Eve. It was a place steeped in long-standing tradition, raised and maintained with the sweat of all whose blood had founded it.

Twilight Sparkle was a student of many things, from history to magic to science. Knowing the Herd’s history, she could never have imagined Verdant Fields falling. The sight of it caused her to lose her composure, and she nearly crashed, but her proximity to the ground woke her out of the shock, and she flew quickly between the many raised, barren mounds to recover her equilibrium and some altitude so she could get a wider picture of the state of things.

Verdant Fields was no more. In its place were roiling hills made of mixed soil, grass, and loam. The land looked like it had been tossed, blended, and then frozen into place. Twilight had only read a little about farming after she became friends with Applejack, and a bit more after learning that Gearhead had grown up here, but on the other world. Still, she knew that land that could be worked did not look so... bumpy. And it was too wildly mixed, uneven, and yet overall flat to be used as a ski slope.

Twilight flew over the place where Gearhead had said the homestead would have stood. She spotted something brown poking out of the ground a ways to the north, and when she got closer she saw that it was one of many pieces of wooden plank strewn about, most twisted and split as they stuck up out of the frozen earth.

Desperate to make sure she could report something positive to Gearhead, she continued to inspect the property. To her relief, she found a patch in the northwest corner that had been cleared and leveled. It featured a small cabin that could probably accommodate no more than three horses, and a field merely three times that size.

Twilight ascended so that no one would see her by the unaided eye, and looked down to try to spot anypony who would be out, working the field. She was shocked to see that no one was out yet, considering how early farmers generally started their work. Cautiously, she descended to see what was going on.

Perplexed, the Unicorn was unable to find anyone outside, anywhere around the little cabin, although the back was clearly intended for storage, and not to be lived in. She used the Engine to hover so her hooves would not make a sound, and floated around the cabin walls to look inside each window in turn, hoping to catch sight of a brown, red, or green coat.

It took five more minutes, because Twilight was moving slowly to try to avoid getting caught. In the end she spotted two of the ponies, both lying in their beds in separate rooms. The first had a grey coat and golden hair. The second had a purple coat and blue hair. The third pony remained hidden, but neither of the visible ponies looked like they had any of the usual Verdant characteristics.

It might mean that the remaining Verdant had abandoned the farm for other, more fertile parts after Iron had left. By no means was the only possible conclusion that they had all fallen, or that Iron was involved in their disappearance. But if they were still in the area, Twilight had not noticed any sign of their presence.

She pondered her next course of action as she ascended again, for her own safety’s sake. She could spend some time looking around, trying to locate the remaining Verdant in the assumption that they were nearby. But even if they were, what good would it do in their current situation? It might lay Gearhead’s mind to rest, but it might also shake his confidence, if his family was inverted in some strange way. Now was not the time to introduce more uncertainty into her friend’s life.

Twilight came to a decision: she would fly back, knowing that if Iron detected her she could trigger an early battle. At the same time, she would keep an eye out below for any signs that the Verdant were around. But if she didn’t want any trouble, she’d move fast: she did not want to think what Dawn and Dusk or Prism and her Flight were like in this world.

That horrid thought in mind, Twilight pressed herself to full speed, her course taking her directly for Canterlot Castle, her altitude too high for all but the most desperate of Pegasi – and unfortunately, for Iron’s variation on the Alicorn Engine.