Xarksis sat upon the command throne on the bridge of his ketch. His meeting with the “alicorn” princesses, Celestia and Luna, had ended abruptly when a guard had interrupted them to whisper in the princesses’ ears. Celestia had apologized and told him that an emergency had come about that required both her and her sister’s attention and Xarksis had been invited to stay within the walls of the castle if so he desired, but he chose to return to his ketch instead. That was not what was on his mind at this moment, though.

Currently he was trying to decide if it was worth the loss if he dismantled his Servitor. Morra shifted uneasily as the silence dragged on.

“So correct me if I am mistaken…” Xarksis said after a long moment, causing Morra to start slightly. “The Ghost, who was locked behind a stasis field it should not have been capable of escaping from, did so by… hitting you?”

“…Yes.” Soreks-5 replied carefully and Xarksis gave the Servitor a hard stare.

“Shall I send this Servitor to be dismantled, my Kell?” Tolarum asked and Xarksis shook his head.

“No, that will be unnecessary, the fault lies with me. The Ghost was cleverer than I anticipated and must have set the conditions for its escape far in advance. I do not doubt that the servitor was simply an unwilling participant.” Xarksis stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. Morra gave the massive Kell a startled sideways glance, but avoided looking directly at him.

‘He would spare the Servitor?’ She thought.

“This unit is unworthy of your mercy, my Kell.” The Servitor said with a slight dip meant to resemble a bow.

“Do not fail me again, Soreks; I have much more pressing issues than having to deal with the failings of my crew.” Xarksis told the Servitor, and then waved the orb away. “As a punishment, you are to see to the walkers. We must ensure they are prepared for combat should such an eventuality arise.”

“As you will, it shall be done, Kell Xarksis.” Soreks replied and then with a flash, disappeared. Once it was gone, Tolarum and Varkin returned their attention to Xarksis.

“Now that we have resolved that issue, what of the ‘Equestrians’, Kell Xarksis?” Tolarum inquired and Xarksis sat back in his throne contemplatively.

“An excellent question, Commander. I am uncertain of what to make of these events.” Xarksis replied. “There is no point to conflict with them. As far as I can tell, we would expend valuable resources and gain little if anything at all.”

“What of an alliance, then?” The elderly Varkin asked.

Xarksis sat back contemplatively, reminded of a similar discussion that had occurred not long before. He crossed one leg over the other and sat back, resting his head on one hand propped on the arm of his command chair.

“Perhaps… they do not appear to have anything of use to us, but there could be many benefits for an alliance. One of which being a port of safe harbor, somewhere we can keep those who cannot fight off the ships.”

“An unusual sentiment, my Kell.” Tolarum remarked. “Most others I know of would be considering how best to turn the Equestrians against the Guardians.”

“If I were to assault the Guardians, I would do so with the strength of my House and no others.” Xarksis scoffed. “Do you disagree with my judgment, Commander?”

“Not at all, my Kell; if you think this is our best course of action, I shall trust in your leadership. You have not failed us yet.” Tolarum replied. Xarksis was silent for a moment before turning his gaze toward Morra.

“Have you any thoughts on this matter, Herald Morra?” He asked her, nearly causing the Vandal to fall over in a mixture of surprise and fear.

“Y-You would ask the opinion of one so low in station as myself?” She asked incredulously and Xarksis nodded.

“You are the Herald of Dragons, Morra – more than worthy of a voice in my court.” Xarksis stated and Morra swelled with pride at the honor.

“Th-Thank you.” She replied with a bow. “I… I agree with Elder Varkin; we should pursue an alliance, my Kell and… I may know of a way we can do so but… it is quite brazen.”

“What would you have us do?” Xarksis asked Morra, interested, and she swallowed before looking her Kell in the eyes.

“We… take example from the Guardians and offer our assistance in whatever matter has acquired the Equestrians’ attention.” Morra said slowly and a hush fell over the bridge as every Eliksni stopped what they were doing and looked at Morra, shocked. Even Xarksis was taken slightly aback at her suggestion and Morra wilted. “M-My apologies, Kell Xarksis, I was foolish to suggest-”

“Do not apologize, Herald Morra; I asked your opinion and you gave it willingly and honestly. A trend I trust you to continue.” Xarksis told her.

“Indeed, but to suggest that we look to the Lightwielders for answers is… really quite bold, and more than a little radical.” Tolarum said, crossing his lower arms.

“Perhaps we require a radical viewpoint to find options we would not otherwise consider.” Varkin remarked. “Offering our aid in a time of crisis for the Equestrians would indeed make great strides toward changing the way the Guardians see the Eliksni. I approve of this action.”

“It is an approach the Devils, Wolves, even the Kings would not consider and who would cut down any that suggested such action.” Xarksis said. “However, we are the House of Dragons. Wolves are hunted, Kings overthrown, and Devils consumed… but Dragons endure and adapt; if we are to survive as Eliksni and not Fallen, we must be prepared to take a course of action that others would not.”

“You do not worry about your pride?” Tolarum asked curiously and Xarksis shook his head.

“I have my pride, Tolarum; do not mistake it for the shade of glories past that haunts the other Houses.” Xarksis replied seriously. “However, I also have humility. Humility is not weakness; it is the fire through which I temper pride into the blade that is my will.”

Satisfied, Tolarum gave a nod while Morra looked out the viewport of the bridge, to the lands stretching to the horizon and thought on her Kell’s words.

‘The fire through which… he tempers the blade of his will?’

“My Kell.”

Morra snapped from her brief reverie to look at a Dreg that approached Xarksis, bowing respectfully. Xarksis turned an imperious gaze down to the diminutive figure.

“I am to assume you have an excellent reason as to your interruption?” The Kell inquired coldly.

“M-My apologies, Kell Xarksis, but our sensors have detected something in the northern region earlier.” The Dreg replied fearfully. “It matches Vex energy sources. It was faint before, we could only get traces of it, but approximately an hour ago it became active.”

“An hour?!” Tolarum exclaimed angrily. “Fool, why did you not inform us of this sooner?!”

“Y-You said we were not to interrupt your meeting with the terrestrials under any circumstance, Commander.” The Dreg stammered, and then it knelt before Tolarum. “This unworthy soul will accept any punishment you deem fitting, if that is your wish.”

“That is enough.” Xarksis said, rising from his seat. “Thank you for this information; it goes a long way to explain what has stolen the attention of Princess Celestia.” He turned toward the dreg at the helm, Maret. “Inform the guards at the base of the lift that should either of the princesses wish to board the ketch, they are to be given an escort straight to the bridge. I suspect they shall desire to speak with me anon.”

Maret nodded and turned to his console, only to turn back shortly after.

“My Kell, it appears your orders come well-timed; one of the guards just sent word that Princess Luna of the Night has requested an audience with you.” The Dreg replied. “I have already passed your command down; she shall be on the bridge momentarily.”

Xarksis nodded and returned to his seat to await Princess Luna, setting his mask to begin drawing ether from the tank held in his armor. There was shuffling around the bridge as a message was broadcast throughout the ship that certain sections were being drained of their ether to be replaced with air from the planet for the arrival of Luna. Once all the Eliksni on the bridge had secured masks and switched on their ether tanks, the room was evacuated of the shimmering ether, sending it to a containment unit in the bowels of the ketch so as not to waste any of it. Not long afterwards, the hatch opened and Princess Luna – escorted by a Kellsguard – stepped onto the bridge. The guard led her to Xarksis’ command chair, bowed, and then stood off to the side to allow Luna to approach.

“Greetings, Kell of Dragons.” Luna stated, giving a curtsey. “My sister sends her apologies again; one of our territories has recently come under siege and she is organizing a contingent of ponies to send as reinforcement.”

“This territory… it would not happen to be in the northern region, would it?” Xarksis asked and Luna started.

“Y-Yes, it is but… how did-?” Luna replied, surprised. Xarksis turned his head toward Maret and, in the Eliksni language so that he would understand, told him to send a messenger to Celestia. Luna saw this and her eyes gained a shadow of suspicion. “What is the meaning of this?”

“My Kell is sending message to Sun Princess. Must not send troops, they will die.” Morra replied, struggling slightly with the Terran common language.

“But what of our ponies?! If we do not send aid, they will be killed as well!” Luna retorted.

“Your concern does not go unnoticed, Princess of the Night.” Xarksis told her. “However, the enemy you would stand against is stronger than you know. If you wish to save lives, I would ask that you allow me to handle the issue.”

“Allow you to handle…” Luna murmured, and then her eyes widened. “You wish to assist us?”

“Indeed. I have conferred with my advisors on this matter and we have decided that the best option at this time is to aid you… as a token of good will.”

“You… You have my gratitude, Kell of Dragons. So much is happening so quickly, to know we have so many allies at this tumultuous time is comforting.” Luna said.

“The Guardians, am I to assume they have already arrived at the location?” Xarksis asked and Luna shrugged.

“I am uncertain; they had departed for the Crystal Empire with Princess Twilight not long before we had received word from Princess Cadance about the attack.” Luna replied. Xarksis said something to Maret, who turned back and gave what Luna thought may have been some kind of acknowledgment. Xarksis returned his gaze to Luna.

“They will not be enough to route the Vex from your ‘Crystal Empire’.” Xarksis said and Luna deflated slightly.

“Is… is that so…” She murmured.

“However…” Xarksis said sharply and Luna looked up at him. “They will likely work to evacuate the city. Do you know where this ‘Princess Cadance’ would retreat with a city population?”

Luna thought for a moment before replying.

“I imagine she would make a brief layover in a nearby settlement before continuing on to Ponyville and eventually Canterlot.” Luna told him and Xarksis pushed a button on a console on the arm of his command chair, causing a rough map of Equestria to be displayed.

“Show me where they will stop.” He said and Luna turned to regard the map before indicating and area. As soon as she did, the ketch began to move, the Pilot Servitor having accepted the coordinates.

Twilight Sparkle felt as though she were waking from a dream into a nightmare.

She had been elated when she had seen Cadance safe and sound, escorted by Gospel, and at the head of a group that contained many guardsponies and civilians, Star-swirl, the Bearded (if she hadn’t been leading the defense of the gate, she would have squealed like a fan-filly at the sight of him,) Daring Do – much to her surprise – and Queen Chrysalis; simultaneously all her favorite ponies and her least favorite changeling.

However, Shining Armor and Samson hadn’t been with them; they’d stayed behind to handle some kind of “new” Vex that had appeared. This news had worried Twilight, because the Guardians knew about the Vex and if there was one on Equestria that they hadn’t seen… it was definitely bad news. Turned out the “new” Vex had been the very same one that had broken their advance into the city and Twilight had begun to fear the worst. Her fears had been confirmed when Samson – and only Samson – had caught up with them, carrying that atrocious, mechanical demon on his back.

She had nearly lost her mind and tried to teleport back to the city to find him, but Samson had shocked her and knocked her out. She was awake now and her head had finally stopped throbbing, but she didn’t care about that.

Shining Armor… her Big Brother, Best Friend Forever… was dead.

A part of her wanted to cry… to just lean over to Cadance – who hadn’t left her until just now – and simply… cry. She didn’t; the rest of her body refused to believe it, even though she knew it was true. How could Shining Armor be dead? He was the Prince of the Crystal Empire and former Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard; there was no way a pony as strong as Shining Armor could die! Twilight didn’t cry… she simply stared into nothingness, trying to keep herself from feeling anything at all. Cadance returned, a small smile on her muzzle and a bottle of water hovering in front of Twilight.

“Here, why don’t you drink some water? I bet you must be thirsty from the fighting.” Cadance said softly, but Twilight didn’t look up or even acknowledge her.

Cadance’s smile faltered slightly, and she sat down next to Twilight. She tried to wrap one of her forelegs around Twilight in a hug, but there was a jolt like static electricity that caused Cadance to flinch and slowly pull her leg back. Cadance looked at Twilight sadly, set the water bottle between them, and then looked out the window to watch the landscape move past.

In the car behind theirs, the Guardians were crowded around a table that held the destroyed body of the Vex that Samson had brought back while their Ghosts hovered around it, scanning every inch of its body.

“So you’re sure this thing was throwing Nova Bombs at you?” Gospel asked and Samson nodded.

“Seen enough of the damn things in the Crucible to know.” Samson replied dourly, and he picked up the Vex’s left arm, examining it. “Not sure if they were real Nova Bombs, but they sure as hell weren’t torch hammer rounds.”

“But how…?” Aveline asked. “I thought only Guardians could utilize the Traveler’s light in such a form.”

“My scans are indicating that the arms – both of them – have modular components that alternate into a weaponized form that fires concentrated Void light similar to a Warlock.” Scripture stated, examining the other arm. “However, the right arm is lacking the proper Void charge and isn’t fully functional as a weapon. I suspect that this unit was not entirely ready for full combat actions and was being used to test the weapon system itself.”

“I don’t think they’re using the Light or Darkness; it’s probably an attempt at imitation.” Gospel said, and then he looked over at Daring Do, Chrysalis and Star-swirl who were nearby, also interested in the Vex. “You three got anything to add? If not, you should probably wait with the others.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “I am not setting hoof in that car with an unstable mage, particularly when that mage embodies Magic itself.”

“I’d rather not be seen by anypony as I am right now, thanks.” Daring Do said from her seat near the back of the car, trying to make it seem as though she wasn’t paying attention to every word.

“And I wish to know more about these… Vex, as you call them.” Star-swirl replied amiably. “Such fascinating creatures…”

“Well, don’t get too attached to this one.” Lance stated, a narrow beam of light connecting him to the Vex’s ruined cortex. “We’re taking it to the Vanguard as soon as we can; the Cryptarchs will want to take a look at this thing and they’ll have better luck figuring out just what the hell it is than we will.”

“I should’ve scanned it while we were there; the Core Mind has already wiped most of the surviving data from this unit.” Gauge said morosely.

“That thing must have arrived after you three and Princess Twilight did.” Came Rose Quartz’s voice from the door and they turned to see her balancing a tray with water and snacks on her back. She approached the table and Gospel took the tray and placed it on the table next to the Vex. “My guardsponies and I were all over the city fighting these ‘Vex’ and none of us saw it before it attacked the Princess.”

“So they released an untested unit in response to a Guardian presence… well, at least that clears up a piece of the mystery.” Aveline stated. “These Vex definitely came from the Sol System, that is the only reason they would have reacted this way.”

Chrysalis got a curious look on her muzzle, then closed her eyes and lowered her now glowing horn over the Vex. After a moment, she raised her head, her muzzle twisted in a disgusted sneer.

“Fear… only a trace, but it is there. Whatever you Guardians are, it is enough to instill fear in what these machines call a heart.” She said.

“It’s probably a residual from the Mind.” Lance told her. “The Minds are basically the information hubs of the Vex; they organize all Vex directives and just one can control an amount of units that numbers in the millions.”

Daring Do and Rose Quartz blanched.

“By the First… millions…?” Rose murmured, slightly afraid.

“Just what in Celestia’s name did I find…?” Daring Do remarked quietly.

Star-swirl was silent before his eyes lit, remembering something.

“There was another odd Vex… this one bore a cloak similar to the one you do, Lady Aveline, but it was tattered and fairly nondescript.” He stated and with a quick flash from his horn, created a ghostly image of said Vex in mid pounce with its blade extended. “It attacked us in the castle, using some kind of glamour to make itself unseen to the naked eye. If not for the selflessness of a brave changeling, we may not have survived to see your coming.”

Chrysalis averted her eyes, but Samson stood up straight, alarmed.

“That Vex… that’s the one that killed Shining Armor!” Samson stated and Chrysalis looked at him sharply.

“Impossible, my drone struck true and laid that monster low, we all saw it!” She snapped.

“It’s not impossible to destroy a Vex unit without rupturing the core, but it’s very difficult.” Gauge stated. “It’s standard protocol in the Vanguard that all Guardians smash the cores of all fallen Vex; if your drone didn’t destroy the Vex’s core, then it’s pretty likely that the unit wasn’t killed, but forced to reboot.”

“So she basically just knocked it out.” Daring Do said, joining them at the table. “Damn, guess that means we’ve still got a major problem to deal with.”

“Worse.” Gospel added. “That Vex looks like a Hunter, this one looks like a Warlock… Jesus Christ, tell me I’m not the only one that thinks-”

“-That they have Titans as well?” Samson finished, tensing up. “I don’t doubt it… and that’s what’s troubling me.”

“This is becoming a very serious situation; we need to go back to Earth and relay this information to the Vanguard A.S.A.P.” Aveline stated. “We cannot handle this ourselves, we need more Guardians.”

There was a ringing noise, followed by the sound of an intercom activating.

‘Attention, we are arriving at Dodge Junction. We’ll make stop briefly before continuing on to Ponyville and then Canterlot.’

Cadance heard the announcement and she nudged Twilight… or tried to, but once again, she there was a minor discharge of magic to keep her away.

“Twilight, we’re at Dodge Junction. Let’s get off the train and stretch our legs a little; stars above, I know I could use it.” She told Twilight Sparkle with a smile, but Twilight didn’t respond or even look at her. Once the train came to a halt at Dodge Junction, however, Twilight wasted no time in teleporting.

Cadance was startled when she disappeared, but wasn’t worried; even though Twilight could potentially build up enough magic power to make a cross-country teleport, it required a lot of concentration and she was too distraught to manage more than a few meters. Sure enough, when Cadance looked out the window, she could see Twilight trotting away. She sighed and rose from her seat, moving with the crowd out of the train.
‘Please Twilight, you need to talk to me… I need you to talk to me.’ Cadance thought, fighting back the tears. ‘I’m hurting too… I didn’t even get to tell him…’

Star-swirl disembarked the train, marveling a little at the transport. However, he was quickly sobered when he looked back at the line of ponies behind the train that hadn’t been able to get aboard. All of them bore looks of sorrow, anger, or despair. He couldn’t blame them; one day they had been living life peaceful, the next day they were being butchered in the streets by machines straight out of a nightmare for no obvious reason. Star-swirl suspected that the Vex had come to the Crystal Empire searching for him, but from what he’d learned about the Vex on the train, it was probably not that simple. He looked and saw Princess Cadance disembark from the train, her head hung low and he approached her amiably.

“Hail, Princess.” He called to her and she seemed to snap back to reality and look at him, giving a polite smile, though her eyes betrayed her pain. “Mayhap this is not the best question, but you appear far more troubled than when we departed.”

“Oh…” Cadance stammered. “I-I apologize, it’s just… Twilight hasn’t taken her brother’s death very well; she wouldn’t say a word to anypony and when we stopped, she left on her own. I-I’m afraid, Master Star-swirl; if I lost her, too, I… I…”

Cadance choked a little and a tear came sliding down. Star-swirl smiled and brushed it away, causing Cadance to look at him in surprise.

“Do not fret, I shall speak with Princess Twilight anon.” He consoled her. “However, while I understand that you are grieving, your Highness, right now you must save your tears for later. Your people are desperate and they require your guidance lest they give in to that despair. It will be difficult, but you must shoulder this burden just a while longer; only once we have arrived at Canterlot shall we find respite to grieve and mourn those we have lost.”

Cadance stared at Star-swirl silently for a moment before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and then smiling wearily.

“Thank you, Master Star-swirl, I… I’ll be fine for just a little longer.” Cadance said, and then pointed toward the cherry orchards. “I last saw Twilight headed that direction; you’ll have to ask one of the locals if they saw her.”

“Indeed I shall.” Star-swirl replied, and then bowed. “By your leave, Princess of Love.”

And he departed to find Twilight Sparkle. He asked an earth pony he met along the way to the orchards and she told him that she’d seen Twilight Sparkle going to them. Once there, it didn’t take Star-swirl long to find Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting on a hill, staring blankly into the distance. Star-swirl sat next to her and also gazed out upon the rolling landscape, but said nothing at all. After a few moments, Twilight finally spoke.

“Why are you here?” She said quietly and Star-swirl shrugged.

“I do so enjoy a good vantage, Princess Sparkle. I thought you would know of an excellent one and I have not been disappointed.” He replied amiably and Twilight gave him a sideways glance.

“You… didn’t come to talk to me?” She asked and the archmage nodded.

“Nay, merely a view to distract me for a spell.”

“What do you have to be distracted from?” Twilight asked sullenly. “It wasn’t your big brother that got… that…”

Star-swirl sighed. “Aye, that is correct; he was certainly not my kin. Nay, any kin I had, all of my closest companions, even my briefest acquaintances… almost all are long passed to time.”

At this, Twilight gasped and looked at Star-swirl in shock. The elderly pony seemed far older than when she had first met him, leading her to wonder how long he’s been feeling this way.

“O-oh, I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, both in embarrassment and shame. “I… never considered-”

“That you were the only pony to have lost someone they cherished?” The archmage interjected. He looked at Twilight solemnly. “My dear Princess, you are surrounded by individuals who have lost loved ones this day. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers… wives and husbands.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she turned her gaze towards Dodge Junction. At the train station, she could see the many crystal ponies all gathered together. Some wandered in aimless disbelief and some searched the crowd, desperately hoping and praying that their missing loved one had made it this far. Despair hung over the refugees like cloying smog and it reflected on the ponies’ once beautiful glittering coats, which were now as dull and cloudy as a rainy day, their manes as lifeless as stone.

And in the middle of it was Princess Cadance. The Princess of Love looked utterly exhausted, yet she moved through the crowd, making sure they were cared for and carrying the Crystal Heart in her magic behind her, letting the ponies touch it as needed. It restored some luster to the refugees, but it could not fully crack the gloom. Twilight Sparkle felt ashamed; here she was, wallowing in her grief and ignoring the fact that Cadance was doubtlessly struggling with her own. Yet she still moved among the refugees, comforting them and trying to make sure that they held on to hope.

“You must share each other’s grief, Twilight Sparkle, for tis the only way you shall both begin to mend.” Star-swirl said. “One pony cannot bear the burden of hope alone; the weight of it would eventually crush them.”

Suddenly, there was a sound similar to that of rushing wind and then the ground shook. Twilight looked around alarmed until her eyes settled on something in the sky, speeding toward them.

It was the House of Dragons’ ketch.

“The Fallen? What are they doing here?” Twilight asked, standing up.

“Perhaps they come to offer us aid.” Star-swirl stated nonchalantly.

They watched as the ketch came to a hover above the town square and Twilight saw the unmistakable shapes of the Guardians begin to clear a large area. She could see that the survivors were visibly unnerved by the giant spaceship floating in the sky and she couldn’t blame them; they had barely escaped an army of murderous robots, how could they know this wasn’t a pursuer? Twilight turned back to the path and began to trot back to the town.

“Cadance needs my help down there or it’ll be mass hysteria.” Twilight said, and Star-swirl gave a nod of approval.

“Indeed, we have rested on our laurels for what precious little time we could spare. Now, we must return to the task at hoof and become the calm within the tumult once more.” The archmage stated and rose to follow her. “You display great promise as a leader, Princess Twilight Sparkle; I can see my student has become quite the excellent teacher in the time since my departure.”

Twilight froze, her mouth agape; she had just been complimented, by Star-swirl, the Bearded himself! A part of her wanted to jump around with joy, but she instead settled for a smile and followed Star-swirl back to Dodge Junction

Cadance was exhausted and the arrival of the… whatever the hay it was in the sky… had not helped things in the slightest. The crystal ponies who had survived the attack from the Vex were highly stressed and equally exhausted; if she couldn’t rein the crowd in, there would be a panic. With the amount of ponies that were filling the crowded main street, a panic would be catastrophic, leading to needless injury and loss of life. Thankfully, the Guardians had quickly stepped in and began trying to herd the crowd away in an orderly fashion.

“Everypony, please, calm down, everything will be alright, I’m sure of it!” Cadance shouted, trying to be heard over the clamoring of frightened ponies.

“What is that thing?!”

“Are we going to get attacked again?!”

“We’re all going to die!”

Cadance was sweating; the crowd was so close to breaking in terror and she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop it when it did. Suddenly there was an odd noise behind her and when she turned, there was a shaft of light leading from the ground up to the thing in the sky above her. A startled hush fell over the crowd when this happened and Cadance unconsciously took a few steps back, the Crystal Heart floating closer to her.

“Cadance!”

Cadance turned at the sound and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Twilight Sparkle and Star-swirl. The crowd parted silently to allow them through and Cadance embraced her sister-in-law, who returned it. They parted and Cadance smiled softly at Twilight.

“Are you okay?” She asked and Twilight nodded.

“I… yes, I’ll manage for now, however…” Twilight trailed and she looked at the shaft of light seriously.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Cadance asked.

“It’s a Fallen ship… I don’t know why they’re here, but I don’t think they mean to hurt anypony.” Twilight replied. Cadance was about to ask what the “Fallen” were, but at that moment, the light undulated and several four-armed bipeds appeared.

One of them, wearing a well-worn but regal purple cloak on its back looked around for a moment, then inclined its head to the side and growled. Not long after that, the light undulated again and this time, it revealed a pair of taller bipeds wearing intricate armor. However, there was another it revealed and Cadance and Twilight barely had enough time to register who it was before she bellowed:

“PRINCESS CADANCE, PRINCESS TWILIGHT; ART THOU ALIVE?!” Princess Luna roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Cadance and Twilight staggered slightly, but Luna bellowed again even as she began to scan the crowd. “PRINCESS CADANCE, PRINCESS TWILIGHT; ART THOU-”

Suddenly her muzzle was enveloped in a yellow aura, clamping it shut and cutting off her voice. Star-swirl cleared his throat and indicated the two target alicorns.

“You needn’t use the Voice, your Highness; the ones you seek stand before you.” He said calmly and then released Luna’s muzzle. The Princess of the Night wasted no time in rushing to Cadance and Twilight and embracing both of them in a tight hug.

“Ah-Aunt Luna, we’re fine, you don’t need to hug so tightly.” Cadance remarked.

“T-Too tight… can’t breathe…!” Twilight gasped.

Luna released the two alicorns from her death grip, blushing furiously.

“I apologize; when we received news of the attack on the Crystal Empire, I feared that you might be lost to us.” Luna told them. Then her brain caught up to her and she slowly turned her gaze to Star-swirl, who gave an amused smile.

“Tis been quite some time… Little Princess.” He said and after a brief pause, Luna squealed and just about tackled Star-swirl to the ground.

“Master Star-swirl, you live!” She exclaimed excitedly and the archmage laughed.

“I am as surprised as you, dear child. I had slept so long I may as well have been dead to the world.” He told her, and then he shrugged her off. “Though I fear our reunion must wait; much has occurred and these ponies must be taken somewhere safe.”

Luna stepped back and composed herself.

“Y-Yes, thou art correct, Archmage Star-swirl; the needs of our populace come before our own.” Luna stated, and then she indicated the Fallen behind her. “The House of Dragons has agreed to allow as many refugees as possible aboard their ship. It can move much faster than any of our trains, so we can move them quickly and directly to Canterlot where we have prepared shelters with food, water, and beds.”

The survivors began murmuring amongst themselves at this and Luna turned to the Fallen.

“You may begin to lead the survivors aboard your ship; please show care, they are quite distressed right now.” Luna said and one of the Captains nodded and began barking orders. After that, Luna looked around and then turned a curious gaze to Cadance. “Where is Prince Shining Armor; I do not see him anywhere.”

At this, both Twilight and Cadance looked away sadly, saying nothing, but Luna’s eyes widened, and then softened.

“I-I see… once we arrive at Canterlot, I shall see to the proper arrangements personally.” Luna said and then she smiled at Cadance, putting a hoof on her withers. “You needn’t worry; my sister and I will see to your every need.”

“Thank you, Aunt Luna.” Cadance replied softly, smiling, and then Luna stepped aside, indicating the light.

“You should go first; if they see their Princess safe aboard the ship, it will be a great comfort.” Luna said and Cadance nodded. The Princess of Love then approached the light, being stopped by the Fallen in the purple cloak.

“You are?” It growled.

“I am Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of Love and current ruler of the Crystal Empire. I was informed your House would provide aid.” Cadance replied. The Fallen paused, and then gave a respectful bow.

“I am Morra, Herald of Dragons.” Morra said, and held an arm out to the light. “My Kell, Xarksis, bids you welcome aboard his ketch and expresses sympathy for your trouble.”

“Thank you, Morra.” Cadance said and she carefully stepped into the light.

Twilight watched as Cadance stepped into the grav lift and with an undulation of light, was whisked away onboard the ketch. Not long after, Samson, Aveline and Gospel approached them. The Fallen glared warily at the Guardians, but did nothing to impede them.

“Princess Luna, what are you doing here with the Fallen?” Gospel asked.

“They offered their aid, so I came here with them to help as best I could.” Luna replied, and then turned to Rose Quartz, who had just arrived. “Are you the current ranking officer?”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Rose replied, bowing.

“Please instruct your guards to have the survivors begin lining up to be allowed onboard the ship. If you can spare any, please have some guards aboard the ship as well.” Luna said and Rose Quartz saluted.

“As you will, your Highness.” She said and then she began calling guardsponies to her to relay the orders. Samson crossed his arms defensively.

“The Fallen wish to provide assistance?” Aveline inquired. “That is… an odd thing for them to do.”

“You got that right.” Samson said. “Back home, all they ever seem to care about is killing and scavenging. I never really imagined they would actually want to help.”

“We can’t really complain, can we?” Gospel said and both Aveline and Samson looked at him incredulously. “We’re only three Guardians; we can punch our way to a Cabal commander or a Hive abomination, but this? This is way beyond what we’re capable of.”

“Then perhaps it is time you sent word for reinforcements.” Star-swirl stated and the Guardians exchanged looks.

“He’s right; we need to contact the Vanguard and work on getting more boots on the ground.” Samson said.

“The only way we can reach anyone on Earth is if we leave.” Gospel pointed out. “It’ll take a day just to get there and back again; God knows how long it’ll take to get a deployment request through the Consensus.”

“But if we do nothing, we will be overwhelmed.” Aveline countered. “And we will have to return to Earth at some point to resupply; might as well do it sooner and try to bring an army back with us.”

“Do you all have to go?” Twilight asked. “Surely at least one of you can stay, right?”

The Guardians looked at each other and Gospel shrugged.

“I suppose we don’t all have to go back; with the Frames on the ship, probably only one of us needs to go.” He said. “But the question is: who’s the lucky Guardian?”

“I will do it.” Aveline said.

“I don’t know… I’ve got the most tenure between the three of us; the Consensus might be more willing to send reinforcements if I ask.” Samson told her, but Aveline shook her head.

“That is why you need to stay, Samson. We cannot just stand around, waiting for the Consensus to argue about sending reinforcements; if you stay, then you can help train the Equestrians on how to fight and survive against the Vex.” Aveline replied.

“I can take a look at the supplies Banshee gave us; see how many weapons we can piece together from the bits. If we can put some of our tech in Equestrian han – excuse me, hooves – our chances of surviving the Vex should go up.” Gospel said and both Samson and Aveline nodded in agreement.

“Alright, we’ve got a plan. Gospel and I will remain here to help against the Vex in any way we can while Aveline goes back and rallies the Vanguard.” Samson said, but then Twilight cleared her throat loudly.

“I’m going with you, Aveline.” Twilight proclaimed, stepping forward determinedly. “If you think I’m just going to sit on the sidelines while my world is in danger, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Are you sure you want to come with me? Equestria might need your strength to help against the Vex, Twilight.” Aveline said and Twilight nodded.

“You’re right, Equestria does need me, but the best way I can help her at this time would be as a dignitary to plead our case before this ‘Consensus’ of yours.” Twilight replied. “As a formally crowned princess of Equestria, I can utilize my station to influence your leaders to make a decision that helps us.”

“Indeed, without her voice, your pleas may very well fall upon ears deaf to our plight.” Star-swirl remarked. Samson nodded and turned to Luna.

“What about you? Do you want to go to Earth with Aveline and speak to the Consensus as well?” Samson asked her, but Luna shook her head.

“Alas, as much as I desire to traverse the stars myself, I am bound to the Moon of Equus and thus I cannot physically leave this world lest the magic breaks.” Luna replied.

“Very well.” Samson said, and then turned back to his fireteam. “We’ll make a stop at Ponyville to drop off the equipment and convert Twilight’s castle into a temporary forward operating base. From there, Aveline and Twilight will return to Earth while Gospel and I will begin arming and training a local militia. With the help of the Princesses, the changelings, and hopefully the Fallen, we should be able to mount enough of a resistance to at least delay the Vex long enough for Vanguard reinforcements to arrive; does everyone understand?”

“Understood!” Aveline and Gospel said at the same time.

“Yes, I understand.” Twilight replied.

“Alright then.” Samson said, and then put a hand to one of his antenna. “Wisp to Mischief Maker, come in Mischief Maker.” There was a brief pause. “Wedge, we need a pick-up at the following coordinates… yes, I know there are Fallen signals within my vicinity… no, they are not hostile as far as we can tell… yes, mark them as friendly under the FoF system and come in for transmat; Samson out.”

Aveline and Gospel chuckled slightly at Samson’s conversation with the pilot Frame, but Star-swirl looked confused.

“Who was he speaking with, Princess Twilight?” Star-swirl inquired and Twilight smiled.

“Samson was talking to Wedge, the Frame that flies their ship.” Twilight replied, but the archmage looked even more confused.

“I do not understand… what is a ‘Frame’, might I ask?” He inquired again and Twilight merely sighed.

“Don’t worry, Master Star-swirl; I’ll show you here in a bit.” She told Star-swirl, and then looked to the sky, awaiting the arrival of the Guardians’ ship.

Author's Note

Grimoire Card acquired: Equus Arbitrative, Etheric Fragment I: First Meeting

Equus Arbitrative:

Entry created by Aveline’s Ghost, Lance, shortly after scan of ruined Vex prototype, currently classified as “Wraith”.

I wasn’t able to get much; most of the data I pulled out is either corrupted – filed away to be given to the Cryptarchs – or was deleted before the Mind fully lost the unit from the Collective. That said, I managed to find something; again, not much, but something’s better than nothing, right?

Anyway, from the data I managed to decode, the same term keeps cropping up; arbitration, arbiters, arbitrative, you get the idea. The definition of the word, Arbiter, is kind of a fancy term for “authority”; more specifically, the authority to judge.

That’s it. I don’t have a really clear picture – probably won’t until the Cryptos poke around the data – but from what I can gather, these particular Vex are either carrying out some form of judgment or the Mind that controls them seems to think it has the ultimate authority over any given event or something. Sounds like a nutjob to me… but I guess even the Vex have their crazies.

Etheric Fragment I: First Meeting:

Why hello there, Dreamwalker; I almost did not notice you. Oh, forgive my impertinence, it has been… quite the long span since I last entertained a visitor. In fact, you are the very first since I have come to reside in this dreary plane.

Who am I?

I… had a name once; a beautiful name, a name of hope. However, I became so fraught with despair that I sold my beautiful, hopeful name for a new identity. I wanted to change the way things were, to make a difference in the universe, but my people only live a short time. So determined was I to extend my life – ten years is brief, even for those who live it, you see – that I made a bargain with an ancient entity I did not fully comprehend at the time. The entity would extend my existence to eternity, and all I had to do was understand; such an easy bargain, was it not?

I was misled.

The entity took my body and changed it into something horrific. In my naiveté, I thought that I would remain myself, even with the new name and body, but I was so very foolish. I knew not the monster I would become, the despot that would twist and taint the name I had chosen. Now, I exist here; locked within the depths of my own soul, rotting, while the fiend who bears a corrupt mockery of my likeness travels the stars as a blight, spreading death and despair wherever he sets foot. Make no mistake, I have made my mark in the universe… though now I find that I do not know if I ever truly wanted this.

But I ramble on about things I cannot change now. Maybe you would like to tell me about yourself?

No, you need not apologize, I completely understand. You know not whose dream you have stepped into and are justifiably wary of the entity you now converse with. If only I could but assure you that you are safe here; that no harm shall come to you while we speak, but sadly, I cannot. This soul is his now, you see? There is naught I can do to stop him should he notice you.

You must leave now; should you stay any longer, the demon might discover your presence. If you are found… no, it is best I do not speak of the horrors that await; no nightmare on a thousand moons could compare to what torment he would inflict upon you.

Please… let us speak again, Dreamwalker.

Vanguard Profile: Ian "Gospel" McKenzie:

Ian “Gospel” McKenzie

Guardian Designation: Warlock
Race: Human, Scottish descent
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 195 lbs
Hair color: auburn
Eye color: brown

Service record: self-proclaimed veteran of pre-Golden Age conflict, minor mix-ups with Fallen, Hive, and Cabal, assisted in a strike against high profile Cabal officer, Valus Ta’aurc.

Ikora Rey’s notes:

Ian McKenzie – or Gospel as he insists on being called – is truly an enigma. To this date, he is the oldest living being on Earth, if his claims are indeed accurate. You see, every Guardian is resurrected with some form of amnesia depending on how long we have been dead; the more time has passed between our death and being chosen as a Guardian, the longer it takes us to remember who we once were. In Ian’s case, it took the better part of a year. He only recalls his previous service record through a set of dog tags he was wearing upon revival and even then, I am uncertain whether or not he actually remembered anything of it. About him being pre-Golden Age, there is no doubt; every Guardian, upon arrival in the Tower, is given an oral assessment consisting of personal and general knowledge questions to determine what they know and help build a psyche profile. Ian couldn’t answer many of the personal questions, but he was able to answer many of the general knowledge questions. In fact, his test results acquired the interest of New Monarchy, but I doubt he would tell them anything they want to hear.

All Guardians eventually begin to regain their memories, but it took some time before Ian could even remember his own name. The moniker “Gospel” actually came first due to the fact that Ian was carrying an old, preserved King James Bible with him when he arrived at the Tower. Because his amnesia was so extensive, we had to assign a chaperone to him so that he wouldn’t get lost on patrol or during a mission. We chose Aveline L’Freille due to her social nature with the other Guardians, but we were quite surprised when Samson-12 volunteered to join her and formally request an official fireteam. We approved the request and allowed them to go on missions together. Ian’s demeanor improved greatly and in time, began to piece together the lost fragments of his previous life, including his name; apparently Samson had to drag both Aveline and Ian back to the Tower after their celebrations.

Taking in Ian’s abilities, I have decided that he is an ideal candidate to become a Stormcaller; once he returns from his current mission I shall personally take him through the process to acquire this power.

Author's Note: Finally! I caught some down-time from the Taken War to write the next chapter!