a new hero

Chapter 4: Rigged From The Start

“So where are we going anyway?” jack and princess cellestia were deep within the castle, in some sort of long dark hallway. Jack guessed that they had to have passed underneath the castle and probably under most of the city. Maybe even extending into the mountain.

“The archives,” the princess had her horn aglow lighting the hallway, “they are deep within the mountain, it is a place where we have hidden many a secret. Things that should never see the light of day.”

“We all have our secrets, some we want to keep some we have to.”

“You understand, there is one book I can think of, one that is much older than my sister or myself.”

“I am giddy with anticipation.” Jack didn’t try to hide his sarcasm, “Are we almost there?”

“almost, but I must tell you I must not stay down there, we cannot just leave this kingdom to fend for itself, but my sister should be there. She can help you with pretty much anything you might need.” The two finally came upon an old elevator, “take this elevator all the way to the bottom. That is the archives.”

Jack nodded, “does twilight know about this?”

“no,” cellestia turned to leave, “the things hidden down there are to evil for most of my subjects to bear.” Cellestia began to walk back down the hallway. Jack carefully stepped onto the elevator, it was in bad shape, it looked older than jack himself, but it still worked just like new. The elevator descended eventually coming out of the small shaft, giving him a view of a massive underground chamber. One that would make the warehouse at the end of raiders of the lost ark jealous. Different areas held different things, some places looked like libraries, some areas held large wooden crates, one small area held a small group of tables, with a small light jack could see something sitting at one of the tables, probably princess luna. But what surprised jack the most were the large concrete and steel beams that came from the ceiling. These beams almost had a glow of their own, infused with an ancient magic, to keep them from corroding away with the passing of time. They had held the city of canterlot for millennia upon millennia. The elevator finally reached the bottom of the huge cavern. Princess luna was waiting for him there, she held a small lantern in her magic, without saying a word she turned and began to walk. Jack followed, neither said anything the room echoed the foot/hoof steps. They walked down a path made form large wooden boxes, some gave jack a tingling feeling, deep in his bones. Perhaps they held some sort of terrible item, or maybe they just oozed pure magic. They came upon the clearing full of tables that jack had seen from the elevator. Luna set down the lantern down next to a stack of old books.

“my sister does not understand what we are up against,” luna looked at the one open book.

“and you do?”

“not fully, but I have been down here every chance I could find trying to research this thing. She does not know what it is truly capable of, neither do I, but I know more than her.”

“she said you could help me find a book, one that came from the old country.”

“that would be this one,” luna held up an old black book, “just be careful, it is old, delicate.” Jack took the book and began to read, “we have been having a hard time. As you can see it is in an old language, not even our top scholars can recognize it. it is like it is…”

“not from this world?” jack finished her statement, with a smile.

“how did you know that?”

“simple, this is my native tongue.” Jack turned a page, the smile left his face.

“it is odd, there is the normal symbols, writing for about twenty pages, and then just that same little bit for eighty three pages.”

“binary.”

“what?”

“binary, it is called binary code, it is a simple language using a sequence of ones and zeros, something any computer can read,” jack made his hand glow again, holding above each page for a second before turning to the next. “it is another document, plans on how to make a weapon. But it is old, this kind of thing has not been used for centuries.”

“why not?” luna was intrigued in finally being able to decipher the tome.

“they call this thing a planet cracker. For good reason. You light this thing off in sub orbit around a planet and depending on a few variables it might completely the planet. But either way it will wipe a planet clean of all life. What bothers me more is the fact that this seems like more of a checklist. Missing only one thing, Plutonium.”

“so you are saying that some pony might have already built this weapon?”

“probably. Did you find anything along with this book?”

“no,” luna answered plainly, “when we did find it, about three thousand years ago, it was in an old shack, nothing was inside. Save for this book of course. That shack is long gone by now. I believe the current school house in ponyville was built where it used to stand. “

“I need to get there, I believe there is something very important there.”

“we can be there in twenty minutes. Do you want to bring twilight sparkle?”

“I see no need…” jack looked away, toward the elevator, “did you hear that?”

“hear what?”

“we are not alone.”

“we need to get back to the surface.”

“I agree, I hate caves anyway. Almost died in one, a while ago.”

Princess luna and jack moved to the elevator. They searched around but could find nothing out of the ordinary, let alone any evidence of an eavesdropper. As the elevator ascended jack could see that the room itself seemed to glow, faintly. Something that might inspire someone of the right mind. But soon the elevator ascended into a small shaft cut from the mountain. The elevator finally slowed to show the hallway from before, luna used her magic to light their way. Both were quiet, jack did not have much to say, and princess luna never really was one for conversation. The hallway seemed longer this time, but it impossible to tell, jack could not see beyond the light that luna cast. when the hallway finally emerged into the castle, the sun must have been near high noon, he had not spent that much time down there had he? They continued on, luna led them to the main throne room. Cellestia was already there waiting, twilight was with her. The purple unicorn looked pretty bad, the stress from have two of her friends taken from her.

Twilight took stock of the two figures coming into view, princess luna looked worried, frantic. And jack looked like he had one foot in the grave, the lack of sleep was by no means hidden. He walked with a slight limp, and the dark circles under his eyes were punctuated with a black eye.

“what did you learn sister?” cellestia spoke nervously, all her words almost slurring together.

“jack thinks that this book,” luna magicked up the book from seemingly out of nowhere, “and where we found it might be important.”

“where did you find it,” twilight couldn’t help but stare at the book, she had a desire to read it.

“ponyville, or the place where ponyville now stands,” even the solar princess seemed transfixed on the tome.

“the ponyville school house to be more precise,” luna finished.

“I want to get there as soon as possible,” jack broke in, “and preferably as quietly as possible. Make no mistake princesses you are being watched, everything you do is being calculated. I think it would be best if you were to just stay here in canterlot.”

“I think you are right, besides right now our country needs us. Or at least it will”

“twilight gather your friends, its time to go.”

With a nod twilight began walking out of the room, jack began to follow but was stopped by princes luna, “before you go I want to give you something.” Luna’s horn began to glow, and jack’s chest plate reciprocated the light. With a flash the light was gone. In it’s place was a sort of collar, a very dark blue, almost black, in the shape of luna’s chest piece. Just like luna’s it had a crescent moon in the center, but jack’s had two silver stars imbedded on either side of the moon. “this is the crest of the elite royal guard, only a select few are allowed to wear this. If anypony sees this crest they will know you are a friend.”

Jack laughed, “I prefer not to be seen, but I am sure this will come in handy from time to time.” Jack now followed twilight’s path, she was considerably farther ahead but he saw where she had gone. Turning a corner he came upon the group of twilight and her friends, they all looked terrible, robbed of sleep. There was a moment of silence, none of them knew what to say in this situation, jack was the first to break the silence, “you all look as bad as I feel,” he said with a smile.

“well as long as you don’t feel as bad as you look we are fine,” rainbow dash played along.

Jack sighed, exhaustion was finally caching up to him, “there is no use just standing here, we need to get back to ponyville.” The walk to the train station was almost torturous, none of them knew what to say, a few questions were asked of jack but he would just shrug them off with a one or two word answer, he was not going to give up anything if he could help it. he was always just so cold, so barred against the world, he even constantly wore a frown, looking like he would just as soon punch a passer-by, as give a greeting. The train station was a bit of a relief the constant bustling of ponies all around them broke the haunting silence in the group. The tickets given to them by the princess were for a private car, something twilight had grown accustomed to over the years as, well the princess’ favorite student. Rarity was beside herself, she loved the elegance of the train car, and she did not try to hide her excitement. Even rainbow dash seemed taken aback by the train’s decor. Each of her friends found a different place to sit down, rarity found a rather large couch, rainbow dash trotted up to the small wet bar a scanned the contents, fluttershy disappeared quickly to the small restroom in the car. But what jack did puzzled twilight, he did not sit down on any sort of furniture, instead he leaned up against a wall in the corner and slid to the floor, crossing his arms he closed his eyes. She couldn’t see how jack could sleep right now, rarity and rainbow dash had gotten into an argument, over the bar.

“how can you be thinking about alcohol at a time like this!”

“what, I can’t have a little something!”

“it is just distasteful! I bet you didn’t even plan on paying for your booze!”

“distasteful? And how dare you! I am the element of loyalty, there is no way that I could steal!”

The two went back and forth for a while, twilight casually walked up beside dash and poured herself a drink, the act made rarity stop mid sentence. There was a small pause as even rainbow dash was shocked at her friend, “twilight, dear, I didn’t think you were even old enough to drink yet.”

“I am not.” Twilight took a sip, “but it looks like a good time to start. I have been thinking, we should get to know each other a little better,” twilight turned her gaze to jack in the corner, she took another sip, “like for starters what do you like to do in your free time?”

“I don’t think he is awake,” dash looked at the corner.

“I am awake,” jack didn’t look up, “and I don’t really have much of a hobby. I have had about three minutes of free time in the last year or so.”

“well you must like to do something,” rarity used her usual snobby tone. It made jack twitch.

“you are right,” jack pulled out a rather large knife, “when I get bored I practice.”

“practice wha-?” dash was cut off by the blade flying past her face, hitting twilight’s glass, shattering it before imbedding itself in the wall behind them. “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING,” dash shouted, “YOU COULD HAVE HIT US!”

“I know what I am doing,” jack had re-crossed his arms, “that was not the first time I have thrown a knife. And I leave nothing to chance.”

AUTHOR'S NOTES: well i think i will let this story die. it was just going places that i couldn't rightly let it go, i did have some great ideas and little parts that i wrote to be folded in but *shrug*. if you want me to continue shoot me an email 0sheldm@gmail.com